Showing posts with label Following Me. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Following Me. Show all posts

Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Swoon Thursday (24)


Hosted by YA Bound



The Rules of Swoon Thursday:

"From the book you are currently reading, or one you just finished, tell us what made you SWOON.  What got your heart pounding, your skin tingling, and your stomach fluttering.  Try to make the Swoon 140 characters so you can tweet it.  Add the #YABOUND hashtag when you tweet."


To Add to Goodreads Click HERE


Goodreads Summary:


“I knew you were running the first time I saw you…"

Devon didn’t have a game plan when she decided to leave St. Louis on a Chicago-bound train for the summer. Just a reason. 

One she couldn’t share with anyone. Not Hadley, her best friend from college, who lets her stay in the guest bedroom; no questions asked. Or Brennan, the bartender at the local restaurant they frequent, who she actively tries to avoid. Or Garrett, Hadley’s boyfriend, who befriends her when she has no one else to turn to.

"I just didn’t know what you were running from...."

Desperate to hide at all costs, Devon plunges into her new life in the city. Everyone around her starts to reveal sides of themselves Devon never expected. And just when she starts to get comfortable, her world flips upside down…

"...but I think all along you were running toward me."

4 lives.
All connected.
All with secrets that just keep following them.


What Made Me Swoon:


Swoon #1:

"His mouth stroked her bottom lip and opened her mouth.  She met him tentatively at first, and then wholly indulged in the feel of him.  Her senses intensified all at once.  The softness of his lips, the callouses on his hands touching her skin, his taut body pressing into her.  His scent clouded her mind, and she forced herself not to move too fast.  His fingers moved to knot in her long hair, and she moaned lightly into his mouth.  Being kissed this way was like tasting the first strawberry of the season-so sweet and way better than you ever remember.  (eARC Loc. 2952)


Swoon #2:

"You deserve to be with someone who makes you happy.  Someone who won't complicate your life.  Somebody who won't hurt you."  "Someone like you, " she said.  "Someone like me."  (eARC, Loc. 4322)


Swoon #3:

"You know what I'm going to do when you're feeling all better?  "What?"  she asked as his lips traveled up to her elbow.  I'm going to kiss away every bruise and every scar and every headache.  I'm going to kiss away every thought of heartache, he whispered, the kisses reaching her shoulder."  (eARC, Loc. 4485)



Share Your Swoon(s) with Me!






Thursday, June 20, 2013

Blog Tour: Following Me by K.A. Linde



To Add Following Me to Goodreads Click HERE
Following Me
By:  K.A Linde
Genre:  New Adult
Release Date:  June 21, 2013
Cover By:  Okay Creations
Purchase At:  AMAZON | Kobo 
Source:  Publisher


GR's Summary:


“I knew you were running the first time I saw you…"

Devon didn’t have a game plan when she decided to leave St. Louis on a Chicago-bound train for the summer. Just a reason. 

One she couldn’t share with anyone. Not Hadley, her best friend from college, who lets her stay in the guest bedroom; no questions asked. Or Brennan, the bartender at the local restaurant they frequent, who she actively tries to avoid. Or Garrett, Hadley’s boyfriend, who befriends her when she has no one else to turn to.

"I just didn’t know what you were running from...."

Desperate to hide at all costs, Devon plunges into her new life in the city. Everyone around her starts to reveal sides of themselves Devon never expected. And just when she starts to get comfortable, her world flips upside down…

"...but I think all along you were running toward me."

4 lives.
All connected.
All with secrets that just keep following them.









*K.A. Linde has released the first chapter of the book on Fiction Press!!!!!!




My Thoughts:


This story is told from the perspective of the main character, Devon Sawyer's, point of view.  She grew up in a well-to-do family with two parents that were successful country singers, and her siblings, Dustin, and Dani.  She decided to go away to school in St. Louis, where she became best friends with Hadley, while being dorm room mates.  Devon was a Freshman at the time, and Hadley was a sophomore.  Hadley graduated a semester early, and moved to Chicago where it appeared she had become successful, and completely fulfilled.  


Devon decided the summer of her junior year, that she needed to get away, and hopped on a train to Chicago, to spend the summer with her best friend Hadley, and Hadley's boyfriend Garrett.  She lied, and told her long term boyfriend, Reid, that she was going to Paris with her family for the summer, and told her parents that she was going to be in St. Louis with her boyfriend Reid for the summer.  She didn't want anyone to know where she was (except for Hadley,) and it was obvious that she was running away from something.


However, everything was not as it appeared.  Devon, soon discovered that Hadley had secrets of her own, and that her life was not as perfect as it appeared.  In fact, Hadley had a cocaine problem, and when Devon confronted her about it, the result caused a huge rift in their friendship.  Also, Devon suffered from nightmares consistently, about a man chasing her, as she ran and tried to get away.  This man then captured, and attacked Hadley.  She woke up in a cold sweat, upset stomach, and deeply rattled from these nightmares repeatedly.  Devon got close to Garrett who was an upbeat, and friendly person, as she talked to him about her nightmares, and life in general.  They quickly became friends, and had a growing attraction to each other.  


Devon also met, the gorgeous, quiet, brooding bartender, Brennan that worked at a restaurant frequented by Hadley.  He got Devon a job there for the summer, and the more time they spent together, their mutual attraction and feelings toward one another grew.  However hard Devon tried to deny what she felt for Brennan, (because she had a boyfriend,) those feelings would not be pushed down.  Brennan became a good friend, who was loyal, and tried to help Devon, and Hadley mend their friendship.  He was a good guy, a talented musician, who played guitar, and sang, and was very attractive.  


I enjoyed, Following Me, by K.A. Linde, immensely.  It was very different from her Avoiding series, in that the focus of the story wasn't romance, but facades, and it was just as amazing.  I loved the mystery, and suspense of trying to solve the mystery behind Devon's nightmares.  I was curious to find out where the stemmed from.  I loved how the story developed at a good pace, with secrets revealed little by little.  I found the four characters each interesting in their own way.  It was obvious that each and every one of them had their secrets, and I was anxious to learn everything there was to know about Devon, Hadley, Garrett, and Brennan.  I enjoyed reading about these well-rounded characters, the vivid descriptions, and dynamic plot.  This story was unputadownable!  Ms. Linde has proven her talent in capturing her readers attention, weaving a captivating, intense story that comes to life, and jumps right off the pages!  Following Me, is a book you don't want to miss!!!




My Rating:


I give Following Me, by K.A. Linde, 5 Spectacular, Suspenseful, on the edge of your seat, stars!!!  This story will grab you from the very beginning, as you are trying to figure out the mystery of Devon's Dreams, why she has left her life behind, and escaped to Chicago for the summer, Hadley's secrets, and more about Garrett, and the swoon-worthy Brennan!  If you enjoy a story filled with mystery and suspense, with interesting characters, I highly recommend Following Me!





My Favorite Quotes:


"As much as she tried to escape everything that had happened, her life pinwheeled her through time and space.  She felt upside down and right side up.  She felt lost and so alone, yet completely surrounded."  (eARC, Loc. 1642)


"The more she was around him, the more she noticed him, and that was a slippery slope.  Had he always been this good looking?  Had she just been blinded by Reid, and all of the problems that she was working through that she hadn't noticed before?  Or was it more than just his appearance?  After all, he hadn't changed his looks.  It was just him.  Something about him that she just got...something only you could experience.  Now that she was staring at him, she couldn't fathom not noticing.  If she thought coming to this show would at all dampen her rising desire for the man sitting in front of her, she was wrong.  Dead wrong."  (eARC, Loc. 2050)


Casting by K.A. Linde:







About the Author:





K.A. Linde is an independent author and publisher who enjoys writing novels that keep you guessing to the very end. She wrote her first book, Avoiding Commitment, in 2009 while studying political science and philosophy at the University of Georgia. She received her Masters in 2012.

She resides in Georgia and enjoys dancing in her spare time. She is currently working on Off the Record, a fantasy/romance titled The Affiliate and the third book in the Avoiding Series.




We would like to invite the Fabulous Author 
K. A. Linde 
to our blog! We are both honored and excited to learn a little more about you, and how you spend your free time. 

>hugs<

<3


Top 5 Things You Do In Your Spare Time 

Dance – I danced in college and even started the Georgia Dance Team at the University of Georgia. I still coach the team and take pole dancing classes on the side.

Read – I read mostly YA fantasy and dystopian novels. I recently finished Seraphina by Rachel Hartman and The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson.

Go to movies – Before I started writing all the time, I used to go to the movies almost every weekend. I saw Iron Man III in theaters and I’m really looking forward to seeing Man of Steel!

Shop – Yeah…I’m a girl. Also, I’m a huge bargain shopper. I love to hunt the clearance racks. But recently I’ve just been buying more hardbacks, hoping I have time to read them in between all the books I’m writing.

Cruise – Well, I suppose this should just say vacation, but I think some vacations are more relaxing than others. So maybe it should just say the beach…I’m not that picky as long as the beach is sandy and white with the ocean that I’ll never get in because I don’t like sharks. But cruising is awesome, because you get all that plus endless food, shopping, dancing, fun activities!






Giveaways:


*To win (1) digital copy (EPub or Mobi) of Following Me by K.A. Linde, leave a comment, and we will use random.org to choose a winner!  Open internationally


Grand Prize $100 Amazon Gift Card!!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Follow the Tour

 photo FolowingMetourbutton_zpsf40020ee.jpg

Friday, May 17, 2013

Cover Reveal: Following Me by K.A. Linde





Blurb:


“I knew you were running the first time I saw you…"
Devon didn’t have a game plan when she decided to leave St. Louis on a Chicago-bound train for the summer. Just a reason. One she couldn’t share with anyone.
Not Hadley, her best friend from college, who lets her stay in the guest bedroom; no questions asked. Or Brennan, the bartender at the local restaurant they frequent, who she actively tries to avoid. Or Garrett, Hadley’s boyfriend, who befriends her when she has no one else to turn to.
"I just didn’t know what you were running from...."
Desperate to hide at all costs, Devon plunges into her new life in the city. Everyone around her starts to reveal sides of themselves Devon never expected. And just when she starts to get comfortable, her world flips upside down…
"...but I think all along you were running toward me."
4 lives.
All connected.
All with secrets that just keep following them.




Sweat beaded on Devon’s temple, and she wiped it off her forehead and out of her eyes.  The party had been going all night, and it was nice to loosen up and get lost in the music and dancing.  She hadn’t partied in so long, and she couldn’t resist when Amy had actually invited her out.  Either she was getting over her hatred for the new girl, or Devon had just been there long enough that she wasn’t considered the new girl any longer.

People were packed into the club shoulder to shoulder, many even closer than that.  The music was ear-splittingly loud.  Crazy lights traversed the warehouse-sized room, and they alternated to strobes slowing everything down to slow motion.  She hadn’t had much to drink, but she was dizzy with dehydration and the energy in the room.  Her tank top was sticking to her back, and she had long since pulled her hair up off of her neck into a ponytail.

God, I need another drink, she thought.
Her eyes moved around the room taking in as much as she could from her vantage point.  It really only ended up being the two feet encircling her.  Amy had to be somewhere inside the building.  How had she lost track of her?

Well, she knew how.  There were too many damn people in the place.  It was easy to lose track of one person, especially when that person was as short as Amy.  Still, she should have done better. She didn’t like being alone in dark places.  Whether she was surrounded by people or in a back alleyway at night, she was still alone.

She craned her head to look for her, but was having no luck.  It felt like more and more people were being crushed into the space.  How was this in line with fire code?  Surely the place would be shut down soon.

Walking in the direction of the bar, Devon tried to find Amy in the crowd.  Seriously it was getting harder and harder to maneuver through.  She was literally having to elbow people out of the way. This wasn’t okay, and it wasn’t fun.  They shouldn’t let any more people in.  Things could get out of control.

Devon looked up over the heads of people in front of her and sighed.  It felt like she was never going to reach the bar, and there was a huge line anyway.  She thought maybe the bathroom would be a better alternative…at least there she would have some privacy.
She turned to walk the other direction and slammed right into a meaty guy in front of her, who glared at her as she lost her balance and tumbled to the floor.  Someone stepped on her hand as she tried to get up.  Devon swore and hissed pulling her hand away from the ground where someone else could do the same thing.  She stood as best she could, cradling her aching hand.  It wasn’t easy pushing through people with one hand pressed between her breasts to keep from someone else smashing into it.  All it did was cause people to unknowingly smash into other parts of her.  She hadn’t made it more than a few feet toward the bathroom, and she had already been elbowed in the arm, gotten her foot stepped on, and been drunkenly body slammed knocking the breath out of her.  The club was getting dangerous.

A space opened in the crowd, and she took advantage, rushing forward through the throng of people. It 

took her closer to the bathroom but not close enough.  Then she felt it.  Eyes on the back of her head. 

She didn’t even know how it was possible.  There were hundreds of people in the place.  No one could

be focusing that intently on her, but she could swear that someone was watching her.







K.A. Linde graduated with her Masters in political science from the University of Georgia in 2012. She also has a bachelors in political science and philosophy. She wrote the Avoiding Series while struggling through advanced statistical modeling and writing her thesis. She enjoys dancing and writing novels that keep you guessing until the very end.
She currently resides in Georgia with her boyfriend and two puppies, Lucy and Riker.





So, What do you think of K.A. Linde's newest Cover Reveal?  How about the blurb and excerpt?  We are very excited over here at A Bookish Escape, since K.A. Linde is one of our favorite authors, and she is such an amazingly talented writer!  If you haven't already, make sure you check out her Avoiding series!  You will not be able to put it down, and will surely devour it!!!