Showing posts with label country music. Show all posts
Showing posts with label country music. Show all posts

Thursday, January 30, 2014

@HunterSJones101 Book Blast & #Giveaway "Fortune Calling" by Hunter S. Jones




Dallas Fortune is a small town girl with a gift for playing guitar. A member of her family has played the Grand Ol Opry since it began as a simple radio show in 1925. But, they are the minstrels, the troubadours--session players--not stars.

Dallas lives her life on the road. She’s just another guitar player with a dream until she finds an antique blue mandolin in a pawn shop. Her life comes into focus as the enchantment of the mandolin captivates her audiences. The Guitar God of Nashville beckons her. 
Everything is there for Dallas at last, until a stage accident sends her home and shatters her dreams. Blow after blow she fights the hand of fate. 
Is she destined to lose out in life? 
Hope, dreams, and love seem to be just out of reach. Every girl dreams of a happy ending. Dallas Fortune has the best Fairy Godmother in Country Music history. 
Will she help make Dallas’ dreams come true? Is the future among the stars, in the cards or locked in your heart? 
Fortune Calling is the first story in The Fortune Series. Set in contemporary Nashville and rural Tennessee, the series chronicles the live of loves of Dallas Fortune.
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Billie Joe wasn’t all bad. That was part of the problem. All I had to do was hear his voice, feel the velvet softness of his lips…those strong arms wrapping around me…he became mine and no one else’s. We don’t have a relationship; we have an addiction to each other. I have to find the strength to break his spell, somehow…some way. Or, stay trapped in his web for the rest of my life.

The rain surrounds me in the form of a mist as I realize that I am standing in the driveway again, lost in dreams. Pulling the collar of my jacket around my neck to stop the chill, I walk to the back of the Cadillac again, just to check. We might be in the middle of nowhere in this valley but meth has made crime an epidemic. It gnaw at the fringes of our people. No one would steal the Cadillac out of respect for dad, but I’d had to threaten to shot a couple of boys trying to steal the tires and rims a few months ago. They were buzzed outta their minds. It’s a wonder they didn’t shot me, but they were just looking for something quick to steal and sell. One shot in the air and they ran like mice. They will steal an antique mandolin in a heartbeat. They ain’t getting Blue Belle. I probably would shot someone in order to save her.

Knowing the trunk is securely locked, I walk toward the front door of the little house. Before entering, I wipe my boots on the mat on the porch and shake my long, blonde hair to remove the moisture. Giving up, I finally wrap my hair into a makeshift ponytail and open the door. A wave of warmth and the smell of cinnamon greet me unexpectedly.


“Good afternoon, welcome. I am Ernesto Lorenze,” a friendly male voice says from the corner of the dark room. I look around to see a tall, dark haired guy pull himself upright from a chair seated behind an antique desk. 

Actually, his legs are so long it is as if he is unraveling himself from the desk and chair. That’s a long drink of water crosses my mind before I even have time to think. I feel a blush creep across my cheeks as I access his credentials, so to speak. He is young looking but possibly in his mid-30s. He is wearing some type of black top hat, dark shirt, and jeans. You have to wonder why he would want to cover those silky dark curls, which almost touch his shoulders. His eyes are a luscious black/brown too, with just enough spark when he smiles, which lets you know that he is fun and charming. Bet he smiles like that all the time, not just when he wants to take money from you for a card reading, but anytime. Anywhere. The dimples help with that assessment, too. The fortune teller is a gorgeous guy. How great is that? I feel excited about something for the first time in a long time. Surely THAT alone is an omen, but we shall see what we shall see.

The spell is momentarily broken when he sits down on the desk in front of me, crosses his arms, and furrows his dark brows. Is something wrong?

“An hour reading is 100 dollars. Half an hour only 50 dollars. What would you like today?” He looks at me and winks. Is he flirting with me? How unexpected. Why have I left the house with no make-up on?

Looking him in the eyes makes me wonder…What would I like today?



Hunter S. Jones creates artwork which in her own words is more interesting than anything else you will ever know or learn about me. She is an author and entertainment blogger who was born in Tennessee and now lives in Atlanta, GA.

She has been writing about the things she loves all her life. From indie rock rags in Nashville to publishing multiple articles on travel, fashion, history and art.

Since her debut novella in October 2012 she has published 6 more original works including her novel September Ends, a collaboration with a critically acclaimed, award winning English author and poet in the fall of 2013.

Her latest, Fortune Calling is being released January 30th, 2014.
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Thursday, December 12, 2013

@LadyGlamis @LadyReaderStuff #Review #Giveaway OUT OF TUNE by Michelle D. Argyle


Out of Tune review
Author: Michelle D. Argyle
4 out of 5 stars

Book Info: Genre: Literary Fiction
Reading Level: New Adult
Recommended for: fans of New Adult, coming-of-age fiction, country music
Trigger Warnings: infidelity, miscarriage

My Thoughts: While this is not the sort of book I normally read, I have read and enjoyed this author's work in the past (Monarch, review linked here; The Breakaway, review linked here), so decided to give it a go.

“All the good things were easy to overlook when she was standing in a pile of wreckage, wondering what had started the first explosion.” That quote sort of encapsulates the story and the experiences that Maggie goes through during the course of this book. She's been sheltered her whole life, home-schooled, following her country-music-star parents on their tours, and now, at 20, she wants to strike out on her own.

The one thing I really did not like was the resolution of the love triangle. Even though what happened is, unfortunately, realistic, it seems very unfair to the guy she doesn't pick. It also felt sort of tacked on. Unfortunately I can't be more specific, so as to avoid spoilers, but I think most folks will see what I mean when they read this.

However, fans of New Adult novels, coming-of-age books, and country music should all enjoy this book. It is well-written (not that I'd expect anything less of this author) and the characters can all be related to easily. Check it out if this sounds like your sort of thing.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the author's publicist in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Synopsis: Twenty-year-old Maggie Roads’ parents are legendary in the country music world. She wants nothing more than to follow in their footsteps, but the limelight isn’t reserved for singers who can’t carry a tune, let alone keep a rhythm.

When her parents tell her they’re getting divorced, Maggie decides it’s time to leave home and take her future into her own hands. Moving in with Cole, her best friend and sometimes boyfriend, might not be the best of ideas, but she’s got to start somewhere. Their off-and-on romance gets even more complicated when Maggie crushes on her new voice teacher, Nathan, who unlocks her stunning potential. A sensational music career of her own is finally within reach, but Maggie might need more than perfect pitch to find what she’s really looking for.

Author Bio:

Michelle lives and writes in Utah, surrounded by the Rocky Mountains. She adores cheese, chocolate, sushi, and lots of ethnic food, and loves to read and write books in the time she grabs between her sword-wielding husband and energetic daughter.

She believes a simple life is the best life.

Michelle writes contemporary Young Adult and New Adult fiction (and other genres when she feels like it).


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December 2nd – Kelly at Kelly P's Blog – Spotlight/Excerpt
December 2nd – Laura at The Revolving Bookcase – Review, Top 10, Playlist

December 3rd – Mandy at I read Indie – Playlist
December 3rd – abookandalatee at ABookAndALatee – Review
December 4th – Reading Renee – Review  
December 4th– Mission To Read – Review


December 4th – alwaysjoart – Playlist, Top Ten
December 5th– Katelyn at Kate's Tales of Books and Bands – Review & Playlist
December 5th – Unconventional Librarian – Character Interview
December 5th – A Diary of a Book Addict – Review, Spotlight
December 6th– A Little Hope Amidst The Chaos – Guest Post
December 6th– Inkfever –Review
December 9th– Author JA Bennett – Guest Post
December 9th– Literary Lunes – Interview, Guest Post
December 10th– Laurie's Thoughts and Reviews – Spotlight


December 10th– Jess at Jess Resides Here – Playlist, Top Ten
December 10th– Devilishly Delicious Book Reviews – Review
December 11th– Mythical Books – Review
December 11th– Our New Generation For Reading – Review


December 12th– Now is Gone – Review
December 12th– Laurel's Leaves – Guest Post
December 13th– Culture Shock – Review
December 13th– Creative Barbwire – Guest Post


Thursday, November 21, 2013

@LadyGlamis & @LadyReaderStuff #Giveaway #Excerpt #Book_Blast OUT OF TUNE by Michelle D. Argyle


Twenty-year-old Maggie Roads’ parents are legendary in the country music world. She wants nothing more than to follow their example, but the limelight is not reserved for singers who cannot carry a tune, let alone keep a rhythm.


When her parents tell her they are getting divorced, Maggie decides it’s time to leave home and take her future into her own hands. Moving in with Cole, her best friend and sometimes boyfriend might not be the best of ideas, but she has to start somewhere. 



Their off-and-on romance gets even more complicated when Maggie crushes on her new voice teacher, Nathan, who unlocks her stunning potential. 



A sensational music career of her own is finally within reach, but Maggie might need more than perfect pitch to find what she is really looking for.



                                                                                                       
Cole’s steady beat on the drum relaxed her. She could feel his eyes on her as she played, but she did not turn around. He would never know what this meant to her. She had wanted and dreaded this moment forever. She could only imagine what tomorrow would be like, with an audience full of strangers.
She closed her eyes as the music flowed into her. Iza came in on her fiddle, her notes weaving in and out like bright threads in a tapestry. Justin started singing the first lines and she tapped her foot, counting like Nathan had taught her. “Every beat is a physical thing,” he had said. “See the music, feel it, just like you’ve done your whole life. Pearls on a string—let each one slide through your fingers. Measured.”
Mandolin line. Then the bass started. Maggie’s turn.
When she came in, her voice was louder and stronger than it had ever been. Justin’s voice filled her up like honey. She swam through it, adding her own to his. Maybe he was a womanizer and constantly looking at her like, he wanted to get her in bed, but he was an amazing singer. They smiled at each other as they melted into the song.
She had never been inside music like this before. The stage lights sparkled in her eyes and she understood for the first time in her life why musicians put up with all that travelling and recording, and the stressful nights like when her mom was puking her guts out with the flu—the real
flu—but had to go on stage in five minutes. Maggie remembered her smiling as she wiped her mouth and shrugged. “It’s part of the singin’ life, hon. We don’t always get breaks when we need them.” She had patted Maggie on her twelve-year-old head and squared her shoulders as her makeup artist dusted some powder over her pale cheeks. Then she had left for the stage in a flutter of sequins and curls.


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Michelle lives and writes in Utah, surrounded by the Rocky Mountains. She adores cheese, chocolate, sushi, and lots of ethnic food, and loves to read and write books in the time she grabs between her sword-wielding husband and energetic daughter.
She believes a simple life is the best life. 
Michelle writes contemporary Young Adult and New Adult fiction (and other genres when she feels like it).
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