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Friday, May 31, 2013

Forgiven Blog Tour and Kindle Fire Giveaway!!




Title: Forgiven (This #3)
Author:  J.B. McGee
Genre: New Adult
Publication Date:  May 16, 2013
Event organized by: Literati Literature Lovers   http://literatiliteraturelovers.com

Everyone has a past…good or bad, they are always there. They lurk and linger in the shadows, sometimes reappearing at the most inconvenient times.

Gabby and Bradley thought that their pasts would remain dormant, that happiness was theirs for the taking. Still the strongest of relationships can be rocked by the ugliness from a previous life, even if it seems to be a world away. The fact remains an ugly past is never distant. It taints everything it touches, drives permanent rifts between loved ones, and sometimes can ruin everything. Gabby and Bradley must find the only way to battle the past. Forgiveness becomes a light through the darkness, a guide for the lost, and hope for the hopeless. With forgiveness comes bright, new beginnings

Goodreads:  http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16302127-forgiven

My Review


   
Gabby and Bradley have one of those forever relationships. MIND. BODY. SOUL. FOREVER. But will the bond they've worked so hard to create stand the obstacles that come crashing down on them?

Forgiven is by far the best in the series, in my opinion. It has more plot twists, angst, and hot scenes than the previous books. Bradley's character is such a breath of fresh air from the other book heros. He was a player, but definitely did a 180 for Gabby. He is madly, deeply in love with her, and it shows. Gabby is finally growing up in this book, and getting over her pain that Ian left her feeling. I was very happy with the strength that she gained during Bradley's hour of crisis. Some of the tension lessens, and some of the angst grows, making Forever a good read.

I really like all of the covers to the This series. They leave you intrigued and knowing that there's going to be something sweet and loving inside it's pages. I give McGee props on the writing in this book. I didn't like her writing style in the first two and a half books at all. But she pulled it together and gave us a Duel POV in the first person. 

If you liked the previous books in this series, then you'll definitely like this one. I think it's WAY better than the others. If you haven't read this series, be ready for a angst-filled roller coaster, with a sexy man and a broken girl. 



PURCHASE LINKS


Amazon CA:  http://www.amazon.ca/Forgiven-This-ebook/dp/B00CTBUN5U/ref=pd_sim_kinc_2
                       


Purchase all 4 books in one bundle from Amazon (savings of $4)
http://www.amazon.com/This-Bundle-Part-1-ebook/dp/B00CVK103S/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1368977468&sr=1-1&keywords=this+bundle+part+1


Giveaway!!




About the Author
In 2005, the couple welcomed their first son, Noah. J.B. finished her Bachelor of Arts degree in Early Childhood Education at the University of South Carolina-Aiken in 2006. During her time studying children's literature, a professor had encouraged her to become a writer.

In 2007, she welcomed their second child, Jonah, and she became a stay at home mom/entrepreneur. In 2009, the found out their two children and J.B. have Mitochondrial Disease. In 2011, a diagnosis also was given to Chad. Please take a moment and learn more about Mitochondrial Disease. Awareness is key to this disease that has no cure or treatments.

J.B. McGee and her family now reside in Buford, Georgia, to be closer to their children's medical team. After a passion for reading had been re-ignited, J.B. decided to finally give writing a shot. Broken (This Series), is her first book and first series
J.B. McGee was born and raised in Aiken, South Carolina. After graduating from South Aiken High School, she toured Europe as a member of the 1999 International Bands of America Tour, playing the clarinet. While attending Converse College, an all- girls school in Spartanburg, South Carolina, she visited Charleston often. It quickly became one of her favorite vacation spots. She met her husband, Chad, during Christmas break her freshman year, and they married in 2001 and she moved back to her home town.

Social Media Links
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/authorjbmcgee
Twitter: https://twitter.com/j_b_mcgee
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6544571.J_B_McGee
Website:  http://www.jbmcgee.com

AuthorGraph:  http://www.authorgraph.com/authors/j_b_mcgee




Thursday, May 30, 2013

Release Event and Kindle Giveaway: Beauty from Pain by Georgia Cates


Title: Beauty from Surrender (Beauty #2)
Author: Georgia Cates
Release date: May 30, 2013
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Age Group: Adult
Event organized by: AToMR Tours

The story of Jack Henry and Laurelyn continues...

How do you move on when he’s every song you sing?

After Laurelyn Prescott walks away from the love of her life, she returns to Nashville to pursue the only dream she has left. Determined to find a distraction from the pain of losing Jack Henry, she immerses herself in her music. But with her old life comes old acquaintances and new expectations. When Laurelyn refuses her record producer’s outrageous demands, she finds herself without a career—until an unforeseen opportunity presents itself. From there it’s a rocket ride straight to the top where Laurelyn finds the success she’s always dreamed of. Will it be enough to bring her the happiness she so deserves, or will the absence of Jack Henry leave her wanting more?


Jack Henry McLachlan never expected to fall in love with Laurelyn Prescott—but he did. After he foolishly let her slip through his fingers, he spends three months searching for her, but their reunion doesn’t come easy. The woman he finds isn’t the same one who drifted away without a goodbye. No longer an insecure girl on an Australian adventure, this Laurelyn is a successful musician with a promising career. Her dreams are becoming a reality, and Jack is terrified his American girl won’t have a place for him in her new life. With only a month to convince her otherwise, will it be enough time to make her visualize a life beyond the glitz and glamour, a life that includes him?


Amazon 

Excerpt!!

Jack McLachlan’s POV

     Three. Long. Fucking. Months. That’s how long it’s been since I’ve seen Laurelyn. And I don’t think I can take another minute. I die a little more each day she isn’t in my life.
     She’s been damn near impossible to find. Fate has worked against us every step of the way. The hoops Jim has jumped through for the smallest bit of information have been ridiculous. One step forward, two steps back—instead of the other way around. A criminal on the run would’ve been easier to find.
But I’ve finally found her. Laurelyn Paige Prescott—better known to the public by her stage name as Paige McLachlan—that’s the woman I’m here to see tonight.
     I still smile when I think about her taking my name, but I can’t help but ponder why she’d need to use a stage name. She never mentioned using one before and it makes me wonder if something happened with the sperm donor. Or worse—maybe with Blake Phillips.
     I enter the auditorium lobby and the thick crowd makes it difficult to push through. The Martin I’m carrying adds to my difficult navigation as I bump shoulders through the horde, so I have to apologize with each step.
     I find my assigned seat. Because I’m a creature of habit, I’m happy when I see it’s in a dark corner. I sit and place the Martin by my feet. I’m nervous and adrenalized as evidenced by my rapidly beating heart. I’m about to see the woman I love walk out onto that stage.
     I look at the time and see it’s only a minute until eight. My heart is pounding erratically, throbbing in my ears over the loud crowd. Finally, musicians begin filing onto the stage to take their places. That’s when I see her for the first time in three months. My Laurelyn. All the time and distance that separated us disappears upon finally seeing her face again.
     She looks the same, yet different. Her hair is a little longer and darker. Her honey highlights are missing and she’s slimmer. She’s still beautiful as ever but doesn’t fit the image etched in my mind these last few months.

     She’s wearing brown boots—the same ones she wore the first time I saw her—with stonewashed jeans and a strapless white top. Her bare shoulders make me desperate to touch her exposed skin. And kiss it. Her top is fitted below her breasts while the bottom flows loosely over her jeans. I picture them riding low on her hips so I have easy access to kiss her belly.

Giveaway!!

About the Author
Georgia resides in rural Mississippi with her wonderful husband, Jeff, and their two beautiful daughters. She spent fourteen years as a labor and delivery nurse before deciding to pursue her dream of becoming an author. Despite the struggle, she has no regrets in her decision to try this crazy life. She can honestly say that she’s living the dream.






Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Then Again Blog Tour and Giveaway!!


Tragedy brings them together for a second chance
Heat between them is undeniable
Everything falls into place as they fall in love
Nothing can threaten their happiness

Amorous adventures abound
Great things are on the horizon for both of them
Angst about career threatens to destroy their relationship
Instinct draws them back to one another
Now nothing can tear them apart


Sometimes you have to lose it all to find what you really need.

Photographer Kay Turner is dealt a double whammy when she flies home for her grandmother’s funeral to find her boyfriend with another woman. Now with two losses to mourn, she retreats to her newly inherited beach house to clear her head.

Everything at the beach is familiar: the sounds of the ocean, the scent of her grandmother’s perfume—and the irresistible smile of James Margolis. The man Kay spent her adolescence pining for is every bit as charming as she remembers.

James always thought of Kay as “a nice kid”, but he feels something very different for the woman she’s become. Especially when he asks if she’d be willing to part with some of her grandmother’s recipes for his new restaurant—and they wind up sharing much more than culinary secrets.

But as their relationship deepens, Kay finds herself caught between the demands of her dream career as a travel photographer, and a chance for happiness with the one man she’s wanted for a lifetime.

Warning: This foodie romance contains sensual scone baking, a heroine who discovers one bad apple hasn’t spoiled her appetite, and a delicious hero you can’t help but crave. Blend well, serve hot.


Book Links:  




My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Then, Again was such a sweet romance! The kind of romance that made your heart happy to read. Karen makes you fall in love with the couple while they themselves are falling in love. They had the right combination of swoon and heat! We won't even think about the weight I gained thinking of the foodie aspect of this book!

I think Karen's writing style was perfect. The characters were well developed, and the flow was easy to read. James and Kay were seriously the cutest couple ever. They had known each other from childhood, and only wanted the best for each other. James was Kay's rock when she was at the bottom. Her grandmother's two best friends Trixie and Rosalie...they were freakin funny!

The story line didn't pack a whole lot of punches but it kept you wanting more. If you want a romance that'll make you hungry for more, yet leave you fully satisfied, this is the book for you!


~~~~~Giveaway!!~~~~~



ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Karen Stivali is a prolific writer, compulsive baker and chocoholic with a penchant for books, movies and fictional British men. When she's not writing, she can be found cooking extravagant meals and serving them to family and friends, who never seem to mind the excessive quantities she tends to prepare. She attributes her ability to multitask to the fact that she rarely sleeps, which gives her more hours every day. Prior to deciding to write full time Karen worked as a hand drawn animator, a clinical therapist, and held various food-related jobs ranging from waitress to specialty cake maker. Planning elaborate parties and fundraisers takes up what's left of her time and sanity.

Karen has always been fascinated by the way people relate to one another so she favors books and movies that feature richly detailed characters and their relationships. In her own writing she likes to explore the dynamics between characters and has a tendency to craft romantic tales filled with sarcasm and sexy details. Although she writes in three genres (erotic romance, contemporary romance and women's fiction) all of her stories are love stories with happily ever after endings.

Karen has published several erotic romance novels with Ellora's Cave including two award winning stories: Always You (published September 2011, First Place Winner of the RWA Passionate Plume Award - 2012)and Marry Me (published June 2012, First Place Winner in the NEC-RWA Bean Pot Reader's Choice Award - 2013).

Her works of women's fiction, Meant To Be, and its sequel, Holding On, (published by Turquoise Morning Press in August and November 2012, respectively) both made multiple  Best of 2012 lists and are rated as true gems and recommended reads.

Karen's latest release, Then, Again is a contemporary foodie romance published by Samhain Publishing.

To learn more about Karen  and all her upcoming books you can visit her website karenstivali.com where she blogs original recipes, sassy commentary on The Bachelor, and tidbits about her journey in the writing world. Karen can also be found attempting witty banter on Twitter
http://twitter.com/#!/karenstivali



Author Links






Monday, May 27, 2013

Unbreak Me Release Day Blitz and Giveaway!!



Unbreak Me by Lexi Ryan
Publication date:  May 27th, 2013
Genre: New Adult Romance

Synopsis:
“If you’re broken, I’ll fix you…”

I’m only twenty-one and already damaged goods. A slut. A failure. A disappointment to my picture-perfect family as long as I can remember. I called off my wedding to William Bailey, the only man who thought I was worth fixing. A year later, he’s marrying my sister. Unless I ask him not to…

“If you shatter, I’ll find you…”

But now there’s Asher Logan, a broken man who sees the fractures in my façade and doesn’t want to fix me at all. Asher wants meto stop hiding, to stop pretending. Asher wants to break down my walls. But that means letting him see my ugly secrets and forgiving him for his.

With my past weighing down on me, do I want the man who holds me together or the man who gives me permission to break?


Purchase  


Excerpt!!

“You’ve had a long day,” he says. “You want to talk?”

I drape my arms behind his neck. “Why would you think I want to talk to you at all?”

He grunts. “Because you’re looking at me like a starved woman at a prime rib buffet.”

“Yes,” I murmur. “What does that have to do with talking?”

His eyes are so damn sexy. The kind of eyes you see in magazines, where the man staring at you from the pages seems to invite you to strip bare while promising you’d enjoy it.

“Don’t you want us to get to know each other before you indulge?”

I pretend to consider it. “I’m more about the meal than the conversation.”

“You’re a kid.” If it’s supposed to be an objection it rings weak against the pressure of his hand on my hip.
I trace a rivulet of water down his neck. “I’m twenty-one.” I bring up my knees and wrap my legs around his waist, satisfied when he draws in his breath with a sharp hiss.

“Is this about him?” he asks.

I frown. “Who?”

“The groom at your sister’s wedding? He has some kind of hold on you. I saw it in your eyes. In his.”
“This has nothing to do with William Bailey.”

He looks unconvinced but doesn’t call my bluff. Instead, he brushes his lips over mine. Gentle. Careful. Sweet.
The only thing that can break me tonight is sweet, and I won’t be broken. I bite his full bottom lip and dig my nails into his shoulder blades.

A quick study, he gets my message. His hand tangles into my hair while the other digs into my ass and pulls me against him. The hard length of his cock rests between my legs and lights a hot coil of pulsing energy.
He rubs his tongue against mine and moans. Or maybe that’s me, because I’m pulling him closer. I wrap my arm tighter behind his neck, and I’m practically crawling up him in my efforts to get closer and closer still.
I break the kiss and make myself back off. I’m not the kind of girl who loses control. I don’t lose my mind over men and expect to be saved. I don’t want Asher to save me.

His fingertips are at my hip, tracing an invisible path down and under, moving ever closer to that coiled ache between my thighs. His lips part and our breath mingles as I savor the heat of his body against mine, the sweet anticipation of his fingers inching closer to where I want them.

I slide a hand down his bare chest and between our bodies and cup him through his swim trunks. I’m rewarded with another hiss and then his lips, his tongue, his teeth, hot and desperate against my neck, nipping, toying, playing. Electrifying the sensitive skin.

He cups my breast, and this time I know the moan I hear is my own.

“So goddamn sexy.” His thumb flicks across my nipple, a strangled sound escaping his throat.

I graze my fingertips under the waistband of his swim trunks. I want to feel him in my palm. I want that power to whip through me as I wrap my hands around his hot flesh and it pulses thicker, harder.

For a moment, that’s where this is headed. His hands are greedy, all over me, his mouth doing delicious things to my neck.

“You have protection, right?” I ask.

He laughs and stops toying with me, his head leaning against my shoulder. Slowly, he slides his hands to my back. “That’s not exactly something I keep tucked in my swim trunks.”

I’m so aroused it hurts. Asher is stunning. Solid. Delicious. I want to bite into that corded muscle of his neck. Want to explore that smattering of chest hair with my fingers while I drag my mouth down his flat stomach.
But he doesn’t have protection, and that’s a deal breaker.

“In your house?” My breathing’s unsteady, my heart pounding.

He cups my face in one big hand. “Why don’t you run home and get dressed? I’ll take you to breakfast.”

My jaw goes slack. Who the hell is this guy? Who has brakes that good?

Excerpt © Lexi Ryan, 2013

Giveaway!!



AUTHOR BIO
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Lexi Ryan writes romances with humor, heat, and heart. Her books are described as fun, flirty, and wickedly sexy. A lover of learning, Lexi has been in the classroom all her life and currently holds the title of assistant professor of English at her local community college. Lexi is a proud member of Romance Writers of America. She lives in rural Indiana with her husband and two children.

Author Links:

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter






Sunday, May 26, 2013

Love In Darkness Excerpt and Giveaway!!


Title: Love in Darkness (Shattered Castles, #2)
Author: E.M. Tippetts
Release date: May 21, 2013
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Age Group: New Adult
Event organized by: AToMR Tours

Alex had everything when he was with Madison. But the darkness within him wouldn't go away. After two years apart, he returns to Pelican Bluffs and to the girl he never wanted to leave. 

Madison wants to give their love another chance, but Alex can't fight fate. He is what he is. Ruined. Crazy like his mother. And Madison deserves so much more. When his secrets spill out into their small town, Alex has a choice to make. Hide away in the darkness forever, or let love in.


 Excerpt

I push through the glass doors and step out onto the asphalt of the parking lot, right into Madison. I put my hands up to shield myself and she does an awkward sidestep to avoid collision.
For a moment we just stare at each other and I lower my hands slowly, unsure of what to say.
“Sorry,” is what she says. Those pale eyes of hers stay fixed on my face. Her hair’s still a little damp from the shower and the smell of her herbal shampoo perfumes the air. Those lips of hers are a soft pink and shine from a fresh application of lip gloss, and she scowls a little, like she always does when unhappy.
“No,” I say, “my fault. I didn’t look.”
She bites her lip.
Standing this close, she’s irresistible. I want, so badly, to put my arms around her. What’s worse is that encounters like this will happen, and keep happening as long as we both live in town.
She drops her gaze to the pavement.
Yeah, this isn’t working. “Can we talk?” I ask.
A wordless nod is her only reply and we turn and walk back towards her subdivision.
I touch her arm to make her look up at me, then regret it. Even just a touch sends electricity up my arm. “I’m sorry, okay? For ending things the way I did.”
“You sure there’s no chance for us?”
“I’m sorry.”
“How can you just throw away the last three years? I mean, that’s it? You’re not interested, end of story? I’ve waited two years for you, and it’s like you don’t even care.” At least she’s angry and not sad.
This is torture. My body aches, physically, for the feel of her. I want to taste those lips and run my fingers through her hair and feel the cool dampness of each strand. I want to take her home and see if I remember how to kiss her neck so gently that she tips her head back, eyes closed, surrendering to my touch.
Alex, I think, quit it. Not appropriate. I stop and turn.
She locks her gaze with mine. “I want to be with you. There’s no one else I’ve ever felt this way about.”
It feels natural to step in for a hug, but I stop myself and clench my fists instead. “I’m an unemployed high school dropout with a psychotic disorder. You can do better. In fact, it’d be hard for you to do worse.”
“But-”
“I never wanted to lose you, but there’s nothing I can really do about that. You’re out of my league.”
“We could try to work things out,” she pleads.
“All the trying in the world won’t change my condition.” And with that, I hit the limits of my control. I’m being gazed at by the love of my life and I need to get out of here. Worse, I sense the voices jabbering away on their plane of existence, and I have to remind myself, they don’t have any plane of existence. They don’t exist. Here I go again, though. I wonder how long I have until my next breakdown.
Like I said, I always knew I wasn’t the greatest guy, but walking away from Madison feels like a new low for me. I try to hold onto the thought that I’m doing this for her.
Anger rushes in my ears like a windstorm. Any second I expect to hear her run after me and feel her hand on my wrist or shoulder, but that never comes. I make it to the corner of Main Street and Ridge Road, and when I look, no one is behind me, which makes me even angrier, even though I know that’s not fair.

About the Author

Emily Mah Tippetts writes romance under the name E.M. Tippetts and science fiction and fantasy under the name Emily Mah. Originally from New Mexico, she now lives in London with her family. Before she was a published author, she was an attorney who specialized in real estate, contracts, and estate planning, especially literary estate planning.

Author social media links:



Giveaway!!





Saturday, May 25, 2013

Trophy Husband Guest Post and Giveaway!!




Sometimes you can't help falling in love, even when you try to do the opposite...Successful fashion blogger McKenna Bell has spent far too long protecting herself after the way her ex-fiancé left her at the altar for a college chick he met the night of his bachelor party. Loving again, trusting again, well, that's just not in the cards. Especially now that her ex is back in town with his new woman, demanding custody of McKenna's favorite creature in the whole world--her dog. No effing way. McKenna's had enough of him, and she decides to even the score by finding her own hot young thing -- a Trophy Husband. Sure, she's only twenty-seven, but doesn't that make it even more fun -- and infuriating to her ex -- to pursue a younger man? When she declares her intentions on her daily blog, her quest quickly skyrockets in popularity, and that's when Chris enters the picture, and he’s got all the assets. He's handsome, successful, and turns her inside out with a kiss to end all kisses, the kind that makes you feel like a shooting star. But loving again could mean losing again, and it's so much easier to focus on getting even, isn't it? Unless, you just can't help falling in love. Which means McKenna will have to come face to face with what she really wants in life -- protecting her heart from hurt, or letting go of her fears of a new beginning.


Top 10 Things You Don't Know About Chris
1. He built this tree house when he was twelve. Chris, his brother Jay, and their sister Jill used to hang out in it.



2. The first time he met McKenna, she was wearing this tee-shirt. He looked at the shirt alot. Because it’s clever, and because he was checking out her boobs.



3. He didn’t like his sister Jill’s boyfriend in high school. He was never entirely sure why. The dude just rubbed him the wrong way. (Readers might learn why in Playing With My Heart)

4. He has never worn a suit in his life.

5. His favorite movie is Get Shorty, his favorite TV show is Arrested Development and his favorite author is Carl Hiassen.

6. He can do an ollie, a kickflip, a daffy and more on a skateboard. He can also snowboard, but he doesn’t like cold weather, and thinks Tahoe is too crazy crowded, so he’d rather be at the beach.

7. He played lacrosse in high school. Because guys who play lacrosse are hot. He scored the winning goal in the championship game his senior year.

8. The last concert he went to was Arcade Fire. Before that, he saw the rising indie band Retractable Eyes. He and McKenna are going to see Jane Black perform this weekend in San Francisco at The Fillmore. She’s been compared to Adele, and McKenna thinks she’s awesome. (Jane Black also happens to the main character in a novel I’m releasing this fall with Entangled. It’s mentioned in the “Coming Soon” section at the back of Trophy Husband.)

9. Chris and McKenna had a quickie in the dressing room of her favorite vintage shop in Petaluma when they were driving back from wine country last weekend. He bought her this dress afterwards. She’s wearing it tomorrow for her show.



10. He was invited to rush several frats in college. He politely declined.

Giveaway!!




ABOUT LAUREN BLAKELY:

Lauren Blakely is an unabashed fan of clever jokes, toast, and good guys in novels. Like the heroine in CAUGHT UP IN US, she thinks life should be filled with movie kisses and coffee drinks. Lauren lives in California with her husband and children, and spends her days writing both true stories and make-believe ones.


LINKS:




Friday, May 24, 2013

Cover Reveal: Fading by E.K. Blair


Can a guilty conscience keep wounds from healing?

Fine arts major, Candace Parker, grew up with a mother who thinks image is everything, and her daughter’s perfection will never be good enough. About to graduate college and pursue her dreams of becoming a professional ballerina, Candace decides it’s time to let go and have a little fun. But fun is short-lived when a brutal attack leaves her completely shattered. 

The memories that consume and torment Candace are starting to destroy her when she meets Ryan Campbell, a successful bar owner. He feels instantly connected and tries to show her that hope is worth fighting for. But is Ryan harboring his own demons? As walls slowly begin to chip away, the secrets that are held within start to become painful burdens. 

At what point do secrets become lies?






Genre:  Contemporary, coming of age

Release Date - June 21, 2013


Overexposed Book Blast


Young Adult
May 24th 2013 by Star Bound Books

In the tiny town of Willowspring, just about nothing ever happens except for layoffs, hockey games, and your average melodramatic teenage angst.

But that was before.

Vi, Ashley, and Macy are just trying to make it through the school year without one more humiliation when they team up for a simple photography assignment: create a story through a series of photographs. Can't be too much trouble, right?

Wrong.

The shutterbugs happen upon Willowspring High School's darkest secret. When everything around them starts to crumble after trying to do the right thing, their only hope is to stick together.


 
And the link to Smashwords:




When the door opened to the alley behind the rink, I realized two things. One, it was freaking colder outside than it was in the bleachers by the ice, and two, Brianna Jones (A.K.A Bra stuffer) was already out there.



The three of us walked out as if it was perfectly normal to be there but Brianna didn’t even notice us. We walked to the opposite side of the alley and huddled together. We hoped it would look like we were keeping warm, but we were trying to hide both the cameras.



Watching Brianna was rather dull. She was just standing there, talking on her cell phone and it wasn’t even anything remotely interesting. We took pictures anyway, because like Mr. Bennett said, you need the before, during, and after to tell a story with photographs.



“Look! She is checking that car’s doors! That isn’t her car, is it?” The quiet clicking of the shutters on our cameras was almost deafening to me. I swore each click was louder and louder as we watched Brianna try to break into a car.



Finally, the last door she tried, the back passenger side, was open. She slipped in and a second later, the dark car had a red glow inside. She climbed back out, shut the door, and walked over to the wall, smoking a stolen cigarette.



“She just broke into someone’s car for a cigarette? Seriously?” Ashley was just as flabbergasted as the rest of us. Why would anyone risk committing a crime for a smoke? “Oh! She is moving again!”



Click, click, click. I took more and more pictures. I hated that they were all from the same angle, but spys have to do what they have to do to keep from being caught, all the while still getting the images.



Brianna walked back to the car and put the cigarette out on the hood. Lucky for whoever owned it there was a layer of snow to put it out before it could burn the paint. Then she leaned over and used the mirror. She pursed her lips, showed her teeth to check those, then she lifted her head slightly.



“What is she doing?” I whispered.



“I’m not sure.” Macy said breaking away from the group. “I am going over there, different angle.” Before I could stop her, she had gone back across the alley to the other side. She was braver than I was. Ashley watched her closely before turning back to me.



“Let me take some. I promise I won’t hurt Jilly.” I knew I had to hand it over. I promised her she could use it. Even knowing that, it didn’t make it any easier.



“Okay. Here.” I took the strap from around my neck and quickly placed it around hers. The minute the fabric was firmly against her skin, she took off, too. “Ash, what are you doing?” I whisper yelled to her.



She just put a finger over her mouth to shush me and she got even closer to the car than Macy had. I figured that made me look out so I opened my eyes and ears and tried to make sure my best friends didn’t get caught.



I looked over my shoulder to check the door to make sure we were still alone when all of a sudden I heard a scream.



“YOU LITTLE BITCH! GIVE ME THAT CAMERA NOW!” When I turned back to see what was going on (although I was pretty sure that either Macy or Ashley had been caught by Brianna) I saw my girls running towards me, with Brianna not far behind.



“Run!” Ash and Macy yelled through giggles. I turned and headed to the door and held it open for them. As soon as they passed through I closed it and the three of us went straight out the front door and to Macy’s truck.



“What on earth just happened?” I asked when I caught my breath. Ashley handed Jilly back to me and I flipped it on. The minute I pressed the play images button I began to laugh. The first one was of Brianna screaming at the camera. I pressed the next button and then it was a picture of her finger in her mouth. The next one was a picture of her finger in her nose.



I died laughing. Brianna Jones was a booger eater. I bet her boyfriend would love to know that.



“Oh, Ashley, you are amazing!” Then the truck erupted in laughter and because Macy’s dad had given her a twenty to get food at the overly expensive rink, we headed to the diner for some hot cocoa and French fries for half the cost. Who said teenagers were irresponsible with money?












Growing up, Adrianne couldn't get her hands on enough books to satisfy her need for the make believe. If she finished a novel and didn't have a new one ready and waiting for her, she began to create her own tales of magic and wonder. Now, as an adult, books still make up majority of her free time, and now her tales get written down to be shared with the world.



During the day, Adrianne uses her camera to capture life's stories for clients of all ages and at night, after her two children are tucked in bed; she devotes herself to her written work. Adrianne is living the life she always wanted, surrounded by art and beauty, the written word and a loving family.



As a young adult and new adult author, Adrianne James has plans to bring stories of growing characters, a little romance, and perhaps a little magic and mythology down the line for her readers to enjoy.











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