NERD BLAST: A Match Made at Christmas by Patty Blount

We have a 5-day Nerd Blast + Giveaway to kick off for Patty Blount's A Match Made at Christmas! On our tour stop today, we have an exclusive excerpt to share! Check it out and grab your copy now!!!

Genre:
New Adult
Contemporary Romance
Series:
Christmas in New York, #4
Publish Date:
November 11, 2014
Publisher:
Tule Publishing

Synopsis:
This book was formerly entitled Goodness and Light

Thirteen years ago, two teens met on the ramp to Ground Zero, on a cold and snowy day, strangers bonding in a moment of grief. The boy pressed a crystal snowflake ornament into the girl’s hand and disappeared into the crowd, unaware that his simple act of kindness saved her from the guilt that threatened to consume her.

Since losing her mom, Elena Larsen hasn’t set foot in New York City -- until now. Agreeing to help her sister prepare for her baby’s birth seems like a good way to spend Christmas and Elena vows not to let the monstrous guilt that weighs on her heart ruin everything. But those plans go awry when she meets Lucas Adair, a man whose own grief and guilt just might rival her own.

When Elena discovers Lucas is the boy who gave her that crystal snowflake all those years ago, she can’t accept it as the sign Lucas believes it to be. For her, it means only one thing --- even beyond the grave, her mother can never forgive Elena for breaking her heart.

For Lucas, New York is hallowed ground that he can never leave. He spends his days working in the Financial District and his evenings volunteering and it’s almost enough to help him forget what he did. Lucas knows better than to make plans with a woman who will soon be leaving, yet can’t help himself. There’s something about Elena that pulls him in. He doesn’t put much faith in signs but even he starts to believe Elena is his absolution. Now, he only has to convince her.

      

*Excerpt*

"Where do we start? Where do city people buy Christmas trees?" She put her hands on her hips and looked up and down the street.

When Elena Larsen wasn't being deliberately aggravating, Lucas decided she was sweet. And beautiful. He looked at her with a wry smile. "You act like you haven't —" And his laughter faded when the truth struck him between the eyes. "How long has it been, Elena?"

Her face went flat and the light left her eyes. "I haven't done Christmas since my mother was killed. I avoid the city, the holidays. My friends. Kara came back here for school but—" She held out her arms. "This city...for me, it's death and, and destruction and hate and—" She broke off, shook her head and lifted a shoulder. "They don't understand. Our friends are mad at me, she's mad at me —"

"I get it." He stopped her with a touch to her cheek. He sucked in a deep breath and got ready to step onto shaky ground. "Pain, grief — they're isolating things, you know? They're so huge, they eclipse everything and make you think nobody else feels what you feel, but that's wrong. Everybody does, Elena. Everybody. When I figured that out, when I finally talked about it, things—"

"Got better?" she asked with a roll of her eyes and Lucas understood she'd heard this before.

For a long moment, he considered lying and finally shook his head. "No. Not better. Just less huge, you know?" When she looked at him sideways, he shrugged. "Honey, it's like a club that should never have members but it does and membership means there's a certain amount of...of common ground." He finished with a wave toward the Freedom Tower.

She let out a long sigh. "I'm trying. I really am."

He put down the shopping bag and took her in his arms. "Elena, I know you are. I think it's incredible — you're incredible — that you're here now and trying to do things for Kara."

To his surprise, her arms circled him and she put her head on his shoulder. "For all the good that's doing," she murmured into his jacket. "I hate that I made her cry."

Lucas held her a moment longer, the old familiar fury straining the leash he'd kept it on for the last decade. He pushed it away and tried to focus on her, instead. There was something about her...something almost familiar in a way. She smelled like vanilla and he thought of the Christmas cookies she'd yet to bake. She felt warm and comfortable in his arms. His arms tightened around her because he wanted to make her laugh, make her feel safe. He wanted that like he wanted his next breath.

Al would insist it was a sign, he concluded. But then again, she wasn't staying. She'd been clear on that. So what kind of cosmic practical joke would point him toward a woman who would leave as soon as they got comfortable around each other?

So you have to work at something for once.

He went still. He could swear the voice in his head was his mother's. Every muscle in his body tensed and he brushed it aside. Instead, he made a decision. Made a wish. 

When she was all entranced by the magic of Christmas trees newly decorated, he'd invite her to shop with him to put presents under it. He'd make her his famous hot cocoa. He'd show her Radio City and Rockefeller Center. He'd take her through Central Park in a carriage. He'd prove to her that New York was still New York — even with its scars.

She nodded. "Okay."

He swept her hair behind her ear, cradled her face. "I think you're beautiful and incredibly loyal to brave a city you're so damn afraid of just so you could be here for your sister." Her tongue darted out to lick her lips and Lucas didn't think — couldn't think anymore. He leaned in, drew her closer, his fingers sifting through the soft silkspun hair, his mouth just a breath from hers. 

Copyright © 2018 by Patty Blount

Binge read all the titles in the Christmas in New York series!

  

(covers link to Goodreads)

~~~~~

**About the Author**

Photo Credit: Dan Demeriad

Patty Blount grew up quiet and a bit invisible in Queens, NY, but found her voice in books. Today, she writes smart and strong characters willing to fight for what’s right. She’s the award-winning author of edgy, realistic, gut-wrenching contemporary and young adult romance. Still a bit introverted, she gets lost often, eats way too much chocolate, and tends to develop mad, passionate crushes on fictional characters. Let’s be real; Patty’s not nearly as cool as her characters, but she is a solid supporter of women’s rights and loves delivering school presentations. 

Patty is best known for her internet issues novels, including SOME BOYS, a 2015 CLMP Firecracker winner and SEND, a 2012 Junior Library Guild Fall Pick. Visit her website at pattyblount.com, where you can sign up for her newsletter. She blogs at YA Outside the Lines and is also active online. She loves hearing from readers, especially when they tell her she’s cool (even though she knows it’s not true), and is easily bribed with chocolate. Never underestimate the power of chocolate.

Stay connected with Patty Blount

    

~~~~~

***The Giveaway***

Giveaway is Open Internationally | Must be 13+ to Enter

Note: Not Responsible for Lost or Damaged Prizes in Your Mailbox

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Nerd Blast Organized by

NERD BLAST: Some Boys by Patty Blount

We have a 5-day Nerd Blast + Giveaway to kick off for Patty Blount's Some Boys! Watch the book trailer now! And, get a peek into the book with an exclusive excerpt! Check it out and grab your copy today!

Genre:
Young Adult
Contemporary Romance
Publish Date:
August 5th 2014
Publisher:
Sourcebooks Fire

Synopsis:
Some boys go too far. Some boys will break your heart. But one boy can make you whole.

When Grace meets Ian she's afraid. Afraid he'll reject her like the rest of the school, like her own family. After she accuses the town golden boy of rape, everyone turns against Grace. They call her a slut and a liar. But...Ian doesn't. He's funny and kind with secrets of his own.

But how do you trust the best friend of the boy who raped you? How do you believe in love?

A gut-wrenching, powerful love story told from alternating points of view by the acclaimed author of Send.

      

 

*Excerpt*

Minutes pass, but they feel like centuries. I fumble for my phone—my mom’s phone since she made me switch with her—and call her.

“Grace, what’s wrong?”

“Can’t breathe, Mom. Hurts,” I push out the words on gasps of air. “Okay, honey, I want you to take a breath and hold it. One, two, three, and let it out.”

I follow her instructions, surprised I have any breath in my lungs to hold for three seconds. The next breath is easier.

“Keep going. Deep breath, hold it, let it out.”

It takes me a few tries, but finally I can breathe without the barrier. “Oh, God.” “Better?”

“Yeah. It doesn’t hurt now.” “Want me to take you home?”

Oh, home. Where there are no laughing classmates pointing at me, whispering behind their hands. Where there are no ex-friends calling me a bitch or a liar. Where I could curl up, throw a blanket over my head, and pretend nothing happened. Yes, take me home. Take me home right now as fast as you can.

I want to say that. But when I glance in the mirror over the row of sinks, something makes me say, “No. I have to stay.”

“Grace—”

“Mom, I have to stay.”

There’s a loud sigh. “Oh, honey. You don’t have to be brave.”Brave.

The word hangs in the air for a moment and then falls away, almost like even it knows it has no business being used to describe me. I’m not brave. I’m scared. I’m so freakin’ scared. I can’t see straight, and I can’t see straight because I’m too scared to look very far. I’m a train wreck. All I’m doing is trying to hold on to what I have left. Only I’m not sure what that is. When I say nothing, she laughs too loudly. “Well, you’re wearing your father’s favorite outfit, so just pretend it’s a superhero costume.”

That makes me laugh. I glance down at my favorite boots—black leather covered in metal studs. My ass-kicking boots. Ever since Dad married Kristie, Mom lets me get away with anything that pisses him off, and wow does he hate how I dress.

“Why don’t you go to the library until the bell rings? Relax and regroup, you know?”

Regroup. Sure. Okay. “Yeah. I’ll do that.”

“If you need me to get you, I’ll come. Okay?”

I meet my own gaze in the mirror, disgusted to see them fill with tears. Jeez, you’d think I’d be empty by now. “Thanks, Mom.” I end the call, tuck the phone in my pocket, and head for the library.

The library is my favorite spot in the whole school. Two floors of books, rows of computers, soft chairs to slouch in. I head for the nonfiction section and find the 770s. This is where the photography books live—my stack. I run a finger along the spines and find the first book I ever opened on the subject—A History of Photography.

I pull the book off its shelf, curl up with it in a chair near a window, and flip open the back cover. My signature is scrawled on the checkout card so many times now that we’re old friends. I know how this book smells—a little like cut grass. How it feels—the pages are thick and glossy. And even where every one of its scars lives—the coffee ring on page 213 and the dog-eared corner in chapter 11. This is the book that said, “Grace, you are a photographer.”

I flip through the pages, reread the section on high-key tech- nique—I love how that sounds. High-key. So professional. It’s really just great big fields of bright white filled with a splash of color or some- times only shadow. I took hundreds of pictures this way—of Miranda, of Lindsay, of me. I practiced adjusting aperture settings and shutter speeds and overexposing backgrounds. It’s cool how even the simplest subjects look calm and cheerful. It’s like the extra light forces us to see the beauty and the flaws we never noticed.

I unzip my backpack and take out the school’s digital camera. It’s assigned to me—official student newspaper photographer. I scroll through the images stored on the card—selfies I shot over the last few months. Why can’t everybody see what I see? My eyes don’t sparkle. My lips don’t curve anymore. Why don’t they see?

With a sigh, I close the book, and a slip of paper floats to the floor. I pick it up, unfold it, and my stomach twists when I read the words printed on it. A noise startles me, and I look up to see Tyler Embery standing at one of the computers. Did he slip this paper into my favorite book? He’s had a painfully obvious crush on me forever. Every time he gets within five feet of me, his face flushes, and sweat beads at his hairline. Tyler volunteers at the library during his free periods and always flags me over to give me the latest issue of Shutterbug that he sets aside for me as soon as it arrives. He grabs something off the desk and walks over to me. I smile, thankful there’s still one person left in this world that doesn’t think Zac McMahon is the second coming of Christ. But Tyler’s not holding a magazine. He’s holding his phone.

“Six-eighty-three.” There’s no blush, no sweat—only disgust.

I make it to the end of the day. At dismissal I make damn sure I’m early for the bus ride home so I can snag an empty row. I plug in my earbuds to drown out the taunts. It’s not so bad, I tell myself repeat- edly, the taste of tears at the back of my throat familiar now. I don’t believe me.

Once safely back in my house, I let my shoulders sag and take my first easy breath of the day. The house is empty and eerie, and I wonder how to fill the hours until Mom gets home. Thirty-two days ago I’d be hanging out after school with Miranda and Lindsay or shopping at the mall or trying to find the perfect action photo at one of the games. In my room I stare at the mirror over my dresser, where dozens of photos are taped— photos of me with my friends, me with my dad, me at dance class. I’m not welcome at any of these places, by any of these people anymore. I don’t have a damn thing because Zac McMahon took it all. I think about Mom killing all of my online accounts and switching phones just until things settle. But now that the video of me that Zac posted on Facebook has 683 Likes, it’s pretty clear that waiting for things to settle is a fantasy.

I rip all the pictures off the mirror, tear them into tiny pieces, and swipe them into the trash bin next to my desk. Then I pull out the slip of paper I found in the photography book, and after a few minutes of staring at it, I dial the number with shaking hands.

“Rape Crisis Hotline, this is Diane. Let me help you.”

Copyright © 2014 by Patty Blount

Praise for SOME BOYS

"You will be satisfied at the end of this powerful work. " ―RT Book Review

"A largely sensitive treatment of an emotionally complex topic. " ―Kirkus

"Some Boys" belongs in every YA collection." ―School Library Journal  

~~~~~

**About the Author**

Photo Credit: Dan Demeriad

Patty Blount grew up quiet and somewhat invisible in Queens, NY, but found her voice writing smart and strong characters willing to fight for what’s right. Today, she’s the award-winning author of edgy, realistic, gut-wrenching contemporary and young adult romance. Still a bit introverted, she gets lost often, eats way too much chocolate, and tends to develop mad, passionate crushes on fictional characters…and actors like Gilles Marini….and Sam Heughan. Okay, so Patty’s not nearly as cool as her characters, but she is a solid supporter of women’s rights and loves delivering school presentations.

Patty is best known for her internet issues novels, including SOME BOYS, a 2015 CLMP Firecracker winner and RWA Rita Finalist, and SEND, a 2012 Junior Library Guild Fall Pick. Her upcoming release, SOMEONE I USED TO KNOW, has already been selected as a 2018 Junior Library Guild Fall Pick. Visit her website at pattyblount.com, where you can sign up for her newsletter. She blogs at YA Outside the Lines and is also active on Twitter and Facebook. When she’s not writing, Patty loves to watch bad sci-fi movies, live tweeting the hilarity, and scour Pinterest for ideas on awesome bookcases. Patty lives on Long Island with her family in a house that, sadly, lacks bookcases. She loves hearing from readers, especially when they tell her she’s cool (even though she knows it’s not true), and is easily bribed with chocolate. Never underestimate the power of chocolate.

Stay connected with Patty Blount

      

~~~~~

***The Giveaway***

Giveaway is Open Internationally | Must be 13+ to Enter

Note: Not Responsible for Lost or Damaged Prizes in Your Mailbox

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Nerd Blast Organized by

NERD BLAST: Nobody Said It'd Be Easy by Patty Blount

Today, we have a Nerd Blast + Giveaway for Patty Blount's Nobody Said It'd Be Easy!!! Check it out and grab your copy now!!!

~*~

This is Patty’s third contemporary romance with Tule Publishing Group, inspired by a TV commercial in which a Dad says, “With four daughters, I’ve come to terms with the fact that I’ll always have nail polish on my fingers.”

Genre:

New Adult/Adult

Contemporary Romance

Publish Date:

August 14, 2018

Publisher:

Tule Publishing

Synopsis:

It’s been two years since former engineer Gabriel Ivers lost his wife and accepted a job as a building superintendent to be home with his children. His focus is being both mom and dad to his girls, until the beautiful Amelia Blake moves next door and reminds him he’s a man as well as a dad. Just as he begins to hope that his life can once again hold more than homework, chores, and movie-and-manicure nights with his girls, he discovers the reason for the fragility beneath Lia’s warm smile.

Lia is trying to move on with her life after a miscarriage ends all hope for a baby, and a subsequent betrayal destroys her marriage. She’s charmed by her new neighbor with his sparkling manicure, multi-colored hair clips, and his brood of girls, but disturbed by the sexual tension that sizzles between them. Gabe and his daughters remind her of everything she’s always wanted and it would be so easy to take what he’s offering her. But is she ready to risk her heart again, especially when her heart isn’t the only one in play?

Falling in love is easy. Staying in love is hard. Good thing Gabe is a fighter who’s determined to prove to Lia he’s in this for the long haul…the rest of their lives.

       

~~~

Praise for NOBODY SAID IT'D BE EASY

"Patty Blount creates a community you'll want to visit in this heartfelt, realistic romance with a hero everyone will adore!" ―Jamie Beck, national bestselling author of Before I Knew and Unexpectedly Hers

"Patty Blount's Nobody Said It'd Be Easy is a sweet, heartwarming story with genuine emotion and a Single Dad To-Die-For!" ― New York Times bestselling author Virginia Kantra

~~~~~

**About the Author**

Patty Blount grew up quiet and somewhat invisible in Queens, NY, but found her voice writing smart and strong characters willing to fight for what’s right. Today, she’s the award-winning author of edgy, realistic, gut-wrenching contemporary and young adult romance. Still a bit introverted, she gets lost often, eats way too much chocolate, and tends to develop mad, passionate crushes on fictional characters…and actors like Gilles Marini….and Sam Heughan. Okay, so Patty’s not nearly as cool as her characters, but she is a solid supporter of women’s rights and loves delivering school presentations.

Patty is best known for her internet issues novels, including SOME BOYS, a 2015 CLMP Firecracker winner and RWA Rita Finalist, and SEND, a 2012 Junior Library Guild Fall Pick. Her upcoming release, SOMEONE I USED TO KNOW, has already been selected as a 2018 Junior Library Guild Fall Pick. Visit her website at pattyblount.com, where you can sign up for her newsletter. She blogs at YA Outside the Lines and is also active on Twitter and Facebook. When she’s not writing, Patty loves to watch bad sci-fi movies, live tweeting the hilarity, and scour Pinterest for ideas on awesome bookcases. Patty lives on Long Island with her family in a house that, sadly, lacks bookcases. She loves hearing from readers, especially when they tell her she’s cool (even though she knows it’s not true), and is easily bribed with chocolate. Never underestimate the power of chocolate.

Stay connected with Patty Blount

      

~~~~~

***The Giveaway***

Giveaway is Open Internationally | Must be 13+ to Enter

Note: Not Responsible for Lost & Damaged Prizes in Your Mail Box

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Nerd Blast Organized by