Release Day Celebration : Through The Glass by Lisa J. Hobman

Welcome Lisa J. Hobman and congrats on novel number 2!

 

Firstly, I would like to say a huge thank you to Kate for having me as a guest on his blog today.  Kate and I connected after I read her wonderful book, The Low Notes, and simply had to message her to tell her how much I enjoyed it!  We chatted back and forth and we’ve been friends ever since.

So, today is the big day!  It’s publishing day for my second novel, Through the Glass!  Now there is a sentence I NEVER thought I would be writing!  Through the Glass is a contemporary romance but with a little hint of suspense and a lot of passion.

Jim and Flick, the two main characters were fun to write.  Jim is a laid back, easy going hunk of a man.  He’s handsome but not aware of it and I imagine him as having dark chocolate sparkling eyes.  He’s loyal and wants to do anything he can to keep Flick happy.

Flick is quite high maintenance with her career in the art world and her designer suits.  She thinks that the important things in life revolve around money and material things.  Well, they do say opposites attract!  I think Through the Glass is testament to that.  

Once again the bulk of the story takes place in my favourite place in the world, the Scottish Highlands.  The setting is very romantic and rugged and I have aimed to bring it alive or the reader with my descriptions but honestly nothing beats being there in person to experience the ever changing scenery.  It’s a place that keeps drawing me back year after year.  We even located to Scotland from Yorkshire to be nearer to the Highlands.  Now that’s love.

If you’d asked me two years ago, before I relocated, where I would like to see myself in the future I think I would’ve answered “Living in Scotland, running my own little craft business.”  But wow, how things have changed.  I never would’ve said “Living in Scotland with two published novels under my belt” that’s for sure.  But here I am and boy does it feel surreal.  Suffice it to say that my craft business was stopped almost as soon as it had started.

Writing is something I can’t seem to stop doing now.  And I think I will continue on until the ideas dry up – but in all honesty I hope they never do.  I love writing and creating new characters, getting to know them myself and then sharing them with my readers.  It’s so exhilarating.

So, I hope you enjoy my new novel Through the Glass and will keep a look out for my future books.  Number three, another stand alone, is being considered at the moment so watch this space!

Here's a little about the book:

 

It was love at first sight for Jim.  Felicity was his dream girl.  Beautiful, intelligent and talented.  Sadly for Jim he didn’t quite meet with the approval of Felicity’s mother and eventually she succumbed to the pressure of her mother’s expectations.  Jim relocates from London to the Scottish Highlands to try to rebuild his life and mend his broken heart when an unexpected visitor brings painful memories and tragic news.  Jim has to fight with his own desires to make the right decision.  He lost Felicity once.  Can he survive losing her again?  

And how about an excerpt from Chapter 1?!

February 2009 - The Break Up

“So, that’s it then, Flick?” Jim raised his arms in exasperation. “You’re leaving? You’ve completely given up?” He was past trying to convince Flick that they could make a go of it; work things out; get through this and come out the other side stronger. The past few months had been one argument after another and Flick had spent less and less time at home.

“It’s for the best, James. And please don’t call me Flick.” She sighed, “It’s not my name. Not anymore. I grew up. It’s good in the adult world you should visit sometime, you might like it.” She snorted derisively.

Jim shook his head; sadness oozing from every pore, “Aye, well you’ll always be Flick to me. And I’ll always be Jim. What’s with all this ‘Felicity and James’ bollocks anyway?” His accent always became stronger when he was angry. This was one of those occasions when the true Scotsman came out fighting. His chest heaved as he tried to calm the storm raging beneath his skin.

He almost didn’t recognise the woman standing before him in their bedroom; her fitted designer clothes complete with pearls and a shoulder length smooth sleek hairstyle. Such a contrast to the girl he fell in love with. Back then it was all flowing blonde waves and long, floating skirts. She was softer then; in every way.

“Well, as I said James, Felicity is my name…Flick was left behind at university. She was doe-eyed, foolish and rash…look, there’s no point us going over old ground,” she pulled the handle up on her wheeled suitcase, “I’ll be staying with Polly and Matt for a while whilst I figure out my next move.”

Matt had once been Jim’s closest friend but that friendship had somehow fizzled as his relationship with Polly had intensified. That saddened Jim.

Felicity went on, “Nilsson-Perkins have offered to help find me a new place near the city centre so I can be closer to the main gallery.” She wandered over to him and placed her hand on his arm. “It’s for the best, James. I think you know that deep down.”

He looked, pleadingly, into her eyes, his chest still rising and falling at a rapid rate. “For whom? For me?. I don’t think so.” His voice cracked as he shook his head; he stared intently and for several moments she seemed caught in his eyes. He thought he saw her shield begin to melt but she shook her head and looked away.

 

Turning back to him she shrugged her shoulders. “It was inevitable when you think about it. We’re from two different worlds…we want completely different things, James.” Her voice softened as she squeezed his arm. Her blue eyes, however, that were once full of love, were ice cold.

She wheeled her case toward the bedroom door and turned back to face him one last time. Her eyes were glassy with unshed tears now and Jim was relieved to see some, albeit small, expression of human emotion from the woman he had witnessed, slowly, becoming some kind of hard, Siberian robot.

“For what’s it’s worth…James…I do love you. You were my first love and so I probably always will. I just feel like…” she paused, clenching her eyes closed as if to find the strength to carry on speaking, a tear escaped. “Like maybe we’re not good for each other. We’ve grown apart. I’m ambitious and you…you want babies and the white picket fence thing…I’m just not ready…I’m not sure I ever will be. In a way I’m doing you a favour.” A sob escaped her throat as she spoke, “This way at least you get to meet someone new and have children and do all the family things that I’m just not capable of.” She sounded to Jim as though she was trying to convince herself.

Jim’s lower lip began to tremble. “I don’t want anyone else…it’s you. It’s always been you.” He clenched his jaw. “What I don’t get, Felicity, is that you wanted those things too. We were both on the same page. I don’t understand how we changed.”

“We didn’t change. I did. Like I said, I grew up.” She shook her head. “I know that you haven’t changed.” She snorted. “Sorry, Jim but it’s true. In all these years you’ve kept the same hairstyle, the same clothing and the same laid back attitude. You still work in the same second hand book store, you still drive that ancient Land Rover and you still take that bloody dog everywhere you go! You’re not a student anymore, James. Maybe I want more, huh? Maybe I want someone who makes an effort!” Her voice gained an octave as her emotions began to get the better of her.

Jim widened his eyes in horror. “Whoa! Now just hang on there, lassie!” He held up his hands and his stomach knotted at her stabbing words as they sliced at his heart.

He stepped toward her. “You can’t say that I don’t make effort. Just because I’m in no way materialistic doesn’t mean I don’t care. I love you. I always have. You are my world! I don’t need things, Felicity, I need you!” His heart ached as it bombarded the inside of his chest. “I’ve done everything in my power to make you happy. I don’t know what else I could have done. And for the record, I’m not the one who’s given up here!” He raised his voice too, finally giving in to the pent up frustration he’d been harbouring.

“James, we want different things, accept it. Move on…please!” She opened the door and he made a grab for her. She swung around and crashed into his arms. Without thinking he took her face in his hands and kissed her with all the passion he could muster. To his amazement she didn’t slap him; she kissed him back. Dropping her suitcase she seemed overwhelmed by desire, anger, passion, lust, whatever the hell it was; she grabbed at his dark, shaggy hair as he ran his hands through hers; desperate to express his love for her; desperate to make her change her mind.

He moved from her mouth to her neck, his kisses urgent. Her head rolled backward and she moaned, grabbing at his T-shirt and pulling it over his head in one swift aggressive move. Before either could realize what they were doing or how they got there, they staggered backward and tumbled, wrapped around each other, onto the bed; their lips locked as their tongues danced and probed each other’s mouths. 

BUY the book on Amazon, Barnes & Noble

Find Lisa on Facebook, Twitter, her blog, or her website!

Cover Reveal : Heirs of War by Mara Valderran

Welcome Mara Valderran! Her upcoming New Adult Fantasy novel, Heirs of War, is revealing its cover today!

Here's a little about the book...

Seventeen-year-old Zelene doesn't believe in magic or prophecies. When she's told she is part of the prophecy foretelling five powerful girls bringing peace to the war-torn worlds, she scoffs. The idea of other dimensions layered on top of the world she lives in is almost as ludicrous as the idea that she might be able to save them. After she is attacked by magic-wielding assassins, she finds she can't argue with reality.

As their enemies strike, the girls are taken back to their world and discover the ties binding them together. Rhaya has always had an uncanny knack for reading people, but can’t seem to unravel the mystery tying her to Isauria, the new friend she bonded with instantly. For years, Isauria has been dreaming of Terrena, a girl living her life on the run in a magical world ripped apart by the tragedies of war, completely unaware that she is psychically linked to the world she was born in.

Zelene views them all with a distrustful eye, familial bonds or no, and can think of a place or two she’d like to shove the crown she supposedly inherited. When she learns that her long-lost twin Ariana has been captured by the rebels, Zelene’s attitude changes. She doesn’t know how she is supposed to go against an army of magic-wielding rebels when her own ability to manipulate the elements is still locked within her. But can she trust the elders to rescue Ariana when it seems their medieval politics are what brought about the war in the first place? With all that is at stake, the answer becomes clear to Zelene.

Screw the worlds. She’s getting her sister back.


Drum roll please!

Mara Valderran has been coming up with stories pretty almost since she could talk, often commandeering her brother's G.I. Joes to play out her fictional tales alongside her Barbies. Once she hit adolescence and realized playing with dolls wasn't cool anymore, she started putting her ideas to paper. And she hasn’t stopped since.

Mara is more than just a madwoman with a writing box. She lives in the south with her husband and demanding cat. She hopes to one day meet Daniel Jackson from SG1, or at least the actor who played him. When she’s not writing, you can find her reading, playing video games, or spending time at her favorite local coffee shop. 

You can find more about Mara on Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads and her website.

Be sure to check out the Pre-Release giveaway on Mara's blog! You can win a copy of the book, swag, a $25 Amazon gift card, and a character named after you in book two!

Cover Reveal : In Control by Crystal Serowka

Check out this PHENOMENAL cover! Crystal Serowka's second novel in The City Series is coming out October 27th and today she is sharing the cover and a teaser from the book! 

Have a look at In Control...

In Control

Bitch. Whore. Slut. Those were just a few of the names I’d been called since I began growing breasts. The boys all stared, gawking at the exposed skin above my navel. Their eyes followed the length of my bare legs, revealing their desire with a smile in my direction. No matter how hard they tried to get my attention, boys were never my thing. They were fragile. Inexperienced. Full of hope.

Girls resented my appeal, always laughing and pointing when I hopped into a different car every day after school. They never understood why I did the things I did; why I made it my mission in life to seduce men and then toss them aside like yesterday’s garbage. Instead of trying to understand, they chose to spread shameless rumors. Their jealousy never got under my skin like they were hoping it would. I loved the attention. In fact, I loved it so much that I started going after their boyfriends. The girls had no idea that whatever name they called me, whatever they wrote on my locker, it wasn’t ever going to bother me. I had been shattered a long time ago, and the shards of my former self were so sharp nothing else could ever harm me.

I’d been thrown away; kicked to the curb like I was the stray mongrel no one wanted. I let my guard down too many times to count and promised myself that I’d never be vulnerable again.

I was never any good at keeping promises.

His lips touched my neck, bringing me back to the moment. Wren lay next to me, his skin melting against mine. A drop of sweat fell onto my lips and I tasted the saltiness of our exertion. I’d been in this bed so many times now that I knew the softest spots on the mattress. I’d memorized the smell of Wren’s pillow, the delicate fabric bursting with the scent of cedarwood and vanilla. It was October when I first visited his home, and now, with the trees dressed in bright green, I lay here in his bed, my head and heart at odds. I wanted to be with Wren, but the one time I had allowed a label to represent how I felt, I had been betrayed. 

I studied his bare chest, my fingers roaming over the patches of freckles.

“Making constellations again?” he asked, resting on his elbows to watch my busy fingers.

“Just Perseus.”

“You’re the first person that’s ever pointed that out.”

“That’s probably because all of your other girlfriends were dumb as rocks and didn’t know a thing about constellations,” I retorted.

Wren laughed quietly, not denying my words. We never discussed exes, and I was happy about that. Explaining Porter to someone who was the complete opposite of him would be an impossible task.  

We lay in silence, my fingers not wanting to leave his skin. We’d been in Wren’s bed since this morning, and I could have stayed wrapped in his embrace forever. Tangled in his blood red sheets, I was safe from the evil that lurked outside. In this bed, I couldn’t run into anyone from my past.

“Think we should get up? We can grab some food before I head to Jay’s.” Wren turned on his side, his fingers leisurely roaming my skin. His effortless touch made my insides tremble, forcing me to take a few calming breaths.  

I hated leaving him. I hated that I was slowly becoming one of those girls. The kind of girl that had nothing else to talk about but the guy they were dating. The kind that became so obsessed with her boyfriend, she scheduled her whole life around him. I wasn’t that kind of girl. I couldn’t possibly be turning into one.

“You already had me for breakfast and lunch, might as well fill up on me for dinner, too,” I suggested, knowing it would keep him from leaving.

A devious grin formed on Wren’s lips. “Suddenly I’m starving.”  

 Find Crystal on Facebook and find her cover artist, Angie Fields on Facebook with i love it design studio.

Let me just say there was more to this teaser but I don't have a mature reader warning on my page so I had to cut it short. You know what that means? You better buy this book to see all the sexy that I got to see!!! Congrats on your beautiful cover, Crystal. Can't wait to read In Control this October.

Book Spotlight : Hidden By Selena Laurence

I'm so excited to have Selena Laurence here with her blog tour for her romance, Hidden! Check out what the book is about, it's sexy cover and be sure to get it while it's on sale!

Nick Carlisle comes to Hawaii to hide—from what happened during his service in Afghanistan, from relationships, from his future. Lyndsey Anderson came to Hawaii to hide too—from the man who abused her, from the sacrifices she made, from her dark past. But when Nick meets Lyndsey, Hawaii gets a whole lot hotter, and they find they can’t hide their hearts. As Nick fights to come to terms with what he’s done, Lyndsey struggles to forgive herself for the choices she’s made. But when the dangerous past threatens the beautiful present, can they survive to learn how to love? And who will finally reveal what’s hidden?

Add Hidden on Goodreads.

Here's a little about Selena in her own words...

I love to write romantic stuff that helps you get away. Life can be a grind, and things like jobs and school and dirty dishes make Jill a dull girl – and me too! So, I write Contemporary and New Adult romances about hot guys and smart girls and cool places. It's an Escape from the Everyday.

Find Selena online

Facebook    Goodreads     Twitter    Blog

You can purchase Hidden from Amazon   

Hidden is on sale for 99c this week only!

 Get it at this great price!!

Cover Reveal : Do I Bother You At Night? by Troy Aaron Ratliff

Troy Aaron Ratliff is one of those amazing author friends I've made over the last year and a half and I am so excited to share the news that he is about to release his first full length novel! His career so far has consisted of short stories and novellas but this one a big wham-bam!

Here's a little bit about Troy's upcoming horror/sci-fi novel, Do I Bother You At Night?

They say nothing ever happens in Kansas.  Sylvester Petersen used to think so too.  That is, until a mysterious new neighbor moves in next door, seemingly out of nowhere.  His handful of friends – people who tried to help him cope with the sudden death of his wife – think that it might be an opportunity for him to get reacquainted with the world outside his farmhouse and to build a new relationship with his neighbor.  But that idea is soon snuffed out as strange events begin to happen around him.  None of them wrong.  Just strange: driving in the middle of the night, the sulfur-like odor coming off of him, the fact he doesn’t talk to anyone in the area.

And what about that dog?

Sylvester chooses the logical explanation and ignores the peculiar behavior.  But when other oddities start to happen – the kind that affects Sylvester directly – he begins to worry.  His reasoning dwindles and his growing fear points to his neighbor.

Where is that stray dog going?

After enough time, Sylvester starts to see and hear what the people of the area have been muttering about: Unexplainable blue light, corn crops moving on their own…the slaughtered cattle entirely too close to home.

And that stray dog that keeps getting fatter and fatter…

At the peak of summer, and with the walls closing in, Sylvester experiences something that will take him to the brink and haunt you forever.

Bathed in loss, terror, and human spirit, Do I Bother You at Night? will be a story you won’t forget and one that will keep you up at night.

Love thy neighbor.   

And the amazing cover...

 

Troy is also sharing the first of a few DIBYAN teasers today too. Check it out and be sure to go to www.troyaaronratliff.com for more info before this new novel releases!

 Can't wait to hear more, Troy!

Happy 3rd Anniversary Rebel Ink Press

Happy Birthday Rebel Ink Press! Three years ago a group of writers and editors came together to create a little publishing company that gave me my dream come true!

Rebel's are talking about summer lovin' with this blog hop and in the spirit of that I decided to share an excerpt from The Low Notes. A warm summer night is where it all began for Kevin and Nina. See what happened then hop over to Amazon to get The Low Notes, on sale this weekend for only 99 cents!!

An Excerpt from The Low Notes :

They walked outside together, neither saying a word. For a while they just enjoyed the warm breeze and the faintly blue night sky. Then Nina saw Kevin's face fall a bit as he looked at her.

“Look, Nina...” he started and her heart clenched. It seemed too perfect. What was he about to say? She wished for an instant he would stop right there and kiss her goodnight so the evening could end just as wonderful as it had been. But he continued.

“I wasn't planning on dating right now. Not last night on that blind date and I certainly wasn't counting on meeting anyone as great as you. I've had a rough few months and I just feel like I need to get adjusted first, you know. But I...” his voice cut off and he ran a hand through his chestnut hair.

He grinned. “I really like you.”

Nina smiled back, biting her lip, trying to conceal it. She looked down at her hands and realized she was absently wringing them, pulling at her fingertips. She smoothed her hands down the front of her dress and tried to steady herself.

“Can I call you? When I feel like I have it a little more together?” he asked.

It wasn't exactly what she wanted to hear but she couldn't blame him for wanting some time to find a job, maybe unpack his house. She smiled and asked for his phone. Kevin slowly handed over the small piece of black plastic from his pocket with a confused face.

“I'm putting my number in here so you don't forget about me,” she said. She opened the main screen and saw an alert message.

“You, uh, missed a call and have a voicemail.” Kevin frowned and shook his head as if he didn't know who it could be. She typed her name and number into his contacts list and then turned the phone around and snapped a picture of herself.

Kevin chuckled taking the device from her. “How could I ever forget that face?” he mused.

She twisted her lips bashfully before feeling her nerves kick in. She didn't want to say goodbye. What if she never saw him again? Fear was getting the better of her. For it to end like this after a beautiful evening just seemed unfair.

“So I guess this is goodnight?” he said softly.

“Yeah. I had a really nice time. See ya,” she said, trying to hide the quiver in her voice. She gave a little wave, turned and started walking to her car. She got to the door and began digging in her purse to find her keys when she heard her cell phone chirp. She pulled it out and took a
glance at the message.

Screw it. You free next Saturday?

Her head whipped up to see Kevin where she'd left him with his phone in hand and a Cheshire grin plastered on his face. He shrugged. A giggle escaped her lips and she strode toward him swiftly. She was now closer to him than when they'd initially said goodbye and when she inhaled his sweet smell again, she felt herself going dizzy.

They were smiling at each other like fools until Kevin's hand slowly rose to tilt her chin up. Nina’s breath was ragged and her skin burned under his touch. Kevin’s eyes looked carefully at her face as she waited for him to move. With one simple motion, as though he’d done it a thousand times already, he shifted forward and placed his lips softly against hers.

Nina's lips parted at the feeling of his mouth and she waited for the kiss to turn deep and passionate. The kind of kiss she'd always dreamed of. But she was denied. Kevin pulled back and drew in a deep breath.

“Goodnight Nina,” he whispered.

Now, hop back over to Rebel Reasoning to check out what other authors are saying about summer lovin' and be sure to enter the giveaway!!

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