Thursday, January 29, 2015

It's No Secret...Anna Katmore's Freebie is Great!


Some books you pick up because you need break from the norm.  You need something cheesy. Something that you can whiz through, never to think of again.

Sometimes, what you thought was going to be a cheesy book, ends up completely surprising you.  

This happened when I read "Summer of my Secret Angel" by Anna Katmore.  

I had picked up this book as a freebie a while ago and thought it might be entertaining.  I mean, look at the synopsis:

"Love was never in his plan...And neither in hers.

It isn't nicking an expensive watch or a diamond bracelet that lands streetwise Jona Montiniere in the clutches of the police.  It's a darn sweater.  When a judge decides she has to return to her terminally ill mother, who dumped her in an orphanage more than twelve years ago, Jona finds herself doing time through charity work on her estranged aunt's vineyard in France.

Jona is determined to sneak off at the first chance she gets -- until she meets Julian, her mother's caretaker.  Playful, understanding, and sinfully sexy, he's everything she's ever dreamed of -- but she's not about to let him know that.  Because even though he's fast becoming Jona's best friend, he also has a secret that makes the little hairs on her arms stand on end...

So when the first eek in her new home is over, Jona asks herself two things:  One, how did she let herself end up in Julian's arms after all?  And two, how the hell did he awaken her mother from the dead?"

I was expecting the paranormal element.  The title says it all.  But what I wasn't expecting was a really interesting and heartwarming story about love, family, forgiveness.  The paranormal element was actually only a small, underlying theme, which was a really nice change.

And yay for us, it's still free on Amazon!  You can get it by clicking here.

It's no secret, Anna Katmore is someone I'll be following as I give this gem 


Monday, January 26, 2015

Megan Squires Writes a Book You Will "Love Like Crazy"


Hi!  Kirstin here.

My next Diamond in the Rough is Megan Squires.  Megan is usually an NA writer, but this book, "Love Like Crazy" seemed to be more of a YA to me.  YA is not usually my preferred genre, but this one has such a cute story and just look at the cover!!

Here's the synopsis:

"Relationships.
Love.
Life.

All things that can be considered -- and oftentimes are -- just a bit crazy.

With an alcoholic father and an absentee mother, seventeen-year old Eppie Aberdeen has learned firsthand that life's circumstances aren't always sunshine and roses.

So Eppie doesn't expect the fairytale, because reality certainly isn't one.  She's not waiting on the handsome prince with his white horse to come to her rescue.  But even though she's not waiting on it, that doesn't stop nineteen-year old Lincoln Ross from driving straight into her heart with his teal and white campervan and his too tall stature and perpetually goofy grin.

It's difficult to believe in a happily ever after when a happy now is quite hard to find.  But Lincoln gives Eppie hope that despite the odds, a true and unconditional love might actually be out there.  A revised fairytale.  A new kind of love story.

But then again, that might just be plain crazy."

I think I liked this book so much because it wasn't an insta-love, run-of-the-mill YA novel.  The story showed a natural progression from the first meeting, to friendship, to those first flutters of "something more," and finally to a loving relationship.  

Eppie and Lincoln have depth to their characters that is normally missing in YA romance books. Each of them has a very complex family background that only adds to their likability.  Though there are some darker aspects thrown in there, it enhances the connection with all the characters and makes you love them that much more.

If you are looking for a light, sweet YA read with some substance, you can find "Love Like Crazy" by clicking here.

Megan Squires is the newest author I "Love Like Crazy" and she gets








Saturday, January 24, 2015

We Have a Winner!

And the winner of an ecopy of "Working Girl" by A.E. Woodward, as chosen by Random.org, is....

1 Optimistic Girl!

You have 7 days to email me at chelleauthorstalker@gmail.com to claim your prize.  Make sure to include the email address where you'd like you book gifted.

Congratulations and Happy Reading!

Thursday, January 22, 2015

I Hope I Wasn't the Last to Know about Author Crystal Bowling


Lately, I have found myself in a book funk.  There just seems to be so much of the same story written over and over and over.  It's probably my own fault for reading a lot of NA books.  But after a while, I just need something...different.

Enter my newest Diamond, Crystal Bowling.  She wrote the cure to my book funk called "Always the Last to Know".  Here's the synopsis as found on Amazon:

"Wearing a Maid of Honor dress that very well makes the South want to rise again, Jess Reynolds is prepared to walk down the aisle at her best friend's wedding.  It's just that things keep getting in the way, like a sex-crazed coworker, an annoying brother-of-the-bride, and a handsome and horribly charming friend posing as the Best man.  As it turns out, Jess might just the be the last one to know everything, including the workings of her own heart."

In this day and age where everyone and their mother are writing over the top angsty books, I found "Always the Last to Know" to be a breath of fresh air.  It was a lighter read, yes.  But the sarcastic wit was right up my alley.  I loved that Jess was a real woman, not another 22 year old beautiful virgin who doesn't realize she's beautiful.  In fact, based on her description, she reminded me of a former coworker.  It was kind of fun imagining that coworker as this character!

I will say, there are a few editing issues.  The most glaring was random changes in font that can be quite distracting at first.  But formatting can be a tough cookie to handle, so I've got very little judgement there.

This book was witty and sarcastic without a lot of language.  And there was no sex, but quite a bit of sexual tension, which was nice.  If that sounds right up your alley, you can get it by clicking here.

Crystal Bowling may be "Always the Last to Know" that I give her

Tuesday, January 20, 2015

An Exclusive Excerpt and Giveaway from A.E. Woodward!!

I few months back, I read a little gem called "Working Girl" by A.E. Woodward.  (Read the original review here.)  It was a heartbreaking book.  But I loved every second of it.  If you haven't heard of it, just check out this awesome video that explains it all.

Pretty cool, right?

Well I am THRILLED to tell you that A.E. Woodward has given us an exclusive, never before seen excerpt from "Working Girl"!

If you haven't read the book, this passage doesn't contain spoilers.  However, I HIGHLY recommend reading it first, because it will make more sense.

For those of you who have read "Working Girl", this is an extra scene as Emerson tries to deal with the loss of his father.  Enjoy!



     I'm sitting on the edge of his bed, alone.  Again.  Things haven't gotten any easier.  With each day that passes I feel like he slips further away from me.  The pain and conflict he must be feeling is unimaginable, but he needs to start fighting his way back to me.  Soon, or I'm afraid we might be lost forever.
     I can't take the not knowing anymore.  My life is forever changed and I need to know where I stand with him.  Emerson has clawed his way to my heart where his fingers had managed to squeeze their way around it, holding onto me with each beat.  But now it seems like his grip was growing lax.  Too much time has passed and the time has come for me to prove myself to him.  It was my turn.  Time for me to fight for him.
     With resolution in my heart, I jump to my feet and take off in the direction of the bathroom.  It has become habit for him to lock himself in there, alone, while he grieves the loss of the man he loved despite it all.  His father.  I don't know for sure what he does inside those doors, because much like my walls that I had surrounded myself with, he shuts me out.
     Without hesitation I reach out and place my hand on the cold metal of the handle, with one turn the door pops open allowing my ears to actually hear what I had known was going on all along.  His strangled sobs echo through the tiled room, the steam seeps out from the small crack in the door and I contemplate my next move.  The vulnerability of this moment is private.  I shouldn't be here, he doesn't want to let me in.  I should turn around and let him be alone, but my feet freeze with determination.  Instead of turning my back on him, I push through the doorframe and continue toward him.  He sniffles and I hear a loud thud come from within the shower, which causes me to jump within my own skin a bit.
     Concerned, I pull back the curtain, taking in the sight of him underneath the stream of water.  His hand continually pounding against the wall creating the reverberating thud that had frightened me moments ago.  He doesn't register my presence, instead his back heaves as the sobs continue to rip their way through his chest and straight into mine.  My heart aches for him, but for me as well.  Not knowing what's going on in his mind is greater torture than Big Earl could've ever inflicted on me.
     I carefully read out and touch him with my hand, he flinches and looks over his shoulder at me.  I long for his eyes to connect with me, but instead he looks right through me with dull eyes.  It lasts only a second and without a word he turns away from me again.  I push the curtain out of my way and step into the shower with him, the water is hot and instantly makes my clothes stick to my body which heightens my anxiety.  I quickly tug at the fabric, allowing a brief moment of relief to wash over my claustrophobic skin.  Emerson shies away from me and even though I feel dejected, I reach out and wrap my arms around his waist, pulling him close to me.
     I lay my cheek against his back and he tries pulling away from me, but I squeeze harder, not allowing him to escape from this moment.  He needs this.  We need it.  His body goes lax, his face falling forward, the water droplets running down his skin like the tears streaming his face.  Using his forearm he props himself up against the shower wall and the sobs rip through his body causing us both to shake.  The tears start to free themselves from my own eyes as I take his grief on as my own.  His father may not have meant anything to me, but he was something to Emerson and that's enough for me.
     The water runs cold, and Emerson's cries turn to cold shudders.  I shut my eyes, focusing on the sound of the water hitting the tile to keep me from shivering.  Time passes and I keep on holding on for fear of losing him.  Eventually I hear the pipes groan as the water stops.  I open my eyes, praying that our bad times have gone down the drain along with the cold, dirty water. Emerson's hand superficially rests on top of mine, there's no fire, and I know we're not out of the woods yet.
     "I want to hear the spark in your voice when you say my name," I whisper quietly into his back.  "I need to feel the flames burning my skin as you touch me.  Come back to me Emerson."
     He turns in my arms so that he's facing me.  His reddened eyes looking down upon me as I look up to him with hope.  I want to put this behind us, to start moving forward with our future but the look in his eyes tells me that I'm not done fighting yet.  He's still not here with me.
     "I need to know you still love me, Emerson," I plead.
     The words fly from his mouth before any time passes.  "I love you," spills out but something deep inside me tells me that it's more reflex than his true feelings.
     Shaking my head, I sigh.  "No," I mutter quietly before dropping my arms from his waist.  "Hearing it said, and feeling it are two different things."  My eyes gaze into his once vibrant brown ones.  He continues looking through me.  "I need to feel it, Emerson.  Make me feel it," I plead.
     "It's so fucked up, Presley," he chokes out.
     My head falls forward, the familiar feeling of shame sweeping over every cell of my body.  "I know."
     I hear him sigh and watch his feet as they shift in unease.  With my eyes still glued to the bottom of the shower and my clothes stuck to my skin, Emerson wraps his arms around me fore the first time since his father's death.  He pulls me close and squeezes me tightly, his nose finding the crease of my neck before he takes a deep breath, breathing me in.  The tears roll down from his eyes now, my body goes limp in his arms as his lips press against my deprived skin.
     "I never stopped loving you," he whispers between kisses.  "You've got to understand that, Presley.  The guilt is killing me.  The guilt of knowing the terrible things that man did to you. It's too much."
     "You're not him, Emerson."
     "But to think of what he did to you..." his voice trails off and his lips leave my neck.
     I know I'm losing him again.  He's slipping back into the place where what happened is controlling him.  His grip around my waist loosens, and I know he's about to let me go...possibly forever.  My hands fly to his wrists, holding him in place and my eyes lock back into his.  "Then make us both forget," I plead.
     He shakes his head.  "I can't."
     I pull him closer so that our lower halves connect.  Feeling him through my wet clothes ignites the first deep within me that I worried was lost.  "You have to try."  I stand on my tip toes and lean in to kiss his lips, but he turns at the last second, shunning my fickle attempt and landing my kiss on his cheek.  "Please," I beg as I continue to kiss his face and back him against the wall.  I press my chest against him as my hands roam his body, seeking for some sort of response.  There's no shame as I feel the familiar burn deep within my belly.  I'm fighting to keep him, and I'll stop at nothing to make him come back.
     He groans as my hand finds its way between his legs and with every stroke and kiss I can feel him lose his resolution.  Before I realize what's happening, his hands are lifting me up, his mouth crashes onto mine and our tongues find their way to each other.  I gasp for air as the seal of our mouths break long enough for him to lift my shirt over my head.  The cold air hits my wet breasts just before his mouth warms them and I cry out in ecstasy.
     Emerson leans forward and struggles to pull my pants down, they continuously get stuck on my wet skin despite my feeble attempts at wiggling them down.  Once around my ankles I kick my left foot in order to free them before lifting my leg and wrapping myself around his hip.  He kisses my lips one final time before pushing himself into me.  His lips continue to cover every inch of my face before coming to rest in the crease of my neck.  With his lips pressed to the skin of my neck, he grunts with each thrust, my body welcoming him.  My head rolls to the side as a moan escapes from my parted lips, my body relaxes once relief washes over me.
     He's reclaiming me.  And I think God for it by screaming out His name.




WOW!  Thank you A.E.  That was intense!  

But that's not all.  She is also giving away and ecopy of "Working Girl" to those of you who haven't read it or would like to gift it to a friend.  Here's how you enter:

1)  "Like" A.E. Woodward's author page by clicking here.
2)  "Like" Author Stalker Chelle's blog page by clicking here.
3)  Comment below that both steps are done.

That's it!  Our winner will be chosen by Random.org on Friday.  Good luck and Happy Reading!





Monday, January 19, 2015

Kristie Cook Will "Torment" You Until the Final Installment


Kristin and I have been on hiatus for the last week and what a hiatus it has been!  We've found some great stories to tell you about, starting with a returning Diamond.

Kristie Cook was on my list for Top Paranormal Books/Series for her amazing stories titled the "Soul Savers Series".  It is a fantastic adventure with a basic angels versus demons theme.  

One of the things I really like about this series is that a lot of it is based on Biblical principals and themes.  Yes, I know.  You would think all angel versus demon books are like that.  But this is very deeply rooted in it.  From some of the ways the demons explain their purpose to World War III coinciding with the end times, my Christian upbringing has been cheering throughout the series over a lot of the accuracy.

But if I reviewed the series last year, why am I doing it again?  Because installment number six out of seven released a couple weeks ago and it is amazing.

In "Torment", we're continuing to follow Alexis' journey as she takes over the position of matriarch of the Amadis (basically, the good side).  But she's not in an easy position, being that the Daemoni (the bad guys) have launched a massive attack and are now intent on taking over the world.  

This installment is incredibly fast paced and almost exhausting to read, as you really see first hand what the end of the world might actually look like.  From abandoned children to cities in ruins to looters and gangs and concentration camps; it's intense.

My BFF and I have been following this series for the last two years, so we were discussing "Torment" and our thoughts on it.  She brought up an interesting point.  She said, "I'm starting to find Alexis whiny because she keeps talking about how she's failing everyone and she can't do it."  At first, I thought, "Huh.  She has an interesting point."  And that may be my only critique. But then I continued reading.

As things in the story kept escalating and intensifying, I started to realize that, yes, Alexis is questioning herself constantly.  But what else would she be doing at that moment?  She was thrown into a position of leadership years ahead of schedule and within days World War III broke out.  So I think a lack of self-confidence is actually extremely realistic.  So much for my one critique!

I really did love this book from start to finish.  The ending shocked the heck out of me and is one of the most intense cliffhangers I have EVER read.  Thankfully, the final installment in the series, titled "Faith" will be out on February 5th.  I'm already rearranging my calendar so I have six hours of uninterrupted reading time that day!

If you haven't followed the "Soul Savers Series", now is the perfect time to get started.  "Promise" is the first in the series and it's free.  You can get it by clicking here.

But if you've followed the series like me, you do NOT want to miss "Torment".  Get it by clicking here.  You don't be disappointed.

Kristie Cook "Torment"ed me in the best possible way to receive 


P.S.  Don't miss tomorrow when we give you and exclusive, never before seen excerpt from "Working Girl" by A.E. Woodward and a giveaway!

Thursday, January 8, 2015

"Never, Never" Underestimate a Hoover/Fisher Collaboration


Chelle here....

It's no secret that I have a girl crush on Colleen Hoover.  I mean, what's not to love?  She can tell a story like no one else.  And it almost ALWAYS has a twist you don't see coming.  Her characters feel real and watching life unfold before their eyes in as close to genius as you can get.

Add the twisted little mind of Tarryn Fisher, and you have the fantastic paranormal adventure, "Never, Never".

But wait...is it paranormal?  Is it a mystery?  Is it a love story?  It's a little bit of everything all rolled into one.

You see, our characters, Silas and Charlie, wake up with no memory of themselves, each other or any part of their lives.  Well, not necessarily wake up since they were already out and about for the day. It's more like coming out of a trance.  Although I wouldn't exactly call it a trance.  Never mind... 

Anyway, Silas and Charlie remember things about the world around them like who Kanye West married (I should have seen that one coming).  But nothing that gives them any indication of how they ended up in this situation in the first place.

Part of the intrigue of this book is that Charlie's voice is written by Fisher, while Silas' voice is written by Hoover.  Yet, the transition between characters is so smooth, you are never distracted by having two separate authors.  

I've talked to Hoover about how they collaborated on this project and it's actually quite fascinating.  Before writing, they discussed how it began and how it would end.  But neither one of them knew how they were going to get there.  They learned as they went.  How, you ask? Fisher would write a chapter and Hoover wouldn't have any idea what it was about until she read it, and vice versa.  Cool, right?  It's like the two of them were experiencing this book the same way we do!

Keep in mind, Never, Never is a series so there is a cliffhanger at the end.  And frankly, I'm DYING to know what's going to happen.  If you prefer to wait until all parts of a series are out before reading it, I totally understand.  But let me say this, the cliffhanger is worth the journey you take when reading this book.  It's is a fantastic and gripping beginning to what I'm sure will be one of my favorite series this year.

And lucky us, "Never, Never" has released early!  You can get it by clicking here.

The super duo of Fisher and Hoover make a memorable impression and easily earn


Monday, January 5, 2015

Welcome our New Reviewer! "Isn't She Lovely"?

This little bitty blog has grown by leaps and bounds in the last few months.  So much so, that I'm pleased to announce an addition to our Diamonds in the Rough page.  Kristin Delcambre will now be bringing you regular reviews as well!!

Two bloggers means unearthing all kinds of Diamonds!  So enjoy her reviews.  She has a real eye for talent!  Everyone please welcome, Kristin!


Okay, so this is my first ever blog review of a book.  Sure, I've reviewed books that I loved on Amazon or Goodreads, but I'm a little nervous about this one.

I'm not sure how I first stumbled upon Lauren Layne, but I am so glad I did.  I fell in love with her from the very first page of the book, "Isn't She Lovely".  It's the prequel to the "Redemption" series, which includes "Broken" and "Crushed".  Here's the synopsis:

"'Who knew that pretending you're not falling for someone would be so much more difficult than pretending that you are?'

Stephanie Kendrick gave up her whole summer to ace her NYU film school screenwriting course, so she's pissed to be stuck with a preppy, spoiled frat boy as her writing partner.  Then again, with her piercings, black-rimmed eyes, and Goth wardrobe, Stephanie isn't exactly Ethan Price's type, either.  He's probably got his eye on some leggy blonde with a trust fund...or does he?

As the summer scene kicks off in the Hamptons, Ethan is desperate to make his snobbish mother forget the pedigreed girl who broke his heart.  While Stephanie's a stretch as a decoy, the right makeover and a pastel cardigan just might do the trick.  She may not love the idea of playing Ethan's brainless Barbie girlfriend, but the free rent and luxurious digs make a tempting offer. So does the promise of a ready-made screenplay idea inspired by their charade.

But when Stephanie steps into Ethan's privileged world, the "acting" begins to feel all too real. The kissing and touching that were intended to fool the Hamptons crown wind up manipulating them.  And Stephanie faces a question she's too afraid to ask:  Is Ethan falling for the real her or for the dolled-up princess he wants to see?"

I know that this theme has been played out before in movies such as "Pretty Woman", but this story truly held its own.  I think I laughed more in the first chapter than I had in a week!  I can't help it;  I'm a sucker for comedic relief, and this book had it in spades.  I really connected with the female lead and felt as if I were the BFF along for the ride.  

Predictability aside, I enjoyed the journey Stephanie and Ethan took to change their Pygmalion romance into something more.  I love this author's sense of humor and will most definitely be buying more from her in the future.

You can get "Isn't She Lovely" by clicking here.  It's currently a whopping $0.84!!

Lauren Layne and this "Redemption" series prequel get 

Thursday, January 1, 2015

My Top Reads of 2014!


In the year 2014, I set a goal to read 300 books.  I missed it by less than ten!  But that is still a lot of books read and some of them were downright phenomenal.

It's taken me a while to narrow down my Top Reads of 2014 but I finally did it!  Keep in mind, this list does not include giant, well known authors.  They are authors that I have blogged about this year so they are considered Diamonds.  That means, with the exception of one, these are not New York Times best sellers or names you will necessarily know without looking them up.  That is part of what makes this list great.  These are my top SMALLER authors.

I've narrowed it down to three categories...My Top 10 Books (they could be NA, YA, contemporary romance, sports romance, etc.  But no matter what genre, they moved me and changed my perspective in some way), My Top 10 Series (some are not complete but they have at least have one novel and one novella to them so far), and My Top 5 Paranormal Books/Series (I find paranormal to be very reader specific compared to the Top 10 Books category so I thought it only fair to give them their own category).  

Keep in mind, they are not in order of enjoyment, but in order of when I read them.  It was too hard to put them in any other order!!

If you click on the title of the book, you'll be able to one-click it on Amazon.  If you click on the author's name, you can read my review on that book/series.

Enjoy!  And Happy Reading!



                                TOP 10 BOOKS


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TOP 10 SERIES

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TOP 5 PARANORMAL BOOKS/SERIES

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5.