Songbird by Sydney Logan - Release Day Review, Excerpt, and Giveaway

It’s release day for Songbird by Sydney Logan! We love this contemporary romance, and we're so thrilled to share it with you! Check out the release day festivities!

 

One bridesmaid. One groomsman. One classic wedding hookup.
But for Callie and Devin, their weekend of passion is anything but typical.

Callie Franklin doesn’t do one night stands.

Ever.

She’s far too responsible and focused on her career to ever let herself give in to temptation. But, on the eve of her best friend’s wedding, she meets that temptation . . .

And his name is Devin McAllister.

Devin, on the other hand, has no problem with meaningless hookups. The very last thing he needs—or wants—is a relationship.

Relationships come with strings.

Relationships come with heartbreak.

A late-night encounter in the hotel’s piano bar finds the two unable to resist each other. With her angelic voice and bright blue eyes, Devin’s sure he’s never met anyone as beautiful as his Songbird.

Six weeks later, when two pink lines confirm Callie’s worst fears, she and Devin have to face the consequences of their wild weekend.

And they have to deal with each other—whether they like it or not.

With a love story that’s far from traditional, Callie and Devin begin to wonder if their one-night stand could turn into something neither of them anticipated.

A happily ever after.

WiLoveBooks Review:

This is a pretty standard contemporary romance. One night stand turns into pregnancy. Womanizer becomes sweetie for the right woman.  I loved it, though. Between the characters and the writing, it just pulled me in. There were some laughs and some tears. I enjoyed the alternating POV and how both Callie and Devin changed over the course of the book. This is a good choice if you're looking for a nice romance with minimal angst that will give you the feels.  

My Rating: *****

Steam Factor: !!!

Buy Links:

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | iBooks | Goodreads 

Exclusive Excerpt:

Traffic’s insane, but I finally make it to Callie’s apartment just after two. I anxiously knock on the door, ridiculously eager to get my hands on her. Maybe she’ll be wearing some flimsy lingerie. Maybe she’ll be naked. My mind’s busy conjuring all the possibilities when she opens the door . . . wearing a sweatshirt and jeans.

“Hey,” she says softly, stepping aside to let me in.

“Hey. You okay?”

She looks pale as a ghost. Is she sick? She looks sick. Maybe I should call an ambulance. Or my dad.

“I’m okay.” Callie leads me over to the sofa. “Look, Devin, I know you probably have some plans for us for tonight, but that won’t be happening.”

“Oh.” Disappointment floods me, but if the nauseated look on her face is any indication, it’s probably best. Besides, there’s the next night. And the next.

“But we need to talk, so I’m glad you’re here. I have something I need to tell you.” She abruptly jumps to her feet and walks toward her kitchen. “Would you like something to drink?”

I can’t tell if she’s being a good hostess or simply stalling, but I ask for a beer. It looks like I’m gonna need it. I hadn’t pegged her for the kind of woman who needs to talk about her feelings.

When she returns to the living room, Callie hands me a bottle and sits down next to me. I notice she only brought one.

“You’re not drinking?”

She curls her feet beneath her. “Unfortunately, no. I won’t be drinking for a long time.”

I’ve had it with the riddles.

“All right, what’s going on? My brother and his girlfriend threatened to murder me if I make you cry. Something’s obviously up with you because you just want to talk.”

Her forehead creases. “Don’t you ever just talk to a woman?”

“Not if I can help it.”

“Why not? The girls you usually date don’t have enough sense to carry on an intelligent conversation?”

“I don’t date, Callie.”

“I see. You just sleep with them.”

“Sometimes. Is there something wrong with that?”

“And are you careful?”

“Careful?”

“Safe,” she says softly. “We didn’t use protection. I just wondered if that’s typical for you.”

Oh. It’d be easy to blame the alcohol, but honestly, using protection was the very last thing on my mind that night.

“No, that’s not typical. I’m sorry about that.”

“So am I.”

Callie seems far more relaxed after my apology. Maybe this night won’t be an epic failure after all. I slide closer to her, but she raises her hand in warning.

“We’re not finished.”

I groan and lean back against the couch.

“Devin, I need you to listen. Something happened that weekend. I’m almost positive you won’t want to sleep with me after you hear what I’m about to say.”

“I seriously doubt that.”

“I don’t.” Callie sits up a little straighter and squares her shoulders. “I want you to know I expect nothing from you. Our weekend together was a mistake, and I’ll deal with the consequences of it. I don’t know exactly what I’m going to do at this point, but I thought you should at least know what’s going on.”

“What’s going on?”

Her eyes flood with tears.

“Devin, I’m pregnant.”

Pregnant.

Pregnant?

I stare at her. She stares at me. I watch her closely, hoping that at any moment she’s going to burst out laughing.

But she’s not laughing. She’s crying.

I hear Lorie’s voice in my suddenly throbbing head.

Don’t make her cry.

“Why . . . why are you telling me?”

She wipes her eyes. “What do you mean?”

“You’re assuming it’s mine?”

“Of course it’s yours!”

I snort. “Really? How can you be so sure? Maybe it was that bartender in the hotel’s piano bar. Or maybe it was the guy who sat with you at the reception. Or maybe—just maybe—it was the photographer you were with tonight. You two seem pretty close.”

Even as the bitter words drip off my tongue, I know better. Her face is just too furious . . . her eyes too heartbroken.

Suddenly, Callie stops crying. Her eyes flash with fury just seconds before she slaps me across the face.

Despite the ringing in my ears, I can hear my brother’s warning.

Don’t be an asshole tonight.

Too late.

 Sydney Logan Bio:

Amazon best-selling author Sydney Logan holds a Master's degree in Elementary Education. She is the author of five novels - Lessons Learned, Mountain Charm, Soldier On, Once Upon a December, and Pros & Cons. Sydney has also penned several short stories and is a contributor to Chicken Soup for the Soul.

A native of East Tennessee, Sydney enjoys playing piano and relaxing on her porch with her wonderful husband and their very spoiled cat.

  Links: 
  Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads

Enter Sydney’s Giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blogs Taking Part in the Release Day Launch

Ashley Book Blog

#TheBookNerdLife

Four Chicks Flipping Pages

Smut Book Junkie Reviews

a crazy vermonters book reviews

Books to Breathe

Morning Books and Coffee

Between the Pages

What Is That Book About

deal sharing aunt

Dirty Little Secret's Book Reviews

The Travelogue of a book addict - The Book Drealms

Renee Entress's Blog

The Consummate Reader

Connected by Books

TEXTTEASER

Maari Loves Her Indies

Kitty's Book Spot!

Bookaholics Not-So-Anonymous

British Book Binge

Penny For My Thoughts

Aaly and The Books

My YA NA Book Obsession

Fic Talk

Rustys Reading

Between The Lines

Short and Sassy Book Blurbs

Book Freak

2 Greek Girls Reading

Cynthia Bloggs

Southern Vixens Book Obsessions

Booklover4lifeblog

Obsessive Book Nerd

Rambling Reads

Got Nikki?

Have Words Will Scribble

cupcakes and vodka book blog

flirty fiction blog

Southern Yankee Book Reviews

Mikky's World Of Books

Becky on Books

Read My Mind

Cassandra's Reviews

Romance Obsessed Book Blog

Jen's Reading Obsession

Sexy Bibliophiles

Adventures in Writing

A girl and her books

Talking Books Blog

books are love

Waves of Fiction

A Sky Full of Stars Blog

Book Briefs

Nuggets from a Book Nerd

Author Groupies

Jax's Book Magic

grownupfangirl // oh the book feels

Alpha Book Club

An Aussie Girls WILD Book Addiction!

The Whispering Pages Book Blog

Love Affair With Fiction

Wicked Babes Blog Reviews

Pages Abound

Lustful LIterature

Love, Laughter, and Happily Ever Afters

Friends Till The End Book Blog

Wicked Women Book Blog

Reviews from the Heart

Hooked On Books

Summers Book Blog

Reading Bliss

Oh the book feels

Songbird by Sydney Logan - Cover Reveal and #Giveaway

It’s cover reveal day for Songbird by Sydney Logan! I am so excited to share this cover with y’all! Sydney is sharing an exclusive excerpt and giveaway with us so be sure to check it all out!

  Title: Songbird 

  Genre: Contemporary Romance 

  Author: Sydney Logan

 Release Day: October 3rd

 

  About Songbird: 

  One bridesmaid.

One groomsman.

One classic wedding hookup.

But for Callie and Devin, their weekend of passion is anything but typical.

Callie Franklin doesn’t do one night stands.

Ever.

She’s far too responsible and focused on her career to ever let herself give in to temptation.

But, on the eve of her best friend’s wedding, she meets that temptation . . .

And his name is Devin McAllister.

Devin, on the other hand, has no problem with meaningless hookups. The very last thing he needs—or wants—is a relationship.

Relationships come with strings.

Relationships come with heartbreak.

A late-night encounter in the hotel’s piano bar finds the two unable to resist each other. With her angelic voice and bright blue eyes, Devin’s sure he’s never met anyone as beautiful as his Songbird.

Six weeks later, when two pink lines confirm Callie’s worst fears, she and Devin have to face the consequences of their wild weekend.

And they have to deal with each other—whether they like it or not.

With a love story that’s far from traditional, Callie and Devin begin to wonder if their one-night stand could turn into something neither of them anticipated.

A happily ever after.

     

Exclusive Excerpt: 

Sitting down on the piano bench, I let my fingers drift aimlessly along the keys. I switch on the microphone and start to play the opening bars of my favorite Fleetwood Mac song.

Closing my eyes, I play and sing, allowing the music to soothe my troubled mind. I’m at the final chorus when I feel someone’s eyes on me. It’s the most incredible sensation—instinct alerting me to the penetrating stare of some stranger in the dimly lit bar.

I slowly open my eyes, and my fingers slip off the keys when I see him.

He’s seated at a table just a few feet away. His tie is undone, as are the first couple buttons of his shirt. He gazes at me, and I watch as his finger lazily trails along the rim of his glass while I struggle to remember the words to a song I’ve loved all my life.

The man rises from the seat, his eyes never leaving mine as he picks up his glass and walks over to the piano. I break the spell, forcing myself to look down and focus on the keys. Without asking permission, he sits down on the bench next to me. I take a deep breath and pray for instinct to take over as I finish the song.

After I play the last note, silence hangs in the air between us until he lifts his hand and brushes my hair away from my shoulders.

“Play something else,” he says, his voice deep and smooth against my ear.

So I sing, paying no real attention to the words as we stare at each other throughout the song. I have no idea how long we sit there, but it’s apparently too long for the bartender because he announces last call.

The handsome stranger stands up and reaches for me.

“Come with me, Songbird.”

The look in his eye is unmistakable, filling me with a sense of longing and excitement that I haven’t felt in so very long. I know I’m too tired, too lonely, and probably a little too tipsy to accept this man's outstretched hand.

I do it anyway.

 

About the Author: 

  Amazon best-selling author Sydney Logan holds a Master's degree in Elementary Education. She is the author of five novels - Lessons Learned, Mountain Charm, Soldier On, Once Upon a December, and Pros & Cons. Sydney has also penned several short stories and is a contributor to Chicken Soup for the Soul.

A native of East Tennessee, Sydney enjoys playing piano and relaxing on her porch with her wonderful husband and their very spoiled cat.

Visit her website at www.sydneylogan.com. 

  Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads

Enter Sydney’s Giveaway:

a Rafflecopter giveaway    

Blog Tour Review and Guest Post: Mountain Charm by Sydney Logan

Welcome to Sydney Logan's Mountain Charm Blog Tour! I have a little Q&A here from Sydney Logan, followed by a review of Mountain Charm. Enjoy!


When you sit down to read, what is your favorite genre?   

My favorite genre is contemporary romance, but that’s a very broad term. Specifically, I like sweet love stories with happy endings.  I read almost anything – YA, New Adult, Inspirational Romance, and some Erotica if there’s a decent plot and it’s well written.

If you wanted a good laugh, what book would you read?I recently read Wallbanger by Alice Clayton, and I laughed so much! So that would be my go-to story if I ever needed a good laugh.
If you wanted a good cry what book would you read?

I can always rely on my favorite author, Nicholas Sparks, if I need a good cry.  I recommend grabbing a tissue before reading Message in a Bottle or The Notebook. The last book that made me cry was John Green’s The Fault in Our Stars.  I was not prepared for the emotional rollercoaster of that book.

Mountain Charm by Sydney Logan

Description:

“True love and sweet whispers, till death do us part;

Send someone to love my Appalachian heart.”

At the age of thirteen, Angelina Clark followed in the footsteps of her ancestors by casting an Appalachian love spell, which promised she would blossom into a beautiful and gifted woman who would find her true love. A young Angelina had been thrilled to participate in the sacred ritual, but through the years, her father’s untimely death and her mother’s failing health have shaken Angelina’s magical faith to its core. As her twenty-first birthday approaches, she refuses to practice her supernatural gifts and no longer believes in the love charm.

That is, until Dylan Thomas arrives on her front porch.

Dylan, a Nashville writer, travels to the mountain town of Maple Ridge to unearth the family’s supernatural secrets. While her clairvoyant mother is convinced that Dylan is her daughter’s soul mate, Angelina refuses to see the nosy reporter as anything more than a nuisance.

Despite their constant bickering, sparks fly.

Dylan admits he feels strangely drawn to Angelina and is in no hurry to leave Maple Ridge or publish his magazine article. Fearful that his emotions are being influenced by the spell, a stubborn Angelina struggles to fight her own budding attraction to the reporter.

The two inevitably grow closer just as her mother’s health begins to deteriorate, and Angelina is faced with the possibility of selling the family’s music shop to pay the mounting medical expenses. Desperate to help the woman he loves, Dylan explores his own family tree and finds support from an unlikely source. Can he finally prove his love is real—spell or no spell?

A story filled with love, friendship, family, and just a hint of Appalachian magic, Mountain Charm will leave you spellbound.

My Thoughts:
I loved this. Mountain Charm is a sweet contemporary romance with a touch of magic. There are some very funny moments, as well as some that tug at the heart. Angelina doesn't believe in magic anymore, but when Dylan shows up at her door on her 21st birthday, she has to reconsider. She fights the attraction and Dylan has to prove that there is more to their relationship than a spell. Very sweet. I was drawn in from the very first page. 

My Rating: *****
Steam Factor: !!!

My Source: author blog tour



Get the book: http://ph.thewriterscoffeeshop.com/books/detail/91

Author Bio:

Sydney Logan is an Amazon bestselling author and holds a Master’s degree in Elementary Education. With the 2012 release of her first novel, Lessons Learned, she made the transition from bookworm to author. Sydney has a very unhealthy obsession with music, and her iPod is filled with everything from Johnny Cash to Eminem. She is also the author of two short stories: “Mistletoe Magic,” available exclusively on Amazon Kindle, and “Stupid Cupid,” which is featured in the Romantic Interludescompilation. When she isn't reading or writing, she enjoys playing piano and relaxing on her front porch at her home in East Tennessee with her wonderful husband and their very spoiled cat.
Her second novel, Mountain Charm, is slated for a summer 2013 release.

Visit Sydney’s website at www.sydneylogan.com

Twitter
Facebook
Pinterest
WiLoveBooks review of Lessons Learned
WiLoveBooks interview with Sydney Logan

Review: Lessons Learned by Sydney Logan

Lessons Learned by Sydney Logan

Description:
A young girl needs to spread her wings, but a young woman needs roots.

English teacher Sarah Bray never thought she’d return to Sycamore Falls, but a traumatic event at her inner-city school leaves her desperate for the sanctuary of home. By returning to her roots, an older and wiser Sarah hopes to deal with the demons of her present and confront the ghosts of her past.

She discovers a kindred spirit in Lucas Miller, a teacher from New York with demons of his own. As the newest faculty members at Sycamore High School, they quickly become friends – bonding through Lucas’s culture shock and their mutual desire to build new lives. When they open their wounded hearts to each other, their friendship effortlessly evolves into romance.

Their love is put to the test when Matt, the quarterback of the football team, shares his deepest secret with Sarah. When the conservative community finds out, Sarah and Lucas – along with the town of Sycamore Falls – are schooled in the lessons of acceptance, tolerance, and love.

My Thoughts:
A lovely, sweet romance with two great characters who have some past issues to overcome. I loved them both and could see where Sarah was coming from, but I was rooting for them to get together. Lucas is so sweet and patient. Both are starting over, but new issues come up in their new school that cause problems. This book tackles some tough issues and does it so well. I have to say that tears were shed. Highly recommend this book.

My Rating: *****
Steam Factor: !!!
*Notes: School violence, bullying.

My Source: author

Where to get it:
Amazon
B&N
Kobo
iTunes

Where to find the author:
Website
Twitter
Facebook
Pinterest
Goodreads
Tumblr
Authorgraph

**WiLoveBooks Interview

Author Interview: Sydney Logan

This week I would like to welcome Sydney Logan, author of Lessons Learned. This one is on my to-read list and it looks great.

About Lessons Learned:

Selected as the Best Romance Read of 2012 by Nose in a Book Reviews Blogger Book Fair Reader’s Choice Awards – Romance & New Adult Categories

A young girl needs to spread her wings, but a young woman needs roots.

English teacher Sarah Bray never thought she’d return to Sycamore Falls, but a traumatic event at her inner-city school leaves her desperate for the sanctuary of home. By returning to her roots, an older and wiser Sarah hopes to deal with the demons of her present and confront the ghosts of her past.

She discovers a kindred spirit in Lucas Miller, a teacher from New York with demons of his own. As the newest faculty members at Sycamore High School, they quickly become friends – bonding through Lucas’s culture shock and their mutual desire to build new lives. When they open their wounded hearts to each other, their friendship effortlessly evolves into romance.

Their love is put to the test when Matt, the quarterback of the football team, shares his deepest secret with Sarah. When the conservative community finds out, Sarah and Lucas – along with the town of Sycamore Falls – are schooled in the lessons of acceptance, tolerance, and love.

(**Keep reading after the interview for an excerpt from the book.)

Interview with Sydney Logan:

Describe your ideal writing space. How does it compare to reality?

Ideally, I would love to write outside on my front porch. Since it’s February, my reality is my office. I can’t wait until spring!

What is the first story you remember writing and what was it about?

I wrote a story called “Hope” when I was thirteen. I submitted it to one of those “Be a Writer” ads you used to see in magazines. I don’t really remember what it was about, but it was selected as a winner. All I had to do was pay mega money to enroll in their writing school. Needless to say, that didn’t happen. :)

Name a memorable book from your childhood. Why is it memorable?

I read Forever by Judy Blume when I was a teenager. I grew up very sheltered, so that book was quite the eye-opener for me.

If you could ask any writer (living or dead) a question, who would it be and what would you
ask?

I would ask Nicholas Sparks (my favorite author) why he feels the need to kill someone in every book he writes. :)

If you could pick any of the worlds or characters you have created, which would you want to
visit or spend a day with?

I’d love to spend a day with Lucas at Sycamore Falls.

What is one thing you like to do when you are not reading or writing?

I feel like I’m forever writing and reading, but when I’m not, I like to dabble in web design.

What are you currently working on?
I am currently editing my second novel, Mountain Charm, which is slated for release in late summer/early fall. I’m also writing a short story and starting work on book three. See? Forever writing! :)

Bio:

Sydney Logan holds a Master’s degree in Elementary Education and makes her home in the hills of East Tennessee. With the 2012 release of her first novel, Lessons Learned, she made the transition from bookworm to author. She has a very unhealthy obsession with music, and her iPod is filled with everything from Johnny Cash to Eminem. When she isn't reading or writing, she enjoys playing piano and relaxing on her front porch with her wonderful husband and their very spoiled cat. Please visit her official website at www.sydneylogan.com.

Where to find her:

Website & Blog
Facebook
Twitter
Where to get the book

Lessons Learned Excerpt:

Prologue

Voices roar through the high school cafeteria while students navigate their way to the tables. The cliques are easily spotted: the jocks, the geeks, the beauty queens, the slackers.

Where will he sit today?

Despite the fact he’s a handsome and impeccably dressed young man, he fades into the background. Knowing it’s pointless, the girls don’t bother to look his way, and the guys deliberately avoid his eyes.

He grips his tray tightly and heads toward the corner table with the rest of the outcasts. They nod hello, but that’s the end of any real attempt at conversation. It’s an unspoken rule of sorts. This is their refuge—a tiny bit of sanctuary in the hell that is public high school—and they’re content to sit in peace.

He takes a seat, and I can see the exhaustion on his face. It’s not a weariness that comes from too many sleepless nights. This is a bone-tired fatigue no seventeen-year-old kid should ever feel.

He’s giving in.

Giving up.

In my peripheral vision, I see a senior stalk into the cafeteria. He’s tall, with deep brown eyes and jet-black hair that won’t stay in place. He’s good looking, popular, and a little conceited, thanks to his father’s wealth and status.

He has a reputation to uphold.

Rumors to squash.

A score to settle.

He pulls the silver gun out of his jacket pocket. Amid the chaos, no one notices.

I notice.

I try to run, but I’m frozen in place.

I try to scream, but there’s no sound.

The first shot rings out, and suddenly, everyone’s on the cold tile.

Tears, prayers, screams.

Another shot, and for some reason, I’m the only one who can’t move. Who can’t scream. Who can’t do anything but watch as the young man’s body slumps over his tray.

Finally, I find my voice and scream his name.