Books – Page 31 – Sydney Aaliyah Michelle

Rumor Has It by Elisabeth Grace

Published on February 7, 2014 by Sydney Aaliyah Michelle2 Comments

Rumor Has It by Elisabeth Grace

(Limelight #1)

Publication date: December 6, 2013
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance

Synopsis: All publicity is good publicity, right? Unless you’re recent college grad Ellie Wagner and an embarrassing video of you and your boyfriend goes viral. Every man in your life abandons you, but who knew a one-minute clip of your latest doomed relationship would brand you a slut, prevent you from getting your perfect job, and force you to keep doing the one thing you swore you’d never do again…live with your mother.

But staying with mom and her latest boy-toy (is this husband number four or five?) until your life turns around might not be all bad. Especially when you fall – literally – at the feet of a sexy, green-eyed stranger who offers you freedom and a life of luxury on a gold-rimmed platter.

There’s only one little problem – the man of your dreams is none other than Mason Nash, the latest hip-hop star busting up the music charts. Fame and fortune are his calling cards and he’s vying to steal the show on a new reality TV series that will catapult him into mainstream stardom. Hello spotlight.

The man behind the famous persona is perfect for Ellie in every way, but can she overcome the ugly pitfalls that come with Mason’s celebrity status? Or will she be forced to choose between the man she loves and the independent life she longs for? After all, fame and fortune aren’t always what they seem and not all publicity is good publicity…

Excerpt:
“That’s one of the reasons I like you so much. My fame actually works against me with you. I don’t have to worry about you selling a story to the tabloids, or calling in a tip about where we might be so a picture of us together will show up in the media. I know you aren’t going to leak any of the texts I send you.”

“But you can’t know that about me. How could you? We just met.”

He bent his head and kissed my forehead while squeezing me with his arms. “I know.”

With that declaration Mason Nash stole a sliver of my heart. I knew his trust wasn’t given easily.

I didn’t like how much I was growing to need him, how quickly. I didn’t want to feel attached to him. I wasn’t a novice at relationships but if I was honest I’d never really loved anyone. I always knew at the back of my mind that if things didn’t work out I could cut and run and life would continue as I knew it.

I couldn’t escape the feeling that when Mason left, my life wouldn’t go on as it had before. I’d be altered in some way. I hoped against all hope that the piece of my heart he took with him wouldn’t be too large.

We laid in silence for a long while. Our breathing became steadier and my eyes grew heavy as sleep took hold. I fell asleep on Mason’s chest listening to his rhythmic heartbeat, hoping that when he left he wouldn’t rip mine from my chest.

Goodreads

Purchase

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Author Bio:

Rachael Wade is the Amazon bestselling author of The Preservation Series, The Resistance Trilogy, and the upcoming sci-fi series, The Keepers Trilogy. When she’s not writing, she’s busy learning French, watching too many movies, and learning how to protect animals and the environment.

Author links

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

Tattoo Tuesday – Jade Eby

Published on February 4, 2014February 3, 2014 by Sydney Aaliyah MichelleLeave a comment

Jade, welcome to Tattoo Tuesday. Your five questions start now:

1. How old were you when you got your first tattoo? I was just a youngin when I got my first tattoo — 18.

2. How many tattoos do you have? If only one, do you want more? Right now I have 7 tattoos and I’m already planning my next one! I am *slightly* obsessed with ink and if I could, I’d be totally covered in them. I don’t have pictures of them all, but I have one on my foot, two on my stomach, one on my hip, a full rib piece on my right side, a small tattoo on my upper left rib cage and a half sleeve.

3. What inspired you to get your first tattoo or favorite tattoo? Tell me your tattoo story. My first tattoo is very special as I got it with my sister and she actually hadn’t turned 18 yet so my parents signed a waiver so we could them done together. It’s the same tattoo just on opposite sides of our feet. It’s a Celtic knot with our initials. We grew up best friends and it was so cool to do something that signified our closeness. Even though it wasn’t *that* long ago that I got it, it feels like eons ago and I hardly remember whether it hurt or not.But my favorite tattoo is my most recent one. I’d been really thinking about a special tattoo for a while but I promised myself I would not get it until I published my first book. And honestly, I thought it would never happen.

Except it did.

So I decided to follow through on my promise. I found a fantastic artist near me, Cory Abernathy at Rubber Monkey Tattoo Shop and he took my idea and turned it into a magnificient replication of my imagination. The phoenix on my upper arm (when it’s done will be a half sleeve) is gorgeous. Full of all my favorite colors and so vivid. It’s representative of not just the trials I’ve overcome in my life but particularly important to my writing life. Because as a writer, I don’t know how many times I’ve wanted to give up. But every time I come up against an obstacle, I break down the walls and get back to it. It’s also a Harry Potter reference because, well, I’m a Harry Potter nerd 🙂

My third tattoo, which is a cancer ribbon, is very near to me as I have many family members that have been diagnosed with cancer. It’s on my ribs to remind me just how close to the heart cancer survivors are to me.

4. Tattoos on a significant other, like or dislike? Explain why? I LOVE tattoos, period. So the fact that my husband has some is just natural. He has one on his back and he’s working on a half sleeve which I find incredibly sexy. He has these great arms too, so when it’s finished, it’s going to look badass.

5. Do the character’s in your books have tattoos? If so, pick a character and tell me his or her tattoo story? Why was this story incorporated in the book? I feel like characters with tattoos is getting to the point of cliche in books now. It seems like every time I pick up a book, the characters all have one. That’s cool though, because it’s showing how far our society has come in accepting them. That said — I do have a few characters that have tattoos. In my new novel, THE FINISH, one of my main characters has a sleeve of tattoos on both arms and I love the way it fits into her personality. She’s kind of crazy and wild but she’s completely unique and fresh in my eyes. I just love her to pieces.

About Jade:

Once upon a time there was a little girl who fell in love with books then she grew up to write her own.

Jade has participated in National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) seven times and enjoys copious amounts of coffee. When she’s not writing, she enjoys trashy reality T.V. and reading everything she can get her hands on.

Mommy to two dogs and two naughty kitties, she feels like she might be on her way to having a zoo. You can find her on almost every social networking site that aids in her procrastination.

To learn more about Jade, connect with her on her Blog, Twitter, Facebook and on Goodreads.

If you have a book coming out or just want to tell your tattoo story and want to be featured on Tattoo Tuesday, let me know by leaving me a message in the comments.

Sydney Reviews The Replacement by Rachel Wade

Published on January 31, 2014January 30, 2014 by Sydney Aaliyah Michelle2 Comments

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis: My name is Elise Duchamp. I’m twenty-three years old and I’m known as the town whore.No, not the kind who exchanges sexual favors for money. The other kind. The kind who gives it all away for free, whenever and however she likes. I am that girl. The one everyone whispers about and the one none of the girls seem to like, because all of their boyfriends either want to sleep with me or already have. Promiscuity is my thing—the kind that slowly, violently turns my insides black, but gives me something I need.All things considered, I’m not completely reckless. I’m safe, and contrary to popular opinion, I do have a heart. I live in a world of careless choices, and with those choices come careless people. I cannot judge them, because I am one of them. I too bow down to the altar of the self-serving. I am not a good friend. I am not and never could be anyone’s girlfriend. I’m convinced any goodness in me shriveled up and died long ago.

But I am a replacement. That is something I know how to be, and this is a story of the lengths I’d go to in order to keep it that way.

Review:

The synopsis captures the tone of this book perfectly. It was a complete book for me. Complete in the sense that you had an amazing story, with a smart and sympathetic main character, combined with group of secondary characters who each had complexity and depth and it was topped off with a great setting.The Replacement encompassed all of that and more.

From page one you are smacked in the face with Elise’s life, her reality, and you want to weep for her, but shake her, too. Rachel Wade captures how Elise’s childhood trauma shaped her present life in a way that makes you love Elise. Even when she’s doing bad things, when she’s given up on herself, and even when she looses hope, you hoped for her.

I enjoyed the relationship dynamics in the story. Elise and all the men in her life brought different traits out of her, from her disgusting relationship with her bosses married brother, to the sweet, yet sexy relationship between her and Ryder.

I’ve been reading a lot of books about damaged characters over coming lately and the element shared by all of them is the ability the author has to make you see the good in the character even before the character does. Wade does a masterful job at doing this and if it ended any other way, I would have been really upset.

Allow me to introduce to you one of these complex secondary Characters.

Nate, it’s nice to meet you, since you’re new to town, I wanted to know more about you. Can you tell me a little more about yourself. Where your from, what brought you to Gig Harbor how you and Natalie meet?

Hey, nice to meet you. I’m from Phoenix, AZ. I actually moved to Gig Harbor to be close to my grandfather. He’s getting up there in age and he doesn’t really have anyone around to help him out. I figured I could go to school and find work anywhere, so I just decided on a change of scenery.

You seem like a sweet, kind pretty together young man. So maybe you can tell me, why do men cheat? I hope that question doesn’t make you uncomfortable.

Wow, isn’t that a loaded question. Uh…I have no idea why men cheat. Sometimes I think guys just want to break the rules. Sometimes there’s too much pressure, too many expectations in a relationship. Sometimes things are too perfect, or there’s no excitement. Or sometimes they’re just curious, I guess. That’s all I’ve got, sorry.

Obviously, you’ve heard about Elise’s reputation, why do you think there is such a double standard about women who sleep around versus men who sleep around?

I’ve never understood that, to be honest. I think chicks are really harsh on each other over that stuff. It seems like people just expect guys to screw up or something. When we cheat, no one’s surprised. But when a chick cheats, we’re ready to burn them at the stake. It’s kinda messed up.

Now that you’ve had time to reflect, how do you feel about your actions?

How do I feel? Man, I don’t know. No comment. Can I say that? Yeah, no comment.

A few of my favorite things

Tattoo References: Elise and Ryder have tattoo’s and get more tattoos in the book. Elise has a birdcage with a bird flying out of the open door. The bird carries a heart that says “Quand on veut, on peut.” Means “When one wants, on can.” in French. She gets another tattoo on her other hip which is a nest on a tree with a pile of hearts. “My has a home,”

Movie References: None

Favorite Line: “This is my kind of romance, Art and ink and blood. It’s damn sexy, and the gesture has rendered me speechless.” Elise says this after Ryder takes her to get a tattoo as a gift. For anyone listening, this would be my perfect gift.

*Just a few of my favorite things.

The Replacement Purchase Links

Author Bio: Rachael Wade is the Amazon bestselling author of THE PRESERVATION SERIES, LOVE AND RELATIVITY, and the upcoming New Adult sci-fi series, THE KEEPERS TRILOGY. When she’s not writing, she’s busy going to concerts, watching too many movies, and learning how to protect animals and the environment. She’s an avid Brandi Carlile fan and loves all things Tim Burton.

Blog | Twitter | Goodreads

Tattoo Tuesday – Jen Greyson

Published on January 28, 2014January 27, 2014 by Sydney Aaliyah Michelle5 Comments

Jen, welcome to Tattoo Tuesday. Your five questions start now:

How old were you when you got your first tattoo? I was 18
How many tattoos do you have? If only one, do you want more? I only have one, and I’ve always thought I’d get more. I’m a big scuba diver, so I’ve wanted to get a dive flag on my hip….but I kept waiting for my hips to get to that “perfect” size. I need to just do it!
What inspired you to get your first tattoo or favorite tattoo? Tell me your tattoo story. I was very into dragons and I found this wicked image of one. (Fantasy writer, you know 😉 Unfortunately, the parlor I went to had just hired a new artist and instead of getting the guy I wanted, I ended up as this chick’s guinea pig….it’s always looked like a jail tat (nothing against jail tats) but it could have been such a great tat (it looks pretty much nothing like the original image!). Now it’s twenty something years old, and looks awful. I’m secretly hoping someone will hear my story on your blog and want to do a tat makeover *laugh* I learned a very valuable lesson about speaking up for what I want though.
Tattoos on a significant other, like or dislike? Explain why? I wouldn’t mind if he had one. Maybe a nice tribal around his arm (how cliche, I know, but so hot). Funnily enough, out of the four married couples we hang out with, all the girls are tatted, but none of the guys.
Do the character’s in your books have tattoos? If so, pick a character and tell me his or her tattoo story? Why was this story incorporated in the book? Always! I love ink. Love everything about why someone gets one… Because like you said, there’s always a story. My time traveler, Evy, was a custom bike builder before she started fixing history so she had tats before the story started. Now she gets them at the beginning and end of every history alteration. They mark her time since time no longer has meaning for her. The last one she got was from a tattoo artist in ancient Spain.

About Jen:

From the moment she decided on a degree in Equestrian Studies, Jen Greyson’s life has been one unscripted adventure after another. Leaving the cowboy state of Wyoming to train show horses in France, Switzerland, and Germany, she’s lived life without much of a plan, but always a book in her suitcase. Now a wife and mom to two young boys, she relies on her adventurous, passionate characters to be the risk- takers.

Her newest release, SHADOW BOXER, was featured in the USA TODAY.

Jen is also a professional ghost and writes everything from billionaire legacies to romance novellas when she’s not enjoying the wilds of the west via wakeboard or snowmobile. She’s a mama writer, unleashing stories.

To learn more about Jen, connect with her on her blog, Twitter, Facebook and on Goodreads.

If you have a book coming out or just want to tell your tattoo story and want to be featured on Tattoo Tuesday, let me know by leaving me a message in the comments.

Tattoo Tuesday – Pk Hrezo

Published on January 21, 2014January 20, 2014 by Sydney Aaliyah Michelle16 Comments

Today on Tattoo Tuesday, I would like to welcome Pk. I got to know Pk when she let me beta reading her book, Butterman (Time) Travel, Inc. It was my first beta read that turned into a published work of fiction and I even got my name in the Acknowledgements. How cool it that? haha. She is my indie published/writer/amazing person role model.

Pk, welcome to Tattoo Tuesday. Tell us your tattoo story:

When I was twenty—way back in ’93, I got my first and only tat. Here it is:

Not very big, about the size of a silver dollar, right on the back of my neck. So this particular era was when the tattoo and piercing craze began. I was in college, and some friends had started getting tats, and I knew I wanted one, but wasn’t sure what. I knew I’d know it when I saw it.

This was also when I discovered I was artsy-phartsy, and drawing all the time. I also had friends who drew all the time. We’d do murals on our apartment walls and pretty much exploded with art anytime and anywhere. We had a distinct underground tribal style and were all about making creative statements.

Romantic relationships back then were a dime a dozen. We had such a vast group of friends, and were always meeting new people. I had heard through the grapevine there was this one guy who was into me. He was known for the tats all over his back. He was into bats, which I thought was cool and different, and had a bat on his back. Anyway, he finally asked me out, and coincidentally I’d just discovered the tattoo I wanted from my friend’s sketch book.

So where did we go on our first date? To get my tat.

Oddly enough, the woman who did my tat wouldn’t put it on the back of my left shoulder where I wanted it. I’m not sure why, but I’m really glad she didn’t. I like it much better on the back of my lower neck.

As for the relationship with “bat guy,” we dated for about a month and then moved on. Just wasn’t in the stars, I guess. But it was still the coolest, most unique first date I ever had. Over the years my tattoo has been a nice reminder of that time in my life when the world was my oyster. I used to get asked what it means and I’d say “Freedom of youth,” which is totally made up, but in a sense, it does mean that to me. Later I got my nose pierced and I’m pretty sure gave my parents some gray hairs with my newfound freedom. Lol

I wanted to get a tattoo this year since I just turned forty, and also because I published my first book, but I decided to wait til my trip to New Zealand and get something warrior-ish over there. Or maybe elvish? Haven’t fully decided yet. But I’ll be sure to share when I do.

Thanks so much for featuring me and my ink here today, Sydney!

Connect with Pk and pick up her latest release, Butterman (Time) Travel, Inc.

BLOG ~ WEB ~ TWITTER ~ FACEBOOK ~ GOODREADS

*Adventure through fearless creativity *

If you have a book coming out or just want to tell your tattoo story and want to be featured on Tattoo Tuesday, let me know by leaving me a message in the comments.