Thursday 28 July 2016

Pre-Release Campaign & Contest: You Before Anyone Else by Julie Cross and Mark Perini


You Before Anyone Else
By: Julie Cross and Mark Perini
Releasing August 2nd, 2016
Sourcebooks Fire


Bestselling author Julie Cross teams up with international model Mark Perini to create You Before Anyone Else, a poignant and authentic contemporary YA novel and companion to Halfway Perfect

The supportive friend, the reliable daughter, the doting big sister: Finley is used to being the glue that holds everyone together. But while her sweet demeanor makes her the perfect confidant, her wholesome look isn’t landing her the high-paying modeling jobs, which are what Finley needs if she is going to reopen her mother’s dance studio.

Enter Eddie. He’s intense and driven, not to mention the life of every party, and he completely charms Finley. The last thing she wants is another commitment to stand in the way of her dreams, but when she’s with Eddie, their chemistry takes over and she can let go of her responsibilities and just be. After all, what’s so wrong about putting herself first once in a while?

Except Eddie is hiding a secret. A big secret. And when it surfaces, he and Finley are going to have to choose between their love for each other and everything else…


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Julie Cross is a NYT and USA Today bestselling author of New Adult and Young Adult fiction, including the Tempest series, a young adult science fiction trilogy which includes Tempest, Vortex, Timestorm (St. Martin’s Press).

She’s also the author of Letters to Nowhere series, Whatever Life Throws at You, Third Degree, Halfway Perfect, and many more to come!

Julie lives in Central Illinois with her husband and three children. She’s a former gymnast, longtime gymnastics fan, coach, and former Gymnastics Program Director with the YMCA.

She’s a lover of books, devouring several novels a week, especially in the young adult and new adult genres.

Outside of her reading and writing credibility’s, Julie Cross is a committed–but not talented–long distance runner, creator of imaginary beach vacations, Midwest bipolar weather survivor, expired CPR certification card holder, as well as a ponytail and gym shoe addict.



Mark Perini is a New York City based author debuting his first YA novel, Halfway Perfect. Additionally, Mark is a featured author in the NA anthology, Fifty First Times.

Mark began his career as an international fashion model when he was 18 years old, while simultaneously obtaining a business degree from Seton Hall University. He has a passion for traveling the world, and he’s made a blood pact with friends to see all seven ancient wonders of the world before he’s thirty. Four down three to go.






Julie Cross and Mark Perini, along with Tasty Book Tours, are celebrating those who have taken the steps to Break the Mold on society’s expectations, like Finley, the heroine from YOU BEFORE ANYONE ELSE! We are looking for anyone who would like to share their story and be entered to win a 2017 Erin Condren Life Planner!
Head over to fb.me/TastyBookTours and leave a comment with your story. Feel free to share picture of your journey and use #breakingthemold at the end of your comment!
Entries must be in by 11:59pm, Aug 15th, 2016. No purchase necessary to enter. If under 12 years old, you must have approval by a guardian to enter.


New Release Spotlight: Ultimate Courage by Piper J. Drake


ULTIMATE COURAGE 
by Piper J. Drake

Hot military heroes, the women who love them, and the devoted dogs that always have their backs. ULTIMATE COURAGE is the second book in a high adrenaline contemporary suspense series from Piper J. Drake published by Forever Romance. Fans of D.D. Ayres K-9 Rescue series and Cindy Gerard’s One Eyed Jacks, will love this action packed romantic suspense series.


Title: Ultimate Courage
Author: Piper J. Drake
Series: True Heroes #2
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Release Date: July 26, 2016
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing- Forever
Print Length: 336 pages

Format: Digital and Mass Market Paperback

Ultimate Courage

True Heroes Series


LOVE IS AN ACT OF BRAVERY

Retired Navy SEAL Alex Rojas is putting his life back together, one piece at a time. Being a single dad to his young daughter and working at Hope's Crossing Kennels to help rehab a former guard dog, he struggles every day to control his PTSD. But when Elisa Hall shows up, on the run and way too cautious, she unleashes his every protective instinct.

Elisa's past never stays in her rearview mirror for long, and she refuses to put anyone else in danger. But with Alex guarding her so fiercely yet looking at her so tenderly, she's never felt safer . . . or more terrified that the secrets she keeps could put countless people in grave peril. The only way for both to fully escape their demons will take the ultimate act of courage: letting go and learning to trust each other.


Also in this series:


Elisa Hall has been running from her abusive ex-boyfriend for six months, yet he still manages to track her down. After she ends up in the ER with an injured arm, she meets up with a father and daughter in the waiting area. When she finds a glove which belongs then, she drives out to the address on the name label to return it. Exhausted and tired, she's offered a chance of a job and somewhere temporary to live, until her past catches her up.

Alex Rojas – Former Navy SEAL struggles with PTSD and his temperament. After his cheating ex-wife dies of a prescription drug overdose, he jumps at a second chance at Hope's Crossing Kennels, a training facility for military and K9 dogs. It's somewhere safe for himself and his daughter "Boom" Serena. After meeting a woman in ER, after his daughter breaks her arm, he instinctively knows she's hiding and running away. Never expecting to see her again, he's surprised when the woman turns up on his doorstep to return a glove, even more, when he finds out she has the correct skills to fill his open job vacancy.

Alex was more relatable within the plot as we're told and experience his daily struggles with his surroundings that can trigger a PTSD attack. I loved that in using a training dog to help Elisa, the result benefited himself more, so he felt more under control in stressful situations

The first half of the book is setting the scene and getting to know why Elisa is running away. The second half is piecing together the evidence, tracking down the ex...which is more suspenseful. The relationship doesn't feel rushed between Alex and Elisa even though the time line is short. There's a definite slow build between them as Alex deals with his daily struggles and Elisa learns to trust him. The supporting characters are fun and likeable, especially Boom.

This is my first book by this author and I'll definitely be seeking out more of her books.

Lastly an honourable mention to Souze for his outstanding non-speaking part.

***arc generously received courtesy of Forever via NetGalley***


Alex’s hand came up slowly to cradle the side of her face, encouraging her to tilt her head, and she did. He deepened the kiss then, his tongue running across her lips and coaxing them to open for him. She opened with a sigh, and his tongue swept into her mouth, gently tasting. She kissed him back in return, leaning into him until she had one hand braced against his hard chest.
A needy moan escaped her, and he responded in kind. When he lifted his mouth from hers, she almost tipped into him, her knees not holding her upright anymore and her head spinning. Wow.
She took not one, but several long breaths to clear her head, looking down at a black and tan face staring up at her with soulful, dark eyes. Souze wasn’t shy about watching, apparently.
The thought brought her the rest of the way to her senses, because weird. Yeah. Weird.
She took a step back, and Alex let her. He’d done that since the beginning. Letting her go if she wanted. So why was it so hard to leave now even if she kept saying she should?
Thank you,” she told him, not looking up into his eyes.
But?” Alex’s voice came cool, deep, and so sexy it just wasn’t fair.
But I should go. Especially because this is obviously not a professional thing now.”
No. But none of your previous employers particularly cared if you left, did they?” He sounded reasonable. “Did they bother to try to check on you?”
Not that I know of.” She said it slowly. She’d had her phone with her, and she’d been checking her e-mail. Both big mistakes, she knew now. But she’d been paid under the table and they didn’t really have a way to contact her after she disappeared.


I think that’s a little odd.” Rojas lifted his hand, giving her plenty of time to avoid him, and brushed her hair back from her face. “Maybe this time, it wouldn’t hurt to have someone care about whether you disappear.”



Piper J. Drake (or “PJ”) began her writing career as “PJ Schnyder” writing sci-fi & paranormal romance and steampunk. She has recently received the FF&P PRISM award for her work as well as the NJRW Golden Leaf award and Parsec award.
Now, PJ is exploring the complexity of romantic suspense, incorporating her interests in mixed martial arts and the military into her writing.