Readers' Favorite

January 9, 2015

Featured Book: I Want You Back by @EVanLowe



About the Book

I Want You Back
To begin with, I’m not a nice girl. Don’t get me wrong, I used to be a nice girl. I used to be kind, and helpful, considerate and thoughtful. The kind of girl who went to all of her boyfriend’s games, even though she hates basketball; the kind of girl who helped her boyfriend study for his English final while she should have been studying for her own calculus final; the kind of girl that the boys at school lovingly call, oh, what’s that cute little name they have for us again? Oh, yes—Doormat.

15 year-old Emy Garnett has come up with the perfect revenge for the super-popular boyfriend who dumped her–on Facebook, no less! Emy has purchased a love spell from a local gypsy, and is now armed with a foolproof plan guaranteed to win him back… with a few, hilarious bumps along the way.


Buy I Want You Back at Amazon





About the Author


I'm E. Van Lowe, an author, television writer, screen-writer, playwright and producer who has worked on such shows as "The Cosby Show," "Even Stevens," and "Homeboys In Outer Space." I have been nominated for an Emmy and an Academy Award. My first YA novel, "Never Slow Dance With A Zombie," is a zombie horror novel with a comedic twist. It was a selection of The Scholastic Book Club, and a nominee for an ALA Award. I write just about every day. I write all over the house, but my favorite spot is the dining room. It puts me closer to the food. In fact, I'm in the dining room right now (*munch, munch*). Please visit me at my blog, E's blog, where I hold contests and giveaways, and share tid-bits as well as advice from my life as a writer.

website  *  blog  *  Goodreads  *  Twitter




Read a Sample





Want your book featured? 
Send a link to the book you want featured to donna @ girl-who-reads.com. 1 link per author, NO erotica. The link can be to a retail site, Goodreads, or your website.

Girl Who Reads is an Amazon advertising affiliate; a small fee is earned when purchases are made at Amazon through the above link.

Review: Ghost Files by @AprylBaker

by Claire Rees

Ghost Files
I normally know if I am going to enjoy a book after the first chapter but I knew Ghost Files by April Baker was going to be a great book after the first paragraph.

The story revolves around a girl called Maddie. On the outside Maddie seems like a normal teenager dealing with normal teenage worries, but she is anything but. She has a secret that she is scared to tell anyone in case they think she is crazy; she can see ghosts.

Then when somebody close to her goes missing she surprises herself by confiding in a rookie cop who is skeptical but goes along with her as he thinks she may know something about this latest disappearance. However the more the police officer spends time with her he starts to believe her and even starts to care about her.

But Maddie gets too close to the killer and finds herself kidnapped and nobody knows where she is, she eventually gets help from a completely unique source but will she be saved in time? And what about all the other foster kids that have gone missing?

I found myself completely lost in this story, the characters were written so well that it was easy to identify with them and feel for them. By the end of the story I was so involved my heart was pounding and I could not put the book down, I had to find out what happened next and who was behind the mystery. At the end there was a complete shocker that I did not see coming and that just made the book even better. I am truly grateful that there is another book in the series that I can read as I am now smitten with Maddie and her powers and would like to see what the future holds in store for her.


Buy Ghost Files at Amazon


Book info
Available formats: ebook, audio and print (211 pages)
Published: August 2013 by Limitless Publishing
ISBN13: 9781492156369
Genres: Horror, supernatural
Target Audience: Young Adult
Source:
Read: January 2015



Girl Who Reads is an Amazon advertising affiliate; a small fee is earned when purchases are made at Amazon through the above link.

January 8, 2015

Featured Book: The Perfect Mother by Nina Darnton



About the Book

The Perfect Mother

When an American exchange student is accused of murder, her mother will stop at nothing to save her.

A midnight phone call shatters Jennifer Lewis’s carefully orchestrated life. Her daughter, Emma, who’s studying abroad in Spain, has been arrested after the brutal murder of another student. Jennifer rushes to her side, certain the arrest is a terrible mistake and determined to do whatever is necessary to bring Emma home. But as she begins to investigate the crime, she starts to wonder whether she ever really knew her daughter. The police charge Emma, and the press leaps on the story, exaggerating every sordid detail. One by one, Emma’s defense team, her father, and finally even Jennifer begin to have doubts.

A novel of harrowing emotional suspense, The Perfect Mother probes the dark side of parenthood and the complicated bond between mothers and daughters.

Buy The Perfect Mother at Amazon





About the Author


Nina Darnton is a former staff writer for Newsweek and a former frequent contributor for the New York Times. As a freelancer, she has written for several news outlets, including the Los Angeles Times, the Washington Post, Travel and Leisure, More and Elle. She has also contributed on-air essays for the PBS NewsHour and covered the Polish Solidarity movement for National Public Radio. She published An African Affair in 2011, based on her five years living in Africa. This is her second novel. She's married to celebrated New York Times reporter and bestselling novelist John Darnton. She lives in New York City.Nina Darnton lived in Africa for five years, two of them in Lagos. She has been a frequent contributor to The New York Times and NPR and a staff writer for Newsweek. She lives with her husband, the novelist John Darnton, in New York.

 Facebook




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Want your book featured? 
Send a link to the book you want featured to donna @ girl-who-reads.com. 1 link per author, NO erotica. The link can be to a retail site, Goodreads, or your website.

Girl Who Reads is an Amazon advertising affiliate; a small fee is earned when purchases are made at Amazon through the above link.

Facebook Changes and Your Promotion

by Donna Huber

The new year has brought changes on many different levels - new laws went into effect, personal resolutions were made, and Facebook policies changed. In my writing groups this change has been a hot topic for the past few months. It will definitely affect authors, but I think it will also cause issues with bloggers promoting their posts.

Facebook says the policy is to provide users with more of the content they want to see and less promotion. But really, Facebook is in the business of making money and not goodwill. Unless they are lying about showing more people paid for posts then your news feed will still show a number of promotional posts. Yet, it still might not be the posts you want to see. Do you want to see Target's promotional post? Or would you prefer to hear about the new book coming out from your favorite author? Most authors have a limited advertising budget and, therefore, won't be able to pay for as many promotional posts as big businesses like Target.

It is unclear what will happen to posts that promote other people's books, such as those posted by book bloggers. However, the fewer views on Facebook posts has been an ongoing issue for everyone that uses a fan page on Facebook. How much more will our views be lowered under the new policy? It is a waiting game to some extent, but there are a few things you can do to keep views high and traffic coming to your blog.

One, be social.

We know the more interaction a post gets the higher the views. Be sure you are liking, commenting, and sharing posts on other pages, but you can also like, comment, and share the posts from your fan page on your own time. Just change who your are posting as when liking or commenting on your own fan page post. I was able to have a post I did for an organization I manage reach twice the number of people that like the page just by sharing the post to my personal profile. If your personal profile posts are not usually public make sure your shared post is made as a public post.

Two, vary content.

I have written on this before. Your posts to Facebook should vary. If you are only posting links to your new blog posts then you need to change things up.  I'm participating in Fat Mum Slim's Photo A Day challenge. That provide a little different content. I'm also trying out videos. Yesterday I posted a video from Epic Reads and it did really well. Share videos from other Facebook pages or make your own. Many publishers also have YouTube channels where they post interviews and such.

Three, branch out.

During all the big business scandals like Enron, people found out the danger of not diversifying their stock portfolio. If you have been relying solely on Facebook to drive traffic to your blog, then it is time to think about branching out. Twitter continues to be the number one source of my blog traffic. Google+ has also seen increased activity in recent months. Whenever you are using free resources controlled by others you are always at their mercy. They have every right to change their policies and availability.


What changes are you implementing in your promotional posts?

January 7, 2015

Featured Book: Before Time by Xunaira J. #ASMSG



About the Book

Gatekeeper

His eyes told her what his tongue could not.

Nineteen-year-old Onaiza Shahid is a loner and a dreamer, bookish and socially isolated. A chance ramble into a chatting software changes everything. The words of a stranger compel her. Addicted and falling fast, their secret love changes her life. But will the idealistic teenager get her happily ever after?


Buy Before Time at Amazon







About the Author

Xunaira J
As a thirteen year old teenager, Xunaira J. aspired to be an author someday. From short stories to novellas, she has written them all but as an adult now, she has published two short stories and is now aiming to publish her first Novel, Before Time, scheduled for November release. Xunaira resides in Islamabad, Pakistan and enjoys a hot cup of cappuccino, a good romance novel and her favorite music from the 80’s. Apart from that, when she’s not working on her current literary project, she loves developing mobile applications and studies as a software engineer.

website  *  Goodreads  *  Facebook  *  Twitter




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Want your book featured? 
Send a link to the book you want featured to donna @ girl-who-reads.com. 1 link per author, NO erotica. The link can be to a retail site, Goodreads, or your website.

Girl Who Reads is an Amazon advertising affiliate; a small fee is earned when purchases are made at Amazon through the above link.

WWW Wednesdays: New Year of Reading

by Donna Huber


Currently Reading:


Chasing Invisible
Could you handle life in the spotlight?

Julia Alexander is a quiet girl from a small town. Content to spend her days with her small group of friends and a pile of books, Julia thinks her future is set. When she unexpectedly meets Chase, a fellow college student and budding musician, she is unaware of just how drastically things are about to change.

Suddenly thrown into the limelight, her life is no longer her own. Relentlessly followed by the paparazzi, Julia is forced to make tough decisions about fame, love, family, and relationships. But just how much will Julia have to sacrifice to become invisible...


Buy Chasing Invisible at Amazon




A Whole New You
Whether you want to start eating healthy, switch careers, or improve a relationship, Brett Blumenthal’s A Whole New You will inspire you to take control of your life and to live at your very best.

Drawing on her own experience with personal reinvention, her professional work as a change management consultant, and her studies in the fields of psychology and human behavior, Blumenthal breaks down how to successfully reinvent your life in six steps. Each stage is comprehensively explained, with action items, tools, and resources to enable you to follow through and effect change in your life. In A Whole New You, Blumenthal will lead you through:

• The three times in your life when you’re most ready for change, including during life transitions and after trauma

• The symptoms — rational, emotional, and physical - that indicate you need change

• How to stay motivated by making an investment in your success

• Finding ways to capitalize on your strengths, making change easier

A Whole New You is for anyone who wants to make a change but is not sure where to begin, or for those who’ve tried to make a life improvement in the past but failed. With the right tools and knowledge, you’ll be able to reach your goals and live not just a good life or a better life — but your best life.


Buy A Whole New You at Amazon


Just Finished:

Insurgent
One choice can transform you—or it can destroy you. But every choice has consequences, and as unrest surges in the factions all around her, Tris Prior must continue trying to save those she loves—and herself—while grappling with haunting questions of grief and forgiveness, identity and loyalty, politics and love.

Tris's initiation day should have been marked by celebration and victory with her chosen faction; instead, the day ended with unspeakable horrors. War now looms as conflict between the factions and their ideologies grows. And in times of war, sides must be chosen, secrets will emerge, and choices will become even more irrevocable—and even more powerful. Transformed by her own decisions but also by haunting grief and guilt, radical new discoveries, and shifting relationships, Tris must fully embrace her Divergence, even if she does not know what she may lose by doing so.

New York Times bestselling author Veronica Roth's much-anticipated second installment of the dystopian Divergent series is another intoxicating thrill ride of a story, rich with hallmark twists, heartbreaks, romance, and powerful insights about human nature.

Performed by Emma Galvin

Buy Insurgent at Amazon


Up Next:

I have holds at the library for a couple of books and I hope they come in soon.

Allegiant
One choice will define you.

What if your whole world was a lie?
What if a single revelation—like a single choice—changed everything?
What if love and loyalty made you do things you never expected?

The faction-based society that Tris Prior once believed in is shattered—fractured by violence and power struggles and scarred by loss and betrayal. So when offered a chance to explore the world past the limits she’s known, Tris is ready. Perhaps beyond the fence, she and Tobias will find a simple new life together, free from complicated lies, tangled loyalties, and painful memories.

But Tris’s new reality is even more alarming than the one she left behind. Old discoveries are quickly rendered meaningless. Explosive new truths change the hearts of those she loves. And once again, Tris must battle to comprehend the complexities of human nature—and of herself—while facing impossible choices about courage, allegiance, sacrifice, and love.

Told from a riveting dual perspective, Allegiant, by #1 New York Times best-selling author Veronica Roth, brings the Divergent series to a powerful conclusion while revealing the secrets of the dystopian world that has captivated millions of readers in Divergent and Insurgent.

Buy Allegiant at Amazon


All the Light We Cannot See
From the highly acclaimed, multiple award-winning Anthony Doerr, a stunningly ambitious and beautiful novel about a blind French girl and a German boy whose paths collide in occupied France as both try to survive the devastation of World War II.

Marie Laure lives with her father in Paris within walking distance of the Museum of Natural History where he works as the master of the locks (there are thousands of locks in the museum). When she is six, she goes blind, and her father builds her a model of their neighborhood, every house, every manhole, so she can memorize it with her fingers and navigate the real streets with her feet and cane. When the Germans occupy Paris, father and daughter flee to Saint-Malo on the Brittany coast, where Marie-Laure's agoraphobic great uncle lives in a tall, narrow house by the sea wall.

In another world in Germany, an orphan boy, Werner, grows up with his younger sister, Jutta, both enchanted by a crude radio Werner finds. He becomes a master at building and fixing radios, a talent that wins him a place at an elite and brutal military academy and, ultimately, makes him a highly specialized tracker of the Resistance. Werner travels through the heart of Hitler Youth to the far-flung outskirts of Russia, and finally into Saint-Malo, where his path converges with Marie-Laure.

Doerr's gorgeous combination of soaring imagination with observation is electric. Deftly interweaving the lives of Marie-Laure and Werner, Doerr illuminates the ways, against all odds, people try to be good to one another. Ten years in the writing, All the Light We Cannot See is his most ambitious and dazzling work.

I have this on audio book right now but I'm having trouble following the story line so I'm going to read it myself.

Buy All the Light We Cannot See at Amazon


Girl Who Reads is an Amazon advertising affiliate; a small fee is earned when purchases are made at Amazon through the above links.

January 6, 2015

Featured Book: Gatekeeper by Mike Smart (@gatekeepernovel)



About the Book

Gatekeeper

"Planes inexplicably colliding, economies in disarray. A psychotic businessman has brought the world to its knees, a computer hacking scam of epic proportions that's gone dreadfully wrong.

Can a former Special Forces operative with the help of a damaged Cambridge University Professor save a bride to be and avoid worldwide anarchy?

They've got 48hrs to try!"

This book highlights our reliance and dependency on computer systems globally
Our use of Artificial Intelligence in core applications
A great read and well received by independent critics
Contains adult themes

Is your personal information as secure as you think - or has the Gatekeeper stolen it?


Buy Gatekeeper at Amazon



About the Author

Mike Smart
A BBC Radio and press featured author Mike writes very well received fast moving thrillers which are packed with action and are short on flowery prose. The series all feature a lead character called Max Thatcher, an ex Special Forces operative who takes no prisoners. Written for you to enjoy on a flight, by the pool or to break up the monotony of the daily commute. Not suited for under 18's nor those wanting an early night as readers complain they can't put them down!

website  *  Goodreads  *  Twitter




Read a Sample





Want your book featured? 
Send a link to the book you want featured to donna @ girl-who-reads.com. 1 link per author, NO erotica. The link can be to a retail site, Goodreads, or your website.

Girl Who Reads is an Amazon advertising affiliate; a small fee is earned when purchases are made at Amazon through the above link.

Teaser Tuesday: A Whole New You by Brett Blumenthal

by Donna Huber



Whole New You

When we embark on making change, it may appear that we do so for many different reasons. We reinvent careers because we don't like the type of work  we do or the industry we've chosen. We reinvent our personality so we can appear more outgoing or sociable. We reinvent our health so we can prevent - or possibly even help eliminate - disease. But if you get to the very core of all of these personal reinventions, out desire to change comes down to one very simple yet important mission: to be happy. (pg. 8)




One of my resolutions this year is to get through the review copies under my coffee table. Some of them have been there since I started blogging, nearly 4 years. Yikes! Since I have been ill for more than a year and just now seeing a light at the end of tunnel so I thought A Whole New You might be an interesting read. I don't read too much self-help so we'll see how this one goes.

Buy A Whole New You at Amazon



Girl Who Reads is an Amazon advertising affiliate; a small fee is earned when purchases are made at Amazon through the above link.

January 5, 2015

Featured Book: A Secret Gamble by Jen Cousineau (@JenCAuthor)



About the Book

A Secret Gamble

Secrets. Betrayal. Lust. Love. Obsession. Hate.

A thin line separates reality from illusions.

If secrets are revealed, bonds could be destroyed. Lives turned upside down. When truths are revealed, hearts could be crushed. Realities could snap. Family members could fall.

Can one person be strong enough to hold an entire family together in their greatest time of need? Can one person be capable of healing wounds that are cut so deep, hope has long been lost? Can one person save everyone they care about, even if they can’t save themselves?

When life is at stake, all bets are off. How much is too much to gamble?


Buy A Secret Gamble at Amazon



About the Author

Juliette Douglas
Jen is a chap stick and coffee addict that lives in the Badger State with her husband James, and their twin daughters Kaylynn and Lilly. She loves to bow hunt, kickbox, and is a food junkie. She’s an obsessive reader with a secret passion for writing. Jens always been a strong believer that dreamers live happier lives and decided to show her girls that hard work and dedication can make your dreams come true no matter where you are in your life.

website  *  Goodreads  *  Facebook  *  Twitter




Read a Sample





Want your book featured? 
Send a link to the book you want featured to donna @ girl-who-reads.com. 1 link per author, NO erotica. The link can be to a retail site, Goodreads, or your website.

Girl Who Reads is an Amazon advertising affiliate; a small fee is earned when purchases are made at Amazon through the above link.

eMailbox Monday

by Donna Huber



While I don't get many books in my actual mailbox, I do get quite a few offers in my inbox. A few caught my eye this past week.

A couple of ebooks from the publishers...

Marriage Match
Hot bachelor seeks bride…

Resort tycoon Trent Hawthorne is looking for a wife. His all-business, no-nonsense grandmother (and the matriarch of the small town of Maple Creek) has selected three potential brides―all beautiful and approved. Each “fantasy date” will take place in a lush Caribbean setting, filmed like a reality show to promote the Hawthorne family’s chain of resorts. All of Trent's hopes for love combined with a clever marketing gimmick…what could possibly go wrong?

As it turns out, all it takes is a kiss. A sizzling, sweet-as-sin kiss. But Cynthia Sawyer isn't one of the bachelorettes, and she's definitely not supposed to be making out with her boss's sexy grandson. Not to mention it's strictly against company policy. But Cynthia has her own reasons for hooking Trent up with a bride who isn’t her as soon as possible. And losing her heart is a price that she's willing to pay…

Buy The Marriage Match at Amazon


The Winter Boy
The Valley of the Alleshi is the center of all civilization, the core and foundation of centuries of peace. A cloistered society of widows, the Alleshi, has forged a peace by mentoring young men who will one day become the leaders of the land. Each boy is paired with a single Allesha for a season of intimacy and learning, using time-honored methods that include storytelling, reason and sex. However, unknown to all but a hidden few, the peace is fracturing from pressures within and beyond, hacking at the very essence of their civilization.

Amidst this gathering political maelstrom, Rishana, a young new idealistic Allesha, takes her First Boy, Ryl, for a winter season of training. But Ryl is a “problem boy,” who fights Rishana every step of the way. At the same time, Rishana uncovers a web of conspiracies that could not only destroy Ryl, but threatens to tear their entire society apart. And a winter that should have been a gentle, quiet season becomes one of conflict, anger and danger.


Buy The Winter Boy at Amazon


And I got notice that my hold on this audio book came in from the library...

Insurgent
One choice can transform you—or it can destroy you. But every choice has consequences, and as unrest surges in the factions all around her, Tris Prior must continue trying to save those she loves—and herself—while grappling with haunting questions of grief and forgiveness, identity and loyalty, politics and love.

Tris's initiation day should have been marked by celebration and victory with her chosen faction; instead, the day ended with unspeakable horrors. War now looms as conflict between the factions and their ideologies grows. And in times of war, sides must be chosen, secrets will emerge, and choices will become even more irrevocable—and even more powerful. Transformed by her own decisions but also by haunting grief and guilt, radical new discoveries, and shifting relationships, Tris must fully embrace her Divergence, even if she does not know what she may lose by doing so.

New York Times bestselling author Veronica Roth's much-anticipated second installment of the dystopian Divergent series is another intoxicating thrill ride of a story, rich with hallmark twists, heartbreaks, romance, and powerful insights about human nature.

Performed by Emma Galvin

Buy Insurgent at Amazon


Girl Who Reads is an Amazon advertising affiliate; a small fee is earned when purchases are made through Amazon through the above links.

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