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Sunday, February 23, 2020
Friday, February 21, 2020
"Inebriated" by Katey Taylor
EXCERPT and GIVEAWAY
Inebriated
by Katey Taylor
Inebriated by Katey Taylor is currently on tour with Xpresso Book Tours. The tour stops here today for an excerpt and a giveaway. Please be sure to visit the other tour stops as well.
Keep an eye out for the sequel, Neon Nights, coming March 2020.
Description
Barely seventeen and as pretty as can be: the summer is their playground. Cait and her best friends Steph and Allie take on San Francisco’s party scene with fake IDs and short dresses.
When Cait meets Adrien Cross, the charismatic lead singer of her favorite indie band, she’s introduced to a hedonistic world of liquor and lust that she never wants to leave. But then that world spirals out of control and the harsh realities of reckless living take a toll on Cait and the ones she loves. What will be left when the makeup masks wash off, the bottles are empty, and Cait begins to lose her grip on everything?
Katey Taylor’s heart-wrenching debut novel will have you strapped into the intense rollercoaster ride of Cait’s life and one chaotic summer that will change it all.
Book Video
Excerpt
I’m cold. I’m alone. I’m stranded in this city and have no idea the street name of this random apartment stoop I’m lying on. I can hardly think. The city lights are a blur all around me. How did I get here? Where are Allie and Steph? How did I get so wasted last night?
My mouth is so dry, and my head is pounding like my brain is trying to escape my skull. I’m still in the scratchy sequin dress I went out in last night. The sun is turning the dark night into morning, and no one is out on the streets. My eyes open more, and I scan my surroundings. My purse is here. That is a glimmer of hope, at least. Rummaging through my bag I find my wallet and phone are still inside. Thank God. My phone is dead and more panic rises in my chest as more questions flood my mind.
What happened last night?
How did I get here? What time is it?
Are Steph and Allie okay?
Why would they leave me here?
At this point, I know I should get up and try to find a taxi or someone capable of helping me, but I am suffering from the worst hangover I’ve ever experienced. God, my head hurts so bad, and my stomach is still burning, and every time I sit up the rumbling in my stomach becomes so intense I have to lie back down and try not to vomit. I attempt to make a bed in the corner of this cement staircase, cradling the exacerbating pain in my head. I need to remember how I got here. I start with what I do remember… the beginning of the night. The fog from my brain starts to dissipate and the night becomes clearer to me.
It all started last night, the first Friday of junior year’s summer break. I remember being on my way to my favorite music venue, Swank, with Steph and Allie. It’s where all the most fashionable youth from San Francisco go to dance, get wasted, and check out the latest music on the scene. Swank is one of the only places in the city that looks lightly on fake IDs. Lucky for us, we scored our very first ones during spring break. My new identity added four years, making me the legal drinking age. Since then we’ve been going to Swank every weekend we can. We don’t live in SF, so we have to take the forty-five-minute BART train. The BART is the one form of transportation from suburbia to inside the city that doesn’t involve a driver.
On our train ride to San Francisco, we each had a water bottle filled with vodka that Steph had stolen from her older sister’s liquor stash. We took turns taking swigs, chasing the vodka with some old, flat soda I found in my fridge, which helped kill the burning in our throats. Steph can drink the most and always makes it a race to finish first. She is a tiny, sixteen-year-old but I swear she can drink like a fifty-year-old alcoholic man. Steph has been my best friend since kindergarten, and she definitely has grown into her looks over the years. Braces straightened her teeth, and her once mousy brown hair has been meticulously highlighted by the most expensive salon in town. Steph is the master at planning our San Francisco adventures.
[Want more? Click below to read a longer excerpt.]
Praise for the Book
“This book was fantastic. It depicted down to a tee what it is like to be a high schooler on summer vacation. Anybody could read this book and see themselves in Cait and her friends. I know I did. Even though this is most likely a work of fiction, it had elements of truth behind it and that is this books biggest strength. Inebriated is a one of kind book that everybody should read. It has well written teenagers, a great, albeit heartbreaking plot and a main character that you will absolutely fall in love with.” ~ YA Book Central
“This is a wonderfully written, emotional story with some real gut-wrenching moments. The characters were well portrayed and I was fully invested in each of their lives. Adrien and Caitlyn are both characters that are haunted by their pasts, but the way they attack life is so different. It's heart-wrenching and eye-opening going on this journey with them. Their story is one I'll remember for some time to come and one that has definitely made a lasting impression.” ~ K&M Sultry Reads
"What a powerful and gripping story! This was a wonderful debut novel, well done Katey! I was hooked from the very first chapter. Inebriated is a great young adult novel that sheds light on the realities of partying and drinking and all of the unfortunate repercussions that can come with it.” ~ EmilyReads a Goodreads User
“I think the author did a wonderful job at bringing important issues to light all the while adding a bit of romance to the thick plot (when I say thick I am talking about the heavy topics). While it's clear to readers that the two have a toxic relationship I think many can remember what it felt like to be young, in love, and causing trouble. In any event, I think this is a fantastic debut novel.” ~ Elle's Book Blog
About the Author
Katey Taylor is the author behind the emotionally wrenching Young Adult novel Inebriated. Katey’s passion for storytelling stemmed not long after she first learned to write with a pencil. Every story she writes is infused with a piece of her heart and her absolute muses of music and travel. She’s a San Francisco Bay Area native living in a house that sits on a bayside lagoon with her husband and two cats.
Giveaway
Enter the tour-wide giveaway for a chance to win a $25 Amazon gift card.
Links
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Sunday, February 16, 2020
Friday, February 14, 2020
"If You Only Knew" by Prerna Pickett
EXCERPT and GIVEAWAY
If You Only Knew
by Prerna Pickett
If You Only Knew by Prerna Pickett is currently on tour with Xpresso Book Tours. The tour stops here today for an excerpt and a giveaway. Please be sure to visit the other tour stops as well.
Description
A boy recently released from jail and the daughter of a prosecutor fall for each other against the odds in this YA novel.
Corey has just been released from jail, and all he wants is a new beginning. But when his former gang comes knocking, Corey agrees to vandalize the home of Kent Hopper, the prosecutor who put him away.
To erase the guilt she carries from getting away with a crime, Tessa spends most of her nights riding her motorcycle. When she catches Corey destroying her father’s car, she doesn’t see a criminal: She sees a way to finally right her own wrongs. So instead of turning Corey over to the police, she convinces her father to give Corey a second chance.
As Tessa and Corey spend more time with each other, it becomes difficult to ignore the pull between them. But they’re both keeping secrets, and when those secrets come to light, they’ll each have to face their demons in order to have a future together.
Excerpt
Corey
For the last five years I’d lived by one simple rule: Stay alive.
I put that rule to the test by making one simple statement. “This isn’t a good idea.”
Vance waited in the shadows, molding himself to them. The whites of his eyes narrowed. He clenched his jaw.
“I’m not asking for your opinion.” He lifted the hem of his shirt and stuck his thumb into a belt loop. His piece glinted against the little bit of light filtering through the row of windows on the garage door.
I gripped the bat in my hand and gritted my teeth. Being in jail had rusted my instincts, short-circuited my sense of self-preservation. All I needed was the sight of Vance’s gun to remind me of that.
“I know what I’m doing, Fowler. Right, boys?” His question echoed and fell around me as he nodded to Drew and Jaimie. They stood at the back of the detached garage in their matching black shirts and jeans, holding flashlights. Drew frowned, a grim line set across his mouth.
I cleared my face of all emotion, a blank canvas, tightening my hold on the bat in my hand and tried to convince myself it wasn’t created to hit baseballs, but rather elite sports cars.
“You know you want to. That lawyer deserves worse.” Vance crept closer to my ear, egging me on with his jittery presence. “Just one swing, right there on the front windshield.”
Hopper didn’t deserve it. Not really. Especially not after everything he did to get my sentence reduced. Which wasn’t part of his job, considering he was the prosecuting attorney.
“Not like he can’t afford another one,” Jaimie taunted.
The words didn’t offer me any comfort. My hands kept sweating, making my hold on the bat slick. I forced myself to shut off the danger sign flashing at the back of my head. This wasn’t exactly how I planned on paying back Hopper for his kindness.
I rolled the bat back and forth, tossed it in the air and watched it twist, the black ingrained logo showing its face with every turn. Vance’s wide grin reflected across the shining surface of the car.
“A year in that hell. And for what? Nothing you did.”
I almost snorted at that one. Maybe I hadn’t done exactly what I was charged with, but I still picked the path that led me to the dank and dark cell.
“Corey, do it.”
This time, it wasn’t a question. Jaime and Drew already had dumped out all the garbage onto the patio, spray-painted the back and side of the house, and broken a couple of windows. All the commotion was blocked out by the house party next door. When the lawyer was away, the neighbors came out to play.
I gripped the bat tighter and ground my teeth as I pictured the look on Mom’s face every time she came to visit me in prison.
What the hell was I doing here?
[Want more? Click below to read a longer excerpt.]
Praise for the Book
“This is an awesome story.” ~ Emily Hollman
“I enjoyed the backstories of each character and the fact that Corey is a bad kid, but is trying to redeem himself and is caught in a tough place. So far it's reminding me a bit of the Fast and Furious movies.” ~ Tara Tsai
“I loved this sweet YA contemporary!!! If You Only Knew follows two heroes you will be rooting for the whole time.” ~ Shannon Young
“I could not stop turning the pages, the many twists and turns kept me riveted as I rooted for Tessa and Corey. Teens will love their adventures; the motorcycle, the race, their date, and the chemistry of their attraction […] This book will be a hit with teens!” ~ B. J. Neary
“I also enjoyed Tessa’s character. She was very headstrong and stood up for what she believed in! Overall this was a very cute YA read that had the type of suspense, forbidden love plot that kept me reading!” ~ Amazon Customer
About the Author
Prerna Pickett believes in magic, fairytales, and unicorns. Writing was always her dream job and now she gets to live the dream. When Prerna isn’t writing, she can usually be found daydreaming about writing, or at the library helping her five kids choose books. If You Only Knew is her debut novel.
Giveaway
Enter the tour-wide giveaway for a chance to win a print copy of If You Only Knew by Prerna Pickett (US only).
Links
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Sunday, February 9, 2020
Friday, February 7, 2020
"The Reading Parrot Named Darwin" by Mary Sage Nguyen
EXCERPT and GIVEAWAY
The Reading Parrot Named Darwin
by Mary Sage Nguyen
The Reading Parrot Named Darwin by Mary Sage Nguyen is currently on tour with Bewitching BookTours. The tour stops here today for some excerpts and a giveaway. Please be sure to visit the other tour stops as well.
Description
This is a Children's Picture Book for children ages 2-12.
Lana is a writer who is suffering from a case of writer’s block. She receives an African grey parrot from her elderly aunt. She later finds out this parrot is no ordinary bird, but one that can read. The parrot assists her with overcoming writer’s block. They become friends, and she learns that inspiration can come from anyone!
Book Video
Excerpt
Praise for the Book
“The Reading Parrot Named Darwin is a sweet picture book story that will give young readers a few chuckles and inspire them not only to read, but also to write their own stories. As Lana and Darwin bond in friendship and creativity, the two teach each other the strength of working together as a team. They also help each other realize their dreams and goals and to really believe in themselves - important concepts for young readers.” ~ Emily-Jane Hills Orford for Readers' Favorite
“An absolutely sweet children's book that is encouraging to young girls and women to over come challenges and find their muse and strength. I love Mary's writing. It is sophisticated and empowering. It is a great read to kids and the illustrations is so cute and colorful. Mary is a thoughtful writer and author that plans her story and illustrations.” ~ DJB
“I have a copy of this book and was impressed with the quality of the artwork...Its a very fun book..cant wait till my grandkids visit so I can read it to them.” ~ Perry Faulk
“Girls and women who aspire to literary success will find much to like about Lana's efforts and the surprising interruption that turns her life around, providing new changes that spark her creative impulse. The story moves in an unforeseen direction in a stimulating tale that is both fun for leisure readers and inspirational for would-be writers searching for their muses.” ~ Diane
About the Author
Mary Sage Nguyen is the youngest daughter of Vietnamese and Chinese immigrants. Vietnamese was the language spoken at home, so the only way she was able to learn English was through the public school system. Even though English was not spoken at home, Mary became an avid reader as a young child and always dreamed of being a writer someday.
Giveaway
Enter the tour-wide giveaway for a chance to win a hardcover or paperback copy of The Reading Parrot Named Darwin by Mary Sage Nguyen (US only).
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