My Journey to UTOPiA Con 2016!

 

UTOPiA Con took place from the 22nd to the 26th June in Nashville, TN. I was lucky enough to attend the 2014 convention (known then as UtopYA), and I knew that I wanted to go back and do the experience all over again. 2016 was that year for me. After a very long 16 hour plane journey that took me on three planes (Glasgow to Amsterdam, Amsterdam to Detroit, MI, and then finally Detroit to Nashville, TN), I arrived tired, but super excited!

 

 

Now, the con as a whole was a lot of fun and I didn't attend any panels because I had so much on lol, but I heard that people learned a lot at them. A lot of authors also pulled out of attending the con at the last minute, which was upsetting because I was hoping to meet them there. The organisers of the con handled it well though and they organised tables to make it look better and less empty (Trust me, quite a few authors pulled out last minute, so the organisers had a lot to deal with). The only complaint I would make is that I didn't get all the books signed that I took over with me. Authors that were supposed to sign after their panels weren't where they were supposed to be, so I ended up not being able to find them. This is the only criticism that I have of my entire time at the con.

 

Myra McEntire, Alessandra Torre and Alex Flinn were the Keynote Speakers this year, and their speeches were inspirational and funny and heart-breaking. Unfortunately, I didn't get the chance to meet Alessandra, but I did get to meet Myra and Alex!

Me with Myra McEntire!

Me with Alex Flinn!

And of course I got lots of signed books! 51 to be exact lol!



I also met a ton of amazing authors! Check out just some of my pictures below with them!

Me with Cambria Hebert and Nathan!

 

Me with Micalea Smeltzer!

 

Me with Sonya Loveday and Candace Knoebel!

 

Me with Chelsea Fine!

 

Me with C.J. Redwine!

 

Me with Jamie Canosa!

 

Me with Kate L. Mary!

 

Me with Carey Heywood!

Me with Michele G. Miller!

Me with Mindy Hayes!

 

Me with Ellie Wade!

 

Me with Venessa Kimball!

 

Me with Clara Stone!
 

I've uploaded all my pictures from UTOPiA Con onto Book Crazy's Facebook page HERE, so feel free to check them out!

Release Day Blitz & Giveaway: Man Candy by Melanie Harlow!

He’s back.

Not just back in town, but living in the flat right beneath mine. And he looks good enough to eat, which is just one more reason to stay away from him.

But I can’t resist.

The sex is incredible (pretty sure we’ve shaken the house right off its foundation), but he can’t fool me—not this time. A degree in marketing and five years in advertising have taught me that “true love” is a fairy tale used to sell lipstick, diamonds, and perfume. It doesn’t exist.

He thinks I’m wrong, and he wants to prove it.

I think he’s crazy, so I dare him to try.

It might be the biggest mistake of my life.
 

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Author bio:

Melanie Harlow likes her martinis dry, her heels high, and her history with the naughty bits left in. When she's not writing or reading, she gets her kicks from TV series like VEEP, Game of Thrones, House of Cards, and Homeland. She occasionally runs three miles, but only so she can have more gin and steak.

Melanie is the author of the HAPPY CRAZY LOVE series, the FRENCHED series, and the sexy historical SPEAK EASY duet, set in the 1920s. She lifts her glass to romance readers and writers from her home near Detroit, MI, where she lives with her husband, two daughters, and pet rabbit.

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UK Blog Tour: The Problem with Forever by Jennifer L. Armentrout!

Publication date: 31st May 2016
Paperback edition: -
Source: Kindle
Rating: 5 stars
Synopsis: For some people, silence is a weapon. For Mallory “Mouse” Dodge, it’s a shield. Growing up, she learned that the best way to survive was to say nothing. And even though it’s been four years since her nightmare ended, she’s beginning to worry that the fear that holds her back will last a lifetime.

Now, after years of homeschooling with loving adoptive parents, Mallory must face a new milestone—spending her senior year at public high school. But of all the terrifying and exhilarating scenarios she’s imagined, there’s one she never dreamed of—that she’d run into Rider Stark, the friend and protector she hasn’t seen since childhood, on her very first day.

It doesn’t take long for Mallory to realize that the connection she shared with Rider never really faded. Yet the deeper their bond grows, the more it becomes apparent that she’s not the only one grappling with the lingering scars from the past. And as she watches Rider’s life spiral out of control, Mallory faces a choice between staying silent and speaking out—for the people she loves, the life she wants, and the truths that need to be heard.

I had been waiting quite a few months for this book to release! I'm a big, big fan of all this author's other books, so when I saw this book available for request on Netgalley, I quickly requested a copy and squealed when I was accepted! I started this book straightaway and absolutely devoured it! It only took me a few days to read and I was reading it every spare moment I had! After reading, I can say that this book was everything I wanted and so much more! It was very sad and emotional at points, but then very enlightening and inspiring at others! The plot also developed at the perfect pace and I loved the twist and turns in it! They were very unexpected and changed the characters a lot! One big twist made all the characters appreciate the life and opportunities they had in front of them! Overall, the plot was just amazing and very emotional! It made me cry a lot too lol! The characters were also amazing and I connected with them all the way through this book! Mallory was the main character, and she was someone who didn't have any confidence and was scared to speak out and stand up for herself! Mallory was like this because of what she had been through and because of how she had been treated growing up! My heart completely went out to her in this book because she was such a wonderful and amazing person! It took Mallory a lot of this book to find her voice and she came such a long, long way! She learned that she did have a voice and that people were going to listen to her! I just loved Mallory in this book and I really admired her strength! Rider was the love interest of Mallory! Rider was seriously hot and definitely rivals this author's other male characters lol! Rider was a character that I loved and adored in this book! He was so protective of Mallory because of what they had both been through together, and it was easy to see the amount of love he had for her! He would do anything for her and to make sure she was safe! Rider had deeper issues, though, that he kept hidden from everyone, and these issues had a big impact on him! They made him push people away and not feel like he could be part of a family or get close to anyone! This made my heart go out to Rider, but like Mallory he was fighter and he fought his demons! This book was only written from Mallory's point of view, which I can completely understand! I don't think that this book could have been written from anyone else's point of view! I mean, I would have loved to have went inside Rider's head as well because he was such an intriguing character! I can also completely understand why this book is a standalone! I really wish it wasn't because I loved reading Mallory's story, but the ending was absolutely perfect and very beautiful! The cover for this book is also stunning! I loved it as soon as I saw it and it actually makes more sense after you read the book! You can see the significance of it and just how much it suits the book! Big thank you to Mira Ink and Netgalley for an ARC of The Problem with Forever!

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Author bio:

#1 New York Times and International Bestselling author Jennifer lives in Martinsburg, West Virginia. When she’s not hard at work writing. she spends her time reading, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, and hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russell Loki.

Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class, where she spent most of her time writing short stories….which explains her dismal grades in math.

Jennifer also writes Adult and New Adult contemporary and paranormal romance under the name J. Lynn.

 

 

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Book Blitz & Giveaway: This is What Goodbye Looks Like by Olivia Rivers!

 

Excerpt!

   “My dad is a lawyer,” I murmur.

   Seth raises an eyebrow. “Is he one of the ones who gets the job done?”

   “Yeah,” I say, and the word tastes like a bitter confession. My dad knew his job right from the start of the trial: keep my mom out of prison. The prosecuting attorneys had a clean-cut case against my mom, but my dad had twenty years of experience at twisting evidence, confusing juries, and making guilty people look innocent. He never actually spoke in court, since even the dumbest jury would have realized how biased he was. But he orchestrated her entire defense behind the scenes and had his business partner make the appearances in the courtroom.

   It worked. My dad got his job done, my mom walked free, and I limped away with enough guilt to drown beneath for a lifetime.

   Seth lets out a deep sigh, breaking the silence around us. He slips off his sunglasses and rubs his palm over his face, and as he draws his hand away, I’m able to see his eyes for the first time. They’re nothing like his brother’s. His eyes are an intense hazel color, gold in the center that branches out to a deep green. His gaze stares at nothing, and his right eye drifts slightly out of alignment with his left, but it’s nearly impossible to tell there’s anything wrong with them.

   “Why do you wear sunglasses?” I ask. I bite my lip as soon as the question is out, realizing it’s probably rude. But I’m genuinely curious. I thought his eyes must have been disfigured if he hid them with glasses, so it’s kind of shocking to see how beautiful they are.

   He smirks a little as he slips the dark glasses back on. “You’re really quite skeptical of my fashion sense, aren’t you?”

   “Sorry,” I mutter.

   “Don’t be,” he says with a shrug. “I don’t mind. And I wear them because the light makes my eyes hurt. For me, being blind doesn’t mean everything is totally black, although I wish it did sometimes. All I can see are changes in light, but it stings. So the glasses help with that.”

   He leans back against the railing of the porch, and before I get a chance to respond, he waves a hand at me. “I’m answering all your questions, but you’re not answering mine,” he says. “Why do you act scared around me?”

   I stare at the ground, tracing a mindless pattern in the snow with the tip of my cane. “You know how you said I remind you of someone?”

   “Yeah. What about it?”

   I risk a glance up at him. “You remind me of someone, too.”

 

Lea Holder watched a boy die in the same DUI accident that ruined Lea’s legs and threw her little sister into a coma. As the only eye-witness to the accident, if she tells the truth in court, the drunk driver will go to prison and the dead boy’s family will have justice.

But Lea lies.

If she had told the truth, Lea would have put her own mom in prison for causing the accident. With the trial over and her mom set free, Lea attempts to rebuild her shattered life as she waits for her little sister to wake from her coma.

When Lea transfers schools, she finds herself in the same senior class as Seth Ashbury, the brother of the boy her mom killed. As Lea gets to know the person buried underneath Seth’s grief, she quickly falls for his quick wit and passionate soul. But Seth remains completely oblivious that Lea is the same girl who robbed his family of justice.

As their relationship deepens, Lea finally gets a taste of the love that’s been missing from her life since the accident. But soon she’s faced with a choice: she can continue her lies and accept the comfort it gives them both. Or she can tell Seth the truth about everything, and risk destroying both her family and her newfound love.

 

 

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Author bio:

 

Olivia Rivers is a hybrid author of Young Adult fiction. Her works include the independently published novels “This is What Goodbye Looks Like” and “In the Hope of Memories,” along with the traditionally published novel “Tone Deaf” (Skyhorse 2016.) As a certified geek, she enjoys experimenting with new publishing technologies, and her online serials have received over 1,000,000 hits on Wattpad.com. When Olivia isn’t working as a writer, she’s a typical teen attending college in Northern California. Olivia is represented by Laurie McLean of Fuse Literary, and nothing thrills her more than hearing from readers.

 

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Release Blitz: Fool For You [Made for Love 04] by R.C. Martin!

Excerpt!

 

Judah

   I watch her leave, my mind already busy planning my next move. I will have her. The hard-on trying the seam of my pants is proof that she’s a challenge I fully intend to accept. There is something about her—something so soft and innocent. She’s shy. It wasn’t an act, it wasn’t contrived, she wasn’t playing me, and it only makes me want her more. I thought she was breakable before, but now—now I see that she’s more delicate than I anticipated, and I want to see her shatter at my touch.

   I want to bury my dick into her cunt, making her wild and desperate for more. I want to see the look in her eyes when I make her come. I want to hear her scream my name, her pleasure breaking through her shy demeanor and unleashing the fiery woman I’d imagine exists under all that innocence.

   She may have rejected my invitation, but her body spoke louder than her words. The blush in her cheeks, her shallow breaths, and the look in her eyes when I touched her—fuck.

   I clear my throat, shifting my thoughts to the painting in front of me. I have to think of something else, or my cock will never calm down. It takes me a couple minutes, but when I have myself under control, I slide my hands into my pockets before I go looking for Logan. It’s time to get out of here.

   At my approach, she looks away from the man in front of her and scowls at me slightly before offering the man her hand. “Thank you, Geoffrey. It was nice to meet you.” She holds up his card with a smile before she assures him, “We’ll be in touch.” Then, without another word, she makes her way toward the exit, her fine ass swaying as she goes.

   I offer Geoffrey a nod before going after her. When we reach my Porsche, I follow her to the passenger side so that I might open her door, but she waves me away.

   “No need to be a gentleman now. I’m fine, Judah.”

   I frown at her, ignoring her implication as I reach for the handle anyway. She lifts an eyebrow at me as I stand waiting for her to get in.

   “What did you say to that woman?”

   “I don’t see why that’s any of your concern,” I state simply with a shrug.

   She laughs a humorless laugh, folding her arms across her chest before she says, “I’m not stupid. There’s only one reason a woman would walk away from you like that. I have walked away from you like that. What did you say?”

   “If I tell you, will you get in the car.”

   She lifts her chin at me defiantly. I take that as my answer.

   “I told her I’d like to take her to dinner.”

   She arches an eyebrow, silently expressing her doubt while demanding a better explanation.

   “Logan—”

   “No bullshit, Judah. What did you say?”

   I narrow my eyes at her. “Is this us being friends?”

   “Yup,” she states, popping the p for emphasis. “Now spill.”

   “I offered her full disclosure. Dinner. My company. No strings.”

   She rolls her eyes and huffs at me before she finally gets into the car. I close her in, somehow sure that being confined in a small space with the woman is not my best bet right now. Nevertheless, we need to get back to the office. We have work to do.

   As soon as I’m seated in the driver’s seat, she turns toward me, and I know I’m in for an earful. I start the car and back out of the parking space, hoping for green lights all the way to our destination.

 

 

Judah St. Michaels is a man who seeks pleasure, not love. Never love. By rule, satisfaction is guaranteed while in his bed—yet, his women are always dismissed still begging for more. His frequent flyers are few, but variety breeds a challenge on which he thrives, and loneliness is not a burden he shoulders. But when he happens upon an exquisite, little redhead—whose shy demeanor he'd like to shatter in one night of passion—her reluctance to accept his offer changes his game completely.

Teddy Fitzpatrick doesn't trust easily. The scars that define her cut deep, and love is a dream she's afraid to chase. When a tall, dark, and gorgeous man enters her world, she knows right away that he's the type to break hearts. Yet, try as she might, his persistence is hard to ignore, and her ability to resist soon dwindles down to nothing. Against her better judgment, she opens her heart, surrendering to the dominate force that he is.

But happily-ever-afters are not easy to come by, for assholes aren't born, they're made... And falling in love is a fool's errand.
 

 

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Author bio:

I'm a born and bred Coloradan. While I now reside in Virginia, the land of the Rocky Mountains is where I've left a piece of my heart and where my characters come to life. When I'm not writing I'm reading; when I'm not reading I'm writing...you know how it goes! I also enjoy cooking, baking, crocheting, and jigsaw puzzles. Basically, I'm an old soul with a young heart, nonchalantly waiting for my prince to come.

 

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Release Day Blitz: Blowback by Stephanie Summers!

 

“People say to appreciate the life you have because things can always be worse, but how can you do that when your life is the kind everyone else compares theirs to in order to make themselves feel better? I hoped and prayed so many times for as long as I can remember for things to be different, for my life to be different, but when it finally happened, and my life changed, I didn’t know if it was a blessing or a curse.”

Jet Flanagan grew up under the shadow of his father, a kingpin determined to bend Jet to his will by any means necessary. He’s been forced to distance himself from anyone he might care about to keep them safe and that includes high school sweetheart, Evie Adams. He did what he thought was right to protect her, but when she comes back into his life by chance almost a decade later and sets off a life-changing series of events, he’ll be forced to deal with the collision of the life he knows and the life he should’ve had.

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Stephanie Summers has written several books including The Willow Creek Vampires Series, The Bludworth Chronicles, and The Take Me Duet, with several more books in the works. She's a wife, and a mom to two kids, two dogs, and two cats. When she isn't busy running Casa de Summers, you can usually find her in her pajamas working on her next book.

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Release Week Blitz & Giveaway: A Wildly Seductive Night [Seductive Nights 3.5] by Lauren Blakely!

 

Excerpt!

   Ah, so she liked to banter. That would do just fine. He ran his hand along the silk of his tie as he drank her in, his eyes sliding down her face, settling on those lips.

   “Depends where Point B is.” She raised an eyebrow as she ran a finger along the top button of her light jacket, then down the front, all the way to the belt cinched tight at her waist. A summer breeze carried through the cooler night air.

   “Point B is where I’m heading tonight,” he said, his voice confident, his eyes following her hand.

   “Point B, you say?”
   “Would you like to know what Point B is?”
   “Perhaps I’ll find out soon.” She tilted her head. “What about adventure? How would you rate boats for that?”
   “Some”—he lingered on the word—“can be playgrounds for adventure.”
   “And perhaps for trouble then, too.”
   He reached for the end of the belt on her jacket, fingering the material. “Why do I think you like both trouble and adventure?”
   Raising her chin, she held his gaze. “I’m in the mood for adventure right now. How about you?”
   “I’m equally adept at both.” His fingers traveled up the belt to the knot in the middle. He had no intention of untying it, though. Point B didn’t require the removal of clothing.
   “What sort of adventure can a stranger like you have with a woman like me?” she asked, her breath catching for a second when he skimmed a finger across the exposed skin of her collarbone.
   His palm found the back of her neck. A sweet little gasp escaped her lips. “I could tell you,” he murmured, leaning closer, “or I could show you.”
   She grabbed his tie and tugged him closer. “What if I want you to do both?”
   “Then, gorgeous, you’re about to get a big show and tell."

Come inside the world of Seductive Nights one more time in A WILDLY SEDUCTIVE NIGHT!

 

Once upon a time there was a very happy couple who had wild, hot, passionate, seductive nights every day, and every night. But that’s not all they had between them. They had love, and trust, and respect. He adored her and treated her like a queen, and he also f*&ked her like a porn star. She was so very good to him, and made his life complete. Their sexy marriage was the stuff dirty fairytales were made of. But there was one thing they didn’t have. One thing they both secretly wanted. One thing better than pearls…
 
Enjoy another visit with Lauren Blakely's sexiest couple ever, Julia and Clay, in this brand new novella!

 

 

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Author bio:

 

Since self-publishing her debut romance novel CAUGHT UP IN US three years ago, Lauren Blakely has sold more than 1 million books. She is known for her sexy contemporary romance style that’s full of heat, heart and humor. A devout fan of cake and canines, Lauren has plotted entire novels while walking her four-legged friends. She lives in California with her family. With ten New York Times bestsellers, her titles have appeared on the New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal Bestseller Lists more than forty times. Her bestselling series include Sinful Nights, Seductive Nights, No Regrets, Caught Up in Love, and Fighting Fire as well as standalone romantic comedies like BIG ROCK and MISTER O, which were both instant New York Times Bestsellers. To receive an email when Lauren releases a new book, sign up for her newsletter at laurenblakely.com/newsletter.

 

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Release Day Blitz: Saving a Legend [Kavanagh Legends 02] by Sarah Robinson!

 

Praised by Penelope Ward as “a unique story line with multiple layers to it,” Sarah Robinson’s Saving a Legend goes another round with the brooding Kavanagh brothers: MMA fighters who won’t call it quits in the ring, or in romance.

 

His family’s gym has produced a roster of mixed martial arts legends, but so far Kieran Kavanagh hasn’t followed in their footsteps. After a brawl lands him in jail, Kieran is assigned to work at a center for at-risk youth. Though given a second chance, Kieran’s simply going through the motions—until he meets one very special kid, Shea Doherty, and falls hard for her very beautiful, very grown-up big sister, Fiona. The trouble is, Kieran’s best opening moves are getting him nowhere fast.

 

Fiona Doherty has too many responsibilities to fool around, especially now that she has custody of Shea. Sure, she’d love to find a devoted partner. But she won’t jeopardize her sister’s happiness—or risk revealing her tortured past—on a love-’em-and-leave-’em type of guy like Kieran . . . so it’s up to him to prove her wrong. As Fiona spends more time with Kieran, she starts to see a softer side of the reckless warrior. Now she must admit that when it comes to the possibility of real love, well . . . there’s a fighting chance.

 

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Author bio: 

Sarah Robinson is the bestselling author of the Kavanagh Legends series, The Photographer Trilogy, and the Sand & Clay rock star series. A native of Washington, D.C., Robinson has both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in criminal psychology. She is married to a local police officer who is just as much of an animal rescue enthusiast as she is. Together, they own a zoo of rescue and foster animals.

 

 

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Release Tour & Giveaway: Filthy Bastard [Grim Bastards MC 02] by Emily Minton and Shelley Springfield!

 

She's a poor little rich girl.

 

With a vindictive mother and an obsessed brother-in-law, all Adyson Sloan wants is a little freedom—for her and her sister. She dreams of having a little room to breathe and make her own choices. But when she's kidnapped by the Grim Bastards MC, freedom comes at a much higher price. Terrified, but determined to get back to her sister, Addy’s plans are ruined when she falls for a bastard with a chip on his shoulder.

 

He's a bastard without a heart.

 

Sargeant at Arms Brew Decker plays by his own rules. To him, nothing is sacred but the brotherhood. He lives and dies by the club and would do anything for them--even kidnap an innocent woman. After all, she's merely a pawn in the bigger game. But everything changes when he meets Addy. Suddenly, he'd do anything for his captive.

 

Can love between a rich girl and a bastard survive without someone losing it all?

 

 

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USA Today Bestselling author, Emily Minton is a Kentucky native. She is proud to call the Bluegrass State home. She claims she bleeds blue–Wildcat Blue! She has been married to her husband, David, for over twenty years. They share two wonderful children. Emily loves to read and has more books on her kindle than most people could read in a lifetime, but she intends to read every single one. She has published nine books, but there are many more are floating around in her head. She hopes to get them all on paper before long. She loves sharing her dreams with her readers.

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Shelley was born and raised in Kentucky and doesn't see herself leaving the bluegrass state anytime soon. Shelley and her husband have been together for sixteen years, and they share three beautiful daughters and one handsome son.
Although Grim Bastards is her first published novel, she has been a fan of romance reads for many, many years. Shelley loves all sorts of genres of romance but Contemporary, New Adult, and Romantic Comedy are her all-time favorites.
 

 

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