A Few of My Favorite Things...

    So, like most writers, I am addicted to reading. This said, I think if I had to give up reading for whatever reason, I might die.

     Well, not actually, but I would have a mental breakdown and cry for days...weeks.
     Because this addiction of mine is a well-known fact amongst my friends and family, I was recently asked what is my favorite book.
     Oh, boy.
     Every avid reader knows that choosing a favorite book is like choosing a favorite child - it's sometimes impossible. So, I had to answer with the most coherent and intelligent answer I could come up with:
     "I don't know."
     But, that question go me thinking. If I had to pick 10 books to be my favorites, what would they be? (I chose ten and not give because give was narrowing it down too much for me). I also picked these because some of these titles might not be familiar to you.
     I guess you could say these are my favorite ebooks.
     If you read the synopsis (thank you, Goodreads) and decided you would be interested in the book, click on the title and it will take you to the site where you can purchase the book.
     So, without further ado, here is my list of my most favoritest bookses in all forever (not in any particular order - except that Listed should come first):

WINNERS:

Listed by Noelle Adams

A marriage of convenience has never been like this.

Just before her eighteenth birthday, the doctors tell Emily she has three months to live. Not much time to complete the bucket list she's had since she was twelve. The first item is the hardest--"Get married"--so she turns to the only man she knows who can help.

Paul, a barely reformed bad boy, has inherited a fortune from his mother, but his life is defined by his conflicted relationship with his father--a white-collar, organized-crime boss who, thanks to Paul, is being brought up on federal charges. Without Emily's testimony, his father might walk, so Paul agrees to her unconventional proposal. He'll be her husband for her last three months.

They agree that she'll testify against his father and he'll help her complete her bucket list. It's not supposed to be a true marriage. No consummation. No future. No love.

No love.

She's supposed to die, after all, and love might not be enough.

*Recommended for readers over 17*

Blink of an Eye by Ted Dekker

The future changes in the BLINK of an eye...or does it?

Seth Borders isn't your average graduate student. For starters, he has one of the world's highest IQs. Now he's suddenly struck by an incredible power--the ability to see multiple potential futures.

Still reeling from this inexplicable gift, Seth stumbles upon a beautiful woman named Miriam. Unknown to Seth, Miriam is a Saudi Arabian princess who has fled her veiled existence to escape a forced marriage of unimaginable consequences. Cultures collide as they're thrown together and forced to run from an unstoppable force determined to kidnap or kill Miriam.

Seth's mysterious ability helps them avoid capture once, then twice. But with no sleep, a fugitive princess by his side, hit men a heartbeat away, and a massive manhunt steadily closing in, evasion becomes impossible.

An intoxicating tale set amidst the shifting sands of the Middle East and the back roads of America, Blink of an Eye engages issues as ancient as the earth itself...and as current as today's headlines.

Finding Cinderella by Colleen Hoover

A chance encounter in the dark leads eighteen-year-old Daniel and the girl who stumbles across him to profess their love for each other. But this love comes with conditions: they agree it will only last one hour and it will only be make-believe.

When their hour is up and the girl rushes off like Cinderella, Daniel tries to convince himself that what happened between them only seemed perfect because they were pretending it was perfect. Moments like that with girls like her don’t happen outside of fairytales.

One year and one bad relationship later, his disbelief in insta-love is stripped away the day he meets Six: a girl with a strange name and an even stranger personality. Daniel soon realizes the way he pretended to feel about Cinderella and the way he really feels about Six may not be so different after all. Especially when the two loves of his life end up being one in the same.

Unfortunately for Daniel, finding Cinderella doesn’t guarantee their happily ever after…it only further threatens it.

Hopeless by Colleen Hoover

Sometimes discovering the truth can leave you more hopeless than believing the lies…

That’s what seventeen-year-old Sky realizes after she meets Dean Holder. A guy with a reputation that rivals her own and an uncanny ability to invoke feelings in her she’s never had before. He terrifies her and captivates her all in the span of just one encounter, and something about the way he makes her feel sparks buried memories from a past that she wishes could just stay buried.

Sky struggles to keep him at a distance knowing he’s nothing but trouble, but Holder insists on learning everything about her. After finally caving to his unwavering pursuit, Sky soon finds that Holder isn’t at all who he’s been claiming to be. When the secrets he’s been keeping are finally revealed, every single facet of Sky’s life will change forever.

*Recommended for readers over 17*

Me and Timothy Cooper by Suzanne D. Williams

Seventeen-year-old Taylor Lawton has a crush on Timothy Cooper, a boy at her school, and as crushes go, things are normal. He ignores her. She doesn’t speak to him. Until their English teacher, Mrs. Walker puts them on a project together.

A turn of fate then throws them both for a loop. For an entire week, they will stay beneath the same roof. Will this be too much togetherness? What will Taylor do with Timothy’s painful secret?

A light novella with a touching storyline, this tale is enjoyable for both young adults and grown-ups alike.

Carter Reed by Tijan

Emma decided to skip the gym and went home early. It was the last easy decision she made because she found her roommate being raped by her boyfriend. She had two choices. Call the cops and be killed by his family’s mafia connections or kill him first and hope to survive. There was no choice to her. She killed the bastard first and went to the one person who could protect her. Carter Reed. He’s a weapon for the rivaling mafia family, but he’s also Emma’s secret. Not only was he best friends with her brother, but she’s the reason he became that weapon in the first place.

*Recommended for readers over 18*

Unseen Messages by Pepper Winters

"Instincts are what keep us safe from fate. Ignoring them can change your life forever."

Fame and fortune arrived overnight and after months on the road with her singing tour, all Estelle craves is peace. Tired and ready for paradise, she travels to Fiji to recuperate.

Stubborn and surly, Galloway is avoided by most--which is exactly the way he likes it. However, he's done spending his life in regret and hopes to find redemption in the tropical wilderness.

Together, they board the flight that changes their fate forever. Crash landing on a deserted island, they not only have to figure out how to survive with no skills and daily dangers--learning how to fish, find water, and build shelter--but also inherit two children who look to them to keep them alive.

However, staying alive might be the least of Galloway and Estelle's problems. As days creep to months and rescue doesn't find them, their desire for each other ignites.

They started as strangers.

They grew to be friends.

They fought the desire to be lovers.

Lust can be the most beautiful thing. But, Love the most rewarding.

Very Bad Things by Ilsa Madden-Mills

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. 

*Recommended for readers over 18 years of age*

Chasing McCree by J. C. Isabella

Briar Thompson had it all. The right clothes, the right friends, the right car. Being popular was all that mattered. Her parents were rich and treated like royalty throughout the community. She thought her senior year of high school was going perfectly, until the night her drink was spiked at a party by one of her so called friends. 

That was the night she met Chase McCree. 

Chase wanted to go back to Montana. To the ranch and the wild, wide blue sky that went on forever. He wanted nothing to do with flashy cars or spoiled rich kids. But he found himself head over boots for the quirky cheerleader who turned her back on her social status. She befriended him when no one else would. 

Shunned and hurt by the people who were once her friends, Briar flees with Chase to his family ranch in Montana. There she discovers another world, and apart of herself she never knew. 

The cowboy wasn’t like anyone she’d ever met. The cheerleader wasn’t like anyone he’d ever met. Apart their lives didn’t seem to make sense, but together, they were chasing forever.

Falling for Hadie by Komal Kant

Sometimes there is a single moment that changes your life forever.”

Hadie Swinton is giving up on boys.

After a disastrous relationship, she is convinced that all males are the same—arrogant, self-assured, and complete jerks.

Lincoln Bracks is giving up on his old life.

After moving to a new town to escape the problems plaguing him, he is set against ever getting close to anyone again.

When Hadie and Lincoln’s worlds collide, their intrigue for one another leads them to open up to each other against their better judgment. Despite the attraction that is pulling them together, insecurities, secrets, and shattered hopes stand in the way of them ever being together.

At a time when darkness consumes their lives, Hadie and Lincoln learn that hope and love can still be found in the most unlikely place.

*Recommended for mature readers aged 17+ due to language and sexual content

Honorable Mentioned:

The following is probably in the top three of my favorite story and probably most of you have never heard of it. However, it is a story, not a book, as it has never been published and probably never will be. I believe it to be Tijan's best work, so it breaks my heart that this story will never have a spine and sit on a shelf. This said, it can only be found on Fiction Press or Tijan's website under WIPS and Free Reads. Because this is not a published book, there is also, sadly, no cover. Someday, I hope to convince Tijan to publish it. Until then, I'll give you the link to read it online if you so choose.

Sentiment Lost by Tijan Meyers

Some survive. Some protect. And some have hope.
Maya went in search of Jace to help bring down the cartel that destroyed not only her brother's life, but hers as well. The only problem? No one had ever been able to find Jace. But, when Maya does manage to find him, she finds him - and herself - deeper than she realized.

*Recommended for readers 18+*

Book Cover Winner!

We have a winner for the cover for "A Moment for Eternity"!

Drum roll please...

Thank you all who voted. I loved your input and appreciate your help in this decision. So, without further ado, the winner cover is....

A Moment for Eternity Final Book Cover Reveal

So, I gave you a teaser cover until the final designs for the official cover came in. They are two very different cover choices and I can't decide which one I like better. Maybe you could help me out? I'd love for you to vote and let me know which cover is your favorite! (These covers are for A Moment for Eternity, which is due to come out this fall/winter.) Scroll down and click the link to vote.

And yes, the tree is supposed to be upside down (you'll find out why in the book).

Modern and Trendy

Soft and Surreal

Book Cover Poll

Cover Reveal!

So.... Here's the cover of my new series that you guys have been waiting for!!! Thank you for being patient.
But, now you have to be even more patient (I'm sorry) because the book won't be started until this summer.
Sucks. I know.
However, until then, here's the cover as a little "tide me over" teaser. 

New Books (PLURAL)!

Read for Free!

So... yeah. It's been quite awhile. For that, I apologize. Life has been crazy! I've collaborate with a few other authors and we've published a poetry book called PenRose Poems: Volume I. (Click here to check it out!) It's available at Barnes & Noble, Lulu.com, and Amazon.com. I would definitely recommend checking it out! Even if you don't like poetry, there are some fun pieces in there that I think you readers will enjoy. Or, you could give it as a gift to someone who does like poetry.

Also, I've been working on a new book, A Moment for Eternity. ...

Xavier Thomas has everything. Money. Power. Control. All of that is shattered when he meets an unusual girl with an unusual name and an even more unusual request...

...Tennessee Evans wants to see the world. She's never been on a vacation in all her twenty-one years and she wants to road-trip while she can. When she sees a rich pretty-boy getting his passport, her problems seem solved. She asks him to take her on vacation and, to her utter surprise, 

agrees. However, it's soon apparent that Tennessee and her crazy personality alone with straight-laced Xavier Thomas for two straight weeks wasn't the best idea. 

Or maybe it was....

“Mommy, I’m hungry.”

Xavier shoved his earbuds further into his ears. Waiting in line was one thing, but waiting in line with a child crying in his ear was another. He shifted his stance and attempted to block out the sound best he could. 

“Mommy!”

The woman did her best to hush the belligerent child while remaining oblivious to the dirty looks people were sending her way. 

Suddenly, the child expelled an ear-piercing wail that turned the dirty looks to dark ones. The lady, cheeks stained pink with embarrassment, apologized and swiftly carried her child out. 

“Shoulda done that quite a bit ago.”

At the middle-aged man’s comment, a woman snorted. “Children these days have no sense of respect. So spoiled.”

Though the young boy’s cries were more than annoying, Xavier highly doubted a child barely at the age of two would know the existence of the word respect, let alone have the capability of behaving as such. 

He slid his phone from his pocket and changed the song. People annoyed him. Not all people, but most. He liked order and reasoning and control. It hadn’t taken him long to discover that many times, people didn’t make sense, and more than that, life was very difficult to control.

That didn't stop him from trying, however.

A woman started an argument with her husband. The man’s face became even more drawn as his wife roused herself into an embarrassing frenzy. 

Yes, he most certainly did not care for people.

“153.”

Xavier stood as he heard his number and made his way to the counter.

“How are we doing this afternoon?”

He peered at the woman in front of him. He had always thought it strange that people used the word we rather than you. “I’m not sure,” he quipped. “I’m doing pretty fine. Though, how you’re doing is entirely up to you.”

The woman’s face was blank as she stared at him in confusion. After a beat, she gave a polite laugh. “I’m doing okay as well.” She pulled some papers out and handed him a pen. “Just sign here and… here and then you can go ahead and take a seat.”

Xavier did as she requested and then returned to his seat. Just as he was about to return his earbuds to his ears, a shadow descended over him. He looked up. 

“Mind if I sit here?”

Curly hair and bright eyes stared back at him. The girl was practically bouncing. She wore a shirt too big for her small frame with leggings and sandals. But, what caught his attention, was her smile. Wide and genuine.

Xavier cleared his throat, realizing he’d been staring. “No. Not at all.”

“Thanks.” She unceremoniously plopped down next to him.

Awkward silence ensued and Xavier suddenly wished the crying child was still around.

“How old are you?”

Xavier startled and stared at the girl with wide eyes. “‘Scuse me?”

She laughed and the sound wasn’t polite and reserved like most girls, but it was loud and full, brimming with joy. However, it wasn’t boisterous, simply… unfiltered. He smiled. He had a suspicion that her laugh was much like her personality.

“How old are you?”

“Twenty-three. How ‘bout you?”

She grinned, mischievousness gleaming in her eyes. “Don’t you know better than to ask a woman her age?”

His face warmed and he coughed. “I beg your pardon. But, I figured you’d rather me ask then guess.”

“And what would you have guessed?”

He stared at her then. She had the figure of a teen, and her behavior bespoke of youth. However, her eyes held more maturity than he would have expected. “Twenty.”

Her leg began to bounce. “Ooh, you’re good. Twenty-one.” Her hand came out and gestured towards the DMV. “License renewal and all that.” Her head tilted to the side, sending a curl to brush against her cheek. “I’m surprised you didn’t say sixteen or seventeen.”

He shrugged. He would have, but… “Your eyes.”

Her brow furrowed. “What?”

“Your eyes. They seem older than the rest of you.”

A gleam entered her eyes, then, and she smiled, seeming to like that answer. 

That gleam made Xavier uncomfortable, but he decided to ignore it.

He shouldn’t have.

“Wanna go somewhere?”

He choked. “W-what?” 

“Do you want to go somewhere? Anywhere.”

“Are you propositioning me?” Horror colored his tone.
She laughed again and it made Xavier want to smile. “I want to go on a trip. Away from here. And you seem like just the person to take me.”

Story Saturdays

Just Another Poem

So, I know I've been gone for awhile and I apologize. My computer crashed while my flashdrive was plugged in so everything I had been working on was deleted.
Meaning, all the edits for my book.
So, now, I'm having to redo almost two months of editing around my busy school/work schedule. Not fun. But, I came up with this poem a few minutes ago, and thought I'd share it with you all for your enjoyment.
If you want to keep up with more (much more) frequent updates on what's going on, follow me on Twitter! If something's coming up, it's announced on my Twitter ASAP. You also get links and recommendations for other nerd activities, like if an author has an upcoming signing...

So, without further to do, here's my poem.

Things I Love

I love early morning summer,
when the birds are singing loud
and the sky is painted orange low,
casting gilded light across the ground.

I love when water ripples,
sending those shards of light,
like broken glass across the floor,
flitting for my delight.

I love drinking in the blaze of fire,
in the dark of night,
their crackling and dancing slow
right before my eyes.

I love when sunlight streams
through windows all around,

placing the purest of ribbons

all across the ground.

I love being so alone,

bare feet dipped in rivers flowing

woods and animals all around

and a book to tell me where I’m going.

I love fast driving through the country

so all the colors of the trees,

blur to form one bright color

of flowers and grass and leaves.

I love the smell of the great outdoors

just after heavy rain

when everything is pure and clean,

like God decided to start again.

I love the scent of the sweetest pea

and lavender in my shower,

but the scent I love the most of all

is none but the butterfly flower.

I love high places to stand upon

And look upon God’s glory

the feeling of climbing oh, so high

and seeing our smallness in His Story.

I love the minds of others

when I’m able to see in

and battle with the best of minds

to better mine with strengthening.

I love the smell of adventure

as it rumbles through my veins

and fills me with excitement

I know I’ll never know again.

I love new discoveries

and things that make me think

and finding a pattern in chaos

that can change before you blink.

I love asking questions

as annoying as that may be

but questions get you answers

and answers can set you free.

I love brilliant quote.

There’s just something about those words

that make you realize there’s more to life

yet, you can still be understood.

But, more than anything I love,

Is a Love that sets you free

When God sent His Son to die

All for the sake of His own glory.

Story Saturdays

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