Book Blitz ~ Breaking the Reins by Juliana Haygert - Excerpt + Giveaway

Breaking the Reins

by Juliana Haygert

Release Date: 08/19/13

Summary from Goodreads:

Horses, mansions, tea parties, and lies are twenty-year-old Hannah Taylor’s life. To others, her family and her relationship with Eric is perfect. But she knows the truth. She lives it.

After a fire takes her grandma's life and kills her horse, Hannah's immaculate life spirals out of control. Her father disapproves of her decision to run her grandma’s ranch instead of focusing solely on learning the family business; Animal Control brings her Argus, a mistreated horse that she can't turn away even though she's not ready for another horse; and her boyfriend, Eric Bennett, a world famous polo player, becomes possessive and authoritarian. Despite her best efforts to disguise it, Hannah grows wary of him.

Then, Leonardo Fernandes struts onto the polo scene. A cocky rookie with a messy life of his own, he’s drawn to Hannah and isn’t afraid of showing it, even when Eric makes it clear she is his and he’ll do whatever it takes to keep it that way. Hannah suffers for Eric’s jealousy. The abuse only gets worse when Leo steals the title of best polo player in the world from Eric.

But the title isn’t enough for Leo. He wants Hannah too, and she can’t deny her attraction to him either. Somehow, she must find a way to break free from abusive Eric before he breaks every bone in her body.

**New Adult Contemporary Romance Novel**

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Praise for Breaking the Reins:</ o:p>

 “Breaking The Reins by Juliana Haygert is a real treasure. It’s a sexy, heartbreaking and romantic ride you won’t want to miss.” —Sawyer Bennett, USA Today Bestselling author of Off Side, Off Limits</ i>, Off the Record, and Off Course.

“A breath of fresh air in the New Adult market. Juliana Haygert’s new contemporary novel is one not to be missed!” —Magan Vernon, international bestselling author of The Only Exception

“A swoonworthy love interest and a fantastic backdrop make Breaking the Reins a New Adult read you don’t want to miss!” —Alyssa Rose Ivy, bestselling author of The Crescent Chronicles, Clayton Falls Series, and The Hazards of Skinny Dipping.

About the Author:

New Adult author and contributor at NA Alley blog.

While Juliana Haygert dreams of being Wonder Woman, Buffy, or a blood elf shadow priest, she settles for the less exciting—but equally gratifying—life of a wife, mother, and author. Thousands of miles away from her former home in Brazil, she now resides in Connecticut and spends her days writing about kick-ass heroines and the heroes who drive them crazy.

Author Links:

    


Excerpt 1:

After greeting Blaire and Andrea, who I wasn’t too close with, we ordered tea as the conversation continued. They talked about shoes and the latest Roberto Cavalli creations. I spoke a bit here and there, though I would have preferred talking about Country Outfitter instead. Suddenly, the subject changed to trips. Carmel, Aspen, Paris, Rome, and other fancy places.

And I was bored.

My gaze drifted from side to side, and I noticed Sandra had left, but I wasn’t really looking for anything.

Until I found him.

The first thought on my mind was, what the heck was he doing here? The second, damn, he looked good. The third, I shouldn’t be thinking that.

Dressed completely inappropriate for a polo club—in jeans, a blue T-shirt, and cowboy boots—Leo walked up the path to the right of the tennis courts, flanked by three guys and a girl. They talked animatedly, smiling and touching each other’s arms or shoulders occasionally. A few feet behind them, a couple holding hands followed. By their similarities, I would bet they were all related.

The girls kept talking and giggling about whatever, but their voices were a buzz in my ears as I strained to catch anything, any word, from Leo and the ones with them. They were too distant, and even the few words I heard were spoken in fast Portuguese.

A few steps from the main house, Leo looked at the courts, following the game closest to him for a couple of seconds, before his gaze continued on. 

Until he found me.

His eyes wide, Leo stopped in his tracks, and the guy behind him bumped into him.

“Hey,” the guy said, taking off his baseball cap and sunglasses. He looked familiar, somehow.

“Why is that guy staring at our table?” Megan asked, giggling.

I averted my eyes and pretended I didn’t know what she was talking about.

“What guy?” Blaire asked, turning in her chair. “Oh, he’s cute. All four of them are.”

“Look at them,” Andrea said. I didn’t, but from her eyes, I noticed they were moving again. “They must be the team playing against the Knight House.”

I knew Eric was going to play against an international team, but in all his dealings with France, it never occurred to me the team could be from somewhere else.

Could it be? Eric playing against Leo? And why did I care? Leo was nobody.

“Oh yeah,” Megan said. “Ohmygosh, I’ve seen one of them here before. He was an exchange player, with a team from Florida.”

Really? So that was why one of them looked familiar. Or it could be because they all looked like each other, and I’d taken my time observing Leo the other day. The urge to peek in his direction was strong, but I avoided it at all costs.

“True,” Blaire said with a big smile. “What’s his name again? Oh, Ricardo Fernandes. He was swoon worthy. I bet he still is.”

The girls giggled, and I forced a smile so they didn’t notice how disturbed I was.

“Maybe we should go welcome them to the club,” Megan suggested, wiggling her eyebrows. Then she patted my hand. “Lucky you. Practically married to a gorgeous man while we have to chase potential dates around here.”

I was lucky, wasn’t I? Eric was handsome, educated, generous, kind, and a great  polo player. He was a little too jealous for my taste, but I reminded myself that was because he loved me so much. What else could I need?

***GIVEAWAY***

2-ebook copies of Breaking the Reins (INT)

1-ebook copies of Destiny Gift (INT)
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Blitz hosted by:

Book Blitz ~ Félicité Found by Julia King - Excerpt and Giveaway

Félicité Found

by Julia King

Release Date: 08/12/13

Summary from Goodreads:

Seventeen-year-old Pierre Rousseaux witnesses a young girl take a near fatal plunge off Pont Neuf Bridge into the freezing water of the River Seine in Paris, France. After diving into the racing river himself, he is able to rescue her from a watery death, but only after her head is bashed into the river wall. Upon reviving her from unconsciousness, Pierre realizes she doesn’t remember her past at all.

The girl struggles to recall anything from before she may have tried to commit suicide, not only once but possibly twice. The few glimpses into her life are discovered through dreams that can only suggest her past was horrific and jaded by intense anger.

Her memories may force her to lose everything she has grown to adore, especially the boy she loves more than anything in the world: Pierre.

The girl, Félicité Moreau, must decide if the life she desires is enough to make things from her past right. Pierre struggles to resolve if Félicité means enough to him that he will fight for her, regardless of her past and despite his own personal demons.

This is Julia King’s debut paranormal novel—a Horrific Love Story.

Available from:

 

Excerpt 1:

“An eager expression painted itself handsomely on his face. He leaned in until his lips reached hers. Their mouths moved gracefully. Pierre picked Félicité up with ease, placing her on his lap. His arms wrapped around her small frame. Her left arm found its home around his shoulder and the other framed his strong jaw line. He played with the long curls that cascaded down her back. They could’ve kissed for hours and not felt as though any time had passed. It would’ve been treason to steal this moment away from them.”

About the Author

Julia King grew up in a town in the happiest county in Utah. She enjoys reading, music (especially U2), the outdoors, and traveling. She appreciates a good television show. She has quite the sweet tooth. It is common for her to squeal up a storm when she sees a dog. Her favorite breed is beagles, and she longs for the day when she can have one of these furry, adorable friends of her own. And she loves conjuring up stories that swirl sweetly in her mind. Well, until they come to life on the page.

Author Links:

  

***GIVEAWAY***

1- Paperback copy of Félicité Found (US only)

1- ebook copy of Félicité Found (US only)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Blitz organized by:

Book Blitz & Excerpt ~ All In by Marta Brown

All In

by Marta Brown

Release Date: 05/28/13

Summary from Goodreads:

On the picturesque island of Martha's Vineyard, there are two kinds of residents. Locals and Stays.

Local boy, Lane McCarthy, plans on spending his summer working at the country club to save money for college in the fall, while summer stay, Ashley Whitmore, and her elite group of friends are only there to play.

As the summer heat goes up on the island, so does the ante, when both Lane and Ashley must decide what they’re willing to wager in order to follow their dreams… and their hearts.

With stakes as high as the surf, and hopes as high as the midday sun, will they risk everything and go all in?

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Excerpt #2:

Ashley 

His head is down as he crosses the private section of the beach, staying close to the water’s edge but avoiding the moving tide.

“Lane,” I call out over the noise of the party and the waves, but he doesn’t seem to hear me, so I call his name again, this time louder. “Hey, Lane.” He glances up and scans the party, squinting before finally seeing me. A smile flashes across his face. I smile back as I approach him, my flip flops kicking up sand behind me.

“Hi,” I say. My drink, mostly untouched, sloshes and spills over the lip of the cup when I stop in front of him.

“Looks like you’re having fun.” He nods at my drink and then up at the party. 

“I actually just got here. I’m glad you came.” I feel my cheeks heat up, and I’m relieved it’s dark enough that he can’t see. “I think Andrew’s around here somewhere.” I look over my shoulder to point Lane in the right direction.

“Ah, no thanks. I think I’ll steer clear of your kind of parties,” he says, shoving his hands in the pockets of his cargo shorts.

“What do you mean my kind of parties?”

“Nothing, never mind.” He kicks at the sand and looks uncomfortable.

“Oh no.” I cover my mouth with my hand. “Did you get in trouble last night when the cops showed up?”

“Yeah, thanks to your boyfriend,” he says with a sneer that makes me take a step back.

My boyfriend?

“I’m not sure what his deal is, but he’s a serious dick.” Lane’s jaw is tight, and there’s not a hint of joking in his tone.

“Gregory?” I ask wide eyed. Why would he think Gregory is my boyfriend? I have a flash of Greg and I at lunch together looking very much like a couple and then again at the bluffs when he gave me his coat, something a boyfriend would do. Oh.

“He is definitely not my boyfriend,” I say seriously. “He’s my ex, if you can even call it that. We dated for like a second, but it was never very serious.” Why am I telling him all this? Stop rambling, Ashley. I dig my toes into the sand. “But you’re right about one thing. He is a dick.” I give Lane a playful grin and watch the light from the bonfire bounce off his features as his jaw loosens and a tentative smile spreads across his face.

From a distance, I hear Gregory’s voice, and when I glance over my shoulder, he’s stumbling our direction, obviously drunk and completely uninvited.

“Speak of the devil.” I roll my eyes and that makes Lane smile bigger.

“The rest of the staff is over there,” Gregory slurs, pointing to the tent where the cater waiters are busy putting out more hors d'oeuvres. Lane ignores his snide remark, never taking his eyes off of me.

“It was nice seeing you again, but I gotta go,” Lane says, and I’m immediately disappointed that he’s leaving.

“Are you sure?” I look down at my feet and try to garner enough nerve to ask him not to go. “Stay,” I say so softly it comes out as more of a whisper when I look back up at him.

He peers over his shoulder across the small peninsula to the lighthouse then back at me. “I’m sorry, I can’t…I…I have to work.” He looks genuinely disappointed, and I wonder if he knows I am too. “But hopefully I’ll see you around, okay?” He gives me a smile that makes my knees go weak before taking off down the beach. In the faint light coming off of the fire, I see him glance back at me before he cuts across the sandy peninsula and disappears into the shadows of tall sea grass.

Lane

He’s not her boyfriend.

I shake my head to clear my mind before I steal one last glance over my shoulder at her as I walk away, but it’s on a loop, and it’s all I can think. He’s not her boyfriend.

I shake my head again, this time to snap myself out of it. There’s no way a girl like that would go for a guy like me anyway. Would she? I shut my eyes and replay the way she looked at me through her long dark lashes, softly asking me to stay, causing my stomach to knot.

“He’s not her boyfriend,” I say out loud at the door of the lighthouse. I pull my keys from my pocket as the sounds of the party float through the otherwise quiet night, and I feel a stupid grin spread across my face despite the rude remarks I just got from that ass-hat Gregory. Seriously, when will the ‘help’ jokes get old?

“Let go. You’re hurting me,” a girl yelps from down the beach. I spin around and from the light coming off the bonfire I can see Gregory’s hand is wrapped around Ashley’s arm, and she’s wincing in pain.

Without a thought, I drop my keys to the ground and take off running, reaching them in seconds. “Let her go,” I yell. My fists ball tight, ready to make him if I have to.

“Mind your own business, loser,” Gregory snarls back as he jerks Ashley by the arm eliciting another cry.

“Lane,” Ashley says, struggling against his grip, fear on her face.

I lunge forward and grab Gregory’s arm, yanking him away from her with a force that surprises even me. “I said Let. Her. Go.”

Ashley falls to the ground when Gregory releases his hold, rubbing her arm in pain. I kneel down and brush the hair from her face, searching for any other signs of injury as adrenaline pounds in my veins.

 “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. I promise,” she says, our eyes locked with one another. “Thank you.”

“Come to save the damsel in distress,” Gregory says in a patronizing tone, looking down his nose at me. Convinced Ashley’s alright; I jump up and face him. He’s poised and ready for a fight, and that makes two of us. “You do know the peasant doesn’t get the girl, right? The prince does.”

I can’t stop the laugh that comes out of me. “Are you serious right now?” Who does this guy think he is? “Dude, when a girl’s screaming to be let go, it’s a pretty good indicator that she doesn’t want you, prince or not.”

I hear a light snickering from behind me before I see that a small crowd has gathered around and is watching us intently. I’m surprised they haven’t all started chanting ‘fight’ by the way they look on like we’re simply the entertainment for the evening.

 “You know what? She can slum it all she wants with you. She’s nothing but an uptight frigid tease anyway. Good luck getting into her pants,” Gregory says, wearing an arrogant smirk, his arms crossed leisurely across his chest like he’s just landed a fatal blow.

My vision goes red. He’s about to find out exactly how a real blow feels. To the face.

***

About the Author

Marta Brown grew up in the Pacific Northwest and was a teenager when Doc Martens, Pearl Jam and flannel were the norm and Dylan loved Kelly forever. (Beverly Hills 90210 shout out) 

She still lives just outside Seattle, now with her husband and cat, and loves the rain.

When she’s not writing about cute boys, first kisses and the magic and wonder of being seventeen, she’s watching The CW. And she sleeps in. Late.

Author Links:

   

***GIVEAWAY***

1 signed copy of All In (open US only) and 10 e-books copies of All In (open internationally)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Blitz hosted by: