Blog Tour: Fractured by Catherine McKenzie

Author: Catherine McKenzie

Publisher: Lake Union Press

Date of publication: October 2016

Welcome, neighbor!

Julie Prentice and her family move across the country to the idyllic Mount Adams district of Cincinnati, hoping to evade the stalker who’s been terrorizing them ever since the publication of her bestselling novel, The Murder Game. Since Julie doesn’t know anyone in her new town, when she meets her neighbor John Dunbar, their instant connection brings measured hope for a new beginning. But she never imagines that a simple, benign conversation with him could set her life spinning so far off course.

We know where you live…

After a series of misunderstandings, Julie and her family become the target of increasingly unsettling harassment. Has Julie’s stalker found her, or are her neighbors out to get her, too? As tension in the neighborhood rises, new friends turn into enemies, and the results are deadly.

Fractured is going to be one of those books that is hard to review with out giving away any spoilers. I really liked the story.  The basic premise is that Julie moves to a new town.  She is an author and is trying to start a new life after she and her family are stalked by a crazed fan.  The new idyllic neighborhood is anything but and Julie soon finds her self a target again.  The story is told through both Julie's and John's (her neighbor's) eyes in altering time lines.  They all lead up to some tragic event that will change everyone's lives forever.  I like how the story was told as it laid out details for the reader at just the right time.

Out of all of the characters, I felt the most badly for Julie.  The street she moved onto was ruled by a lonely bored woman who really needed to mind her own business.  Gossip and innuendo made events get out of hand and be blown out of proportion; making Julie an unfair target.  Like a lot of small suburban communities, there are a lot of secrets and this one is chalk full of them. There are a lot of surprises to be found among the pages of the book.  I was surprised more than once.  In the end, they were all guilty of something or were they?

I definitely recommend this one.  It's one of the better books I have read this year.  It will really make you think about what goes on behind the doors of the seemingly perfect homes around you.  

Purchase Links

Amazon | Books-A-Million | Barnes & Noble

About Catherine McKenzie

Catherine McKenzie, a graduate of McGill University, practices law in Montreal, where she was born and raised. An avid skier and runner, Catherine’s novels Spin, Arranged, Forgotten, and Hidden are all international bestsellers and have been translated into numerous languages. Hidden was an Amazon #1 bestseller and a Digital Book World bestseller. Her fifth novel, Smoke, was an Amazon bestseller, a Goodreads Best Book for October 2015, and an Amazon Top 100 Book of 2015.

Connect with Catherine

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Catherine McKenzie’s TLC Book Tours TOUR STOPS

Tuesday, October 4th: You Can Read Me Anything

Tuesday, October 4th: Chick Lit Central

Wednesday, October 5th: Open Book Society

Thursday, October 6th: Musings of a Bookish Kitty

Friday, October 7th: Palmer’s Page Turners

Monday, October 10th: Write Read Life

Wednesday, October 12th: Caryn, The Book Whisperer

Thursday, October 13th: Reading is my Superpower

Thursday, October 13th: Stranded in Chaos

Friday, October 14th: A Book Geek

Monday, October 17th: Luxury Reading

Tuesday, October 18th: Booked on a Feeling

Wednesday, October 19th: Kritter’s Ramblings

Wednesday, October 19th: From the TBR Pile

Thursday, October 20th: No More Grumpy Bookseller

Friday, October 21st: Not in Jersey

Monday, October 24th: 5 Minutes for Books

Monday, October 24th: A Bookish Way of Life

Tuesday, October 25th: Bewitched Bookworms

Wednesday, October 26th: Wall to Wall Books

Thursday, October 27th: Thoughts on This ‘n That

Friday, October 28th: Book Chatter

Confession of a Serial Killer: The Untold Story of Dennis Rader, The BTK Killer by Dr. Katherine Ramsland

Author: Dr. Katherine Ramsland
Publisher: University of New England Press/ ForeEdge
Date of publication: October 2016

In 1974, Dennis Lynn Rader stalked and murdered a family of four in Wichita, Kansas. Since adolescence, he had read about serial killers and imagined becoming one. Soon after killing the family, he murdered a young woman and then another, until he had ten victims. He named himself B.T.K. (bind, torture, kill) and wrote notes that terrorized the city. He remained on the loose for thirty years. No one who knew him guessed his dark secret. He nearly got away with his crimes, but in 2004, he began to play risky games with the police. He made a mistake. When he was arrested, Rader s family, friends, and coworkers were shocked to discover that B.T.K. had been among them, going to work, raising his children, and acting normal. 

This case stands out both for the brutal treatment of victims and for the ordinary public face that Rader, a church council president, had shown to the outside world. Through jailhouse visits, telephone calls, and written correspondence, Katherine Ramsland worked with Rader himself to analyze the layers of his psyche. Using his drawings, letters, interviews, and Rader s unique codes, she presents in meticulous detail the childhood roots and development of one man s motivation to stalk, torture, and kill. She reveals aspects of the dark motivations of this most famous of living serial killers that have never before been revealed. 

In this book Katherine Ramsland presents an intelligent, original, and rare glimpse into the making of a serial killer and the potential darkness that lives next door."

Everyone has heard of the BTK Killer who eluded authorities for decades.  When I saw this book, I was intrigued right off of the bat.  I used to read true crime novels all the time and could never understand what motivated a person to torture and kill another human being. 

I found this book hard to read in one sitting.  The rationale and reasons for his attacks were hard to stomach at times.  The story is told through the author's analysis and observations as well as from the killer himself.  Rader is pretty twisted. Some of his passages were a bit slow and I did find myself skimming them at times.  What I did find the most disturbing was the way his descriptions of the murders and attacks came across as cold and matter of fact.  I never felt emotion coming from him and that gave me chills.

I think true crime readers will enjoy this one.  I will admit that I found the Introduction to be a bt confusing.  I'm not sure I really understood the "code" that Rader used to communicate with the author.  But in reality, I'm not sure you really need that section to understand the rest of the book.

About the author:

Dr. Katherine Ramsland is director of the Master of Arts in Criminal Justice Program at DeSales University, where she teaches graduate and undergraduate courses on forensic psychology and extreme offenders. An in-demand expert who has appeared on hundreds of television and radio programs including 20/20, The TODAY Show, NPR, and Coast to Coast AM, Dr. Ramsland writes a regular blog for Psychology Today, has published over 1,000 articles, stories, and reviews, and written 59 books, including The Mind of a Murdererand Psychopath. Dr. Ramsland regularly presents workshops to law enforcement, psychologists, coroners, judges, and attorneys, and has consulted for several television series, including CSI and Bones. In addition to Confession of a Serial Killer: The Untold Story of Dennis Rader, The BTK Killer this year, she published The Ripper Letter in July 2016, a supernatural murder mystery based on Jack the Ripper lore.

Blog Tour: Going Down Fast by Carly Phillips

Author: Carly Phillips
Publisher: CP Publishing
Date of publication: October 2016

A stand-alone Billionaire Bad Boys novel.

Billionaire Bad Boys: Rich, Powerful and sexy as hell.

Lucas Monroe dropped out of college only to become a multi-billionaire and tech world God. He can have any woman he desires in his bed, but the only woman he's ever wanted is off limits and always has been. When Maxie Sullivan finds herself in dire straits, the only man she can turn to is the one she's always secretly loved: her childhood best friend.  Can they trust their hearts and make a future, or will their complicated pasts stand in the way?

This bad boy is going down fast …

And going down fast has never felt so right.


Going Down Fast is the second book in the Billionaire Bad Boys series.  I thought it held up very well as a stand alone.  There is a brief recap of Kade and Lexi's story so when those characters show up, you aren't confused.  In this one,  Lucas and Maxie had known each other since grade school.  Lucas has always loved her, but stepped aside when she married his brother.  Now, he has the opportunity to make her his forever. Maxie was controlled by her late husband.  Now all she wants to do is make it on her own. She is conflicted in her feelings for Lucas and her need for independence.

I really enjoyed this one.   It was nice to see Maxie finally get the HEA that she deserved, especially after all the had been through with her late husband.  Friends to lovers stories are always the most satisfying! The ending was very sweet.  There is also a little bit of a mystery in the story.  That kept me on my toes.  I definitely recommend this one.  I look forward to reading the next one!

Find it on Goodreads

Buy links:

Amazon Kindle: http://amzn.to/2acSVXh
B&N Nook: http://bit.ly/2acUdSf
Kobo: http://bit.ly/2aiVlWT
iBooks: http://apple.co/2awzmvS
Google Play: http://bit.ly/2asyBmA

About the Author:

After a successful fifteen-year career with various New York publishing houses, and over 40 sexy contemporary romance novels published, N.Y. Times and USA Today Bestselling Author Carly Phillips is now an Indie author who writes to her own expectations and that of her readers. She continues the tradition of hot men and strong women and plans to publish many more sizzling stories. Carly lives in Purchase, NY with her family, two nearly adult daughters and two crazy dogs who star on her Facebook Fan Page and website. She's a writer, a knitter of sorts, a wife, and a mom. In addition, she's a Twitter and Internet junkie and is always around to interact with her readers. You can find out more about Carly at www.carlyphillips.com.

Author Links:

Website: http://www.carlyphillips.com/
Newsletter: http://www.carlyphillips.com/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/10000.Carly_Phillips
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Carly-Phillips/e/B001I9W0MS
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CarlyPhillipsFanPage
Twitter: https://twitter.com/carlyphillips

Local Girl Swept Away by Ellen Wittlinger

by:  Ellen Wittlinger
published by:  Merit Press
publish date:  June 15, 2016

Set in the Cape Cod village of Provincetown, Massachusetts, this is the story about 17-year-old Jackie's struggle to overcome her grief and confusion after her best friend is carried out to sea during a storm. Lorna had been the dynamic leader of a tight-knit group of four friends - Jackie, Lucas and Finn - and her disappearance changes the dynamics between the surviving three. Jackie is still hiding her feelings for Finn, who had been Lorna's boyfriend, and Lucas has withdrawn to the point where Jackie wonders if he is keeping a secret even larger than her own. Meanwhile the future looms, and Jackie fears leaving the only life she has known.

This book was a little far-fetched and rather predictable, but overall I did enjoy the story.

Jackie, Lucas, Finn and Lorna are their own world.  There are the 4 of them and no one else counts.  Lorna is their queen.  Until, she is swept away by a wave and lost in the ocean.  Her body never surfaces.  The 3 remaining friends are left to pick up the pieces of their lives and try to exist in a world without their leader.  Jackie and Finn find a new life together only for it to all fall apart again.

While this wasn't the most awesome book, it was a pretty good story.  I found some of the twists to be rather predictable, but still it was enjoyable.  I think most contemporary YA readers would ultimately enjoy this book.

Potboiler by Jesse Kellerman

by:  Jesse Kellerman
published by:  Putnam
publish date:  June 28, 2012

Arthur Pfefferkorn is a has-been, or perhaps a never-was: a middle-aged college professor with long-dead literary aspirations. When his oldest friend, bestselling thriller writer William de Vallèe, is lost at sea, Pfefferkorn is torn between envy and grief, for de Vallèe not only outshone Pfefferkorn professionally, but married the woman Pfefferkorn loved. 
Pfefferkorn’s decision to reconnect with de Vallèe’s widow sets in motion a surreal chain of events, plunging him into a shadowy realm of double crosses and intrigue, a world where no one can be trusted--and nothing can be taken seriously.

So this book is a weird one.  I liked it and I thought it was hilarious.  However, it's gotten a lot of not great reviews...I think the readers weren't getting the humor.

Arthur is a college professor who has written one book, a not so great book.  However, his best friend from school, William de Vallee went out and became a bestselling author writing political/spy thrillers.  Arthur is, of course, jealous of his success and the fact that he married the woman Arthur was in love with.  When William dies, Arthur has a chance to steal one of William's unread, unpublished manuscripts and pass it off as his own.  What Arthur doesn't know is that all of William's books were messages to undercover operatives and the changes that Arthur made to the manuscript have completely messed things up.  

Whenever you figure out this book isn't to be taken seriously, it gets to be a pretty good book.  I was about halfway or so and I was like "this can not be real".  I would recommend this if you're a fan of the spy/political thrillers.  So much in this book will make you laugh.

A Scot in the Dark by Sarah MacLean

Author: Sarah MacLean
Publisher: Avon
Date of publication: August 2016

Lonesome Lily Turned Scandalous Siren

Miss Lillian Hargrove has lived much of her life alone in a gilded cage, longing for love and companionship. When an artist offers her pretty promises and begs her to pose for a scandalous portrait, Lily doesn't hesitate...until the lying libertine leaves her in disgrace. With the painting now public, Lily has no choice but to turn to the one man who might save her from ruin.

Highland Devil turned Halfhearted Duke

The Duke of Warnick loathes all things English, none more so than the aristocracy. It does not matter that the imposing Scotsman has inherited one of the most venerable dukedoms in Britain—he wants nothing to do with it, especially when he discovers that the unwanted title comes with a troublesome ward, one who is far too old and far too beautiful to be his problem.

Tartan Comes to Town

Warnick arrives in London with a single goal: get the chit married and see her become someone else's problem, then return to a normal, quiet life in Scotland. It's the perfect plan, until Lily declares she'll only marry for love...and the Scot finds that there is one thing in England he likes far too much... 

A Scot in the Dark is the second book in the Scandal and Scoundrel series.  Alec was in  the first book, The Rogue Not Taken.  He is a reluctant Duke who wants nothing to do with England.  When he learns that he not only has inherited a ward, she is involved in a scandal.  He heads to London to try to bail her out.  

Alec and Lillian both have some major baggage.  But, I liked both of them almost instantly.  I knew I was going to love Alec.when he shared his feelings about Romeo and Juliet.  They mirror my own as I feel they weren't remotely romantic when they killed themselves over what amounts to nothing more than infatuation.  He has lived his life thinking he wasn't worth anything and that he is nothing more than a "scottish brute". 

 Everyone that Lillian has ever loved has left her, making her a prime target for a slick artist who woos her into posing for a nude painting.  I kind of felt badly for her. She was definitely naive but I loved watching her grow after the scandal blew up.  The banter between Alec and Lily was so much fun.  I loved the scene in the park where Alec acts as a chaperone.  I was laughing throughout that entire scene.  The Talbot sisters from the first book show up in this one to rally around Lillian.  I can't wait to read their stories! 

Blog Tour: Life After Coffee by Virginia Franken

Author:Virginia Franken

Publisher: Lake Union Publishing 

Date of Publication: September 13, 2016

When globe-trotting coffee buyer, Amy O’Hara, assures her husband—who stays at home to watch the kids—that it is He Who Has it Harder… she doesn’t really believe it. That is, until the day she gets laid off, her husband decides to devote all his waking hours to writing a screenplay, and she discovers she’s actually the world’s most incompetent mother.

Amy’s only possible salvation is to find another high-flying job as quickly as possible, but with the coffee industry imploding around her—and the competing buyers in her field being much hipper prospects—things look pretty dire. Even if Amy does manage to find full-time employment ever again, as her life slowly becomes more and more entwined with her children’s, how will she be able to bear leaving them to travel for weeks on end?

When salvation appears in the form of a movie-mogul ex-boyfriend who wants to employ her husband and rekindle their relationship, Amy starts to find she’s sorely tempted…

So, is there life after coffee? Amy is a laid-off coffee bean buyer who realizes that stay at home life isn't what she thought it could be. Figuring out how to be a full time mother again has its challenges. I'm not a huge coffee drinker, but I was intrigued by the premise of Life After Coffee. The debate over working mother versus stay at home mom is decades old and both sides have their strengths and weaknesses.  This book does make you think about personal priorities.

I so wanted to love this book, but in the end, I just didn't. I found it kind of hard to connect with the characters.  The opening was amusing and I felt bad for Amy.  But as the book progressed, I had a hard time liking any of the adults in the book. The kids were definitely a product of their parenting and I felt most sorry for them. I found all of the characters selfish and just ended up being annoyed by them.  I also was really put off by what Amy even contemplated with Matt. That is such a deal breaker for me. 

I did end up liking the ending.  I felt like the whole family ended up with the life that would give them the success needed to make it together.  Even though this wasn't s story for me, it is well written and I do recommend giving it a try.  Check out what others on the tour are saying below.

About the author:

Virginia Franken was born and raised in Medway, Kent, the place where Henry the 8th sent his wives on holiday in the hope that they’d be eaten alive by mosquitoes and save him the trouble of beheading them. Most her childhood was spent wearing a dance leotard and tights, and at age 11 she attended the (sort of) prestigious dance school The Arts Education School, Tring, where she spent her teen years trying to do pique turns in a straight line and getting drunk in the village. (The inability to do the former possibly informed by too much opportunity to do the latter).

After graduating from The University of Roehampton, she worked on cruise liners as a professional dancer before deciding she’d had enough of wearing diamanté g-strings for a living and somehow managed to bag a job in book publishing.  Getting fed up of having to choose between paying the rent or buying groceries, she eventually moved from London to Los Angeles where life was affordable and every time she opened her mouth she got to act all surprised and flattered when someone said they liked her accent. She then spent years trying to convince everyone else that it was them who had the accent, but this was never met with anything more emphatic than a polite, “Is that so…”

These days she lives in Monrovia, near to Pasadena, with two kids, a dog, one ever-lasting goldfish and her bearded lover, in a house that’s just a little bit too small to fit everyone in quite comfortably. She gets most of her writing done when she should be sleeping. LIFE AFTER COFFEE is her first novel. If enough people buy a copy, there’s a good chance she’ll write another…

Connect with Virginia

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Virginia Franken’s TLC Book Tours TOUR STOPS:

Tuesday, September 13th: A Chick Who Reads

Friday, September 16th: Bibliotica

Monday, September 19th: Books and Bindings

Tuesday, September 20th: Wall to Wall Books

Thursday, September 22nd: Back Porchervations

Monday, September 26th: Write Read Life

Wednesday, September 28th: The Book Chick

Monday, October 3rd: Rebel Mommy Book Blog

Thursday, October 6th: Tina Says

Friday, October 7th: Mrs. Mommy Booknerd

Monday, October 10th: Books a la Mode – author guest post

Tuesday, October 11th: A Bookish Affair

Wednesday, October 12th: Lovely Bookshelf on the Wall

Thursday, October 13th: From the TBR Pile

Monday, October 17th: All Roads Lead to the Kitchen

Tuesday, October 18th: 5 Minutes for Books

Wednesday, October 19th: Reading Cove Book Club

Thursday, October 20th: Mom’s Small Victories

Monday, October 24th: Caryn, The Book Whisperer

Sunday, October 30th: Writer Unboxed – guest post

TBD: Chick Lit Central – author guest post

Throwback Thursday: Don't Look Now & Other Stories by Daphne du Maurier

Author: Daphne du Maurier
First published in 1973 by Victor Gallancz under the title, Not After Midnight.

A married couple on holiday in Venice are caught up in a sinister series of events. A lonely schoolmaster is impelled to investigate a mysterious American couple. A young woman loses her cool when she confronts her father's old friend on a lonely island. A party of British pilgrims meet strange phenomena and possible disaster in the Holy Land. A scientist abandons his scruples while trying to tap the energy of the dying mind. 

Collecting five stories of mystery and slow, creeping horror, Daphne du Maurier's Don't Look Now and Other Stories showcases her unique blend of sympathy and spine-tingling suspense.

This collection of short stories popped up on my library's OverDrive site last week and I thought it would be perfect for Throwback Thursday.  This collection of 5 short stories is marketed as creepy and "spine-tingling".  I'm not sure any of them really hit the mark.  You all know I didn't care for Rebecca, but I have seen  the 1973 movie "Don't Look Now" based on the story featured in this book. I thought the movie version followed the story-line very well.  It's really the only one in the book that I found remotely creepy.  But that could just be because I found the movie creepy.

The other 4 stories were  just OK.  I fast forwarded through at least 2 of them as they were kind of dull.  I would honestly only recommend this collection for "Don't Look Now" and maybe "Not After Midnight".  The other ones are pretty forgettable.

Blog Tour: Review & Excerpt of Honor by Jay Crownover

Author: Jay Crownover

Publisher: WIlliam Morrow

Date of publication: October 18, 2016

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author Jay Crownover returns with her most complicated hero yet, in the first book in the romantic suspense series The Breaking Point. 

Don’t be fooled.

Don’t make excuses for me.

I am not a good man.

I’ve seen things no one should, done things no one should talk about. Honor and conscience have no place in my life. But I’ve fought and I’ve survived. I’ve had to.

The first time I saw her dancing on that seedy stage in that second rate club, I felt my heart pulse for the first time. Keelyn Foster was too young, too vibrant for this place, and I knew in an instant that I would make her mine. But first I had to climb my way to the top. I had to have something more to offer her.

I’m here now, money is no object and I have no equal. Except for her. She's disappeared. But don’t worry, I will find her and claim her. She will be mine.

Like I said, don’t be fooled. I am not the devil in disguise... I’m the one standing front and center.

My thoughts:

So at the end of this book in the "Author's Note", Ms Crownover writes: "I Love this book so much!!".  Yeah, that pretty much sums up how I feel about Honor as well.  This is one of the best of the books I have read by this author.  Nassir has been a shady character from the previous books about The Point, so I wasn't sure how she was going to handle his and Keelyn's story.  Without giving away any spoilers, I can say that she knocked it out of the park.  I never thought I would end up liking a crime lord as much as I did Nassir.  

As I said, I'm not going to spoil anything.   I will say that out of all of this author's books, this one was probably the least angsty and that was a pleasant surprise.  I loved Keelyn and could really see why Nassir loved her.  If you are a fan of this series, then you will love this book!   It comes out one Octoebr 18.  For a sneak peek, enjoy the excerpt below.

Excerpt: 

NASSIR

                “What do you think of the club?”

                Her soft gray eyes widened and then narrowed. “It’s big and fancy. You can’t miss it as soon as you drive into the city.” There was a pause and her breath hitched. “You named it after me.”

                I grinned at her. She was the key to everything that mattered in my world and in this city. Of course I named it after her.

                “All the members got a lock or a key when they joined and paid their membership dues. The men all have a lock, one that is either open or one that is closed. If the lock is open, it means the gentleman is attached, married, has a partner, but is still up for anything and everything. The closed lock signifies that the particular man is off-limits and must engage with another member on his or her own terms.”

                She lifted an eyebrow at me. “And the keys?”

                I shrugged. “The women have the keys, to the locks and to the men’s hearts. Don’t they always?”

                She moved a little closer and our knees brushed together, and I felt it in my balls. I sucked in a quick breath as the mere touch made my dick throb.

                “So the women can just go around unlocking and locking men up all night long? They have no rules?”

                “Women make all the rules when it comes to sex, Key. You should know this better than anyone.” I wanted to reach out and pull her off the edge of the desk so that she was sitting in my lap. “They have the key but they don’t have to use it, and if a member with a closed lock doesn’t want them to set them free, then that’s it. There is no pressure. There is no persuasion. It should all be mutual and it is all facilitated by men and women that want to be here. I’m pay9ing a small fortune for the people that know this industry inside and out. I built a grown-up amusement park where nothing is off-limits. People love their kink. People love their sex.”

                “What about you? Do you love your sex and kink, Nassir?”

                I smirked at her. “Sex is a part of life; it’s necessary and here in the Point it is currency. Kink I can give or take depending on the person on the other end of it. I’ve seen too much torture and degradation in my lifetime for the extreme and dark to be appealing.”

                I saw the questions my quietly spoken words fired to life in her eyes, but instead of asking them, she was the one that decided to change the subject.

                “Tell me about this business proposition you had in mind when you came to Denver. You want me to dress in latex and spank people? You want me to get on my back and spread my legs while people watch? What’s your game plan?”

                I frowned at her and couldn’t stop myself from moving closer to her as she spit the harsh words out at me.

                “You think I want to watch you have sex with other people. Key? You think it’s been fun for me to watch you burn your way through every available and not-so-available boy in the Point because you weren’t ready for me? I narrowed my eyes at her. “Now, which one of us needs to have some accountability?”

                She flushed pink and leaned closer to me. She might be scared of me and the way I wanted her, but she never backed down, and that made my desire for her burn in a way that would never be extinguished.

                “What did you have in mind, Nassir?”

Order HONOR in ebook or paperback, releasing 10/18/16

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/299l3OR

Barnes and Noble: http://bit.ly/1RPuEYT 

iBooks: http://apple.co/1S1smlV 

Kobo: http://bit.ly/1Yq4Oeq

Amazon UK: http://tinyurl.com/zjma85y

Amazon Canada: http://tinyurl.com/z2pawsw

Amazon Australia: http://tinyurl.com/hgq76ml

If you preorder HONOR you will receive a super sweet bonus scene that features both Rule and Bax...as well as their leading ladies. The scene will NOT be shared anywhere else. It will be exclusive to those who preorder HONOR and fill out this form: https://a.pgtb.me/tD739Q 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

About the author:

About Jay Crownover:

Jay Crownover is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Marked Men, The Point, and the Saints of Denver series. Like her characters, she is a big fan of tattoos. She loves music and wishes she could be a rock star, but since she has no aptitude for singing or instrument playing, she'll settle for writing stories with interesting characters that make the reader feel something. She lives in Colorado with her three dogs.  

Website: http://www.jaycrownover.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorJayCrownover?ref=hl
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/JayCrownover
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/Crownover

HONOR Tour Schedule

October 10

Book Bitches Blog-Review & Excerpt
Book Starlets-Review & Excerpt
Book Loving Fairy-Excerpt
Books, Coffee & Passion-Excerpt
Tales of the Ravenous Reader-Excerpt
Shayna Renee's Spicy Reads-Review & Excerpt
Wicked Faerie's Tales and Reviews-Excerpt

October 11

A Hopeless Romantic's Booklandia-Excerpt
Books n Wine-Excerpt
Books,Dreams,Life-Excerpt
Four Chicks Flipping Pages-Review
NightWolf Book Blog-Excerpt
The Book Hoarders-Review & Excerpt
Urban Smoothie Read-Review & Excerpt

October 12

An Asian Chick & Her Cat Walk into a Book Blog-Review & Excerpt
BFD Book Blog-Review & Excerpt
Brittany's Book Blog-Review & Excerpt
From the TBR Pile-Review & Excerpt
Night Owl Reader-Review & Excerpt
Reading Between the Wines Book Club-Excerpt
StarAngels Reviews-Review & Excerpt
Words of Wisdom from The Scarf Princess-Review & Excerpt

October 13

Alii's Book Jungle-Excerpt
BJ's Reviews-Excerpt
Captain Reads A Lot-Excerpt
Krista's Dust Jacket-Review & Excerpt
My One True Obsession-Excerpt
Obsessive Book Nerd-Review
Read more sleep less-Review
The Book Disciple-Review & Excerpt
Nose Stuck In A Book-Review & Excerpt

October 14

A Literary Perusal-Review & Excerpt
Best Book Boyfriends-Excerpt
Grownup Fangirl-Excerpt
Lacey's Love Of Literature-Review & Excerpt
Quesarasera Book Blog-Review & Excerpt
Reviews from the Heart-Review & Excerpt
V's Reads-Review & Excerpt

October 15

In Between The Pages-Excerpt
Greyland Reviews-Excerpt
Stephanie’s Book Reports-Review & Excerpt
Literary Dust-Excerpt
Naughty and Nice Book Blog-Review & Excerpt
The Review Loft-Review & Excerpt
Vera is Reading-Excerpt

October 16

Crazii Bitches Book Blog-Review & Excerpt
Ramblings of a Bookworm-Review & Excerpt
Cocktails and Books-Review & Excerpt
NallaReads-Excerpt
PBC-Excerpt
Reese's Reviews-Review & Excerpt

October 17

EskieMama Reads-Excerpt
mustreadbooksordie-Review & Excerpt
Loves Great Reads Blog-Review & Excerpt
Nerdy Dirty & Flirty-Review & Excerpt
Red Cheeks Reads-Review
The Readdicts-Review & Excerpt

October 18

Book Babes Unite-Review & Excerpt
Bookalicious Babes Blog-Review & Excerpt
Books to Breathe-Review & Excerpt
Guilty Pleasures Book Reviews-Review & Excerpt
Taylors_Pages-Review & Excerpt
Two Book Pushers-Review & Excerpt

October 19

Book Angel Booktopia-Review & Excerpt
Hooker Heels Book Blog-Excerpt
Dayreader Reviews-Review & Excerpt
Lili's Books-Excerpt
My Girlfriend's Couch-Review & Excerpt
WickedGoodReads-Review

October 20

Embrace the Romance-Excerpt
Reading in Pajamas-Excerpt
kimberlyfaye reads-Review & Excerpt
Lina's Reviews: A Book Blog-Review
Reviews by Tammy and Kim-Review & Excerpt
Smut Book Junkie Book Reviews-Review & Excerpt

October 21

Blushing Babes are Up all Night-Review & Excerpt
G & T's Indie Café-Excerpt
Oh My Shelves-Review
Lustful Literature-Review & Excerpt
The Book Avenue-Review & Excerpt
The Unofficial Addiction Book Fan Club-Excerpt

Blog Tour: Marrow by Elizabeth Lesser

Author: Elizabeth Lesser

Publisher: Harper Wave

Date of publication:  September 2016

The author of the New York Times bestsellerBroken Open returns with a visceral and profound memoir of two sisters who, in the face of a bone marrow transplant—one the donor and one the recipient—begin a quest for acceptance, authenticity, and most of all, love.

A mesmerizing and courageous memoir: the story of two sisters uncovering the depth of their love through the life-and-death experience of a bone marrow transplant. Throughout her life, Elizabeth Lesser has sought understanding about what it means to be true to oneself and, at the same time, truly connected to the ones we love. But when her sister Maggie needs a bone marrow transplant to save her life, and Lesser learns that she is the perfect match, she faces a far more immediate and complex question about what it really means to love—honestly, generously, and authentically.

Hoping to give Maggie the best chance possible for a successful transplant, the sisters dig deep into the marrow of their relationship to clear a path to unconditional acceptance. They leave the bone marrow transplant up to the doctors, but take on what Lesser calls a “soul marrow transplant,” examining their family history, having difficult conversations, examining old assumptions, and offering forgiveness until all that is left is love for each other’s true selves. Their process—before, during, and after the transplant—encourages them to take risks of authenticity in other aspects their lives.

But life does not follow the storylines we plan for it. Maggie’s body is ultimately too weak to fight the relentless illness. As she and Lesser prepare for the inevitable, they grow ever closer as their shared blood cells become a symbol of the enduring bond they share. Told with suspense and humor, Marrow is joyous and heartbreaking, incandescent and profound. The story reveals how even our most difficult experiences can offer unexpected spiritual growth. Reflecting on the multifaceted nature of love—love of other, love of self, love of the world—Marrow is an unflinching and beautiful memoir about getting to the very center of ourselves.

I was really intrigued by the synopsis for this book and decided to try it out. I found Marrow to be both a mix of self-help and memoir.  But at its heart it is a beautiful tribute to the author's sister and their relationship. It's always hard to critique someone's writings of their personal experience, though. In the end I loved parts and didn't  like others.

My favorite parts of the book were the snippets from Maggie's journal and writings.  The peek into her thoughts were compelling and I would have loved to read more.  The parts of the book that I tended to skim over were when the book started to feel like a self-help book.  Those kind of dragged for me.  But, then I'm not really into self help.  Of course, this is a hard book to read.  Not "hard" as in big words or understanding.  Hard as in heartbreaking and bittersweet. Having lost a friend to cancer, I found the book hit close to home.  At the same time, it brought up fond memories of my friend and made me glad I got to say goodbye in the end.

I would recommend this book to anyone really. Any reader can find something to connect with in this journey between two sisters.  I am glad that the author shared their story with the world.   

About Elizabeth Lesser

ELIZABETH LESSER is the author of The Seeker’s Guide and the New York Times bestseller Broken Open. She is the cofounder of Omega Institute, recognized internationally for its workshops and conferences that focus on holistic health, psychology, spirituality, creativity, and social change. Prior to her work at Omega, she was a midwife and childbirth educator. She lives in the Hudson Valley with her family.

Find out more about Elizabeth at her website, and connect with her on Facebook.

Purchase Links

HarperCollins | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Tour Stops

Tuesday, September 20th: BookNAround

Wednesday, September 21st: Ms. Nose in a Book

Friday, September 23rd: As I turn the pages

Monday, September 26th: Kritters Ramblings

Tuesday, September 27th: Show This Book Some Love

Wednesday, September 28th: Back Porchervations

Thursday, September 29th: Literary Quicksand

Friday, September 30th: Emerald City Book Review

Wednesday, October 5th: Rebecca Radish

Monday, October 10th: Bookish Realm Reviews

Tuesday, October 11th: From the TBR Pile

Wednesday, October 12th: Books on the Table

Thursday, October 13th: Mom in Love With Fiction

Friday, October 14th: Thoughts On This ‘n That

TBD: A Musing Reviews

Chasing Truth by Julie Cross

Author: Julie Cross
Publisher: Entangled Teen
Date of publication: September 2016

At Holden Prep, the rich and powerful rule the school—and they’ll do just about anything to keep their dirty little secrets hidden. 

When former con artist Eleanor Ames’s homecoming date commits suicide, she’s positive there’s something more going on. The more questions she asks, though, the more she crosses paths with Miles Beckett. He’s sexy, mysterious, arrogant…and he’s asking all the same questions. 

Eleanor might not trust him—she doesn’t even like him—but they can’t keep their hands off of each other. Fighting the infuriating attraction is almost as hard as ignoring the fact that Miles isn’t telling her the truth…and that there’s a good chance he thinks she’s the killer.


Chasing Truth is the first in a new YA series.  I actually ended up enjoying this one more than I thought I would. It's going to be hard to really tell you much without giving away the plot.  But, the basic story is that Ellie is living under witness protection after having turned in her parents for fraud.  She lives with her sister and her sister's Secret Service agent boyfriend.  A new boy moves in next door and he seems want the same answers to what really happened to her friend Simon that she does.  Miles is pretty straight-laced yet seems to have some secrets of his own.

It's a complicated plot with a lot of twists and surprises, but that is what made the book fly by for me.  I kept wanting to see what happened next.  The ending was a complete surprise as well.  As for Ellie, I loved her character.  She has lived her young life surrounded by con artists and is struggling to become someone new.  It's hard for her to realize that the past doesn't define her and she can change. I am looking forward to seeing how her character develops in future books. The romance between Miles and Ellie was sweet and not entirely angsty.  I wold love to see how it matures.

I would definitely recommend this one to YA mystery lovers.  I would keep it to the over 16 crowd though as it does have some mildly mature content in it.  I look forward to seeing what Ellie gets involved with next!