Cover Reveal: Broken Glamour by Maggie Marr

The Glamour Series, Book #2

New Adult Contemporary

Releasing March 2014

Cover designed by Okay Creations

Synopsis:

Losing it all…is a new beginning Amanda Legend grew up rich and privileged. Anything was hers for the asking, thanks to her superstar father. That is until Amanda’s honesty about bad behavior from her soon-to-be-new Step Mom, a former school chum, lands Amanda on the outs with her beloved father. No Trust fund. No rarified world. Even if Amanda never wanted the LA lifestyle, she now must survive on her own. A come-back takes heart.... Ryan Sinclair was nearing the pinnacle of his movie career when he drove his Porsche off Malibu Canyon Road. Lucky to be alive, post rehab he's ready to start the long climb back to the top. But to prove to Hollywood that he won't relapse, he's required to get a sober companion. A job she never wanted with the man who helped destroy her life... Amanda Legend may loathe the entertainment world, but she understands the rules. She also knows Ryan Sinclair, understands alcoholics (she grew up around a few) and now, after being banished from her posh lifestyle, needs a paycheck to get to New York. Amanda accepts the job as sober companion to Ryan Sinclair for his first film post rehab. But Amanda must learn to ignore her attraction to Ryan, because falling for a guy like him would pull her back into a world she desperately wants to escape.

  About the Author   Maggie Marr grew up in the Midwest and made the move to Los Angeles to work in the movie business. She was a motion picture literary agent for ICM before becoming a full time writer. She's written for film and TV and ghostwritten for celebrities. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and children.

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Review: Pawn (The Blackcoat Rebellion #1) by Aimee Carter

Title: Pawn (The Blackcoat Rebellion #1)

Author: Aimee Carter

Release Date: November 26, 2013

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Pages: 346

Source: Received egalley for review

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Synopsis:

YOU CAN BE A VII. IF YOU GIVE UP EVERYTHING.

For Kitty Doe, it seems like an easy choice. She can either spend her life as a III in misery, looked down upon by the higher ranks and forced to leave the people she loves, or she can become a VII and join the most powerful family in the country.

If she says yes, Kitty will be Masked—surgically transformed into Lila Hart, the Prime Minister's niece, who died under mysterious circumstances. As a member of the Hart family, she will be famous. She will be adored. And for the first time, she will matter.

There's only one catch. She must also stop the rebellion that Lila secretly fostered, the same one that got her killed …and one Kitty believes in. Faced with threats, conspiracies and a life that's not her own, she must decide which path to choose—and learn how to become more than a pawn in a twisted game she's only beginning to understand.

Previously titled Masked.

My Thoughts:

I have not read much Dystopian so Pawn was a rare treat for me. This world Aimee Carter has created is all about a single test that decides the rest of your life. If you don’t do well on the test, your whole life is ruined. You are defined by the test. For Kitty, who is not able to read, she is given a III.  In this world, you have to get a IV or above to have a decent life. She decides to run away instead and it isn’t until she is Masked to look like the Prime Minister’s niece Lila Hart that the story actually starts.

Pawn is an awesome mixture of intrigue, betrayal and manipulation. It shows you that even the most powerful family may appear perfect in public but truly is corrupt to the core. Although I thought some parts were predictable, I thought it was still pretty good; other parts of the story kept me on my toes. I am still shocked by some of the things that happened. I mean, I knew some of the events were going to happen but I am still shocked nonetheless.

You really can’t trust anyone in the world of Pawn. Things always seem or appear one way but end up being totally different. Everyone is out for themselves and Kitty ends up right in the middle of it. She is used like a chess piece, everyone wanting her to do different things. Daxton (Prime Minister) and Augusta (his mother) wants to control Kitty while Celia (Lila’s mother) wants her to help carry out her revenge. There are so many elements to this story.

 I really liked Kitty. She is smart, strong, outspoken and determined. She does what is right while trying to protect the ones she loves. In less than 2 weeks, she has to learn everything about Lila: her mannerisms, her accent, and her voice, basically everything about Lila to convince everyone that she is the beloved niece of the Prime Minister. Everywhere she turns, Kitty is faced with threats and conspiracies.

 I liked that the book focused on action although I would have liked to have seen a little more romance in the story. The author’s writing was seamless. Pawn was an engaging read that all dystopian lovers will enjoy. A book based on betrayal, manipulation and political intrigue, this is not a story I will forget anytime soon. 

Thank you Harlequin Teen for sending me this book for an honest review.

My Rating: 

4 out of 5 stars

Raquel

xoxo

Sneak Peek: Sun and Moon by Lee Strauss

Coming January 26th!

If you’re a fan of the movie Inside Llewyn Davis, ABC television’s Nashville or Colleen Hoover’s upcoming novel, "Maybe Someday", the Minstrel Series is for you!

The Minstrel Series is a collection of contemporary romance novels set in the singer/songwriter world. The books are companion novels, with shared settings and characters, but each are complete standalone stories with a HEA (happily ever after) and no cliffhangers!

She has a past. He has a secret.

Katja Stoltz is a risk-taking singer-songwriter hoping to make it in the indie music scene in Dresden, Germany. Micah Sturm's a brooding uptown banker on a quest.

Driven to the streets, Katja is picked up by Micah - but he doesn't want what she thinks he does.

There’s an undeniable attraction between them, a gravitational pull they both struggle to resist. Katja knows she mustn’t fall in love with this handsome enigma. There’s something dark lurking beneath the surface. He could be dangerous.

And even if her life isn’t on the line, her heart most definitely is.


*not erotica - no explicit sex or coarse language

Sneak Peek:

They went back to Micah’s flat to change and get ready. Katja chose the shimmery, little black dress. With silver, strapped heels, and her hair piled in a messy up-do, she could easily pass for one of those uptown girls.

Micah’s reaction when she’ presented herself was especially ignited. His eyes popped and his jaw slacked. Then he whistled. “Simply beautiful.” He grabbed her hand and tugged her, snapping her body to his. He rested his forehead on hers and inhaled.

“You smell amazing.” His lips made a butterfly trail from her temple, over her cheekbone to her lips as his hands explored her curves. She quivered under his touch, every neuron in her body resounding with a loud, yes!

He kissed the base of her neck in a way that made her knees give out. They fell on the bed, and she almost exploded. They kissed with a passion Katja had never experienced before. They had pushed through the force field. They were in his room, on his bed. Her hands trailed down his back, his moved up her thighs. They moved together with a rhythm of passion, crescendoing and dipping, losing their breath, then finding room to breathe. Katja never wanted it to end.

Still, there was a line Micah was still not willing to cross. He ducked his head in the crook of her neck and took several long breaths. Then he pressed up on his elbow, and stared at her. He ran a finger along her brow, pushing hair off her face.

“You are so beautiful.” He kissed her forehead again. “But, we have reservations.”

She laughed. “I think I have to do my hair over.”

He pulled her off the bed and playfully smacked her behind. “Get to it then, we don’t want to be late.”

This series is an exciting collaboration between Lee Strauss as an Indie Author and several very talented Indie Singer-Songwriters. Four original songs produced by Norm Strauss(link) are featured in Sun & Moon and are performed by award-winning Canadian singer-songwriter KimMcMechan(link). MP3 links are included at the end.

Check out the music video!



All the songs from the Minstrel Series can be found at Bandcamp (link)

The Minstrel Series also has its own Facebook page(link). Go Like it to follow all the upcoming Minstrel Series news!

Pre- orders now available at the pre-release price of 2.99! (price goes up after launch)

itunes | kobo | Barnes & Noble

Lee is giving away prizes to celebrate the upcoming launch of Sun & Moon. 

Enter to win a $50 Amazon gift card, MP3s of all four songs featured on Sun & Moon, and a 12 month calendar from Dresden, Germany featuring many of the settings found in Sun & Moon.

Dresden, Germany

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