COVER REVEAL: REGRET ME NOT

Check out the brand-spanking new cover for Danielle Sibarium's upcoming release!

For Mackenzie Green life is full of regrets; regrets from choices she made in the past, regrets for the things she’ll never see in her future. She regrets letting her grades slip while her sister was in rehab, ensuring she’ll never break away from the rumor-run, small town she lives in. She regrets breaking up with her future All American football playing boyfriend, Brayden Turner out of fear of getting hurt. Most of all she regrets every decision she made leading up to the night that changed her life forever. 

It’s only after Brayden cuts her off completely that Mackenzie realizes how much she wants him in her life. 

Can Mackenzie find the courage to learn from her mistakes and move forward or will she spend her days consumed with regrets? Is it too late to convince Brayden she wants him in her life and that she’s in it for the long haul? Most of all, can she accept that sometimes bad things happen no matter how hard you try to protect yourself from them? Can she put it all behind her or will she live an unfulfilled life full of regrets?

Valentine's Day Treat from Danielle Sibarium

Happy Valentine's Day!

As a special treat, I'm excited to bring you an announcement from my good friend Danielle Sibarium. I've become a big fan of Danielle's YA romance novels, so I was so pumped when I got her message below. Be sure to enter the giveaway posted below for her new release!

First, I would like to thank you for allowing me to announce my special message on your blog. I am so honored to be here today. I understand your blog is a reflection of you and so I thank you for giving me this opportunity. Next, I’d like to thank every reader that has ever picked up one of my books and given them a chance. And finally I’d like to thank all of my fans that have felt compelled to reach out to me. I have appreciated all of your letters, messages, and support, whether it came in an email, or just a short and sweet tweet. 

When I began this journey, I had no expectations. I had dreams and hopes and wishes, but to say I expected For Always to take on a life of its own would not be true. Since its release in October of 2011, many people have contacted me asking me if I planned to write a sequel. I thought Stephanie and Jordan’s story had been completed, but for many of you, it wasn’t enough. So because you asked, because you told me in no uncertain terms you wanted it, I am working on And Forever, the sequel to For Always. And Forever picks up where For Always ended. While Stephanie and Jordan are finally a couple, they still carry the same baggage they had before. Can their love survive the ghosts of their past and the challenges of the future?

I hope you are excited about this as I am. I expect And Forever to be released in July 2014. Until then, look for teasers on Facebook and Twitter. And before I go, I leave you with this, the prologue of And Forever.  Once again thank you for being so amazing. Happy Reading! 

Prologue  

     The scent of death lingered nearby. Always. Only I didn't attract it, I repelled it, like a deflector shield. This was my lot in life, to extend the days of those I loved. That theory came from Jordan; the keeper of my heart, and the love of my life!
I sighed. I didn't realize I did it until Jordan apologized. Again.
"I'm sorry Steph, I don't want to be distracted."
"I know. I understand. Promise."
He misunderstood. It was a contented sigh. One that said I was thrilled my boyfriend was driving me to school. The sigh was a sign of how surreal sitting next to Jordan and knowing that he loved me was. How I couldn't believe in a matter of hours he'd be leaving me alone on the college campus, and I intended to savor each minute with him. The sigh was the only chance I had of getting any of those sentiments across because he didn't want me to talk while he was driving. I knew just being in the car together was challenging for him.
Jordan still suffered the after effects of a terrible car accident that left his ex-girlfriend dead. Of course he was breaking up with her at the time because he loved me, and I pushed him into making a choice between us. When he served as my unexpected prom date, I made him admit his feelings. That's what led to his break-up with Madison, leaving him in a swamp of guilt induced quick sand when she died. But we worked through all that.
I hoped.
I didn't bother saying anything further to try and reassure him I wasn't upset. I'd already been warned he couldn't concentrate on the road and to keep the radio down. The problem was he wanted it down so low I couldn't hear the music. I glanced at his hands on the steering wheel, his knuckles were white. He held on so tight I expected his fingers to cramp up. I hated that this was so hard for him. I wished I knew how to make it better, but the only thing I could do was stand beside him and hope in time he'd heal.
I turned to my window, watching the never ending expanse of trees zoom by. I wished for a brief moment I'd gone in the other car with my mother and her new, at least new to me, boyfriend Eddie. I'd been clueless about Eddie, but after her health scare last week, she came clean. She wanted to see him and had been ordered to take a few days off of work. Work is where they'd rendezvous during lunch. She'd been frightened when they first told her it looked like a heart attack and realized it was silly to keep him hidden away. No way I wanted to hear what cheesy, weird things they might be talking about. I mean it was my mom, gross. Still, I was happy for her. My father died a decade ago and as far as I knew she'd never dated before.
I chose to ride with Jordan, because even in the deafening silence, and the tension he carried on his shoulders every time we got in a car together, there was nowhere else I'd rather be. From the first moment he spoke to me, he owned my heart. It was branded with his name. I'd tried for four years to move on, to forget him, but that wasn't an option for me. No one could hold a candle to him.
"Hey," He pulled my attention back to the here and now. "You know I love you right?"
I smiled. Of course he knew that would make me smile, that's why he said it. It felt like that's all I'd done over the last week since he found me crying on the beach. I'll never forget the wave of relief that washed over me when I found out he'd been spared from a terrible plane crash. He never made it on the plane because I called him at the last minute in an attempt to get him to stay. Thank goodness I did. I didn't know where he was going or why, but Maria warned me that he was leaving, and it might be forever.
I always believed myself to be the root cause of the bad things that happen to people around me, Jordan thought I was what kept them hanging on. I didn't believe him, at least not yet. But having him try to convince me otherwise promised to be amazing.

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PARANORMAL PALOOZA GIVEAWAY!

To celebrate the arrival of 2014 and thank all of you—my beautiful, fun, amazing followers—some of my favorite authors and I have donated digital copies of our (YA and NA) paranormal books to create a giveaway of eleven thrilling books you won't want to put down!

INCLUDED IN THE GIVEAWAY:

ONE and TWO by LeighAnn Kopans: When having two powers makes you a Super and having none makes you a Normal, having only one makes you a sad half-superpowered freak. It makes you a One.

Sixteen-year-old Merrin Grey would love to be able to fly – too bad all she can do is hover. If she could just land an internship at the Biotech Hub, she might finally figure out how to fix herself. She busts her butt in AP Chem and salivates over the Hub’s research on the manifestation of superpowers, all in hopes of boosting her chances.

Then she meets Elias VanDyne, another One, and all her carefully crafted plans fly out the window. Literally. When the two of them touch, their Ones combine to make them fly, and when they’re not soaring over the Nebraska cornfields, they’re busy falling for each other.

Merrin's mad chemistry skills land her a spot on the Hub's internship short list, but as she gets closer to the life she always wanted, she discovers that the Hub’s purpose is more sinister than it has always seemed. Now it’s up to her to decide if it's more important to fly solo, or to save everything - and everyone - she loves.

 

INTO THE DEEP and HIDEN BENEATH by Lauryn April: Ivy Daniels is a high school junior still learning who she is. After almost drowning, Ivy finds herself with an ability she doesn’t want, an ability to uncover secrets which quickly begins to redefine what she thinks about the people around her as well as herself. Because of this ability, Ivy becomes the one thing that stands between an angry teen and the death of every student on campus. The only problem is she doesn’t know who wants everyone dead. Will she figure out whose secret is that they’re planning to blow up her school, or will she fail to find him in time? Through her search to do the right thing, Ivy discovers that knowing the thoughts and secrets of those around her may just tear her apart.

 

THE AWAKENING & OTHER STORIES and BENEATH MANHATTAN SKIES by Emma Meade: Put on the kettle, close the curtains and curl up by the fire. Dive into 8 short tales, each with a slice of the paranormal.

Ghost Story - Who is the shadow in the window of the abandoned house, and what or who is he waiting for?
The Awakening - It's time for Sabrina to wake up and face the light.
End of the Line - Cassie wants to die. When midnight rolls around, she stands on the tracks waiting for the train to come.
Milsa Loris - The once magnificent kingdom of Milsa Loris comes alive one night each winter. The King's witch is brewing up a little magic, sure to make the soup all the tastier.
The Old Vampire - Hailey spent her life dreaming of a dark prince falling in love with her. He never showed up, until now.
The Knocking - Alison's grandfather has one eye on the next life. After all, he's heard a lot of rapping at his door lately.
The Boy on the Beach - Kate's grandmother warns her about the boy with the green eyes. Will she pay heed?
Snowglobes- It's busy at Calvin's Cabins this Christmas. Eddie and Maggie are a young couple in trouble. Not to fear, Calvin is always ready to lend a hand.

 

THE DAY ZOMBIES RUINED MY PERFECTLY BORING LIFE and THE TIME ZOMBIES BECAME THE LEAST OF MY WORRIES by Jen Naumann: Emma Ferdig has heard the term “life sucks, then you die”, but she never knew she was supposed to take it quite so literally.

It’s senior year. Emma should be looking forward to escaping her mundane small town, and going on to college—finally. Her biggest worries should be the fact that she’s feeling something more for her life-long best friend Finn, and how she’s going to make things happen between them. But all her plans for a less-sucky future go out the window with the discovery of a seriously creepy woman in her backyard. As it turns out, zombies are real.

In the first book of the Boring Life Series, Emma’s life is turned upside down as she’s forced to leave everything behind, running off with Finn and a group of extremely odd misfits that include Finn’s jackhole brother Cash, and his unorthodox girlfriend Marley. In an instantaneous journey across the Midwest, they’ll learn horrifying secrets, trust the wrong people, and make deadly mistakes. As they do all then can to try and survive the impending apocalypse, Emma will realize that maybe her painfully boring life hadn’t been such a bad thing, after all.

 

HEART WAVES, BREAKING WAVES, and WAVES OF LOVE by Danielle Sibarium: Jenna Kingsley has a gift. She knows things. With a simple touch she can pick up personal information from jewelry or objects. While at a neighbor's party, a voice mesmerizes her. Jenna is momentarily frozen as a ring is placed in her hand. White electricity surges through her and a dire prediction is made. "It's like Romeo and Juliet. You're going to break my heart." From the moment they meet, Jenna is enchanted and entranced with Reece Walton. She's thrilled to learn he's spending the summer two houses away from hers. Every moment they spend together is magical. But she can't get the prediction out of her mind. As the summer draws to a close and secrets are revealed, can Jenna get past the fear of being left with a broken heart to live in the moment with Reece or will her fear of being hurt fulfill the prophecy?

 

The winner will be announced on this blog February 1st. Be sure to spread the word, and don't forget to come back each day of January to enter!

Good luck, and Happy New Year!

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Cover Reveal: Waves of Love by Danielle Sibarium

My friend Danielle Sibarium does an excellent job of writing YA romance, so when she asked if I would help reveal the cover for the third installment in her paranormal trilogy, I jumped at the opportunity. And I was pleasantly surprised to see a guy with muscular arms featured (how can you not appreciate a man with well-built biceps?).

In celebration of her new release, Danielle is giving away three free copies, so be sure to enter below!

Jenna knew Reece would break her heart, when he did Tyler stepped in to pick up the pieces.

As she’s ready to take the next step with Tyler, Jenna finds herself face to face with Reece. Lies and secrets are discovered from the two boys she trusted the most. And now it’s more than just her heart on the line, it’s her life as well. 

Torn between two amazing guys Jenna’s certain of only one thing, this is the most important decision of her life. One almost destroyed her. The other brought her back to life. The time has come to choose. Can Jenna move forward with Tyler or will she be stuck in the past with Reece?

Become a fan of the Waves of Love Heart Waves Facebook page for teasers of this heartwarming story, coming October 31, 2013.

Ways to follow Danielle Sibarium:

Website

Twitter

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COVER REVEAL: To My Hero by Danielle Sibarium

So I met my good friend/fellow author Danielle Sibarium maybe a year ago on Twitter. I love everything of hers that I've read so far, including the sneak peak I was given of her upcoming release, To My Hero. So when she recently asked if I wanted to participate in the cover reveal for this emotional tear-jerker coming April 21st, I jumped at the chance!

Without any further delay, I give you the stunning cover along with the book's summary!

It would’ve been different if I had courage, even an ounce of it. But I was a coward from the day I met you, Ryan Crowley. I still am. In the end it doesn’t matter. The bottom line is the same. It’s my fault. 

When the unthinkable happens Carly Cavanough is left beaten, betrayed, and devastated. Her best friend doesn’t understand. Her parents won’t listen. Everyone in her life turns against her. She’s alone. Completely alone, except for Ryan Crowley, the boy she’s been crushing on for years. She won’t admit to him what she can’t admit to herself. But he understands without words. He knows more about what she’s going through than she can possibly imagine and he knows what it will take to start the healing. 

With Ryan’s help Carly begins to piece together the fragments of her once perfect life and embarks on a journey of love and healing, just long enough for the rug to be pulled out from under her again. Can she find the strength and will to pull herself together to save Ryan and herself when their lives are on the line?

Ways to visit Danielle Sibarium online

Website

Goodreads

Twitter

Breaking Waves Blog Tour/Giveaway!

**My apologizes to the author and her hop host - I was scheduled to post yesterday, but I had it on my calendar for today! Life is just too crazy sometimes.**

From the moment they met, Jenna knew Reece would break her heart, but she never dreamed it would happen like this. Jenna is left shattered and broken. When life becomes too painful to deal with and she feels completely alone, there’s only one person to help her pick up the pieces and move on. The one person she doesn’t want to turn to. The one person she promised to stay away from. Tyler. Can Jenna put aside everything she knows about him and let Tyler help heal her broken heart?

I recently interviewed the talented and always fun Danielle Sibarium and asked her about her new release, Heart Waves (you can find the interview here). In honor of her sequel to Breaking Waves, she's hosting a giveaway! So enter to win and check out Danielle through the links below!

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Where to Buy:

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Connect with Danielle:

Website

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Goodreads

Heart Waves Facebook

Follow her blog hop here.

Danielle Sibarium grew up as an only child of divorced parents in Brooklyn, New York. Her imagination was developed at an early age. Surrounded by stuffed animals and imaginary friends, she transported herself into a fantasy world full of magic and wonder. Books were the gateway between her play world and reality. On any given summer afternoon she became Snow White sweeping and cooking for the dwarfs, or Cinderella waiting for the prince. Danielle always loved dialogue and in elementary school began writing plays and short stories. This is when she began to understand she could not only bring her fantastical world to life for herself, but she could enchant others as well. And so she wrote. She wrote and wrote and wrote.

Sadly the first piece she ever sent out for publication of any sort was a letter to the editor of The Home News Tribune. It was a piece thanking the first responders for their bravery and selflessness on Sept 11th. It was chosen as letter of the week.

In 2007 Danielle collaborated with Charlotte Doreen Small to write songs for her CD More. Danielle wrote the lyrics for Take My Hand, and Goodbye, while Charlotte contributed the melody.  In October 2011 Danielle’s debut novel For Always was released. She has since released Heart Waves and the second book in the Heart Waves series, Breaking Waves.  Danielle graduated from Farleigh Dickinson University with honors, and currently lives in New Jersey with her husband and three children.

Writer Wednesday: Danielle Sibarium

Welcome to the second installment of Writer Wednesday, where I introduce you to a new indie author and ask them 10 questions to get to know more about them.

Today we meet with Danielle Sibarium, who just released her second young adult romance book, Heart Waves. As with almost all of my writer friends, I first met Danielle on Twitter a couple of months ago. I really enjoyed her first book, For Always, and look forward to reading more from this talented YA author!

Tell us about your new release, Heart Waves.

Heart Waves is the first book in Heart Waves trilogy. It centers around Jenna Kingsley who picks up information from energy left on jewelry or objects. The night she meets Reece Walton she predicts like Romeo and Juliet, you’re going to break my heart. As much as she tries to fight her attraction to Reece, she falls helplessly in love with him. Heart Waves is about first love, and all the feelings and insecurities that go along with it.

What was your favorite scene to write?

I had a lot of fun with any scene Reece was in, but my favorite scenes are by the pool in Jenna’s backyard and one at night on the boardwalk. These were the scenes that made me laugh while writing them.

Were any aspects of the story brought on either by personal experience or a certain inspiration?

I actually got the inspiration for Heart Waves a long time ago when I started writing For Always. I thought it was really Heart Waves I wanted to write, but as it turns out they were two very different stories.

What are some of your favorite books and/or authors?

Of course the Harry Potter and Twilight series’ are among the favorites, as well as Bram Stoker’s Dracula. As a young adult sneaking her mother’s books, I fell in love with John Saul. That probably explains the dark edge in my writing.

When did you first realize you wanted to become an author?

I’ve always loved books and words! Always. Sixth grade is when I knew I had to make sure writing was a part of my future.

What music do you listen to while writing?

It depends on the book. For Heart Waves, I listened to a lot of upbeat, fun music. The first part of Breaking Waves (the sequel to Heart Waves) I listened to very solemn, depressing music. VERY depressing music. The second half of Breaking Waves I stopped listening to music altogether while writing.

What's the most satisfying thing about writing?

For me there are two incredibly satisfying aspects of writing, the first holding a completed novel in my hands. Seeing the whole work as an actual book gives me a sense of pride unlike anything else I’ve ever done. The second is hearing from readers that the enjoyed my books or connected with a character or characters.

Hardest thing?

The hardest thing is waking up the characters and getting them to talk to you when they decide to take a break or go on vacation. That and actually finding time to write.

What's your current work in progress about?

Breaking Waves, which will be available later this month, is the sequel to Heart Waves. From the moment they met, Jenna knew Reece would break her heart, but she never dreamed it would happen like this. Jenna is left shattered and broken. When life becomes too painful to deal with and she feels completely alone, there’s only one person to help her pick up the pieces and move on - the one person she doesn’t want to turn to. The one person she promised to stay away from - Tyler.

Can Jenna put aside everything she knows about him and let Tyler help heal her broken heart?

If you could shake the hand of any person in the world, who would that be?

Since I already got to meet some impressive people; a presidential candidate (Rudy Giuliani) and a sports hero (Derek Jeter) I’d want to shake hands with a true hero - Captain Sully who landed the Miracle on the Hudson. He showed bravery and true leadership with his calm, clear thinking under strenuous circumstances and in doing so saved many lives. He is a true hero!

Ways to follow Daneille: Twitter, Goodreads, Facebook, her website

Where to find her books: Amazon, Barnes and Noble

Danielle Sibarium grew up as an only child of divorced parents in Brooklyn, New York. Books were the gateway between her play world and reality. On any given summer afternoon she became Snow White sweeping and cooking for the dwarves, or Cinderella waiting for the prince. Danielle graduated from Farleigh Dickinson University with honors, and currently lives in New Jersey with her husband and three children.