Sunday, December 22, 2013

Interview and Reviews...

We have found, to our immense delight, a blog called Smexy Book-a-holics. They've been loads of fun to work with. The three members of the blog have reviewed our entire series! We count their reviews among some of our favorite feedback! We enjoyed doing an interview for them as well! Seriously ladies, those were awesome questions! So, do visit their blog, especially before Christmas, as they are doing some crazy-awesome give-aways and they have some great recommendations for your reading pleasure! If you'd like to win a set of our e-books, the entire series, drop by and enter the contest! It's a great blog, lotsa stuff is going on! Thank you, ladies!!!! YOU ROCK!!!!
http://smexybookaholics.blogspot.com/2013/12/review-interview-giveaway-list-of.html

Friday, December 20, 2013

AMAZING CONTEST

This contest is AMAZING!!! We've teamed up with Michelle Ridge, an independent designer with Origami Owl to provide a unique give-away. You can win a signed copy of our first book- The Back-Up List along with a one of kind locket from Origami Owl! The locket is filled with charms meant to represent our lovely book! We think it's fabulous...we actually own very similar lockets ourselves! All you have to do is like our page on Facebook and like Michelle's page on Facebook. Share the post and you'll  be entered to win both prizes! Hurry up, because we close the contest on December the 24th at noon (pacific time)! Good Luck!!!!!  <3 Miriam & Amber

https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Back-Up-List/221838474595157 The Back-Up List FB
https://www.facebook.com/2sweetowls Michelle Ridge FB


 

Tuesday, November 19, 2013

Fly High!

One of the cutest blogs we've ever seen is promoting us this week! A huge Austen fan, which is just our cup of tea...A fan of Richard Armitage- ummmm yes!!!! She has the most adorable post up about our book this week, contest included! Go to her blog and check it out...sooooo cute!
http://flyhigh-by-learnonline.blogspot.com/2013/11/the-back-up-list-meet-authors-myriam.html

Sunday, November 10, 2013

The Romance Reviewers

Check out The Romance Reviewers (TTR) for the latest reviews on many genres of books!

http://www.theromancereviews.com/error.php

Wednesday, October 2, 2013

5 Stars again? Shut the front door....

We love the blog Chick Lit Plus- they've been a joy to work with. Our third book- The Bump List was reviewed by their reviewer, Terry, who loved it, making us very happy! Here is the link to her review. Thank you so much, Terry and ladies at Chick Lit Plus! You guys rock- like Calvin Hunt!
http://chicklitplus.com/book-review-bump-list-miriam-brady-amber-best/

Monday, September 23, 2013

Literati Book Review- The Bump List

Thank you so much Literati Book Reviews and the lovely Robbie! We were unable to sleep last night, knowing the review would be posted today...pins and needles! 5 stars?! Just what we needed! We are sincerely thrilled beyond belief that you loved it and are doing a fab give-away too! We love contests! Thanks so much for reading and reviewing our work, it's been a great experience!
For more from Literati, a great blog with awesome suggestions, visit their site! It's chock-full of ideas, give-aways, and fun reviews!  http://literatibookreviews.com/2013/09/23/review-giveaway-the-bump-list-by-miriam-brady-amber-best/

The review is posted below....

Robbie’s Review

They’re back!  BFF’s Madison and Kinley Hunt have survived tragic events including attempted murder which threaten their family and their sanity. Now when things are about to settle down, they are confronted with a malicious reporter whose sole purpose in life seems to be to destroy the happiness Madison and Kinley have found with the Hunt Brothers.  And as if that weren’t enough, both Cal and Rory are conflicted about the demands placed on them by their music careers.
Reflecting back, he thought of the tour and what a rush it was being back on stage.  It was the drug he needed pumping through his veins, but those moments in between, were something else.
Meanwhile Madison and Kinley have achieved a celebrity of their own and will be quick to tell you that even though they are often introduced as though they were a couple, they are not, but if they were….. Madison is the man! LOL! :-D
As we have come to expect from Miriam Brady and Amber Best, there are a plethora of plot twists. Old friends turn out to be faithless and new friends bring support and fame.  We have villains and villainesses, good mommas and bad mommas, more secrets and more revelations.  Ladies, you make my head spin!  The Hunt Brothers remain swoon worthy, especially Rory.  Can you imagine a man telling you “the only regret I have in this world is that we didn’t meet when we were young.  I should have really liked to have spent my whole life with you.” Oh. My!  And…. we’re introduced to another rocker boyfriend who is keeping a secret of his own.
As I’ve said before, I love this story!  No spoilers as to how The List of Possibilities really evolves into the The Bump List but readers will be excited and as we’ve come to see, nothing will be ordinary with these characters.  I continue to be amazed at how well the authors connect the books. I’m not sure what the next list could be, but I sincerely hope the authors plan another one.  I can’t imagine the story ending until all Madison and Kinley’s lists are completed!

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Five Stars for The Back-Up List from Smexy-bookaholics

Reviews always make us nervous- biting our lips 'til they bleed- nervous. Someone is out there, with your baby, and they're going to tell you what they think- good or bad. Our fingernails are often bitten down to the nubs, but I digress- Smexy Bookaholics is a great blog- and they gave us three glowing reviews! Thank you so much ladies, while we tend to our bleeding fingertips! Here's the link to a fun and sexy blog! http://smexybookaholics.blogspot.com/?zx=3184081d8c98f7f0

                                                               


                                                                   The Back-Up List      
 

I wasn't sure going into this what to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised. I usually only connect with one or two characters in the book but I actually loved ALL the characters in this book with the exception of Madison's mother-in-law and a woman named Mandy. They all made a huge impact in the story and tied the whole book together!

Madison is a wife and mother of four. She got pregnant and married her high school sweetheart during her senior year in high school. They had a wonderful marriage and a wonderful family. One tragic day, her entire family is taken from her. Madison is devastated. Madison is feeling guilty. She had a fight with her husband before her family left. She just wanted a day to herself without children. A day to relax. Now she has more time on her hands than she wants. Madison doesn't know how to cope with the loss. She goes into a deep depression and everything around her reminds her of her family that she lost. She doesn't want to leave her house as when she goes out, she also sees all the reminders. She just doesn't want to go on without her family.

If it wasn't for her best friends Kinley, Megan and Kate, she would probably not have made it though after her family's death, but it was Kinley who was her closest friend and who is like a sister that was the main person to see her through it all and Madison would have given up hope of living anymore if Kinley wouldn't of been there to push her to do things. Her family was her whole world. The tragedy of Madison losing her family doesn't only affect her, but also affects many of the other characters. The realism of what a person really goes through in such a tragedy, was extremely well written.

In the case of the untimely death of their husbands, Madison and Kinley had a Back-Up List of celebrity men who they would want for a replacement. It was always a joke among them. Even their husbands were aware of the list. On the top of Madison's list was Calvin Hunt, a lead singer the group "Murder of Crows".

To try and snap Madison out of her depression, Kinley bought Madison tickets to go to the concert to see her favorite band "Murder of Crows". They waited in line for hours so they could get right up to the front to watch. While standing in line to go in, Calvin sees Madison and her friends. He is instantly taken with her. He gives a message to one of the security/body guard to take to Madison and her friends to join him backstage.

Calvin has always been a playboy and has been able to have any girl that he has wanted. All the rest of the members in the group, including Calvin's brother Rory are already married. When he meets Madison in person, he doesn't understand why she isn't attracted to him and acts so nonchalant. He is so used to girls falling all over him and not being able to resist him, that it is something new for him when Madison doesn't do that. He doesn't understand why she doesn't want anything to do with him. She doesn't seem to care that he is this great looking and famous man.

Luckily, after that night when Cal couldn't get Madison out of his mind, Cal's bodyguard/security was able to get information for Cal and he was able to track down Kinley as she was the one who had paid for the tickets. He was questioning her about Madison:

"Is Madison a lesbian?"
He heard her gag, and laugh and snort. "What made you ask that?" She was practically dying.
"I tried to kiss her and she turned her head." She was still laughing.
"It's just that...well it's never happened before." he reluctantly admitted. He couldn't think of a single reason why she would turn her head.
"No, she's straight. It's just a bit too soon." Something in Kinley's voice made him not want to ask any more questions. He realized she'd be deliberately playing obtuse.
"Kinley, may I ask you something else?"
"Sure, anything." He could picture her smiling.
"Can you forward me the picture you took backstage of me and Madison?"

Cal feels that Madison may be the one who would change his life forever. He is willing to pull out all the stops to win her heart over. He doesn't want anything to do with any other woman after Madison. Cal does anything an everything in his power to try to be with her and get to know her.

Even though their relationship grows into more than just friends, Madison struggles with guilt over the loss of her family and her feelings for Cal. She is still so consumed with grief over the loss of her family so many months ago and feels guilty for moving on with her life and is always questioning if it's too soon to move on.

Madison is not the only one devastated by the loss of her husband and children. Kinley's children, who were extremely close to Madison's are also affected, especially Kennedy (who was best friends with Riley), one of Madison's daughters. While Madison and Kennedy are talking one day, some of Kennedy's words hit Madison very hard and in her own way, during their talk, Kennedy gave Madison some advise that is life changing for Madison and has her questioning if she's been looking at this all wrong from the start.

....."I think it's like you said, I can have more than one best friend, and so can you. I can find new people to love, that doesn't mean that I have forgotten Riley. She is still my best friend, and she always will be. I'm just adding new people to love, not taking anyone away. It's okay to keep living and to find new people to love," Kennedy spoke softly but her words hit Madison hard.

Kinley also is deeply affected with the loss although she is keeping a secret from Madison. Madison has an ability where she sees when people die. She did actually see what was going to happen to Madison's family. It has haunted her, but she never let on to anyone, especially Madison. Kinley was the strong one to a point, where it almost tore her apart, but she never let anyone else see that part of her.

There is misunderstandings between Cal and Madison that affects their relationship. Madison doesn't open up completely about things that had happened recently to her and then she misunderstands a situation involving Cal while he is on the road and in turn keeps another secret from him that he should know.

Cal's bodyguard looks out for everyone in his band and has been with them for years. He knows about Maddy losing her entire family and encourages her to open up to Cal. He also encourages Cal, telling him that she has had some stuff happen to her in her past that could be affecting her actions and to keep trying with Madison. He won't tell Cal the story himself as he feels it is up to Madison to do so. His bodyguard plays a vital role in getting Madison and Cal together.

Madison and her group of friends are hysterical! They have had for years, wonderful traditions that they do just with the small group of girlfriends and also have traditions that they do with all of their families. Kinley and Madison's banter between them will leave you laughing hysterically at times.

There was just so much to this story, but I don't want to give anymore away than I already have. I will say that you won't be disappointed if you read it.

There is sad endings and beautiful new beginnings. You have true friendship, trust, tragedy, heartache, never ending support, misunderstandings, wittiness, humor and love. Not just love between Madison and Cal, but love between everyone. I laughed and I cried tears of happiness and tears of grief. I have not had so many emotions and been so moved by a book in a long time.

I thought this book was so beautifully written. I didn't want to put it down once I started it. It had all the makings of a great book. I would definitely recommend this to anyone. I have also found another book boyfriend to add to my list! I am looking forward to reading the next two books in the series,The List of Possibilities and The Bump List.

**ARC provided to our Smexy Bookaholics blog by the authors Miriam Brady and Amber Best in exchange for an honest review**

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Wednesday, September 4, 2013

Latest 5 Star Review

A blog we love- The Book Enthusiast- has posted their 5 star review of The Back-Up List this morning, and we love it! Thank you so much, Paula. They are also having a contest, giving away 3 signed copies, which is awesome! Here is the review below. Go to their page to be entered to win!
http://thebookenthusiast.net/the-back-up-list-by-miriam-brady-amber-best-review/

By Paula
The Back-Up List is a bittersweet tale about loss and grief, about tragedies and the power of friendship, about healing and love and about the second chances we are given in life.
This book tells the story of Madison, a wife and mother that in one short moment loses everything. She is consumed by grief and despair, feeling guilt and pain – wishing to be dead. The portrayal of her grief is heart-wrenchingly realistic. She can’t and doesn’t want to move on at first, feeling somehow frozen in time. Despite the effort of her friends, she basically just exists but doesn’t live. She replays every thing she might have done wrong in the past, all the what ifs and has given up on herself, not knowing how to go on. That is until her wonderful circle of friends takes her to the concert of her favourite band. And that is when she meets him, Cal – a self-centred, womanising rockstar that is used to be swooned over. Their is an instant attraction and connection between those two, but Maddy – unlike any other fan – isn’t getting her panties in a knot about him. She is consumed by grief.
But Cal is intrigued and wants to win her heart – no matter how long it is going to take. After Madison beating herself up about her feelings for him, she finally is ready to give her heart to him. But will she just get it broken? Is he too set in his rockstar life?
This book left me with no finger nails and throughout all of it I was really emotional…always on the verge of tears – some of them were happy, while others were devastated and sad.
Amber Best and Miriam Brady accomplished to document realistically what a grieving person goes through – all the feelings of guilt, sadness and despair. The way it affects every single moment of every single day and how laughing or enjoying something brings feelings of guilt. My heart broke for her. The more I loved her friends for being there for her with never-ending support, loyalty and understanding. The closeness of those four women, but especially the bond between Madison and Kinley was beautiful and a friendship every person should have in their life. And as we get glimpses of how things used to be before everything changed for Maddy, we learn that the friendships have always been fun and unique. I really loved the idea of the validation or friendship cards. They don’t judge each other for their behaviour or their decisions but love each other unconditionally.
It is sweet and heart-breaking to see Maddy slowly open up to Cal, while we get to see him finally mature and grow-up, pulling his head out of his behind. Having been used to having every wish fulfilled within the blink of an eye, he now actually has to work hard for something – for Maddy’s love and trust. But don’t get me wrong, I feel for this guy. Coming into a situation like he is, on the minefield that is Maddy’s life and emotional situation, he doesn’t have an easy task. So for him to actually not giving up, shows the depth of his emotions.
The realism of this book really dumbfounded me. The fact that the healing process for Maddy continued throughout the book, had some detours and some bumps in the road and that her healing didn’t just happen with a declaration of love made the book more honest, more raw and definitely more emotional. Just as in real life you never fully get over the kind of loss that Maddy suffered from, her character also doesn’t. Even with her giving a new life a chance, the pain is not something that will ever let her go fully.
This book definitely wasn’t a happy go lucky kind of read, but it was therefore more rewarding. It made me contemplate my life, my friendships, my relationships with the people I love. That is something only a good book does.
And although the book didn’t end on a cliffhanger, the epilogue still makes me think that the authors are sadists.
5 painful, bittersweet, emotional, drowned-in-tears stars.

Monday, September 2, 2013

Monday, August 26, 2013

Newest Review- 5 stars for The List of Possibilities!

Review for our lovely second book- The List of Possibilities! We thank you so much- Chick Lit Plus and Terry, our reviewer. We feel so enthusiastic about your wonderful review, it was touching and heavenly to read! Check out our review here- it's a great blog we enjoy immensely!
http://chicklitplus.com/book-review-list-possibilities-miriam-brady-amber-best/

Monday, August 12, 2013

The Bookshelf

We love book blogs! This week we would like to thank Chick Lit Central for giving us a much coveted spot on their virtual bookshelf! Thanks ladies! It's fun to see our book sitting there!
http://www.chicklitcentral.com/p/book-shelf.html
 

Saturday, July 20, 2013

Ebook Sale!

Starting Monday July 22, 2013, our book, The Back-Up List, which is normally $7.99 on Kindle, Nook, and iBooks will be $2.99 . Check out our book, you won't regret it...the only thing you'll regret is not taking this brilliant opportunity!

Friday, July 19, 2013

Reviews

Check out our review tab...we've had nothing but praise, which is absolutely thrilling! We can't believe it! It's been a lot of hard work, tons of fun, and a serious journey. For us, there is nothing like heartfelt, amazing feedback. We feel truly grateful for all of the personal notes, texts, inbox messages, letters, emails, and the official reviews. They have ALL been positive. We are in shock...but then again...Cal is pretty damn amazing....LOL! It's easy to fall in love with Cal and Maddy, we just told their story. We're so glad they let us!

Wednesday, July 10, 2013

Follow Us...

We are pleased to tell you that we now have a Twitter account- our handle is @thebackuplist!
We would love it if you'd follow us! (In Twitter-land...not in real life, that's just plain creepy...) LOL

Our Favorite FAQs

Since we began our whole back-up list adventure, we've been asked some questions more than others. Our favorite most frequently asked questions are...Do you have a back-up list and who is on it? These two questions actually go hand in hand...so the answer is yes we do, yes we have them in our wallets and here they are-
 
 
Amber
 
1. Paul Walker- He's Fast and I'm Curious
2. Henry Cavill- He can be my Superman
3. Gerard Butler- From Olympus is Fallen
4. Ryan Peake- my interest is peaked...yes
5. Charlie Hunnam- no need to explain
 
 
Miriam
 
1. Gerard Butler- from any Gerard movie
2. Ryan Peake- Smokin' Nickelback man
3. Henry Cavill- Seriously delicious hottie
4. Richard Armitage- North and South
5. Michael Vartan- Alias badass...wow!
 

Monday, July 8, 2013

Facebook Contest

We are having a great time on Facebook! Our page has been getting tons of likes, which has been amazing! Check out our page and enter into the contests we frequently have. Right now, all you have to do is go onto our page and tell us who your celebrity crush is! That's it! Find us on Facebook- The Back-Up List! Contest runs throughout the month of July and the winner gets a free signed paperback. Happy Reading!
~Miriam & Amber

Thursday, June 27, 2013

The Back-Up Beach Bundle

Our first contest of the summer is almost over! Today and tomorrow are the last days to enter. The winner will be chosen on Saturday by Miriam and Amber. The winner will take home a polka-dotted black and white beach bag, a towel, a cup, and all three books in paperback, signed by us! To enter, go to our Facebook page- The Back-Up List and like us- that's it! If you already like our page, then share a post to be entered more than once! Time is ticking away....Don't miss out!


 

Tuesday, May 28, 2013


The Bump List, our third book in A Series of Lists, went live on Sunday May 19th. This was quite exciting for us! Here's the blurb on our back cover! 
Murder of Crows, greatest band of all time, are used to living in the limelight. They know what comes with the territory, however, their families have always been off-limits, until now. Super-stardom has come at a high price. Madison Hunt is finding her past exposed for all the world to see. Her best friend and sister-in-law, Kinley is being dragged through the mud as well. Things they thought were secret are now on display, thanks to a tell-all reporter and her show- Celebrity Dirt. Their private joke- the back-up list- has now been made public, while Cal and Rory’s names have been ‘bumped’ from the list. Madison and Kinley appear to be gold diggers who schemed to marry rock star brothers, and don’t mind disposing of them if someone better comes along; at least that is becoming the popular point of view. Will their marriages survive the mistrust, and can their friendships survive the media firestorm from hell?

 

Wednesday, April 3, 2013

The List of Possibilities (book 2)

You can purchase the second book in A Series of Lists- The List of Possibilities on Amazon or at
Barnes and Noble on paperback, Kindle, and Nook. We are in love with this book and can't wait for you all to fall in love with it too!

Monday, April 1, 2013

Winner of Contest!

 
We would LOVE to announce the winner of our first contest ever!!!!! She will receive a signed copy of the most amazing sequel ever- The List of Possibilities!
AND THE WINNER IS...............Jeanene Blakeslee!!!!
 
Congratulations!!!!!!!
Amber and Miriam

Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Release Dates

The List of Possibilities, the second book in our series,  will be released on Amazon and Barnes and Noble on March 29th, and yes- we are kind of excited! The third book- The Bump List is scheduled for release on May 17th. This is awesome to us, as we wrote The Back-Up List 3 years ago, The List of Possibilities 2 years ago, and The Bump List was finished around 7 months ago! So- for us, this is a big deal! We can't wait to share our books with you all!!!

Friday, March 8, 2013

CONTEST

To win a copy of our second book in A Series of Lists... The List of Possibilities-like our page on Facebook and join our blog! Your name will be entered into a drawing for a free signed copy! Thanks for your support!!! The drawing ends March 29th!!!
Miriam and Amber
 
 
 

The List of Possibilities: A Series of Lists Book 2



Did you love The Back-Up List? Then you will love the second installment in A Series of Lists from authors Miriam Brady & Amber Best.

The List of Possibilities used to be the back-up list- that is until Calvin Hunt ‘borrowed’ it from Kinley Brooke’s wallet. He’s taken it upon himself to be her matchmaker now that her divorce is final. She has celebrity crushes like anyone else, and in his position as a rock star, he can make her dreams come true. When he sets her up with a handsome television star, Cal is ready to pat himself on the back. the trouble is she wants someone else, someone she can’t have.

Rory Hunt has been living in marital misery for years now. He’s separated but still legally wedded to Satan incarnate. In his grief, he’s accidentally bonded with and become best friends with another woman, Kinley Brooke. He didn't mean for it to happen, but he wants to be more than friends. This is so not like him; he’s never been unfaithful in any way. Kinley’s been hurt by her cheating ex-husband and is not about to enter into a relationship with a married man. He’s trying to push his divorce through, but it doesn't seem to be fast enough. She’s dating- a lot, even her ex. The only thing he can do is ‘act’ like her closest friend, when in reality she is the love of his life. Can he, as her friend, protect her from an unwanted stalker and a vicious scorned woman who will stop at nothing to destroy her?

Friday, February 15, 2013

Description :)

We've had some people ask us- What is your book about? Well, here's the description as seen on the
back of the book. By the way- it may sound like a cheesey romance novel complete with a cover graced by Fabio, but it's not! It's less shallow, and far more amusing!

Our novel, THE BACK-UP LIST, is a bipolar, pop-culture love story involving a rock star playboy and a widow. The Back-Up List has only ever been a joke- that’s it. Madison Grey has a celebrity crush list of possible replacement husbands ready with the off-chance her husband might inexplicably vanish. Clearly, Madison  was not prepared for- A. her husband’s untimely death and B. Calvin Hunt, rock god and top man on her Back-Up List to begin crushing on her. Talk about your cruel cosmic ironies. It has only been six months since her entire family was killed in a tragic accident and he’s looking to her for a hook-up! Really?

 Calvin Hunt, rock icon, is living the dream of any womanizing man-whore- that is until he spots the first unavailable woman he’s ever met. What the hell? Is she gay? He’s busily seducing her with concert tickets and exotic getaways, all while he’s touring.  There are plenty of obstacles he’ll have to overcome to be with her and he’ll need all the help he can get from his stoic bodyguard, his nosy Oprah-channeling brother and even Madison’s bizarrely quirky friends who are all fighting to cross his name off of Madison’s Back-Up List.

Ugly Baby

Check us out on Goodreads! It's the old cover, which we have nicknamed -ugly baby. (Parents still love their babies, no matter how ugly they are.) She's quite lovely now; we can assure you! She had some work done, now we call her Golden Child. Find a copy on www.amazon.com or at www.barnesandnoble.com
 

Monday, February 11, 2013

Title Page

For those of you who bought the ebook, we regret to inform you that you will be missing our great title page with art by comic book artist Cillian Cubstead! He's with Valkyrie Komics and he took a break to whip up a sketch for us. He listened to our stipulations and went above and beyond! Thank you for bringing Cal to life, Cillian! We absolutely love it! So if you missed it on your Kindle- here it is!