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Friday, March 27, 2015

Cover Reveal ~ Chipped Black Nail Polish by Nicholas Tanek ~ JMAC











A tribute to a different kind of Jersey girl.


    In New Jersey during the summer of 1989, an awkward thirteen-year-old who was obsessed with weird music fell head-over-heels in love with the coolest post-punk rock girl he had ever met.

    Nicholas was insecure. He was a daydreamer, wishing for romance when he was told, over and over, that he could not have it. He was a toy, pulled and pushed, wanted and used, dragged along yet held at a distance. Nicholas fell in with the out crowd, and loved every minute of it. He fell in love and got left behind, but not before she changed him forever.

    This is an irrational, emotional love story for the teenager inside all of us.

    The music is loud, and you’re about to be pushed into the pit.




What some people are saying…

“I should have put you in therapy.” – my mother

“I insist that you use my real name.” – Kevin

“Finally, a title that doesn’t scare people off. Not like the first book, The Coolest Way to Kill Yourself.” – Kim Gray, publicist
















Foreword by Wendy Buck




Three months after I read Nicholas’ first book, The Coolest Way to Kill Yourself, my thirteen-year-old daughter, M, told me she was a lesbian. I did not know Nicholas before reading his first book, but he has since become a close friend and confidant. I shared M’s news with him and his response was that I had to write a foreword for his next book. I asked him for the correlation between her announcement and his book, because I didn’t get it. And I fought him on it. What does being gay have in common with being punk rock? He told me to think about the term in a non-music sort of way. What does it represent? And so I did what I always do. I went away and I thought about what he said. Chipped Black Nail Polish takes place when I was a teenager, during the height of punk rock. As so many of us did, I promised myself I would never grow up to be one of those adults who forgot where she came from. Themusic was important, but more than that, what punk rock stood for took center stage for me: the do it- yourself philosophy, questioning the norm, thinking critically, and pushing the boundaries of acceptability. But above all of those things, the most basic characteristic of punk rock is to be true to one’s self. But, I broke that promise. I lost sight of myself and became ii someone I thought I should be in the eyes of my peers. And so, Nicholas and his book came along shortly after I started questioning my decisions and choices in life. Not only have I benefited from his being such a good friend, but so too has my daughter. I raise M to be a free thinker and she is very much a free spirit. When I look at her, I am so proud of the young woman she is becoming. She will make her mark. And just like how she came out to the world, she will do it in her own way and in her own time. Do not rush this child, and do not expect her to do it the normal way. She is a weirdo. Nicholas has captured only one summer, three months, in this book. These months were pinnacle in defining him as an adult. He, too, was thirteen during the events that took place. I am so grateful that Kim entered his life, for however brief that time was. She taught him to live in acceptance of one’s self, to question everything, to stretch himself outside his perceived comfort zone. She taught him punk rock. She taught him it was okay to be a weirdo.






Meet all the characters from cbnp






Nicholas Tanek is an American ghostwriter from New Brunswick, New Jersey. He graduated from Rutgers University with a bachelor's degree in English. Nicholas Tanek grew up as a New Jersey punk rock skater kid who lost himself in the early 90’s New York City rave scene. After years of drug addiction, he got his life together when he was reunited with Lynn, the love of his life, before she died at the age of 37. Instead of choosing negativity, he chose creativity. Losing Lynn inspired him to write his first book, The Coolest Way To Kill Yourself. There is quite a bit of kinky sex, drugs, and music in the life of Nicholas Tanek and he has some unique stories to tell.





Other Books by Nicholas Tanek

The Coolest Way to Kill Yourself










Twitter
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Like ~ The Coolest Way ~ Author blog
Goodreads
Website

  

Interview with Rutgers University's RUckmakers:
Interview with Love, Lust and Lipstick Stains.
TKS – Radio Interview
Blogtalkradio.com
Interview with Kim Gray Loves Books
Amazon reviews:




Tuesday, March 24, 2015

Blog Tour ~ That's a Lie by Victoria Klahr ~ JMAC



Find out if Seth will be able to show Josie the true meaning of love in,
That's a Lie
the sequel to That's a Promise.
TITLE: That’s a Lie (Promises, Promises #2)
AUTHOR: Victoria Klahr
GENRE: Contemporary Adult, New Adult
RE-RELEASED: February 27, 2015

SYNOPSIS:
Seth is back.


When he walked back into my life, it almost felt like the pieces of my broken heart could be fixed. I thought we could go back to being best friends, but then I started to feel what I had been blocking out for years. I tried. Boy, did I try! But once I started to let him in, I wanted nothing more than to cross that line from friendship into something more…


Just when I think I can move on and let myself be happy, an ugly reminder from my past comes storming in and threatens to destroy the sliver of hope that's been growing since Seth came back.


Do I even deserve to be loved?


“I’m not asking to fix your heart. I’m not asking to mend you. I love each and every shattered piece of you. I’m asking that you let me love you. Let me love each piece of your broken heart, and I swear to you I will make up for every heartache you have ever experienced.”


I came back for Josie.


I knew I'd have to fight for her, but with the loss of her dad and the truth about what happened with her and Blake, I quickly realized that making her mine was going to be a lot harder than I first thought. The problem is, I can’t pretend like she’s just my best friend. I can’t pretend I don’t want more.


I'm willing to do anything to get her to admit she has the same passionate feelings for me, because I know once she opens up and stops lying to herself, I can show her what it really means to be loved. It's a battle of wills, but my love for her is stronger than her will to stop me.


So I fight for her. I fight because I know she deserves it.

*JMAC'S REVIEW*
 
WOW WOW WOW.... I'm still not over That's a Lie.  So, That's a Lie starts off right where That's a Promise leaves off.  Seth is back!!!!
 
Gosh, I'm so #teamseth it's not even funny.  The whole time reading this book all I wanted was a HEA for Seth and Josie.  My heart broke for the both of them in different ways.  With Seth my heart broke for him because all he wanted was to love Josie, and be loved in return.  When he realized that Josie had picked someone else over him, he was devastated.  I loved the fact that I got dual pov's in That's a Lie.  I got to see things from both Josie and Seth's pov and I loved that.  
 
Josie, poor Josie.  Josie is way to hard on herself.  She has gone through it.  I just hurt for her.  Everything that she's gone through.  It kills me.  I just wanted to jump inside the book and hug her.  Tell her everything was going to be ok.  After Blake left, Josie's life basically ended.  Seth was gone, and her only chance at love, left her when things got hard, again.  Josie didn't know what to do.  But then Seth comes back!!!!
 
Ok so like I said before, I'm totally team Seth.  Seth and Josie have a love unlike any other love.  They've been best friends since they were 6.  They know everything about one another.  When they both finally decided to admit their feelings, and not hold back, gosh it's beautiful.  
 
Victoria has a way with words.  I felt so much reading That's a Lie.  I felt the love Josie and Seth shared in the pit of my stomach.  It's the type of love that you want to experience yourself.  The type of love that only comes around once in a lifetime if you're lucky enough.  What these two characters have is inevitable.  Their souls belong to one another.  The thing is Blake wants Josie.  I still haven't figured out if Blake wants Josie because he really loves her, or just because he doesn't want anyone else to have her.  Either way, he's lurking and I don't like it!! 
 
Both Seth and Josie have a long way to go, and there are a lot of things that could break them to ashes.  Will they survive everything coming their way? I hope so!!!
 
Victoria, I thought I loved you after reading That's a Promise! Well now I guess you can say I REALLY love you.  That's a Lie was just an amazing book.  I knew after reading the first page I was going to love it, and love it I did.  You are amazing, and I'm so happy you wrote this amazing story!
 
If you have not read That's a Promise, or That's a Lie, what are you waiting for?  It's an amazing 5 star read so go read it now!!!
 
<3 JMAC
 
 
 
 
 
 
PURCHASE HERE:

TEASERS:











Excerpt from That’s a Lie 


I was instantly distracted as I walked into the space. Seth. Shirtless. I don't think I need to explain my lack of focus. Or the drool.  

"You lied to me," he said gruffly, sitting on the barstool at my counter. His blond hair flopped in front of his eyes, and my hands itched to push it back. Touching him again the way I wanted to would satisfy only a millimeter of the need I have, but it would relieve some of the pain. I turned around to hide my thoughts. 

"Ugh . . . I need coffee," I said vacantly, reaching for my coffee maker. I didn't even hear Seth move, but his hand grabbed mine and he turned me around, placing his hands beside me on the countertop to trap me. My breath caught, and I was positive he could hear my heart pounding in my chest. 

His blue-green eyes screamed hurt and anger, but I didn't even care about him being mad. All that mattered was the charge that thumped between us. I was very aware of him. "You lied, Josie. You're not supposed to lie to me.""Seth . . . Come on," I said, turning my face away, unable to look at the raw emotion in his expression. His hand dashed out and grabbed my chin. 

"How long, Josie?" he asked. I closed my eyes, not wanting to admit anything. "Open your damn eyes, Jos. Stop fucking hiding." His voice was hard, but it was also full of desperation. I opened my eyes and narrowed them at him. He didn’t understand that I needed to keep him away from me. My life is tainted by darkness, and he 
doesn't need that. Yes, I lied to the one person who I said I wouldn't deceive again, but it was for his own good! "It doesn't matter, Seth. I'm fine.""Like fucking hell it doesn't matter. I haven't heard you scream like that since your nightmares after you were raped!" 
The haunting reminder brought back vivid memories of that time. He or one of my dads would come lay with me to help me fall asleep. Every day that Seth wasn't in school, he was there with me, trying to make the nightmares go away. "Since the engagement party," I whispered, looking down. I don't know why I admitted it, but I think part of me realized I couldn't hold on to all this pain anymore. That's when my resolve started to break. How long could I go on fighting the feelings that I have for Seth? How long could I act like nothing hurts me? "Fuck, Jos . . . ," he whispered back, placing his forehead against mine. His signature smell of hay and apple pie drifted around me, and I almost lost my footing from wanting him so bad. "You should have told me.""I didn't want you to worry." "I worry about you every second you're not with me, Pussycat. Every second that you hide behind that 
wall you've built, I wonder when you're going to crack." His hand reached up to caress my face, and I leaned into his touch. It was only an infinitesimal movement, but I still heard Seth's breath hitch. My lapse in self-control made him bold. He brought his mouth to the side of mine, and kissed me. I couldn't stop the 
whimper before it escaped my mouth. "There you are," he whispered hoarsely against my lips, always seeing me, even when I didn’t want him to. I wanted to bask in the moment, but I had already opened up to him too much. I pushed through 
his barricade and ran back to my room. "I've got to help Dad at the garage today," I threw out as an explanation, and then I went to hide in my shower.




OTHER BOOKS IN THE SERIES:
That’s a Promise (Promises, Promises #1)


SYNOPSIS:
Pain isn’t new to me.


I’ve been to hell only to find it never really leaves when you get back. It haunts me through nightmares, unrequited love, lies, broken hearts, and now death.


A monster almost took my life.
My best friend carries half my soul a world away.
My boyfriend broke my heart but refuses to let me go.
And my father is dead.


I don’t believe in fate and I don’t believe in happily-ever-afters, but for some reason, I still hope.


Live, even with a tainted spirit.
Long for my other half to come back to me.
Risk another broken heart, just to feel loved again.
And refuse to let another horror break me.


In the face of my most recent tragedy, I have to decide whether forgiveness is something I can give. But even if that’s an option, can I be forgiven?

PURCHASE HERE:











ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Victoria Klahr (pronounced “Claire”) lives in North Carolina with her husband, daughter, and furbaby, Stephen, Alexis, and Bandit. When she’s not daydreaming about book boyfriends and fantasizing about being a badass heroine, she’s busy writing the stories that keep popping into her head. She’s currently finishing the Promises, Promises series and plotting multiple spin-offs. 

CONNECT WITH VICTORIA:
https://www.facebook.com/fmrpromotions?fref=ts



Saturday, March 21, 2015

COVER REVEAL: Forever Down Under by S.M. Phillips






In the last few months, Jess has been faced with more obstacles than she ever thought possible. Heartbreak, loss and betrayal to name just a few. Will her drama fuelled life finally settle into the happy, care free one that she deserves or is someone hiding and waiting for the perfect opportunity to ruin it all?

      Life for Max hasn't exactly been plain sailing either. Now that he finally has someone in his life that means more to him than anything he has ever known, one thing is for certain, he's not going to let anyone get in the way of his new found happiness, no matter what the cost.

Demons are released, pasts are exposed and their future together is only what they make of it. 



"I've got a few errands to run Angel, but I promise that I'll make it up to you later."


"You bet you will, Mister. How long will you be gone for anyway?" I ask, already missing him.

"I'll only be a few hours, tops. Hey, I was wondering if you wanted to go and see your mum? We could go tomorrow, or even later this afternoon?"

I'm hesitant for a moment before I gain enough strength to reply. "I'm not sure, Max." Uncertainty is evident in my tone, even though I'm trying my best to hide it. My chest feels heavy at the mere mention of my mum. I'd love nothing more than to go and see her, to wrap her in my arms and tell her that everything will be okay. I'd love to see that she's getting better, to let her know that even after everything that I'm still here for her, but I can't. She won't take my calls and down right refuses any visitors.

My only comfort right now is knowing that she's in the best place and receiving the best possible care, and it's all thanks to this devilishly kind and handsome man stood beside me. I'd refused any kind of offer from him previously, because the way I see it, she's my mum and I should be the one to make sure she has everything that she needs. I guess her stubborn gene runs prominently in my veins. I remember clearly in my mind the way Max looked at me, held me close and said, "Angel, please. Please allow me to do this one thing for you. Let me get her what she needs. I don't have a mum to look after anymore, Jess. I guess I never really have. All I ask is that you let me help you. I want to help you."

As much as my stubbornness and pride screamed out for me to say no, and as much as I wanted to say no, I couldn't do it. I suddenly found myself unable to say no to him and the pure, raw sadness that swam in his eyes had me aching for him, aching for his past and the demons that still currently haunt him to this day.
"Okay," I whispered. It was all I could manage, but for Max, it was enough. I just hope that one day I'll be able to tell him just how grateful I am.



Welcome to the crazy and hectic life that is me: A fun, loving mum of one special little boy, girlfriend (I'm sure it should be wife by now!!) and an overall crazy, happy go lucky girl from England.

I have always had a passion for reading and writing. Wherever I am, my eBook reader is never far behind, along with a mug of coffee.

I found myself wanting to write from a young age. I have quite a few hidden stories on my computer somewhere. Maybe I will have to dig them out and play around with them at some point.



DOWN UNDER #2

"Fuck." I slam my fist into the desk before me and feel nothing but rage. I need to go after her. I need to explain. "But isn't this what you wanted?" The voice inside my head whispers. "Isn't this a nice easy way out?"

Everything Max has done has always been at a cost to others around him. He wasn't about to make that mistake again. No longer will his selfish ways punish those close to him. Sometimes it's better to have had and lost than to never have had at all.

Finally after what felt like forever, Jess was getting a glimpse of control over her life again and allowed her defences to come crashing down, only to have what it guarded to be crushed once again. Now, on the other side of the world away from her friends, she doesn't know what to do.

Should she stay or should she go?

Is it too late or have they both fallen too far into something that is completely out of their depths?







DOWN UNDER #1

For Jess Townsend, life is about to get complicated.

Following on from her split with Josh two months ago, Jess has thrown herself into her work full throttle, making sure that the one good thing in her life remains the same.

Suddenly she is called into an important meeting at work. Absolutely petrified that she is about to lose her job, she does the only thing she knows how. Panic on the inside and walk through it with her head held high on the outside.

Jess soon discovers she is being offered a once in a lifetime opportunity, but will she take it?

After dealing with an ex who can't let go and a broody mysterious Adonis who won't accept no for an answer, maybe the opportunity of an escape has arrived at the perfect time.

What does fate have in store and what obstacles will be thrown her way?






OBSESSION #1

Obsession knows no bounds...

Anna Jameson can't wait to escape the hellhole that her cousin has left her in. Desperate to escape her past, the idea of moving to stay with Holly whilst she got her head together sounded like the perfect plan... Until Holly upped and left, leaving Anna to pick up the mess that she left behind.

Jensen Blake knows what he wants and will not be told otherwise. Obedience and control are what he knows best. With demons of his own, he has spent most of his adult life traveling from place to place the moment things started to become predictable.

When Jensen and Anna are pushed together, an instant dislike simmers between them. Anna hates bad boys. She has witnessed enough of them to last her a lifetime.

The sexual attraction between them is evident but will that only make things harder for them both to handle?