Spotlight/ His Salvation by Michelle Bellon

Posted on by Cindy

 
Title: His Salvation
Author: Michelle Bellon

Genre: Romance Suspense

Blurb:
Ten years have passed since that hot July night, when Seth McCullough walked away from Krista Chancellor, his high school sweetheart; determined to keep his dark, tumultuous past from tainting her beautiful light. He thought he had buried his demons forever when he cut ties and joined the military, but when he begins to suffer debilitating headaches, displacement of time, and horrifying nightmares, he starts to fear for his sanity. Desperate for relief and seeking solace, he takes off for Mexico only to awake one morning confused, bloody, and linked to multiple high profile murders. Suspicion grows as he realizes he is submerged in an agenda too terrifying to comprehend. Determined to find answers, Seth reaches out to the only person he has ever trusted, his old flame Krista, and together they find His Salvation.

 
 
 
About The Author:
Michelle Bellon lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and four children. She earned her Associates Degree in Nursing and fills her moments of free time with her love for writing. She has written six books, all of which are to be published in the near future. For more information go to http://www.michellebellon.com/.
 
 
Author Links:

Excerpt:

Seth noticed Krista’s shoulders were extremely pink from the full day’s worth of sun exposure.

“Dang, Kris, your shoulders got burnt today. You’re going to be sore tonight,” he commented. He had dark, olive-toned skin which tanned nicely, but Krista burned if she wasn’t careful. He had reminded her to lather on the sun block that morning, but it was only SPF 5. He had bitten his tongue to keep from chastising her.

Now he saw her skin looking angrier by the minute and grimaced, knowing she was going to be miserable by nighttime.

Krista looked down her nose at her left shoulder and gave a shrug, “Oh, well. I have some aloe stuff my mom bought me. I think I might have it here in my bag.” She reached into the bag she had plopped down next to her, and eventually pulled out a small bottle of aloe.

“Can you rub this onto my shoulders for me?” Without waiting for an answer, Krista swung her right leg over the side of the tree so she straddled it with her back to Seth, giving him access to both shoulders.

Seth, used to her bossiness, squirted some of the gel into his palm and began to delicately rub it into her skin.

“Oooh, ouch. You’re right. It’s already starting to hurt.” Krista winced.

Seth felt the cool gel warm up under his fingers against on her hot skin. Krista glanced back over her shoulder and for a quick second, locked with Seth’s intense gray gaze.

Seth stopped rubbing the aloe into her skin as something between them vibrated, humming so loud it seemed to fill the silence of the woods surrounding them. Krista leaned back into Seth’s chest, reached her left arm behind his head and pulled him to her, operating on instinct rather than organized thoughts.

Within seconds, Seth had his arms filled with beautiful, soft, Krista. Her fingers tangled in his hair at the nape of his neck and their lips met in a long awaited union. He was no longer capable of calling to memory why he believed he should be avoiding such an encounter with her. All he could do was feel.

It felt natural, when she leaned back against him, to wrap his arms around her and pull her closer. When she pulled his face toward his, it seemed as if he had made the journey a thousand times. There was nothing awkward or out of place, as he had wondered about. The moment his mouth met hers, she invited him in with a gentle parting of her lips, flicking her tongue over his. A hunger within him was unleashed and he ran his own fingers up into her hair at the base of her skull, cupping her head, tipping it back gently to take the kiss further, deeper.

The world stopped, tilted, and reversed rotation. There would be no going back. This was an irreversible revelation.

Buy Links:

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copyright 2010, Cindy (Cindy’s Love Of Books)
If you are reading this on a blog or website other than Cindy’s Love Of Books or via a feedreader, this content has been stolen and used without permission.

BEA Books I Missed Out On

Posted on by Cindy

As you know BEA (Book Expo America) was May 30th to June 1st in NYC and if you have ever been you know its three days of pure crazyiness.

Like most bloggers who attend BEA they kind of make a list of their must pick up books. I am no exception and I basically was scouring every inch of the internet to find out what was going to be available this year at BEA.

Today I thought I would share with you my top ten list of books that I was hoping to get at BEA but didn’t (insert sad face here). If anyone happens to have duplicates or they don’t want them I would be willing to pay for shipping, just leave me a comment with your email and I will get back to you.

In no particular order here they are:

Did any of these make it on your list? Did you get any of them?

copyright 2010, Cindy (Cindy’s Love Of Books)
If you are reading this on a blog or website other than Cindy’s Love Of Books or via a feedreader, this content has been stolen and used without permission.

Blog Tour/ Super Pop

Posted on by Cindy

 
Super Pop! Pop Culture Lists to Help You Win at Trivia, Survive in the Wild, and Make It Through the Holidays by Daniel Harmon (published by Zest Books, June 2013, $16.99; ISBN 9781936976362)
  • As David Letterman demonstrates on the Late Show, top ten lists are really funny. And we know lists are a great way to get organized, get things done, and streamline life’s many tasks. But now, pop culture expert Daniel Harmon takes a totally new approach to list making in his new book Super Pop! and organizes 500 movies, songs, video games, and books into top ten lists that not only have the power to entertain, but also to help create a new and better you!
  • Super Pop! offers a maximum-pleasure, minimum-effort way to become smarter, happier, and a little bit more likely to survive a shark attack. This wide-ranging collection organizes pop culture’s greatest hits—including blockbusting movies, bestselling books, platinum albums, and more—into hilarious, provocative, and weirdly edifying top ten lists, and provides quick-hitting commentary in the nearly 500 entries.
  • “A weird, witty, endlessly entertaining compendium for the budding pop-culture aficionado.” – Kirkus Reviews
  • “This is a go-to resource for [those] looking to bone up on pop culture, sound interesting at a party, or craft the perfect playlist for a workout.” – Booklist
  • “This book is terrific fun just for browsing purposes. But as a source of potential teaching / discussion / writing ideas, it’s downright invaluable.” – School Library Journal



Blog Tour Schedule

Super Pop_9781936976362
Monday, June 10
Chick Loves Lit
Book Sake
Television Without Pity

Tuesday, June 11
The Mod Podge Bookshelf
Cindy’s Love of Books
Dear Teen Me
The Book of Life

Wednesday, June 12
Live to Read
The Young Folks
Pop Culture Spectrum

Thursday, June 13
Actin’ Up With Books
Elizziebooks
The Empire Strikes Forward

Friday, June 14
Eli to the nth
The Broke and the Bookish

Monday, June 17
Hollywood the Write Way
I Read Banned Books

Tuesday, June 18
Dad of Divas
Hanging Off the Wire

Wednesday, June 19
Shelf Talkers Anonymous
Book Nerds Across America
Royal Reviews

Thursday, June 20
Masala Reader
Bella’s Bookshelf

Friday, June 21
YA Book Nerd
The Hiding Spot

Saturday, June 22
Beauty and the Bookshelf

Sunday, June 23
Book Whales
The Cover Contessa
Comp Lit and Mediaphilia

Monday, June 24
Shut Up and Read
Books, Movies, Reviews. Oh My!
Hippies, Beauty, and Books…Oh My!
Biblio File

Tuesday, June 25
Coffee, Books, & Me
In Bed with Books
The Fake Steph

copyright 2010, Cindy (Cindy’s Love Of Books)
If you are reading this on a blog or website other than Cindy’s Love Of Books or via a feedreader, this content has been stolen and used without permission.

MEME/ Sunday’s in Bed With…..#53

Posted on by Cindy

The awesome blogger behind this mem is Kate from Midnight Book Girl  . If you haven’t checked out her blog yet you really should hop over there and check it out.

Midnight Book Girl

Sundays In Bed With….is a meme I’ve started to share the book we’re spending the morning in bed with, or the one we’d like to stay curled up in bed with all Sunday if only our busy lives would allow! For fun, take a picture of the book in your bed, or simply write up a post or comment below sharing your Sundays in Bed With book. Quoted from Kate’s blog.
 

Good Morning everyone, I am actually extremely happy because I will be able to spend some time reading in bed this morning because we have no where we have to be at all today. So this will probably turn into a reading day for me in between doing some household chores of course.

I am back on my reading role again and I am so happy because for awhile I was in a reading slump and it wasn’t due to the lack of books but more of the lack to read.

So this morning I will be curled up in bed reading this:

I am on a blog tour for this on Tuesday so be sure to check back to see my tour stop.

This is what I am reading this morning what about you?

copyright 2010, Cindy (Cindy’s Love Of Books)
If you are reading this on a blog or website other than Cindy’s Love Of Books or via a feedreader, this content has been stolen and used without permission.

Book Expo America 2013

Posted on by Cindy

Its hard to believe that this time last week I was in NYC attending BEA (Book Expo America).

This was my third time attending and for some reason I was a little more confident then I was the previous two times I went. But its still a very overwhelming experience.

This year BEA switched up the dates for the show and I have to say that it actually worked to my advantage because I took the train down on Memorial Day weekend. I arrived Sunday evening and that allowed me three days to do some stuff that I wanted to do in NYC such as some sight seeing and shopping. It was nice because I didn’t real rushed or like I was missing anything. 
I decided to pick up my badge on the day of Book Blogger Con and it was such an easy process. Not much of a wait in line and everyone was so nice and friendly during the process.
I just have to say that I think they always hire the nicest and friendliest people.
The night before BEA was to open to us I was super excited and nervous. This year I decided to forgo the author breakfasts for both the adult and children just because I wanted to experience being on the floor as the doors open.
From previous years I was told that their was alot of pushing and shoving to get in and I have to say that I never witnessed that and it was so much fun being in amongst everyone. It was a great feel and great energy in the crowd.

I have to say that checking my suitcase in for a small fee was so worth it. Since I live in Canada shipping books back is very expensive. I learned from my second year going not to ship from Javitis.

This year I have to say I did see alot of difference that happened. The autographing section seemed to be a little bit more organized and I think that its a learning experience and I am sure next year will be even better. The only thing I have to say is the in-booth signings need a little work because it was hard to figure out who you were going to get in line for and it was also a little hard to get down the aisles because of the line.
This year I decided to take advantage of using my online agenda a little bit more then in previous years just because its so easy to lose your millions of papers that you print before going. So that it was very handy and I was able to see what was going on when.
I always find it breath taking to see the exhibit floor from upstairs. Its so huge and its so nice to see so many exhibitors show casing their books. The layout is always fantastic although this year they really spaced out the big publishing houses. 
I think the only suggestion I have would be if they could provide more seating in a corner somewhere so that you can take a few minutes to rest without having to sit on the floor. Several times I had to find a corner to sit in because I was exhausted.
Can I just say thank god for shuttle buses…they were a blessing at the end of the day for me. I would walk to Javitis in the morning to wake up but come the end of the day you need a lift back to your hotel. Isn’t that right bloggers?

Not sure if you have thought of this but I think it would be awesome if you made up little bags for the attendees. A cheap little BEA tote bag, plus the books that you pick up with all the info about BEA and who is there etc.

Over all I have to say that I had a fantastic time at BEA and I can’t wait to go again. Thank you to BEA for hosting this fantastic event and for allowing me to be part of it for my third year. Looking forward to seeing you all in 2014, 2015 and perhaps 2016 in Chicago.

copyright 2010, Cindy (Cindy’s Love Of Books)
If you are reading this on a blog or website other than Cindy’s Love Of Books or via a feedreader, this content has been stolen and used without permission.

This Time Last Week (Day 3 in NYC)

Posted on by Cindy

(Wednesday May 29th, 2013)
 

 
This morning I got up early with Sheila to head to the Javitis to pick up my badge while Sheila was going to attend the Blogger Conference something that I don’t attend.
 
Inside the Javitis I saw these:
 

 Its the Diary of a Wimpy Kid van. I am kicking myself because I meant to get back to this to check it out but never did.

I was so thrilled when I saw this Louise Penny banner. Louise Penny is a local author here in Quebec and I have been lucky enough to attend one of her signings here in Montreal and was really bummed that I didn’t get to see her at BEA.
 
 
As you can see it was a kind of over cast day. I was a little disappointed because the Javitis is usually more festive for BEA. There was no huge banner outside announcing the expo.
 
The only thing was this:

I think the flashing billboard is new this year. It was so funny because when I first stepped out of the Javitis it was showing this, I literally had to stand on the street for like 10 minutes before it flashed back to this.

 
 
Today would be my last day to sight see and to shop before the craziness of BEA started. After picking up my badge I quickly went back to the hotel to drop it off along with a few booklets I picked up when I registered.
 
Before heading back to the hotel I had to snap these pictures:
 

 I love seeing these huge billboards outside the Javitis each year.

All my shopping up until today has been for myself so today I was going to devote my shopping to Michael.
 
He had only three requests for me and those were to get him:
 
New York flat brim hat
Two containers of pick a brick from the lego store. Sadly they didn’t have the ones he wanted so he told me to pick what I wanted. I also got him some various small pouch lego kits and mini figures.
 

 The Story Cubes is what I picked up at another store for Michael.

 I saw this cute picture frame lego kit and I knew Michael would love it. I told him that one day when we go to NYC as a family we will put our picture in it.

Finally the last thing Michael asked for was:

No trip to NYC would be complete without a stop to the M&M store. I picked up two bags of assorted M&Ms, these cute M&Ms in an apple shape container that says I heart NY, a key chain for me because I love NY along with two mugs that were on sale.
 
I would have loved to stay in Time Square to look around but it was raining a bit and I wanted to get back to the room to rest and fresh up because I would be attending a publisher party that evening and also because there was a ton of kids on a field trip there.
 
So check back a little later when I will talk about the publisher party I attended.
copyright 2010, Cindy (Cindy’s Love Of Books)
If you are reading this on a blog or website other than Cindy’s Love Of Books or via a feedreader, this content has been stolen and used without permission.

This Time Last Week (Day 2 in NYC)

Posted on by Cindy

Welcome to day 2 of my New York City adventures.

It was another morning that I was up once again at 5:30am. I seriously think the reason I am up so early is because there is an ice/water machine right outside the door that keeps going off at all hours of the night.

I stayed in bed and read for awhile and then decided since it looked like it was going to be a nice day I got up and showered, tidied up the room because Sheila ( http://bookjourney.wordpress.com/ ) was going to be arriving today. I was so excited to finally see her again.

I have to say that the breakfasts at Hampton Inns are always so good. They always have a great selection of food to pick from. Although I have to say my staples for the week were basically a glass of milk, yogurt, oatmeal, banana and tea. One morning they did have maple sausage which was delicious.

Since I had a few hours before Sheila was going to arrive I decided that I was going to go and do some sight seeing. I didn’t want to over due it with the walking since the day before I was walking all over the place.

In regards to Kathy’s comment yesterday about the subway. I have nothing against it but personally for me I find that whole system so confusing and I have a fear of getting lost. The episode of Jessie keeps coming to mind when Emma has to go to Battery Park to do a multiculture project for school and they get lost taking the wrong trains.

See here in Montreal we have a simply metro system:

 
So for me I don’t mind walking in NYC because you get to see so much more.
 
I decided to walk a few streets up from Time Square because this was an area I haven’t been to and really wanted to. It was so nice to see Radio City Music Hall and I spotted Mr Liberty across the street. I have seen him in Battery Park previous years.
 

 I have always wanted to see this and I have to admit I was happy that I actually stumbled up on this in my journey today. Granted I had to wait awhile to get this picture because there was a ton of people getting their picture taken there.

 

After walking around for awhile I decided to grab lunch and head back to the hotel to wait for Sheila to come in and thankfully I had perfect timing because it started to rain, well actually it was pouring.

I felt bad for Sheila because she got caught in the down pour.

After Sheila got dried off we braved the elements of the weather and headed to Serendipity to meet up with Kate and Pam. Kate texted me earlier in the day asking if I would be interested in meeting up. I was super excited because I have never been before and have been wanting to go.

Thankfully Sheila and I were able to grab a cab because it was pouring and honestly you don’t want to be walking that far in the rain.

We didn’t have too long to wait roughly 20 minutes. Once we were seated we were handed these huge menus:

I think most of us knew what we were going to order:

 The famous Frozen Hot Chocolates. These drinks were huge. I had an early lunch so I was a little hungry but even I couldn’t finish the drink off. I have to say that it was really good but probably not something I would drink on my own again.

Since I was a little hungry I order the cheese cake but after a few bites I regretted it. I didn’t really like the taste of it and this probably won’t be ordered again.

After we were all done we parted ways with Kate and Pam. Thankfully we were able to grab a cab because it was still raining and in the cab Sheila and I decided that we were going to go to Yum Yum Too for supper. Its a cute little Thai restaurant that was near our hotel.

I know you would think that after all that we would be full but honestly I was hungry for food. This was a great restaurant and I would go back again to try more of their menu.

After that we headed back to the hotel to chill for the evening because the Book Blogger Conference is the next day. I was going but wanted to go with Sheila to grab my badge.

 

copyright 2010, Cindy (Cindy’s Love Of Books)
If you are reading this on a blog or website other than Cindy’s Love Of Books or via a feedreader, this content has been stolen and used without permission.