Just Breathe Blog Tour–Ephemera Reviews/Dream Cast

Kendall Grey has crafted one of the best trilogies I’ve EVER read. If you haven’t read INHALE, EXHALE, or JUST BREATHE, you must do so NOW.

I’m thrilled to take part in this WORLDWIDE Blog Tour to celebrate the release of Just Breathe, the final book in the trilogy.

CONGRATS TO KENDALL!!!!

Ok, so not only has she pubbed the trilogy, but she also has short stories from the point of view of various supportive characters. I get to review those today.

Dictionary.com defines Ephemera as: items designed to be useful or important for only a short time.

Kendall uses this definition in the beginning of each short, I suspect as a means of expressing her witty humor. 😉

Vexxed

WARNING: This JUST BREATHE short story contains EXTREMELY graphic sexual content and explicit language. Not suitable for readers under the age of 18.

When Fire scorches Air, Vexx has no choice but to embrace the burn…

Free-spirited Aer Elemental Vexx finds herself in an ironic predicament when her boss pairs her up with Byrn, a brazen Fyre Elemental, to complete an undercover mission at a BDSM club. She’s been secretly crushing on him for months, so playing Domme to his arrogant, snarky sub is a dream come true. Not only that, she can finally turn the tables on him for the all the suggestive taunting he dishes on a regular basis. But one small problem prevents Vexx from fully embracing her role. If Byrn touches her, she’s dead.

For those of you who like things hot, you won’t be disappointed by this little short. Air elementals are known for their level headedness, but when confronted with a sexy, seductive Fire elemental, Vex is quite, well, Vexxed! I totally got scorched reading this. Check it out–I dare you! 😉

Letting Go

Twelve-year-old Zoe Morgan has always felt out of place. With no friends, an overbearing mother, and a broken brain, it’s no wonder she’s a walking disaster. Trapped in a world dominated by backward letters that don’t make sense, she struggles through each day by clinging to the one thing she does understand: whales. On a life-changing trip to Australia, Zoe comes face to face with her demons and learns that fitting in is sometimes a simple matter of letting go.

LETTING GO is the second installment of the JUST BREATHE Ephemera series, a companion collection of shorts that supplement Kendall Grey’s JUST BREATHE urban fantasy romance trilogy.

This was a super sweet glimpse into what makes Zoe Morgan tick. I loved getting to know Zoe better by seeing her past and how it formed her into the powerhouse we see in the Just Breathe series.

Dirty

WARNING: This JUST BREATHE short story contains explicit language and graphic content. Not suitable for readers under the age of 18.

Mild-mannered veterinarian Jetta Briggs wrestles with humiliation and self-hatred after someone she trusts brutally betrays her. But when an enigmatic woman shows her the world through the calming Element of Earth, Jetta uncovers inner strength she never knew she had. As everything she believes in flips upside down, Jetta is forced to trust the part of herself she doubts the most—her broken heart.

DIRTY is the third installment of the JUST BREATHE Ephemera series, a companion collection of shorts that supplement Kendall Grey’s JUST BREATHE urban fantasy romance trilogy.

Ever wonder how an elemental is born? Follow Jetta’s journey of becoming an Earth elemental and you’ll definitely be cheering for her along the way!

Stifle

WARNING: This JUST BREATHE short story contains EXTREMELY graphic sexual content and explicit language. Not suitable for readers under the age of 18.

Sinnder is a hotter-than-blazes Fyre Elemental who thrives on the Fire of sex, and Scarlet, his partner in crime, plans to hook him up. Charged with “occupying” headstrong Zoe Morgan’s attention at a local music club while Scarlet tries to get back in rock star Gavin Cassidy’s bed, Sinnder walks into Shaggy’s with zero expectations. But meeting Gavin’s dream lover Zoe face-to-face arouses addictive heat he never anticipated. Captivated by the promise of the fiery passion lurking beneath Zoe’s good-girl exterior, Sinnder will do whatever it takes to go down in flames with her – and Gavin if he has to.

STIFLE takes the reader on wild ride through the twisted mind of an Elemental consumed not only by Fire but by the ashes of his past.

Who doesn’t love steamy Sinnder??? If you want more of him, check out this short story. It took my breath away!

**********

Now that we’ve covered these fab shorts, why don’t we fantasize about the DREAM CAST of JUST BREATHE!!! There are SO MANY FAB characters to choose from, but here are my FAVORITE FOUR.

Naomi Watts = Zoe

Colin Farrell = Gavin

Scarlett Johansson = Scarlet

Johnny Depp = Sinnder

YOUR TURN! Who would you cast in the Just Breathe series?

INDIEpendence Day Is Coming Up!

The Indelibles are hosting an INDIEpendence Day blog hop (July 2-5) celebrating Indie authors. Lots of bloggers have signed up, so be sure to see who they’re highlighting as their favorite indie author.

I’ve got THREE indie authors that I look up to…mainly because of their great writing AND their perseverence to keep going NO MATTER WHAT!

Kendall Gray

She is the author of the JUST BREATHE series. It’s FAB!!!!!! The characters are hot, the scenes are hot, the action is…well, it’s hot. Seriously though, Kendall weaves together an intricate plot flawlessly while developing unique, fallible, and breathtaking characters. (Pun INtended.)

February Grace

She is the author of GODSPEED, a steampunk romance. I love the tone of Bru’s writing. It really creates an irresistible “mood.” I could totally picture myself being THERE with the characters. Actually, I’d kind of like to hang out with them sometime.

Christine Fonseca

She is the author of the Requiem series. I “met” Christine a while back and she’s helped me improve my writing by leaps and bounds. I love the TENSION Christine creates in her writing. She just doesn’t LET IT GO! Makes me literally feel what the characters feel.

NICE JOB, LADIES!!!!!!!

Who’s your favorite indie author?

Random Act of Kindness BLITZ!

A smile. An encouraging word. A thoughtful gesture. Each day people interact with us, help, and make our day a bit brighter and full. This is especially true in the Writing Community. 

Take a second to think about writers you know, like the critique partner who works with you to improve your manuscript. The writing friend who listens, supports and keeps you strong when times are tough. The author who generously offers council, advice and inspiration when asked.

So many people take the time to make us feel special, don’t they? They comment on our blogs, re-tweet our posts, chat with us on forums and wish us Happy Birthday on Facebook.

Kindness ROCKS!

To commemorate the release of their book The Emotion Thesaurus, Becca and Angela at The Bookshelf Muse are hosting a TITANIC Random Act Of Kindness BLITZ. And because I think KINDNESS is contagious, I’m participating too!

I am randomly picking Kendall Grey and February Grace, who are amazing authors who recently debuted with their Indie novels! Kendall just published INHALE, the first in her urban fantasy Just Breathe trilogy, and February just published GODSPEED, a steampunky romance with a lovely victorian, literary tone.

Do you know someone special that you’d like to randomly acknowledge?
Don’t be shy–come join us and celebrate! Send them an email, give them a shout out, or show your appreciation in another way. Kindness makes the world go round. 🙂

Becca and Angela have a special RAOK gift waiting for you as well, so hop on over to The Bookshelf Muse to pick it up.

Have you ever participated in or been the recipient of a Random Act Of Kindness?  Let me know in the comments!

INHALE Flash Mob

INHALE, an urban fantasy romance by Kendall Grey, is now available in paperback and e-book for Kindle (MOBI) and Nook (EPUB). INHALE is the first book in the JUST BREATHE trilogy. Kendall is donating all profits from the sale of the trilogy to programs that educate people about whales and the challenges they face. Watch the video to find out why.

 

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Kendall encourages interested readers to consider purchasing an e-book instead of a paperback. E-books save trees, cost considerably less, and bring in much more money for the whales.

Thank you for supporting INHALE, and most importantly, the whales that need our help.

INHALE blurb:

Strangers in reality, inseparable in dreams…

After years of suffocating under her boss’s scrutiny, whale biologist Zoe Morgan finally lands a job as director of a tagging project in Hervey Bay, Australia. Success Down Under all but guarantees her the promotion of a lifetime, and Zoe won’t let anything—or anyone—stand in her way. Not the whale voices she suddenly hears in her head, not the ex who won’t take no for an answer, and especially not the gorgeous figment of her imagination who keeps saving her from the fiery hell of her dreams.

Gavin Cassidy hasn’t been called to help a human Wyldling in over a year, which is fine by him. Still blaming himself for the death of his partner, he keeps the guilt at bay by indulging in every excess his rock star persona affords. That is, until he’s summoned to protect Zoe from hungry Fyre Elementals and learns his new charge is the key to restoring order in the dying Dreaming. He never expects to fall for the feisty Dr. Morgan…nor does he realize he may have to sacrifice the woman he loves to save an entire country.

*This book contains graphic language, sex, and some violence. Not suitable for readers under the age of 18.
**The author will donate all profits from the sale of the JUST BREATHE trilogy to programs that educate people about whales and the challenges they face.

Kendall Grey

 

INHALE is now available: Kindle, Nook, and paperback

 

Just Breathe Novels 

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Kendall Grey Week

Welcome to Kendall Grey Week, where you’ll be immersed in The Dreaming, tantalized by sexy Fyre Elementals, and thrilled by a HOT rock star/Waeter Elemental.

INHALE debuts tomorrow. It is the first in Kendall’s Urban Fantasy JUST BREATHE Trilogy. Be sure to stop by tomorrow for a special video and see what Kendall has dreamed up.

On Friday, Kendall will share the cover of JUST BREATHE.

Check out her blog here, where she tackled April’s A to Z challenge by highlighting each letter of the alphabet from something in her series.

Writer Wednesday–How Do You Review?

So, I’ve been watching my writer friend, Kendall Gray, on her journey of self-publishing. I’ve been lucky enough to read an ARC of INHALE, the first novel in her JUST BREATHE trilogy and, man, I just want to shout it out to the world how AWESOME Kendall’s writing is.

If you don’t believe me, check out the book trailer HERE.

Awesome, right? Seriously, you need to pre-order the entire series NOW. *waits while you go to Amazon*

*squints at screen to make sure you’re at Amazon’s website*

Okay. Glad you’re back.

What makes me love INHALE so much?

The characters are clear. They are goal-directed (sorry, that’s a psych term, but you’d be surprised how many characters are just wandering around their novels like post-lobotomy schizophrenics). They have faults. There’s great smexy scenes. There’s a TON of action and conflict.

All those things keep me reading on. It keeps me thinking about the characters when I’m not reading. I even picture myself hanging out with the main characters, Gavin and Zoe. In Australia. On the beach. Yeah. And heck, if I can picture myself hanging out with the characters, that means their writer has made it into my inner circle of favorite authors.

(Pssst, that includes YOU, KENDALL!!!!!!)

We know books sell based on word of mouth (yes, there are other things, but go with me on this one). So, I wanted to review INHALE. I wanted to support Kendall.

I wanted to really capture how I felt and why it was important for me to recommend INHALE to other people.

…And then I realized I kind of suck at writing reviews.

Why?

I worry about writing spoilers. I worry about sounding trite or saccharine. I worry about rambling aimlessly (sort of like what I’m doing now). I worry about not conveying the essence of my reaction.

So, I wrote about what I liked (as I just did above) and left it at that. Better to be short and sweet, than ambling and confusing, no?

Still, I feel like my review fell short.

*sigh*

Now I open the forum to you.

How do you review? Is there a certain template you follow? Do you only write positive reviews? Or do you “tell it like it is?”

Check out Lydia’s response to the Sisterhood of the Traveling Blog topic of the uses (or misuses) of Prologues!