Exclusive Giveaway: $10 Amazon or Paypal and Ebook Craving U by Llàrjme with Playlist The Rook crew profiles and Lightning Round Interview

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Listen to Llarjme's Craving U Playlist and let yourself be blown away by it




On My Own by Catcall
*I tried to hate you, to forgive you, all just to forget you, but I'm only capable of loving you. You're tattooed onto my skin, and the more I try to erase you, the deeper you sink in* from "Craving U".


These are a few of the many songs that popped in my head while writing and editing Craving U, linked up with some *QUOTES from the book*:
No Ordinary Love by Sade: *Most people think that love doesn't stand the test of time - that it is eternal only as long as it lasts - but love is an unquenchable flame. It is only the fires of momentary desire that burn too fast and go out far too quickly without leaving behind a single trace.*
Ridere di te by Vasco Rossi: *Matt shrugged his shoulders. "Didn't see her." And his indifference toward other girls was like a drug for her. The drive home lasted on average just under fifteen minutes, and the first five were spent in silence, listening to Vasco Rossi...*
Rather Be by Clean Bandit ft. Jess Glynne
Crave You by Flight Facilities (Adventure Club Dubstep Remix): *As if she was magnetic, Matteo's eyes locked onto her, and his body followed straight after, slicing through the cordon of friends in order to be next to her. Moving to the rhythm, he stared into her eyes, begging her silently not to move away from him, while she, enchanted by the fragrance of the ocean in his cologne, let herself be commanded by his wishes in this silly, serious private game.*
Amalfi by Hooverphonic
DNA by Empire Of The Sun: *Fame may make you feel like a god, but every man is born free, free to choose between good and evil.*
Hall of Fame by The Script (feat. will.i.am)
Set Fire to the Rain by Adele: *It was just past two in the afternoon when Marika's smartphone began to play the refrain from Adele's Set Fire to the Rain, the ringtone that best fit her mood of total confusion...*
Burn by Ellie Goulding
Somebody That I Used To Know by Gotye (feat. Kimbra): *... the very words that she would have liked to scream in his face, even if she did still need his love.*
Hideaway by Kiesza
Angels by Within Temptation: The last cover song that the "S in S" played at The Dark Crow in the Battle of the Bands. *Original song: He's not yet realized that by giving away nothing but barefaced lies he's come to wither and rot inside. But she's still looking for him into the void of his cold heart... "You know he finished writing your song?" The dark Lolita with porcelain skin acted as if nothing at all had happened. "It's amazing, you really should listen to it."*
Lullaby by The Cure
Kings by The Pierces: *When Marika and her ride got to The Rook, the party was already going in full force, wheeling and spinning about its king and self-proclaimed queen, and after taking one look at it all, Marika's only desire was to run away and continue lying to herself that it wasn't true.*
Things We Lost In The Fire by Bastille
Seguimi O Uccidimi (Cut me loose) by Sonohra (original Italian version): *Marika, though, felt like she would implode if she didn't scream out her loneliness, and so she beat her complicated cousin to the stereo and put on a song by Sonohra... Taking the karaoke to heart, she threw herself into a dramatic, exaggerated rendition of the offensive pop rock song: "Hear the sound of my heart that's beating loud!"*
Maps by Maroon 5
Wicked Game by Chris Isaak: *Leaving her behind had been the most difficult thing to do, and the song playing on the radio, Wicked Game, the huge, melancholy hit by Chris Isaak, dragged him back cruelly to that moment. "No, I don't wanna fall in love - this world is only gonna break your heart - with you." It was too painful to think about her; he needed safety and comfort, which he could only find in his family.*
Words As Weapons by Birdy
Daniel by Bat For Lashes: *Marika's words about her star-crossed love reminded Eve of these lyrics by Bat for Lashes, which she now sang in a voice strained with harmonic tensions as it rose toward the climax... Nothing was more painful than a slow farewell to lost dreams.*
Battlefield by Lea Michele: *Her heart was telling her to trust him, but it wouldn't be the first time that that foolish muscle, there in the middle of her chest, had betrayed her...*
18 And Life by Skid Row: *The state exams came and went, as did her 18th birthday, celebrated quietly, but there was no more news of him. Some said that he had gone on vacation with his teammates before the team retreat in Val Seriana at the end of July, others claimed that he had already moved to Milan. But the only certain thing was that Matteo was no longer there.*
Waves by Mr. Probz
With Me by Sum 41: That summer day, sitting underneath the Corinthian arch of a portico in one of the vineyards hosting a "wine and art" show... *"I like this song. Who's it by?" Marika mumbled, her mouth filled with caramelized sugar while she listened to Federico's iPod through one half of a set of earphones. "Sum 41." He watched the sun darting rays into her eyes and a smile cross her face when he dedicated the lyrics to her.*
Your Latest Trick by Dire Straits
Celestica by Crystal Castles: *All of a sudden, though, the chat ended. Eve was no longer online. Frightened, her heart pounding, Marika called Federico. "Hello?" Her voice was shaking as her lips brushed against the phone. "Fede, I'm worried about Eve. You have to find her. Right away! She's turned off her phone and I'm scared to death." She was as white as a sheet. "Go find her, I'm begging you. Find her!"*
Forbidden Colours by Ryuichi Sakamoto (Solo Piano): *Marika was in desperate need of a good rouge that would mask her wistful longing for last Christmas and for that fragile, slightly bittersweet sound of the Oriental koto which had animated the chords of vinyl tech-house... "You can't run away from what you are. No matter where you go, your feelings are going to follow you."*
~ All copyrights are the property of their respective owners.

Llarjme's Dream Cast for "Craving U": main characters and The Rook crew profiles

~ Picture Design by Llarjme
All original photos and images are the property of their respective owners.




Thanks a lot for having me:)
I do hope you enjoy the "Craving U" story.
HAPPY READING!






AUTHOR:
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GIVEAWAY:



Giveaway is for: $10 Amazon or Paypal and Ebook Craving U by Llàrjme (Int, kindle format only)
If under 18, must have parent's permission.
No Purchase Necessary
Open: 6/30- 7/23
The Sponsor: author
Winners will be chosen by giveaway host and notified by email. They will have 48 hours to respond.
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Top Ten I've read so far this year

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish where each week they post a new top ten list and ask fellow bloggers to share their lists on that topic.


This weeks Top Ten Tuesday topic is: Top Ten Books I've Read so far in 2015.

Contemp:

Everything That Makes You my review

McStay, Moriah *

Every Last Word my review

Stone, Tamara Ireland *

NA:

The Return (Titan, #1) my review

Armentrout, Jennifer L. *

Continuing series I am still loving:

Salt & Stone (Fire & Flood, #2) my review

Scott, Victoria*

4.39

Series Enders:

The Ruby Circle (Bloodlines, #6) my review

Mead, Richelle

Daylighters (The Morganville Vampires, #15) my review

Caine, Rachel *

Fantasy:

The Scorpio Races my review

Stiefvater, Maggie *

Thorn Queen (Dark Swan, #2) my review

Mead, Richelle

Best old (new to me) series:

Succubus Revealed (Georgina Kincaid, #6) my review

Mead, Richelle

Christian: 

Disciple: Becomings Disciples Through Bible Study my review

Wilke, Richard

Review: The Cage by Megan Shepherd

The Cage by Megan Shepherd

The Maze Runner meets Scott Westerfeld in this gripping new series about teens held captive in a human zoo by an otherworldly race. From Megan Shepherd, the acclaimed author of The Madman's Daughter trilogy.
When Cora Mason wakes in a desert, she doesn't know where she is or who put her there. As she explores, she finds an impossible mix of environments—tundra next to desert, farm next to jungle, and a strangely empty town cobbled together from different cultures—all watched over by eerie black windows. And she isn't alone.
Four other teenagers have also been taken: a beautiful model, a tattooed smuggler, a secretive genius, and an army brat who seems to know too much about Cora's past. None of them have a clue as to what happened, and all of them have secrets. As the unlikely group struggles for leadership, they slowly start to trust each other. But when their mysterious jailer—a handsome young guard called Cassian—appears, they realize that their captivity is more terrifying than they could ever imagine: Their captors aren't from Earth. And they have taken the five teenagers for an otherworldly zoo—where the exhibits are humans.
As a forbidden attraction develops between Cora and Cassian, she realizes that her best chance of escape might be in the arms of her own jailer—though that would mean leaving the others behind. Can Cora manage to save herself and her companions? And if so . . . what world lies beyond the walls of their cage? 

Publishes in US: May 26th 2015 by Balzer+Bray/HarperCollins
Genre: ya scifi
Source: Harper Teen via Edelweiss
Series? The Cage #1
Untitled (The Cage, #2)  Expected publication: 2016

Buy it: Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Book Depository

Author stalk away: ~site ~twitter ~facebook ~blog

    I wanted to read The Cage because it sounded like a new take on the fantasy/dystopia genre, with the teens being captive by another species. I liked the sound of the forbidden romance aspect, that is always something that gets my attention. And plus the cover is stunning and as shallow as I know that sounds, that is always a big plus. 

    I liked Cora, one of the main characters right away. Even though we find out that she has been in a detention center, accused of manslaughter, she just seemed like a normal person. I wanted to find out what was going on, and in the next chapter we meet Lucky, who obviously knows pieces to that past. But they are together, with killer headaches, in a strange terrain where its snowy, desert, and ocean all in walking distance of one another. They are in strange clothes and have no idea how they ended up there. And to top it off, they are faced with a dead body that neither knows anything about. 

    With the taste of who the characters are, the strange place they've shown up, the hints of the mystery in their past, the first few chapters were certainly enough to have me hooked. Cora was on her way to the mountains with her parents and brother, both of which she seems to cherish, but Lucky thinks of them differently.  All I know is that his mom is dead and Lucky is angry with her dad, and he feels a lot of guilt for something. But that can't even be their first priority. Its the dead girl, shelter, and figuring out their new reality.

   It was interesting to get to know the secondary characters, the Caretaker aka Cassian with whom we see the forbidden budding romance with Cora, seeing his soft spot for her, and trying to figure out his motivations, as well as the numerous agendas and other humans they have set up. Nok, the other living girl and Rolf and Leon all have different pasts, strengths and weaknesses, and its neat when they are working together. But they can't help but doubt one another and wonder if the others are somehow a plant or working against them. 

   The love triangle was kinda weird, with the forbidden romance and then the connection and somewhat chemistry with her and Lucky. I hope that it goes one way or the other sooner rather than later though. 

    Cora was very strong and determined. She was also always thinking of others even after they'd hurt her, or even if she made sacrifices for them. She wouldn't accept the cage, and didn't want to accept that earth could be gone for good. She wanted to escape and she fought the whole time for that. 

     There were a lot of twists and surprises at the end, and I almost predicted a few things, but most blind sided me. I will be continuing the series, and can't wait to find out what happens next. 

Bottom Line: Fast paced with a unique premise.

My question to you, my lovely readers:
Are you any good at mazes?

Stacking the Shelves, The Sunday Post, Bought Borrowed and Bagged

Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews,  check it out and sign up  here

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer ~ It's a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead.

Bought, Borrowed, & Bagged is a weekly meme, hosted by TalkSupe, where I share with you the books I have bought, borrowed, or bagged. Link up with me here.

Currently reading:

The Young Elites (The Young Elites, #1) Source: library

Lu, Marie *

From my mailbox:
  ANOTHER KIND OF HURRICANE by Tamara Ellis Smith (publicist from Random House)

What I read:

Challenger Deep Source: HarperCollins in mail

Shusterman, Neal *

You and Me Forever: Marriage in Light of Eternity Source: bought

Chan, Francis

A Million Times Goodnight Source: Egmont USA via netgalley

McBride, Kristina *

Last Week on the blog:

A Million Miles Away Source:  Poppy via netgalley Review

Avery, Lara *

The Return (Titan, #1) Review Source: bought

Armentrout, Jennifer L. *

Between the Notes Source: Harper Teen via Edelweiss Review

Roat, Sharon Huss *

• Waiting on Wednesday, WoW

New giveaways exclusive to my blog:

 Roses Are Red by J.B. Kantt ebook (Int) ends 7/17

My week: Going to carowinds today with the family and then getting ready for disney next week.

What are you reading? Any of my books new to you or have you read any of my books? If so, what did you think?
Also, feel free to link up your blog and mailbox post.

Exclusive Giveaway and Interview: Roses Are Red by J.B. Kantt

Roses Are Red (The Blood, Sweat and Tears Series Book 1) by J.B. Kantt

After her foster mother’s unexplained death six months ago, fourteen-year-old Isla Timearth just wants things to go back to normal for her and her twin brother, Monty. But “normal” can only go so far for a closed-off girl with abandonment issues and an anxious boy that gets frequent nosebleeds. Still, the troubled redheads give it a shot by returning to the summer camp they’ve been going to for years.
Aside from her crush showing up unexpectedly, the summer starts out as Isla expected: she participates in multiple activities with her friends, while her brother shies away from doing anything with anyone. But camp traditions get rained on when their biological mother shows up unannounced and, as far as Isla’s concerned, unwelcome.
Knowing that Mother Nature is the mother of all mood swings, Isla isn’t all that surprised to find out that her temperamental biological mother is the terrestrial goddess. What does surprise her is that Monty, the favorite twin, already knew but never told her. Despite being annoyed that such a huge secret was kept from her, Isla has always questioned the loyalty of her own flesh and blood. But once more family secrets start to unravel around her fellow campers, Isla finds out whether blood really is thicker than water.

Author stalk away: ~site ~twitter

Buy it:

Amazon

Barnes and Noble 

--The Twitter version: tell us about your book in 140 characters or less.

Isla finds out her bio mom is Mother Nature. Her twin brother already knew but never told her. This leads to unraveling more family secrets.

--How did you get the idea for the story?

I was actually inspired by an anime called Black Butler. It was one specific scene towards the end of the series that sparked the idea for Roses Are Red. I won’t give away what that scene was because I don’t want to spoil it for those who plan on reading Roses Are Red and/or plan on watching Black Butler.

--Which character would you most/least like to have dinner with?

I’d most like to have dinner with Jonah Park. I think his sense of humor would keep the dinner from ever getting boring.

--Do you have any other works in progress? Any teasers or release dates?

While I’ve created an (disorganized) outline for the sequel to Roses Are Red, I’m thinking about writing the first book in a completely different series before I write the sequel. I unfortunately don’t have any teasers or release dates yet for those.

--What are some of your favorite books? Do you still have much time to read?

My two favorite books are To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee and You Don’t Know Me by David Klass. Unfortunately between school, extracurricular activities, and trying to find time to write, I don’t have that much time to read.

--Do you need anything to write (music, coffee, etc)? Are there any songs on your playlist- songs that inspired you or that were playing while you wrote?
I usually need to have some kind of background noise when I write. It’s usually music, but sometimes it’s the TV. I don’t have any specific songs, per se. As long as the song isn’t too distracting (i.e. I don’t want to sing-a-long), I can usually listen to it while I write.

--If you could have any superpower what would you choose?

I would choose the ability to fly, because then I could go anywhere at anytime without having to sit in traffic or wait for a scheduled time to leave.

--Besides writing, what do you like to do in your free time?

When I’m not writing, I love to volunteer with kids and practice taekwondo in my free time.

--What is one thing you would tell your 15 year old self?

I would tell my fifteen-year-old self that my career goals will change once I’m in college. They may or may not be what people expect of you, and that’s okay.

--Is there anything else you want to add or say to your readers?

Thank you so much for giving my work a chance!

Lightning round: this or that?

Vanilla or chocolate?

Vanilla

Video or Board Games?

Video Games

Summer or Winter?

Winter

Edward or Jacob?

Jacob

Hockey or soccer?

Soccer

Ebook or paper?

Paper

Salty or sweet?

Sweet

Beach or mountains?

Beach

Phone call or email?

Email

Early bird or night owl?

Night Owl

Dog or cat?

Dog

Messy or neat?

Neat

Ninjas or pirates?

Ninjas

Giveaway is for: Ebook of Roses Are Red by J.B. Kantt (Int)
If under 18, must have parent's permission.
No Purchase Necessary
Open: 6/26-7/17
The Sponsor: author
Winners will be chosen by giveaway host and notified by email. They will have 48 hours to respond.
Email addresses or physical addresses or any personal information will not be sold
Liability: Brandi Breathes Books is not responsible for lost or stolen packages
Brandi Breathes Books Giveaways are hosted in Holly Springs, NC USA
Void where prohibited by law
-If you win a review on your blog and/or amazon is appreciated but not required.

*If, for whatever reason, the Rafflecopter widget does not appear, you can click on the link where it says rafflecopter giveaway and it will show up, sorry for the inconvenience.

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Review: A Million Miles Away by Lara Avery

A Million Miles Away by Lara Avery

Perfect for fans of Nicholas Sparks, this breathtaking story of love and loss is guaranteed to break your heart and sweep you off your feet.
When high school senior Kelsey's identical twin sister, Michelle, dies in a car crash, Kelsey is left without her other half. The only person who doesn't know about the tragedy is Michelle's boyfriend, Peter, recently deployed to Afghanistan. But when Kelsey finally connects with Peter online, she can't bear to tell him the truth. Active duty has taken its toll, and Peter, thinking that Kelsey is Michelle, says that seeing her is the one thing keeping him alive. Caught up in the moment, Kelsey has no choice: She lets Peter believe that she is her sister.
As Kelsey keeps up the act, she crosses the line from pretend to real. Soon, Kelsey can't deny that she's falling, hard, for the one boy she shouldn't want.

Publishes in US: July 7th 2015 by Poppy
Genre: ya contemp
Source: Little Brown via Netgalley
Disclaimer: I received this book as an ARC (advanced review copy). I am not paid for this review, and my opinions in this review are mine, and are not effected by the book being free. 
Series? no

My review of Lara's other book:
Anything But Ordinary

Buy it here

Author stalk away:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/LaraAvery
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/laraaverybooks

 

    I wanted to read A Million Miles away because losing your twin sister has to make for an emotional read. Then she makes the decision to pretend to be her sister because she begins falling for Michelle's boyfriend who is in the military. 

   The book does have us briefly beet Michelle before she died, and it did set up that the sisters were close, but also that they fought physically and that it was up and down. Michelle is an artist and more dreamy than Kelsey, and she seemed to attract lost souls, and would always fall back on Kelsey when they didn't work out. Kelsey is athletic and seems to be more popular. But when she meets and talks to Peter the day Michelle died, the day that he shipped out to Afghanistan, she is surprised by how much she likes him, and he seems genuine, their relationship making Michelle happy instead of it seeming like a project. Peter really seemed to care for her as well. 

   I connected with Kelsey because her grief at losing Michelle was a lot like my grief losing my dad. She didn't all out bawl and be emotional in the outside. She felt kind of numb, like it wasn't real almost. Then she felt a lot of physical pain and her emotional pain manifested in withdrawing. She did eventually start crying about everything, which I guess is where our similarities end. 

    She was helping her mom delete Michelle's facebook account when she got the first message from Peter. She had intended to tell him, she even went to a recruiting office to try to get word to him, and that is when she realized she didn't even know his last name. And oh how it's wrong, but she feels like she misses Michelle just a little bit less when she is talking to him. And she doesn't want to hurt him or distract him, she really did worry about his safety. But more and more, she realizes how much she cares about him, and she rationalizes not telling him, more and more. 

    I appreciated that this book dealt with grief in a number of ways, showing how it effected Kelsey differently than her parents, and how they dealt with it in numbers, hosting a support group at their house, and talking it out. It was kinda sad because it felt like Kelsey was lost to them they were so caught up in losing Michelle and trying to deal with that. But their eyes were finally opened again to their living daughter, and a good balance was found in remembering the loss of Michelle and trying to live life instead of it passing them by. 

    One of Kelsey's friends did find out what she was doing with Peter, and they had a pretty big blow out. But I did appreciate that her friend spoke the truth to her, but it was sad that they stopped hanging out and talking for awhile. But eventually they repaired the breach, and made their friendship solid again. 

    A Million Miles Away seemed realistic not only in the grief part, but in what Peter shared while he was deployed. His letters, skype sessions, and when they were in person, he shared the difficulties he faced. He lost some in his unit, and he was afraid, and didn't want to go back, but at the same time felt that drive and loyalty to the others he served with. He dealt with the things that they tried to desensitize the soldiers to otherwise they could lose their minds. He developed muscle memory and had issues back home with louder sounds that could be mistaken for gunfire. It really gave me a renewed thankfulness for the men and women who serve, and a better understanding of what they might feel or think. 

    It was hard because Kelsey does have a boyfriend, and it is some form of cheating. Don't know to what degree, but she def had a deep emotional attachment to Peter. Thankfully this did end up handled pretty well, and Kelsey made some good decisions for a change. 

   I did appreciate that the truth finally came out, and that she took responsibility and quit making excuses for herself. I did like the way it was handled and wrapped up. It gave a lot of hope for healing, and hints of something sweet between the two for the future. 

Bottom Line: Great premise, executed well with characters I liked.

My question to you, my lovely readers:
Could you or have you ever pretended to be someone else?