Thursday, March 6, 2014

Cover Reveal, Prologue and Giveaway: Against All Odds by Angie McKeon



Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance
Release Date: Early April, 2014

SYNOPSIS:

Our lives shattered... Our hearts broken... Our souls torn to pieces...

He was my world, my whole life. My reason for breathing. I had a perfect marriage, a baby on the way, and I felt fulfilled—almost invincible. 

Until the day life hit, leaving me broken, vulnerable, and alone.

She was my life. My ray of hope on the cloudiest day. With her, I thought I had the ultimate safety. A love that would never hurt or betray me. I gave her my heart, my body, and my soul. 

Until she broke me, destroying every dream and illusion I had about life, love, and marriage.

In our grief, we made a mistake. A mistake I'm not sure we can come back from.

PROLOGUE:

I’m so cold. It’s the kind of cold that seeps into my bones and makes me feel as though I’m going to die. My body trembles from the drugs and sheer terror coursing through my veins.

Why is this happening to me?

What did I do to deserve this?

Please, God! I can’t handle it.

I open my mouth to scream, to cry, to do something, but nothing comes out. I’m aware of doctors and nurses surrounding me. They’ve placed Kayla on my chest. She’s still warm from being pulled from my body, but she's not moving.

She’s lying there . . . lifeless. 

I’m in a state of disbelief as tears slide down my face. My world shatters when I look at my precious baby girl. She's everything I’ve always wanted, always dreamed of.

Slowly, I run my fingers over her delicate lips; they’re so soft and small. An instant reminder of Cooper’s lips. He doesn’t have full and luscious lips like mine but small ones that almost disappear when he smiles. As I run the tips of my fingers across her puffy cheeks and closed eyes, I try to memorize every last detail of her dainty face. She’s so beautiful it takes my breath away. Her hair reminds me of caramel; it’s light brown and silky to the touch. It looks like mine did when I was a baby. Her face is peaceful, and for a single moment, I’m so thankful she’s not in pain. 

Looking at my little girl is a moment I’ve always dreamed of. I love her instantly, and I want to hold her forever. To breathe her into me. To never let her go. The realization that I’ll never hold my precious baby again sinks in, and I feel my stomach clench as pain rips through me. I’ll never get to see her smile, laugh, roll over, or take her first steps. I’ll miss it all.

How do I move past this?

Can I move past this?

As grief consumes me, my sobs become brutal. I feel as though I’m dying. Like my heart is burning up and turning to ash. I’ll never ever be whole again.

I pick her up and cradle her against my body, wanting to feel her skin against mine. She feels warm—soft and smooth, like velvet. As I curl my arms around her, my tears drip onto her perfect head. I feel an overwhelming urge to fix this, to bring her back. I don’t want to lose my sweet baby. Everything in my body, my soul is screaming to bring her back. 

Desperately looking up at Cooper’s green eyes, I will him to fix this, to make it better and help me. Help her. He’s always been my rock, my glue, the person who makes everything better. But all I see in his eyes is sadness, desperation, and helplessness that I know is killing him as much as it is me. He rubs his big, shaking hand gently over her tiny head. He looks as though he’s being tortured. Sobs rip through his body as he wraps his arms around me and our precious bundle while climbing into bed with us. I feel myself collapse against his chest as we sob over our loss.

There’s nothing we can do.

This is the end of a shattered dream.

Our spirits are slowly dying, and I’m not sure we’ll ever be able to heal.

All rights reserved. Against All Odds © 2014 Copyright, Angie McKeon.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:


A multi-tasker from birth—and now proudly able to add 'writer' to my resume—I'm a mother, wife and blogger. I love to read, write and drink copious amounts of iced coffee. 

All three aforementioned addictions are detrimental to my sanity 

I have a voracious appetite for dark, painful and twisted reads. I'm enamored with the concept of love and heart break. I believe life is a journey, a tale in its own for each of us. The road to happiness is sometimes paved with stones from hell, or glitters of satisfaction graced from the heavens above. 

In my upcoming debut novel, 'Against All Odds,' I strive to make you feel. I believe any emotion—whether painful or happy—is good. To me, the key to living is to go through life feeling its ups and downs. Love is dark and it can be painful but, at the end of the day, it can save the most lost of souls and the most broken of hearts.

GIVEAWAY:

Tuesday, March 4, 2014

Blog Tour: Therapy by Kathryn Perez Reviews, Dreamcast, Teasers, Trailer, Playlist and Giveaway


SYNOPSIS:

I’m needy.

I’m broken.

Cutting breaks through my numbness, but only opens more wounds.

Depression, self-harm, bullying....that's my reality.

Sex and guys....that's my escape.

The space between the truth and lies is blurred leaving me torn, lost and confused. And while the monsters that live in my head try to beat me-- the two men that I love try to save me.

This is my story of friendship, heartache, and the grueling journey that is mental-illness.

Sometimes you have to get lost in order to be found…


HEATHER'S REVIEW:
OMG!!!!! 5 of the most heartfelt stars EVER!!!! 

This is the most powerful and meaningful book I have ever read! It's absolutely AMAZING! This book literally pulled me in from the very first page. I couldn't put it down even if I tried; I was truly CAPTIVATED. Therapy has touched my heart that no other book has. It was real and that honestly made it the best emotional rollercoaster I've ever experienced! I was absolutely GUTTED by this book. I'm talking about rip my heart out and stomp on it, kind of gutted. I don't think I have ever cried so much while reading! I'm the kind of person who loves to connect with the characters. I want to experience every emotion. Everything that they're feeling, I want to feel it too. And my god, did Kathryn do a DAMN good job of it. Some of the emotions I felt have been lost to me over the last 15 years. The fact that she managed to rip them out of me in two days is AMAZING

This book was DEFINITELY for me! Jessica's story is packed with twists and turns, that will have your head spinning and your emotions on OVERLOAD! I can't stress it enough, but I think EVERYONE NEEDS to read this book. It might be difficult for some to read, but that is what makes it worth it. I've never read a book that talks about mental illness and the darkness that surrounds a person who suffers from it. People are too quick to judge others but have no idea what their story is, what their life is like or what demons they face day in and day out. I can honestly say that I walked away from this book feeling like I was different, I see the world differently, and for that I want to say THANK YOU, Kathryn, for writing such a WONDERFUL book, but most of all for sharing your story and giving me insight on metal illness. You have inspired me to be a better person.

DANIELLE'S REVIEW:
5 I. See. YOU. Jessica Alexander STARS!!!!!


Gripping!
Emotional!!
Heartbreaking!!!
Insightful!!!!
Beautiful!!!!!
REAL!!!!!!

I was given the amazing opportunity to be a beta reader for this book and oh, what a book it was! Therapy is a one of a kind story. I can count how many books have left an impact on me and this is definitely one of them. I will never be the same after reading Therapy. My life will forever be changed. 

From the very first page of this book, I knew I was in for a bumpy ride, but I embraced it. I took Jessica's story in word by word. I FELT it. I LIVED it. I HATED it. But most of all, I LOVED IT! I can't explain that oxymoron without going into much detail, but once you read Therapy, you will understand. It's extremely emotional, but worth every second!

When I began reading, I had NO clue that this was Katy's story because I was not yet a part of her private group. Once I found out, the details of this book hit me even deeper than I thought was possible. 

Bullying is real and it's serious. Self-harm is real and it's scary. Depression is real and it sucks. Too often, people don't think about what their words and actions can do to a person. They don't care until they are on the inside looking out; until they too, become a victim. In reality, the bully is often the bullied. This is such an ugly cycle and it needs to end.   

The stigma, stereotypes, and misunderstanding that follow mental illness make life for those who are suffering, that much worse. So many people refuse to face their illnesses due to the ignorance that society deals them. Nobody wants to be labeled as "crazy" by those around them, so it is much easier to go on pretending that nothing is wrong and find other ways to "cope" with their problems. Often times, the lack of awareness of mental illnesses also impacts individuals. Again, this goes back to the past views on these illnesses...don't speak of them and they won't be real. Let's face it here, they ARE real and they NEED our attention.

Therapy gives us a RAW and BRUTALLY HONEST inside view of what it's like to live with a mental illness. It shows us the darkness that encompasses many individuals who are living with an illness that has yet to be diagnosed, therefore, leaving it untreated. But it also gives those who live these lives HOPE. Yes, hope. They no longer have to feel alone. They no longer have to feel like they are unworthy. Because they are NOT alone and they are WORTH so much more than what they realize!

I felt so much while reading Therapy. My heart broke for Jessica. It longed for Jace. It craved Kingsley. Honestly, there were times I wanted to shake Jess and make her see what she was doing to herself, but I knew she wasn't in her right mind. Jace had his moments where he had me ready to choke him, but when I stopped to think, he had his reasons. Kingsley was a mystery from the beginning; a puzzle that I so desperately needed to solve. 

Katy's writing is absolutely BRILLIANT and she made me feel everything I was supposed to with these characters. There is nothing better when a book makes you FEEL. Sure, reading is meant to be an escape, but to me, in order to fully escape, I. NEED. TO. FEEL! Therapy left me completely exhausted when I was finished. I was seriously SCREAMING at certain points and crying so hard at others that I couldn't see straight. I didn't think I could go on at times, but I had to know what happened. I NEEDED to FEEL the pain in order to understand. I was left with red, swollen eyes, lingering tremors in my chest from crying, and an immense need to talk about what this book did to me. After expressing certain feelings, it made me realize that even though I might not have liked that certain things happened, I understood why they did. They needed to happen in order to have the final masterpiece. Therapy is truly a gorgeous canvas; you have to look at the whole picture to appreciate the details. You will not be able to take it all in, until you step back and really take a look at what's in front of you...a past full of struggles that eventually paved the path to self-discovery and self-love.

Katy, I know I have told you this several times already, but I am SO proud of you for this! You poured your heart and soul into this book! Someday when my daughter is old enough, she will definitely be reading Therapy. 


"She needed someone to stand with her, not hold her up."

DREAMCAST:

TEASERS:

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:


Kathryn lives in her small hometown in East Texas with her husband and two amazing children. Kathryn is an advocate of suicide prevention, supporter of anti-bullying efforts and does all she can to provide support to organizations who educate and bring awareness to these topics. With music being her second love to books, she claims to be a music infused writer and book junkie who loves to live in a fictional world.

TRAILER:



PLAYLIST:


GIVEAWAY:




Please be sure to check out all of the other stops along the way!