**#COYER Update**

Hey y'all. I'm editing my list of books for the COYER challenge. I've read 4 of the 5 I originally put on my list, but one of those books was a no-go for me. I may go back and re-visit it again, but at the time I started it, I decided it just wasn't for me. SO, I'm adding one in place of that one, and because I'm feelin' it, I'm adding another as well!

Here's my list. You can click on the cover to read my reviews - or in the case of the two I'm adding (Epic, and Julia), read the synopsis on Goodreads. :)

**Blog Tour ~ Christmas at the Homeplace ~ William Leverne Smith**

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for William Leverne Smith's Christmas at the Homeplace. My stop includes all the details on the book, a trailer, and a guest post.

I reviewed Murder by the Homplace earlier this year. You can read that review here. :)

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Christmas at the Homeplace by William Leverne Smith

Publisher: Vision to Action Publishing

Category: Historical Fiction, Family Saga, Missouri Ozarks, 

General Fiction

Release Date: October 25, 2013

Synopsis

Will they all be home for Christmas? For the first time since their father died, Karen (Bevins) Winslow is expecting all her children in Oak Springs for Christmas 1996. This Christmas of homecomings offers some surprises as "The Homeplace Saga" continues. Will Staff Sergeant Travis Inman arrive home from Bosnia in time to see his baby daughter for the first time at Christmas? Will a life-long friend of the Winslow family move to Oak Springs permanently? Does Peter have a son? The boy's mother insists he does. How would this change the inter-generational dynamics in the family businesses in the Oak Creek valley of the southern Missouri Ozarks? Learn more by reading this latest addition to this continuing family saga.

**Trailer**

**Guest Post**

Family Secrets – Do you want to know, or not?

Some family secrets are easier to keep than others… do you agree? Of course, you might ask, is it a secret anymore, when others know about it? I hope you’ll use the comments here, or on Facebook, to share with each of us how you feel about family secrets. It can be a 

fascinating discussion, quite frankly!

It may be a little different in families who only exist in fiction, especially historical fiction…or is it? As an author, this is a serious question. The secret may be the juiciest part of the story, but if you talk about it, is it still the best part?

There are still three “family secrets” that occurred in “Back to the Homeplace,” the first novel in “The Homeplace Saga” that I have never disclosed anywhere else. A little more on this later on, but today, we want to talk about the “family secrets” you will find in 

“Christmas at the Homeplace,” of course.

Kevin Winslow was the youngest son of the late Jason Winslow, and his wife, our Karen (Bevins) Winslow. He had stayed in Tucson when Karen and Jason moved “back” to Missouri in 1987, in the first novel. Kevin was finishing high school and went on to attend 

the University of Arizona, recently (by 1996) having completed his doctorate in Optical Sciences and now worked in a University Research Laboratory. He had missed recent visits to see his mother when his siblings had been there, so he is the prime target of his mother as this Christmas approached. The “secret” that he has yet to share with his mother is not directly related to his job. Is a new relationship not yet shared with a parent a “family secret?” Of course it is. How will this “secret” play out in our story?

If something is “knowable” for ten years, but you don’t know about it, is that a secret? Of course it is. If that something is an important family relationship, it is a “family secret.” Correct? Well, this is the situation Peter Bevins faced when an Oregon lawyer arrived at his 

door in October of 1996. Peter is like me, in this one respect. He does not like secrets! He is very skeptical of what he is being told. He is told he has a ten-year-old son. How would you react? He knows he was in the vicinity, but could it really be true? See how this key “family secret” adds to our “Christmas at the Homeplace” story this year.

As a reminder, if it need be told, this story is one more in the continuing “The Homeplace Saga” – so all of the family secrets are not shared in any one novel or short story, of course. I hope you enjoy following along with our stories on the blog and the wiki as well as the novels and novellas. Oh, you still remember the “three family secrets” I mentioned above? Perhaps there were actually four… What did that “video will” really say? What happened to Donnie (and Sheila and Melanie, for that matter)? Why did Peter so suddenly leave Missouri for Oregon just as he was graduating the university, and his father suddenly died? What really happened

between Doug Johnson and Peter (and Lisa)? Parts of each of these “secrets” play out in each of the fours novels, to date. Read them each to learn these “family secrets.” They are easy and fun reads, by the way. Note the reviews that have been published.

As is inevitably the case, when some of our characters start looking into their family histories, they find surprising elements. And, they also find “family secrets.” Our current story includes some “set-ups” for the revelation of the some additional “family secrets” as the stories continue. So, while the stories we share in this novel can be read and enjoyed entirely as a “stand-alone” story, for sure, there are some of those “hidden clues” that become apparent, later, to readers of the ongoing family saga. I hope you enjoy each of them.

I love feedback on any of my writing, and especially here. Please leave your comments here, on my blogs, on Facebook or in email messages to me. I’m available to receive them and look forward to them.

William Leverne Smith was born and raised on a Midwestern farm. A passion for family history and genealogy studies provides background for his writing.

He and his wife live in a cabin in the Missouri Ozarks.

The Homeplace Blog ~ Facebook ~ Blog

**Sidekick Showcase ~ #21 ~ Sooo Creepy**

Sidekick Showcase (previously known as Sidekick Saturday) is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by Jaclyn at JC's Book Haven. There are many secondary characters that are as great as the primaries. In some cases, the sidekicks actually steal the show and you like them better than the heroine or hero. Maybe they didn't have enough page time for how great they were. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Choose a sidekick *or someone other than the hero or heroine* that you would like to put in the spotlight that fits in this week's type
• Share a picture (if possible) and information about the character
• Give the title and author of a book the character can be found in
• Please don't include too many spoilers when describing why the character is such a great sidekick
• Put your link in the Linky thing and comment

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This week, Jaclyn has chosen Creepy for the theme.  I'm going with a character from a series I've never talked about on my blog before. Any guesses?!? 

My pick is
Mr. X
from J.R. Ward's Black Dagger Brotherhood

I'm not caught up in this series (shocking, I know! ;) but I've loved every one I've read. Lover Awakened is my very favorite, though...so far.

Okay, as for Mr. X's creepy factor...well, he's a lesser in the BDB world, which means he's soulless. He has pale skin and pale eyes - think albino. He's the Fore-lesser, which means he's the leader of the Lessening Society. The lessers are out to destroy the vampires. But Mr. X also gets his kicks by killing prostitutes with an overdose of heroine, which tends to draw out civilian vampires. (fyi, all lessers refrain from eating and drinking, they are impotent, and the smell like baby powder)

It's been awhile since I read these books. I have no quotes but I can say that Mr. X is creepy in his actions. The pleasure he derives from the actions he takes really creeped me out. Plus, thinking about the way he looks and smells...yeah, creepy.

I recommend the Black Dagger Brotherhood series. It's a different take on vampires, the vampires are HOT, and so is the sexy. :)

**Blog Tour & Giveaway ~ Bad Boy Rock Star ~ Candy J. Starr**

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for Candy J. Starr's Bad Boy Rock Star. My stop includes all the details for the book, my review, and a giveaway!

To check out all the stops on the tour, click here. This tour is presented by Xpresso Book Tours.

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Bad Boy Rock Star by Candy J. Starr

Publication date: November 18th 2013

Genres: New Adult, Romance

Synopsis:

Hannah Sorrento never planned to be a band manager. She’s a princess. The toughest obstacle she’s had to face is finding shoes to match her outfit.

Then her father disappears and she’s left with only the money in her purse and a contract for the management of hot, indie rock band, STORM. She plans to sell the management company, one or another, then head back to law school with her designer wardrobe and wait for this whole mess to blow over.

But lead singer, Jack Colt, has other ideas and he’s messing with Hannah’s head. Not to mention her heart.

With the help of crazy rock chick, Angie, Hannah sets the band on their first steps to the big time and learns that poor people can have a  lot of fun.

But this isn’t some game she can escape from and soon her secrets get exposed.

He’s arrogant and infuriating but he’s the one that’s there for Hannah when her world comes crashing down. With secrets of his own, will Jack Colt save Hannah or destroy her?

Bad Boy Rock Star is the first in a new series. It introduces the characters and sets the stage for the series well, but it didn't pack much of an emotional punch.

Hannah Sorrento is a young woman who's gone from riches to rags - literally - overnight. Her father, apparently involved in some nefarious business, has disappeared and left her to deal with the fallout. I didn't connect with Hannah at first because she seemed rather spoiled and entitled. But I ended up liking her. I liked her transformation from rich girl to strong and independent - a young woman doing what she needs to to stand on her own. 

Hannah has taken over managing a band because her father had put the company in her name. At first, she's simply looking for a way to make a lot of money quickly. But as she gets into the managing role and gets to know the band members, she realizes she'd like to be in this for the long haul.

Storm, the band, consists of Jack, Eric and Spud. They very first time they meet, Hannah and Jack are drawn to one another. But Hannah isn't interested in a player and Jack wants no part of a rich bitch. And, of course, Hannah's dad's legal and financial woes are a cause of concern for the band.

Bad Boy Rock Star has a great cast of characters. Angie, a Storm groupie, befriends Hannah and becomes an asset and an ally for her. I look forward to seeing more of her plucky characters. Eric, the bassist for Storm, is a sweet guy. He offers Hannah his support - and he'd maybe like to offer more - but he never got the chance because Jack got there first. Spud, the drummer, is almost a non-character. He seems to be written only to serve to deliver his lines at crucial moments.

Jack is the frontman for Storm. He is quite the player and comes off as an ass most of the time. But we get to see deeper glimpses and it's these glimpses that reel Hannah, and the reader in. I know I want to know if there's more to Jack.

Bad Boy Rock Star works well as an introduction to the series. I feel as though I've gotten to know all the characters. And I'm anxious to know what happens next. But my emotions weren't really called into play until later in the book. I felt as though this book could've really rocked had I become more emotionally invested earlier on. However, I will be reading the next installment in the series.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Candy J. Starr used to be a band manager until she realised that the band she managed was so lacking in charisma that they actually sucked the charisma out of any room they played. “Screw you,” she said, leaving them to wallow in obscurity – totally forgetting that they owed her big bucks for video equipment hire.

Candy has filmed and interviewed some big names in the rock business, and a lot of small ones. She’s seen the dirty little secrets that go on in the back rooms of band venues. She’s seen the ugly side of rock and the very pretty one.

But, of course, everything she writes is fiction.

Blog ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

**Blitz & Giveaway ~ Impossibly Love ~ Shane Morgan**

Impossibly Love (Impossibly#1)
by Shane Morgan
Release Date: 10/29/13

Summary from Goodreads:

All Moya Douglas wants to do is study hard, maintain her scholarship, and make her mother proud while attending college. She doesn't have time for a boyfriend or going on dates arranged by her best friend. Moya doesn't believe in love. And
she has no intention of ever finding it.

Branden McCarthy is determined to change her views. A selfless romantic who's had his heart broken in the past, Branden is fascinated with Moya's personality and hopes to develop something real with her—a connection so strong it'll open her heart. But just when things start to
work between the two, Branden’s secret threatens to get in the way.

Will Moya finally do the impossible and give love a chance with Branden, or will fear keep them apart?

New Adult novel about finding love and oneself.

Available from:

About the Author

Shane Morgan is a lover of "interesting" books. Her imagination is always running wild so it's best to collect and organize them into separate stories. Shane's love for writing started the moment she picked up a Nancy Drew book. At a young age, she began writing short stories, delving into a variety of genres: from comedy and drama, to horror and contemporary romance. Shane's quite intrigued by the otherworldly or things otherwise deemed "impossible."

Well, in her opinion, people never really grow up, do they?

Author Links:

   

***GIVEAWAY***

$25 Amazon Gift Card (INT)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Blitz hosted by:

**#COYER Review ~ Every Breath ~ Tasha Ivey**

Yet another book marked off on my challenge! ;)

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Every Breath by Tasha Ivey
Every Life Series #1
Release Date: August 3, 2013
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Source: Purchased on Amazon

Synopsis
**Contains mild language, adult situations, and sexual content. For mature audiences only.**

How does someone give their heart away when they don’t have all of the pieces?

Not that Makenna really wants a second chance at love anyway. She is stuck in her tragic past, secretly living every day for her deceased fiancé, while her new boyfriend, Drew, is gently nudging her into the present. 

Desperate to appear normal again, she slaps on a happy face and goes through the motions of a normal, healthy relationship—but with the exception of even a single kiss. And she’s okay with pretending, but Drew needs more than she’s willing to give.

Surprisingly, it’s an innocent letter from a soldier halfway around the world that has her seeing life differently. Sawyer is at his breaking point, and his depression sucks him in deeper every day. Makenna becomes his only lifeline to home, and he’s hanging on by a very weak thread. 

By helping him, Makenna learns to let go of grief before she’s left with only a ghost of the woman she once was, finally freeing her from guilt and showing her that it is possible to love again. But when she discovers that both of the men in her life are hiding something, she makes two shocking revelations. One of them is insanely in love with her, and one of them destroyed her happy ever after. 

Even though a fairytale ending does await her, is she willing to face her own demons to fight for it?

I fell in love with Tasha Ivey's storytelling earlier this year when I read her debut, Destiny Ever-changing. Ms. Ivey seems to have a knack for creating such genuine characters and her stories are compelling, yet comfortable. Every Breath...it really rocked me. It gripped me from the beginning and left me feeling warm and fuzzy in the end.

Makenna Madison lost her Happily Ever After when her fiance died, two years ago. To keep her family and friends from suffering her heartache, she pastes a smile on her face and move through each day. Makenna is such a selfless and caring young woman. She's a second grade teacher and is truly passionate about her job. She stays close with her parents and her best friend, Callie - but emotionally, she's closed herself off. When Callie sets her up with the high school football coach, Makenna does her best to move forward with life.

Drew seems like a good man. He's kind and he's patient with Makenna. He knows something happened to her and he's willing to wait until she feels comfortable talking with him about it. He's even understanding about Makenna's inability to move past platonic with him. Meeting Drew's parents, though, makes Makenna wonder if she really knows Drew.

Things get complicated when Makenna begins chatting with Sawyer, the soldier whom her class wrote a holiday letter to. As she gets to know Sawyer better, she starts asking herself why she's able to open up to Sawyer and share things with him that she hasn't shared with anyone. And once Sawyer comes home, Makenna begins to have feelings she thought she'd never have again. But Sawyer is hiding something...something that could ruin everything.

Every Breath has a robust cast of characters including Callie, Makenna's best friend, and Callie's husband Wes, who happens to be her dead fiance's brother, William, Sawyer's father-figure, and others. What I adore about Ms. Ivey's characters is how comfortable they are. They're easy to connect to, Reading Every Breath felt like being a part of this community and I became very invested in its inhabitants. I was devastated when Callie laid out her ultimatum for Makenna - talk about tough love. And I wanted to thunk Makenna in the head when she made poor decisions. I wanted to scoop Sawyer up into a big hug - a hug symbolic of all the hugs I'd like to give all our soldiers for the jobs they do. And I bit my nails in suspense over what was going to happen between Makenna, Drew, and Sawyer.

The way in which Ms. Ivey worked in the hand of fate in Every Breath was a delight. I'm a big believer in things working out how they should so the fact that Ms. Ivey worked that into the story really appealed to me. Watching Makenna trying to move forward by forcing things while what she needed was right in front of her - it was heady.

It was a pleasure to watch Makenna come out of her emotional coma and Sawyer played a huge role in that. At first, Makenna's contact with him was only meant to serve as a connection to home for Sawyer. But he had a way of coaxing Makenna out of herself. The bonus was in the healing they both provided the other.

On a side note, I enjoyed all the literary references woven into the story. I know Ms. Ivey is a Jane Austen fan, as am I, so those references were fun. But there were others as well and I enjoyed that. Ms. Ivey also included music references...and with the exception of those made to the 80s, I was lost. But I'm now a fan of Boyce Avenue. :) I see music as poetry and the inclusion of lyrics was a nice touch.

Every Breath deals with some heavy subjects - death, war, PTSD, drug addiction. I think it was a very personal story for Ms. Ivey. It's emotional,  tense, heartbreaking, and very real. And it's a beautifully rendered story of a second chance at love - a second chance at life. Ultimately, it was uplifting and heartwarming and amazing.

**Think Out Loud ~ #9 ~ Paying the Piper**

Welcome to Think Out Loud, a weekly meme hosted by Thinks Books. This is a meme where you can post about anything and everything you want...no rules! Make sure you link up over at Thinks Books, too. 

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So last week, I confessed that I'd done not much else other than read. Well, I have to say I've had a streak of good luck with my reads lately, and I've been devouring books. But you know what that means...the shopping list has grown, the dust bunnies are now hopping out of the corners, and I'm out of underwear! ;)

Today, the piper came calling. I spent the day grocery shopping, cleaning, and doing laundry. Ah, the glamorous life of a domestic goddess! :) Tomorrow, I'll be curled up by the fire reading a good book!

**Ginger Voight's Birthday Bash**

Ginger Voight's Birthday Bash Sale, New Release, 

Scavenger Hunt

& Signed Paperback GIVEAWAY!

Make sure to check out all the Sales listed below - options for

everyone!

BEST DEAL: Two Complete Series 

(6 books) = Sale $9.99 for a limited time!!

Join Ginger for her Birthday Scavenger Hunt - CLICK

HERE - it is her birthday, but YOU get the prizes!

The COMPLETE Groupie Trilogy by Ginger Voight!

When Andy Foster met the sexy front man of an up-and-coming rock band, the most she could imagine was a steamy stolen night of passion. But her attraction to Giovanni Carnevale hit her
like a bolt of lightning. Soon she was traipsing all over the country, an unintentional groupie, finding herself thrust into his path even when she knew it was a very bad idea. Over four years their romance would face indiscretions, crazed stalkers and the interloping paparazzi, keeping these star-crossed lovers circling around a happily ever after they could never quite catch.

In the beloved "Groupie" trilogy by Ginger Voight, three books tell the passionate and angst-driven tale of Andy and Vanni. Now, "Groupie," "Rock Star" and "Mogul" are available in one volume that tells their story from that first meeting in Philadelphia to an explosive conclusion on the opposite coast.

This is your backstage pass to find out why readers, reviewers and book bloggers have fallen for a love story that was never supposed to happen.

The Complete Groupie Trilogy 

(all 3 books) - $5.99

Groupie/Rock Star Bundle - $1.99

Groupie - Book #1 - $2.99

Rock Star - Book #2 - $2.99

Mogul - Book #3 - $3.49

NOW AVAILABLE 

(Release: Nov. 19th)

The COMPLETE Fierce Trilogy 

by Ginger Voight!

Fierce: The Complete Trilogy contains all three books in the series: Fierce, Unstoppable and Epic. These books are a spin-off of the best-selling GROUPIE trilogy by Ginger Voight. As such, many characters you already know and love come back to help Jordi tell her coming-of-age story, all against the exciting, glittering backdrop of fame and celebrity.

Eighteen-year-old Jordi Hemphill had a dream. It was much bigger than she was ever encouraged to have because it was much bigger than those around her thought she deserved.

These perceived limitations were all directly tied to her double-digit figure. When she finally realizes she has reached a dead end in her small Iowa hometown, Jordi makes a break for the bright lights of Hollywood. And that's where the fun begins.

Her audition tape fortuitously lands in front of media mogul Graham Baxter. Jordi is cast on a new reality show called "Fierce." As a show billed to find talent outside of the picture-perfect pop idol machine, Jordi joins a cast of irregulars and nonconformists to vie for her opportunity to win over America and become the newest singing sensation.

It is the first of many instances where Jordi gets exactly what she thinks she wants, only to find it was nothing at all like she could have ever expected. Instead she finds herself on a two year saga to make all her big dreams a reality, fighting unexpected antagonists all along the way. Her true antagonist, however, is herself. The only thing bigger than Jordi's dream is her sneaking
suspicion that everyone else is right... that she doesn't deserve to be happy, to be successful... to be loved. It takes a cast of colorful characters to show Jordi that ultimately the only key to success is self-acceptance, whoever you are, whatever you have and whomever you love.

Fierce - The Complete Trilogy 

(all 3 books) - $5.99

Fierce/Unstoppable Bundle - $1.99 (Sale of the Week)

Fierce - Book #1 - $2.99

Unstoppable - Book #2 - $3.99

Epic - Book #3 - $3.99

GIVEAWAY (provided by Brandee's Book Endings)

SIGNED Paperback - Winner's Choice of

Groupie OR Fierce

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