NEW BOOK BY LORI L. OTTO - Love Like We Do - side a / Cover Reveal

Hooray! Lori L. Otto has a new book coming out, and let me just say that I am SUPER exited about this one!  This one will tackle some difficult and very pertinent subjects, and I, for one, can't wait. There is no release date yet for Love Like We Do - side a (or side b), but here is what we do know:

The odds were stacked against Max Rosser when he was born sixteen years ago. A month before his birth, his father was put in jail for breaking parole, assault with a deadly weapon and resisting arrest. His single mother was an alcoholic, struggling to keep her job and her home. Already, she could barely take care of eight-year-old Will and twelve-year-old Jon.

Max’s older brothers hid their mother’s disease from him as best as they could, and they made sure Max had everything he needed to be a normal, well-adjusted kid, despite the fact that they lived at or below the poverty line for much of his childhood. When his oldest brother became engaged to Livvy Holland, the daughter of the richest man in the state, Max befriended her little brother, Trey, and the two remained best friends even though their home lives couldn’t be more different.

Through Trey, Max made more friends, including star athlete Callen McNare. Over the years, the boys played team sports, went on group dates, and worked summer jobs together. They became close; closer than anyone would have guessed. Before a real relationship could even begin, Max and Callen were forced apart when their secret was discovered.

In LOVE LIKE WE DO – SIDE A, family and friends reevaluate their associations with the boys. Callen’s parents are in denial. Trey feels betrayed by his two closest buddies and wonders how their friendship will change. Jon struggles to keep his family together, despite his mother’s devout beliefs and his brother Will’s immoral ways. Interactions with the people around them could bring enlightenment and understanding, or they could keep Max and Callen apart while doing irreparable damage to their families.

* This is Trey and Jon’s side of the story. 

 

 

 

Who else is freaking excited?!

 

For more information, keep a watch on Lori's author page. (click on her lovely face to get there)

 

 

 

#LoriOttoChristmasSale 1

Not Today, But Someday (prequel) FREE

Nate Wilson knows he wants Emi Hennigan from the moment he sees her.  Emi knows that she needs Nate after one night together.  A life-ling friendship is born, and a pact is made to ensure that nothing will come between them. —summary courtesy of Lori L. Otto

 

MY REVIEW - Old Friends

I was thrilled when Lori L Otto started publishing this story to her blog. I am a great fan of the Emi Lost and Found Series, and having the opportunity to go back and see how Emi and Nate's story began was so exciting. We get an insight into Emi's vulnerability after her parents divorce and her basic distrust of men. We also get to learn why she doesn't like chocolate!

A peek inside Nate's head is always wonderful. A sensitive soul he's all tough on the outside with yummy soft mush on the inside. And he immediately feels something for Emi. This story shows that while their love story might not have been meant to be, their friendship truly was epic. They got each other. We should all be so lucky to have had one friend in our lifetime like that.

 
For more information, and to buy, click on the image below.

 

 

BOOK REVIEW: Livvy by Lori L. Otto (final installment of the Choisie Series)

 5 stars!

What a ride Lori Otto has taken us on! From sweet sixteen to first love, to heartache and breakups, we have seen Livvy through her journey to becoming a woman. And I am so damn proud of her! We've seen Livvy make some really bad decisions, and say some really hurtful things.  We've seen how heartbreak can fuel her creativity.  We've seen a teenager rebelling against her restraints, for good and bad.  We've seen Livvy devastated.  But all of this has, together with her loving family, and her wonderful boyfriend, helped make Livvy into the kind of woman we could all wish to be, and the kind of woman we would be proud to have as our daughter.

I truly think that this book is the pinnacle of Lori Otto's writing.  And that's taking nothing away from Lori's previous books.  They are in no way "less".  But Livvy IS "more".  I can't quite put my finger on it.  Nothing in Livvy surpasses the emotion of Time Stands Still.  There is nothing more beautiful than the words written in Dear Jon.  Maybe it's just that we've been on this journey with Livvy and it means so much to get to the end with her.  Lori's writing IS beautiful and the story told in Livvy IS emotional.  Maybe it's just that everything that has made Lori's previous books so delicious to read is wrapped up with a pretty pink bow in Livvy.  I don't know.

What I DO know is that if you have been on this journey with Livvy? This final installment will be everything you hoped for, and then some.


Livvy will be released on December the 9th, and look out for awesome release day festivites on Lori Otto's Author Page here.

For pre-order and buying information go here.

BOOK REVIEW: Dear Jon by Lori L. Otto

Five Stars!

Once again Lori L. Otto delivers a story that reaches into every corner of your heart. The best part about Dear Jon is that we get to spend time in Jon's head, which really, is a great place to be.

Dear Jon follows the fallout from the end of Olivia, but from Jon's point of view. Now, let me just say that I spent a fair amount of time at the end of Olivia and in the beginning of Dear Jon being cross with Jon. That's not to say I dislike him, or that I don't understand where he's coming from, but spending so much time with Livvy, I'm very protective of her and in this case I expected more from Jon.

But that's just the point. With Lori Otto's writing we become very invested in each and every character. Their decisions affect us. And in the end, they are just people who also make mistakes. (Well. Maybe not Jacks... ;-)) Livvy and Jon think that Jon is super well adjusted and makes ALL the right choices and is always the responsible adult. We (and Livvy and Jon) forget that Jon is still young and sometimes (not often but sometimes) his youth does show.

I know many readers have been unsure of Jon, but this book will make your minds up once and for all. Jon is a stellar young man, who feels things deeply, and who can make mistakes. And he recognizes this by the end of the book. We can only hope that his actions have not broken him and Livvy for ever.

And that's the other wonderful part of this book. Yes, Livvy is the one who did the bad thing at the end of Olivia. Yes it's her actions that caused this break. But Jon's actions, or reactions, in the end threaten their happy ever after the most, in my opinion. And even though this book is from Jon's point of view, through Livvy's letters we see her struggle with her mistakes, and grow as a person and a young woman through her efforts to rectify those mistakes. Livvy makes the effort and we see this clearly through her letters. Jon sulks, mostly, and by the end of the book I think he comes to the same conclusion the reader (or at least me) does. Livvy has taken an awful moment and used it to examine herself as a person and then grow and move on as a better person. Jon sees this; we see this; and Jon recognizes his own part in all of this as well.

We also get to see some moments and memories that we have not been privy to before, in Livvy's life and in Jon's. And we get to see Jon's family, and how he is with his brothers and with his mother, which is equal parts adorable and heartbreaking. It's not all pretty, but it does all reinforce what a wonderful guy Jon is. And his brother's are going to be just as wonderful because of him. #teamWill

You cannot miss reading this book if you've read the first two books of the Choisie series. Dear Jon is an important piece of the puzzle, and an absolute joy to read.

#teamChex #teamLion #teamJon #teamOtto #teamFollowYourHeart


Buying info HERE.

HAPPY RELEASE DAY OLIVIA

It's here, it's here, it's finally here!!!

The wait is over!  We can all now find out what is happening with Olivia and Jon!

In my last post I spoke about the first book in the Choisie series, Contessa, which was on sale for 75% less.  That sale continues through today!  Contessa introduces us to Livvy and Jon, and Olivia continues their love story.

I was lucky enough to be given an Advanced Reader's Copy of Olivia, so I can happily share my review of this second book in the Choisie series, which I originally posted on Goodreads:

Which is my favourite book by Lori L. Otto? It's the Lori L. Otto book I'm reading at the time.

 

Olivia continues the story of Livvy Holland, begun in the first book of the Choisie Series, Contessa. Ms Otto deftly shows the growth of Livvy into a mature and responsible adult, the growth in Livvy's relationship with her parents, her dad in particular, and the growth in Livvy and Jon's relationship.

 

Not everything is smooth sailing though. Livvy has to come to terms with a type of loss she's never had to face before and in the process she loses a part of herself. This crisis in Livvy's life, and her dealing-by-not-dealing is woven throughout the book, so that it's always there even if it's not obvious. Which is exactly how Livvy is experiencing it as well. Once again Lori Otto pulls the reader into the life of her characters so that you feel as if you are the one experiencing all the good, bad, happy, sad, silly, stupid and unforeseen things that happen in the story. And there are plenty of each and more.

 

Lori Otto writes people as they are. Real people. There is perhaps no huge drama or mystery or angsty romance, but it's life. The relatively small personal dramas and mysteries and romances feel as life altering as if they were happening to you. Lori writes people stories, not crime or fantasy or erotica. Just the lives of everyday people who you come to feel are people you know. You become invested in these characters and the choices they make. You feel happy and sad with them. You feel proud of and cross with them. And at the end of each book you want to know where the next stage of their lives will take them.

 

Olivia is no different. You will finish this book wanting to know where the next book will take Livvy. I can't wait!

 

 

Believe me when I say, if you've read Contessa, you REALLY want to read Olivia.  And if you haven't read Contessa, you should really get on that.  Although the Choisie series is YA, the books grow as their characters grow.  And there is so much in these books that will remind you of that time in your life.  Your teenage years, your first love, your rebellions against your parents, pushing your boundaries and trying to discover the adult you wanted to grow into.  As with all Lori L. Otto's books, you will re-experience all of these things with the characters.

 

And there is a lot going on today to celebrate Olivia's release!  Join us over on Facebook for the Release Day Event!  Lots of fun and prizes to be had. The event begins at 12pm CDT (that's 7pm here in South Africa) and will continue until 9pm (well into 18 June in South Africa).  There will be drawings for prizes every hour, so get on over there and have fun.

 

In the meantime, here are some snippets to keep you busy and amp up your excitement.  Just click on the awesome graphics provided by Lori Otto to read some great teasers from Olivia!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And last but certainly not least, for a little sneak peak at the beginning of Olivia, click!

Hopefully, ya'll are just as excited to see what comes next as I was! Also, there are loads of extras in the ebook, so go ahead and purchase your own copy by clicking on one of the links below:

Paperback / Kindle / iBooks / Nook / Other Digital Format

New Covers for Emi Lost and Found

Hey there! Long time no blog.

Life has been pretty hectic, but with no really interesting blogable things happening. However that changed this week, with Lori L. Otto announcing new covers for her series, Emi Lost and Found.

First, Ms Otto released the new cover for the prequel to the series, Not Today, But Someday.

Fabulous, right?

To read her blog post about this release go here.



Next we were treated to the new cover for the bundled series:

Fantastic, right??

To read the blog post about this new edition, go here.



And finally, last night (or this morning, depending on where you are) we finally got to see the new cover of the first book in the series, Lost and Found:

Gorgeous, RIGHT???

To read the post about this gorgeous cover, go here.


Everybody needs this on their e-reader and on their bookshelf.

These covers were photographed and designed by Christi Allen Curtis with the assistance of Katrina Boone, and the lovely model who provides the perfect face for Emi is Alex Wheelus, and they have all done an awesome job, in my humble opinion.


Now I have to say, I loved the covers of my first paperbacks of the series:

The first paperbacks on my bookshelf of the Emi Lost and Found Series

And I was thrilled with the second set of paperbacks on my bookshelf:

I will always love these covers.

But to be honest, my love for these covers has a lot to do with the content.  I would probably love the books if they were covered in refuse bags, that is how much I love this series.  But I recognise that each edition has been an improvement on the last.

With the new covers that are now being released, I feel the Lori, Christi and Katrina have outdone themselves.  And let's face it, photographic covers seem to be the most popular within the market, and these books deserve to be seen by a wider audience.  I hope these covers convince new readers to give this series a chance, and give themselves a chance to fall in love with these characters who have become old and very dear friends to me.


If you haven't already, go treat yourself and get these books with their wonderful new covers.  You won't be disappointed.  The next two books in the series will be released with their new covers soon.

Where to buy.

(remember, new covers have so far been released for Not Today, But Someday,
Emi Lost and Found Bundled Series, and Lost and Found, the first book in the series.  Wait for the cover releases of Time Stands Still and Never Look Back before you buy those)

ELAF Photo Challenge - Day 15

Day 15 - Nate's art



Leonid Afremov always comes to mind

 

 

For more information on the photo challenge, go here: http://authorlorilotto.wordpress.com/2013/08/30/emi-lost-and-found-30-day-photo-challenge/

ELAF Photo Challenge - Day 14

Day 14 - Actors you'd choose for the leads 

Add caption

              This was an easy one.

For more information on the photo challenge, go here: http://authorlorilotto.wordpress.com/2013/08/30/emi-lost-and-found-30-day-photo-challenge/

ELAF Photo Challenge - Day 13

Day 13 - Nate's loft

I see the moon, the moon sees Emi.

For more information on the photo challenge, go here: http://authorlorilotto.wordpress.com/2013/08/30/emi-lost-and-found-30-day-photo-challenge/

ELAF Photo Challenge - Day 12

Day 12 - The most romantic thing Nate said

How to choose?

For more information on the photo challenge, go here: http://authorlorilotto.wordpress.com/2013/08/30/emi-lost-and-found-30-day-photo-challenge/

ELAF Photo Challenge - Day 8

Day 8 - Jack in college

Jack

 

For more information on the photo challenge, go here: http://authorlorilotto.wordpress.com/2013/08/30/emi-lost-and-found-30-day-photo-challenge/

ELAF Group Read & Photo Challenge Day 7

Today, as part of the group read, I shall start reading the first book in the Emi Lost and Found series; Lost and Found. I am looking forward to visiting with my old friends again.

The theme for today's photo challenge is 'Your favourite book in the series'. This is an almost impossible choice, but I had to choose the second book in the series, Time Stands Still. This is the first book in so many years that has made me cry. I don't cry easily (except for a brief period in my teen years, when I seemed to cry at everything) and Time Stands Still is about the third book I have ever cried in in all my life, and because of that fact, I chose this book.



Get your tissues

                     

 

If you want more information on the group read go here: http://authorlorilotto.wordpress.com/2013/08/30/emi-lost-and-found-group-read-with-merit-badges/

For more information on the photo challenge, go here: http://authorlorilotto.wordpress.com/2013/08/30/emi-lost-and-found-30-day-photo-challenge/

ELAF Group Read Day 1 & Photo Challenge Day 6

*possible SPOILERS on this and all related posts*

Today the group re-read of the Emi Lost and Found Series starts, tying up nicely with the ELAF Photo Challenge.

The re-read begins with the prequel, Not Today, But Someday.  It seems that the fans of this series are split between whether to read the prequel after the series, or before. I myself am glad that I read it after. I just really enjoyed going back in time and visiting with these guys after I knew how their story ended. The prequel takes us through how Emi Hennigan and Nate Wilson first met, and how they became best friends.

I am currently at 60% on my Kindle App in Not Today, But Someday and thoroughly enjoying myself.  And I'm four chapters away from achieving my first button! Go Me!  It's been such a treat getting into this story again. For those interested, Nate has just got home from school and is getting ready to paint, with some Nine Inch Nails in the background :) 

Starting the re-read today gave me some great ideas for today's photo challenge too!

Day 6 - Emi as a teenager 

 

Sugar 'n Spice

                     

 

If you want more information on the group read go here: http://authorlorilotto.wordpress.com/2013/08/30/emi-lost-and-found-group-read-with-merit-badges/

For more information on the photo challenge, go here: http://authorlorilotto.wordpress.com/2013/08/30/emi-lost-and-found-30-day-photo-challenge/

HAPPY READING!

ELAF Photo Challenge - Day 5

Day 5 - The part of Not Today, But Someday that made you sigh

Sigh.

For more information on the photo challenge, go here: http://authorlorilotto.wordpress.com/2013/08/30/emi-lost-and-found-30-day-photo-challenge/

ELAF Photo Challenge - Day 4

Day 4 - Nate's Music

All the feels

Songs used for this, that made me think of Nate, are:

• Angeles by Illiot Smith
• Doorway by Civil Twilight
• I Was Broken by Marcus Foster
• The Mess I Made by Parachute
• Never Think by Robert Pattinson
• Let Me Sign by Robert Pattinson
• Sunburn by Ed Sheeran
• Song for Emi by Nate Wilson

For more information on the photo challenge, go here: http://authorlorilotto.wordpress.com/2013/08/30/emi-lost-and-found-30-day-photo-challenge/

ELAF Photo Challenge - Day 3

Day 3 - The best part of Not Today, But Someday

Chai Tea Latte

For more information on the photo challenge, go here: http://authorlorilotto.wordpress.com/2013/08/30/emi-lost-and-found-30-day-photo-challenge/

ELAF Photo Challenge - Day 2

Day 2 - Your Favourite Supporting Character

Matty Holland

For more information on the photo challenge, go here: http://authorlorilotto.wordpress.com/2013/08/30/emi-lost-and-found-30-day-photo-challenge/

An Awesome Review for an Awesome Series!

I don't normally reblog stuff on this blog.  Especially other blogs.  But this book review blog post on one of my favourite series ever deserves reblogging!  It deserves so much more!  Kelli has managed to to put into words almost everything I felt while reading this series and without a single spoiler.

Well done, Kelli! 

And welcome to the Emi Lost and Found Club :)

click on the image above to read the original post :)

Emi Lost and Found Day!

It's finally here!  A day where I can celebrate one of my favourite book series, one of my favourite authors and one of my best friends all rolled into one!

What is Emi Lost and Found Day, you may well ask?  Well, 18 May is the birthday of Emi Hennigan.  She is the main character in the Emi Lost and Found series.  Obviously.  The series consists of three books, each of which is told from a different character's point of view but each of which centres around Emi.  I don't want to give too much away to those of you who haven't read the series yet (WHY HAVE YOU NOT READ THE SERIES YET?) but here is my summary of the books:

Book 1 is Lost and Found, told by Nate Wilson.  Sigh, Nate.  Nate is a successful artist and his best friend is Emi.  They've been friends since high school, but Nate has always wanted to be more.  This book takes us through the ups and downs of their relationship.  Fair warning: you are going to want to slap both Nate and Emi during the course of this book, but this is one of the reasons I love these characters so much!  I mean, who of us have not wanted to slap our closest friends at times?  And that's what these characters become to readers - friends, who you'll want to visit with again and again.

Book 2 is Time Stands Still and is told by Emi herself.  Emi is struggling to get over a heart-breaking loss, and believe me, you will cry with her.  Often.  And this is coming from someone who practically brags about not being a crier.  I sobbed, okay?  I sobbed.  But there is light and the end of Emi's dark tunnel and it's a wonderful journey to take with her.

Book 3, Never Look Back, is told by Jack Holland.  Sigh, Jack.  Jack has harboured a secret crush for Emi since college and one fantastical kiss.  But being the gentleman he is, Jack has never let anyone know about his feelings.  Well, hardly anyone.  Jack is handsome and successful and kind and gentle and I could just go on and on about Jack.  He is also patient.  Very, very patient.  Will all Jack's dreams come true?  Well, you'll just have to read the books to find out.

And I really do encourage you with all my heart to read these books.  Lori is a wonderful story teller, and her stories are real.  They may be heart-breaking at times, they may make you cross, but they'll also make you laugh and sigh and smile and hug yourself.

I am very thankful that I decided to read Lori's books and I just know that she'll be telling us wonderful stories for many, many years to come.

So Emi Lost and Found Day is a day for us fanatical fans to share our love for Emi with anyone and everyone who will listen.  You will see us all over the interwebs, on Facebook, on Twitter, all over.  Just look out for appropriate hashtags and pictures.  Many of us will be changing our profile pics and avis in our show of support.

And if you want to know more, click on the Emi Lost and Found button on the top left of this page.  You won't be sorry!

It's Almost Time

Emi Lost and Found Day - 18 May