Love Exactly Blog Tour & Scavenger Hunt & Review

Hello dear readers! Today there is a great giveaway as a part of the tour! Don't forget to hit each blog each day for extra entries by searching for the bold term and entering it in the rafflecopter! Here is the link to all the blogs on the scavenger hunt: http://wp.me/p2u7Qf-mo
*Note: My word will NOT be in a title or a header as those are already bolded. This will be a word in either the review or the extras. Happy Hunting! If you are having trouble finding the word email me and I will give you a hint!

Love Exactly
(Sticks & Stones Series)
by Cassandra Giovanni
Published: June 20, 2013
Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance
Format Reviewed: eBook ARC from author
*Mild sexual content

Book Blurb:
Emma Walker was a writer who'd lost herself to someone else's anger--who had given up on ever feeling like herself again.
Evan Levesque was a rock-god--the one all the woman wanted, but he'd never gotten used to the loneliness between the stage and real life.
With just one cup of coffee they'll begin a journey of self-discovery at each others sides, but can Emma handle Evan's fame while dealing with her own demons?
Emma's checkered personal past, a bad relationship that haunts the edges of her memories, threatens to make everything implode on them when Evan takes matters into his own hands.
Sticks and stones may break my bones, but your words...they'll destroy my soul--Can Emma handle being put back together and facing who she's become because of it?

eBooks:

Amazon   -   Barnes & Noble   -   Kobo

Paperbacks:

Amazon   -   Signed direct from Author

Emma is a normal girl working as a journalist, living under her parent's house in a basement apartment, but has a past that haunts her every day. When she was a junior in high school, her boyfriend abused her - both physically and emotionally. Though the bruises may have healed, the words, the taunts, the scars that are seared into the mind and soul have yet to heal. And after five years of living in a shell of a body that neither she nor her parent recognize, something changes.

Evan Levesque, a rock star - no, a "Rock God" - bumps into Emma and spills her coffee. He asks her to reimburse her for the cup and takes her to a nearby coffee place and introduces her not only to a Caramel Macchiato, but to a person that may be able to help heal her soul. But he has his issues too. No one is perfect and though he may try, he has to come to terms with the fact that there are things he can't fix.

Ms. Giovanni is an exemplary writer. I knew from the very first exchanges that I was going to love Emma and Evan. Their relationship is not normal; he must go away for long periods of time to tour and record leaving little time for personal relationships. But Emma waits and they savor each and every minute they get to have together. And it is not perfect either. Evan also has a past; a bad boy with the conquests and groupies to match. And when it comes to protecting Emma he gets a little too enthusiastic with the punches. I love that the author does not gloss over the hard parts of life and love. The emotional struggles, the jealousies and the pain that comes with learning to love: To find out what is love exactly.

True to the New Adult genre, there is some sexual content, but unlike some NA books nothing is erotic or even described beyond slight inferences. I like that the author is able to portray real love and even some lust without having to become something that would be described as MA only. Love Exactly is a beautiful love story that illustrates the growth and healing of two people that were not whole until they found each other. I recommend this book to everyone who has had hurt in their lives and lived through it. I also recommend this book to those people who love a good love story with real life drama.

FTC Advisory: I was given a copy of this book from the author for an honest review. No backroom deals or whispered promises were made.

Here are a few of my favorite quotes and excerpts from Love Exactly!

"Sticks andstones may break my bones, but words... they'll destroy my soul."

"If this was all I ever got from him--if this was the only moment I would ever have with him--I would memorize it."

"Bruises fade, but the words... they continue to sting long after their mark has left. Sometimes the words creep in and they are so much worse than the memories of the fists. I could battle through that physical pain -  I could even fight back, but the words... those are what decimated me."

"I try to memorize every song you sing me... but now I don't think I can. There's too many of them."

"I was quiet as I thought back to what happened over five years ago. It had been so long ago, but I'd blocked it out so well I could barely see past the vapors of pain that remained. I liked it that way, but I felt the fear building that with one misstep I could have all those memories back; that those demons would begin to haunt me again. I'd never dealt with them, and I knew demons unexorcized would always remain."

Cassandra doesn't remember a time when she wasn't writing. In fact, the first time she was published was when she was seven years old and won a contest to be published in an American Girl Doll novel. Since then Cassandra has written more novels than she can count and put just as many in the circular bin. Her personal goal with her writing is to show the reader the character's stories through their dialogue and actions instead of just telling the reader what is happening. In 2012 she became a published Young Adult author, releasing In Between Seasons (The Fall, #1) and Walking in the Shadows. In 2013 she branched out by using her artistic illustrating talents to publish her first Children's novel, The Adventures of Skippy Von Flippy: Tales of Friendship (Skippy Tales, #1). Cassandra will also release her first New Adult novel, Just One Cup, in the Spring of 2013.

Cassandra is a freelance professional photographer known for her automotive, nature and architectural shots. She is the owner of Gio Design Studios, a photography and publication marketing company that designs covers and marketing materials for authors utilizing the company's photography. She is currently studying to receive her associates degree in Marketing. Cassandra is happily married to the man of her dreams and they live in the rolling hills of New England with the other loves of her life their dogs, Bubski and Kanga.

Blog - Website - Facebook - Goodreads

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Scavenger Hunt Swagtastic Giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Cover Reveal & Giveaway: Immortals by Ednah Walters

WooHoo! I am so excited to show you the cover for Immortals, book two in the Runes series. And I have not one, but two covers to show you. How awesome is that?!

Immortals

(Runes, #2) 

By EdnahWalters

 Release Date: August 5th 2013 

Published by Firetrail Publishing

And here is the second version that the author is considering for the eBook. What do you think? Should there be two seperate covers for the print and eBooks? And if you had to pick one overall, which would you choose? Tell me what you think in the comments section!

Raine finally knows that her gorgeous neighbor, Torin St. James, is a legend straight out of Norse mythology but that doesn’t stop her from falling hard for him. Torin is crazy about Raine too, breaking the one rule he lives by: Never fall for a mortal. The problem is he no longer remembers her or that she saved him by making a deal with Norns—Norse destiny deities—the same Norns who have now erased his memories of their past together to punish her.

So Raine comes up with a plan...

She will make Torin forget his one rule a second time and fall in love with her all over again. But before Raine can put her plan into action, the Norns return. This time, they demand she protects Eirik Seville, her best friend since childhood, from an evil so dark even the Norns are scared.


But you know what they say about well-laid plans…

Caught between protecting Eirik and convincing the stubborn, cocky Torin St. James that the two of them are meant to be together, Raine's life slowly unravels. Friendships are tested. Enemies become allies. Desperate, Raine makes choices that could not only tear her and Torin further apart, but lead to the destruction of everything and everyone she loves.

To read my review of Runes, click here.

EDNAH WALTERS grew up reading Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys and dreaming of one day writing her own stories. She is a stay-at-home mother of five humans and two American short-hair cats (one of which has ADHD) and a husband. When she is not writing, she’s at the gym doing Zumba or doing things with her family, reading, traveling or online chatting with fans. Ednah is the author of The Guardian Legacy series, a YA fantasy series about children of the fallen angels, who fight demons and protect mankind. AWAKENED, the prequel was released by Pill Hill Press in September 2010 with rave reviews. BETRAYED, book one in the series was released by her new publisher Spencer Hill Press in June 2012 and HUNTED, the third installment, will be released April 2013. She’s working on the next book in the series, FORGOTTEN. Ednah also writes New Adult paranormal romance. RUNES is the first book in her new series. She is presently working on book 2, IMMORTALS. Under the pseudonym E. B. Walters, Ednah writes contemporary romance. SLOW BURN, the first contemporary romance with suspense, was released in April 2011. It is the first book in the Fitzgerald family series. Since then she has published four more books in this series. She's presently working on book six. You can visit her online at www.ednahwalters.com or www.ebwalters.com.

Website  Goodreads  Facebook  Twitter

Vote For Torin St. James at The YA SISTERHOOD Crush Tourney on June 17th.

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$15 Gift Certificate from Amazon of B&N

Rafflecopter Code: a Rafflecopter giveaway

Edge of Truth Blog Tour: Excerpt & Giveaway!

Edge of Truth
by Natasha Hanova
Published: June 6, 2013
Published by Sapphire Star Publishing
Genre: YA Dystopia

Book Blurb: 
Citizens who report to work on time, obey the Overlord’s laws, and stay off the Synbot’s radar, live long lives. Long, dull, monotonous lives.

It’s not a bad plan for someone with a hidden, emotion-based ability to trigger earthquakes. In a world pitted against her, sixteen-year-old Rena Moon strives for a life beyond working herself to death at the factory. Seeing an alternative, she risks selling relics from the forbidden lands at Market. It becomes the worst decision she ever made. Someone kidnaps her best friend in exchange for the one thing that would end her oppression.

Driven by loyalty, Rena and seventeen-year-old Nevan Jelani, soulful composer, green thumb extraordinaire, and the secret love of her life, plot to rescue her friend and reclaim her salvage. Still, the thought lingers whether Nevan is a true hero or another thief waiting for his chance at her loot. Events spin wildly, deepening Rena’s suspicions and pushing her limit of control. With more than her chance for freedom at stake, she must decide if she’s willing to kill to protect what’s precious to her. For once, the Overlord isn’t holding all the power, but can Rena live with being reduced to what she’s trying so hard to escape?

Amazon  -  Nook  -  Paperback

A transport vehicle plastered with an image of Overlord Andrick’s almost smiling face sped to the scene. A Syn exited, picked the boy up with one hand, and tossed him in the back. Rena felt the engine rumble through the ground as it drove away. She wanted to stomp her feet and squash the lingering sensation, but resisted.

“Rena!” Blaze whispered. “Move it.”

She struggled to keep a normal, non-­conspicuous pace, and even more not to hide her ring. Only guilty people tried to hide. “Did they see us?”

“Don’t think so,” Blaze whispered as she pulled off her new ring and stashed it in her pocket. “Know anyone around here?”

Warmth burned her cheeks. She stared at a blue house with a gray roof. He was inside. “Uhh... Nevan lives in that house.”

“Let’s go.” This time, Blaze did the dragging as Rena planted her feet.

“Are you crazy?” she whispered as she checked the position of the Syns, still three blocks away. “We can’t go to Nevan’s house. I’ll die.”

“Well, we can’t exactly stay outside. Do you want to get caught, too?”

The androids weren’t that close, yet. Okay, maybe they were, but knocking on Nevan’s door?

“Let’s talk about this rationally,” Rena suggested.


“We don’t have time for this.”


“This house here is closer.” She rocked side to side while raking her hands over frizzy braids. “Let’s just go there.”


“And what if the tenants alert the Syns?” Blaze peered over Rena’s shoulders. “We don’t have time for your version of rational.”


“Blaze... What if he turns us away?” The corners of her eyes glistened. Fear of detection battled for dominance over fear of rejection. “I don’t think I can handle that.” She wasn’t ready to find out the truth.

“Fine. Let’s try this house.”

Blaze lightly tapped at the door. After a few seconds, she knocked harder and took a step back. “I don’t think anyone’s home.”

“I could’ve sworn I saw someone peeking out.” Rena had actually felt foot vibrations from inside the house, but she was so used to protecting her secret, the lie came out first.

“Rena! Why didn’t you say so? We don’t have time to waste on people who obviously aren’t going to help.” She brushed past her to the blue house.

The Syns neared. One stopped to identify a pedestrian on the opposite sidewalk. The other angled toward the girls.

Blaze stood on the front porch, jabbed her finger down at the ground and mouthed the words, “Get. Over. Here. Now!”

She shuffled across the lawn to postpone the inevitable. When she stepped onto the porch, Blaze shoved her forward, then reached around her to knock.

“But, what if his parents—” she started to say, but stopped. Someone walked toward them. By the lyrical footsteps, she knew exactly who it was.

The door creaked open.

Natasha Hanova is an award-winning author of young adult and adult dark fantasy/paranormal fiction. Her short stories are published in Undead Tales 2, October Nightmares and Dreams, and Once Upon a Christmas. She is a member of Novel Clique, YALitChat, and an Affiliate member of the Oklahoma Writer’s Federation, Inc. She lives in Kansas with her wonderful husband, twin boys, and daughter.

Twitter  -  Facebook  -  Goodreads  -  Sapphire Star Publishing

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Tour Grand Prize (INTL)

5 eBook copies of Edge of Truth

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Cover Reveal: Very Bad Things by Ilsa Madden-Mills

Very Bad Things

(Briarcrest Academy, #1)

Ilsa Madden-Mills

Full Wrap Cover

Expected release date: September 10, 2013

Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance

Age Group: Mature YA and NA

Cover Designed by: Toski Covey Photography,

Sommer Stein from Perfect Pear,

Model is Mariah Jane Scott

Born into a life of privilege and secrets, Nora Blakely has everything any nineteen-year-old girl could desire. She’s an accomplished pianist, a Texas beauty queen, and on her way to Princeton after high school. She’s perfect…
Leaving behind her million-dollar mansion and Jimmy Choos, she becomes a girl hell-bent on pushing the limits with alcohol, drugs, and meaningless sex.
Then she meets her soulmate. But he doesn’t want her.
When it comes to girls, twenty-five-year-old Leo Tate has one rule: never fall in love. His gym and his brother are all he cares about…until he meets Nora. He resists the pull of their attraction, hung up on their six year age difference.
As they struggle to stay away from each other, secrets will be revealed, tempers will flare, and hearts will be broken.
Welcome to Briarcrest Academy…where sometimes, the best things in life are Very Bad Things.

Ilsa wrote her first work at the age of twelve when she penned a little ditty about a handsome prince who had no sense. Since then, she’s written plays, poems, and numerous short stories. Very Bad Things is her first full-length novel and part of a new series called Briarcrest Academy.

She graduated summa cum laude with a master’s in English. After graduation, she directed plays, worked with autistic children, helped start a children’s clothing company, and eventually had a family. Now, she spends her days with two small kids and her Viking husband. When she’s not typing away at a story, you can find her drinking too much coffee, jamming out to Pink, or checking on her carefully maintained chocolate stash.

She loves to hear from fans and fellow avid readers. You can find her on Facebook and a soon to come author website.

Facebook | Goodreads

Cover Reveal: Dance for Me by Helena Newbury

Dance for Me

Helena Newbury

Fenbrook Academy #1

Genre: New Adult Romance

Publisher: Foster & Black

Release Date: July 1st

Natasha is one of the most promising dancers at the prestigious Fenbrook Academy for the Performing Arts and she’s just landed a life-changing audition. But no one knows the guilt she carries...or the damage it makes her inflict on herself when she’s alone.

Darrell is a multi-millionaire designer at 25. But past traumas have pushed him into isolation and the intense pressure of his work has brought him to the edge of burnout. Seeking inspiration, he sees Natasha dance and hires her as his muse.

As she dances for him, the two become entwined in a passionate but troubled relationship. He starts to see the pain inside her and helps her gradually lower her defenses...but Darrell has demons of his own. Can two broken people save each other? Or will the darkness they’re hiding consume them both?

I’m a New Adult Romance author who loves writing about what happens when love and dreams collide with the real world. I wrote my first novel, Dance for Me, in daily chunks in a very busy, very noisy coffee shop, which meant I had to order a black Americano every hour, on the hour, to keep my seat and wound up wired on caffeine most days. Unlike some of my characters, I can’t dance.

Blog  -  Facebook  -  G+  -  Goodreads  -  Twitter

Back from La-La Land!

To All My Readers. 

For the last few weeks I have been M.I.A. from Blogging, Facebook, and all other forms of online communication. The reason for my absence is because I have some medical issues. First, I have a blood disorder and have to get stuck with needles constantly to see if my levels are correct or not. If they are too low, I will get blood clots and that is a big problem for me. I almost died from having a severe clot that was in my arm, neck, and was close - too close - to my main organs. I also had a clot in my lungs (a PE) that made it very difficult for me to breathe and if it had gotten worse, I could have stopped breathing.
Secondly, I have back problems. I have had two surgeries on my back already and right now my doctors are trying to make it so I don't have to have a third. I basically have Degenerative Disc Disease plus Arthritis and chronic pain to boot.

So, in short, when I feel bad, I feel really bad. And that usually means that I have something else going on. Over the last two weeks, I have been in and out of labs, clinics, and am so sick of feeling like a pin cushion. I was in so much pain last weekend that I could hardly walk. But, I am finally feeling better and my doctors think that they have a plan that will help. Unfortunately, nothing I have is "curable" and I will have to deal with everything I have for life.

What this means for me and Breathe In BooKs is that I may have days that I am great and can read and post without any problems, but there will be times that I am just too ill to get things done. I know that I do try my best to get everything out and have my posts up on time, but on those days that I am not doing well, I hope my readers, tour hosts, and authors will forgive me for my absences. Please do know that I will get to everything eventually, and if I can't get to a tour date on time that I will post it as soon as I am able. Thank you for those who have expressed your support and I love blogging and reviewing. It is one of the few things in my life that keeps me going and keeps me from not wallowing in pity for myself.

I am now back and ready to start posting and reviewing again. I have some back posts to put up and those I will put up in between those posts that are already scheduled, balancing the old with the new. I am also looking into trying some new things, some new review styles and maybe some guest reviewers. I am excited to get back to doing what I love! And I have sooooo many books that I can't wait to get my hands on!

So again, thank you for your support and I am so thankful for all my readers, authors who contact me, and tour hosts who are always there to help me out. Breathe In BooKs wouldn't be here for a whole year without you! Now, where is my coffee??

Much Love,
Krista

Runes Blog Tour: Review & Giveaway!!

Thank you NetGalley and Firetrail Publishing for giving me a chance to read and review Runes. Also, thanks to Xpresso Tours and Ednah Walters for the opportunity to be a part of the Runes Tour.
Readers: please make sure to check out the Giveaway!

Runes
(Runes, #1)
by Ednah Walters
Published: May 20, 2013
Published by Firetrail Publishing
Genre: YA Paranormal Romance
Formats: eBook, Paperback ~245 pages

Book Blurb:
Seventeen-year-old Raine Cooper has enough on her plate dealing with her father’s disappearance, her mother’s erratic behavior and the possibility of her boyfriend relocating. The last thing she needs is Torin St. James—a mysterious new neighbor with a wicked smile and uncanny way of reading her.

Raine is drawn to Torin’s dark sexiness against her better judgment, until he saves her life with weird marks and she realizes he is different. But by healing her, Torin changes something inside Raine. Now she can’t stop thinking about him. Half the time, she’s not sure whether to fall into his arms or run.

Scared, she sets out to find out what Torin is. But the closer she gets to the truth the more she uncovers something sinister about Torin. What Torin is goes back to an ancient mythology and Raine is somehow part of it. Not only are she and her friends in danger, she must choose a side, but the wrong choice will cost Raine her life.

Amazon Paperback  -  Kindle (US)   -  Kindle (UK)  -  Kindle (CA)

Barnes&Noble  -  Smashwords

Raine (Rain with a silent 'E') Cooper's life has been difficult lately. Her father has been missing for three months after a plane crash that left many dead and some alive. The problem is, is that her father's body is among neither of the two categories. He is missing. Raine's mother believes he is fine and will be home any day, but Raine is starting to lose hope. He is supposed to be there when she turns 17, make her breakfast, and watch her wear her "Never Been Kissed" shirt that Raine and her best friend Eirik made a pact about years ago. Now everything seems to be falling apart.

Ahh, Eirik. Raine's best friend since they were practically toddlers together. She has the biggest crush on him, but he never has made any move so they are in the friend zone. For now, that is...
Enter Torin, the new next door neighbor with the sapphire eyes and chiseled body. The first time Torin and Raine meet he instantaneously makes her irritated and a lust bunny at the same time. But she loves Eirik and tries to stay away from the boy/man who makes her insides quiver. But things are never that simple and there is something about him that is off. He can make things happen - or unhappen - without anyone knowing. And after he heals her after she is attacked, she must know what he is and why he is there.

I was intrigued by the book's title. I love books that deal with runes and runic mythology and Runes is nothing I could have imagined it to be. Once I started the book, there was nothing that was going to get in my way from finishing it and finding out the secrets for myself. Ms. Walters did a great job of bringing each character to life. Cora, Raine's other BFF is hilarious and yet has a very serious and protective side. All the characters are very relatable and I never felt that they were not well rounded and genuine.

I also love her use of Nordic mythology, it is the pantheon I know the most about and I still could not figure out what Torin was. I was frustrated that it took 80% of the book to find out the big secret, but the buildup was done in a way that I was not bored along the way. And the bad guys, well they are bad, but there are also things unseen that I can't discuss without giving things away. But, there is so much going on and no one is ever who they seem. There is a love triangle, but it wasn't as infuriating as most are in YA fiction. And I know who I hope Raine ends up with, but I will keep my mouth shut until I read the second book.

The ending...I just don't even know what to say about it. It ripped my heart out and made me want to crumple to the ground and cry. However, the second book, Immortals, will be coming out soon and I must have it ASAP! There was nothing about this book that I did not love. NOTHING. At first I was irritated by the spelling of Eirik's name, but then when it was explained why, I was placated. There is romance, friendship, love, death, and real emotion throughout. Ms. Walters has written a book that I thought was going to be good, but I was pleasantly surprised that it is great! Anyone who likes mythology, romance, and a story that will suck you in and never leave, then Runes is the book for you! 

FTC Advisory: I was given a copy of this book from NetGalley for an honest review and I used the book to be a part of a blog tour as well. No backroom deals or whispered promises were made.

EDNAH WALTERS grew up reading Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys and dreaming of one day writing her own stories. She is a stay-at-home mother of five humans and two American short-hair cats (one of which has ADHD) and a husband. When she is not writing, she’s at the gym doing Zumba or doing things with her family, reading, traveling or online chatting with fans.

Ednah is the author of The Guardian Legacy series, a YA fantasy series about children of the fallen angels, who fight demons and protect mankind. AWAKENED, the prequel was released by Pill Hill Press in September 2010 with rave reviews. BETRAYED, book one in the series was released by her new publisher Spencer Hill Press in June 2012 and HUNTED, the third installment, will be released April 2013. She’s working on the next book in the series, FORGOTTEN.

Ednah also writes New Adult paranormal romance. RUNES is the first book in her new series. She is presently working on book 2, IMMORTALS.

Under the pseudonym E. B. Walters, Ednah writes contemporary romance. SLOW BURN, the first contemporary romance with suspense, was released in April 2011. It is the first book in the Fitzgerald family series. Since then she has published four more books in this series. She's presently working on book six. You can visit her online at www.ednahwalters.com or www.ebwalters.com.

Website  -  Goodreads  -  Facebook  -  Twitter

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Tour Grand Prize (INTL)

1st prize: A choice of signed copy or e-book of Runes and $25 gift card from Amazon

2 prize: A choice of signed copy or e-book of Runes and $10 gift card from amazon.

a Rafflecopter giveaway