NEW PLACE FOR BOOK FEATURES AND GIVEAWAYS!!!

Faithful blog readers!!! Have you been by Manic Mommy Reviews and Reads? I hope so! I have been giving away a bunch of great books at least a couple of times a week and am going to be doing a 12 Days of Christmas blow-out beginning THIS Sunday!! 

Please make sure you have been to the FB Page where I am now doing ALL my features, reviews, giveaways and book news!

It's here: Manic Mommy Reviews and Reads and I'd love it if you would go over there and like the page and tell your friends.

Coming up I have fabulous giveaways by:

Emily Giffin
Sarah Pekkanen
Sarah Jio
Anita Hughes
Allison Winn Scotch
Gwendolyn Gross
Amy Hatvany
Kristina Riggle
Catherine McKenzie
Rainbow Rowell
Tracey Garvis Graves
Jess Riley

And I can't wait to kick off 2014 with more fabulous authors for you!!!

Thanks for always sticking around!

All the best to you and yours! Happy Thanksgiving!

New Review/Giveaway Section for MaNiC Readers!

Hi everyone, I can't stay away from my love of books so I'm going to be posting on FB about great new reads and doing giveaways over there. If you'd like to keep in touch and know about the fab books and authors I'm featuring, please go like this page:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/MaNiC-MoMMy/150086835021206

Thank you for all of your support these years! I hope you'll enjoy the ease of getting the announcements right into your FB newsfeeds!

Stephanie

Temporarily Shut Down

Hi Booking with Manic Readers --

I've had to close down the blog indefinitely for the time being (what does that mean anyway?) Does that mean I will be back in the beginning of the New Year? I honestly don't know. We've had some family issues that need to be addressed and with that, it means I don't have time to do some of the other things that I would love to do -- read, write, review.

I don't want to be cryptic on here and I am pretty sure I've mentioned my son and his epilepsy. While his epilepsy is still controlled, he is now having severe mood disorder and anxiety. He was recently hospitalized and treated. We hope we are on the way to a better future.

For now, being Mom comes first.

Keep reading!

xo PeaCe uP~

MaNiC MoMMy

Winners of RUSH and FEVER!!

You have waited so patiently and I'm running out of excuses, but here they are again -- school started, my youngest is suffering from severe anxiety attacks... they go on and on. So, sorry this is so late, but let me tell you who won RUSH and FEVER, and there are TWO of you this time!

Congrats to DD, who mentioned that the gas station bathroom was a place for lovin'... 

and BrendaL17, you have won also! A tennis court! Hmmm... nice back burns on that one!

If you could both email me at stephanieelliot@gmail.com, I would LOVE to send you your copies of RUSH and FEVER for you to enjoy!

Thanks to all of you who shared your um, stories with us. They were enlightening to say the least!

RUSH and FEVER by Maya Banks

RUSH
FEVER
By Maya Banks

This post comes to you with a warning: These books are what we would probably call erotica, so they might not appeal to some of you. In the case of this post, I am just the passer of the information, the sharer of popular books amongst friends! You have been warned. Thank you!

OKAY! We've got some HOT ones for you guys out there today! Rush and Fever are books one and two of the Breathless Trilogy that is currently hitting all the bestseller lists. Here's the scoop on the first book, RUSH:

Gabe, Jace, and Ash: three of the wealthiest, most powerful men in the country. They’re accustomed to getting anything they want. Anything at all. For Gabe, it’s making one particular fantasy come true with a woman who was forbidden fruit. Now she’s ripe for the picking...

When Gabe Hamilton saw Mia Crestwell walk into the ballroom for his hotel’s grand opening, he knew he was going to hell for what he had planned. After all, Mia is his best friend’s little sister. Except she’s not so little anymore. And Gabe has waited a long time to act on his desires.

Gabe has starred in Mia’s fantasies more than once, ever since she was a teenager with a huge crush on her brother’s best friend. So what if Gabe’s fourteen years older? Mia knows he’s way out of her league, but her attraction has only grown stronger with time. She’s an adult now, and there’s no reason not to act on her most secret desires.

As Gabe pulls her into his provocative world, she realizes there’s a lot she doesn’t know about him or how exacting his demands can be. Their relationship is intense and obsessive, but as they cross the line from secret sexual odyssey to something deeper, their affair runs the risk of being exposed—and vulnerable to a betrayal far more intimate than either expected.

Ready for FEVER?

Jace Crestwell, Ash McIntyre, and Gabe Hamilton have been best friends and successful business partners for years. They’re powerful, they’re imposing, they’re irresistibly sexy, and Jace and Ash share everything—including their women.

When they meet Bethany, Jace begins to feel things he’s never experienced before: jealousy, and a powerful obsession that threatens him, overwhelms him—and excites him beyond control.

Jace isn’t sharing Bethany—with anyone. He’s determined to be the only man in her life, and it’s jeopardizing a lifelong friendship with Ash. Bethany will be his and his alone. Even if it means turning his back on his best friend. 

And finally, BURN

When it comes to sex, Ash McIntyre has always explored his wilder side—extreme and uncompromising. He demands control. And he prefers women who want it like that. Even the women he’s shared with his best friend, Jace.

But Jace is involved with a woman he has no intention of sharing. And now even Gabe has settled into a relationship with a woman who gives him everything he needs, leaving Ash feeling restless and unfulfilled.

Then Ash meets Josie, who seems immune to his charms and his wealth. Intrigued, he begins a relentless pursuit, determined she won’t be the one who got away. He never imagined the one woman to tell him no would be the only woman who’d ever drive him to the edge of desire.

For this post, we are giving away the first two books of the trilogy, RUSH and FEVER to TWO lucky winners! If you'd like to enter to win, you obviously know that these are erotica so I'm going to ask an erotica-type question ala The Newlywed Game ala Bob Eubanks style. Please tell me I'm not that old and some/most of you get who/what I'm talking about. Tell me, if you want to win two of the three books from this set: Where is the ... well, watch this and then answer the question from the video! hahah!



And of course, if you don't wanna answer THAT question, just tell me in the comments that YOU WANT THE BOOKS and I'll enter you to win anyway! XO

Fine Print You Should Read:

If you're new to Booking with Manic, thank you for stopping by! We love new readers! Some notes - If you're entering to win a book, please leave a comment on this post and use an identifying name when commenting. It's usually a great idea to include an email, which I will never give out to anyone else. You can only enter once please. You'll need to check back here in a few days to see if you've won the book -- I will either list the winner in a new post OR highlight the winner's name at the top of this post, or tell you where you can find the winner's name at the top of this post. I do NOT personally contact the winners. It is YOUR responsibility to come back to see if you've won. Most books are supplied directly through publishers, publicists and the authors. Winners will receive books directly from the publisher or author within 3 weeks from the time you provide me with your address, unless I send you the book (sometimes I will). Sorry, but we can only ship to U.S. and Canada so if you're from another country, thank you for coming by to read and discover new authors, but we can't send you a book. Any questions on how I run the blog or suggestions on who you would like to see featured, please email me at stephanieelliot[at]gmail.com. Thank you for your support!

Winner!!!

So sorry (yes, it seems like I'm ALWAYS apologizing and making up excuses -- I need an assistant to help with this blog!!!)... School has started and life continues to get in the way of my blog! I do have the winner's name for IN TOO DEEP and it just happens to be someone who has one previously on the blog:

BUTTAH!! Congrats, you have won the book! Random.org has chosen you as the winner. Please contact me with your address so I can get the book out to you.

ALSO! The winner of FOREVER INTERRUPTED NEVER CONTACTED ME! That winner was
LOVELYDAY! I hope you'll contact me because I really want you to have this book -- it is a beautiful book too and you need to read it.

As for later this week, I have ALREADY written and pre-posted TWO new updates for you so you'll have to come back. The next post is a RACY one, which you know I don't usually post, so if you're up for something a little on the 'sexy' side, come back... I'll give you a clue... you might want to RUSH over here to see what I'll be posting about and it might make you BREATHLESS!!!!

In Too Deep by Michelle Kemper Brownlow

Congrats to BUTTAH! You have won a copy of IN TOO DEEP! Please contact me so we can get you a copy!

In Too Deep

Michelle Kemper Brownlow

Facebook

I first met Michelle Kemper Brownlow in the early days of blogging through our mutual friend Dawn Meehan of Because I Said So (LOVE Dawn! Check out her blog!) and while I always thought Michelle was going to illustrate and write children's books I was very much surprised and pleased when she announced she had a book contract for a New Adult book. And then when I found out that Sarah Hansen of OKAY Creations did her book cover (who also did my book cover), well that was just too cool. And isn't her book cover of In Too Deep beautiful?

The main character is Gracie and she is a naïve young girl who falls in love with the very wrong guy at college. This is her story: 

Gracie has just finished her freshman year of college in Memphis when she takes a job at a local pizza joint in her home town of McKenzie, Tennessee. She is the epitome of innocence when she meets Noah. Noah is unabashedly handsome, intriguingly reckless and just cocky enough to be sexy. Gracie's instincts tell her to stay far away from him, and based on the stories she hears from her co-workers, he leaves broken hearts in his wake. But still, she can't explain her fascination with him. Noah puts aside his bad boy ways when what he thought was a summer crush has him unexpectedly falling in love. But soon after Gracie transfers to UT Knoxville to be with Noah, their unexpected love becomes riddled with anger, deceit and humiliation. Jake, Noah's former roommate and Gracie's best friend, can no longer be a bystander. Gracie's world falls out from beneath her, and when she breaks, she turns to Jake for strength. As Jake talks her through a decision she's not yet strong enough to make, together they uncover a truth so ugly neither of them is prepared for its fallout. Will Jake pull her to the surface or is Gracie Jordan finally In Too Deep? 

If you're up for riding an emotional roller-coaster, then this is the book for you! You will feel attached to Gracie and also frustrated with her at the same time, but you can also understand how she can fall for Noah, because young girls are naïve and will listen what boys tell them!

Here are "THESE THREE THINGS" from Michelle! 

1. My very first job was at Coney Island...a small hot dog stand in the food court of our local mall. I was 14. Cigarettes were $1.25 and my main job when opening in the morning was to wash the snot-like slime off the probably-too-old hot dogs that would sit on the fryer all day.

2. I am a vegetarian...mostly vegan, which means no meat, dairy or eggs. My husband has Celiac Disease which means we eat mostly gluten-free...makes you wonder what I eat, right? Well, DEFINITELY no hot dogs!

3. I cry at everything. Anything that is the least bit touching or emotional (especially if a song is involved b/c music is my addiction) has me looking like a blubbering idiot in seconds. My teens are always saying, "MOOOOOM, are you crying?!"

If you would like to win a copy of In Too Deep, leave a comment about a time when you did something that you were a bit naïve about (or flat-out stupid) - it doesn't have to be something over a guy. For instance, something I did that was pretty stupid when I was younger: I had to do a project in 8th or 9th grade. I was too lazy to take the encyclopedia (do all of you know what those are?) to the library to photocopy pictures to use in my report for the project… so I CUT out the pictures in the encyclopedia and glued them to my report! Talk about stupid! 

So share a stupid or naïve moment with me and you could win a copy of In Too Deep! Leave your story in the comments section and a winner will be announced on the blog within a week. You'll have to check back to see if you win! 

BONUS for reading all the way through: I'm also giving away my e-short story, The Cell Phone Lot August 1-5, so hop on over HERE to download it for free.  

First time visiting?

If you're new to Booking with Manic, thank you for stopping by! We love new readers! Some notes - If you're entering to win a book, please leave a comment on this post and use an identifying name when commenting. It's usually a great idea to include an email, which I will never give out to anyone else. You can only enter once please. You'll need to check back here in a few days to see if you've won the book -- I will either list the winner in a new post OR highlight the winner's name at the top of this post, or tell you where you can find the winner's name at the top of this post. I do NOT personally contact the winners. It is YOUR responsibility to come back to see if you've won. Most books are supplied directly through publishers, publicists and the authors. Winners will receive books directly from the publisher or author within 3 weeks from the time you provide me with your address, unless I send you the book (sometimes I will). Sorry, but we can only ship to U.S. and Canada so if you're from another country, thank you for coming by to read and discover new authors, but we can't send you a book. Any questions on how I run the blog or suggestions on who you would like to see featured, please email me at stephanieelliot[at]gmail.com. Thank you for your support!

LATEST BOOK WINNERS!

Hello there! Sorry for the recent delay! But I have the winners for the last three books for you here, and hopefully YOU have won! If you didn't win, you'll definitely want to check these books out at your library or pick them up at your favorite indie bookstore, or grab them on amazon. They're amazing!

Congrats to those of you who won Finding Bliss, Mandatory Release and Forever Interrupted! Winners, please email me at stephanieelliot@gmail.com and send me your full name and address so we can get your book to you. If you want an e-book copy, just let me know!

I'll be back later this week with another book! 


WINNERS:

Mandatory Release goes to:
BrendaL71

Finding Bliss goes to:
Bernadette7

Forever Interrupted goes to:
lovelyday

FOREVER, INTERRUPTED by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Taylor Jenkins Reid
Forever Interrupted

The last time I stayed in bed all day to read a book was in 2001 when I was pregnant with my 3^rd child and 11 days late. That book was James Patterson’s Suzanne’s Diary for Nicholas.

Last Friday, I just spent my whole day in bed DEVOURING Taylor Jenkins Reid’s FOREVER, INTERRUPTED and I have to tell you that if you do not win it here on the blog, you absolutely, positively must go out and buy this one to read. This was one that when I heard about it on Sarah Pekannen’s FB, I knew it was a must-read, one of those that I had to get a hold of, one of those books that I just knew was going to be a smash. And, I was right. 

Everything about this book was the perfect recipe for a page-turner – from the cover art, to the back of the book description to the very beginning pages where my heart literally began pounding in my chest. And yes, it is one of those books that you will absolutely grin while you are reading it, and yes, you will find some tears slipping from your eyes, and you will fall in love with Ben and Elsie’s love story. The story is sad and uplifting and endearing and sexy… It is the book I long to write. I feel so happy when get to read a book like this. (And ALSO, there’s an excerpt to Taylor’s next book – After I Do – in the back of the book that doesn’t come out until Summer 2014 and I’m already dying to read that one too!)

SO, either way, win it here, or download it on your device, or buy it in paperback. THIS IS THE BOOK YOU’VE GOT TO READ – along with every single book I share with you on this blog, of course! But seriously, Taylor Jenkins Reid is a debut author who is going to hit it big – I predict she’s going to be following the footsteps of some very highly regarded women's fiction authors whom I already know and love and showcase on the blog often!  I CAN'T WAIT!

Here is the Back-of-the-Book Blurb: 

“Have you ever heard of supernovas? They shine brighter than anything else in the sky and then fade out really quickly, a short burst of extraordinary energy. I like to think you and Ben were like that . . . in that short time, you had more passion than some people have in a lifetime.” 

Elsie Porter is an average twentysomething and yet what happens to her is anything but ordinary. On a rainy New Year’s Day, she heads out to pick up a pizza for one. She isn’t expecting to see anyone else in the shop, much less the adorable and charming Ben Ross. Their chemistry is instant and electric. Ben cannot even wait twenty-four hours before asking to see her again. Within weeks, the two are head over heels in love. By May, they’ve eloped.

Only nine days later, Ben is out riding his bike when he is hit by a truck and killed on impact. Elsie hears the sirens outside her apartment, but by the time she gets downstairs, he has already been whisked off to the emergency room. At the hospital, she must face Susan, the mother-in-law she has never met—and who doesn’t even know Elsie exists.

Interweaving Elsie and Ben’s charmed romance with Elsie and Susan’s healing process, Forever, Interrupted will remind you that there’s more than one way to find a happy ending.

Here are Taylor’s THESE THREE THINGS which she was so nice to send to me: 

I worked in movie casting before becoming an author: For years, I was an assistant at a Hollywood casting office. It was one of the most fun jobs I've ever had. I worked on Iron Man, some of the Fast & Furious films, some really great independent movies, and I even worked with Oliver Stone. It was a crash course in characters. When you see so many people coming in the door with different interpretations of the same role, it really gets you thinking about how to create dynamic, dimensional characters in your stories. 

Writing wouldn't be nearly as much fun without my dog: I have a pit bull mix, Rabbit, who sleeps underneath my desk all day and sometimes distracts me by asking to play fetch. The writing life can be a lonely one, you're in your own head all day, but my dog keeps me silent company which is the greatest thing I could ask for. And he keeps my toes warm when it's cold in the house. 

When I was a kid, I thought for sure that I would be a pop star: I figured I had the moves, the enthusiasm, and the moxie. I didn't have the voice, exactly, but I was convinced that didn't matter. I remember being nine or ten and pretending to accept a Grammy in the shower. Once I grew up I realized I'd have to actually perform in front of people in order to be a pop star and that's when I gave up on that one. No, sir. Not for me.

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Forever Interrupted, tell me something that you were interrupted doing recently? For instance, this morning I was sleeping and the phone rang and it interrupted me sleeping and woke me up RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF A DREAM! Of course, it was 9:30 a.m. so I suppose it was time to get up, right? Tell me what do you get interrupted doing and you could win a copy of Forever, Interrupted! 

Also, don’t forget to enter to win books by some of my other favorite authors that I’m giving away still... go click on over to enter to win them NOW too: 

Mandatory Release by Jess Riley

Finding Bliss by Dina Silver 

I’ll have all these books up on the blog probably until Friday and will most likely have another book  (OR TWO!) to offer later this week!... so share the book love and make sure you enter to win them all!

And if you're in the mood, maybe you could check out my novel: What She Left Us, available on amazon too!

First time visiting?

If you're new to Booking with Manic, thank you for stopping by! We love new readers! Some notes - If you're entering to win a book, please leave a comment on this post and use an identifying name when commenting. It's usually a great idea to include an email, which I will never give out to anyone else. You can only enter once please. You'll need to check back here in a few days to see if you've won the book -- I will either list the winner in a new post OR highlight the winner's name at the top of this post, or tell you where you can find the winner's name at the top of this post. I do NOT personally contact the winners. It is YOUR responsibility to come back to see if you've won. Most books are supplied directly through publishers, publicists and the authors. Winners will receive books directly from the publisher or author within 3 weeks from the time you provide me with your address, unless I send you the book (sometimes I will). Sorry, but we can only ship to U.S. and Canada so if you're from another country, thank you for coming by to read and discover new authors, but we can't send you a book. Any questions on how I run the blog or suggestions on who you would like to see featured, please email me at stephanieelliot[at]gmail.com. Thank you for your support!

FINDING BLISS by Dina Silver

Finding Bliss

Dina Silver

Can you believe that I am featuring another book so soon?!? I've got so many to share, I'm trying to blast you with a bunch of awesome books! Before you read on, though, make sure to click here to Jess Riley's Mandatory Release and enter to win her book here. I'll wait.

Thanks, and now, I'd love to share today's book with you, which is by Dina Silver and it's called Finding Bliss. Dina is one of those amazing authors who took her career into her own hands, self-pubbed her first book, One Pink Line and hit it big. 

She is someone I look up to, because she's done exactly what I hope to do someday with my own books, What She Left Us and The Life After (shameful plug, I admit!)! I admire her a lot and I love her stories. She got a great following, was discovered by the people at amazon and now has a contract with them. Finding Bliss is her latest, and just like One Pink Line, when I picked up the book to check out the first chapter, I just kept reading! Seriously, I did NOT put it down, and there are very few books that I pick up and read in two sittings. This was one of them!

Here is what Finding Bliss is all about:

Chloe Carlyle has always longed for the perfect family.
 

Growing up with an alcoholic single mother, she has seen her share of heartbreak and disappointment, and is striving to build a new legacy for herself. After graduating from college, she takes a job working as a summer girl for the Reeds—a wealthy, accomplished family that personifies her American dream. Her summer takes an unexpected turn when the Reeds’ eldest son, Tyler, the star quarterback for Notre Dame, shows up and turns her life upside down. 

An ambitious young woman with a wry sense of humor, Chloe never imagined herself as the type to succumb to the looks and charms of the hometown hero, but she falls hard for Tyler, and is devastated when they part ways at the end of the summer. As she heads off to law school, Chloe tries to convince herself this was just a fling, but she can’t quite get over him. It’s not until Tyler contacts her out of the blue late one winter night that everything changes.

After doing everything in her power to build the perfect life, Chloe soon learns that there are things beyond her control. She must draw on inner reserves of strength as her life takes unpredictable—and sometimes heartbreaking—twists and turns, and she finds herself faced with decisions she never thought she’d have to make. Poignant, heartfelt, and emotional, Finding Bliss is a reminder that you don’t have to live a fairytale life in order to have a happy ending.

 Here are Dina's THESE THREE THINGS, which also gives you some more insight to some of the storylines of the book:

1) There is an infertility storyline in the book that was really important for me to write. My sister, along with many of my close friends, struggled with getting pregnant. I would always hear from them how hard it was to deal with feelings of jealousy and bitterness when around other women who were pregnant, and also how woman tend to not talk to each other about the topic of infertility. It was important for me to address the issue with humor and honesty, and to give a voice to this taboo subject.

2) For a long time, the book was simply titled, Bliss. In fact, the entire time I was writing it. It wasn't until a week before I handed in my final draft that I changed it to Finding Bliss. Because in the end, the book is truly a journey about finding the things that will ultimately make you happy…and how often times it not what or who you thought. 

 

3) Chloe, my protagonist, is a divorce lawyer. In researching her character, I worked really closely with a friend who is a divorce lawyer, and it was so fun listening to her old client stories. No one has better stories than divorce lawyers!! Maybe E.R. doctors are a close second :)

If you'd like to win a copy of FINDING BLISS, tell me IN THE COMMENTS BELOW, if you had one BLISSFUL hour to yourself what would you do? Me, of course, I would either go to Starbucks or take a nap!

Don't forget to CLICK HERE to also enter to win Jess Riley's Mandatory Release, which is still up for grabs on Booking with Manic! I'll be coming at you again shortly with another fabulous book too, so make sure to check back soon! As I showed you here, I've got many books to share, and I realized I slacked off a bit this summer so I'm trying to make up for it!

First time visiting?

If you're new to Booking with Manic, thank you for stopping by! We love new readers! Some notes - If you're entering to win a book, please leave a comment on this post and use an identifying name when commenting. It's usually a great idea to include an email, which I will never give out to anyone else. You can only enter once please. You'll need to check back here in a few days to see if you've won the book -- I will either list the winner in a new post OR highlight the winner's name at the top of this post, or tell you where you can find the winner's name at the top of this post. I do NOT personally contact the winners. It is YOUR responsibility to come back to see if you've won. Most books are supplied directly through publishers, publicists and the authors. Winners will receive books directly from the publisher or author within 3 weeks from the time you provide me with your address, unless I send you the book (sometimes I will). Sorry, but we can only ship to U.S. and Canada so if you're from another country, thank you for coming by to read and discover new authors, but we can't send you a book. Any questions on how I run the blog or suggestions on who you would like to see featured, please email me at stephanieelliot[at]gmail.com. Thank you for your support!