Cover Reveal: Girl With Guitar by Caisey Quinn <-- LOVE this book!!

I'm so stinking excited!

Not too long ago, I started chatting with this girl on Twitter. She seemed like a total sweetheart, and her bio completely grabbed me. She wrote books about Southern girls and romance and music. Check, check, check. I told her that I was absolutely impatient to read her story, and then she sent me an advanced copy.

~dances~

But see, this is where my story could go two different ways. It could've met my expectations and I could've loved it...or I could've been let down, or not been pulled in as much as I liked, especially since my expectations were so high, and then I'd be in that uncomfortable situation of having to back away quietly.

Can I say what a relief it was when not only did I freaking LOVE Girl With Guitar by Caisey Quinn, but that it stayed with me, so much that I've pretty much hounded Caisey for the sequel ever since???

So what's it about already, Rachel?

Okay, okay. I was getting to that. 

Sheesh.

After Kylie’s dad dies in a freak accident, he leaves her with nothing other than her crazy stepmother, Darla, and the ability to play guitar. When Darla kicks Kylie out and she loses her job all in the same day, she hops a bus to Nashville determined to make her late father’s dreams come true.

Waitressing and saving her pennies to record a demo, her big break comes when she’s asked to join a tour going down the tubes with once platinum album-selling country music superstar Trace Corbin. But touring with Trace is hardly a dream come true since he’s pretty much drinking his career down the drain.

If Kylie can’t pull Trace out of his rut, he’ll pull her and her dreams down with him.

As fabulous as that synopsis sounds, it still doesn't do this book justice. Girl With Guitar is filled with heart, humor, swoony romance, and even some tears, all set against the fun world of Country Music. It was EXACTLY what I was looking for when she sent it to me. 

That does sound good, Rachel. I wish there was an excerpt.

Well, wouldn't you know, I have one!!

“Evenin’ y’all,” Kylie drawled into the microphone. “I had a song I was gonna sing and then my friend Tonya, she might be your waitress, she told me it sucked—so I guess I’m just gonna play this here guitar and see where it takes us.” She grinned at the audience and then leaned closer to the mic once more. “Oh, and I go right back to serving after this, so if you don’t clap when I’m finished, I can’t be held responsible for what might happen to your drink between the bar and your table.” Kylie winked and strummed a few cords. “Okay, here we go.”

Laughter? Did she hear laughter? She thought she did.

I know you wanna tie me down, know you wanna put a ring on it, but I ain’t never been that kinda girl, not for all the money in the world.

Kylie launched into her modified version of Trace Corbin’s latest hit, Not That Kinda Man.  It was the famous bachelor’s latest lovin’ and leavin’ single and she was attempting to turn the thing on its ear. He’d written and sang it as a sad break up ballad and Kylie had remixed and reworked it into the single girl’s party anthem.

You wanna own me but you don’t know me. Guess what darlin’? When you wake up I’ll be gone.

Kylie flashed her sexiest grin and wiggled a little at the crowd. Then she shouted, “Sing it with me girls!” into the mic and picked up the tempo, launching into the chorus.

Several waitresses, Tonya included, stopped what they were doing to sing along. Not that Kylie could really see them, but the girls in the crowd joined in too. She sang to the guitar player, whose name she was pretty sure was Andy, and he played right along, smiling and winking at her the whole time. Well I’m not that kinda girl, don’t wanna play these games, not gonna wake up in your bed or take your name. She gave Andy a playful smack on the ass and he blew her a kiss. Shrieking whistles radiated from the audience.

The music hummed and pulsed against her and somewhere in Kylie’s mind a little voice said, Holy shit you’re doing it!  

When the number was over, she practically flew off the stage, painfully aware of the pounding in her chest. Oh well, if I have a heart attack and die right this moment, I’ll die happy. The applause was loud enough to be heard over the ringing in her ears and she wanted it more than oxygen.

Clive was leaning on the bar, shaking his head but smiling. Tonya shot her two thumbs up. Kylie let out a little squeal of happiness and sent a silent thank you up to her daddy, feeling certain she was higher than any drug could ever take her.

She would let Tonya go home early tonight and do the rooms herself. She had enough energy to clean ten green rooms. When she told Tonya that, the woman hugged her. Hard. “You knocked ‘em dead, girl! That was amazing!”

“Yeah, well, I got some really good advice,” Kylie told her, unable to keep the permagrin off her face.

The next act stepped out of the shadows and took the stage. Kylie heard a deep male voice with a sexy southern drawl say, “Damn. Just my luck to have to follow that.”

The audience was still shrieking and screaming and Kylie knew she’d done well, but seriously?

“I apologize for standing y’all up a few weeks ago. Musta got my dates mixed up. Probably time to fire that manager of mine,” the handsome man on stage drawled.

Who was this guy? Whoever he was, the women in the audience were going crazy over him.

“Well, since that good looking waitress stole my number, guess I’ll have to sing something else. Where is that girl anyways?”

Oh God. Oh God, please no. Kylie’s heart sank and her high evaporated instantly. She turned to face the man on stage. Trace freaking Corbin was standing there with a guitar in one hand and the other to his eyes, scanning the crowd for…her. 

Awesome, right?? You know you want to add this bad boy to your HAVE TO READ list on Goodreads, so here's the link, where you'll also find a giveaway going on. 

GIVEAWAY TIME!

That's right! Caisey is giving away an ebook copy of GIRL WITH GUITAR!! Since my blog and Rafflecopter don't play nice (boo), I can only give you the link...but you know you want to click and enter. Right?? :) 

So, meet my girl, Caisey:

Caisey Quinn is a wearer of cowgirl boots, writer and avid reader of New Adult romance, lover of wine, and is addicted to chai tea lattes. She’s the brand spanking new author of soon to be released books including Girl with Guitar and Keep Me Still. (Which may or may not include spanking).

Caisey lives in Birmingham, Alabama with her husband, daughter, and other assorted animals. Girl with Guitar is her first novel. 

Stalk her on Twitter / Facebook / Goodreads

YA Winter Scavenger Hunt: Meet Lisa Viosin!!

   

Welcome to YA Scavenger Hunt! This tri-annual event was first organized by author Colleen Houck as a way to give readers a chance to gain access to exclusive bonus material from their favorite authors...and a chance to win some awesome prizes! At this hunt, you not only get access to exclusive content from each author, you also get a clue for the hunt. Add up the clues, and you can enter for our prize--one lucky winner will receive one signed book from each author on the hunt in my team! But play fast: this contest (and all the exclusive bonus material) will only be online for 72 hours!

Go to the YA Scavenger Hunt page to find out all about the hunt. There are TWO contests going on simultaneously, and you can enter one or all! I am a part of the BLUE TEAM--but there is also a red team for a chance to win a whole different set of twenty-five signed books!

If you'd like to find out more about the hunt, see links to all the authors participating, and see the full list of prizes up for grabs, go to the YA Scavenger Hunt homepage.

SCAVENGER HUNT PUZZLE

Directions: Below, you'll notice that I've listed my favorite number. Collect the favorite numbers of all the authors on the blue team, and then add them up (don't worry, you can use a calculator!). 

Entry Form: Once you've added up all the numbers, make sure you fill out the form here to officially qualify for the grand prize. Only entries that have the correct number will qualify.

Rules: Open internationally, anyone below the age of 18 should have a parent or guardian's permission to enter. To be eligible for the grand prize, you must submit the completed entry form by April 7th, at noon Pacific Time. Entries sent without the correct number or without contact information will not be considered.

Now Let's Get To The Good Stuff!

Today, I am hosting LISA VOISIN, author of THE WATCHER, for the YA Scavenger Hunt! Lisa, a Candian-born author, spent her childhood daydreaming and making up stories, but it was her love of reading and writing in her teens that drew her to Young Adult fiction. When she's not writing, you'll find her meditating or hiking in the mountains to counter the side effects of drinking too much coffee. She lives in Vancouver, B.C. with her fiance and their two cats.

Be sure to head over to her Website to learn more about this fabulous chica, and to find out more about THE WATCHER! 

Haunted by a past she doesn't recognize, Mia is caught between two fallen angels: one seeking redemption, the other, revenge. How far will she go to save the one she loves?

And Now for Lisa's Special Treat...Take it Lisa!

In the many drafts and edits of The Watcher, I contemplated beginning the story with a prologue showing Michael’s point of view. I then decided I wanted to keep his character and identity a mystery.

Extra Content: Deleted Prologue for The Watcher

Millennia ago

He stood at the edge of shadows, watching her.

Moonlight shimmered off the rippling lake, casting a thousand tiny stars along its surface. With her shoulders raised, she inched herself into the cold water and gasped—her short, sharp breaths an intimate and exhilarating sound. Her hands, strong and graceful, gripped the fine linen shift she wore for bathing, then slowly relaxed as she became accustomed to the cold.

Shivering, she reached into the water and scooped it onto her face, across the back of her neck, down her arms. Immersing herself, she sank into the water and sprang out again in a fast, slippery movement. In the moonlight, tiny goose bumps formed on her exposed flesh, and the wet linen shift clung to the sides of her tiny waist.

His heart pounded the beat of a war drum in his chest. He’d never felt anything like this—not in the silver halls of the Order, nor the fury of battle, not even in the rays and mists of Heaven’s City of Light. Not in all of time.

It took every bit of restraint he had not to rush to her like a tide crashing against the rocks.

I’ll burn for this, he thought. Head bowed, he prayed into the darkness with his thoughts, for mercy, for strength, for the courage to resist.

Then came the prickling searing heat between his shoulder blades that told him he was needed—he was being called. Light filled his body in purifying flames. Taking one last look, he sighed and unfurled his wings.

AWESOME, Right???

You know you want to read this book...and you can win a signed copy of THE WATCHER, along with a ton of other signed books by me and more! To enter, you need to know that my favorite number is 16. Add up all the favorite numbers of the authors on the blue team and you'll have all the secret code to enter for the grand prize!

CONTINUE THE HUNT

To keep going on your quest for the hunt, you need to check out my girl Victoria Scott's blog (tell her I said What's Up?)

BUT BEFORE YOU GO...

I'm giving away 5 Signed Bookmarks of my upcoming release, A Tale of Two Centuries, hot off the press! All you have to do to enter is leave a comment below along with a way to reach you. Easy peasy, right?

***Yes, This IS Open Internationally!***

HAPPY HUNTING!!

Revealing The Deets: My New YA Contemporary Romance!

As I revealed before (In Which I Squee Over News), my book baby is going to be published :)

I shared in that post how my debut, My Super Sweet Sixteenth Century, wasn't actually the first book I wrote. It was the second. And the awesome peeps at Spencer Hill Contemporary are taking my first baby and giving it a home.

AND I'M SO STINKING EXCITED!!

We'll have a cover reveal in the coming year, and the book will hit shelves around the fall of 2014, but for now, I have the title, the blurb, AND a fun author quote to tease you with :)

So that there's no confusion, the original title was 2nd Type of Girl, and it really did fit both the story and my main character Aly Reed's journey...but the official title? It fits SO much better!

And that title is....

.....drum roll, please ...... 

THE FINE ART OF PRETENDING! 

Isn't that FUN??? Now, I promised you an author quote. And by now, I'm assuming y'all have ALL heard of Victoria Scott, right? The fabulous author of the AMAZING The Collector (A Dante Walker Novel)???

Well. she's a buddy of mine. And she was also one of the very first readers of my book baby. Here's what she has to say:

"Harris's The Fine Art of Pretending is a fun, meticulously written story that teens will easily relate to. I've always been a fan of Harris's spectacular characters and perfectly simmered plots, but this book may be my favorite yet!"  

SQUEE!! 

So now, you may be asking, what in the heck is this book about, Rachel? And I can finally tell you!!

• It's a dual character POV book, meaning you'll get to be inside both main characters' heads (I LOVE being in my book boyfriend's head). 
• It's a Contemporary Romance 
• And along with a ton of heart, it has a whole LOT of humor. 
• Oh, and it's going to be published next year!! (Did I mention that already??)

And Here's The Official Blurb:

According to the guys at Fairfield Academy, there are two types of girls: the kind you hook up with, and the kind you're friends with. Seventeen-year-old Alyssa Reed is the second type. And she hates it. With just one year left to change her rank, she devises a plan to become the first type by homecoming, and she sets her sights on the perfect date—Justin Carter, Fairfield Academy’s biggest hottie and most notorious player.

With 57 days until the dance, Aly launches Operation Sex Appeal and sheds her tomboy image. The only thing left is for Justin actually to notice her. Enter best friend Brandon Taylor, the school’s second biggest hottie, and now Aly’s pretend boyfriend. With his help, elevating from “funny friend” to “tempting vixen” is only a matter of time.

But when everything goes according to plan, the inevitable “break up” leaves their friendship in shambles, and Aly and Brandon with feelings they can’t explain. And the fake couple discovers pretending can sometimes cost you the one thing you never expected to want. 

Add THE FINE ART OF PRETENDING to your Goodreads shelf HERE!

So, what do you think?? Were YOU the second-type in high school? Did you ever try to CHANGE your status? 

In Which I Drool Over My New Cover . . .

So yesterday kinda rocked. It was the Cover Reveal for A TALE OF TWO CENTURIES, and so many bloggers joined the party to help show the world :) The feedback has been wonderful. I'm so glad you love it as much as I do!! And even better, I love all the comments I've gotten on the excerpts!

There are four different snippets floating around out there.

• There's the "meet cute" with Austin, though in this case, while Austin is more than cute, his intro is... well, let's just say Alessandra wouldn't describe his attitude as cute. (he he). 
• Then there's one of my favorite scenes, again with Austin and Alessandra, but this time out on a Jet Ski and it just captures a really awesome moment for her. 
• The third excerpt is just pure fun... a shopping excursion with Cat in a modern day mall where she gets her first glimpse of twenty-first century undergarments (ha!)
• And finally, there's the "Welcome To The New World" scene, where Alessandra first realizes she's in the future. This one is also one of my favorites.

To not take away from the amazing bloggers who helped me, I'll let you discover those on their blogs--a list of participants can be found on Entangled's site HERE. Be sure to enter the GIVEAWAY while you're at it.

A paperback (US) and ebook (Int'l) copy of A TALE OF TWO CENTURIES (as soon as it's available) is up for grabs!

BUT I will share with you my beautiful cover and the blurb for the story that I can't wait for you guys to read. 

Alessandra D’Angeli is in need of an adventure. Tired of her sixteenth-century life in Italy and homesick for her time-traveling cousin, Cat, who visited her for a magical week and dazzled her with tales of the future, Alessandra is lost. Until the stars hear her plea.

One mystical spell later, Alessandra appears on Cat’s Beverly Hills doorstep five hundred years in the future. Surrounded by confusing gadgets, scary transportation, and scandalous clothing, Less is hesitant to live the life of a twenty-first century teen…until she meets the infuriating—and infuriatingly handsome—surfer Austin Michaels. Austin challenges everything she believes in…and introduces her to a world filled with possibility.

With the clock ticking, Less knows she must live every moment of her modern life while she still can. But how will she return to the drab life of her past when the future is what holds everything she’s come to love?

Y'all, I admit it. I LOVE my cover! It's so stinking pretty :) And it fits Less perfectly. The skirt of a sixteenth-century dress paired with a top from modern day. The soft look about her that seems to capture her innocence with the hint of a smirk that shows her spirit and desire for more. The busy, modern day craziness in the background. And Austin. Yeah. I like me some Austin. I kinda fell for him myself writing this book (*grin*)

What do you guys think? And did you find all the excerpts out there? What was YOUR favorite???

Entangled In Love Blog Hop: Muy Caliente! Taste The Heat, Taste The Chocolate

Click here to check out what the other authors are giving away during the Entangled In Love blog hop!

As a woman, as a reader, and as an author, I love Valentine's Day! A holiday that embraces love and happily ever afters...and globs of yummy chocolate. That's my kind of holiday.

Since Valentine's Day is one of my favorite holidays ever, I had to join my fellow Entangled authors in celebrating with tons of prizes. Seriously, y'all, just click the link above and get ready for the awesomeness. Lots of goodies to win, and lots of stories to celebrate.

This year, I have a few romance stories of my own in store, but first up is my first full-length adult contemporary romance, Taste The Heat. This will be coming this summer and it features a smart and sassy chef and a sexy firefighter hero. It's also set in my hometown of New Orleans, a city known for romance and sinfully delicious pleasures. 

For my hometown and summer romance inspired giveaway, I'm offering readers a Taste Of Chocolate! This 1 lb box of New Orleans Finest treats is courtesy of New Orleans's own Southern Candymakers and is delicious!

Your prize will include the company's top four candies in their signature gift box: Original Creamy Pralines, Assorted Tortues, Almond Toffee, and Mississippi Mud.

Here's your chance to experience some of "the best confections New Orleans has to offer" . . . well, at least until my book comes out, right? (he he)

The winner will be announced on Feburary 16th. To ENTER, simply leave a comment below for one entry.

(One entrant mentioned difficulty commenting below--it appears to be fine, but if you cannot comment below, just tweet me (@RachelHarrisYA) saying you want to enter, and that'll work)

For extra entries (one entry per action, add them all in your comments below):

• 'Like' my FACEBOOK PAGE
• Follow me on TWITTER
• Tweet this blog post (leave a link to the tweet in the comments and/or include @RachelHarrisYA)

Also, be sure to join the Entangled authors for a Twitter Party February 8th at 9pm EST.

Here's the details: 

Date : February 8th, 2013.

Time : 9pm EST.

Hashtag : #EntangledInLove

What : We’ll be asking Valentine’s day related questions and each question has prizes to be won! Answer right for a chance to win some of the many awesome prizes!

Where : Follow the instructions below!

1. Go to http://tweetgrid.com/party
2. Fill in the hash-tag as #EntangledInLove
3. Fill in the hosts
@entangledpub
@totalbookaholic
@babsbookbistro
@anjanavasan

4. Enter your twitter handle, follow the tweets, answer the questions and you may just get lucky!

Don’t forget to mention the #EntangledInLove hashtag in your replies!

Good Luck!!