Blog Tour: A Star to Steer Her By by Beth Anne Miller

ABOUT A STAR TO STEER HER BY

I’m scarred. Broken. I’ll never be the same. But I will take this journey. Ever since my last dive ended in bloodshed, I’ve been terrified to go back into the water. But the opportunity to spend a semester at sea is too good to pass up. I need to get my life back. I never expected to love it this much. And I never expected Tristan MacDougall. Rugged, strong, and with demons of his own, Tristan helps me find the courage I thought I had lost and heals me with every stolen moment we share. But the rules of the ship mean we can't be together. When a dive excursion goes terribly wrong, our only hope for survival is each other.

Review:

Ari has been accepted into a semester at sea program, the only problem is that Ari is recovering from a shark attack that happened 6 months ago.  Not only was her body affected, but also her mind.  Her relationship with her twin brother has not recovered from the accident because they both believe he was the cause of Ari's accident.  She almost turned down the opportunity to sail from the Caribbean to New York numerous times, but ultimately she decides to go for it.  She is of course, cautious of the water, but she starts to find her rhythm aboard the boat.  She is enjoying her lessons and making new friends on her voyage.  Ari's interested in one of the deckhands: Tristan.  He interests her and pushes her to face her fears.  They soon become very close friends and they both realize that they click together.  However,  it is against the rules for students and boat workers to have any kind of relationship.  They both have something to lose that they have worked for their entire lives if they are found out.  Tristan helps Ari face her fears and Ari helps Tristan deal with the hurt from his past.  They both realize this is not a passing interest and both are afraid of what happens at the end of their voyage.  Will their relationship survive the trip and what happens when it's over?  Read the book to find out!  (Our copy of this book will be available soon for check-out!)

This book was so much fun!  It gives a lot of information about sailing and the trials of living at sea.  The struggles of Ari seemed very real as she overcomes such a horrific event.  She is struggling with herself and her relationship with her family.  The growth of Ari was wonderful to see and I loved the developments between Ari and Tristan.  There was so much adventure in this story and I found myself cheering for Ari as she confronted her fears.  This was such a fun read and I loved every minute of it!

 

Purchase: Amazon | B&N | iTunes | Kobo | Entangled Publishing

ABOUT BETH ANNE MILLER Beth Anne Miller’s first book, written in elementary school, was bound in pink fabric and was about—what else?—a girl and her horse. She soon began cheating on horses with the sea, becoming an open water scuba diver at age 14. That love of the sea led her to a college semester aboard a schooner. She returned with fond memories of the exhilaration of being on a ship under full sail, less fond memories of hurling over the leeward rail on a daily basis, and a sailing bug she couldn’t quite shake. In addition to horses and the sea, she has a fascination for all things Scottish (including, but not limited to, men in kilts), which she explored with her first novel, INTO THE SCOTTISH MIST (The Wild Rose Press, 2011), and carried into her new novel, A STAR TO STEER HER BY (Entangled Embrace, March 2017). A native New Yorker, Beth Anne works in the publishing industry and is always looking ahead to her next voyage, whether a short one on a dive boat or whale watch, or, with luck, a longer one on a tall ship. Connect with Beth Anne Miller:

Website | Newsletter| Facebook| Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads

Book Review: Torn Between Two by Mia Kayla

Torn Between Two (Torn Duet #1) by Mia Kayla

Cover Design: Perfect Pear Creative Covers

Release Date: January 23, 2017

 

Synopsis

I believe in fairy tales — the kind where a knight in shining armor sweeps me off my feet. Coming from a broken home, fairy tales housed the hope I clung to. Never in my life did I imagine two knights coming into my life— two knights that wore very different armor.   A rockstar versus a lawyer. Fast and furious versus deliberate and calculated. Intense and passionate versus strong and devoted. Chaos versus stability.   I fell in love with one in the craziness of a concert. I fell in love with the other in the silence of his compassion.   And now I am Torn Between Two.  

Review:

I feel like this book is different from any Mia Kayla book that I have read in the past. This book centers around Sam and the two men in her life. She has recently moved to Chicago to work toward her dream of attending Le Cordon Bleu and to start her life over after such a painful past. One night with her friend, she meets, Hawke, her rock-star crush. They hit if off and have a lot of chemistry and Sam can't help but fall for him. However, Hawke, or course, travels a lot and is not very good at keeping in touch with Sam. He contacts her every so often in order to get his Same fix. Hawke has a lot of inner demons to fight himself. Sam meets Josh one day while shopping and they keep running into each other. He is a lawyer that has his own demons (mainly his family) to deal with. He and Sam become really close friends and he wants more from her. Sam still wants Hawke, even though the contact with him is sporadic. She has a hard time choosing what she wants, not just in men, but also going after her dreams.

This book is the first book of a Duet. It ends on a major cliffhanger with more questions than answers. I am anxious to read the second book in this series in order to see which way Sam goes, especially with what happens at the end of this first book! 

Buy the Book:

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2j2cEfz

iBooks: http://apple.co/2iS05s3

B&N: http://bit.ly/2k5bfqj  

Kobo: Coming Soon

Google Play: Coming Soon    

Goodreads

   

   

Giveaway

$25 Amazon Gift Card

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Direct Link: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/0cba4250423/?

   

Coming Soon

Choosing Forever (Torn Duet #2) by Mia Kayla

Cover Design: Perfect Pear Creative Covers

Release Date: February 12, 2017

Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2jLpEaM

 

Synopsis

Life is made up of choices. Single choices like bricks laid out in a path. A path that leads to your future. At twenty four years old, I would have never guessed I would be stuck between two men—two men from opposite spectrums of the universe. Their lives, their worlds, their demeanor is as different as the darkest of nights and the lightest of days. I love them both, but I have to choose. There is only one choice I can make. And I choose forever.  

   

About the Author

Mia Kayla is a New Adult/Contemporary Romance writer who lives in Illinois. Most of the time, she can be caught on the train with her nose in a book sporting a cheeky grin because the main characters finally get their happily-ever-after at the end. She loves reading about happy endings but has more fun writing them.  

Connect with Mia

Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/b91btT

Website: http://bit.ly/2jnGgFA

Facebook Author Page: http://bit.ly/2a1nfnv

Facebook Group: http://bit.ly/2alzxsN

Instagram: http://bit.ly/2jnAzav

Twitter: http://bit.ly/2jAfXuV

Goodreads Author Page: http://bit.ly/2jIbURw

Amazon Author Page: http://amzn.to/2iopiIt

BookBub Author Page: http://bit.ly/2jbzV2l

Book Review: Edge of Bliss by Molly E Lee

Photo & Cover Design: Regina Wamba / MaeIDesign and Photography

Models: Ripp B. (Dash) & Mackenzy T. (Blake)

Release Date: December 14, 2016

Synopsis

I never knew how perfect life could be until Blake Caster was finally mine. Chasing storms with her only doubles the passion and the rush, but as we travel down tornado alley at the start of the season, we run into more than our fair share of nonweather-related trouble. My past on the alley catches up to me in a bad way and with each captured storm, a wedge is driven between us. The harder I try to hold on to Blake, the faster she is slipping away. Add to that an unexpected call from her ex, new pressures from the reality show filming our every move, and a job offer Blake may not be able to pass up, and my perfect life is on the same chaotic path as the storms we chase. All I want to do is make her mine
—forever—but one trip down tornado alley might be our last.  

Review

Blake and Dash are back! Our favorite couple is out chasing storms and learning to enjoy life (and their life together). However, their storm chasing group has signed a deal with a TV network that follows and films their every move. This comes with a few perks, like new equipment, but it also has it downsides. The pressure for ratings is always there and it also seems like one of the producers is trying to stir up trouble. This all would be easy to handle if the pasts of both Dash and Blake weren't there to haunt them. They have a breaking point that they must face in order to move forward and to figure out if what they have is strong enough to weather the storm.

Amazon US ~ http://amzn.to/2htuPvz

Amazon UK ~ http://amzn.to/2hiDdQg

Amazon CA ~ http://amzn.to/2hiDdQg

Amazon AU ~ http://amzn.to/2gDQZhb

Goodreads

   

 

 

Trailer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jiw4ifbF2NU&feature=youtu.be

   

About the Author

Molly E. Lee is an author and editor best known for her debut novel EDGE OF CHAOS, and as a fourth year mentor at Pitch Wars - a program which connects promising writers to established authors in the community. Molly writes New Adult Contemporary and Young Adult Urban Fantasy featuring strong female heroines who are unafraid to challenge their male counterparts, yet still vulnerable enough to have love sneak up on them. In addition to being a military spouse and mother of two + one stubborn English Bulldog, Molly loves watching storms from her back porch at her Midwest home, and digging for treasures in antique stores.

Connect with Molly

Newsletter Sign Up: http://bit.ly/2gqr35d

Facebook Author Page: http://bit.ly/2c6GO2r

Facebook Reader Group: http://bit.ly/2cKYIFb

Goodreads Author Page: http://bit.ly/2gC6jGU

Twitter: http://bit.ly/2gQklZy

Instagram: http://bit.ly/2fGbpkp

Amazon Author Page: http://amzn.to/2gQdK1d

#FRC2016 : Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris

This fall, members of the Vise Library are going back to school by participating in a Fall Reading Challenge(it's our Junior Year!)  We have received copies of several books from publishers for honest reviews. We hope that you enjoy these reviews (and books)!

Course Title:  ‘Til Deceit Do Us Part

Department: Psychological Thrillers

About the book:

Everyone knows a couple like Jack and Grace. He has looks and wealth; she has charm and elegance. He’s a dedicated attorney who has never lost a case; she is a flawless homemaker, a masterful gardener and cook, and dotes on her disabled younger sister. Though they are still newlyweds, they seem to have it all. You might not want to like them, but you do. You’re hopelessly charmed by the ease and comfort of their home, by the graciousness of the dinner parties they throw. You’d like to get to know Grace better.

But it’s difficult, because you realize Jack and Grace are inseparable.

Some might call this true love. Others might wonder why Grace never answers the phone. Or why she can never meet for coffee, even though she doesn’t work. How she can cook such elaborate meals but remain so slim. Or why she never seems to take anything with her when she leaves the house, not even a pen. Or why there are such high-security metal shutters on all the downstairs windows.

Some might wonder what’s really going on once the dinner party is over, and the front door has closed.

From bestselling author B. A. Paris comes the gripping thriller and international phenomenon Behind Closed Doors.

We all know that looks can be deceiving and that is the case of Behind Closed Doors.  Jack and Grace have it all: the looks, a beautiful home, friends, career, and marriage (or do they?).  The book starts off after Jack has won another case as a lawyer.  He works hard to defend battered women and has never lost a case.  He makes it his mission to go after the men that physically abuse women.  We are then taken back in time to when Jack and Grace meet, date and get married.  We find out that Grace has a sister (Millie) with special needs and loves her dearly.  Jack accepts Millie as a part of Grace's life.  On the day other their wedding, Millie has an accident on the stairs and Grace is visibly upset.  However, Jack convinces Grace that Millie will be okay and that it is okay to get married without Millie there.  This is where the REAL story begins.  

I can't tell you anything else, but know that this book is a psychological thriller.  There are some difficult topics to read about, but I was flipping through the pages to figure out what Jack and Grace's marriage is REALLY like.  This is nothing like I thought it would be and it kept me guessing throughout the entire book.  I could see this book playing out in real life and that just ups the thriller factor.  If you want a book that is fast paced and action packed, then pick up Behind Closed Doors!

Find it: | Amazon | Barnes & Noble |

About the author:

B.A. Paris grew up in England but has spent most of her adult life in France. She has worked both in finance and as a teacher and has five daughters. Behind Closed Doors is her first novel.

Connect with the author:

 | Twitter |

Blog Tour: Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco

The Cumberland University Library has been given the opportunity to participate in a blog tour (hosted by Knights of Whitechapel, which one of our library ladies is a member of group!) for the upcoming book Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco.  This blog tour is active from August 1 to September 19.  Make sure to look for the other posts!

About the book:

Presented by James Patterson's new children's imprint, this deliciously creepy horror novel has a storyline inspired by the Ripper murders and an unexpected, blood-chilling conclusion...

Seventeen-year-old Audrey Rose Wadsworth was born a lord's daughter, with a life of wealth and privilege stretched out before her. But between the social teas and silk dress fittings, she leads a forbidden secret life.

Against her stern father's wishes and society's expectations, Audrey often slips away to her uncle's laboratory to study the gruesome practice of forensic medicine. When her work on a string of savagely killed corpses drags Audrey into the investigation of a serial murderer, her search for answers brings her close to her own sheltered world.

The story's shocking twists and turns, augmented with real, sinister period photos, will make this dazzling debut from author Kerri Maniscalco impossible to forget.

Review:

Audrey is anything but ordinary.  Audrey wants to be more than someone's wife and fights the typical norm for women in her era.  She is a girl of high society but has an interest in forensic sciences (which is a big no-no in the Victorian time period).  However, she just can't help the curiosity that stems from dissecting dead bodies.  If anyone found out about this, she would be the black sheep of society.  Good thing she is willing to dress like a boy in order to be her uncle's apprentice.  Her uncle is approached by the police to help in the investigation of some pretty nasty murders.  This is where the story takes off and Audrey "helps" with the investigation.  She is accompanied by the wonderfully arrogant Thomas.  The two of them have pretty much a love-hate relationship (or is it hate-love).

This story takes you through a great mystery and Maniscalco is able to draw an amazing landscape of the time period.  The author gives you such great descriptions that you will feel like you are in Audrey's world (thank goodness we are not, haha!)  Even though Audrey had "different" interests, she still appreciates all things girly which was a nice treat.  All the characters were great (then ones that survived anyways, ha!) and I loved how wonderfully complex this novel was.  It definitely keeps you guessing and you will love it with every page turn.  If you are into dark, intriguing reads, then this is the book for you!

Find it: | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads |

About the author:

Kerri Maniscalco grew up in a small town just outside of New York City where her love of the arts was fostered from an early age. In her spare time she reads everything she can get her hands on, cooks all kinds of food for her family, and drinks entirely too much tea while discussing life's finer points with her cats. Stalking Jack the Ripper is her debut novel.

Connect with the author:

Website | Twitter |Facebook 

Kerri is hitting the road for a book tour and will be in the Nashville area for the Southern Festival of Books.  I know I am super excited to meet her at the festival.  Below is the list of her tour dates if you are interested!  

Summer Reading Challenge: Swear on This Life by Renee Carlino

This summer, members of the Vise Library are participating in a Summer Reading Challenge. We have received copies of several books from publishers for honest reviews. We hope that you enjoy these reviews (and books)!  This week's book is Swear on This Life by Renee Carlino!

About the book:

From USA TODAY bestselling author Renée Carlino (Before We Were Strangers), a warm and witty novel about a struggling writer who must come to grips with her past, present, and future after she discovers that she’s the inspiration for a pseudonymously published bestselling novel.

When a bestselling debut novel from mysterious author J. Colby becomes the literary event of the year, Emiline reads it reluctantly. As an adjunct writing instructor at UC San Diego with her own stalled literary career and a bumpy long-term relationship, Emiline isn’t thrilled to celebrate the accomplishments of a young and gifted writer.

Yet from the very first page, Emiline is entranced by the story of Emerson and Jackson, two childhood best friends who fall in love and dream of a better life beyond the long dirt road that winds through their impoverished town in rural Ohio.

That’s because the novel is patterned on Emiline’s own dark and desperate childhood, which means that “J. Colby” must be Jase: the best friend and first love she hasn’t seen in over a decade. Far from being flattered that he wrote the novel from her perspective, Emiline is furious that he co-opted her painful past and took some dramatic creative liberties with the ending.

The only way she can put her mind at ease is to find and confront “J. Colby,” but is she prepared to learn the truth behind the fiction?

“Swear on This Life is Renée Carlino at her finest. Raw, real and gripping; I read it in one sitting.” —Colleen Hoover, #1 New York Times bestselling author of It Ends With Us

“Carlino fans will love this one, and so will readers who have not yet made her acquaintance. The tale is engaging and paced to keep the pages turning long after the lights should be out.” —Kirkus Reviews

Emiline has just had the shock of a lifetime: the latest bestselling book has been written by her ex (Jase) and it is all about Emi's life.  Her life has not been easy so she finds it very hard to read about her painful past with Jase.  Emiline is finding it hard to be an author herself so this puts even more salt in the wound.  This book of Jase's  forces Emi to think about things that she has wanted to forget and to put it all behind her.  Emi decides to confront Jase and this sends her on a journey to remember.  Emi is not only forced to forgive and forget, but she also must reevaluate her current life situation.  Emi has to find strength in herself and realize that her past does not define her.  This is a story of heartbreak and moving on from the past.  Readers will enjoy reading about young Emi and Jase and seeing how their paths cross again.  

Find it: | Amazon | Barnes & Noble |

About the author:

Renée Carlino is a screenwriter and bestselling author of contemporary women's novels and new adult fiction. Her books have been featured in national publications, including USA TODAY, Huffington Post, Latina magazine, and Publisher's Weekly. She lives in Southern California with her husband, two sons, and their sweet dog June. When she's not at the beach with her boys or working on her next project, she likes to spend her time reading, going to concerts, and eating dark chocolate. 

Connect with the author:

Website | Twitter |Facebook 

Book Review: Runied by Amy Tintera

We were given the opportunity to read Ruined by Amy Tintera.  Read below to find out what this book is about and to see what the Vise Library thought about it!

About the book:

Amy Tintera’s new YA fantasy trilogy blends the romance of Kiera Cass’s Selection series and the epic stakes of Victoria Aveyard’s Red Queen in a story of revenge, adventure, and unexpected love.

Emelina Flores has nothing. Her home in Ruina has been ravaged by war; her parents were killed and her sister was kidnapped. Even though Em is only a useless Ruined—completely lacking any magic—she is determined to get revenge.

Her plan is simple: She will infiltrate the enemy’s kingdom, posing as the crown prince’s betrothed. She will lead an ambush. She will kill the king and everything he holds dear, including his son. 

The closer Em gets to the prince, though, the more she questions her mission. Her rage-filled heart begins to soften. But with her life—and her family—on the line, love could be Em’s deadliest mistake.

Emelina, or Em, is just trying to survive.  She is royalty from Ruina which is is known for magic (and obviously other kingdoms are afraid of this).  Both of her parents are dead and she is trying to find her sister, who was kidnapped from the kingdom of Lera.  In order to find out where her sister is being held, she poses as the princess from another kingdom that is betrothed to prince, Cas, of Lera.  She is hoping to infiltrate their kingdom and seek revenge against the royal family.  However, all of that does not go according to plan.  Cas is not like his father (who had Em's parents killed) and seems to listen to her.  She still has to find a way to rescue her sister and wrestle with the guilt of betraying Cas.  When a neighboring kingdom plans to attack Lera, Em must make a decision that has no easy answer.

This book was such a great fantasy novel.  There was so much intrigue with Em being not who she appears to be and the potential with Cas.  There are a few devastating things that happen when one of Em's close friends is captured.  Em is a strong female character and she learns to overcome her lack of magic. There are times where I laughed out loud when she would banter with Cas.  My favorite part in the book is near the end when Em really gets to be herself and shows who she is to *other* people.  Be warned that there is a major cliffhanger, but you will enjoy this book so much that you can let it slide.  We can't wait for book two!  Look for this book in our Popular Collection when it releases next month!

Find it: | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Parnassus Books

About the author:

Hi! I'm Amy Tintera, and I write novels for young adults. I grew up in Austin, Texas and graduated from Texas A&M University with a degree in journalism. After receiving a masters in film at Emerson College I moved to Los Angeles, where I promptly discovered I didn't enjoy working in the film industry, and went back to my first love, writing.

Connect with the author:

Website | Twitter |Facebook | Goodreads 

Book Review: Losing the Light by Andrea Dunlop

We were given the opportunity to read Losing the Light by Andrea Dunlop.  Read below to find out what this book is about and to see what the Vise Library thought about it!

About the book:

A smart, obsessive debut novel about a young woman studying abroad who becomes caught up in a seductive French world—and a complex web of love and lust.

When thirty-year-old Brooke Thompson unexpectedly runs into a man from her past, she’s plunged headlong into memories she’s long tried to forget about the year she spent in France following a disastrous affair with a professor.

As a newly arrived exchange student in the picturesque city of Nantes, young Brooke develops a deep and complicated friendship with Sophie, a fellow American and stunning blonde, whose golden girl façade hides a precarious emotional fragility. Sophie and Brooke soon become inseparable and find themselves intoxicated by their new surroundings—and each other.

But their lives are forever changed when they meet a sly, stylish French student, Veronique, and her impossibly sexy older cousin, Alex. The cousins draw Sophie and Brooke into an irresistible world of art, money, decadence, and ultimately, a disastrous love triangle that consumes them both. And of the two of them, only one will make it home.

Brooke Thompson is on the way to the "perfect life" and is newly engaged.  However, her past has resurfaced when she unexpectedly runs into someone from her past.  That past consists of the summer that she lived in France and her friendships with Sophie, Veronique, and Alex while she was there.  Those friendships are not always easy, which is true to real life.  If you have ever wanted to visit France, then you will be in for a treat by experiencing it yourself.  You will be in for a surprise by the ending and I always think that makes for a great book!  I could not stop reading this book and had to devour it in one sitting.  This book is an amazing debut novel and I expect to see more from Dunlop!

Find it: | Amazon | Barnes & Noble |

About the author:

Andrea Dunlop is a Seattle-based writer and the social media and marketing director of Girl Friday Productions. Her first novel, Losing the Light, is coming out in February 2016 from Atria Books.

Connect with the author:

Website | Twitter |Facebook | Goodreads 

Book Review: Come Away With Me by Karma Brown

We were given the opportunity to read Come Away With Me by Karma Brown.  Read below to find out what this book is about and to see what the Vise Library thought about it!

About the book:

An unexpected journey leads one woman to discover that life after loss is possible, if only you can find the courage to let go… 

One minute, Tegan Lawson has everything she could hope for: an adoring husband, Gabe, and a baby on the way. The next, a patch of black ice causes a devastating accident that will change her life in ways she never could have imagined. 

Tegan is consumed by grief—not to mention her anger toward Gabe, who was driving on the night of the crash. But just when she thinks she's hit rock bottom, Gabe reminds her of their Jar of Spontaneity, a collection of their dream destinations and experiences, and so begins an adventure of a lifetime. 

From the bustling markets of Thailand to the flavors of Italy to the ocean waves in Hawaii, Tegan and Gabe embark on a journey to escape the tragedy and search for forgiveness. But they soon learn that grief follows you no matter how far away you run, and that acceptance comes when you least expect it. Heartbreaking, hopeful and utterly transporting, Come Away with Me is an unforgettable debut and a luminous celebration of the strength of the human spirit.

Ummm, I don't even know how to form any kind of coherent thoughts right now, let alone a review.  This is such a beautiful, but heartbreaking story about Gabe and Tegan.  They had everything until one car accident changed everything.  They are struggling with the grief of what they have lost and Tegan is struggling with anger towards Gabe.  They decide to take a worldwide trip of a lifetime to cope and hopefully become whole again.  However, they cannot run away from their grief and it does find them.  You will experience some amazing parts of the world as Tegan and Gabe discover themselves in a whole new way.  You will not forget this story once you finish it.  You will be feeling every single emotion this couple experiences and you will hope to read more from Brown in the future.  Well done!

Find it: | Amazon | Barnes & Noble |

About the author:

KARMA BROWN is an award-winning journalist and freelance writer, who probably spends too much time on her laptop in coffee shops. When not writing, she can be found running with her husband, coloring (outside the lines) with her daughter, or baking yet another batch of banana muffins. Karma lives just outside Toronto with her family. She's the author of two novels: COME AWAY WITH ME (September 2015) & THE CHOICES WE MAKE (July 2016).

Connect with the author:

Website | Twitter |Facebook | Goodreads