Breathless Ink » YA contemporary

Leigh T. Moore’s DRAGONFLY series

becca — Tue, 05 Aug 2014 11:52:22 +0000

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Books currently in the series: Dragonfly, Undertow, Watercolor, Mosaic

Want to hear my thoughts on the series?

Anna Sanders expected an anonymous (and uneventful) senior year until she crossed paths with rich-and-sexy Jack Kyser and his twin sister Lucy.

Pulling Anna into their extravagant lifestyle on the Gulf Coast, Lucy pushed her outside her comfort zone and Jack showed her feelings she’s never experienced… Until he mysteriously withdrew.

Anna turned to her internship at the city paper and to her old attraction for Julian, a handsome local artist and rising star, for distraction. But both led to her discovery of a decades-old secret closely guarded by the twins’ distant, single father.

It’s a secret that could cost her the boy she loves and permanently change all their lives.

Falling in love will pull you under…

-Bill Kyser has a plan to take the sandy farms of his hometown and turn them into a world-class tourist destination–and become a billionaire in the process.
-Alexandra “Lexy” LaSalle has a plan to change her life by becoming a world-famous artist.
-Meg Weaver has a plan to hold onto Bill no matter what she has to do.

Three friends, three dreams. One fatal decision will change all their lives forever.

In Dragonfly, Bill Kyser gave Anna the three journals that held the story behind the powerful developer’s seclusion and the damaged lives of his family members.

Anna hopes to find a way for Julian to know the truth, but as she digs deeper into the tragic events of the past, she realizes silence could be the only option.

Now she’s in an alliance with the man she formerly feared. And if Julian finds out what she knows, she could lose for good the boy she’s starting to love.

Love is stronger than distance…

Finishing senior year is supposed to be the best time in a person’s life.
Finishing senior year as Julian’s girlfriend should’ve been the icing on the cake.
Knowing the secret that could change everything for him is the only thing threatening to spoil it all.
Until Jack returns.

Anna and Julian are together at last, and it’s as hot and happy as they knew it would be. The only problem is The Secret.

And Jack.

But while Anna is determined to fight for the guy she loves, she could still lose Julian when he discovers the truth she’s been helping to hide.

The future never goes as planned.
People are never what they seem.
Time changes everything.

So you want to know what happened to Anna and Julian? Well, listen up, because I’ve got the whole scoop. I’m Jules, btw, and I am an artist, as you already know if you’ve read Watercolor. What you might not know is I inherited my mother’s cute little newsy nose, thank you very much.

It’s high school reunion time, and everyone’s coming back to Fairview—everyone who’s not already there, mind you. What went wrong, who’s fault it was, and why the heck nobody knew about me… it’s all coming out.

Long-distance relationships rarely last, and a lot of water has passed under that bridge. Big Secrets will be exposed, and in the end we’ll know if that old saying is true: Love is stronger than time.

“The books are most successful and most compelling when Moore brings the tension”

My favorite of the series was the first installment, Dragonfly. While some say love triangles have been overdone in YA romance, Anna’s attraction to Jack is believable as she struggles with her growing love for her friend Julian. There’s tension and palpable desire here that I miss in the rest of the series.

Overall, I love the premise of these books: a long-kept secret held by one generation spills over into their children’s lives, wreaking havoc with their loves and their futures. Much of the parents’ generation’s story is told through the contrivance of three diaries, and too often, they read as a contrivance. In Undertow, It’s hard to imagine anyone actually writing, as one does, “My mother, Mrs. Georgiana Weaver, is on practically every volunteer board and committee in South County.That’s because my daddy, Dr. John Weaver, is the best surgeon at the hospital in Fairview, and he’s a founding member of the hospital expansion committee.” This information needed to be conveyed, but no one is likely to write like this about themselves in a document ostensibly for and about themselves, so it feels a little clunky. Despite this style problem, the older characters’ stories are realistic and credible, and though the same story is told three times, it doesn’t seem too repetitive. A greater distinction between narrative voices would have made this aspect even more successful. I really like Julian and his mom. Those are people I would like to know IRL

In Watercolor, a new character seems to emerge out of nowhere and it’s difficult at first to accept that his story is as important as it is to the characters who had never mentioned him before or seemed to take an interest in the issue (don’t want to give too much away here) but it sets up events for later books. The Julian-Anna-Jack triangle pretty much dies here and I miss it. I didn’t exactly understand why Julian and Anna split up for a period, or why any of the adults would have let Anna in on such intimate details of their lives, but as a reader you just have to accept that premise. However, I wish some of the big events had been “written bigger” and some of the smaller ones had been skipped or minimized (it seems that finally learning who your father is, for example, should be a little more world-shattering than it is here).

Mosaic takes us years into the future and shows us how the younger generation seems to repeat the mistakes of their parents. A new narrator emerges and I found her somewhat forced, especially in her British-isms. Lines like “I read your sodding private blog, Mum. I know he was shagging some chav named Renee, and that’s why you left. He’s not just a wanker, he’s a sodding git” sound like a parody.

Overall, the books are most successful and most compelling when Moore brings the tension, as in this scene from Undertow:

I kissed him back. Our lips parted, and it was like

a sip of cool water after a long day in the hot sun. Such a relief.

He moved closer to kiss the side of my face, my neck and my hair. I

tightened my arms around him, resting my head on his shoulder and

inhaling deeply.

So sweet, so sad. I wished with everything in

me there was a way to change things. And when I opened my eyes,

there she was.

Meg was standing motionless in the backlight

of the hallway watching us.

My eyes flew wide as I pushed Bill away.

“Meg! It’s not what you think.”

She didn’t move, and even in the backlight I

could see the betrayal on her face, her body trembling. I took two

steps toward her, and she backed away.

“Meg…”

I could barely whisper her name as I

took another step. She turned and ran, and I stopped at at the door,

trying to catch my breath, reeling from the shock.

Nonetheless, these books would make some great beach reading, especially since many of the most enjoyable scenes take place on Gulf beaches. Moore really takes you there with excellent sensory details. As a beach girl myself, I wanted to join them.

And I really, really want a dragonfly ring. You will, too, after reading these.

Note: These books are a little steamy, so they’re definitely upper YA fare and could also be considered NA as the characters go off to college and even adult/parenthood.

Check out the series on Goodreads, Smashwords, and Amazon.

Meet Leigh T. Moore and her DRAGONFLY series!

becca — Mon, 04 Aug 2014 18:21:13 +0000

Title: Dragonfly series

Author: Leigh T Moore

Series: Dragonfly

Published by: Amazon digital services

Date published: June 4, 2103

Genres: contemporary

Book Length: approximately 260 pages each

Steam Rating: upper YA/NA levels of steam here

Main Characters: Anna, Jack, and Julian

Add to GoodReads

Buy on Amazon

Check out the review of the series in the post below

Check out the review of the entire series in tomorrow’s post!

Leigh Talbert Moore is the author of the popular young adult romantic comedy The Truth About Faking, its companion, The Truth About Letting Go, which is a Top 5 Finalist in the 2013 “Best Indie Book Awards,” sponsored by The Kindle Book Review; the romantic-suspense novel Rouge, which was a Quarter Finalist in the 2013 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Awards; and the Dragonfly series, a new contemporary YA to new adult romantic saga.

A southern expat and beach bum (and ex-journalist and editor), Leigh lives with her husband and two young children in a landlocked location. To compensate, she conjures new worlds, characters, and situations while playing chauffeur, chaperon, group activity leader, and referee.

Get Exclusive Sale and New Release Alerts straight to your phone or mobile device—Text “LeighTMoore” to 77948 Today!*

*(Max 3-4 messages per month or less; HELP for help; STOP to cancel; Text and Data rates may apply. Privacy policy available, leightmoore@gmail.com)

AND/OR Sign up for Leigh’s newsletter, and be the first to know about sales or new releases!

Connect with Leigh online:

Read chapters from Leigh’s books:

Wattpad | Figment

Leigh graciously agreed to play “My Life in Song Titles” with me! And she has some excellent answers, as you can see. She gets super extra bonus points from my daughter for mentioning Ariana Grande’s “Problem”. You’re just going to have to read the series to get the joke on this one.

What song describes a typical day in your life (as a writer or “civilian”)?

My husband says “The Loneliness of the Middle Distance Runner” by Belle and Sebastian. I’m not sure what that says about me—LOL! I’d say “She Works Hard for the Money,” by Donna Summer.

What would be Anna’s theme song? What would be yours?

This summer’s pick hit “Problem” by Arianna Grande. She would do a long-distance dedication to Jack on that one—Haha! Mine would be… umm… The Loneliness of a Middle Distance runner? BAH!!! Just kidding. It would definitely be “Just Keep Swimming” from Finding Nemo… is that even a real song.

What song describes the best advice you ever received?

This is advice I actually GIVE new and fellow writers all the time: “Just Keep Swimming.” I know. I already said that.

If you weren’t a writer what would your dream job be (in song, of course)?

Umm… “Wichita Lineman” by Glenn Campbell—omg… just kidding! Sadly I don’t have any other dream jobs. That was of my dad’s favorite songs, though. Maybe I could be a Rhinestone Cowgirl?

Where is your favorite place in the whole world?

The beach. But unfortunately there’s not a “The Beach” song that I can think of other than “Kokomo” by the Beach Boys, and I hate that song… Maybe “Wipeout” would be better?

from Dragonfly:

A half-step, and I was in his arms. A glint of blue and his mouth covered mine. I trembled as his hands traveled up the sides of my dress to my shoulders, then lightly cupped my cheeks.

His lips moved to the corner of my mouth, then my jaw, and a tiny noise slipped from my throat. I was tense and electric, and all I could think of were his soft lips touching me, my fingers exploring his hard stomach through the thin cotton shirt he wore.

His mouth traveled to my ear, where he kissed me lightly before whispering, “Let’s sit.”

Taking my hand, he sat in the sand and pulled me onto his lap, and I watched as he unbuttoned his shirt, revealing his lined chest. Then he took my hands and placed my palms flat on his warm skin. Gorgeous.

“Now you,” he said, and his arms circled to my back. I was breathing fast as he slid my zipper down, and my straps fell to the sides. My head was so light, I could barely breathe. This was all new to me, and there was no way I was stopping it. My shoulders shook, and I looked down.

“Are you afraid?” he whispered.

I shook my head no, lying. He cupped my chin, tilting my face up, and looked into my eyes. The breeze blew his golden hair around his cheeks, and I was convinced this was what an angel looked like.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Don’t forget! Come back tomorrow and check out the review and more on the Dragonfly series!

Review: THE GEOGRAPHY OF YOU AND ME, Jennifer E. Smith

becca — Tue, 22 Jul 2014 12:19:16 +0000

Title: The Geography of You and Me

Author: Jennifer E. Smith

Published by: Poppy

Date published: April 5, 2014

Genres: contemporary romance

Book Length: 352 pages

Steam Rating: sweet

Main Characters: Owen and Lucy

Add to GoodReads

Buy on Amazon

Owen and Lucy share a similar sense of humor and the joy they feel in each other’s company radiates off the pages.

Lucy and Owen meet when they’re stuck in an elevator in their New York City apartment building during a citywide blackout. They’re drawn to one another but circumstances pull them a continent apart. Can love survive if it hasn’t had a chance to develop past one wonderful night on a Manhattan rooftop?

THE COUPLE: Lucy is a loner and a bookworm. Since she’s happy with her books and roaming Manhattan solo and is used to being alone as her parents travel a great deal, she’s surprised that she wants to spend time with Owen despite having just met him. Owen is more mysterious; he and his father are both rootless after the death of Owen’s mother. But Owen and Lucy share a similar sense of humor and the joy they feel in each other’s company radiates off the pages.

OVERALL: I’m a big fan of Smith’s The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight and This is What Happy Looks Like. I was more immediately pulled into those stories than this one, probably because Smith set herself such a difficult task: showing us two people falling in love when they go pages and pages – most of the book – without seeing each other or even writing to one another. I have to admit that I wanted more dialogue between Owen and Lucy, more chances for them to interact, even though I get that the whole point is that they’ve been separated. Still, I found the charming Scot who Lucy dates when she’s living in Edinburgh at least as attractive as Owen, which diminishes the idea that Owen and Lucy’s love was meant to be. But when Owen and Lucy are together, you want them to remain that way.

SMOOCH METER: 3 smooches (I know it’s the exact opposite of the point of this book, but I wanted more Owen and Lucy together. I wanted to see their love develop).

He couldn’t find the words. And so instead they just stood there, regarding each other silently, the room suddenly a quiet as the elevator had been, as comfortable as the kitchen floor, as remote as the roof. Because that’s what happened when you were with someone like that: the world shrank to just the right size. It molded itself to fit only the two of you, and nothing more.

Have you ever had a long-distance love affair or flirtation? Anything you can share with us?

Interview with TWELVE STEPS’ Veronica Bartles

becca — Fri, 04 Jul 2014 12:33:02 +0000

Title: Twelve Steps

Author: Veronica Bartles

Published by: Swoon Romance

Date published: May 20, 2014

Genres: contemporary

Book Length: 225 pages

Add to GoodReads

Buy on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Kobo

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!