12 Rounds (Knockout Series) Blog Tour!

Today we sit down with author, Lauren Hammond, as we learn a little something about her latest character from her new book 12 Rounds!

 

First just let me say that Sean is super crazy, 1000 watt HOT! And since he likes to keep his body in shape I thought it would be nice to know what songs he likes to listen to while training for a fight. I mean, come on, don't you want to know what is blasting on that iPod while he is getting all sweaty and worked up?! Preferably without  a shirt on?! All tight abs, bulging muscles, and tattoos....*swwoooonnnn*

 

But before I start drooling on myself here, guess what else you get today? One lucky winner will get a paperback copy of 12 Rounds and get to spend a little more time getting to know the sexy Sean O'Riley!!!!

 

But first let me tell you what the book is about:





12 Rounds (Knockout Series #1)
By Lauren Hammond
Published July 31st 2012 by S.B. Addison Books
Pick up your own copy today at Amazon or B&N!
Synopsis borrowed from Goodreads:
Sean (Right-Hook) Reilly knows a few things about himself. One, he's the middle-weight boxing champion of the world with an undefeated record. Two, women find his cocky persona, chiseled biceps, and inked body sexy. Also, the fact that it's known that he doesn't do relationships only adds to his sex appeal. And three, he's Irish, proud of it, and a member of the Braithreachas Don Saol, a branch of the Irish mafia and king pins of the drug cartel taking over the streets of Cleveland.

Connor Doyle(aka Connie) the boss and leader of the Braithreachas Don Saol, has been like a father to Sean, taking him under his wing and teaching him how to survive on the streets after the death of his parents. Sean has never been ungrateful, but has always wanted one thing...

More. More to live for. More to fight for. More to believe in. A chance at a future without drugs or guns. A chance at a future without wondering which day will be his last.

There's only one problem with that. You live by the braithreachas. You die by the braithreachas. And Sean knows whether Connie considers him to be family or not, the only way he'll be leaving the braithreachas is in a body bag.

Hadlee Flax has had a year to overcome her issues. After almost being raped and brutalized, she's putting her best foot forward, seeing a therapist, and has even(with some persuasion from her best friend, Lara) enrolled in self defense classes. And she's doing well moving on with her life until she meets the dark, and conflicted Irish boxing champion of the world, Sean Reilly.

Hadlee is immediately drawn to the gorgeous, cold, and mysterious man who speaks with a slight Irish brogue. She soon learns that there is much more to him than his darkened gaze, cool demeanor, and body covered in tattoos. He's not the type of man she thought he was. And Hadlee finds herself doing something she never thought she would do in the last year...

Falling for a guy.

Falling for Sean Reilly. A man who is on the path to becoming a boxing legend.

One thing Hadlee doesn't know is the other part of Seans' life. His life of drug running, and killing. Or the fact that when he's not boxing he's walking the streets with a gat tucked into the back of his loose jeans, and glancing over his shoulder at every turn.

But it doesn't take Hadlee long to learn that some attractions and relationships can be fatal.

And sometimes...

They just might be worth fighting for.

And now here's Lauren to tell us the top five songs on Sean's workout playlist:

 

Thanks so much for having me on the blog today!

As for what Sean works out to…

These would without a doubt be his top five picks!

1.    Stricken – Disturbed

2.    Dear God – Avenged Sevenfold

3.    Invincible – MGK

4.    The Fighter – Gym Class Heroes(feat Ryan Tedder)

5.    One Last Breath – Creed

 

Thanks again so much for having me!

If you guys get a chance be sure to check out 12 Rounds, the first book in The Knockout Series!

 

To enter to win a paperback copy of the book simply fill out the Rafflecopter form below!

This giveaway is open internationally!!

 

 



a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

About the Lauren:

It all began with a dinosaur, a T-Rex to be exact. He was the main character in my very first short story. Me and T, well, we went places. He is the reason I won my first essay contest at age ten. And he is probably one of the number one reasons, I pursued a career in writing.

Throughout highschool, I was what you would call a rebel. Someone who had convinced herself that she had life figured out at age sixteen. Still, writing was my only safe-haven during that time. I wrote notebooks full of poetry, even writing fellow classmates papers for them.

Unbeknowest to me, creative writing, seemed to be my one, true calling, my passion in life.

At age twenty, I began writing my first novel. After that, everything seemed to fall into place.

I won Best Poets and Poems of 2007, and The Editor's Choice award for my poem, Summer Days.

Also, during that time I wrote or co-wrote fifteen different screenplays, some which earned me finalist spot in various screenplay competitions.

In 2010, I've come full force, with my novel Love Sucks, that was released by Punkin House Press, in August of 2010. On top of Love Sucks, I have six novels that are slated to be released through the next five years. Also, doing some various marketing work for authors and publishers.

I pride myself in telling fellow writers to always follow their dreams. Who knows where I would be if I would have given up.

 

You can catch up with Lauren and all her other books on her website here!

 

Lymi...

 

 

 

 

12 Rounds (Knockout Series) by Lauren Hammond: Review

12 Rounds
By Lauren Hammond
Published July 31st 2012 by S.B. Addison Books
Pick up your copy today at Amazon!
Synopsis borrowed from Goodreads:

Sean (Right-Hook) Reilly knows a few things about himself. One, he's the middle-weight boxing champion of the world with an undefeated record. Two, women find his cocky persona, chiseled biceps, and inked body sexy. Also, the fact that it's known that he doesn't do relationships only adds to his sex appeal. And three, he's Irish, proud of it, and a member of the Braithreachas Don Saol, a branch of the Irish mafia and king pins of the drug cartel taking over the streets of Cleveland.

Connor Doyle(aka Connie) the boss and leader of the Braithreachas Don Saol, has been like a father to Sean, taking him under his wing and teaching him how to survive on the streets after the death of his parents. Sean has never been ungrateful, but has always wanted one thing...

More. More to live for. More to fight for. More to believe in. A chance at a future without drugs or guns. A chance at a future without wondering which day will be his last.

There's only one problem with that. You live by the braithreachas. You die by the braithreachas. And Sean knows whether Connie considers him to be family or not, the only way he'll be leaving the braithreachas is in a body bag.

Hadlee Flax has had a year to overcome her issues. After almost being raped and brutalized, she's putting her best foot forward, seeing a therapist, and has even(with some persuasion from her best friend, Lara) enrolled in self defense classes. And she's doing well moving on with her life until she meets the dark, and conflicted Irish boxing champion of the world, Sean Reilly.

Hadlee is immediately drawn to the gorgeous, cold, and mysterious man who speaks with a slight Irish brogue. She soon learns that there is much more to him than his darkened gaze, cool demeanor, and body covered in tattoos. He's not the type of man she thought he was. And Hadlee finds herself doing something she never thought she would do in the last year...

Falling for a guy.

Falling for Sean Reilly. A man who is on the path to becoming a boxing legend.

One thing Hadlee doesn't know is the other part of Seans' life. His life of drug running, and killing. Or the fact that when he's not boxing he's walking the streets with a gat tucked into the back of his loose jeans, and glancing over his shoulder at every turn.

But it doesn't take Hadlee long to learn that some attractions and relationships can be fatal.

And sometimes...

They just might be worth fighting for.

Darkfallen's thoughts:

So I have been eagerly anticipating this book for MONTHS now. It's should come as no surprise that when it comes to Lauren Hammond I have definitely drank the Kool-Aide. So when I first found out about this book I about drooled on myself. I mean you take a awesome writer like Lauren and then she writes a totally hot bad boy? Ummmmmm YES PLEASE!! And let me tell you she does not disappoint!

Sean isn't really a bad guy. I mean deep down there is a heart in there somewhere. In fact that heart is what got him in to the bad things that make him look bad on paper. The day his mother died so did the naive little boy Sean once was. He did what he had to do to provide for his little sister, even if that meant working for the mob, and giving up the chance at ever having a normal life...The only thing good he has going for him is is boxing career. Then again, of course he would be a good fighter.

Hadlee hasn't been the same since that night she was attacked. She just can't seem to get it out of her head. If it hadn't have been for the guy that saved her everything could have been much worse. Still as it is she can't get close to a guy, and can barely handle going to class much less out with friends without having a panic attack. There just isn't any such thing as a safe place when the devil as weaved his way into your head. That is until she meets Sean, Right Hook, Reilly. There's something about him that just seems so familiar, but most importantly safe...

Can these two fix the broken pieces of each other?

First of all I just need to get this out of my system....Sean Is HOTTTTT. Like omg I just drooled on myself, can someone pick my jaw up off the floor hot. I can't help it, I just love my bad boys. I mean here's a man that's covered in tatts, is in the mob, fights for a living, muscles for days, and underneath all that hard shell is heart? Um yes please, may I have another? *winks* lol

Then there is Hadlee. She is a girl you can't help but love. She's broken, and lost, and raw. You just want to fix her, and can't help rooting for her. Between the two of them I'm not sure who needs the other more, but either way you just want them to have a HEA.

Overall Lauren has written another great novel. I loved all the background story and how she makes sure that you really understand each character and where they come from. Plus she does it in a way that only she can. I soooooo can't wait for the next book in this series!

Lymi...





Insanity Blog Tour: Lyrics that Inspired The Story/Giveaway!

Today we sit down with author, Lauren Hammond, to give us an inside look at the lyrics that inspired her latest book, Insanity.

Isn't that cover gorgeous?!

But before we get into the lyrics and, of course, the GIVEAWAY, let me introduce you to both Lauren Hammond, and this amazing new book!

About the author:

You can catch Lauren
on her website, Twitter,
Goodreads, or Facebook.

It all began with a dinosaur, a T-Rex to be exact. He was the main character in my very first short story. Me and T, well, we went places. He is the reason I won my first essay contest at age ten. And he is probably one of the number one reasons, I pursued a career in writing.

Throughout highschool, I was what you would call a rebel. Someone who had convinced herself that she had life figured out at age sixteen. Still, writing was my only safe-haven during that time. I wrote notebooks full of poetry, even writing fellow classmates papers for them. Unbeknowest to me, creative writing, seemed to be my one, true calling, my passion in life.

At age twenty, I began writing my first novel. After that, everything seemed to fall into place. I won Best Poets and Poems of 2007, and The Editor's Choice award for my poem, Summer Days.

Also, during that time I wrote or co-wrote fifteen different screenplays, some which earned me
finalist spot in various screenplay competitions.

In 2010, I've come full force, with my novel Love Sucks, that was released by Punkin House
Press, in August of 2010. On top of Love Sucks, I have six novels that are slated to be released
through the next five years. Also, doing some various marketing work for authors and publishers.

I pride myself in telling fellow writers to always follow their dreams. Who knows where I would
be if I would have given up.

About the book:

Insanity
Published May 8th 2012 by S.B. Adisson Books
Pick up your copy at Amazon or B&N today!
Synopsis borrowed from Goodreads:

Sometimes love...can drive you crazy.

Adelaide Carmichael and Damien Allen couldn't be more opposite.
Adelaide's mother abandoned her when she was ten years old, leaving her to be raised by her abusive and alcoholic father.

Damien on the other hand came from a wealthy family, was a local celebrity, and seemed to have a bright future ahead of him.

Despite their differences, Adelaide and Damien were young, wild, and fiercely in love.

And they had a plan.

They were going to run away.

Be together forever.

And their plan was set in motion, until tragedy struck and for some reason, Adelaide wound up in The Oakhill Institution for the insane.

Adelaide has no idea what she did to wind up at Oakhill, but she knows one thing for sure...

She wants out.

And after Damien follows her there to aid her in escaping, Adelaide slowly begins putting together the pieces of her memory that are missing.

And it doesn't take Adelaide long to figure out that sometimes...

That one true love never dies.

~Excerpt~

Shoving my feet off the side of the bed, new surroundings burn my eyes. Tan plaster walls instead of thick white padded ones. One oblong barred window. Two dressers. Two closets. Two beds.

They've moved me to a different room.

A gentle squeaking noise bounces off the walls and my eyes avert to my right. Oh crap. They put me in a room with a nut job.

They say I'm a nut job.

But not like this.

Not even close.

She rocks back and forth on her cot, knees to her chest, twisting a piece of her wiry, red hair between her fingertips. Her freckled arms are trembling. She sings with vibrato.

I am slowly going crazy. One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six.

Crazy going slowly am I. One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six.

I think about screaming again. I think about plugging my ears. Somebody turn her off.

She lifts her head slowly, a maddening look in her big, brown eyes, an eerie smile crawling
across her pale, freckled lips. “Shh,” she whispers. “They're coming for us.”

“Who's they?”

She shakes her head and lets out a cackle laced with the deepest kind of crazy. I think they put her in here with me purposely. They're trying to break me. They think if they put me around truly
insane people that I'll accept my place here.

Well...They are wrong.

Doesn't this book sound awesome?! Well I can tell you that it is everything and much, MUCH more!! Now Lauren gives us an inside look into the song lyrics that inspired this book or tragic wonderment...

Thank you guys so much for having me!

Now, we all know that I’m big on music when I write. It inspires me. Changes my mood. Affects the flow of the novel. ESPECIALLY lyrics.

Insanity was such a powerful book for me to write. It’s all bout love and loss and the slow ability I think everyone has at some point to lose their mind.

Beautiful or powerful lyrics to me, can have a lasting effect on a person. And here are some that had a lasting effect on me while writing Insanity.

“We have no chance of recovery, laying in hospital joy and misery.” Hospital Beds~ Florence and The Machine.

“Have you ever loved someone so much, you’d give an arm for? Not the expression, no, literally give an arm for? When they know they’re your heart and you know you were their armour and you will destroy anyone who would try and harm her.” When I’m Gone ~ Eminem

“I’ve fallen somehow. Feet off the ground. Love is the cloud that keeps raining down. Where are you now? When I need you around. I’m on my knees, but it seems we’re going nowhere fast.” ~Usher~ Climax.

“Well, I know the feeling of finding yourself stuck out on the ledge, And there ain't no healing from cutting yourself with the jagged edge. I'm telling you that, it's never that bad take it from someone who's been where you're at laid out on the floor and you're not sure you can take this anymore.” ~Lullaby~ Nickleback

“I’ve watched you change. It’s like you’ve never had wings. I look at the cross. Then I look away. Give you the gun. Blow me away.” Change In The House Of Flies ~ Deftones~

This was so much fun!

Thanks for having me!

If you get a chance check out Insanity! And keep an eye out for the sequel, White Walls!

Now on to the GIVEAWAY!!!

One lucky winner will get their own eBook copy of Insanity! All you have to do is fill out the Rafflecopter form below. This contest is open Internationally:-)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Insanity by Lauren Hammond: Review

Insanity
By Lauren Hammond
Published May 8th 2012 by S.B. Adisson Books
Pick up your own copy at B&N or Amazon today!
Synopsis borrowed from Goodreads:

Sometimes love...can drive you crazy.

Adelaide Carmichael and Damien Allen couldn't be more opposite.

Adelaide's mother abandoned her when she was ten years old, leaving her to be raised by her abusive and alcoholic father.

Damien on the other hand came from a wealthy family, was a local celebrity, and seemed to have a bright future ahead of him.

Despite their differences, Adelaide and Damien were young, wild, and fiercely in love.

And they had a plan.

They were going to run away.

Be together forever.

And their plan was set in motion, until tragedy struck and for some reason, Adelaide wound up in The Oakhill Institution for the insane.

Adelaide has no idea what she did to wind up at Oakhill, but she knows one thing for sure...

She wants out.

And after Damien follows her there to aid her in escaping, Adelaide slowly begins putting together the pieces of her memory that are missing.

And it doesn't take Adelaide long to figure out that sometimes...

That one true love never dies.

Darkfallen's thoughts:

I have been waiting on the edge of my seat for this book and it did not disappoint! Lauren Hammond has blown me away yet again with her writing that will rip you to pieces.

Addy's mom left when she was ten. Leaving her alone with her drunk and abusive father. She's never really known a life where she was allowed to do anything other than wait on him hand and foot and hope that he doesn't beat the crap out of her for messing up. She's never known love. In fact she isn't even sure that she deserves to be loved my anyone. That is until she meets Damien. He is everything she's not. He is the boy from the right side of the tracks, with the wealthy family and all the opportunities in the world. So why does he want her? I lowly nobody that is never going anywhere? Still it isn't long before she falls for Damien, but how long can she keep him away from the life she lives with her father? In the end love proves to conquer all, including her sanity...

This was amazing! Then again why would you expect anything less from Lauren Hammond? She proves to us time and time again that her writing will take you places, albeit darker places, that you never thought you'd go, and you'll love every minute of it.

I love how the chapters switch back and forth from the past to the present, allowing us to see just exactly how Abby and Damien's love grew and the tragedy that led to Abby being in a mental institution. There is never a dull moment as we watch both story lines unfold side by side, and in the end you are left with an ending that will make you want more. This book almost reminded me of a Girl Interrupted meets Gothica meets a heart wrenching love story.

Overall I say this is a book that should not be passed up and I can't wait to get my hands on the next one!

Lymi...





Asphodel by Lauren Hammond: Review

Asphodel (The Underworld Trilogy 1)
By Lauren Hammond
Published December 20th by S.B. Addison Books
Pick up your copy at Amazon today!
Synopsis borrowed from Goodreads:

Persephone has been running for her entire life. Running from the humans to keep her immortality a secret. And running from a man who haunts her dreams. Not a man but a god, who will stop at nothing until he gets what he wants. And what he wants most, is her.

Trapped in the realm of the dead, Persephone plans to return to the land of the living. The underworld is a terrifying place where ghosts roam freely, three headed dogs patrol the gates, and it’s a living grave where the rules of earth and the warmth of the sun no longer apply. But then, something unexpected happens. Persephone finds herself falling for the god who abducted her, the god who has chased her for five thousand years, a god who is none other than death himself, Hades.
Ripped out of the underworld by Zeus, Persephone must find a pomegranate to return to the realm of the dead and to her beloved. Consuming only a seed of the fruit of the dead would bind Persephone to spend her life beneath the earth’s core with Hades. But Zeus has reduced every pomegranate tree in the world to ash. Except one. Persephone must locate that one remaining pomegranate tree, a quest that could ignite a war between the two mightiest of the god’s. A war that could cause Persephone to lose the only family she’s ever known or give up a love that comes only once every five thousand years.

Darkfallen's thoughts:

YAY another Lauren Hammond book!
That's exactly what I said when I found out about this book. Lauren Hammond and Greek mythology? What more can you ask for?!

Now I know you see those 3 stars up there and are wondering why. First off let me state that I enjoyed this book. I was intrigued by the take on Hades & Persephone's story...but I just felt that it was lacking that Lauren Hammond sparkle. Or should I say dark intrigue?

Here let me go on...

There were several parts that felt slightly rushed, and while I really REALLY wanted to feel all school girl squee/swoon of Hades I just wasn't given the chance. Which led to the relationship between Hades and Persephone feeling forced and rush. Now it wasn't like in most books when the relationship is rushed and you just aren't buying any of it...because I was so buying it. I wanted them to be together and love each other. But there just wasn't enough build time there for me to get so attached that my heart would be ripped out when it all fell apart. And as Nine Inch Nails says...In the end everything all falls apart. I just wished there would have been a little more feeling and building there so when the time came it would break me. YES that's right I'm complaining that I didn't cry or have my heart broken. Wow what a masochist am I?

In the end I still can't wait for the next book in the series. I need more of this story I need more of the love I saw starting to bloom, and I hope I get it. A part of me wishes this wasn't a YA series so I could get EVEN more. *waggles eyebrows* Still my previous statement stands...Lauren Hammond is an author to look out for. If you haven't read her stuff yet you have no idea what your missing! Start my picking up A Whisper To A Scream, then He Loves Me, He Loves You Not, and then find your way to Asphodel. You'll be glad you met this author.

Lymi...





Interview with Lauren Hammond/Giveaway!

Today we sit down with Lauren Hammond, author of...

A Whisper To A Scream (The Sociopath Dairies)
By Lauren Hammond
Synopsis borrowed from Goodreads:

Sometimes love....can be deadly.

Ellory Graham detested high school. She relished the fact that she was a rebel. A wild, carefree, type of girl. She basked in the glory of being the type of girl who stood up to authority. Unfortunately for her, her upfront, honest and bitchy nature always managed to land her in some kind of trouble.

Adam Jacobs was everything Ellory was not. Not only was he beautiful, but he was smart, artistic, and sweet. To almost every girl he seemed like the total package- that all around perfect guy. But in a town were nothing particularly interesting happens, and gossip seems like the only fun thing to do, sometimes those perfections become flaws. And it doesn’t take long for Ellory to find out, even Adam has secrets.

But Adam’s secrets, are the kind of secrets people die for....

You can check out our review HERE!

Sounds awesome right?! Well stick around and you just might get to win a copy;)

Were you inspired by Dexter when writing this?

 Actually no... When I first started writing A Whisper To A Scream, I’d only heard the name of the show mentioned in conversations. I’d never watched it and I didn’t really know what it was about. But now, I do... And I LOVE it!

What about American Psycho?

Another no... I’ve actually only seen the movie. I haven’t read the book yet. But believe me… I plan on it.

Do you feel you could really get into the frame of mind of a serial killer or is it all just fantasy?

I honestly feel like if I’m attached to the character I can totally get into that mind frame to bring them vividly to life in the book, but that’s pretty much where it ends for me… So I guess half is fantasy, half is me being in that mind frame. Books helped me a lot. I got this non-fiction book that has every notable serial killer in it starting with Jack the Ripper. I wanted to study their traits; I wanted to figure out what made them tick... Most importantly, I think I’ve always been fascinated with why people do what they do or why they are who they are.

Do you feel a killer could actually love?

At times I do, but then I always question myself. Maybe I hope they could.  Take Adam for example, he’s an excellent actor. He could tell you the earth was gonna blow up tomorrow and somehow he’d make you question yourself. Whenever I start writing a book that has a message like this one I ask myself what if? What if one person can have an effect on another like that? What if someone who has no empathy or remorse for their actions could love? I like to think it’s possible. But then again you never know.

At moments I thought that Adam was going to snap and want to kill Ellory.  Why didn't you do this?  It would have been for a great shocking moment.

All Adam wants is normalcy. Ellory makes him feel normal for the first time in his life. He actually thinks he might have a future that doesn’t involve rotting in a jail cell. He was definitely too attached to her to kill her. To be so conflicted and tortured by being abnormal and not really being able to show his true colors is something Adam struggles with. For him to eliminate his only sliver of normalcy, I just couldn’t envision it for Adam and Ellory in book one. But... who knows what books two and three will have in store for them?

Did you find yourself holding back the darkness because you thought the YA crowd would not accept this story?  Could you have made it darker?

A tiny bit. In the original version Ellory was actually ten times more brash. So brash that she was unlikeable, so I toned her down some. Also, in the original version, Adam had no POV. The story was completely told from Ellory’s POV. And I kept going back through it and every time I read it I felt like something was missing. I had to add his POV. I had to. What I wanted most was for people to understand that he’s not all bad. I mean, he is definitely more bad than good, but there is a shred of goodness in him that I wanted the readers to be able to see.

As far as this being darker. I think there all different types of readers. I think there are YA readers who enjoy really dark reads. I know I do. I can’t be the only one, right?

I could have made it darker... I actually have a short prequel that I’m going to put out as a free read right before Yelling Out Loud comes out. Adam’s last moment with Regina Taylor...Told from her POV.  Even though it’s short, I’d say it is much darker than A Whisper To A Scream.

Personally, I’m the type that likes to write really dark boundary-pushing books. Or books told from a characters POV that a person normally would not expect. In my novella He Loves Me...He Loves You Not, it is written entirely from the other woman’s POV. I think I do this because it is a challenge. I don’t like the norm, if that makes any sense, LOL.

There are times when I was confused in the story with Ellory's behavior.  She loves her mom then she doesn't dig her.  She just seemed to flip back and forth.  Is this what you were going for because maybe her hormones were going crazy, or is it possible that Ellory has an underlying mental disorder?

Oh Ellory definitely has major issues. Is it a mental disorder, who knows? Maybe. I think you’ll get to see a lot more that has to do with this in book two.

Where there any songs that inspired you, or that you listened to while writing this? I kept thinking N.I.N. The Perfect Drug when I thought of Adam & Ellory. Especially Adam with the “Without you…without you everything falls apart. Without you, it’s not as much fun to pick up the pieces.”

I am a music junkie. Music always inspires me. Most of the time when I’m writing, I like it quiet, but sometimes I put a playlist together of songs that remind me of my characters. Here are a few...

1.    Paramore – Monster – I’ll stop the whole world. I’ll stop the world from turning into a monster and eating us alive.

2.    Kings of Leon – Closer – Driven by the strangle of vein, showing no mercy I’d do it again. Open up your eyes, you keep on crying baby, I’ll bleed you dry.

3.    Rihanna & Eminem – Love The Way You Lie Pt2 – On the first page of our story the future seemed so bright. But this thing turned out so evil, I don’t know why I’m still surprised. Even angels have their wicked schemes, and you take that to new extremes. But you’ll always be my hero…Even though you lost your mind.

I loved how Adam & Ellory complimented each other with their own special brand of crazy. Adam unable to feel anything and desperately wanting to feel something. Ellory who feels too much and is desperately trying to not feel anything. Was this your original intent? Or did it just sort of happen after you started writing?

I did intend that... because I wanted them to be similar yet different at the same time.  Also underneath all of it, Ellory had witnessed her parents destroyed marriage and she has some bitterness towards love. Adam just wants to be able to feel emotion. So I think the way they interacted turned out great.

What do we have to look forward to in the next book?  Any teasers you can let us taste?

A whole lot of crazy and a whole lot of devious behavior... I do have a teaser. Here is your first glimpse at Yelling Out Loud, book two in The Sociopath Diaries.

“I’ve been locked up for the last sixty days. Imprisoned. Iron-clad in chains. Shackled to a wall to restrain myself from one thing; my own emotions.

The employees call this place an institution, I call it a nut-house. Straight jackets are an added accessory to your wardrobe and padded walls are the decorations in every room. I haven’t slept through the night since I arrived here two months ago.

I don’t think I’m crazy.

I think he made me go crazy. Adam made me go crazy.

I dream of him night after night. He’s a demon of destruction and despair, haunting me. Leaving me shriek wildly like a howling banshee, reminding me of what a sick and tortured fool I am for love. For his love.

Sometimes I swear hear him—his voice calls out to me and fills the bland white halls of the nut-house. Then reality hits. He’s not here. He has never been here and probably won’t ever come to see me. After that, the emptiness floods through me. Emptiness floods through me and drowns me when I face reality.

There’s an epic battle between love and emptiness ripping through my body. Opposing sides steel swords’ clash, cutting into me and the emptiness is smothering the love inside of me.  Soon I’ll be a robot, just like him. No love in me at all. He broke me. The one boy who I let in broke me. The one boy who I let see the real me bartered with my soul and ripped it to shreds.”

SQUEEEE!!!! I want more…I NEED more….NOW!!!! I don’t know if I am going to be able to hold on for the next book without going insane. She better make room for two in that padded hotel room with commentary straight jacket bathrobes.

Now that we teased you, and have gotten you all excited, it's only fair that we give you a chance to get your own copy of A Whisper To A Scream.That's right one lucky winner will get an eBook copy, and I'm telling you this book will change you. It's a must read! This contest is open Internationally so just fill out the Rafflecopter form below and...Good Luck!

A Whisper To A Scream by Lauren Hammond

A Whisper To A Scream
By Lauren Hammond
Published October 11th 2011 by S.B. Addison Books
Pick up your copy at Amazon or B&N for only 99 cents today!
Synopsis borrowed from Goodreads:

Sometimes love....can be deadly.

Ellory Graham detested high school. She relished the fact that she was a rebel. A wild, carefree, type of girl. She basked in the glory of being the type of girl who stood up to authority. Unfortunately for her, her upfront, honest and bitchy nature always managed to land her in some kind of trouble.

Adam Jacobs was everything Ellory was not. Not only was he beautiful, but he was smart, artistic, and sweet. To almost every girl he seemed like the total package- that all around perfect guy. But in a town were nothing particularly interesting happens, and gossip seems like the only fun thing to do, sometimes those perfections become flaws. And it doesn’t take long for Ellory to find out, even Adam has secrets.

But Adam’s secrets, are the kind of secrets people die for....

What Darkfallen & Greta has to say:

Greta: This is an interesting and unique read that I've never seen done in YA.

Darkfallen: For me this book was brilliant!

I mean ok, ok, ok there is a little room for improvement. Like maybe one good look through with a fresh pair of eyes could catch the typos and misplaced words that are sprinkled here and there throughout the book. But as you can tell from my 5 star rating I thought the book was still too good, even with the errors, to take a star away.
Greta: Ellory is your typical ya teenage angst girl. She's 17, a senior in high school, has a mouth like a sailor, doesn't like to get gussied up, and loves her friends.

Her life is about to get flipped upside down. Burton, Ohio hasn't had anything exciting happen to it in years. Maybe even decades. That is until Adam Jacobs moves to town. A beautiful boy with a winning smile, football skills, and a dark dark secret.

Adam is a monster. But not like the ones from fairytales. Adam is for real.

I found the plot at times to be a bit out there. Ellory's story is told in 1st person POV while Adam's is told in 3rd. I have to admit that this confused me when it was first introduced. I didn't mind it but I definitely wasn't expecting it. I've only see that done with Heather Gudenkauf novels.
Darkfallen:  Yes I totally agree with Greta and warn you that at first it might be a little confusing to read. It switches back form Ellory's POV which is first person present, to Adams POV which is third person present. And while the first couple of switches are slightly awkward, in the end I get it. I think it honestly needed that.

With Ells POV the way it is you feel a connection with her. With Adams POV you feel the disconnect. And I think that is important because what I take from the book is this...

Ells is a girl that is trying desperately to live numb. Always trying NOT to feel anything. While Adam is desperately trying to feel ANYTHING. He is completely devoid of emotion, and if he could muster the concept of hate...then he would hate it. Either way Adam knows he is a monster. It's not until meeting Ells that he thinks maybe he is starting to feel something. That maybe there is more than just the monster that he has known all his life.

While Adam is intrigued by this and trying to pull Ells closer to him. To see just how much he can feel. Can she make him feel love? Ells is pushing him away because she is scared of what she feels for him. The push and pull work great, and I couldn't get enough. The twist in the end is dark and perfect. I can't wait to get my hands on the in this series. I need to know where this all goes. A part of me thinks that maybe Ells is slightly bi-polar. I would love to see if that's the case. Like can an over emotional bi-polar girl balance out an devoid of emotion sociopath boy? And vise versa?

Greta: I kind of figured that the duo would fall head over heel for each other. And in fact they did but I feel that Ellory shouldn't have fallen so hard. I can understand why Adam would. It makes sense since he's the one fighting between bloodlust and normalcy. But I thought Ellory should realize that he was going a little over the top. In my opinion it would be the best move to make Ellory a fourteen year old. I think that if the author was to do that then her being so infatuated with Adam would make more sense. She'd be too young to realize their relationship is a bit too clingy (in a way).

Another reason I would make Ellory younger is the fact that she talks about her BFF as though she's the center of her life. Now, I know that I did that when I was 17 but I don't know if that is the norm. Again, if Ellory was just a smidge younger than this would maker perfect sense.

I told my husband about that and he told me that if the author was to do that then it would be socially unacceptable for her to get it on with Adam. Well, that doesn't happen in this book. There is some making out but nothing too graphic. It's all pretty tame. But what if there was something to happen? Ellory likes to party and is proclaimed as the wild child. If she's all that then I'm pretty sure that a fourteen year old having sex would not raise any eyebrows. We all knew those kinds of girls.

In closing:

Darkfallen: I will tell you this...this isn't for the faint at heart. Now please don't misunderstand me, it's not all American Psycho. It won't make you vomit...well at least it didn't me. But it is pushing the bill a little on YA and you need to keep an open mind while reading this book. For the squeamish it just might be a little too much for you. But I say this is hands down a series to look out for.

Greta: The ending is probably the best part. It does make me wonder what is in store for the next book. You are left with a delicious cliffhanger that will leave you wanting more and biting your nails until the next book is released.

This is kind of a dark book. American Psycho was darker and so was Misery, but this has the potential to give me that SCREAM FACTOR with the upcoming book. I'm really wanting that. With that being said, I wouldn't recommend this for the squeemish. It didn't shock me at all but that's kind of hard to do. I can imagine it disturbing others.

Darkfallen: Is it taboo, and maybe heading in the direction of the Banned Book List? Quite possibly...but does't that make it even better? *winks* lol

Greta & Darkfallen both agree Lauren Hammond is an authore to keep your eye on!

Darkfallen's rating...

Greta's rating...

Until next time...