Monday, October 28, 2013

Finding It by Cora Carmack Blog Tour!


Finding It by Cora Carmack
Publisher: William Morrow
Publication date: October 15th
Source: Publisher – thank you!
Rating: I really liked it!
Sometimes you have to lose yourself to find where you truly belong...

Most girls would kill to spend months traveling around Europe after college graduation with no responsibility, no parents, and no-limit credit cards. Kelsey Summers is no exception. She's having the time of her life . . . or that's what she keeps telling herself. It's a lonely business trying to find out who you are, especially when you're afraid you won't like what you discover. No amount of drinking or dancing can chase away Kelsey's loneliness, but maybe Jackson Hunt can. After a few chance meetings, he convinces her to take a journey of adventure instead of alcohol. With each new city and experience, Kelsey's mind becomes a little clearer and her heart a little less hers. Jackson helps her unravel her own dreams and desires. But the more she learns about herself, the more Kelsey realizes how little she knows about Jackson.

The Skinny: Best book in the series!

I discovered Cora’s books as a result of New Leaf Literary’s fantastic PR campaign. The various Tumblr posts and tweets inspired me to order LOSING IT, and I was hooked. This series is just so, so good. I laugh at loud, feel tears pool in my eyes, and blush in embarrassment with each book. Cora’s writing style brings a crispness to New Adult and embodies the foundation on which this genre is built.
           
In FINDING IT, Kelsey bounces around Europe in an attempt to flee from past traumas. She meets Hunt, a man who understands the darkest parts of her personality while simultaneously encourages her to embrace the brightest aspects of her life. The way Hunt and Kelsey evolve feels natural and sweet. I love their chemistry – a slow burn that Cora fuels with each page.

Cora Carmack has the ability to put a spotlight on relatable situations and describes them with precision and honesty. I admire her talent and respect the risks she takes with her characters. She rips them apart, forces them to face their demons, and slowly rebuilds them with threads of hope and buttons of strength.

I really enjoyed FINDING IT, and I highly encourage readers to start this series immediately. It is the type of book that will expand reading palates and expose readers to a talented writer.

Check out the rest of tour!

Thursday, October 17th: Sara’s Organized Chaos
Tuesday, October 22nd: Reading Reality
Monday, October 28th: Oh! Paper Pages
Tuesday, October 29th: Mom in Love With Fiction
Wednesday, October 30th: Why Girls Are Weird
Thursday, October 31st: From the TBR Pile
Monday, November 4th: Let The Read Books
Thursday, November 7th: Tina’s Book Reviews
Monday, November 11th: Cupcake on Books
Thursday, November 14th: Books a la Mode



Cora Carmack is a twenty-something writer who likes to write about twenty-something characters. She’s done a multitude of things in her life—retail, theatre, teaching, and writing. She loves theatre, travel, and anything that makes her laugh. She enjoys placing her characters in the most awkward situations possible and then trying to help them get a boyfriend out of it. Awkward people need love too. Find out more about Cora at her website, connect with her on Facebook, and follow her on Twitter.



Thursday, October 24, 2013

Sweet by Erin McCarthy Blog Tour and Interview!

Jessica Sweet thought going away to college would finally make her free of her parents’ constant judgments and insistence she play chastity club role model for their church events, but if anything, the freedom has made her realize she can’t go home and be a hypocrite anymore. Tired of dodging their questions, she stays at school over the summer and lands in an unexpected crash pad: Riley Mann’s house.

Sarcastic, cocky, and full of opinions, Riley is also sexy personified with tattoos and biceps earned from working as a roofer all day. Not the right guy for her even if Jessica was looking for a relationship, which she is definitely not. But Jessica knows that Riley hides the burden of having to raise his younger brothers behind that grin and as she helps him get his house in order for a custody hearing, they begin to fall hard for each other, and she is forced to question what she’s hiding herself.

Jessica has never had a problem getting naked with a guy, but when it comes to showing Riley how she truly feels inside, her fear of rejection may just ruin the best thing—the best guy—to ever happen to her…
 
Welcome to my stop on the SWEET blog tour! If you are looking for a fantastic new series, I highly encourage you to read The True Believers series by Erin McCarthy. I enjoyed reading TRUE, the first in the series, and SWEET is a fantastic sequel.

SWEET explores the stories of Jessica and Riley – two people who seemed destined to rub each other the wrong way. When Jessica moves into Riley’s house for a week, their preconceived notions slowly shatter and they learn more about each other and themselves during their brief cohabitation.

I really enjoyed the emotional depth of SWEET, which was carefully balanced with humor and witty banter. Erin’s writing has a way of pulling readers into the work and allowing the story to blossom around them. The writing is as raw and honest as the characters. Riley and Jessica may be the focus of SWEET but the secondary characters have just as much personality and charisma. I am drawn to each character, and I can’t get enough of this series!

The talented Erin McCarthy graciously answered a few interview questions:

What do you hope readers take away from your work?

I hope readers will take away that there are always shades of gray to people and their lives and that everyone’s choices are theirs to make, no judgment.  And of course, I hope everyone will sigh as the characters fall in love.

Which couple’s story speaks to you more—Rory and Tyler or Jessica and Riley?

I enjoyed writing them both for different reasons.  I was definitely more like Rory at that age—a sharp observer, on the shy side.  So it was satisfying to give her the sexy guy who adores her.  But at the same time, I loved writing the banter between Jessica and Riley and to show that people aren’t always what they seem on the surface.

We briefly meet Phoenix—can you tell us a little about him?

Phoenix is quieter than his cousins, more intense.  He didn’t have the support system of brothers and so he doesn’t attach easily, but when he does, it sticks.  It makes him super sexy, in my opinion, and there are scenes from his point of view, because I wanted to explore his thoughts.
What can we expect from BELIEVE?

BELIEVE has some heart-wrenching moments.  Robin and Phoenix are damaged people and they find solace in each other.  It’s a quieter, more emotional story than SWEET.  The reader will see more of Rory and Tyler and Jessica and Riley in it as well, along with the younger Mann boys.

 Erin McCarthy is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than 40 novels and novellas in the paranormal, contemporary romance, young adult, and new adult genres.  The author is a RITA award finalist and an American Library Association winner of the Reluctant Young Reader award.  She lives with her family in Ohio.