Interview & Tour Wide Giveaway with Angela Smith

Books-n-Kisses is happy to welcome first time guest Angela Smith to the blog today.

Angela, can you please share with us a little about yourself

I’m a writer, but my full time job is as a paralegal and office manager for a District Attorney’s Office, where I have been for over fifteen years. I’ve been married going on twenty years to the love of my life and the inspiration for all my romance novels (even though I wanted to write romance even before I met him). Most people who know me say I live a double life, because of my writing and my career and how different they both are (and how they perceive me when I’m at work.)

Have you always wanted to be an author?

I was about nine years old when I discovered I wanted to be a writer, although I’m pretty sure I knew at birth. My mom read so much to me that I could recite books before I was able to read, and then she gave me romance novels with words I could barely pronounce, must less tell you the meaning. And yet I didn’t end up damaged. I always thought I’d like to write but didn’t give it a try until I spent a week with my aunt, who wrote poetry. She helped my sister and me pass the time with writing and told us it was okay if we just wanted to rewrite a movie that we loved and write it how we would want it to go. Right about that time, I was diagnosed with diabetes, and writing helped me get through those first few years. Writing was just something I knew I had to.

What is your most interesting writing quirk?

I don’t really have a writing quirk. I can write anywhere, anytime, with or without any habits I might have devised.

Can you please tell us about your latest book(s)?

I would love to! Basically, a woman inherits a stash of stolen jewels, is accused of heisting those stolen jewels, and falls for the sexy FBI agent investigating her.

How did you come with the idea for this story?

I can’t say I came up with the idea. I think this story found me, and I had no choice but to write it.

Can you share with us your current work(s) in progress?

Yes, I’m working on the third and final story in this series where a recovering alcoholic-turned triathlete hires a former investigator-turned bartender to help track a missing child.

Who is the one author that you would love to meet someday and why?

I’d say Sandra Brown, because I love how she structures her novels, how she releases one a year, and how she balances the elements of thrill, intrigue, romance, and mystery. However, I’ve listened to her talk about her style and I’ve had the honor of meeting her a few years ago at a conference. Though we didn’t talk for long, she still helped me to see she’s an everyday person who succeeds at making writing a part of her life.

What is the best piece of advice you would give to someone that wants to get into writing?

Learn all you can but above all, sit down and start writing. Go with what is in your heart and learn to stop listening to advice.

Can you share with us something off your bucket list.

My bucket list is pretty simple. My craving for adventure is pretty simple, and I know I can find joy in everyday life and I’ve already accomplished a lot. To be a bestselling author would make me pretty happy.

What is in your To Read Pile that you are dying to start or upcoming release you can’t wait for?

I just started a book (Sandra Brown’s latest) that I was waiting all year to read and I’m sure there’s a million more I will find between now and the next month to put on my to be read pile.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

I want to thank you for hosting me, thank the readers for reading my interview and tell them I hope you’ll read Burn on the Western Slope, leave a review, and look for Chayton and Naomi’s story out soon!

Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions. If you could please make sure to include links to your Website, Facebook page, Twitter account or Goodread’s page I will make sure to include them in the post. If you have any other questions please feel free to contact me.

Email: angela_gsmith@yahoo.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/angelaswriter

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

Website/blog: http://www.loveisamystery.com

Amazon author page: amazon.com/author/authorangelasmith

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7173505.Angela_Smith

Burn on the Western Slope

by Angela Smith

Reagan McKinney is on a mission to discover more about a deceased uncle who mysteriously left her a sizable inheritance, a condo in the mountains, and a stash of stolen jewels. With both her graphic design career and her love life in shambles, the opportunity to begin a new life couldn’t have come at a better time. When she becomes involved with the sexy FBI agent next door, she finds her struggle is not only to keep her heart intact, but her life. Grief stricken after an undercover investigation ends in the death of his partner, FBI Agent Garret Chambers goes home to find solace in the arms of his mountain retreat. That is, until his boss assigns him to investigate the spirited brunette staying in the condo next door. He is assigned to investigate Reagan’s involvement with a large jewel fencing organization, but his investigation becomes compromised when his attraction to her heats up. Will his discovery destroy everything he has come to love, including Reagan?

Excerpt:

“I’m not sure I’m ready for that,” Reagan said, running her tongue over her lips as she rested her glass on the counter. “Skiing, that is,” she quickly added. He would never know she’d been thinking of kissing him, but she had to force herself to look away from his mouth. Nudging Naomi, she stood. “It’s time for me to go. I need to settle in. I haven’t even unpacked yet.” And she had no intention of doing so now, but it was a good excuse to leave. She wiped her hands on her jeans before extending her hand to his, praying hers weren’t clammy. “It was great to meet you.”

Garret grasped her proffered hand and nested his other on top, engulfing her hand. She burned. Everywhere. “Meet me on the slopes tomorrow?”

Reagan bit her lip and glanced at the floor. “Tomorrow? I don’t know. I might need a little more time to get used to this place.”

“We’ll start with sledding. You can’t not like sledding.”

She didn’t know, seeing as how she’d never done it, but cozying up to him at a hundred miles an hour would probably be amazing.

“I’m safe,” Garret said as he dropped his hand.

“You’re what?” she asked, meeting his eyes. Maybe he was a good guy in most people’s standards, but he made her heart beat too fast to be anything but dangerous.

“I’m harmless. Several people in town will vouch for me.”

“But I don’t know them either.”

Giveaway:

$5 Amazon Gift Card

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Authors Bio:

Angela Smith is a writer and paralegal who lives in Central Texas with her husband, a handful of animals, and a gathering of books. Learn more at www.loveisamystery.com

Solving the mystery of love with romance novels
Website Facebook Twitter @angelaswriter

October 17, 2013October 11, 2013

Interview & Giveaway with Erin McCarthy

Books-n-Kisses is please to welcome Erin McCarthy back to that blog. Erin for those who missed you the first time can you please share with us a little about yourself

I’m just your average neurotic writer, with a four story one hundred year old house and two (almost) grown kids. And a cat. And a dog. And lots of books. J

A little more about Erin:

Erin McCarthy is the USA Today bestselling author of more than 48 novels and novellas in the paranormal, contemporary romance, and young adult genres. The author is a RITA award finalist and an American Library Association winner of the Reluctant Young Reader award. She lives in Ohio. Visit Erin online:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Have you always wanted to be an author?

Since the first grade. But in an effort to be practical I pursued my other love- the law. Fortunately, I stopped myself before I got too far into the whole thing because I think being a lawyer would have made me very cynical very fast, and that’s just not me. I’m optimistic maybe to a fault.

Who are some of your favorite writers? Who do you feel has influenced your writing?

Unfortunately, I don’t seem to have the time to read much genre fiction these days. I have been reading mostly non-fiction. I always go back to the classics though and probably Jane Austen and the Bronte sisters would qualify as all time favorite authors. I would have to say with romance, Lori Foster taught me how to strip the story down to the basics and go for the guts of the romance. She is fabulous at that.

How did you get into writing in this specific genre? Have you ever thought about writing in a different genre?

I started writing romance because that’s what I was reading. I started reading romance because when I had little babies, I could easily get into the stories and read for just a few minutes at a time if that’s all I had. Romance novels also kept me awake at 3am when I nursing. Having little ones I loved the hope and joy of romance novels. I couldn’t deal with traumatic stories with sad endings.

What are some of your writing rituals?

I don’t think I have any rituals, exactly. I do always write with music playing and either coffee or Diet Coke nearby so I guess that is a habit. I can write anywhere and I do. I’ve written in half the rooms in my house, the coffee shop, airplanes, etc. I do have a weird habit of writing single spaced. I’m not sure why. And I have on occasion, been called manic, because my knee bouncing a lot when I write. We’re back to that neurotic writer thing. 😉

Can you please tell us about SWEET?

SWEET is the second book in the series and it features, Jessica, who was maybe not the most likable character in TRUE. I think being inside her head in SWEET and seeing all her fears and vulnerabilities will give readers a different view of her. She and Riley, Tyler Mann’s brother, are both sarcastic, stubborn, and hide their true emotions. But when they fall for each other, it’s based on an amazing friendship.

Can you share with us your current work(s) in progress?

I am currently writing the eighth book in my Fast Track contemporary romance series.

What would you be if you were not an author?

I would probably be an interior designer or a real estate agent. I love houses and decorating.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

Thanks! I hope you all enjoy SWEET. J

*****
Sweet

Amazon| B&N

Jessica Sweet thought going away to college would finally make her free of her parents’ constant judgments and insistence she play chastity club role model for their church events, but if anything, the freedom has made her realize she can’t go home and be a hypocrite anymore. Tired of dodging their questions, she stays at school over the summer and lands in an unexpected crash pad: Riley Mann’s house.

Sarcastic, cocky, and full of opinions, Riley is also sexy personified with tattoos and biceps earned from working as a roofer all day. Not the right guy for her even if Jessica was looking for a relationship, which she is definitely not. But Jessica knows that Riley hides the burden of having to raise his younger brothers behind that grin and as she helps him get his house in order for a custody hearing, they begin to fall hard for each other, and she is forced to question what she’s hiding herself.

Jessica has never had a problem getting naked with a guy, but when it comes to showing Riley how she truly feels inside, her fear of rejection may just ruin the best thing—the best guy—to ever happen to her.

GIVEAWAY TIME!!!!

Penguin has give me one e-copy of Sweet to giveaway.

Winner HAS to have a NETGALLEY account.

To enter fill out the rafflecopter below.

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October 16, 2013October 16, 2013

Wicked Thing Blog Tour & Giveaway

The Evolution of Wicked Thing

by Angeline Kace

I’ve always found it fascinating when authors share the journey a book took to get to where it is when I read it, so I thought it’d be fun to share with you a lot of the ways Wicked Thing changed from beginning to end.

I got the idea for Wicked Thing while sitting in my auditing class one morning (I majored in accounting). I wrote long hand and wrote out the whole story, from their first time together (wink-wink) to the point their love story is resolved. When I was writing like a madwoman in class, I gave the characters names that felt were right for then at the time without much thought. Dallas was originally called Luke, and Carmyn was originally called Krista. Denton’s storyline didn’t come up until later, so Denton was always his name.

I originally called the book Don’t Speak after a line that is said in a crucial scene by one of the characters and then repeated by the other one later on in the story at another crucial moment. I called the book Don’t Speak for probably about 9 months. The DropBox folder on my computer where I have all the Wicked Thing files is still labeled as Don’t Speak. I ended up retitling the book when I found the song Wicked Game by Phillip Phillips. This song became the theme song for this book. It was the one song that I listened to that fit the tone and story with what I had going for the book perfectly. I couldn’t call the book Wicked Game because there are already so many books by that name. Plus, my favorite line in the song is, “What a wicked thing to do, to make me dream of you.” I knew from the beginning that it would be the guy who would recognize his feelings first and that the girl would be the one afraid to admit or allow herself to feel anything for him. So this song was perfect.

Another thing that changed multiple times was the cover image. I was set on a cover that I absolutely loved. But then a well-known author used that image on her book as it’s a stock image and anyone can purchase the rights for it, so I changed it. I finally found another imaged that I loved, but then another author published a book with the image as the cover and it actually became a bestseller, so it was back to the beginning. After that, I had a really hard time finding an image I liked enough as these original 2 to make it my cover. I went through numerous versions until I finally found the image of the cover as it is now and looooved it. I just didn’t know how to make it pop. That was when my designer, Emily Tippits, did her magic to make it how it is today.

Carmyn Rafferty witnessed the aftermath of her mother’s affair. She learned at a young age not to trust anyone. Especially not your spouse. So she’s planned. She’s planned every detail of her life: who her husband will be, what their careers will be, what their lives will be like. All to avoid the pain of infidelity.

Dallas Brown lives a life all his own. He doesn’t do relationships, he doesn’t care what anyone thinks of him, and he doesn’t live up to anyone’s expectations but his own.

When Carmyn’s fiancé cheats on her, it sends her into a whirlwind of one-night stands with the most infamous player on campus. She can’t seem to stay away from this tough guy and his dangerous motorcycle. Everything about him is the complete opposite of who she’d planned to fall in love with: tattoos, dark stubble along his jawline, and hair that brushes his shoulders.

As Dallas and Carmyn begin to fall deeper and deeper into each other, they learn that love can truly be a wicked, wicked thing.

Goodreads link: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18005643-wicked-thing

About the Author:

Angeline is a Scorpio living in the Rocky Mountains with her husband and dogs. She loves all things paranormal, believes ghosts are real, werewolves aren’t, and vampires? Definitely real! At least in the Vampire Born world they are. She is currently at work on her first New Adult Romance, Wicked Thing, which releases September 2013.

Website / Facebook /Facebook Fan Page
Twitter / Goodreads

Giveaway

One lucky winner will receive a WICKED THING charm bracelet with 6 charms. They will also receive a Dirty Dancing blu-ray and some candy. This contest is international.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

October 16, 2013October 14, 2013

Spotlight feature of Linda Barrett’s Hopefully Ever After

To help promote Breast Cancer Awareness we are sharing Linda Barrett story of surviving Breast Cancer. Not once, but twice.

AMAZON

Linda Barrett could be any one of us. She’s an ordinary woman living a wonderfully ordinary life – husband, kids, teaching, writing – totally unprepared for Murphy’s Law on steroids. In February 2001, everything goes wrong. She discovers her breast cancer exactly when she starts a brand new teaching job which is exactly the same time as the release of her very first published novel. Secrets must be kept to protect her fledging career as a writer. No secrets in the classroom however. Her adult students, preparing for the GED exam, out her in five minutes when they spot her wig!

Nine years later, Linda is fully recovered from her lumpectomy, chemo and radiation when breast cancer hits a second time. She is no longer a random one-in-eight woman who develops this disease. Blood tests show she’s a target of faulty genes, a carrier of the BRCA 1 gene mutation. Without drastic measures, she’d be susceptible to a third or fourth cancer hit. Murphy’s Law once again comes into play. This second time around coincides with a thousand mile relocation from Houston to Tampa. Putting a house on the market while handling a double mastectomy, implant prep, and six rounds of chemo is not for the faint of heart. Linda’s heart is not faint as she implores: “Do house hunters think we’re part of HGTV? Real homes aren’t perfect!”

At the heart of this memoir, however, is a love story. Cancer is merely the vehicle that exposes a mature marriage in full bloom. With her Knight-in-Shining-Tinfoil at her side, Linda and Michael Barrett meet the challenge of two enemies: cancer and fear. Their fight is hard won, but with cancer now in their rearview mirror, they are relaxed and laughing again. As Linda says, “Life is good. After all the turmoil, we’ve landed in a soft place. Friends and family are all around, and I expect to live out a natural lifespan however long that may be.”

Everyone deserves a Hopefully Ever After, and that’s what you’ll find here.

A little about Linda:

Linda Barrett is the author of 13 novels of contemporary romance. She’s earned many industry awards through Romance Writers of America, including the Holt Medallion, The Award of Excellence and the Write Touch Reader’s award. Family Interrupted is her first women’s fiction story. A graduate of Hunter College, Linda now lives in the Tampa area with her husband. They have three grown sons and the most adorable, intelligent, super-duper grandchildren ever!

Learn more about Linda on her website at www.linda-barrett.com.

You can also find Linda on FACEBOOK | GOODREADS

Just for you here is a look at chapter 1

And they lived hopefully ever after….

Tampa, Florida

Spring, 2012

A cancer diagnosis slams into you with the subtlety of a freight train. You can’t talk or breathe. You stare at familiar surroundings, but everything looks distorted. This isn’t real, you think. It’s just an out-of-body experience, and it is not happening to you.

Except it is. Breast cancer happened to me twice, but you don’t get any points for experience here. That freight train hit with the same ferocity the second time as it did the first.

After a decade of turbulence, however, I’ve now landed in a soft place. Outside the screened lanai where I’m sitting, a pair of sand hill cranes walks across the back yard, their bright red head feathers in brilliant contrast with the soft gray of their bodies. They are tall and majestic birds, deliberate in their steps, their posture exuding the confidence I’m lacking.

“So much has happened since the first diagnosis,” I say to my husband, who’s nose-deep in a crossword puzzle. “I need to come up with the perfect starting point for this story.”

Mike lowered the newspaper and looked at me over his reading glasses. “You do know you’re always cranky when you begin a new book? But in the end, you figure out a good place to start.”

I must have looked doubtful because he glanced longingly at his paper before lifting his eyes to mine. “All right, all right. Here’s an idea: try starting with our current lives. We’re doing well. You’re healthy again. We’re finally living without holdings our breaths. Begin in the here and now.” With pen back in hand, he was once more engrossed in Across and Down.

Had I asked him to solve my problem?

No. I was just kvetching out loud. But Mike was being Mike, trying to find a solution. In our early days, long before cancer crept into our lives, I’d tease him about being my Knight in Shining Tin Foil. I’d expected him to share chores and didn’t want his head to swell because he shopped for groceries, cleaned the sink, or vacuumed the carpets. Tin foil seemed an appropriate garment.

More recently when the going got rough, he was at my side–sure, steady, and strong. A full-time job. I should replace his tin foil with armor now, but I’m holding off. He knows it and laughs; we laugh together. Gentle teasing is our way. After more than four decades as husband and wife, we understand each other very well. I know why he suggested I focus this story in the present. He prefers to live in the moment, enjoying the sunshine and the sand hill cranes. He prefers to leave the dark days behind us. I can’t blame him.

Although I’m half of the Linda-and-Mike team, I am also a mother, grandmother and novelist with fourteen works of fiction in print. My stories are about ordinary people in crisis, struggling to reach their happy endings. In 2001, when breast cancer hit me for the first time, I had to fight for my own happy ending which I achieved and enjoyed for nine years.

Sitting on the screened porch today, I feel great, look pretty good, and am planning for a long future. Part of me doesn’t want to look back; I’m not that different from Mike. I should simply put the cancer experience behind me and, as we native New Yorkers say, fuhggedaboudit! The other part of me, however, wants to write about the turmoil and examine it for my own sake as well as for my children and grandchildren’s sakes, and for those families facing the same situation. There was a specific reason for my cancers; neither was a random hit, but I didn’t know that at the time.

On a sticky note taped to my computer is a quote I borrowed from Churchill: Never, never, never give up. Staring at those words got me through many a day.

Lab reports and medical records lay on the wrought iron table in front of me. Fact checking is a must for any book. I need no notes, however, to recall my feelings as a two-time rider on the breast cancer express. I need no cues to recall the complications the illness brought to my busy life and the heartache it brought to my family. And I need no reminders as to what I’d learned: in the fight to live, no decision is too extreme. They may be dramatic and scary, but if they work, so what?

Twelve years have passed since my first bout with the disease; two years since my second one. Fortunately, that tumor wasn’t a recurrence, but a brand new visitor. A good thing. Isn’t it weird that a malignant tumor can bring good news? My last appointment with my surgeon at Tampa General is long over, and I love my new oncologist at Moffitt Cancer Center who will monitor me from now on. Since our recent move to Florida, I’ve had to search for new cancer specialists, a chore I hadn’t anticipated taking on while recuperating from a second bout of the disease.

The timing of our relocation couldn’t have been worse. I adored my original oncologist who practiced in Houston, Texas where I’d lived for sixteen years. I fought most of my cancer battles there and didn’t plan on a second assault when we decided to move to Florida during the fall of 2010. I certainly wouldn’t have left at that point had I known the future, but I didn’t. Sometimes life presents choices, and we deal with the decisions we make.

Which brings me back to choosing this memoir’s starting point. I briefly considered Mike’s suggestion of Right Now. Now is important because it measures the time out from surgery: one year out, two years out, five years out. The more years, the better. Now is important because I am living in it. But…where’s the story? I’m an author in search of a story, and my daily routines don’t cut it. They’re boring. As for the future? Well, that’s the sticky one. Tomorrow doesn’t come with a hundred percent guarantee, so why think about it? Besides, tomorrow’s events haven’t happened yet, so where’s the story?

The story lies in Yesterday. Yesterday provides the yardstick to measure the journey since the original diagnosis. I must sift through Yesterday in order to pull up remembrances and mine for the truth. For that is the meaning of memoir.

Sorry, honey.

October 16, 2013October 14, 2013

Dark + Dangerous = 6 Hot Paranormal Romances in one Bundle.

An Excerpt from Assassins Touch by Laurie London

The crimson tunic Rickert wore was simple and functional, yet elegant at the same time. Although it had none of the fancy embroidery or adornments that Lord Tierney’s or Rosamund’s garments sported, it fit his muscular torso perfectly, as if it had been hand-tailored. The hemline hit just below his natural waistline, right at the crisscrossed laces of the fine leather breeches—probably deerskin, if she were to guess—that stretched tightly over his—

Neyla coughed and attempted to put her mind into its former work mode: fabric, cut, and fit. When she’d tailored men’s clothing, she’d often kneel and hold her tape measure right at the crotch. She was used to examining and assessing various bodies simply as shapes, marking how much of the seam to take in or let out. Where to position a dart or tuck.

The leather clung to the curve of his thighs and butt with just the right amount of ease—neither too tight nor too loose. Whoever had made them was very skilled. Leather, particularly deerskin, could be tricky to work with.

Enough about the clothes, she told herself. God, she could get so distracted by pretty things.

She was sure of one thing, though. If she had any hope of getting back home, she needed to squelch her physical reaction to him and keep her wits about her.

Then she realized he now blocked her only escape, and she had nowhere to go but up. No wonder he was pleased. She’d made it easy for him. God, she could be such an idiot.

“And why should you care what happens to me?” she repeated.

He propped one boot casually on the step above him and rested a hand on the hilt of one of his swords, looking very much like the powerful medieval warrior he was. “I agree. It makes no sense.”

“Then why?”

He shrugged. “Perhaps I’ve been bespelled.”

She scoffed at him and yet her whole body went numb at the thought that he could be bespelled by her.

Before she could contemplate further, he said, “Keep going. It’s not far now.”

Soon, they stood in front of a wooden door with a large metal ring for a handle. After sliding back the bolt, Rickert leaned into it with his shoulder and pushed. The hinges creaked as the heavy door slowly opened. She wouldn’t be able to manage it easily on her own.

The first thing she spotted in the elaborately furnished room was the huge, curtained bed, piled high with quilts and pillows. An empty tub, half hidden by a curtain, stood in a far corner, and several large parchments—maps, maybe?—were scattered on a low table. The room was decidedly masculine. His bedchamber.

And now it all made perfect sense.

“Is this elaborate scheme of yours designed to get me into your bed?” She glanced around for some sort of weapon and spotted several glass paperweights in various colors holding the maps flat. Those could work. In college, she’d pitched on an intramural co-ed softball team and could throw a decent fastball.

“What are you talking about?” he asked.

She inched closer to the table. “Do you have an old-fashioned belief system over here that prevents you from shagging a woman you’re not engaged to?”

He closed the door with a bang that rattled her insides, and slid the bolt into place. Standing there like he had in the cave, taking up all the available space, he looked big and formidable. She was trapped. This was it. And she’d just provoked him.

*****

DARK AND DANGEROUS

Six-in-one hot paranormal romances.

Whether you like shifters, weres, vampires, fae, magic or secret portals, there’s a sexy story here that’s sure to tantalize your darkest, most dangerous desires.

Buy now ($.99 – all 6 stories!) from Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | B&N |

*****

HARD MATED

by Jennifer Ashley

A USA Today bestselling book!

Spike, a wildcat Shifter and the champion fighter of Shiftertown, is stunned when Myka, the best friend of a dying human woman, announces that Spike has fathered a cub. What’s more, the mother is giving the boy to Spike to protect and raise.

Spike is torn between the cub and his duties as tracker to the Shiftertown leader, and begs sassy and sexy horse-training Myka, the only person who understands, to help him. When Spike’s job puts his cub and Myka in danger, Spike is forced to choose between those to whom he’s pledged his loyalty and his need to protect the woman and cub he’s come to love.

*Buy this book individually from Amazon / B&N / Amazon UK / Amazon Ca / ARe / Kobo / iBooks

*****

THE MATING HUNT

by Bonnie Vanak

After a childhood trauma left Arianna Sanders terrified of sex, the only man the pretty Lupine werewolf desires is her fiercely protective guardian. But the sexy, mysterious shifter harbors a dark secret, one he’s determined to hide from Arianna.

Kyle Morgan hungers for the voluptuous Arianna and dreams of consummating the passion smoldering between them. When he’s forced into mating with her to save her life, he must tame the savage, sexual beast inside him before taking the virgin he’s vowed to protect from those hungering to claim her, including himself…

*Buy this book individually from Amazon / B&N / Amazon UK / Amazon Ca / ARe / Kobo / iBooks

*****

EMBRACE THE DARK

Book #1 of the Blood Rose Series, by Caris Roane

Will she fall to temptation and give herself to a vampire…

Abigail doesn’t mind doing business with the realm-world, until she discovers she’s a rare commodity called a blood rose, something designed to satisfy the deepest needs of a mastyr vampire. She wants nothing to do with that kind of power and servicing a vampire is just wrong. But Mastyr Gerrod’s resistance to her gift, as well as his hot hunkiness in his Guardsman uniform, soon turns her head and she bends her neck to receive a sharp pair of fangs. Mind-blowing sex, ecstasy, all good things follow. But how can she give up her human world to serve as a blood rose the rest of her life?

*Buy this book individually from Amazon / B&N / Amazon UK / Amazon Ca / Kobo / iBooks

*****

ASSASSIN’S TOUCH

Book #1 of the Iron Portal series, by Laurie London

Two worlds. Two enemies. One fated touch.

Former fashion designer Neyla Trihorn had the perfect life until a deadly accident revealed her latent para-abilities—now she’s the army’s hottest asset in their fight against invaders. Rickert D’Angelus, the dangerously sexy assassin from Cascadia, leads a group of warriors into New Seattle with one goal—to stop enemy soldiers from finding the Iron Portal into his world.

When he captures the beautiful Protection-Talent, a passionate vision appears and stirs something deep inside him. Rickert must decide if it’s a Talent trick, designed to foil the enemy…or the answer to his deepest desires.

*Buy this book individually from Amazon / B&N / Amazon UK /Amazon Ca / Kobo / iBooks

*****

SHADOW BOUND

Book #1 of the Shadow Series, by Erin Kellison

Dark fantasy meets modern fairy tale…

Adam Thorne founded the Segue Institute to study and destroy his monster of a brother, but the key to its success is held in the pale, slender hand of a woman on the run. There is something hauntingly different about Talia O’Brien, her unknowing sensuality, her uncanny way of slipping into Shadow. Twilight is the place between life and what comes after—a dark forest of fantasy, filled with beauty, peril, mystery. And Talia is about to open the door.

*Buy this book individually from Amazon / B&N / Amazon UK /Amazon Ca / ARe / Kobo / iBooks

*****

SEDUCE

by Felicity Heaton

Enter the dark, sinful and seductive world of the vampire owners of London’s premier vampire theatre, Vampirerotique, and discover how these powerful men are brought to their knees by the women who claim their hearts.

Bloodlust runs in Antoine’s veins, a dark master waiting for the day it will reign over him. Now a woman with a pure soul and wicked intentions has him in her sights and is determined to crack the ice around his heart, and she might save or damn him. But when Sera discovers the shocking truth about his past and the darkness that lurks within him, will she be strong enough to seize his heart with both hands and win him forever or will she lose him to the ghosts that still haunt him?

*Buy this book individually from Amazon / Amazon UK /Amazon Ca / B&N / Kobo / iBooks

About the Author’s

Jennifer Ashley

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author Jennifer Ashley has lived and traveled all over the world, and now lives in the Southwest. She writes historical, paranormal, and contemporary romance as Jennifer Ashley; mysteries as Ashley Gardner; and paranormal romance and urban fantasy as Allyson James.

Jennifer’s/Allyson’s/Ashley’s more than fifty novels have won RWA’s RITA award, the Golden Quill, RT Reviewer’s Choice awards, and the Prism award, among others. Jennifer’s novels have been also been translated into French, German, Spanish, Dutch, Japanese, Norwegian, Hungarian, Italian, Thai, and other languages.

Jennifer enjoys writing and reading above all else, but her hobbies include cooking, hiking, playing flute and guitar, painting, and building miniature rooms and dollhouses.

Jennifer’s backlist includes the HIGHLAND PLEASURES, SHIFTERS UNBOUND, NVENGARIA, and REGENCY PIRATES series.

Connect with Jennifer: Website, on Facebook, on Twitter, and on GoodReads.

Bonnie Vanak

Bonnie Vanak is a multi-published author of sexy paranormal and historical romance novels. After a career in journalism, she became a writer for an international charity, traveling to poor countries like Haiti to write about issues affecting the poor. When the strain of her job demanded a diversion, she turned to her childhood dream of writing books. Bonnie lives in Florida with her husband, Frank, and three rescue dogs.

Bonnie’s backlist includes the KHAMSIN EGYPTIAN, THE ANCIENTS, WEREWOLVES OF MONTANA, and PHOENIX FORCE as well as numerous single titles.

You can keep up with Bonnie online at her Website, on Facebook, on Twitter, and on GoodReads.

Caris Roane

Best-selling author, Caris Roane, has published thirteen paranormal romance novels and has also recently released her first contemporary novel. As Valerie King, she’s written over fifty Regency romance novels and in 2005, Romantic Times gave her a Career Achievement award in Regency Romance. Caris lives in Phoenix, Arizona, loves to write, really doesn’t like scorpions, and has two cats, Sebastien and Gizzy.

Caris’s backlist includes the GUARDIANS OF ASCENSION, DAWN OF ASCENSION, THE BLOOD ROSE, MEN IN CHAINS and THE AMULET series.

Connect with Caris: Website, on Facebook, on Twitter, and on GoodReads.

Laurie London

Laurie London is the award-winning author of the Sweetblood and Iron Portal series—dark, sexy paranormal romance, set primarily in the Pacific Northwest. Publisher’s Weekly calls her work “sexy” and “sizzling.”

She lives on a small farm outside of Seattle with her husband, two children and a variety of animals. Someday she hopes to qualify for the Quarter Horse World Show – that is, if her horse doesn’t get hurt again.

Laurie’s backlist includes the SWEETBLOOD and IRON PORTAL series.

Connect with Laurie: Website, on Facebook, on Twitter, and on GoodReads.

Erin Kellison

Erin Kellison is the award-winning author of the SHADOW series, the SHADOW TOUCH NOVELLA series, and the SHADOW KISSED series, all of which share the same world, where dark fantasy meets modern fairy tale. RT calls her latest, Soul Kissed, “a dark fairy tale with a twist, perfect for readers who love passion with their fantasy.”

Connect with Erin: Website, on Facebook, on Twitter, Pinterest and on GoodReads.

Felicity Heaton

Felicity Heaton writes passionate paranormal romance books as Felicity Heaton and F E Heaton. In her books she creates detailed worlds, twisting plots, mind-blowing action, intense emotion and heart-stopping romances with leading men that vary from dark deadly vampires to sexy shape-shifters and wicked werewolves, to sinful angels and hot demons!

Felicity’s backlist includes the HER ANGEL, VAMPIRES REALM, VAMPIRE EROTIC THEATRE, SONS OF LYRA, DAUGHTERS OF LYRA, VAMPIRE VENATOR, and IN HEAT series, as well as the SHADOW AND LIGHT Trilogy.

Connect with Felicity: Website, Blog, on Facebook, on Twitter, Pinterest and on GoodReads.

Dark and Dangerous Release Week Promo Blitz Schedule:

10/15: Romance Junkies – Spotlight and Excerpt from Jennifer Ashley’s Hard Mated

10/16: Books-n-Kisses – Spotlight and Excerpt from Laurie London’s Assassin’s Touch

10/17: Mad Hatter Reads – Spotlight and Excerpt from Caris Roane’s Embrace the Dark

10/18: Book Monster Reviews – Spotlight and Excerpt from Erin Kellison’s Shadow Bound

10/19: Bookish Babbles – Spotlight and Excerpt from Felicity Heaton’s Seduce

10/20: Book Pages and Dripping Ink – Spotlight and Excerpt from Bonnie Vanak’s The Mating Hunt

Contest Info:

The authors of Dark and Dangerous are offering up a $25 Giftcard to either Amazon or B&N at the end of the blitz.

To enter, find the Rafflecopter widget, follow the directions, take action, and mark as ‘Done’.

Note: The more tasks you complete, the more entries you will have.

Good luck!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

October 15, 2013October 4, 2013

Interview & Tour wide giveaway with Hildie McQueen

Hildie, can you please share with us a little about yourself

I’m a transplant to the south who became passionate about writing about five years ago. After almost thirty years working in and with the US Army I left the government to pursue writing full time. I am addicted to reading romance, everything about it makes me happy, so it was a natural transition to writing. I love shopping, traveling and wine. My favorite thing to do besides everything above is to hang out with my husband and friends.

Have you always wanted to be an author?

Growing up I wanted to be a soldier/mercenary. Isn’t that what every little girl wants to be? (Laughs) It was during High School that I began to write. Short stories at first. I think it wasn’t until my forties that I developed a hunger for writing

What is your most interesting writing quirk?

I can’t write and drink. So when writing, no alcohol for me. It’s too bad, sometimes I really want a glass of wine. But my writing turns to crap really fast when I drink.

Can you please tell us about your latest book?

Westbound Awakening is a sequel to Where The Four Winds Collide. I use the term ‘sequel’ loosely since it is a complete standalone story. Westbound Awakening is the story of a young woman, Mae Hawkins, who was raised in a brothel. She is now the madam and has been in love with a cavalry captain, John McClain, for years. When he escorts her west to see her dying father, the attraction for each other is hampered by preconceived notions and the hero’s pride. It’s not an easy love story for these two. I cried several times while writing it, but in the end I think it’s a great tale of how two people come together and work through adversity.

How did you come with the idea for this story?

When they appear in How The Four Winds collide, they spoke volumes to me. In the moments of awkward silence and few words they exchanged, I knew there was a story to be told.

Can you share with us your current work(s) in progress?

I am in the midst of writing another Western HIstorical series. “Shades of Blue”, for which the prequel novella Big Sky Blue, has already been published. It is my hope the series will be published on December 1, 2013.

Who is the one author that you would love to meet someday and why?

I want to meet Linda Lael Miller. I love her westerns, both historical and contemporary. She’s my muse!

What is the best piece of advice you would give to someone that wants to get into writing?

Write what you love and never give up. The more you write the better you and your stories become.

Can you share with us something off your bucket list.

I have a group of friends and we’re working on our bucket lists together. I’ve traveled extensively, it’s my hobby. But I’ve yet to visit New York City. I want to go thee so bad!

What is in your To Read Pile that you are dying to start or upcoming release you can’t wait for?

The next JR Ward novel, Possession. I’m hooked on her books!

Is there anything else you would like to add?

Thank you so much for allowing me the privilege of visiting. Its great to reach new readers! One commenter on this blog will win a prize pack from me!

Westbound Awakening buy link

Captain John McClain finds himself on the wrong end of a shotgun when attempting to find his child. Heading west to find the mother of his son and the outlaw who shot him, John is forced to escort an enticing woman whose lifestyle goes against every one of his moral standards, yet she calls to every part of him.

Heading west to meet the dying father she never knew, and possibly starting a new life, Mae Hawkins didn’t expect the added complication of traveling with the one man she always loved.

When they’re joined along the road by a minister and his wife, things get beyond complicated for John and Mae who awaken to the lesson that sometimes differences are more imagined than real in this unforgettable journey.

A little about Hildie

Hildie McQueen loves storytelling and unusual settings, pair that with humor and you’ve got an idea of what her writing is like.

She makes sure action, intrigue, and sizzling romance add up to a story, her readers won’t soon forget. Her favorite past-times are traveling, shopping and reading. She resides in beautiful small town Georgia with her super-hero husband Kurt and two unruly Chihuahuas.

Learn more about Hildie here: Website | Facebook | Twitter| Goodreads | Pinterest

Giveaway:

Coach wristlet (Stagecoach days and all) and an e-copy of Westbound Awakening

a Rafflecopter giveaway

October 15, 2013October 14, 2013

Release Day Madness10.15.13

Happy Release Day!!!!

What are you getting this week?

Did I miss your favorite?

Send me an email at kelly(at)books-n-kisses.com and let me know of any upcoming releases you want featured on Tuesday’s Release Day Madness.

October 14, 2013October 4, 2013

Interview & Tour Wide Giveaway with Nina Croft

Nina, Welcome to Books-n-Kisses. Can you please share with us a little about yourself

I’m actually English, but I now live on an almond farm in the mountains of southern Spain. I share the farm with my husband and a whole load of animals (four dogs, two cats, a horse, four chickens, two goats, and a three-legged Vietnamese pot-bellied pig called Piggles!) and I spend my time, reading, writing and picking the occasional almond.

Have you always wanted to be an author?

No, but I’ve always been a voracious reader and I actually started writing out of desperation when I ran out of books to read. I was working as a volunteer in Africa at the time, with no electricity, no TV, no internet, and hardly any books (this was way before ebooks!) So writing my own stories seemed like a good idea.

What is your most interesting writing quirk?

I can’t actually begin writing a story until my characters start talking to me. I’m a total plotter and one of the reasons is that plotting gives me the time to get to know my characters before I start. At some point in the process, they will start chatting in my head—that’s when I know I’m ready to go.

Can you please tell us about your latest book

The Descartes Legacy is something new for me. I write across a number of sub-genres but so far, always romance. While The Descartes Legacy has a romance at its heart, it’s essentially a high action thriller with a touch of science fiction. It’s also darker and edgier than my usual style.

It’s about a man who is essentially good, but is driven to do things that are maybe outside his ethical code…because someone has to do them. Luke Grafton has spent the last ten years hunting the shadowy organization responsible for the death of his wife and baby. Now he has discovered that they are about to embark on a terrorist attack which could kill millions and change the world forever. Luke will do anything to stop the attack. Or so he believes, until he meets Jenna.

How did you come with the idea for this story?

Actually, it was down to my husband, who sort of asked me to write a ‘good’ book for him; one without romance, vampires, werewolves or science fiction (all my favorite things). I like a challenge and decided I wanted to write a high action thriller (I’m a big 24 fan!) And I loved it. But while I succeeded on the no vampires and no werewolves rule, I failed totally on the no romance and no science fiction.

Can you share with us your current work(s) in progress?

I’ve spent the day putting the finishing touches to Temporal Shift, a sci-fi/paranormal romance and book 4 in my Blood Hunter series and I’ve just sent it to my editor. Next is a contemporary romance, Taking Control, book 3 in my Babysitting a Billionaire series, which I will start writing tomorrow. It’s about a tough, female bodyguard and the man she has to protect (whether he likes it or not!)

Who is the one author that you would love to meet someday and why?

It’s more than one, but I would love to meet all of my wonderful crit partners at Passionate Critters, as I’ve spent so much time talking to them online and it would be great to meet them in person one day.

What is the best piece of advice you would give to someone that wants to get into writing?

Aim to write the sort of things you love. It’s the one thing that will sustain you when the going gets hard—which it will.

Can you share with us something off your bucket list.

I want to ride up the Inca trails in Peru.

What is in your To Read Pile that you are dying to start or upcoming release you can’t wait for?

I’ve had A Clash of Kings, book 2 in George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Fire and Ice series on my kindle for ages. I absolutely loved the first book, but I want time to sit down and read the whole series straight through before I start on the next. And right now, I just don’t have it.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

I love making up stories, and I hope there are people out there who will love reading them just as much.

Bio

Nina Croft grew up in the north of England. After training as an accountant, she spent four years working as a volunteer in Zambia, which left her with a love of the sun and a dislike of 9-5 work. She then spent a number of years mixing travel (whenever possible) with work (whenever necessary) but has now settled down to a life of writing and picking almonds on a remote farm in the mountains of southern Spain.
Nina writes all sorts of romance often mixing in elements of the paranormal and science fiction.

Find me at: Website | Facebook | Twitter

*****

The Descartes Legacy

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Ibookstore

Lucas Grafton has spent the last ten years hunting the Conclave, a secret organization who took everything from him: his wife, his child, his very identity. Now he has a lead—an imminent terrorist attack on London—code-named Descartes.

Born with a genetic illness, Jenna Young has always known she was different. But the unexpected death of her father catapults her into a world of murder and terrorism she never expected. In order to stay alive, she must solve a twenty-five year old mystery—and her only ally a hard bitter man in search or retribution, her only clue the Descartes Highlands, an area on the near side of the moon.

Luke’s need for revenge collides with Jenna’s hunt for the past, and together they must stand against the Conclave. All the while uncovering the truth behind Jenna’s illness, a truth that will make Jenna question her very humanity.

Excerpt

“Jenna, there’s someone to see you.”

Her first thought was the police, and David’s memory flooded over her again, followed swiftly by a dull ache in her chest.

But for some reason, the stranger who stood in the doorway didn’t make her think “police.” He was tall, at least six three, with a lean body beneath black pants and a black shirt open at the throat. His face was pale, his hair short and black.

When he saw she’d noticed him, he stepped into the room and came toward her, moving with the grace of an athlete, each step controlled, giving Jenna the impression of leashed power.

Halting in front of her, he held out his hand. This close, Jenna could see his eyes were a beautiful hazel, green-brown flecked with gold. As she slid her palm against his, a frisson ran through her arm, along her nerves, settling low in her belly. She glanced at him sharply, but if he felt anything, he wasn’t giving it away. She pulled her hand free and edged back.

“How can I help you?” she asked.

He studied her, head tilted to one side. “My name is Luke Grafton. I’m David’s cousin.”

Shock locked her muscles. “I don’t understand. Have you heard—” She broke off as he nodded, his expression somber. “I’m sorry. I didn’t even know David had a cousin.”

“We were close when we were younger, but we’d lost touch over the last few years.” He glanced around the lab, his eyebrows rising as he took in the half-formed skeleton on the table beside her. “Is there somewhere we can talk?”

“Of course.” Visitors were often uncomfortable around her work, though she had the impression very little would bother this man. “We can go to my office.”

She led him out of the lab and along the corridor to her tiny cubicle, leaving the door open behind them. With this man beside her, she realized how minute the space really was. He was big, not only tall, but also broad at the shoulders, and she couldn’t help but be conscious of his closeness. Her body felt twitchy, on edge, and the strangeness of the emotions disconcerted her.

She shook off the feeling as she cleared a box of bones from one of the two chairs. Skirting the desk, she sank into her own seat and indicated the one she had cleared. He sat on the too small chair, his long legs stretched out in front of him, arms folded across his chest, studying her intently, as though he could pierce her mind. Find her secrets.

Almost squirming under the concentrated stare, she picked up a pencil from the desk, twiddled it between her finger and thumb, then put it down again and focused somewhere over his left shoulder. “I’m sorry about David. He was a good friend, but I’m not sure how I can help you.”

“David called me last night.”

Her gaze flashed to his face. “He did?”

“I hadn’t heard from him in a while—I was surprised. He told me he thought he was being followed. He was frightened.”

“Oh.” A tremor of unease skittered down her spine. She frowned as she thought about his words. “Why did he go to you and not the police?”

“I run a security firm, and he asked me to investigate something for him. I also provide protection for prominent people.”

“You mean like bodyguards?”

He nodded.

“David wanted you to provide him with a bodyguard?”

“Not exactly. He wanted me to provide you with a bodyguard.”

Authors Bio:

Nina Croft grew up in the north of England. After training as an accountant, she spent four years working as a volunteer in Zambia which left her with a love of the sun and a dislike of 9-5 work. She then spent a number of years mixing travel (whenever possible) with work (whenever necessary) but has now settled down to a life of writing and picking almonds on a remote farm in the mountains of southern Spain.

Anytime, anyplace, anyone…love finds a way.

WEBSITE FACEBOOK TWITTER GOODREADS

Giveaway info:

Nina Croft is giving away a $25 Gift Card to one winner tour-wide

a Rafflecopter giveaway

October 13, 2013October 12, 2013

Book Spotlight and Interview: Endless by Jessica Shirvington

I am very excited to have Jessica Shirvington here today to discuss her new book, Endless, which is the fourth book in the Embrace Series. I finished this series in a week and I am happy to have her here today.

1. Tell me about your new release Endless

Endless is the 4th book in the series and it is one I really enjoyed writing. Violet has accepted her life as a Grigori warrior but now she must face not only a great evil, but the consequences for her past choices. Violet finds herself with the weight of the world on her shoulders as hell unleashes its worst.

To save the people she loves the most, Violet faces the ultimate sacrifice. And she is not the only one.

2. Where did you come up with the idea for the series?

It was an idea that evolved in its own way. First the names, Violet and Lincoln, then the idea of the supernatural, then angels, then biblical folklore and it went from there.

3. What kind of research did you have to do for this series?

The research was huge and was ultimately the driving force behind the storyline. I let the research take me in new directions and I loved that. I’m not sure I will ever write another series that will lend itself so well to mythology, folklore, and ancient history so well.

As for what kind of research – it was an all and everything kind of thing. I love research and it can be simple as following a thread on the internet, going to the library, or talking with historians, teachers, doctors, theologians, and my next door neighbor. Though I will admit, in the very beginning there was one story of Lilith by Ben Sira and an account of the Great Flood in the Book of Enoch that very much led the way.

4. Have you always wanted to write YA or have there been other genres that you have been interested in?

Definitely YA was the obvious choice for me. In fact, I never even stopped to think about it, I just started writing knowing it was YA. That said, I do have a picture book on the way and whilst I will continue to predominantly write YA, I am also toying with the idea of an adult trilogy at the moment.

5. What are you working on now?

Right now I’m working on the edits for the final book of the series, EMPOWER and on the American edits for my first stand alone – ONE PAST MIDNIGHT which will be out in the US in June 2014. On top of that I have a duology on the way and I am just about to start working on the early edits for the first book.

6. Which authors have inspired you?

C.S. Lewis…And every other author out there! Every book I read whether good or average gives me something or teaches me something about the kind of author I want to be.

About the Author:

Jessica Shirvington lives in Sydney with her husband of ten years, FOXTEL presenter and former Olympic sprinter Matt Shirvington, and their two daughters. She has previously founded and run a coffee distribution company, Stella Imports, in London, and been involved in managing the restaurants Fuel Bistro, Tow Bar and MG Garage in Sydney.

She is currently a full-time mum, author and co-director in the company MPS Investments Pty Ltd.

On Writing …

One day, instead of picking up a new book, I started to write. The first name that came to mind was Violet. From there the rest naturally followed. I can honestly say, once Violet was discovered – she really did write the rest of the book!

Writing this book has drawn on my life experience – in my travels around the world and the different people I have met. It draws on love and loss and the overall confusion that comes with growing up. It also looks to many of my friends and their experiences.

I have always loved ancient history – tales and stories of the best kind.

Website /Twitter/ Facebook

Love will kill us all.

Angels are real. They aren’t always kind. Violet Eden is certain of all this because she is Grigori – part angel, part human. She has felt the influence of both light and dark.

When Hell unleashes its worst, Violet must embrace every facet of her angel self to save the people she cares about and the world as she knows it. But death is not the worst thing that Violet will face. For her, the endless question ‘Can love conquer all?’ will finally be answered.

October 13, 2013October 9, 2013

Kissin’ the week of Oct 7th – Oct 12th Goodbye

10.7.13

Molly Harper takes over the blog to interview Bonnie from Rhythm & Bluegrass

Kelly reviews Rhythm and Bluegrass by Molly Harper

10.8.13

Kelly’s review of Death & The Girl He Loves by Darynda Jones

Guest blog & giveaway with Lia Davis

Release Day Madness

10.9.13

Spotlight Feature of Dehumanized by Michael Loring

Spotlight Feature of Shadowed by Rebecca Zanetti

Winter Romance Wednesday! Kimberly reviews A Nantucket Christmas by Nancy Thayer

10.10.13

Spotlight Feature of Ranae Rose’s Hell Without You

Series Spotlight of Lolita Lopez’s Dragon Heat series

Thursday’s Thought…

Kelly reviews An Unlucky Moon by Carrie Ann Ryan

10.11.13

Interview & giveaway with Pamela Sherwood

Interview with Heidi Cullinan

Kimberly reviews The Devil’s In The Details by Kimberly Raye

10.12.13

SINsational Saturday Series

JR Wards Fallen Angels series

October 12, 2013September 27, 2013

JR Ward’s Fallen Angels Series

Covet

The Fallen Angels #1

Seven deadly sins. Seven souls to save. This is the first battle between a savior who doesn’t believe and a demon with nothing to lose!

Redemption isn’t a word Jim Heron knows much about-his specialty is revenge, and to him, sin is all relative. But everything changes when he becomes a fallen angel and is charge with saving the souls of seven people from the seven deadly sins. And failure is not an option. Vin DiPietro long ago sold his soul to his business, and he’s good with that-until fate intervenes in the form of a tough- talking, Harley-riding, self-professed savior. But then he meets a woman who will make him question his destiny, his sanity, and his heart-and he has to work with a fallen angel to win her over and redeem his own soul.

*****

Crave

The Fallen Angels #2

Seven deadly sins. Seven souls that must be saved. One more no-holds- barred battle between a fallen angel with a hardened heart and a demon with everything to lose.

Isaac Rothe is a black ops soldier with a dark past and a grim future. The target of an assassin, he finds himself behind bars, his fate in the hands of his gorgeous public defender Grier Childe. His hot attraction to her can only lead to trouble-and that’s before Jim Heron tells him his soul is in danger. Caught up in a wicked game with the demon who shadows Jim, Isaac must decide whether the soldier in him can believe that true love is the ultimate weapon against evil.

*****

Envy

The Fallen Angels #3

Seven deadly sins. Seven souls to save. And a man and a woman treading the lines of danger, desire and deliverance …

As the son of a serial killer, homicide detective Thomas DelVecchio Jr grew up in the shadow of evil. Now, on the knife-edge between civic duty and blind retribution, he atones for the sins of his father. Hired to monitor Veck is Internal Affairs officer Sophia Reilly, whose interest in Veck is both professional and arousingly personal. But Veck and Sophia have a common interest. He’s Jim Herron, a mysterious stranger enlisted to save the soul of a killer’s latest victim, one precariously hovering between heaven and hell. Before Herron’s job is done, Veck and Sophia will be inexorably drawn into a battle of good against evil, where the risk is nothing less than total damnation.

*****

Rapture

The Fallen Angels #4

Mels Carmichael, reporter for the Caldwell Courier Journal, gets the shock of her life when a man stumbles in front of her car outside the local cemetery. After the accident, his amnesia is just the kind of mystery she likes to solve, but she soon discovers they’re over their heads with his past. Over their heads with passion, too …As shadows walk the line between reality and another realm, and her lover’s memory begins to come back, the two of them learn that nothing is truly dead and buried. Especially when you’re trapped in a no-holds-barred war between angels and demons. With a soul on the line, and Mels’s heart at risk, what in heaven – or in hell – will it take to save them both?

After reporter Mels Carmichael hits a disheveled man with her car
outside the local cemetery, she pays a visit to the stranger in the hospital. The only thing he remembers of his past is seeing a name written on a headstone: that of Jim Heron—a fallen angel charged with rescuing souls from the seven deadly sins. Now, as Mels struggles to help this mysterious stranger rediscover himself, Heron himself returns to prepare for a battle between good and evil.

*****

Possession

Fallen Angels #5

#1 New York Times bestselling author J.R. Ward explores what really happens when good and evil toy with humanity in her new novel of the Fallen Angels, as the salvation of a doomed soul depends once again on a crossroads…

When Cait Douglass resolves to get over her broken heart, throw off her inhibitions, and start really living, she’s unprepared for the two sensual men who cross her path. Torn between them, she doesn’t know which to choose–or what kind of dire consequences could follow.

Jim Heron, fallen angel and reluctant savior, is ahead in the war, but he puts everything at risk when he seeks to make a deal with the devil–literally. As yet another soul is unwittingly caught in the battle between him and the demon Devina, his fixation on an innocent trapped in Hell threatens to sidetrack him from his sacred duty…

Can good still prevail if true love makes a savior weak? And will a woman’s future be the key, or the curse, for all of humanity? Only time, and hearts, will tell.

October 11, 2013October 9, 2013

Interview with Heidi Cullinan

Books-n-Kisses is pleased to welcome Heidi Cullinan to the blog today. Heidi can you please share with us a little about yourself

I’m an author of gay romance, I’m an Iowan, a wife and a mother, and I’m very tall. I’ve battled chronic pain and mysterious health ailments over the years, a journey which has led me to many interesting things, at this moment including being a gluten-free vegan eating a stupid amount of kale. I tweet too much and post pictures of my cats and what I’m eating on social media. I can’t remember the names of the characters I create (sometimes losing/changing them within the same book), so you can imagine what I do with real people.

Have you always wanted to be an author?

I think yes, probably before I even understood what that was. Mostly I have always told and played with stories. I scripted Barbies and Weebles until I realized I was holding plastic, and then I started writing things down. I wrote my first novel at twelve and published it in the school anthology. It was a romance, and it was also half of the anthology.

What is your most interesting writing quirk?

I auto-write with my characters. I have no idea if this is creative insanity or a parceling-out of my consciousness or if I’m actually communicating with a character void. All I know is I talk, they answer, and I sort things out. They answer with stuff I didn’t know a lot. LIke in the drafting of Family Man I asked Vinnie what his favorite music was and he said Coltrane. Somehow I had it in my head this was an alternative singer, but I ended up with John Coltrane, the jazz singer, and Vinnie all but hummed. So who knows how it works. I honestly don’t care so long as it continues.

Can you please tell us about your latest book(s)?

My current release is Love Lessons, a new adult gay romance set in a fictional university. It’s standard virgin reforms rake…except there’s a lot of role reversal once we get going, and it doesn’t stay that simple very long. Here’s the official teaser blub: When Kelly arrives at Hope University, he realizes finding his Prince Charming isn’t easy. Worst of all, he’s landed the charming, handsome, gay campus Casanova as a roommate, whose bed might as well be equipped with a revolving door. Walter thinks everyone is better off having as much fun as possible…except his shy, sad little roommate is seriously screwing up his worldview. As Walter sets out to lure Kelly out of his shell, he discovers love is a crash course. To make the grade, he’ll have to overcome his own private fear that love was never meant to last.

My next release is in November, a Christmas romance called Let It Snow. It started because I was seriously in the mood for a snowed-in story (LOVE those) but couldn’t find one I wanted to read. It’s also a little golidlocks and the three bears, but mostly it’s a snuggly snowed-in story with a grumpy bear and a hairdresser who knows how to tame him. The lightning blurb: Frankie’s malfunctioning GPS sent him to Logan, and a blizzard ensures he won’t be leaving anytime soon. Being rescued by three sexy lumberjacks is a nice fantasy, but the biggest of the bears seems cranky…and ready to gobble Frankie right up. Once a high-powered lawyer, Marcus has no interest in a sassy city twink who might as well have stepped directly out of his past. Yet as the snow falls, the deeper they fall in love. Though all they want for Christmas is each other, the gift of forever may be too much to ask.

How did you come with the idea for this story?

I wanted to write about college romance because I’d been reading it and it made me feel good. I had this idea Love Lessons would be 50-60k, sugar-sweet and simple and take me a few months to write. It took me six, I routed about thirty demons from my college years, and at one point I had a three foot-stack of philosophy books on my reading stand and twice as many on my kindle. So the sweet and simple thing didn’t work out quite so well. The other irony is I intended it to be a series initially, but it became a stand alone…and now it’s a series again.

Kelly and Walter started out as a rake/ingenue dichotomy, a pretty standard trope. It didn’t take long for them to do the character equivalent of, “No, listen to me,” and they ended up tangling themselves, switching roles, and in general making a mess. As soon as I took my expectations and rigid schedule out of the way, though, everything lined right up.

Can you share with us your current work(s) in progress?

I’m writing a second book in the Love Lessons series, Fever Pitch. Walter and Kelly are secondary characters, but mostly this book will be the story of Aaron and Giles, whom I’m confident every fan of Love Lessons will be happy with. Next I’m due to write a second book in the Minnesota Christmas series, which will feature recurring characters from Let It Snow. I’m pretty sure Arthur will hook up with the librarian.

Who is the one author that you would love to meet someday and why?

I’d like to shake Terry Pratchett’s hand. I don’t think I could manage coherent conversation. But I’d like to tell him thank you in person. Then I’d go off quietly and sob until I couldn’t breathe.

What is the best piece of advice you would give to someone that wants to get into writing?

I forget who said it first, but I stand by the adage, “If you can stop writing, you should.” If it’s about money, there are a million easier, more reliable ways to get it. If it’s about fame or attention, ditto. If you imagine yourself not writing and you feel happiness and relief, stop writing immediately. If thinking of writing makes you angry or exhausted, if it’s a drain on your system, at least take a break and let ceasing be an option. Everything else? Everything from loving the challenge to gritty determination to climb this mountain to a sense of soul-sucking darkness if you stop? Come on in. The water’s abysmal, but you don’t have much choice so you might as well.

Can you share with us something off your bucket list.

I’d like to get back to Prague, to rent an apartment and stay there for the summer. Write, cook, soak up the city. There’s nowhere else like it in the world.

What is in your To Read Pile that you are dying to start or upcoming release you can’t wait for?

I seriously require more Vlad from Jeaniene Frost. As soon as possible.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

Thank you very much for having me!

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Love doesn’t come with a syllabus.

Kelly Davidson has waited what seems like forever to graduate high school and get out of his small-minded, small town. But when he arrives at Hope University, he quickly realizes finding his Prince Charming isn’t so easy. Everyone here is already out. In fact, Kelly could be the only virgin on campus.

Worst of all, he’s landed the charming, handsome, gay campus Casanova as a roommate, whose bed might as well be equipped with a revolving door.

Walter Lucas doesn’t believe in storybook love. Everyone is better off having as much fun as possible with as many people as possible…except his shy, sad little sack of a roommate is seriously screwing up his world view.

As Walter sets out to lure Kelly out of his shell, staying just friends is harder than he anticipated. He discovers love is a crash course in determination. To make the grade, he’ll have to finally show up for class…and overcome his own private fear that love was never meant to last.

Warning: This story contains lingering glances, milder than usual sexual content for this author, and a steamy dance-floor kiss. Story has no dairy or egg content, but may contain almonds.

Expected publication: October 1st 2013 by Samhain

A little about Heidi:

Heidi Cullinan has always loved a good love story, provided it has a happy ending. She enjoys writing across many genres but loves above all to write happy, romantic endings for LGBT characters because there just aren’t enough of those stories out there. When Heidi isn’t writing, she enjoys cooking, reading, knitting, listening to music, and watching television with her husband and ten-year-old daughter. Heidi also volunteers frequently for her state’s LGBT rights group, One Iowa, and is proud to be from the first midwestern state to legalize same-sex marriage. Find out more about Heidi, including her social networks, at www.heidicullinan.com.

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