#BlogTour & Spot Light ~ How I Fall (How I Fall #1) by Anne Eliot

ELLEN LIKES CAM * CAM LIKES ELLEN *

What if the one person you can't stop thinking about...

...can't stop thinking about you?

*CAM LIKES ELLEN *

What if during one long day you failed at everything because you met this glitter-crazed new girl who practically ruins your life? Worse, she insists you and your secret crush become best friends—with her?!! Only you don’t have time to be friends with insane people, and you think your crush might need to stay the way it’s always been: Distant. Impossible. In your head. This is because you have problems and secrets a crush would never understand.

*ELLEN LIKES CAM *

But what if the three of you wind up assigned to a group photography project, and rumors are already circling about the new girl being ridiculous? You know she’s nice but alone, so you convince your crush to help protect the new girl. Working on the project suddenly makes hanging out, texting, talking—and even high school—seem completely normal when it’s anything but.

ELLEN LIKES CAM * CAM LIKES ELLEN *

What if you fall for each other just enough to kiss…and it’s perfect? You tell secrets and make the kind of promises that might be impossible to keep when you’re only sixteen. Which is why, long before it all falls apart, you already knew nothing this beautiful could have been meant to be yours for long.

But what if…
-----

Purchase Links

Amazon U.S. ~ B&N (Paperback)

About the Author

Anne Eliot writes sweet, first-love stories. She was raised in the mountains of Colorado, but says she really learned about life, love and friendships from summers spent with her large, Italian immigrant family in Ontario, Canada.

Anne is grateful to have had schools with inspiring teachers and librarians who directed her to worlds she would not have found on her own. To this day, she adores school visits, teaching writing to teens, and is dedicated to making sure kids in need have access to books that will fuel their hopes and dreams.

While growing up, Anne hid her own anxieties by hiding and reading book after book. She developed an addiction to first love, first kisses and her favorite: the happy-ever-after story. This is what she writes today. Now she's a mom of two and happily married to her own first love. Anne works hard to juggle being a wife and parent while writing, but fails at cooking because she is still trying to read book, after book of love stories on the side.

Anne Eliot’s first book, Almost, became a top 100 best selling Kindle book, and was a Readers Choice, Top 12 of 2012 book for Amazon.com at #11, and will be translated and released in Germany and Turkey fall 2013. Her second book, Unmaking Hunter Kennedy, is a also a Kindle, top 100 best selling book in Teen Romance for 2013. She's hard at work on her third novel, another sweet teen romance releasing fall/winter, 2013. She loves to hear from readers. Please look for her on Facebook or tweet her @yaromance.

Author Links
Goodreads ~ Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Tumblr

Inspiration for the story

The character of Ellen Foster is fictional, but her Cerebral Palsy symptoms and hemiparesis/balance issues loosely match what an amazing teen (and I girl I’m proud to call my friend) named Allison Winn, faces every single day. Her condition was not brought on by CP, but was brought about due to complications Allison suffered after the removal of a childhood brain tumor which resulted in side effects that will be with her for the rest of her life.

Despite all that sadness, with the help of her mom, Dianna, dad Brian, the patience of her sister, Emily, and the inspiration from a tiny rescued dog named Coco, Allison was inspired to help other kids by baking dog biscuits (thousands of them) so she could raise money to help other kids like her. These biscuits were hand sold by Allison for months (and now years) so other sick kids and sad families could afford to adopt a fully trained dog from a very special program into their lives.

At age nine, Allison’s goal was to raise enough money so one special trained dog could be placed with a kid who had life threatening issues. She met that goal, and that same year adopted out 10 dogs with the sales of her dog treats! Now she’s fourteen and her project has a name: The Stinkbug Project. Stinkbug has now adopted out 40+ dogs to kids who live around the Rocky Mountain Region all because Allison never gives up baking. Now so many people help to raise awareness while others donate baking and packaging supplies and volunteer to help Allison bake and sell the treats.

This girl, who soon will be an amazing woman, is now cancer free but she still works tirelessly at baking and selling biscuits for what has become a thriving community charity effort. The trained dogs are all rescued dogs who come from the very special, Colorado based, K-9 correctional dog training program. Adoptions and applications for a dog are now handled via the Rocky Mountain Children’s Health Foundation. More information about The Stinkbug Project, Allison, and RMHF can be found at:

http://www.rmchildren.org/programs/stink-bug-project/

Every year, a donation will be sent by me to support this amazing project, and at all book signings I will be accepting donations on behalf of this wonderful project and donating them to Allison’s efforts as well.

Giveaway

One winner will win a signed copy of HOW I FALL!

Be sure to enter!

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Unmaking Hunter Kennedy by Anne Eliot

After a car accident--an event he considers a prank gone bad--pop star, Hunter Kennedy is forced to hide out with his aunt in small-town Colorado. He’s supposed to rest, heal his scars and attend high school in disguise until the press dies down. But he only wants to get back to work.

Worse, the girl who’s been assigned to make him over into a geek is a major geek herself. Vere Roth is a chattering pixie, a blushing tornado and a complete social disaster. He’s never met a girl who’s never-been-kissed, believes in romance and thinks Hunter’s a 'nice' guy.

Funny thing is...Hunter is nice around Vere because she’s his first real friend. He also can’t seem to stop sharing his secrets or keep her out of his heart. Knowing he’d never deserve a girl as sweet as Vere, he resigns himself to the friend zone, and helps his new bestie with her own makeover. 

She tortures him daily for ridiculous guy advice on how to snag her life-long crush. A guy Hunter thinks is totally wrong for Vere, and sadly, one who has taken note of Vere’s transformation.

When Vere asks her best friend for some kissing advice, Hunter can’t resist...

And that’s when things get out of control...

High School Romance, first love, sweet romance.

4.5-4.75 A++ Stars!

Cheekbones and muscles and…are boys allowed to be this beautiful? 

I’m a huge fan of this author…like HUGE. After I read Almost, and fell completely in love with the story and the writing, I was going to read anything this author put out. So when I saw this was going to be her next story, I was beyond excited. How could I not? Celebrity boy band singer meets and falls for an adorable, cute and geeky girl. Oh yea, I was all over this on release day :)

Girl was cute with that pink face.

“Would you stop?” She shifted her feet.

He went for honesty again. “I’ll try but, your cheeks! Makes you look like a little gnome.” 

There is no doubt that Vere is one shy girl, especially when it comes to her longtime crush, Curtis Wishford. He is her brother’s best friend and has been crushing on him forever. She has the tendency to blush beet red whenever he’s around and goes completely clams up when he tries to talk to her. Not to mention the incident that happened between that left her with quite a reputation. Poor Vere, she just can’t catch a break. Will she ever get over her shyness?

“I’m Hunter Kennedy. Some of this you know already, some you don’t. I’m a guy who was so lost and depressed that I freaked out and tried to hurt myself because I felt so down.” 

Hunter Kennedy, a seventeen year old heartthrob, is part of the boy band, GuardeRobe. Even though he has everything, he feels nothing but emptiness and loneliness. The fame, the money, the girls, could not cure him of his depression. He’s got no one to turn to; not even his own mother. One day, Hunter’s depression goes to the extreme and he almost commits suicide. Not knowing what to do, his mother sends him to Colorado to live with his Aunt after he is released from a residential home for treatment. The plan is for Hunter to go incognito, rest and be away from the limelight. He is not a fan of this plan. All he wants is to go back to work with his band, but he feels like he owes his mother for his “stunt.” So off to Colorado he goes. 

“I know, of course, you’re a person and all that. But to me, I’m determined to think you’re a fake guy, Dustin McHugh.” ~ Vere 

When he reaches Colorado, he meets Vere and her family. They live next door to his Aunt. Vere and her brother, Charlie, are enlisted to help Hunter blend in. Considering Hunter’s high profile persona and extreme good looks, it’s going to be hard to hide him. So Vere helps him become Dustin McHugh, Hunter’s dorky alter ego. Vere does everything she can to conceal Hunter’sassets. Take Hunter and add dorky clothes, a retainer, hat and glasses that darken in the sunlight, plus a lisp, and you’ve got Dustin. He is the anti-Hunter. No one recognizes him. As Dustin, Hunter begins to feel liberated. He no longer has to worry about paparazzi or a horde of screaming girls. He can just be. To top it all off, Vere has designated him as her BGF: Best Guy Friend. For some reason, Vere doesn’t get all weird and stuttery around Hunter. This is wonderful! She can practice being normal around guys with the help of Hunter. They soon become very close friends.

The twisting pain in my chest, or the strange way I feel like I suddenly can’t breathe without you helping me? ~ Hunter (inner monologue) 

Hunter has never felt this way about anyone before. Vere and her friendship have meant the world to him. For some reason, making Vere happy makes him happy. He can’t believe that she doesn’t know how wonderful she truly is. She’s sweet, kind, loyal and is truly a beautiful person, inside and out. 

The girl can make pie from scratch. And she comes over to hang out with Aunt Nan so they can watch TV and knit? KNIT. She’s actually making me a hat! Who does that kind of granny stuff?

The cutest girl in the world, that’s who. 

I just flat out loved Vere. I can totally see myself being friends with her and her BFF, Jenna. As for Hunter, well, he was just an amazing character. I really felt for his character and was so happy he found a friend and kindred spirit in Vere. She completely blindsided him with her sweet and caring persona. With her at his side, he felt like he could do anything. He was able to smile and laugh and just be himself because for once in his life, no one was using him for anything. However, when Vere asks him to help her with winning Curtis’ affection, Hunter begins to feel trapped. 

He knew, without a doubt that he wanted her, but it wasn’t his usual understandable, physical kind of want. He wanted what he couldn’t have. He wanted her to be his, as in, his girlfriend. He wanted the right to love her. 

Anne Eliot is a fantastic writer. The pace of the story was a little slow in the beginning, but eventually picked up. She really does her best to develop her characters so that the readers can better understand them. The switching of POV between Hunter and Vere were flawless. You can really get into their characters. She makes them so relatable that you have no choice but to love and care for them. Just amazing writing. I will read everything that this author puts out. This is a very clean YA story that I think teens and adults will just love. I just wish there was a little epilogue at the end, but that’s just me wanting more. I’m just greedy that way. Loved it!!

Almost by Anne Eliot

At a freshman party she doesn't remember, Jess Jordan was almost raped.

...Almost. Very nearly. Not quite. Three years later, Jess has managed to make everyone believe she's better. Over it. Because she is.

...Almost. Very nearly. Not quite.

Unfortunately, until Jess proves she's back to normal activities, her parents won't discuss college. So, she lands a summer internship and strikes a deal with hockey jock, Gray Porter: He gets $8,000. She gets a fake boyfriend and a social life. 

Jess has no idea Gray signed on for reasons other than money. She also never expects to fall in love. But Gray’s amazingly hot, holds her hand all the time, and makes her forget that he’s simply doing his job. It’s like having a real boyfriend.

...Almost. Very nearly. Not quite.

Gray Porter is hiding secrets of his own. About Jess Jordan. About why he’s driven to protect her, why he won't cash her checks, or deny her anything she asks.

FIVE MASSIVE Stars!!

Member: BBB. Boys in Books are Better 

I'm so in love with Gray Porter. Let me repeat. This is me shouting it out because I cannot stress this enough: I'm in Love. Seriously. In LOVE with Gray Porter!. Gray has got to be the sweetest, cutest, most unselfish, most honorable book boyfriend ever. And for me to say that, is a huge deal. 

I'm sooooooo unbelievably happy right now. I'm so happy that I chose to read this amazing story. Seriously amazing. Its told in a two person perspective, Jess & Gray. Jess is fighter. During her freshman year, she was almost raped by a senior hockey player, until someone stopped him. Enter Gray Porter. Gray was just a scrawny freshman hockey player taking on the senior when he stopped the almost incident. He did everything he could to help Jess. He quit the Varsity team for her, and was ready to testify on her behalf. So unbelievably honorable Mr. Porter was. Unfortunately, Jess' parents, along with the coach believed nothing good could come out of prosecuting since Jess couldn't remember anything. 

Flash forward to the end of Junior year. Jess & Gray are competing one another for a summer internship. The payoff $8000 for the summer. Both could seriously benefit from this internship: Jess can get a letter of recommendation for college &normalcy points from her parents and Gray gets much needed money for college. Jess, however, needs to convince her parents that she's over her traumatic past and that she's coping with her PTSD. She convinces herself that getting a boyfriend would definitely prove to her parents that she's normal and ready for college. Convinced that the other will get the internship, Jess & Gray enter into a contract of sorts. They managed to convince the company to take both of them for the job, but only paying one intern (Gray). In return, Gray will pretend to be Jess' boyfriend for the summer. Gray has always harbored feelings for Jess and agrees to this arrangement. However, their pretend relationship leads to more. Both are torn with their feelings for one another. Is it all just pretend or is it more? Will Jess' nightmares from that horrible night ever stop? Will she remember Gray's involvement? Ahhhh, the turmoil. Loved it. 

Jess' character was pretty frustrating at times, but for the most part was real and honest. She was going through some major issues. Gray was just an absolutely perfect hero. He was so unbelievably sweet and patient with Jess. And that letter he wrote her? OMG! I could read that 50 million times and it would still have me swooning. It reminded me so much of Jane Austen's letter in Persuasion, which I find kinda funny considering the author's name is Anne Eliot. Get it? Anne Elliot? Persuasion people! LOL. 

Loved everything about this story. The references to Austen, Twilight, Hunger Games, Star Wars, their text messages...everything. Oh and trying to decipher those texts had me cracking up. Seriously, I freaking loved, LOVED this book. It was so adorkable. I can seriously go on and on about it. HIGHLY, HIGHLY, HIGHLY recommend. :)