Book Blitz ~ "To Know Me" by Marcy Blesy + ebook giveaway!

To Know Me

by Marcy Blesy

Summary from Goodreads:

To know me is to die...

Seventeen-year-old Mae is convinced that the consequences of her poor decisions have caused the untimely deaths of her dad, sister Laura, and grandma who all die within a year, no matter how ludicrous her thoughts seem to those she loves. The solution? Run away so no one else she cares for gets hurt (even if she has to keep a GPS tracker on her phone at all times).

Desperate to earn her diploma and salvage something of her life, she transfers schools when people get too close. After switching to Woodson Prep with only two months to go until graduation, Mae keeps her goals in sight. But when she meets Ty, the "perfect boy" with his own secrets and a relentless interest in Mae, she must decide if she can stop running from the past and still protect those she loves.

Read an Excerpt! 

********************

“Is this for me?” I ask as Ty stands in the center of the clearing with a yellow rose in one hand.

“No. It’s for that grandma who’ll be passing this area in about ten minutes. I’m just practicing my delivery.” He’s so cute when he’s being sarcastic. I take the rose. In an instant I am shocked back to the day of Laura’s funeral. Everyone in her sixth grade glass brought roses to the cemetery to lay upon her grave, yellow ones, her favorite color. “Why aren’t you smiling?” Ty asks. “Did I do something wrong?”

“N…no.”

“Your hand is shaking,” he says coming over to my side. “Sit down.” He points to the picnic table. “Mae, if you don’t tell me anything I won’t ever be able to help you. I want to help you. I know what it’s like to need help. There’s a lot you don’t know about me, too. And I’m willing to tell you. It’s weird because I hardly know anything about you, but I feel like we’re a lot alike.”

“We’re nothing alike,” I say. I want to tell him. But if I do? Then what? He won’t understand. No one does.

“Is yellow not a good color for brunettes?” he jokes. I can’t help but smile. He takes the rose, breaks off the stem, and tucks it behind my ear. He leans in to smell the rose and kisses my cheek. Only the crunching of sticks from the older couple on the path stops him from reaching my lips.

********************

Available from:

Amazon kindle

About the Author

I am a former elementary school teacher and currently run an elementary library which is the perfect job for my interests.

In October 2010 I  had an essay published in Chicken Soup for the Soul:  Devotional Stories For Mothers.   Another essay will be published in November 2013 in Chicken Soup for the Soul: Just Us Girls.

In 2012 my debut picture book was released by Bronze Man Books. Am I Like My Daddy? follows the journey of a child who seeks to learn if she is anything like the dad who died when she was young.

My middle grade novel, Confessions of a Corn Kid, as well a YA short story trilogy, The Lexie and Rhett Chronicles, and To Know Me, were released direct to kindle in 2013.


I am a great eavesdropper and person profiler which proves a fabulous advantage for a writer. As my favorite shirt says, Be careful or you’ll end up in my novel.

***Author Links***

  

GIVEAWAY

2 e-book copies of To Know Me (mobi) (US)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Blitz organized by:

E-Reading on the Cheap is offering a great giveaway!

E-Reading on the Cheap offers free and cheap ($3.99 and less) ebooks daily to your email. To celebrate our Grand Re-Opening we teamed up with some awesome authors to give you a great giveaway. One Lucky e-reading on the cheap subscriber will get a Verso Prologue eReader Cover

Three Lucky eReading on the Cheap Subscribers will receive $25 Amazon Gift Cards!

Sign up to get Cheap and Free Ebooks from e-Reading on the Cheap  

Enter your email address: Delivered by FeedBurner

  Our Sponsors - Free and Cheap Ebooks  

Check out the sponsors!  You will find books ranging in price from FREE to $3.99

http://ereadingonthecheap.com/ereading-on-the-cheap-ereading-cover-and-amazon-gc-giveaway/

Support these authors and fill out the form below to enter. The giveaway is open to US residents for the ereader cover and the Giftcards are open INTERNATIONALLY or where you can use them <a id="rc-9b80e9482" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/9b80e9482/" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a> <script src="//d12vno17mo87cx.cloudfront.net/embed/rafl/cptr.js"></script>

Blog Tour ~ "Depression and your Child" by Deborah Serani

Seeing your child suffer in any way is a harrowing experience for any parent. Mental illness in children can be particularly draining due to the mystery surrounding it, and the issue of diagnosis at such a tender age. Depression and Your Child gives parents and caregivers a uniquely textured understanding of pediatric depression, its causes, its symptoms, and its treatments. Author Deborah Serani weaves her own personal experiences of being a depressed child along with her clinical experiences as a psychologist treating depressed children.

Current research, treatments and trends are presented in easy to understand language and tough subjects like self-harm, suicide and recovery plans are addressed with supportive direction. Parents will learn tips on how to discipline a depressed child, what to expect from traditional treatments like psychotherapy and medication, how to use holistic methods to address depression, how to avoid caregiver burnout, and how to move through the trauma of diagnosis and plan for the future.

Real life cases highlight the issues addressed in each chapter and resources and a glossary help to further understanding for those seeking additional information. Parents and caregivers are sure to find here a reassuring approach to childhood depression that highlights the needs of the child even while it emphasizes the need for caregivers to care for themselves and other family members as well.

I wanted to participate in this blog tour because I have a child who is living with depression. He started threatening suicide at six.  He is fourteen now and it has been a along and difficult struggle to find therapists, psychologists, and medication that work for him.  It makes it tougher when insurance doesn't want to pay for therapy, and leaving parents struggling, not knowing where to turn next.  While I have not read this book, it looks wonderful and hopefully a great resource to families like mine.  Unfortunately I didn't receive a copy of this book and was unable to review.

Purchase Links: 

Amazon * Rowman & Litttlefield * Barnes & Noble * Book Depository

Watch the Trailer"

Read an Excerpt!

********************

When you held your child for the very first time, you were likely brimming with pride and joy. Your heart swelling with enormous love, you’re swept away with streams of thoughts for what your child needs in this immediate moment—as well as plans and dreams for the future. You expect there to be wondrous adventures your child will experience, as well as bumps in the road along the way.

And that’s okay, you say, because you know that life isn’t always an easy journey.

But one thing you probably never considered was how an illness like depression could take hold of your child. And why would you? Up until recently, it was never believed that children could experience depression. Long ago, studies suggested that children and teenagers didn’t have the emotional capacity or cognitive development to experience the hopelessness and helplessness of depression.

Today, we know that children, even babies, experience depression. The clinical term is called pediatric depression, and rates are higher now than ever before. In the United States alone, evidence suggests that 4 percent of preschool-agedchildren, 5 percent of school-aged children, and 11 percent of adolescents meet the criteria for major depression.

Depression and Your Child grew out of my experience of being a clinician who specializes in the treatment of pediatricdepression. I wanted to write a parenting book to raise awareness about depressive disorders in children, to teach parents how to find treatment, to offer tips for creating a healthy living environment, and to highlight important adult parenting matters such as self-care, romance, and well-being.

I also wrote this book because I have lived with depression since I was a child. As is the case with pediatric depression, my own depression didn’t hit with lightning-like speed. It was more of a slow burn, taking its toll in gnaws and bites before hollowing me out completely. After a suicide attempt as a college sophomore, I found help that finally reduced mydepression. Until then, I accepted the sadness, despair, and overwhelming fatigue as the way my life just was. I never realized, nor did my parents or any other adults, that I had a clinical disorder. I’ve since turned the wounds from my childhood into wisdom and believe that sharing the textures of my experiences will help parents realize what their owndepressed child is going through.

More than anything else, I want this book to offer hope. As a clinician, proper diagnosis and treatment can be life-changing and life saving. As a person living with depression, I have found successful ways to lead a full and meaningful life. I want parents and children who struggle with depression to feel this hope, too—and in these pages, that’s what you’ll find.

********************

About the author:  Dr. Deborah Serani is a go-to media expert on a variety of psychological issues. Her interviews can be found in ABC News, Newsday, Womens Health & Fitness, The Chicago Tribune, The Associated Press, and affiliate radio station programs at CBS and NPR,just to name a few. She is a ShareCare Expert for Dr. Oz, writes for Psychology Today, helms the “Ask the Therapist” column for Esperanza Magazine and has worked as a technical advisor for the NBC television show Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. A licensed psychologist in practice over twenty years, Serani is also an adjunct professor at Adelphi Universityteaching courses in clinical disorders and treatment and is the author of the award-winning book “Living with Depression.”

Visit her website at www.drdeborahserani.com.

TWITTER | FACEBOOK | GOODREADS

Book Review ~ "Wind and Shadow" by Tori L. Ridgewood

Wind and Shadow by Tori L. Ridgewood
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Source: Received to review
Genre:  Adult Paranormal/Romance

Book Description:  Rayvin Woods, photographer and natural witch. She just wanted to start her life over again after a series of misadventures. She didn't count on rekindling a lost love when she came home to Talbot...or battling a malevolent vampire and his coven for her life.

Grant Michaels, police officer. He thought Rayvin was a murderer. He will do whatever it takes to protect the community he loves from danger...but will he learn to trust his heart, and the word of a witch, before it's too late?

Malcolm de Sade, cunning vampire, imprisoned underground for a year by Charlotte Fanning and Pike Mahonen ("Mist and Midnight", Midnight Thirsts). His accidental release unleashes his hunger and ambition on a small, sleepy town…

***

Facing the past can be a nightmare. It's worse when a vampire is stalking you.


My thoughts: Rayvin left her home town ten years ago with her head held high, but her heart in tatters. She was accused, but not found guilty, of attempted murder. She is coming to aid her best friend and foster sister rejuvenate the small town of Talbot. Old prejudices die hard, new prejudices form as unexplained tragedies are happening around town, just after her arrival.

Rayvin is in a very difficult situation. She has been unjustly condemned by the town, yet is in a position to save the town from the grasp of a vampire. She has formed a tenuous alliance with the police officer she crushed on in high school. The attraction is mutual and it doesn't take long for their attraction to turn into something more than admiring from a distance. She is having a hard time trusting him, because it was his best friend that she was accused of attempted murder. They both need to overcome hurt feelings and work together.

This is a very interesting book. I was caught up in the story fairly easily. It is easy to follow along and Tori L. Ridgewood does a great job of setting up the plot and follow through with action and emotion.

I would only recommend this book to readers 18+. There is strong sexual content and swearing.

Purchase Links

Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Book Depository

About the Author: After her first heartbreak, Tori found solace in two things: reading romance novels and listening to an after-dark radio program called Lovers and Other Strangers. Throughout the summer and fall of 1990, the new kid in town found reading fiction and writing her own short stories gave her a much needed creative outlet. Determined to become a published author, Tori amassed stacks of notebooks and boxes of filed-away stories, most only half-finished before another idea would overtake her and demand to be written down. Then, while on parental leave with her second baby, one story formed and refused to be packed away. Between teaching full-time, parenting, and life in general, it would take almost seven years before the first novel in her first trilogy would be completed. In the process, Tori finally found her stride as a writer.

At present, on her off-time, Tori not only enjoys reading, but also listening to an eclectic mix of music as she walks the family dog (Skittles), attempts to turn her thumb green, or makes needlework gifts for her friends and family members. She loves to travel, collect and make miniature furniture, and a good cup of tea during a thunderstorm or a blizzard. Under it all, she is always intrigued by history, the supernatural, vampire and shapeshifter mythology, romance, and other dangers.

It's now Fall ~ Enter to win a Kindle Fire today!

This is a joint AUTHOR & BLOGGER GIVEAWAY EVENT! Bloggers & Authors have joined together and each chipped in a little money towards a Kindle Fire HD 7".

Kindle Fire HD 7" Giveaway

The winner will have the option of receiving a 7" Kindle Fire HD (US Only)

  Or $199 Amazon.com Gift Card (International)

  Or $199 in Paypal Cash (International)

    Fall Sponsoring Authors & Bloggers

1. I Am A Reader, Not A Writer
2. Feed Your Reader
3. Author Annette K. Larsen
4. Phantasmic Reads
5. Author Bella Street
6. Author Bonnie Blythe
7. Author Stacy Claflin
8. MyLadyWeb: Women's History, Women Authors
9. Book Mama Blog
10. Word to Dreams
11. Candace's Book Blog
12. Once Upon a YA Book
13. Author Miriam Louise
14. Author Mary Ting
15. Author Camelia Miron Skiba
16. Books4Tomorrow
17. Author Theresa McClinton
18. Brooke Blogs
19. Author Pauline Creeden
20. Author MK McClintock
21. Author Kathryn Chastain Treat
22. Books Unhinged Book Blog
23. Author Kelly Cozy
24. Meredith & Jennifer's Musings
25. These Are But Shadows
26. My Devotional Thoughts
27. Author Ally Shields
28. Dark Motive's Books and More
29. Nessarox
30. Fae Books
31. Author Jennie Sherwin
32. The Real Bookshelves of Room 918
33. Auggie Talk
34. No BS Book Reviews
35. BookLover Sue
36. Gin's Book Notes
37. Bookhounds
38. Buku-Buku Didi
39. Author Shelli Profitt Howells
40. My Nook, Books and More
41. The Late Bloomer's Book Blog
42. Clarice's Book Nook
43. MichaelSciFan
44. Magical Manuscripts
45. Author Talia Jager
46. Every Free Chance Book Reviews
47. Jessabella Reads
48. Author Melissa Pearl
49. Author Elizabeth Isaacs
50. Bookitty Blog
51. Author Helen Smith
52. The (Mis)Adventures of a Twenty-Something Year Old Girl
53. Christine's Blog
54. Write Away Bliss
55. Another World of Books
56. The Reporter and The Girl MINUS The Super Man!
57. Katie's Clean Book Collection
58. Author Marcia Lynn McClure
59. Author Shannon Guymon
60. Ripple Effect Romance Series

  Sign up to Sponsor the NOVEMBER Giveaway http://www.iamareader.com/2013/09/november-kindle-fire-giveaway-sign-ups.html   Giveaway Details 1 winner will receive their choice of a Kindle Fire 7" HD (US Only), $199 Amazon Gift Card or $199 in Paypal Cash (International). There is a second separate giveaway for bloggers who post this giveaway on their blog. See details in the rafflecopter on how to enter to win the 2nd Kindle Fire. Ends 10/31/13 Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer http://iamareader.com and sponsored by the participating authors & bloggers. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.   a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Blitz ~ @cheriecolyer 's Embrace and Hold Tight + a giveaway!

Embrace (The Embrace Series #1)
by Cherie Colyer
Release Date: 12/20/11
Omnific Publishing

Summary from Goodreads:
Madison is familiar enough with change, and she hates everything about it. Change took her long-term boyfriend away from her. It caused one of her friends to suddenly hate her. It’s responsible for the death of a local along with a host of other mysterious happenings. But when Madison meets a hot new guy, she thinks her luck is about to improve.

Madison is instantly drawn to the handsome and intriguing Isaac Addington. She quickly realizes he’s a guy harboring a secret, but she’s willing to risk the unknown to be with him.

Her world really spins out of control, however, when her best friend becomes delusional, seeing things that aren’t there and desperately trying to escape their evil. When the doctors can’t find the answers, Madison seeks her own.

Nothing can prepare her for what she is about to discover.
Dangerous, intoxicating, and darkly romantic, Embrace is a thriller that will leave you spellbound.

Purchase Links!

Amazon  * Barnes & Noble * Book Depository

(It's 99 cents for Kindle and Nook!)

Hold Tight (The Embrace Series #2)
by Cherie Colyer
Release Date: 08/20/13
Omnific Publishing

Summary from Goodreads:
What’s one little spell?

When you’re new to magic, one spell can be the difference between getting what you want...and ruining the lives of everyone you love.

Sixteen-year-old Madison has just embraced her magical powers. The trick now is learning how to control them. She and her boyfriend -and fellow witch- can’t even enjoy a simple kiss without getting shocked when their powers collide. Instead of mastering her new skills, though, Madison is stuck watching her kid brother and doing chores.

But being a witch does have its benefits. With a simple spell, Madison instantly conjures the help she needs around the house. Or so she thinks. Her idea of “help” invites trouble of its own as a pair of dangerous yet enticing beings enter her life. When a classmate disappears soon afterwards, Madison discovers she's the next victim of a threat she's powerless to resist...and there’s nothing it won’t kill to make her surrender.

Caught in the crossfire between two dashing but deadly creatures, Madison must figure out which one to trust and how to rid her world of the other—before one of them destroys her and everyone she cares about.

Purchase Links!

Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Book Depository

(It's $2.99 for Kindle and Nook)

About the Author

A little about myself: I write young adult and middle grade novels. I love finding new stories that keep me up late reading. While my favorite genre is fantasy, if the book is beautifully written with characters that come alive I’m all over it.
My debut novel EMBRACE is now available from Omnific Publishing.

***Author Links***

   

***GIVEAWAY***

$20 Gift Card to Amazon or Barnes & Noble

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Blitz organized by:

Blog tour ~ "Cassie's Cowboy Crave" by Kimberly Krey (giveaway)

On tour with Prism Book Tours... 

Welcome to... The Kissin' Tour!

Cassie's Cowboy Crave
Sweet Montana Bride Series
by Kimberly Krey
Published July 12, 2013

Twenty-four-year-old Cassie Lovell has a great job, good friends, and an apartment with a killer view. That is, until life is turned upside down. Without the chance to say goodbye, Cassie is forced into a witness protection program on Emerson Ranch. Just when she fears life is doomed, Cassie meets Shane Emerson, the stunningly handsome cowboy who’ll be posing as her newlywed groom. 

Shane Emerson is determined not to fall for the woman he’s agreed to harbor. Especially since the whole thing was his family’s way of trying to get him hitched. So why is it when he takes Cassie into his home, Shane wants nothing more than to turn their make-believe marriage into more than just a sham? 

In a moment of weakness, Shane steals a kiss. 
In return, Cassie steals his heart. 
Yet before they confess their undying love, 
a hidden danger threatens to tear them apart.

*Although this novel is considered clean romance, it does contain passionate kissing and a few mild curse words.

My thoughts:  Cassie's Cowboy Crave delivers on kissing and tension.  Cassie was part of a jury that convicted a member of a crime family.  The family wants to send a message to future juror's.  There are two more who are scheduled for trial.  The family wants them to know that if they convict, they will pay a hefty price - their lives.  Cassie is forced into the witness protection program, specifically under the protection of Shane.

Right from the start the two hit it off.  There is instant attraction, but both are unwilling to start a relationship.  Cassie is involved in a long distance romance, and Shane doesn't want to fall into the family pattern of falling for the girl he has agreed to protect. There is also the issue that he is a country boy and she is a city girl.  She lives in solitude, he has family and friends surrounding him.  Their lives are opposites, but attraction is strong motivator and mind changer.

I was pulled into the book from the beginning.  There are kissing scenes, but the book doesn't go farther than the kiss.  This is the kind of romance book that I really enjoy. Sweet with a bit of spice that doesn't make me blush!

I received a copy of this book from a giveaway!  I won this one from the Western Roundup Hop at Burgandy Ice.

Goodreads * Amazon 

Writing Romance That’s Clean Without Losing the Steam!

Kimberly Krey


I'm a writer of contemporary clean romance, a lover of home, family, & friends, & the ultimate hater of laundry.

A few of my favorite things: Diet Coke, Cafe Rio, and novels by Marcia Lynn McClure.

I do not go anywhere without: SoftLips Chapstick and Altoids Smalls. 

Website * Facebook * Twitter * Goodreads

Giveaway:

$100 Amazon Gift Card + Signed Paperback + Recipes!  (Int'l.)
Sept 16 - Oct 11

Must be 18 to enter, able to receive winnings. See other applicable restrictions on Rafflecopter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Kissin' Tour
The delights of Romantic Tension!

Sept. 16 – Launch

17 – TheReading Diaries 

-          Pieces of Whimsy 

18 – TheWonderings of One Person 

-          Rose & Beps Blog 

19 – I Ama Reader, Not a Writer 

-          Proud Book Nerd

20 – Mommasez…

-          Mel’s Shelves 

21 – BookwormLisa 

22 – A Tiffyfit’s Reading Corner

-          Sun Mountain Reviews 

23 – GettingYour Read On

-          Christy’s Cozy Corner

24 – Tressa’sWishful Endings

25 – Icefairy’s Treasure Chest 

-          Tressa’s Wishful Endings 

26     - What’s Beyond Forks?

Sept. 27-30  Grand Finale

"Warm Up Your Winter" with hot chocolate and cider!

Warm Up Your Winter: Holiday Hot Chocolate and Cider Recipes by Laura Powell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Source: Received to Review
Genre: Cook Book

Book Description: Snuggle up next to the fire! While winter rages outside, nothing beats a steaming mug of hot chocolate or cider. Warm up Your Winter includes delightful recipes like Classic Hot Cocoa, Pumpkin Pie White Hot Chocolate, and Hot Caramel Apple Cider. Also included are topping recipes and ideas on how to serve up a hot beverage bar for an unforgettable holiday get-together.

Author of Real Mom Kitchen, Laura Powell brings you a collection of recipes sure to get you toasty on even the coldest evenings. Don’t just survive the winter—warm it up! 

My thoughts:  Every morning when I wake up I have a cup of hot chocolate with my breakfast. It's true, winter or summer, it's a staple of my morning routine. If my kids or husband get the last of a container before I do, I am NOT pleased!

As I looked through the recipes I almost drooled. They look very good. There's even a frozen hot chocolate for the times I want something cold! Honestly this book is a winner for feeding my addiction! Which was one of the reason's that I wanted a copy to review. :)

I know that it's not winter yet.  The weather is getting to be chilly in the evenings and mornings.  I'm already looking for great gift ideas for the holidays and this is a good one. It's a small pamplet that is $2.99 at Amazon or $4.99 at other retailers.

Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Book Depository

About the Author: Laura Powell grew up in the Salt Lake Valley. She gained a passion for cooking from her mother and created her own recipe book as a young girl along with participating in a summer cooking program through the Deseret News. She began her blog, realmomkitchen.com, in April of 2008 as a way to showcase her passion for cooking. Since then, realmomkitchen.com has turned into her own small business. Laura continues to reside in Utah with her husband and 3 children.