Reasons to Read A Shattered Moment by Tiffany King

A Shattered Moment (Fractured Lives #1)
by Tiffany King


I haven't been doing typical reviews for a while but when I read A Shattered Moment I jotted down a few things that I loved about it. They may not all make sense but believe me each one is a reason to read it :)


In no certain order:


- An awesome EMT
- Wonder Woman
- Stickers
- The difference between dark and light
- Being carried up steps
- Finding yourself after overcoming loss
- Bueller. Bueller. Bueller.
- Entertaining roommates
- Sherman!

Reasons to Love May 2015

BOOKS BOOKS AND MORE BOOKS!!!

There are some fantastical books releasing this month! I can't possibly post them all but here are a few I'm excited for.




End of Days, book 3 in Susa Ee's Penryn and the End of Days series. Holy Crapoli this one cannot get here soon enough.

Nil Unlocked (Nil #2) by Lynne Matson. Nil was a crazy ride and I look forward to seeing what she has in store for us this time around!

The Fill-in Boyfriend by Kasie West. This one sounds adorable.

P.S. I Still Love You (To All the Boys I've Loved Before #2) by Jenny Han



A Shattered Moment (Fractured Lives#1) by Tiffany King
All Played Out (Rusk University #3) by Cora Carmack

I was lucky enough to have won ARC's of A Shattered Moment and All Played Out at Apollycon in February so I've actually read them already. Both are 4 Star books!

There are so many more releasing this month and the next few months! It's a great time to be a book lover :)


MOVIES!!!!

Aahhhh, it's going to be an awesome movie month!

 Images and below links are from indb.com

Avengers: Age of Ultron (out now) - Here's hoping it lives up to the first...and has a lot of Loki and Thor ;)

Pitch Perfect 2 (May 15th) - We're all about to be pitch slapped again! I have no doubts that it will be acca-awesome!

San Andreas  (May 29th) - for all of the disaster movie lovers like my self! It looks so good! And come on, who wouldn't want to see another action movie with The Rock?!

AND Jurassic World releases mid-June! Only a couple weeks after San Andreas


OTHER

BEA and RT - I won't make it to either this year but it's such an exciting time for those who go. Have fun everyone!

The weather - May is one of the best months for weather in my area. It's usually getting warmer but isn't hot...and if you know me, outside of At Random, you know that I HATE hot weather! I'm dreading summer but I'm choosing to enjoy the niceness of May while it lasts.

It's my birthday month! Yay! Hubby got me a purse (because you can never have too many of those), a book (again, you can never have too many), and iTunes gift cards so I stop spending all of my money on music lol. AND we both have off work on my birthday so I have to figure out what activities I want to torture him with. :-P



Are there any May movies or books you're looking forward to?

Reading Updates

I've read quite a few books since my last post so I'll just highlight the ones I enjoyed more. 
These are also all books I'd recommend to others!



Fiancée For Hire (Front and Center #2) by Tawna Fenske (5 Stars)

Note: I read this one without having read book 1. It worked nicely as a stand alone. I didn't feel like I was missing anything.




The Bet (The Bet #1) by Rachel Van  Dyken (5 Stars)
The Wager (The Bet #2) by Rachel Van Dyken (5 Stars)
The Dare (The Bet #3) by Rachel Van Dyken (4 Stars)

It's been a very long time since I've binge read a series but Rachel Van Dyken's The Bet series was great and I couldn't resist. I actually read books 1 & 2 in one day. The things that the grandma does in these books had me laughing so hard. She is just...well she's the shit lol. I was reading at work (ssshhh don't tell) and I was seriously convulsing with laughter. I let out a few squeaks too because I was trying (unsuccessfully) to stifle said laughter.

The third book didn't quite hit the same level of awesome as the first two but it was still deserving of the 4 star rating.




Chase Me (Broke and Beautiful #1) by Tessa Bailey (5 Stars)
Need Me (Broke and Beautiful #2) by Tessa Bailey (5 Stars)
Protecting What's His (Line of Duty #1 by Tessa Bailey (5 Stars)

Loved all three of these books! I'm officially a Tessa Bailey fan now!




All Broke Down (Rusk University #2) by Cora Carmack (4 Stars)
All Played Out (Rusk University #3) by Cora Carmack (4 Stars)

The whole Rusk University series was good! I really enjoyed books 2 and 3 but I think the first book, All Lined Up, is my favorite. 


What have you been reading? I hope you've been lucky enough to read some great books like I have :)

What do you like to read?

A friend of mine got me thinking. One of her blog posts asked what are the top 5 subjects you like to read. It took me a few minutes but my response was

1. Military Hero
2. Rock bands
3. Long time best friends turned lovers
4. Books with author MC's or bookish MC's
5. Books with any sort of foodie twist

Since then I've thought of more themes that I really enjoy.

1. Nerdy MC's
2. Sporty MC's
3. Fake fiancés - although this one can be frustrating sometimes
4. When characters are stranded and forced to get to know each other.
5. When two people write to eachother without knowing the other person. Then they realize they know eachother outside of the letters. Guitar Notes is a good example. I hear Brigid Kemmerer is writing a note type of book too which is exciting!
6. Artsy MC's - photography, painting, music, dancing. I love it all
7. I love when tattoos play a role
8. The forbidden boss
9. Road Trips

My reading tastes are constantly changing so if you was me in 6 months my list may be totally different.

What themes do you enjoy?

I had a dream...and I wrote it (Part 2)

This is part 2 of my dream/story. If you have to clue what I'm talking about then check out my Part 1 post.

Just a reminder, I'm only sharing this for fun. I have NO aspirations to be a writer and I'm definitely NOT a grammar expert so I'm sure it has issues. Like I said, I'm just posting it for fun. If you feel like reading it great, if not that's perfectly fine too.


_ _ _ _ _


Dedication (Part 2 of 2)

She looks into his eyes and said "You are amazing. I'm so proud of you!"

She hugs him again after seeing a quick flash of doubt run across his features. She couldn't stand seeing him doubt himself.

"You really are amazing and I never doubted that you could do it. Not for a second. I know I haven't read it yet but I also have no doubts that the book is just as amazing as its author."

Somewhere in the back of her mind Cassie knew that she should let go of him but she kicked the thought to the curb in favor of holding him just a little longer.

She didn't know what was going through his head but she did notice that he wasn't letting go either. She let out a slow breath and started to pull away. The rational part of her brain must have been on a coffee break because, before she knew what was happening, she again put her hands on his cheeks. Only this time she touched her lips to his in a whisper of a kiss.

Her mind chose that moment to catch up to current events. her eyes went wide and she stumbled back a couple feet. Her hand flew to her mouth and, still in shock, she mumbled "I can't believe I did that. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

Troy looked equally shocked but quickly smoothed his features and said "I'm not."

Cassie was pretty sure she was going insane because she thought she just heard him say he's not sorry she kissed him.

Still stunned, Cassie managed to squeak out "I'm going to be committed for hallucinating aren't I?! Because there's no way you just said you're not sorry I kissed you."

Troy chuckled and said "Well before you go and get yourself locked up why don't you check out the dedication."

"The what?" Confusion slowing Cassie's reactions.

"The dedication in my book. You should look at it." Troy calmly explained.

Cassie can't comprehend the sudden light in his eyes and why he looks the most confident she had seen him in a week. She moved toward the ottoman and picked up the book. Petting the tattoo again before flipping the first few pages. She apparently couldn't help herself today.

Finding the dedication she started reading aloud.

"To my dear Cassie,
Sometimes in life we aren't able to see what's closest to us, what's meant to be. I'm sorry I didn't see you sooner but please know that I see you now. ~Troy"

Half way through her voice started to shake and by the end she was sure all remaining air had been sucked out of her lungs and she'd never be able to speak again.

She stared at the words, half convinced they would morph into a typical dedication you find in books and not her long time crush confessing...whatever it was he was confessing. Could he really feel the same as her? Is it possible?

Before she had the courage to close the book and seek out his eyes and an explanation Troy was before her. He took the book out of her hands and set it down. Her attention stayed on the book and then switched to Troy's hands as they came back towards her face.

He gently placed his hands on her cheeks like she did with him only moments ago.

"I meant it. You have always been the one for me even when I was too blinded to see it. I want to be with you." He pauses. "And I want you to know that I wrote the dedication before Marc and Liz got together."

"You did?" Cassie asked hopefully.

"I did." Troy replied.

"And you really have feelings for me?"

"I do." Troy says with a sweet smile.

"Good, then you should probably kiss me now." Cassie said with a sexy grin.



The End

I had a dream...and I wrote it (Part 1)

Last week I had a dream that stuck with me after waking. Actually it was more like one scene of a dream but still it was caught in my head. I decided to write it down just for fun. I started with a few choppy paragraphs. Then I went back to tweak what I had and add more description...rinse and repeat over and over...and next thing I know I have a 3-4 page story. Holy shit, I wrote something!

I waffled over it for a few days and eventually decided to share that story with my lovely readers. I'll be posting it in two parts. Part 1 is below and Part 2 will go live tomorrow morning.

Please keep in mind that I'm only sharing this for fun. I have NO aspirations to be a writer and I'm definitely NOT a grammar expert so I'm sure it has issues. Like I said, I'm just posting it for fun. If you feel like reading it great, if not that's perfectly fine too.

_ _ _ _ _


Dedication (Part 1 of 2)


After Marc and Troy finished practices they always met Liz and Cassie back in the tiny room off of the gym to relax and catch up. They were all so comfortable together that the guys hardly ever showered first, choosing instead to hang out shirtless and sweaty. Normally Cassie would make a comment about it being such a guy thing while rolling here eyes but she decided to stop kidding herself. She loved it.

Cassie made a quick stop on the way to their room so she was the last to walk in. She looks around taking in the scene and quickly rolls her eyes at Marc and Liz sucking face on the couch. It was pretty much the only place to sit in the room so it figures they would get all comfy and leave her and Troy to fend for themselves. Obviously she still hasn't quite gotten used to the idea of them being together.

The four of them were all friends and hung out as a group pretty much every day but that dynamic had changed a few weeks ago when Marc had professed his love to Liz. As she did a thousand times before, Cassie felt bad for Troy. He stood leaning against the wall opposite the couch looking more awkward than usual. He had always been the quiet one of the group. She used to say that it was like a constant storm of thoughts brewing behind those gorgeous green eyes and one of these days some woman would learn all of those thoughts and desires. The lucky bitch would never stand a chance. She would fall and fall hard. No one in their rag tag group knew that she had always secretly wished it would be her. Unfortunately that would never be in the cards since the deck was so heavily stacked against her.

Everyone knew that Troy had had a crush on Liz since they were kids. Liz had always made it clear that she never felt anything more than friendship towards him but it wasn't hard to see that he had always held on to a small glimmer of hope that she would come around. That was until Marc and Liz became a thing.

Glancing at Troy again, Cassie couldn't help but think that there's something else bothering him. He looks like he's ready to run out of the room at the drop of a hat and really that would only take a few strides of those sexy muscled legs. She shakes her head pushing the thoughts back before they go too far and she gives herself away by blushing.

She distracts herself by sitting on the floor in front of the ottoman pushing papers, books, and laptops aside to make room to work. Her breath catches when something in the messy pile catches her eye. She reaches for the hardcover book and runs her fingers over the tattooed shoulder on the glossy dust jacket. She would know that tattoo anywhere. She didn't lift her head to look at Troy because she wasn't quite ready to mask her emotions.

A year earlier when Troy said he wanted to write a book she had absolutely no doubts that he could do it. She just didn't know he was far enough along to have a finished copy.

She knew his eyes would be on her. Troy seeming out of sorts the last few days, today especially, made so much more sense now. Without looking up she spoke to the two love birds behind her.

"Hey can I ask you guys a favor?"

"Can you give me a minute to talk to Troy?"

She was sure they hadn't spotted the book and decided she needed a private moment to congratulate him before they did.

Looking between Cassie and Troy curiously, Liz gave a short mumbled response before dragging Marc off the couch and towards the door.

After they were gone, Cassie stood up slowly and gently laid the book back on the ottoman. She finally made eye contact with Troy and confirmed what she had known to be true since discovering the book. He was watching her intently. She walked over to him and ran her finger over the intricate tattoo on his shoulder for a quick second.

She had seen that tattoo countless times when Troy and Marc practiced and then again on the book cover.  She felt a little self conscious touching him so intimately, intimate to her at least, so she then moved her arms to wrap them around his neck in a tight hug. He was taller than her, as pretty much all of the fighters were, so she raised herself on her tiptoes to give him the close hug that he deserved for doing something so great. A book, he really is amazing. After a split second, Troy bent down a little and his strong arms returned the gesture and tightly wrapping around her back.

He didn't hug often but damn when he did she didn't ever want to let go. She had to though so she slowly untangled herself from him and stepped back just a little. She then moved her hands to his cheeks in another intimate touch she really shouldn't be allowing herself.



to be continued...

Reading Updates, etc.

Reading Updates

I've slowed down a little with my reading but I have read 2 books since my last post.

Talking Dirty With the Boss (Talking Dirty #3) by Jackie Ashenden (3 Stars)
Garrett (Cold Fury Hockey #2) by Sawyer Bennett (5 Stars)



I have a confession about both of the above, I read them without having read others in the series. Shocking, I know. That seems to be a new trend with me this year though. It helps that a lot of series have each book about different characters. How about you? Do you ever read out of order?


Cool Cover Spottings...that match my blog nicely :)


The Return by Ridley Pearson
See Me by Wendy Higgins


Movie News!!

Zombeavers release in (some) theaters last week! Unfortunately it's not playing close to me. Whomp Whomp.

Has anyone watched Insurgent? I haven't (yet) and I'm not really sure why.

Super Troopers 2 IS HAPPENING!!! Broken Lizard (the group of guys who filmed Super Troopers, Beerfest, Slammin Salmon, and Club Dread) is currently running an Indiegogo campaign to fund the movie and in 24 hours it has hit the minimum amount for them to be able to make the movie. Anything over that amount goes to making the movie better...better chase scenes and what not. SO if you're a fan of the first movie, like me, then check out the campaign and the perks of donating!

Random Reading & Cool Covers

Reading Updates

I've read (or listened to) 5 books/novellas since we last talked.

A Dirty Shame (J.J. Graves Mystery #2) by Liliana Hart (4.5 Stars)
Guarding His Heart (Half Moon Bay #3) by Annie Seaton (4 Stars)
Her Stepbrother, Her Hero by Terry Towers (Novella) 2.75 Stars)
Hard Knocks (Ultimate .5) by Lori Foster (Novella) (4 stars)
Trust the Focus (In Focus #1) by Megan Erickson (4.5 Stars)

Update: Make that 6 books, I forgot to add On The Fence by Kasie West (4 Stars)

I also started listening to Dirty Rotten Scoundrel (J.J. Graves Mystery #3) by Liliana Hart but I'm not very far into it yet.






Zombie TV Reports

Walking Dead is finally starting to pick back up. The only problem is that the season is almost over which makes for a sad Jen.

I watched most of last night's iZombie premier. I say most because I wasn't paying attention to the time and missed the first 10 minutes *gasp*! I have since set the series to record so I won't make that mistake again. Anyway, from what I saw I think the show has potential. It was a tad slow at places but I can see it really getting good as it progresses.



Cool Cover Spottings


Winter (The Lunar Chronicles #4) by Marissa Meyer
Deadly Design by Debra Dockter
Read Between the Lines by Jo Knowles


Randomness

How does time slip away so easily! It's hard to believe it's been almost a month since I last posted! Bad Jen. Anyway I thought I'd do one of my random update posts in hopes of getting myself back in gear.

Reading updates-
I'm happy to report that I have read 4 books since my last post. I'm hoping to review at least a couple of these but no promises since I'm trying the whole 'no pressure' approach to blogging this year.

Dirty Little Secrets by Liliana Hart (3.5 stars)
A Shattered Moment by Tiffany King (4 stars)
All Lined Up by Cora Carmack (4 stars)
Falling For Her Fiancé by Cindi Madsen (3.5 stars)



 
TV (zombie filled) updates-
Walking Dead- I hate to say it but this season hasn't really impressed me too much. There have been some redeeming scenes but I miss having those bigger, game changing moments. Here's hoping the season goes out with a bang with the three remaining episodes.

Cw's iZombie starts next week! Do any of you plan to watch? I'm looking forward to the fresh take on zombies.

Zombeavers also releases next week according to imdb.com. If you like really cheesy B movies then you should definitely check this one out. It's the cheesiest of cheesefests....aka I loved it!

Dead Snow 2: Red vs Dead- I watched this for the second time and I'm still impressed at their creative use of intestines in both Dead Snow movies.

 Photos from Imdb.com

Cool cover spotting-
Breaking Sky by Cori McCarthy



That's it for now. Until next time...

Review: Tempting Her Best Friend by Gina Maxwell


Tempting Her Best Friend (What Happens in Vegas #1)
By Gina L. Maxwell

Goodreads | Amazon

     Alyssa Miller is tired of waiting for her next door neighbor to see her as more than just his best friend. Ready to let off some steam, she heads to Las Vegas for a romance book convention where, if she's lucky, she'll get down and dirty with one of the sexy cover models.
     Dillon Alexander doesn't do commitment - especially not where his best friend is concerned. She deserves a man who can give her the world, not damaged goods. But when he realizes Alyssa intends to have a one-night stand on her vacation, he hauls ass after her to make sure he's the one to scratch her itch.
     Neither of them expects their explosive chemistry to burn hotter than the lights on the strip, but with a little help from Elvis, Marilyn Monroe, a flamboyant matchmaker, and TSA, what happens in Vegas might not stay in Vegas...


I've been in a bleh mood the last two days and this ended up being the perfect book at the perfect time. It made me laugh, grin, blush, and swoon...well really I had to try to NOT do those things since I was reading at work. Anyway, it pulled me out of my funk so thank you to the author for writing a bad mood breaker.

Some other reasons I loved this book...

1. Book loving main character
2. Bond Names
3. Tarzan
4. Cab Rides
5. The Elvis, Marilyn Monroe, etc mentioned in the description

I'm sure most of that makes no sense without reading it but trust me they're good reasons :)



Quickie Reviews & Cool Covers

Reading Updates

After 2 weeks of not reading I'm back! I read two books yesterday...we won't discuss how much I had to ignore work and my hubby in order to accomplish that ;)

The first book was A Little Something Different by Sandy Hall. This was an enjoyable read with a few unique aspects and just as the title suggests it really is a little something different. 3.5-4 Stars (I'm being indecisive)



The second book I read was I'll Meet You There by Heather Demetrios. The biggest thing I can say about this book is that it felt like it is or could be real. Not everyone's lives are the chipper and cheery love stories that you see in a lot of books. I'll Meet You There is a book about people with rough lives and real problems. 5 Stars


Cool Cover Sightings

Last week I mentioned a cover reveal for End of Days (Penryn and the End of Days 3) by Susan Ee. Well here it is! I also found the gorgeousness that is Storm by Amanda Sun.



Randomness

Reading update

I haven't read in almost two weeks *gasps*. In my defense I was on vacation for 9 of those days and I never read on vacation. I know, I know it sounds so backwards that I don't read on vacation but it is what it is.

eCookbooks: Yea or Nay? 

What are your thoughts on eCookbooks? I found myself looking at a kindle cookbook the other day and considered one-clicking it but I ended up not doing it. I'm just not sure if I would actually use it or if it would sit there on my kindle for all eternity...untouched.

Cool cover spottings




My sleep loving pooch, Kirby. Seriously, I'm pretty sure he hates me for those 5 minutes it takes me to wake him up and get him from his bed to the stairs to go out each morning. Lol!



ZOMBIESSSSS!!!

Walking Dead is back on in just a few days! I'm beyond excited!

I also plan to watch the CW zombie show, iZombie, when it starts next month. 


Random Book Stuff

There is going to be a cover reveal tomorrow for End of Days (Penryn and the End of Days #3) by Susan Ee. It's been over a year since book 2, World After, came out so I'm counting down the minutes until it releases!

My Reviews of Book 1 and Book 2 in the Penryn series.


Heather Demetrios has a promo going on for her new book I'll Meet You There. If you purchase it this week, not only will she send you a handwritten love letter from Josh Mitchell, a signed bookplate, and a bookmark but she'll also donate $1 to the Wounded Warrior Project. Pretty cool, right? Learn more about both on her blog


Well I think that's it for now. Until next time...