Kelly’s review of Raphael/Parish by Alexandra Ivy & Laura Wright

TITLE: Raphael/Parish – Bayou Heat #1 & #2
AUTHOR: Alexandra Ivy & Laura Wright
PUBLICATION DATE: 1.7.13
Characters: Raphael & Ashe/Parish & Julia

ORDER LINKS: Amazon |B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
RAPHAEL

The brilliant and dangerous diplomat of the Pantera shapeshifters, Raphael has devoted his life to discovering the key to the infertility that is threatening the extinction of his puma race. Creating a vast network of spies worldwide, he never expected to discover that the answer might be beneath his very nose. But when Ashe, a beautiful human female, crosses his path, his most primitive instincts are stirred. Unable to resist, he takes her to his bed, and is shocked when she becomes pregnant with his child. It’s a miracle that might prove to be the salvation of his people, but only if he can keep her safe from the mercenaries determined to kill her.

PARISH

Untamed and undeniably sexy, Parish, leader of the Pantera hunters, rarely leaves the magic of the Wildlands to deal with the humans he despises. But with the prized and risky Pantera birth on the way, puma shifter, Parish must travel to New Orleans to find and bring back a human doctor. The moment he sees the lovely, talented and all too human Dr. Julia Cabot he cannot resist the wild, potent drive to make her his. Betrayed and destroyed by love, Julia will not let her heart choose her path again. But as she and Parish fight to save the life of an unborn child, a fierce and overwhelming bond develops between them, threatening her frozen heart with the secret hope and ultimate temptation of love and family

REVIEW:
Myth & Legend turn into reality in Alexandra Ivy and Laura Wright’s Raphael/Parish. Books one and two in Ivy & Wright’s new joint series Bayou Heat.

In Raphael (bk1) we get introduced to the world of the Pantera Shapeshifters. Ivy does a great job of creating the world in this first story. Boy does Raphael’s story start with a bang. We get to meet Raphaels mate as she is being kicked out of her house by her drunk of a mother for being pregnant. Problem is Ashe can’t remember who or when…. But this is going to be the least of her problems when she wakes up to find Raphael in her dark hotel room talking about lost myths, shifters and that they are now mated.

In Parish (bk2) we pick up with Parish on a mission to find a human doctor for Ashe. But when Parish see Julia for the first time something in him changes. This change scares Parish. He doesn’t like humans, doesn’t trust humans not after what happened to Keria. But Parish is drawn to Julia so much so that he is willing to kidnap her and keep her if that is what it will take to make her his.

I really enjoyed both of these stories and good golly Wright leaves us hanging at the end of Parish. I am so looking forward to Bayon/Jean-Baptiste (bk 3&4) release day is scheduled for April 15th, 2013 (Happy Tax day to me!!) and Talon/Xavier’s (bk 5&6) scheduled for release summer of 2013

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. This review is my own opinion and not a paid review.

4 Hearts

Interview & giveaway with ML Buchman

Can you please share with us a little about yourself?

MB: Like a lot of writers, I’m a fairly quiet person who is never happier than when I’m out walking with my wife. I’ve spent 25 years as a project manager. I’ve built million-dollar computer systems, and designed and built houses. I’ve developed corporate training and bicycled around the world. I’ve written a dozen novels under three different names and I feel that I’m barely starting to hit my stride, yet I’m deeply humbled (and more than a little bit shocked) by the success of my writing.

Have you always wanted to be an author?
MB: Airline pilot. Dreamed about it. Planned on it. Earned my private pilot’s ticket right after college. When I finally discovered that I was just a bit to colorblind to ever make a career of it was one of the hardest days of my young life. I came to writing in my mid-thirties. I was on a plane from Korea to ride my bicycle across the Australian Outback during my mid-life crisis on wheels. I began writing a little vignette about a freshman roommate who killed alarm clocks (he really did). Though the character didn’t survive, that turned into my first novel and my first sale. I haven’t looked back since.

What is your most interesting writing quirk?
MB: My writing office is just a little rolling desk with a laptop and an IKEA chair? I listen to loud rock and roll when I write to shut down my editor brain (except Sundays are usually loud opera)?  Perhaps it’s as my wife says, apparently I chortle at my own writing when I feel I’ve been particularly clever. If I do, I’m too busy being totally absorbed by the world I’m creating to notice. Though more than once I’ve found my cheeks wet after a particularly harrowing scene.

Can you please tell us about your latest book(s)?
MB: Wait Until Dark is a stand-alone book that falls third in my “Night Stalkers” series. The real-life Night Stalkers are the Army’s 160th SOAR are the helicopter regiment of U.S. Special Forces. They fly primarily at night to place, if they do their job right, that we mostly will never hear of. The take down of bin Laden being an exception, though very few articles noted that SOAR did the flying.

Connie and John are both crew chiefs on one of SOAR’s most lethal helicopters. They work as mechanics and fly as gunners. They are responsible for the safety and well-being of one of the nastiest attack helicopters ever designed. And on the occasion of this book, their mission is uniquely fitted to their skills. But what I enjoy the most about this series, or any novel I write, is the complexities they must resolve in themselves so that their hearts have a chance of finding what they need most, each other.

Book #4 Take Over at Midnight will be out this fall. In between will see the launch of book #2 Where Dreams Reside in my contemporary romance series “Angelo’s Hearth,” a foodie romance about an Italian chef in Seattle and the best female lawyer in the city.

How did you come with the idea for this story?
MB: Wait Until Dark was actually born during book #2 in the series, I Own the Dawn. Connie showed up about two-thirds through the book. I didn’t ask for her. My hero and heroine went on leave and when they were called back, there she was. And no one knew what to do with her, least of all the #2 hero’s best friend and fellow crew chief, Big John Wallace. I always start from character, so that’s where I began. The discovery of their love story left the plot of the book almost a complete mystery for the longest time, it was definitely their book and I simply kept nudging the story along.

Can you share with us your current work(s) in progress?
MB: Book #4 of the SOAR series Take Over at Midnight (coming this fall) is just going through final edits. I’m polishing the first draft of a new series presently called “Firehawk” about aerial forest firefighters who fly a Sikorsky Black Hawk helicopter rigged with firefighting tanks. It will include several crossover characters from “The Night Stalkers” as their mission isn’t just about the fires. I’ll be adding Where Dreams Reside to my “Angelo’s Hearth” series, a contemporary romance series set in Seattle. Then Matthew Lieber Buchman has a fantasy he’d been dying to write…

Who is the one author that you would love to meet someday and why?
MB: I want to have dinner with Eloisa James, Carl Haissan, and Lee Child. I think the humor and banter would be outrageous and wonderful. I like to think we’d all be sick from laughing so hard. I’d need someone else there to talk for me though as I’d be too busy being gobsmacked to actually speak.

What is the best piece of advice you would give to someone that wants to get into writing?
MB: I’ve heard it from dozens of professionals. BIC, Butt In Chair. Nothing makes up for writing. Not rewriting, but new writing. The second thing? My mentor told me repeatedly before I could begin to understand it, “It’s not about this one book, it’s about a body of work.” You very, very rarely get better by writing one book over and over. Write more, write new, better will come with the practice. Better writing is what consistently sells books.

Can you share with us something off your bucket list?
MB: I miss my sailboat (I rebuilt a fifty-foot ketch in my misbegotten youth) and I miss flying (my childhood dream that I couldn’t quite turn into a career). I want to own a small plane and I want to take my wife sailing somewhere warm like the Mediterranean and take a few months teaching her the joys of being in a craft powered by the world’s winds.

What is in your To Read Pile that you are dying to start or upcoming release you can’t wait for?
MB: Oh my gosh. I only recently discovered Eloisa James and I’m trying to read through everything she’s written, but she has a major head start on me. I’m also hooked on thrillers and have a stack of those. I have a pile of Kristine Kathryn Rusch science fiction stacked on my shelf that I’m barely half way through. And I spend about half of my reading time on non-fiction for next works, so I’m reading about aerial fire-fighting, unmanned aircraft, the tenets of a couple of now defunct religions, the inner workings of fashion design, and, uh, a bunch of other stuff.

Is there anything else you would like to add?
MB: Just my thanks for having me aboard and asking such great questions. And if anyone wants to charm me as a reader, make me laugh and make my heart sigh at the same time.

*****

WAIT UNTIL DARK

BY M.L. BUCHMAN 

IN STORES FEBRUARY 2013

 Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Books-a-Million | IndieBound | Chapters/Indigo | Sourcebooks | Discover a New Love

Name: Big John Wallace

Rank: Staff Sergeant, Chief Mechanic and Gunner

Mission: To serve and protect his crew and country.

 Name: Connie Davis

Rank: Sergeant, Flight Engineer, Mechanical Wizard

Mission: To be the best…and survive.

Two Crack Mechanics, One Impossible Mission…

Being in The Night Stalkers is Connie Davis’s way of facing her demons head-on, but mountain-strong John Wallace is a threat on all fronts. Their passion is explosive, but their conflicts are insurmountable. When duty calls them to a mission no one else could survive, they’ll fly into the night together—ready or not.

Praise for I Own the Dawn:

“A rousing mix of romance and military action thrills…Buchman blends tender feelings with military politics to keep readers riveted.”—Publishers Weekly

 “I can’t wait for the next book.”—RT Book Reviews, 4 Stars

 “Filled with action, adventure, and danger.”—Booklist Starred Review

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

M. L. Buchman has worked in fast food, theater, computers, publishing, and light manufacturing. It’s amazing what you can do with a degree in geophysics. At one point he sold everything and spent 18-months riding a bicycle around the world. In 11,000 miles, he touched 15 countries and hundreds of amazing people. Since then, he has acquired a loving lady, the coolest kid on the planet, and lives in Portland, OR. For more information, please visit http://www.mlbuchman.com/.

 

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Interview with Laura DeLuca

 

Hi Laura, Welcome to the blog we  are happy to have you on the blog today.

Can you please share with us a little about yourself. 

In addition to being a young adult author, I am also a mom to four great kids, own a restaurant, and run a product review blog called New Age Mama. I live at the Jersey Shore (no, I don’t know Snooki), and I love spending the summer on the beach. It’s the best place to write.

Have you always wanted to be an author?

I knew I was a writer for as long as I can remember. When I was in kindergarten, I wrote a book about bunnies getting married. When I was thirteen, I completed my first novel. I think writing is definitely in my blood, and I’ll probably die with a pen in my hand.

What is your most interesting writing quirk?

I write like I’m still in the 90’s, when I was a teenager myself. I want to hang Guns N Roses posters on the wall, I have people talking on touch tone phones, and I never think to add in cell phones or computers on my first draft. Those are normally things I edit in on the second or third draft when I realize that I forgot what decade it is…

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

Destiny is a story of self-acceptance as well as a paranormal battle.  Gabriella doesn’t want to accept she’s a witch. Her friend Monte is struggling to come to terms with his sexuality. Darron doesn’t think he’s allowed to have human emotions.  While dealing with all this inner turmoil, they also have to face the evil warlock who murdered Gabriella’s mother.

How did you come with the idea for this story?

I started writing Destiny back in 1994. I honestly don’t remember where the idea initially came from. Unveiled was inspired by my friend and coven sister, Donna. I had tossed her name in Destiny and she said I should have Donna come back in the sequel. That sparked the idea for making it into a series.

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

I have a new fantasy a fantasy novel called Morrigan that was just released. Morrigan is a teenage witch who has been shuffled from one foster home to another all her life.  Now she is about to discover she is a princess from the mystical land of Tír Na NÓg. The handsome werewolf Filtiarn guides her through countless perils to find her mother, Ceridwyn, and grandmother, Hecate. Only together can they complete the magical triad and save their world.

I am also working on a sequel to Phantom based on the musical “Sweeney Todd”.

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

I would love to meet Christopher Pike. He was my favorite young adult author when I was a teenager, and he remains my idol to this day. His stories were unique and original. He is still writing today, but has moved on to adult novels.

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

Learn to take criticism and use it to improve your work. This is a harsh business at times, and I have gotten some rejections that made me want to cry. But when I really listened to what they were saying, I could see where my work needed improvement, and it’s made me a better writer, which has subsequently led to me getting published.

Can you share with us something off your bucket list?

I want to see Stonehenge and the Egyptian pyramids before I die. I think it would be great inspiration for future novels.

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

I am dying to read Taking 1960 by Rosa Sophia. She is my editor and her time travelling book sounds amazing. I actually have a copy already, and plan to start it shortly.

Is there anything else you would like to add? Thanks so much for including me on your blog! It’s been a honor to visit with you,

Jennifer’s review of The Next Forever by Lisa Burstein

TITLE: The Next Forever
AUTHOR: Lisa Burstein
PUBLICATION DATE: 01/13/13
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS: One night in college can change everything……Away at college, Amy just wants one night alone without her high school sweetheart, Joe. So when he invites her to go to the library, she heads off on her own instead. How she ended up at a house party with the mysterious bad-boy Trevor is another story.

Joe so isn’t going to the library. He needs space from Amy, too, so he’s decided to rush a fraternity, to get back the swagger he had in high school. But it doesn’t take long for the brothers to invite him to the real rush–where the beer is flowing and one particular girl has set her eyes on Joe.

Over the course of one wild night, both Amy and Joe will have to decide if their futures belong with two new people, or whether the next forever will have their first loves in it.

REVIEW: Lisa Burstein follows up with her characters from her previous novel, Pretty Amy, who are now in college and are faced with the ultimate temptation that could destroy their once solid relationship. I haven’t read Pretty Amy but I was still able to connect with Amy and Joe and their doubts about continuing their relationship. Being in college provided them with so much freedom and choices that they finally reached a crossroad where they must make a decision about their romantic future. I thought this novella was very poignant, thought-provoking, and at times intensely emotional about what decision would you make if you were given the opportunity to lead another life. I liked Amy because she seemed to be battling herself by either falling back to her “bad girl” ways or trying to actually find out who she really was. The novella presented both character’s viewpoint and you could see the emotional battle they were faced with each decision they made. I loved this story and it made me believe that even though you are given different opportunities doesn’t mean they are always right and the grass isn’t always greener on the other side. This story will stick with you well after the last page and I can’t wait to read more by Lisa Burstein.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Interview & Giveaway with Elle Kennedy

Books-n-Kisses is pleased to welcome Elle Kennedy to the blog today to chat about her new release

Elle, Can you please share with us a little about yourself?

Other than my passion for writing, I love music (I play piano and guitar and write really depressing songs!), reading, board games, lying on the beach and watching really bad movies.  I love animals, especially my goofy dog Bear and mean cat Joey.  And traveling—I definitely have a case of wanderlust, and enjoy visiting new places.

 Have you always wanted to be an author?

Yes, for as long as I can remember!  As soon as I learned how to read and write, I knew there was nothing else I wanted to do. I feel very blessed that I have been able to follow my passion and make a living from it.

 What is your most interesting writing quirk?

I prefer to write late into the night, when the whole world is asleep except for me and my characters. I used to chain-smoke when I wrote, but now that I quit smoking, I need a new vice!

 Can you please tell us about your latest book?

Midnight Alias features a heroine, Olivia, who is caught up in a dark situation that has quickly begun to spin out of her control. When Luke, a sexy, reckless mercenary, shows up in her life and offers to help, she can’t resist taking him up on the offer. And she also can’t resist the primal attraction she feels for the man J

How did you come up with the idea for this story?

I introduced Luke in the first Killer Instincts book, Midnight Rescue, and I knew I needed to give this adventurous ladies man a story of his own! I thought it would be fun to pair him with a serious heroine who might not appreciate his reckless ways, and as I expected, the sparks flew!

 Can you share with us your current work in progress?

I just finished up the third Killer Instincts book, Midnight Games, which releases in August, and now I’m working on the fourth one in the series. I’m also working on the final Out of Uniform book, which is the tenth book in an erotic contemporary series that features hot SEAL heroes and the feisty heroines who love them.

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

Danielle Steel. I adore her, and hers were the earliest romances I read (other than the Sweet Valley High series, of course!). I love her books and admire her work ethic, so she is definitely someone I would love to meet.

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

Always keep writing. Even if it seems like it’s never going to happen for you, keep writing, keep submitting, and keep learning your craft.

 Can you share with us something off your bucket list?

For years I’ve been saying I want to drive across Canada, from Toronto (where I live) all the way to the BC coast. One of these days I’m going to do it!

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

I have dozens of books in my TBR pile at the moment, including new releases by Iris Johansen, Danielle Steel, Kay Hooper and Lauren Dane. The release I’m most looking forward to is JR Ward’s Lover at Last!

 


Amazon | B&N

She’s smart, seductive, and in way over her head.
He’s her only way out.

An undercover DEA agent has gone off the radar. Suspecting an internal mole, the government needs Luke Dubois and his elite team of operatives to recover their man, and the New Orleans native thinks he’s found his way inside the dark underbelly of Manhattan: Olivia Taylor, the girlfriend of a mob boss and the sexiest woman he’s ever laid eyes on. His new mission objective? Get past Olivia’s defenses and convince her to take a chance—on him.

All Olivia wanted was to finish law school and live a normal life, but that dream was shattered when one dangerous night put her deeply in a mobster’s debt. Now Luke and his team will help her escape—in exchange for intel on the missing agent. But Olivia doesn’t anticipate her intense attraction to the reckless Louisiana charmer or that she’ll be forced to risk everything—including her heart.

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Kelly’s review of Collide by Juliana Stone

TITLE: Collide – The Barker Triplets #2
AUTHOR: Juliana Stone
CHARATERS: Bobbi-Jo Barker & Shane Callagher
PUBLICATION DATE: Jan 15, 2013
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
A second chance never looked so good…

Bobbi-Jo Barker has been in love with the wrong man for years. A man who doesn’t fit into the perfect, controlled life she’s created.A man who not only broke her heart but nearly destroyed her. So the fact that he’s back in town shouldn’t matter because he’s all wrong for her, or so she thinks…

Shane Gallagher, prodigal son, ex-con, and all around hellion, has returned to the small town of New Waterford to mend fences and get his life back. What he doesn’t count on are the feelings he still has for the one woman who can break him—the one woman who is totally wrong for him.

And yet, as Bobbi and Shane are thrown together and begin to navigate a life with each other in it, neither can deny the attraction they feel, or the emotions that come with it—the good and the bad. And so the question becomes… can these two damaged souls survive a second chance at love?

REVIEW:
Collide is a story of second chance at love. Bobbi-Jo & Shane were totally and completely in love when they were younger but a string of misunderstandings lead them on very different paths.
After a failed trip to the altar, a trip to the pen and a chance encounter at the not so local bar, these two willing have a chance to make it right.
I really liked this story. Although I read book two before book I didn’t feel lost at all (but I have already got book one to read). I was rooting for Bobbi-Jo and Shane the whole book and was so upset the reason these two broke up. Yes there were tears, laughter and a lot of good reading.
I am very much looking forward to the next book in this series Conceal (release date late spring 2013) #Team Betty-Jo

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. This review is my own opinion and not a paid review.

4 Hearts

Kissin’ the week of Feb 11th-16th Goodbye

2.11.13

Interview & Giveaway with Olivia Cunning

Interview & Giveaway with Mandy Harbin 

Kelly’s review of How Beauty Saved the Beast  by Jax Garren

2.12.13

Release Day Madness

Interview & Giveaway with Joanne Kennedy

Kimberly’s review of A Passion for Him by Sylvia Day 

2.13.13

Guest Reviewer Tonya : The Fatal Series by Marie Force

Interview with Tyler & Abby from Carrie Ann Ryan’s Finding Abigail

Guest Blogger: Ashley Nemer 

Kimberly’s review of Dream Keeper by Storm Savage

2.14.13

Thursday’s Thought

Interview & Giveaway with Jane Ashford

Interview with the authors of  Vampires Gone Wild (& a giveaway) 

Kelly’s review of How Hard Can it Be?  by Robyn Peterman

2.15.13

Interview with Jessica E. Subject 

Spotlight Feature: Dreaming of Her by Maggie Morton

Kimberly’s review of Misty by M.Garnett

2.16.13

 SINsational Saturday Series:

Susan Elisabeth Phillips’ Chicago Star Series 

Chicago Star Series by Susan Elizabeth Phillips

It Had to Be You 

Chicago Stars #1

The Windy City isn’t quite ready for Phoebe Somerville — the outrageous, curvaceous New York knockout who has just inherited the Chicago Stars football team. And Phoebe is definitely not prepared for the Stars’ head coach Dan Calebow, a sexist jock taskmaster with a one-track mind. Calebow is everything Phoebe abhors. And the sexy new boss is everything Dan despises – a meddling bimbo who doesn’t know a pigskin from a pitcher’s mound.

So why is he drawn to the shameless sexpot like a heat-seeking missile? And why does the coach’s good ol’ boy charm leave cosmopolitan Phoebe feeling awkward, tongue-tied…and ready to fight?

****

Heaven, Texas 

Chicago Stars #2

Come heck or high water, Gracie Snow is determined to drag the legendary ex-jock Bobby Tom Denton back home to Heaven, Texas, to begin shooting his first motion picture. Despite his dazzling good looks and killer charm, Bobby Tom has reservations about being a movie star — and no plans to cooperate with a prim and bossy Ohio wallflower whom he can’t get off his mind or out of his life. Instead, the hell-raising playboy decides to make her over from plain Jane to Texas wildcat.

But nothing’s more dangerous than a wildcat with an angel’s heart in a town too small for a bad boy to hide. And all hell breaks loose when two unforgettable people discover love, laughter, passion — and a match that can only be made in Heaven

*****

Nobody’s Baby But Mine 

Chicago Stars #3

The Plan: Genius physics professor Dr, Jane Darlington desperately wants a baby.

The Target: Cal Bonner, the Chicago Stars’ legendary quarterback, seems like the perfect choice.

But his champion good looks and down-home ways are deceiving.

The Explosion: A brillant, lonely woman who dreams only of motherhood . . . A take no-prisoners tough guy who’ll settle for nothing less than surrender . . . Can passion and physical attraction propel two strong-willed yet vulnerable people to a totally unexpected love?

*****

Dream a Little Dream 

Chicago Stars #4

A Desperate Young Mother

Rachel Stone’s bad luck has taken a turn for the worse. With an empty wallet, a car’s that’s spilling smoke, and a five-year-old son to support, she’s come home to a town that hates her. But this determined young widow with a scandalous past has learned how to be a fighter. And she’ll do anything to keep her child safe–even take on. . .

A man With No Heart

Gabe Bonner wants to be left alone, especially by the beautiful outcast who’s invaded his property. She has a ton of attitude, a talent for trouble, and a child who brings back bad memories. Yet Rachel’s feisty spirit might just be heaven-sent to save a tough, stubborn man.

Dare To Dream

Welcome to Salvation, North Carolina–where a man who’s forgotten what tenderness means meets a woman with nothing to lose. here two endearing lovers will set off on a funny, touching journey of the heart. . .to a place where dreams just might come true.

*****

This Heart of Mine 

Chicago Stars #5

This Heart of Mine – Molly Somerville knows she has a reputation for trouble. She did give away her fifteen-million-dollar inheritance, but, hey, nobody’s perfect. Still, if anyone has an almost perfect life, it’s Molly. While her Daphne the Bunny children’s books could be selling better, she loves her cramped loft, her French poodle, and her career creating the fictional animals who live in Nightingale Woods. She even loves her sister, Phoebe. True, it was a little tough growing up in her shadow. Phoebe is beautiful, blissfully married, and the owner of the most successful professional football team in America. But who other than your sister knows you’re about to do something drastic every time you change your hair? Yes, Molly’s happy about almost everything … except her long-term crush on the daredevil quarterback for the Chicago Stars, that awful, gorgeous Kevin Tucker, a man who can’t even remember her name! One night Molly’s penchant for running into trouble runs right into Kevin himself, turning her world upside down. Heartbreak follows, and just when she’s certain things can’t get worse, Kevin forces his way back into her life. If only the overpaid, Ferrari-driving, poodle-hating jock was as shallow as she wants him to be, she could get on with her almost perfect life. But Kevin’s hidden depths and iron will propel Molly out of her comfortable existence into an unforgettable summer at a place called Wind Lake. Surrounded by paint box cottages and a charming old bed-and-breakfast, she and Kevin battle their attraction while trying to cope with an aging sexpot actress, a cranky world-famous artist, and a pair of teenage newlyweds.

Their careers and lives are in crisis … yet they can’t seem to stay away from each other. Before the summer is over, will they be able to learn one of life’s most important lessons? Sometimes falling in love hurts, sometimes it makes you mad as hell, and sometimes if you’re very lucky it can heal in the most special and unexpected way.

*****

Match Me If You Can 

Chicago Stars #6

You met star quarterback Kevin Tucker in This Heart of Mine. Now get ready to meet his shark of an agent, Heath Champion, and Annabelle Granger, the girl least likely to succeed.

Annabelle’s endured dead-end jobs, a broken engagement . . . even her hair’s a mess! But that’s going to change now that she’s taken over her late grandmother’s matchmaking business. All Annabelle has to do is land the Windy City’s hottest bachelor as her client, and she’ll be the most sought-after matchmaker in town.

Why does the wealthy, driven, and gorgeous sports agent Heath Champion need a matchmaker, especially a red-haired screw-up like Annabelle Granger? True, she’s entertaining, and she does have a certain quirky appeal. But Heath is searching for the ultimate symbol of success — the perfect wife. And to make an extraordinary match, he needs an extraordinary matchmaker, right?

Soon everyone in Chicago has a stake in the outcome, and a very big question: When the determined matchmaker promised she’d do anything to keep her star client happy . . . did she mean anything? If Annabelle isn’t careful, she just might find herself going heart-to-heart with the toughest negotiator in town.

*****

Natural Born Charmer 

Chicago Stars #7

Chicago Stars quarterback Dean Robillard is the luckiest man in the world: a bona-fide sports superstar and the pride of the NFL with a profitable side career as a buff billboard model for End Zone underwear. But life in the glory lane has started to pale, and Dean has set off on a cross-country trip to figure out what’s gone wrong. When he hits a lonely stretch of Colorado highway, he spies something that will shake up his gilded life in ways he can’t imagine. A young woman . . . dressed in a beaver suit. Blue Bailey is on a mission to murder her ex. Or at least inflict serious damage. As for the beaver suit she’s wearing . . . Is it her fault that life keeps throwing her curveballs? Witness the expensive black sports car pulling up next to her on the highway and the Greek god stepping out of it.

Blue’s career as a portrait painter is the perfect job for someone who refuses to stay in one place for very long. She needs a ride, and America’s most famous football player has an imposing set of wheels. Now, all she has to do is keep him entertained, off guard, and fully clothed before he figures out exactly how desperate she is.

But Dean isn’t the brainless jock she imagines, and Blue–despite her petite stature–is just about the toughest woman Dean has ever met. They’re soon heading for his summer home where their already complicated lives and inconvenient attraction to each other will become entangled with a charismatic but aging rock star; a beautiful fifty-two-year-old woman trying to make peace with her rock and roll past; an eleven-year-old who desperately needs a family; and a bitter old woman who hates them all.

As the summer progresses, the wandering portrait artist and the charming football star play a high-stakes game, fighting themselves and each other for a chance to have it all.

“Natural Born Charmer” is for everyone who’s ever thought about leaving their old life in the dust and never looking back. Susan Elizabeth Phillips takes us home again . . . and shows us where love truly lives.

Interview with Jessica Subject

Hi Jessica.   Welcome back to Books-n-Kisses.  

Can you please share with us a little about yourself.

Thank you so much for having me on Books-n-Kisses again! Not only am I an author, but I am also a wife and mother of two energetic children. I write contemporary and science fiction romance ranging from sweet to erotica. My stories may include clones, or a sexy alien or two. They are set on Earth, in space, and on faraway planets. I passed on my love of reading to my children, and enjoy stories from a multitude of genres and heat levels. When I get the chance, I like to go for long and fast walks.

Author Links:   Website/Blog | Newsletter | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Amazon | Authorgraph

Have you always wanted to be an author?

I’ve always enjoyed writing and thought of it as a hobby. I wrote my first romance story in grade seven, called It Starts With A Kiss. But, it wasn’t until I was on maternity leave with my second child that I considered submitting a story to have it published on something other than my computer.

What is your most interesting writing quirk?

I have a bad habit of grinding my teeth while I’m writing, so I’m usually chewing gum while I’m penning my stories.

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

Alien Lover released in December, and although classed as erotica, it is “a story of love so deep that it cannot be defined by time or galaxies.” Here’s the blurb:

Unconvinced of her fiancé’s demise, Molly combs the galaxy to search for him. As her supplies run low, she is forced to turn around and set a course for Earth, alone. But, a Moloxian Starcruiser halts her retreat, and the single passenger transports onto her ship without permission. Taser in hand to defend herself, she is startled as the form remolds into her fiancé. Has Diego found her or is her tired mind playing tricks?

I also had two stories release in January, Made For Her and Accidental Romance.

How did you come with the idea for this story?

I’m not sure. I guess it just popped into my mind. It was the first erotica story that I started for The Edge line, but the last one I finished. It took a while for Molly to tell me her story.

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

Sure! I’m working on two stories right now. The first is Never Gonna Desert You, which is the sequel to my sci-fi/dystopian story, Never Gonna Let You Go. And the second is His Alien Virgin, another 1Night Stand story, where the heroine is the step-sister to the two heroes in Satin Sheets in Space. I also have the first book in my new Alien Next Door series with my editor.

I have many more sequels I plan to write this year as well as some stand-alones.

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

I’ve met a lot of wonderful authors who live close to me already, but I’d absolutely love to meet my critique partners, DL Jackson, Layna Pimentel, Rebecca Royce, and Zee Monodee. Not only are they all fabulous authors, but they are great people. I’d love to meet them in person.

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

Many authors say to keep writing. I agree with that somewhat, but if you don’t know the mistakes you are making, it is much more difficult to improve your craft. Therefore, I suggest taking courses in the genre you want to write, plus, have your work critiqued by others who write in the genre.

Can you share with us something off your bucket list.

I’d love to visit Alaska and Hawaii.

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

Um, there are SO many book on my bookshelves, and even more on my Kindle and Kobo that I’m anxious to read. I, honestly, can’t choose just one. As for a book I can’t wait for that isn’t released yet, that would be the next book in The Lux series by Jennifer L. Armentrout. Opal ended on such a cliffhanger that I NEED to know what happens next.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

Thank you again for having me on your blog, Kelly! I’m hosting a giveaway during the Alien Lover tour. Any comments left during the tour will count as an entry toward the prize, an eBook copy of Crash Landing or The Power of Three, plus book swag. Contest is international. Winner will be announced February 28, 2013.

 

Amazon (Canada/US/UK) | Decadent Publishing | All Romance | more

Book Video Trailer:

http://youtu.be/p1Wr59y9F5I

Spotlight Feature: Dreaming of Her by Maggie Morton

Blurb:
Isa has begun to dream of the most amazing woman—a woman named Lilithwith a gorgeous face, an amazing body, and the ability to turn Isa on like no other. But Lilith is just a dream…isn’t she? Lilith is indeed real. She is a sexual Dreammaker, a being who exists solely to bring pleasure to humans while they sleep. And soon, Lilith finds she is falling for Isa, falling hard, something a Dreammaker is never supposed to do. Is there any way they can truly be together, or will their relationship have to remain as it is – just a dream?

Excerpt:

Isa raised her hand to the knocker, then hesitated. She was nervous about this night, even though she was pretty certain she looked amazing. She wore a skin-tight burgundy dress, with her eyes lined in black, her lips painted red, and her hair styled in a messy look that said, “I’ve just been fucked, and I don’t care if you know.” And who knew, maybe she’d get a chance to say that to someone inside. After all, she was meeting someone here, someone who certainly hadn’t been subtle about what she would do to Isa.

But would she allow this woman to touch her, to even come close to her? She was uncertain—she just hadn’t decided quite yet. Partially, maybe even entirely, it was because she’d never been with a woman before, and she didn’t even know what this woman looked like, just that she’d be here, waiting for her, and that this woman wanted her, wanted her desperately. But would Isa…would she decide to locate this woman? And if she did, would she do the things this woman had suggested? Dirty things that required undressing, touching, kissing…and more?

Well, she had to admit she was curious enough to be willing to enter the mansion, so she raised her hand to the silver knocker, knocked twice, then waited. It only took a few moments for someone to answer—a man who looked like he might be a servant, who wore a tuxedo. She was surprised that anyone here was wearing clothes, but perhaps the servants were excluded from the fun. From the fucking, to be precise.

“Enter, miss, if you please.” He opened the door wide, and then there was no turning back. Isa took one step into the house, and then another, and after a few more she heard the quiet sound of the door being shut behind her.

It took her a few moments to get used to the low light in the place, and then, as her eyes adjusted, she began to take in the room that spread out shortly after the hallway she stood in. The room was full of people, all wearing black satin masks, all in various states of undress. And the ones who were the most undressed were locked in congress, either getting ready to fuck or right in the middle of fucking. She couldn’t help getting incredibly turned on in mere moments, just from the sight. Something (possibly her pussy) pulled her forward, and she was inside the room only seconds later. Once there, she scanned the room, leaping from body to body, from flesh to flesh.

Her body was reacting in hard-to-miss ways, amidst all this nudity, all this incredibly hot depravity. A completely naked man approached her, his interest impossibly clear, as his dick was pointing straight toward her like a divining rod. “Are you free right now?” he asked, a bold smile joining his words.

“No, I’m…meeting someone here.”

“Oh, you are? Who?”

“Her name is…” And then she realized she didn’t know her name. What was she doing at a sex party, meeting someone—a woman—whose name she didn’t even know?

“Ah, I think I know who. She’s up the stairs.” He gestured beyond all the people that lay and stood in front of them, and she saw a wide staircase at the other side of the room, with lacquered black banisters and ruby-colored carpeted steps.

“Is this her house?” she asked him, but he was already gone, most likely searching for someone to fill his needs in place of her.

She threaded her way through the people, stepping over a few legs and torsos, her arms brushing against a few very intimate body parts—a hard cock and a woman’s bush—but when their owners looked at her, she just shook her head. She had a mission—she was here for her, and her alone, and, she realized now, absolutely no one else would do.

She soon arrived at the bottom of the stairs and got ready to climb them, but first she took off her heels. The velvet carpet on the stairs, incredibly sensuous against her bare feet, caressed the sole of each foot.

At the top of the stairs was a set of double doors, but this time she didn’t knock. The woman knew she was coming, and she knew the woman wanted her here. She slowly opened the door on the right side and entered the room, then turned and pushed the door shut.

“You’re here,” came a voice, sexy and rather deep, but clearly a woman’s.

And there she lay, on the bed, completely naked, and Isa almost shook from pure, undiluted need.

“Yes, I’m here.”

Isa took her in. The woman had thick, garnet-colored hair that hung down to her nipples, almost obscuring them, but luckily for Isa, not quite. And then her curves. Oh, someone could talk about them for days—a true hourglass figure, unlike Isa’s own more subtle curves. But instead of being jealous of her perfect beauty, she just drank this gorgeous woman in, taking in her face last, which was the cherry on top of the sundae, with lips as pink as her cheeks and eyes a most startling gold.

The woman smiled and said simply, “Undress.”

Who on earth could turn down a woman like her? And so off came her dress, messing up her dark, curly hair a little, then her panties. Now she was naked and all of her belonged to the woman on the bed. Most of her nerves had fled by then, but they were still there, just a little, and as she climbed onto the large, four-poster bed, she couldn’t help but notice her body’s slight tension. The woman noticed it too.

“Are you nervous, my darling? Those wide-open, lovely gray eyes of yours seem to say you are.” She cupped Isa’s chin. “You have nothing to worry about. I know it’s your first time, and

you don’t have to do anything you don’t want to.”

“There isn’t anything I don’t want to do,” she said, and she meant it more than she wanted to admit.

“Good. Well, I know a tried and true way to get rid of all those nasty little trickles of nervousness. Although, very occasionally, it can cause more. Tell me—have you ever eaten pussy?”

“No, never. You want me to do that to you?” Isa bit her lower lip, breaking eye contact for a moment, but her eyes were soon back on the woman’s lovely face.

“Yes, I do, very much. I can already tell you’ll find it as easy as riding a bicycle.” The woman lay back on the plush array of pillows and spread her legs, revealing the first pussy Isa had ever come face to face with. It was surprisingly beautiful, with full, flushed lips and what must have been her clit, standing at attention right above a very appealing hole, one that she couldn’t help but begin to tease with her fingers. The woman sighed, softly, and so she eased a finger, then two, inside her. It was warm, wet, even wonderful in there, and, well, she just had to taste her. So she dove right in.

Although Isa really had no idea what to do, it still seemed like she was doing well enough, considering the sounds the woman was making, sounds that pleased her to the bone, sounds that made her just as wet as the pussy pressed up against her tongue. Sounds that almost made Isa come just from their vibrations. And then, moments later, the woman was coming, screaming in ecstasy, making it clear that she had this down, that she had gotten it down fast.

She pulled back then, gazing up at the face above her, a face that held a delighted grin and glinting, golden eyes “Did you enjoy yourself, my darling?”

“Yes, oh yes, of course. Is it…could you…” She raised herself up onto her knees. Hopefully, if she was very, very lucky, the favor would be returned.

“If you want, I will—beep beep beep beep.”

“Huh?” What on earth did that mean?

“Beep beep beep…”

 

Learn more about Maggie here:

Interview & Giveaway with Jane Ashford

Books-n-Kisses is please to have Jane Ashford on the blog to chat a little about her new book “Once Again a Bride“.

Jane, can you please share with us a little about yourself
JA: I love words. When I remember Joseph Campbell’s advice “follow your bliss,” I think of language and stories. I’ve pretty much stuck with words throughout my life. I studied literature and creative writing. I’ve worked as a composition teacher, an editor and in corporate communications. And I now have the privilege of being a full-time writer. My website is janeashford.com and my Facebook page is https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jane-Ashford/154028944714495

Have you always wanted to be an author?
JA: I have. My mother wrote, and she encouraged me. I also loved to read from the moment I learned how. Books were just magical things to me – spells evoking the full gamut of emotion and time travel and amazing images. I wanted to be that kind of magician.

Are you a plotter or a pantster or combo of both?
JA: A combo. I make pages of notes before beginning a book, particularly about the characters. They include events that will happen, but it is not an official outline. This often means that my first runthrough is more of a “rough draft” than a “first draft.”

What is your most interesting writing quirk?
JA: I don’t know if it’s interesting, but I tend to hear the text as I write. I’m more an aural writer than a visual one.

Can you please tell us about your latest book(s)?
JA: Once Again a Bride is the double love story of Charlotte Rutherford Wylde and her maid Lucy Bowman. Thrown into a contemptuous household by Charlotte’s arranged marriage, and coldly oppressed in different ways, they both find their ways to love. After Charlotte’s aged husband Henry is killed in the dark London streets, they discover he had a family they knew nothing about. They’re taken into the household of his nephew Sir Alec Wylde, which includes handsome, sassy footman Ethan Trask. A dual attraction lights up, but there are many complications before the two couples are united.

How did you come with the idea for this story?
JA: It started with a phrase that popped into my mind “the Widow Wylde.” As I mentioned, I’m very attuned to the sound of words. They have a kind of music. And this phrase felt full of promise. I played with implications. What kind of widowhood? How wild? And characters started to make themselves known. I also became interested, in these tough economic times, in how a responsible landowner might deal with the agricultural depression that followed the Napoleonic Wars.

Can you share with us your current work(s) in progress?
JA: I recently finished another historical for Sourcebooks, A Compliant Husband. You can read a bit about it on my website http://www.janeashford.com/wip.html I’m working on another to follow it.

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

JA: I’d love to talk to Alice Hoffman about magical realism.

What is the best piece of advice you would give to someone who wants to get into writing?
JA: As they say in one of my favorite movies, Galaxy Quest, “Never give up, never surrender.” That is, if you really want to be a writer, keep writing and working on being better at it, keep submitting or putting the results out there. Perseverance in the face of rejection is a huge part of success in writing.
Can you share with us something off your bucket list?
JA: I’d like to visit New Zealand, which seems to be an amazingly beautiful country. Among other things I’d like to see the facade of Hobbiton Peter Jackson created there.

What is in your To Read Pile that you are dying to start or upcoming release you can’t wait for?
JA: I’m doing some reading for the Rita Awards right now. I don’t always keep up with release dates; that way a new book by a favorite writer can be a lovely surprise. I do wish Charles de Lint would write another Newford book!

What is one book everyone should read before they die?
JA: Wow. That’s a hard question. One? (dithers, panics) No, no! I can’t pick just one.

What is your favorite time of year & why?
JA: This in interesting because I’ve been spending some time in Los Angeles lately, where the seasons are so much less marked than in New England. I’m not really missing the snow and ice so far! But I think fall in western Massachusetts is probably a favorite. For the foliage colors, of course, and the quality of the air and the light, and warm memories I have from that area.

Who is your Celebrity crush? And what would you do if you ever meet them?
JA: Okay, I’ve always had a thing for Pierce Brosnan. Handsome, suave, twinkle in the eye, family man, actor, painter. What’s not to like? And I’d probably just stammer.

Is there anything else you would like to add?
JA:  Thanks so much for having me. I’ll be at the RT Booklovers Convention in May. Hope to see you there!

 

ONCE AGAIN A BRIDE

BY JANE ASHFORD 

IN STORES FEBRUARY 2013

AmazonB&N | Book-a-Million | IndieBound |Chapters/Indigo | Sourcebooks

She couldn’t be more alone…

Widowhood has freed Charlotte Wylde from a demoralizing and miserable marriage. But when her husband’s intriguing nephew and heir arrives to take over the estate, Charlotte discovers she’s unsafe in her own home… Alec Wylde was shocked by his uncle’s untimely death, and even more shocked to encounter his uncle’s beautiful young widow. Now clouds of suspicion are gathering, and charges of murder hover over Charlotte’s head.

He could be her only hope…or her next victim…

 

A little more about Jane Ashford discovered Georgette Heyer in junior high school and was captivated by the glittering world and witty language of Regency England. That delight led her to study English literature and travel widely in Britain and Europe. Jane’s historical and contemporary romances have been published all over the world, and she has been nominated for a Career Achievement Award by RT Book Reviews. Eighteen of her Regency romances will be published by Sourcebooks in the near future! Born in Ohio, Jane currently lives in Boston. For more information, please visit www.janeashford.com.

 

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