Aestas Book Blog

Book News – January 3, 2013

January 3, 2013 by Aestas · Leave a Comment

JANUARY 3, 2013

TEASERS

UP TO ME TEASER!!! Here’s the 4th teaser from the sequel to DOWN TO YOU! I’m reading an advance copy of this book now and am loooving it!! So yummy!! Official release date is Jan 6th! Not too long now!! –> CLICK HERE FOR LINK

BOOK RELEASES & SALES

Congratulations Colleen Hoover!! HOPELESS just made #4 on the New York Times! I LIVED, LOVED & ADORED THIS BOOK!!! ♥ –> CLICK HERE FOR LINK

♥ QUOTE OF THE DAY ♥

“Blaire, I’m not a romantic guy. I don’t kiss and cuddle. It’s all about the sex for me. You deserve someone who kisses and cuddles. Not me. I just fuck, baby.” (Fallen Too Far by Abbi Glines) Ohhhhh Rush! *SHIVERS* needwantMORE!

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Happy reading everyone! ♥

Book News – January 1, 2013

January 1, 2013 by Aestas · 7 Comments

JANUARY 1, 2013

BLOG POSTS

Aestas Book Blog’s list of Best Books Read In 2013

TEASERS

GIDEON FANS!! You HAVE to read this!! Sylvia Day says: “This is a special little piece in honor of the new year. It’s not an “official” snippet. This could be a scene mirroring one from Eva’s point of view. It could be an alternate scene. It could anything or nothing. I hope you enjoy it for whatever it is.” ♥ –> CLICK HERE FOR LINK

BOOK RELEASES

LOVE UNSCRIPTED is now available in paperback!! SQUEEE!! Happy release day Author Tina Reber ♥ –> CLICK HERE FOR LINK

♥ QUOTE OF THE DAY ♥

“You can’t tell me what to do anymore, Travis! I don’t belong to you!” In the second it took him to turn and face me, his expression had contorted into anger. He stomped toward me, planting his hands on the bed and leaning into my face. “WELL I BELONG TO YOU!” The veins in his neck bulged as he shouted, and I met his glare, refusing to even flinch. He looked at my lips, panting. “I belong to you.”
(Travis & Abby ~ Beautiful Disaster) One of my favorite scenes/lines from any book. Ever. ♥

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Happy reading everyone! ♥

BEST BOOKS OF 2012

January 1, 2013 by Aestas · 50 Comments

Ok. The first thing you need to know is that before I made this list, I literally spent over an hour just agonizing over how on earth I was to choose and list my top favs.

Do I pick a Top 10? Impossible! Only 10?? As if! … okay, so then I tried Top 20. Nope, still not enough. Then I tried to make it ‘match’, Top 12 of 2012.. Top 22 of 2012… still too few… ok, fine, Top 25?? Top 30? Ok, now we’re just getting excessive… *sigh* Do I choose the top books read in 2012, or the top books published in 2012??

Eventually I gave up. I stopped counting. I don’t know how many books are on this list and I never want to count. The only thing I know and the only thing that matters is that each and every one of them are on my favorites list. They are ALL beautiful books that make my heart race, have a beautiful love story and a happy ending. That’s what I spend my time seeking. That is the heart of my reading addiction – the need to find these books, to read them, love them, and finally share them with everyone I know… But, considering I have only been running the blog for less than a year ( I started it in April 2012 – feel like its been so much longer though!), I decided to choose to list my fav books that I read in 2012. Books that left a mark on my heart in one way or another.

So, without further ado, here’s my list of Favorite Books Read in 2012 🙂

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COLLEEN HOOVER ~ Interview & signed GIVEAWAY

December 31, 2012 by Aestas · 15 Comments

Closing our 22-22-22 Author-a-thon is one of everyone’s most favorite authors Colleen Hoover!! Guys, I can’t tell you just how much LOVE I have for her books.

Slammed and Point of Retreat are two of the most beautiful, powerful and honestly, just plain perfect books I have ever read. Its totally unsurprising that they both got movie deals this year! 🙂

And I’m sure by now you have all heard of or read Colleen’s brand new, utterly breathtaking book HOPELESS which was released last week and has already made it #1 on Amazon. This book absolutely blew me away!!

Scroll down for info Colleen, her books, a fan Q&A from the readers and… a *SIGNED* international *GIVEAWAY!!

Be sure to check the bottom of the page and
ENTER TO WIN A *SIGNED* COPY of “HOPELESS”!!!

Writer. Mother. Ninja. Wife. Avett Fanatic. Hardcore Realist.

I’m addicted to and seriously floored by the talent of The Avett Brothers band, which is obvious in both of my books. They are 99% of my playlist. The other 1% being Eminem and Jason Mraz.

I love lindor truffles (the white ones with the chips inside) and have an unhealthy addiction to diet pepsi. A serious addiction.

I get stoked whenever I get a message from goodreads saying I have a new friend request…so request me, dangit!

Colleen lives in Texas with her husband and their three boys. She released her debut novel, SLAMMED, in January 2012 and the follow-up novel, POINT OF RETREAT, in February, 2012. Both books have been optioned for film as of October, 2012.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Amazon

.
Brand New Release!!!
.

“And once again in my new world full of heartache and lies,
this hopeless boy somehow finds a way to make me smile.”

Sometimes discovering the truth can leave you more hopeless than believing the lies…

That’s what seventeen-year-old Sky realizes after she meets Dean Holder: A guy with a reputation that rivals her own and an uncanny ability to invoke feelings in her she’s never had before. He terrifies her and captivates her all in the span of just one encounter, and something about the way he makes her feel sparks buried memories from a past that she wishes could just stay buried.

Sky struggles to keep him at a distance knowing he’s nothing but trouble, but Holder insists on learning everything about her. After finally caving to his unwavering pursuit, Sky soon finds that Holder isn’t at all who he’s been claiming to be. When the secrets he’s been keeping are finally revealed, every single facet of Sky’s life will change forever.

My spoiler-free review of HOPELESS
(One of the best books of 2012!)

“Fuck all the firsts, Sky. The only thing that matters to me with you are the forevers.”

Kindle | Smashwords

Falling in love can feel like poetry. Or it can feel like a slam to the heart.

Colleen Hoover’s romantic, emotion-packed debut novel unforgettably captures all the magic and confusion of first love, as two young people forge an unlikely bond before discovering that fate has other plans for them.

Following the unexpected death of her father, eighteen-year-old Layken becomes the rock for both her mother and younger brother. She appears resilient and tenacious, but inside, she’s losing hope. Then she meets her new neighbor Will, a handsome twenty-one-year-old whose mere presence leaves her flustered and whose passion for poetry slams thrills her.

Not long after a heart-stopping first date during which each recognizes something profound and familiar in the other, they are slammed to the core when a shocking discovery brings their new relationship to a sudden halt. Daily interactions become impossibly painful as they struggle to find a balance between the feelings that pull them together and the forces that tear them apart. Only through the poetry they share are they able to speak the truth that is in their hearts and imagine a future where love is cause for celebration, not regret.

(click covers to buy them)

My review of Slammed (book #1) – 6 stars!!

My review of Point of Retreat (book #2) – 6 stars!!

“I got schooled this year
by
a
Boy.
a boy that I’m seriously,
deeply, madly, incredibly,
and undeniably in love
with.
And he taught me the most
important thing of all …
To put the emphasis
On life.”

These are a few questions that our readers wanted to ask Colleen.

Whitney C ~ Do you have any plans to write adult romance?

Colleen ~ Actually, I have half of an adult romance completed. I set it aside to finish Hopeless, but I’m hoping to go back to it. In fact, it’s sort of SO adult and on the verge of erotica, I’ll probably have to publish it under a different pen name just to keep my PG readers separate. lol.

Clista S ~ Did Will or Lake come to your mind first when you were creating the story? Really can’t wait for more!!!

Colleen ~ No. The way I write is sort of odd. I had no clue from chapter to chapter what was going to happen next. When I was writing the first chapter of Slammed, I had no idea she was going to have a neighbor until she pulled up in her driveway. It’s fun that way, because I feel like I’m watching a movie in my own head and I have no clue what comes next!

Gudy H ~ Have you continued to write poetry? Will you ever publish your work?

Colleen ~ To be honest, I don’t write poetry. I wrote it for the books because Will loved poetry, but other than the slams in the books, I have nothing else.

Abby ~ How did you come up with the name Lake? I always wondered. Both books were Fantastic!!!!

Colleen ~ I was pregnant with my second child when I saw the name in the newspaper. If he would have been a girl, he would have been named Layken. But…I kept having boys.

Tiffany Z ~ Do you know how many books you will write in the Slammed series?

Colleen ~ I completed the third, which is not really a sequel. It’s SLAMMED from Will’s POV. I really don’t think I will continue with their story, but I’d love to do a spinoff one day of one of the younger characters. Maybe Kiersten or Kel.

Susan S ~ Prior to reading your books, I had never heard of poetry slams. Is this something that has always interested you?

Chelsea B ~ Have you always loved slam poetry or did you study it for these books?

Michelle M ~ When and how did you first hear of “slamming”?

Colleen ~ I watched a documentary on HBO that introduced me to Slam Poetry. It was so motivating, but I had never actually been to a slam before writing the books. I’ve been since, and it’s absolutely amazing!

This giveaway is for a *SIGNED* Paperback copy of Hopeless.

It is open internationally.

Good luck everyone!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!

If you are looking for more amazing books to add to your to read list, check out:

My List of Top Favorite Books Read in 2012

CJ ROBERTS ~ Interview & SERIES GIVEAWAY

December 30, 2012 by Aestas · 11 Comments

CJ Roberts is today’s feature author!!

Her series, “THE DARK DUET”, is an utterly captivating and utterly disturbing dark, twisted and yet beautiful love story, with multi-layered, complex characters that will test the boundaries of your heart and mind, a plot that will captivate and disturb you but at the same time leave you unable to turn away, and a raw, gritty, brutal world of betrayal, revenge, honor, lust, and love. It seduced me and it sickened me. I felt emotionally drained, utterly mindfucked and yet, ultimately, somehow completely at peace.

Definitely one of top favorite reads of the year!

Scroll down for book info, a fan Q&A with CJ, and… a series GIVEAWAY!!

Be sure to check the bottom of the page and
ENTER TO WIN BOTH BOOKS IN “THE DARK DUET”!!!

CJ Roberts is an independent writer. She favors dark and erotic stories with taboo twists and her work has been called both sexy and disturbing in the same sentence.

She was born and raised in Southern California. Following high school, she joined the U.S. Air Force in 1998, served ten years and traveled the world. Her favorite part of traveling is seeking out the seedy underbelly of the city.

She is married to an amazing and talented man who never stops impressing her; they have one beautiful daughter.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Amazon

“Some stories aren’t black and white…”

Caleb is a man with a singular interest in revenge. Kidnapped as a young boy and sold into slavery by a power-hungry mobster, he has thought of nothing but vengeance. For twelve years he has immersed himself in the world of pleasure slaves searching for the one man he holds ultimately responsible. Finally, the architect of his suffering has emerged with a new identity, but not a new nature. If Caleb is to get close enough to strike, he must become the very thing he abhors and kidnap a beautiful girl to train her to be all that he once was.

Eighteen-year-old Olivia Ruiz has just woken up in a strange place. Blindfolded and bound, there is only a calm male voice to welcome her. His name is Caleb, though he demands to be called Master. Olivia is young, beautiful, naïve and willful to a fault. She has a dark sensuality that cannot be hidden or denied, though she tries to accomplish both.

Although she is frightened by the strong, sadistic, and arrogant man who holds her prisoner, what keeps Olivia awake in the dark is her unwelcome attraction to him.

WARNING: This series contains very disturbing situations, dubious consent, strong language, and graphic violence.

(Click the book covers below to buy them)

My review of CAPTIVE IN THE DARK (The Dark Duet #1)

My review of SEDUCED IN THE DARK (The Dark Duet #2)

(both reviews are 5 stars & spoiler free)

This series blew my mind. I’m seriously disturbed at how much I loved it. And yet, I think it might end up being one of my favs now. Every scene in it led to more questions, made me doubt my feelings even more. In scenarios where right and wrong seemed so incredibly and unquestionably clear cut, it it just threw all my preconceived notions right out the window and just forcibly opened my mind to more and more perspectives, more and more questions.

The writing style is seriously phenomenal and mesmerizing !! I felt like I just wanted to highlight the whole book! It was captivating, rich, vivid, descriptive… It put me right into the character’s heads. The story flowed beautifully, the dialogue was effortless and the plot was beyond gripping.

CJ Roberts is definitely one of my new favorite authors!

Here are some of our readers’ questions answered by Kristen.

Linsday Z ~ When you first started writing these books, did you anticipate Caleb becoming a love interest or was he supposed to be a villain and eventually morphed into more?

C.J. ~ At first I didn’t intend for Captive in the Dark to be a love story at all. I simply wanted to write. I was stuck in a hotel room and I was bored. I think I was reading a romance at the time and I was annoyed by the hero because the writer and the heroine portrayed him as ‘bad’, but he wasn’t – at all. Being an asshole doesn’t make a character a ‘bad boy’. Also, I’ve always thought that the villains in most stories are very one dimensional.

I’ve always been fascinated by villains. Perhaps it has to do with my dark sense of humor, or the fact I like to analyze people, but I’ve always been drawn to characters I’m not supposed to like. I want to know WHY! Why do people do the things they do and is there any part of them I identify with?

I didn’t know what the story would become, not for several years. And to be honest, the idea of eventually casting Caleb as a sick fuck with a heart of gold was a bit scary for me. I wondered what it said about me to have the story unfold the way it did, but ultimately, I had to say I didn’t care.

Captive in the Dark is a work of fiction and as such, I felt free to explore the subject matter without flinching. It was my way of taking an innate fear that ALL WOMEN have and turning it into something I could wrap my head around. I’ve been criticized for it, but after thousands of reviews I know one thing is certain – readers were ready for someone like Caleb.

What it says about me, the fans, or the thousands that read this book in secret – I don’t know.

Dita ~ Who or what has inspired you to write your first novel? If you could give one piece of advice to an aspiring writer, what would it be? And what is your favorite book of all time?

C.J. ~ Every book, movie, story, and personal experience I have ever had is what inspired me. I began writing as a kid because I liked to live in a fantasy world. I kept at it because that never really changed. I really couldn’t tell you an exact instance that led to the creation of my first novel, except to say I was completely alone, a little scared, plenty bored, and more than a little…excited.As for one piece of advice: Write like no one you know is ever going to read what you’ve written.
Favorite book of all time? That is a REALLY difficult question, but if I had to choose, I’d go with Memnoch the Devil by Anne Rice. I grew up Catholic and this book seriously fucked with my head. I asked myself questions I dare not ask out loud.

Justine ~ Do you have a dream cast for Olivia, Caleb, Reed and Sloane?

C.J. ~ I sure do!

Charlie Hunnam as Caleb – He’s hot and incredibly talented. However, if I were making a silent film, it would be Paul Walker all the way!

Hannah Simone as Livvie – She’s so beautiful and I love her eyes.

Drew Van Acker as “Kid” – I want to put that kid over my knee so bad I have hand spasms just thinking about it.

Eduardo Verastegui as Felipe – This man is delicious in more than one language.

Matt Bomer OR Jensen Ackles as Agent Matthew Reed – I can’t stop thinking about a sandwich now.

Naveen Andrews as Rafiq – I don’t care what some people say, he’s hot and a great actor.

Christina Hendricks as Agent Janice Sloan – Other women don’t typically intimidate me, but she stands a good chance. I’d love to see her try. 😉

Jen B ~ I loved your books!! What made you want to write a “dark story” and do you think you will ever venture in writing a more “light” romance book?

Nicole L – I heard you are writing about Agent Reed? Any news on his story?

C.J. ~ I’m going to answer these two together. I’ve already answered the first bit; I wrote the story that was in me to write. However, now that The Dark Duet is over, I’m really looking forward to exploring Agent Reed.As with most of my inspiration, I didn’t see it coming. However, as I was writing Seduced in the Dark, his character really spoke to me. I could picture his eyes, his hair, and his mannerisms in my mind as I was writing. I wanted to know more about him, so much so, that I wrote him into the storyline and gave him chapters.I especially like that he seems to be the polar opposite of Caleb in many respects. He is a hero. Still, not all heroes are perfect and good all of the time. I look forward to examining Reed and what makes him tick.His book won’t be as dark, but I also don’t have it in me to write a sweet novel yet. We’ll see where we land.I haven’t started writing yet, but I’ll be hitting it hard in the New Year. I hope to debut the novel at one of the four book signings I’ll be attending in 2013.

Enter the Rafflecopter link below to win a
COPIES OF BOTH eBOOKS in THE DARK DUET!!!

Open internationally.

Winner can choose between Kindle or Nook format.
Even if you have already read them, you can still enter and gift your copies to a friend if you win.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

TOMORROW’S FINAL *SIGNED* GIVEAWAY
11:00 AM EST
featuring
C O L L E E N H O O V E R
(author of Slammed, Point of Retreat & Hopeless)
Pssstttt… she’s gonna be giving away a signed copy of her brand new book “HOPELESS”.
Contest will be open Internationally. You don’t want to miss it!!

Book Review – Fallen Too Far (Rosemary Beach #1) by Abbi Glines

December 29, 2012 by Aestas · 6 Comments

Buy Fallen Too Far on Kindle

4.5 – 5 stars!!

“Blaire, I’m not a romantic guy. I don’t kiss and cuddle. It’s all about the sex for me. You deserve someone who kisses and cuddles. Not me. I just fuck, baby.“

Aaaaaaaahhh amazing book but holy cliffhanger!
I need book #2!
Right. Freaking. N O W !
But O.M.G. I loved it!

This was my first Abbi Glines book. Ever. How I’ve managed to read this long and NOT read one of her book is a still a complete mystery too me. Her books feel almost like some sort of rite of passage as a reader. Everyone is always talking about them and now I know why!! I absolutely loved it, cliffhanger and all! A deliciously angsty bad-boy-meets-innocent-girl forbidden(ish) romance.

It was one of those books that I pretty much inhaled in one sitting and made me get all growly whenever someone tried to interrupt me.

Half a page in and I was grinning from ear to ear and yup, everything I’ve heard about Abbi Glines’ writing is true. Its addictive and catchy making the pages just fly right by. Its funny at times but will also pull the run out from under you in a heart beat with its twist. And its got this really easy-to-read and yet delightfully angsty feel to it!

After Blaire’s twin sister was killed in a car crash her father left their home, not even returning when Blaire’s mother died of cancer. Now, with no money, no home and no where else to turn, Blaire is sent to live with him. And his new wife. And her son. Blaire’s new step-brother….. Rush Finlay.

Rush was just absolutely delicious. With silver eyes, tattoos and a tongue piercing, he pretty much just oozed sex appeal. Add that to his cocky yet charming, hot/cold, mysterious, man-whoring bad-boy attitude, and how protective he got of Blaire the more he fell for her and you’ve really got quite the recipe for yum. I just love that kind of character. Makes my heart flutter every time.

“You don’t want to know me. You may think you do but you dont. I promise.”

But holy introduction! Literally, the first few times we see him, he’s having sex. Each time with a different girl!! He goes through girls like water, but yet he won’t touch Blaire. He wants her with every fiber of his being but doesn’t feel worthy of her. And he’s holding a big secret that could tear them apart if Blaire finds out.

“I can’t touch you. I want to so damn bad it hurts like a motherfucker but I can’t. I won’t mess you up.”

The whole set up just gave the book that wonderful angsty feeling that makes you desperate for answers. Are they? Will they? Wont they? AND WHAT WAS THE BIG SECRET??? ohhhhhhhh I just needed to know!!

Blaire was such a likeable heroine. No matter what life threw at her, she was the type of girl who would find the silver lining and work through it. I loved her can-do attitude to everything. On one hand, she was this sweet yet naive, oh-so innocent country girl and on the other she was this tough-as-nails chick who’d really been put through the ringer by life but didn’t let it get her down. Oh, and she actually pulled a gun on someone. Twice!! Yeah, pretty hard not to like her 😛

I loved watching them fall for each other. It wasn’t smooth – no insta-love here. But the more time they spent around each other, the harder it was to deny the pull they both felt. And when they finally gave in, oooooh I felt it! I loved it! I loved them together. And holyyyy can Ms. Glines ever write a kiss! Yeah… I’m totally addicted!

“Don’t go getting shy on me now. ‘Cause baby, before the night is over you will be naked in my bed.”

I enjoyed this book right from the start – it probably was sitting at a very happy 4 star rating but somewhere around 70% suddenly my heart was just POUNDING and I couldn’t flip the pages fast enough. Definitely a 5 star feeling if you know what I mean!

I mean… OHHH MYYY GODDD!!!!!

The bedroom!!

The party! Gah! and she wasn’t… but he was… and then… just.. ohhh the angst!

And then the snail tray thing and his reaction!

Ooooo then the “test me” thing… *SHIVERS*

Then “Mine. This is mine.”

The big reveal!! Gah! My heart just broke!!!!

And then the CLIFFHANGER!!!! I kept flipping the last page over and over again as if somehow it would magically make more words appear!

I NEED THE NEXT BOOK! Now now NOWWWWWW! But ooohhh I loved this one! I really did! So much!!

“His eyes never left mine. I held his gaze. I could see the storm in his eyes. I knew he was confused. I could even see the fear. Then there was the love. I saw it. The fierceness in his eyes. I believed it. I could see it clearly. But it was too late now. The love wasn’t enough. Everyone always said that love was enough. It wasn’t. Not when your soul was shattered.”

I really think fans of Beautiful Disaster will love this book.

Abbi Glines, once my heart recovers, you have yourself a new fan!

** SERIES READING ORDER **

#1 FALLEN TOO FAR — RUSH
Kindle | Paperback | My Review

#2 NEVER TOO FAR — RUSH
Kindle | Paperback | My Review

#3 TWISTED PERFECTION — WOODS
Kindle | Paperback | My Review

#4 FOREVER TOO FAR — RUSH
Kindle | Paperback

#5 SIMPLE PERFECTION — WOODS
Kindle | Paperback

#5 TAKE A CHANCE — GRANT
Kindle | Paperback