Bitter Angel by Megan Hand (Blog Tour & Giveaway)

Title: Bitter Angel

Author: Megan Hand

Release date: April 1, 2013

Age Group: Mature Young Adult

Genre: Contemporary/Thriller

Tour organized by: AToMR Tours

Goodreads

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Torn between two realities.

A choice that will mean life or death.

She won’t know anything… until she wakes up.

College sophomore, Lila Spencer lived Friday night twice. She doesn’t know how or why, just that she did. As if she split in half and went in two different directions.

Out clubbing with her friends, Heather and Nilah, the girls rock it out and party hard. What begins as an innocent night will lead to a deadly fight for their lives, and Lila might be their only chance for survival.

In bed with her boyfriend, Jay, Lila is safe and warm as she drifts to sleep in the arms of the man she loves. Until she is sucked into a horrifying nightmare of her friends’ deaths.

As the sunlight warms her face on Saturday morning, the two scenarios collide. But there can be only one outcome. Will she wake up in her warm bed with Jay by her side, devastated and grieving for her friends? Or was she there to save them?

The answer is just the beginning.

My Thoughts

I love it when I read a book and get my mind blown, and trust me Bitter Angel will definitely blow you mind! This book doesn't rely on overly angsty romance or super sexy times to get your heart racing, but trust me your heart WILL race.

Have you ever had one of those dreams that feel SO real? So real that when you wake up your sweaty your heart is pounding and your whole day is thrown off. Now imagine knowing beyond a shadow of a doubt that your dream is going to come true. This is exactly what happens to Lila one night and she is determined to stop the unthinkable from happening to her and her friends.

I truly loved Bitter Angel. Not only is it different from anything else I have ever read but it kept me on the edge of my seat turning pages as fast as I could. I would like to point out that due to the intensity of some of the scenes in Bitter Angel this is definitely intended for the most mature YA readers. If you are comfortable reading about topics like the ones Ellen Hopkins writes about you should be good with the topics and scenes in Bitter Angel.

a Rafflecopter giveaway a Rafflecopter giveaway

At twelve, Megan decided to write a novel. A month later, she quit. A reading junkie by nature, she started writing again in her twenties as a way to get the voices out, because who wouldn't want to create a Real Living Person out of thin air? Megan also plays the piano and sings. She teaches little kids and takes pictures of pretty butterflies. She eats way too much chocolate, is sort of a mad scientist with her blender, and spends an unhealthy amount of time LOLing on Facebook and Twitter. She lives in Ohio with her husband and very smiley son. Bitter Angel is her first published novel.

Social Media links:

Twitter – @MeganHandWrites; https://twitter.com/MeganHandWrites

Website – http://meganhandwrites.blogspot.com/

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/meganhandauthor

Goodreads – http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6868683.Megan_Hand

Check out the rest of the Bitter Angel tour by clicking on the button below. 

Drowning In You Blog Tour & Giveaway

Drowning In You by Rebecca Berto
Publication date: April 12th 2013 
Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance

Secretly crushing

Crushed by a tragedy

Charlee May’s been crushing on Dexter Hollingworth since she was fifteen. Five years later, a horrific skiing disaster at Mason’s Ski Lift Resort leaves her millionaire dad critically injured and her mom dead at the hands of Dexter operating the lifts. Charlee is suddenly the sole caretaker for her little brother while their world falls apart. 

Dexter couldn’t be more different from Charlee. He’s tattooed, avoids exclusive relationships and his Dad has a fair share of illegal dealings. With Dexter’s reputation, almost everyone believes he planned the Mason’s skiing disaster.

And after all these years he’s still crushing on Charlee May, the girl who’s too good for him.

When this cruel twist of fate ties Charlee’s family and Dexter’s reputation together, Charlee and Dexter wonder if their feelings are reciprocated, while Dexter discovers his dad is trying to steal the May’s millionaire fortune. 

But like an addiction, one look, one touch, one taste—they’re hooked no matter the consequences.

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17206928-drowning-in-you

Purchase: 

Amazon paperback: http://www.amazon.com/Drowning-You-Rebecca-Berto/dp/0987456628/

Amazon Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Drowning-in-You-ebook/dp/B00C83XWN4/

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/302783

Kobo: http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/Drowning-in-You/book-M3hQgv8Al0mA7rZ-wyjJPg/page1.html

AUTHOR BIO

Rebecca Berto is the author or the dark contemporary/literary novella, PRECISE and the upcoming new adult contemporary romance novel, DROWNING IN YOU. She is also a freelance editor.

She writes stories that are a bit sexy, and straddle the line between Literary and Tear Your Heart Out. She gets a thrill when her readers  are emotional reading her stories, and gets even more of a kick when they tell her so. She’s strangely imaginative, spends too much time on her computer, and is certifiably crazy when she works on her fiction.

Rebecca Berto lives in Melbourne, Australia with her boyfriend and their doggy. 

Author Links:

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

From a note tucked under her pillow:

I like Dexter Hollingworth.

Dexter Hollingworth “killed” my parents.

1. Killer Crush

Charlee

As per all the fourteen- to eighteen-year-olds at our school, I started crushing on Dexter Hollingworth around the age of fifteen. There was one girl who hated him, but she was into girls.

From the football field sidelines to graduation day and beyond, my best friend Rosa and I have wanted him. But guys like Dexter don’t notice girls like us who spend most of our time talking about cool people like him.

At twenty years old, I still “love” him.

I love the way his body personifies what a male God should be without looking like Fabio.

I love the way his perfect tanned skin is inked and how he wears those aviator sunglasses and how he’d use up his lunchtimes to teach the little kids in our school guitar lessons.

But I hate the way I love him.

I hate how Dexter was the one controlling the ski lifts at Mason’s Ski Resort the day my mom was killed because it also put me here, in this position, praying to a God I’ve never believed in to spare my dad’s life.

In this hospital room, the air is as quiet as the still of night and my dad’s languid breathing and drawn-out, heavy movements remind me that my perfect family life was never meant to be forever.

If I’m being honest, it seems like things are already over. Dad’s skin keeps a yellow color—at best—from the IV drip. His meds help with the simple tasks his heart and other organs can’t. My thoughts wander again. I don’t let myself consider the alternative—that maybe it’s wishful thinking. I go with this:

“Dad,” I say, jealous my little brother, Darcy is holding our dad’s hand—the hand he can squeeze with. “Look at you.” I wink.

“Is she okay, Dad?” Darcy asks, sounding as though he’s confused.

“Charlee?” The confusion is contagious, but Dad’s patient zero—not Darcy.

There are bars that raise and lower around Dad’s bed, and they’ve been raised forever. Surely they must be there because they’re too hard to put down in their scratched, old state. My dad doesn’t need silly bars around his bed! My dad owns Roycroft Engines.

“I think you’re squeezing Darcy’s hand too tight,” I say.

“Wha-at?” Darcy says. He’s staring at me with squinted eyes, probably thinking what’s wrong with my sister? She’s supposed to be the adult.

It hurts smiling like this, the creases halfway up my cheeks. But maybe it’ll work. “Isn’t that right, Dad?”

Dad’s eyes are like I remember them now. There’s vibrancy in the rich brown color, like my eyes. I bet he’s thinking is his daughter crazy? He tilts his head to the side—

Injured people don’t understand things like this. Injured people don’t get what’s unsaid. Dad’s not that injured.

—as it clicks. Dad shakes out of Darcy’s grip and waggles his finger at him. “That nurse…”

“Lisa Hollingworth,” I say.

“Yes, Lisa. That nurse Lisa said motor function is good. Squeezing someone’s hand uses up a lot more strength than you think, son.”

Darcy’s mouth flops open and stays that way. He checks out Dad, who’s nodding, and me—should I nod?—so I nod also.

“Squeezing your hand probably takes Dad twenty muscles and millions of brain cells just to do something like that.”

“No way!” Darcy grins and punches the air. “Dad, that’s cool.”

And just like that, Darcy has that same face on as he had when Mom told him she had to wait three hours in line to buy Desert Warcraft and yeah, she really, really got it for him.

That face is why I haven’t downed twenty sleeping pills yet. God knows these last weeks have felt like months, which actually felt like years. That makes me the most ancient twenty-year-old alive.

Why, Dexter? Why did it have to be you in that seat, in that room, at that time?

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Slow No Wake by Dakota Madison Promo, Review, & Giveaway

Title: Slow No Wake
Author: Dakota Madison
Publisher: Short on Time Books
Release date: April 1, 2013
Genre:  Contemporary
Age Group:  New Adult/Adult
Event organized by: AToMR Tours

Links to the book:

Amazon - http://www.amazon.com/Slow-No-Wake-ebook/dp/B00BV84740/

Goodreads - http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17661713-slow-no-wake

After finding her sister in bed with her fiancé, 25-year old Lexie Wilkins decides to relocate to southwest Florida to start a new life and escape relationships all together. What she doesn’t expect to find are two attractive kite surfers, who both want her.

So much for Lexie’s vow for her fresh start in Florida: a no wake zone. Having two guys in her life is sure to make waves.
Eddie is the captivating bad boy, who lives next door. Daniel is Lexie’s sweet and ruggedly handsome co-worker. The differences between the two men are just as extreme as their sport… Who will she choose?

About the Author

Dakota Madison has been writing since she learned to read and fell in love with books. When she's not at her computer creating spicy new romances, Dakota is traveling to exotic locales or spending time with her husband and their bloodhounds.

Author social media links:

http://12novels12months.tumblr.com/

My Thoughts

Lexie wants a drama free life. Free from waves so she makes her own catch phrase "Slow No Wake". However, she really isn't very good at abiding by her new motto. She is quickly attracted to not one but two gorgeous men that both want her bad.

While Slow No Wake is a quick and enjoyable read it's a little predictable. The characters were definitely my favorite part of this novel. Lexie's co-workers were written perfectly. Serenity and twin sister Trinity were hilarious and for some reason I ended up loving Brad.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Excerpt

I knocked lightly on the door and when Daniel looked up he seemed surprised to see me. Not pleasantly surprised, as I had hoped, but he didn’t look unpleasantly surprised either. He just looked confused.

“I think we need to talk,” I said as I entered his office and closed the door behind me.

He nodded and I took a seat.

“I just want you to know that I was eating lunch by myself when Ricky introduced himself and asked if he could join me. We were just talking.”

He nodded again but didn’t say anything. I noticed he had put up a bit of a wall between us. It felt cold and uncomfortable.

“I’m not interested in Ricky, if that’s what you’re thinking.”

His look was sullen. “Ricky has a way with women.”  

“He’s not really my type,” I said. “And I’m interested in someone else.”I looked into his eyes and the intensity between us started to melt the ice that had formed. He

started to bite his bottom lip, a habit I found extremely attractive. Anything that brought my attention to his lips made me think about kissing him.

“And just who is the lucky guy you’re interested in?” he asked, knowing full well it was him.

“We’re going out Saturday night,” I said.

“Is that so?” he said as the heat between us continued to intensify. I was suddenly glad there was a desk separating us. “I’m jealous.”

I grinned. “You should be. This guy is the full package.”

I could see his face grow red with embarrassment. “The full package, huh?”

I nodded.

“I hope this guy doesn’t mind that we’re meeting for lunch tomorrow.”

“I think he’d be terribly jealous,” I said playing it up as much as I could. “He hates to see me with other men.”

I was surprised when Daniel touched my hand. I instinctively glanced up at the door to make sure it was still closed. He grazed his index finger along my thumb and then each of my fingers. The act was so sensual it took my breath away. “I’m really looking forward to Saturday night,” he said as he continued caressing my fingers.

“Me, too,” I managed to get out with the limited breath I now seemed to have.

I felt like crawling over the desk and into his lap. I tried to distract myself by looking around his office. I noticed for the first time that his walls were covered with framed posters of guys in the ocean on boards attached to kites. I assumed they were kite surfers.

He must have noticed me examining his art work. “I like to kite surf,” he said.

“Are the posters of you?” I asked. It was difficult to tell who was actually doing the kite surfing in the photos.

“Some of them,” he said. “Some of them are my friends.” He pointed to one across the room from me. “That one’s Ricky. The one next to it is my roommate.” He pointed to two close to me. “Those two are me.”

I nodded. I wondered if that explained the rough hands and calluses.

“You should watch us sometime,” he said. “We’re all pretty good.”

I nodded. “Okay, sure.”

I stood. “I’d better get back to work,” I said. “Please don’t freak out when you see me talking to Ricky. You know we have to work together.”

“I know,” he said. “It’s just…” I could see him thinking. “We have a history. I know how he is with women.”

“Please don’t worry,” I said, and we left it at that.

Waiting On Forever by Ashley Wilcox

Title: Waiting on Forever

Author: Ashley Wilcox

Release date: April 29, 2013

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Age Group: Adult/ New Adult

College.

Parties, sororities and getting drunk.

Oh, yeah. And learning.

This may be true for most college students, but not for Leah

Bennett. College life for her includes studying, working,

and excelling in school. When it comes to the social

ladder, Leah is at the bottom. Popular girls, hot guys and

star athletes are of no importance to her, except for one.

Matthew Jacobs.

Matt is the starting wide receiver at SUNY Cortland,

the most wanted guy on campus and Leah’s best friend.

Although Leah’s feelings toward Matt run deeper than just

a friendship, it is something she would never let be heard

because the odds of someone like Matthew Jacobs going

for someone like Leah Bennett are slim to none.

When Matt starts showing an interest in Leah that goes

beyond friendship, she is dumbfounded and doesn’t believe

it is possible – until one weekend that changes everything.

Will Matt and Leah’s popularity status get in the way of

having a chance at a real relationship?

Or does status mean nothing when it comes to true love?

My Thoughts

If you are looking for an amazingly sweet, make you feel tingly from the romance, and a bit hot from the sexy bits then you are looking for Waiting On Forever. 

Leah can't get imagine that a boy like Matt could ever like a girl like her. I have to admit that this bothered me. I know it's normal especially in teens and young adults to think that someone is better than them or not good enough because of popularity or whatever but it makes Leah seem weak. She honestly doesn't think she is worthy of Matt because she isn't a sexually experienced bimbo. Speaking of sex and experience.....Leah is a super-virgin. She hasn't even been kissed yet but one kiss from Matt has her ready to drop her pants in a heap on the floor. Really? I didn't feel like that was very genuine. Now reading back on this it sounds like I don't like Leah very much but that's not true. There were some things I really liked about her. In all other areas of her life she was a strong character. She was smart, creative, sarcastic and she really doesn't take any crap from the bimbos, in fact she can be downright scrappy.

Matt adores Leah. After talking to her on Facebook for a while he manages to find a way to spend more time with her. For the most part I really liked Matt. Even though he is a star football player and everyone likes him he never seems to fall for fame that popularity can bring. He remains true to himself throughout the entire novel and I love how much he respects and cares for Leah. 

I really did enjoy Waiting on Forever. There isn't a lot of heartbreaking drama and the sexy scenes are hot enough to make you blush but aren't particularly naughty (definitely for mature readers though). This story is a spin off of Planning on Forever but I haven't read that yet and I didn't feel like I was missing anything so it really is a stand alone novel. I also really liked that the epilogue wrapped everything up with a ridiculously gorgeous bow.  

I received this book from the author for my honest opinion.

Cover Reveal:Off Limits by Sawyer Bennett

Title: Off Limits

Author: Sawyer Bennett

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Age Group: New Adult

Cover Designer: Vitalink

Expected release date: April 16, 2013

“There is a vulnerability there, hovering just below the surface. And I want to pick at it until I expose it. Then I want to kiss it." Two years ago, Emily Burnham, had an epiphany about the shallowness of her life. And she made it her mission to become a different person…a better woman. Out from under the controlling thumb of her mother, Emily is tasting the real world for the first time. And she likes it. Nixon Caldwell has served his time in the Marine Corps, surviving two brutal tours in Afghanistan. He is back home, surrounded by what he likes best…isolation. It's certainly the easiest way to avoid confrontation of the consuming guilt that is weighing him down. When an accident brings Emily and Nix together, he soon learns he is not the master of his own fate. Struggling with his own pain, Nix tries to guard himself against Emily’s charms. He wants her in his bed, but he doesn’t want her in his heart. Having grabbed life by the horns, Emily wants it all. But is she willing to accept just the small part of himself that Nix is offering? Can she reach the part of his soul that he has deemed to be Off Limits?

  About the Author 
 Sawyer Bennett is the pen name for a snarky southern woman and reformed trial lawyer who decided to finally start putting on paper all of the stories that were floating in her head. She is married to a mobster (well, a market researcher) and they have two big, furry dogs who hog the bed. Sawyer would like to report she doesn't have many weaknesses but can be bribed with a nominal amount of milk chocolate.

Sawyer Bennett | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Cover Reveal: Bitter Angel by Megan Hand

Title: Bitter Angel

Author: Megan Hand

Expected release date: April 1, 2013

Genre: Thriller

Age Group: New Adult

Cover Designer: B Design; http://bdesignpublishingservices.wordpress.com/a> 

Cover reveal organized by:  AToMR Tours

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17181920-bitter-angel

Book Description:

Torn between two realities.
A choice that will mean life or death.
She won’t know anything… until she wakes up.

College sophomore, Lila Spencer lived Friday night twice. She doesn’t know how or why, just that she did. As if she split in half and went in two different directions.

Out clubbing with her friends, Heather and Nilah, the girls rock it out and party hard. What begins as an innocent night will lead to a deadly fight for their lives, and Lila might be their only chance for survival.

In bed with her boyfriend, Jay, Lila is safe and warm as she drifts to sleep in the arms of the man she loves. Until she is sucked into a horrifying nightmare of her friends’ deaths.

As the sunlight warms her face on Saturday morning, the two scenarios collide. But there can be only one outcome. Will she wake up in her warm bed with Jay by her side, devastated and grieving for her friends? Or was she there to save them?

The answer is just the beginning.

About the Author:

At twelve, Megan decided to write a novel. A month later, she quit. A reading junkie by nature, she started writing again in her twenties as a way to get the voices out, because who wouldn't want to create a Real Living Person out of thin air? Megan also plays the piano and sings. She teaches little kids and takes pictures of pretty butterflies. She eats way too much chocolate, is sort of a mad scientist with her blender, and spends an unhealthy amount of time LOLing on Facebook and Twitter. She lives in Ohio with her husband and very smiley son. Bitter Angel is her first published novel.

Blog: http://meganhandwrites.blogspot.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/meganhandauthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/meganhandwrites