Congratulations to Our Winner!!

The winner of the FREE Audible of this book......

(Which I cannot WAIT to hear the rest of!  Seriously...his voice is HOT!)

Tami Estes!!!!

You were chosen by Random.org.  Email me at chelleauthorstalker@gmail.com to claim your prize!  

And if you haven't read "Bound' yet, you can pick it up by clicking here.

Congratulations Tami!  And thank you Brenda!

Fun Read For Your Book Bash Travel!

I'll be the first one to admit...I'm on Facebook a little too much these days.  

Ask my kids.  

They can tell you all about the cat that thought the hedgehog was a hairbrush and what Colleen Hoover's kids are probably up to today.  

Granted, I have a blog and am in charge of posting things for the swim team.  But I could stand to step away from Mark Zuckerberg for a few days.  Couldn't we all?  No one's #tbt is going anywhere.

That's one of the reasons I like "Facebook Jeanie" by Addison Westlake.  

Honestly, I wasn't sure what I was going to think of this book.  But it was fun!  It was lighthearted.  It had a nice message about how detached we can become from reality when we let our mobile devices take over.  

As do many of my reads, it wasn't completely problem free.  The ending dragged out a bit. And to me, the epilogue was a little much.  But those issues aren't enough to not recommend it as a fun vacation book.  It's well worth the 99-cents it costs.  You can get it now by clicking here.

I give "Facebook Jeanie" and her lovely message a fun and enjoyable

Well Look What Just Went Live....Just 12 Days Early!

I'll be the first one to admit, I'm not a huge fan of erotica.  

It usually goes one of two ways.  It's either boring and doesn't give me any ideas for the home front anyway.  Or it's so over the top and gross I throw up in my mouth a little.

But Kathryn Perez has this knack for making a book like this interesting.  It's not just porn.  It's a story.  I connected with the characters and I'm DYING to know what happens to them!  Because it isn't just about sex.

Now, don't get me wrong.  The sexy scenes are, in fact, scorching.  But don't you find those scenes so much more exciting when you actually connect with the characters in them?  

Exactly.  Me, too.

"Sex Unlimited:  Volume 1" is the first in a serial series so there is a cliffhanger.  But rest assured, "Sex Unlimited: Volume 2" comes out next month.  So you won't have to wait that long.  In fact, it's already in the works.  And yeah.  It's just as good.

You can pick up "Sex Unlimited:  Volume 1" by clicking here.  

Only 0.99 for the first in a series that so far, because it's not just porn, deserves 

Win an Audible!

Audio books are my new favorite thing.  Why?  Besides the fact that I've gone on quite a few trips lately that require driving, my house also tends to get a lot cleaner when I don't have to keep my book in one hand and cleaning supplies in the other!

That's why I'm so excited about today's giveaway!  Brenda Rothert (remember her from yesterday's review?) is giving away an Audible of her book "Bound", which is the first in the series.  It comes out in just a couple of weeks and you don't want to miss this!!  I've heard a snippet...let's just say, this is exactly how Ryke sounds in my head!

All you have to do to enter is pimp yesterday's blog post.  (Seriously, "Bound" is a freebie...who doesn't want to know about a freebie anyway?  Your friends will thank you!)  Come back here to comment that it's done and you are entered!  Easy peesie!  

And while you wait for the Audible version to come out, you can still get "Bound" for free by clicking here. 

The winner will be chosen early Friday morning.  Good luck!

Not A Sports Fan? You Will Be Now!

Here in Texas, if you aren’t a football fan, you must be from out of state because EVERYONE is a football fan.  Entire communities are known to rally around Friday night high school football games.  Quarterbacks are hailed as heroes in small towns.  JJ Watt is a household name.   (In all fairness, a friend of mine got some video from the first row of him warming up for a game.  A football has never looked sexier.)

And then, my next Diamond, Brenda Rothert enters.

JJ who?  Forget football.  I am now a die-hard hockey fan!!

Ms. Rothert’s first book, “Bound”…just, wow.  I loved this book.  It is not your average hockey stud falling for an everyday girl.  Oh no.  It couldn’t be that easy.

I cried so many times that I lost count.  It was heartbreaking and hopeful, all at the same time.  What a great ride!  Some of the conflicts were a little repetitive and the traumatic parts could have been more gripping, but dang.  The second it was over, I 1-clicked the next book.

While I loved “Bound”, “Captive” was just simply amazing.  There were a couple of timing issues, but they were completely overshadowed by the wonderful story.  This is exactly how I like my characters to end up.  With hope and growth.  To me, “Captive” was perfect.
But of course she wasn’t done yet.  Add “Edge” in to the mix.

Oh my.

“Edge” is still part of the “Fire on Ice” series.  But it’s based on one of the secondary characters we already knew.  Holy smokes…I am loving me some hockey players now!

And lucky us, Ms. Rothert still isn't finished!  The next one, “Drive,” about yet another character, is scheduled to come out next month.  EEKKKK!!!!  I can’t WAIT!

Due to those minor issues I mentioned, I have vacillated between giving this entire series 4 or 5 Diamonds.  However, my excitement over the next installment counts for something, so I’m rounding up.  Get started with "Bound" by clicking here.  It's free, so you have nothing to lose! 

The “Fire on Ice” Series by Brenda Rothert gets a well-deserved

DIAMONDS....We Have A Winner!!

The lucky winner of an e-copy for "Finding Jordie" by HJ Harley (a not sucky book) goes to none other than...

Helen!! 

You were randomly chosen by Random.org.  To claim your prize, make sure to email me at chelleauthorstalker@gmail.com verifying the email address attached to your reading device.

If you didn't win this time, you can always purchase a copy by clicking here.  Guys...it's 99-cents.  Don't tell me it's not worth a shot.

Congratulations Helen!  And thank you again Ms. Harley!

What The Heck Did This Book Just Do To Me???

Lately, I have discovered that I have way too many books on my Kindle app. At some point, the synopsis looked interesting, so I'm not even bothering to look at it before I start reading.  I just dive right in.  That's how  I did it with "Love, Kinsey" by my newest Diamond, Brandy Jeffus Corona.  

WHY DIDN'T I READ THE SYNOPSIS????  I had no idea what I was getting myself into.  And it was brutal.

Synopsis made super short...she's dying and wants to write her legacy so she isn't forgotten.

Yeah.  Giving myself a heads up would have been nice.  I started crying on page 1.  I'm not even close to exaggerating.  I started crying and couldn't stop.  The entire book.

So why in the world am I putting this in the "Beach Read" category?  Two reasons.

1)  The more I do this blog thing, the more I'm finding myself on a schedule but I couldn't wait to tell you about this book.
2)  The length of the chapters.  They are short and to the point.  When your kids say, "Mom!  Come jump in the waves with us!", you can say, "Give me one minute to finish this chapter," and actually  mean one minute.

BUT this one is a gut-wrencher. You will cry.  A lot.  It will be a wonderful cathartic feeling.  And you will love it.  So click here to get it.  You won't regret it.

Brandy Jeffus Corona, you owe me some boxes of tissues for this book that I'm rating a sobbing 

 

Don't Believe Me That a Terrible Cover Doesn't Always Mean a Terrible Book? Win a Copy for Yourself and See!

So I got some feedback from my Diamond HJ Harley about yesterday's post.  When she finally stopped laughing, especially about the Seinfeld reference, she decided to take my review a notch further and prove what a good book "Finding Jordie" is!  "How?" you ask?  By giving away an ecopy to one lucky reader!

If you've already liked my Facebook page, GREAT!  You are a step ahead of the game!  If not, please like it by clicking here.  Then head over to Ms. Harley's page by clicking here and show her some love.

Once you've completed those steps, comment below or on the FB or IG post and you are entered to win and ecopy!  It's that easy.

Of course, if you don't want to wait until Friday, June 20th to find out if you win, you can always pick up a copy by clicking here. It's only 99 pennies.  It isn't gonna kill ya to give it a shot!

Thanks again, Ms. Harley for this generous giveaway.

Don't Judge This Book by Its Cover. Seriously. This Book Doesn't Suck.

I know.

You are looking at the cover of "Finding Jordie" and you're thinking, "WTF?  When did she start reviewing Harlequin romances?"

I haven't. This is just  really, really bad cover that gives a really, really bad impression of HJ Harley's writing.    

I have no idea why the covers look like Fabio got his best bro a modeling gig.  Or frankly, why Fabio himself didn’t do it.  But rest assured, this story is not set in the 18th century. Nor does anyone actually wear clothes straight out of a Seinfeld episode.  

Quite the contrary.  “Finding Jordie” is fabulous.

From a no-holds-barred heroine with the mouth of a sailor, to a movie star hero looking to find someone to fill the void, this book kept me interested from the very beginning.    It isn’t just your typical romance story.  Throughout the book, Ms. Harley adds an element of mystery and suspense.  That’s not easy to do in a book about finding love.  But she does it.  And she does it well.

Now, I’m not gonna lie.  I figured out “who done it” long before “it” was actually done.  But that didn’t change the fact that how everything went down still had my heart pounding, my jaw open and me reading as fast as I could.  It was thrilling.  And I loved every second of it.

There were a few editing glitches here and there.  But nothing too serious.  And certainly nothing that would change my recommendation.  In fact, I recommend you download this book.  Like, now.  Why are you still here?  Go get it by clicking here.

This debut novel is a SOLID

Eight women. Eight stories. All for the fight of one little girl.

I don't normally post about books that haven't been released yet, but this anthology is a little different.  Why?  Because all proceeds are going to "Prayers for Sophie" to help Sophie Isabella Ryan, a little girl battling cancer.

This anthology contains eight previously published works by bestselling authors on Amazon, USA Today, New York Times, and more.  Stories include:

Therapy ~ Kathryn Perez
Unexpected Chance ~ Joanne Schwehm
Stinger ~ Mia Sheridan
Before the Storm ~ Sarah Dosher
Forever Black ~ Sandi Lynn
Atonement ~ Selene Chardou
Searching For Tomorrow ~ Kathryn McNeill Crane
Rotten ~ JL Brooks

You can preorder the anthology by clicking here.  Eight women.  Eight stories.  All for the fight of one little girl.

And the Winner of ALL THOSE SIGNED PAPERBACK IS.......

Meg K!!!!!!

You commented directly to the blog and have been chosen as our winner by Random.org!  Be sure to PM me your mailing address so all three of these great books can be mailed directly to you.

Thanks again to all our participants!

If you haven't picked up Mara's Worth Series, you can get the box set by clicking here.

Don't Miss This Fun Read with a Thought Provoking Message!

One of my favorite movies used to be “13 Going on 30”.  I mean, come on.  Who wouldn’t want to go to sleep as a gawky 13 year old and wake up looking like Jennifer Garner?  Come to think of it, I still wouldn’t mind waking up looking like Jennifer Garner.

But what if you went to sleep in your prime of 25 years old and woke up to find you were 50?  And in a completely different life than you expected!  Would you try to enjoy where you ended up?  Or would you try to “fix” things?

In “Fast Forward’ by Juliet Madison, the heroine has to figure all that out.  But what she learns in the process is that your priorities in life won’t always stay the same.  And isn’t that a lesson we all need to remember sometimes?

This book was a lot of fun to read.  It was light.  It was humorous.  It was just enjoyable!

And like all good books do, it made me think about where I hope to be when I’m 50.

So read and enjoy.  You can find “Fast Forward” by clicking here.

Another Way to Find the Perfect Book for Your Vacation

Now that summer is upon us, I find that reading as much as I do can be difficult.  These little human things stay under my feet or in my face and want me to do things for them all the time!!

With that in mind, I’ve created a new category here at Diamonds in the Rough.  It’s called “Beach Reads”.

To me, a “beach read” is a book that is lighter and less taxing on the mind than your average read.  I think of it this way…if I’m sitting at the beach, reading a book while my kids play in the sand, I can easily tear myself away from the book to run in the ocean or help with the sand castle.  I’ll be able to direct my attention to the activity at hand without half of my brain still thinking about the book I’m reading.

This category doesn’t mean “stupid”.  It just means fun.  Enjoyable.  Light.  Entertaining.  Catch my drift?

My goal is to present a new “beach read” every week until the kids go back to school.  Many, many of them are free! 

So if you are getting ready to go on vacation or heading to the pool for the day, stop in here.

The first “beach read” of the season will post tomorrow!

Who Wants to Win Some Signed Books??? (Am I Allowed to Participate?)

I am excited.  I mean super excited.  I am so SUPER EXCITED I can hardly contain my excitement!

My very first post on here was just a couple of weeks ago.  It was about "The Worth Series" by Mara Jacobs.  These are some of my very favorite books.

Well, Ms. Jacobs is graciously giving away a signed paperback of this book...

And this book....

And this book...

Do you see why I'm so excited??  You can win THREE FREE SIGNED PAPERBACKS in this wonderful series!!

Because there are three books, you have to do three things to participate...

1)  Like Mara Jacobs's Facebook author page here.

2)  Pimp this blog to your book reading friends whether on Facebook, Instagram,  or wherever.

3)  Comment below telling me which one of these three books is your favorite.

That's it!!

Thank you so much for your generosity, Ms. Jacobs.  It will be so worth it.  Get it?  Worth it? "The Worth Series"?  I'm such a punny gal!  (Stop throwing things.  I know how bad of a joke that was.)

The winner will be randomly selected on Friday, June 13th.  To purchase the box set of these three books, click here.

I've Said it Before and I'll Say it Again: This is One of My Top Reads....Ever.

Al Pacino is a fantastic actor.  We all know him from The Godfather movies.  Sure, he’s done a zillion other movies.  He’s won a zillion other awards.  And everyone always remarks on his brilliance at his craft.  But there will only ever be one Godfather.

"THERAPY" is Kathryn Perez’s Godfather.

If you like light, easy, drama free books…run away.  Because this book is raw.  It’s real.  It’s ugly.  It’s heartbreaking.  It is utter and pure brilliance. 

You will root for the heroine.  And you will cry for her.  You will watch her fall into the depths of despair.  And you will watch her pick herself up by her boot straps and push through all over again.

Kathryn Perez is a Diamond in the Rough because she touches on subjects that most authors shy away from or let fate “fix”.  She brings you into the world of mental illness in a way that makes it easier to understand those around you that may suffer from their own mental illness.  Her poetic writing forces you to walk away with more compassion and empathy than you had before. 

Does it have a happy ending?  Ummm…..that’s up to you to decide.  But I will say, it leaves you full of hope and encouragement.  (Don’t forget to read the “Author’s Note” at the very end.  If you haven’t heard her story before, your jaw will DROP when you see what Ms. Perez has to say.)

Well done, Kathryn.  "THERAPY" is on my “Top Read of All Time” list.  If I had more Diamonds, I would give them to you.

"THERAPY" is a stand alone novel.  However, Jessica’s Journal is a book of poetry that works as a companion with "THERAPY".  You can purchase "THERAPY" by clicking here.  You can purchase "Jessica's Journal" by clicking here.

Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner!

I didn't make that up.  A friend of mine says that whenever our kids play bingo at our kids' swim meets.

Anywho, I know you are dying to know who won an ecopy of "Totaled" by Stacey Grice.  Well, congratulations goes to....

tenthomp

You have been chosen by Random.org as our winner!  Make sure to email me at chelleauthorstalker@gmail.com to claim your prize!

If you didn't win, you can still purchase a copy of this fantastic book here.  You won't be disappointed!

Kathryn Perez Releases the Cover of "SEX Unlimited: Volume 1"

Kathryn Perez has been a busy woman lately.  She's in the process of writing four (yes, I said FOUR) books simultaneously.  This after spending over a year writing her amazing novel, THERAPY.  You can read more about that brilliant book here on Monday.

One of those books is an entirely new genre for Ms. Perez...erotica.  And we've got the cover and synopsis! Be warned, this is some spicy writing!

So without further ado, I give you, "SEX Unlimited: Volume 1":

One email set my life on an unexpected path.

Dear Candace,

I’m sure you're getting flooded with messages, but I wanted to attempt to stand out among the rest and just get right to the point. I won’t attempt to woo you in a message. I won’t try to impress you with boastful words. If you're here for mind-blowing sex, and a lot of it, then I would venture to say that trying to impress you with well worded niceties is of no value. Instead, I will tell you what I’m looking for and if you are looking for something similar then I look forward to your reply. 
I like to f**k hard. I like to f**k slowly. I also enjoy making love. I like to be pleasured. I love to give pleasure. I like to laugh. I like to make others laugh. I love the female body and testing its limits. I want a lover who will explore new things without shame or embarrassment. I want to make a woman come so hard and in so many ways that her body designs its own special language just for mine.

I look forward to possibly learning what you like, too.

Regards,
Brisban C. 

My reply will change everything I thought I knew about SEX.

Coming July 2014

Win an e-copy of "Totaled" by Stacey Grice!

And you want to win a copy of this book!

All you have to do is "like" my Facebook page here and comment below.  And while you're at it, you can show Stacey Grice some love here.

The winner will be randomly selected on Sunday, June 8th!.  Good luck!

To purchase a copy early, click here.

You probably haven't read "Totaled" by Stacey Grice. Here's why you should.

A debut novel written by independent author can be hit or miss.  There are so many things that can go wrong…weak beta readers, inexperienced editors, terrible covers (Oh, how I loathe a terrible cover). 

But when my newest Diamond, Stacey Grice enters the room, all I can think is, “HIT!  HIT!  HIT!!”

“Totaled” is the very first book she’s written and it is wonderful.

I’m a sucker for a book about a cage fighter.  I won't deny it.  Travis Maddox was my first book boyfriend and I make a habit of going to watch a friend of mine in amateur MMA fights. So I will admit that’s what got me hooked.  What made me stay was her characters and story lines.

Stacey Grice seems to have character development down to a “T”.  From the country bumpkin to the quirky best friend, they were all just so interesting. 

I was most impressed with her ability to show us a couple of characters with disabilities.  They didn’t come across as your stereotypical disabled family member or friend.  They weren’t just the sum of their quirks.  They were real people who just happened to think differently than you or me.  It was refreshing to read.

The story kept me engaged and interested.  I was rooting for them and just knew it would all turn out ok.  Why?  Because Ms. Grice develops the characters well enough that you just feel like you know how they would react in hard times. 

Life changed.  But the people did not. 

Keep in mind, this is a debut novel so there are a few issues here and there.  Every once in a while the dialogue can get a little choppy and the end felt a tad rushed.  But nothing that took away from my enjoyment of the book.

Stacey Grice is one to watch, folks.  She is going to be HOT!

So who wants to win an e-copy of “Totaled”?  It’s super easy.  Just “like” my Facebook page here and come back to comment below.  The winner will be randomly selected on Sunday, June 8^th.

Don’t wanna wait to see if you win before you start reading?  I don’t blame you!  You can find the link to “Totaled” here.  Be warned...IT IS A CLIFFHANGER!!!  But I can’t wait to see what happens next!

Wedding Wishes and a Winner

I was going to review another novel you may not have heard of today.  But then I went out of town for the weekend and my plans kind of changed.  

                                                                   I went to this:

                                                 
                                                               So I could see this:

                                                           
                                                           And eat some of this:

                                                      While I was there, I ran into her:

                                                          Which made me think of this:

Now, if you know anything about me.  You know my love for all things "Losing Hope".  Hands down...it is my favorite book ever.  I love Holder.  I love Sky.  I love Daniel.  I love Six.  I love the story, the plot, the writing.  And I really love Holder.  Favorite book boyfriend ever.  My love knows know bounds.  
                                             Because of "Losing Hope", I even got this:

And I am mighty proud to say Griffin Peterson, musician and cover model for LH did, in fact, create this signature specifically for this tattoo.

I know.  They don't call me "Author Stalker Chelle" because I'm sane.

So I am almost sad to say, "Move over 'Losing Hope'.  I have a new favorite."

ALMOST sad to say it.

I'm not quite sure how it happened, but I am one of the lucky few that has been privileged to read "Ugly Love" before the August 5th release date.

"Ugly Love" by Colleen Hoover is probably her best work to date.  It is beautifully written and runs you through the entire gamete of emotions that we've come to expect from Ms. Hoover.  But keep the tissues handy.  Keep a BOX of tissues handy.  You will not just cry while reading this book.

You
Will
Weep.

I had to push my iPad away, lay my head on the desk and sob during one particular chapter. SOB, people!  Sure, lots of books make me cry.  But only one has made me weep for the characters.

So make sure to pre-order this puppy by clicking here.  Come August 5th, you'll want to be able to do this:

                                                         Because it is DEFINITELY this:

And speaking of love, how about we give away a book??

Last week "THERAPY" by Kathryn Perez was up for grabs.  So congratulations to Andrea Singh!  You have been chosen by Random.org as the winner!  Please send your mailing address to me at chelleauthorstalker@gmail.com to claim your prize!

More giveaways are in the works, so stay tuned!