"Any Boy But You" by Julie Hammerle

REVIEW and GIVEAWAY

Any Boy But You
(North Pole, Minnesota Book 1)

by Julie Hammerle

Any Boy But You, the first book in the new North Pole, Minnesota series by Julie Hammerle, is currently on tour with Chapter by Chapter Blog Tours. The tour stops here today for my review, an excerpt, and a giveaway. Please be sure to visit the other tour stops as well.

Description

Elena Chestnut has been chatting with an anonymous boy late into the night. It’s a very You’ve Got Mail situation, and she has no idea who he is. He can’t be Oliver Prince, hot-and-bashful son of the family running the rival sporting goods store. Their fancy sales strategies are driving Elena’s family out of business. Elena’s mystery boy has teamed up with her in their latest sales strategy, an augmented reality game, to help her win the grand-prize plane tickets. Money’s so tight Elena’s going to miss senior year spring break with her friends if she can’t win this game.

The girl Oliver's fallen head-over-heels for online had better not be Elena Chestnut. She's his angry, vindictive Latin tutor, the daughter of his dad’s business rival, and the one girl he’d never even think of kissing. She’s definitely not his online crush, because that girl is funny, sweet, and perfect.

When Oliver asks to reveal their names at the Valentine’s Day dance, their IRL relationship will either ruin what they have online, or they’ll discover just how thin the line between love and hate really is.

Disclaimer: This Entangled Teen Crush book contains swearing, snowball fights, and sexual tension that could melt the North Pole. Read at your own risk.

Excerpt

Click below to read an excerpt.

Praise for the Book

"This was so sweet and heartwarming, I do want a big hug right now. It was not too much sweetness, though, and it tackled quite a lot of nice topics, such as sexual identity, divorce, with on the one hand seriousness and on the other hand a lot of fun and humour, too! These many ingredients made the perfect recipe for a heartwarming novel that made my heart melt, for sure!" ~ Sophie, Where Are the Books?

"I absolutely loved Any Boy But You! It's perfect for rom-com fans, especially if, like me, you love both You've Got Mail and Gilmore Girls!" ~ Ambur, Burning Impossibly Bright

"Finally something to end my disappointing books streak. I was sold when I read You've Got Mail in the summary, and it delivered." ~ Hristina Petrov, I'll Be Fine Alone Reads

"What makes this book different is one 2 sporting goods stores are involved in a town where it is Christmas 365 days a year (yep that's right 365 days) and the Chestnuts have one and the Prince's have the other. During a app game that the Prince's came up with, Elena and Oliver start talking not knowing who the other is and BOOM! Instant chemistry!" ~ Shawna Cramer, Seashells and Puppy Tails

"This novel was a fun, quick read. The pages kept going by!" ~ Dee, Goodreads Reviewer

"A Romeo and Juliet type tale without all the killing and death. Star-crossed lovers and a family feud make for an enjoyable read. Readers will be sucked in from the very first page and will be eagerly turning pages to see what happens next. Definitely recommend!" ~ Kristen Cambensy, Victim of Books

"If this book was a dish, then this book was made just right. The right amount of fluff and puff romance, character development, and also conflict." ~ Janella, The Purple Nightingale

"One of my favourite YA novels from last year was Julie Hammerle's The Sound of Us. What made that novel stand out so much to me, besides its theme, was the characters. They were uniquely drawn and not falling into stereotypes. The same holds true for Any Boy But You." ~ Sascha Darlington, Sascha Darlington's Microcosm Explored

"If you like You've Got Mail and Gilmore Girls, you are going to love this story. Any Boy But You and look forward to reading more by this refreshing author." ~ Susan, Susan Loves Books

"The best thing about Any Boy But You is seeing how Elena and Oliver's relationship develops and deepens. The novel also has a great cast of characters in this town, some of whom will be great candidates for sequel stories in the series. I can't wait to spend more time in North Pole, Minnesota, and I've never said that about somewhere cold ever." ~ Eve Scalzo, Definitely, Possibly, Maybe

My Review

By Lynda Dickson

In North Pole, Minnesota, a town where it's Christmas every day of the year, the Chestnuts and the Princes have been feuding ever since 1969, when their sporting goods store split and they went their separate ways. They now own two competing stores across the road from each other. Oliver Prince recently moved to North Pole from Miami so that his father could take over the family business. He develops a mobile app to help promote the store - Stash Grab, based on the popular Pokémon Go game. Meanwhile, across the road, Elena Chestnut spends most of her junior year working in her family's store, but it's rapidly losing business to its competitor. Elena nevertheless starts playing Stash Grab in an effort to win plane tickets she can use for spring break. She begins an online relationship with one of the other players - who happens to be none other than Oliver. What will happen when they each find out who their online crush is? And what secret is Elena's mother and Oliver's father hiding from everyone? Will these two feuding families ever be able to resolve their differences?

I absolutely love the setting for this series, a small town that lives Christmas 24/7. The shops all have cute Christmassy names, like Santabucks (coffee shop), Santa's Worksop (hardware store), and Pie-lent Night (pizzeria). Told in the third person from the points-of-view of both Elena and Oliver, we get to see their developing relationship from the two different perspectives. This is a true feel-good romance and family drama that will leave you with a smile on your face.

I look forward to sharing the romantic misadventures of more of the residents of North Pole, Minnesota, in upcoming books in this series.

Warnings: coarse language, LGBT themes.

About the Author

Julie Hammerle is the author of The Sound of Us, which will be published by Entangled Teen June 2016. Before settling down to write "for real", she studied opera, taught Latin, and held her real estate license for one hot minute. Currently, she writes about TV on her blog Hammervision, ropes people into conversations about Game of Thrones, and makes excuses to avoid the gym. Her favorite YA-centric TV shows include 90210 (original spice), Felicity, and Freaks and Geeks. Her iPod reads like a 1997 Lilith Fair set list.

She lives in Chicago with her husband, two kids, and a dog. They named the dog Indiana.

Giveaway

Enter the tour-wide giveaway for a chance to win a signed copy of The Sound of Us by Julie Hammerle (US only).

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"Sins of the Father" by Lisa Beth Darling

INTERVIEW and GIVEAWAY

Sins of the Father
(Sister Christian Book 2)

by Lisa Beth Darling

Sins of the Father, the second book in the Sister Christian series by Lisa Beth Darling, is available for only $0.99. Also available: Genesis and Mysterious Ways.

Sins of the Father is currently on tour with Goddess Fish Promotions. The tour stops here today for my interview with the author, an excerpt, and a giveaway. Please be sure to visit the other tour stops as well.

Description

The second installment in the Sister Christian series delves deeply into Hannah's past. For it is only when we deal with our demons that we can leave them behind and work toward a bright future.

As Hannah recovers from emergency brain and heart surgery, memories of the past overtake her dreams with such clarity they cannot be denied. As the last of the painful family secrets come to light it's up to her brother, Doctor Richard Mason, and his unconventional methods to help her confront the ugliness.

Excerpt

Tonight Betsey left early to get ready for a banquet dinner for her son's football team and Mason was up to his eyeballs in a new case that was baffling him.  After a very short phone call telling Hannah he was apt to be very late, he didn't have time to check in with her.

Alone in the house, Hannah entertained herself with the piano but without much heart when the phone began to ring. That was odd, Ricky's phone almost never rang during the day unless it was him calling and he'd already done that telling her that someone was very sick and needed him so he'd probably be very late tonight not to wait up for him and that he'd be home as soon as he could.

Staring at the ringing cordless phone in its cradle, she wheeled herself over to it to answer it wishing she could understand the words on the caller ID, "Hello?"

No one said anything. Perhaps the person on the other end thought they had the wrong number as they were expecting a man to answer the phone?

"Hello…May-son…Res-i-den-ce."

Still no one said anything though the line appeared open and she even thought she could hear someone breathing on the other end. "Is…some-one…there?"

When no one answered on her third try, Hannah clicked the little green button to disconnect the line before putting the phone back in the charger, chalking it up to a wrong number and a rude person who couldn't say 'hello'.

Outside it started to rain and through the window, she saw the yellow school bus pulling up to the curb just a few doors down.  Hannah rolled over to the window to place the palm of her hand on the cool glass and watch the children get off the bus.

[Want more? Click below to read a longer excerpt.]

Praise for the Book

"Following this story from the start has been quite a journey for me. Ms. Darling has brought these characters front, center and true to life. 'The devil's in the detail' must have been quoted after just such a story. It isn't just about Hannah I speak of, but also the redemption and healing from the unconditional love of a sister. I do recommend this as must read. It's food for the soul." ~ Anna Salamatin

"It's a must read if you enjoyed the first book. If you picked up this book first, put it aside and grab book one, else you'll feel a bit lost as to how things came to be." ~ Tanja

"Let me just say WOW. This book picks right up where the first one left us. We get more insight into what poor Hannah has gone through at the hands of her father. Truly a heart wrenching story. I loved it and cannot wait to see what is next." ~ TammyPayne - Book Nook Nuts

"It's hard to put into words how much I loved this series! I am awe struck at this story. [...] This is a very emotional story. This story will reach deep down in your soul and pull on every emotion you have. And it's going to stick with you for awhile after you have finished it. Loved it!! Looking forward to more from this author." ~ Brenda Romine

Interview With the Author

Hi Lisa Beth, thanks for joining me today to discuss your new book, Sins of the Father.

Hello, thank you so much for having me here today.

For what age group do you recommend your book?

Although there's no sex or any real violence in Sins of the Father or in the Sister Christian series in general, it does have some adult themes so I would recommend it to anyone 16 and over.

What sparked the idea for this series?

I started writing this series a few years after I made contact with my birth family and discovered I had three brothers. I was raised an only child so the idea that I had siblings was rather new to me; growing up I often wished I had a sibling but then I'd go to my friend's houses and see how they interacted with their siblings and went home happy I was an only child. The idea of the brother/sister dynamic always interested me even when my friends were shouting at each other over nothing. This series and a lot of its contents, planted deeply in the fertile ground of a writer's imagination, grew out of those two situations.

So, which comes first? The character's story or the idea for the novel?

Generally the character will walk up and introduce themselves and then start telling me about the novel we're about to work on.

What was the hardest part to write in this book?

In one scene, toward the end, Richard Mason goes all out to take on the persona of his dead father in order to get his manic sister, Hannah Rice, to disclose everything that happened to her at the hands of James Rice. It was very difficult and emotional for writer and characters.

How do you hope this book affects its readers?

Positively. Although there are some dark parts to the book, there's a lot of laughter and very touching moments between brother and sister. I hope they find it heartwarming and inspiring.

How long did it take you to write this book?

Sins of the Father is the second novel in the Sister Christian series and, like most of the books in this series, it practically wrote itself. Maybe it was four months from start to finish.

What is your writing routine?

Like most writers, I have my rituals. I start writing around 2 in the afternoon when I come home from work. In between cleaning the house and getting dinner ready, I have about 2½ hours before my husband comes home from his job. I light my candles and my incense, get a glass of whatever strikes my fancy, put a soft blanket over my lap, and get to work. Once he's home, writing is done for the night on weekdays. On weekends, it's anything goes; I may sit at my keyboard so long I have trouble getting up from the chair.

How did you get your book published?

I'm a true Indie Writer. All of my books are self-published, in fact, absolutely anything you see in conjunction with me or my books, I've done it; writing, formatting, editing (though I do have some nice folks who help with that), book covers, trailers, my website … all of it. I did it.

What advice do you have for someone who would like to become a published writer?

So long as you're not fooling yourself into thinking you're going to put one book out there and become an overnight millionaire, I say go for it. Write your book, hone it, then send it around to agents and publishers. I think everyone should try that route just to see how it feels and, you never know, you may get lucky and an agent or house will take you on. If they don't and if the most important thing to you is telling a good story and getting it out there in hopes of it finding its audience, then learn everything you can about self-publishing in ebook and print. When you're ready, take the plunge and then promote, promote, promote!

What do you like to do when you're not writing?

I'm a huge movie buff and I have a rather large collection of DVDs and Blu-Rays (yes, even VHS tapes, but I can't find a VCR anymore). In the nice weather, I like to garden; I do it in containers on and around my deck. Of course, just spending time with my husband is always tops on my list.

What does your family think of your writing?

My parents thought I was crazy to pursue this path and at such a young age - I was in 4th grade when I knew I was going to be a writer. But they supported me, they bought me an electric typewriter, ribbon, correction tape, and paper. It wasn't until near the end of her life that my mother finally read one of my novels. She loved it and asked me repeatedly, "Are you sure you wrote this?"

Hubby is very proud of me although he'd prefer not to share me with the Muse quite as often as he has to. My oldest daughter loves my books, the youngest has yet to read one.

Please tell us a bit about your childhood.

I was adopted in 1967 and grew up an only child in a two-parent home in a working class neighborhood just full of kids. My mother was a baker who made great big beautiful wedding cakes in our kitchen, and my father was an x-ray technician for a local factory. We were pretty typical and normal for that time period; we went on vacations in the summer and took weekend jaunts in the fall and spring. All in all, my childhood was quite idyllic.

Did you like reading when you were a child?

As a small child, no I didn't, but I loved to be read to. It wasn't until 7th or 8th grade, as my own writing began to progress, that I started devouring books that weren't exactly safe for school or even anywhere near appropriate for my age. I jumped straight from Madeline to The Shining with no stops in between.

When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

In the 4th grade we were given our very first creative writing assignment and, as I put pencil to paper, I knew that was what I was going to do with the rest of my life. I never let anyone or anything deter me from that dream.

Fantastic. Did your childhood experiences influence your writing?

Yes, most especially with the Sister Christian series and Mason discovering he's adopted. This series delves deeper into that aspect of my personal life than any stories before it. It also contains a nice bit my own religious background. I grew up Roman Catholic but, when I got older, turned away from that and to another path. When Hannah and Mason - a staunch atheist - are arguing over God, it probably sounds a lot like my mother and I when I was much younger.

Which writers have influenced you the most?

I'm a child of the '70s and '80s, so I grew up reading Stephen King (my all-time favorite author and the person who truly made me want to follow my dream), Judith Rossner, V. C. Andrews, Harold Robbins, Jacqueline Susann, Mary Higgins Clark, and Irwin Shaw.

Do you hear from your readers much? What kinds of things do they say?

Most people seem shy or, worse, they believe their opinion doesn't count for anything. I hear from readers on occasion. The ones I hear from often have become very good friends over the years, and that's what I consider them now, friends, no readers. When I do hear from people, they either love my work or they detest it. That hasn't been the case so much with the Sister Christian series. So far everyone I've heard from has completely fallen in love with Mason and Hannah. However, in my harder-hitting, more adult-oriented novels, things get dark and nasty. Some people can't take that, though they are duly warned long before they open a book.

What can we look forward to from you in the future?

I'm working on Prodigal Son, which will be the last novel in the Sister Christian series, and I hope to have it out late this summer. Then it's back to Ares God of War, Alena, Raven, the Olympians [in the Of War series], and the type of storytelling I tend to be better known for.

Thank you for taking the time to stop by today, Lisa Beth. Best of luck with your future projects.

Thanks again for having me here, Lynda. I've enjoyed my time with you very much.

About the Author

It was in the 4th grade when Lisa Beth Darling discovered she was a naturally gifted writer. For her very first creative writing assignment, the teacher asked the class to pen a story about a baby bird's first flight and read them to the class. Putting pencil to paper, Lisa was instantly whisked away by a force she couldn't explain. When they were finished, all of the children read their happy stories to the class. Not Lisa. She got up and told of how the baby bird flew too high, hit a plane, crashed to the ground and died. She told of how the mama bird and daddy bird cried, of how even God was upset, sending the rains pouring from the sky. The class was speechless when she finished all they could do was stare at her. The teacher kept her after class, told her the story was very good, but it was different from the others. She asked Lisa if she'd ever heard of Icarus and had she based her story on him. Lisa had yet to encounter Greek Mythology or hear a whisper of Icarus. As Lisa left the classroom the teacher again told her how good the story was but suggested she might want to write something happier next time. Perplexed, Lisa turned and asked her teacher: "Why?" The teacher had no answer. Luckily for us, Lisa never took that teacher's advice.

Today she brings us complex, multi-layered stories, rich with the trials and tribulations that make up the world in which we live. Not one to be pigeonholed into any single genre, Lisa's stories revolve around the intricacies of couples, range from the intimacy of lovers, to mothers and sons, and brothers and sisters.

Lisa Beth Darling is 49 years-old, lives in her hometown of New London, Connecticut, with her husband of nearly 30 years, Roy. She is the author of more than fifteen novels, along with several short stories and non-fiction books.

Giveaway

Enter the tour-wide giveaway for a chance to win a $25 Amazon or B&N gift card.

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"Bad Uncle" by Gillian Felix

EXCERPT and GIVEAWAY

Bad Uncle
(Family Portrait Book 5)

by Gillian Felix

Bad Uncle, the fifth book in the Gillian Felix's Family Portrait series, is ON SALE for only $0.99 (US only).

Bad Uncle is currently on tour with Plain Talk Book Marketing. The tour stops here today for an excerpt and a giveaway. Also available: Changes (FREE on Amazon, B&N, iTunes, and Smashwords; read my blog post), The Banovic Siblings, Bastard's Brew (read my blog post), and Perfect Escape (read my blog post).

Description

Who needs enemies when you’ve got family.

The stars are aligned in Adriana’s favor, but secrets have a way of exposing themselves just when everything is perfect. As Adriana and Haze’s relationship heads south, Carys is ready to pounce. Will Adriana’s lies drive the man she loves into the arms of another?

Meanwhile Zax is finally with his dream girl, but why can’t he get his best friend’s girl out of his mind? When she turns to him for advice on how to be a better girlfriend, can he put his selfish desires aside, or will he follow his siblings and take what he wants despite the consequences?

When Kevin’s lifestyle puts innocent L’Wren in danger, his retaliation brings his ruthless uncle back to Los Angeles and into the lives of his family. In Bad Uncle you’ll get to know the man who has the power to change the legacy of the Banovic family forever.

Note: Suitable for adults 18+

Excerpt

Haze sat in his car outside of the high school that Adriana attended. He was early and classes were still in session. It made sense to him why she didn’t want to tell her parents about them. He’d also sensed that she was hiding something, and now he knew. All those months she’d played him for a fool. She made him fall in love with her. What kind of sick game was she playing?

He went over their times together and wondered if she had been honest with him but he heard what he wanted. Was he so desperate that he imagined that she was older than she really was? The bell rang and the girls came out in their uniforms. He saw them scatter off in different directions; then he spotted Adriana. She was in uniform, her raven hair was in a single long braid down to her waist, and her blue eyes shone as she talked and laughed with one of the girls. Haze looked at her as if seeing her for the first time. She looked fifteen; why didn’t he see it before?

Her smile disappeared when she spotted his Toyota Rav4.

“Haze.” She looked in through the passenger window.

“Get in. Your dad sent me to pick you up,” Haze said icily without looking at her.

Adriana got in and sat quietly. She placed her books on her lap and buckled her seatbelt. Haze drove off without saying a word.

 ***

The tension in the air was so thick that Adriana felt that she couldn’t breathe.

“My love, I can explain,” Adriana said quietly.

“Don’t call me that.” Haze gritted his teeth. “Don’t EVER call me that!”

“I’m sorry, Haze.” Adriana felt her heart ripping out of her chest. She had never seen him so angry.

“You lied to me, Adriana! For months you fucked with my feelings for your own personal enjoyment.”

“I love you,” she cried.

“Shut up! You don’t know what love is! I fucking loved you, Adriana!” A tear rolled down his cheek. “I wanted a life with you! I wanted a future with you!” He slammed his fist on the steering wheel.

Adriana saw his knuckles turn white as he gripped the steering wheel.

“Did you laugh at me? Did you tell your little friends what you were doing to me? Did you tell them that I almost fucked you?”

“Don’t say it like that! You make it sound dirty!” Adriana wept openly.

“I’m a pervert or pedophile.” More tears rolled down Haze’s cheeks.

“I lied because I love you, and I was afraid that if you knew the truth, you’d leave me.”

“Yeah? Well, I guess you’re right about something.”

“Haze, please.”

“I don’t ever want to see you again, Adriana. When you get home, tell your parents I quit. Tell them why I quit; tell them YOU BROKE ME.” Haze pulled up to the curb in front of the gates of the manor.

“Haze, this can’t be over. Please, Haze, please try to understand,” Adriana pleaded. She tried to touch him, but he flinched.

“Get out.”

“I can’t, I don’t want this to be over. You have to believe that I love you. I love you more than anything.”

“GET OUT, Adriana!” he shouted.

“NO! I’m not leaving. I don’t care who knows.”

Haze got out of his car and started walking down the street. Adriana got out and ran after him.

“I love you, Haze, please!” she cried and Haze turned away.

She stepped in front of him and forced him to look at her. “I know you love me. I know what we have is real.”

“It was all a lie.”

She held on to him. “No, baby, it wasn’t. I promise I’ll be good. I’ll tell you everything. I’ll never keep anything from you. I promise.”

Haze pried her away from him. “I have to go.” He walked back to his car and Adriana watched him drive away. She sank to the sidewalk and sobbed.

Praise for the Series

"These characters will forge a place in your heart and mind as they fall into three categories, the good, the bad and the ones who must straddle the line with great care." ~ Dii Bylo, Tome Tender Book Reviewer

"The endless drama is still here and I can’t seem to get enough of it. The plot gets even more complicated and every character receives even more depth and complexity." ~ Jola, Book reviewer

"I absolutely loved this story written at a very high standard very talented one not to be overlooked. Highly recommend 5 mind blowing stars! My playlist for this book would be The Killers – Direct Hits 2013." ~ Nikki, Book reviewer

"Changes gets an overall rating of 9 on 10 for the excellent storytelling, smart characterization and interesting plot. The story is good enough to be made into a TV series." ~ Ondrilla De, Book reviewer

"The writing in this series continues to be amazing, as are the characters and their continued development." ~ Teresa Kander

"I am hooked on this series. You can't help but wonder what is going to happen next in this drama-laden series." ~ Clarice

From the Author

Dear Reader,

Thank you for reading Bad Uncle, book 5 in the Family Portrait novel series.

I love love love getting responses from readers about the characters, storylines etc. This novel was intended to be a television series and is a labor of love for me. These characters have danced around in my mind since I was a kid. Over the years they have grown up with me (the Banovic and DaCosta parents) and now I get to introduce you to their off springs. Thank you for joining me on this journey.

Your reviews matter, if you'd be so inclined please leave a review at your favorite retailer.

Cheers!

Gillian Felix

About the Author

Gillian Felix was born in Port of Spain, Trinidad. She grew up watching night time soap operas by Aaron Spelling with her mother. That’s where her obsession with rich, powerful and devious characters were born. After repeatedly seeing Mr. Spelling’s name on the screen night after night, Gillian knew she wanted to be an Aaron Spelling, before she knew that Aaron Spelling was actually a person.

Gillian have been involved in the entertainment industry for over ten years. She is an entrepreneur and advocate for women and children’s rights. She enjoys hiking and volunteering.

Giveaway

Enter the tour-wide giveaway for a chance to win an ebook copy of Bad Uncle by Gillian Felix (international), a pair of JVC Gumy headphones (US only), or a "Courage" inspirational mug (US only).

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