Cover Reveal: MAYBE ME by Amber Hart!

We're so excited to reveal the cover for MAYBE ME by Amber Hart! Maybe Me releases this fall from Kensington Teen!


A sliver of a second is all it takes.
Maria Reyes knows what it means to come from nothing. Escaping Cuba, the States have given Maria new dreams. Like graduating high school. Going to college. Making something of herself. Forgetting a past that always seems to creep up on her family. But mostly, staying out of trouble. Which is why falling for Hale is out of the question.
An unguarded moment, a simple mistake.
Hale Watson is a flash of a second away from being locked up for good. With a rap sheet longer than the list of homes he comes from, Hale has one more shot at making things right. Graduate senior year. Don’t mess up. Don’t get caught. That’s the plan. Until he meets Maria.
And everything changes.
Add MAYBE ME to Goodreads here! You can also preorder it below (more retailers coming soon)!

Amazon | KoboMAYBE ME is the third book in the Before & After series, but it can be read as a standalone! You can find out more about BEFORE YOU and AFTER US here!

Amber Hart grew up in Orlando, Florida and Atlanta, Georgia. She now resides on the Florida coastline with family. When unable to find a book, she can be found writing, daydreaming, or with her toes in the sand. She's the author of BEFORE YOU, AFTER US, UNTIL YOU FIND ME, and sequel to UNTIL YOU FIND ME (untitled as of yet). Represented by Beth Miller of Writers House.

Blog Tour: Cities by Carla de Guzman!


Huge thanks to Liana and Carla for giving me the opportunity to review Cities. 

Cities by Carla de Guzman

Genre: Romance, Contemporary
Published November 30th 2014 by Midnight Books

PURCHASE LINKS:

AMAZON | CREATESPACE
Celia has dreams. 
She dreams of going to Seoul for that scholarship she never took, of leaving everything behind and moving to New York. 
In all those dreams, she finds herself attached to Benedict, the boy she has always loved, who didn’t love her back. 

Ben believes in parallel worlds. 
Worlds where the things you didn’t do come true—worlds where he went to London and fell in love with Celia, where he shows up on the day she needed him most. He believes that dreams are glimpses into that parallel world, and it’s not a coincidence that Celia’s been having them too. 

It’s the day of Ben’s wedding, in the middle of a typhoon in Manila. How will these dreams and unmade decisions change their lives? Will they bring them closer together, or just drive them further apart?
"I wish I was someone else, somewhere or some-when else," Ben said. Celia felt something pull at her for a second, but ignored it as she tossed their ice cream into the trash. "Maybe you and I could have had a better first meeting.  Maybe you would never hate me."

"Aigoo. What makes you think I hate you, laser breath?" Celia teased, tucking her hands into her pockets. Ben took
the opportunity to lean against her, his forehead on her shoulder as he folded his body against her. It surprised Celia that physical displays of affection were apparently no issue in public. People were walking right past them. Ben smiled.

"I don't," he said. "I just wanted to see if you....liked me."

Then he looked up at her, his big, puppy dog eyes melting right through her, her immense affection for him surging inside her. She remembered that stolen kiss from the other day, and it made her smile.

"Oppa," she said seriously, pulling away to make him sit up and look right into her eyes. “I do.”


Ben hadn't smiled this much in his entire life, but he couldn't say that it was a bad thing exactly. He took Celia's small face into his hands and kissed her. This time, he actually puckered his lips. This time she actually leaned into it, rubbing a small circle into his hand like they had kissed a million times before. By the time they had run out of breath, he leaned his forehead against hers, and both of them were smiling.
I have a lot of firsts for this novel.
First novel for review from a Filipina.
First time to review a book with tagalog/korean in them.

Going back to the review…

Manila
“Maybe in another universe, I loved you too.”
Celia was stood up by Ben in the past. Now, she’s the Maid-of-Honor in Benedict’s wedding. But before the day even begins, she’s having these dreams of what could be or what could have been. Even the people were talking about what ifs.

Ben is getting married to Celia’s best friend, Vivian. He believes in multiverses. That dreams are glimpses of different scenarios and different chains of events in multiple parallel universes. Will knowing that Celia is also having these dreams change anything for them?

Vivian is every girl’s dream of being. Or so I was led to believe. According to Celia, she’s wonderful and perfect. But is she just as great and flawless in the multiverses? (I didn’t like her much.)

Henry is (THE wonderful and perfect character here. HA! You might’ve guessed that he’s my favorite) the ideal guy friend. He’s loyal and dresses to kill. He’s constant in Celia’s life, but will this universe be his time? Or is it in another?

Seoul, London, New York – In these cities, what could’ve been will be showcased. Altered situations will unfold. Will Celia and Ben finally get their happy ending?

We know “What Ifs” are very painful. Regret can be vicious. We’ll just have to rely on faith and fate to answer the constant questions that plagues everyone from time to time.

I was under the impression at the first chapter that it was like Something Borrowed but I was sorely wrong. With the exception of Henry, I was not fully connecting with the other characters as I would’ve liked. But the different scenarios with different cities made an interesting twist to the story.

Cities is like a combined version of a Teleserye and Koreanovela. Heartbreak, humor, hope, and a little bit of multiverses thrown in, it will make you wonder whether a different you is experiencing what you dreamt of having.



10 Things You Didn't Know About Cities

by Carla de Guzman

When my friends and family started reading Cities, one of the questions that people always seemed to ask me was ‘did this really happen?’ and ‘ooh, was this character based on someone we know?’ 

As much as I would love to say that the entire book was a figment of my imagination and based solely on real life, real life had a way of slipping through the pages. So here are ten things you didn’t know about Cities!

1. Ben was named after Benedict Cumberbatch.
For the very obvious reason that Benedict Cumberbatch is a wonderful actor and human being, and that if I ever had the good fortune of meeting him, I would become a puddle on the floor. 

2. Henry was supposed to be gay!
In the original draft of Cities, Henry appears only in Manila, and fills the role of Celia’s sassy gay friend. But when I started the Seoul chapter, it felt strange to bring in a new character into the mix when I had Henry waiting in the wings. I also thought that it would be such a cliche if I did!

3. All the food featured in the book can be found in real life.
From the chocolate pizza in CM’s Box, the ddak ggalbi in Yoogane, the lovely tea set in the Orangery to the horrible papaya juice in Gray’s Papaya, these are all places that you can visit when you make your own trips there.

4. Sunflowers were my Lola’s favorite flowers.
The book has many nods to my grandmother, who passed away last year. One of which is the sunflower theme that keeps popping up in all the cities. 

5. SPOILER!
The original draft of the story had Ben and Celia living happily ever after in all scenarios except in Manila. But I felt that would be unrealistic and kind of cruel for Celia to live through, thus the ending that exists in the book today. 

6. The book cover is also real. 
Painted by my brother and sister, the cover is based on a photo I took from my trip to London. It was taken in Knightsbridge. The red/pink building in front of the bus is actually Harvey Nichols, a high end mall in London. 

7. I do love none in the world so well as you. 
I made a lot of references to Shakespeare’s play Much Ado About Nothing, especially in the London chapter. The last line “some Cupid kills with arrows, some with traps” is also from Much Ado. This has a connection to my Doctor Who obsession, as the 10th Doctor (David Tennant) and his companion Donna Noble (Catherine Tate) starred in a production of Much Ado in 2011. 

8. Cities was originally a short story. 
Originally titled ‘Multiverses,’ it was a short story contained in a cafe that was also a bar and a restaurant, and Vivian’s character commits suicide in one multiverse, which forces Celia’s character back to reality. Ben’s whole speech about parallel worlds is verbatim from the short story. 

9. To be fair, in my real experience, he was there. 
The Senior’s Night rose thing really happened in my school. My receiver was very sweet and lovely about the whole thing, and we are still friends to this day. :) 

10. The inside illustrations were done by me :) 

Carla de Guzman (ck.deguzman@gmail.com) had horrible handwriting as a kid. That didn't stop her from writing, though. Riddled with too much energy and a vivid imagination, she started writing every midnight. She grew up with her toes in the sand and her bags packed and ready to go on adventures. Her books are chronicles of her journeys, with a little romance mixed in. 

When she’s not sitting in a plane or working, Carla writes for her blog, Some Midnights (www.somemidnight.wordpress.com) and for When in Manila.

Book Review: How To Seduce A Billionaire by Portia Da Costa



Title: HOW TO SEDUCE A BILLIONAIRE
Author: PORTIA DA COSTA
Genre: EROTICA, NEW ADULT
Publication: JANUARY 29, 2015

ARC from Netgalley







HOW TO SEDUCE A BILLIONAIRE...

... without really trying!

Twenty-nine year old virgin Jess Lockhart has had to put her life on hold due to family commitments, but now it's time to break out and start enjoying sex and love. Trickily for her, years of artistic dreaming and fantasising about her first ever lover have given her impossibly high standards where men are concerned. She's not about to do the deed with just any old male that crosses her path. He has to be Mr Right, or at the very least Mr Sex, right for now, and a super special, superior example of his gender. Nothing less will do...

Ellis McKenna has all the credentials to be Jess's 'Dream Lover'. He's gorgeous, accomplished, capable and a fabulous lover, and he also just happens to be the scion of a family whose international assets can be counted in the billions. He's perfect Mr Right material, apart from one thing... the thing that makes him Mr Wrong for any woman wanting a relationship. Ellis is a grieving widower who's sworn never to love again. He wants sex, yes, and plenty of it, as a way to forget his pain... but his deeper heart is locked away by regret and sorrow.

Can this unusual couple put aside their issues and enjoy a simple seduction? Or will life's complexities put a spanner in the works?
  
Jess is a kind of woman who’s been clinging onto her v-card until she meets his Prince Charming. Ellis is a billionaire businessman who offers to pop her cherry and teach her everything he knows about intimacy so she would be ready when her Prince Charming come along.

Hello! Who the hell could refuse? I mean, he’s super hot and really sweet.

It is the usual rich man meets the lonely innocent girl, then he rocks her world, though it is cliché I kinda enjoyed it, because there is really a story behind those two lovers.

I rated it 4/5 because, I wanted more of Jess and Ellis. I mean, I liked how the story started and ended, but there is something missing and I can’t just point it out.

The title itself, How To Seduce A Billionaire, will make you so curious and as you read it, you will realize that Jess did seduce without even trying! Ellis was caught with her beauty, kindness, and passion for everything she does.

For those of you who are looking for crazy, sweet, and steamy love story, I highly recommend this book.
Of course, there are ups and downs with their story, but the question now, is Ellis enough to be the right man for Jess?

"I'm a Sunday Times, New York Times and USA Today bestselling British author of romance, erotic romance and romantic fiction. My novels have been published by a variety of different houses, both in the US and the UK, and translated into many languages including German, Spanish, Italian, Dutch, Norwegian and Japanese. I'm best known for my many novels for the pioneering British erotica publisher Black Lace and I writing books with contemporary, paranormal and occasionally futuristic settings. I'm now venturing into historical erotic romance too, with a new novel for Harlequin Spice set in London in the year 1890.

I also write as Dorothy Starr and Megan Paul

I've been writing for publication since 1990, and have had over twenty novels published and around 100 short stories. I've contributed to many different short story anthologies and women’s magazines. I've also written a number Spice Briefs for Harlequin.

I'm a member of Romance Writers of America, the Passionate Ink RWA Chapter, the Romantic Novelists Association [UK] and the Society of Authors [UK].

I live in the heart of West Yorkshire, UK, with my husband and my cats. When I'm not writing I enjoy reading, watching TV and movies, hanging out on Twitter and Facebook, and online life in general. I was formerly a librarian and have also worked in local government."
*from goodreads*

AUTHOR LINKS

Cover Reveal: The Way We Fall by Cassia Leo!

Today we have the cove reveal for Cassia Leo’s The Way We Fall! I love this cover, AND Cassia is sharing an excerpt, as well as the playlist for the book. Be sure to read all the way to the bottom for all the fantastic extras!!
  TWWF Amazon_1 

Title: The Way We Fall

Author: Cassia Leo
Genre: Contemporary romance
Release Day: February 20th
From New York Times bestselling author Cassia Leo comes a twisted and passionate love story that pushes the boundaries of loyalty.

Maybe we shouldn’t have fallen so fast and so willingly.

Maybe we shouldn’t have moved in together before we went on our first date.

Maybe we should have given our wounds time to heal before we tore each other to shreds.

Maybe we should have never been together.

Houston has kept a devastating secret from Rory since the day he took her into his home. But the tragic circumstances that brought them together left wounds too deep to heal.

Five years after the breakup, Houston and Rory are thrust together by forces beyond their control. And all the resentments and passion return with more intensity than ever.

Once again, Houston is left with a choice between the truth and the only girl he’s ever loved.

The Way We Fall is the first book in The Story of Us Series, which follows the tumultuous love story of Rory and Houston. The sequel, The Way We Break, will be released Spring 2015.

Available for $0.99 only during preorder and for the first 48 hours after release.


Preorder on iBooks: http://bit.ly/1Af66hs

Check out the playlist for The Way We Fall:
 
“I need to talk to you about the work situation,” he says as he follows me out. “I got the contract, but I want to make sure you’re okay with this before I sign it.”

“You want to know if I’ll be okay working with you?”

I slide the key into the doorknob and Houston places his hand over mine to stop me from turning the knob. “I can’t go in there with you. Please stay out here until we’re done talking.”

I shake his hand off and turn around to face him. “There’s nothing to talk about. You have to sign the contract. The way I feel about working with you shouldn’t matter.”

“But it does matter. I don’t want to upset you. You were there first.”

I can’t help but laugh. “So this is a territorial thing? You think because I was there first that I have some sort of right to keep you out?” His left eyebrow shoots up the way it always does when he’s confused and it nearly renders me mute. “Houston, if I didn’t work there you wouldn’t think twice about signing that contract. So that’s what you should do. Just… please stop making this into something it isn’t. We hardly know each other anymore, and that’s the way it’s going to remain.”

He swallows hard as he lets this sink in. “I guess you’re right. I’m sorry I bothered you. I only wanted to… Never mind. I’ll get going. I have to get up early to go sign that contract. Not that you care.”

He shakes his head in disappointment as he walks away and I’m glad I don’t have anything solid in my hand other than Skippy’s leash or I might throw it at the back of his head. So I’m the one who doesn’t care? Ugh. Typical Houston and his endless psychological games.

Maybe I should have told him to walk away from the contract, but that would have meant admitting that he still has a strong hold over me. It also would have been the truth and the truth has never gotten me into trouble. In fact, the truth is something my previous relationship with Houston was sorely lacking.

Nevertheless, I don’t need to right the wrongs we made while we were together. I don’t need to tell Houston that the sight of him makes my throat dry and my stomach flutter. He doesn’t need to know that I still go to sleep with scenes from our life together playing on repeat in my mind. Or that sometimes I wake up with his name tumbling from my lips, the remnants of dreams where he never left and nightmares where he hovers just out of reach.

Before Wednesday, the last time I had seen Houston was the day after he met me at the Planned Parenthood clinic. I didn’t ask him to come, and I don’t know how he found the date and time of my appointment, but he was there when we pulled into the parking lot. Lisa, a girl from my Social Inequality class whom I’d had coffee with a couple of times, had graciously agreed to take me to the clinic. The moment I saw him leaning against his truck, I knew I had to send Lisa home. Houston would insist on taking me back to the apartment after the procedure, to watch over me.

It was the last thing I wanted, to have Houston doting over me after terminating the pregnancy. But it was also the only thing I wanted. It was as if he was performing the last rites on our dead relationship.

Text BOOKLOVE to 41411 to get a text alert when this book is released.
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Cassia Leo loves her coffee, chocolate, and margaritas with salt. When she’s not writing, she spends way too much time watching old reruns of Friends and Sex and the City. When she’s not watching reruns, she’s usually enjoying the California sunshine or reading – sometimes both.

Come chat with her on
You can also follow her blog at http://cassialeo.com to stay up to date on new releases and giveaways.

Q & A with Christine Brae

Last December 15-19, 2014 and January 12-16, 2015 the Bookish Diaries Books Tours organized the Philippine Blog Tour of The Light In The Wound and His Wounded Light, and today we are very lucky because we have an exclusive Q&A with Christine Brae! Of course, she talked about her books and her writing career plus a bonus special message (for her fans, and aspiring writers). We're really excited to share this with you, guys!

"Hi, TBD! Thank you for having me on your blog today. I feel so honored to be able to chat with  a Filipino based blog once again. I love catching up with you guys!" - Christine Brae
Q: What inspired you to write The Light in the Wound and His Wounded Light?
A: The Light in the Wound was originally written as a tribute to my mom who passed away a few years ago. While writing it, I realized that who I became was a result of the interesting life that I lived and the two people who loved me. So I made up some characters and the rest is history!

After the release of TLITW, a Street Team was formed by a wonderful group of women who really identified with the story. I wrote His Wounded Light for them and for Alex, Isa and Jesse. They felt that I needed to follow the first book up with some sort of resolution. After all, Isa was still struggling with some open issues at the end of the first book.

Q: How did Isa, Alex, and Jesse come to be?
A: Every story is to some level, based on a writer’s reality. That’s all I will say J

Q: What was the journey like while writing it?
A: Writing my first book was probably the most cathartic experience I have ever had in my life. Let me tell you that writing is a very lonely experience – you live in your mind and listen to the characters speak to you all day long. And yet, it was the most exhilarating journey I have ever taken.

First of all, it brought out a creative streak in me that I never thought I would share with the world. That part of the journey alone makes it so worthwhile. And then everything becomes real when you see a part of you being pushed out in the open, when you’re subject to praise and criticism, when you build new friendships and when you begin to harbor a confidence that’s all yours. It’s a reality that allows you to grow into your own skin and you embrace it.

Q: What is your favorite scene in the book?
A: In TLITW, I think my favorite scene is the one where Isa tells Alex about her night with Jesse. It was such an emotional scene and a turning point for both of them.

In HWL, I cried buckets of tears as I wrote the scene where Alex and Isa are in the library/den talking.

Q: Do you see your books turning into movies in the future? (Who would play Isa, Alex, and Jesse?)
A: Ha! I wish. I’ve had a massive crush on Paul Walker – all my trailers have him as Alex. Jesse  can be played by any dark haired hunk but the choice of Ian Somerhalder was perfect. He has the look of Jess. And Isa, I think Kristin Kreuk is perfect.
Questions about me? I may not be as interesting as my books!

Q: When did you start writing?
A: I have always loved to write, but until 2 years ago, it was limited to letters, poems, short stories. The Indie authors who are my friends had inspired me and encouraged me to publish TLITW. The rest is history.

Will I be doing this forever? That, I don’t know. I have a full time career that makes a twenty four hour day pretty challenging as it is, but I guess as long as I have these crazy thoughts in my head, I will keep on doing it.

Q: Who are your literary influences?
A: I grew up reading many different genres written by many different authors. It’s funny, but when looking for a book to read, I normally search on the authors that I like before entertaining any other books by authors I don’t know. Of course, the Indie world has changed all that now…I pick up books written by new authors, established authors, aspiring authors.

My literary influences are too many to name!

Q: What do you consider to be your greatest accomplishment, so far, as a writer?
A: This may be a weird answer, but to me, success as a writer has come in the form of the influence that my words have had on the people who have read and loved my books.  When people reach out to me out of the blue to tell me how much they loved my books or the characters or the words that I had written, that means the world to me. I think I still have so much to learn about this business – I’m basically a newbie – so I like to think that everything is still evolving.

Q: What advice can you give to aspiring writers?
A: WRITE! Write what you want, write what you feel, write for yourself and be proud of your words.  Hone your skills, be willing to learn, be open to criticism and stand for who you are. Be courageous – own what you write because it is all yours. Don’t change your mind about the things that you feel strongly about.

And be thankful each and every day for the people who support you.

Q: Can you tell us a little bit about your next book In This Life?
A: I am so excited about this book, I can’t contain myself! In This Life is a different love story between two very unlikely people. Its storyline is also quite different and its theme can be a little bit controversial. But I wrote it at a time in my life when I needed answers to certain questions and I had to learn the hard way that there is a time and a place for everything. Anna, Jude and Dante have really taken over my heart and I can’t wait to share their story with you!

I can’t wait to see you at the MIBF!


CHRISTINE BRAE'S OTHER BOOKS

AUTHOR LINKS


Book Review: Stealing Rose by Monica Murphy







Title: Stealing Rose (The Fowler Sisters #2)
Author: Monica Murphy
Publication Date: March 03, 2015
Genre: New Adult, Erotica
e-ARC from Netgalley


iBooks | Amazon | B&N | KOBO

People say the youngest child has it easy, but nothing can be further from the truth. Unlike my two sisters, Violet and Lily, I’m never in the limelight. I just work my butt off for Fleur Cosmetics and get little to no thanks for it. I've been pushed too far one too many times, and I’m finally brave enough to do something about it.

Maybe my new found courage has something to do with the amazing pink and white diamond necklace I wear to the party in Cannes. The instant those dazzling heirloom jewels touch my skin, they excite some deep, aching need inside. And when that guy—that totally gorgeous guy—locks eyes with me, I know this nice girl is going to be naughty.


For once it’s my turn. My turn to say no to my father, to outshine my sisters, to walk away from it all—straight into the arms of a mysterious stranger. But what if Caden is much more than I bargained for? Sure, he makes me feel sexy and free in a way I never have before, but there’s something else I can’t quite place—something dangerous. Maybe our “chance” meeting wasn't so random. Maybe he was looking for me for a reason. Whatever his motive, there’s no going back now.


And maybe I don’t want to



Advance praise for Stealing Rose
“Prepare to have your heart stolen! Rose and Caden's story crackles and sizzles right to the swoony end.”New York Times bestselling author Katy Evans

The rich girl and the poor boy! The good girl and the bad boy, the very bad boy. Well one thing for sure, this is not your average hot mess love story.

Rose, the always good and obedient daughter, follows all the rules, but one day she got tired of that life. All Rose wanted was to be free, experience life and let loose, then she met Caden, the crazy and goal-oriented thief. All it takes is one necklace to change their lives forever.

Stealing Rose is a sexy and intense novel of two people searching for life. It is about getting vengeance for the people you love, the unfamiliar bond with the family, being lost, and of course, finding love. The damaged hero and heroin finding one another to survive life. The chemistry between Rose and Caden is too strong that really spice up the story. I really liked how it ended, I mean, with the reconciliation of all the characters, you can feel their love for each other.

This book proves that everyone in this world can change, no matter how terrible the things you did in the past, there will always be a reason for change. 

Well, if you loved the story of Violet and Ryder, you better read Stealing Rose, because they kinda intervene the story of Rose and Caden! Oh man, you seriously have to read it. Violet and Rose, the perfect sisters finding love with troubled men, well, up next is Taming Lily (Fowler Sisters #3). What's been up to the hot mess? 
New York Times, USA Today and international bestselling author Monica Murphy is a native Californian who lives in the foothills below Yosemite with her husband and three children. She's a workaholic who loves her job. When she's not busy writing, she also loves to read and travel with her family. She writes new adult and contemporary romance and is published with Bantam and Avon. She also writes romance as USA Today bestselling author Karen Erickson.