Mangled Hearts by Felicia Tatum

  Soon-to-be lawyer Francesca has just been assigned her first real case. "This is it," she thinks. "Time to show everyone here what I'm capable of." Francesca is ready to kick lawyer butt. But things don't go exactly as planned when Francesca realizes who her first case involves, and who inevitably will be standing in her way...
  Cade.
  Cade broke Francesca's heart so many years ago, and she has not forgiven him because of it. In fact, after what he did, she thinks she never will. But fate has something unexpected in store for Francesca and Cade...something that may mend all broken ties in their relationship. A renewed romance.
  Cade is falling apart. He's careless, thoughtless, and he's drunk almost 24/7. He couldn't care less about what his family thinks, but as soon as he lays his weary eyes on Francesca again, he realizes he may in fact be able to change.
  I stayed up until 2:30am finishing this dang book. It had me so hooked, I could NOT put it down. Mangled Hearts was absolutely incredible beyond words. I fell in love with Francesca and Cade's story from the very first page.
  There were no superficial and immature emotional mind games, Francesca and Cade weren't young and childish, and the love they had for each other was 100% genuine. I would repeatedly private message Felicia on Facebook and ask, "Oh my gosh, what are you doing to me??" I started Mangled Hearts early Tuesday morning, and couldn't stop until I had reached 100%. Sleep deprivation was SO worth it.
  Mangled Hearts may in fact be one of my all-time favorite Indie books. Wait, did I say, "may?" It is absolutely is one of my favorite Indie books. Of. All. Time.
  Mangled Hearts is amazing. Buy it, buy it, buy it. I cannot wait to read on in Cade and Francesca's story. I miss them already and I've only been without them for three days.
  Absolutely beautifully told, beautifully written, and breath-takingly done.

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An Interview with Author Lisa Suzanne

          

In celebration of Lisa Suzanne's latest book release, The Literary Connoisseur being Lisa's "Blog of the Week" this week, and...well, just because interviews are always fun, I had the immense honor of sitting down with her and asking her questions about her writing, books, and future work. Please join us in this Q&A, and don't be afraid to ask some questions yourself! 

(Oh, and there's a giveaway down at the bottom. You won't want to miss that!)

The Literary Connoisseur: Hello, Ms Suzanne! Thank you so much for stopping by and answering some questions about your work, your writing, and your authoring altogether. If you're ready, let's begin. 

Lisa Suzanne: Thank you so much for having me!

TLC: I'll start with some questions about you, first! Do you enjoy reading as well as writing? If so, who do you like to read? Are you a fan of romance? 

LS: I love to read, but I have always loved writing first. I’m an English teacher, and I even love teaching writing more than I love teaching reading. The problem with that is that it means I have to read what my students write. I am a HUGE fan of romance, and it’s become a problem because it’s all I want to read in my spare time… even when students recommend other novels for me to read. I can’t fit everything in, so I tend to go with romance!

TLC: Do you relate to your main character, Jules, at all? Does she reflect your personality? 

LS: I think I relate to her in that I created her, but she doesn’t reflect my personality. She’s just a normal girl who thinks with her heart and her emotions, and I’m the opposite. I’m logical and make decisions based on common sense, but Jules doesn’t always do that – she makes snap decisions in the moment. She has a major crush on her boss, and I’ve never had that experience.

TLC: If you could say anything to your fans, what would you say?

LS: Thank you for leaving me reviews! I read every single one, and if you haven’t left one yet, what are you waiting for?

TLC: Did you get emotional writing any of the scenes in How He Really Feels?

LS: Not emotional, exactly, but I did get butterflies a few times. I like writing the emotional scenes because it gives me something meaty to explore.

TLC: How He Really Feels had me chuckling quite a bit! (Along with crying, whining, sighing, and smiling.) Do you feel that comic relief and humor are key in a romantic book?

LS: I love this question because I always wonder if readers find the humor I tried to interject. I love humor and I think it’s important to incorporate it to diffuse tense situations – both in real life and in fiction. I don't think I could write a book that had nothing funny in it at all. I laugh all day long - it's just me. I don't know if I'm "funny" but I am one sarcastic lady.

TLC: Are you currently working on any new projects? 

LS: Lots! I am working on book 3, Since He Really Feels. I’ve got about 65,000 unedited words written. I’m also working on a spin-off that focuses on one of the secondary characters in Separation Anxiety, my new standalone releasing February 4. And I have an entire new series already written, but I have lots of editing work to do on it before it’s ready for you! And I’ve got a few other items planned for after that, too.

TLC: Many authors say that their characters "speak" to them. Do Jules, Nick, and Travis speak to you? 

LS: My characters do speak to me, but of the three of them, I think Travis speaks to me the most. That was why I had to give him his own book (What He Really Feels).

TLC: The covers for How He Really Feels and What He Really Feels are gorgeous! Who created them? 

LS: Thank you! They were created by humblenations.com. Book 1 was a premade cover that I found on his page that I loved, and I requested the background color; book 2 was also a premade cover but I had the cover designer silhouette the couple and change the background color; book 3, which hasn’t been revealed yet, is a silhouette stock image set on a different color background. I love it!

TLC: I'm sure all of your fans are dying to know this...who was your model for your love interest, Nick? Who would you like to see play him if How He Really Feels became a movie? 

LS: Nick used to have blue eyes and dark hair, and I changed his eye color because I realized that the male lead in my next series had the same eyes and hair. I first wrote his character probably fifteen years ago, so I don’t know exactly who inspired him. Just an image of some gorgeous man! If it became a movie, I think James Scott (EJ Dimera from Days of our Lives) would make a very sexy Nick.

TLC: You have a new novel coming out, very soon actually, called Separation Anxiety. Would you like to tell us all about that? 

LS: I was in the middle of writing book 3 (Since He Really Feels) on November 1. I saw author friends posting about this thing called NaNoWriMo, so I looked into it. November is National Novel Writing Month, and the challenge is to write 50,000 words in a month. I wrote something like 78,000, which became 82,000 words after editing, and Separation Anxiety was born from that project. I was literally obsessed with Jesse Drake for the entire month of November, and I loved every second of writing this book. It comes out February 4, and I cannot wait for you to meet Jesse!

Here’s the synopsis:

Separation.

We all get one true love in our lives, and it’s up to us to find it. Fate will act and try to push us together, but ultimately it’s up to us to recognize who that one person is when he’s standing in front of us.

It turns out that I recognized who my one person was when I was separated from my husband.

Anxiety.

On the same day I determined that I was finally going to file for divorce, I confessed my secret to Jesse Drake, my swoon-worthy colleague known for his womanizing ways. Jesse invited me to crash with him, and with each new piece of the enigmatic Jesse puzzle that I started to fit into place, I found myself wondering if Fate had pushed us together for a reason.

If only my husband would stop getting in the way of the man with whom I was meant to be. 


TLC: And finally, how did you come up with the plot for How He Really Feels? 


LS: I wanted to write a story based on the inspiration I found in a song by my favorite band, Matchbox Twenty. It’s one tiny part of the book and I built the rest of the story around that scene. When I start writing, it’s like magic… stuff just comes to me!

TLC: Lisa, thank you again for stopping by! I, and your fans, look forward to hearing your answers!

More about Lisa Suzanne...

Lisa Suzanne is a high school English teacher who lives at home in Arizona with her amazing husband and adorable yellow lab. She loves summer more than her students do. She has loved to write for as long as she can remember. 

  To read more about Lisa Suzanne, 

visit her website here!

Her Facebook page here! 

Her blog here!

And her Goodreads account here!

Lisa's books:

How He Really Feels



Book                                   ebook
           




What He Really Feels



Book                                  ebook
          




Coming February 4: SEPARATION ANXIETY 




Coming Soon: SINCE HE REALLY FEELS (He Feels, Book 3) 





Giveaway for a Naughty Celt candle from Book Scents Candles, a Highland Heather soap and lotion from Skinsations Soap, an ecopy of How He Really Feels, a signed copy of Susanna Kearsley's The Firebird, and five TLC bookmarks! 

Enter HERE!




I hope you enjoyed our little array of shenanigans for today! Please don't forget to enter the giveaway and don't forget to stop by Lisa Suzanne's page and tell her how much fun you had! 


Big hugs and HAPPY READING, my Lit-Wits!!!!

Raver by Candace Carrabus

  Raver has one of the most intriguing plots I've ever researched before starting a book. Let me tell you about it!
  Lauren Gallagher's marriage is officially over. After years of her and her husband arguing over anything and everything (including owning horses and having children), their marriage is over and done with. Lauren tries to put the pieces of her life back together, and goes to live with her brother and his family on their farm.
  One day, as Lauren is wrapping up her work at the stables, a strange man approaches her from the woods and inquires about a horse...one that can save the world that he's just come from. But little does Lauren know that his world needs her as well. She is the Horsecaller. The dying land of Cirq needs the Horsecaller to come and bring back the horses that will inevitably bring their land back to life.
  Raver is positively packed full of adventure and intrigue.
  Candace Carrabus' writing also brought back my insane desire to work with horses again.
  I thought Raver was quite enjoyable! The story was well told, the characters were not irritating in any way, there was enough romance in it to satisfy the most hopeless romantic, and the ending had one wanting more.
  I think I read in the back of my copy that Raver will have a sequel, and I very well hope so! I definitely thought towards the end that Lauren and Leinos' story was far from over.
  If you love fantasy, this book was written for you. If you don't particularly care for fantasy, you might not love it, but give it a try. I should know, I was recently brought over to the dark side that is fantasy.

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The Realm of the Lost by Emma Eden Ramos

  Kathleen "Kat" Gallagher has had enough. Ever since her parents' divorce, Kat's been overwhelmed by life, her family, and her future. Kat is exhausted with life, and she's only thirteen years old.
  One day in December, after having an argument with her sister Ellie, Kat makes a mad dash away from her, accidentally runs in front of an SUV and is killed on contact.
  Kat then wakes up in a foreign place, in a foreign atmosphere...in a foreign realm. Kat is in the Realm of the Lost. She must now adjust to life in the In Between, until she learns how to move on to the next realm. If she doesn't learn and accomplish what she's meant to accomplish, she may very well end up in the realm of unfinished and trapped souls.
  I have fallen in love with Emma Eden Ramos' stories! They're so short, action packed, and so detailed, it's like a tiny movie playing in my head every time I pick up a new Ramos novel. Still, at Your Door is still my favorite piece of her work, but The Realm of the Lost was equally as entertaining and memorable.
  You would assume that with such heavy subject matter, the story would be dark and depressing, and completely unsuitable for middle schoolers, but honestly the way Emma Eden Ramos portrays the "In Between" is incredibly tasteful.
  Still, at Your Door is very real and emotional, whereas The Realm of the Lost is adventurous and fictional. Both have very many endearing qualities.
  Emma Eden Ramos is a master storyteller. I could have her tell me stories like Still, at Your Door and The Realm of the Lost all day, every day.

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Still, at Your Door by Emma Eden Ramos

  Sabrina "Bri" Gibbons' world is about to be turned upside down. When her mother stumbles into her room and tells her and her two sisters to pack their bags, Bri races against the clock to pack up her few belongings. Her mom has decided it's finally time to take them away from their home in Pennsylvania, and Bri's abusive stepfather. They are headed toward a new life in New York City.
  As soon as the taxi pulls up in front of the girls' grandparents house, Bri's mom sends them upstairs to her parents' apartment, and tells Bri that she'll be right back. Only she's not, and the girls are left to their own devices.
  I've got to tell you, I am absolutely addicted to Emma Eden Ramos' stories. Her books are incredibly emotional, but always have an ending that will make you think, and feel good inside.
  Still, at Your Door is a short read, but it will have an impact on you and hit you like a ton of bricks.
  Emma Eden Ramos' writing has a very Ellen Hopkins-ish quality to it. The seriousness of the characters' problems is very real and not sugar-coated.
  Without giving away any spoilers, the ending of Still, at Your Door is very, very memorable. Bri's emotional wrap-up of the characters' "happily ever after" is the perfect way to end this book. Emma's final touch to the story eases your worry but leaves an impact in your heart the size of a wrecking ball.
  I rated this little novel five stars because it was just such a wonderful read. Honestly, I think I'm beginning to grow a liking for short novels. They're perfect for that taste of adventure, but just short enough to keep you interested and not bore you.

Book                                 ebook
          

Unexpected Legacy by Darlene Deluca

  Matt Dalton's world is turned upside down when he finds out that he is the father of an almost seventeen year-old boy. An almost seventeen year-old boy who's survived a deadly car accident, lost a limb, and suffered burns covering half his face.
  Matt cannot just abandon this boy since his mother has already done so. Matt's son, Brady, has been living with his grandparents since he was five years-old, and Matt figures it's time for Brady to have a real father figure in his life.
  The story is told in three perspectives: Matt's, Kate's, and Brady's. Kate is the principal of Brady's new school, and she's caught the eye of Matt, who can only describe her as "Snow White."
  I had a semi-difficult time getting into the story, mostly because I was more interested in reading about Matt and Brady. So when the perspective changed to Kate, I became less interested and impatient. Kate focused completely on her work, her school faculty, and the problems concerning the school, and I would have rather read more about Matt and what was happening now that this teenage boy has entered his life.
   But as the story progressed, the perspectives evened out and there was more of a steady rhythm when it came to character and plot introductions. Also, Kate's character began to grow, as well as the male characters, and Kate entirely redeemed herself.
  This story was incredibly emotional, moving, heart-warming, and sweet. Brady was my most favorite character, along with his father. Like father like son, they had their issues (extremely troubling issues!), but they made it through with the help of their family and friends.
  I swear, this is one of the sweetest books I've ever read. Once I finished it, I just had this overwhelmingly happy feeling in the pit of my stomach. Unexpected Legacy is a major "feel good" book.

Book                                ebook

          

The Literary Connoisseur's Big News

  Well! After teasing you all for a few days (sorry about that...), I've decided to announce my BIG NEWS! 

  

The Literary Connoisseur is partnering up with Book Scents Candles!!! 

That means I will be bombarding you all with everything Book Scents Candles. I will direct you to the website, I'll share Book Scents Candles announcements, I will run giveaways, and overall, I will have you go over there and check out their latest and greatest candles! I have just recently received some candles from the company and I've been burning them since the day I found them in my mailbox. They are MAGNIFICENT. As soon as one's lit, the scent fills the room and you're instantly transported into your favorite book. 

  Each candle has a unique essence that represents a specific literary character or personality. Book Scents Candles has scents such as Katniss from The Hunger Games, Jamie from Outlander, various scents from the Exit Unicorns series by Cindy Brandner, and many more that we can all enjoy and experience. 

Here's what was in my box...

From left to right, I received: "Katniss" (a unique scent of warm strawberries with fiery undertones), "Naughty Celt" (a sensual blend of sandalwood, bergamot, orange, leather, and musk), and "Lord John" (the fresh clean scent of warm linen sheets).

As I said before, I've been burning these candles since I received them a few days ago, and my house smells absolutely incredible. As I walk through my living room, I can smell the forests that Katniss Everdeen so frequently explores. 

As I close my eyes I am instantly transported into the world that is emanating from these gorgeous scents. I smell Lord John Grey's candle from the Outlander series and I can picture John sitting in his den, sipping a chilled glass of port as he contemplates his next move in British politics. 

As for Naughty Celt...an array of Naughty Celts come to mind when I smell this beautiful mixture. Bergamot, orange, leather, and musk go with every single dashing Celt I can think of! 

Yesterday I spent my day reading, sipping on some hot tea with a beautiful new scent permeating my reading room and it was blissful.

These candles are positively magnificent and Book Scents Candles is a wonderful company that brings the scents of the fictional world in the real world. 

Check out Book Scents Candles' website here!

And their Facebook page here!

Don't be afraid to ask questions when you head over there and tell them The Literary Connoisseur sent you! ;-)