Joshua and the Lightning Road

Title: Joshua and the Lightning Road

Publication date: May 19, 2015

Publisher: Month9Books, LLC.

Author: Donna Galanti

Stay away from the window, don’t go outside when it’s storming and whatever you do, do not touch the orb.

Twelve-year-old Joshua Cooper’s grandpa has always warned him about the dangers of lightning. But Joshua never put much stock in his grandpa’s rumblings as anything more than the ravings of an old man with a vast imagination. Then one night, when Joshua and his best friend are home alone during a frightful storm, Joshua learns his grandpa was right. A bolt of lightning strikes his house and whisks away his best friend—possibly forever.

To get him back, Joshua must travel the Lightning Road to a dark place that steals children for energy. But getting back home and saving his friend won’t be easy, as Joshua must face the terrifying Child Collector and fend off ferocious and unnatural beasts intent on destroying him.

In this world, Joshua possesses powers he never knew he had, and soon, Joshua’s mission becomes more than a search for his friend. He means to send all the stolen children home—and doing so becomes the battle of his life.

Donna is the author of the Joshua and The Lightning Road series and the Element Trilogy. She is a contributing editor to International Thriller Writers the Big Thrill magazine and blogs at www.project-middle-grade-mayhem.blogs..., a cooperative of published middle grade authors.

 Visit her at www.donnagalanti.com and www.ElementTrilogy.com. Donna wanted to be a writer ever since she wrote a murder mystery screenplay at seven and acted it out with the neighborhood kids. She attended an English school housed in a magical castle, where her wild imagination was held back only by her itchy uniform (bowler hat and tie included!). There she fell in love with the worlds of C.S. Lewis and Roald Dahl, and wrote her first fantasy about Dodo birds, wizards, and a flying ship (and has been writing fantasy ever since). She’s lived in other exotic locations, including her family-owned campground in New Hampshire and in Hawaii where she served as a U.S. Navy photographer. She now lives with her family and two crazy cats in an old farmhouse and dreams of returning one day to a castle.

Author Links:  Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Link to the Tour Schedule:

http://www.chapter-by-chapter.com/tour-schedule-joshua-and-the-lightning-road-by-donna-galanti-presented-by-tantrum-books/

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20983429-joshua-and-the-lightning-road

Purchase Links:

Amazon | B&N | Kobo | iBooks

Giveaway Information:  Winner will be drawn June 19, 2015

·         Five (5) winners will receive a digital copy of Joshua and the Lightning Road by Donna Galanti (INT)

Joshua and the Lightning Road Random Excerpts 

1.
“One hundred. Ready or not here I come!” I said with more courage than I felt, pushing the attic door open.
Inky black swallowed me up. I darted my flashlight about, but its small, round light didn’t reveal much. The mustiness of old things hidden away filled my nose. Bo Chez, hurry home. The hair prickled on my forearms as the stairs screeched with each step and the landing loomed in front of me. Could a ghost with an axe be waiting to chop off my head? I took a deep breath, waiting for a blade to fall, but the only thing lying in wait was a dusty bookshelf.
“Finn-man, I know you’re up here.” I flicked the flashlight around the room, its cold metal warming in my sweaty palm. Thunder crashed over my head and my ears popped.
One more step forward.
“Got ya!” Finn jumped up, his shadow against the window. I tripped and landed hard on my butt. My flashlight twirled across the floor.
Then a blue arc of light struck the window. Glass exploded. Finn’s mouth froze in a wide ‘O’. I yelled and reached out to pull him down, but another zap of light blinded me. Finn screamed. Rain splattered my face, stinging with each drop. White dots floated in the air. Something gray billowed past me carrying a familiar, rotten stench that made me gag. A knobby hand grabbed me. I bit it and shoved it away, gagging again, and the hand dropped me back on the floor with the taste of salty dirt on my tongue. An angry howl blasted the air.
Zap. Zap.
Daggers of light shot everywhere as sharp glass cut into me.
“Finn!”
He floated in the shadows. Light erupted all around him, his eyes round with fear. The sky boomed overhead, and a deep laugh bellowed out as if the thunder itself were taunting me.
“Next time it’s you, boy,” a raspy voice said.

Swoon Romance YA Wednesdays: Twelve Steps by Veronica Bartles Book Blitz with Giveaway #ReadSwoonRepeat

Welcome to this week’s

Swoon Romance YA Wednesdays!

This week features the

Twelve Steps by Veronica Bartles!

Be sure to enter the giveaway found at the end of the post!

Sixteen-year-old Andi is tired of being a second-class sibling to perfect sister Laina. The only thing Andi’s sure she has going for her is her awesome hair. And even that is eclipsed by Laina's perfect everything else.
When Andi’s crush asks her to fix him up with Laina, Andi decides enough is enough, and devises a twelve-step program to wrangle the spotlight away from Laina and get the guy.

Step 1: Admit she’s powerless to change her perfect sister, and accept that her life really, really sucks.

Step 4: Make a list of her good qualities. She MUST have more than just great hair, right?

Step 7: Demand attention for more than just the way she screws things up.

When a stolen kiss from her crush ends in disaster, Andi realizes that her twelve-step program isn’t working. Her prince isn’t as charming as she'd hoped, and the spotlight she’s been trying to steal isn’t the one she wants.
As Laina’s flawless façade begins to crumble, the sisters work together to find a spotlight big enough for both to shine.

Twelve Steps by Veronica Bartles
Publication Date: March 25, 2014
Publisher: Swoon Romance

  

As the second of eight children and the mother of four, Veronica Bartles is no stranger to the ups and downs of sibling relationships. (She was sandwiched between the gorgeous-and-insanely-popular older sister and the too-adorable-for-words younger sister.) She uses this insight to write stories about siblings who mostly love each other, even while they’re driving one another crazy. When she isn’t writing or getting lost in the pages of her newest favorite book, Veronica enjoys knitting fabulous bags and jewelry out of recycled plastic bags and old VHS tapes, sky diving (though she hasn’t actually tried that yet), and inventing the world’s most delectable cookie recipes.

Veronica is represented by Jessica Sinsheimer of the Sarah Jane Freymann Literary Agency, LLC

Link to Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19539299-twelve-steps

Purchase Links:

Amazon | B&N

Giveaway Information: – Winner will be drawn May 20, 2015

·        One (1) winner will receive 2 eBooks of any previously published

 Swoon Romance books of their choice (INT) 

Connect with the Author:  Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Complete the Rafflecopter for a chance to win!

New Book Release and Amazon Gift Card Contest: End of Days Trilogy by A.S. Fenichel at BittenByBooks

“Three stories of good vs. evil, proof that love can survive anything—even Hell.Mayan Afterglow – They called it The End of Days after humanity met with near annihilation. Ten months later, the real end is coming. Ian only cares about survival until he rescues Aileen. It will take a savior falling in love with a thief to save the world.Mayan Craving – Surviving the End of Days was only the beginning. While danger and passion pull them together, doubt may rip them apart. Asher and Nancy will need more than a carnal connection if they hope to survive.Mayan Inferno – Revenge is the name of the game for Robin but Breadan has responsibilities—people to keep safe. Neither can avoid their attraction, but losing focus means disaster for everyone. The fate of the world rests on their shoulders, and love could be the deadliest distraction of all.”

Blitz Tour for Robin Covington's Salvation

She’s decided to end it all. He doesn’t know where to begin. What they were and who they might become doesn’t matter as much as who they are together. Fans of Elle Kennedy’s The Deal or Cambria Hebert’s #Player, will devour the sexy and intense addition to the Nashville Nights series by Bestselling Author Robin Covington.

SALVATION

 Letting go never felt so good.
Carlisle Queen is dying and no one knows it. 
Burying the pain of losing her friends and her professional swimming career in a terrorist attack, America’s former sweetheart dulls her pain with drugs, pills and parties. The bomb left her with more than nightmares; shrapnel is lodged in her back and inching closer to her spinal cord. When the doctors tell her paralysis is inevitable, she decides to take her own life rather than face a lifetime in a wheelchair.

Mateo Butler isn’t anyone’s hero.  

Reeling from the death of his little sister and his own cowardice, he spends his nights partying and his days ignoring the medical school acceptance letters and his parents’ concerned phone calls. Just a couple of months from graduation, he’s facing a future filled with shame and regret. The last thing he needs is to meet the woman who compels him to be a better man.

Can they save each other?

When Carlisle and Mateo meet, the chemistry between them is combustible. They play, party and hide their true selves until one night turns their lust into something more…something real. As secrets are revealed and walls collapse, what they were and what they might become doesn’t matter as much as who they are together. When the choice comes down to life or death, can love be their salvation?

SALVATION BY ROBIN COVINGTON

Excerpt: Spanish Lessons

I take her out onto the deck. There are fewer people here and I find a quiet corner where I can touch her and talk to her without interruption.
“You want anything to drink?”
“Nope.” She places her water bottle on the railing. “That’s not my preferred buzz.”
“I’ve heard that.”
“You’ve been checking up on me.”
“I hear things.” I smile and lean down until our forehead touch heads and I can feel her breath on my face. She steps into me and I place my hands on her hips. We fit together perfectly and I can’t help but imagine how good it will be when all these clothes are out of the way. “I thought you wouldn’t be here tonight because you have a Spanish exam on Monday.”
I want to kiss the corner of her mouth where her lips form a tease of a smile. “I’m going to ace the written exam.” Her smile droops a little. “The verbal portion... it might get ugly.”
That is an understatement. I have never heard anyone butcher the Spanish language like Carlisle Queen. Yes, I’m biased because I grew up in a bilingual household but she is terrible. I once thought you’d have to work hard to pronounce things as badly as she does. Not Carlisle. For her, it comes naturally.
I open up a little space in between us but I keep my hands on her hips, even letting the right one dip to cup the sexy, round swell of her ass.
“I think you need to practice. Use me.” When one auburn eyebrow lifts I smile at her dirty mind. “That’s for later. Show me what you’ve got.”
“Me gustaría pedir del menu,” she says and I strain a muscle hiding my wince.
“Okay, so you want to order from a menu.” I nod and when her eyes light up with hope, I shake it in the negative. “That was awful. Try again.” I demonstrate the proper way to say it and then urge her to try again. “Don't pick some random sentence. Just talk to me. Tell me what you want me to know.”
She considers me for a moment and then the wicked gleam is back and she steps even closer to me. “Creo que eres caliente”.
She thinks I’m hot. Good to know.
“Better,” I murmur. “Try another.”
“Quiero saber cómo te gusto.”
She wants to know how I taste.
I groan as she leans in close, her lips hovering over mine a demonstration of what she wants. I want it too. I chase her mouth but she partially turns her face to the side while keeping her eyes locked on mine. Her hands are on my chest and I know she can feel the pounding in my chest at her next practice line.
“Te quiero a ti dentro de mí.”
Fuck. She wants me inside her.
“That’s what I want too. To be inside you, to feel your long legs wrapped around my waist.” I trace her lips with my tongue, capturing her own moan on the tip and savoring her surrender. “Come with me. I want to touch you and I’m not doing it with an audience.”
I enter the door we just passed through and lead her down the back hallway, heading for the stairs and my bedroom. I make it halfway down the deserted hallway and I can’t wait another minute. I push her against the wall, raising one arm to bracket us in. She tips her head to look up at me and I get lost for a moment in her eyes. Usually the color of emerald, they are nearly black with her arousal. Her gaze flickers down to my mouth and I grin.

“Voy a besarte ahora,” I whisper, the only warning of what I’m about to do. She understands me, her breath catching just before I angle my head and take her mouth.

See where it all began with book 1 of the Nashville Nights series, Temptation.

Get More information at: Goodreads  | Amazon |  Barnes & Noble | Kobo | iTunes

About Robin Covington

Robin Covington loves to explore the theme of fooling around and falling in love in her bestselling books. A Night of Southern Comfort, her debut novel was nominated for the RT Book Reviewers Choice Awards for Small Press and was touted by RT Book Reviews as bringing a “fresh, modern feel to the genre while still sticking to the things that get our adrenaline pumping — sex and danger”. Her books were also nominated for the Bookseller’s Best Award and the National Reader’s Choice Awards.
When she’s not writing sexy, sizzling romance she’s collecting tasty man candy, indulging in a little comic book geek love, and stalking Joe Manganiello. You can find Robin at her website (robincovingtonromance.com), Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.
Don’t send chocolate . . . send eye candy!
Robin lives in Maryland with her hilarious husband, brilliant children (they get it from her, of course!) and her beloved furbabies.
Connect with Robin at: Website | Facebook | Twitter |GoodReads | Instagram | Pinterest|


Also in the Nashville Nights Series:

Title: Temptation
Author: Robin Covington
Series: Nashville Nights #1
Genre: New Adult Romance
Release Date: May 11, 2015

 She needs to be good.

At sixteen, Kit ditched her crappy life and moved to Nashville with only $200, her guitar, and a notebook full of songs. She hit it big, but five years of living like a rock star plus a stint in rehab has killed any good will she had with her label. The suits have ordered Kit to shape up or ship out of the limelight. The last thing she needs is a hot, sexy distraction with a sinful smile.

He doesn’t know the meaning of the word.
Max Butler is as far from a celebrity as you can get and he likes it that way. A Nashville firefighter, he’s living the single life with a revolving door of parties, friends, and a different woman in his bed every night. When his normal life suddenly collides with the girl on his favorite Rolling Stone cover, he sees the perfect chance to fulfill his ultimate fantasy and see just how bad Kit can be.

Sometimes bad is so very good.
With three weeks until Kit leaves for her big tour, Max promises to give her a break from being the good

 Title: Redemption
Author: Robin Covington
Series: Nashville Nights #3
Genre: New Adult Romance
Release Date: June 15, 2015
Publisher: Burning Up the Sheets, LLC
Print Length:
Format: Digital
ISBN: B00VH4T7NE


Emory Cabell is leaving the lies behind her.
Finding out that huge chunk of your life has been a lie and that you’re the half-sister to America’s country music queen is game changer. Determined to meet the sibling she never knew and compelled to pursue the music career she’s always wanted, Emory leaves her small town and heads to Nashville. Thrown by the bustle of Music City and the cutthroat dealing of the business, she finds unexpected shelter in a musical partnership with country music’s baddest bad boy.
Zane has his eyes set on the prize.
Known as a man who never stays the night, Zane is reliable only when it comes to his music. Years of paying his dues has gained him the coveted lead guitarist spot on the “must see” music tour of the year. Hoping this gig will lead to his own single recording contract, he agrees to write a few songs with Emory but he’s blown away by the sexual chemistry sizzling between them and leveled by his feelings for this quiet woman with the beautiful soul.
Can love be more than just a line in a song?
Darkness and light…they should not work. But one night in her bed proves they’re hotter than the number one single they wrote together. When the spotlight sheds light on all of Zane’s past sins, Emory struggles with trusting him with her heart.  When a duo-only recording contract threatens everything Zane has worked towards and challenges everything he thought he knew about himself, he recklessly betrays her trust. With his life at a crossroads, will he choose the music or the future with a woman whose love might just be his redemption?

Get More information at: Goodreads  | Amazon |  Barnes & Noble | Kobo | iTunes

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FFBC: A Matter of Heart by Amy Fellner Dominy

A Matter of Heart
by Amy Fellner Dominy
Publisher: Delacorte
Release Date: May 2015
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Sports

Readers will happily sink into this emotionally grounded, contemporary young adult novel about the sudden end of one girl's Olympic swimming dreams and the struggles she endures before realizing there are many things that define who we are.

Sixteen-year-old Abby Lipman is on track to win the state swim championships and qualify for the Olympic trials when a fainting incident at a swim meet leads to the diagnosis of a deadly heart condition. Now Abby is forced to discover who she is without the one thing that's defined her entire life.

BOOK LINKS:

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21921032-a-matter-of-heart

Amazon paperback: http://tinyurl.com/mr8nntz

Barnes & Noble (B&N):  http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/99-days-katie-cotugno/1120020199?ean=9780062216380

Bookdepository: http://www.bookdepository.com/Matter-Heart-Amy-Fellner-Dominy/9780385744430

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/a-matter-of-heart/id914351668?mt=11

Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/a-matter-of-heart-1

Excerpt

I turn and head for my dad.  The sun is hot on my shoulders, and bright enough to make me squint. It’s a little toasty, even for Phoenix, but at least the mornings and nights have started to cool off. Dad has edged back from the crowd and found a shady spot by the building so we can have a little privacy. He waits until I reach him, and then his arms are around me. His words are warm in my ear. “You’re only half a second off the qualifying time.” There’s pride in his voice and the sound of it runs down my spine, raising goose bumps like a standing ovation.  “You know what that means?” he says.  “You can qualify at State this year. That’s three weeks, Ab. We’re that close.” He pulls back, a frown on his face as his hands rub my arms. “You’re shaking, honey.  You cold?  Where’s your towel?” “I’m not cold,” I say.  “I think I’m in shock.” I take a breath.  I’m still recovering maybe, because my lungs feel too tight. Dad looks back at the stopwatch in his hand and shakes his head.  I know he’s itching to get home and plot this on the chart that hangs in his office.  It’s gigantic, the chart.  On it he’s got all my times from every major meet since freshman year. This year, he added a side panel with qualifying times of the other sophomores across the country. This side panel isn’t about charting my personal best.  It’s about me being the best.  About winning Olympic gold. Maybe I am cold.  I shiver again.  I look into Dad’s eyes—a deep olive green, same as mine.  And I think, no, I’m just happy.  Dad was a world-class backstroker.  He would have been where I am if he hadn’t broken his collarbone in a freak accident his senior year of high school.  He never got his chance, but nothing will get in my way. I’m going to win gold for both of us.  Dad’s eyes are shiny.  He’s not a crier.  He’s more the tough guy—work hard and don’t whine.  But this wasn’t just any race.  We both knew I’d need to drop time if I’m going to have any hope. “You did it,” he says.  “You’re there, Ab.  You keep training, and you’re one swim away from an invitation to the United States Olympic team trials.”  He shakes his head, almost as if he can’t believe the words himself. I feel dizzy.  Because of his words, maybe.  The way his head is still moving.  The way there’s cold creeping up my neck and making my head feel numb. Dizzy. I suck in a breath.  My heart is trying to dent my ribs.  My lungs still ache. I want to smile at Dad.  This is amazing.  Life is amazing. First place.  Trials.  Connor. Smile, Abby.  Smile with Dad. Only, now Dad isn’t smiling either.  He looks dizzy.  No—wait.  He looks worried.  I’m the one who’s dizzy. Something. Is wrong.  I can’t breathe.

Amy Fellner Dominy worked as a copywriter in the advertising business before leaving to earn her MFA in playwriting. Her plays for adults and children have been staged in various cities around the country. Amy's novels for teens include OyMG (Walker, 2011) and AUDITION & SUBTRACTION (Walker, 2012.) Amy's next book is a contemporary YA coming Spring, 2015 from Random House. It's called A MATTER OF HEART.