Archive for May 27, 2015

iRead Book Tour Logo Medium

Thanks for stopping by! I’m sharing the covers and blurbs for all three books along with my reviews so you don’t have to leave this page.

And don’t forget to enter the giveaway for a chance to win a Kindle or #100 Amazon Gift Card!

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The Publicist (Book One)

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The Publicist New Cover Book 1
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My Review
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Beware. You are now entering the publishing zone!

First things first. I had a bit of a rough patch with Kate and Mac. He’s married, after all. I don’t condone that behavior one bit. But there are special circumstances here. I actually found myself hoping these two would get their happy ever after. This is the first of three books so I was pretty sure it wouldn’t happen soon. And the author throws in Nick. He’s just as sexy as Mac, and single. Who knows where it will go.

What a lovely mess is the world of publishing. As a publicist, Kate has to deal with some crazy stuff. From authors faking 5 star reviews, to stage fright, to squeezing that next book out of them, she’s always stressed out. I bow to her tenacity. No matter how impossible some things seemed, she found a way, often making me laugh at her ingenuity.

I read a lot of  books and have come to know many authors and some of their experiences with being published. Now I have a peek into the other side of that process. I don’t envy either. It can be cut throat and you need a tough skin and lots of patience. And sometimes, a heart.

Many characters are introduced. A few secondary ones really had an impact. And there are some I’d gladly show to the door.

The chapters are short, making it a fast read. I read this straight through in one night. I started it, got sucked in by the smooth writing and genuine characters, and kept thinking I’d read just one more chapter. It was the wee hours when I finished it and I kept looking at the second book, but I resisted and did get some sleep.

I recommend this to authors, publishers, and word lovers everywhere.

“It’s a mad mad mad mad world.”

4 Stars

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[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r90INxcl1bc]
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Synopsis
Behind every book, there’s always more to the story. Can one woman change an age-old institution like publishing? Probably not, but Kate Mitchell sure wants to try. As a publicist with a large, respected New York publishing house, Kate finds herself at the mercy of a broken publishing system, books that don’t always sell (at all) and author egos that are often, well, as big as the island of Manhattan.Enter the star Editor, MacDermott Ellis. Tall, handsome, charismatic, married, and ready to save the day. Kate wants to do the right thing but her hormones seem to be driving her decisions. Then there’s Allan Lavigne, once a revered author, now as forgotten as yesterday’s news; and his nephew Nick, who wants to sweep Kate away from New York for another coast, California.

As Kate tries to navigate the landmine of publicity, the over-the-top author expectations, and the careful dance of “I’m sorry, your book isn’t on the bestseller list this week”, she also finds authors who are painfully overlooked by a publisher wanting more sex, more celebrities, and more scandal.

*****

​Shelf Life (Book Two)
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Shelf Life New Cover
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My Review
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I really enjoyed the first book in this series so I was anxious to see where Kate and mac were in this next chapter.

The world or a publicist is a crazy as ever. From authors faking 5 Star reviews, to one who wrote a book about how she lost a bunch of weight, except shed didn’t, to an author being arrested for a despicable crime, Kate is in the thick of it.

Then Kate is betrayed by the man she loves and is assaulted by someone and her whole world comes crashing down. No way will she be returning to Morris and Dean.

Now Kate is behind the wheel of a  pink Cadillac convertible, heading towards Los Angeles and a new future and maybe a new romance.

Nick is opening his home to her, as a guest, but I’m sure he wants more. He’s still in love with her and remains hopeful Kate will get over Mac.

Mac betrayed her in the worst possible way. I couldn’t believe it. He always seemed so strong, so sure of himself. I guess he isn’t that strong after all. He chose a cowards way out of a sticky situation and it hurt Kate deeply.

I wanted to give Kate a high five for finally putting the brakes on her relationship with Mac. He is married and shows no signs of leaving his wife. His latest stunt broke her heart but set her on a new path. One I find very exciting.

There are big changes in this second book. Some so exciting I wish I could share. But that would be spoiling it. Gots to leave you with some anticipation.

I’m still having fun with this series and am almost finished reading the third book, Climax. If your looking for a great summer read, these will do nicely. I hope you try them.

4 Stars
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Synopsis
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​ It’s an industry of out-of-control egos, unrealistic expectations, and unfulfilled promises.This is publishing and it’s Kate’s world, but maybe not for long.When one of Kate Mitchell’s star authors is carted away in handcuffs, it’s only the beginning of her troubles. As her world crumbles around her, Kate desperately looks for anyone to hold onto but finds that happy endings are truly works of fiction. With the shelf life of her career and her love affair quickly expiring, Kate sets off on a new adventure…Starting over in California is easy but Kate soon learns that leaving her old life behind isn’t. Nick Lavigne is eager to help her forget but two things still own her heart, the dream of discovering the next great American novel, and MacDermott Ellis. As Kate tries to rebuild her life she finds a surprising gift that reboots her career in a new and unexpected direction. Suddenly her name becomes synonymous with one of the biggest bestsellers publishing has seen in ages and she’s welcomed back with open arms. But at the height of her success the ghosts of her past come back to remind her of the world she’d been trying to forget and the man who never let go of her heart. Behind the book, there’s always more to the story. Welcome to Publishing, the ego has landed.
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*****
Climax  (Book Three)
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Climax__the Publicist_Part_1_2 Bundled Set Cover (2)
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My Review
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So here we are. Climax is what it is. The last book in this exciting romance series.

I feel like I’ve come to know these characters well.

Kate. From publicist to publisher and owner of her own publishing house. In love with Mac, who’s married in the first book, and divorced in the second.

Now Kate and Mac are engaged and you’d think the happy ever after is here. But don’t hold your breath.

The first book came in at around 220 pages. The second book at around 270 pages. Climax has a whopping 565 pages and not one bit of it is redundant.

The happy ever after isn’t guaranteed. Especially when Kate bumps into Nick, her former fiancee and Mr. Perfect. Ooh, this is where it gets very interesting.

Poor Kate is under so much stress. She’s got a killer book to publish and the author has a huge secret. Her love life is in tatters as Mac deals with some serious issues with his ex-wife. Nick is in town and connected to her star author. And she’s not handling anything with a clear head.

Kate ‘drops her basket’ at a conference in Mexico. It’s all just too much.

So will there be a happy ever after? And who will Kate end up with?

I’m not a big fan of love triangles. There is one in this series, kind of. But it didn’t bother me so much. I believe you can love more than one man, just in different ways. Kate drove me a bit nuts bouncing back and forth. But aren’t we all fools for love?

And when I finally got my answer to who Kate ended up with, I felt happy for her. I became worried it wouldn’t go the way I originally hoped it would end when I started the series, but that’s how it goes. The heart wants….

I need to give praise to Christina George for getting me to fall so deeply into her series. I usually prefer romance with a creepy mystery, some suspense, or even something paranormal. The Publicist is romance with a capital R, and I ate these books up.

5 Stars

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Synopsis
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Kate Mitchell has never forgiven herself for breaking Nick Lavigne’s heart. Now he’s back and he’s moved on, and it’s affecting Kate’s life more than she’s willing to admit.

Kate Mitchell has everything. She’s the head of a crazy successful publishing house, engaged to the traffic-stopping sexy Mac Ellis and she’s about to sign one of the biggest authors of her career.

And that’s when everything falls apart.

Everything is perfect…until it’s not.

In a city of 8 million people Kate manages to run into someone she never expected to see again.

Nick is handsome, impossibly kind, every girl’s dream, and Kate’s former fiancé. He’s also the brother of the rising star author she’s trying to sign. Now that Nick’s back in town and has moved on he insists he’s over Kate, but part of him still can’t get past how amazing they were, and his sister won’t let anyone forget how brutally it ended.

When Mac is dealt a life-changing blow, it forces Kate to question every single choice she’s made.

Follow Kate as she embarks on a journey of life and love, navigating through the decisions that will change it all forever.

Author Christina George

Christina George

Christina George has worked in publishing for twenty years (give or take). Here’s what this book isn’t. It’s not a slam against publishing (though it is broken) and it’s not a slam against authors (though some of them are crazy). This book is not autobiographical though many of the stories are true. No you won’t know which ones, cause it’s more fun to guess, right? George continues to work in publicity and helps authors because at the end of the day she does love books, she loves publishing, and she loves authors. She hopes you’ll enjoy this romp through Kate’s world as much as she enjoyed creating it.

Connect with Christina: Website  ~  Twitter  ~  Facebook  ~ Goodreads
Where to buy the book

Amazon

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Follow the tour for more fun posts!

May 4 – Working Mommy Journal – review of Shelf Life / giveaway
May 4 – Book Nerd – review of The Publicist 
May 5 – XoXo Book Blog – book spotlight / interview or guest post / giveaway
May 5 – Working Mommy Journal – review of Climax
May 5 – The Bookish & The Romantic – review of The Publicist / giveaway
May 5 – Book Stop Corner – review of The Publicist / giveaway
May 5 – T’s Stuff – review of Climax / giveaway
May 6 – The Bookish & The Romantic – review of Shelf Life
May 6 – Book Stop Corner – review of Shelf Life
May 6 – Coffee *Book* Mom – review of The Publicist
May 7 – For Life After – review of Climax
May 7 – Book Stop Corner – review of Climax
May 7 – The Bookish & The Romantic – review of Climax
May 7 – The Booksnake Etc – review of The Publicist / giveaway
May 8 – Book Nerd – review of Shelf Life 
May 11 – The Booksnake Etc – review of Shelf Life
May 11 – Julia Piccolo – review of Climax
May 13 – fuonlyknew – review of The Publicist / giveaway
May 13 – Back Porchervations – book spotlight / interview or guest post / giveaway
May 13 – Coffee *Book* Mom – review of Shelf Life 
May 14 – Book Nerd – review of Climax
May 14 –  Vic’s Media Room – review of The Publicist
May 15 – The Book Fairy – review of Climax / giveaway
May 15 – Vic’s Media Room – review of Shelf Life
May 15 – The Booksnake Etc – review of Climax
May 18 – Vic’s Media Room – review of Climax
May 20 – fuonlyknew – review of Shelf Life
May 20 – Coffee *Book* Mom – review of Climax
May 27 – fuonlyknew – review of Climax
May 27 – Stuck in YA Books – review of The Publicist / giveaway
May 28 – Stuck in YA Books – review of Shelf Life
May 29 – Stuck in YA Books – review of Climax

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

To see all of my giveaways click on the lucky horseshoe below!

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I’m super excited to reveal the cover for Madison’s Song by Christine Amsden

I loved her Cassie Scot series and understand this is a stand alone companion to those.

I was sad to see the end of Cassie Scot and now I’m happy to know that it isn’t really over as I get to follow the stories of other characters in the series!

Check out this cover!

And I’ll be sure to share my review as soon as I get my hands on Madison’s Song!

MadisonsSong_med

Her voice is enchanting; his soul is black…
 
Madison Carter has been terrified of Scott Lee since the night he saved her from an evil sorcerer – then melted into a man-eating monster before her eyes. The werewolf is a slave to the moon, but Madison’s nightmares are not.
Despite her fears, when Madison’s brother, Clinton, is bitten by a werewolf, she knows there is only one man who can help. A man who frightens her all the more because even in her nightmares, he also thrills her.
Together for the first time since that terrible night, Scott and Madison drive to Clinton’s home only to discover that he’s vanished. Frantic now, Madison must overcome her fears and uncover hidden strengths if she hopes to save him. And she’s not the only one fighting inner demons. Scott’s are literal, and they have him convinced that he will never deserve the woman he loves.
*Stand-alone companion to the Cassie Scot series
 
Ebook Release: July 15, 2015
Tentative Paperback Release: September 15, 2015

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Author Christine Amsden

Christine Amsden has been writing fantasy and science fiction for as long as she can remember. She loves to write and it is her dream that others will be inspired by this love and by her stories. Speculative fiction is fun, magical, and imaginative but great speculative fiction is about real people defining themselves through extraordinary situations. Christine writes primarily about people and relationships, and it is in this way that she strives to make science fiction and fantasy meaningful for everyone.

At the age of 16, Christine was diagnosed with Stargardt’s Disease, a condition that effects the retina and causes a loss of central vision. She is now legally blind, but has not let this slow her down or get in the way of her dreams.

In addition to writing, Christine teaches workshops on writing at Savvy Authors. She also does some freelance editing work.

Christine currently lives in the Kansas City area with her husband, Austin, who has been her biggest fan and the key to her success. They have two beautiful children.

Links for more about the author and where to get her books:

Website ~ Newsletter ~ Blog ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads ~ Google+

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 The Cassie Scot Series.

Click on the covers for my reviews.

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Until the next time….

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!