5 summer reads to get you to the first day of school

I have to admit I'm getting a little excited for school to be back in session. Almost always this time of year I'm ready to be back on a schedule. But this summer has been nice and relaxing and yet busy and full of activities. I'm not sure where the days have gone! I can always find time to read though...



A Torch Against the Night by Sabaa Tahir

 I read the first book of this series (An Ember in the Ashes) and couldn't wait for the next!

A Torch Against the Night takes readers into the heart of the Empire as Laia and Elias fight their way north to liberate Laia’s brother from the horrors of Kauf Prison. Hunted by Empire soldiers, manipulated by the Commandant, and haunted by their pasts, Laia and Elias must outfox their enemies and confront the treacherousness of their own hearts.

In the city of Serra, Helene Aquilla finds herself bound to the will of the Empire’s twisted new leader, Marcus. When her loyalty is questioned, Helene finds herself taking on a mission to prove herself—a mission that might destroy her, instead.


Sweet & Sassy Anthology: Sand and Kisses

I'm coming to enjoy anthologies more and more and this is another I'd add to my list.
 
Open for Love by Elana Johnson
Sabrina Arnold loves running her family's Bed & Breakfast in sunny New Orleans. What she doesn't love is the new establishment going up right next door.
 
Secrets in the Sand by Cindy M. Hogan
Sometimes staying hidden, even for a spy, is nearly impossible.

Christy Hadden, spy extraordinaire, thinks she’s created the perfect getaway in beautiful South Beach, Florida.
 
Life’s a Beach by Jo Noelle
Jenna Brennan doesn’t believe in love. She doesn’t believe in marriage, and she’s learned to only count on herself.
 
The Upgrade by Candice Toone
Moving on after college can be tough. Especially when former sorority president and dance team captain, Amanda Ford, takes a job at her alma mater. 
 
Surfboards and Star Trek by Donna Lee Weaver
When Anna meets much-younger-looking Derek while on vacation at the beach-it’s not exactly love at first sight.


Slave Queen by H.B Moore



Opening line:
"Baris Uzuner turned the bolt in the lock for the second time, double-checking that the front door was secure."

I forgot how much I LOVE the Omar Zagouri series! SLAVE QUEEN is another great addition to the series.


Special Agent Omar Zagouri’s latest case is his most dangerous—and his most personal yet. The discovery of secret sixteenth-century letters unveils a plot between the sultan Suleyman and his chief wife, Roxelane, to change the course of the Ottoman Empire. A descendent of Roxelane, Zagouri learns he has an enemy whose revenge has been centuries in the making.


Resist by Ilima Todd

 Opening line:
"The world fell apart when she left."

What I love about this book is what you think it might be but it’s not.

Having been rescued, Remade, and returned to Freedom, Theron must now face a life without Nine. Though he’s chosen to be a healer, he uses all the vices Freedom affords to try and dull the pain of losing Nine. But he can’t find the peace he so desperately needs. Until he meets Catcher, a man who shows him the dark truths behind Freedom’s Batcher program. From him, Theron learns what it means to be a leader and a father. When he falls in love with a captured rebel named Pua, Theron must choose: Freedom and its easy pleasures, or a life that is truly free but full of hardships and decisions.


The Earl's Betrothal by Karen Tuft

 I'm reading this one right now but I feel good about recommending it so far!


Out of the war and into another, Captain Lord Anthony Hargreaves finds the politics of romance to be as uninviting a battle as the one that nearly cost him his life in Badajoz, Spain.

Wounded both mentally and physically from the Peninsular War in 1812, Anthony returns home to find that his older brother has died, placing Anthony next in line to inherit the estate. But he’s not ready for such responsibilities. And when Anthony’s dying father pleads with him to marry and produce an heir to preserve the family title, it nearly sends Anthony over the edge; nevertheless he dutifully faces a long line of hopeful young ladies who await him. No one grabs his attention, though, like Amelia Clarke, his mother’s stunning companion, who is off-limits for the earl. But when Anthony unwittingly puts Amelia in a compromising situation, he dedicates himself to protecting her reputation.

But the horrors Anthony faced while away from home have left him feeling broken and tormented. And Anthony finds himself drawn to Miss Clarke, the only one who can chase away his demons, but he must overcome the hostility of a society driven by class, a jealous duke bent on revenge, and himself—for could Amelia ever really love a haunted man?

REMAKE by Ilima Todd - Official Trailer - Giveaway!

If you haven't read REMAKE by Ilima Todd yet, you should! Buy it, borrow it, go to the library and find it! I think you'll enjoy it.

 Here is the official book trailer!

(And make sure to scroll down and enter the giveaway for a $25 Amazon card).

 



 GIVEAWAY! a Rafflecopter giveaway

Utah Book Month~ Author Spotlight Ilima Todd!

I'd like to thank Ilima for doing this spotlight today! I hope you enjoy learning more about her and where she writes.

I’m super spoiled. I have a writing room in my house, and I’ve used it for years. It’s difficult for me to write anywhere else now. It has a door that I can shut and be at peace AND it’s tucked away on one side of the house far from the hustle and bustle of the family. Still, because I homeschool half of my kids and am a full-time mom at home, I usually don’t get to writing until the wee hours of the night. When that time comes, this is where the magic happens. J

I was quite crafty at one point in my life (way before becoming a writer), and you can see some of that in my writing space. I painted and glazed the walls, cut-sanded-painted the giant clock in the corner, made a wreath out of Harry Potter pages, and even decoupaged Pride and Prejudice pages onto my desktop. You can’t see it in this pic, but I have quotes on the wall from Firefly and Battlestar Galactica (nerd alert), and several shelves filled with books. We have a dedicated library in the house with walls of books, but I keep my favorite YA titles in my office. J I also have a collection of bookmarks, objects that represent parts of my books, and several gifts from my CPs that I love to hold onto lining the shelves and walls. It’s basically a writer inspiration wonderland.

Of course my laptop (the octopus on the cover is an ode to Remake) and Diet Coke are the two must-haves on my desk. And close beside me is a picture of my current main characters (for inspiration) and a calendar with daily word count goals (for motivation). I don’t like writing to a schedule, but with a crazy tight deadline from my publisher looming, I have no choice. So that chaise in the corner…yeah. It never gets used. Who has time for relaxing when there’s a story I need to get out of my head? J

And that’s my writing space!

Book blurb:

Imagine a future without family...

Nine is the ninth female born in her batch of ten females and ten males. By design, her life in Freedom Province is without complications or consequences. However, such freedom comes with a price. The Prime Maker is determined to keep that price a secret from the new batches of citizens that are born, nurtured, and raised androgynously.

But Nine isn't like every other batcher. She harbors indecision and worries about her upcoming Remake Day—her seventeenth birthday, the age when batchers fly to the Remake facility and have the freedom to choose who and what they'll be.

When Nine discovers the truth about life outside of Freedom Province, including the secret plan of the Prime Maker, she is pulled between two worlds and two lives. Her decisions will test her courage, her heart, and her beliefs. Who can she trust? Who does she love? And most importantly, who will she decide to be?

Author Bio:

Ilima Todd was born and raised on the north shore of Oahu and currently resides in the Rocky Mountains. She never wanted to be a writer even though she loves books and reading. She earned a degree in physics instead. But the characters in her head refused to be ignored, and now she spends her time writing science fiction for teens. When she is not writing, Ilima loves to spend time with her husband and four children.