Cover Reveal: The St Michaels Duet by Harlow Cole

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We are so excited to be sharing the covers for the ST. MICHAELS duet by newcomer Harlow Cole. The ST. MICHAELS duet is an angsty small-town, second chance sports romance. The first book, INTERFERENCE will be released on July 18th and will be free with Kindle Unlimited!


INTERFERENCE Coming July 18th

BRAYDEN
I’m a goddamn prodigy. It’s true. Ask anyone. I threw my first curveball the day I was born.
The whole damn town is waiting on me. To live up to my father’s famous name. To reach for the stars.
All I want to reach for is her.
But Ashley is the sweet addiction I can’t afford. She’s my best friend’s sister. Hell, she’s practically my little sister. For years, I’ve protected her from guys that want one thing. What happens now that I’ve turned into one of them? Who’s gonna shield her from the way I was made, from my little white lies and from what I’m about to become?
My game plan sounds simple: Pitch my way into the Major League draft and stay out of Ashley Foster’s pants. That first part may be statistically difficult.
The second feels damn near impossible.
ASHLEY
From the moment we met, I knew he was trouble. The kind my mother sent me to find. The type that ruins you for any other brand.
When we were young kids, Didn’t know what to call the frogs and butterflies that danced in my belly whenever Brayden came near. Now I know they have a name.
Those three little words that could heal or destroy him.
Before Brayden, my life was normal. And then it wasn’t. It couldn’t be. Ever again. How was I to know that stealing his seat would change all our lives?
Anger and forgiveness share two halves of the same coin. Our story might make you choose sides.



STEALING HOME COMING AUGUST 1ST

ASHLEY
I’ve given up. On my childish dreams. On getting out of this town. On love. On him. On everything.
I’m barely treading water.
BRAYDEN
I’m the man with it all.
The pinstriped jersey covering my back garners easy cash, flashy cars and fast women. My gilded name drapes over the city in neon. I have everything. Everything, except the thing I crave most. Ashley Foster.
There’s one addiction I never tried to beat.
They say you can never go home again. I’m out to prove them wrong. But what if returning requires facing all the things you destroyed? To what lengths would you go to earn forgiveness?
Would you beg? Would you borrow? Would you steal?
Stealing home is the riskiest move in baseball. But the reward... If it works? Winning her back is a chance I’m finally ready to take.
My pockets are filled with stars. It’s time to follow them home.
This time, I don’t want to steal her firsts, I want to lay claim on all her lasts.





About Harlow Cole 


Harlow Cole is a former journalism student, turned techie, turned mother, who finally decided at age forty-plus what she wants to be if she ever she grows up. Her writing journey first began in sixth grade, when she and her best friend penned boy band fanfiction in an old spiral notebook. Harlow is a connoisseur of peanut M&Ms, brand-new school supplies and angst-filled love stories that always end happy. At fifteen, she met her first love. They’ve now been married for twenty years. They reside in suburban Washington, DC, where Harlow moonlights as a taxi driver for their farting beagle and teenage twins. Interference and Stealing Home are her debut novels. 
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Weekly Obsessions

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The awesome Kelly at KellyVision started posting a weekly post highlighting whatever she happened to be obsessed with that week. I LOVE this idea, so much in fact that I will be doing it myself every Saturday.

Just a small post this week. I have pretty much been busy watching Stranger Things and not much else is going on.

TV/MOVIES

Knives Out Trailer

I was intrigued by the casting in this movie and the fact that it was simply referred to as a 'classic whodunit'. Not much was released about the plot until the first trailer was revealed.




This trailer is really fun. Chris Evans looks like he is having a blast with this role. I looks like a fun mystery that, I think, will play well around USA Thanksgiving.

Stranger Things Season 3

I ended up watching the entirety of the third season in one day. It is, perhaps, the best season to date and filled with so many emotional moments. I don't want to give any spoilers, but I (mostly) loved all of the new characters. I will probably end up watching it at least once more and already cannot wait for season four.

What are you obsessed with this week? Let me know in the comments.

A Glass Of Wine At The Movies - Yesterday

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Yesterday

Rating: PG-13

Director: Danny Boyle

Language: English

Length:  112 minutes

Cast: Himesh Patel, Lily James, Kate McKinnon

Viewing Method: Advance Screening

Release Date: June 28, 2019

Synopsis: Jack Malik (Himesh Patel, BBC's Eastenders) is a struggling singer-songwriter in a tiny English seaside town whose dreams of fame are rapidly fading, despite the fierce devotion and support of his childhood best friend, Ellie (Lily James, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again). Then, after a freak bus accident during a mysterious global blackout, Jack wakes up to discover that The Beatles have never existed... and he finds himself with a very complicated problem, indeed.


********

What if The Beatles never existed? That is, sort of, the question Yesterday tries to grapple with. It's, however, really more of a high concept rom-com. There are, obviously, some sci-fi elements in the story but its heart is the love story we see unfold. The sci-fi elements and the romance elements don't always work together. It feels, at times, like two different movies that have been pieced together but the pieces don't quite fit.

Himesh Patel is entirely charming as Jack, a struggling musician who just so happens to remember the Beatles when it appears nobody else can remember them. He is a large part of why this movie worked for me. He makes Jack really endearing and you believe him as someone who would stumble into this kind of success. Lily James is sweet as his best friend/manger, Ellie, who also happens to be in love with him. She isn't give all that much to do. It's your standard love interest role but Lily makes the most of what she is given. The romance between Jack and Ellie is pleasant enough. We get a sense of the history between the two characters, but that's really about it.

Guilt is a strong theme of the movie. The guilt Jack feels from his success having come at the hands of songs he did not write himself. This drives the later part of the movie which feels like such a contrast to its more fun first half. Each interaction Jack has as he becomes increasingly famous is an exercise in guilt. He feels unworthy and that spirals into every other aspect of his life.

One would assume that this is a love letter to the music of The Beatles. I did not feel this as strongly as other people may have. Jack has to piece together the songs because he often  can't quite remember them. He certainly isn't a die hard fan who memorized all of their lyrics. You can tell he appreciated their talent as a musician himself but I never got that they were a big influence on the character. The movie makes the case that the world is better off for having their music in it, but the world shown to us is really not that different from the world we know with The Beatles in it. It uses their music effectively, but I didn't feel the movie made its case.

The movie never really examines the ripple effect of The Beatles not existing would have on the music world. There are plenty of things that they and their music inspired and the removal of that influence would impact the music we have today. It also never attempts to explain what the cause of this world wide memory loss is. The audience can guess at a vague answer, but is would just be assumptions. There is a moment where the movie grapples with one such ripple effect and I anticipate it is going to be polarizing to audiences. It is certainly an interesting 'what if' to ponder but is never really used for anything more than progressing Jack's story arc and perhaps easing his conscience.

Yesterday, to me, was a case of an interesting premise not being executed to its full potential. It will play as a decent rainy day movie that you catch on Netflix and I anticipate many will enjoy it as exactly that kind of movie. It's fine in the way most movies like this are. You'll watch it, enjoy it enough, and just as quickly forget about it. You will, however, certainly remember the music.

Book Buzz Words

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Happy Stranger Things Day (and July 4th). When thinking up what post I could share today I was inspired by Stranger Things and came up with the idea of sharing what will make me add a book to my reading wishlist. What inclusions in a synopsis will make me immediately want to get my hands on a book. We all have these little 'buzz words' that make us take a second look at a book without knowing anything else.

Here are some of mine:

1. Peter Pan Retellings


It is fairly obvious to anyone who has been a long time reader of this blog that I love Peter Pan. Any sort of retelling of this still will immediately be added to my must read list. Luckily, there have been quite a few released.
I particularly love when the story is given a darker twist. I am even okay with the ones that make Peter evil.

2. Carnival Settings


Carnival settings offer their own kind of magic. They can be filled with wonder and excitement or spooky and filled with terror. You can make it so many things. There have been a few books with this setting released and I am always on the look out for more.
Combine a carnival setting with some fantasy/paranormal elements and I will become obsessed.

3. Vampires


I love all things paranormal but I have a particular love for anything involving vampires. They can be sexy, scary, intriguing, and heartbreaking. I am glad that they are making a return to young adult literature (and hopefully adult as well).
There is something about the ability to live forever and the impact all those years would have on someone's psyche that fills these stories with the potential to be a great character driven read.

4. Anything Inspired By True Crime


Books that offer fictionalized accounts of true events always catch my eye. This Murderjno tends to seek out ones inspired by real life crimes. There are no shortage of these but I am always looking for more.
When done right these can be compelling and a way for people to dip their toe into true crime.

5. Love Triangles


It probably doesn't t surprise anyone that I enjoy love triangles. Even though I am the Patron Saint of Doomed Ships I love shipping. I know this opinion is probably not the popular one but I love when a book has a love triangle. When a love triangle is executed properly it can something extra to the story. It is a staple in young adult novels and is the cause for many ship wars.
We seem to not have as many of these in novels as we used to but, like most things, I anticipate it will circle back around.

6. Any Fairytale Retelling


Beauty and the Beast. The Little Mermaid. Snow White. Cinderella. I love any sort of fairytale retelling/reimagining. They can be modern or stay close to the source material. They can offer a darker, more edgy tone. They can be filled with twists. There is so much potential and that is exactly what I love about them.
These have always been popular and I hope they expand to less well known fairytales in the future.

7. Royalty


Any book involving any sort of royal family will instantly catch my eye. I am not sure what exactly draws me to them but I especially like romances involving some sort of royal element. They can be based on a real royal family or entirely made up. I just want to feel whisked away by the story and hopefully swoon a little along the way.
These are always popular and tend to have spike whenever there is a royal baby or wedding in the news.

8. Fame/Hollywood



Books set in Hollywood, particularly 'old Hollywood' will catch my attention. There is something captivating about that time period and just Hollywood in general. It isn't just the older Hollywood set ones that I love. Books set in the music industry, or current Hollywood hold just as strong of a draw for me.
I would love to see more books in the genre be released. I feel there is lots of potential for fictionalized accounts of the true stories of Hollywood legends in particular.

What is something that will instantly make you add a book to you reading list? Let me know in the comments. Do you know of any books that include any of my 'buzz words' in them? I would love if you shared those in the comments as well.

Waiting On Wednesday ... Disgraceland

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Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's pick is Disgraceland by Jake Brennan


Here is the Goodreads synopsis
From the creator of the popular rock 'n' roll true crime podcast, DISGRACELAND comes an off-kilter, hysterical, at times macabre book of stories from the highly entertaining underbelly of music history.

You may know Jerry Lee Lewis married his thirteen-year-old cousin but did you know he shot his bass player in the chest with a shotgun or that a couple of his wives died under extremely mysterious circumstances? Or that Sam Cooke was shot dead in a seedy motel after barging into the manager's office naked to attack her? Maybe not. Would it change your view of him if you knew that, or would your love for his music triumph?

Real rock stars do truly insane thing and invite truly insane things to happen to them; murder, drug trafficking, rape, cannibalism and the occult. We allow this behavior. We are complicit because a rock star behaving badly is what's expected. It's baked into the cake. Deep down, way down, past all of our self-righteous notions of justice and right and wrong, when it comes down to it, we want our rock stars to be bad. We know the music industry is full of demons, ones that drove Elvis Presley, Phil Spector, Sid Vicious and that consumed the Norwegian Black Metal scene. We want to believe in the myths because they're so damn entertaining.

DISGRACELAND is a collection of the best of these stories about some of the music world's most beloved stars and their crimes. It will mix all-new, untold stories with expanded stories from the first two seasons of the Disgraceland podcast. Using figures we already recognize, DISGRACELAND shines a light into the dark corners of their fame revealing the fine line that separates heroes and villains as well as the danger Americans seek out in their news cycles, tabloids, reality shows and soap operas. At the center of this collection of stories is the ever-fascinating music industry--a glittery stage populated by gangsters, drug dealers, pimps, groupies with violence, scandal and pure unadulterated rock 'n' roll entertainment.
I love the Disgraceland podcast. Jake's writing is sharp, and each episode is filled with a mind blowing amount of detail and research. I was immediately thrilled when I heard that there would be a book as a companion of sorts to the podcast. The writing displayed on the podcast ensures this is going to be one hell of a book.

Those of you who love true crime podcasts and haven't managed to discover Disgraceland yet make sure you get on that immediately. I anticipate it'll make you want this book as much as I do. Luckily the wait for this isn't too long. It'll be out just in time for Halloween season reading (which is kind of perfect).

If you're just starting the podcast I highly recommend the Van Morrison, Michael Alig, and the John Lennon episodes. You really can't go wrong with any of them though. Go binge all of the episodes and pre-order the book (like I have already done) and let me know what episode ends up being your favourite in the comments below.

Expected release date - October 1, 2019

Monthly TBR and Wrap Up

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It is time, once again, to check in with my monthly reading. I feel like the worst blogger right now, but I am hoping the summer will help me refocus and get back on track.

July is going to be filled with some pretty great reads but before we look ahead we have to wrap up June first.

Sadly, I did not get as much read in June as I wanted to (this seems to be a continuous issue) but I did read some really great books. I was in Prague at the beginning of the month so that cut into my reading time. I always think I am going to read more on vacation than I actually do.

To wrap up June ....

The books that were on my list are:

Finale by Stephanie Garber (goodreads)
Somewhere Only We Know by Maurene Goo (goodreads)
Chase Darkness With Me by Billy Jensen (goodreads)
Four Dead Queens by Astrid Scholte (goodreads)
Season Of The Witch by Srah Rees Brennan (goodreads)

Plus I had a bunch of ebooks on my list:

Serious Moonlight by Jenn Bennett (goodreads)
King Of Fools by Amanda Foody (goodreads)
The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren (goodreads)
There's Something About Sweetie by Shandya Menon (goodreads)
Waiting For Tom Hanks by Kerry Winfrey (goodreads)
The Wedding Party by Jasmine Guillory (goodreads)

I managed to read four books this month which I am pretty happy about considering how much travel I did. I read:

Chase Darkness With Me by Billy Jensen (goodreads)
Season Of The Witch by Srah Rees Brennan (goodreads)
The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren (goodreads)
The Opposite of Always by Justin A Reynolds (goodreads)

Summer is always a great time to read. I hope to increase the number of books I am reading per month because I am really behind. In July I am hoping to read:


Finale by Stephanie Garber (goodreads)
Somewhere Only We Know by Maurene Goo (goodreads)
Four Dead Queens by Astrid Scholte (goodreads)
Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo (goodreads)
Transcend by Jewel E Ann (goodreads)

I also have some ebooks on my list for July as well. You can see that many of them are left overs from last month:



Serious Moonlight by Jenn Bennett (goodreads)
King Of Fools by Amanda Foody (goodreads)
There's Something About Sweetie by Shandya Menon (goodreads)
Waiting For Tom Hanks by Kerry Winfrey (goodreads)
The Wedding Party by Jasmine Guillory (goodreads)
Crashing The A List by Summer Heacock (goodreads)

What books are you reading this month? Have you read any of the ones in my list? If so, let me know what you think in the comments.

Happy Canada Day!

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Wishing all of my fellow Canadians a very safe and fun Canada Day! I hope you all get to enjoy doing whatever you want today as a way to celebrate. I am going to read (hopefully outdoors and away from the massive crowds) and have some ice cream!

Regular posts resume tomorrow since I am going to take the day off to relax.