This may quite possibly be my longest post to date but once I sat down to write about my experience at Believe Hope Live I just could not put my pencil down.  My apologies to any author I inadvertently skipped and neglected to mention.  The event was jammed packed with some amazing and talented folks. Many generously donated books and swag so after you read the blog, be sure and enter the rafflecopter. Here goes...

As PA to author Kristin Clark, she graciously invited me to attend the BHL Author Signing.  It was a book nerd’s paradise.  At check in I was given a name tag since I was there in my PA capacity.  Imagine my surprise when the lovely hostess, Derinda Love, asked for my name and then said the most fantastic, awesome words I would here that weekend…"you’re Lynn Shaw."  "I know you."  "I see your promos everywhere."  Derinda doesn’t know this but I went back to the table with Kristin and was as giddy as a school girl. OMG, people know me.  It was confirmation that all my pimping was not for nothing.  (For those not familiar I PA for several authors and promote like a mad woman!)  

I was in awe sitting in this conference center surrounded by award winning authors.  Picture me hyperventilating once I realized R.K. Ryals was setting up directly behind us.  So close in fact our chairs touched. Yeah, I know. Awesome!  It didn’t stop there.  Across from R.K. Ryals sat the stunning Cameo Renae.  And next to her Cambria Hebert, one of Kristin's favs. Located at the entrance was the fabulous Stacey Rourke and... wait for it…Tara Freakin Brown!  The A Listers did not stop there.  Rue Volley, the author of Hellhound, was in attendance. Did you know her book has been made into a movie?  Check it out @ https://www.facebook.com/hellhoundthemovie.  Kristin had a huge fan girl moment when meeting her!  

There was also J. R. Roper, Mary Ting, Genna Rulon, Karina Espinosa, Christie Cote, Danielle Bannister, Elizabeth Sharpe and KF Breene.  I know.  Take a minute to let it all sink in.  Most of these fine authors I have "met" in passing on Facebook, but this marked my first face to face.  Where do I begin...  Mary Ting has so many great books I don't know where to start.  Karina and Christie are just too adorable for words.  Genna Rulon and J.R. Roper....HOT. The multi talented Elizabeth Sharpe; when does this woman sleep.  Danielle Bannister has these fantastic blogger gift bags full of goodies for me to share with all of you.  And KF Breene introduced me to my next TBR series. 

I had to sit back and take it all in. Wow. Here sat a small town girl surrounded by her rock stars.  Since I previously had the pleasure of meeting Stacey Rouke, I started with her.  Can I just say what a little fashionista she is!  Stacey is the “cool chick” in the room.  Everyone gravitates to her and if they didn’t she photo bombed them later that weekend anyway.

Next on my checklist, Tara Freakin Brown.  Yep.  That’s what I call her.  Sweetest chick I ever met.  Nothing like what I expected.  Based on the volume of books Tara puts out each year, I expected her to be glued to her laptop and have no time for a fangirl like me.  Boy was I wrong!  Tara Brown is insanely funny, friendly, and such a sweetie.  Talking to her was so easy.  She graciously signed all of the books I brought with me from her #1 Fan, Cheree Castellanos.  Then she signed a copy of her new release Blood & Bone as a gift for Cheree.  Did I mention how generous she is?   

My fun did not stop there.  By now I had enough confidence in myself to not act like a complete idiot so I made my way over to R.K. Ryals.  How cute is she?  She reminds me of pixie.  I am still not convinced that she didn’t have some fairy dust in her pockets.  Regina (yeah we are on a first named bases now) oozes southern charm. I bet if I lived near her she would invite me over to eat boiled peanuts and drink sweet tea on her back porch.  That is just how nice she is.   

The gorogeous Inger Iverson was in attendance.  I love her Few Are Angels series.  Book 1 is free is you are interested in checking her out.  http://www.amazon.com/Few-Are-Angels-Volume-1-ebook/dp/B0086Z2KT0 
(See, I cannot stop pimping) 

I bought my first book based on the hotness of the author.  Shallow I know but if I am being honest, it’s true.  I first noticed J.R. Roper as the hot guy in the corner.  The final selling point was his book sounded really interesting (think kids version of National Treasure with a mini Nic Cage) and I do love to read YA.  He is happily married and I did restrain myself in case his wife is wondering!  His book The Hunter Awakens is on sale October 1-5 and is definitely worth checking out. http://www.amazon.com/Hunter-Awakens-Morus-Chronicles-Book-ebook/dp/B00LLPLP5W.  I am currently reading it and will post a review on my blog soon.  

I loved talking to HD Smith and her table mate Ceci Giltenan about their beautiful covers.  Next to their table was the lovely Tarah Scott.  All of the wonderful ladies generously donated to the blog.  Some items will be included in the rafflecopter with this post and others will be included in a Christmas or New Year's Rafflecopter.  

Everyone at this event was very approachable, nice and interactive with the fans and other authors.  No divas here!  I loved the comradery and true friendships I could see between the authors.   This is the first event I have attended that I was a part of and not just a spectator.  Everyone was welcoming and supportive of my new blog.  I cannot say thank you enough to the authors that took the time to talk to me and donate to the blog.  

Before I close, I want to say a humongous THANK YOU to Kristin Clark for taking a chance on trusting her stalker to be her PA, for having faith in a complete stranger and then inviting that stranger to share a hotel room with her.   I am grateful for the opportunity you have given me and just know I will always be your #1 Stalker.   

Love and hugs to everyone from BHL and I cannot wait to see you all next year.  Thank you for the support and accepting this small town girl into your rock star world.


***Rafflecopter located below slideshows.

Did I mention there was a Masquerade Ball...

Contest open to US only.

Today we have a DOUBLE COVER REVEAL from Stephanie Witter.  Since reading her soul stirring book Patch Up we have been waiting with bated breath for the next books in the series.  Patch Up has over 50 Five Star Reviews.  Cheree and I responsible for two of those.  Be sure and see our reviews on Goodreads at www.goodreads.com/2girlsandabook and www.goodreads.com/chereecastellanos.

And now without further ado

They are so beautiful.  We cannot wait till release day!  Want a teaser or two?

Duke and Skye's journey to find each other was a
long and tumultuous.  In Fix Up we get Duke's side of things and whole new persepective. 

Synopsis for Fix Up

Saying “I love you'' doesn’t erase the old scars and fears. 
"I love you to insanity. I'm not even sure if it's a good thing.'' — Duke
Skye is trying to overcome what happened with Sean. Now that she’s slowly healing, both physically and mentally, she’s determined to do something she should have done sooner. 
She’s meeting twice a week with a new, very young therapist, Dr. Marshall. 
There, she’s able to talk freely, unwind, and question things. Most of the sessions she talks about herself and her hangups, along with her relationship with Duke, which is still on rocky ground. 
"I want to taste his sweat. I want to hear his groans. I want to feel him inside of me.'' — Skye
But while Skye is slowly getting back on her feet, Duke feels like he's drowning. He’s afraid of pushing her too much, of initiating intimacy, and it’s weighing between them. Moreover, knowing that he's not the one she’s talking to anymore is making him feel things he never thought possible. 
"It’s a matter of when I’ll stop fighting." — Duke
As days pass, Duke is showing over and over how vulnerable he truly is and how Skye has more power over him than she ever imagined.
When Skye sees how they keep hurting each other, she’s determined to do everything in her power to make things right, no matter what the cost. But one thing is still sure; she can count on Duke whenever she needs him, even if they disagree and fight. When Duke loves, he loves with everything he’s made of, the good and the bad.  "Loving her is confusing, making me afraid of myself and what I can do ... because I can break us both." — Duke

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Synopsis or Change Up

In Patch Up and Fix Up you had Skye and Duke’s story. Now, it’s time for Derek and Kate to find their path. He fights for the people he loves. She fights against love. 

Kate Andrews is starting her second year of college in Seattle. She is happy to leave Chicago and her dysfunctional family behind to be with her friends again. Growing up she thought that her parents' loveless marriage was all her father’s fault, but that summer she discovered that things are so much more complicated in life and love. 

Her mother is bipolar. That doesn’t mean her father isn’t unfaithful, nor does he support her and her choices. Additionally, he isn't a great father or husband, but it brings a new perspective in her life; the way she envisions love. 

Derek Williams graduated college a few months ago, and while he moved back in again with his single mother and teenage brother, he never thought that he would be struggling with two crappy jobs. He is not succeeding in either of his jobs or in his countless plans for the future. 
Instead, he’s trying to bring back his brother and set him on a straight path, while trying to avoid the wrong crowd hounding him, thanks to his brother. Together with fighting his mother on her lack of support in their family, this all has caused chaos.

“Yes, my life is a fucking mess. I have nothing for that girl who deserves everything, and yet I still can’t just sit on my ass and wait for the next asshole to pursue her.‘' — DEREK

Both of them are very different. Their upbringing is opposite; their vision of love and life contrast, and yet …

“I want to open up to it, open up to the possibility of heartbreak even if I’m scared to death. I’m ready to change up.'' — KATE

They’re both still hung up on each other. 
They can’t forget that one night they shared months ago, can’t ignore their attraction and quickly maturing love. They match in every way that matters, but time and time again their respective families are getting in the way. 

"He’s the commitment kind while I’m anti-commitment." — KATE

Are they willing to fight for each other? Is Kate ready to risk her comfort and everything else for love? Is Derek prepared to chose which battles are worth fighting for?

 “It’s never been friendship, and it’ll never be.’’ — DEREK

Add Fix Up & Change Up to your TBR List today.
Goodreads (Fix Up): https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18633407-fix-up
Goodreads (Change Up): https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18633426-change-up

Stephanie Witter is a French dreamer. She started learning English at three, and fell in love with the language. Always with a book, or two close by, she started reading in English when she couldn't wait any longer for Harry Potter to be translated in French. After a while, reading wasn't enough. She started writing Young Adult and New Adult Contemporary novels andPATCH UP is her first New Adult Contemporary novel.




Author Links:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6982524.Stephanie_Witter

http://stephaniewitter.weebly.com/

https://www.facebook.com/Stephanie.witter.author

https://twitter.com/StephanieR76

Today on the blog I am so please to have the award winning author, Christy Sloat.  Christy is taking on a new genre for her when she unleashes her first contemporary romance to the world on Monday, September 15th.  This book is creating a lot of buzz for the writer since it is such a deviation from her haunting Visitor's Series. Having received an advance copy, I can safely say fans will be pleased with her new release.

Check out the gorgeous cover art.

Blurb

“Who we were had washed away with the summer. Who we are was yet to be seen.”
Summer school at Alcott High was only supposed to gain Sadie Peters extra credit, nothing more. Her goal wasn’t to make friends, or gain the attention of the most popular football player, yet she managed both. Her life was cruising along on course … until that summer.
Could a simple stint in a different school change her identity completely and introduce her to love for the first time? How would that affect her relationship with Lily, her best friend?
Hopefully their friendship was strong enough to make it through the tumultuous summer. Sadie learns that great things come with change, but sometimes memories of the past are hardest to part with.


Author Interview

1. Where did the story idea come from for WWW? 
I was actually in the middle of writing a completely different story when the idea came to me. I was laying in bed thinking about how when I went to summer school before my senior year, it really changed me. And that was that. My story was born. Sadie's character came first. And I didn't even know there would be two male characters until I was in the middle of writing the book. Things can happen like that when you don't expect it. 

2.  How did you design such a beautiful cover? 
 I was lucky enough to meet a photographer who lives in Georgia. I wanted the models to be real teens who weren't stock models. She did a private shoot just for the cover and within a few weeks, we had the shot. Then, from there the designer made it into the cover you see today.

3.  One of the characters in the book is named Kyleigh after your daughter, does the fictional character share any qualities with the real one? 
Yes, she shares a few qualities. Kyleigh in the book has hearing loss and my Kyleigh does as well. I wanted to have a diverse character who wasn't like every other teen girl. Of course my Kyleigh is only nine so I'm not sure what she'll be like as a teenager, so I had to use my imagination there. My Kyleigh is gentle and kind and so is book Kyleigh. She's everyone's friend and I wanted that to stay true in the book as well.

4.. Contemporary romance is a new genre for you.  Can your fans expect more of this?
Yes absolutely. I love writing Paranormal and they can expect more of that in the future but writing contemporary romance was so much fun. I will continue to write both.

5. Do you have a WIP that you can share with us? 
Yes. I'm actually writing a book called, The Librarian. I do not have an official blurb yet for it but I can give you the rough draft. 

Emme Bailey was enjoying her life as a college student until the day her Gram passed away. Emme must leave California and head back to Maine to bury the only family she ever knew. Emme only meant to stay long enough to find a replacement librarian for the library Gram owned. Being a small town librarian was not what Emme wanted for her future but when she finds a special set of books, she may change her mind. She begins reading them one dark wintery night and is pulled into the first chapter, literally. She finds herself in 1892 England on a sunny day staring at the ever so handsome Jack Ridgewell. With each chapter Emme learns that you can truly fall in love with a character in a book. Full of deep earth shattering romance these books show Emme that sometimes you never know what you want until you’re forced to turn the pages.

6.  When can we hope to see the WIP published? 

I'm planning on publishing it early 2015.

Who We Were ~ Our Reviews

5 Stars from Lynn

I have had the pleasure of following Christy Sloat’s writing career and it astonishes me how much she has grown as writer. Who We Were speaks volumes to that statement.

Who We Were is a story that everyone can relate to no matter if you are 15 or 45. It is so easy to put yourself into Sadie Peter’s shoes and immerse yourself in her life. High School is tough. Your world is changing. You are growing up and expanding your horizon. Sometimes this journey leads you to new people and experiences as you out grow and leave behind others. Sadie is learning this first hand during the summer before her senior year. As Sadie attends summer school to lighten her class load for next year, she decides to meet new people and reinvent how she and others see herself. Of course this doesn’t happen without creating ripples in her existing pool of relationships. That summer turns out to be a life altering experience for Sadie and those around her.

Who among us hasn’t been through a similar situation? This story takes a realistic view at growing up, growing apart, and growing into the person you were meant to be. This book has staying power. It will never go out of style. Who We Were deals with such a relevant topic; you will be able to recommend it for generations.

With Who We Were, Christy Sloat has shown the publishing world that she has what it takes to be a writer and contender in multiple genres. Christy has grown as a writer and it clearly shows in her latest work. I cannot wait to see what the future holds for this writer.


5 Stars From Cheree

This book was not what I expected! This book is amazing! This is no story, this is a life changing experience. I beautiful, funny, sad and happy story we all can relate to in one way or another. And has the most amazing book boyfriend of all time! :D Sadie makes a choice on who she wants to be, and that choice sets her life in motion. A must read!