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Friday, June 19, 2015

One Chance Night by Eliza Boyd Blog Tour (Guest Post & Review)


 About the Book white

Once Chance Night by Eliza Boyd
Series: Make a Change #1
Genre: New Adult Contemporary
Pages: 188
Published: May 15, 2015 by Patchwork Press
Book Description:
On the surface, Chelsea Greer has it all: A loving husband. A nice house. A good job. In reality, she works hard to maintain the illusion that is her life. She's also missing the most important thing: Love. One night could change her life. One night could give her the strength to rediscover what's important. In one night, she could find love when she most needs it and least expects it. All Chelsea has to do is follow her heart after One Chance Night.


Review

One Chance Night was filled with intense emotion and had me swooning, swearing, wishing I could reach through the pages of the book and strangle a certain character and become best friends with others.
 
  

The novel had the right combination of romance mixed with difficult, life changing decisions. The reader followed Chelsea, who wasn’t perfect, had made her share of mistakes, and was in an awful situation, but I couldn’t help but feel for her. She was a creature of routine, and it took taking a chance and breaking that routine for her to get a much needed wakeup call, pushing her to change her life for the better. I couldn’t help but immediately start the next chapter to find out what would happen next and what Chelsea would do. The words flowed and my eyes floated across them until the final page, which left me with a perfect ending to the story, not making me suffer through one of those awful cliff hangers, but I still wanted more of the beautiful characters who made me feel so much. If you read this book, which you should, then we are all in luck because it is a series, while the main characters won’t be central, they will make appearances so we can get our fix.


Eliza Boyd did an incredible job painting the pictures, introducing the characters and making them feel real, and created a poignant story that I think many people can relate to in one way or another, whether they survived a bad relationship or have fallen in love. This debut novel will make you stop and take notice of this new author and I know she will have much more to share with us. Take a chance on One chance Night, you won’t regret it! I certainly can’t wait to read what she writes next! I received this book in exchange for my honest review.

Purchase Links


 guest post

How Songs Made it to the OCN Playlist

    1. Sam Hunt – Take Your Time I first heard this song in November of 2014. On a trip to Houston for a book event, I rented a car—something I normally don’t do when I travel alone. I heard the song each of the four times I was in the car, and I absolutely fell in love with it. The spoken word, the lyrics, the feel of the song—totally dug it. And I so badly wanted to write the book about it. Then, in March of this year, I heard the song on the radio and it reminded me so much of Chelsea’s story, which I’d finished writing in October—before I’d even heard the song—that it made me cry. And I realized I’d already written the book for this song. :) (Little known fact: The song actually appears in the book. It was a last-minute change when I made that realization in March. Originally, it was Thomas Rhett’s “It Goes Like This.”)
    2. Brett Eldredge – Don’t Ya This is on the list, but it doesn’t appear in the book. It’s the song that inspired the whole thing though—hence Brett’s name. I heard this one and pictured chapters 27-29. Something about the song triggered that whole scene, and I knew I had to write it. But I didn’t know what came before all of that, so I had to work through Chelsea’s story a bit backward. Knowing that it’d all be worth it in the end made her road easier to navigate. :)
    3. Johnny Cash – Ring of Fire I knew I had to include a wider spectrum of country music. I used new music and a song or two from the ’90s, so I wanted to add older songs. With the girls being at an open-mic night, I wrote in a band that covered older songs. And I didn’t want them to only show up just because, so this song and the Conway Twitty song I mention in the book come up again later on. But I love this song so much. I mean, truly. “The taste of love is sweet / when hearts like ours meet.” That’s a great line!
    4. Blake Shelton – Mine Would Be You Brett and Ian sing this song at a pivotal point in the book, and I think it really encompasses the feel of the moment. This song is all about regret and what you wish were different in regards to love. And at that point in the book, Brett is certainly feeling that way. It’s a very emotional song, and I think it brings some more emotion to the book when it shows up. :)
    5. Sara Bareilles – Brave OCN is all about Chelsea and her journey, and truly, she needs to become brave in order to deal with all of the choices she’s made and make anything in her life different. This song represents that. Chelsea doesn’t have a lot going for her at the beginning, and she recognizes that it’s her fault. But in order to change, she has to do things she hasn’t done, which is the nature of life. I love her journey, and I hope you do too. :)


Eliza Boyd is a contemporary women’s fiction and romance author. Also an avid reader, she writes novels, short stories, poetry, and whatever else strikes her fancy. Born and raised in Northern Illinois, she now lives in sunny Arizona with her husband and her plethora of animals. When she’s not reading, writing, or working, she can be found walking around her neighborhood (for exercise, not for stalking), taking photos of her pets, or catching up on her favorite shows. Catching up really means binge-watching.


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Thursday, May 21, 2015

Stella Rose by Tammy Flanders Hetrick Blog tour (Review)

Good Afternoon Everyone!  I'm so excited to be part of the blog tour for this debut author! I was lucky enough to meet Tammy when I was a contractor where she works her day job, and had the pleasure seeing her almost every day of the work week for a little over a year. One day I overheard her talking about writing and as I writer myself I was nosy and butted into the conversation and learned that she wrote a book and was in the process of editing it and publishing it. We talked and I enthusiastically volunteered to help since I blog as well. I patiently waited as she worked through the process until I got contacted to be a part of the blog tour and was given a review copy. Unfortunately I couldn't read it until recently because I was in college and I knew if I started the book all homework would be ignored. This book was worth the wait and I'm so happy to have finally read it and can share with all of you. So keep reading because you will want to add this one to your shopping cart!
About the Book whiteStella Rose coverStella Rose by Tammy Flanders Hetrick
Upon Stella Rose’s death, her best friend, Abby, moves to rural Vermont to take care of her sixteen-year-old daughter, Olivia. But Abby struggles to connect with Olivia and she soon finds guardianship of a headstrong teenager daunting beyond her wildest misgivings. Despite her best efforts, and the help of friends old and new, 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, and discovers just how far she will go to save the most precious thing in her life.

REVIEW

Stella Rose’s physical form has left the world, but her spirit is still everywhere. She leaves behind a daughter, Olivia, and many people who love her dearly. The story is narrated by Stella’s best friend, Abby, who takes on the responsibility of moving into Stella’s house to take care of Olivia.
The novel is divided into months, each section consisting of a season, and each chapter being a different month following the death of Stella Rose. Stella, who died of cancer managed to plan out the year following her death by writing letters and preparing gifts for Olivia and Abby. The rules are that they have to open them together and can only open the one designated per month. We follow through the stages of grief and watching these characters trying to continue their life with the help of Stella via the letters.
The pacing of the chapters and how they are split up into months is perfect. The author paints a beautiful picture of Vermont through all of the seasons, which I love as a Vermont resident. It is fun to recognize names of places as well as places I’ve never heard of or been to.
The characters feel very real and are imperfect as all humans. I think everyone will find ways in which they can relate to these characters and their struggles, especially anyone who has experienced loss.
The story is poignant, filled with such heart it seeps through every page. There is such honesty about life, love, friendship, loss, secrets and the mess of it all. So many passages of this novel hit me deeply, some just because of how closely I could relate to the situation, like becoming angry at the person who died, or because of the true lifelong friendships that existed. The friends in the novel were friends since childhood, and the relationship they have, I envy. I have some great friends, but the level of friendship in this novel is beautiful and I think rare.
I love, love, loved this novel. It is a fantastic well-crafted debut novel by Mrs. Hetrick, so grab a box of tissues and get a copy!
About the Author
Tammy Flanders HetrickTammy Flanders Hetrick has been telling stories all her life, refining her skills at age ten through marathon tag-team storytelling with her best friend, honing her craft through decades of business writing, and ultimately finding joy in extracurricular creative writing. She has published short stories in Your Teen Magazine, Blue Ocean Institute’s Sea Stories, and Route 7 Literary Journal. In 2009 she was recognized with the Outdoor Industries Women’s Coalition’s Pioneering Woman Award for coaching and mentoring women in the workplace. Hetrick lives in Vermont with her husband of thirty years, their two cats, and a beagle/miniature bull mix. Her website is http://www.tammyflandershetrick.com/.
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Blog Tour:
Celtic Lady's Reviews: April 21, 2015
A Literary Vacation: April 23, 2015
Broken Teepee: review, April 24, 2015
Teddy Rose Book Reviews Plus: April 27, 2015
Life of a Female Bibliophile: April 28, 2015
I'm A Book Shark: May 1, 2015
Electively Paige: review, May 4, 2015
Under My Apple Tree: May 7, 2015
Celtic Lady's Reviews: May 12, 2015
Centered on Books: May 16, 2015
Christiecote.com: May 20, 2015
Christiesbookreviews.com: May 21, 2015

Friday, May 15, 2015

One Chance Night by Eliza Boyd Release Day Blitz

Good Morning Everyone! I'm very excited to participate in the Release Day Blitz for an incredible debut novel, One Chance Night by Eliza Boyd! I was lucky enough to be one of the beta readers and am very happy that the book can now be shared with all of you. I hope this post will pique your interest and sway you to go check the book out and maybe even buy it. It is definitely worth a read! My review will be posted on here for the blog tour, but you can read it now on Amazon and Goodreads.
About the Book white 

one chance nightOnce Chance Night by
Eliza Boyd
Series: Make a Change #1
Genre: New Adult Contemporary
Pages: 188 
Published: May 15, 2015 by Patchwork Press

Book Description:
On the surface, Chelsea Greer has it all:
A loving husband. 
A nice house.
A good job.

In reality, she works hard to maintain the illusion that is her life.
She's also missing the most important thing:

Love. 

One night could change her life. One night could give her the strength to rediscover what's important. In one night, she could find love when she most needs it and least expects it. 
All Chelsea has to do is follow her heart after One Chance Night.

Eliza Boyd's Once Chance Night is out today! This is one New Adult romance that you will not want to miss and will make for a great summer read. The BLOG TOUR is currently taking sign-ups; it will run from June 15th to June 26th and Eliza would love for you to participate!

Purchase Links
Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Apple | Scribd

eliza boyd
About the Author
Eliza Boyd is a contemporary women’s fiction and romance author. Also an avid reader, she writes novels, short stories, poetry, and whatever else strikes her fancy. Born and raised in Northern Illinois, she now lives in sunny Arizona with her husband and her plethora of animals. When she’s not reading, writing, or working, she can be found walking around her neighborhood (for exercise, not for stalking), taking photos of her pets, or catching up on her favorite shows. Catching up really means binge-watching.



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This Release Day Blitz was organized by Patchwork Press.
 Christie Cote

Monday, March 30, 2015

The Curious Tales of Gabrielle by Zachary Paul Chopchinski Blog Tour (GUEST POST)

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Hi Everyone! Today I am part of the, The Curious Tales of Gabrielle blog tour! I'm excited to share this book with all of you. Instead of hearing me ramble, check the post below filled with tons of content including an excerpt and a giveaway!
About the Book whiteimage01
The Curious Tale of GabrielleAuthor: Zachary Paul ChopchinskiGenre: Young Adult, Fiction, Adventure, Historical FictionBook 1 in The Curious Tale of Gabrielle book series
A young Gabrielle is driven by her will to explore and see new things. She cannot stop or rest until all within her reach has been experienced and explored. Driven by an astounding will and lack of common fear, she finds herself able to face things most adults might fall before. Yet has there been a journey that has been meant specifically for her all along? Is there a path that has been created just for her to travel?
Follow Gabrielle as she ventures through the lives of many with the experience of only her own. What will happen as she discovers the lives—and tragedies—of the souls who choose her to see their story? It’s a journey through history, life, and love unlike anything that could be imagined—except perhaps by a young girl.
 
 
excerpt
“Hello…?” Gabrielle pleaded with the silence, hoping for a response from anybody at this point. She could feel that something was wrong, as she found herself looking at the vase of flowers that she had admired the day before. She could feel her heart stop as she looked at the once beautiful vase of flowers. Something was terribly wrong, the flowers were all dead. Not only were they dead, but they had been dead for some time, by the look of them, as they were dried with most of their petals on the table. Gabrielle’s mouth hung ajar in shock. These flowers had been alive and vibrant not several hours ago. How is this possible?
The urge to run came over her, as all of her senses were telling her to leave now and not look back. Something was wrong and she could feel it. She wasn’t sure how, but she could feel that whatever it was, was in the next room, lying just out of site. Gabrielle wasn’t sure how she knew this, but something was telling her as though it was being whispered into her ear. She stood frozen in fear for what felt like a lifetime when she heard the ‘click’ again.
 
Purchase Links
My Website:  http://zachchop.com/mywork/Amazon:  http://www.amazon.com/Curious-Tale-Gabrielle-Zachary-Chopchinski-ebook/dp/B00U6UQJFO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1425615542&sr=8-1&keywords=the+curious+tale+of+gabrielleSmashWords:  https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/524345Google Play:  https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Zachary_Paul_Chopchinski_The_Curious_Tale_of_Gabri?id=k4XjBgAAQBAJ&hl=en

guest post
As I have begun my journey into the realm of being an author, I would have never guessed the importance of having your own set of rituals, standards, and practices. Rituals become just as important as the piece in which I’m currently developing. Do you have a ritual? The certain thing or circumstance that—without its blessing—you might be rendered unable to complete that which you are tearing at your soul to master? I didn’t realize until trying to best my procrastinating ways that my rituals are very important to me.
Firstly, I find myself to be a bit of a nyctophiliac, as It’s the night that really brings my best writing out. I’m not really sure whether it’s the serenity of the nighttime, or if it’s the calming darkness as the world sleeps, but this is my most adored time to write.
The next thing that’s important to my writing practices is the presence of music. I have a very particular playlist that is composed of different songs that elicit specific emotions. With this playlist, I find that I can write a more effective scene. The emotions from the music help me ensure that the reader is experiencing the same feelings and sensations as my characters.
Finally, location location location! Where I’m writing can directly effect the quality and quantity of what I write. I prefer to be in a comfortable place with little distraction (I have a slight attention deficit problem) so that I can complete what I have goaded myself at. Generally, I lock myself in my office at home and don’t emerge until I have completed my allotment for that day.
At first I thought my rituals were me just being silly and overly dramatic. A poetic license can be a curse and I felt a bit like a whining jerk. Until I realized the importance of inspiration in writing. For anybody out there reading this and finding themselves in a difficult place with their writings, I urge you to find the mind set that you were in when you began your current project an go back to it. Your inspiration and comfort with yourself and surroundings are just as important to writing and your hands and your heart.
 

About the Author
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Zachary is 27 and lives in Maine with his lovely wife, Layla. The two of them share a home with their 4 fur-children Thai, Bambina, Loki and Le vie (Thai and Bambina are cats and Loki and Le vie are dogs).
Zachary received an Associates degree in Criminal Justice and a Bachelor's degree in Criminology from the University of Southern Maine. He had two short stories published by Ohio State University when he was in elementary school, and a poem published when he was in high school. Zachary has always had two passions in his life, criminal justice and writing. After spending nearly 5 years working in security, he decided it was time to give his other passion a chance.
Zachary is very much a family man and when he is not deep in writing, he can be found spending time with his family, playing video games or contemplating his next story idea.
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Website: http://zachchop.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ZachChop
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Zachary-Paul-Chopchinski/772308849490741?ref=aymt_homepage_panel
Tumblr: http://zachchop.tumblr.com
GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/9853623.Zachary_Paul_Chopchinski
Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/115891653751780218466/posts
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbrgI9gCK-GWIvDC6Td4dOQ



Giveaway
Win an E-book copy of The Curious Tale of Gabrielle
http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/ccb0704e5/?
Win a signed paperback copy of The Curious Tale of Gabrielle
https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/128197-the-curious-tale-of-gabrielle
Christie Cote

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