Remembering September 11, 2001--13 years later

Our memories are crazy. Ask us where we were and what we were doing thirteen years ago on any other day and we probably wouldn’t know, or be able to picture the day. Most of us have a pretty vivid memory of September 11^th though. I believe this is called a flashbulb memory. I was young, in 5^th grade at the time, but I remember.  I had just moved from Vermont to Maine a week or two before it happened. I was in a new state, and new school in Westbrook Maine in Mrs. Noise’s class. It is rare that I even remember my teacher’s names from that far back, but I remember hers.  It was first apparent that something was wrong when we weren’t allowed to go out for recess. I mean that was a big deal.  We were kids and had a lot of energy and needed to play outside to get it out. My class began to become more alarmed as we watched parent after parent arrive to pick up their children.  Mine didn’t come. I just watched through the window at all the others leaving, speculating about what could possibly be happening. I never could have guessed. No one would tell us what was going on, but we were stuck in that classroom, no longer doing work until the ones that had not been claimed by their parents were free to go. I took the bus home like I normally did and went home. My dad and step-mom weren’t there. The TV was on playing the footage over and over again. I was confused and scared and didn’t know if something had happened to my dad and step-mom too.  I watched it until they came home. I think that was the first time I understood what a terrorist attack was. I still didn’t understand the why or even what happened to its full extent, but as I learned more I gained a little more understanding. I still don’t understand how people can just take so many innocent lives. I get being pissed at the US for whatever reason, I know we don’t have the best track record, but the people being attacked aren’t the ones that did whatever it was that pissed them off. I suppose not everyone has a rational mind. SIGH. I guess I will never really understand, just like I never understand when people go on shooting sprees and stuff like that. This world has turned into a very scary place.

Today I remember that day. I didn’t know anyone who died or was hurt, but I am thinking about all of those lost lives and the brave firefighters, police and all first responders that were there that day. They deserve to be remembered every day, but as our lives get busy we lose sight of that, so today is the time to put our busy lives on hold for a few minutes to honor all the lives affected by September 11, 2001, A day I, and so many others, will never forget.

Waiting on Wednesday (44)

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Stella Rose: A Novel Paperback  by Tammy Flanders Hetrick

Expected Release Date: April 21, 2015

Before her death, Stella Rose asks her best friend, Abby, to take care of her sixteen-year-old daughter, and Abby does the only thing she can: she says yes. After Stella s death, Abby moves to Stella s house in rural Vermont and struggles to connect with Olivia, who immediately begins to engage in disturbing behavior starting with ditching her old group of friends for a crowd of dubious characters. As the fog of grief lifts, Abby reconnects with old friends, enlists the aid of Olivia s school guidance counselor, and partners with Betsy, another single mom, in an effort to keep tabs on the headstrong teenager she s suddenly found herself responsible for but despite her best efforts, she is unable to keep Olivia from self-destruction. As Abby s journey unfolds, she grapples with raising a grieving teenager, realizes she didn t know Stella as well as she thought, falls in love twice and discovers just how far she will go to save the most precious thing in her life.

| Goodreads | Amazon |

 

I'm especially excited about this book, and can't wait to read it because I know the author! She is a wonderful woman filled with infectious energy that I'm sure will shine through in her debut novel. Stella Rose sounds fabulous and like my kind of read. April can't come soon enough! On the bright side, it will be out in time for my birthday on the 23rd. :) This will definitely be on my birthday list!

How to Hook A Bookworm by Cassie Mae Cover Reveal

It's a Bookworm makeover!

New cover!

(I have to give HUGE HUGS AND THANK YOUs to PepperJack Photography and Jolene Perry for my amazing design and pictures, and the FANTASTIC models, Dalton and Tanna.)

New blurb!

Getting kissed for a birthday present should not be a big deal. Especially for Brea Mason, who doesn’t think of her best friend, Adam Silver, in any way other than… well, a friend. But after the liplock she can’t seem to get him off her mind. And she has to, because Adam is a senior while she’s stuck in high school for another two years.

Then BAM, the perfect distraction comes along in the form of a new, hot sophomore who actually seems interested in Brea, despite her anti-social personality. And with the stress at home, stress at school, and ignoring the reality of all her friends leaving come June, Brea welcomes the distraction.

But when she sees four fat Fs on her report card, Brea needs a study buddy, and the best candidate is Adam, book nerd and math whiz. So she enlists his help, hoping the birthday kiss was just a fluke. After all, she has a boyfriend now. It should be easy to ignore the butterflies and fizzy feelings that arise with the bookworm… right?

And new release day!

A lot better than June, yes? Happy dance! 

It will be up for pre-order shortly. :) But you can add it to your Goodreads HERE. 

Spell for the day:

Protego!

The Real Thing by Cassie Mae Book Blitz

Time to party!

The Real Thing releases today (whoop whoop!) and I'm giving away a swag pack full of goodies.

The Real Thing postcards
A froggy loofah
Oh the Places You'll Go! by Dr. Seuss
Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss
The Real Thing Samsung Galaxy S3 Phone Case
A Cassie Mae pen
A collection of select Cassie Mae/Becca Ann signed books

Rafflecopter right below the excerpt and book details :)

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“All right, all right,” he says, smiling and holding his palm up to stop me. Tomato juice is dripping from the top of his head down his cheeks, getting caught in the smile lines by his mouth. I can feel it running down my face, too, and I should be gagging, but I’m not.

I open my mouth to tell him how cute he looks even with juice all over him, but a light ploof! hits the center of the tub between our bodies, and I stare down at my froggy loofah, now covered in red.

“Oh no!” I frown, plucking the sponge up by the froggy’s arm, then looking up to the shower caddy over Eric’s head. Our splash war must’ve knocked my poor froggy right off his little perch. “My loofah.”

“That’s what it’s called!” Eric slaps the top of his knee, getting more juice on both of us. “I’ve been staring at that thing since you moved in, trying to remember what the hell people call it.”

A small bubble of laughter escapes through my slight frown. “Why?”

“That thing is creepy.”

I gasp. “It is not. It’s cute.” My lip pokes out as I look at the juice soaking into the blue frog’s face. “And now it’s ruined.”

He takes the loofah from my fingers, an adorable pinched look on his face.

“I don’t know how you can wash yourself with this,” he says, pulling at the leg poking from the big green sponge part.

“It’s soft on my sensitive lady parts.” I laugh as his face goes red again. I expect him to drop the loofah back in my hand—or throw it at me—but he doesn’t. He keeps pulling at it as if it’s the weirdest, yet most fascinating thing in the world.

“Is it really ruined?” he asks, tone suddenly nowhere near his usual playfulness. He actually looks worried about my sponge.

“It’s like a buck, Eric.” I adjust in the tub again as the juice creeps into nooks and crannies of my body I had no idea existed till now. “I can get another one tomorrow. Maybe an even creepier one just for you.”

I try to wink, but I’ve never been good at that. He sort of laughs, but his eyes go back to the froggy. He runs his thumb over the eyeballs, wiping the juice from it. I thought I knew Eric pretty well. But as I watch him stare at my loofah, head slightly cocked to the side, I realize I have no clue what he’s thinking. And that’s totally okay. The anticipation of finding out is better.

“Only a dollar?” His eyes lift to mine.

“Or two. Depending on where you go.”

His lips purse and he nods, then plunges the sponge into the juice. Before I can smack him for that, he pulls it from the bath and wrings it out over my head. My jaw drops to my knees.

“Oh, you are so dead.”

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Buy Me!

In this electrifying novel from Cassie Mae, two close friends surprise themselves by shifting from platonic love to sexual attraction.
Eric Matua has one friend—his best friend and childhood sweetheart, who needs a place to stay for the summer. Mia Johnson has thousands of friends—who live in her computer. Along with her email chats and Facebook notifications, Mia also devours romance novels, spending countless hours with fictional characters, dreaming of her own Romeo to sweep her off her feet. When she starts receiving supersweet messages from a stranger who thinks she’s someone else, Mia begins to believe that real love is possible outside her virtual world.

When the two friends become roommates, Mia finds herself falling harder than she ever thought she could. But Eric keeps his desires locked away, unsure of himself and his ability to give his best friend what she deserves in a boyfriend. As her advances are continually spurned, Mia splits her time between Eric and her computer. But she soon realizes she’s about to lose the only real thing she’s ever had.
Advance praise for The Real Thing
“Cassie Mae is awesome! The perfect balance between laugh-out-loud funny and achingly poignant, The Real Thing is the ultimate escapist read. I didn’t want it to end!”—Lauren Layne, author of Isn’t She Lovely
“Watching two best friends figure out how to fall in love makes The Real Thing a summer read of swoon-worthy perfection.”—Jolene Perry, author of The Summer I Found You
“Cassie Mae’s The Real Thing made me want to close out every social media app and electronic device I have, but I couldn’t manage to stop reading!”—Rebecca Yarros, author of Full Measures

About the Author

Cassie Mae (who dawns the name Becca Ann on occasion) is the author of a few hundred... okay, maybe not that many... books. Some of which became popular for their quirky titles, characters, and stories. She likes writing about nerds, geeks, the awkward, the fluffy, the short, the shy, the loud, the fun.
Since publishing her bestselling debut, Reasons I Fell for the Funny Fat Friend, she has published and sold books to Random House, Swoon Romance, and Spencer Hill Press. She has a favorite of all her book babies, but no, she won't tell you what it is. (Mainly because it changes depending on the day.)
Along with writing, Cassie likes to binge watch Teen Wolf and The Big Bang Theory. She can quote Harry Potter lines quick as a whip. And she likes kissing her hubby, but only if his facial hair is trimmed. She also likes cheesecake to a very obsessive degree.
You can stalk, talk, or send pictures of Dylan O'Brien to her on her Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/cassiemaeauthor

****************Giveaway!******************

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Nothing Like the First Time by Keren Hughes Blog Tour

Hey everyone! Today I am excited to be a part of the blog tour for a fellow author and blogger, Keren Hughes! There are a lot of goodies in this post, so stick around and make sure to enter her giveaway at the end! Nothing Like the First Time is Keren's first New Adult book about the power of first love and the steam that comes with it. Thank you for having me on the tour Keren!

Guest Post:

Keren's Favorite Book Boyfriends.

Honestly, this is a hard topic to discuss. I feel like I don’t know what to say and yet I could talk forever about the loves that I have encountered in the book world.

My first love was Dimitri Belikov. He is the epitome of raw sexiness. I read Vampire Academy some years ago and I absolutely fell head over heels for Dimka. He is the reason I got so sucked into reading.

To name other book boyfriends though? Well, there’s Christian Grey, Sergei Salkov (Queen of Someday by Sherry Ficklin), Luke Carter (Starting Over by Evan Grace), Marc Romano (Falling To Pieces by LT Kelly) these are just a few of my most recent loves.

Some of my older loves are Valek (Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder), Doyle, Frost and Mistral (Merry Gentry series by Laurell K Hamilton.

I have very eclectic tastes in books and I give my heart away to so many men. But my favourite book love of all has to be Greyston Sterling. He’s my main character in Nothing Like The first Time. I love him with all my heart and soul. Why? Well it’s a long story but to cut a long story short; Grey is a composite of several of my exes but mostly he is modelled after my own first love, Mark.

I was 18 when I met Mark and he was by far the most amazing man I had ever met. Though things didn’t work out between us and he is now married with a child, he is still my best friend and there is still a little piece of my heart lost to him, a piece that would take him back if he was single.

So Grey was a hard guy to write but also easy. That might not make much sense to you, but it’s true nonetheless. I made him the kind of guy that Mark is, with a touch of other exes here and there for good measure—certain elements of the book are real life events that happened to me—and I made the story something like how I wished Mark and I could have turned out.

Nothing Like the First Time

By: Keren Hughes

Limitless Publishing

Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance

Released: May 20th, 2014

Synopsis:

Carly Summers and Greyston Sterling were each other's first kiss, first sexual experience, first love, first everything...

They were a match made in Heaven, that was, until Grey took a job as a freelance photographer which took him to the other side of the world. When it came down to a choice between his career and his girl - he chose his career.

Now, 10 years later, Grey's back in town and wants to see if they can rekindle what they had all those years ago. Carly has had relationships but nothing that lasted. No one ever compared to Grey.

But how can they if he's engaged to somebody else?

Book Trailer:

Excerpt:

“So your career comes before me?” I asked, already knowing the answer. “At least look me in the eye and answer me, it’s the least you owe me Grey.”

“I don’t want to have to choose Carls,” he said as he caught my eye. “I just don’t want to miss out on the experience of a lifetime. I get to see amazing things, capture them on film while I experience the different cultures.”

“Just answer the question Grey – you want your career more than you want me.” I started to cry again, I had wanted to get through this without crying but I was fooling myself when I thought that.

“I’m sorry Carls,” he said as he took my hand into his. “I love you, I always will. But this is the opportunity of a lifetime, it may never happen again. I need to do this. I’m not making a conscious choice to put you second but if you weren’t so stubborn, you’d come with me like I asked.”

Add to Goodreads:

Buy Links:

Kobo | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Amazon UK | Amazon CAN | Amazon Germany

NLTFT Playlist:

Early Reviews:

"This book really makes you believe in love forever and happy endings." -Kay

"This book has everything you need in a romance novel: love, heartbreak and even a little suspense." -Vikki Love

About the Author:

Keren lives in the UK and is an avid bookworm; she has been since she read things like Black Beauty, What Katy Did and The Hobbit as a child. Her first real memories of reading are the summers she used to lie on her bed and re-read What Katy Did and What Katy Did Next.

Over the years she has come to realise that she is a bit OCD about books. They have to be in perfect condition without the slightest bit of damage.

She is a book reviewer and has been for the past 18 months or so.

The idea for Stolen came to her one day but she never thought she’d actually write it let alone publish it. If it wasn’t for her author friend Kira Saito, the idea would still be stuck in her head not on paper. But constant love and support from Kira is why you are now able to read Stolen.

Stolen is her first novel but now that she’s written one, she knows she needs to write more. There will be one sequel, called Freed which will be from Bodhi’s POV. This will be set a couple of years on.

Then, the plan is for her to write either NA or Adult Contemporary Romances. She has a big crush on Lady Antebellum’s music at the moment and their songs have inspired a few book ideas.

Keren loves hearing from her readers and if you want to contact her, you can do so at any of the following places:

Email: kerentshughes@gmail.com

Twitter: @Keren_Hughes

Facebook (review page): www.facebook.com/GothicAngelBookReviews

Facebook (author page): www.facebook.com/kerentshughes

Review Blog: www.gothicangelbookreviews.blogspot.com

Author Blog: http://authorkerentshughes.wordpress.com/

GIVEAWAY: Use the Rafflecopter form below to enter Keren's giveaway!

Rain by Christie Cote on Sale for $0.99

Hey Everyone!

I just wanted to let you know that Rain  by Christie Cote (ME) is on sale today for only $0.99 cents for the kindle! It is normally priced at $3.99 so that is a pretty great deal! If you haven’t gotten it, now is a perfect time before the price goes up! Follow the link HERE if you are interested.

Rain by Christie Cote

Taylor Sullivan took her life for granted until she received news that would change her life forever. In a state of denial she met Kyle, who didn’t end up being what she expected. She wasn’t able to escape her new reality, but with his friendship, just maybe she could survive it.

| Chapter One Excerpt |

Check out the Extras tab at christiecote.com for picture teasers, reviews, and more!

| Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble| BullMoose | BAM |

Rain by Christie Cote (ME) Release Day!!!!

The wait is over! Rain has officially fallen into the world! I thought this day would never come, and now I can’t believe it is already here! WOW. I wrote a book and now it is available for the world to read! This is the most amazing and rewarding feeling! A lot of work went into writing and publishing Rain, and I am so excited to share it with everyone.

I want to say thank you to everyone that has supported me, and all of the bloggers that have been willing to help out along the way, especially for the blog tour that begins today! I am so very thankful for every one of you.

Be sure to enter the Rain Prize pack giveaway! The giveaway is international and includes an autographed copy of Rain, autographed bookmarks, an autographed postcard, a Lego heart necklace, and a $10 gift card to Amazon. To enter use the link to the rafflecopter form below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Want more chances to win an autographed copy of Rain? Be sure to enter the giveaway on Goodreads also (US ONLY)!

Today also kicks off the Rain blog tour, so be sure to look out for a new post each day from different bloggers to learn more about Rain, and myself.

Want a sneak peek? Visit Little Miss Reader’s blog for an excerpt of chapter one of Rain!

Rain by Christie Cote

Taylor Sullivan took her life for granted until she received news that would change her life forever. In a state of denial she met Kyle, who didn’t end up being what she expected. She wasn’t able to escape her new reality, but with his friendship, just maybe she could survive it.

BUY YOUR COPY NOW!

| Paperback | E-Book |

Sara Cote Photography
http://saracotephotography.com

Author Bio:

Christie Cote resides in Vermont with her Husband and their dog. When she isn’t reading, writing, or dreaming up her next story, she can be found shooting targets with her bow, drawing or baking.

Rain is her first book.

Christie writes Young Adult Realistic Fiction, Fiction, and New Adult novels.

Find Christie:

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