Blog Tour: Just Between Us by J.H. Trumble

Title: JUST BETWEEN US
Author: J.H. Trumble
Publication Date: September 24, 2013
Pages: 320 pages
Publisher: Kensington
Find it: B&N | INDIEBOUND | Amazon | Goodreads
Genre: Fiction | Romance | Contemporary
Synopsis:

Seventeen-year-old Luke Chesser is trying to forget his spectacular failure of a love life. He practices marching band moves for hours in the hot Texas sun, deals with his disapproving father, and slyly checks out the new band field tech, Curtis Cameron. Before long, Luke is falling harder than he knew he could. And, this time, he intends to play it right.

Since testing positive for HIV, Curtis has careened between numbness and fear. Too ashamed to tell anyone, Curtis can’t possibly act on his feelings. And Luke—impulsive, funny, and more tempting than he realizes—won’t take a hint. Even when Curtis distances himself it backfires, leaving him with no idea how to protect Luke from the truth.

Confronting a sensitive topic with candor and aplomb, acclaimed author J. H. Trumble renders a modern love story as sweet, sharp, and messy as the real thing, where easy answers are elusive, and sometimes the only impossible thing is to walk away.

Five Reasons You Should be Reading LGBT Novels
By: J.H. Trumble

It’s so 21st Century

Gay characters in novels is nothing new, but I’m seeing them in an increasing number of leading roles. That’s exciting. Check out Brigid Kemmerer’s Secret (the fourth novel in her Elementals series) and Benjamin Alire Saenz’s award-winning Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, just two of my recent favorites. I think LGBT characters in leading roles will be the next big thing!

You get to live inside someone else’s skin

One of the great takeaways from reading books is that we get to walk a mile or a hundred in someone else’s shoes. And often what we find is that characters who seem to have nothing in common with us, are really, in many ways just like us. They bleed when you cut them, they bristle when they’re marginalized, they fight back when they’re wronged. It’s hard to hate or even mock someone you identify with, someone you’ve cried with, laughed with, and maybe even fallen in love with.

They reflect the diversity that exists

If you think queer folk aren’t among us, you’ve been living under a rock. And this is from someone who lives in a very conservative pocket of Texas. And yet books with LGBT characters in leading roles struggle more to find a place on school library shelves than do their straight counterparts. If your school or public library has a strong LGBT collection, go hug your librarian! Diversity is a beautiful thing and should be celebrated!

They explore stereotypes

My good friend author James Howe once told me that stereotypes exist for a reason—there’s a lot of truth in them. I would have to agree with him on that. But stereotypes are not the total truth. If your understanding of the LGBT community is limited to stereotypes, then you’re missing out on the incredible diversity within that community. Books are a great way to explore what it means to be human first and gay second.

Five Reasons You Should be Reading LGBT Novels
By: J.H. Trumble

There are some damn good stories out there

If you shy away from LGBT novels because you’re not gay, then you’re really missing out on some great stories. Here is a list of some of my favorites in no particular order:

Naomi and Ely’s No Kiss List, by David Levithan Secret, by Brigid Kemmerer Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, by Benjamin Alire Saenz The Last Exit to Normal, by Michael Harmon Someday This Pain Will Be Useful to You, by Peter Cameron Gone, Gone, Gone and Marco Impossible, by Hannah Moskowitz The Vast Fields of Ordinary, by Nick Burd

And of course, my novels—Don’t Let Me Go, Where You Are, and my September 26 release, Just Between Us! Read LGBT novels! Talk about them, review them, share them with your friends, ask your librarian to purchase them.



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Find J.H. Trumble:
Facebook | Website | Twitter | Goodreads

J.H. Trumble is a Texas native and graduate of Sam Houston State University. You can visit the author online at http://www.jhtrumble.com as well as on Facebook and Twitter.

Review: Crimson Frost by Jennifer Estep!

Crimson Frost (Book #4)
by Jennifer Estep

Paperback, 384 pages
Expected publication: December 24th 2012
by Kensington

GoodReads † Amazon † BN

For a moment, a face flashed before my eyes—the most hideous face I’d ever seen. No matter how hard I tried to forget what had happened, I saw him everywhere I went. It was Loki—the evil god that I’d helped set free against my will.

I should have known that my first official date with Logan Quinn was destined to end in disaster. If we’d gotten into a swordfight, or been ambushed by Reapers, I’d have been more prepared. But getting arrested mid-sip at the local coffee hangout? I didn’t see that one coming.

I’ve been accused of purposely helping the Reapers free Loki from his prison—and the person leading the charge against me is Linus Quinn, Logan’s dad. The worst part is that pretty much everyone at Mythos Academy thinks I’m guilty. If I’m going to get out of this mess alive, I’ll have to do it myself…

I am torn with this book. My emotions are everywhere. Crimson Frost has enough action in it, the romance is even bolder, more secrets come out, and tons of betrayal takes place, but the turn of events really bugged me. It’s wasn’t enough for me to not finish the book, but enough that I want to scream and rip my hair out. This is also a good thing though, huh? I love when a book makes me feel this way, but I don’t love when I have to wait long for the next in the series to see what happens. 

The story does move along, and Crimson Frost is definitely not a fill in for the series, but WHY? Why Jennifer Estep? Why kill me this way?!?!? LOL!

All the mystery in the book and the guessing game I was playing by myself, kept me at the edge of my seat. 

In Crimson Frost you follow Gwen and her struggles of trying to prove her innocence. She has been accused (SPOILER FOR THOSE WHO HAVE NOT READ THE FIRST COUPLE OF BOOKS) of freeing Loki on purpose and working with him. And that’s not even the worst part about it. She is arrested and being charged by Logan’s father; so much for getting on Daddy’s good side. Adding the cherry to the top, everyone at her school begins to give her a very hard time. It really got to me all the bullying and attempts at hurting Gwen over something she did not do. I wanted to reach inside the book and strangle each and every one. I wanted to slap Gwen for trying to be the nice person all the time. 

I have to admit that the first couple of chapters were interesting, but I felt the story didn’t really kick off until midway through the story. When Gwen finally figured out the villains plans was when things really hit the fan and left me yelling NO!

 

I realize that this review probably sounds negative. Trust me, it’s not. This series brings out so many different emotions in me and leaves me either so content with it that I am ranting on and on about it, or so frustrated that I am yelling at people to read it so that I am not alone in this emotional rollercoaster. I am really invested in this series, and even though I did not like some of the events that took place in this book, I am still going to continue reading it and recommend it to others. Jennifer Estep has done her job with entertaining me and keeping me intrigued. And now to wait for the next book in the series… I need it now!  

3.5 out of 5 Stars!

 

Review: Where You Are by J.H. Trumble (18+)

Where You Are by J.H. Trumble
Amazon † Barnes & Nobles
Expected publication:
January 2013
by Kensington Publishing
MATURE CONTENT

Robert Westfall's life is falling apart-everywhere but in math class. That's the one place where problems always have a solution. But in the world beyond high school, his father is terminally ill, his mother is squabbling with his interfering aunts, his boyfriend is unsupportive, and the career path that's been planned for him feels less appealing by the day.

Robert's math teacher, Andrew McNelis, watches his best student floundering, concerned but wary of crossing the line between professional and personal. Gradually, Andrew becomes Robert's friend, then his confidante. As the year progresses, their relationship-in school and out of it-deepens and changes. And as hard as he tries to resist, Andrew knows that he and Robert are edging into territory that holds incalculable risks for both of them.

J.H. Trumble, author of the acclaimed Don't Let Me Go, explores a controversial subject with extraordinary sensitivity and grace, creating a deeply human and honest story of love, longing, and unexpected connection.

.

          My Review:

     Where You Are is J.H. Trumble's second novel. I read her first novel Don't Let Me and I absolutely LOVED it. So when I found out she was writing another novel, I got in contact with her. I asked her to please keep me posted on release date so I can request an ARC. And she was more than happy to help me. She's a really nice person, which makes me enjoy her books even more. I absolutely loved this novel. Ms. Trumble wrote such a compelling story, where a teacher falls for one of his students. Aside from the age difference and profession. Trumble wrote this story in such a way that I couldn't help but root for them, and hope that they find their place in life together.

     In the beginning when I started reading Where You Are, I had to put it down for a few days. Robert's dad is sick with Cancer and Cancer is always a touchy subject for me. That was really emotional, especially that I went through the same with my dad. But once I picked it back up and able to get past that, I understood Robert. I understood his longing for security and happiness. Life at home wasn't easy for him and he needed an outlet to escape. And that's where Andrew came in.

     What I love most about Andrew was that when he started having feelings for Robert, it wasn't all sexual. He had genuine feelings for him. He had true feelings of concern for Robert. And he tried really hard to hold his feelings back from Robert. What choice did he have? He was Robert's teacher and it's a felony to get involved with a student. But there was a point where Andrew thought to himself, screw the rules. This boy needs someone there for him. And that's where I fell in love with both men. This story was written perfectly. I kept hoping for them to figure out their differences.

     I love Robert and Andrew and if they were real life people, I would be so happy to see them together. So before you (as a reader) turn away from this novel because of the teacher/student relationship. Let me tell you that Trumble wrote this story in a sweet way, it focuses more on the emotional aspect then physical aspect. So in my opinion there really isn't an "Ick" factor. I give Where You Are 5 huge golden stars and a definite Good Choice for Reading!

Review: Chasers by James Phelan

Chasers by James Phelan
Amazon / Barnes & Nobles
Expected publication:
October 30th 2012
by K-Teen

Four Teenagers.
One Destroyed City.
Thousands of
Infected Predators.

Jesse is on a UN Youth Ambassadors camp in New York when his subway carriage is rocked by an explosion. Jesse and his three friends, Dave, Mini and Anna, crawl out from the wreckage to discover a city in chaos.

Streets are deserted. Buildings are in ruins. Worse, the only other survivors seem to be infected with a virus that turns them into horrifying predators...

Outnumbered. No sign of life. Just them. And you... ALONE.

          My Review:

     As many of you may know, or even experienced first hand the recent events of Hurricane Sandy. Why am I speaking of Hurricane Sandy in my review? Well, I decided to pick up Chasers while stuck at home with no where to go, while I wait out this hurricane. And the first thing I can tell you about this book is that I should not have read it during this hurricane, because I felt like I was experiencing something very similar to happen. There wasn't a soul outside. Nothing, except there weren't any Zombies trying to eat brains. This book would make a really good movie.

     This book was a very interesting read. You get four teenagers desperate to find other humans like them. But instead only found thirsty zombies (Chasers). With these Chasers on the loose, it made looking for help even harder for them. But that didn't stop their mission. Their mission to find humans and help, to possibly find family. Together they embark on a journey of survival.

    I really enjoyed this story. I liked the lead character Jesse. As scary as this situation was, he stood strong and took the lead when his friends couldn't. The ending was a bit startling. It left me scratching my head. I would really like to see this book as a movie. If I had to compare it to a movie, I think I would compare it to 'I am Legend". I hope to read the second book because this one left me with questions. I recommend this book to those who are fans of "I am Legend" and those who like zombies. I give this book a 3.5 stars. "Chasers" is a Good Choice for Reading.

                 
   

Book Trailer: Storm by Brigid Kemmerer + Read Chapter One!

GoodReads † Amazon † B&N 
About Storm...

Becca Chandler is suddenly getting all the guys - all the ones she doesn't want. Ever since her ex-boyfriend spread those lies about her. Then she saves Chris Merrick from a beating in the school parking lot. Chris is different. Way different: he can control water just like his brothers can control fire, wind, and earth. They're powerful. Dangerous. Marked for death.

And now that she knows the truth, so is Becca.

Secrets are hard to keep when your life's at stake. When Hunter, the mysterious new kid around school, turns up with a talent for being in the wrong place at the right time, Becca thinks she can trust him. But then Hunter goes head-to-head with Chris, and Becca wonders who's hiding the most dangerous truth of all.

The storm is coming.

You can read chapter one of Storm NOW: https://apps.odylfarm.com/kteenbooks/exclusives/View/3850

Look for book two in Brigid Kremmerer's Elementals series, SPARK. 

Release: August 28, 2012 by Kensington Teen.

GoodReads † Amazon † B&N

Book Reviewers: you can request a copy of Spark from NetGalley.
Kensington on NetGalley


Visit KTeen: https://apps.odylfarm.com/kteenbooks/Home/