Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Kylie's Hope Auction: July 31-November 30, 2013

Just wanted to give a little back story on Kylie for those of you that are wondering. When I was 5 months pregnant with Kylie I was put on bedrest for 3 months. When Kylie was born she had a loud rattle noise when she breathed. The doctors thought she took in too much fluid, and it would go away over time. That wasnt the case for Kylie. She got louder with each passing day. She was born Aug 17th and by Sept she got very sick. The doctors were still puzzled as to what was causing her noise and why she wasnt getting better with regular meds. Kylie was put in ICU at Peyton Manning Childrens Hospital for 5 weeks, and went through several test. One day I will never forget for the rest of my life is the when the doctors came in to tell my husband and I that Kylie wasnt getting better. She would be put on a ventilator, and might not make it. Those are words a parent never wants to hear. Her Daddy and I prayed a lot after the Drs. left and needed answers. Almost 2 days later the doctors came in like they did every morning and said that Kylie was doing better. Medically they didnt know how, but she was doing a bit better than the last few days. We still needed to know what and why all this was happenin I knew it was God and prayers! Peyton Manning sent us over to the womens hospital across the street for test. I know God gave one special nurse the answers we needed. Kylie was diagnosed with a rare heart condition called a vascular ring. The vascular ring was wrapped around Kylies aorta and espophagus causing Kylie to not be able to breathe. That is the noise we heard. The vascular ring was squeezing her so tight she couldnt breathe. She had to have heart surgery in Jan of last year. Her condition is ongoing, and we had several hosptial stays, Dr.appointments and even ambulance rides since then, but Kylie stays strong each time. She is doing great, and we hope when her next round of test come back she will be 100% better. We started giving back to Peyton Manning because they were wonderful with our family! They saved our babies life. I could never thank them enough. We had people help us in our darkest days. We had strangers reach out to us with food, money, or just a card to say they cared. We will never forget that! We decided to give back in honor of Kylie. There are a lot of families in the hospital and sick kids that just need an extra hand. We want to help make their stay a little brighter! We know first hand how it feels to wonder where will we eat? How will I get back and forth because I have no money? That is just a small bit of our story that we wanted to share why this means so much to us! Thank you for listening! God Bless you all that have reached out or who are going to! You are awesome! xoxo Kylie's Hope



Just to make sure everyone understands what we are doing: we are collecting monetary and toy donations for the children at Peyton Mannings Children's Hospital to give the kids there a great Christmas. To donate this way, message www.facebook.com/Kylieshopeforthefuture.

We are also collecting SWAG from authors, models, other bloggers and anyone who has something to physically donate that we can package together for a HUGE auction giveaway, where the highest auction bidder will win ALL of the donated SWAG. The auction will run November 1-30th. To donate this way, message www.facebook.com/MyFictionalBoyfriend.

Last year Kylie's Hope was able to help 500 kids with their Christmas cheer- how many can a page of 15,000 people help? Let's see what we can all do together! 

****We attempted to obtain a tax ID number for these donations so people could get the tax rebates but we were unable to do this. All this means is, you would have to donate knowing it would be JUST to help and no tax receipt would be available. 

Thanks! Love from Kellie, Amy, Sarah, Carrie from My Fictional Boyfriend & Book Whore Page and Kylie's Hope (Carrie is Kylie's mom) 

Hospital Information: http://peytonmanning.stvincent.org/

Peyton Manning Children's Hospital

List of confirmed donors (to be updated daily) 

July 31st:






Photographer Toski Covey: https://www.facebook.com/tcpdesign


August 1st: 






Author Victoria Murphy: https://www.facebook.com/VMurphyAuthor


August 2: 






August 3rd: 



Josh Moore's Yarncraft Page: https://www.facebook.com/joshmoorecrafting




August 5th: 


August 6th:





August 13th:



August 19th: 



September 2nd:


September 17th: 



October 14th:







Sunday, July 28, 2013

Emerge by SE Hall Review


https://www.facebook.com/S.E.HallAuthorEmerge

 I had no idea going into this book that I would feel the emotions I do right now! I don't like this book..I absolutely LOVE it!! You hear me?! LOVED it! 

Laney- tomboy,softball player,moving away from home to go to college away from her best friend, and only love she's ever known!

Evan- sweetheart,lovable,handsome, boy next door, and best friend who tells Laney before going off to college he is in love with her. Evan is swoon worthy and I mean you will love him immediately, but then boom in walks Dane!!

Dane- Mercy sakes! I'm almost speechless and that NEVER happens! Ok..Dane he is beyond HAWT! I mean he is the best BB I have ever read about. I know it's a lot to take in but it's true! I really want to squeeze S.E.Hall for making him! He wrapped my heart up so tight I can't breathe!

Evan goes off to his college and Laney off to Southern where she meets Dane...There is an instant connection..Laney becomes torn..What will she do? Who will she choose?! Evan the hot, boy next door she has loved as her best friend almost her entire life, or Dane the hot swoon your panties off hunk of a man! <<<<< yes I said panties! I really wouldn't want to be in Laney's shoes and have to choose between two men like Evan and Dane! Ahhh! Who am I kidding?! Yes I would want to be in her shoes! You will love this book! So much angst, love, goosebumps, and stomach in knots! Ugly cried my face off! My emotions are still running high! It was worth every word! Gah! I want to read it again!!

Favorite highlights-"Um Dane,you been checking her out?" I blush."Only when I'm breathing." He winks.. <<<<< swoon city!
"Well hello, Disney."You look like walking sin," <<<<<
God don't let anyone take her. If you give me this,I swear to wake every morning, with good morning beautiful and kiss her to sleep every night! <<<<< I sobbed like a baby!

Laney has some other obstacles to overcome as well, another best friend, making a new friend and her mother leaving her years ago! She finds out who her real friends are, and overcomes one of the biggest decisions of her life! Emerge will leave you begging for more. I give it 5 HUGE bright stars!!! S.E.Hall I'm in love! Thank you for sharing! <3 Carrie

Giveaway: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/bb89520/



Thursday, July 25, 2013

Bent by H.B. Heinzer Review


Synopsis: If there’s one thing Julia Wilson has learned in life, it’s that you can’t push your own dreams to the background for anyone. Newly divorced, Julia returns to the hometown she once swore would never see her again. Her plan is simple; enjoy the cheap rent her friend is offering and stay just long enough to develop a plan to make her own dreams come true.

It doesn't take long before Julia realizes she’s made a big mistake.

Micah Anderson came closer to breaking Julia than anyone else ever had. After promising her forever, he broke her heart the week before she left for college. Now, Julia’s back in town and he’s going to have to tell her the truth about why he left her. It’s not possible to hide a twelve year old child when you live in a town of 5,000 people.

Is following her dreams worth it if it means giving up on a second chance with her first love? Is trying to make a relationship work worth it if his past becomes a threat to her safety?

Review: This book was very good I thought. The story was written well, the characters were likeable and well developed and it was nice to read a story with JUST ENOUGH sex to make it good but not so much that you start skimming over the scenes because they are every twenty pages. I was a little pissed off that everyone hid from Julia what the real reason was behind her breakup with Micah before she went away to college and for over ten years let her believe it was her fault when it was not. I think her best friend at least should have told her. In a small town of less than 5,000 like Brooklyn (not New York) everyone knew Micah's life and no one told Julia. That I did not like, but the rest of the book I loved. There is a little something for everyone that likes a good romance, except condos in the sky owned by billionaires. ;) This is a good old fashioned love story about regular people and I highly recommend it. Five stars. <3 Kellie 

About this author


With the exception of three years spent in the middle of Nebraska, H.B. Heinzer has called southern Wisconsin home. During that time in Nebraska, she imagined one of her favorite authors living on the far western edge of the county, just south of the highway. At the time, becoming a novelist was a distant dream for her. Now, she is the author living in that location. Ironically, she later found out that same favorite author lives just outside the town HB lived in for the first eighteen years of her life.
Now, HB lives in the middle of nowhere but still close enough to the city to not feel isolated. It's the perfect place to let her two kids run and explore their huge yard, teach them about the food chain as they prepare their first-ever garden and debate building a chicken coop. It's one of those dreams that is only possible thanks to the amazing opportunities that have come through writing. 

www.hbheinzer.com

Wednesday, July 24, 2013

 

Reaching Out for You by S. Moose

 

This book was so very frustrating at times I wanted to scream. Sophia was the most stubborn and at times, weak female that I can remember reading in a long time. Adam was the perfect guy and she repeatedly pushed him away, ran from her fate and her happiness and believed that he would hurt her, no matter how many times he showed that he wouldn't. The emotional toll this book took on me was unreal- it is definitely worth a read! The only things I would have changed were that Kyle would have met an untimely death by vehicular homicide (the bastard) and I would not have rushed the ending to make the HEA happen after it took so long for the romance of the story to come to be. I look forward to the story of Sophia's friends Connor and Erin as they were great characters in this book and I know will make for an enjoyable read, as Sophia and Adam did in this installment. Overall 4 stars and a recommended read for everyone. Childhood friendships that turn to love for life are my favorites! What is REALLY my  favorite part though, is that she is donating a portion of her proceeds to domestic violence awareness and prevention. People do not realize how many people, younger than we would think, suffer this in silence.
xoxo Kellie 

Link:  https://www.facebook.com/S.Mooseauthor



  

Monday, July 22, 2013

HIM by Carey Heywood

HIM

By Carey Heywood


Sometimes, you really can go home again.............. Sarah and Will were best friends until one night seven years ago..........Now, Sarah's brother is getting married and she has to go home again and face her past.  The novel goes back and forth telling story of present day Sarah and Will and the past, so we get a tale of young innocent love and then one of more complex adult issues.  

This is a story that encompasses the purity of first love with the maturity of having loved and lost.  Will is a sweet hottie!  We definitely know there is nothing he would rather do than cherish Sarah.  If only she will let him...........I am excited to read the second installment, HER, which will tell us the story from Will's perspective!  

This is a very sweet story that I enjoyed very much.  It was very PG13-like, so it would be appropriate for young adult readers.  I read it in one night, and I haven't done that in a while.  ***ANN***


Giveaway Code: 5 eBooks of HIM a Rafflecopter giveaway 

Author Bio: Carey Heywood lives in Richmond, Virginia with her husband, three children, and nine-pound attack Yorkie. In her spare time, she transports her children from one extra-curricular activity to another while maintaining her day job in the world of finance. Right now, she is probably eating Swedish Fish. I'd love to hear from you! 

 http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17668976-him 

Other Books:
A Bridge of Her Own 
Uninvolved 
Stages of Grace

http://www.amazon.com/Him-ebook/dp/B00DJUZCHO/ref=zg_bsnr_23_68%20ur
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/him-carey-heywood/1115799316?ean=2940016537986

Book Enthusiast Promotions

Friday, July 19, 2013

TRUST BY L. CHAPMAN


Megan Madden has lost her trust. Who knew a trip with a friend to shop for a wedding dress for her upcoming wedding would turn into Megan meeting Mark, the man to test her resolve, her belief in herself and make her love again. 

This book was not one of my favorites to be honest and it took a long time for me to work my way through it. I almost passed on even posting a review, but decided I would because in the end, many people WILL love this book and WILL be able to relate to the story of a pregnant woman finding love again after a bad breakup. It was not something I could relate to at all and maybe that is why I did not find it to be one I just LOVED when I read it. However, I would not discourage anyone from giving it a chance, as Mark is a definite sweet guy who will warm your heart and it was a good first effort from a debuting author. I thought some of the events that took place in the book happened way too quickly to be even remotely realistic, like him buying her a charm bracelet that chronicled their "relationship" a day after mettting her. Also, it had times where the repetitveness of Mark saying "Megan" in every sentence when he spoke to her seemed too formal for a conversaton between two people beginning a relationship and it could have used better editing but again, for a debut novel it was not terrible by any means. I think over the course of her writing career L. Chapman will do great as an author and I will continue to read and recommend her books, as just because one is not MY favorite, someone else may love it and just because this one did not speak to me does not mean in the future one of hers will not. I gave this book 3.5 stars. <3 Kellie


Follow L Chapman 

Wednesday, July 17, 2013

MADE FROM GREATER STONE

By RJ Simpkin 




Olivia is a young recent college graduate.  She moves to Chicago to pursue her career.  While looking for a job, she works as a burlesque dancer named Honey Glaze. As Honey, she meets Nate Stone, young extremely handsome businessman.  We find out that Nate is not the Prince Charming character.  He has secrets and insecurities that only just begin to unravel as the book ends.....preparing us for next installment in trilogy.  

I enjoyed the background of burlesque dancing to give this one a bit of a different twist.  Otherwise, it would have been sorely predictable.  As we discovered more about Nate's secret past, it did get more unique and interesting.  From that, I imagine the second book will be very good.  

The background characters were interesting and really filled out the story, but I would like to see more of them and hope to in subsequent books.  I also hope to see more of what makes this tale unique shine......the burlesque and other things from Nate's past.  

Overall, a good job and a decent read!  ***Ann***











Giveaway: 
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Sunday, July 14, 2013

Strings by Kendall Grey

This book is so very dirty and kinky and full of perversion. I freakin LOVED it! You cannot read this if you are easily offended by graphic sexual acts by a hard core slut, because that is happenin in this book! 

I loved the REAL in this book- the struggles to be successful, the working a job you hate to make ends meet and only being able to live your true passion part-time. I loved the fact that Letty did not apologize for being exactly who she is, that she was a bad ass, strong willed, sharp tongued powerhouse and I loved that she never compromised what she believed in to please anyone else. 

Shades is a freak, but also a sweetheart and a sexy ass rocker bad ass too. They are so different and yet so the same and I loved their dynamic in this book. It is not your light hearted love story with romantic love making- it is more banging against a dirty strip club bathroom stall wall love but I loved it and if you can handle it, you will love it too. Five stars- cannot wait for Beats! <3 Kellie 

Find Kendall: www.facebook.com/KendallGreyAuthor 
Website: www.kendallgrey.com


Saturday, July 13, 2013

Taming The Bachelor Review


Taming the Bachelor by MJ Carnal: 

The Moretti Novels Book One

This book was great and I could hardly believe when reading it that it was a debut novel by this author- it was written and edited like a professional, which I really appreciated. So many books these days get automatic deductions when being reviewed because they were so poorly worded and edited. Not this one though!

Mark Moretti is a player- a man whore- a man that stays as far away from commitment and love as he can. At twenty-eight he has never been in love and he is just fine with keeping it that way. Until a beautiful blonde rams into him with her shopping cart one day.....

I read some pretty harsh reviews about the behavior of Mark and Sophie in this book and how they behaved like children in regards to their romance and Sophie came across as weak for forgiving Mark when they fought and begging him for forgiveness when they had a huge falling out. What these people failed to remember about this story and these two lovers is that Mark had NEVER been in a real relationship- never been in love. Sophie had been in love only once before and it ended badly, with Sophie picking up huge issues with trust and honesty. So they WERE new to real relationships, new to the level of commitment they had embarked upon and new to the feelings that were brought to the surface as they became closer. I completely understand their behavior and the way MJ portrayed their reactions to this behavior and if you keep these things in mind while reading then you will too and it will make you love this story so much- it is a very real life relationship problem that most of us can relate to- trust. Anyway, what all of this boils down to is this, Taming the Bachelor is a great story and you will fall in love when you read it! Five-star, highly recommended read! <3 Kellie





Wednesday, July 10, 2013

Sharing Harper Review

Sharing Harper by V. Murphy


First it needs to be said that this book definitely requires an explicit warning for physical and sexual domestic abuse. (Author says she added one to the description) There are scenes that disturbed me greatly but also made me keep reading just to see the survivor make it through. Harper Mae is a definite survivor and this is her story.

Never wanting to get attached to anyone for fear of letting herself be hurt again, 21 year old Harper Mae has become what one would affectionately call a promiscuous girl. She uses men for sex and then tosses them away, only keeping them around long enough to help her erase the pain of her dark past. Until she walks into a coffee shop one day and sees Ryder. The answer to making the pain go away forever, instead of for just a few hours. Little does Harper know, she will do the same for him. 

This book needed a better set of eyes for editing as it had a lot of errors in spelling, grammar, proper word usage and tense that a thorough editor would have caught and corrected. ***Since I read a pre-published ARC these errors may be corrected prior to publication. I am sure this is something that will improve as the author continues to write more books. However, there is absolutely NO  denying the power of this story of love and healing and the errors would NOT have kept me from finishing this book and liking it a lot. I thought it was great and is a definite must read.  I give it four stars. This is one I will remember! <3 Kellie 




SynopsisA pain too hard to understand.
A struggle too deep to reach.
A love too complicated to work…but too intense to let go.
Harper Mae ran as far away as she could from her abusive past. She went to a different city and numbed her pain by using men, never sleeping with the same guy more than once.
Ryder worked at a coffee shop trying blend in with the rest of the world, desperately trying to live a normal life. After leaving a relationship and losing his family, he vowed never to fall in love again.
Until one day they are unexpectedly drawn to each other unable to let go.
Harper and Ryder’s turbulent relationship, two people who are struggling to find themselves, realize the answer lies within each other.
Secrets, so deep, that both have, end up surfacing causing irrevocable pain.
Will their love be strong enough to survive or will their pain be the downfall to their relationship?
Will Harper open up enough to share her past with Ryder or will he be just another number on her list?

About the Author: 
Hi! I am V. Murphy and I love everything about reading (some may call me a bibliophile). I am a current graduate from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and heading out west to live the California dream while pursuing my masters degree in school counseling at the University of San Diego. You can find me writing in a Panera, small coffeeshop or on campus. When I am not spending my time in school or reading, I love to write, bake and shop. Thank you for taking your time to pick up and read my story. I hope you loved it as much as I have loved writing it for you. If you would like to know more about me and the books in progress, look me up on the ‘net.
Facebook: www.facebook.com/VMurphyAuthor
Twitter: www.twitter.com/vmurphy16

Monday, July 8, 2013

Review of Kelly Harper's Ruined by You

Ruined by You
by Kelly Harper

Holy shit! Yes, I started a review like that! I read this book thinking a happily ever after MUST be right around the corner. Annnnnd it wasn't. It ended on a MAJOR cliffhanger that made me jump up off the bed and say "No she didn't!" and then right after that give her a standing O while I was on my feet. 

Love, love, loved this book. Having page after page of good reviews and just one bad one should tell you that this book is worth a read, as it is just so damn good! The one bad lost her damn mind obviously. 

Haden and Maggie's story is slow to pick up steam but once it does all you wanna do is push them together and make them stay there. Both of them ending up in the same small Texas town leaving behind the scars and disappointments of the past is F-A-T-E and who doesn't love a good ole fashioned meant to be? 

Please read this- you will love it. If you hate a cliffhanger though, wait until July 25th and read them both together. 
Five stars for this one, for sure. <3 Kellie 

Find Kelly here: