Thursday, August 7, 2014

Author Spotlight: Tabatha Vargo - Day 5 GIVEAWAY!!!


I had such a blast this week rereading all of Tabatha's books. It's like catching up with an old friend or wrapping up in a favorite sweatshirt. To wrap up her author spotlight week, I wanted to share more information about her and give you all of her links so you can stalk her properly. ;-)



Tabatha is a NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY bestselling author, but mostly she's a sweet tea sippin', front porch sittin' kind of girl from South Carolina. She loves old, historical anything, wind chimes, and all things romantic. She's the mother of an 8 y/o rockstar/princess and the wife of her very own Prince Charming.

When she isn't writing, she's texting book ideas to herself.

Tabatha is represented by Jane Dystel of Dystel & Goderich Literary Management.

Okay, now that I've copied and pasted the blurb from her Amazon page, let me tell you what I know about Tabatha. She is amazing. She is very involved with her fans and has a heart of gold. She is very down to earth and is so nice in person. I got to meet her last fall at Houston Book Rave and I thought I was going to melt into a fangirl puddle. I could go on and on. Take my word for it, this gal is worth your time, effort, and money to read everything she writes. I've said this before, but I would read her grocery lists if she published them!


Tabatha and me at Houston Book Rave <3 <3 <3

Now for some fun! I'm giving away an ebook of Wicked Fate, a swag pack, and an ereader cover knit by your's truly. :) 








a Rafflecopter giveaway

Wednesday, August 6, 2014

Author Spotlight: Tabatha Vargo - Day 4


Here we are, the last day of reviews for Tabatha Vargo. Tomorrow will be centered around author info and a GIVEAWAY! YAY!!!!

Okay, so besides her super steamy adult novels, Tabatha also has a Young Adult Paranormal Romance out. Wicked Fate was the first book I ever read by Tabatha and holds a very special place in my heart. YA PRN (I think that's the right abbreviation lol) is my favorite genre to read, so of course I gobbled this gem up quickly! Wicked Fate recently got a cover revamp, so I'm going to show you both covers. I have a signed (*kermit flail*) paperback with original cover. 

Original cover:

And here is the new cover, the one you will see when you go to any of the buy links. I love them both!



Magic has no place in this world, so technically neither do I. Those around me want to see me burn—make me explode underneath their accusing glares—but I won't. There's only one person that gets me hot, and we've never spoken to each other. He's clueless to my fascination, but knows too much about secrets I've never whispered. He's different from the rest. The black sheep... Adam. 

I want him in my future, but my past threatens everything I've longed for. I won't run, I'll fight. I don't know what destiny has planned. I only know love can be cruel, and fate is truly wicked 

**16+ Some strong language and sexual situations**


4.5 stars

Wicked Fate is about a sweet, 15 year old girl named Mage. I think she's pretty kick ass. She can see & talk to ghosts, move things with her mind, and she can control the weather with her emotions (although we see early on how that can become problematic lol). She has always been an outcast. Ever since she was in second grade and accidentally caused a rock to fly in a boy's face (and rightfully so, he was picking on her!) with her mind, children have stayed away from her. She sits alone at lunch and silently attends classes at Summerville High. 

Side note! I grew up in Charleston, SC, and I absolutely LOVED it when she would talk about places from my hometown. The way she described how Mage's house looked (Azalea plantation, a big, run down plantation house surrounded by gloriously overgrown gardens) was just magical. I reread that page 3 times before moving on. Le sigh. 

Anywho, Mage has always admired Adam from afar. He stood up to the boy in 2nd grade who was picking on her and has been the object of her curiosity (aka she's got a crush on him, although she never openly admits it, stubborn that Mage lol) ever since. What she doesn't know is that Adam notices her too. 

I loved this story so much! I just, I can't even put into words how much this story affected me. The romance was beautifully paced and I loved watching Mage and Adam fall completely in love. There are a couple of crazy twists and a REDONKULOUS cliff hanger (WHY TABATHA?! WHY?!) that has me spazzing out and barely resisting the urge to blow up her inbox with demands for the next book. Speaking of the next book, I will post the covers (old and revamp) but I will NOT be posting the blurb because if I do it will totally spoil the end of Wicked Fate. So sorry about that, lol. If you want to be spoiled then I'm sure you can find the blurb through a Google search. ;)





Tuesday, August 5, 2014

Author Spotlight: Tabatha Vargo - Day 3


Okay, so originally I was planning on reviewing Wicked Fate, but I'm rereading it to make sure I give an accurate review, and I'm not finished yet. My bad, lol. So, I decided to review Little Black Book instead. :) 

Little Black Book is co-written by both Tabatha Vargo and Melissa Andrea (stay tuned next week to learn more about her). This book landed these amazing ladies on the NY Times Bestsellers List!!! Before I post my dealio, I need to, once again, post this warning. ***18+, this book contains explicit sexual situations and adult content.***



My name’s Sebastian Black, and I want to buy you. I could have any woman I want, but I choose you. 
NO RELATIONSHIP, JUST SEX. 

Here’s my offer… 
I’ll put your name in my LITTLE BLACK BOOK, and when I want you, I’ll call you. When I call, you’re going to come, in more ways than one. It will be mutually pleasurable for both of us. 

There are only two rules: 
DON'T EVER DENY ME. 
DON'T FALL IN LOVE. 

If you do either, I’ll remove you from my book and payment stops. 

Do we have an understanding? 



4.5 STARS

This was such a fun read, not to mention OMG HAWT! The synopsis barely scratches the surface of this book. There is much more to it than erotica. I went into this book expecting a light, steamy read and got so much more. I know, I know, I'm not really elaborating much, but I want you all to be just as surprised as I was. 

Sebastian is one hot alpha male. He knows what he wants, when he wants it, and stops at nothing to get it. He's more than just some rich playboy who will bang anything with a hot, wet center. Growing up in foster care, of course he has a messed up past. 

Ros lost her parents at a young age in a home invasion. She and her brother lived with their grandmother for about 10 years before her grandmother passed away. Unfortunately, there wasn't any money left in her grandmother's estate to support them, and after many job searching dead ends, they end up living in Ros's car. Ros's friend lands her a job waiting tables at Sebastian's night club, but once Sebastian sees her, he knows he has to have her. She fits his fantasy of Jessica Rabbit (he names all of his sexual clients in his little black book after cartoon characters). 

At first, Ros turns him down point blank, but after she and her little brother get busted for sleeping in her car (in his school parking lot) and Child Services takes him away, she has no choice but to push down her morals and take Sebastian up on his offer. 

You will not be able to put his book down. I recently recommended it to a friend of mine and she was texting me at 4am cursing me because she was just then going to bed. LOL! Trust me, clear your schedule before you start this one. You also might want to make sure that you have a significant other of some kind around to "interact" with afterwards. *nudge, nudge, wink, wink*

And just because I couldn't choose just one teaser photo...






Monday, August 4, 2014

Author Spotlight: Tabatha Vargo - Day 2




Today I'll be reviewing On the Plus Side by Tabatha Vargo. Please note, *** 18+ Warning: this book contains graphic language, sex, and violence. Mature readers only. Not intended for young adult readers.*** On the Plus Side is book 1 in the Chubby Girl Chronicles. 



Big girls need love, too, but at what cost? 

Lilly is loaded, not only with money, but with weight. Both things she could do without. But even with her undesired millionaire status, she doesn’t hold on to false hopes of finding true love. So when a sexy stranger comes into her life dripping with seduction, she finds it hard to resist. The bigger they are the harder they fall and Lilly falls straight through the floor in love with Mr. Sexy. Too bad he’s there for all the wrong reasons. 

The chance of losing it all will make you do some crazy things and Devin’s willing to do whatever it takes to keep his life together. All seems lost when out of nowhere he’s approached by a Millionaire Momma with an offer he can’t refuse. But even a womanizer like Devin has a heart and when the short, chunky girl with the carefree attitude breaks through his icy façade, he finds that losing everything takes on a whole new meaning. 



5 STARS

I loved everything about this story! The characters were real, believable. Lilly has a heart of gold, junk in the trunk, and more money than she could ever hope to spend in a lifetime. Devin has a '69 Camaro, a little sister who should've been born a boy, a father who drinks far too much, and a lot of responsibility on his shoulders in the form of an eight thousand dollar debt owed to the bank. His family has sixty days to come up with the money or the bank will take their home and his dad's shop.  

Their paths cross after Lilly's mother approaches Devin and offers to pay off his debt in exchange for him dating her daughter. The rules are firmly in place: no sex and no love. Devin thinks it's going to be a cakewalk. He knows how to charm the pants off of a woman. The one thing he didn't count on was actually liking Lilly. He tries a few times to back out of the deal but her mother threatens him and so he continues on. 

This story was very sweet. Devin was smoking hot and I loved how Lilly didn't take any crap from him. I also loved Lilly's roommate, Shannon. She cracked me up. I'm excited that she is getting her own book! Until then, I'll just cuddle up with my copy of On the Plus Side and have an imaginary love affair with Devin Michaels. 




The second book in The Chubby Girl Chronicles is due out some time this year, most likely this winter. It's called Hot and Heavy. 



Sometimes a little heat is all it takes to lighten a heavy heart.

Shannon Daniels has a secret. She’s afraid of men. Even her closest friends are clueless of her fear. But when Matthew Ellis, the most dangerous man alive, literally falls into her lap, fear is the last thing she feels. For the first time in her life, she desires a man and she plans on taking advantage of her new craving. Shannon hatches a plan to satisfy her sudden hunger, but dancing with the Devil will get you more than a one way trip to Hell and Shannon finds out quick that even the best-laid plans go awry. 

Matt Ellis works hard and plays harder. His only rule in life is to never get caught in the tangled web of a woman. After a devastating heartbreak, he’s determined to die a bachelor. When he meets Shannon, a chubby redhead with a firecracker personality, he decides to add her to his list of conquests. The good news is she’s okay with a hot and heavy fling. The bad news is, for the first time since he was a teenager, being caught doesn’t seem that unappealing.


Sunday, August 3, 2014

Author Spotlight: Tabatha Vargo - Day 1




Today I am covering Tabatha Vargo's Blow Hole series. *** 18+ Warning: the books in this series contain graphic language, sex, and violence. Mature readers only. Not intended for young adult readers.*** 

The reading order is:
Playing Patience (1)
Perfecting Patience (1.5)
Finding Faith (2)
Convincing Constance (3)
Having Hope (4 - coming soon)




The Blow Hole Boys series follows the lives of the members of the band the series is named after, Blow Hole. You won't be able to stop reading all about Zeke, Finn, Tiny, and Chet and the women who turn their worlds upside down.





Playing Patience (book 1)


Sometimes all you need is Patience. 

Life’s been hard for Zeke. Being a punching bag for his alcoholic father has turned him into stone. Not even the dodgy trailer park he lives in can scare him. Fighting is his release and sex, drugs, and his guitar bring him peace, but deep down Zeke isn’t quite as hard as he makes himself out to be. When he meets Patience, she finds all his broken pieces and puts him back together, but she’s a ray of light in his shadowed life and the last thing he wants to do is bring her into his dark world. Playing careless is easy, playing the bad guy can be fun, but playing Patience is impossible, especially when she can see right through him. 

Zeke isn’t the only one who’s broken, and for the first time, in a long time, Patience feels alive. Her black and white world gets a shot of color when she meets Zeke. He’s unlike anyone she’s ever met with his tattoos, piercings, and blunt honesty. She wants nothing more than to let go and ride the wild side with him, but some wounds never heal and the broken pieces of Patience aren’t so easy to find.




4 STARS

I'm not sure there's any other way to describe Patience and Zeke's relationship other than it's a beautiful mess. Both of them have been damaged at the hands of someone who was supposed to love and protect them. Zeke drowns his pain in music, alcohol, drugs, and women. Patience hides her scars behind soccer and school, and while she could tell someone about the torment she endures, she keeps quiet to protect her little sister, Sydney, and her mother who is dying from cancer. 

Patience and Zeke meet by accident when Patience finds herself on the wrong side of town and in trouble. Poor Zeke, no matter how much he tries to resist he can't help coming to her aid whenever she's in trouble, and ends up in jail for it, twice! Patience isn't intentionally trying to cause trouble for Zeke; she just wants an escape from her life, but trouble seems to follow her wherever she goes. 

This book makes you feel. You'll be angry, desperate, hopeful, heartbroken, amused, aroused (yes, yes you will, don't try to deny it), panicky, I could go on and on. Don't try to fight it. Just sit back and enjoy the emotional roller coaster that Tabatha takes you on. 





Perfecting Patience (book 1.5)


Sometimes happy endings are just the beginning of an even harder road. 

Although her aunt and sister believe she should get help to deal with her past demons, Patience believes the only thing she needs is Zeke. When he comes back into her world, her life couldn’t be more perfect. Except old demons pick the worst time to surface, and once again their happiness is threatened. Help was never a necessity, but Patience finds out that love isn’t always all you need. 

Zeke’s dealt with a lot in his life, but nothing could prepare him for watching the person he loves fall apart. Patience is different, she’s not the girl he came to love. He's willing to do whatever it takes to get her back, but a budding music career and his own demons seem to keep getting in the way. How can you help someone else when you can barely help yourself? Once again Zeke is faced with deciding between his future and the future of Patience.


4 STARS

The things I liked most about this book were:

1) We get to find out what happens next. Don't get me wrong, I love a good standalone book with a happy ending. But usually it just ends there and we never find out what happened after the mind blowing kiss and declaration of love that makes us swoon. 

2) It paints a real picture of how someone as broken as Patience handles the effects of years of abuse. This book is raw; it's real. I really like that Zeke isn't some white knight in shining armor who swoops in and saves her and then *POOF* all of her troubles disappear. Yes, they have their love but they also are faced with real life troubles. 

Perfecting Patience picks right up where Playing Patience ended. Zeke and Patience have an amazing reunion but then they are faced with another obstacle: Zeke has to leave to finish the tour with his band, Blow Hole. He doesn't want to leave Patience and asks her to come with him. At first, Patience was ready to leave in a heartbeat, but old habits die hard and she can't shake the urge to stay with her sister, Sydney, and protect her. It was her primary focus for so many years and she just can't stop. She ends up having a panic attack which further solidifies her realization that she is a very sick girl. 

She's so worried about being perfect for Zeke (which is ridiculous, that man worships the ground she walks on and loves her, flaws and all, but I digress) and convinces him to do a long distance relationship so she can start seeing a therapist and get some help. She doesn't want him to know she is having trouble and so she lies to him and tells her she got a scholarship for soccer to Florida State. Well, it wasn't a complete lie; she did get the scholarship but didn't have any plans of pursuing it. Once Zeke leaves she decides to actually go to college and use the scholarship, and she starts seeing a therapist. 

Things seem to start looking up for Patience. Yes, she and Zeke are experiencing the usual heartaches of a long distance relationships (time zones interfering with phone calls, jealousy, lingering thoughts of doubt, etc), but they are still doing alright. Then one day before a game, Patience has a panic attack and a friend and teammate, Hope, gives her a pill, a valium. And so begins Patience's slow addiction to pills. 

Things get worse before they get better, but I'm not going to elaborate because Tabatha throws a big OH MY GOSH moment in there that I don't want to spoil. You don't have to read Perfecting Patience to understand what happens in book 2, Finding Faith, but I highly recommend reading it anyway. It gives you a better understanding and appreciation of Zeke and Patience's story. 




Finding Faith (book 2)


A little FAITH can get you through…
One night. That’s all Finn had with the only girl he ever loved. Years later, all he has left of that night is a silver cross, a broken give a damn, and the unrelenting desire to drink her memory away. As the lead singer of Blow Hole, Finn has his pick of women, but none are able to squash the need he still carries around for Faith. To hate her offers some relief, but when Finn sees her again after so many years, it’s hard to despise her. Especially when every reason he had to hate her, turn out to be lies. 

As the daughter of a strict Baptist preacher, Faith Warren lived sheltered from all things sinful. When she met Jimmy Finn, the epitome of all seven deadly sins, she found out exactly what she was missing. After being forced to choose between her soul and the only person in the world who made her feel alive, Faith walked away from Finn and dove head first into her father’s preferred life. But now Finn’s back and he’s getting payback by wreaking havoc on her emotions. Except sometimes bad things feel good, and Faith has to decide once again if she wants to stay in her gilded cage or fly free with the dark angel of lust himself.




5 STARS

This book...I have no idea where to start with this one. I know my previous reviews have been straight and to the point, and while yes, they did draw a reaction out of me and made me FEEL ALL THE FEELS, this book turned me into a blubbering mess. It felt like Tabatha had a direct line to my heart and with every page she was squeezing and twisting it. 

Finn told us in Playing Patience that he had his chance at love and lost it. Now we get the whole story. The first half of this book is about when Faith and Finn are younger and how they fall in love. Once again, Tabatha takes you on a roller coaster ride. It starts out slow and sweet with flirtations and secret touches, and then peaks when they finally admit their feelings for each other. After that, everything is downhill and they encounter a huge obstacle: Faith's father. He is a minister and has physically abused Faith her whole life. He is extremely judgmental and controlling. He does everything in his power to drive them apart, and it works...for a while. 

The second half takes place 4 years later. Finn is a successful rock god as the front man for Blow Hole and Faith has finally gotten out from underneath her father's thumb. Her freedom came at a price though. Her mother finally stepped in when Faith's father was beating her, but during their divorce she suffered a stroke. In an instant a ton of responsibility was placed on Faith's shoulders. 

She ends up dropping out of high school and starts working full-time since her mother can't work. She lands a position as a housekeeper for a wealthy client and can't believe her luck. The pay is great and the hours are flexible, which she really needs. However, it turns out that the client is none other than Finn and the rest of Blow Hole. 

Finn has spent the last 4 years trying to bury the memory of the only girl he's ever loved with drugs, alcohol, and women. He uses his hate for Faith to hide his pain and protect himself from getting hurt again. He is hellbent on getting revenge on Faith for walking out on him so long ago. 

Like I said, this book tore me up. There's something else that I didn't touch on because I want it to be a surprise for you like it was for me. When I encountered this twist, I was cursing Tabatha and singing her praises all in the same breath. Out of all of the Blow Hole books, this one is, by far, my favorite. 


Convincing Constance (book 3)


As the only survivor of a tragic accident, Tony Russell, aka Tiny, is mentally and physically scarred for life. Years later, he finds himself addicted to the gym and prescription drugs. Relationships and sex are the furthest thing from his mind, but when a replacement guitarist steps in for his band Blow Hole, Tony can’t help his physical reaction to her. She’s a spicy rocker with pink highlights and a scorching attitude, and she’s exactly what he needs…regardless of how badly he refuses to believe it. 


Constance McClaire knows all about addiction. After growing up with a junky for a mother, she refuses to have anything to do with that life…until she meets the brooding, giant bass player for Blow Hole. He doesn’t take her shit, has sexy tattoos, and very large hands—but he’s clearly an addict and desperately needs help. Getting close to Tony without allowing herself to become emotionally attached is harder than she thought it would be. Addiction is addiction, no matter what it is swimming in your veins, and Constance finds its Tony she can’t get enough of.


4 STARS

Tony "Tiny" Russell is damaged and scarred beyond belief. As the sole survivor of a car crash that killed his cousin, one of his best friends, and his cousin's girlfriend, he is riddled with survivor's guilt and chronic pain from his injuries. His scars go from skin deep to soul deep. He keeps himself heavily medicated to deal with all of his emotional and physical pain. 

Constance McClaire, daughter of rock god Clarke McClaire, has been around drugs and alcohol all her life. One night when she was 15, her innocence is stolen from her by someone who she was told she could always trust. Her mom is always doped up on pills and alcohol and her father died 3 years ago from a drug overdose. She keeps people at an arms' length to keep herself from getting hurt again. She's an amazing guitar player but refuses to get caught up in the stereotypical life of a musician. 

But poverty and necessity have brought Tiny and Constance together. With Zeke recovering from being hit by a car, the band needs a temporary guitar player to fill his spot so they can finish their tour, and Constance is chosen to fill his shoes. Once they give into their attraction, things get hotttttt! They quickly fall in love with each other but things don't stay happy forever. Tiny can't shake his pill habit and Constance can't be with someone who uses drugs. She's had too many loved ones die from drug overdose. 

Once again, Tabatha does not disappoint! Tiny and Constance's story is beautifully tragic. It was so hard to watch Tiny struggle with his addiction to pills and I could literally feel the desperation in Constance to get him to quit. Convincing Constance is a story of redemption, forgiveness, growth, and most of all, all-encompassing love. 

Big Things Are Coming!



Hello everyone! I'm so sorry that I have been absent for so long. My personal life got really busy and while things have only calmed down about 50%, I am back and have some big things planned! Starting TOMORROW, I will be starting my Author Spotlights. Each week I will be focusing on one author and their books (or a selection of their books if they have a high number published). Monday through Thursday will be focused on reviews, blurbs, covers, and buy links. Friday's posting will have more information on the author, all of their social links for you to stay connected and stalk them properly (because trust me, ALL of these authors are immensely stalk-worthy), plus.....wait for it....a GIVEAWAY. Let that sink in for a minute. Once a week I will be posting a GIVEAWAY, and trust me when I say they will be freaking awesome! Each giveaway will include (but not limited to) a copy of one of the author's books (either an e-book format of the winner's choice, and/or sometimes I will also have a hard copy that may or may not come from my personal collection), an e-reader cover knitted by your's truly (that will fit both Kindle and Nook, or any e-reader that is in the same parameters of those measurements), a tasty treat of some sort (I can't promise chocolate, it's hot here in Houston lol). Giveaways may also include any swag that the author chooses to donate (sometimes swag will also come from my personal collection that I have acquired at book signings) or anything else that I come up with! 

So, please make sure to stay tuned, invite your friends, and above all else, HAVE FUN! I know I'm having tons of fun putting together all of the reviews and gathering goodies for the giveaways.