Free Books for You Today

Happy Wednesday, good people of the blogosphere! Today, I have a short list of free books for you to check out. Who needs a great read? You do! Get your clicking finger ready and let's get going!

Disclaimer: These books are free at time of posting. Please check the price before you one click. Also, I haven't read these titles, so I can't recommend one way or the other. You decide.

Let's GOOOO!

Title: The Dimension Thieves Episode #1
Author: Misty Provencher
Genre: Young Adult Sci-Fi
Buy Links: Amazon  ~  B&N  ~  iBooks  ~  Kobo

Blurb:
Nominated for Serial Series of the Year at UtopYA Conference, 2015.

EPISODE 1 in The Dimension Series. Clean action/adventure read, suitable for ages 13 and up.

The Dimension Series is a series of serial shorts, releasing once a month from January to December 2015. It is a clean, New Adult series also suitable for some Young Adult readers, due to mild language, mild violence. However, readers who do not enjoy exciting cliffhangers, or look forward to the mouth-watering anticipation of month-to-month episodes should be warned...if you lay eyes on this story...THERE IS NO GOING BACK.

Antythera is the new Earth.
Why?
Because that’s what President Baro, ruler of the planet, wants to call it.
And if you don’t agree, the President will have you Droned.

The world has become a much smaller place since the lower and middle classes have been converted to mindless servants.  Free will, granted only to the elite, is in jeopardy of complete extinction.  

But Force Steele, son to one of the President’s highest ranking advisors, can’t live under the thumb of his controlling father, or the President, any longer. Force has dedicated himself to eradicating Droning, but when the President orders the Antidote Gear destroyed—the part of the machine that could free the drones by reversing the program that controls them—all is lost. Lacking necessary materials, there is literally no way in Force’s world to replace the one-of-a-kind gear.

Force’s only choice is to partner with shifty mechanic, Calerbius Brown, and embark on a risky mission that will take Force and his rag-tag crew across the lateral dimensions, where they must often steal materials—even from themselves—in order to fix their own dwindling world.

Title: Haunted
Author: Willow Cross
Genre: Supernatural Ghosts & Hauntings
Buy Links: Amazon

Blurb:
Have you ever heard something go bump in the night and wondered if someone was there? Only to go looking for the cause of the noise and find nothing at all. Or how about unexplainably feeling like you’re being watched when you’re completely alone? Things disappearing for no reason or strange ghostly footsteps in the hall?

This book is a collage of short stories about a few of the otherworldly experiences I’ve had. Although they are not movie worthy, you may find them interesting. All the stories are %100 true. Nothing has been added for dramatic effect.


 
Title: Ta Ta for Now (Stories About Melissa Book 1)
Author: Bethany Lopez
Genre: Young Adult Contemporary Romance
Buy Links: Amazon

Blurb:
Melissa begins her freshman year with one goal in mind, getting Brian Jackson to be her boyfriend. She will soon learn that things don't necessarily turn out the way you plan them, the value of true friendship, and the importance of family.

The Stories about Melissa series is a coming of age series that follows Melissa, her family, and her friends. Similar to Sweet Valley High, each book is novella length. There will be eight books in the series.

Stories about Melissa reading order:

Ta Ta for Now!
xoxoxo
Ciao
TTYL
With Love
Book 6 ~ Coming Soon!

Title: Patriotic Duty (Duty and Desire Book 1)
Author: C. J. Pinard
Genre: New Adult Contemporary Military Romance
Buy Links: Amazon U. S.  ~  Amazon U. K.  ~  iBooks  ~  B&N  ~  Google Play Books

Blurb:
Newly divorced party girl Cara Reid just wants to have fun. Much too young to even be a divorcee, she and her bestie, Miranda, set off to have fun and maybe a few casual hookups and live life. One night at a military bar, Cara meets Riley Forrester, a hot Army soldier who makes her melt with one look of his deep ocean blue eyes. But Riley is only staying the summer in California and then has to go back to Colorado when it's over. Cara tells herself he’s just a summer fling and is determined to enjoy herself and let him go once the summer is over. But when Riley receives orders he wasn’t expecting, she’s forced to make a decision on whether she’s going to be there for him when he gets back, or move on with her life. What she wasn't expecting was to fall so hard for the beautiful soldier boy, and now she's faced with accepting her feelings or letting him go.

Contains adult content. For readers 18 and up.

Patriotic Duty is book 1 in the Duty & Desire series, and while it's recommended to read them in order, it's not necessary. 

Title: The Conduit (The Gryphon Series Book 1)
Author: Stacey Rourke
Genre: Sci-Fi and Fantasy
Buy Links: Amazon

Blurb:
All 18-year-old Celeste Garrett wants is to head off to college and make those fun, yet ill-advised, choices college kids are known for. And maybe to spend some time with the hot cameraman she just met. Instead, because of a pact her ancestors made in the 17th century with a mythical creature, she has to save the world.

While normal kids are slamming energy drinks and cramming for exams, Celeste will get her adrenaline rush fighting a fire breathing dragon. She wants to meet friends in the quad to exchange lecture notes, but first she must exchange blows with a shapeshifting demon on the rooftop. Life isn’t always fair for a superhero, but at least she doesn’t have to do it alone. With her brother and sister as sidekicks, they alternate between saving lives and getting on each others’ nerves. Together the trio encounters unspeakable odds, mystical forces and comes face-to-face with an image that will haunt them forever—their grandmother in a leopard print bikini.

Title: Prophecy: An Isle of Myst Novella
Author: Stacie Wilson
Genre: Young Adult Paranormal
Buy Links: Amazon

Blurb:
Discovering their young daughter, Brianna, is now at the center of an ancient war between Light and Dark and hunted by the evil Shadow Master, the King and Queen of Myst are forced to make an unthinkable sacrifice to not only save their child but their magical realm.

Prophecy, the first novella in the Isle of Myst series, tells the story of the tragic events that set Brianna’s destiny to try and save two worlds in motion, and forge an unbreakable bond between young hearts.





Did you snag any of them? Which ones?

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Book Review - 8 Weeks

Wow. Happy Wednesday, everyone! Here we are again with another book review. I know you're all super excited to hear about this one. Let me tell you, it was one heck of a story. I'll also be posting the link to the review on the Time 4 Books 2015 Review Team page. If you haven't seen that, you gotta check it out. So many awesome books on there already. We're certainly paying it forward for the Indie author community. If you'd like to do your part, pop on over to the signup page and join us. No rules, just reading! It's so much fun! Anyway, let's get to the information about the book up for review today. Grab a cup of coffee and read on.

Title: 8 Weeks (Time for Love #1)
Author: Bethany Lopez
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Length (print):
Buy Links: Amazon Kindle (on sale) $0.99

Synopsis:
Is eight weeks enough time to earn back the love of someone you've betrayed...the only one you've ever loved?

Shelly has been in love with Cal since they started dating in eleventh grade. Despite everyone saying that the odds were against them, they got married after graduation and built a life together. Now, six years later, she is faced with the ultimate betrayal. Devastated, her first instinct is to call it quits…

After a drunken binge at his best friends’ bachelor party, Cal betrays the one person who has always been there for him, his wife, Shelly. Terrified and realizing she might divorce him, Cal must come up with a way to prove to her that his love is true…

Cal asks Shelly for eight weeks. Eight weeks to convince her that their marriage is worth the fight. Will Shelly be able to trust him again, or will their marriage end the way many others do when faced with opposition… In divorce?

This story is meant for readers 18 and older. 

***WILL NOT APPEAR IN REVIEW ELSEWHERE.  I think the cover tones/imagery/typeface all fit the genre and storyline on the pages. It's emotional. There's branding of a series at its finest going on here, too. I love how all the covers match. Makes for an easy recognition across books.***

Let's get to the yum.

I grabbed a sample of 8 Weeks during my 12 Days of Review Requests event when the author pitched the novel to me. I was captivated from page one. It grabbed my emotional side and refused to let me go. I could see the turmoil coming, knew how it would transpire, and still cried. Needless to say, I had to have the rest of the story. I bought it and dove right back in. Anyway, let's get going on the story part and why I rated it the way I did.

From a Reader's Perspective:
I know people like the main characters so I felt every moment of their stress. A group of people who've been friends forever, who suddenly have a spike wedged through their relationships. Yeah, some of them are a bit cliche, but those stereotypes exist for a reason (because they're real people). It's tough when you're in a group of people and two of them have a falling out. Who do you side with? How do you get over it? Betrayal of one is like a betrayal to all. But, at the center is the conflict between Cal and Shelly. I have to say, I loved them both so much. Yes, Shelly has her moments of childishness. But, she married the only boy she ever slept with, and I condone her for demanding she be treated with the highest level of respect. I think I might have thrown more than one fit in her situation. I give her props for even trying to save her marriage. Cal is so sweet and in love with his wife. I don't see many guys putting forth the kind of effort he did. Plot was great, and the author treated the incident in Vegas exactly as she should have. I won't tell you more, I'll just say the situation was handled precisely as it should've been to show the connection between the couple at the highest level. Pacing was also spot on. You get two POVs: Cal and Shelly. While I understand why the author did it, I think an unreliable narrator is fun sometimes--leaves the reader wondering. But not anything to ding the rating for.

Even though this is a book in a series, it's also a standalone.

From an Editor's Perspective:
"This hurts more then I remember..." Should be: "than" I remember. Usually, they guys were hounding... Should be: "the" guys. There were a few of those kinds of errors, but nothing that kept me up at night, wondering about who the editor could've been and why those were missed. Overall, well written and edited.

Rating:
1 Star for giving me great characters all around
1 Star for making the story believable
1 Star for pacing
1 Star for a heart-twisting plot
1 Star for editing
Overall, 5 out of 5 stars! Recommended if you enjoy books with emotion, a super tense central conflict people will either love or hate, and cool characters with verve.

As I always do when I come upon a five star read, I'm giving a couple of copies away! Enter below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck!

What do you think? Gonna check it out?

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

A Guest Post by Bethany Lopez

Happy Monday, good people of the blogosphere! This is the first of two posts today, the other will be the 12 Days of Christmas Day Four post. In keeping with my Monday posts for the awesome ladies of UtopYA, today I have a guest post by Ms. Bethany Lopez. If you don't have tickets to UtopYA Con 2014 yet, click the name to grab them NOW. The price goes up after the start of the year. I look forward to meeting you all there! Without any more gabbing on my part, I give you Bethany's guest post on the New Adult genre!

What New Adult Means to Me

by Author Bethany Lopez

I started out writing Young Adult, because my daughters were young teenagers at the time, and I wanted to write something that they would enjoy. I’ve written five Young Adult books so far, and my kids have really enjoyed them, but in the summer of 2012, I decided to write something that I would really enjoy.

To me, New Adult embodies some of the most challenging, exciting, and enjoyable parts of life. You’re out on your own for the first time, and suddenly, you’re responsible for your own actions. You fail and succeed all on your own, with no one to fall back on. It’s a time of self-discovery. Everything seems heightened. Your friendships are stronger, and your relationships, more important.

I decided I wanted to write about that time, so I began writing Make it Last. One book turned in to three, and I really wanted to make each one different, but still have the same feel. I made the trilogy about a group of friends, with each book focusing on one relationship.

We are all so different, and there are so many different ways to describe that pivotal time of our lives. Some people go away to college, some people stay with their parents and go to community college. College isn’t for everyone, so some people go straight to work, or learn a trade. Others join the military. It’s also fun to write about what happens right after you graduate, or start working your way up. Then there are the relationships. Will you play the field, or are you more interested in serious relationships.

New Adult is exciting because we’ve all been there. That time of your life can be devastating, confusing, and oh, so rewarding. It’s when we decide what we want to do with our lives, and the kind of person we want to be.

I’ve published four New Adult titles so far, and I’ve just finished the first book in another New Adult Series. I read constantly, and am always excited to see what other writers will choose to spin a tale about. I love the possibilities, and the many different adventures that are still to come.

What does New Adult mean to you?

~ Bethany Lopez

I love New Adult! Writing my NA books were so much fun. Thanks for the post, Bethany! I can't wait to meet you at UtopYA in June!

Now, on to information for Bethany's featured book!

Title: Indelible
Author: Bethany Lopez
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Length (print): 255 pages
Links to Purchase: Amazon - Kindle $2.99  B&N - Nook $2.99

Synopsis: After a year of partying, Sam decides to buckle down and focus on college. Things are going great until a one-night stand leaves her pregnant and alone. Raising a child while going to school isn’t easy, but Sam is determined to be strong for her daughter. She doesn’t have time for guys or relationships, and takes great care to protect her child and her heart.

Judd doesn’t fit the mold of a college ballplayer. His long hair and tattoos may fit the life he’s created for himself, but baseball is the one thing he takes seriously. When he meets Sam, he’s immediately drawn to her curves and refusal to put up with his crap. When Judd learns the truth, can he handle the responsibility that comes with loving a single mother?

Sam yearns for the fire that Judd fuels in her, but her child’s needs have to come first. Can two people at different stages in their life find a way to make a life together?

And, since your finger is in the clicking mode, why not give Ms. Lopez a follow on social media?
Goodreads: Bethany Lopez
Blogger: Bethany's Writing Journey


Thanks for stopping by to read what Bethany had to share! Be sure and stay tuned for the 12 Days of Christmas post! Coming live in a few minutes! Bethany will be featured on the sidebar of the blog for the next week.

Well, that's all for this post, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Bethany Lopez Author Interview

Happy Monday, good people of the blogosphere! It’s time for another UtopYA Con 2014 unofficial author interview. Yeah, yeah, I hear you cheering. Keep it up! If you haven’t picked up your tickets for the event yet, click the name to grab yours today. It’s being held at the Millennium Maxwell House in Nashville, Tennessee. Get off your kiesters and join us that weekend for a ton of fun!

Let’s get this party started! Grab your coffee, a comfy chair, and meet Ms. Bethany Lopez.

Jo: Howdy, Bethany! Great to have you here.
Bethany: Hi Jo! Thanks for having me.

Jo: I sorta cyber-stalked you and found out a ton of interesting information. So let’s get to the questions, shall we? I saw that you’re active duty Air Force. I tip my hat to you for that one. I’m from a military family and I know how difficult it can be. What’s the hardest part about swinging that with your writing?
Bethany: Well, I’m currently deployed, so the difficulties I’m having right now are time, and technology! I don’t always have the time, or a comfortable place, to write, and when I do, the technology doesn’t always work. So, I’m learning patience, and trying to write whenever I can.


Jo: I can’t imagine how you fit in the time. I also read you have four kids. Congratulations! That’s a special mission in and of itself. How do you manage four kids, a military recruiting career, and being a writer?
Bethany: We actually have five kids all together, but my step-daughter is an adult now, and my step-son lives with his mom, so we are down to three kids at home now. It’s all about balance. I take each of my kids on individual dates, as well as plan family outings, so that they each get “Mommy time.” When I’m home, I usually write on weekend mornings, or when my husband is watching sports, so that I’m not taking away from their time.

Jo: Wow. You have your hands super full! You got married in Scotland? Tell me a little story about that using your best writer-ly voice.
Bethany: It’s funny that you should ask, because as I write this (Nov 23rd), it’s my 12th Wedding Anniversary.

We landed in Scotland, a foreign country, with an appointment at the Registrar, and no further plans. Our wedding was scheduled for early afternoon, so we started off our adventure by stopping at the first hair dresser that we saw and asked if they could squeeze in four hair appointments. While my mother, maid-of-honor, three-year old daughter, and I got our hair done and enjoyed refreshments, the ladies of the salon talked and laughed with us. I asked if there was a florist nearby, and they pointed me to a little shop down the road. When I returned with a bouquet of long stemmed flowers wrapped in ribbon, I asked if they knew of any local restaurants where we could enjoy a celebratory meal after the wedding. I laughed at the looks of confusion on their faces. They couldn’t believe that we had come to Glasgow to get married, without any real plan other than where we were getting married, and which B & B we were staying at. They made a reservation at a lovely restaurant, where we were given complimentary champagne to celebrate our nuptials. It was a kind of crazy, somewhat impulsive, wedding, but I will never forget the beauty of the city, the kindness of the people, and the joy of sharing a pint with my husband in a local pub on our wedding night.

Jo: That was beautiful! Happy Anniversary! I grew up near your home state, in Louisiana (close to the border) and I have to say, I love Texas! What was your favorite part about living there?
Bethany: I was born in Michigan, and lived in Texas for five years, from third – seventh grade. Those were amazing years. We lived in San Antonio for the first two years, and then moved twenty miles away to a little town called Lacoste. I loved living there as a child. I would leave the house after breakfast, and come home when the lights came on at night. It was a wonderful, carefree time, and I was really able to enjoy being a kid.

Jo: Ah, Texas nights! Nothing quite like those. As you probably know, Tia Silverthorne Bach and I are good friends. *waves to Tia* She’s planning to write a review for one of your books (she said so here). Are you nervous about what she’ll say?
Bethany: Now I am… lol. Tia is a very sweet woman and I’m happy to have known her for so long. TTYL, and the Stories about Melissa series, are very young YA. It brings back those feelings of being a teenager and starting high school. Those feelings of confusion, awkwardness, and trying to find your place in the world. Hopefully reading it will bring back those feelings for Tia, and a smile to her face.

Jo: I hope her review brings a smile to your face, too! Tell us about your breakout novel, Make it Last. What inspired you to write it? On another note, have you seen a lot of success with your Stories about Melissa series?
Bethany: Music inspired me to write the Friends & Lovers Trilogy, which began with Make it Last. Country music. I wanted to write something more mature than YA, and I love the feel of NA. I love that you are finally independent from your parents, and that you are trying to find your place in the world. The friendships are more important, and the relationships more serious. I started with Bri and Colin, because I wanted to write a second chance love story. Once I introduced Kent and Rich, I knew I wanted them each to have their own stories as well. My YA books have not been as successful as my NA books. They are all written in the same style, and I think when a reader picks up any of my books, they know what my voice is, but since most of my readers are adult women, they like reading adult situations better. I will continue to write the Stories about Melissa series, because I promised eight books, and I want to see where Melissa ends up, but the other books I write will probably be either NA or Adult.

Jo: NA seems to be the hot market right now. I see you’re an award-winning author. What did you win the award for and what award was it? How did you feel when you got it?
Bethany: I won the Bronze medal for 2013 Annual Reader’s Choice Award in Contemporary Romance. Funny enough again, I was supposed to attend the awards ceremony this evening (Nov 23rd) in Miami, but cannot, since I am deployed. I won it for Trust in Me, which is the third book in my Friends & Lovers Trilogy. I felt shocked, sure it was a mistake, and totally humbled. I cried. It was a wonderful moment, because I was sure in a category as huge as Contemporary Romance, that I had no shot. I’m very grateful to have been selected. I love Trust in Me, and I’m so happy others do as well.

Jo: Congratulations! That sounds like a huge win. I can’t imagine how it felt and how much it must’ve sucked to not be able to receive the award in person. Time for the weird questions! What’s your favorite brand of tissue?
Bethany: Kleenex, the soft kind.

Jo: Me, too! Favorite dance song?
Bethany: Anything by Pitbull


Jo: Great answer! On to the alien question of the interview! Which alien movie scared you the most and why?
Bethany: Alien is a really scary movie. But I really enjoyed Super 8.

Jo: I agree. I think I may have cringed behind my mother the first time I saw that movie. I’ve never seen Super 8. Maybe I should check it out! Time to talk about something almost as scary: One star reviews. What do you take away from those? How do you feel about reviews in general?
Bethany: I used to drive myself crazy reading reviews. I would cry and feel bad about myself, and wonder why I was putting myself through this, but now, I stay away from them. Books are subjective, what resonates with some, doesn’t with others. Just like I don’t like every book I read, others won’t like every book I write, and I try to remind myself of that. I can’t deny that it hurts when I read them, and that I sometimes take them personally, but I’m working on it.

Jo: That’s a good attitude to have. If only more authors thought that way! Now, tell us about your featured book of the week, please.
Bethany: Indelible is a book that is near and dear to my heart (although I think I say that about all of my books), it is the story of a single mother, who is working and going to school full time. Sam is doing what she can to make things work, and give her daughter a good life, then she meets Judd. Judd is going to school on a baseball scholarship, and is enjoying being a young single ballplayer. It’s the story of two people at two totally different stages of their lives, who want to be together, but realize that sometimes what you want, isn’t what is best for everyone involved.

Jo: Sounds like an awesome book. I'll check it out. That’s all the time we have for today! Is there anything else you’d like to share with my readers?
Bethany: Thanks for having me, and thanks to the readers for giving me the opportunity to do what I love to do. As an avid reader myself, I love how vast and diverse the market it, and I appreciate anyone who picks on of my books out of the masses.

Jo: Readers are the reason writers exist, huh? That was a lovely thank you. Thanks for stopping by the blog and letting me interview you, Bethany. I can’t wait to meet you at UtopYA!

Now, a little about the featured book of the week. 

Title: Indelible
Author: Bethany Lopez
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Length (print): 255 pages
Links to Purchase: Amazon - Kindle $2.99  B&N - Nook $2.99


Synopsis: After a year of partying, Sam decides to buckle down and focus on college. Things are going great until a one-night stand leaves her pregnant and alone. Raising a child while going to school isn’t easy, but Sam is determined to be strong for her daughter. She doesn’t have time for guys or relationships, and takes great care to protect her child and her heart.

Judd doesn’t fit the mold of a college ballplayer. His long hair and tattoos may fit the life he’s created for himself, but baseball is the one thing he takes seriously. When he meets Sam, he’s immediately drawn to her curves and refusal to put up with his crap. When Judd learns the truth, can he handle the responsibility that comes with loving a single mother?

Sam yearns for the fire that Judd fuels in her, but her child’s needs have to come first. Can two people at different stages in their life find a way to make a life together?


And, since your finger is in the clicking mode, why not give Ms. Lopez a follow on social media?
Twitter: @bethanylopez2
Facebook: Author Page
Pinterest: BethanyLopez2

Thanks for stopping by this week to meet Bethany! She’ll be on the sidebar of the blog with her featured book for the next two weeks! Be sure and pop by next Monday for a guest post by this awesome author.

Do you have questions for Ms. Lopez? If so, drop them in the comments!

Well, that’s all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo