Everything Under the Sun by Jessica Redmerski ~ Blog Tour: #BookReview & #Giveaway

August 2, 2018

This is my stop during the blog tour for Everything Under the Sun by Jessica Redmerski. This blog tour is organized by Lola's Blog Tours and runs from 30 July till 12 August. Click here for the tour schedule.

Title: Everything Under the Sun 

Author: Jessica Redmerski

Release date: August 28, 2017 
Genre: Dystopian, Post apocalyptic, Suspense, Romance
Age category: Young Adult, New Adult, Adult 
Pages: 683 pages  

Source: Copy for review 

Purchase: Amazon | B&N

My Rating: 

Synopsis

Thais Fenwick was eleven-years-old when civilization fell, devastated by a virus that killed off the majority of the world’s population. For seven years, Thais and her family lived in a community of survivors deep in the heart of the Appalachian Mountains. But when her town is attacked by raiders, she and her blind sister are taken away to the East-Central Territory where she is destined to live the cruel and unjust kind of life her late mother warned her about. 

Atticus Hunt is a troubled soldier in Lexington City who has spent the past seven years trying to conform to the vicious nature of men in a post-apocalyptic society. He knows that in order to survive, he must abandon his morals and his conscience and become like those he is surrounded by. But when he meets Thais, morals and conscience win out over conformity, and he risks his rank and his life to help her. They escape the city and set out together on a long and perilous journey to find safety in Shreveport, Louisiana. 

Struggling to survive in a world without electricity, food, shelter, and clean water, Atticus and Thais shed their fear of growing too close, and they fall hopelessly in love. But can love survive in such dark times, or is it fated to die with them? 

Everything Under the Sun is a gritty read about life after the Fever, a virus that has killed most of the world's population. Everyone has been affected by this virus one way or another either by losing loved ones or somehow surviving it with injuries (such as losing one's sight), not to mention living in a new world where people are desperate enough to do anything it takes to survive.  

When I used to watch The Walking Dead, it didn't take long for me to realize that humans are much worse than the zombies themselves. The same can be said for this book. The people Thais and Atticus encounter on their journey are much more frightening and dangerous than the virus that caused all of this in the first place. 

I loved Thais, but I wondered how she could remain so naive and trusting of people after the many times she came close to death or torture at the hands of strangers and after all the death she's witnessed. I wanted to yell at her to remain skeptical of anything that seemed too good to be true because that means it is!  

In a world such as this, feeling sorry for others can get you killed. I'm not sure how I'd deal with it -- I'd like to think I could keep my empathy intact, but who knows? The fact that Thais hasn't become disillusioned with the world is what draws Atticus to love her and might just be what kept them trudging onward.

As for Atticus, I didn't think I'd like his character as much as I did. He straddles the line between being a hero and an anti-hero, and that's what made him realistic. He struggles with what they have to do to survive and his morals. Meeting Thais changed everything for him, giving him a purpose and a reason to search out a better life for the two of them than what awaits them in Lexington City. 

What else can I say about Everything Under the Sun? The cover is gorgeous, the writing is captivating, and the characters are worth getting to know. Read this book asap! It's an excellent post-apocalyptic romance done in a way I've been wanting to read for forever. I've heard there's a second book coming, and I'm so excited to hear that! 

About the Author 

Jessica Redmerski is a New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author, international bestseller, and award winner, who juggles several different genres. She began self-publishing in 2012, and later with the success of THE EDGE OF NEVER, signed on with Grand Central Publishing/Forever Romance. Her works have been translated into more than twenty languages.

Jessica is a hybrid author who, in addition to working with a traditional publisher, also continues to self-publish. Her popular crime and suspense series, In the Company of Killers, has been optioned for television and film by actor and model William Levy.

She also writes as J.A. Redmerski.

Connect with the Author

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads 

Amazon Jessica Redmerski | Amazon JA Redmerski 

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Blog Tour organized by:

Thanks for visiting Donnie Darko Girl!

Crash Landing by Nikki Godwin ~ #CoverReveal & #Giveaway

Hey Donnie Darlings! Today is the cover reveal for Crash Landing by Nikki Godwin. Crash Landing is the sequel to Falling from the Sky.

This cover reveal is organized by Lola's Blog Tours.

Crash Landing (Bear Creek #2)
By Nikki Godwin
Genre: LGBT romance
Age category: Young Adult
Release Date: Spring 2016

Blurb:
A year after the summer of horse dates and blue rock candy, his summer internship at Dunson Hills Sports Camp brings Ridge McCoy back to Bear Creek. Coaching basketball isn't the best thing Bear Creek has to offer him, though. His long-distance relationship with Micah isn't so distant anymore. Ridge is prepared to coach summer basketball, take college courses in the fall, and move in with Micah.

What he hasn't prepared for is telling his friends and family about his relationship. But when given a serious ultimatum - come out or get out - Ridge crash lands into an unfamiliar world of prejudice and homophobia. With his future career at stake, and at the risk of losing the little bit of family he has left, Ridge has to make a choice, and he isn't sure if he and Micah can find their way out of this wreckage.

You can find Crash Landing on Goodreads


About the Author:
Nikki Godwin is a YA/NA/LGBT author. She can't live without Mountain Dew, black eyeliner, and music by Hawthorne Heights. When not writing, she internet-stalks her favorite bands and keeps tabs on surf competitions. Her favorite surfer is Gabriel Medina. If you ever get her started on surfing or music, she'll never shut up. You've been warned.

You can find and contact Nikki Godwin here:
- Website
- Facebook
- Twitter
- Pinterest
- Goodreads
- Amazon
- Newsletter

There is a cover reveal wide giveaway for the cover reveal of Crash Landing! These are the prizes you can win: an e-book of Falling From the Sky by Nikki Godwin and a swag pack!

For a chance to win enter the rafflecopter giveaway below:

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When Lucifer Met Calamity by D. Alyce Domain ~ #CoverReveal & #Giveaway

Hey Donnie Darlings! Today is the cover reveal for When Lucifer met Calamity by D. Alyce Domain. This cover reveal is organized by Lola's Blog Tours.

When Lucifer met Calamity (Calamity Jones #1)
By D. Alyce Domain
Genre: African American Contemporary Romance
Age category: Adult
Release Date: April 18, 2016

Blurb:
Lucifer - At eighteen months out of law school, six months on the job, and four weeks before his BAR exam, Luce has arrived. He'd been playing by other people's rules all his life and now, poised on the brink of success, he will not let anyone stand in his way... especially not the junior-partner jerk at the office giving him and his assistant a hard time. On his way to give the creep a piece of his mind, he bumps into the infamous "Calamity Jones"...

Calamity - is tired of enduring her boss's unwanted sexual innuendos. When his fingers start to roam, Calam decides she's had enough. It's time to fight fire with fire. So she devises an ingenious, if risky plan, to get Perkins off her back, keep her Job, and strike a blow for his numerous other victims around the office... only, things don't go exactly as planned.

All Hell Breaks "Luce" - After finding the loopy ingenue jack-knifed atop the archival files, Lucifer knows something is up. Calamity knows the jig is up. So, she comes clean. Turns out, they both have the same problem... Perkins. But, sparks fly when they decide to team up to bring down the boss. The Hitch? He's a straight arrow... She's a loose cannon. Can they work together to achieve a common goal? Or will they both lose in the end?

You can find When Lucifer met Calamity on Goodreads

You can pre-order When Lucifer met Calamity here:
- Amazon
- B&N
- Kobo
- iTunes

You can watch the book trailer here on YouTube

Excerpt

Calam awoke with a headache and a confused void where her mind used to be. Propping herself up on her elbows, she squinted in the morning light as she eyeballed her surroundings. After a full minute and several pan-scans of the room Calam hunched her shoulders. She had no clue where she was. Geez, was it possible to be hung-over without actually getting drunk the night before? The question was second only to her wild curiosity as to whose bed she occupied. Good Lawd, had she been roofied or what? A quick glance to her chest. Nope. She still had her clothes on... or someone's clothes, anyway. Something furry moved against her leg, and she jerked away and nearly screamed... until she heard an annoyed meow. Sasha stretched in a deep yawn at the foot of the bed.

Sasha... Luce's pervy pet. Her mind cranked back up like a long-dead stalled car. She was in Luce's apartment, in his palatial king-sized bed, wearing his spice-scented t-shirt that dangled down around her knees when she eventually stumbled from the bed onto her feet. Luce, ever the gentleman, slept on the convertible couch in the front room. Had Calamity been in the exact same position but under different circumstances, she'd be ecstatic. But, her impending arrest cast a wee pall over her euphoria. Still, she preened with wicked satisfaction at having spent the night in his bedroom...Satan's Lair, she dubbed, as an impish smile twitched at her lips. Hmm, might as well have a quick lookie-loo... the chance may not arise again, she reasoned.

Luce's private domain dripped with personality as compared to the more Spartan decor of the rest of his apartment. Several framed family snapshots littered the nightstand along with a cordless telephone and touch sensitive lamp, which shockingly emitted a warm crimson glow when she brushed it with her fingertips. Two impressionistic prints adorned the walls. Each depicted vague anthropomorphic forms cavorting about against a pastel-blended background. They reminded her of something naughty she once glimpsed when she'd accidentally flipped to the Spice Channel on her pay-per-view.

The corner off the edge of the bed housed a dark mahogany desk topped with a matching bookshelf that ran up the wall. The books she discovered beneath one of the pillows and under the edge of the bed outed Luce as a late-night reader. Hmm, The Count of Monte Cristo. He likes the classics. Her eyes bucked as she skimmed across Master: An Erotic Novel of the Count of Monte Cristo riding shotgun next to Dumas' version. Likewise, she spied Phantom of the Opera paired with its erotic twin. Skimming further... Pride, Prejudice and Zombies? The titles were endless. Fascinated, she pulled Robin Hood: Unmasqued After Dark from the shelf and flipped through the pages. Good night! Is this what he reads?! Classic literature corrupted as modern erotica and horror tales? The thought curled her toes. So, Lucifer wasn't quite the choir boy he pretended. There might be hope for them yet, she mused.

Shaking off her fantasies, Calamity put the book down and ran a hand through her hair and grimaced. It had, of course, gone into kinky snarls during the night. There wasn't time for a wash and press even if she had a hot-comb or flat iron with her, which she didn't. She'd have to French braid it if she didn't want to mirror Leo the Lion when she took her mug shot. First things first, though. She padded to the living room on bare feet to sneak a peek at the object of her affection.

He lay atop the covers, one solid sinewy arm flung out over the empty side of the bed while the other was bent at the elbow and pillowed behind his head. His torso was a study in Italian sculpture. Smooth tawny-gold chest as broad as the Atlantic tapered downward into a rippling six-pack of muscles. Her gaze wondered lower. The suggestive spiral of coarse dark hairs disappeared beneath the drawstring pajama bottoms. Oy! Calam stepped closer so that she cast the sunlight from the window in a shadow over his face. Lashes like paint-brush bristles fluttered open. Curious inky slits regarded her... with groggy interest, she noted.

"Yeah, I'm not a morning person either," she admitted.

"Hmmm, come 'ere."

Before she could respond, his hand shot out from behind his head and Calamity found herself sprawled torso to torso atop him, enveloped in a loose embrace. She popped herself up on her elbows to spy two intense pools of ink impaling her…unable to resist, her gaze drifted downward to his mouth.

"Did you sleep well?" His voice reverberated deeper than his usual baritone.

Lusty thoughts a'jumble in her brain, Calamity could only nod. Have mercy! He might think her a presumptuous tart but at the moment, the sensual lure of his lips was too powerful to ignore. Calam shimmed up to close the distance between them before she lost her nerve. His bottomless-pit black orbs stalked her, seeming to guess her intent... but he made no move to help or to hinder. So she brushed his mouth with a light, lingering kiss, giving him the choice to put an end to it if he wanted.

A deep rumble in his chest vibrated through her, stoking the fires of her confidence. She smiled against his mouth when she felt his lips part, inviting her in. Encouraged, Calam deepened the kiss. For the sake of balance, she flattened her palms on either side of his head.

Meanwhile, Luce lost a hand in the kinky tufts of her hair. The other roamed up and down her t-shirted back. Heaven help him, but her small warm form felt sinful atop his body. The knowledge that she wore his shirt, and judging by her simmering body heat, nothing underneath, intrigued him all the more. The soft feminine feel of her ignited his lower regions and sent them into a slow burn. He derived an almost perverse pleasure from letting her set the pace of their interlude. That this woman, whom he out-weighed by at least a hundred pounds, could produce such a quicksilver reaction in him with a chaste little smooch amazed him, hooked him, cementing his fascination with her.

She caught his lower lip between her teeth, teasing at first but then with purpose, she inched away... upward, pulling him along for the ride. He knew what she wanted and complied, rising to follow her into a sitting position. Her rear slid snugly into his lap. Her bent knees rested on either side of his hips, while her hands crept around his neck.

Unable to curb his appetite for her, Luce slid his hands down to her compact yet delectably curved bottom, tilting her closer, molding her against his body. He wanted her to feel him... see her expression, gauge her reaction to the tell-tell - He felt her tense, and chuckled as she broke off their playful-turned-explosive kiss. She squirmed against his blossoming 'affection'. Ah hell... he grimaced as a pleasurable pain ripped through him.

"Shorty, uh..." He pulled back a ways. Inky black eyes met her chocolate brown orbs... checking for approval or revulsion. She broke off first.

"I only meant to kiss you." She explained in a squeaky voice strangled with... embarrassment, he guessed. "I'm... eh, sorry."

"Don't be. I'm not." Luce grinned despite himself. Damn, did the woman know how adorable she was? "Although, it's probably better if you get up now."

"Oh! Of course, my bad." She clumsily disentangled herself from him and got off the bed. He watched her meander over to the kitchen, fidgety, with his t-shirt dangling teasingly off one shoulder.

"I could fix us something to eat while you take a shower? I mean, if you don't mind my invading your kitchen."

Luce stood, heading toward the bedroom. A cold shower, he thought. "Yeah, sure, make yourself at home."

About the Author:
D. Alyce Domain is a long-time lover of creative fiction. She learned to read with Dr. Seuss, grew up reading Sweet Valley High, James Howe, and Lois Duncan, and graduated to category romance with Harlequin and Silhouette in her teen years. Ms. Domain started out writing fan-fiction after her favorite fictional characters met with death and cancellation on network television. Inspired by the entertaining, multi-layered storylines created by so many female romance, young adult and television writers, she began to experiment with her own characters. Coupled with her own unique brand of genre-bending romantic fiction, Ms. Domain was able to create a whole new world within the pages of her books.

Ms. Domain was born and raised in Houston, Texas, the youngest daughter of Charles and Eunice Domain. She has one older sister. She earned a BS in Biochemistry and a MS in Biomedical Sciences. She worked in Patient-Based Biological Research before switching careers and opening her own fashion boutique, The Aesthetic Domain. In addition to fashion apparel and accessories, she sells her own original jewelry creations and runs the Boutique & Blog website, which is based in Houston, Texas. Ms. Domain also has avid interests in inspirational music, art/entertainment, and history.

You can find and contact D. Alyce Domain here:
- Website
- Boutique & Blog
- Facebook
- Facebook Boutique Page
- Pinterest
- Goodreads

There is a cover reveal wide giveaway for the cover reveal of When Lucifer met Calamity. 

These are the prizes you can win:
- 1st prize: $15 gift card to Barnes & Noble and a paperback copy of Dominic's Nemesis by D. Alyce Domain
- 2nd prize: $10 gift card to Amazon and an e-copy of Dominic's Nemesis by D. Alyce Domain
- 3rd prize: an e-copy of Dominic's Nemesis by D. Alyce Domain

For a chance to win, enter the rafflecopter below:

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Adamant by Emma Adams ~ #CoverReveal & #Giveaway

Ready for a cover reveal?? I haven't done one of these in a while so get ready! This cover reveal was organized by Lola's Blog Tours. :D

Title: Adamant

Series: The Alliance Series #1

Author: Emma L. Adams

Genre: Contemporary Fantasy

Age category: Adult

Release date: March 11th 2015 

Synopsis

On an alternative 21st-century Earth in which our world is one of many in the Multiverse, the Inter-World Alliance exists to keep the peace between the worlds, and keep the monsters out.

Ada Fletcher is twenty-one, keeps a collection of knives in her room, and is more interested in fighting than her day job as a cashier. She also risks her life on a daily basis, helping refugees from a devastating magical war on her homeworld hide on the low-magic Earth. But when she's taken into custody by the Alliance, her unusual magic makes her a prime suspect for a supervisor's suspicious death. 

For Kay Walker, whose family founded the organization, there has never been any doubt that his future is with the Alliance - even if it means dealing with sarcastic centaurs and dangerous monsters in the dark Passages between worlds. But when his supervisor is murdered, Kay discovers that a research project might have been the reason, and faces the choice of whether to ignore his instincts or risk becoming the next target, not to mention digging into the Alliance's history and memories he'd rather keep buried. And there's something not quite right about the strange, fierce girl he arrested as a suspect.

The last thing Ada wants is to help the infuriating Alliance guard who arrested her, but it soon becomes clear that the Alliance knows too much about Ada's offworld origins. More, in fact, than she knows herself. Now she has to choose between loyalty to her family, and helping the Alliance save the Earth - and the Multiverse - from a deadly enemy. 

You can pre-order Adamant here:

Amazon: http://smarturl.it/ADAMANTonAmazon

Kobo: http://smarturl.it/AdamantKobo

B&N: http://smarturl.it/AdamantBN

iBooks: http://smarturl.it/AdamantIbooks

Teasers

About the Author

Emma spent her childhood creating imaginary worlds to compensate for a disappointingly average reality, so it was probably inevitable that she ended up writing speculative fiction. She was born in Birmingham, UK, which she fled at the first opportunity to study English Literature at Lancaster University. In her three years at Lancaster, she hiked up mountains, skydived in Australia, and endured a traumatic episode involving a swarm of bees in the Costa Rican jungle. She also entertained her creative writing group and baffled her tutors by submitting strange fantasy tales featuring dragons and supernatural monsters to workshops. These included her first publication, a rather bleak dystopian piece, and a disturbing story about a homicidal duck (which she hopes will never see the light of day). 

Now a reluctant graduate, Emma refuses to settle down and be normal. When not embarking on wild excursions and writing fantasy novels, she edits and proofreads novels for various publishing houses and reads an improbable number of books. Emma is currently working on the Alliance series, a multiple-universe adult fantasy featuring magic, monsters, cool gadgets and sarcasm. Her upper-YA urban fantasy Darkworld series is published by Curiosity Quills Press.

You can find and contact Emma here:

Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Google+ | Goodreads | Newsletter  

Giveaway 

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Slip by David Estes ~ Blitz: #Giveaway

This is my stop during the book blitz for Slip (Slip #1) and Grip (Slip #2) by David Estes. This book blitz is organized by Lola's Blog Tours. The book blitz runs from 1 till 5 December, you can view the complete blitz schedule on the website of Lola’s Blog Tours.


Slip (Slip #1)
By David Estes
Genre: Dystopia
Age category: Young Adult
Release Date: 1 December, 2014

Blurb:
Someone must die before another can be born...

As sea levels rise and livable landmasses shrink, the Reorganized United States of America has instituted population control measures to ensure there are sufficient resources and food to sustain the growing population. Birth authorization must be paid for and obtained prior to having a child. Someone must die before another can be born, keeping the country in a population neutral position at what experts consider to be the optimal population. The new laws are enforced by a ruthless government organization known as Pop Con, responsible for terminating any children resulting from unauthorized births, and any illegals who manage to survive past their second birthday, at which point they are designated a national security threat and given the name Slip.

But what if one child slipped through the cracks? What if someone knew all the loopholes and how to exploit them? Would it change anything? Would the delicate resource balance be thrown into a tailspin, threatening the lives of everyone?

And how far would the government go to find and terminate the Slip?

In a gripping story of a family torn apart by a single choice, Slip is a reminder of the sanctity of a single life and the value of the lives we so often take for granted.

You can find Slip on Goodreads

You can buy Slip here: Amazon


Grip (Slip #2)
By David Estes
Genre: Dystopia
Age category: Young Adult
Release Date: 1 December, 2014

Blurb:
In a tumultuous world of population control, one illegal child has slipped through the cracks. Now, as a teenager, Benson Kelly has escaped certain deaths at the hands of the Department of Population Control, only to find himself the symbol of a rebellion, something he never intended.

While trying to survive one day at a time, Benson seeks to unravel the tangled knot of secrets left behind when his father died, the key to which has something to do with his mother, Janice Kelly, recently escaped from the insane asylum.

As the rebel group known as the Lifers continue to use brute force to send a message to the government, Benson's twin, Harrison Kelly, seeks to exploit a loophole that could be the key to freedom for his brother. All that's required is a simple act of murder.

Meanwhile, Population Control's attack dog, a sadistic cyborg known as The Destroyer, closes in on Benson and his family. His directive: Kill them all.

Faith, family and love will be pushed to the limits in the GRIPping sequel to Slip.

You can find Grip on Goodreads

You can buy Grip here: Amazon


About the Author:
Author of popular YA dystopian series, the Dwellers Saga and the Country Saga. Voted books to read if you enjoyed the Hunger Games on Buzzfeed and Listopia.

Join 2,400+ David Estes Fans and YA Book Lovers Unite in David Estes' official fan group at:
http://www.goodreads.com/group/show/70863-david-estes-fans-and-ya-book-lovers-unite

David Estes was born in El Paso, Texas but moved to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania when he was very young. David grew up in Pittsburgh and then went to Penn State for college. Eventually he moved to Sydney, Australia where he met his wife. They now live together in their dream location, Hawaii. A reader all his life, he began writing novels for the children's and YA markets in 2010, and started writing full time in June 2012. Now he travels the world writing with his wife, Adele. David's a writer with OCD, a love of dancing and singing (but only when no one is looking or listening), a mad-skilled ping-pong player, and prefers writing at the swimming pool to writing at a table.

You can find and contact David here:
- Website
- Facebook
- Twitter
- Goodreads

There is a tour wide giveaway for the book blitz of Slip. These are the prizes you can win:
- Winners choice of book to the value of $15.00 U.S. from The Book Depository
- A signed copy of SLIP plus bonus swag- U.S. entrants only
- A signed copy of BREW plus bonus swag- U.S. entrants only
- 3 ebook packs with three David Estes ebooks of your choice
- 4 signed packs of bookmarks

You can enter the blitz wide giveaway here:

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Cross Me off Your List by Nikki Godwin ~ Cover Reveal!

Welcome to the cover reveal for Nikki Godwin's Cross Me off Your List (Saturn Series #2) organized by Lola's Blog Tours. 

Cross Me off Your List (Saturn series #2) By Nikki Godwin
Genre: contemporary
Age category: Young Adult

Blurb:
Spring break in Los Angeles with her BFFs has been Marisol's driving force to get through senior year. But when a falling out dents her plans, Marisol tucks the broken friendship into her back pocket with her cell phone and spring break bucket list.

Surf city Crescent Cove isn't exactly LA, but once she meets a tattooed brunette named Noah in the hotel elevator, Marisol really doesn't mind crossing off the items on her list without her friends - especially after Noah offers to help. Unaware that Noah fits the criteria for item #3 (meet a celebrity), Marisol is instantly thrown into the world of paparazzi, wild nights, and a spring break she'll never forget.

While her friends are making memories in LA, Marisol is making tabloid headlines. But after slipping a Spaceships Around Saturn secret to the media, Marisol has to fight hard to survive her fifteen minutes of fame and get back on Noah's good side before he crosses her off of his list for good.

About the Author:
Nikki Godwin is a YA/NA/LGBT author. She can't live without Mountain Dew, black eyeliner, and music by Hawthorne Heights. When not writing, she internet-stalks her favorite bands and keeps tabs on surf competitions. She adores pro surfer John John Florence and has made it her life goal to meet David Desrosiers of Simple Plan.

Author links:

 Website | Facebook | Twitter 

 Goodreads author page

Complexity by Cindy Ray Hale~ Cover Reveal: Excerpt & Giveaway!

Today is the cover reveal for Complexity by Cindy Ray Hale organized by Lola's Blog Tours.  

Cover design by Virginia Rose Hodges Photography and Cindy ray Hale. 

Cover photo taken by Virginia Rose Hodges Photography. 

Cover models are Emily Hodges and Casey Phelps. 

Hair and makeup is done by Tone' Jackson of TJ Styles.

Title: Complexity

Series: Destiny #2.5

Author: Cindy Ray Hale

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Age category: Young Adult

Olivia Clark likes to tell herself she's too focused on following the rules to pay any attention to Hudson Brown, the wealthy longboarder who lives up the hill. But the more he comes around, the harder it becomes to resist his charm. Then when a terrifying crisis strikes her neighbor Liliana Watson, Olivia is faced with one of the most difficult decisions she's ever had to make. When the lines between right and wrong begin to weave into a pattern of complexity, will Olivia have the courage to follow her heart and still make the most selfless choice of all?

Liliana continued on her rant about her mom's latest control tactics, but I wasn't listening anymore. Across the room, a boy with messy blond hair was casually leaning against the wall of the cafeteria, gripping the straps of his backpack and talking to the high school chemistry teacher. He caught me staring at him and a corner of his mouth quirked up. I turned away, cheeks flaming. 

"Who's that?" Sara asked.

"I have no idea," I said. "He looks like he loves himself too much." 

"He kind of does, doesn't he?" Sara clicked shut the lid of her lunchbox. "Don't look, but he's totally checking you out right now." 

And of course I looked. He was still there, staring with that smile. Great. Yet another guy I'd probably have to reject. 

"Not that he'd have a chance with the untouchable Olivia Clark," Liam Goshen said from a few seats down.

I pretended I didn't hear him and turned to Liliana to change the subject. "Do you think I've mastered my audition piece enough to get better than fourth chair this year?" Talking about my flutist abilities was better than listening to Liam go off on me for rejecting him last spring. Him and about five other guys. It wasn't like he wasn't hot. He totally was. But I didn't date. 

"Olivia, all you've done all summer is play your flute. I'm pretty sure you're first chair material now," Liliana assured me. 

"You think so?"

"Sure." 

I smiled, and as I did, my eyes slid of their own accord to where the blond boy was still standing. He met my eye again and turned and slipped from the room.     

Cindy Ray Hale lives in a little slice of wooded heaven near Atlanta, Georgia with her husband and children. She spends way too much time following up-and-coming musicians on YouTube and dreams of joining their ranks one day. She's a bit of a health food nut and can't live without her daily green smoothies. 

She tries to stay sane as she juggles writing with four kids, staying active on social media, and keeping up her book blog at http://cinnamoncindy.blogspot.com. In addition to writing and self-publishing two Young Adult Contemporary novels, she has also written articles for "New Era" magazine and The American Preppers Network.

For more information on The Destiny Trilogy and Cindy's upcoming books visit http://destinybycindyhale.blogspot.com or follow @CindyRayHale on Twitter.

Website | Destiny Website | Blog 

 Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads 

 Google+ | Pinterest  

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Cover Reveal organized by: