Book Spotlight & #Giveaway - Over the Ivy Wall by Rosa Sophia

Genre: Romance
Clara Pendleton is a prisoner in her home. Always searching for new places to hide from her uncle, whose drunken attention terrifies and confuses her, she finds a tiny clearing in the back of the property near a disintegrating section of the ivy-covered wall that surrounds the estate.
Gaven Bridge has been sent to Clearwater to live with his Uncle Daniel. Never fitting in, he doesn’t believe he’ll ever meet anyone who understands him. But when he goes out for a walk in the woods, he happens upon a young lady sleeping soundly on a patch of moss.
A deep bond is fostered between them, helping Clara find the courage to change her life. When she finally decides to climb over the ivy wall and out into the world, there is no going back. Will Clara escape her horrible past, or will it destroy the love she and Gaven share?

“I have to go back.” Clara’s whisper was hoarse, her words forced out by the terrifying desperation that rose with the bile in her stomach. She and Gaven had been given a few moments of private time to talk in the next room, where she squeezed his hands in hers as if worried he might disappear.
“Clara, listen to me.” When he drew her close, she watched the way his dark hair slipped over his forehead, the way his eyes focused on her, so full of fierce loyalty and knowledge. “You’ll be okay here, I’m sure of it. Chloe and Jordan seem like really great people. I’ll be back before you know it. We just have to wait until this blows over. Please, don’t go back there.”
“What about Tammy?”
“You heard them. We’ll make sure she’s safe, too. You just have to give it time.”
Clara found solace when she was close to him, so she leaned her head against his chest, shut her eyes and listened to his heartbeat.
For a long moment, they were both quiet until Gaven spoke.
“Why do you like me?”
She turned her head, looking up at him. “What do you mean?”
“I mean exactly what I asked. Why are you interested in me? You have to realize I’m not like other people. I can’t…Clara, I don’t feel things like other people. This medication dulls it. It makes me crazy. The only time I feel anything is when I drink. I’m a goddamn child in a man’s body, don’t you see?” He stared into her eyes, leaning his forehead against hers. “You need to be with someone you can really depend on. Not me.”
“No, Gaven. Don’t say things like that.” She turned her head up slightly so she could look straight into his eyes. The sensation coursing through her, heat rushing through her body, made her dizzy with desire. It was so unfamiliar to her, yet she welcomed it, for his company was something she refused to relinquish. “Gaven, I don’t want anyone else.” She made sure he could see into her eyes, see the truth in her gaze as she spoke. “I love you.”
He wrapped his arms around her and held her for a long time. She craved his warmth and closeness; she didn’t want him to leave. But he had to. He gently withdrew from her arms, running his hands down along her shoulders.
“Clara, sometimes I don’t know what’s going on inside me. And I’m not sure you’d like who I am if you really got to know me.”
“Gaven, that’s not—”
“Let me finish. Maybe you won’t like all of me. Sometimes I’m not very pleasant to be around. But…” He held her hands in his, gently squeezing them.
“But what, Gaven?”
“I love you, too, Clara.”
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Rosa Sophia is a novelist and full-time editorial consultant. With a degree in Automotive Technology, she adores writing and editing as well as fixing cars. Rosa is also a crazy cat lady in training, and currently divides her time between South Florida and Pennsylvania.
Author Links: Website       Blog      Facebook

Rosa Sophia is giving away a eBook copy of When I Dream of You (Book 1 in the When I Dream of You series) to one lucky winner. Enter the rafflecopter below for your chance to win.

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Review & #Giveaway - Meet Me in the Garden by Rosa Sophia

Genre: Romance 

Memories of another life, and the garden where it all began, keep Amalie Jarvis awake at night.
A columnist for a popular magazine, she attends a function in Palm Beach at the famous Breakers Hotel, only to cross paths with graphic designer Ian Gardner—who appears to hold the key to her visions. The more time they spend together, the more Amalie realizes how much she wants to be with him. And how much she fears admitting that she loves him.
Ian can’t remember the past, but he is drawn to Amalie with an intense passion he’s never felt before.
Many moons ago, they met in a garden. Different names, different faces—but their souls were still the same. Unable to resist her, Ian falls deeply in love. He remains by her side as she battles severe facial pain, not knowing what it is or if it could kill her. Frightened for her, he swears his adoration without ever speaking the words.
But their devotion has dangers, and they’re about to be faced by hazards neither of them could have foreseen…

“Amalie, is it getting worse?” Jean repeated, tucking her clipboard against her chest.
“Yes.”
“I’ll hurry the doctor along then. I’ll be right back.”
The minutes passed as though they were hours. Finally, the doctor arrived and introduced himself. He was a middle-aged man with glasses and graying hair, and he greeted Amalie with a warm smile.
“Jean says you’re not feeling too well, so we’ll hurry this along as best we can.”
Remembering previous episodes, Amalie looked him squarely in the eye and croaked, “It’s getting worse. If it gets really bad, I might have a panic attack.” Ian didn’t know that about her, but she’d had them when she was younger. When the pain hit in high school, she’d been unable to breathe, and she’d sobbed and gasped, certain she was dying, until the worst of the pain had passed.
The doctor nodded as though he’d heard this before. “Okay. We’ll go as quick as we can.”
Each image taken of the inside of her mouth was more awkward than the last. Amalie had to open her mouth wide, which made the shocks lancing through her face worsen, and Jean inserted some kind of device into her mouth. The shape of it made her very uncomfortable. When it was in place, she had to bite down on it, after which Jean would press a button and the picture would be taken. A series of images appeared on a screen to the right, Amalie’s teeth from various angles. Although she was not a dentist, she saw nothing odd about them.
She wasn’t sure how much time had passed or how many x-rays they’d taken before she began to fall apart. They’d turned off the television at her request, but the light in the room was so blaring it was playing havoc on her senses.
As Jean prepared the device again, Amalie cringed when another pain in her face made her stomach churn. She was clutching the arms of the chair, digging her nails in, her chest heaving. She could feel her eyes begin to water. She breathed out her mouth; breathing through her nose only caused more pain.
She glanced up and saw Jean set the tool down.
“How are you doing?”
Amalie forced words out between her quivering lips. “Not good. It’s bad, very bad.” Unable to handle it anymore, she groaned and curled up, rocking to the side.
This was when she drifted away. She was no longer herself. Darkness fell over her, and she knew that anything she said or did, or how she reacted, was not anything Amalie would have done. Amalie was no longer there. Only the pain presided over her body. It was the only real thing inside her. She became the pain.
Somewhere out of the darkness, Jean asked her if she wanted the light turned off. Amalie heard her own voice emerge as a weak mumble, and within seconds the light was out. A moment later, she squinted through the shadows and saw a white lab coat. The voice of Doctor Horowitz encouraged her to go to the hospital, and asked if there was anyone they could call. She was in no condition to drive.
The pain slammed against her cheek, like a chisel being driven straight into her bone.
“Do you have any family here?”
The question was innocent enough, but as the stabbing continued from the inside, Amalie thought of her mother, then her father, then her distant relatives in Maine, and her cousins, aunts, and uncles scattered across the country. Somehow she managed to say no. The memories would fade later, but she did drag her cell phone out of her pocket and hand it to the doctor, telling him to call the one man who would help her, who had promised to be there for her whenever she needed him, the man who made her feel safe.
Ian Gardner.
Buy Links:  Amazon 

Rosa Sophia is a novelist and full-time editorial consultant. With a degree in Automotive Technology, she adores writing and editing as well as fixing cars. Rosa is also a crazy cat lady in training, and currently divides her time between South Florida and Pennsylvania.
Author Links:      Website      Facebook      Limitless Publishing Author Page

 
Rosa Sophia is giving away a ebook copy of Meet Me in the Garden to one lucky winner.

For your chance to win fill out the rafflecopter below.

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Book Review : When I Dream of You by Rosa Sophia

 

 Nina Archer battles memories of a trauma that occurred twelve years ago...

With plans to move to North Carolina, she hopes to separate herself from her mother, whose excessive drinking is becoming unbearable. Then suddenly, fate steps in to help her heal in a way she would never think possible. While running a race in Juno Beach, Nina finds herself next to a man whom she's immediately attracted to.

Wes Ladner, the same man she dreamt about one year ago... 

Wes is focused on his writing, and has no time for a woman. But the night before they met, he dreamt of Nina. Although they come from two very different worlds neither of them can deny the sparks that fly between them.

As her time runs out to make a decision, Nina wonders if she's been given the chance to come to terms with her past, and accept a gift that some never receive--true love.

About the Author

Rosa Sophia divides her time between South Florida and Pennsylvania. She edits for publishers and independent clients, holds a degree in Automotive Technology, and enjoys running, hiking, collecting comic books, and traveling.  Please visit her at: www.rosasophia.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/authorrosasophia

My Thoughts

When I Dream of You is a powerful novella that delves deep into some heavy issues.  Nina is a young woman struggling with the memory of a childhood assault. The memories are only made harsher by the abuse of her alcoholic  mother.  Then she meets a man who is literally the man of her dreams. She feels like she knows Wes from the second they meet at a race in Florida, and the attraction is mutual. But can Nina get over her fears of intimacy before she loses him forever?

While this is a short story, it's definitely not light reading. The topic of rape is handled with respect, but it's a  very emotional story. Instead of being graphic with the physical details, we experience the traumatic after effects along with Nina in a way that literally tears at your heart strings. We see the struggle to heal and to move on, even years later--something I'm sure many women will be able to relate to. This story is a sweet and touching romance, but also a story of survival and of overcoming fears.   If you're looking for a powerful and touching novella, pick up a copy of When I Dream of You today. You won't be disappointed.