Books-n-Kisses would like to wish everyone a safe and happy holiday season!!!
HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!!!
Release Day Tuesday 12.25.12
Interview with Justin & Rina from Carrie Ann Ryan’s Santa’s Executive
A Character Interview with Justin and Rina
Hi All! I’m sitting here with my character for my latest release, Santa’s Executive. Justin and Rina are an adorably cute couple…just don’t tell Justin that since he’s a little touchy.
Justin: I heard that.
Carrie Ann: *coughs* Uh…sorry, totally didn’t know you were there.
Justin: *blinks* Sure.
Rina: *Laughs* oh, you’re a dork. But I love you anyway.
Justin: I’m a dork? Really? Well, that’s just wrong. I thought I was your sexy ex bad boy? Oh, and I love you too.
Rina: *blushes* Justin…
Carrie Ann: Okay then…let’s get started. Though by the look of you two, you already have. Okay, so tell me about your story.
Justin: Didn’t you write it?
Carrie Ann: *rolls eyes* Yes, but humor me. Tell the readers what your book is about.
Justin: Christmas and all that comes with it.
Rina: Oh, you’re a dork. Yes, I said it again. It’s about Justin’s new job as an executive and how I got to help him out. Oh, and how we fell in love.
Carrie Ann: See? That’s all I wanted, Justin. Okay, do you like your new powers, Justin?
Justin: They’re freaking weird, but I’m getting used to them. They were hard to control at first and I had a few scares, but Rina helped.
Rina: It’s my job.
Justin: *frames her face* It’s more than your job and you know it.
Carrie Ann: Awww. Okay, now for some fun questions. Rina, if you found out Justin had a side job in Magic Mike, what would you do?
Rina: Oh that sounds like a story idea!
Carrie Ann: I know right? Now answer the question.
Rina: Well, after I kicked his ass for dancing in front of all those women? See, elves can be territorial too. But I’d take him home and make sure he knew all those sexy moves were just for me.
Justin: You know they already are. Plus, I don’t like the idea of dancing around in a string. Sorry.
Carrie Ann: Well, us ladies can still imagine. Justin, what’s your favorite type of Christmas cookie? I know you love them since you’ve eaten about like 12 since we started.
Justin: *coughs* Only 4, and you know why I eat them. As for my favorite? The soft sugar ones with the thick frosting.
Carrie Ann: *mumbles must not eat cookies must not eat cookies* Okay, well, I love the two of you. You were so much fun to write and I hope everyone gets a chance to read Santa’s Executive!
A little about Carrie Ann:
Carrie Ann Ryan is a bestselling paranormal and contemporary romance author. After spending too much time behind a lab bench, she decided to dive into the romance world and find her werewolf mate – even if it’s just in her books. Happy endings are always near – even if you have to get over the challenges of falling in love first.
Carrie Ann’s Redwood Pack series is an bestselling series that has made the shifter world even more real to her and has allowed the Dante’s Circle and Holiday, Montana series to be born. She’s also an avid reader and lover of romance and fiction novels. She loves meeting new authors and new worlds. Any recommendations you have are appreciated. Carrie Ann lives in New England with her husband and two kittens.
Carrie Ann loves hearing from readers. You can find her at:
Website | Facebook | Goodreads | Twitter: @CarrieAnnRyan |
Santa’s Executive
Justin Cooper wasn’t always the straight-laced Holiday Elementary School principal. In his youth, he broke all the rules and enjoyed being the bad Cooper brother. One Christmas Eve night he got a little too rowdy and things changed forever. Now the consequences of that fateful night have come back in full force and the myths of Christmas might be more real than he thought.
Rina Brewer is one of Santa’s elves. Not the tiny cute little toy maker, but the sexy, petite, energy filled bombshell kind. She’s come to Holiday to aid Justin in his new role as Santa’s executive, but as soon as she sees the sexy ex-bad boy, she realizes the job may be more than she bargained for.
As they work together to make this Christmas one to remember, an old foe has come to town to make sure that this holiday is the coldest yet.
Warning: Contains a perky elf who dreams of something more, a Christmas myth who may be a baddie, and a sexy ex-bad boy who craves Christmas cookies…and a certain perky blonde.
Excerpt:
It would be totally inappropriate to want him.
But, in reality, the connection between an assistant and their executive could be an intimate one if they let it. They were sharing magic, and sometimes a connection would hold. She hadn’t thought about that when she’d come down here. Honestly, she hadn’t thought much of anything. But, she couldn’t think of any of that now. No, she had work to do.
Plus, the object of her thoughts was staring at her with an intensity that threatened to send shivers of need down her body.
“Rina?” Justin’s deep voice caught her attention, and she wanted to moan. Fruitcake, she had to get off that track. “What’s wrong? Are you still cold?”
He pulled her closer and ran his hands up and down her arms. She almost closed her eyes and leaned into his touch but resisted. Barely.
“I’m fine, just warming up.” She pulled back from his arms and tried to ignore the sudden loss. “Are you ready to go?”
***Giveaway***
Carrie Ann is giving away a swag pack to a reader! Be sure to leave your email address!
Kissin’ the Week of Dec 17-22 Goodbye
12.17.12
Interview & giveaway with Delilah Marvelle & Maire Claremont
Guest Blogger: Lorraine Heath & giveaway
Kimberly’s review of A Gift For All Seasons by Karen Templeton
Kimberly’s review of Babycakes by Donna Kauffman
12.18.12
Interview & giveaway with Sandra Sookoo
Kimberly’s review of Under the Mistletoe by Jill Shalvis
Kimberly’s review of Season for Surrender by Theresa Romain
12.19.12
Interview & giveaway with Brady Christianson
Kelly’s review of She Can Tell by Melinda Leigh
12.20.12
Guest Blogger: Donya Lynne & Giveaway
Kimberly’s review of Rescuing Christmas by Thompson/Mann/DeNosky
Kimberly’s review of Let it Snow by Leslie Kelley & Jennifer LaBrecque
12.21.12
Guest Blogger: Anne Calhoun & giveaway
Kimberly’s review of The Spirit of Christmas by Liz Talley
12.22.12
SINsational Saturday Series
Real Mermaids (YA) Series by Helene Bourdreau
Real Mermaids Don’t Wear Toe Rings
First zit. First crush. First…mermaid’s tail?
If she hadn’t been so clueless, she might have seen it coming. But really, who expects to get into a relaxing bathtub after a stressful day of shopping for tankinis and come out with scales and a tail?
Most. Embarassing. Moment. Ever.
Jade soon discovers she inherited her mermaid tendencies from her mom. But this revelation raises a serious question: if Mom was a mermaid, how did she drown?
Jade is determined to find out. But how does a plus-sized, aqua-phobic, mer-girl go about doing that, exactly? And how will Jade ever be able to explain her secret to her best friend Cori, and her crush, Luke?
This summer is about to get a lot more interesting
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Real Mermaids Don’t Hold Their Breath
Jade begins her summer confused. Yes, there’s that whole “will this be a leg-day or a tail-day” kind of confusion, but Jade’s got even bigger problems: it’s been three weeks since Mom returned to the ocean with no news of her whereabouts. Plus, it’s been twenty-one days since Jade first kissed her mer-boy Luke and now-nothing.
Will Mom find the enchanted tidal pool that will allow her to become human? And why is Luke acting so weird?
The SEAquel to Helene Boudreau’s critically acclaimed Real Mermaids Don’t Wear Toe Rings is as energetic and fresh as a salty sea breeze.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Real Mermaids Don’t Need High Heels
Real Mermaids #3
Jade is really ready for life to return to normal—even if ninth grade is like being a goldfish in a shark tank and being asked to Junior Prom means Jade must get over her fear of awkward dancing. But there is unrest in the ocean, and the whole mer-world is on the brink of civil war. Can Jade find a plus-sized junior prom dress that doesn’t look like a shower curtain, keep her mer-ness a secret, and finally figure out if she and Luke are officially dating?
Check out Helene’s books here:
Helene’s Amazon Page
Guest Blogger: Anne Calhoun (+giveaway)
What Will Thea Do?
I’ve been blogging all over the known universe the last few days, and today I wanted to try something a little different. Following is the opening page and a half from my current release, BREATH ON EMBERS, featured in the RED HOT HOLIDAY anthology from Carina Press. The excerpt ends on a cliffhanger, of sorts. I’ll give away one copy of BREATH ON EMBERS to the commentor who accurately guesses what happens next (I’ll give you a hint – it’s NSFW so use euphemisms) and a bonus prize to the person who comes up with the most creative/funny description of what happens next. Get your thinking caps on, folks, and buckle up. J
December 3rd
Christmas lights glinted on Thea Moretti’s black patent leather boots as she hurried along East Eighty-Sixth Street, across Park Avenue, heading for Madison. The night air held a damp chill that boded snow, and a few drops of borderline-freezing rain spattered her hair. She tightened the belt of her matching thigh-length trench coat and turned up her collar against the cold. If she stood perfectly still the coat and boots covered her from ears to toes, but based on the looks she’d gotten on the bus, any movement flashed a couple of inches of bare skin between the coat’s hem and the tops of her thigh-high boots.
Korn pounded her eardrums as she passed Demarchelier, crowded even on a Tuesday evening, and crossed Madison against the light when the uptown traffic broke. She ducked through The Croydon’s glass door as a man in a business suit exited and headed for Fifth Avenue. The doorman gave her a quick onceover.
“He expecting you?” She couldn’t hear him over the sounds of “Falling Away From Me” but she’d gotten really good at reading lips since she’d moved to New York nearly a year before.
He was Ronan O’Rourke, resident of apartment 9B, and the answer to that question was no.
“Don’t buzz him,” Thea said, keeping her own volume natural. “You’ve got your hands full.”
Rick, occupied with handing out packages to impatient residents while accepting a rack of dry-cleaning from a laundry and buzzing an apartment expecting a delivery of what smelled like Chinese food, took her at her word and gave her a grateful nod as he hit the security buzzer to open the second set of doors. Thea slipped through with the delivery man. The fury-filled music thundering against her eardrums contrasted starkly with the cream marble floor and potted ferns as she headed for the bank of elevators at the back of the lobby. She and the delivery man waited for a couple to exit the elevator, then rode as far as the fourth floor together. Thea trusted the aroma of Kung Pao chicken wouldn’t permeate her outerwear.
There wasn’t enough material under the trench coat to absorb the scent of Chinese food.
Apartment 9B was right off the elevator bank. Thea paused just outside the door and adjusted everything she wore, tugging down the coat’s hem, straightening the boot tops. She shook the few droplets of chilled rain from her hair and left the coat collar up, as a glance in the mirror opposite the elevator told her it added a sexy-spy overtone to the look.
Reluctantly she turned off her iPod, tugged the earbuds from her ears, and wrapped the cord around the device. Silence rang loud in her head until the canned laughter of a sitcom rerun rose and fell behind Ronan’s door. She slipped the iPod into her coat pocket with her MetroCard, then depressed the buzzer.
The deadbolt clicked, then the door opened. Ronan stood on the other side in his stocking feet, his blue eyes widening with surprise and a pleasure that made her heart jitter. He wore a dark blue uniform with the single silver bar of the FDNY’s Lieutenant insignia on the collar. The sleeves of a white thermal undershirt were pushed to his elbows.
“Hey, Thea,” he said. “Did Rick buzz? I didn’t hear it.”
His voice trailed off as his eyes narrowed with interest. In some distant part of her mind she noted the fine lines radiating from the corners of his eyes, a sign that his last stretch of duty at FDNY’s Battalion 10, Engine Company 22, hadn’t been uneventful.
So much the better. He needed this. She needed it, too. More than he knew.
The patent leather squeaked when she cocked her head and her hip; his gaze roamed from the top of her tousled hair to the tips of her shiny black boots, lingering on the way back up at the exposed skin peeking through the coat. The tops of her thighs. The hollow of her throat.
Her mouth, adorned in a matte red several shades darker than her natural lip color.
Jackpot.
Silence stretched for a moment as heat bloomed on his cheekbones and in his bright blue eyes. One dark brow lifted. He cleared his throat, then braced one broad shoulder against the doorframe and let his gaze roam her body once more.
“Can I help you with something?”
Excellent. Ronan had a quick eye and a sharp mind, two qualities that nicely iced the cake of his muscular firefighter’s body.
“Santa sent me to help you, sir,” she said, her voice provocative but low in deference to the building’s other residents. The words felt a little ridiculous. She was a systems architect, not a…
Not a what? Not a flirt? Not a sexpot? Not alive?
His gaze flicked to her mouth again. “With what?”
Holding his gaze with her own, she reached for the trench coat’s belt and unbuckled it, then slipped the shiny black buttons free. The coat gaped open to reveal a red velvet Santa’s helper outfit. White fur trimmed the edge of the strapless bodice and the short skirt’s hem, dancing several inches above the tops of hooker boots straight out of Pretty Woman.
Subtlety wouldn’t hold back the emptiness. Filling the void required loud music and meaningless sex. “Anything you like,” she said.
What happens next? Post your guess below!
Christmas is the perfect time for Firefighter Ronan O’Rourke to take things to the next level with his sexually adventurous girlfriend. He knows she has feelings for him—and he’s sure of his feelings for her—but when Thea refuses his invitation to sample Christmas in New York City because what they share is nothing more than sheet-burning sex, Ronan sets out to change her mind.
Deep down Thea Moretti knows she cares for Ronan, but she can’t move past her grief over her late husband. Loud music and sex with Ronan are the only things she’s got that her feel alive, so she takes as much of both as she can get. She knows Ronan wants more, but during the darkest time of the year finding her way won’t be easy.
Ronan gambles everything and challenges Thea: one night of passion with him and another man. Can he prove to her that what they share isn’t just great sex but an emotional connection strong enough to last forever?
Anne’s info —
Guest Blogger: Donya Lynne + a giveaway
Former cobalt addict and AKM drug counselor, Io is a male vampire known as much for his abrasive personality as for his playboy lifestyle. Life on the edge suits him, and he lives full throttle, making his own rules, damn the consequences. What he wants, he takes, and what he wants now is Miriam. If only he can find a way to see her again without getting himself killed, but her father stands in the way.
Miriam is the daughter of the king. Strong-willed and defiant, she feels like a prisoner in her own home and struggles to break free from under her father’s oppressive hold. The king’s law surrounding Miriam is explicitly clear: No one touches her. Period. It’s a sentence that’s left Miriam to suffer from loneliness and resentment.
In a fit of rebellion, Miriam has turned to cobalt to find relief and freedom, but now she’s a prisoner to addiction as much as to her father’s strict control. What’s more, she can’t get sexy Io, who gently tended to her at the AKM facility as she recovered from her first overdose, off her mind. Will she ever see him again?
When Miriam overdoses a second time, she and Io are thrust back together, and all bets are off. Seeing each other was the one thing both wanted, and not even the king’s laws and threats of punishment will be enough to defuse their rebellious obsession with one another now that they’ve found each other again, even if the consequences are death.
Rebel Obsession, Io’s story, was a labor to write. Io and Miriam were so riddled with shame over what they had become, that neither wanted to talk, so I had to pull the story from them bit-by-bit, a little at a time. But the end product was worth the struggle. I’ve come to thoroughly enjoy the writing of this book, as hard fought as it was in the beginning, because when the characters finally opened up, they opened up big.
Why were they ashamed, you might be asking? Well, if you’ve read the previous books in the series, particularly Heart of the Warrior, you’ll see that Io was a bit of a bastard. He is notorious for being a womanizer and a bashing homophobe, and when his best friend, Arion, ended up coming out about his homosexuality in Heart of the Warrior, Io was floored. That storyline continues in Rebel Obsession, and we get to see how Io deals with the loss of his friend and watch him face the hard truth about himself: He’s a dick. I do love when characters go through hard self-realization like this. It’s fun to write.
As far as Miriam is concerned, she is ashamed that she fell victim so easily to the drecks’ drug, cobalt. She regrets taking that first hit, but now she doesn’t know how to stop. Priding herself on being smarter and stronger than that, she obviously beat herself up pretty badly throughout the entire writing of this story. There were days I felt like I was merely pulling her along in my mind. The epiphany came when it hit me: SHE’S ASHAMED! And she was confused, too, because she didn’t know who she was. After I realized that, it was easier to work with her, because I finally knew how to approach her to get her to spill her story…and I simply rode the idea that she was in the midst of an identity crisis, which helped immensely.
But Rebel Obsession isn’t all about Io and Miriam. It became clear early on that this story was a transition piece for the series, and it has a giant cast of characters, connecting the earlier books of the series to the ones still to come. In other words, if you miss this book, you will miss key components that link the early books with the ones coming after it. My editor says this is her favorite book of the series so far, and it’s definitely the biggest, coming in at 112,000 words, my upper limit for book size.
A few favorite characters see their storylines continue to develop in Rebel Obsession. Trace is obviously one of those characters. Everyone wants to know more about Trace. Well, you’ll definitely learn more about him in Rebel Obsession, and I think you’ll like what you learn. We also see Malek, who until now has been whitewashed, calm, and logical, take a turn for the worse. There’s a complicated reason for that, which we started to see in Heart of the Warrior, but you’ll have to wait until the next book, Return of the Assassin, due out in late 2013, to get his full story.
In fact, I’m drafting Malek’s piece now, and I’m in love with him. Whereas Rebel Obsession comes off as a more romantic, transitory piece, Malek’s story is taking shape to be deep, dark, and full of action and devious plotting, rife with conflict and adversity. So, stay tuned for more on his story.
We also see the introduction of several new characters in Rebel Obsession, both bad and good. Some will be pivotal to other developing storylines, while others will simply simmer along through the series.
If you haven’t read the other books in the series, yet, and want to get caught up before tackling Rebel Obsession on January 2, you can find them on Amazon with the below links. The books are also available at Barnes & Noble, All Romance ebooks, and Smashwords.
Micah’s Calling – Novella Supplement
If you want to keep up to date with what’s going on at AKM or with any of my other work, and also see occasional snippets of my current works in progress, you can follow me on Facebook: Author Donya Lynne or on my blog: www.donyalynne.blogspot.com
Thank you for having me on the blog today! Enjoy my boys…and their girls (or their boys, as the case may be).
Happy Reading and Writing,
Donya
Interview & Giveaway with Brady Christianson
Please tell us about your current release.
My book is titled The Devil’s Garden. It will be available on Veteran’s Day, November 11, which is appropriate because the book is dedicated to the veterans of The War on Terror. The story is centered on two main characters who are military veterans, both of whom participated in such military campaigns.
The first is Brandon Colson, who is from the wilds of Kentucky and served as a Recon Marine. The other is Sam Collier who is from Atlanta, served in the Army’s Military Police in Iraq, and then later became a detective. The two men’s paths cross unexpectedly when heavily armed Muslim terrorists from Colson’s past come back to pay him a visit in the dead of the night. Following the aftermath at his residence, and subsequently at the local airport, Colson finds himself being interrogated by Collier while the authorities are trying to sort out and understand the night’s events. The problem is Colson isn’t talking because the event is directly connected to his past service.
Due to the circumstances, the two men are diametrically opposed at first. In fact, they don’t even like each other. Colson soon decides Detective Collier takes too much pleasure with interrogating prisoners and Collier quickly decides he doesn’t like Colson’s cocky, uncooperative attitude. Of course, Collier comes to the realization that if a man is going to swim with sharks, run with lions, or fight with those special forces Recon types, then they are going to have to possess a certain kind of confident swagger about them. On the other hand, it is only after Colson discovers the detective is an Iraqi War veteran that he begins to appreciate Collier’s potential as an ally. With the stage set, the two combat veterans quickly find themselves joined at the hip and fighting for their lives.
Can you tell us about the journey that led you to write your book?
I suppose the journey started when I was 17 years old and looking to join the military. I knew I wanted to serve in a specialized warfare unit like the Army Special Forces or the Navy Seals. So I did some research and talked to the recruiters. That was when I discovered the Marine Corps had this unit called “Reconnaissance.” To make a long story short, the Navy and the Army guaranteed me a spot in whatever specialized unit I wanted and offered me a hefty enlistment bonus. The Marines, on the other hand, guaranteed me nothing and I guess they decided to keep the bonus money. They only guaranteed that I would first have to prove myself against all the other Marines before I could even have a chance to try to become a Recon Marine. These words did little more than wave a red flag at a bull and dare it to charge. The Marines have a unique way of taking a young man’s pride and turning it into a work of art. Of course, I must admit not all art is pretty or pleasing.
So I went, I made it into Recon, I served and got out. After that it was the typical college, career, family scenario. Then a few years ago, a Department of Veterans Affairs laptop was stolen. It contained the names, addresses, phone numbers, dates of birth and social security numbers of every veteran who served this country since the Vietnam conflict. The “missing” laptop was not recovered until about a month later, which was an eternity for someone to copy the information and sell it. There is a market for such information. In fact, according to the news it is not uncommon for some military personnel to sell their identification cards to people off base in order to get some extra cash. Of course, most do so not knowing to what end their identification cards will be used. Although common sense would dictate that nothing good could come of it, there are still those who do it anyway even though the military has harsh penalties for such conduct.
Considering these events and weighing them against the fact that there are those in the military services whose identities are protected — and they are protected for good reasons — the potential for disaster becomes painfully apparent. Combine all of this with one slightly paranoid, socially gruff, former Recon Marine and the story almost wrote itself.
Can you tell us about the story behind your book cover?
The Devil’s Garden is not just the title of the book. It is also an actual place in the wilderness of south-central Florida. It is a large geographic area with an old name that no longer appears on any modern maps. For the book’s cover I tried to visualize what kind of garden the Devil would keep. Instead of the Devil tending a field of crops, I see him fanning a field of flames and watching in delight as they grow toward the sky. Hence, the book’s cover is a field of flames reaching upward for its title.
What approaches have you taken to marketing your book?
The book’s website is at www.thedevilsgarden.us . There you can read excerpts and order it directly from me. The book will also be available through online retailers and bookstores. We are sending out press releases and setting up book signing events. We are also using social networking as well as my own personal network of friends who are either still in the military or are veterans of the military services.
What book on the market does yours compare to? How is your book different?
The book could be compared on many levels to any popular action-packed mystery thriller that involves a highly-trained military operative or agent who is pitted against a powerful enemy. However, I wanted to introduce a hero unlike any other, who is much more simple and yet, much more complex at the same time. I wanted him to be exceedingly more colorful, realistic and human. As such, Colson is a man of many faults, with a unique flair that is only amplified by his intelligence and the confidence that is required to obtain the title of United States Marine. He is impulsive, compulsive, and confrontational and yet has the capacity to be loyal, loving, gentle and kind. Moreover, I believe the most significant defining difference is Colson’s pure, unadulterated killer instinct which is only balanced by his unwavering faith.
What would you say is your most interesting writing quirk?
I cure writer’s block by target practicing with my knives. I can spend hours throwing them. Focusing on the target helps focus my thoughts. Not to mention the fact that it is both fun and effective.
Open your book to a random page and tell us what’s happening.
Page 151. Colson and Collier are patrolling through a forested area to the location where two fugitive Palestinian terrorists are hiding out. Colson is advising his new “hunting buddy” as to the dangers of the Floridian woods and wetlands such as the native predatory animals, poisonous snakes and spiders, as well as the dangers associated with booby traps when infiltrating a bomb maker’s lair. Needless to say, this is a matter of great concern to Collier who quickly decides he would have been better off not knowing.
Do you plan any subsequent books?
Yes. I do have a sequel in the works. In rough draft form, it is about a third of the way done.
Tell us what you’re reading at the moment and what you think of it.
I am nearly finished reading Biblica, which is a social and historical treatise on the many lands and cultures of the Bible. It is a wonderful and detailed work which only fuels my desire to take my family on a tour of the ancient world from Rome to Constantinople to Jerusalem to Cairo. I’d like my family to experience the lands of the exodus, the lands of promise, and the Kingdom of David, the paths of the Apostles John, Peter and Paul, but most importantly, to see where Jesus journeyed, preached, suffered, died and arose again into glory.
More about Brady Christianson:
Web Site | Tribute Books Blog Tours Facebook | The Devil’s Garden blog tour site
The Devil’s Garden
Price: $14.95
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Two Harbors Press
ISBN: 9781938690167
Pages: 391
Release: November 11, 2012Amazon buy link ($14.95) | MyBookOrders.com paperback buy link ($14.95)
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Two Harbors Press
ISBN: 9781938690167
Pages: 391
Release: November 11, 2012Amazon buy link ($14.95) | MyBookOrders.com paperback buy link ($14.95)
A Marine’s past is never far behind him, but sometimes it’s a lot closer than he thinks . . .
After years of enjoying the soft, quiet, civilian, family life, former Recon Marine Brandon Colson still has a large price on his head…only his family doesn’t know it. That is, until a heavily armed squad of terrorists breaks into his house and tries to kill him and his family.After swiftly dispatching the would-be assassins, Colson realizes the ghosts from his past have somehow managed to come back to haunt him. His worst nightmare has come true. His identity—a secret until now—has been mysteriously compromised. Something he did years ago, while on a recon mission during his tour of service, has kept anger burning in the hearts of powerful Arab adversaries. And the men who attacked his house are simply an omen of what is to come.
With his family in hiding, Colson and local detective Sam Collier set out to locate and neutralize the remainder of the terrorist cell. It’s a race against time, and the plot they uncover along the way defies all expectation.
Their fates in the balance until the last second, the two men must fight for their lives as they navigate a trail littered with bloodshed and revenge that leads straight to hell on earth: The Devil’s Garden.
Brady Christianson‘s Bio:
Brady Christianson is a former United States Marine Corps Recon Marine whose military service and Christian faith has shaped his writing.
Interview & Giveaway with Sandra Sookoo
We are so excited to have Sandra back on the blog. She is always a hoot!!!
Sandra, can you please share with us a little about yourself
Hi there! Thanks so much for having me back on your blog. I always love my visits here J My name, for those of you who haven’t heard of me, is Sandra Sookoo. I write romantic fiction across several genres and heat levels because all of my readers are different. The happy ending is what draws me to writing, and as long as my stories have that along with their quirky characters, I’ll always give you a smile.
Have you always wanted to be an author?
Well, I knew by the age of ten. Back then I was either going to be a writer or a cake decorator. I can bake a fine cake but decorating it is another matter—and I stink at it LOL Good thing I can spin a great yarn, huh?
Can you please tell us about your latest book(s)?
Absolutely! My newest book is a spicy Regency historical called THE BRIDE’S GAMBIT. It’s the 2nd book in the Scandal in Surrey series. I adored writing my hero, Collin. He’s the kind of man women swoon for and secretly dream they had. And I loved writing Vanessa too. She’s finally had it up to her eyeballs with her life and sets out to change it. Here’s the blurb:
She wants a dashing, courageous man…Vanessa Underhill is on the run from her fifth would-be groom. She doesn’t care for any of the men her father has picked–none engaged her mentally or physically. Hunger for a man who will stir her imagination fires her virginal fantasies.
He wants understanding… When he’s bored with his role as Viscount Blackpool, Collin Northington becomes a highwayman to gain anonymity and solace. With his face scarred fulfilling his military duty in India, he hides behind the brigand mask and persona. What he really desires is a woman who will look beyond outward appearances and take a chance.
If only for one night… In lieu of payment, Collin kidnaps Vanessa from the northern-bound stage. The more time they spend together—and in each other’s arms—the more they find they have in common beyond heated desire. When Collin delivers an impromptu marriage proposal, Vanessa unmasks more than his scarred face, but will his true identity and her penchant for fleeing grooms ruin what could very well be love?
Opportunity threw them together but circumstances might tear them apart.
Can you share with us your current work(s) in progress?
It seems like I always have something in the works. Right now I’m writing a contemporary ménage plus I’m also working on the first book in a new Regency series. I have the cover for this one and it’s the best motivation. It’s so sexy!
What is the best piece of advice you would give to someone that wants to get into writing?
That’s hand’s down easy: never stop writing. Write what you love. Often and always. And never let anyone tell you it won’t sell, work, etc. If you put passion in your writing and tell a great tale, it will find an audience.
I’d love to connect with you around the web! Here’s where you can find me:
Website | Believing is Seeing blog | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads
Also, as a treat, the first book in the Scandal in Surrey series, LADY PARKER’S GRAND AFFAIR, is on sale everywhere for only .99 cents!
She wants an affair…Maggie, Lady Parker desires a man, but she’s not willing to leave freedom in Surrey to find scandal in London. Widowed for years, she wants to conduct a big enough scandal that a gentleman might come calling merely to see if the rumors about her are true.
He wants a shot at Parliament…Stephen Tarkington is a self-professed rogue but if he had his way, he’d be a philanthropist. The only thing prohibiting his dream is his lack of sponsorship for a spot in Parliament. Marrying Lady Parker’s niece could solve his problem.
Sometimes the heart wants more…Imagine his surprise when he meets the widow and she’s not an old bird he can charm. She’s vibrant, sharp-tongued and enchanting to boot. Passion flares between them, and Stephen gives up on his plan… in search of a more pleasurable gamble.
Maggie is immediately drawn to the charming, handsome gentleman, but will a simple affair fulfill her needs? A scrape with public scandal will toss them into a situation that may just satisfy both of their secret desires.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Opportunity threw them together but circumstances might tear them apart.
She wants a dashing, courageous man…Vanessa Underhill is on the run from her fifth would-be groom. She doesn’t care for any of the men her father has picked–none engaged her mentally or physically. Hunger for a man who will stir her imagination fires her virginal fantasies.
He wants understanding… When he’s bored with his role as Viscount Blackpool, Collin Northington becomes a highwayman to gain anonymity and solace. With his face scarred fulfilling his military duty in India, he hides behind the brigand mask and persona. What he really desires is a woman who will look beyond outward appearances and take a chance.
If only for one night… In lieu of payment, Collin kidnaps Vanessa from the northern-bound stage. The more time they spend together—and in each other’s arms—the more they find they have in common beyond heated desire. When Collin delivers an impromptu marriage proposal, Vanessa unmasks more than his scarred face, but will his true identity and her penchant for fleeing grooms ruin what could very well be love?
Giveaway:
A $5.00 (five) dollar Amazon gift card, a subscription to my monthly newsletter and book swag
To Enter for a chance to win. Please leave Sandra a question or comment
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*ends 12/24/12*
Release Day Tuesday 12.18.12
Interview & giveaway with Delilah Marvelle & Maire Claremont
Books-n-Kisses is very excited to have the wonderful Delilah Marvelle and Maire Claremont on the blog today to chat about their new christmas anthology.
Ladies, can you please share with us a little about yourself
DM: I’ve been writing books ever since I could remember and love to really research the nuances of history. Especially naughty history J I created a blog, A Bit O’Muslin (www.DelilahMarvelle.blogspot.com ) after discovering some readers didn’t know dildos existed in the era I wrote in (1830). Imagine how shocked they were to discover the oldest dildo is actually over 28,000 years old. I’ve been trying to educate the world ever since, lol.
MC: I am a total gypsy. I’ve lived in multiple states, Ireland, England, and Scotland. I hope to keep moving. At present, I am touring the Pacific NW where I am orignally from, and will be staying near FORKS. I will keep my eye out for sparkling men. I have an M.A. in Theater and ADORE outdoor Shakespeare, having gone to Oregon Shakespeare Festival almost every summer of my young life!
Have you always wanted to be an author?
DM: Always. I got sucked into story telling as a kid when my dad would read books to me and found that I either didn’t like the way the story ended or I never wanted the story to end. So I started writing my own endings and stories. I haven’t looked back since.
MC: Oh. . . This is a tricky question because when I was five I probably didn’t know I could be an author! But I was writing stories. I didn’t “officially decide” to be an author until I was about 17. And at that time, I had decided would be the next Johanna Lindsay. (cough)
Who are some of your favorite writers? Who do you feel has influenced your writing?
DM: My favorite authors are for the most part dead, lol. Those authors include the Bronte sisters, Henryk Sienkiewicz, Edith Wharton, Charles Dickens and Jane Austen. Edith Wharton influenced my writing the most. There was a wry tone to her stories that were just beautiful.
MC: Oy. Well in Romance, some of my FAVORITE WRITERS ARE; Delilah Marvelle, Meredith Duran, Sherry Thomas, Joanna Bourne, JR Ward and Karen Marie Moning! As to influence? Delilah Marvelle is huge because she Cris all my work, taking out the nonsense. But what really sent me down the path of writing more richly tormented dark historicals was Meredith Duran’s first book The Duke of Shadows. If you haven’t read this, you MUST!!!!
How did you get into writing in this specific genre? Have you ever thought about writing in a different genre?
DM: In high school, I wrote horror (seriously). I was convinced I was going to be the next Stephen King. The problem was, my writing wasn’t scary at all and always had a romance in it. I finally discovered what I was really writing and drawn to when I read my first historical romance by Judith McNaught’s, WHITNEY MY LOVE. It changed everything, lol.
MC: I fell in love with the sweep of historical romance straighaway. I loved the larger than life characers, the houses, the horses, the costumes, and of course the heroes!!! I have thought about writing in other genres, but for now my focus is all HISTORICAL!
Can you please tell us about your latest book?
DM: It’s my first Christmas story I’ve done, and I’m excited to be able to share in this anthology, ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS WIIS A DUKE, with Màire Claremont. The whole concept is wondering what happened to the person you first fell in love with many, many years ago. Ever wonder what would happen if you had a chance to meet them again when you were older and wiser? Merry Christmas, Mrs. Robinson is about a very special re-union between two souls who weren’t ready to love when they first met but how Christmas is about to change that all for them.
MC: Well, at present, I am releasing All I Want For Christmass is a Duke with Delilah Marvelle! My story is The Twelve Days of Seduction which features an author in the disguise of a governess who refuses to slink of when her employer, the Duke of Beresford discovers her masquerade! My first full length novel, The Dark Lady, comes out Feb 5 2013. The heroine has been wrongfully placed in an insane asylum and her childhood love comes back to rescue her! But of course the course of true love never did run smooth and they have a lot of conflict to face before love can triumph!
How did you come up with the idea for this story?
DM: I was re-watching ‘The Graduate’ with my husband when my characters both whizzed into focus. I simply *had* to a write a story about an older woman and a younger man set in Dickens’s era during Christmas. In honor of her being the older woman (and the fact that the idea came to me as I watching ‘The Graduate’) I was totally going to call her Mrs. Robinson even if I had to marry her off to someone other than the hero (which I did). The similarities between ‘The Graduate’ and my story, however, end there, lol.
MC: Well, in regard to Delilah and my Christmas novella, we both knew we wanted dukes. Because seriously, what could be a better present! And I adore Jane Eyre, so I saw this as a chance to give my nod to one of my very, very favorite novels! In regards to The Dark Lady, quite truthfully, that story came to me in the middle of the night, and my heroine Eva, was SO demanding, I had to sit down and write the first chapter in the dark in my living room. She was quite a force, and I will never forget how intense it was to awake with such a story in mind.
Open your book to a random page and tell us what’s happening.
DM: The heroine is getting nailed. (Not in a dirty way, people!). It was a Twelfth Night tradition in the 1800’s that boys would go around with a hammer and nail and randomly nail the skirts of women and the coat tails of men to shop windows whenever anyone stopped. It was their idea of a good time. When I read about the tradition, I knew the heroine had to get ‘nailed’ to a confectionary shop.
MC: The hero and heroine are in a oak grove in the snowfall. He totally expects to seduce her. Instead, she gives him a lesson in etiqeuette, governess that she is!
What is your favorite Christmas/Holiday memory?
DM: Going to downtown Chicago on State Street as a kid, going ice-skating and then getting hot cocoa and pop corn and walking from display window to display window of Marshal Fields (which no longer exists…sigh). Everything just felt so magical then.
MC: My best Christmas memory must be from when I was VERY little! I was sitting staring at the tree with the lights waiting for my parents to wake up. My dad stumbled out to make the coffee and found me with the tree, rapt by all the beribboned presents!
What is in your To Read Pile that you are dying to start or upcoming release you can’t wait for?
DM: The book that I’m *dying* to read but no one knows when the heck is coming out is Judith McNaught’s next historical romance. There’s been talk of her coming out with another historical except it hasn’t happened. Poo.
MC: JR Ward’s latest!!! I can’t wait for Quinn and Blay’s story and Delilah Marvelle’s Forever A Lord!!! Lord Atwood is my favorite historical hero. ;D
“Two SCANDALOUS reads, one low price!” Only $0.99
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Merry Christmas, Mrs. Robinson by Delilah Marvelle
Lady Jane left her father, the Earl of Chadwick, and the ton behind to experience life on the stage. After a disastrous marriage, the widow is living on the edge of poverty, determined to guard her heart, when a secret admirer from her past demands a second chance.
Shy and retiring Martin Nicholas Pierce, the Sixth Duke of Somerset, has carried a torch for Lady Jane since her youth, but he is five years her junior. When she married another man, he left for Europe, determined to put her out of his mind. After returning to find Lady Jane free, he vows to replace the memories of her cursed Twelfth Night with a new beginning.
The Twelve Days of Seduction By Máire Claremont
Alexander Hunt, Eighth Duke of Berresford, is aware his ward’s governess isn’t quite what she seems. Although Miss Flint is beautiful and intelligent, she misrepresented herself to gain employment, and he threatens to give her the sack mere days before Christmas.
Desperate to convince the sexy duke not to tear her from the little girl she’s grown to adore, Adriana challenges him to seduce her before the Twelve Days of Christmas have come to an end, although she fears it may cost her heart. Alexander accepts the challenge, unconcerned that he has as much to lose, if not more, than the delectable Miss Flint.
Learn more about Delilah and Maire here:
Delilah:
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Maire:
Guest blogger: Lorraine Heath & giveaway
DECK THE HALLS WITH KISSES
It’s such a treat to be here today and to have the chance to chat with you about my latest release, DECK THE HALLS WITH LOVE, a Lost Lords of Pembrook novella. Since this blog site is Books-n-Kisses, it seemed appropriate that I should talk about kisses.
I love kisses and I enjoy writing about them, especially the first kiss that occurs between the hero and heroine. Sometimes they happen sooner in the story than I anticipated. Often when I start writing them they’re not exactly as I originally imagined. I’m a write-by-the-seat-of-my-pants author. I generally know where my story is headed; I’m just not always sure about everything that will happen along the journey to getting there. I will be engrossed in the midst of writing a scene and suddenly I’ll find myself writing a kiss. Sometimes the first kiss is passionate and leads to other things. Sometimes it’s a jolt. Sometimes it merely serves to awaken one of the characters so he or she truly notices the other one.
I am always amazed how the characters determine the nature of the kiss. It seems that writing a kiss would not vary overmuch, and yet when I go back and read the first kiss in any of my previous books, I realize that they only work within the context of that story. They can’t be dropped into another story. They are each unique to the characters who are engaged in the kissing.
Lady Meredith had often thought of what it might be like to be kissed by Lord Chetwyn, but he never took liberties when he was initially courting her. She had fully expected him to ask for her hand—until he proposed to someone else. Time has passed. He is no longer bound by his first proposal, but now Lady Meredith is on her way to the altar. He has very little time to convince her that he is the man for her. So when an opportunity arrived to steal a kiss, he could hardly resist.
Here is a peek at the stolen kiss in DECK THE HALLS WITH LOVE:
Suddenly one of his hands was cupping her cheek while his fingers plowed through her hair. He somehow managed to twist and bend her slightly so she was cradled in his other arm. He lowered his head and his mouth plundered. No soft taking this. But an urgency. He ravished with his tongue as though he would die if he didn’t taste her, as though he would cease to exist if he left anything unexplored.
His guttural groans reverberated through his chest, vibrated into her. She ran her free hand through his golden locks, felt them wrapping around her fingers as though they intended to hold her captive as easily as his mouth did.
As a reader, I like to be teased a bit before that first kiss comes along. I want to desire it as much as the hero and heroine. Which authors or characters have left you with memorable kisses?
Thank you so much for joining me today and may you find yourself beneath the mistletoe creating your own memorable kisses over the holidays.
Lorraine
For more information, visit Lorraine’s website: www.lorraineheath.com