As of 8 AM today, I've read over 300 books this year. My GoodReads count is 319, but it only counts one read per book per year, and I'm a BIG re-reader, and I count re-reads, even if I read Acheron 7 times in two months. Don't judge me!!
I absolutely LOVE all the indie authors I've found this year. I've been fortunate enough to meet some of them - Colleen Hoover, Heidi McLaughlin, Tina Reber, Cora Carmack, Jen Sterling, KA Tucker, Tessa Teevan, Mia Sheridan, Tia Louise, Mahalia Levey, Amber Nation, Savannah Stewart, A.D. Ellis, ROCHELLE PAIGE! : ) I want to meet more (CP Smith, Skye Turner), and see these guys again, and ... and... and! There are a few book events in 2015 that I'd love to get to, but we'll see how well they mesh w/ vacation time & money. Both important when planning trips, ya know?!
So, I don't know how ppl pick their favorites through a year of reading. Of course, if you know me at all, you know that I have a hard time picking a favorite ANYTHING. I have many best friends, can't put one on the top of a list. I have many favorite foods, drinks (well, okay, COFFEE, but there are many places I like to get my coffee from...? LOL), movies, books, authors... I thought about doing a top 10 of the year, then I keep shifting things, so ... one of my other bloggy peeps is part of a hop doing a top 14 of 14. They actually are doing all sorts of fun things AND have nifty pictures of the books. (I'm still not tech savvy enough to know how to do that, but I'll figure it out eventually! LOL)
For me - I'm just going to look at the books on my GR list & pull out some favorites from that. The one that I just finished today, Change of Hart by M.E. Carter, gets special props because it was FANTASTIC & completely (except the epilogue) from the male POV & I loved it lots!! : )
The year started off w/ a book I didn't really like at all (which was sad, because it was one I'd been anticipating for months!), so I needed a recovery read right away (Acheron again!). But then I did some re-reads of Laura Kaye's Hearts of the Anemoi series, in anticipation of the final book, East of Ecstasy. This series blew me away with its world-building & depth of the characters and stories. Highly recommend this series (and actually, her Hard Ink series is completely different, but also highly loved and recommended by moi!). : )
There was Ruin by Rachel Van Dyken, which is sorta an apt name as I loved it so much it sort of RUINED other books for me for awhile. Hangover, but the best kind. I discovered more of Tess Oliver & was given the opportunity to read an ARC of Dray. I re-read Freefall just because. It's still my favorite of the series (Nix & Scotlyn: The Wedding came out this month & it was BRILLIANTLY done!). : )
I discovered the amaaaazing KATY REGNERY!!!! I don't even know what to say about Katy, other than she is an awesome person and I've loved every single book of hers that I've read. Check her out, NOW! *grin* And while you're at it - Annalisa Nicole. *swoon* I won a signed paperback from her, and after reading it immediately wanted MORE. Happily, it was book 1 in a marvelous series, so I got right on that. *laugh* Both these ladies write sweet, somewhat intense stories that will leave you w/ the feels but the happy feels. Like a breath of fresh air. Or a hug. I love hugs. : D
I fell even more in love with Cambria Hebert's Take It Off (TIO) series, reading Tipsy more than once because it's awesomely sweet & fun. All of her books in this series (with the exception of Tempt, which I didn't really like as much) are re-reads for sure!
I devoured everything put out by Rochelle & Crystal (Aurora Rose Reynolds), Harper Sloan, Kristen Proby, Hilary Storm, Heidi McLaughlin, Tammy Falkner, KC Lynn... I love falling in love with good books, and I ADORE connecting w/ the writers of these stories on FB. Or anywhere, really. It's just amazing to me that they have these fantastic stories up in their heads & they're able to GET IT ALL OUT on paper. Or, computer, whatevs. *laugh*
And in February - I can't even believe it's not been a year yet. In February I discovered Kristen Ashley.
I can't even begin to describe how hard I fell for her writing. Her stories pull me in deep & don't want to let go. They are long, they are passionate, they make me want to know her characters for reals. : ) And because I read ARR first, KA reminds me of her. I fell so hard for the cadence of ARR's writing, when I read KA's Law Man & felt the same type of story-telling... I was sold. I was IN. I was hooked.
I can't wait to see what stories 2015 will bring. I'm excited to be devouring these stories. I'm excited to meet more authors & tell them THANK YOU! I'm excited to read the words. And to see what new authors I can add to my long list of favorites. : )
Do you have some authors or books you've discovered this year? Share share share! The best way to show authors you love that you love them and their writing is to be vocal about it! One of the best feelings is when someone comes to me & says, "hey, thank you for that recommendation - I LOVE xyz!" : )
TTFN!
Saturday, December 27, 2014
Tuesday, December 2, 2014
Pre-Ordering is Fun!
So, how does everyone feel about pre-orders? Love them? Hate them? Take or leave them?
I have a love-hate relationship w/ pre-orders.
On the one hand, I love when they're available! When it's a book I know I want (like, say, part of a series I adore or an auto-buy author), it's a brilliant option because then I don't have to worry about "missing" it.
However... when there are several books releasing on the same day & I don't quite realize it as I'm just one-click-pre-ordering away...
Well, then, something like THIS happens:
Carrie's List of Books That Popped Up On Her Kindle Today
Wild About Weston by Katy Regnery
Slammed by Skyla Madi
Forever With Me by Kristen Proby
(I also ordered a signed PB of this from Kristen's website!)
Brown County: The Complete Series by Amber Nation
Ready or Not by J.L. Berg
Zip, Zero, Zilch by Tammy Falkner
Yeah, that's six books that just *poof* appeared!
Super cool, but I'm glad I had the money to cover them, because normally I try to spread my pre-orders out so they don't all hit at once.
ON TOP OF THAT!
I had a package waiting for me when I got home, containing:
Dark Bites by Sherrilyn Kenyon
Outside the Box by Rochelle Paige
So, whew! Lots of great reading to get to!
Currently reading A Reason To Breathe by CP Smith & really enjoying it!
What've you pre-ordered lately?
ttfn!
Saturday, November 29, 2014
what i read this week
I'm working on my next Author Spotlight - which I thought would be Kristen Ashley, but that woman has SO MANY BOOKS, I think it's going to take me more time to put that together. So, until then, here are my reads from this past week. I've linked to my reviews of each book, just in case you want to know! : )
Most Enjoyed - Breathe
Least Enjoyed - All I Want (but see note - I don't want anyone to miss out on this story just because it wasn't my favorite!)
November 21st - Lady Luck by Kristen Ashley
November 22nd - Alluring Surrender by Skye Turner
November 23rd - Blank by Cambria Hebert; Polar Bared by Eve Langlais
November 24th - Ignite by L Wilder; Where I Belong by J Daniels (re-read; love it!)
November 26th - All I Want by J Daniels; Breathe by Kristen Ashley (FAVORITE)
November 28th - Lights To My Siren by Lani Lynn Vale
November 29th - Crying Wolf by Rochelle Paige (LOVE!)
Lady Luck & Breathe are part of the Colorado Mountain series, and overall, it may be my favorite KA series. The Dream Man series (Law Man, in particular) will always hold a special place in my heart because it was my first KA. But so far, the books in the Colorado Mountain series have just been phenomenal!
I was super excited about All I Want, because it's the sequel to Where I Belong, and that one was one of my top faves of 2014. Unfortunately, I didn't really like AIW that much. : ( The writing was still sharp & the storyline had bits that I loved, but it was just too angsty for me to say I truly enjoyed it. So, that was a bummer (but if you LIKE angsty, definitely pick it up, because it IS a good book! Just not for me.)!
Next up is On The Fly by Catherine Gayle - part of her Portland Storm series. I really enjoyed book 1, Breakaway, so hopefully this is just as good!! : )
What've you read this week? Share in comments! : )
TTFN
Most Enjoyed - Breathe
Least Enjoyed - All I Want (but see note - I don't want anyone to miss out on this story just because it wasn't my favorite!)
November 21st - Lady Luck by Kristen Ashley
November 22nd - Alluring Surrender by Skye Turner
November 23rd - Blank by Cambria Hebert; Polar Bared by Eve Langlais
November 24th - Ignite by L Wilder; Where I Belong by J Daniels (re-read; love it!)
November 26th - All I Want by J Daniels; Breathe by Kristen Ashley (FAVORITE)
November 28th - Lights To My Siren by Lani Lynn Vale
November 29th - Crying Wolf by Rochelle Paige (LOVE!)
Lady Luck & Breathe are part of the Colorado Mountain series, and overall, it may be my favorite KA series. The Dream Man series (Law Man, in particular) will always hold a special place in my heart because it was my first KA. But so far, the books in the Colorado Mountain series have just been phenomenal!
I was super excited about All I Want, because it's the sequel to Where I Belong, and that one was one of my top faves of 2014. Unfortunately, I didn't really like AIW that much. : ( The writing was still sharp & the storyline had bits that I loved, but it was just too angsty for me to say I truly enjoyed it. So, that was a bummer (but if you LIKE angsty, definitely pick it up, because it IS a good book! Just not for me.)!
Next up is On The Fly by Catherine Gayle - part of her Portland Storm series. I really enjoyed book 1, Breakaway, so hopefully this is just as good!! : )
What've you read this week? Share in comments! : )
TTFN
Sunday, November 23, 2014
Shifters!
How do you feel about paranormal books? What's your favorite "kind?" For me, I think it's a toss up between vampires and shifters. Not werewolves, at least not the traditional kind. I like wolves, but I'm more partial to bears and tigers, oh my! *grin* I'm not extremely fond of traditional werewolves, but there are some stories based on that angle that I've enjoyed - Kathy Love's My Sister's A Werewolf comes to mind.
Today I read a book about a polar bear shifter, Polar Bared (heh, see what they did there?) by Eve Langlais, and it carved a place in my heart and favorites when the MC reveals his polar bear status to his love interest, and she reacts EXACTLY how i would react in that situation. LOVE IT!!
The first book I remember reading with shifters or Weres was Sherrilyn Kenyon's Night Play. Bride was the first "plump" heroine I'd ever read about, and Vane was a different kind of werewolf. And he loved that she wasn't skinny. ; ) Also, the idea of "mates" was super intriguing to me, and I absolutely loved their story. For a while, Sherri was the only author I knew of writing these kinds of stories, and I devoured every one I could get my hands on (and her Dark-Hunters, as well, but we'll focus more on them in another post!). Unleash the Night, featuring Maggie & Wren (a white tiger/snow leopard Were, oh MY!), is another of my all-time favorites. : )
One day a few years ago, after I'd rediscovered my love of reading (and, specifically, my love of paranormal romance), I came across the super-interesting-sounding Pride Mates by Jennifer Ashley. Here was a whole new world of Shifters, and their rules and reactions and descriptions were completely different from the Weres in Sherri's books, yet had a similar vibe. I loved Liam & Kim so much that I immediately started looking for more of this series once I'd finished their book. : ) (And later, Tiger Magic came out, I won a signed ARC of the story, and I discovered even MORE love for tiger shifters!)(I still bought the trade PB when it came out bc the cover art is FABULOUS!)
Another day, I was looking through the PNR (paranormal romance) section & came across a title that caught my eye - Eat, Prey, Love by Kerrelyn Sparks. This was about a black panther shape shifter, and it pulled me in right away! I wanted to read the about the other people in that universe, and realized the Love At Stake series was about not only shifters but vampires as well, and the premise and level of humor in THIS series was completely different from either the other series about shifters - and it was amazing! Is amazing - none of these series mentioned have ended - and they are all auto-buys for me!
A main theme in all of these - other than the obvious shifting into animal form! - is the bond that is forged between mates. It's supernatural and binding and instinctual. There's no BS prancing around denying feelings (well, there is some of that in EPL, but it doesn't last long) - the shifter men (and women) recognize their mate & immediately go into "claiming" mode. I love the alpha-badass-ness of those stories!
So, tell me - what other Shifter stories are out there that I should check out?
ttfn!
Today I read a book about a polar bear shifter, Polar Bared (heh, see what they did there?) by Eve Langlais, and it carved a place in my heart and favorites when the MC reveals his polar bear status to his love interest, and she reacts EXACTLY how i would react in that situation. LOVE IT!!
The first book I remember reading with shifters or Weres was Sherrilyn Kenyon's Night Play. Bride was the first "plump" heroine I'd ever read about, and Vane was a different kind of werewolf. And he loved that she wasn't skinny. ; ) Also, the idea of "mates" was super intriguing to me, and I absolutely loved their story. For a while, Sherri was the only author I knew of writing these kinds of stories, and I devoured every one I could get my hands on (and her Dark-Hunters, as well, but we'll focus more on them in another post!). Unleash the Night, featuring Maggie & Wren (a white tiger/snow leopard Were, oh MY!), is another of my all-time favorites. : )
One day a few years ago, after I'd rediscovered my love of reading (and, specifically, my love of paranormal romance), I came across the super-interesting-sounding Pride Mates by Jennifer Ashley. Here was a whole new world of Shifters, and their rules and reactions and descriptions were completely different from the Weres in Sherri's books, yet had a similar vibe. I loved Liam & Kim so much that I immediately started looking for more of this series once I'd finished their book. : ) (And later, Tiger Magic came out, I won a signed ARC of the story, and I discovered even MORE love for tiger shifters!)(I still bought the trade PB when it came out bc the cover art is FABULOUS!)
Another day, I was looking through the PNR (paranormal romance) section & came across a title that caught my eye - Eat, Prey, Love by Kerrelyn Sparks. This was about a black panther shape shifter, and it pulled me in right away! I wanted to read the about the other people in that universe, and realized the Love At Stake series was about not only shifters but vampires as well, and the premise and level of humor in THIS series was completely different from either the other series about shifters - and it was amazing! Is amazing - none of these series mentioned have ended - and they are all auto-buys for me!
A main theme in all of these - other than the obvious shifting into animal form! - is the bond that is forged between mates. It's supernatural and binding and instinctual. There's no BS prancing around denying feelings (well, there is some of that in EPL, but it doesn't last long) - the shifter men (and women) recognize their mate & immediately go into "claiming" mode. I love the alpha-badass-ness of those stories!
So, tell me - what other Shifter stories are out there that I should check out?
ttfn!
Saturday, November 22, 2014
Author Spotlight - Skye Turner
I had another author planned for tonight's post, but after finishing the final Bayou Stix book, Alluring Surrender, just now - I rearranged & our next spotlight goes to:
Skye Turner!! : )
I'm not sure how I discovered the Bayou Stix series - I know book 2 was on my wishlist for a while before I was interested in the other books, because I love the name Blue. : ) However, the price of $4.99 was a little intimidating to me at the time. I moved very slowly into the e-book world, and for the most part, I wasn't willing to spend more than $1 on an e-book, no matter how good it looked. There were plenty of free & 99 cent books, and if I really felt strongly about a book, I'd pay more to get it in paperback.
I started following Skye on FB long before I read any of her books. I love her updates & the way she handles herself via social media. You can tell she loves her family, and family comes first with her. You can tell she has a passion for not only her stories, but authors. She feels very strongly about supporting other authors, about this world of indie authors NOT being a competition, but being an opportunity for ppl who love to write and ppl who love to read good stories to come together and share in that joy. I LOVE that philosophy as it aligns with my own.
One day, book 1 in the series, Alluring Turmoil, went on sale or I noticed the price was $2.99 rather than $4.99 & I decided to give the series a try. That was in August. I really enjoyed the story and writing style, but there was a back & forth that annoyed me, and I wasn't sure for a bit that I would continue with the series. But the further into the story I got, the more I fell in love w/ these characters. And by the end, I really wanted to read the other stories, because Skye did SUCH a great job of writing an ensemble cast without overshadowing the main couple's story.
But, the $4.99 thing was still causing me to hesitate. I read AT in August, and didn't give in to my desire to continue the series until October. I dove into Blue & Jessie's story, Alluring Seduction, right away, and fell HARD. So hard, in fact, that I immediately purchased & read book 3, Alluring Temptation, after finishing that story. As you can see from my review, I fell even harder for Clove & Liam.
Each story in this series sucked me in and made me love all the characters. I wanted to get to know them even more, and suddenly my prejudice against pricing was gone, and I just wanted the next story NOW! So, I waited approximately 2 weeks and then bought Alluring Infatuation. : )
AND THEN I HAD TO WAIT A WHOLE MONTH for the final book, Alluring Surrender, to be out. However, I did pre-order that one as soon as the option was available, such is my love for this series! *grin* And let me tell you, while Alluring Temptation was set to be my all-time favorite in the series, this final installment did it's best to blow that out of the water. The epilogue was brilliantly written. Delicious with the updates!
One of the hardest things to do with an ensemble cast is to make sure each character/couple get plenty of air time in their book, while still maintaining the relationships they each have w/ other characters and catching up fans of previous couples, while setting up for future couples. Skye NAILS it with this series. Completely, totally NAILS it! There was a little stumble in AI, in my opinion, with this concept (I didn't feel like Dade & Melonie got to be together together as in "in the same room" for enough of the story), but that didn't diminish my enjoyment any, so in that way it worked!
So, with the final installment read, I will miss my Bayou Stix pack, but I know Skye has some really great things planned for 2015, and I'm looking forward to reading more of the stories in her head. And, although she hasn't mentioned any plans to go in this direction - the Bayou Stix gang did have a passel of kids when all was said & done, so a spin off series could conceivably happen, if the characters speak up... *grin*
I also continue to look forward to her FB updates - she is SUPER busy w/ her family & writing the actual stories that we love, and she still manages to have one of the most engaging and consistent online presences I've seen from any author (with the exception of maybe Colleen Hoover, who is obsessed with Instagram. *laugh* And we love it!), and I truly admire her for that. I admire her for always putting her family first, for not being shy about that fact. And I admire her for still taking time to interact with her fans and to acknowledge their contributions in her life.
Below are the Amazon links along w/ Skye's FB page, if you'd like to check her & her boys out for yourselves. : ) I highly recommend it, obviously! ; )
Skye Turner on FB
Alluring Turmoil
Alluring Seduction
Alluring Temptation
Alluring Ties
Alluring Infatuation
Alluring Surrender
ttfn!
Skye Turner!! : )
I'm not sure how I discovered the Bayou Stix series - I know book 2 was on my wishlist for a while before I was interested in the other books, because I love the name Blue. : ) However, the price of $4.99 was a little intimidating to me at the time. I moved very slowly into the e-book world, and for the most part, I wasn't willing to spend more than $1 on an e-book, no matter how good it looked. There were plenty of free & 99 cent books, and if I really felt strongly about a book, I'd pay more to get it in paperback.
I started following Skye on FB long before I read any of her books. I love her updates & the way she handles herself via social media. You can tell she loves her family, and family comes first with her. You can tell she has a passion for not only her stories, but authors. She feels very strongly about supporting other authors, about this world of indie authors NOT being a competition, but being an opportunity for ppl who love to write and ppl who love to read good stories to come together and share in that joy. I LOVE that philosophy as it aligns with my own.
One day, book 1 in the series, Alluring Turmoil, went on sale or I noticed the price was $2.99 rather than $4.99 & I decided to give the series a try. That was in August. I really enjoyed the story and writing style, but there was a back & forth that annoyed me, and I wasn't sure for a bit that I would continue with the series. But the further into the story I got, the more I fell in love w/ these characters. And by the end, I really wanted to read the other stories, because Skye did SUCH a great job of writing an ensemble cast without overshadowing the main couple's story.
But, the $4.99 thing was still causing me to hesitate. I read AT in August, and didn't give in to my desire to continue the series until October. I dove into Blue & Jessie's story, Alluring Seduction, right away, and fell HARD. So hard, in fact, that I immediately purchased & read book 3, Alluring Temptation, after finishing that story. As you can see from my review, I fell even harder for Clove & Liam.
sorry for the slightly whacked photos from my kindle.
i STILL can't figure out how to do screen shots on this computer!
but you get the idea - she has awesome covers to go along w/ the awesome stories!
Each story in this series sucked me in and made me love all the characters. I wanted to get to know them even more, and suddenly my prejudice against pricing was gone, and I just wanted the next story NOW! So, I waited approximately 2 weeks and then bought Alluring Infatuation. : )
AND THEN I HAD TO WAIT A WHOLE MONTH for the final book, Alluring Surrender, to be out. However, I did pre-order that one as soon as the option was available, such is my love for this series! *grin* And let me tell you, while Alluring Temptation was set to be my all-time favorite in the series, this final installment did it's best to blow that out of the water. The epilogue was brilliantly written. Delicious with the updates!
One of the hardest things to do with an ensemble cast is to make sure each character/couple get plenty of air time in their book, while still maintaining the relationships they each have w/ other characters and catching up fans of previous couples, while setting up for future couples. Skye NAILS it with this series. Completely, totally NAILS it! There was a little stumble in AI, in my opinion, with this concept (I didn't feel like Dade & Melonie got to be together together as in "in the same room" for enough of the story), but that didn't diminish my enjoyment any, so in that way it worked!
So, with the final installment read, I will miss my Bayou Stix pack, but I know Skye has some really great things planned for 2015, and I'm looking forward to reading more of the stories in her head. And, although she hasn't mentioned any plans to go in this direction - the Bayou Stix gang did have a passel of kids when all was said & done, so a spin off series could conceivably happen, if the characters speak up... *grin*
I also continue to look forward to her FB updates - she is SUPER busy w/ her family & writing the actual stories that we love, and she still manages to have one of the most engaging and consistent online presences I've seen from any author (with the exception of maybe Colleen Hoover, who is obsessed with Instagram. *laugh* And we love it!), and I truly admire her for that. I admire her for always putting her family first, for not being shy about that fact. And I admire her for still taking time to interact with her fans and to acknowledge their contributions in her life.
Below are the Amazon links along w/ Skye's FB page, if you'd like to check her & her boys out for yourselves. : ) I highly recommend it, obviously! ; )
Skye Turner on FB
Alluring Turmoil
Alluring Seduction
Alluring Temptation
Alluring Ties
Alluring Infatuation
Alluring Surrender
ttfn!
Author Spotlight - Rochelle Paige
For my very first Author Spotlight, I present to you ...
Rochelle Paige!! : )
Rochelle Paige is the author of the Blythe College series. She also has a spin-off, the Bachelorette Party series which starts w/ Sucked Into Love, and is hard at work writing more fabulous books!
I can't mention Rochelle without mentioning another favorite author, who "introduced" me to Rochelle - Aurora Rose Reynolds. Her book, Until November, I loved so much that I became an instant fan & was EXTREMELY happy when I discovered she was making it into a series. While scooping up as much information as I could about ARR, I came across Rochelle's teasers & advertisements for her debut novel, Push The Envelope. I immediately fell in love w/ the synopsis, the cover was intriguing (guy looks like Shane West) & I'd never, to my recollection, read a book with a RUGBY star as the main character!
I wasn't in deep with my kindle yet at that time, so I waited (im)patiently for there to be a paperback available. I ordered. It arrived. I DEVOURED it. And, as you can see from my review, I couldn't wait for more from Rochelle Paige!
Since that time, I've been fortunate to count her as a friend, as well as someone I can fan-girl on! LOL You know, the kind of friends today's media-laden applications (FB, specifically) help to create, but it's still real!! We chat on FB, we have similar styles & tastes, I LOVE her sense of humor & think she'd be super cool to hang out with if we lived in the same town. : ) And this past weekend, I was blessed to actually meet her in person, give her a hug, wish I could hang out w/ her all day (but that would be sorta rude to her other fans waiting to meet & chat w/ her!)... *grin* I was blessed to find out that she is, indeed, as cool as she seems online.
And even before I found that out, I got my friend, Sarah, addicted to her books as well. So, while I was in the same space as the talented Ms. Paige, I got Sarah a set of signed Blythe College books for Christmas. (Thanks for signing all of those at once, btw!)
Huzzah! Now, I just have to ship them... ; )
And while I have devoured and adored every book I've read since PTE - she is now an auto-buy author for me. It doesn't matter what she writes, I'll snap it up! - Push The Envelope (and DRAKE, good golly, Drake) will always be my favorite. The story blew me away w/o knowing anything more about Rochelle than I loved the cadence of her writing.
Each subsequent book in the series pulled me in & kept me wanting more. The connections each character has, the appearances of other characters from other books (including a cross-over w/ one of ARR's characters, which I just thought was NEAT!). And in Sucked Into Love, she pulled a character that had a very small (page-wise) but very big (storyline-wise) part in a previous book, and gave them their own story. And that story nearly ties w/ PTE as my favorite, I think.
One more thing before I list out the books for easy clicking - I'll share something that wasn't in my review, and it's something I may not have even shared w/ Rochelle, I'm not sure. One of my favorite things about Drake, about his side of the story, is how he felt this instant connection w/ Alexa - the first time she sees him, she's all gussied up for a party & so she's looking GOOD, and of course turning heads. The second time she sees him, she's in sweats, in a hurry, has the just rolled out of bed college student thing going on. But the first time Drake saw Alexa was way before even that party. He saw her on campus, just walking around, normal college-student attire, and thought, "Who IS that girl?" And then (and this IS in the review) as soon as he knows she's free to be pursued, he PURSUES. I got the same vibe from that as when Oz sees Willow for the first time on Buffy - just pure chemistry. And I love that!
Hopefully these stories have peaked your interest in Rochelle, and in giving her books a shot! : ) I'll leave you with some links so you can check them out for yourself.
Rochelle Paige on FB
Push The Envelope (the book links are the Amazon links, although you can also get to them on GR after you've read my review, because you just know you want to read my review...!)(*grin*)
Hit The Wall
Summer Nights
Outside The Box
The convenient BOX SET of those four up there
Winter Wedding
Sucked Into Love
If you've read these wonderful stories, or if you decide to read them after checking them out for the first time, let me know what you think? I'd love to know what others enjoy about the stories & which couple's your favorite & all that fun stuff! : )
ttfn!
Rochelle Paige!! : )
Rochelle Paige is the author of the Blythe College series. She also has a spin-off, the Bachelorette Party series which starts w/ Sucked Into Love, and is hard at work writing more fabulous books!
I can't mention Rochelle without mentioning another favorite author, who "introduced" me to Rochelle - Aurora Rose Reynolds. Her book, Until November, I loved so much that I became an instant fan & was EXTREMELY happy when I discovered she was making it into a series. While scooping up as much information as I could about ARR, I came across Rochelle's teasers & advertisements for her debut novel, Push The Envelope. I immediately fell in love w/ the synopsis, the cover was intriguing (guy looks like Shane West) & I'd never, to my recollection, read a book with a RUGBY star as the main character!
I wasn't in deep with my kindle yet at that time, so I waited (im)patiently for there to be a paperback available. I ordered. It arrived. I DEVOURED it. And, as you can see from my review, I couldn't wait for more from Rochelle Paige!
Since that time, I've been fortunate to count her as a friend, as well as someone I can fan-girl on! LOL You know, the kind of friends today's media-laden applications (FB, specifically) help to create, but it's still real!! We chat on FB, we have similar styles & tastes, I LOVE her sense of humor & think she'd be super cool to hang out with if we lived in the same town. : ) And this past weekend, I was blessed to actually meet her in person, give her a hug, wish I could hang out w/ her all day (but that would be sorta rude to her other fans waiting to meet & chat w/ her!)... *grin* I was blessed to find out that she is, indeed, as cool as she seems online.
And even before I found that out, I got my friend, Sarah, addicted to her books as well. So, while I was in the same space as the talented Ms. Paige, I got Sarah a set of signed Blythe College books for Christmas. (Thanks for signing all of those at once, btw!)
Huzzah! Now, I just have to ship them... ; )
And while I have devoured and adored every book I've read since PTE - she is now an auto-buy author for me. It doesn't matter what she writes, I'll snap it up! - Push The Envelope (and DRAKE, good golly, Drake) will always be my favorite. The story blew me away w/o knowing anything more about Rochelle than I loved the cadence of her writing.
Each subsequent book in the series pulled me in & kept me wanting more. The connections each character has, the appearances of other characters from other books (including a cross-over w/ one of ARR's characters, which I just thought was NEAT!). And in Sucked Into Love, she pulled a character that had a very small (page-wise) but very big (storyline-wise) part in a previous book, and gave them their own story. And that story nearly ties w/ PTE as my favorite, I think.
One more thing before I list out the books for easy clicking - I'll share something that wasn't in my review, and it's something I may not have even shared w/ Rochelle, I'm not sure. One of my favorite things about Drake, about his side of the story, is how he felt this instant connection w/ Alexa - the first time she sees him, she's all gussied up for a party & so she's looking GOOD, and of course turning heads. The second time she sees him, she's in sweats, in a hurry, has the just rolled out of bed college student thing going on. But the first time Drake saw Alexa was way before even that party. He saw her on campus, just walking around, normal college-student attire, and thought, "Who IS that girl?" And then (and this IS in the review) as soon as he knows she's free to be pursued, he PURSUES. I got the same vibe from that as when Oz sees Willow for the first time on Buffy - just pure chemistry. And I love that!
Hopefully these stories have peaked your interest in Rochelle, and in giving her books a shot! : ) I'll leave you with some links so you can check them out for yourself.
Rochelle Paige on FB
Push The Envelope (the book links are the Amazon links, although you can also get to them on GR after you've read my review, because you just know you want to read my review...!)(*grin*)
Hit The Wall
Summer Nights
Outside The Box
The convenient BOX SET of those four up there
Winter Wedding
Sucked Into Love
If you've read these wonderful stories, or if you decide to read them after checking them out for the first time, let me know what you think? I'd love to know what others enjoy about the stories & which couple's your favorite & all that fun stuff! : )
ttfn!
Update:
Photo of me & Rochelle at Wild & Windy In the City
Chicago, May 2017
Recent Purchases
because my friends & family know me well, some of my recent birthday gifts were gift cards to amazon and starbucks. because, books & coffee just go so well together, ya know? : )
i very appreciatively hopped over to amazon right away & began going through my wishlist - which has bout 700 books on it - how does that even happen?! here's a list of what i bought (title, author, price i paid - which may be different than the current price since it's been a couple days).
Touched by Vicki Green - Free!
i have this one in PB & enjoyed the story, so when i saw the e-book was free, i wanted to have it on my kindle as well. : ) (just a note on the series - i greatly enjoyed this one & book 2. i greatly enjoyed most of book 3, but was extremely disappointed in part of that one as well. i encourage you to give them a shot if they sound good to you, but just know that book 3 does not fall into Carrie's Requirements For Recommended Reading. LOL)
Forever With Me by Kristen Proby - $3.99 pre-order (releases on 12/2/14)
Kristen's With Me in Seattle series is amazing! this is the last book in the series (*sniffle*) & i have them all in PB. i'll buy this one in PB, too, once it's available.
Lady Luck by Kristen Ashley - $3.99 (i was reading the PB & kept getting distracted by FB, so i just downloaded the e-copy & was able to multitask & finish it!)
Among the Echoes by Aly Martinez - $2.99
this looks really good & kept popping up in my feeds, so after i read another book by Aly, i decided now was the time to get this one!
Blank by Cambria Hebert - $0.99
i've enjoyed everything i've ever read by Cambria. She has a series called Take It Off - they're all stand alones but some have connected characters that pop in or are mentioned - every book in that series is a favorite (except one!)! :)
Broken Course by Aly Martinez - $3.99
this is book 3 in the series - i haven't read book 1 yet, but fell in love w/ the writing & story in book 2. i was SUPER HAPPY when i saw that a character from the first 2 books was getting her own book. these are stand alones, but connected, and probably would be better to read in order if you want to get the whole picture up front. i'm okay w/ the way i'm reading them, tho. : )
Rebel by Skye Jordan - $3.99
Ricochet by Skye Jordan - $3.99
Rumor by Skye Jordan - $2.99
i read the first book in this series a while ago, and apparently liked it enough to want to snatch up the rest of the series! *grin*
Saving Ella by Kristy Dallas - $0.99
Twist of Fate by Jaime Whitley - $3.99
This has been on my wish list since before it came out - just looks REALLY GOOD (& Jaime's a sweetheart on FB)!!
Lights To My Siren by Lani Lynn Vale - $3.99
Umm... this looks really good, too, but i have to admit that it made it to my wish list based on the cover. i hardly ever do that, but in this case the synopsis also looks like i'll like it, so hopefully it pays off!! : )
Blind by Xavier Neal - $0.99
Deaf by Xavier Neal - $2.99
Cursed Love by t.h. snyder - $0.99
Catching Cameron by Julie Brannagh - $1.99
Lone Wolf by Jennifer Ashley - $1.99
i adore Jennifer's Shifters series!! i have them in PB, but this one has only been available in e-book, so i hadn't read it yet.
Wicked Games by A.D. Justice - $2.51
Polar Bared by Eva Langlais - $3.99
Beneath the Surface by M.A. Stacie - $4.99
Waking Up In Vegas by Stevie Kisner - $3.99
Lead by Kylie Scott - $3.79
Deep by Kylie Scott - $3.99 pre-order (releases 3/31/15)
i LOVE the first two books in this series (Lick and Play) about a rock band. wonderful writing & they each have their own tone, matching the characters, and the first two gave me lots of LOL moments as well as some sniffles.
The Game by HJ Bellus - $3.99 pre-order (releases 12/16/14)
Hero by Samantha Young - $3.79 pre-order (2/3/15)
Playing With Fire (the complete series 1-4) by T.E. Sivec - $0.99
Breathe by Kristen Ashley - $3.99
Laces and Lace by Toni Aleo - $4.99
this is book 6 in a series. i bought the boxed set of books 1-5 earlier, and was going to wait on buying book 6 until i'd read the others, to see if i like her writing style. however, them some crap went down & she was being bullied for the price of her book ($1 is being donated to a charity she supports, Nashville Predators Foundation for Pediatric Cancer research. i think that is AWESOME! so i used some birthday money & bought it.)
Striving For Normal by B.L. Mooney - FREE
All I Want by J. Daniels - $2.99 pre-order (releases 11/24/14)
book 1 in this series, Where I Belong, was the first book i'd read by Jessica. it was a fresh & different storyline & i really enjoyed it. like A LOT, excited squeeing, AND THEN i got a signed PB & the excited squeeing continued... *grin* so, i'm looking forward to the next installment. : )
have you read any of these? if so, what'd you think? share share share! (remember, sharing is caring!)
ttfn!
i very appreciatively hopped over to amazon right away & began going through my wishlist - which has bout 700 books on it - how does that even happen?! here's a list of what i bought (title, author, price i paid - which may be different than the current price since it's been a couple days).
Touched by Vicki Green - Free!
i have this one in PB & enjoyed the story, so when i saw the e-book was free, i wanted to have it on my kindle as well. : ) (just a note on the series - i greatly enjoyed this one & book 2. i greatly enjoyed most of book 3, but was extremely disappointed in part of that one as well. i encourage you to give them a shot if they sound good to you, but just know that book 3 does not fall into Carrie's Requirements For Recommended Reading. LOL)
Forever With Me by Kristen Proby - $3.99 pre-order (releases on 12/2/14)
Kristen's With Me in Seattle series is amazing! this is the last book in the series (*sniffle*) & i have them all in PB. i'll buy this one in PB, too, once it's available.
Lady Luck by Kristen Ashley - $3.99 (i was reading the PB & kept getting distracted by FB, so i just downloaded the e-copy & was able to multitask & finish it!)
Among the Echoes by Aly Martinez - $2.99
this looks really good & kept popping up in my feeds, so after i read another book by Aly, i decided now was the time to get this one!
Blank by Cambria Hebert - $0.99
i've enjoyed everything i've ever read by Cambria. She has a series called Take It Off - they're all stand alones but some have connected characters that pop in or are mentioned - every book in that series is a favorite (except one!)! :)
Broken Course by Aly Martinez - $3.99
this is book 3 in the series - i haven't read book 1 yet, but fell in love w/ the writing & story in book 2. i was SUPER HAPPY when i saw that a character from the first 2 books was getting her own book. these are stand alones, but connected, and probably would be better to read in order if you want to get the whole picture up front. i'm okay w/ the way i'm reading them, tho. : )
Rebel by Skye Jordan - $3.99
Ricochet by Skye Jordan - $3.99
Rumor by Skye Jordan - $2.99
i read the first book in this series a while ago, and apparently liked it enough to want to snatch up the rest of the series! *grin*
Saving Ella by Kristy Dallas - $0.99
Twist of Fate by Jaime Whitley - $3.99
This has been on my wish list since before it came out - just looks REALLY GOOD (& Jaime's a sweetheart on FB)!!
Lights To My Siren by Lani Lynn Vale - $3.99
Umm... this looks really good, too, but i have to admit that it made it to my wish list based on the cover. i hardly ever do that, but in this case the synopsis also looks like i'll like it, so hopefully it pays off!! : )
Blind by Xavier Neal - $0.99
Deaf by Xavier Neal - $2.99
Cursed Love by t.h. snyder - $0.99
Catching Cameron by Julie Brannagh - $1.99
Lone Wolf by Jennifer Ashley - $1.99
i adore Jennifer's Shifters series!! i have them in PB, but this one has only been available in e-book, so i hadn't read it yet.
Wicked Games by A.D. Justice - $2.51
Polar Bared by Eva Langlais - $3.99
Beneath the Surface by M.A. Stacie - $4.99
Waking Up In Vegas by Stevie Kisner - $3.99
Lead by Kylie Scott - $3.79
Deep by Kylie Scott - $3.99 pre-order (releases 3/31/15)
i LOVE the first two books in this series (Lick and Play) about a rock band. wonderful writing & they each have their own tone, matching the characters, and the first two gave me lots of LOL moments as well as some sniffles.
The Game by HJ Bellus - $3.99 pre-order (releases 12/16/14)
Hero by Samantha Young - $3.79 pre-order (2/3/15)
Playing With Fire (the complete series 1-4) by T.E. Sivec - $0.99
Breathe by Kristen Ashley - $3.99
Laces and Lace by Toni Aleo - $4.99
this is book 6 in a series. i bought the boxed set of books 1-5 earlier, and was going to wait on buying book 6 until i'd read the others, to see if i like her writing style. however, them some crap went down & she was being bullied for the price of her book ($1 is being donated to a charity she supports, Nashville Predators Foundation for Pediatric Cancer research. i think that is AWESOME! so i used some birthday money & bought it.)
Striving For Normal by B.L. Mooney - FREE
All I Want by J. Daniels - $2.99 pre-order (releases 11/24/14)
book 1 in this series, Where I Belong, was the first book i'd read by Jessica. it was a fresh & different storyline & i really enjoyed it. like A LOT, excited squeeing, AND THEN i got a signed PB & the excited squeeing continued... *grin* so, i'm looking forward to the next installment. : )
have you read any of these? if so, what'd you think? share share share! (remember, sharing is caring!)
ttfn!
Friday, November 21, 2014
Welcome!
hello, and welcome to my little slice of the internet! obviously, my name is carrie! i love to read, i love words, i love LANGUAGE. i love nuances and slang and the cadence of how people talk and write. for instance, i write pretty much exactly the way i speak. if you have a physical conversation with me, and then read something i write, my voice comes through pretty clearly. *grin*
the genre i'm most passionate (haha) about is romance, and this past year or so i've been heavily into indie (or, independent) romance authors. my FB feed is full of family, friends... and authors & book blogs. heh! i love finding a new-to-me author & devouring all the books in their series, or multiple series... i love getting recommendations from authors i love, because usually they write what they love, and if i love their work, then we probably have similar tastes in reading material as well!
i enjoy writing reviews - even tho a lot of times they can veer into gushing territory, i try to give constructive criticism if necessary, and point out specific things i liked/didn't like, so that if someone happens to read the review, they'll have more than just a recap of the synopsis (i rarely do that - you've probably read the synopsis before checking out reviews, right??)! i enjoy supporting new authors & if i love your writing, I LOVE YOUR WRITING! i share that love on my fb & to friends & family & well, there have been times i've shared w/ random ppl on the street who have asked me a seemingly innocent question about books/authors... *grin* i can be a one-woman street team!
i'm not actively on any specific street teams for any specific authors, however, because that's kinda a lot of pressure. that's promoting someone or something bc it's a "job" rather than just because i like them. i love the author community - the good parts of it, at any rate! i try to stay away from any of the bullying & BS that can go on, tho!
so, that's my beginning! my vision for this shelf is to share with you what i'm reading, what i've read, what i've loved and not loved and hope to love. the books i talk about my not be new releases - honestly, i'd rather review & promote the books AFTER the initial book blitzes, because sometimes it feels like... 5 books will release the same day, and then EVERY BLOG will be promoting those same 5 books for a week - until the next release blitz & then those 5 books are just left to their own devices. some authors have started staggering their blog tours & things, which helps! still, two or three months after a book's release, the author is sorta on their own to promote it.
that's where i come in - or where i might come in. *laugh* there are definitely some books i read RIGHT AWAY when they release. : )
but for my next post, i'm going to lay out the books i bought earlier this week for my birthday - i was gifted an extraordinary amount for amazon from a couple friends, and while i tried to pace myself, who am i kidding?! i tore through that gift in two days and i got books that had been on my wishlist forever! and some newer ones as well, of course!
so, please join me in this exploration or experimenting! feel free to make suggestions of authors you love (i'm definitely going to be highlighting some authors i love, like Katy Regnery and Skye Turner and Rochelle Paige and Kristen Ashley and Aurora Rose Reynolds and ... umm... i love a lot of awesome and amazing authors)! just know that i'm not looking to branch out as far as genre - i'm nearly 100% a romance gal, with a smidge of old-school Dean Koontz & Stephen King thrown in (and when i say old-school, i mean Mr Koontz's Lightning and Mr King's Carrie, Christine, It...). if you want to comment with authors or books you love who DON'T fall into that category - please do! someone else reading might share your joy & i want to promote reading in general, not just romance! just don't expect ME to read them, altho i do promise to look at the synopsis of all books mentioned in any comments! : )
ttfn & happy reading!
the genre i'm most passionate (haha) about is romance, and this past year or so i've been heavily into indie (or, independent) romance authors. my FB feed is full of family, friends... and authors & book blogs. heh! i love finding a new-to-me author & devouring all the books in their series, or multiple series... i love getting recommendations from authors i love, because usually they write what they love, and if i love their work, then we probably have similar tastes in reading material as well!
i enjoy writing reviews - even tho a lot of times they can veer into gushing territory, i try to give constructive criticism if necessary, and point out specific things i liked/didn't like, so that if someone happens to read the review, they'll have more than just a recap of the synopsis (i rarely do that - you've probably read the synopsis before checking out reviews, right??)! i enjoy supporting new authors & if i love your writing, I LOVE YOUR WRITING! i share that love on my fb & to friends & family & well, there have been times i've shared w/ random ppl on the street who have asked me a seemingly innocent question about books/authors... *grin* i can be a one-woman street team!
i'm not actively on any specific street teams for any specific authors, however, because that's kinda a lot of pressure. that's promoting someone or something bc it's a "job" rather than just because i like them. i love the author community - the good parts of it, at any rate! i try to stay away from any of the bullying & BS that can go on, tho!
so, that's my beginning! my vision for this shelf is to share with you what i'm reading, what i've read, what i've loved and not loved and hope to love. the books i talk about my not be new releases - honestly, i'd rather review & promote the books AFTER the initial book blitzes, because sometimes it feels like... 5 books will release the same day, and then EVERY BLOG will be promoting those same 5 books for a week - until the next release blitz & then those 5 books are just left to their own devices. some authors have started staggering their blog tours & things, which helps! still, two or three months after a book's release, the author is sorta on their own to promote it.
that's where i come in - or where i might come in. *laugh* there are definitely some books i read RIGHT AWAY when they release. : )
but for my next post, i'm going to lay out the books i bought earlier this week for my birthday - i was gifted an extraordinary amount for amazon from a couple friends, and while i tried to pace myself, who am i kidding?! i tore through that gift in two days and i got books that had been on my wishlist forever! and some newer ones as well, of course!
so, please join me in this exploration or experimenting! feel free to make suggestions of authors you love (i'm definitely going to be highlighting some authors i love, like Katy Regnery and Skye Turner and Rochelle Paige and Kristen Ashley and Aurora Rose Reynolds and ... umm... i love a lot of awesome and amazing authors)! just know that i'm not looking to branch out as far as genre - i'm nearly 100% a romance gal, with a smidge of old-school Dean Koontz & Stephen King thrown in (and when i say old-school, i mean Mr Koontz's Lightning and Mr King's Carrie, Christine, It...). if you want to comment with authors or books you love who DON'T fall into that category - please do! someone else reading might share your joy & i want to promote reading in general, not just romance! just don't expect ME to read them, altho i do promise to look at the synopsis of all books mentioned in any comments! : )
ttfn & happy reading!
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