Friday, March 29, 2013

Christine Bell - Down and Dirty Guest Post & Giveaway



Christine Bell is a romance author and also writes erotic romance as Chloe Cole.  She and her handsome hubby currently reside in Pennsylvania with a four-pack of teenage boys.  If she gets time off from her duties as maid, chef, chauffeur, or therapist, she can be found reading just about anything she can get her hands on, from Young Adult novels to books on poker theory.  She doesn’t like root beer, clowns or bugs (except ladybugs, on account of their cute outfits), but lurrves chocolate, going to the movies, the New York Giants and playing Texas Hold ‘Em.  Writing is her passion, but if she had to pick another occupation, she would be a pirate…or, like, a ninja maybe.  Christine loves to hear from readers.



Christine’s Social Media Links:

Review: Down and Dirty (Dare Me Book 2) by Christine Bell




a Dare Me novel by Christine Bell

He was a dare she’s never been able to resist…

Cat Thomas has never been the kind of girl to stick.  A self-professed infatuation junky, she latches on the newest, hottest guy on the block, then finds a reason—real or imagined—to dump him.  When she accepts a dare to rekindle her high school flame and jump in bed with her brother’s best friend, Shane Decker, she knows she’s in trouble.  She can’t resist the man, even after all these years apart, and that just won’t do.

Shane has come back to town for a couple reasons.  The biggest one?  He’s tired of living away from those he loves, including Cat.  But now she’s spooked and will do anything to drive a wedge between them, including trying to fix him up with other women through an online dating service.

What does he have to do to make her see that settling down doesn’t mean settling, and he’s ready to spend a lifetime proving it?

Thursday, March 28, 2013

Review: How to Misbehave by Ruthie Knox

As program director for the Camelot Community Center, Amber Clark knows how to keep her cool.  That is, until a sudden tornado warning forces her to take shelter in a darkened basement with a hunk of man whose sex appeal green lights her every fantasy.  With a voice that would melt chocolate, he asks her if she is okay.  Now she's hot all over and wondering: How does a girl make a move?

Building contractor Tony Mazzara was just looking to escape nature's fury.  Instead, he finds himself all tangled up with lovely Amber.  Sweet and sexy, she's ready to unleash her wild side.  Their mutual desire reaches a fever pitch and creates a storm of its own--unexpected, powerful, and unforgettable.  But is it bigger than Tony can handle?  Can he let go of painful memories and let the force of this remarkable woman show him a future he never dreamed existed?

Review: Beer and Groping in Las Vegas by Angela Quarles

Can a djinn and a magic slot machine bring two geeks together?

Riley McGregor is a geek trapped in a Good Ole Boy body and as owner of a microbrewery, smart chicks never look at him twice.

Rejected by a geek who wanted to “trade up,” Mirjam Linna would rather immerse herself in work than be the girlfriend-of-the-moment.  Stranded in a Vegas hotel, she accidentally makes a wish—a night of hot sex with the man of her dreams.  It's granted.  She agrees to dinner, but afterward, she’ll say thanks, but no thanks, and see what’s on the SyFy channel.  But when they meet, they're surprised to find they had a shared connection in their past.  Sparks fly as these two learn to be in the moment, be themselves and find love.

Monday, March 25, 2013

Fatal Intent by Ryshia Kennie - Guest Post & Giveaway


Tour Schedule

Ryshia Kennie is the author of two published romances. From the Dust, is a romance set during the Great Depression. Her second book, Ring of Desire, was set against a backdrop of magic and mystery, in medieval England. An award winning author, her recent novels now focus on suspense and women’s fiction – always with a hint or even a dollop, of romance. The Canadian prairies are home where she lives with her husband and one opinionated Irish Terrier.


Ryshia Kennie’s Social Media Links:



Saturday, March 23, 2013

Review: Scorched by Laura Griffin



Kelsey Quinn set out to trace a murder victim. Now she may become one.

The dead don’t speak, but Kelsey knows their secrets.  As a forensic anthropologist at the Delphi Center crime lab, Kelsey makes it her mission to identify bodies using no more than shards of bone, and her find at a remote Philippines dig hints at a sinister story.  When Kelsey’s search for answers puts her at the scene of her ex-fiancé’s murder, only one man can help her.  The same man who broke her heart just months before, and who is also a prime suspect.  Faced with an ultimatum— Kelsey or his job—Gage Brewer did the only thing a Navy SEAL could . . . but that doesn’t mean he stopped wanting Kelsey.  Now Kelsey is running for her life and Gage is her last line of defense.  As the threats escalate, Kelsey realizes this conspiracy goes deeper and higher than they could have guessed.  With the clock ticking down on a madman’s plot, the slightest misstep will have unthinkable consequences. . . .

Friday, March 22, 2013

Review: Three River Ranch by Roxanne Snopek


Needing a fresh start from her two-timing fiancé, Aurora McAllister answers a realtor's ad for a guesthouse on the beautiful, serene Three River Ranch.  She shows up at Three River tired, heartbroken, and with no one but her trusty Labradoodle as a companion.

Cowboy Carson Granger has enough trouble in his life without adding a woman and her dog to the mix.  There's the untamed mustang he's prepping to release into the wild, not to mention his father's crazy will, which stipulates that if Carson wants to fully inherit Three River, he'll need to find a bride.  Carson wants nothing to do with love and especially not a marriage of convenience.  But he soon realizes Rory and everything she represents, might just be exactly what he needs.

Sometimes love arrives on your doorstep when you least expect it…

Thursday, March 21, 2013

Review: Down for the Count (Book 1) by Christine Bell




a Dare Me novel by Christine Bell

Truth or dare…

When Lacey Garrity finds her groom in flagrante delicto in the reception hall closet with her bridesmaid, she’s saved by her best friend’s older brother—childhood tormentor, crush, and boxing bad boy Galen Thomas.  Galen’s solution is both exciting and dangerous.  What better way to forget the mess of her life than to go on her honeymoon with a hot guy who can’t promise anything beyond today?

…or TKO?

Galen had been counting on Lacey’s wedding to put her out of reach—and out of his mind—once and for all, but their steamy Puerto Rican escape is testing all his boundaries.  Now that Lacey’s embracing her inner bad girl, Galen is tempted to throw in the towel and claim her for himself.  But with the biggest fight of his career on the line and an important business merger threatening to derail Lacey’s resolve, their romance might be down for the count before it even begins.

Monday, March 18, 2013

An Interview with Jess Michaels, author of Her Perfect Match

She will do anything for him…except surrender.

Vivien Manning, the notorious Mistress Matchmaker, is tired. Tired of the parties, tired of the lovers, tired of being her. So she decides to leave London behind once and for all and start a whole new life.

But before she goes, she must tie up some loose ends, so she makes a list which includes one man she's never been fully able to let go:

Benedict Graystone.

Benedict was broken when Vivien broke off their affairs years ago. So when she comes back into his life... and his bed, he isn't certain of anything except the power of their desire.

But as Vivien moves ever closer to disappearing forever, both of them begin to question if the past can be overcome and if love might be the one loose end that cannot be neatly tied up.

Saturday, March 16, 2013

The Melody in Our Hearts by Roberta Capizzi Promo & Giveaway

Book tour


Doctor Valerie Fogarty studied hard to become a competent surgeon, but losing a patient during an operation made her throw everything out the window and now she can't set foot into an operating room anymore.  Until her best friend Ryan is brought into the ER on a stretcher, fighting for his life after a terrible car accident and she’s the only one who can save him.  Meeting him as a teenager in their hometown in Ireland was the turning point in her life and she knows she will never be able to live without him.  Will her determination and skills be enough to save Ryan's life?

Jazz Star Ryan Wyler grew up in Dublin, with a dream of becoming a professional pianist and continuing the legacy of his musical hero, Frank Sinatra.  When opportunity knocks and he's offered the chance to pursue a real music career, he's happy to accept it, unaware that what he's actually accepting is a package deal he will have no control over.  But when success keeps him away from Valerie, his best friend since adolescence, Ryan will have to question his choices.

A story about the value of true friendship, the power of dreams, and the unpredictability of love.

Roberta Capizzi interviews Ryan Wyler of The Melody in Our Hearts

Score! One week, two interviews from leading men who are both musicians. Awwww. Talk about heaven. I asked Roberta Capizzi to have a little chat with one of her characters from The Melody in Our Hearts, so we could get to know them a little better. Neither Ryan nor Roberta wanted to give too much of the story away. I know The Melody in Our Hearts is a sweet romantic read. With that being said, I’m going to have to assume that there’s going to be a happy ending. I’m also guessing that Dr. Valerie Fogarty and Mr. Ryan Wyler are going to each be in for a wild ride until the end.

You can purchase The Melody in Our Hearts from Amazon, at a special sale price of $.99 from March 18-24, 2013. Look for it at Barnes & Noble and Smashwords in April/May 2013.

Click here to be taken to The Melody in Our Hearts Blog Tour and enter for a chance to win a copy of the book. You can also win a $10 Amazon gift card by heading over to Roberta’s blog.

Thursday, March 14, 2013

Review: Baked Alaska by Josi S. Kilpack

Tour Schedule

Baked Alaska Book Description:
Sadie Hoffmiller is looking forward to an entire week cruising the Alaskan wilderness with her two grown children, Shawn and Breanna, and her boyfriend, Pete.  Not only will they all have the chance to get to know one another better, but Sadie will finally be able to help Breanna plan her upcoming wedding.  They board the ship with high expectations of a well-deserved vacation.


And except for the mysterious woman on the ship that Shawn seems to know but will not discuss, and the fact that Breanna's future mother-in-law has already hijacked the wedding plans, and the unexpected death of a passenger in the middle of the buffet line, Sadie's vacation would have been perfect.

As it is, Sadie will need all her investigative skills to navigate the deep waters of the mystery that is soon swirling around her family.  Amid her growing fears for the future, Sadie must also come to terms with the fact that her role in the lives of her children is changing and that even the best laid plans can go awry when a secret gets thrown into the mix.

Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Now Available - A Fine Romance by Christi Barth

They say you form your first impression of someone within thirty seconds of meeting them. Or, in Mira Parrish's case, within thirty minutes of not meeting them, when said person is supposed to pick you up from the airport and never shows. This is not a perfect start to her new life. Her friend Ivy is depending on her to run a new romance store, and Mira can't afford to let her down.

Sam Lyons should probably apologize.  But every time he sees Mira—which is often, since his family owns the bakery next to her shop—he can't resist antagonizing her.  There's something about the sexy, straitlaced woman that drives him crazy.  He can't get involved, though.  He has too much baggage to be any good in a serious relationship.

Despite his teasing attitude, Mira finds Sam too sweet to resist.  (His hot body may be a factor.)  But if there's going to be anything permanent between them, they'll need to let go of their pasts and look to the future…


Monday, March 11, 2013

Review: Bring Me Back by Karen Booth

Music critic Claire Abby is a single mom dreading her daughter’s departure for college and worried that turning forty will leave her career running on fumes.  She’s floored when she lands a Rolling Stone cover story on 80s British rock legend Christopher Penman.  She spent her teenage years fantasizing he was her boyfriend.

In person, Christopher is everything Claire feared he’d be—charming, witty and unwilling to address the rumors he’s dodged for a decade.  Still, she contains her adolescent fantasies and manages to earn his trust, unearthing the truth and the devastating secret behind it.  His blockbuster story is her first priority when she returns home, a nearly impossible task when Christopher starts calling and flirting.  She knows she should maintain a professional distance.  She knows she should focus on the story.  She knows it would be best to simply walk away.  But how can she say “no” to the man she could never forget?

Karen Booth's interview of Christopher Penman from Bring Me Back

I don’t know about you, but I LOVE character interviews.  When you read a book, you generally get a really good idea of what a character is all about.  But when the character does an interview, you get to dive into more of who they are.  Yet, the character interview gets EVEN better, when the author themselves interview the character.  When the author interviews the character, he or she doesn’t usually get away with stuff.  Ahhhhhh, you gotta love those authors!

I asked Karen Booth to do a character interview with one of the characters from Bring Me Back for me.  She was so nice and really excited to do it.  Check out what happens when Karen has a conversation with Christopher Penman.

Saturday, March 9, 2013

Review: Sleeping with Mr. Sexy by S.L. Scott

Lydia Nichols is on the fast track for career success.  She's landed the job of her dreams after working her way up the corporate ladder.  The only problem is she's in San Francisco and the dream job is in New York.  With one last night to party with her friends before moving cross country, she goes all out, letting down her guard, and following her heart.

Dubbed Mr. Sexy, the ladies love Chase Andrews.  Despite his bad boy good looks, he’s a nice guy with a good heart.  While out celebrating his best friend’s promotion, Chase decides to go after the one woman who has always captivated his mind and body, but eluded him.  The only problem with his plan is the object of his affection is too caught up in following her dreams to notice.

A few cocktails, laughs, secret crushes, and good friends set the stage for these two to discover what they’ve been missing all along.

Sleeping with Mr. Sexy is the story of two people who do the best they can with the choices they make.  Join Lydia and Chase as they navigate their post-college years trying to balance careers, love, friendship, and the discovery that finding yourself sometimes means coming home.

The Valentine Challenge by Marisa Cleveland


Stacey Bradford believes in love, but when her hot boss, Marshall Royce, decides to close her best friend’s flower shop – days before Valentine’s Day! – Stacey declares war.

Intrigued by Stacey’s devotion to her friend, the hearts and flowers holiday, and belief in true love, Marsh issues a challenge – prove love exists or deliver the closing documents to her friend herself.

Stacey never could resist a challenge, but when Marsh makes Valentine’s Day the deadline for their deal, Stacey must decide how far she’s willing to go for love.

Friday, March 8, 2013

Rosalind James Guest Post

Today Rosalind James stops by to discuss the issue of the dreaded BAD/NEGATIVE review.  Me personally, I feel bad about writing bad reviews.  I mean come on, authors put their heart and souls into their books.  But I’ve also spent my time reading the book.  I even had one author tell me that it was okay if they got a bad review, at least the person still read them.  Okay.  Check out what Rosalind has to say.


Review: Just for Fun by Rosalind James


Escape to New Zealand #4

What if the person who broke your heart turned out to be the only one who could mend it?

Nic Wilkinson is a responsible, organized, disciplined rugby player at the top of his game.  Emma Martens is a sometimes-scattered, often-emotional, and always-broke would-be designer with a big chip on her shoulder where Nic's concerned.

They have no history together, except one perfect week.  Nothing in common anymore, except the most important thing of all.

Getting together again would be messy.  Complicated.  Scary.  And, just maybe, worth every risk.


Thursday, March 7, 2013

Review: A Shot of Sultry by Macy Beckett




Welcome to Sultry Springs, Texas: where home can be the perfect place for a fresh start.

For West Coast filmmaker Bobbi Gallagher, going back to Sultry Springs is a last resort.  But with her career in tatters, a documentary set in her hometown might be just what she needs to salvage her reputation.  She just can't let anything distract her again. Not even the gorgeous contractor her brother asked to watch over her.  As if she can't handle filming a few rowdy Texans.

Golden boy Trey Lewis, with his blond hair and Technicolor-blue eyes, is a leading man if Bobbi ever saw one.  He's strong and confident and—much to her delight—usually shirtless.  He thinks keeping his best friend's baby sister out of trouble will be easy.  But he has no idea of the trouble in store for him...

Tuesday, March 5, 2013

Review: A Charming Potion by Tonya Kappes

***THIS IS A SHORT STORY AND MAY HAVE SPOILERS IF YOU HAVEN'T READ ANY OF THE BOOKS IN THE MAGICAL CURES MYSTERY SERIES***

June Heal's life in the charming little town of Whispering Falls, Kentucky is amazing.  Finally her business, A Charming Cure, has taken off, and so has her love life with hunky sheriff Oscar Park.

When a client shows up begging for a love potion, June knows that the number one rule in the spiritualist community is not to mess with love.  But what's one little love potion on the greatest day of the year?  Halloween.

Things turn scary when the potion gets into the wrong hands.  Will June have enough time to reverse it before more damage is done?

There isn't any amount of Ding Dongs that is going to help her fix this mess.

Friday, March 1, 2013

Woman of Substance Review & Giveaway

Tour Schedule
 
BLURB:

"You will never understand what it means to be fat.”  With those words, grad student Robbie Smith begins the Fat-Like-Me project.  In order to support her thesis, she puts on a fat suit to measure people’s reactions to the new her.

Accused of embezzling funds, Professor Jake Proctor returns home to spend quality time with the only father he has ever known.  There, he meets an intriguing overweight woman who reminds him of his late grandmother.  She’s witty, charming, and cares deeply for those around her, including his dying grandfather.

When Robbie meets Jake while she’s in disguise, she deceives him for all the right reasons.  But how long can she maintain the deception before Jake discovers that she is not who he believes her to be?


Excerpt:

Setting: Robbie in her disguise meets Jake Proctor for the first time and there are not good impressions shared.
 
Robbie’s cheeks burned.  “You, you think I’m asking Frank for money?”  She forced herself to stand straight and gripped her hands so she wouldn’t brush at the dirt clinging to the front of her jacket and kept both feet on the ground so she wouldn’t kick him in the shins.  These solid shoes would give him a good bruise.
 
“For starters, you look as if you could use some clean clothes.  There’s bread on the bench.  And there’s the open wallet and a frail, old, man.”  His clipped words and flashing eyes when he nodded toward each item left no room for doubt as to exactly what he thought.
 
Struggling between her outrage and the genuine concern in Jake’s eyes, she said, “Ah, Sherlock Holmes, I presume.”  Nincompoop.  Just goes to show a well-fitted jacket and height can disguise real character, too.
 
“No.”  He put his hands behind his back and jutted his chin forward.  “I’m a concerned grandson.”
 
“Stop it, both of you,” Frank growled.  “Here’s the picture of Mabel I wanted to show you before Jake turned up out of the blue.”  He handed his billfold to Robbie.  Behind yellowed plastic was the image of a woman with dark curls smiling at the camera holding a baby wrapped in a blanket.
 
“That’s our Mabel.”  He looked from Jake to Robbie.
 
“Yes.”  Jake stood behind Frank and his hands hung loosely at his side.
 
Robbie felt a sense of relief.  She turned toward Jake and pointed at the baby.  “You?”
 
“No.”  Jake sounded resigned.  Robbie understood that sometimes a person just has to allow the story to be told.”


Meet Annette Bower:
Annette Bower writes about women in family and women in love and women’s quest for love.  Her short stories are published in magazines and anthologies in Canada, United States and in the United Kingdom.

Her first sweet contemporary romance Moving On, A Prairie Romance is e-published by XoXo Publishing™.  Her second novel which is a blend of sweet romance and women’s fiction, Woman of Substance is e-published by Soul Mate Publishing.

Annette Bower lives and writes stories from a high rise where she can see the immediate hustle and bustle of downtown Regina and experience the changes in the grain fields throughout the Saskatchewan seasons.

Annette is also the author of:

Moving On-A Prairie Romance

Christmas Wishes
(available at Amazon | XOXO Publishing | All Romance)


Robin “Robbie” Smith is a twenty-five year old grad student majoring in Human Resources.  Robbie’s thesis is to determine how society treats people who are different from them.  Mainly how society judges people who are obese.  In her case, how obsese women are treated.

Jake Proctor is a thirty-five-year old professor of Anthropology.  He has been accused of stealing $15,000 from his project’s fund.  He is taking a leave of absence while the investigation into the missing funds is going on and he is using the time to spend with his dying grandfather, the only family member he has left.

With the help of three women, Mavis, Sharon, and Margaret, who are all overweight themselves and struggling with and finding their own ways to deal with society’s perception of them, Robbie transforms from a small sized woman into a large woman.

On Robbie’s first outing as Robin, she meets an elderly man named Frank Proctor.  Frank is the grandfather of Jake and he is also dying of leukemia.  Robin reminds Frank of his late wife Mabel.  They quickly begin a friendship.

In the beginning, Jake is suspicious of Robin and thinks she’s trying to pry upon an old man.  Frank and Robin like each other and get along really good.  Once Jake realizes that Robin isn't trying to pry upon Frank, he asks Robin to spend more time with his Grandfather.  Jake is even willing to pay Robin for her time; something she is very upset by.  Jake’s heart is actually in the right place.  He’s concerned about his Grandfather being alone too much in the final days he has left.

While Robin is forming a bond with Frank, she’s also forming a friendship with Jake.  At different points in time throughout the book, Jake and the real Robbie meet on various occasions.  Robbie is terrified that at some point Jake is going to figure out what she’s up to.  Jake seems to become very comfortable with Robin, but not so comfortable with Robbie.  It appears that Robin with her size and her caring nature reminds Jake of his Grandmother.

Jake accidently discovers that Robbie is actually Robin and that she put on a fat suit for the purpose of her thesis, on the same day his Grandfather passes away.  This discovery makes Jake question just who Robbie/Robin really is and if everything about her was just part of her act.  Jake has to come to terms with his past and be willing to look inside himself.

Woman of Substance is categorized as being a woman’s fiction/sweet romance book.  For me, Woman of Substance is simply about realizing that it isn’t what a person looks like on the outside.  It’s about realizing that the true heart, soul, spirit and beauty of a person is what’s on the inside.

Rating: 4

Release Date:  December 11, 2012
Book Length:  237 pages
Source:  Blog Tour Host
Reading Format:  Available in eBook

Purchase Links: Amazon | Soul Mate Publishing
 
Connect with Annette Bower:
 



Giveaway time!
Annette will be awarding a $25 Amazon Gift Card to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour.  Leave a comment below and be sure to include your email address.  To increase your chances of winning, follow the tour and leave comments at the other sites.