2015, A Year to Remember!

Let’s Take a Stroll Down Memory Lane!

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Cheers to 2015! It’s been a great year!

A year of books!

Although I didn’t get to read as many books as I planned to, I can’t complain! 2015 was the year that a long sought after dream of mine was realized, I became a published author!

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But even more so than the books, stories, and characters I’ve had the privilege to share with the world, it’s the people I’ve gotten to know along the way.

Over the course of 2015, I’ve met so so many wonderful people!

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The writing community is so supportive and helpful and I couldn’t ask for a better group of friends! With 2015 being my debut year, I feel honored having learned from those that blazed a trail before me. And to the friends that I’ve shared a debut year with, my beloved NAC! You are my writing home…my writing family! Without all of you, I would have been a lonely fish out of water this year! Thanks to you, I will “Just keep swimming!”

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Even though this isn’t all of NAC, it’s the best I could do. One day, we will all be in the same place at the same time. The world better watch out!

And before I wrap up 2015, I want give my readers a giant THANK YOU! What is a writer if there is no one to read the stories? So, my dear readers, thank you for going on this journey with me. Thank you for choosing my stories to curl up with at night. Thank you for dedicating your precious time to spend with the characters I write. Thank you for giving me and my writing a chance! I am at a loss for words to express how grateful I am for your support! Thank you, from the bottom of my heart! ❤

I’ve got a lot more stories planned for 2016, so I hope you continue on this publishing journey with me. I want to share even more stories and more characters with each and every one of you!

Love and hugs!

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My year in numbers:

Books read: 39

Books written: 2 (Can’t Go Back & The Turning Point)

New Books Outlined: 2 (Secret Projects)

Books I Hope to Write in 2016: 3 (I want to say 4, but I’m being a realist. I still have a day job!)

My top 10 Reads of 2015 (in no particular order):

  1. Outlander and Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon- I’m counting these two titles as one just because! It’s not cheating since it’s my list, right? Right. 2015 was the year I discovered Jamie Fraser, and boy, it was a good year! 🙂 Nuff said!
  2. Missing Pieces by Meredith Tate- I devoured this title. Tate weaves a story like no one else! With a story that spans a large amount of time, I felt like Trace and Piren were my old friends by the end of the book. This book is a gem!
  3. Game of Love by Ara Grigorian- I read this title in one sitting. Couldn’t put it down. Andre and Gemma are a dynamic duo of a couple and I loved them! Gregorian is a masterful storyteller and I cannot wait for more books from him!
  4. The Rearranged Life by Annika Sharma- A love story that blurs the lines between matters of the heart and the cultural boundaries we’re born into. Ms. Sharma tells James and Nithya’s story with sensitivity and heart. Sometimes, falling in love isn’t easy.
  5. The List by Kate L. Mary- After a traumatic event, Annie’s family has  picked up the pieces. Or have they? With Annie’s freshman year of college, she able to spread her wings and learn to fly from under the overprotective arms of her father and brothers. Kate L. Mary writes a compelling character arc for Annie and I loved watching this endearing character grow.
  6. Run Away by Laura Salters- Holy twist, Batman! This book is a rollercoaster, travel adventure, murder mystery with a twist ending that I did not see coming! Throughout the whole book, I felt all the feels! Ms. Salters is so talented at drawing the reader into the story and not letting you go without taking you on a heart wrenching ride!
  7. Letting Go by Jessica Ruddick- A lovely, brilliantly told story of loss and finding a way to move on. Cori is a beautiful written character and loved her whole story. Luke is a patient and wonderful love interest and once again, I felt all the feels with this book!
  8. Delayed Penalty by Sophia Henry- Yes, this is a sports romance. No, it isn’t just about sports. It’s sooooooo much more. Auden is grieving the death of her parents and encounters a hot, cocky hockey player, Aleksander, who is also grieving the loss of his parents. Even though both characters are grieving differently, I loved how they were able to find comfort and a deep connection with each other. I can’t wait for more from Sophia Henry.
  9. Welcome to Forever by Annie Rains- The hero is a Marine. That’s right, a man in uniform. YES PLEASE! Micah is a loving dad, first and foremost, which makes him even more hot! I enjoyed the interactions between Kat and Micah and how Ms. Rains created such wonderful sexual tension between them. This was a fabulous debut for Annie Rains! I am a fan for life and will one-click anything that bears her name!
  10. Upside Down by Lia Riley- I didn’t actually read this story, but listened to the audiobook, but it still counts! The narrators of this captivating story are stupendous! I enjoyed Ms. Riley’s wit and narrative. Talia and Bran are gorgeously written characters and I loved spending my time with them. And might I add, having a sexy Australian whispering through my earbuds wasn’t so bad either!

So, there you have it, my top 10 reads of 2015! Here’s to a fabulous 2016 ahead! More amazing lives to lead…all you have to do is open a book!

Happy New Year and happy reading in 2016! ❤

 

WITH EVERY BREATH Release Day!!!

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WITH EVERY BREATH

by Lia Riley

Lia Riley has a new book out!! I’m freaking out! I LOVE Lia Riley books, and I know her new release, WITH EVERY BREATH, will not disappoint (I mean, come on, the hero’s a hot, mountain climbing Scotsman–whoa, I’m sold)!

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With Every Breath (A Wanderlust Novel) by Lia Riley

NA Contemporary Romance

Release date: December 29, 2015

Forever Grand Central

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Purchase With Every Breath

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BREATHE DEEP . . . AND JUMP IN

At the ends of the earth, Patagonia is a land where ambition trumps reason and the savage summit of La Aguja lures the most determined climbers. It’s also the last spot a “play-it-safe girl” like Auden Woods expects to find herself. But she’ll lace up her brand-new hiking boots and do whatever it takes to secure a dream job at an adventure magazine . . . even if it kills her. And it just might. When disaster strikes, her only chance at survival comes in the form of the surliest, sexiest mountaineer ever to come out of Scotland.

After a climbing accident cost him his brother, professional mountaineer Rhys MacAskill is at the end of his rope. Redemption is not in his future. That is, until a terrifying storm blows a budding journalist into his tent and it’s up to him to make sure they both survive until morning. Despite the demons weighing on him, Rhys can’t resist the temptation of the charming American and one wild night just isn’t enough.

Auden and Rhys soon learn there are no shortcuts as they navigate their way between life, death, and atonement, and discover something they never expected-love. “Riley writes a captivating story from beginning to breathtaking end.” -Publishers Weekly (starred review) on Inside Out

EXCERPT

I clear my throat and project my voice into a shouty rasp. “Sorry. I don’t mean to bother you, but—”

“What do you want?” A guy—not a very happy one by the sound of it—growls from inside.

“Sorry?” I bend closer to the nylon to hear above the deluge.

“What. Do. You. Want?”

My unwilling savior has a testy accent and a worse attitude. British maybe? No one does disdain like the English. Under normal circumstances, I’d swoon. I’m such a sucker for Mr. Darcy fantasies, but this isn’t Pemberley. It’s the Patagonian wilderness.

I lurch backward and trip over a tent peg. The flashlight slips from my grasp and hits the ground, shining on a coiled rope topped by a helmet. A mountaineer. Wonderful. He’s not exactly going to roll out the welcome mat for my inept ass, and I’m the type of girl who hates asking for help carrying groceries to the car. But what’s the alternative? Hypothermic death in a bog?

The tent unzips. My thoughts are jumbled, but there’s enough common sense left remaining to not fall to my knees and praise Jesus, Mary, and all the angels.

The diffuse light reveals the guy inside rising to his knees. Too dark to make out a face, especially when his headlamp burns my retinas. He seems very big, very shirtless, and very alone.

My nails cut into my palms, but no feeling remains in my hands. This damsel-in-distress business sucks. “My tent, see. It’s short a pole, and I can’t set it up. Can I…? Can I…?” Out with it, like ripping off a bandage. Strange my mouth can be so dry when the rest of me is drenched. I have to get inside that tent. “May I come in? Please. I don’t know what else to do.” I have nothing left to say. My social skills toolbox is empty.

A few seconds tick by. “Can’t leave you out there.” He sounds disappointed by the fact. “Come in, then, but those muddy boots stay in the vestibule.”

I step forward unsteadily, half wishing I could see him better, get a good look at the situation, and half not caring. At least I’m going to have shelter, and surviving is worth dealing with the uncomfortable situation. As I bend to unlace my boots, the glow from his headlamp reveals carved abs and low-slung pants barely hanging on to narrow hips. My throat constricts. Looks like tonight will be spent between a rock and a hard place.

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A WITH EVERY BREATH Giveaway!

What’s a book birthday without presents, right?

With every breath giveaway

Click on this Rafflecopter link for your chance to win an autographed copy of

With Every Breath & a Wanderlust bracelet!

Lia Riley

All About Lia

Lia Riley writes offbeat New Adult and Contemporary Adult romance. After studying at the University of Montana-Missoula, she scoured the world armed only with a backpack, overconfidence and a terrible sense of direction. She counts shooting vodka with a Ukranian mechanic in Antarctica, sipping yerba mate with gauchos in Chile and swilling XXXX with stationhands in Outback Australia among her accomplishments.

A British literature fanatic at heart, Lia considers Mr. Darcy and Edward Rochester as her fictional boyfriends. Her very patient husband doesn’t mind. Much. When not torturing heroes (because c’mon, who doesn’t love a good tortured hero?), Lia herds unruly chickens, camps, beach combs, daydreams about future books, wades through a mile-high TBR pile and schemes yet another trip. Right now, Icelandic hot springs and Scottish castles sound mighty fine.

She and her family live mostly in Northern California.

Webpage: www.liariley.com

Twitter: @liarileywrites

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorliariley

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/liariley

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WELCOME TO FOREVER Release Day!!

WELCOME TO FOREVER

by Annie Rains

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I am so excited for this book!!! Seriously. I was honored to have read snippets way back in 2013, when Annie and I were on the same Pitch Wars team! Today, I get to dive in and read this fabulous, beautiful, long-awaited novel! I’m launching the confetti cannon and sending Annie lots of love as she celebrates her debut! Congrats, Annie! I’m so happy for you!!!

To celebrate Annie’s debut, I’m giving away three Team Pride ebook bundles! Each prize bundle will include my titles (Across the Distance & Can’t Go Back) and Annie’s debut, Welcome to Forever! To win three hot romances, click on the link below!

The Pride Ebook Giveaway

The Pride

About WELCOME TO FOREVER:

If you love Kristan Higgins, Susan Mallery, or Jill Shalvis, you won’t want to miss the Hero’s Welcome military romance series! Welcome to Forever introduces a small coastal town where America’s best and brightest risk everything for love.
 
In Seaside, North Carolina, there are two kinds of people: Marines, and kids of Marines. Then there’s Kat Chandler. Recently hired as the principal of Seaside Elementary, Kat makes it her mission to turn the school into a place of peace and calm. That’s not going to be easy with hard-liner parents like Micah Peterson storming in, telling her how to do her job—and then kissing her with those gorgeous lips of his and turning her brain into mush.

As a Marine Sergeant and a single dad, Micah Peterson has just two priorities: doing his job better than anyone else, and getting the absolute best for his son, Ben. But when he meets Ben’s beautiful new principal, a different yearning shifts into focus. He wants her, sure, but he’s also moved by the connection Kat forges with her students. So after learning that she refuses to date Marines, Micah sets two more objectives: convincing Kat to give him a chance . . . and then holding on to her forever.

WELCOME TO FOREVER Buy Links

Amazon | iBooks | Google Play | Kobo | Barnes and Noble 

About Annie Rains

AnnieRainsAnnie Rains is a contemporary romance author who writes small town love stories set in fictional towns on the coast of North Carolina. Raised in one of America’s largest military communities, Annie often features heroes who fight for their countries, while also fighting for a place to call home and a good woman to love. When Annie isn’t writing, she’s spending time with her husband and 3 children, or reading a book by one of her favorite authors. Represented by Sarah Younger at Nancy Yost Literary Agency (NYLA).

Stay in touch with Annie:

Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Amazon