Cover Reveal - Very Wicked Things by Ilsa Madden-Mills

Very Wicked Things

Book 2 of the Briarcrest Academy Series

A new adult romance from bestselling author Ilsa Madden-Mills

Synopsis:

Born on the poor side of town…

Ballerina Dovey Beckham is a scholarship student at Briarcrest Academy, determined to prove she’s more than just a girl with the wrong pedigree. She does whatever it takes to succeed in her endgame, even if it means surrendering her body…but never her heart.

Until the day she meets him, and he rips apart all her well-laid plans. Suddenly, the girl everyone thought unbreakable might just shatter.

Born into wealth and privilege…

Cuba “Hollywood” Hudson is rich, spoiled, and a star football player. With his fast cars and superficial girlfriends, he lives the high-life, hiding his secrets from the world.

Until the day he meets her, and she offers him something he’s never tasted…love.

But once in a lifetime kind of love doesn’t come easy. When trust crumbles and doubts creep in, both will have to decide to either love or let go…forever.

Welcome to Briarcrest Academy, where sometimes, only the wicked survive. 

Excerpt:

Cuba’s POV

Not exactly a meet-cute…

The room closed in, making me sweat. I hadn’t talked to her in over a year, and now here we were, face-to-face. Two ex-lovers who hated each other.

I had to get away from her.

Dovey tilted her head as I stood, giving me a scathing glare. “Leaving so soon? Yeah, go ahead, cut and run. Coward.”

I ignored her and tried to get Weinstein’s attention, to let her know she could flunk me for all I cared.

“Before you go, tell me one thing, and I’ll make sure we aren’t partners in this class. You’ll be free of me,” she said.

“What?” I asked, my voice going all raspy, blocking all the words I wanted to say. They weren’t things she ever needed to hear.

“Why so cruel to me? You aren’t to the other girls you date and dump. Why single me out?”

I seethed. “And it didn’t take you long to find someone else, now did it? How is Spider? Does he get you hot like I did?”

She smirked. “He’s fine. He thinks I hung the moon. He thinks you’re an ass. I agree.” 

I tightened my fists and pressed them against my thighs, swearing to myself I wasn’t responding to her bait. I swore. She was a dangerous game I didn’t need to play.

Suddenly, her face fell. Was she recalling the last time we were together? Was she remembering how I used to…

 “I trusted you,” she whispered, all her anger seeming to be gone. The unsteadiness of her voice undid me, sent me right over the edge of that precarious cliff I’d been hanging on to by the skin of my teeth.

Yeah, she hadn’t been the only one who’d trusted me. I’d ruined them all. Every last one. Dark thoughts assaulted me, of the blood I had on my hands.

Snap! My pencil broke and small pieces flew across my desk and into the empty space between us.

I wanted to pummel my desk until my fists bled. I wanted to punch a hole through the wall, the floor, my face. 

Everything was my fault. Just mine. 

She’d been collateral damage, the kind that breaks everyone involved. And I was sorry for it, but sometimes you do what hurts because it’s for the best. 

But she was my kryptonite, leaving me no option but to hurt her. Again.

I didn’t think about my cruel words, I just said them. “You were a curiosity, Dovey. You weren’t the usual BA girl, and I wanted a taste. That’s all. I moved on when it got boring. Get over it.”

Author Bio

Ilsa Madden-Mills is a loving wife and mother, a loyal friend, and a teacher. When all that is done, she writes. Obsessively.

She spent several years teaching high school English, but now hangs out at home with two small kids, a neurotic cat, and her Viking husband. She collects magnets and rarely cooks except to bake her own pretzels.

When she’s not typing away at a story, you can find her drinking too much Diet Coke, jamming out to Pink, or checking on her carefully maintained chocolate stash.

She loves to hear from fans and fellow authors. 

Very Wicked Things is Book 2 of the BA Series. 

Very Bad Things is currently available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and iBooks.

Awesome Book Trailer to Very Wicked Things @

Author Goodreads Link to Very Wicked Things:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18709986-very-wicked-things

Author Website:

http://www.ilsamaddenmills.com/

Author Ilsa Madden-Mills FB link:

https://www.facebook.com/authorilsamaddenmills

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/ilsamaddenmills

____

Want to read the number one new adult romance Very Bad Things first?

Go here:

Universal Amazon Link: http:// myBook.to/verybadthings 

Wordcount Wednesday #1

Do you know what is difficult? It's writing consistently, never giving up in the middle of that first draft. So, I decided to share with you my word count every Wednesday from now on. That way, if you see my word count still very low, it means that I might need you to cheer me. 

If you're an author and would like to be a part of it, let me know and we could organize something in order to make it more fun and help our productivity. After all, I'm sure I'm not the only one in need of some help when I'm hitting that writing slump. :)

For this first Wordcount Wednesday, I'm going to talk about Kate's and Derek's story. If you are one of the people who bought and read PATCH UP, you must know these characters. I decided to write their own story after my beta readers convinced me to and when I saw how many people were interested in them. So here it is! 

I started writing it a couple of weeks ago.

Chapters written: 3. 

Wordcount: 10 052.

It's not that bad for a start. I always have a hard time when I'm working on a new story, but I hope to have doubled up that work count by next week. One can only dream! 

Right now, I'm not sure if what I wrote is worth anything, but at least it's written. I'll go back to it for the second draft and I'll probably re-write most of it as I'm not sure if it's catchy enough. One thing is sure though, I love these characters and delving into Kate's head. This girl is more than what meets the eyes. :)

If you're following me on twitter or Facebook, you should be able to see my daily word count, so feel free to make me remember that the word count of this manuscript should be above 20k by next Wednesday and not below 20k. Seriously, I often need to be cheered or yelled — depending on your type of thing. 

Cover Reveal - The Right Moves, by Emma Hart

Hi!

It's not often that I post cover reveals, but as it is a new year, I decided to change things up a little with my blog. Maybe you don't know it, but I love book covers. Whenever I see a cover reveal I'm always giddy, even when it's not mine. So here you go! Share with your friends, tell me what you think about this cover and if you already read the previous installments. :)

TITLE: The Right Moves (The Game, #3)
AUTHOR: Emma Hart
Publication Date: 27th March 2014
Reveal organised by: The Book Lovers
Add to Goodreads: http://bit.ly/1fV8Er3

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UNOFFICIAL BLURB: 

Her past is wrought with demons. His past is full of heartbreak. Yet he’s the one person that can remind her what it means to live.Abbi Jenkins never thought she would leave the walls of the mental institution that’s housed her for the last year. Now she has, but that doesn’t mean she’s forgotten everything Pearce put her through. She knows there’s only one way to deal with the depression that claws at her mind each day, and ballet becomes more than a hobby, a dream. Ballet – and Julliard – becomes a reason to live. Something to hold on for.Blake Smith left London for one reason and one reason only. Running from the heartbreak of his past was never something he wanted to do, but with constant reminders everywhere he turned, it became his only option. When he arrives in New York City, he vows he’ll keep the promise he made to his sister and get into Juilliard.But he doesn’t expect to be paired with Abbi in class, the girl whose eyes show a world of pain he’s seen before. Pain he knows too well. As each hour they spend together pulls them closer, Blake can’t fight his need to save her from herself.Lines blur as their pasts are wrenched into the open, and they have to ask themselves whether they’re too broken to ever to be fixed, or if they’re the healing the other needs.

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EXCERPT (from Abbi’s POV):

“We always seem to be somewhere when it’s getting dark,” I comment absently, stepping from Blake’s hold and walking to the edge of the shelter. I look over the water, a few lone ducks still swimming along. 

I see him shrug as he steps up beside me. He rests his elbows on the ledge and leans forward, his bicep brushing my arm.

“Hiding in plain sight,” he says simply.

I blink harshly, suddenly glad for the darkening of the sky. Something I said so casually, like it meant nothing, and he’s remembered it. He’s remembered it and somehow he’s applied it to everything we’ve done so far. He’s letting me hide right where he can see me.

He seems to understand so much about me – about how I feel, how to deal with the crazy breakdowns that can happen any second. He doesn’t blink at them and nothing seems to faze him. It’s unnerving and reassuring at the same time.

“It’s my favorite time of day,” I admit, twiddling my fingers. “Right now, when day is giving way to night. It’s the point I can drop the fake smile and stop pretending like everything is perfect. There are so many shadows and dark places I can barely recognize my own amongst them, and it’s a relief.”

“You can’t pretend all the time.” He turns his face toward mine, and his eyes are so serious I have to fight not to look back at him. “Anyone who smiles the way you do can’t have a fake one all the time. Either that, or you’re an even better actress than you are a dancer and I don’t see how that’s possible.”

“Maybe not all the time,” I say slowly and quietly. “I don’t always need to pretend. Sometimes it really is okay.”

“Like when you dance.”

I tilt my head toward him, my eyes meeting his through my hair, and I whisper, “Like when I’m with you.”

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About Emma:

By day, New York Times and USA Today bestselling New Adult author Emma Hart dons a cape and calls herself Super Mum to two beautiful little monsters. By night, she drops the cape, pours a glass of whatever she fancies – usually wine – and writes books.Emma is working on Top Secret projects she will share with her followers and fans at every available opportunity. Naturally, all Top Secret projects involve a dashingly hot guy who likes to forget to wear a shirt, a sprinkling (or several) of hold-onto-your-panties hot scenes, and a whole lotta love. She likes to be busy - unless busy involves doing the dishes, but that seems to be when all the ideas come to life.

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Find Emma online at:

Blog: http://www.emmahart.org
Facebook: www.facebook.com/EmmaHartBooks
Twitter: @EmmaHartAuthor
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6451162.Emma_Hart

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PRE-ORDER LINKS:

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1jNKgcr

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1ajKpE6

Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/1ib2JPu

iTunes: (Coming in days)

THE GAME SERIES BUY LINKS:

THE LOVE GAME:

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1gKQPxv

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1fLTjZB

Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/1dryujP

iTunes: http://bit.ly/1kYHmlI

PLAYING FOR KEEPS (Pre-order for Feb 13 re-release):

Amazon US: no pre-order.

Amazon UK:

Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/1ncPkH0

iTunes: http://bit.ly/1kYHxxs

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And if you’re in the US, grab THE GAME SERIES BOX SET for $0.99 on pre-order to get ready for THE RIGHT MOVES! Box set consists of the first two books in the series, and is usually priced at $3.99.

PRE-ORDER THE GAME SERIES BOX SET:

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1kFL4Av

Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/1cXMiVX

iTunes: http://bit.ly/1iuiJfC

2014: Personal Challenge - February

Hi!

Bookish Treasures is hosting a challenge this year. I decided to participate when I realized that it was as much for readers, bloggers and writers. Perfect for me and needed even as it's always great to have people ready to cheer for you or kick you in the butt. :)

You can still sign up and find more info over at Bookish Treasures.

You can find my goals posted last month HERE. 

I had 4 goals and completed 3 of them. Not that bad considering the not so great month January was. 

I wrote that first scene from Duke's POV and posted it (you can find it in the Bonus/Extras on the blog), I wrote 5 more chapters to the New Adult Contemporary Romance 'secret project' and I completed the first draft of the fun NA Contemporary Romance novel I wrote. It's now ready to be beta read. I can't wait! 

All in all, it's not that bad. :)

Now, I have to focus on new goals for this month. I count on you to yell at me if I'm not serious about these. 

1) Write two more scenes from Duke's POV and post them in February. One is the monthly one I promised and the other will be a Valentine's gift for you all. 

2) Finish the first draft of the 'secret project' I'm working on. It's a New Adult Contemporary Romance more on the sweet side with some very h-o-t scenes. I blushed yesterday when I wrote a certain scene. I already wrote over 72k words. I still have 10k-15k words before I can yell on the rooftops that it's finished. 

3) Write the third chapter of Kate and Derek's story before the end of February. I already wrote two chapters and I'm quite eager to write more. I hope I'll be able to finish this first draft by May at the latest. This book is really going to be a love story. :)

4) Edit one more chapter on a Young-Adult Contemporary novel I am working on with a beta-reader. It's a side project, but I kind of love these characters too. Not sure what will happen with this story, but I can already tell you that it's an upper YA story with a lot of rock music references. 

5) Work some more on the fun NA Contemporary Romance story I have ready to be beta read. My beta readers are already so booked with my other stories that I can't ask them yet to work on this one with me. Poor them. :)

I also want to read and blog this month, but I'm not ready to put them as goals here. I'm not even sure if I'll have the time to write as much as I'd like so I prefer to not push myself too much. 

What are your goals this month? Anything book related? Let me know! (And check out Bookish Treasures.)

See you soon and cross your fingers for me! I need it. ;)