Category: Blog Tour

April 30, 2014April 14, 2014

Spotlight Feature of Tangled Innocence by Carrie Ann Ryan

Tangled Innocence

Dante’s Circle Series, Book 4

by Carrie Ann Ryan

Release Date: April 15, 2014

Humans aren’t as alone as they choose to believe. Every human possesses a trait of supernatural that lays dormant within their genetic make-up. Centuries of diluting and breeding have allowed humans to think they are alone and untouched by magic. But what happens when something changes?

As one of the seven lightning struck women, Nadie Morgan has known for a while now that her fate would be forever changed…and revolve around a certain dragon. From the first time Dante Bell saw Nadie, he knew she was the one for him. There’s just one problem–there’s another in his life he’s waiting on as well.

When Jace Goodwin, a bear shifter and Mediator, finally comes back to the human realm after years away under circumstances out of his control, his first stop is to Dante’s Circle where he not only finds his dragon, but the woman they both have been waiting for.

Once secrets are told and the sparks fly, Nadie’s new life becomes something she never thought possible. However there’s another realm at play and Jace and Nadie’s dragon will have to fight harder than he’s ever fought before to keep the life he’s waited eons for.

Warning: Contains one not-so-innocent human, a bear known for his bear-hugs, a tattooed and pierced dragon with a fiery temper, and a connection so explosive, you’ll be fanning yourself from page one.

Don’t forget to check out Kelly’s review of Tangled Innocence HERE

A little about Carrie Ann:

USA Today Bestselling Author Carrie Ann Ryan never thought she’d be a writer. Not really. No, she loved math and science and even went on to graduate school in chemistry. Yes, she read as a kid and devoured teen fiction and Harry Potter, but it wasn’t until someone handed her a romance book in her late teens that she realized that there was something out there just for her. When another author suggested she use the voices in her head for good and not evil, The Redwood Pack and all her other stories were born.

Carrie Ann is a bestselling author of over twenty novels and novellas and has so much more on her mind (and on her spreadsheets *grins*) that she isn’t planning on giving up her dream anytime soon.

Carrie Ann loves hearing from readers. Visit the links to the left to contact her.

Get in touch with Carrie Ann Ryan!

April 29, 2014April 12, 2014

Break for Me Spotlight Tour

Break for Me

Secrets & Shadows #0.6

by Shiloh Walker

Release day April 22, 2014

Jensen Bell had twelve happy years before her her mother disappeared and her whole world went to pieces. Since then, she’s become a cop—one who takes great pride in her work, and in helping keep others safe. The saving grace in her own life has been Dean West, the only man who can make her burn with desire and help her through her burdens. But when a shocking discovery turns her life upside-down, even being wrapped in Dean’s arms might not be enough to keep her out of harm’s way

Read an excerpt HERE

Add to your Goodreads list: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19283098-break-for-me

Purchase here:

Amazon | B&N | Kobo | iBooks

A little about Shiloh:

Shiloh Walker is an award-winning writer…yes, really! She’s also a mom, a wife, a reader and she pretends to be an amateur photographer. She published her first book in 2003 and since then, has tried her hand at digital publishing, traditional publishing and self-publishing. Her publishers include Hydra Publications, Ellora’s Cave, Samhain, Berkley, Random House and St. Martins. She writes romantic suspense, contemporary and paranormal romance, and urban fantasy under the name J.C. Daniels.

Learn more about Shiloh:

Website | Facebook | Twitter| GoodReads

Giveaway Details:

A coach purse
Signed books from my back list
$20 Gift Card to Amazon or Barns & Noble
***Due to shipping & insurance, this contest will be limited to the US only***
Retail value $150

April 24, 2014April 17, 2014

Spotlight feature of Dani Harper’s Grimm Series

STORM WARRIOR

Grimm Series, Book 1

Publisher: Montlake Romance

Publication Date: August 6, 2013

From the best-selling author of Changeling Moon, this stirring novel of passion and magic launches an addictive new series for fans of paranormal romance.

Enslaved for millennia by the masters of the Welsh faery realm, the fierce Celtic warrior Rhys is doomed to wander the earth forever. But when a brave beauty unwittingly breaks the enchantment, he is drawn into a strange new world…and an all-consuming desire.

Sensible Morgan doesn’t believe in magic—until a mysterious being saves her from a fate worse than death, and life as she knows it changes forever. Now the man of her dreams has become flesh and blood, igniting a spark in Morgan’s soul which science cannot explain. But even a love that transcends time may not be strong enough to withstand the power of an ancient curse.

Don’t forget to check out Kelly’s review of Storm Warrior HERE

*****

STORM BOUND

Grim Series, Book 2

Published by: Montlake Romance

Publication Date: March 28, 2014

Amazon| AMAZON UK | AMAZON CA | B&N |Audible

Kidnapped on his wedding day in the twelfth century and forced into a thousand years of servitude by a cold-hearted faery princess, rugged blacksmith Aidan dreams of nothing but revenge on his captor. Then the spell of a beautiful witch awakens him to the modern world—and a passionate desire. But to build a future, he must first confront his past…

Modern witch and magic-shop owner Brooke doesn’t think her life is missing anything, until a wayward enchantment lands a brooding medieval blacksmith in her spell room—and in her arms. Yet even after their passion proves to be truly magical, Aidan’s first commitment is to vengeance. Now Brooke must team up with friends and ancient warriors alike—and push her own powers to their limits—to save her love from the wrath of an evil fae.

From the best-selling author of Changeling Moon, this thrilling and sensual novel adds a new chapter to Dani Harper’s Celtic folklore-themed Grim Series. Available in trade paperback, ebook and Audible.

A little about Dani:

Dani Harper is a former newspaper editor whose passion for all things supernatural led her to a second career writing paranormal fiction. A longtime resident of the Canadian north and southeastern Alaska, Dani recently ventured south with her husband to rural Washington to be closer to their grown children. She is the author of Changeling Moon, Changeling Dream, and Changeling Dawn, as well as First Bite, a Dark Wolf Story, and Storm Warrior, the first book in the Grim Series

Website: http://daniharper.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Dani.Harper.Fan.Page

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Dani_Harper

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1357414.Dani_Harper

On Audible:

GIVEAWAY TIME

GRAND PRIZE:

A signed paperback copy of STORM BOUND, an MP3-CD of STORM WARRIOR, a set of the LLEWELLYN TAROT cards, a Celtic-style blank journal, a Celtic symbol pendant (pewter), a pewter magnet of a “black dog” (mastiff), plus a Dani Harper tote bag and swag.

RUNNERS UP:

10 runners up – Reader’s choice of a Kindle ebook from Dani’s backlist (Changeling Moon, Changeling Dream, Changeling Dawn, First Bite or Storm Warrior) Note – if you do not own a Kindle, Amazon provides a free app for your computer, iPad, or smartphone so you will be able to read this ebook.

April 21, 2014April 20, 2014

Blog Tour Interview & Review: An American Werewolf in Hoboken by Dakota Cassidy

I have the amazingly talented Dakota Cassidy here today to talk about her new book, An American Werewolf in Hoboken. I loved Max and “Fluffy” and I can’t get enough of Ms. Cassidy’s humor in her books.

1. Tell us a little about yourself.

I’m an old, ex-small-time beauty queen who writes books about crazy situations with a little romance and smexy. 🙂

2. Can you tell us a little bit about your book, An American Werewolf in Hoboken?

Max Adams is a werewolf cursed to die if he doesn’t find his life mate, convince her he’s the one for her in a little under a month, and has to lead a double life while he does it. Because he ends up caught in full shift by Animal Control, and his life mate, JC Jensen mistakenly adopts him. 🙂

3. How did you come up with the idea for this book?

I always sort of thought wolves don’t look that much different than domestic dogs, so what would happen if one got caught by the pound, one who doesn’t necessarily look exactly like a wolf, but maybe a hybrid. I asked myself the same question I always do, “What if” and I took off from there. 🙂

4. What is the strangest thing that you had to research for a book?

You know, researching phone sex was really interesting. I actually called a phone-sex operator. She was really nice. Her name was Cinderella 🙂

5. What are you working on now?

The Accidental Dragon and more werewolves for the new series!

6. Are there any authors that have influenced you to become a writer?

You know, this just sort of happened to me, but as I began to take this more seriously, I’d definitely have to say Nina Bangs, Sandra Hill and Judith McNaught were huge influences.

7. What advice would you give aspiring writers?

Shut up. LOL! Seriously. Go write. DON’T talk about it. Don’t think about it too much. Just do it.

8. I’m a huge Walking Dead fan *cough* Daryl *cough* and I know that you are too, so do you have any other favorite TV shows at the moment?

Back off the Daryl, Jen! I love House of Cards, Blacklist, Resurrection, The Following — OMG, I could go on and on!

9. Favorite vacation spot?

I don’t take those very often, but I loved Key West.

10. Is there one food or drink that you have to have while writing?

Mostly I drink water — sometimes coffee, sometimes Peach Snapple.

Thank you so much for being here, Dakota.

I hope everyone will come check out Max and his whacky clan of werewolves. Please I need shoes. LOL! Thanks for having me, love!

About the Author:

Dakota Cassidy lives for a good laugh in life and in her writing. In fact, she almost loves a good giggle as much as she loves hair products and that’s saying something.

Her goals in life are simple, (like really simple): banish the color yellow forever, create world peace via hot rollers and Aqua Net; and finally, nab every tiara in the land by competing in the Miss USA, Miss Universe, and Miss World pageants, then sweeping them in a stunning trifecta of much duct tape and Vaseline usage, all in just under one week. Oh, and write really fun books!

Dakota lives in Oregon with her dogs and has a husband who puts the heroes in her books to shame.

Wooing a life mate can be hard enough for a wolf, wooing one while under the threat of a curse even more so.

Wooing a mate while pretending to be her dog? Nearly impossible.

After being drugged and captured by Animal Control, Max Adams is on Hoboken’s doggie death row when his life mate adopts him, takes him home, and promptly names him Fluffy. While JC, in all her new-pet-owner-ness, feeds “Fluffy” vile kibble, dresses him in mortifying dog couture, and schedules to have his manhood removed, Max’s human side gets to know JC. Especially in the biblical sense. Hopefully well enough to make her fall madly in love, mate with him under the full moon, and move with him to Cedar Glen to live happily every after forever and ever amen. And fast.

Because the curse comes with a deadline…and the clock is ticking.

April 19, 2014April 13, 2014

Jennifer’s Review of An American Werewolf in Hoboken

Review (4.5 Stars): Max Adams is looking for his mate in Hoboken and has to find her before the first full moon to break a family curse. He never expected to be drugged and captured in his wolf form by Animal Control and placed for adoption in an animal shelter. JC Jensen is tired of having worthless boyfriends in her life and decides that adopting an animal will help her from falling for the wrong guy again. She is instantly drawn to Max at the shelter and decides that he is the pet for her and takes “Fluffy” home. Max knows that JC is the one that is destined to be his mate and has a month to convince her that they belong together. So he “moves” in as her next door neighbor and also plays the part of “Fluffy” to get to know JC and as time goes on, falls in love with her. He just has to convince her that she is his mate and not scare her by announcing that he and her precious dog “Fluffy” are one in the same and that he comes from a family of werewolves.

I love Dakota’s writing style because each of her books are filled with love and humor that always makes me laugh out loud. I felt sorry for poor Max in the beginning because he got himself captured by Animal Control and had to deal with humiliation of being a pet dog named Fluffy. He knew that JC was his mate at first sight and was surprised to learn that she was human and not a werewolf like him. JC had the single life that a lot of us women had, meeting jerk after jerk and wondering if we would find anyone worthy in our lives. She decided that adopting a pet was the answer and it was by bringing Max into her life. They were great together as a couple and he made her feel as though she was treasured which is exactly what she needed. I loved Max’s family because of everything they did for the residents of Cedar Glen and how accepting they were of JC without a second thought. An American Werewolf in Hoboken is a sexy, hot romance that will having you laughing at all the trouble that Max gets into while trying to find his mate. I can’t wait to see which one of Max’s family has to take their journey to find their mate next.

Blog Tour & Giveaway: Small Town Spin by LynDee Walker

When a superstar athlete’s son turns up dead in a tiny town on the Virginia coast, crime reporter Nichelle Clarke gets the inside scoop. But she quickly spies a gaping hole her inner Lois Lane cannot ignore.

Determined to unravel the mystery, Nichelle fights off paparazzi cameras and an unexpected rival. She uncovers an illegal moonshine operation, a string of copycat suicides, and a slew of closets stacked with more skeletons than slingbacks. Chasing a killer who’s a breath from getting away with murder, Nichelle realizes too late the culprit has her number—and it might be up.

Amazon/Goodreads

About the Author:

LynDee Walker’s award-winning journalistic work has appeared in newspapers and magazines across the nation. After nearly a decade covering crime, courts, and local politics, she left full-time reporting for motherhood with a side of freelancing and fiction writing. Small Town Spin is the third in her bestselling Headlines in High Heels Mystery series. The fourth arrives January 2015.

LynDee adores her family, her readers, and enchiladas. She often works out tricky plot points while walking off the enchiladas. She lives in Richmond, Virginia, where she is either playing with her children or working on her next novel (but probably not cleaning her house).

Website/Facebook

Jennifer’s Review of Small Town Spin

Review (4 Stars): I was first introduced to the character, Nichelle Clarke, in the anthology, Heartache Motel, that I had the pleasure of reading a few months back. Dateline Memphis was one of my favorite stories from that book and I’m so glad to read her newest adventure, Small Town Spin. Nichelle receives a phone call to do an exclusive interview with the famous family of a teenager who recently committed suicide. What she finds is a mystery that doesn’t quite add up when the clues don’t lead to a troubled young man but one that had so much to live for. As she investigates further, more teenagers are committing suicide in this small town and she is willing to put herself in danger to find answers.

I liked Nichelle because she is such a great character. During most of this book, she was fighting a sinus infection and working long hours to find answers to this mystery which I respected. She was smart, sassy and I loved her determination. The mystery was well-written and engaging until the very last page. I love Ms. Walker’s books and I’m looking forward to reading more in this series.

April 12, 2014April 11, 2014

Blog Tour & Giveaway: See Jane Fall by Katy Regnery

When his company is contracted by a magazine to help with a fashion photo shoot, easy-going Yellowstone tour guide Lars Lindstrom rolls his eyes. This means he’ll have to “babysit” supermodel Samara Amaya’s assistant. Little does he know that Jane Mays, Samara’s down-to-earth, smart-mouthed assistant and cousin, with her smoky voice and surprisingly soft heart, is someone of whom he can’t get enough—or that spoiled Samara has her sights set on a weekend fling with him and will do just about anything to get her way.

When a plain Jane faces off with a supermodel to win a cowboy’s heart, just about anyone can end up taking a fall. This time it’ll be for good.

Amazon/Goodreads

About the Author:

KATY REGNERY, contemporary romance author of the Heart of Montana and Enchanted Places series, has always loved telling a good story. She credits her mother with making funny, heartwarming tales come alive throughout her childhood. A lifelong devotee of all romance writing, from Edwardian to present-day, it was just a matter of time before Katy tried her hand at writing a love story of her own.

Living in northern Fairfield County, Connecticut, where her writing room looks out at the woods, her family creates just enough cheerful chaos to remind her that the very best love stories of all are the messy and unexpected ones.

Jennifer’s Review of See Jane Fall

Review (4.5 Stars): Katy Regnery is quickly becoming one of my favorite romance authors with her well-written story lines and characters that you can instantly connect with. Jane Mays is no exception and I think that See Jane Fall is in my top five books so far this year. I loved Jane because she was a survivor, she dealt with the loss of her family and dealt with the daily verbal abuse from her prima donna cousin, Samara. Jane was fun, down-to-earth, and needed to step out of Samara’s shadow to grab her chance at love before her cousin ruined everything. It was fun watching Jane and Lars together because they had so much in common and were perfect for each other if they just gave it a chance.

The only thing I didn’t like about this book was Samara, Jane’s cousin, because she was a selfish, backstabbing, cruel woman who used her beauty as an excuse to verbally abuse everyone around her. I wanted to smack her for Jane because this woman needed to be brought down a few pegs and it made me root for Jane all the more. I loved reading Jane and Lars’ story in See Jane Fall and I’m dying to read Maggie’s story next from Ms. Regnery.

April 10, 2014April 9, 2014

Release Blitz for Carly Phillips

Title: Dare to Desire (Dare to Love #2)

Author: Carly Phillips

Release Date: April 10, 2014

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Book Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=275YTkBUOSg

Synopsis

Quarterback Alex Dare, had it all — an all-star football career with the Tampa Breakers and his choice of willing women — until a severe injury forces him into early retirement. When he is offered a ground-breaking position with a rival team, he’s intrigued, but there’s a catch. He’ll be working alongside the same woman he hasn’t been able to get out of his head for too long.

Social worker Madison Evans grew up in foster homes and knows first hand what it means to have-not. She isn’t impressed by Alex Dare’s wealth or charm. Not since she fell hard for him once before, only to discover she was just one of his too-easy conquests. This time around Madison refuses to succumb to Alex so easily.

But Alex wants Madison. And if there is one thing Alex does well, it’s to get what he wants. The playboy athlete must prove he’s got game in more places than on the field. He means to prove that he’s a changed man but no sooner does he begin to break through Madison’s defenses when a new opportunity comes knocking and threatens her new-found trust. Can he make Madison take a risk and dare to love?

Excerpt

Without replying, Ian opened the door. They stepped into the room, and Alex laid eyes on the one woman he hadn’t been expecting to see. The same woman who’d haunted his dreams and sidetracked him from many of his nightmares.

Madison faced him head on. Her shoulders drawn back, golden-blonde hair pulled away from her face, she didn’t back down from his stare. She wore a pair of black slacks that hugged her curves and a white silky-looking top that clung to her generous breasts. And those unusually blue eyes frosted over at the sight of him.

“Alex, I believe you know Madison Evans.”

Blindsided — and his half brother knew it — Alex strode up to her. He inhaled her familiar fruity scent, which only served as a reminder of the hot times he’d spent breathing her in as his cock moved inside her body. Her effect on him was potent, and even the most common expressions failed him.

“Alex,” she said, her cool tone bringing his head out of the desire-filled fog he’d found himself in.

“Hey, Angel,” he said, using the endearment he’d started calling her during their brief time together. Another sign he’d had it bad, whether he’d wanted to admit it or not.

Her head whipped up, her eyes narrowing and settling on Ian. “This won’t work.” She turned to go.

Alex still had excellent reflexes, and he grabbed her arm before she could stride past him.

She glared.

He didn’t look away, determined to win this battle of wills. This potential job, which had interested him on an intellectual and emotional level initially, suddenly felt even more important, and she was the reason.

“We need to talk,” he insisted.

“I have nothing to say.”

“Ian’s proposition said otherwise.”

Madison looked over his shoulder in search of Ian and frowned. “Well, the traitor is gone. No big surprise there.”

Smart man, Alex thought. “If I let you go, will you stay long enough to discuss this position Ian and Riley want me to take?”

She let out a frustrated puff of air.

He took that as a yes and released her.

“Us working together is not a good idea, and somewhere in that thick head of yours, you know that.”

“Because we slept together? More than a couple of times?”

She set her jaw. “That was a mistake.”

Ouch. That hurt, he thought, and filed away the why to deal with later. “I want to know more about this training program and what my role in it would be.”

“Why? You can’t possibly be interested.”

“It sounds more like you don’t want me to be interested.”

She rolled her shoulders back even farther, stiffening her posture. “You’re right. I don’t. This is a serious project that could help a lot of people and have far-reaching positive repercussions for years to come. I need a partner willing to go all in. And let’s face it, I’ve seen your staying power. It’s nonexistent.”

Buy the Book

Dare to Desire (Dare to Love #2)

Amazon | iTunes

Dare to Love (Dare to Love #1)

Amazon US | Amazon UK | B&N | Kobo | iTunes

About the Author

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author Carly Phillips N.Y. Times and USA Today Bestselling Author Carly Phillips has written over 40 sexy contemporary romance novels that today’s readers identify with and enjoy. After a successful 15 year career with various New York publishing houses, Carly is making the leap to Indie author, with the goal of giving her readers more books at a faster pace at a better price. Her Serendipity books will still finish up in January/February 2014 via Berkley as planned. Carly lives in Purchase, NY with her family, two nearly adult daughters and two crazy dogs who star on her Facebook Fan Page and website. She’s a writer, a knitter of sorts, a wife, and a mom. In addition, she’s a Twitter and Internet junkie and is always around to interact with her readers. You can find all information about Carly at her website and other social media sites …

Follow Carly on the web:

April 7, 2014April 6, 2014

Interview with Kait Ballenger

Books-n-Kisses is pleased to welcome Kait Ballenger back to the blog today to chat about her newest release Immortal Hunters.

Kati, for those who missed your first visit can you please share with us a little about yourself

I am a paranormal romance author, a wife to my loving and amazing husband (who sometimes serves as my personal assistant for writing events lol), a mother to two little angels in heaven, a soon-to-be-professor, an animal lover and owner (1 dog and 2 cats), and a reformed northerner. I was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, but now reside in sunny Central Florida. I name my pets after book characters. I have several roses tattooed on my back and I used to work as a professional bellydancer.

Have you always wanted to be an author?

Not always, even though I enjoyed writing from the time I was in about fifth grade. When I was very young I wanted to be a singer or a musician or an actress. Then in high school I wanted to be a doctor for a while (specifically an OBGyn, because I thought delivering babies would be a great job), then I decided that med school was too much school, specifically too many math classes (I hate math), so I decided I wanted to a Spanish professor during my first semester of college. Then, finally, in my second semester of my undergrad, I figured it out and decided to be a writer 😉 That’s the only thing that stuck, though my interest in all those other subjects still remains.

Are you a plotter or a panster or combo of both? And can you explain the difference?

I’m a combo of both. A plotter is someone who plots out the vast majority of what they write, before they actually begin writing. A panster is someone who doesn’t plot much and generally goes with the flow of their inspiration. When I first started writing, I was very much a panster, but then I realized that, for me, that wasn’t really conducive to writing well-plotted books. The books I wrote in my panster days needed a lot more rewriting and heavy editing than my current books do. As I’ve grown as a writer, I’ve become more of a plotter. I don’t plot every single detail, but I figure out major points before I begin writing and then let the magic inspiration connect the dots between those points.

What is your most interesting writing quirk?

I guess the fact that my desk has to be 100% clean before I start writing a book, but then by the time I’m done, it’s like an explosion occurred in my office.

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

My latest release is Immortal Hunter, which is the second book in my Execution Underground paranormal romance series—which just released a week ago—yay! Immortal Hunter is a reunited love story about a couple who separated years ago and are now forced back together by fate and have to reconcile. The hero is a demon hunter, an exorcist, named David Aronowitz and the heroine is a half-Fae and former demon hunter, named Allsún O’Hare and they have to team up together on a hunt for a sadistic demonic monster who has been murdering innocents in Rochester, NY.

How did you come with the idea for this story?

Well the heroes of my series are members of a covert organization called the Execution Underground and each book focuses on one of the members of the Rochester division of the organization. I knew that eventually for one of the books I wanted to write a rekindled love story, and David just seemed like the perfect hero to do that with, so things kind of stemmed from there.

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

I’m currently working on book three in the Execution Underground series, Midnight Hunter, which will hopefully be releasing very late this year. I’m also working on the beginnings of a new romantic suspense series, but that isn’t contracted with a publisher yet, so it won’t be out for a while 😉

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

J.K Rowling: because the Harry Potter books were the start of my love of reading.

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

If being a writer is what you want to do, then don’t give up. Time spent persevering toward a common goal and a little bit of luck is all that separates published authors from unpublished authors. Also, do it for the right reasons. Only become a writer because you actively love to write, not because you want fame, money, or prestige, because none of those actually come with the job, contrary to popular belief lol.

Can you share with us something off your bucket list.

Aside from hitting the NYT Bestseller list and seeing one of my books be made into a movie lol…I’d like to take my husband to Japan one day during cherry blossom season. I’ve been there before, but he hasn’t, so I’d like to see him experience that.

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

Currently, I’m reading Allegiant, the second book in the Divergent trilogy by Veronica Roth—I loved the first book and totally fell head over heels for Four, so I’m excited to dig into the second book—so I can’t wait to finally sit down and finish it. I’m only 6 chapters in right now.

What is one book everyone should read before they die?

The Bible: which I say for reasons beyond just basic religious affiliation, because it has influenced so many aspects of various cultures and literature across the world as well as for historical value.

What is your favorite time of year & why?

Here in Florida I generally like from the end of February through the beginning of May, so springtime. Up north I like the fall. Spring, because the weather is beautiful here in FL, and fall because I love the colors of the leaves changing and the sort of melancholy end-of-the-year feeling fall brings.

Who is your Celebrity crush? And what would you do if you ever meet them?

My two favorite heartthrobs are Jensen Ackles (specifically as Dean from Supernatural) and Chris Meloni (as Stabler from SVU). I can’t even think about what I would do if I met them, because it wouldn’t be fair to my sweet husband LMAO

Is there anything else you would like to add?

Thanks so much for having me! I hope readers will consider checking out my series!

Want to learn more about Kait or her books? Check her out here: Website | Facebook | Twitter

*****

Immortal Hunter

SERIES #: Execution Underground #2
CHARACTERS: David Aronowitz & Allsún O’Hare
AUTHOR: Kait Ballenger
PUBLICATION DATE: April 1, 2014
ORDER LINKS:Amazon| B&N | Goodreads

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Hunters of the supernatural, the Execution Underground are an elite group tasked with protecting humanity…but at what price?

As an exorcist, David Aronowitz grew up the target of demonic assassins. Now he’s a member of the Execution Underground and hellspawn everywhere fear his name. But when a demon
slips into the seductive body of the only woman he’s ever loved, David must confront the heartbreak of their past to save her.

The piece of her heart Allsún O’Hare gave to David so long ago left her trapped between two worlds: the Fae and the human. And when David comes to her rescue, fate reunites her with her greatest temptation—and her biggest mistake.

Now, as they’re swept together into a wicked game with the demon who controls her, David must decide if saving Allsún’s life is worth sacrificing his own—and the future of humanity itself.

April 5, 2014April 4, 2014

Blog Tour & Giveaway: Death on Eat Street by J.J. Cook

I’m pleased to welcome J.J. Cook here today to talk about their new book, Death on Eat Street. I love culinary mysteries so this one is definitely high on my list.

1. Tell me about your new release.

Death on Eat Street is about Zoe Chase who gives up her job at a bank to follow her heart, and become a food entrepreneur. She buys a diner that needs substantial renovations, and creates a food truck to finance that plan. Her ace-in-the-hole is the biscuit bowl: a deep friend biscuit with the center hollowed out and filled with pie filling, custard, beef stew, or chili. She has some difficulties getting started when she finds a dead rival food truck owner, but has friends who help her through the bad times.

2. What inspired you to write mysteries?

We have both always loved mysteries! Sherlock Holmes, the Hardy Boys, Nancy Drew. We love the puzzle, and solving it while we write the story.

3. What is the most interesting/strange thing you had to research for your books?

We actually got in the middle of a food truck feud over parking places. We put that into Death on Eat Street since we lived through it. People hire others to keep certain places open in good sales areas. Failing that, they get physical pushing other food trucks out of the way. It was a strange, and scary experience!

4. What are you working on now?

We are working on our next food truck book, FRY HARD, and our seventh Peggy Lee Garden Mystery, LETHAL LILY, which is out in May. Our first book in the Retired Witches Spell Book Mystery, SPELL BOOKED, will be out in December.

5. Are there any authors or books that have influenced you to become a writer?

We read across genres – mystery, romance, science fiction, fantasy – and like to write in all those genres. We love Ray Bradbury, Isaac Asimov, Tanith Lee, Carole Nelson Douglas, and Barbara Hambly.

6. What was the first book you ever wrote and was it published?

The first book that we wrote was A Family for the Sheriff, and it was published by Silhouette in 1999 under one of our pseudonyms, Elyssa Grant.

Thank you so much for being here on Books-n-Kisses.

Thanks for having us here today!

About the Author:

J.J. Cook writes award-winning, bestselling mystery fiction as themselves, Joyce and Jim Lavene, and Ellie Grant. They have written and published more than 70 novels for Harlequin, Berkley, Amazon, and Gallery Books along with hundreds of non-fiction articles for national and regional publications. They live in rural North Carolina with their family. Visit them at www.jjcook.net.

Twitter/Facebook

Zoe Chase always wanted to own her own restaurant—but first, she’ll have to serve up a heaping helping of meals on wheels, with a side of mystery. When she’s once again passed over for a promotion at work, Zoe decides to take the big leap and go for her dream. She quits, gives up her fancy digs, and buys a fixer-upper diner in a shady part of town. To keep above water during the renovation, she buys a used food truck to serve the downtown and waterfront of Mobile, Alabama. Zoe starts to dish out classic Southern food—but her specialty is her deep-fried biscuit bowls that blow traditional bread bowls away. After a promising start, things start to go downhill faster than a food truck without brakes. First, someone tries to rob the cash register. Next, Zoe is threatened by the owner of a competing food truck for taking their spot. And when the owner ends up dead inside Zoe’s rolling restaurant, Zoe and her sole employee, Ollie, find themselves hopping out of the frying pan into the fryer. They need to find the real killer, before both of them get burned.

April 3, 2014April 2, 2014

Jennifer’s Review of Death on Eat Street

Review (4.5 Stars): Zoe was a great character for me because she took a chance on making her dreams come true and quit her dead-end job to open up a diner. Her family thought she was crazy because all she wanted to do was make people smile by having them eat her food. She quickly becomes involved in the death of a food truck competitor whose dead body ends up in the driver seat of her food truck. Even though she is cleared as a suspect, Zoe still finds herself in dangerous situations from someone who believes that she is hiding something that belonged to the deceased. She now has to find the true identity of the killer before her dreams of success go up in smoke.

This is the first book in the Biscuit Bowl Food Truck mystery series and I’ve already become a fan of Zoe and her friends. I liked how Zoe was truly a good person who always looked for ways to help other people even though she barely knew them. She came from a rich family who tried to push her into staying at a boring job and marry a guy who was absolutely wrong for her. She believed in the people that she just met and they turned out to be people that she could really count on when her family wouldn’t support her dreams. I thought the murder mystery was exciting and full of plot twists that will definitely keep you on your toes. Death on Eat Street is a delectable mystery that will have you craving one of Zoe’s famous biscuit bowls and I can’t wait to see what is in store for Zoe next.

Giveaway

I have one copy of Death on Eat Street to giveaway. This giveaway is for US Residents only. To be entered in the drawing by April 10th, please leave a comment or question for J.J. Cook:

Blog Tour & Giveaway: A Killing Notion by Melissa Bourbon

Today we have Melissa Bourbon here on Books-n-Kisses to talk about her new book, A Killing Notion. She is also the author of the Lola Cruz mystery series, so please give her a warm welcome. 🙂

1. Tell me about your new release.

A Killing Notion is the 5th book in A Magical Dressmaking mystery series. If you know anything about Texas homecoming, you may have heard about big Texas mums. Homecoming and mums set the stage for the latest mystery Harlow Cassidy needs to solve.

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

I live in Texas and wanted to create a small, quaint town that would be one I’d like to live in (minus the murders!). When creating Harlow, I wanted her to have an interesting history. Making her a descendent of Butch Cassidy gave her a unique background and also allowed her, and all the Cassidy women, to have charms. The magical element is very light… just enough to add a little twist of fun to the stories!

3. What was the most interesting thing that you had to research as a writer?

With the Lola Cruz mystery series, I researched nudist resorts. There was one about ten miles from our house which I actually went to. I interviewed people who worked there, and people who were members. To say it was interesting is an understatement! I haven’t done anything quite as bold or crazy since them. I don’t foresee any nudist resort mysteries in Harlow Cassidy’s future.

4. Which authors do you feel have influenced you to become a writer?

I would have to say Agatha Christie. During high school I read all of her mysteries and loved every one of them. I remember going to the library with my mom so she could check out Curtain, Hercule Poirot’s last case. So while she’s not a writer, my mom also greatly influenced me.

I also love magical realism, so Alice Hoffman and Sarah Addison Allen are two contemporary authors I like. Practical Magic is one of my favorite books.

5. What are you working on now?

I just finished the 6th Magical Dressmaking book, A Seamless Murder. It’ll be released in January 2015. I’m in the process of the fourth Lola Cruz mystery and a proposal for a new series. Details to come!

6. Favorite TV guilty pleasure? Downton Abbey, True Detective, and House of Cards. LOVE them all!

7. Favorite Food? Warm chocolate chip cookies straight from the oven, baba ganoush (crazy love!), and spanakopita (spinach and feta strudel made in fila dough) – not all in the same meal, of course. 😉

About the Author:

Melissa Bourbon, who sometimes answers to her Latina-by-marriage name Misa Ramirez, gave up teaching middle and high school kids in Northern California to write full-time amidst horses and Longhorns in North Texas. She fantasizes about spending summers writing in quaint, cozy locales, has a love/hate relationship with yoga and chocolate, is devoted to her family, and can’t believe she’s lucky enough to be living the life of her dreams.

She is the Marketing Director with Entangled Publishing, is the author of the Lola Cruz Mystery series with St. Martin’s Minotaur and Entangled Publishing, and A Magical Dressmaking Mystery series with NAL. She also has written two romantic suspense novels, a light paranormal romance, and is the co-author of The Tricked-out Toolbox, a practical marketing guide for authors.

Harlow Jane Cassidy is swamped with homecoming couture requests. If only she didn’t have to help solve a murder, she might get the gowns off the dress forms….

Harlow is doing everything she can to expand her dressmaking business, Buttons & Bows—without letting clients know about her secret charm. When she has a chance to create homecoming dresses with a local charity and handmade mums for several high school girls—including Gracie, whose father, Will, has mended Harlow’s heart—she is ready to use her magical talents for a great cause.

But when Gracie’s date for the dance is accused of murder, Harlow knows things won’t be back on course until she helps Gracie clear the football player’s name. If Harlow can’t patch up this mess before the big game, her business and her love life might be permanently benched.

Jennifer’s Review of A Killing Notion

Review (4.25 Stars): I love books that deal with magic and this series is definitely a winner. In A Killing Notion, Harlow is enjoying the success of her business and is in the middle of creating homecoming dresses for the local high school girls. When the boyfriend of one of the girls is accused of murdering his father, Harlow decides to use her investigating skills once again to help clear his name.

I’ve always liked Harlow and I was glad to see that her relationship with Will was still going strong in this book. I love spending time with these characters and enjoy the shenanigans of Harlow’s ghostly grandmother, Loretta Mae, who always makes an appearance when least expected. This clever mystery had me guessing until the very end and I have to say this series keeps getting better and better. Looking forward to reading the next book in the series, A Seamless Murder, which will be out early next year.

April 1, 2014March 31, 2014

Blog Tour & Giveaway: A Roux of Revenge by Connie Archer

I’m delighted to have Connie Archer here today to discuss her new book, A Roux of Revenge. This is one of my favorite mystery series right now and I absolutely adore her main character, Lucky and her restaurant, By the Spoonful Soup Shop. Take it away, Connie.

When a band of travelers arrives in the village of Snowflake, Vermont and a dead stranger is found by the side of the road, the past returns with a vengeance. Long kept secrets will be revealed, lost loves will be found and the lives of many in the village will be irrevocably altered.

Special thanks to Books-n-Kisses for hosting this stop on my blog tour for A Roux of Revenge, the third book in the soup lover’s mystery series.

How did this book come to be? Well, it’s a cozy culinary mystery–there’s a dead body, an old crime and a young girl in danger, but apart from all that, this story somehow took on a life of its own, and before I realized it, I was also writing a love story–a story about love gone wrong, lost love and love found again after many years.

Sometimes we know exactly what sparks a particular story and sometimes it’s lost in the recesses of memory. It was just such a random event that gave me the kernel of an idea for A Roux of Revenge. A brief headline on a web page read: “Eleven Romanian Gypsies Captured by Canadian Border Patrol.” My ears went up. I just had to read this article. And it turned out to be true! It wasn’t an exaggeration and it made me wonder.

Why couldn’t a group of travelers from the north arrive in the village of Snowflake, Vermont? Perhaps they come from Cape Breton in Nova Scotia. Perhaps they speak a form of Gaelic–Scottish Gaelic. Perhaps they have been traveling for generations and could be connected to someone in the village of Snowflake, Vermont. That’s how my invented clan of Scottish Gaelic-speaking travelers came to life.

But then I started wondering about all traveling people — are there gypsies or travelers in the U.S. today, still living a nomadic lifestyle? How do they live? Under the radar? How do they deal with the simple things of life, like a birth certificate or a driver’s license. I did a bit of research and learned a lot.

The word “gypsy” is a perversion of the word “Egyptian,” but the people called “gypsies” weren’t from Egypt. They migrated out of northern India over a thousand years ago, moving through western Asia and Europe, and eventually traveling to the British Isles and the Americas. They are know by many names in many countries – they have become the Irish Travelers (although this group claims a different lineage), the English Romnichels, the Ludar, the Hungarian Slovaks, and the Tinkers of Scotland, to name just a few. They have been persecuted, vilified and subjected to forced emigration throughout the centuries.

Today, in the United States alone, there are estimated to be more than a million Romani people who come from far flung places around the globe. Although traveler culture honors family and ancestors and a commitment to a nomadic lifestyle, many descendants of travelers have very little information about their roots.

There are, however, dedicated people who want to help. If you believe you’re descended from a traveler culture, read on and explore the following websites where you might learn more about your origins and your ancestors.

The Gypsy Lore Society

http://www.gypsyloresociety.org/additional-resources/gypsy-and-traveler-culture-in-america

Roma of the Americas

http://sciway3.net/clark/freemoors/roma.html

Irish Travelers

http://sciway3.net/clark/freemoors/travellers.html

My clan of Scottish Gaelic-speaking travelers knows exactly where they come from and the place they’ll return to every year. It may be a long time before they’re in Snowflake, Vermont again, but I know you’ll enjoy reading about them all in A Roux of Revenge.

About the Author:

Connie Archer is the national bestselling author of A Spoonful of Murder and A Broth of Betrayal, the soup lover’s mystery series set in Vermont, from Berkley Prime Crime. The third book in the series, A Roux of Revenge, will be released on April 1, 2014. Connie was born and raised in New England. She now lives on the other coast.

STIRRING UP TROUBLE

Snowflake, Vermont, is known for its skiing in winter—and its soup all year round, thanks to Lucky Jamieson’s By the Spoonful. Autumn brings golden leaves, pumpkin rice soup, the annual Harvest Festival…and murder.

Lucky’s soup shop is busier than usual this October, with groups of itinerant travelers in town to work the Harvest Festival. One newcomer seems to take a particular interest in Lucky’s young waitress, Janie, spying on her from across the street. Is the stranger stalking Janie?

After an unidentified man is found murdered in a van by the side of the road, simmering suspicions about the travelers are brought to a boil. But when Janie is put in harm’s way, Lucky must join forces with the travelers to turn up the heat on a killer…