Author: Lizzy Charles

Series: Effortless with You

Published by: Swoon Romance

Date published: May 27, 2014

Genres: contemporary

Book Length: 308 pages

Steam Rating: sweet

Main Characters: Lucy and Justin

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Popularity isn’t everything it’s cracked up to be. Justin Marshall knows this better than most. For the captain of the basketball team, small business owner, and son of Minnesota’s next governor, life can get pretty overwhelming. But Justin can handle anything as long as he has Lucy, the girl who fell for the man he’s trying to be.

But for Justin and Lucy, finding time together proves challenging. Stolen kisses and whispered promises just aren’t enough. That is, until scandalous photos of the couple are leaked to a press intent on creating a juicy scandal during Justin’s dad’s gubernatorial campaign. And when Lucy becomes fair play for the tabloids and gossip pages, Justin does the only thing he can to protect her: he breaks her heart.

For Lucy, junior year is everything she hoped it would be: new friends, second chances, and a boyfriend she can’t stop kissing. That is, until the boy she’s pretty sure she loves chooses the life his family wants for him, over her.

Now it’s up to Lucy to teach him what it really means to have everything. Because for Justin, being who everyone needs him to be just might cost him the one person he can’t live without.

When Lizzy Charles isn’t scrambling to raise her two spunky toddlers or caring for premature and sick babies as a neonatal intensive care nurse, she’s in a quiet corner writing or snuggled up with a novel and a few squares of dark chocolate. She married her high school sweetheart, a heart-melting musician, so it’s no surprise she’s fallen in love with writing contemporary YA romance novels.

Follow her on Twitter at @LizzyCharles_ and Facebook.

Lizzy agreed to play My Life in Movie Titles. Here we go!

1. If you couldn’t be a writer what would you be? Florence Nightingale, (Biography, 1985). I have a Bachelors of Science in Nursing and if I didn’t want to be a writer, I would further pursue my career in the nursing field. Currently, I’m a neonatal intensive care nurse but I’m toying with the idea of becoming a family nurse practitioner.

2. What movie title best describes your non-writing life? One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, (Drama, 1975) I’m a mother of a four year old, two and half year old, and six month old. I’m also a neonatal intensive care nurse. And a wife. And daughter. And friend. And, well, you get the idea. I’m pretty sure my writing life is the only sane part of my life at the moment.

3. In what ways are you like your main character? In what ways do you wish you were like your main character? The Lizzie McGuire Movie, (Family, 2003). Disclaimer: To understand this answer you must have extensive knowledge of the television show and film. **SPOILERS AHEAD for The Lizzie McGuire Movie** The Lizzie McGuire Disney series features your everyday girl, trying to make sense of the hormonal and hierarchical tween world. She has a crush on the “cute” guy at school and, of course, her best friend, Gordo, has a crush on her, but she doesn’t know it. The series moves slowly through their relationship, and Lizzie remains a normal, funny, and clutzy girl. Fast forward to The Lizzie McGuire Movie. Are you there? Good. Here, Lizzie is still a normal girl but she gets to go to Europe on a class trip. While there, an Italian popstar discovers her, asking her to help him keep this other famous Italian popstar, Isabella, from getting in trouble. Lizzie, with her heart of gold, helps and has all this gorgeous attention paid to her. Unfortunately she’s betrayed and exposed, but with the help and encouragement of Gordo, she discovers she’s not normal at all. She’s incredible. The world discovers it too. And in the end, she kisses Gordo! FINALLY!!! THAT is the difference between myself and my main character, Lucy, from Effortless With You and Perfectly Messy. I am the Lizzie McGuire from the television series and Lucy is The Lizzie McGuire from the movie. Lucy’s kind of like me on steroids, if that makes sense. We are very similar but Lucy is made for big screen. I’m just a normal lady trying to navigate my world. Where Lucy? She’s got a story that MUST be told!

4. Where is your favorite place to read? To write? The Sleeping Porch, (Comedy, 1929). No explanation necessary there.

5.What is the best piece of advice you have ever received (about writing or anything in life)? In Pursuit of Happyness, (Biographical Drama, 2006). Work hard, never give up, and don’t pass up enjoying the small, tender moments in life. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJyJxD5WASo Thank you so much for having me on Breathless Ink! I’m so excited about this new blog! <3

Interested in Lizzy Charles’ novels Effortless With You and Perfectly Messy? They are available on Amazon, Nook, iBooks, and most ebook readers. Prefer a book you can actually hold in your hand and smell? Both novels are available in print via Amazon and available to order through many local bookstores if you ask.

Lizzy Charles lives in the Twin Cities and is a graduate of the University of Minnesota. When she isn’t raising her three children or caring for premature and sick babies as a neonatal intensive care nurse, she’s seeking refuge with her laptop, sparkling water, and dark chocolate. She married her high school sweetheart, a swoon-worthy musician, so it’s no surprise she’s fallen in love with writing contemporary YA romance novels.

Win a copy of PERFECTLY MESSY.

Title: Twelve Steps

Author: Veronica Bartles

Published by: Swoon Romance

Date published: May 20, 2014

Genres: contemporary

Book Length: 225 pages

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Sixteen-year-old Andi is tired of being a second-class sibling to perfect sister Laina. The only thing Andi’s sure she has going for her is her awesome hair. And even that is eclipsed by Laina’s perfect everything else. 

When Andi’s crush asks her to fix him up with Laina, Andi decides enough is enough, and devises a twelve-step program to wrangle the spotlight away from Laina and get the guy. 

Step 1: Admit she’s powerless to change her perfect sister, and accept that her life really, really sucks. 

Step 4: Make a list of her good qualities. She MUST have more than just great hair, right? 

Step 7: Demand attention for more than just the way she screws things up. 

When a stolen kiss from her crush ends in disaster, Andi realizes that her twelve-step program isn’t working. Her prince isn’t as charming as she’d hoped, and the spotlight she’s been trying to steal isn’t the one she wants. 

As Laina’s flawless façade begins to crumble, the sisters work together to find a spotlight big enough for both to shine.

Veronica Bartles grew up in Wyoming and currently lives in New Mexico with her husband and four children. As the second of eight children and the mother of four, Veronica Bartles is no stranger to the ups and downs of sibling relationships. She uses this insight to write stories about siblings who mostly love each other, even while they’re driving one another crazy. When Veronica’s not writing or lost in the pages of her newest favorite book, she enjoys creating delicious desserts, exploring new places, and knitting with recycled materials.

TWELVE STEPS is Veronica’s first novel.

Find Veronica on her  website vbartles.com,   Facebook, her blog, Twitter at @vbartles, Pinterest, Goodreads, and Tumblr.

Veronica agreed to play My Life in Movie Titles!

1.  If you couldn’t be a writer what would you be?

I’d be Supergirl , and my secret identity would be a

Tangled    ,      Clueless    rich girl.

Or I’d just settle for being rich. I’d be The Happiest Millionaire ever. 

2. What time period do you wish you could live in or at least visit?

I’d love to visit 1776    , to see the original Independence Day . But if I couldn’t do that, I’d just like to go Somewhere in Time . Maybe to the Ice Age or Back to the Future  . I’d even like to revisit high school, if I didn’t have to deal with the Mean Girls  .

3.  In what ways are you like your main character? In what ways do you wish you were like your main character?

Like Andi, sometimes I need to Get a Clue . And sometimes, my daughter accuses me of acting like I’m 17 Again  . Also, when I was in high school, I always felt like I’d never get A Cinderella Story  of my own. (Luckily, I was wrong about that. I met my own Prince Charming, who is An Ideal Husband  for me.)

But I wish I was Brave  , like Andi, and that I could face life with No Reservations  .

4.  Where is your favorite place to read? To write?

I’m always reading or writing something, so Chances Are  , you’ll always see me with a book or The Notebook  I’m currently using to write whatever manuscript I’m working on. But of course I do have favorites. I love Oceans  , and being out Where the Wild Things Are , so for the best inspiration, I like to head Into the Woods or relax on beautiful Beaches with a stack of books and my manuscript.

5.  What is the best piece of advice you have ever received (about writing or anything in life)?

It’s a Wonderful Life – Always be grateful for the blessings and trials that come your way. And always remember that the biggest trials lead to the best blessings.

EXCERPT

A copy of Twelve Steps is one of the prizes in the YA package!