Taryn Elliott Guest Post & Giveaway

Today I’m really excited to have Taryn Elliott dropping by to do a guest post.  Her current book, Holiday Sparks came out on Friday.  I gave Taryn the daunting task of coming up with her own guest post idea.  I love the story she decided to tell.  I think this is definitely something everyone can get into.

'Tis the Silly Season from A NASCAR Holiday

So I’m going to do something a little different, which is not review an entire book. I have this anthology, which I read last year. The book is made up of three stories by three authors, which up until the time I read the book, I had never heard of before. The book is called A NASCAR Holiday, with stories from Kimberly Raye, Roxanne St. Claire, and Debra Webb. All three women are amazing in their own rite.

What I love about anthologies is that you as a reader get to experience writing by several authors and sometimes you’re allowed to be introduced to and fall in love with a new author. That’s exactly what happened to me with this book.

As I mentioned before, I read this book a year ago. I’m choosing to focus on one story from the anthology because it has stuck with me and has the elements that make me love romance novels. This isn’t to say the other books aren’t good. They just didn’t work for me or give me the connection to the characters and the story that I was looking for at the time.

Today, I’m choosing to tell you about and review ‘Tis the Silly Season by Roxanne St. Claire. Since the story is STILL sticking with me after a year, you know it deserves a high rating. Here’s the crazy part, the anthology was put together in 2008. Roxanne wrote the story in 2006. But all of the books are able to withstand the test of time. I had NO idea the books were written five years ago.

The Magick of Christmas by Susan Mac Nicol

The Magick of Christmas

By Susan Mac Nicol

 

A young London witch discovers the one magic more powerful than her own: love and desire in the Christmas season.

Emily March's Mistletoe Mine

It’s always the season of hope and romance in Eternity Springs, a special town where lost souls and lonely hearts find an angel’s touch. Now New York Times bestselling author Emily March has written a wonderful eBook original novella, in which Christmas brings a family reunion and a family wedding.

Newly engaged to her college sweetheart, Molly Stapleton has one wish for her holiday wedding: get her estranged parents back together. Three years ago, a family tragedy drove Emma Stapleton away from her husband, Jared, and their sprawling Texas ranch. Time, false pride, and unhealed hurts have only widened the divide. But Molly, with the help of some very special people in Eternity Springs, has a plan. As Emma and Jared arrive in this magical town to share Molly’s happiness, they meet face-to-face, heart to heart. Will they accept this last chance to renew their promises of love—and cherish the gift from the daughter who loves them both?

A Cinderella Christmas Carol by Hope Tarr

 

A Cinderella
Christmas Carol

by Hope Tarr

 

There’s nothing On Top managing editor Cynthia “Starr” Starling hates more than Christmas. With an important deadline looming, plus her dreaded Christmas Day birthday, Starr just wants the holiday to end. But when she wakes up Christmas Eve night to the ghost of Christmas Past, Present, and Future--all in the form of the super-hot Matt Landry, the new art director--she knows she’s in for a long night.

Matt is the one person on Starr’s team she can’t boss around and the only one she doesn’t need to. He’s also her employee and totally off limits, even if he does seem interested. Though he’s seven years younger and all kinds of forbidden fruit, he’s the form the Powers That Be decided she'd be receptive to.

Because they have a message for her: learn the true meaning of Christmas spirit or risk being alone for the rest of her life.

An Interview with Lisa Clark O'Neill author of Serendipity

I read Serendipity by Lisa Clark O’Neill and loved the book tremendously (click here for my review).  I had all of these questions I wanted to ask her.  I got lucky and got the opportunity to ask her a couple of questions.  Check out our little talk.

Kim:  Hi, Lisa.  Thank you for joining me today. 

Lisa:  Thanks for having me, Kim.  I’m very happy to be here. 

Kim:  Please tell us a little bit about yourself and your current book, Serendipity.

Lisa:  Aside from the facts that you can get from my bio (artist, writer, mother, book lover) I can also tell you that I love hiking and am absolutely addicted to green tea. SERENDIPITY follows veterinarian Ava Rodriguez, whose family connections include one of the biggest crime lords in the southeast, as she saves an unconscious man – our hero, Assistant District Attorney Jordan Wellington – from being killed by her uncle’s men.  Fate keeps throwing them into each other’s paths, and the tension escalates as she tries to keep her identity hidden from him while they’re also falling in love.  And as a case Jordan is prosecuting involving a serial killer puts Ava in the sites of a madman, things get pretty interesting to say the least.    

Serendipity by Lisa Clark O'Neill

Serendipity

It’s a dog eat dog world for Ava Martinez. On the surface her life seems charmed--beauty, brains, a successful veterinary practice--but Ava harbors a secret. And one rash act on a foggy night threatens to destroy it all. The niece of one of the most ruthless drug lords in the country, Ava has lived her life as an unwilling pawn in her uncle’s illegal game. When Ava accidentally stumbles upon an unknown man lying unconscious in the trunk of a car--a man destined for death at the hands of her uncle’s men--she risks her life to get him to safety and to thwart her uncle's nefarious scheme. Little does she know that lifting the lid of that trunk will be like opening Pandora’s box. When Assistant District Attorney Jordan Wellington--the man she rescued--brings his dog to the door of her veterinary clinic, she does her best to thwart his amorous intentions, but fate has a different idea. When a walk in the park, a friend’s blind date, seemingly everything throws them together, the normally strong-willed Ava finds herself irrevocably drawn into a seductive and deadly game. Because if Jordan ever regains his memory of that night, both of their lives could be in danger.

An Interview & Giveaway with Katie Lane

Today I have the honor and pleasure of interviewing one of my favorite authors.  I actually got to meet her over the summer.  It was SUPER cool when I told her my name, only my first name, and she knew who I was.  She gave me this big amazing hug.  J  Talk about fan girl happy moment.

Her latest book, Trouble in Texas comes out tomorrow.  Check out the cover isn’t it GREAT!!!!

THERE’S A FOX IN THE HENHOUSE

Inheriting the most notorious house of ill repute in Texas can spell trouble for a girl’s reputation…especially when she’s Elizabeth Murphy, Bramble’s prim and proper librarian.  Yet when she discovers a buck-naked cowboy handcuffed to a four-poster bed, she forgets all about the town gossips.  Elizabeth has sworn off men, but the stranger’s kisses melt her resolve faster than ice cream on a hot summer day.

Waking up in Miss Hattie’s Henhouse isn’t how Brant Cates reckoned on getting to the bottom of his great-granddaddy’s murder.  The plan was to solve the centuries-old crime, then get the heck out of Dodge.  But after meeting Elizabeth and discovering the buttoned-up beauty is a sexy siren in disguise, he just can’t pull himself away.

Now Brant needs Elizabeth to finally put his past to rest, but is she willing to risk her future on Bramble’s newest bad boy?

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Kim:  Hi, Katie.  Thank you so much for joining me today. 

Katie:  Hi, Kimi.  Thanks for having me.

Kim:  I don’t think it’s a big secret to you or anyone else that I’m a HUGE fan.  But I’ve never heard of how you ended up getting into writing.  When did the writing bug hit you and how did it take you to Bramble, Texas and its crazy cast of characters? 

Katie:  My fifth grade teacher had me write a short fictional story, and from that moment on, I was hooked.  Of course, life can get in the way of writing.  My two daughters were grown by the time I got back to it.  As for stumbling into Bramble, Texas, I went on a business trip with my husband to west Texas and fell in love with the friendly, honest people I met.  So…I brought them home with me and elaborated just a tad.  Lol!

Kim:  Your latest book is called Trouble in Texas.  I’ve already started reading it and as usual, I’m laughing my head off.  Tell us a little about it. 

Katie:  Trouble in Texas is about Elizabeth Murphy, Bramble’s straight-laced librarian, who inherits Miss Hattie’s Henhouse, an infamous whorehouse.  The three old women, or hens, who still live there will cause all kinds of trouble for Elizabeth.  Of course, sometimes trouble turns out to be just what a girl needs.  Especially if it comes in the form of a good-lookin’ cowboy handcuffed to your bed. J

Kim:  I have to admit that visual is nice.  Do you have a favorite line or scene from the book? 

Katie:  My favorite scene is the shower scene.  Brant is such a typical man in the scene and Elizabeth gets so flustered.  It was just great fun to write.

Kim:  That was a good one.  I honestly can’t blame Elizabeth for getting a little upset.  I probably would have too.  Beau is my FAVORITE character hands down.  I’m completely in love with the guy.  Feel free to make me his heroine when you write his book.  J  Do you have a favorite character and if so, who and why? 

Katie:  My favorite characters are always the ones I’m working on at the moment.  Right now, I just finished Beau’s story, Flirting with Texas, and I’m just as crazy about the guy as you are. (Unfortunately, Kimi, I don’t think Jenna Jay is going to give him up without a fight.  Ha!)

Kim:  My heart just broke into a million tiny pieces…Seriously, I actually feel the pain.  L  (Deep sigh)  Okay, a girl can still dream.  J

Thank you again Katie for stopping by and answering some questions for me.  I look forward to reading the rest of the book and the other books to follow. 

Katie:  Thank you, Kimi.  It was a pleasure.  J

Okay you readers out there…..You have to go out and buy Katie’s new book, Trouble in Texas.  Why?  Just look at this cover!!!!  It’s the best cover yet.  I have to confess….I actually kept her previous book, Catch Me a Cowboy, on my desk for about six months, AFTER I read the book. J  There was just something about looking at the cowboy on the cover every day.

Deep in the Heart of Texas Series

Going Cowboy Crazy

Make Mine a Bad Boy

Catch Me a Cowboy

Trouble in Texas

For one lucky reader out there, Katie’s going to help you out.  She’s offering one of you a copy of Trouble in Texas (Deep in the Heart of Texas Book 4).  Just follow the Rafflecopter instructions below.  The winner will have 48 hours to respond to the email notification.

You can find Trouble in Texas at Amazon

Where you can find Katie: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Pinterest| RSS

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Meet Katie (Yes, I took this from her website.  Katie’s so funny and is such a great story teller.  I couldn’t resist. J)

So here’s the thing. I love to write about fictional people, but I feel very uncomfortable writing about myself. So let’s dispense with the biography and I’ll tell you a story. And everyone knows that all the best stories start with...

Once upon a time there was a little girl who walked around with her head in the clouds. While the other kids paid attention to the world around them, this little girl (For clarity’s sake, let’s just call her Katie.) spent her days dreaming. The dreams varied. One day Katie might be a princess who was rescued by a prince on a three-legged horse (Perfection can be so boring.), and the next day she might find herself as an overworked mother of ten. (Mothers are wonderful heroines, don’t you agree?) This playacting was acceptable when Katie was little, but as she grew older, people started to take notice and think her a little odd. (Odd? What’s odd about a tall, skinny seventh grader pushing an overfilled doll stroller down the street?)

Luckily for her social standing, Katie gave up the play-stage for the written-page, spending hours writing down her daydreams in a spiral notebook. But over the years, her storytelling took a backseat to hormones and high school, and it wasn’t until her two exceptional daughters were grown (Ten seemed a little redundant after the first labor pain) that she returned to writing.

Now Katie spends her days at a computer daydreaming, while the rest of the time she enjoys hanging with her family, reading, going to the gym, playing golf, motorcycle riding, traveling, or just snuggling next to her snoring prince. (Snoring might seem like a minor imperfection when compared to a three-legged horse, but believe me it’s not) Because if the little girl of the clouds learned anything over the years, it was that every moment in life is a happily-ever-after just waiting to be fulfilled.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Doc Holiday a Loveswept Classic Romance

Doc Holiday

by Debra Dixon

With poignant humor and sizzling romance, Debra Dixon presents a story about the magic of Christmas and promises made under a starry winter sky.

Drew Haywood needs a feminine touch to help give his young son a holiday to remember--and no one does Christmas better than Taylor Bishop.  She knows how to transform a house into a home that sparkles.  But when Drew lets his guard down, he finds that Taylor has much more to offer.  Kissing her is like coming in out of the cold--and Drew doesn't want to go back out.

Taylor has already raised one family--she grew up with six brothers, after all--and she doesn't need another.  She may have fallen for Drew as a teenager, but he's asking for a Christmas miracle that would break all her rules.  Still, the chemistry she shares with this sexy, single father has nothing to do with the past.  Perhaps the gift of a young boy's smile, not to mention stolen kisses beneath the mistletoe, will point the way to the one thing on Taylor's wish list.

All I Want - A Tryst with a Twist by S.L. Scott

All I Want

A Tryst with a Twist

by S.L. Scott

This is a Short Story.

Christina can’t stop fantasizing about the guy who works down at the Christmas tree lot. Lawson spends a lot of time at the local coffee shop, not for the coffee, but for the view of the pretty barista who works there.

Christmas holds more than presents for these two as they unwrap a fantasy making their tryst with a twist a reality. This sexy short story will captivate your imagination while capturing the holiday spirit.

An Interview & Giveaway with Karen Erickson

Last week I reviewed Jane's Gift by Karen Erickson (click here for the review).  I loved the book and immediately wanted to know more about this new author I just discovered.  I stalked her on her website and her Facebook page.  Okay, so maybe stalked is TOO strong of a word.  Let me rephrase that...I looked up her website and Facebook page and emailed her to let her she had a new fan. J I was able to actually get to do an interview with her, so imagine how EXCITED I was!!!!! 

Here are a couple of questions I got to ask.  Be sure to stick around after the interview is over, because Karen LOVES to do contests.

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Kim:  You are a VERY busy lady.  Between October 2012 and February 2013, you have a book coming out each month.  The first three are Christmas themed contemporary romances, including one historical, and the other two are on the sexier hotter side.  How difficult is it to have to write so many books in a short time frame in different genres?

Karen:  First off, thanks so much for having me as a guest on your blog! Okay, I must admit that a few of those books (novellas really, as Santa Baby and Fairies & Wishes, for instance, are both old novellas I received the rights back to, re-edited and recently self-published) were written years ago.

But I will admit I’m working on edits for two books currently and I am a little crazy. I usually don’t schedule much during the holiday season work-wise but that went straight out the window this year. Whoops. J

Writing in different subgenres though—I enjoy it. Changes it up, keeps me fresh, keeps me from getting bored.

Kim:  I’m so sorry.  I’m just so excited to interview you.  I forgot to say hi…. Hello. J

Kim:  Please tell us a little bit about your current book, (His Perfect Gift), which is part of the Five Golden Rings anthology with Sophie Barnes, Sandra Jones, Rena Gregory, and Vivienne Lorrett.

Karen:  Oh, I really had fun writing His Perfect Gift! It’s a sensual historical novella about a man who became a duke after his older brother died. Considering prior to his brother’s death he was merely the second son, he’d asked a certain young lady to marry him and she turned him down. Yet he still wants her. So he will do anything to make her his.

He doesn’t realize she’s never stopped wanting him as well…oh, yeah. You know what that means. *winks*

The Five Golden Rings anthology came out yesterday from Avon Impulse (and I read every story a few weeks ago—loved them all, such a variety!) so I hope if readers are in the mood for historical Christmas stories, they’ll pick this one up.

Kim:  Looking at your website your Worth It series definitely caught my attention.  The covers alone have me wanting to read the books.  Could you give me an overall summary of the series? (What is it about?)

Karen:  The Worth brothers own Worth Luxury, the largest luxury accessories company in the US. They are powerful, gorgeous, sexy and bossy as hell and they have their family quibbles, let me tell you.

What’s so great is that every single one of them is taken down by the woman they eventually fall in love with (my favorite brother is Rhett but sshh, don’t tell). I have a Worth It page on my website with all the pretty covers, blurbs, etc. in one spot. Worth Everything is the last in the series and it will release February 5^th. But it’s also kicking off a new series that’s loosely tied to it so…those Worth brothers are like the gift that keeps on giving.

Kim:  I love Jane’s Gift.  I understand it was written three years ago, and the accident in which Jane’s husband died was different.  Was there anything else different about Jane and Christian?  (Was Christian always supposed to be a fireman?)

Karen:  I’m so glad you enjoyed Jane’s Gift! Yes, it was written three years ago (almost four now) and originally Jane suffered her burn injuries in a plane crash. But for the flow of the story, my editor thought it best to switch it to a house fire and I agreed with her.

Chris was always a fire captain in my mind. Jane came to me first though, after I read an article about a woman who suffered through horrific burns. I wanted to find the most unlikely hero for her ever so I gave her the man who fights fire for a living. I mean, come on. A burn victim falling in love with a firefighter? Built-in conflict.

Kim:  While reading Jane’s Gift I was so into it, I forgot I was supposed to write a review.  I was simply enjoying it.  What do you think makes the characters and the story so appealing?

Karen:  I’m flattered you would say such a thing—thank you! I really wanted these characters to be real. Not just Jane and Chris but also her children, her family, her friends. I wanted the characters to be relatable, I wanted the town to feel comfortable without being too cloying and sweet. I really, really hope I accomplished that.

The next book in the series is Cameron’s Homecoming, which should come out in March. It has a different feel than Jane’s Gift—it’s lighter, a little sexier. Cameron is to die for, if I can say that about my own creation LOL. Everyone from Jane’s family (including Jane!) is in the book though poor Chris, I just realized he doesn’t play much of a part! If all goes well, readers will get Mac’s story next. There’s a lot of Mac featured in Cameron’s Homecoming. As well as Mac’s future heroine…

Karen:  Let’s have a contest!

Kim:  I love contests!

Karen:  One lucky winner will receive a $10 gift card Amazon or B&N gift card (winner’s choice) and a 2013 Dance on Fire! Calendar (featuring the Sacramento Ballet and the Sacramento Area Firefighters), which benefits the Firefighters Burn Institute in Sacramento.

Kim:  Darn it!  Karen is gone and I FORGOT to tell her thanks for stopping by.  Good grief (in my Charlie Brown voice.) – Karen if you’re listening/reading this, thanks for stopping by and taking the time to talk with me.  I’m REALLY looking forward to reading Cameron’s Homecoming.

***UPDATE: To be entered for this contest, please leave a comment below. The contest will end on Thursday, December 13th. The winner will December 17th to respond to email notification.***

Blurb for Jane’s Gift:

A fire captain afraid of commitment. A widow afraid of fire. Can the holidays bring them together?

 

A devastating house fire cost Jane Clark nearly everything: her husband, her confidence, and her looks, with the physical scars marbling her body. Now, two years later, she's living and healing back in her childhood hometown of Lone Pine Lake. The upcoming holidays are the perfect opportunity to bring some Christmas cheer into her young children's lives, starting with a visit to the firehouse, where her brother's best friend has offered to help quell their residual fears.

 

Lone Pine's resident playboy, fire captain Christian Nelson is happy with his single-guy lifestyle. He's an everyday local hero, so he's never wanting for attention around the holidays. But when Jane Clark shows up, Chris is immediately drawn to the beautiful widow--even though kids and commitment have never been his style.

 

Despite her brother's warnings about his friend's playboy status and dangerous occupation, Jane can't help but fall for the gorgeous fire captain. The holidays are a time of new beginnings, but can two scarred people find the strength to let go of their pasts to live in the present, when a lifetime together might be the sweetest gift of all?

You can find JANE’S GIFT at Amazon | B&N | Kobo

Keep up with the Jane’s Gift blog tour here (and enter to win the grand prize—a Kindle Paperwhite!)

Where you can find Karen: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Pinterest

 

Unexpected Christmas Hero by Kathi Macias

Unexpected Christmas Hero is an inspiring and compelling story of friendship and survival.  Forced by unexpected circumstances to live on the streets and in homeless shelters, Josie Meyers and her two small children share in the lives and struggles of other homeless people.  Eventually, Josie meets Rick, a homeless, disabled vet who becomes their ultimate friend.

While living in the shelters she continually hears the gospel, reigniting memories of the words she heard and believed as a child.  Will these events lead her and her children home to the ultimate shelter?

Genre: Christian Fiction
Book Length: 240 pages
Source: NetGalley
Purchase through: Amazon

Red Hot Holiday Anthology

Red Hot Holiday
 

Welcome to the holidays....Red Hot Holiday is an anthology that has something for everyone, with stories from K.A. Mitchell, Leah Braemel, and Anne Calhoun.

I'm a romance girl, no doubt about it. However these three ladies are all new to me and thus I had no idea what to expect. With a title called Red Hot Holiday, I should have known a little bit of what I was getting myself into. Red Hot Holiday is definitely a hot book.

For What It's Worth by Karey White

For What It’s Worth

by Karey White

Twenty-four year old, Abby Benson has dreams of owning her own wedding cake shop.  An inheritance from her aunt gives her the ability to make those dreams come true.  She hires Dane, a handsome contractor, to help her get the bakery up and running and soon they’re moving toward their own happy ending.

Unsure what to charge for her cakes, Abby has a crazy idea to let the customer decide what they think their cake is worth.  This plan has its ups and downs, but the novelty of the idea makes her a local celebrity.  When she is interviewed on television about the unusual idea, business booms and Abby is swept up in a whirlwind that threatens everything she values.  With the challenges that face her, will she be able to determine what is worth the most?

Romancing the Holiday Anthology

Romancing the Holiday

Romancing the Holiday is an anthology written by three authors I love; HelenKay Dimon, Christi Barth, and Jaci Burton.  HelenKay’s We’ll Be Home for Christmas is the continuation of her Holloway series. Christi’s Ask Her at Christmas is the tale of two friends realizing their true happy ever after is with each other.  And, The Best Thing is the conclusion of Jaci Burton’s Kent Brothers series.

For the sake of full disclosure, I have to admit a year ago, I never heard of any of these women.  I was looking for a Christmas read and I came across the Holiday Kisses anthology featuring books by HelenKay and Jaci.  It just so happened that HelenKay’s first Holloway series book and Jaci’s second Kent Brothers’ book was a part of that anthology.  I was hooked.  After reading A Rare Gift, I had to have more Kent Brothers, so I found and read All She Wants for Christmas, the first book in the Kent Brothers series.  I even went as far as sending Jaci several emails, asking and begging for a book on Brody.  Not that The Best Thing was written for me or anything. But still, I’m a happy girl.  With that in mind, I’m a little biased when it comes to these books.  But that could also mean that the authors have very high expectations to meet.  I LOVE all three of these books.