Hidden Gates Blog Tour [Guest Post -On Bryn- *squeee*]

Why hello there! Welcome to Dreaming in The Pages, if you are here, I suspect you want to know every possible thing there is to know about Hidden Gates...and maybe you are just trying to get into Bryn's head a little bit. Either way, that is okay. ; ]
Let's get started shall we?!

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Hidden Gates
D.T. Dyllin

E-Book -Jan 4th- / Print -February 28th-

For P.J. Stone, being a “Seer” who has never seen anything is less than fun. And P.J. isn’t known for her patience.

To make matters worse, she must choose a suitable mate to continue the Seer bloodline. Duty always comes before her heart…at least that’s what her parents taught her. When she finds herself wanting someone who is considered off-limits, P.J. is forced to question everything she believes.

As if navigating her love life isn’t complicated enough, P.J. finally receives a vision—of a threat to her world that only she can perceive. But no one will believe a fledgling Seer’s warnings. With nowhere else to turn, she may decide to trust a stranger with her life, her world, and maybe even her heart.

-Book Links-
Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble

Who, you may ask, is the amazing woman who wrote this?! Well look no further! 

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Stalkers: Website / Twitter / Facebook / Goodreads

Cynical-Optimist. Chocolateholic. Sarcasm Addict. Paranormal Believer. Self-Imposed Insomniac. Sci-Fi Geek. Animal Lover. Writer . . . are just a few words to describe D.T. Dyllin. She was born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and now lives in Nashville, Tennessee, with her husband and two very spoiled German Shepherds.

That is not all folks. D.T. Dyllin has also gave us a bit of a character profile on Bryn. Who he is, what he likes, when his birthday is, and most importantly his zodiac sign. [Because honestly, how else will we know if we are compatible with that stud?!]Oh yeah, and a picture to help you see Bryn in all his hotness. Don't faint now ladies!

Bryn O'Bannon

  Description: Tall, about 6’4”, striking blue eyes, black hair, chiseled abs, arms—chiseled everything.

Job: High School Senior/Guardian in training

Age: 18

Birthday: September 24^th

Zodiac sign: Libra

Best friend: P.J. Stone

Favorite type of music: Anything but country.

Favorite movie: Fight Club

Favorite place to hang: Anywhere P.J. is.

 Quote: “I know I’m a guy, but I want more than just sex with you.”

Celebrity Inspiration: A young Tom Welling.

Don't forget to check out the rest of the tour by clicking on the banner up top! You don't want to miss out on any of this! But before I bid you farwell and leave you swooning over Bryn, don't forget to enter the giveaway below! You could win some amazing stuff!!

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

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That is all folks!
Thanks to the amazing D.T Dyllin for stopping by and giving us some of her time, and of course, for the look into the amazingly sexy Bryn.
Have an amazing weekend all, and don't forget to enter the giveaway!
Laters! [ :

Review/Playlist: My Paper Heart by Magan Vernon

My Paper Heart
Magan Vernon
Release Date: August 1st, 2012
( Barnes & Noble / Amazon )

There are worse things in life than failing out of college- such as having your parents receive the letter that you’ve been kicked out.
Now to appease her parents self-proclaimed sorority princess Libby Gentry is packing up her Prada bag and heading to work for her great aunt’s antique store in tiny Elsbury, Louisiana. She’s pretty sure she can tackle the swamp and deal with her great aunt and tom boy of a little cousin, but what she doesn’t know is if she can handle the local town playboy, Blaine Crabtree.

As Libby's feelings for Blaine grow, so does her need for acceptance and all of the insecurities she has kept inside are coming out. She may have survived the Louisiana swamp, but she may not survive Blaine's reluctance to say the 'L' word. When Blaine finally commits to the three words Libby’s been waiting for, she only hopes they haven’t come too late.

**This book does contain some mild language and sexual content. It is meant for upper YA readers**

-Goodreads-

*An eARC was provided to me by the author in exchange for an honest review* 

:Review:
I wasn't sure what to expect when going into reading My Paper Heart. I have never read a book by Magan Vernon before but once I read the synopsis and saw that it was going to be classified as New Adult I knew I had to give this book a shot.

Libby isn't you typical blonde bimbo. Well, from the looks of it I guess you can say she is... flunking out of college after her first year and the sorority she was apart of could very well make you think she is a nothing more than a sorority girl with money who didn't give a rats a** to wither she passed or failed. But when her parents are more than peeved that she wasted a full year of college she is sent packing to her Great Aunts in Louisiana for a little wake up call.

I thoroughly enjoyed Libby. She was hilarious and the more you get to know her the more you know she isn't the blonde bimbo everyone in her sorority though she was. She is hilarious and along the way find herself amongst the southern charm she was so against when she was sent away. I love the connection she forged with her cousin Brittany and it really helped the reader see that Libby is way more than meets the eye. And don't you dare get me started on Blaine. Ladies, Blaine is that sexy southern man that we all dream about, not to mention completely and totally hilarious in everything he says. Swoon!

There wasn't a major WOW factor for me in how this book was delivered or finished, but I did enjoy how I got my complete ending. That is the one thing that pushes me away from books now a days, especially indie books. Finishing way too soon and with not enough substance. But this book hit the nail on the head and ended great. If you are looking for something that isn't too smexy and just the right amount of swoonage then I MUST suggest that you pick this read up. I know you ladies will fall for Blaine just the way I did. ; ]


:Playlist:
Check out these great songs that really help the reading of this book flow. Magan Vernon went all out country for this one, but what else would you expect?! [ :

*Only Prettier* -Miranda Lambert-

*I Never Told You* -Colbie Calliat-

*Cowboy Cassanova* -Carrie Underwood-

*God Bless The Broken Road* -Rascall Flatts-

*Home* -Michael Buble-

*Pour Some Sugar On Me* -Def Leppard-

*Hell on The Heart* -Eric Church-

*Picture to Burn* -Taylor Swift-

*Ladies Love Country Boys* -Trace Adkins-
*Boondocks* -Little Big Town-

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 So overall, you guys have to check this one out! Either click on those links above and buy this sucker up, or head on over to goodreads and add it to you to be read list today!! Oh, and enjoy the playlist for those of you who read the book, I know I did. Say hello to Blaine for me.

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Blog Tour: Trying to Score [Assassins #2] by Toni Aleo [Review/Excerpt/Giveaway]

Hello and welcome to Dreaming In The Pages! I am so glad to have you stop by today, because over the last few months I have grown extremely close and fond of this author right here. She is just pure amazing and, like her books, hard not to love. Today I am going to be giving you guys a review and a little peek at what book two, Trying to Score, has in store for you. If you missed my review of Taking Shots, the first book in the Assassins series just head on over here and check it out. But now I know I am boring you, so let's get on with it!

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Trying to Score [Assassins #2]
Toni Aleo

Release Date: April 11th 2012

( Barnes & Noble / Amazon)

Fallon Parker’s dream was to have her family’s wine company at the top of all wine magazines and to have a cellar of her own. After graduating from college, she has worked hard to make that dream a reality, even if that meant having a nonexistent love life. She had her chance at love and that was a bust, so she put everything into the wine company. After becoming the official sponsor of the Nashville Assassins, Fallon finally feels like everything is falling in place, that is until Lucas Brooks comes back into her life.

Lucas Brooks hates his life. He is lonely, he is sober, and he is angry. On the ice, when he’s not in the sin bin, he the leading scorer in the NHL but off the ice, he is a mess. He threw away the most important person in his life, and has regretted it ever since but when Lucas sees Fallon again after being traded to the Assassins; he is bound and determined to get her back. Even if she wants nothing to do with him.

The sexual tension between Fallon and Lucas is electrifying as Lucas tries to convince Fallon that he is a changed man. Fallon tries to resist Lucas, but it is so hard when all her body wants is his. But when Lucas finds out that Fallon has been keeping a huge secret from him, the game he is playing stops and penalties are called.

With new rules and new players on the ice, will Fallon and Lucas be able to work out their differences and work as a team or will they be left trying to score alone

-Goodreads-

*A copy of this book was given to me by the author for the blog tour hosted by AToMR* 
:Thoughts/Review:

*sigh*

Yes folks. I am starting out a review with a sigh. Because 1) I can. And 2(I am in total and complete love with the second book in the Assassins series. I would be lying if I told you I wasn’t nervous as hell to pick up this book either. I was so enamored with Shea and Elli in Taking Shots I wasn’t sure I was going to be able to open up my heart to yet another Hockey stud muffin who was gunning for my heart. But alas, I was so very wrong. A little steamy, a little heartbreaking, and a whole lot of fanning yourself are in order this time around readers. Are your cheeks feeling a little pink yet? Get use to the feeling.

Now, as I said, I didn’t know if I was even able to love a story as much as I did Shea and Elli’s. I KNOW Elli [I swear, she is me] and how could I love someone more than I love Shea Alder?! [I’m still not sure I actually can…] After the first chapter I had no doubt Toni was going to be blowing me away yet again. Fallon and Lucas’s story is a total 180 from what we read in Taking Shots. Like Elli, Fallon has her own sets of faults and personal problems going on, but once Lucas Brooks enters the story we notice that Fallon and Lucas’s relationship is far more intertwined than we could have first imagined. I quickly fell for the banter and quirks between these two. As Fallon was extremely slow to even warm up to Lucas, I fell for him hard and fast and couldn’t help but to cheer him on as he tried to get Fallon back into his arms.

Now, before I go all gaga over Lucas Brooks some more, I wanted to say how much I LOVED being able to see Elli and Shea in this book. It was AMAZING to get to see their story even after we thought it was ‘over’ when their book ended. Now, since that is aside, I can address how much I love how Toni sets a story up. I love that when I am done with one of her books, I feel like I’m complete. Like Taking Shots, Trying to Score was no short story. You are taking through the up’s and down’s of this relationship and you feel like once you take one step forward you take five steps back and then your heart is aching for what almost happened. Toni gets me so wrapped up in this story that once even something little happens [like Fallon coming to her senses on certain subjects] I seriously jump up in my seat and squeal out in glee. There is nothing like seeing someone completely turn around.

Fresh, new, and something completely unexpected I quickly became glued to Toni Aleo’s second work of masterpiece and, to be honest, it has actually made me start watching hockey. [Go Preds!] If you fell in love with Taking Shots, I have no doubt in my mind that you will fall for Trying to Score. There is nothing like watching a story you thought was long over, blossom and become everything you ever wished it would have been. There is also nothing like a little steam and fanning oneself either. But why are you sitting there reading the end of my review?! Shouldn’t you be rushing out to go buy this?! Oh, and be sure to say hello to Lucas Brooks for me. I have a feeling you two will get along swimmingly.

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:Excerpt:

“So how long have you guys been together?” Lucas asked. Lucas’ eyes watered from trying to keep in his laughter, and Fallow swore if she could hit him, she would.

“Together?” Rob asked looking over at Fallon.

Acting before thinking - not one of her best traits - Fallon nodded before leaning up and placing her lips on Rob’s. It was only for a second but it felt like an hour because everything went quiet around her. Lucas stopped laughing and Rob froze underneath her lips. She swore the whole room stopped, but really it didn’t. Oh gosh, this just kept getting worse by the minute.

When she pulled back, she smiled up at Rob’s shocked face and said, “A long time, right honey?”

Fallon glanced over at Lucas, one of his eyebrows was arched as his face quirked up on one side. It made Fallon’s heart skip a beat since it was the exact same smile Aiden would give her when he was amused. “It is that serious that you had to kiss this kid to make me believe you have a boyfriend?”

“He is,” Fallon answered.

“Who? Me?” Rob sputtered.

“Yes you, silly! Goodness me! Am I that horrible?”

“No,” Rob said with his hand in front of his chest, “not at all.”

“Thanks Rob,” Fallon said, and at that moment, Fallon knew her plan had just gone to shit. Rob was still wiping his mouth as Lucas just grinned widely at her.

“So Rob, this hot woman, is your girlfriend?” Lucas asked, and Fallon shot daggers at him with her eyes.

Rob looked at Fallon before looking back over at Lucas. He started to shake his head no as he said, “Yes, she is.”

That had Lucas in a fit of laughter as Fallon glared something crazy at him. “Thanks a lot Rob.”

“I’m sorry, but who picks an openly gay guy as their boyfriend!” Rob said throwing his arms in the air. “I’m wearing an orange suit!”

“A nice suit at that,” Lucas added.

“Thanks!” Rob said before looking back at Fallon, “but really, I’m the worst person to pick for a fake boyfriend, since I like guys.”

With that Rob walked off, leaving Fallon extremely embarrassed and actually considering firing him. She would if he wasn’t so good at the marketing reports that made her head spin. Fallon couldn’t help but to watch her ‘boyfriend’ clad in an orange suit walk away. She wished like hell that Rob wasn’t gay so he could act like her boyfriend because this reunion between Fallon and Lucas was not going the way she wanted it too.

Posing a gay guy as he boyfriend? Not one of her best ideas.

Fallon wanted to look successful, sexy — a stronger woman then he left behind. She basically wanted to make Lucas jealous, not give him the entertainment of the night! That’s what she paid the band for! She hated that she had made a mess of things. Lying was never her strong suit; and she knew Lucas wasn’t gonna let her live this down.

 “So how about that dance, since I think your boyfriend is gay,” Lucas determined.

Heat filled Fallon’s face as she wished Lucas to the fiery depths of hell. “Oh fuck off, Lucas Brooks.”

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Now, if you are not completely hooked already [which how could you not be?! did you just read that excerpt?!] I have a little something for you...
An eBook giveaway! Because let's face it, after that excerpt Toni knew you all would need to get your hands on the book right away.; ]
Are you jumping up and down on your seat with anticipation?! Want to know how to enter?!Just leave a comment below with your e-mail address and let me know why you've just got to win a copy of Trying to Score!
Simple as that! The winner will be selected at random on May 9th so don't forget to get those comments in!
Good luck to all!And...Thanks for stopping by!

This blog tour runs through the 5th. To follow the other tour stops which include, author interviews, book excerpts, giveaways, and more click here. 

 

Blog Tour: On The Island by Tracey Garvis-Graves [Review/Excerpt/Giveaway]

 Hello and welcome to Dreaming In The Pages! It is my pleasure to be a stop on this blog tour because, lets face it, I LOVED this book. I could honestly go on and on gushing about how much I enjoyed the book but I figured you guys would like to read my review and get a little excerpt from it instead. Who could blame you?! So if you are in the mood for a read that will definitely take you away, get to reading below!

On the Island
Tracey Garvis Graves
Released: October 11th 2011
Published by: CreateSpace
( Barnes & Noble / Goodreads )

When thirty-year-old English teacher Anna Emerson is offered a job tutoring T.J. Callahan at his family's summer rental in the Maldives, she accepts without hesitation; a working vacation on a tropical island trumps the library any day. T.J. Callahan has no desire to leave town, not that anyone asked him. He's almost seventeen and if having cancer wasn't bad enough, now he has to spend his first summer in remission with his family - and a stack of overdue assignments - instead of his friends.

Anna and T.J. are en route to join T.J.'s family in the Maldives when the pilot of their seaplane suffers a fatal heart attack and crash-lands in the Indian Ocean. Adrift in shark-infested waters, their life jackets keep them afloat until they make it to the shore of an uninhabited island. Now Anna and T.J. just want to survive and they must work together to obtain water, food, fire, and shelter.

Their basic needs might be met but as the days turn to weeks, and then months, the castaways encounter plenty of other obstacles, including violent tropical storms, the many dangers lurking in the sea, and the possibility that T.J.'s cancer could return. As T.J. celebrates yet another birthday on the island, Anna begins to wonder if the biggest challenge of all might be living with a boy who is gradually becoming a man.
-Goodreads

*A copy of this book was given to me by the author for the blog tour hosted by AToMR*

:Thoughts/Review:

I am not going to lie to you. When I first looked at this book and read the synopsis I did the first thing everyone who has read the synopsis probably did. I said “Wait, am I reading this right?! A 30 year old and a 16 year old?!” But readers, don’t judge a book by its synopsis…wait…I mean…well… Just take a chance and read it! While I went into it with skepticism, what I ended up with was a smile on my face that was probably ridiculously large and goofy. From beginning to end  Tracey Garvis-Graves will have you on the edge of your seat and I promise, you have never read an island story quiet like this.

Any doubt I had about this book disappeared as soon as I was finished with the first chapter. What I think first endeared me to this story was not only the characters [Anna and TJ] but how each chapter was told from alternating points of view. This gives you so much more depth to the story and really helps you identify and connect with Anna and TJ and before you know it, you are throwing age out the window. But, for those still squirming in their seats…nothing happens until TJ is old enough, you know, for it to be against the law. But really, when you read it, you wonder how it would ever be deemed wrong in the first place.

Their situation is scary, yet I wondered how I was going to stay hooked about a book of two people living life stranded on an island. Well, I was blow away at how fast I was turning the pages, and how it never felt fast enough. Frantically wanting to find out what happens next, what TJ thinks of this or what does Anna think about THAT?! I couldn’t put it down for one second. And just when you think things are looking up they go south, and when you think things really couldn’t get any worse, they totally do. You feel as though your feet are never firmly planted on the floor, which makes for one hell of a rush. And I, for one, couldn’t get enough.

On the Island is one of those stories that makes you realize love comes in the most unexpected packages. You can’t help but to fall and feel for these characters and the situation they are in. From the gripping beginning to the edge of my seat ending I knew that I was hooked on Tracey Garvis-Graves and I had to have more of her. Her writing kept me skillfully hooked the whole time and I adored how I felt complete at the end. I will tell you one thing readers, I WILL be waiting in line for Tracey’s next book. After a story like that, I would follow her anywhere.

:Excerpt:

We ate nothing but coconut and breadfruit for the next eighteen days and our clothes hung on us. Anna’s stomach growled in her sleep, and I had a constant ache in mine. I doubted the rescuers were still looking for us, and a hollow, empty feeling that had nothing to do with hunger joined the pain in my gut whenever I thought of my family and friends.

I thought it would impress Anna if I could spear a fish. I managed to stab myself in the foot instead, which hurt like hell, not that I let her know.

“I want to put antibiotic ointment on it,” Anna said. She dabbed it on the gash and covered it with a band-aid. She said the island humidity was perfect for germs and the thought of one of us getting an infection scared the crap out of her. “You’ll have to stay out of the water until that heals, T.J. I want to keep it dry.”

Great. No fishing and no swimming.

The days passed slowly. Anna got quiet. She slept more, and I caught her wiping her eyes when I came back from collecting firewood or exploring the island. I found her sitting on the beach one day, staring up at the sky.

“It’s easier if you quit thinking they’re coming back,” I told her.

She looked up at me. “So I should just wait for a plane to randomly fly overhead someday?”

“I don’t know, Anna.”

I sat down beside her. “We could leave on the life raft,” I said. “Load it with food and use the plastic containers to collect rainwater. Just start paddling.”

“What if we ran out of food or something happened to the raft? It’d be suicide, T.J. We’re obviously not in the flight path for any of the inhabited islands, and there’s no guarantee a plane would fly over. These islands are spread over thousands of miles of water. I can’t be out there. Not after seeing Mick. I feel safer here, on land. And I know they’re not coming back, but saying it out loud seems like giving up.”

“I used to feel that way, but I don’t anymore.”

Anna studied me. “You’re very adaptable.”

I nodded. “We live here now.”

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Now, if all that doesn't have you itching in your seat to read this book, I don't know what will. Should I dance around? Throw confetti up in the air for you all to frolic in?!

Oh I know, how about I tell you about the awesome eBook giveaway that I get to give to you?!

Check it out!

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My Only Blog Tour [Guest Post] by Sophia Duane

It is my pleasure to welcome and host author, Sophia Duane, as a guest on my blog today. She is going to talk about how the transition from Adult novels to YA went for her and how sometimes, you don't even notice who you are writing for until it is all said and done.

:Adult to YA:

The shift between the adult and young adult was an easy transition. It was also not a conscious decision. When writing a story, I think very little in regards to genre until it is completed. After completing Ghosts of Our Pasts, I began to think of the next project. My Only was a novel I’d been quietly developing for a little bit, so it seemed like the most natural project to green light.

When I wrote it, I didn’t pay attention to language until I realized the story was more suited to young adults than anyone else. Then during the revision process, I took out any off-color words that were inappropriate for young people to use or read. Other than that, the transition was seamless. Well, at least I think it was.

It will be interesting to see how readers respond to it, given the shift in genre. I read a lot of Young Adult novels, so I hope that I’ve captured some of what I love about them. The best Young Adult authors don’t talk down to their readers; they craft highly emotional novels in which teenagers and twenty-somethings alike can explore and connect.

With My Only, my main concern was building a relationship between people who may seem so different on the outside, but are really interested in the same things. Olivia and Adam are both on a journey of discovery, they are just in different stages when they meet. Adam is stable and Olivia is drawn to him because of it. She is a vibrant free-spirit who possesses some deeper understanding of the world around her, and Adam is pulled to that understanding.

World-view and philosophy is something that people of the characters ages do quite a bit. When I was young, it was during my high school years that I developed my sense of my place in the world. I was drawn out of my smaller realm of family and friends and thrust into the larger landscape of what was going on in the world. Like me, Adam’s new world grows when he meets the girl across the street.

Olivia has lived a somewhat nomadic life and given experiences sheltered Adam had never even imagined. In bringing them together, my hope was to show how a friendship can change a person’s perspective. Sometimes the change can be difficult and painful, but it usually leads to something beautiful. 

Young Adult readers are very savvy these days. They see through phony relationships and plot devices in order to find the heart of the story. It is my hope that they see the heart of Adam and Olivia and can take away some part – whether big or small – of either character’s philosophy on life. Or, better yet, further develop their own.

Sophia Duane is a thirty-something writer from the heartland of America. She grew up telling stories and creating characters to pass the time. She enjoys books, movies, music, and yoga. An avid lover of history, art, and people-watching, she is interested in the study what makes people tick.
Goodreads Page 

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Thank you so much Sophia!

Now, if you readers missed my review of my only then click below to go take a look!

My Only Review 

And if you liked that, then go click on the book cover to head on over to goodreads and add it to your list!
 I thought I would leave you all with one more temptation, the book trailer! 

Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful Monday!

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