Racing Hearts Paperback Compilation by Laura Lascarso ~ Character Interview

Today, I have with me up-and-coming NASCAR superstar Brooke Bradley who it has been said, races like a jackrabbit on Ritalin. She also happens to be my girlfriend. Brooke, how are you today?

I’m excellent, Jesse. How are you?

Spectacular. Now, every since you hit the NASCAR circuit six weeks ago, you’ve been spinning heads and breaking hearts. I’d like to give the fans what they want, which is to know a little bit more about you. You ready?

I was born ready.

All right then, let’s start with the hard-hitting stuff. What’s your favorite food?

Hmmm… there’s so many to choose from, but I’d have to say tacos.

Favorite ice cream?

You know that one already.

Spumoni?

[Laughing] No, strawberry.

Indy 500 or Daytona 500?

Daytona, of course. Hometown represent!

Ford or Chevy?

Chevy. No question.

If you could go any place in the world, where would you go?

New Zealand.

New Zealand?

Yeah, it looks gorgeous.

What’s your favorite thing to do in the summertime, besides racing cars?

Surfing.

What’s one thing not many people know about you?

I’m dyslexic.

Who’s your hero?

Danica Patrick. And my dad. Now it’s your turn, Jesse Copeland. What do you do when you’re not racing cars?

Hang out by the beach with my hot girlfriend.

Who’s your hero?

My father, #67, the late, great Phillip Copeland.

Long live the Conqueror. If you could be any superhero, who would it be?

Hmmm…I’d have to say Batman because of his sweet ride.

And if you could have one wish, what would it be? And don’t say wish for more wishes.

I’d wish for you and me to be together forever.

[kissing sounds]

One more question: what are you going to do after this interview?

I’m going to take my baby to get Mexican, order salsa that’s way too hot for me and pretend I can handle it.

[laughing] Sounds like a plan.

**********

Title: Racing Hearts Compilation
Author: Laura Lascarso
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary Romance
Release Date: Available Now!!!

Book One:

Eighteen-year-old Jesse Copeland learns of a local car race sponsored by his father's nemesis, Shep Bradley, and the prize money might be enough to keep his family from losing their home—if he can win. 

Brooke, Shep’s daughter, is also aiming to compete, with or without her father’s approval. She’ll do whatever it takes to persuade Jesse to make her car race ready. Both are driven, both are risk-takers, and soon it’s more than engines getting fired up. Jesse tells himself their relationship is strictly business, until it isn’t.

Can two star-crossed lovers overcome a family feud as old as Ford vs. Chevy, or will the competition become too explosive for these racing hearts? 

Book Two:

See you at the finish line… 

With the big race weeks away, eighteen-year-old Jesse Copeland struggles to keep his head in the game and his hands off his smoking hot competition. But when Brooke reveals a secret that could destroy Jesse’s family, it sends him into a tailspin of self-doubt.

Jesse must pull himself together if he hopes to have a shot at the prize money, save his home, and win the heart of the girl he loves.

Can these two competitors overcome the sins of their fathers or will a shadowed history destroy their dreams forever?

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Author Bio:
Laura Lascarso aims to inspire more questions than answers in her young adult fiction. Her debut novel COUNTING BACKWARDS, which deals with mental illness, was awarded the Florida Book Award gold medal for YA lit in 2012. Her most recent novel, RACING HEARTS, tells the story of two star-crossed lovers set in Daytona Beach, the mecca of motorsports, and has been described as a Romeo & Juliet on wheels.

She lives in North Florida with her husband, two children and a menagerie of animals.

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Racing Hearts

by Laura Lascarso

Giveaway ends February 17, 2016.
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The Vatican Princess by C.W. Gortner - Review

Title: The Vatican Princess
Author: C.W. Gortner
Genre: Adult, Historical Romance
Length: 400 Pages
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Release Date: February 9, 2016
Source: Amazon Vine
Rating: 5 Stars
Reviewed by: Jasmyn

Glamorous and predatory, the Borgias became Italy’s most ruthless and powerful family, electrifying and terrorizing their 15th-century Renaissance world.

To this day, Lucrezia Borgia is known as one of history’s most notorious villainesses, accused of incest and luring men to doom with her arsenal of poison.

International bestselling author C.W. Gortner’s new novel delves beyond the myth to depict Lucrezia in her own voice, from her pampered childhood in the palaces of Rome to her ill-fated, scandalous arranged marriages and complex relationship with her adored father and her rival brothers—brutal Juan and enigmatic Cesare.

This is the dramatic, untold story of a papal princess who came of age in an era of savage intrigue and unparalleled splendor, and whose courage led her to overcome the fate imposed on her by her Borgia blood.

Many of you may have watched the show The Borgias on TV (I forget what channel). This is not that show. While it may share some characters and events, the way their are treated is very different. Which one is more accurate? I have no idea.  I don't think anyone really does. Everything the Borgias did was steeped in secrecy, which leaves much to the imagination. Perhaps this is why the world seems to be fascinated with them.

I really enjoyed C.W. Gortner's take on the life of Lucrezia Borgia. We really get to focus on how events shaped and changed her life. And those events were ones that helped make history. While we may never know the reality of what she thought and felt through these years, C.W. Gortner does an amazing job bringing her to life. Lucrezia came back to life in her pages.

The corruption, not only in the Vatican, but in all of the religious and political spheres was astounding. Everything was done for a reason, and many of the people in high positions seem to have bought there way into them with favors or money. I'm amazed that the people seemed to be as OK with it as they were portrayed to be. It seemed to be common knowledge, but everyone looked the other way.

There are some potential trigger moments in the story - but nothing is described in an overly graphic way. I found the portrayal of her family and the intrigues that she was made a pawn of to be cruel - and her ability to rise against them and try to find happiness was incredible.

*This book was received in exchange for an honest review*

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Blues Bones by Rick Starkey ~ Cover Reveal and Giveaway

Title: Blues Bones
Author: Rick Starkey
Genre: Middle Grade, Paranormal
Release Date: March 7, 2016

Thirteen-year-old Rodney Becker has found the perfect cure for stage fright. Voodoo! 

Armed with the stolen finger bones of a dead blues guitar player and a mishmash of voodoo spells from the Internet, he and his best friend enter a graveyard at midnight to perform their ritual. Now, all that stands in his way of winning a local guitar competition is the power of RETURN – a side effect of the voodoo that spells disaster for Rodney. 

His cure has become a curse. How else can he explain jamming his finger so bad he can't hold a guitar pick, his part-time dad stealing his guitar, and his mom getting into an accident that could have taken her life? 

How much is Rodney willing to risk to achieve his dream of being a guitar legend? 

Pre-Order Sale Price of just $2.99 – regular price starting March 7^th.

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About Rick Starkey

Rick Starkey is a graduate of the Institute of Children’s Literature. His main interest is writing novels for middle grade. Rick has sold short pieces to Highlights for Children including a game, magic tricks, and a short story. Knowing that most writers often wish that they had started their career earlier in life, Rick teaches a basic course for the Talented and Gifted Program (T.A.G.) at Walter’s State Community College in Morristown Tennessee. Rick’s students learn the basics of magazine submissions including cover and query letters, market research, and manuscript preparation. The T.A.G. program is for students grades 5 – 8 and come from seven counties in East Tennessee.

Rick lives in a 200-year-old log cabin in the Great Smoky Arts and Crafts Community in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, where he and his wife, Betty, own and run Make It Magic, a magic shop and craft store. A day in Rick’s life includes recommending and performing magic tricks for customers of all ages, carving a bear from a log with a chainsaw, and working on his next novel.

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The First King of Shannara by Terry Brooks ~ Review

Title: First King of Shannara (The Original Shannara Trilogy #0)
Author: Terry Brooks
Genre: Adult, Fantasy
Length: 489 pages
Publisher: Orbit
Release Date: March 6, 1997
Source: Library
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by: Jasmyn

THE SECOND WAR OF THE RACES

Horrified by the misuse of magic they had witnessed during the First War of the Races, the Druids at Paranor devoted themselves to the study of the old sciences, from the period before the collapse of civilization a thousand years before. Only the Bremen and a few trusted associates still studied the arcane arts. And for his persistence, Bremen found himself outcast, avoided by all but the few free-thinkers among the Druids.

But his removal from Paranor was not altogether a terrible thing, for Bremen learned that dark forces were on the move from the Northlands. That seemingly invincible armies of trolls were fast conquering all that lay to their south. That the scouts for the army - and its principal assassins - were Skull Bearers, disfigured and transformed Druids who had fallen prey to the seductions of the magic arts. And that at the heart of the evil tide was an archmage and former Druid named Brona!

Using the special skills he had acquired through his own study of Magic, Bremen was able to penetrate the huge camp of the Troll army and learn many of its secrets. And he immediately understood that if the peoples of the Four Lands were to escape eternal subjugation they would need to unite. But, even united, they would need a weapon, something so powerful that the evil magic of Brona, the Warlock Lord, would fail before its might...

All those events you hear Allanon talking about - well here's the first hand look into the life of Bremen, the fall of the Druids and the first battle with Brona. Seeing the events unfold all together as a single story was a lot of fun. You pick up on the various parts of the legends and the histories that you hear in bits and pieces throughout the series. As such, it can easily be read as a stand alone and you will still get a lot of enjoyment out of it.

In fact, you may get more enjoyment out of it. I found I had learned a little too much about the events and characters, and when they didn't live up to my expectations, especially Jerle Shannara, who I found to be very un-heroic and a little whiny at times.

The druid Bremen, on the other hand, was great. I loved his tenacity and his sorrow that he wasn't able to make people (like the Druids) change their mind about how they would react to events. Overall the adventure was a little predictable (but I already knew what was going to happen), and the hero was a little too underwhelming, but it was still fun.

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The Shannara Series
The Sword of Shannara (The Original Shannara Trilogy #1)
The Elfstones of Shannara (The Original Shannara Trilogy #2)
The Wishsong of Shannara (The Original Shannara Trilogy #3)
Indomitable (The Original Shannara Trilogy #3.25)
The Scions of Shannara (The Heritage of Shannara #1)
The Druid of Shannara (The Heritage of Shannara #2)
The Elf Queen of Shannara (Heritage of Shannara #3)
The Talisman of Shannara (Heritage of Shannara #4)

Hazard of Shadows by Mike Phillips ~ Book Spotlight

Title: Hazard of Shadows (Chronicles of the Goblin King #2)

Author: Mike Phillips

Genre: Adult, Fantasy

Publisher: Damnation Books

Release Date: August 1, 2015

The enchanted creatures of legend still exist, taking refuge from an age of camera phones and government labs in a secret place called the World Below. After leading a revolution against Baron Finkbeiner, the despotic ruler of the World Below, Mitch Hardy has taken the throne. Unknown to him, ancient powers are at work. The Lords of Faerie seek to revenge the death of Baron Finkbeiner and recover the mysterious Blade of Caro. Soon Mitch is fighting for his life against hellish monsters, the likes of which he never imagined.

 

Meet the Author

Mike Phillips grew up on a small farm in West Michigan, living much the way people did at the turn of the century. Whether it was growing fruits and vegetables or raising livestock, Mike learned the value of hard work and responsibility at a young age.

While his friends spent their summers watching reruns of bad sitcoms, Mike’s father gave him a very special gift. He turned off the television. With what was affectionately referred to as “the idiot box” no longer a distraction, Mike was left to discover the fantastic worlds that only exist in books. When not tending sheep, gardening, building furniture, chopping wood, or just goofing off, Mike spent his time reading.

With all that hard work at home, Mike was always eager to go to school. He excelled as a student and went on to pursue a career in the sciences. Working as a Safety Engineer in the Insurance Industry, Mike soon became bored with the corporate grind. Writing engaged him like nothing else. After a few novels and numerous short stories, he thought getting published would be a pretty neat idea. And so, here it goes…

   

Tour Schedule

Monday, January 18 - Book featured at 3 Partners in Shopping

Tuesday, January 19 - Book featured at My Bookish Pleasures

Wednesday, January 20 - Interviewed at Literal Exposure

Thursday, January 21 - Book featured at CBY Book Club

Friday, January 22 - Book featured at Bound 2 Escape

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Monday, January 25 - Book featured at Mikky's World of Books

Tuesday, January 26 - Interviewed at The Review From Here

Wednesday, January 27 - Guest blogging at The Dark Phantom

Thursday, January 28 - Guest blogging at Mythical Books

Friday, January 29 - Book featured at Hot Off the Shelves

________

Tuesday, February 2 - Book featured at A Title Wave

February 3 - Book featured at Harmonious Publicity

February 4 - Interviewed at The Writer's Life

_ _______

Monday, February 8 - Book featured at The Zen Reader

Wednesday, February 10 - Book featured at The Book Refuge

Thursday, February 11 - Interviewed at Author C.A. Milson

Friday, February 12 - Guest blogging at I Smell Sheep

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Monday, February 15 - Book featured at A Taste of My Mind

Wednesday, February 17 - Book featured at The Literary Nook

Friday, February 19 - Interviewed at As the Page Turns

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Monday, February 22 - Guest blogging at Inkslinger's Opus

Tuesday, February 23 - Book featured at Lover of Literarture

Wednesday, February 24 - Book featured at The Revolving Bookshelf

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Monday, March 7 - Book featured at Around the World in Books

Tuesday, March 8 - Book reviewed at Books That Hook

Wednesday, March 9 - Interviewed at I'm Shelf-ish

Thursday, March 10 - Guest blogging at All Inclusive Retort

Friday, March 11 - Interviewed at Deal Sharing Aunt

________

Monday, March 14 - Book featured at The Book Czar

Tuesday, March 15 - Book reviewed at Cover2Cover

Wednesday, March 16 - Book featured at Bent Over Bookwords

Thursday, March 17 - Book featured at Voodoo Princess

Friday, March 18 - Guest blogging at Write and Take Flight

Moonlight Over Paris by Jennifer Robson ~ Review

Title: Moonlight Over Paris
Author: Jennifer Robson
Genre: Adult, Historical Fiction
Length: 352 Pages
Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks
Release Date: January 19, 2016
Source: Amazon Vine
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by: Jasmyn


USA Today and internationally bestselling author Jennifer Robson takes readers to 1920s Paris in an enthralling new historical novel that tells the riveting story of an English lady who trades in her staid aristocratic life for the mesmerizing salons and the heady world of the Lost Generation.

It’s the spring of 1924, and Lady Helena Montagu-Douglas-Parr has just arrived in France. On the mend after a near-fatal illness, she is ready to embrace the restless, heady allure of the City of Lights. Her parents have given her one year to live with her eccentric aunt in Paris and Helena means to make the most of her time. She’s quickly drawn into the world of the Lost Generation and its circle of American expatriates, and with their encouragement, she finds the courage to pursue her dream of becoming an artist.

One of those expats is Sam Howard, a journalist working for the Chicago Tribune. Irascible, plain-spoken, and scarred by his experiences during the war, Sam is simply the most fascinating man she has ever met. He’s also entirely unsuitable.

As Paris is born anew, rising phoenix-like from the ashes of the Great War, Helena realizes that she, too, is changing. The good girl she once was, so dutiful and obedient, so aware of her place in the world, is gone forever. Yet now that she has shed her old self, who will she become, and where, and with whom, does she belong…?

This was an incredibly beautiful story. Helena has had a very rough few years - from being left by her fiance and then blamed for it to almost dying of fever. But since she has decided to really live her life, she leaves England behind for the sights and sounds of Paris and art school - sounds like a great idea.

And it was. Watching Helena really come into her own and learn to live life to the fullest was so much fun. Her artist friends are colorful, but not so much that they become caricatures. You fall in love with all of them and the little circle of friendship that they develop. They all have their own very unique personality and histories that have brought them together in one place. Most of the story involves all of them growing and learning together - and it all just seemed incredible natural. But once in awhile it became a little drawn out. Not much but just enough to notice.

There's a love interest, a grumpy professor, and an eccentric aunt that all have important roles to play in Helena's life. Not everything turns out the way I expected. Some pleasant and unexpected surprises are included and Helena doesn't get everything and all that she hopes for. But that is also the beauty of the story.

*This book was received in exchange for an honest review*

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The Unmoving Sky by K.L. Hallam ~ Cover Reveal and Giveaway

Title: The Unmoving Sky
Author: K.L. Hallam
Genre: Young Adult, Thriller
Publisher: Leap Books
Release Date: May 16, 2016

There is nothing darker than the woods, until you meet your worst fear.

Jackson Bower has a lot on his mind lately. His younger brother hasn’t been the same since his mother’s death. His father’s drinking is out of control. Then there’s Jackson’s girlfriend and the grief that ties them together even as it threatens to drive them apart.

He distances himself, hoping for a little perspective at the family lodge. But when their father gets drunk and dangerous, he and his brother escape into the woods.

Night creeps in, and the rains come fast. Artie slips down a ravine. He’s wounded and the brothers seek shelter in a cave, only to find someone else already taking refuge there.

A desperate man with plans to destroy their town.

Jackson must get him and his wounded brother out of the cave and over the mountain to warn everyone in time. Without getting them both killed first.

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Meet the Author

K.L. Hallam, an air force brat as a young child, who moved around to more schools than she can list,
gathering the stories that would connect to her heart. She writes MG, YA, and short fiction, or anything she hasn’t tried, a member of SCBWI, a singer and songwriter, illustrator and mother of two teenagers. She lives in New York City and spends her mornings writing in a Jazz club.

Follow K.L. Hallam on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and her website.

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