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Happy Release Day to “Old Flame” by Annabelle Blume (@annabelleblume) #Romance #NewAdult
For a good friend of mine, the day all writers love– release day–has come.
*cue fanfare and confetti*
A big fat congratulations to Annabelle Blume for her latest release, OLD FLAME–a New Adult Contemporary Romance with Roane Publishing.
As part of the release day festivities, I have wrangled Ms. Blume into stopping by the blog for a visit. (Go me.)
In her novella, the main character, Hannah, has a bit of an unhealthy obsession with her ex, James — so I thought it would be fun to pick the authors brain a bit about that aspect of Hannah’s personality.
Here’s what she had to say:
I was in college before the advent of social media. The internet had just started to take hold in mainstream American life. I was actually annoyed freshman year because professor demanded we sign up and use our free university-hosted email accounts to contact him. I’m pretty sure I muttered something to the effect of, “Like I’m ever going to use that.” Only rich old dudes had cellular phones. They were the size of Rhode Island and could only make and receive calls, usually for the hefty sum of $2 per minute. Chat rooms existed online, but not a lot of people I knew were participating. Oh, and you had to plug your computer modem into a phone jack to access the internet. Yes, really. Imagine how that went when you shared one phone line in a house with 5 other people.
It was a simpler time. (I’m not old, shut up!) There were a few instances where I made a mix tape for a guy I had a crush on, or what have you, but nothing extreme. We cried, we lamented, we mourned when our relationships went bust. Pints of ice cream were devoured and Sarah McLaughlin sold millions of albums. But without modern technology at our fingertips, no way to see where your ex was “checking in” or profiles to follow, it took a very, um, special, kind of person to keep tabs on their ex. I was not one of those kinds of ex-girlfriends. When we were done, we were DONE. I never got back together with a single ex, not that there were many, but you get my point.
That’s why it was so much fun, and slightly scary, to write Hannah. Imagining what it would be like to date today, with Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, and so on… is mind-boggling. Frankly, it’s a miracle more young people don’t get lost in obsessive behavior when it comes to their ex. Or do they?
Sounds like the idea for another story to me 😛
Here are all the details on Old Flame, the first in Annabelle’s Hearts Aflame Files series.
Old Flame
by Annabelle Blume
Genre: New Adult Romance (Contemporary)
Publisher: Roane Publishing
Keywords: Romance, New Adult, Contemporary, Novella, Series
Blurb: Hannah Sullivan has spent the past three months stalking her ex-boyfriend, lurking in the bushes and hiding behind fake social media personas, convinced she can eventually rekindle the love they once shared. But when she meets Marc, who is everything James never wanted to be and more, she begins to wonder if she’s got it all wrong.
Hannah must come to terms with her own demons before she can decipher between her delusional mission the man of her dreams.
Buy Links:
Amazon
Amazon (UK)
Barnes and Noble
KOBO
All Romance eBooks
Smashwords
About the Author: Annabelle is a best-selling Romance and New Adult author, that is, when she’s not checking homework or begrudgingly cooking dinner. Wife, mother, and creator of alternate worlds, Annabelle has a penchant for that which is outside the norm.
Her degree in Sociology has given her the ability to construct worlds that exist only in her head and translate them passionately to the page. The time spent studying individuals, interpersonal relationships, and particularly, women, within the constraints of our society led to Annabelle’s unabashed ability to talk about sex as it fits into our modern lives.
She’s also the author/personality of The Bombshell Mommy at Vitacost.com where she helps modern Bombshells and their families live “green”.
New Release News: Winter’s Sweet Kiss – A Sweet Romance Anthology #Romance @RoanePublishing #Giveaway
Welcome, welcome… and a big fat happy release day to Winter’s Sweet Kiss and Roane Publishing!
Today is the day they officially unveil their first publication with the world. Pretty cool, right?
Here are all the details on the release:
Winter’s Sweet Kiss
by Various Authors
Genre: Romance (Sweet)
Publisher: Roane Publishing
Release Date: TODAY!
Description: Fight the winter chill with the heartwarming, romantic tales.
AN UNEXPECTED WREATH By Annabelle Blume
Stella’s got everything she needs in life: a great job, a beautiful house, and her independence. But on last minute trip to the local Christmas tree lot she finds something, or rather someone, she desperately wants – Grayson. An emergency trip to Target, an unexpected wreath, and a little Christmas magic make the season much brighter.
SANTA BEBE By Lily Carlyle
Disillusioned by men and her belief that they see her only as an object, Bebe is determined to find a man with money. Her geeky, but unfailingly kind, next-door neighbor James tries to convince her of the possibility of real love, even as she reveals to him the troubled childhood that made her so cynical about relationships. When her mother dashes her hopes for a perfect Christmas, Bebe finds herself turning to James once again, and in the process, learning a lot about herself and the promise their relationship holds.
MELT By Shaya Roy
Newlyweds in an arranged marriage, Naina and Dev go to the mountains of Shimla, India in search of snow. Unfortunately, they find fifteen inches more than they expected.
Being snowed in with her husband is not necessarily a bad thing. It gives Naina an excellent excuse to snuggle up to her deep, quiet man, but every time Dev spurns her, a little more of her heart drips away.
Melting the ice around her husband’s heart before the snow outside does might take more pride than Naina’s ready to surrender.
ONE IN A MILLION SNOWFLAKES By Michelle Ziegler
Angela is in love with someone she can never have–her best friend, Rebecca’s older brother.
Stranded in the bitter cold after a disastrous blind date with yet another company Christmas party looming, a standing offer from the boss’ nephew gets a little more appealing. Desperation. Not a good sign. Surely when Rebecca rescues her from the blinding snow, she can also convince Angela to just go to the party alone. She can always count on her best friend.
That is, as long as she never finds out about Angela’s secret crush.
BEGINNING OF FOREVER By Terri Rochenski
When Wayne Edwards moves to town, Lillian Douglas experiences stirrings she thought were long dead. Guilt ridden over betraying her deceased husband and the feelings Wayne inspires, Lillian reluctantly lets him in. Secrets of the past – an old promise emerges, but will it threaten their forever?
The big release blog tour kicks off today with a tour-wide giveaway!
Click on the button below to see the list of tour stops.
In addition, they are hosting a rafflecopter giveaway to celebrate — so swing by there to enter for your chance to win.
Good Luck!!
Cover Reveal – Old Flame by Annabelle Blume (@AnnabelleBlume) #Romance #Novella @Roanepublishing
Another purty cover reveal by my alter-ego — and another cover artist byline. Check it out — love to know what you think of it.
Very excited to have the chance to share friend and fellow author, Annabelle’ Blume’s latest cover. As you know, I LOVE me some covers… and this one is especially special to me since I am the cover artist 🙂
Here she is…
OLD FLAME
by Annabelle Blume
Genre: Contemporary New Adult Romance
Publisher: Roane Publishing
Release Date: January 15, 2014
Keywords: Romance, New Adult, Contemporary, Novella
Blurb: Hannah Sullivan has spent the past three months stalking her ex-boyfriend, lurking in the bushes and hiding behind fake social media personas, convinced she can eventually rekindle the love they once shared. But when she meets Marc, who is everything James never wanted to be and more, she begins to wonder if she’s got it all wrong. Hannah must come to terms with her own demons before she can decipher between her delusional mission the man of her dreams.
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#Review: Melted Tears: The Outlier Chronicles by Annabelle Blume #Giveaway @inkspellpublish
Welcome back. I know I have been a bit MIA lately, but I have good reason — writing. Can’t fault me there, right?
Anyway, before I get off on a tangent about my absence, let’s get to why I am posting today.
Fellow Inkspell author and friend, Annabelle Blume has a new release out — the newest installment of her Outlier Chronicles series, and I was lucky enough to score a review ARC. Here is what I thought about it. (From Goodreads)
Melted Tears: The Outlier Chronicles by Annabelle Blume
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I was really excited to get a chance to read and review this one, as I enjoyed the first story, Frozen Heart so much. In this one, we get to see what happens with Beckett and Cressie (and the dogs) after they decide to abscond from the Affinity together. I don’t do review spoilers, so I will stay away from the plot for the sake of this review. However, I will say that I really loved where the author took this follow-up tale, deciding to pick up on a mention in the first book of Cressie’s parents.
I really think it would make a nice novel, but the novella length matches nicely with the first installment of the tale, and the storyline didn’t feel rushed by the length, so I am content with the way it came off.
The descriptions are stellar and the characters strong and true to what I expected from them based on the first story. Even the dogs are perfectly portrayed and oh so lovable in their protectiveness. This is definitely one to pick up, especially if you read the first story in the series.
Would love to see more stories revolving around the Affinity and the “Collective”. Maybe something that goes more into the reasons for the strict rules and strange breeding laws they have adopted. The society that Cressie and Beckett survive in is one that has me infinitely curious.
A great tale for an evening of reading! I highly recommend this one.
Now that I’ve told you all what I think about it, let me give you all the juicy release details…
MELTED TEARS
by Annabelle Blume
Publisher: Inkspell Publishing
Genre: Sci-fi/Romance
Blurb:
Two lovers face off against a government determined to keep them apart. It’s only brave if it’s hard.
After a decade of being alone in the wilderness, Cressenda is still adjusting to life with the man of her dreams. When Beckett hatches a plan to break her parents out of The Affinity prison work camps, Cressenda must make the biggest sacrifice of her life; trading her freedom for her parents’. Cressenda’s fortitude is tested at every turn, from surviving the conditions of West Fallen work camp to believing in Beckett’s dedication to their plan and their love, even when it looks like all hope is lost. With the help of a unlikely ally, Cressenda learns to stop fighting against her fears and embrace the power of fighting for her dreams.
Will trusting Beckett to take down The Affinity be the ultimate show of faith or a fatal mistake?
About the Author:
Annabelle is a Science Fiction and Urban Fantasy Romance author, that is, when she’s not checking homework or begrudgingly cooking dinner. Wife, mother, and creator of alternate worlds, Annabelle has a penchant for that which is outside the norm.
Her Sociology degree has given her the ability to construct worlds that exist only in her head and translate them passionately to the page. The time spent studying individuals, interpersonal relationships, and particularly, women, within the constraints of our society led to Annabelle’s unabashed ability to talk about sex as it fits into our modern lives.
She’s also the author/personality of The Bombshell Mommy at Vitacost.com, where she expounds her knowledge of being a vixen clad in sweatpants.
A serial book monogamist, Annabelle is deeply devoted to the literary love of her life until the next amazing book falls into her clutches and she obsesses anew.
Annabelle’s official author page http://www.annabelleblume.com/
You can reach her on Twitter @AnnabelleBlume and stay up-to-date via her author Facebook page
* * * * *
To top it all off, Ms. Blume has been kind enough to offer a great giveway as part of the Release Tour. This is a rafflecopter giveaway, so I cant show it here (stupid WordPress) — but I can give you the link!
Make sure to enter to win one of 15 e-Copies of MELTED TEARS
Really enjoyed this one.
Frozen Heart by Annabelle Blume
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I brought this novella on the plane with me when I flew to California and I have to say, reading it made the time fly by. Before I knew it, I was at the end of the story and looking for more.
Im not one to give spoilers in reviews, so I will stay away from anything too specific, but will say that I loved the descriptions and Ms, Blume really did a spectacular job of describing the dystopian world Cressenda lives in. I was hooked from the first page, and really enjoyed the interactions between her and Beckett as the story unfolded. The romance developed nicely and I never felt any lags in the story or action. A really stellar read.
I will definitely be looking for more from this author.
Book Review: Frozen Heart by Annabelle Blume (@annabelleblume) #reviews
Frozen Heart by Annabelle Blume
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I brought this novella on the plane with me when I flew to California and I have to say, reading it made the time fly by. Before I knew it, I was at the end of the story and looking for more.
Im not one to give spoilers in reviews, so I will stay away from anything too specific, but will say that I loved the descriptions and Ms, Blume really did a spectacular job of describing the dystopian world Cressenda lives in. I was hooked from the first page, and really enjoyed the interactions between her and Beckett as the story unfolded. The romance developed nicely and I never felt any lags in the story or action. A really stellar read.
I will definitely be looking for more from this author.
Cover Reveal: Frozen Heart by Annabelle Blume (@AnnabelleBlume) #coverreveal #scifi
Happy Sunday, everyone!
Instead of a Six Sentence Sunday post today, I thought I would treat you all to another cover reveal. I have become quite addicted to these posts. The covers are usually so amazing. So without further ado, here is today’s cover, brought to us by Annabelle Blume’s new Sci-fi romance, FROZEN HEART (Inkspell Publishing, 2012)
Title: Frozen Heart
Author: Annabelle Blume
Genre: SciFi Romance
Back of the Book: A decade surviving on her own. Three days with the enemy. Can love conquer all?
Cressenda knows how to survive. With her sled dogs as her only companions, she’s spent the past ten years hiding in the snow covered wilderness from the oppressive regime of the Affinity. When a routine trip to civilization takes a turn for the worst, Cressenda is forced to take refuge with the enemy or lose her life to the frozen countryside.
But Beckett, a Guard of the Affinity, is more than a man in uniform. His desperate need to help Cressenda escape both- the blizzard and the Affinity- makes her feelings for him all the more troubling. Will Beckett be true to his word and set Cressenda free? Will her heart let her leave after all they’ve shared?
Author Bio:
Annabelle is a Science Fiction and Urban Fantasy Romance author. That is, when she’s not checking homework or begrudgingly cooking dinner. Her dogs bark too much and her husband thinks there are too many dogs shoved into their tiny house out in California, but she believes their life is awesome if only because they live so close to Disneyland – which she loves with the tenacity of a nine-tentacled octopus.
She’s also the author/personality of The Bombshell Mommy at Vitacost.com, where she expounds her knowledge of being a vixen clad in sweatpants.
Read about her adventures in writing at www.AnnabelleBlume.com.
Follow her on Twitter @AnnabelleBlume and like her on Facebook at www.facebook.com/AnnabelleBlumeAuthor
Other Participating Blogs:
The Daydreamer’s Book Obsession
Bex Book Nook 