Book Spotlight: Facade (Games #2) by Nyrae Dawn

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Facade

(Games #2)

By:  Nyrae Dawn

Published:  July 2, 2013

Grand Central Publishing

GR's Summary:

Can love save them?

After her father commits a crime that shatters her family, eighteen-year-old Delaney Cross is tired of pretending everything is all right. Packing up her car, she sets out to find the people her father hurt. Her search leads her to places she’s never been—and into the arms of Adrian Westfall.

To the outside world, Adrian is a sexy, charming ladies’ man. But his playboy persona is just an act. Secretly his soul is tortured by a memory too painful to share. Only Delaney seems to see through his façade to the real man underneath. And for the first time in his life, Adrian feels he can begin to open up about his past.

Together, Adrian and Delaney share a passionate love they never expected to find. Yet both still harbor their own secrets. When the dark truth is finally revealed, will it bring them closer together—or tear them apart forever?

First Book in the Games Series

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Rave Reviews for Facade

"Beautifully executed with gorgeous prose and unforgettable characters, Façade is a heart-wrenching, emotional journey of redemption coupled with the healing power of love. Be prepared for tissues and a fan to cool off because Adrian and Delaney’s story is worthy of both. ~New York Times best selling author, Katie Ashley on FACADE. 

"Phen-om-enal! Nyrae Dawn paints with words in a way that made me drink Facade down in one big gulp. This is one of those books you can read again and again." New York Times bestselling author, Courtney Cole on FAÇADE.

"Facade is an emotional journey from the very first page until the very last one. Never before have two broken people needed each other more to become whole again." USA Today best selling author J. Sterling on FACADE

Lindy's Thoughts

I read Charade, by Nyrae Dawn, and fell in love!  So, as you can image, when I found out there would be a sequel, I was thrilled!  First off, I absolutely adored Adrian in Charade.  It was obvious to me that he was a loyal, and amazing friend to both Colt, and Cheyanne!  When I saw the summary, and cover of Facade, I was absolutely dying to get my hands on it!  Facade was told in the dual narrative of both Adrian and Delaney.  In Facade, we get to get completely inside of Adrian's head.  I was amazed at how deep the layers went with Adrian.  Facade was the perfect title for his story, because no one, not even Colt, knew the real Adrian.  He was good at hiding behind a mask of his own creation.  While he projected the party animal, easy going, psychic, ladies man image, he was dying inside little by little.  Adrian was more than what he appeared.  He enjoyed reading, and the Count of Monte Christo was his absolutely favorite piece of literature.  He was a writer.  He had so many thoughts running through his mind, that he would constantly carry a notebook with him wherever he went, so he could jot down thoughts and inspirations.  Adrian shouldered a great burden on his shoulders, and guilt ate away at him everyday. 

Delaney (Laney, "Little Ghost,") was a wonderful addition to this series.  I completely related to, and connected with her.  She was a very positive, and optimistic person, and took it upon herself to try her best to fix everyone's problem's.  She also had a sweet innocence to her, even though she had been through a lot.  She was very genuine, and down to earth.  Poor Delany, was dealing with an estranged father in prison, a suicidal mother, who was jealous and incredibly hurtful to her, and an angry, and bitter older brother, Maddox.  They were very close, but he was dealing with a lot of pain, and guilt inside of himself.  Delany and Adrian were connected by tragedy, and Delaney, made it her mission to seek out Adrian for absolution, and to try to make his life better.  Instead, she developed a deep connection with Adrian, and he revealed a side of himself to her, that he had never shared with anyone else.  Delaney fell madly in love with Adrian, wanted to know him inside out, and take away all of his pain.  Adrian couldn't get Delaney out of his mind, and she inspired him in so many ways.  She inspired him to write his poetry, share his thoughts, memories from his past, and gradually got him to drop the mask.

I highly recommend Facade, by Nyrae Dawn.  It made me extremely emotional, and compassionate towards Adrian and Delaney's pain.  I cried, and cried.  I couldn't stop.  My heart broke for Delaney, but was completely destroyed for Adrian, and all he had gone through, and would continue to go through.  At one point my husband asked me what was wrong, due to all of my tears.  Adrian and Delaney took on a life of their own, and they felt like real people to me.  The character development was excellent, and these two grew and matured from all they had gone through.  They learned from each other, and what they had was special.  Adrian had trouble with trust, and Ms. Dawn did an excellent job of depicting that in the story.  She made the friendship really evolve, before a relationship developed.  Facade was slower paced, than Charade was, but I believe that's because Ms. Dawn really took the time to develop her characters, their story, friendship, and relationship.  As a reader, I was very pleased that I had a reunion with Cheyanne, and Colt from Charade, the first installment of this series.  We get to see Chey, and Laney develop a friendship, and Colt be there for Adrian, giving him advice, and turning the tables on him by letting him know that he's different with Laney than he's ever been with any other girl.

What I loved about Facade was how it had the power to evoke such strong emotions in me!  The story had surprises that I never saw coming, and kept the story interesting.  The life lessons, and authentic nature of the main characters were an essential ingredient to the story's success.   The plot was well developed, but Facade was most definitely a character driven story.  The descriptions were flawless, and  the story took on a life of it's own, as a read page after amazing page!    

My Rating

I give Facade by Nyrae Dawn 4 eloquent, beautiful, revealing, and emotional stars!  You will fall in love with Adrian, and want Delaney for a best friend!  You will enjoy watching the strength of the human spirit, and love as it helps to mend two broken hearts.  You will feel deeply, be thoughtful, and empathize with all that Adrian and Delaney have gone through, and will continue to go through.  These characters will become real to you, and you will be rooting for them to find happiness, and healing in each other's arms.  Facade is a gritty story that deals with pain, and the harsh realities of living, death, rejection, jealousy, guilt, and despair.  Yet, you will also read about strength, courage, determination, loyalty, friendship, love, and healing.  Read this series, you won't forget it! 

My Favorite Quote

"I want you bare to me, my little ghost.  I don't know all your secrets and you know none of mine, but I don't want to wear masks with you right now.  I want to see all of you.  Show me those ghosts in your eyes, and I'll try to kiss them away.  Let me bare my scars to you and feel your lips on them.  Because f**k if I don't need to tear down this facade.  I know she sees how broken I am, but to admit it is different, to acknowledge the masks are there-regardless if she knows what they are or not-and to feel her try to comfort me.  To give her that in return is a burning need inside me.  An ache that can only be cured with her because no matter what, she doesn't push me and that means something."  (eAEC, Loc. 2361)

~Adrian

The Way Ria Sees It

The Games are in full swing baby! 

This Series ROCKS my SOCKS. 

It has been so good so far! Adrian’s story was AHHH-mazing! If you read Charade you will love, love, love Facade! Ms. Dawn does it again!! Round of applause!  Facade was so good... I have to say it's tough, it's a bit gritty, and no ones life is perfect. There are no millionaire boyfriends sweeping people off their feet. Its just a bunch of people trying to figure it out. Life, love, pain and paths. What to do and where to go? From beginning to end this book will keep you glued to your seat wanting more.

F-ound, Laney has been searching for so many years. She is looking to find her forgiveness, and a way to bring what's left of her family back together. Adrian holds that key. 

A-mends, a stolen life and a lost father. Laney will move mountains to fix what has been broken.

C-hained, Adrian is lost and though he runs away he can’t escape the nightmares that haunt him. He is a prisoner, he is trying to forget but the pain pulls him back.

A-ttraction, Adrian is pulled to Delaney in a way that surprises him. Delaney can't help her attraction to him. Together these two will collide in a way that will shake their foundations. 

D-eliverance, from their nightmares... from their pasts... the love these two share will begin their healing. A shattering truth Delaney reveals, and a shocking secret Adrian has been keeping, will make everything they’ve known implode all around them.

E-ntrust, her heart belongs to him. Adrian will share with Laney all of his. Nothing is perfect, but with all the truth being out, their path is clear, and they can work towards a future. 

I can't recall the last time I read a book, and the shocking moments actually shocked me! There are some very unexpected things that happen. Ms. Dawn makes sure she has you where she wants you then.... BOOM goes the cannon! Lol! This read dealt with some pretty gruesome ghosts. I felt what Laney felt. I LOVED seeing Cheyenne and Colt. It's such a treat when you get to revisit characters you love and miss. I’m CRAZY excited about the next book in the Games Series! I cant wait! So if you couldn’t already tell...

I ABSO-FREAKING-LUTELY recommend this book!

My Fav’s 

Adrian

OMG! He is sooo amazing and I’ve seen it since day one with Colt! Yum Yum SAUCE! Oh la la! I’ll say this, Adrian has been fighting himself so hard, and for so long, I wanted to help him heal his scars. He was so hard on himself, but such a wonderful person at the same time! I saw everything Delaney saw, and I wanted so much for him.  By the end of the book, he begins to embrace the good things that are around him, and he honors those he loves with his actions. No more running.

Delaney

So sweet and kind. Laney has a heart of gold. I really felt for her, everything she ever knew was a lie, and so many things happen to her that she had no control over. All of a sudden her life was torn upside down. Everything she knew was a lie. Her parents broke her, and she fought so hard for her family! I cheered her on every step of the way. I also wanted to punch her father in his male parts, then I wanted to back roundhouse kick her mother in her stupid face.

My Rating

4.5 Pancakes, The Count, Gun Point, Bandaged Hand, Perfect Day, Caramel Apple, Estranged Sister, Written Words, Shared Love filled stars!! For a book that will steal a little piece of your heart, I highly, highly recommend Facade!!

Ro's Take on this Journey

I thought, Facade, by Nyrae Dawn, was a phenomenal story!  It's dual perspective kept me on the edge of my seat, wanting to read more at every turn.  The story begins with the lead character, Delaney Cross, (Laney, Little Ghost), who is a wonderfully rounded character.  She wants to save the world, and make everyone better, no matter what they have done to deserve, or not, to be saved.  Laneys' father is involved in a car accident while intoxicated, with one of his many girlfriends in the car, pleasuring him.  A child is killed in the process, and the many lives that are affected by this car accident have to find their way out of the haunting barrage of nightmares his actions has thrown their way.  Laney decides to leave, after her father is taken to prison for murder, and her mother tries to commit suicide.  Her mother leaves herself in a pool of blood, for her poor daughter to witness.  Laney, asks her brother, Maddox, (Maddy) to leave with her to try to find the family that their father has destroyed by his careless actions.  Maddox has also been traumatized, by the father he thought he had, and the realization of the father he actually was.  Maddox had a father that made him keep his secrets, and live a life of lies, until his entire family had to pay the consequences for said lies, and indiscretions. 

The siblings move to another town to find Adrian Westfall, a lost and shattered soul of a man, who has been abused by his father his whole life, and witnessed things no child should ever see. He is a rugged, gorgeous, playboy on sight, but deep down inside he is empty.  Adrian is walking through life, hiding from secrets that even his closest friend, Colt knows nothing about.  Adrian and Colt have been friends for a long time, and Colt and his girlfriend Cheyanne, were introduced in the first book in the games series, Charade.  Adrian already showed he was a great friend in the first book, and in this book Cheyanne and Laney become good friends.  Adrian hides behind a mask, a long line of one night stands, getting stoned on weed, (day in and day out), and having an apartment filled with people who use him.  He doesn't care about anything, as long as it distracts him from his real life of pain.  He doesn't allow anyone to one to know the real him.  

Adrian is tied into Laney's life, though he doesn't realize it, till he's in too deep.  The relationship that starts out for him as a distraction, and for Laney as a way of healing Adrian's family and hers, bleeds him of all his pain and sorrow.  It brings his painful memories to the surface, the last place he wants them to be.  Adrian has abandoned his only sister, Angel, that he adored, because he couldn't face his part in the death of his nephew, Ashton, (Ash.)  He carries around a copy of The Count of Monty Cristo, and believes he wants to be like Edmond.  To relieve his soul of all his demons, he writes poetry that will crush you from the inside out.  This touches the heart of Laney, and she falls deeply in love with Adrian.  She loses herself in him, and brings both of their ghosts to the surface.  One of the secondary characters that plays a big role in this novel, is the mother of Laney and Maddox.  She is a jealous, heartless, spineless piece of work.  No matter what Laney does to try to help her mother, she always tears her down.  She is lost in her own despair, and never thinks about Laney's pain.

Ms. Dawn has written a masterpiece.  This was very well written, with real substance, deep thought, overwhelming prose, life lessons, and beautiful heartfelt poetry.  I loved the primary characters, and the secondary characters as well.  The development is progressive, and well evolved.  I definitely recommend this novel, and would recommend a box of kleenex to the readers.  You will find the tears rolling down your face for the life that was, the life that never had a chance, and the lives that are fighting to be freed.    There are many secrets in this novel, many lies, and many obstacles to overcome.  I loved the fact that Ms. Dawn has the ability to pull her readers in to the core of her stories, and live the experiences through her characters eyes, as if they are there seeing it play out before their very own.  This novel had me sad, happy, mad, laughing, crying, angry, and excited.  There are so many twists and turns, and surprises I never saw coming.  The readers and fans of Ms. Dawn will be delighted with her hard work in creating what seems like a flowing, effortless work of art.  I loved every minute of this segment. 

I give, Facade, by Nyrae Dawn 4.5 Riveting, Heartbreaking, Hauntingly-Sad Stars!

My Favorite Quotes

"The Count of Monte Cristo, which is shoved under the seat.  The cover's all old and ripped.  The spine's cracked so much from how many times I've read it.  It'll probably fall apart any day now.  The thing is, I've always respected Edmond.  He went through hell and back but fought despite it.  He didn't fold.  He pushed through and worked his ass off to become so much more than he was.  He was strong.  Not me.  I just can't seem to make myself overcome the past."  (eARC Loc. 40)  ~Adrian

"My hand latches on to the tiny shirt under my pillow.  I hold it tight and close my eyes.  Tonight, I'll again lock the demons away that have showed their faces too much since the morning at the cemetery."  (eARC Loc. 449)  ~Adrian

"My mouth trails down to her neck and she arches for me, giving me free rein to explore her.  "Such a gift,"  I tell her as I lick the soft skin there.  Taste her, learn her, until she invades all of my senses.  She's what I hear, see, taste, and smell.  I want all of it."  (eARC Loc. 2367)  ~Adrian

"Let me bandage your heart the way you did my hand,"  My eyes fill with tears.  Who would have known this boy who is so hard on the outside could be filled with such beautiful words?"  (eARC Loc. 2269)  ~Adrian

Purchase At

Amazon | Amazon (Kindle) | Barnes and Noble 

About the Author:

Writing has always been Nyrae Dawn’s passion. There have been times in her life where she wasn’t able to chase that dream the way she desired, but she always found her way back to telling stories.

One of her loves has always been writing about teens. There’s something so fresh and fun about the age that she loves exploring. Her husband says it’s because she doesn’t want to grow up. She doesn’t think that’s such a bad thing and luckily for her, he doesn’t either.

Nyrae gravitates toward character-driven stories. She loves going on emotional journeys with characters whether it be reading or writing. And yes, she’s a total romantic at heart and proud.

Nyrae resides in sunny Southern California with her husband (who still makes her swoon) and her two awesome kids.

When she’s not with her family, you can be pretty sure you’ll find her with a book in her hand or her laptop and an open document in front of her. 

She writes for Entangled Publishing, Grand Central Publishing and is self-published. 

Nyrae is represented by Jane Dystel of Dystel and Goderich Literary Management.

Contact: Nyraedawn [at] yahoo [dot] com

Nyrae Dawn also writes adult romance under the name Kelley Vitollo.

Website| Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter

Interview:

How old were you when you first started writing, and what or who inspired you to begin your writing journey?
I've always loved writing. I won my first writing contest in third grade. I got out of it a little as I got older, worked and started my family. Then when I became a stay-at-home mom about eight years ago, I started writing again. I can't imagine not doing it now.  

Where is your favorite place to write? How often do you write? 
I write every day. It keeps me sane ;) I write at Barnes and Noble a lot. There's something special about writing around books. Otherwise at my desk at home. 

Are any of your characters based on someone you currently know or have met? Not really. I have written characters and then noticed they have characteristics of people I know. Paul from Dizzy is just like a guy I knew in high school, though I didn't plan it that way. 

What is most important to you in your life?
My family :)

What are your top 5 goals for 2013?
Spend more time with my family, get healthier, write a lot, travel, and meet lots of fans! 

What are some of your interests/ hobbies?
I like scrapbooking, listening to live music in LA and reading.

How did you come up with the idea for the Games Series?
It just kind of happened. It was last summer. I wanted to write a story about a fake relationship. Charade started out only Cheyenne's point of view, but then I knew Colt needed his say too. It changed into something much more emotional than I had originally planned. At the party, the second Adrian said, "Hey, baby" to Cheyenne, I knew he had his story too!

You have written books for Adults, New Adults, and Young Adults.  Which is your favorite, and why?
I can't really say which is my favorite. I love them all for different reasons. I love the "newness" of everything in YA. I love the freedom and the true "finding yourself" of New Adult and with adult, anything goes! 

Who are some of your favorite authors, and favorite books written by them? 
Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley for it's beautiful language. Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler for the same reason. Freefall by Mindi Scott, Something Like Normal by Trish Doller and Split by Swati Avasthi for incredible, spot-on boy point of view. I'm a huge Black Dagger Brotherhood fan. Love JR Ward. Also, The Outlander for Jamie Fraser. No one loves the way he loves Claire. 

Do you have any information or teasers you'd like to share with your fans? Hmm... Well book three in The Games series is MASQUERADE. It will be out in January. It's Maddox's story. Also, I'm working on a super secret project that I hope I'm able to share with you soon. If you've read my YA books, it's a secondary couple from one of those books. It takes place a couple years later and will be a new adult book! Also, it deals with something I've never written about before, but a topic I'm very passionate about. 

WHICH DO YOU PREFER? 



Coffee or Tea? Coffee (decaffeinated)


Sweet, Sour or Salty? Salty or sweet! LOL


Mountains or Beach? Beach


Bookstore or Library? Love them both!


Mac or PC? Mac
eBook or Printed copy? ebook 


SHORT ANSWER:



Where is the most exciting place you've ever been to?  Why? 

Ack. I am so boring. I don't even know what to say! Can I say book conferences or signings because I'm around book people? 

If you could visit anyplace in the world, where would you go?  Why? 

Scotland and Ireland. I want to visit castles!



Best gift you've ever received?  Why? 

Love, because there is no greater gift.



Best gift you've ever given?  Why? 

Same as above (am I cheating?? LOL)

Guest Post

In addition to the awesome interview Ms Dawn gave us we wanted to know just a little bit more so we asked...

My Top 5 Favorite Things to do in my Spare Time 

By:  Nyrae Dawn 

1.Spend time with my family. I have two girls, ages nine and five and they are so cool. Both are so different from each other and I get something different out of spending time with the older than I do the younger and the other way around. My youngest is a tomboy who loves Spiderman and sports, but she also likes painting her nails and playing in make-up more than my older one. My oldest is more of a girlie-girl, but she is also in love with playing on the computer. I never get tired of being with my husband either. We’ve been together since we were teenagers and still laugh together daily. 


2.Read!!! I am a huge reader. I read every night before bed. It’s how I wind down. My day doesn’t feel complete unless I read at least a little bit. I can’t imagine my life without books!


3.Hanging out with my friends. It can be something as easy as coffee and a chat, movies, shopping or anything. I just love to be around my friends. They make me happy. One of my favorite things to do with this is go to LA and watch live music—especially smaller indie bands or singers. 


4.Travel. I haven’t been a lot of places, but there are SO many places I want to travel to. My dream vacations are to places like Ireland and Scotland. It will happen one day soon. In the US, I really want to go to Maine! 


5.Scrapbook. I am obsessed with taking pictures of my family and at activities I go to. It’s fun to decorate them and make each picture more special. 

Now, I didn’t add writing in this because you said spare time, but I have to say, even though writing is my job, I love it.  It feels good putting words on paper.  I’m so lucky to get to do it. 

Giveaway:

An ecopy of Facade (U.S. & International)

a Rafflecopter giveaway