FALLING IN BETWEEN BY DEVON ASHLEY

ISBN: 9781466388901
Publisher: Self/Indie
Pages: 284
Formats Available: Kindle


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Finally! A private conversation. And all I had to do was throw myself off a cliff, drown in a pond in my undies and let him put his hands on my breasts to bring me back to life. Yay me…(yeah, that’s sarcasm) 

Yep, that pretty much sums up the most craptastic night of Jenna Baker’s life. She drowns after jumping off a cliff, meets a hotty named Chance in the pearlescent in-between and is brought back to life by her soon-to-be boyfriend Robert. 
Just when things start to move forward with Robert, the guy she'd been crushing on for a year now, in walks the man of her dreams – literally. Chance suddenly appears in her dream every time she closes her eyes. So it's Robert by day and Chance by night. One in the real world and one in the dream world. What could possibly go wrong? 
Absolutely nothing – until she comes face to face with the guy she met in the in-between, and realizes her romantic rendezvous with Chance may be more than just her imagination. 

Note: Jenna's coming of age story is a little edgy. There is mild language and some sexual content.

MY REVIEW

First of all , I love the cover, which is obviously (when you read the book) the female on the cover is Jenna, in her beautiful Prom dress, with the gorgeous corsage that was bought for her by ..........(read the book....no spoilers here!)

I really enjoyed the wit and humour in this book, sure its a little edgy and has mild language and sexual references and innuendo but its all done with taste and in context. To be totally honest I think that today's teenagers see and hear much more explicit language and innuendo on TV shows, Films and even in the school setting. This book also has some romance in it but not the yucky slushy slushy stuff more very well written coming of age romance.

There's a part in the book where there's the scandal that a girl has become pregnant whist living in the schools halls, so the Sports department hand out condoms to all the guys, which I would say is a pretty positive message to give to our teenagers, lets accept we cannot prevent them from .....shall we say experimenting, so maybe the best we can do is make sure that they are prepared for the..er event.

I loved the relationship between the four friends, Robert, Jhett, Sophie and Jenna. Jenna is the only one from a poor background and has never actually experienced anyone loving her or having anyone to love herself. Jenna doesn't feel sorry for herself though, she's a hard worker, and has her scholarship.

Sophie and Jhett's relationship is moving at a much faster pace than that of the less experienced and shy Jenna and Robert's relationship.

Then when Jenna goes to sleep she has this kind of racy dreams about a guy called Chance. The type of relationship Jenna and Chance have is much faster paced and of course because Jenna is in the security of her dreams she is much less inhibited than in her real life relationship with Robert. Robert is a nice guy, who agrees to take things slowly with jenna where as her "dream" guy Chance is a rather more forward "naughty" boy who likes to push and conquer Jenna's boundaries. 

So who is Chance really? Is Jenna cheating on Robert by meeting and fooling around with Chance in her dreams? Is Chance somehow Jenna's sub-concious preparing for her blossoming love and sexual relationship with Robert? Can Jenna allow herself to accept Robert's love and affection? Will chance ever leave her dream world? If it wasn't for chance would Jenna and Robert have gone further with their relationship by now? These are lots of questions you will be able to ponder and perhaps answer when you have read this well written teenage aimed book.

From my "About Me" section you will see I certainly don't qualify as a teenager but I really did appreciate the humour and wit in this book, and found it an enjoyable read that I didn't want to put down.

Would I recommend it? YES! Would I read a book 2? YES! What genre would you put this book into? Coming of Age,bit of romance,great book!

Available at Amazon.co.uk

THIS IS NOT FORGIVENESS BY CELIA REES

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Everyone says that Caro is bad ...but Jamie can't help himself. He thinks of her night and day and can't believe that she wants to be his girlfriend. Gorgeous, impulsive and unconventional, she is totally different to all the other girls he knows. His sister, Martha, hates her. Jamie doesn't know why, but there's no way he's going to take any notice of her warnings to stay away from Caro. But as Jamie falls deeper and deeper under her spell, he realises there is more to Caro - much more. There are the times when she disappears and doesn't get in touch, the small scars on her wrists, her talk about revolutions and taking action, not to mention the rumours he hears about the other men in her life. And then always in the background there is Rob, Jamie's older brother, back from Afghanistan and traumatised after having his leg smashed to bits there. Jamie wants to help him, but Rob seems to be living in a world of his own and is increasingly difficult to reach. With Caro, the summer should have been perfect ...but that isn't how things work out in real life, and Jamie is going to find out the hard way. This taut psychological drama is the brilliant new novel from acclaimed Celia Rees.


I thought this book was quite "deep" "involved" and "political" for a Young Adult novel. at first I struggled with the way the book jumps around from different points of view. there were occasions where I found myself thinking whose point of view is this, you had to read a few paragraphs to realise who was telling you that particular point of the novel. Once I got used to the ever shifting points of view I quite enjoyed the book. I would say it is a thought provoking book, it makes you stop and think about things going on around you in the world. One thing I did like about the point of view swapping between the three   main characters was that you saw their motivation for their actions and their reasoning for their reactions too. 
It is quite difficult to say a great deal without giving away spoilers, which I hate to do. The relationship between Caro and Rob and Jamie is so complicated. Which brother is Caro "using" and which brother does Caro "love" or as she says she doesn't do love, which one does she care about the most? The book raises quite a few questions, as it goes along and I think it answers most of them eventually, like why does Martha seem to hate Caro so much? Exactly what happened at Martha's birthday sleep over all those years ago? This book is all about the younger generation, the interaction and mention of older people is kept to a minimum. I did like the book...but can't help having the "but" or "Oh" kind of reaction/feeling after I had read it. It was kind of "odd" but a good "odd" if that makes sense? I could imagine this book being made into a TV drama/movie and someone like Rob Kazinsky (aka Sean from Eastenders) playing the part of Rob.


Available from Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk £0.99 on Kindle (price correct on 31st Dec 2011) £3.99 in paperback available 2nd Feb 2012.

WEBSITE: www.celiarees.com

FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/theofficialceliareesfanpage

EXTRACT: http://www.bloomsbury.com/Celia-Rees/authors/709/article/9730

TRAILER: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vTD1w7nKYD0

PURE BY JULIANNA BAGGOTT

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We know you are here, our brothers and sisters . . . 

Pressia barely remembers the Detonations or much about life during the Before. In her sleeping cabinet behind the rubble of an old barbershop where she lives with her grandfather, she thinks about what is lost-how the world went from amusement parks, movie theaters, birthday parties, fathers and mothers . . . to ash and dust, scars, permanent burns, and fused, damaged bodies. And now, at an age when everyone is required to turn themselves over to the militia to either be trained as a soldier or, if they are too damaged and weak, to be used as live targets, Pressia can no longer pretend to be small. Pressia is on the run.

Burn a Pure and Breathe the Ash . . .

There are those who escaped the apocalypse unmarked. Pures. They are tucked safely inside the Dome that protects their healthy, superior bodies. Yet Partridge, whose father is one of the most influential men in the Dome, feels isolated and lonely. Different. He thinks about loss-maybe just because his family is broken; his father is emotionally distant; his brother killed himself; and his mother never made it inside their shelter. Or maybe it's his claustrophobia: his feeling that this Dome has become a swaddling of intensely rigid order. So when a slipped phrase suggests his mother might still be alive, Partridge risks his life to leave the Dome to find her.

When Pressia meets Partridge, their worlds shatter all over again.

MY REVIEW

First of all I loved the cover, the beautiful butterfly, and that was before I understood the real significance of its part in the book. I loved how on the cover that the butterfly is the only real true beautiful colour in the darkness around it. I had seen other reviews say this book was difficult to get into, but I have to say I got into it fairly quickly and easily. It kind of hooked me in straight away and kept me wanting to read it more or less all the way through. I will admit I was a little thrown by the ending and the epilogue but I suppose that is setting the scene for bk2. I just think the epilogue may have been better as a prologue to bk 2 instead? The book is dystopian and though a great read it is quite involved so you need to digest what you are reading to follow the novel and put the pieces together as you go along too. In some parts I got to the point/answer before it being revealed but you had to think about things to get to that point (if that makes sense) It is a thought-provoking book.

The characters are all in their own ways fighters against the odds. Patridge may start out a Pure to look at but by the end of the book he is as much of a "wretch" as Bradwell, Pressia, and El Capitano. Lyda even takes on the characteristics and ways of the "wretches" at the end. Lyda's purity is marred by her association with Patridge. The search for Patridge's mother is an ongoing theme and you find yourself one minute hoping they will find her alive and then other times just believing it to be impossible that she could have survived the detonations. Bradwell, Pressia and El Capitano and the other "wretches" all have their deformities to overcome as well as their personal losses. We learn Patridge's father is a devious, somewhat control freak, who deliberately sacrificed people and took only his chosen ones into the Dome to survive the Detonation. Outside the dome is a kind of dog eat dog survival of the fittest regime. Inside the dome everything is planned and humans are biologically made stronger in different areas. Partridge's mother had disagreed with his fathers plans at the end and never made it to the Dome, we also find out the reason she had given Patridge the strange blue pills on their last holiday by the beach. I won't delve any further into the book as I would possibly give away things you will wish to read of in the book yourselves.

So did I enjoy the book? Yes! Would I recommend it? Yes to those that I know love dystopian and love a book to get their teeth into! Is there a message we can take from it? Don't judge people by what they look like!


Available at Amazon.co.uk

AUTHOR INTERVIEW - LISA MONDELLO

Did you always want to be a writer? If not what did you want to be?

I don’t think I ever made a conscious decision to be a writer.  I just wrote from the time I was very young right to adulthood.  I was in my mid-twenties when I wrote my first novel and I have been writing ever since.

What is the name of your latest book, and if you had to summarize it in less than 20 words what would you say?

The Knight and Maggie’s Baby is a modern day Cinderella romance about a pregnant coffee shop and an English Knight who needs a wife for a year.

Who is your publisher? or do you self-publish?

I write for Harlequin Love Inspired.  But I’ve written for Avalon Books and for some small presses.  But I self-published The Knight and Maggie’s Baby as book 3 in my Fate with a Helping Hand series, also available in a box set with all 3 books in the series.

Which of your books were easier/harder to write than the others?

Every book is different.  The first book in my Texas Hearts series, Her Heart for the Asking, seemed to write itself.  It seemed to just come to me and I was able to write that book in just 2 months.  I didn’t have time to obsess about everything.  I let the story come to me naturally.  It was a lot of fun to write it as well because I spent most of my writing time “in the zone” and not editing as I went along.  But The More I See, book 3 in that series took about 8 months because of all the research I needed to do for the hero, who was a blind cutting horse trainer who needed the use of a guide dog.  It was fun to do the research, but definitely out of my comfort zone!

What can we expect from you in the future? ie More books of the same genre? Books of a different genre?

There are a lot of things in the work for 2012 and readers will be able to find more books by Lisa Mondello, including the Texas Hearts series I just mentioned.  I will also have a new romantic suspense by L.A. Mondello released later in the spring/early summer.  That’s called Material Witness.

What genre would you place your books into?

I write so many different things.  My traditional books were with Avalon Books.  I write inspirational romance and romantic suspense for Harlequin Love Inspired.  The Marriage Contract is romantic comedy, which I love to write.  If I’m laughing, I’m always hoping the reader will laugh too.  But then something like Material Witness is a bit more gritty and I’ve even stepped into writing a YA fantasy.

 Do you have a favourite out of the books you have written? If so why is it your favourite?

There is something special to me about all my books.  If I’m not connected to a story, it’s really hard to write it and I think readers can feel that I have no connection with the story.  Once I’m connected, I begin to fall in love with the characters just like the readers do.  I love the story and the romance in The More I See.  And I love the characters and romance in The Knight and Maggie’s Baby.  Wow, I feel like you just asked me which of my kids I love more.  Can’t do it.

Where do you get your book plot ideas from?What/Who is your inspiration?

Ideas come from everywhere.  I got the story idea for a screenplay I’m writing from book reviews and piped in music in a restaurant ladies room.  That’s how whacked getting ideas can be!  And the wonderful thing about ideas is that they start out as a little seed and grow into something big and many times don’t look anything like they started.

Do you have a certain routine you have for writing? ie You listen to music, sit in a certain chair?

Must have a cup of coffee. <G>  I sometimes listen to music and I do make a “soundtrack” for my books that sometimes helps me get in the mood.  But sometimes music is distracting.  I find that writing outside my house, at the library or the coffee shop, is sometimes easier because there is no house noise I have to deal with.  Outside noise is like white noise.  You just tune it out.

Do you gift books to readers to do reviews?

Yes, if someone wants to write a review of one of my books and post it online I’ll send a free copy.  It’s the least I can do.  And it’s a nice way to introduce my new books to readers.

Do you read all the reviews of your book/books?

Yes.  I always say I’m not going to because 1 bad or lukewarm review can ruin my day and make me forget the 20 good reviews I received.  But if I didn’t read the reviews I would never have had the pleasure of reading some of the truly awesome reviews I’ve gotten from readers all over the world.  And that truly does outweigh the occasional bad review.

Would you ever ask a reviewer to change their review if it was not all positive about your book/books?

No.  What good is a review if it isn’t honest.  While I’ve been fortunate to have a lot of people tell me they’ve enjoyed my stories, I know not everyone will.  As long as the review is honest and not deliberately mean for the sake of being mean, that’s fine.  People all have different preferences.

Have you ever based characters on people you know or based events on things that have happened to you?

It’s hard not to bring life experiences to your writing.  I think character traits from family members have worked their way into some of my stories.  I have used some of my husband’s marine stories in books before.  And the entire Fate with a Helping Hand series, which The Knight and Maggie’s Baby is part of, takes place in places I’ve either lived or spent a great deal of time. 

What is your favourite book and Why? Have you read it more than once?

I’m more likely to watch movies over and over again.  I don’t usually read a book more than once.  I may read parts of a book again.  But not the whole thing.  There are too many books out there!  Like many readers, I have a keeper’s shelf of books.     As for a favourite…we don’t have enough time for me to get through all the books I’ve read!  I have a few Nora Roberts books that I really loved.

Do you think books transfer to movies well? Which is you favourite/worst book to movie transfer?

As a screenwriter as well as a novelist, I can say that there are some books that do translate well to movies.  But a lot don’t.  Have you ever heard someone say the book was better than the movie?  That’s because the book affords you so much more room to develop character and plot. 

Do you think ebooks will ever totally replace printed books?

By the way my kids use their phones and computers to do just about everything, I would say that ebooks are going to dominate book buying some time in the future.  But printed books won’t go away. I just think the ease of reading an ebook makes it so much more attractive not just to the younger generation, but also to older readers who either have difficulty holding a book or reading the small print on book.

Do you think children at schools these days are encouraged enough to read? and/or do Imaginative writing?

I know my kids were!  We loved reading books and creating stories.  I used to work in grades 1 and 2 in special education.  With inclusion classrooms, I was in the regular classroom for a good portion of the day with the general class.  Although some kids resisted reading because of difficulties they were having, many of them devoured books and that was exciting.  I also loved the writing classes.  Kids have such fabulous imaginations and I loved seeing the stories they came up with. 

 Is there anything in your book/books you would change now if you could and what would it be?

This is one of the things that is wonderful about ebooks.  If you need to make a change, you just change it and upload the new version.  You don’t have to worry about X number of copies sitting in a warehouse and needing to sell those copies before you can make a change.  I love The Knight and Maggie’s Baby and was happy with how the story unfolded.  I don’t think there is anything I would change at this point.

What do you think about book trailers?

I don’t watch them.  I know some authors love to have them made, but I haven’t made one yet for my books.  Who knows if I will in the future though.

Do you or would you ever use a pen name?

I have always used my maiden name as my professional name.  When I release a few of my books that are a little grittier than the traditional romances I’ve written I’ll use my initials instead of my first name in order to differentiate them a little for readers.   I don’t see a need to use another pen name at this point.

Where can readers follow you?

Your blog details? http://www.lisamondello.blogspot.com

Your Twitter details? @LisaMondello

AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT - LISA MONDELLO

BIO:

Lisa Mondello is the best selling author of 13 published books.  Her first published book, the award winning  ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS YOU, was recently reissued as an ebook and has had over 226,000 downloads worldwide.  In addition to publishing her Fate with a Helping Hand series, which includes THE MARRIAGE CONTRACT and THE KNIGHT AND MAGGIE'S BABY, she is releasing her popular Texas Hearts Romance series as ebooks in early 2012.  She currently writes for Harlequin Love Inspired Romance and is collaborating with a film producer/screenwriter on a screenplay. 

She loves to hear from readers.  You can email her at LisaMondello@aol.com, find her on her blog talking about writing, movies and music at http://www.lisamondello.blogspot.com or chat on Twitter at @LisaMondello.

EXCERPT - THE KNIGHT AND MAGGIES BABY BY LISA MONDELLO

Excerpt

“Don't you think you're rushing things just a tad?” She lifted her hand and pinched
her index finger and thumb together for emphasis.

“I'll admit my proposal is a bit abrupt,” he stammered.

“A bit?”

“We've only known each other--”

“Forty-five minutes tops,” she blurted out. “Are you out of your mind?”

Her tone was incredulous. And he really didn't blame Maggie if she thought he was
nuts. He felt nuts. Desperate, too. But he found himself defending his proposal.
“Quite possibly. But you see, that’s exactly my point. I'm have a bit of a time crunch here, and it seems as though--”

Maggie folded her arms across her chest. “How silly of me. Here I thought you
were sweeping me off my feet.”

He shook his head with a chuckle. “I do sound mad, don't I?”

“Recognition is the first step toward recovery.”

Something rumbled up from deep inside him. Jonah laughed at himself, this
disastrous day, and the absurd situation he'd been forced into by his grandfather. It felt good to laugh. That in itself was incredibly surprising, considering he hadn't managed to do much laughing at all since he'd learned of the impending plans for Wiltshire.

He peered at Maggie through moisture filled eyes. She wasn't laughing. But she was
incredibly beautiful. Her sapphire eyes sparkled when she teased him. There were small freckles sprinkled across her nose that looked adorable with the sun shining on her creamy skin.

When she looked at him the way she was right now, it didn't seem like such a crazy
idea to marry her. At least not for the reasons he was proposing. He hadn't given it a second thought. And yet, now he realized just how ridiculous he looked from her eyes.

“I'm not making a pass at you. Truly, I'm not.”

“You just asked me to marry you.”

“I'm asking for your help.”

“Again?”

His lips tilted up to one side. “Again.”

Maggie took two steps down the stairs until they were both standing at eye level.

“Forget the phone call, the nice air conditioned ride in the limo, the coffee, the pie—”

“Which by the way was truly inspiring,” he interjected. “If I didn’t already tell you that.”

“You did. You don't even know me. You’re asking a total stranger to marry you.”

He shrugged. “I know that. But I know you make me laugh.”

“So that's all it takes for a happy marriage? Bet we could make a killing with that
book.”

“I sound delusional,” he said. “Even to my own ears, which is pretty scary.”

He was delusional. He'd just asked a woman he didn't even know to marry him!
And the fact that he was truly considering it was entirely grandfather's doing.

PROMOTIONAL SPOTLIGHT- THE KNIGHT AND MAGGIES BABY BY LISA MONDELLO

The Knight and Maggie’s Baby

By Lisa Mondello

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Sometimes fate needs a little help…

Jonah Wallace knows what it’s like to grow up without love. Despite having more money than the Queen of England, his childhood was cold and stale as he grew up in boarding schools. He’s dedicated his life to helping homeless and displaced children find the love and support they need by creating the Haven House Foundation, work that resulted in him being Knighted by the Queen.

Now that he’s living in America, his work is going along just fine…until his grandfather gives fate a little nudge by insisting he take a wife before he can inherit.

Coffee shop owner, Maggie Bonelli, is pregnant and the baby’s dad has gone AWOL. She knows too well the pain of growing up without a daddy. So when Jonah Wallace comes into her shop proposing marriage for a year, she takes him up on his offer, even if it’s only for a year. Live in a mansion and give her baby a name and a daddy to call his/her own. But can they keep their perfect arraignment strictly business…or will fate’s helping hand bring them love at last?

Amazon http://amzn.com/B005K0ECFY

BN http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-knight-and-maggies-baby-lisa-mondello/1105172661?ean=2940013088238&itm=2&usri=lisa+mondello

Smashwords http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/88367

iTunes http://itunes.apple.com/us/book/the-knight-and-maggies-baby/id467570984?mt=11