Interview & Tour Wide Giveaway with Eleri Stone

Please welcome Eleri Stone to the blog today

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

Sure! I grew up in NJ, but now live in Iowa with my husband and our three children. I love the Midwest but I do miss being near my family and the ocean. I’ll have my yearly fix here soon when we go to visit my sister in Florida.

Have you always wanted to be an author?

I’ve always loved to write but the idea of publishing came later. I had a bad habit of starting a story, getting distracted by life, putting it aside and never getting back to it. When my youngest started preschool, I set it as a challenge to myself to finish something. That was Mercy which was picked up and published by Carina Press in 2010.

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

Oh, wow, that’s a long list! I grew up reading a lot of fantasy and horror- Stephen King, Mercedes Lackey, David Eddings, Anne McAffrey, Lois Duncan. The first romances I picked up were historical romances by Judith McNaught, Lisa Kleypas and Julie Garwood. Then came paranormal romance which is sort of a combination of all of those genres. Recent favorites are Patricia Briggs’ Mercy Thompson series and Karen Marie Moning’s Fever series.

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

I do also write fantasy romance. Paranormal Romance is a combination of all of my favorite genres—fantasy, romance and horror. I can’t seem to write a story without an element of the supernatural in one form or another.

What are some of your writing rituals?

Gah. I wish I had a more stable routine. During the winter, I write in the mornings after the kids are off to school and then take care of the business end of things in the afternoons. During the summer, I switch so that I work primarily at night after everyone is in bed.

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

Witch Bound is a paranormal romance based on Norse mythology. The premise is that Asgard was destroyed centuries ago at Ragnarök. Some of the Æsir managed to escape to earth where they settled in spots where the wall between worlds is the thinnest. The descendants of those refugees still guard the portals to prevent the demons who destroyed their world from coming here. Witch Bound tells the story of a witch named Raquel who is joining a new clan through an arranged marriage. Everyone is counting on her to replace the failing wards that protect the town, but she has trouble controlling her power. While she’s dealing with that, she falls in love with the best man-Fen, a wolf shifter who’s sworn to never take a mate.

How did you come with the idea for this story?

I’ve always had a fascination with Norse mythology, but the series was also inspired by a place where we go camping every year. It’s in the driftless area of Iowa, called that because it wasn’t glacierized during the last glacial period, leaving it hillier and more wooded than the rest of the state. It’s an isolated and beautiful spot that was settled by Norse immigrants who still maintain a strong connection to their heritage. Put the two together and you have Norse demigods living in Iowa.

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

Of course! Right now I’m working on a historical paranormal romance called Reaper’s Touch. I call it my zombies vs. cowboys story because it’s set in a sort of post-apocalyptic version of the Wild West. The first book is scheduled to release February 3 and the second a few months after that.

Open your book to a random page and tell us what’s happening.

Pg. 114 – Raquel is about to cross into Asgard with the wild hunt on a rescue mission…or possibly an assassination attempt. At this point in the story, it could go either way.

What would you be if you were not an author?

Journalist. That’s what I studied in college. I guess I’d be writing either way.

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

I just bought Heart of Iron by Bec McMaster and I’m looking forward to getting started on it. I really liked the first book in the series.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

Thank you so much for having me here today! It’s been such a pleasure.

Website • Facebook • Twitter • Goodreads

TOUR GIVEAWAY DETAILS

Eleri is giving away a $50.00 gift card to Amazon or B&N (winners choice)
OPEN INTERNATIONALLY

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*****

SERIES SPOTLIGHT INFO

Demon Crossings

Twilight of the Gods, Book 1

Private investigator Grace tracks a kidnapped child to middle-of-nowhere Iowa. Encountering a strange creature she knows can’t be a local animal, she doesn’t need her psychic abilities to figure out the sleepy town is not what it seems. When she meets the intriguing Aiden, she’s plunged into a world of Norse gods and fire demons where the Wild Hunt still rides the night.

Aiden needs Grace’s help to cross the portal between worlds and rescue his daughter. Grace is unlike any woman he’s ever met. He’s drawn to her courage, distressed by her vulnerability and doubtful of her motives. But he knows that her visions are the key to defeating the enemy and bringing everyone home alive.

Grace wants a future with Aiden, even if it means she’ll never have a normal life. When a test run to the portal takes a terrifying turn, they must learn to finally trust each other or Aiden’s daughter, and their chance at love, will be lost forever…

*****

Witch Bound

Twilight of the Gods, Book 2

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | All Romance | iTunes

Raquel Lindgren knows what her future holds. An arranged marriage. A new home in Ragnarok, Iowa, with another clan of refugees from Asgard. She should be happy. But there’s a mental block preventing her from tapping in to her true abilities as a witch. And she’s more attracted to the best man than she is to the groom…

Fen can’t believe he’s falling for his best friend’s future wife. As a hound, a wolf shifter, his duty lies with the pack. He’s seen too many hounds destroyed by love, and he’s sworn never to take a mate, never to have children of his own. He can’t deny his desire for Raquel, but she deserves more than he can offer her.

Raquel’s been raised to trust in magic, her clan and her destiny. But when a vengeful demon threatens to break out of Asgard and destroy the clan, Raquel learns she must trust in love if she is to take the future into her own hands.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Eleri Stone was born and raised in New Jersey. She graduated from the University of Iowa, married her college sweetheart, and settled in the Midwest where she still lives with her husband and their three children. A lifelong fan of fantasy, she started reading romance as an adult and was instantly captivated by the strong female protagonists, character-driven storylines and guarantee of a happy-ever-after. Writing fantasy and paranormal romance, she is the author of the Lost City Shifters series (shapeshifter paranormal romance), the Twilight of the Gods series (paranormal romance) and the Spellcraft series (fantasy romance).

You can find Eleri at:
Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Eleri Stone’s WITCH BOUND Tour Schedule: June 19- July 3

6/19- Book Monster Reviews (guest post)

http://www.bookmonsterreviews.com/

6/19- FUONLYKNEW (series spotlight)

http://fuonlyknew.com/

6/20- Christine’s Blog (guest post, review & series spotlight)

http://www.shebookblogs.com/

6/21- Book Lovin’ Mamas (guest post & series spotlight)

http://booklovinmamas.blogspot.com//

6/22- The Next Chapter (series spotlight)

http://costhenextchapter.blogspot.com/

6/23- Mad Hatter Reads (interview)

http://madhatterreads.blogspot.com/

6/24- Underworld Love Addiction (guest post)

http://underworldloveaddiction.blogspot.com/

6/25- Books-N-Kisses (interview)

http://www.books-n-kisses.com/

6/25- Urban Girl Reader (guest post)

http://www.urbangirlreader.com/

6/26- Mary Abshire Blog (series spotlight)

http://maryabshire.wordpress.com/

6/27- Confessions of the Paranormal (series spotlight)

http://confessionsoftheparanormal.blogspot.com/

6/28- So Many Reads (series spotlight)

http://www.somanyreads.com/

6/29- Literal Addiction (series spotlight)

http://www.literaladdiction.com/

7/01- Offbeat Vagabond(series spotlight)

http://offbeatvagabond.blogspot.com/

7/02- United by Books (interview)

http://unitedbybooks.blogspot.com/

7/03 – Auggie Talk (series spotlight)

http://auggie-talk.blogspot.com/

June 24, 2013June 18, 2013

Book Blitz of Twisted by Rebecca Zanetti

Happy New Release for Rebecca Zanetti!!! Twisted a Dark Protector novella is now available!

TWISTED

Dark Protectors, Book 5.5

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Maggie is a wolf shifter who was captured and experimented on by the Kurjans. Now that a cure has finally been found for shifters (although not for vampire mates or witches), she can concentrate on creating a new life for herself and finally accepting that her memories are gone forever. Most memories, that is. Sometimes in the hazy world between dreams and dawn, she hears a Scottish voice, dark and deep, that sounds suspiciously like wolf-shifter Terrent Vilks. A man she happened to anger by kidnapping a few years back. Hey, it was for a good cause.

Terrent Vilks knows more than he’s let on for the past several years. After digging for answers, he knows exactly why the demons want Maggie dead. And he remembers his past with Maggie…very well. She is finally where he wants her. Now all he has to do is discover what exactly the Kurjans did to her, beat the demons into so much submission they leave her alone, and get her to fall in love with him. Again. Good thing he’s used to wrangling monsters.

TOUR GIVEAWAY DETAILS:

Rebecca is giving away a HUGE SWAG Pack of Dark Protector and other Rebecca Zanetti goodies to one lucky winner at the end of the tour. US/CANADA ONLY.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

THE DARK PROTECTORS

The Kayrs family leads not only the vampire nation, but also the Realm, which is a coalition of vampires, shifters, and witches. Years ago, an evil vampire race called the Kurjans declared war on the Realm by creating a deadly virus that infects vampire mates. The virus attacks chromosomal pairs and takes mates from immortal to human, and maybe down to death. No cure for the virus has been found for mates, and the vampires, who are male only, know that time is running short.

In addition, the demons declared war on the Realm, going so far as to kidnap the youngest Kayrs brother and torture him for five years. He has been rescued, damaged but still alive. The eldest Kayrs, the king, is out for revenge, no matter the cost.

The prophets of all the races predicted the coming of a young psychic named Janie who is destined to change the world. How, nobody knows. The vampires found her as a young girl, and one of their leaders adopted her and raised her with love and determination. In the final four stories of this series arc, Janie is an adult, and it’s time for that change—if she lives long enough.

FATED

Dark Protectors, Book 1

Amazon | B&N | Kobo

Marry Me

Cara Paulson does not give up easily. A scientist and a single mother, she’s used to fighting for whatever she wants, keeping a cool head, and doing whatever it takes to protect her daughter Janie. But “whatever it takes” has never before included a shotgun wedding to a dangerous looking stranger with an attitude problem…

Or Else

Sure, the mysterious Talen says he’s there to protect Cara and Janie. He also says that he’s a three-hundred-year-old vampire. Of course, the way he touches her, Cara might actually believe he’s had that long to practice…

*****

CLAIMED

Dark Protectors, Book 2

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A Daring Rescue

Emma Paulsen is a geneticist driven by science. But she’s also a psychic, so when a dark, good-hearted vampire frees her from the clutches of the evil Kurjans, she realizes he must be the man who’s been haunting her dreams. But with a virus threatening vampires’ mates, Emma may discover a whole new meaning of “lovesick”.
A Deadly Decision

As King of the Realm, Dage Kayrs has learned to practice diplomacy. Still, it’s taken three hundred years to find his mate, so he’ll stop at nothing to protect her—even if it means turning his back on his own kind…

*****

TEMPTED

Dark Protectors, Book 2.5

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CONSTANT DANGER
On the run from a mental institution and her vindictive half-brother, it’s safe to say that Sarah Pringle’s happy life as a schoolteacher is on hold. Too bad that as far as self-defense goes, “run and hide” is the best she’s got. And with the monsters that started her escape hot on her heels, that’s not going to cut it for long…
INSTANT LUST
That is, unless Sarah has a bigger, badder, hotter monster on her side. Max Petrovsky is right at the top of the list of alpha male ass-kickers. And he knows exactly what Sarah’s up against. Good thing, because the minute he sees her something primal kicks in, turning everyday attraction into red-hot desire. As long as they’re cooperating, why not mix some pleasure with business? Of course, Max should probably tell Sarah he’s a vampire himself…

*****

HUNTED

Dark Protectors, Book 3

Amazon | B&N | Kobo

Ready Or Not Moira Dunne is a witch–the quantum physics kind. Time and space are her playthings. Which might explain why her one-night stand from a hundred years ago has turned up to “claim” her–and request her family’s assistance with the war he’s brewing. But the more she learns about Connlan Kayrs, the more she comes to think this is normal behavior for him. . .

There’s Nowhere To Hide
When Conn and Moira tumbled on the moonlit grass, Conn hadn’t meant to mark her as his mate for all time. She was only twenty! But it wasn’t easy to wait for her. It was even harder to forget her. So when he finally returns for his wicked-hot witch, he’s ready to let the sparks flying. Even if he burns up in flames. . .

*****

CONSUMED

Dark Protectors, Book 4

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Sometimes You Mate For Life

Katie Smith is the best of her class, part of an elite hunting force trained to eliminate werewolves from the hills of Western Virginia. She’s good at it because she has the kind of focus and drive that won’t back down no matter how steep the odds. Call it southern sass. Whatever it is, there’s no denying her willingness to risk everything for the only man she’s ever cared about–a man on the verge of losing his very humanity. . .
Sometimes You Mate To Stay Alive
For the past ten years Jordan Pride has dedicated his life to protecting his people from a deadly shifter virus. But in a rare moment of distraction, Jordan’s guard drops just long enough for his fate to take an irreversible twist. Unless the woman he loves surrenders everything to him, again and again, under a full moon rising. . .

*****

PROVOKED

Dark Protectors, Book 5

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A TIME FOR WAR…

A casualty of the war between the demons and the vampires, Jase Kayrs has been missing for six long years. His older brothers want answers—but they’re going to have to get them from an unlikely source. For when Kane Kayrs tracks down Amber Freebird, what he finds is a blonde, vegan pacifist who has no intention of using her skills in his war…
A TIME FOR LOVE…
Amber enjoys her life of chaotic freedom and has no intention of falling in line just because a sexy-as-sin vampire insists on order. Unfortunately, he discovers she may be the only hope they have of finding his brother, and there’s no way he’s going to let her go—even if it means mating her to gain her cooperation. The two are as different as can be, yet when the dominant Kane and the untamed Amber finally unite to rescue Jase, they just may find that opposites really do attract…

*****

TWISTED

Dark Protectors, Book 5.5

Amazon | B&N | Kobo

****

SHADOWED

Dark Protectors, Book 6

PRE-ORDER: Amazon | B&N | Kobo (Coming Soon)

Jase Kayrs was the fun brother. The warm, charming, easy-going brother of the vampire leaders. Until he was taken and tortured by demons with their evil mind tricks for nearly five years. Upon his return, he’s dark, violent, and not the man they all thought they knew. Not the man he once was. He’s haunted that the only reason the demons would have let him live was to use him as a weapon against his family—but he can’t figure out when or how he’ll explode. Plus, once again the demons are after Jase with a vengeance…or rather, a female demon he rejected is out to destroy him.
Then the king asks Jase for a favor…a big one. To mate with one of their allies in order to save her. She’s everything that’s good and light in the world…while he’s at home with darkness. Yet he agrees…knowing mating may be the only chance to save them both.

A little about Rebecca:

USA Today Bestselling Author Rebecca Zanetti has worked as an art curator, Senate aide, lawyer, college professor, and a hearing examiner – only to culminate it all in stories about Alpha males and the women who claim them. She writes dark paranormals, romantic suspense, and sexy contemporary romances.

Growing up amid the glorious backdrops and winter wonderlands of the Pacific Northwest has given Rebecca fantastic scenery and adventures to weave into her stories. She resides in the wild north with her husband, children, and extended family who inspire her every day–or at the very least give her plenty of characters to write about.

Connect with Rebecca:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Rebecca Zanetti’s TWISTED Blast Schedule

June 17 – 28

6/17- Book Monster Reviews

http://www.bookmonsterreviews.com/

6/17- Literal Addiction

http://www.literaladdiction.com/

6/17- Cocktails and Books

http://www.cocktailsandbooks.com/

6/18- GraveTells

http://gravetells.com/

6/18- United by Books

http://unitedbybooks.blogspot.com/

6/18- Ramblings From This Chick

http://ramblingsfromthischick.blogspot.com/

6/19- Close Encounters with the Night Kind

http://closeencounterswiththenightkind.blogspot.com/

6/19- Toot’s Book Reviews

http://tootsbookreviews.blogspot.com/

6/19- The Reading Café

http://thereadingcafe.com/

6/20- Salacious Reads

http://www.salaciousreads.com/

6/20- Books, Books & More Books

http://booksbooksmorebooks.blogspot.com/

6/21- The Jeep Diva

http://thejeepdiva.com/

6/21- Deal Sharing Aunt

http://www.dealsharingaunt.blogspot.com/

6/22- Page Flipperz

http://pageflipperz.blogspot.com/

6/22-Joceleyn Dex Blog

http://jocelyndex.blogspot.com/

6/22- Musings From An Addicted Reader

http://musingsfromanaddictedreader.blogspot.com/

6/23- Buffy’s Ramblings

http://buffy-kennedy.blogspot.com/

6/23- Wicked Readings by Tawania

http://www.wickedreadingsbytawania.blogspot.com/

6/24- Books-N-Kisses

http://www.books-n-kisses.com/

6/24- Mad Hatter Reads

http://madhatterreads.blogspot.com/

6/25- Darker Passions

http://darkerpassions.net/

6/25- My Reading Obsession

http://4myreadingobsession.blogspot.com/

6/26- Paranormal Haven

http://www.paranormalhaven.com/

6/26- Romancing the Book

http://romancing-the-book.com/

6/27- Book Lovin’ Mamas

http://booklovinmamas.blogspot.com//

6/27- Bookin’ It Reviews

http://www.bookinitreviews.com/

6/27- Reading Between the Wines

http://www.readingbetweenthewinesbookclub.com/

6/28- Under the Covers

http://www.underthecoversbookblog.com/

6/28- Riverina Romantics

http://riverinaromantics.blogspot.com/

6/28- Froggarita’s Bookcase

http://www.froggaritasbookcase.com/

June 21, 2013June 19, 2013

Guest blogger: Carrie Ann Ryan talks about The Redwood Pack

An Introduction to the Redwood Pack World

Every time I open a book to read I get to jump into a new world. When I started writing, I was so excited because I got to make up my own world. The Redwood Pack is an ancient Pack of wolves who hide their animal halves from the unsuspecting humans.

In each Pack there are different hierarchies. Not all Packs are the same. Not all positions and powers in the Pack are known to the other Packs.

In the Redwoods there are certain positions and most of them surround the Alpha’s family—the Jamensons.

Edward Jamenson is the Alpha, their leader. He and his wife Pat, have six sons and one daughter. Kade, the eldest son, is the Heir, the next in line to be Alpha. His story was told in book 1 of the series, An Alpha’s Path. You see, it started with a blind date that turned into something more with Melanie.

Jasper is the second son and the Beta. His story is told in A Taste for a Mate. His story with Jasper brought out the entire world of darkness with the Central’s war.

Adam is the fourth oldest and is the Enforcer. He went through so much before this series started that in his book, Enforcer’s Redemption (Book 4) that it literally took it all out of me and readers to get through it. But he found his mate in Bay.

Reed is the fourth eldest and doesn’t hold a position in the Pack outside of being a family member. He is though, in a relationship with Josh and Hannah. He loves them both and literally went through hell to keep them in Trinity Bound.

Maddox and North are twins and next in age. Maddox is the Omega, while North does not hold a position. Maddox and North have been within each story line and now Maddox has his story FINALLY with Ellie in Shattered Emotions. North will have his soon as well, but now it’s Maddox’s turn.

Cailin is the baby and the only girl. Her mate will have to be someone strong as hell to deal with her feisty attitude.

My Jamensons are werewolves. They have two souls – one of man and one of wolf. They work hard for control, but are inherently good. But the Jamensons aren’t the only wolves out there. There is another Pack bent on destroying all that the Redwoods hold dear. It will take everything they have and every power they possess to save themselves and the humans.

Each sibling will find their mate or mates J and do all that they can to keep them. There is love, heat, *ahem* sex, fighting, sorrow and happiness. Everything that I love to read. LOL I love making new worlds and finding secrets.

The Redwood World is dark, twisty, hot, feisty, and full of secrets. I can’t wait for you to indulge.

Shattered Emotions

Maddox Jamenson is the Omega of the Redwood Pack, the one burdened by emotions stronger than his own. He’s spent his entire life shrouded in the secrets of his “gift” and the price he has to pay to keep it, yet the cost just escalated. He’s known a mate could be in the cards for him, but he can’t have what he wants. Not when the battles he has yet to fight could destroy her.

Ellie Reyes was the Central’s princess, the daughter of the most hated Alpha of all time, yet not prized. No, she’s spent her life as the toy of her brother’s sadistic torture and has endured a pain that no one else should have to even contemplate. Though when she’s rescued, the one person who could help her, her mate, turns his back on her for reasons unknown to her. As each day passes, the strength that everyone sees in her dwindles to a point that there may be no coming back from.

When the Centrals find a new way to attack, leaving Ellie’s only protection a mate that she doesn’t think wants her, they’ll both have to overcome their fears and fight for something stronger than their pain. The war isn’t over and new players are coming that will decide the outcome. Maddox and Ellie’s connection will be tested even as their fragile bond is only newly forming.

Excerpt:

Ellie Reyes gripped Maddox’s hand as tight as she could. Yes, it was the first time he’d voluntary touched her since he’d picked her up out of the back of the Jeep when they’d first met, but, honestly, that wasn’t important now.

She’d think about the calloused hands of a hard worker—one who helped his Pack and brothers, not necessarily in his job—and how they would feel against her skin. She’d think about what it all meant later.

Maybe later she could even relish his touch and imagine the scents of wolf and forest washing over her.

Later.

Right now, all she wanted to do was hide in a corner so the others would stop staring at her. Or, she could raise her chin at them all and show them they couldn’t hurt her. Her wolf whimpered at the thought, not knowing if that were possible. She didn’t know if she was broken or strong anymore.

She’d been hurt far more than they could ever imagine. They had no idea what she could endure. Oh, they’d all guessed and given her their pitying looks, but they didn’t know.

They couldn’t know.

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 |

Giveaway

Carrie Ann is giving away a special swag pack and a copy of her backlist to a lucky commenter. Be sure to leave your email to enter!

June 20, 2013June 19, 2013

Blog Tour Review of Read and Buried by Erika Chase

I’m happy to be hosting Erika Chase today to review her new book in the Ashton Corners Book Club series, Read and Buried. Her first book, A Killer Read, was nominated for an Agatha Award for Best First Novel last year.

A Killer Read, is the first in the Ashton Corners Book Club mysteries from Berkley Prime Crime.

Reading specialist and mystery book lover Lizzie Turner was excited for the first meeting of the Ashton Corners Mystery Readers and Cheese Straws Society hosted in Molly Mathew’s old Southern mansion. But she didn’t expect the gathering to become the scene of an actual murder. A stranger has been shot–and nobody knows who the victim is, or how Molly’s antique gun came to be used as the murder weapon.

As the plot becomes all too real, the police chief–Lizzie’s former high school crush–steps in to investigate. Then Lizzie begins finding mysterious manuscript chapters in her mailbox, and Molly surfaces as the next name on the killer’s list.

About the Author:

Erika writes the Ashton Corners Book Club mysteries for Penguin/Berkley Prime Crime. In a parallel life Erika Chase is also known as Linda Wiken. A former mystery bookstore owner (Prime Crime Books in Ottawa, ON, Canada), Linda is also a short story writer. She is a member of those dangerous dames, The Ladies’ Killing Circle.

Her short stories have appeared in the seven Ladies’ Killing Circle anthologies (three of which she co-edited), and in the magazines Mysterious Intent and Over My Dead Body. She has been short-listed for an Arthur Ellis Award, Best Short Story, from Crime Writers of Canada.

Before life in the world of mystery, she worked as an advertising copywriter, radio producer, journalist and community education worker. Besides writing and reading mysteries, her other passion is choral singing and she is a member of two choirs.

She shares her house with Keesha and Mojo, her two Siamese cats. Actually, they allow her to live there.

Connect with Erika Chase: Website | Facebook | Twitter

Jennifer’s Review of Read and Buried

TITLE: Read and Buried

SERIES #: Ashton Corners Book Club #2

CHARACTERS: Lizzie Turner, Molly Mathews

AUTHOR: Erika Chase

PUBLICATION DATE: 12/4/12

ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS: Hosting an award-winning novelist is quite a Christmas coup for the Ashton Corners Mystery Readers and Cheese Straws Society. But when he’s murdered in Lizzie Turner’s house, she’s got a holiday homicide on her hands.

For their very first guest author event, most of the book club members can’t wait to pull out all the stops in Southern hospitality. But for Lizzie, Derek Alton is nothing but trouble–from his massive ego to his smarmy moves. When he’s found murdered in her living room, it seems someone decided that this womanizing writer would be better off dead than read.

After suspicion falls on Lizzie’s friend, she and her fellow book club members discover that Derek wasn’t who he pretended to be. Cracking this case means going up against Lizzie’s boyfriend, police chief Mark Dreyfus, and unearthing a novel’s worth of nasty secrets. And as they get closer to uncovering Derek’s scandalous final manuscript, someone hiding in plain sight is out to write finis to Lizzie’s sleuthing for good….

REVIEW PROVIDED BY: Jennifer NUMBER OF STARS: Four Stars

REVIEW: I was very impressed with Erika’s first book, A Killer Read, and I’m glad to say that her new novel is more entertaining than her first. The book starts out with Lizzie going to the local bookstore and meeting author, Derek Alton, whom she invites to speak at the next book club meeting. Derek is a very charming guy at first but that quickly changes as he becomes an egotistical jerk who makes one too many romantic passes at Lizzie. The next day, he turns up at Lizzie’s house unannounced and ends up being shot in the middle of her living room. Lizzie and the other members of her book club start investigating Derek’s death and find that things aren’t what they seem while there is a killer still out on the loose, looking to stop anyone from finding out the truth about Derek Alton.

One of the things that I love about this book is the characters, especially Lizzie Turner. She is a very sweet character with a good heart and a love of mystery books. I felt that I really connected with her in this book and I loved how she was always helping others as a reading specialist. The mystery was well-written and I had trouble figuring out the killer until the very end. There is also a list of mystery books that each character recommends at the end of the book that has me wanting to make a run to my local bookstore. Read and Buried is a charming mystery that will keep you entertained and wanting to read more from this fabulous author.

June 20, 2013June 19, 2013

Cover Reveal of Elisabeth Naughton’s Hold on to Me

Hold On To Me

by Elisabeth Naughton

June 20, 2013

He thinks he’s finally found the one.

Mitch Mathews never believed in love—at least not the happily ever after kind. Then he met Simone Conners. Just one night with the sexy lawyer made him reevaluate his priorities and look toward a future he never planned. The only hang up is making her see it too.

She’s almost ready for a second chance.

What started out as a casual hookup with a rugged geologist has turned into something a whole lot more. Simone’s on the verge of handing over her heart, but fear over what Mitch will say and do when he learns who she used to be holds her back.

The past could destroy their future…

Just when Simone is about to take a chance on forever with Mitch, the mistakes of her past catch up with her. Suddenly it’s not just her safety on the line anymore, it’s his too. Forced into hiding, Mitch demands answers, and Simone realizes the only way to protect everything she holds dear is to delve into a past she’s spent fourteen years trying to forget. As they search for the truth, they discover secrets, lies and a rekindled passion that burns hotter than before. But they also uncover a conspiracy that threatens the very fabric of society. One that could cost them more than just their future…it could cost them their lives.

A little more about Elisabeth:

I was never one of those people who knew they wanted to be an author at the age of six. I didn’t have imaginary friends. I didn’t write stories in my journal or entertain my relatives by firelight after Thanksgiving dinner. For the most part, I was just a normal, everyday kid. I liked to read, but I wasn’t exceptional at it. And when my teachers complimented me on my writing abilities, I brushed them off. I did, however, always have a penchant for the unique and absurd. And as my mother told me all throughout my childhood, I should have been an actress—I was a drama queen before my time.

Years ago, my husband bought me Scarlett: The Sequel to Gone With The Wind. If you ever saw the book, you know it’s a long one. I sat and read that thing from cover to cover, and dreamed of one day being a writer. But I didn’t actually try my hand at writing until years later when I quit my teaching job to stay home with my kids. And my husband? After that week of reading where I neglected him and everything else until I finished Scarlett, he vowed never to buy me another book again. Little did he know I’d one day end up sitting at a keyboard all day drafting my own stories.

My writing journey has not been easy. I didn’t just sit down one day, decide I was going to write a book and voila! sell my very first attempt. As most authors will probably agree, the path to publication is filled with hours of work, pulling all-nighters I thought I’d given up in college, sacrifices, rejections, but a love I discovered along the way I just can’t live without. Instead of a big, thick book to read by lamplight (I do read much smaller ones when I get the chance), I’ve traded in my reading obsession for a laptop. And I’ve never been happier.

I’m one of the lucky ones. I have a wonderful family and fabulous husband who put up with my writing—and obsessive personality—even when life is chaotic. More than once my kids have been late to swimming or baseball because I needed just five more minutes to finish a scene. Their support and encouragement mean the world to me. I also have amazing friends and a support network I couldn’t survive without. So to all of you out there who have encouraged me along the way, sent me emails and fan letters, phone calls and congratulations, I just want to say, thank you. You make this whole writing gig that much more enjoyable. I truly wouldn’t be here without you.

Website/Blog | Twitter | FB Author Page | Goodreads

June 20, 2013June 11, 2013

Spotlight Feature & tour wide giveaway of The Marathon Man by Liz Cowan

Amazon

Goodreads

When is a problem not a problem? What if it is a conscious choice?

Thorn Burdette is a real life long tall, gorgeous Texan with the lean physique of an outdoorsman. He is content with his life. What’s not to like? Success, wealth and women equal smooth sailing, right?

P. J. McConnell is not your average police detective. If fact, average would be the last word Thorn would use to describe the Dallas special detective. She is tough and alluring in one potent package.

Smart, stunning and sassy, with evolving paranormal abilities, P. J. is nothing like the women who have conga-danced through Thorn’s life.

They have nothing in common. Nothing . . . except irresistible desire and a strong sense of destiny neither can ignore nor resist.

Then she discovers his secret. A secret which leads them on a twisted journey of passion and pain neither could have foreseen.

And P. J. may be the only one who can save him . . . save them.

A little more about Liz:

Liz Cowan was born in Budapest, Hungary; graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a degree in philosophy and a minor in English; and writes a weekly humor column.

Reading and writing have been my favorite pastimes since early childhood. During summer vacations, I checked out huge stacks of books from the library and in a couple of days I returned for more. My reading preferences run the literary gamut, including fantasy, science fiction, mysteries, romance, biographies, poetry, etc.

“With my mind bursting with stories of my own, writing was a natural progression for this bibliophile.”

Besides working as a legal assistant by day and plotting new stories at night, she loves reading, walking, gardening, and writing her weekly humor column.

Her published books include: Fractured Proverbs and Twisted Thoughts–a humorous take on original and familiar sayings, written as E. Cowan.

Where you can find Liz:

Website/Blog | Twitter | FB Author Page | Goodreads

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June 20, 2013June 19, 2013

Interview & giveaway with Tammy Falkner

Books-n-Kisses is pleased to welcome Tammy Falkner to the blog today to chat about her newest release “THE MAGIC OF ‘I DO”

Tammy, can you please share with us a little about yourself?

I am a mom of two boys – 18 and 9. And yes, they still fight even though there’s such a large spread between them. I have been married for more than twenty years (and I just turned 39)

Have you always wanted to be an author?

I have always written, but didn’t know I truly wanted to be an author until someone at work looked at a short story I wrote and told me I was in the wrong profession.

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

Both! I have a general idea of where my story is going when I start it, but I don’t know the particulars. I know the major events that will happen, but not how they will tie into every scene.

What is your most interesting writing quirk?

I procrastinate. A lot. To the point where I end up writing a book in a month, rather than the six that I planned to spend on it.

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

My new series revolves around a family of faeries – Sophia, Claire and Marcus. Their mother fell in love with a human, and her wings were clipped, so when she delivered three fae children, they were stolen from her, along with the memories of them, and taken back to the fae world. My faeries are mission faeries, and they’re taxed with helping humans where problems arise. So, they must live and interact with humans but never fall in love with them.

How did you come with the idea for this story?

I had already written vampyres and Lycans in Regency England, and I wanted to expand and see what else might live and interact with the ton.

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

I just finished the third book in the series, THE MAGIC BETWEEN US. THE MAGIC OF ‘I DO’ launches June 4^th, and I have a new adult book coming out at the end of June called TALL, TATTED AND TEMPTING.

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

Join RWA or your local chapter of RWA. The resources they offer are invaluable, and I wouldn’t be published today if not for them.

Can you share with us something off your bucket list?

I want to learn to water ski. I used to do it when I was REALLY young, and I tried it last year and just wasn’t able to pull it off!

What is one book everyone should read before they die?

Colleen Hoover’s SLAMMED series is one of my new favorites

What is your favorite time of year & why?

Definitely the fall. It’s cooler, and there’s no pollen like in the spring.

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

I just asked my husband this, and he got this little gleam in his eyes and said, “Ellen Degeneris.” He’s right. I would have to go all fan girl if I ever got to meet her.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

Thanks so much for having me today. I hope everyone loves THE MAGIC OF ‘I DO’!

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tammy-Falkner/134765283285270

Twitter: @tfalkner

Website: www.tammyfalkner.com

THE MAGIC OF “I DO”

by TAMMY FALKNER

IN STORES JUNE 2013

Desperately Seeking Excitement…

With the temporary prohibition on magic on the land of the Fae, Claire Thorne might as well go back to the Regency world. The haut ton has just as many annoying rules as her world, but at least they have parties and dances. Plus, the roguish Lord Phineas “Finn” Trimble is there…

When the feisty faerie tumbles into his room through a magical portal, Finn can’t believe how completely unpredictable she is. Even before the two stumble into a dangerous intrigue that threatens both their worlds, Finn discovers that his hitherto carefree life is about to go up in smoke…

Praise for A Lady and Her Magic:

“A dash of Jane Austen and a sprinkle of faery dust make this book a treasure.” —Kathryne Kennedy, author of The Elven Lord series

“Charming and filled with the magic of love and faith…Falkner’s tale whisks readers into a realm of enchantment.” —RT Book Reviews, 4 Stars

“Marvelous magical mayhem.” —Midwest Book Review

“Absolutely enchanting…a delicious Regency fairy tale beautifully written.” —Romance Junkies

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

As half of the Lydia Dare writing team, Tammy Falkner has co-written ten books, including A Certain Wolfish Charm and In the Heat of the Bite. A huge fan of Regency England, her regency paranormal series combines the magical elements of both mystical faeries and the glittering regency ton. Tammy lives on a farm in rural North Carolina with her husband and a house full of boys, a few dogs, and a cat or two. Visit her website, www.tammyfalkner.com, for more information.

GIVEAWAY TIME:

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June 19, 2013June 18, 2013

Day Three – REDNECK ROMEO RELEASE PARTY

Ten Tidbits About Dalton McKay

1) He’s eaten rattlesnake, bear, lizard, and grasshoppers–the last one not by choice thanks to his 3 older brothers who loved to trick him into eating weird stuff or held him down and force fed him
2) When Dalton sings…with that deep voice of his he sounds like Trace Adkins
3) He’s wrecked 3 dirt bikes but no cars
4) Dalton would rather do all ranch work on an ATV than a horse
5) The first song he learned all the words to –Driving My Life Away by Eddie Rabbitt
6) The blue heeler dog his brother Luke gave him for his 18th birthday was the best present he ever got
7) He cheated on a math test in 9th grade and felt so guilty he spent the summer relearning everything he’d missed during the school year
8) His favorite fruit are plums
9) Dalton hates wearing pajamas
10) Someday he’d like to create a piece of art using his chainsaw

Lorelei James is celebrating the release of REDNECK ROMEO with a SEVEN day party. SEVEN great giveaways, SEVEN different posts. Stop by all the amazing blogs participating in the party to increase your chances to win!!! Each blog will post a special REDNECK ROMEO post all seven days (no weekend posts)

Prize List:

1) Redneck Romeo charm bracelet

2) Kindle fire

3) Basket of goodies, including a McKay brand fleece blanket and other McKay branded stuff and conference trinkets

4) Full set of signed Rough Riders books

5) 1 of a kind handmade small Western purse

6) Arc of TURN AND BURN

7) $100 gift card to amazon.com

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Amazon | B&N

The last McKay standing is knocked to his knees…

Three years ago, Dalton McKay looked across the altar and saw the woman he knew he’d love for the rest of his life…only it wasn’t his bride. That’s when he took the McKays’ love-’em-and-leave-’em reputation to new heights—fleeing the ceremony and Wyoming.

Now a family issue has brought Dalton back to Sundance, giving him a chance to prove to everyone—especially the woman he thought he lost—that he’s a changed man.

Aurora “Rory” Wetzler has fallen for cowboy hottie Dalton’s smooth-talkin’ ways too many times. So he’s determined to convince her he’s playing for keeps this go around? Fine. She’ll call that bluff—she can’t ignore their intense chemistry or resist smokin’ hot sex, but she’s not willing to gamble her heart again.

Dalton has plenty of fences to mend with the McKays, but his biggest fear is that Rory doesn’t believe they have a future. He’ll have to pull out all the stops to show her they belong together for the long haul.

Warning: Contains a sexy cowboy who tames his sassy lady love with his romantic and his kinky side. In explicit detail.

Participating Blogs

Lorelei James
Lori Armstrong
Guilty Pleasures Book Reviews
Hesperia Loves Books
Romantic Book Affairs
Tattooed Book Review
Regina May Ross’s
deal sharing aunt
Fictional Candy
Heart Breaking Reviews
Mrs Condit & Friends Read Books
Book Bitches Blog
Books Books and More Books
My Fiction Nook
Queen of the Night Reviews
hea’s romances with a little kick
Talk Supe
Seawitch Reviews
All Romance Reviews
Angie’s Dreamy Reads
Book-A-Holic Anon
The Rambling Readerista
Nightstand Novels
Shayna Renee’s Spicy Reads
Book Obsessed Chicks
herding cats & burning soup
What’s On the Bookshelf
Storm Goddess Book Reviews & More
Blackraven’s Erotic Cafe
Blackraven’s Reviews
AJ’s Reading Nook
The Readers Roundtable
Dark Divas Reviews
SnifferWalk Books
Harlie’s Books
Dear Brighton
Scorching Book Reviews
i love lady porn
My Odd Little World
Not Now…Mommy’s Reading
Readers Confession
A Little Fiction of Every Flavour
Reading, Eating & Dreaming
My Life Beyond Labels
Harlie Williams, Writer
The Risque Redhead Reads
Musings From An Addicted Reader
Reading Between the Wines
3 Partners in Shopping, Nana, Mommy, & Sissy Too1
For The Love of Reading
Reality Bites! Let’s Get Lost!!
Read Your Writes Book Reviews
Bookworm Brandee
Delighted Reader
Books-n-Kisses
Seductive Musings
Sugar and Spice Book Reviews
Under the Covers
My Secret Romance Book Reviews
A Dream Within A Dream
Redheads Review it Better
My Life with Books and Boys
Simply Ali

June 19, 2013June 14, 2013

Cover reveal: Long Road Full Speed Ahead by Emily Walker

Amazon | Paperback – coming soon

A young girl struggles with abuse, addiction, and abortion all while trying to go to school. Somehow she hits rock bottom and finds an unlikely love story.

Synopsis- Grace finds herself with a toxic friend and a brand new hobby when she discovers meth. She had a promising future before Grayson came into the picture. A wolf in sheep’s clothing he soon shows his true colors and they are painted with black and blue.
The drugs cause more problems than they fix, but lost in the intoxicating world of numbness she must find herself through abuse, addiction, and abortion. Will she let the drugs take her out of the world, and be forever numb, or will an unlikely love pull her out and make her feel again?

{Read the First Chapter Here!} –

Bio:
Emily Walker loves creating worlds and stumbling around in them. She is constantly losing her chap-stick, and has an obsession with the color pink. Currently a resident of the mountains and loving the view she writes mostly paranormal fiction, and horror. Her small family consists of her red bearded other half, a rat terrier named Rebel, and a cat called Mr. Creepy.

Website | Blog | Review site | Facebook | Twitter

Book Trailer:

Please share the free graphic on Facebook as well as your blog, only on June 19th.

Thank you so much for participating in my reveal!!

June 18, 2013June 17, 2013

Day Two – REDNECK ROMEO RELEASE PARTY

Amazon | B&N

The last McKay standing is knocked to his knees…

Now a family issue has brought Dalton back to Sundance, giving him a chance to prove to everyone—especially the woman he thought he lost—that he’s a changed man.

Warning: Contains a sexy cowboy who tames his sassy lady love with his romantic and his kinky side. In explicit detail.

EXCERPT

REDNECK ROMEO – book 15 – Rough Riders sereis

Bang bang bang. “Dalton! Come on man, open up. I know you’re in there.”

Dalton cracked one eyelid and cast a bleary eye at the alarm clock. Seven a.m. He yanked the quilt over his head and mumbled “f*** off” to Boden Hicks, the idiot beating on his door.

“McKay. I’m not f***ing around. This is an emergency.”

That hauled Dalton’s ass out of bed. He unlatched the old-fashioned bolt and opened the door. “What’s the emergency?”

Boden hustled inside but a gust of snow followed before he slammed the heavy oak door shut. He stamped his feet. “Damn snowstorm came from out of nowhere.”

“You better not have tricked me out of bed to complain about the goddamned weather.”

Boden shuffled over to the woodstove to warm himself, but it’d been a good ten hours since Dalton had loaded it up. “It’s like a damn freezer in here.”

“That’s because I was sleeping. In my own bed, after roughing it on an elk hunt, remember?”

“Yeah, I remember. I’m just glad the hunting party made it out before this storm hit.” Boden unzipped his parka and pulled out Dalton’s cell phone, still attached to the wall charger. “Normally I could give a crap if you stay in bed a week after a hunt, but you left your phone charging at the lodge last night. The thing’s been buzzing like crazy. When I unplugged it, I noticed you’ve got twenty-seven missed calls. So it’s gotta be something important.”

Dalton’s stomach knotted. Since he had little to no cell service in the mountains, he forgot he even had a cell phone most of the time. Few people had his number—just his brothers, his mother, his cousin Sierra McKay, his accountant, his banker and his investment guys.

“Gimme that.” Dalton scrolled through the missed calls. Twelve from Brandt, twelve from Tell, three from Sierra.

Had to be bad news if his family had reached out to him.

The family he hadn’t seen in three years.

“What’s going on?”

He glanced up at Boden. “No clue. I haven’t bothered to set up my voice mail on this phone so I’ll have to call to find out.”

Boden sighed. “Speaking of…I wanted to make sure your two-way is charged. Since you have an issue with technology that allows people to get in touch with you.”

“It’s charged. I laid in a store of food before the huntin’ trip so I can ride out the storm.”

“Good. We’re supposed to get a foot of snow today and maybe more tonight.” Boden crouched in front of the woodstove and chucked kindling in the cold embers before setting the torch to the pile. “Might be a couple days before you can get out, if you need to go home.”

Home. It didn’t have the same connotation it once did. When it was all he’d known. “I’ll let you know what’s goin’ on as soon as I know.”

Boden piled several small logs in the black box before he stood. “You worried?”

Dalton shrugged.

But Boden didn’t buy his act; he never had, which was why they’d become such good friends. “You want me to stick around?”

“Nah. I’ll put on a pot of coffee before I call my brother.” He smirked. “Get on back to the lodge. Bree would jam my nuts in a vise if you got snowed in with me instead of with her.”

“Your nuts ain’t ever gonna be anywhere near my wife’s hands, McKay.”

He laughed. “I know your kink doesn’t extend to sharing.”

“Damn straight.” Boden zipped up his parka and slipped on his gloves. “You need anything, buzz us. If we don’t answer right away—”

“I’ll assume you’re tied up. Or rather, you’re tying Bree up.”

As soon as Boden left, Dalton started coffee. Then he stripped off his long johns and took a cold shower. That ensured he’d be fully awake.

The main room of the three-room cabin had warmed up by the time he’d dressed. After downing two cups of coffee, Dalton stood by the window in the kitchen and called Brandt.

His oldest brother answered on the fourth ring. “’Bout damn time, Dalton. Where the hell have you been that you can’t return a phone call?”

No doubt Brandt thought he was f***ing off someplace. Little did he know how tiring it was leading a ten-day hunting party into the mountains. But Dalton no longer explained his life choices to anyone. “What’s goin’ on? I had twenty-four missed calls in the last twelve hours.” No one knew Sierra had his number. His brothers would be pissed if they knew Dalton kept in better contact with Sierra than with them.

“Dad had a stroke.”

Silence. Finally Dalton asked, “Is he okay?”

“He’s alive, if that’s what you mean. He’s havin’ difficulties talkin’. They’re not sure if it’s permanent. They’re not too sure of anything at this point. So we—me’n Tell—are asking you to come home.”

Dalton closed his eyes. He didn’t want to play nursemaid to the man who’d made his life hell. Especially not after the last conversation they’d had, which was the biggest reason Dalton had left Sundance for good—not that he’d told his brothers or anyone else about what’d gone down. “I don’t know if I can.”

“Can’t? Or won’t?” Brandt demanded.

“Why do you want me there?”

“Hey, bro. Brandt put you on speaker phone,” Tell said. “Look, we need you to help us make some decisions about Dad’s care.”

Dalton let his forehead rest against the frosted windowpane.

“We haven’t seen you in over three years. It sucks that something like this had to happen for you to even consider comin’ home. But we do need you here.”

He pictured his brothers, Tell leaning against the window in the cab of Brandt’s truck, his restless fingers tapping on his leg. Brandt seated behind the steering wheel, his posture stiff, arms crossed over his chest.

“When did this happen?” Dalton asked.

“Brandt got a call from the hospital in Spearfish yesterday morning. They wouldn’t let us see him until late afternoon. Soon as we had some information, we tried calling you.” Tell paused. “You ain’t gotten any better at returning calls.”

“But I did return it. Not fast enough for you?” he asked sharply. Jesus. Within two minutes of talking to his brothers he’d reverted to the defensive guy he’d left behind. He exhaled slowly. “Sorry. Cell service here is spotty.”

“Where are you?”

Don’t feel guilty they don’t know. “Alder, Montana. We’re in the midst of a blizzard so it might be a couple days before I can make it out of the mountains.”

Silence.

“Has the doctor given you a time frame on how long he’ll be in the hospital?”

“No,” Brandt said. “But when Dad is discharged, it’ll be to the rehab wing in a nursing home.”

That oughta make Casper even more the patient from hell. “Sounds like it won’t matter then if I’m not there for a couple of days. I’ll let you know when I’m on my way.”

“Sure. Will you be staying with one of us?” Tell asked.

“Nah. I’ve got it covered. Thanks though.”

Neither of his brothers asked where he’d be bunking down, although he sensed they wanted to.

“Okay, then. I guess we’ll see you when we see you.”

“Yep. Later.” Dalton hung up.

He stared out the window for the longest time, even though he couldn’t see sh** through the swirling snow.

But this storm wasn’t anything compared to the one he faced in Sundance.

The blizzard lasted two days. On the morning of the third day Dalton packed up his stuff, closed up his cabin and headed down the mountain.

Once he had a clear cell signal, he gave Brandt a heads up he was on his way. Brandt said they’d moved Casper to the rehab wing and to meet them there.

Then he placed a call to Sierra.

She answered with, “I swear every time I call you and I don’t hear back I live in mortal fear that you’ve disconnected from the world completely and you’re out in the forest running naked with woodchucks and sh**.”

“Not hardly. I returned the calls in order of importance.”

“So you’ve talked to your brothers?”

“Yeah. I’m on my way to Wyoming right now.”

“They giving you grief about…well, everything?”

“They both knew it wouldn’t take much for me to refuse to come back.” He flipped on the defroster. “How’d you find out about Casper’s stroke?”

“Keely. I knew your brothers would get a hold of you first, so my call isn’t about your father.”

“Then why did you call?” Dalton heard her take a deep breath and he went on full alert.

In a rush, Sierra said, “You’ve got to promise me that you won’t get mad at me for what I’m about to tell you.”

“No conversation ever ends well that starts that way.”

“True, but I want you to remember I was only following your parameters. And I kinda hoped someone else would tell you about this, so I didn’t have to. But then, you’d have to actually talk to someone who lives there, and we both know that’s a rarity, so I guess it falls to me.”

“You been drinkin’? ’Cause you ain’t making a lick of sense. Quit dancing around the subject, college girl, and spill it.”

“Rory is back in Sundance and working for Wyoming Natural Resource Council.”

Everything switched into slow motion. Dalton couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t think. He had to pull onto the shoulder so he didn’t wreck his truck.

“Dalton?”

“You said Rory is livin’ in Sundance.”

“Yes.”

“With her fiancé?”

“No. She, ah, broke off the engagement.”

“When?”

“Six months ago.”

This was not happening. Sierra had not kept this information from him about Rory for half a goddamned year.

“Dalton. I know your head is about to explode—”

“Jesus, Sierra, do you f***ing think? Why are you just telling me this now?” he roared. “Do you have any f***ing idea—”

“That you’ve been holed up in the middle of freakin’ nowhere moping because Rory got engaged to someone else? Why yes, I was completely aware of that little factoid, cuz.”

Silence.

“Besides, you were doing your lumberjack gig and completely off the grid when Rory ended the engagement. I’ll remind you of your zero tolerance policy—me not talking about Rory or sharing information about Rory’s life was your edict, Dalton. I was just following your parameters. And now the parameters have changed.”

“Seriously not f***ing amused. Will you just get to the point?”

“I really have to point out that you and Rory will actually be in the same place for the first time in over three years?”

“Three years? Try ten years since she’s lived there. I’da been in Sundance six months ago if I’d known she was there without some other asshole’s ring on her finger,” he snarled.

“Whoa. Take a step back, wolverine. I’m telling you now because maybe you’re smart enough to handle it the right way this time.”

“This time?” Dalton repeated sharply. “Don’t make this out to be my fault. I offered her—”

“Don’t snap at me or interrupt me again or I will hang up, understand?”

“Yeah, yeah, keep talkin’.”

“Rory is my sister. You’re my business partner and one of the few people I trust. I hate that I’m pulled between you two. It’s time you manned up, Dalton. And don’t remind me that you did that once three years ago after you walked out on your own wedding. Even you can admit it was piss poor timing on your part.”

“But that bad timing didn’t stop her from giving me an edict, did it?”

“Like I’ve told you ten thousand times, that wasn’t an edict. Two years was a time line for Rory to finish grad school and a frame of reference for you to understand how important that was to her. You shouldn’t have taken it as gospel.”

“Then she shouldn’t have given me false hope.”

“Then you shouldn’t have turned tail and run again,” Sierra retorted. “Especially after you gave her false hope that things might finally change between you two.”

Like he needed that reminder. “Does she know about Casper?”

“Doubtful. She’s been out of town and she stays out of McKay gossip completely.”

Then Rory wouldn’t suspect Dalton was on his way back to Sundance. The element of surprise might work in his favor. “What’s the best way to approach her?”

“She bartends at the Twin Pines on the side. She’s working tonight. Anything else I can do for you besides making your day with this news?” Sierra asked sweetly.

Making his day? Hell, she’d made his life, because now he had a shot at getting the life he wanted. “Where are the keys for the house in town?”

A pause. Then, “Why?”

“I need a place to stay.”

Sierra heaved a put-upon sigh. “They’re under the back deck on a key hook. But there are two conditions before I’ll let you stay there. First, you don’t tell anyone I own it. No one.”

“Deal. And FYI, that’s why we have a silent partnership.” He’d supplied Sierra with some capital to start her own business last year and he also wanted it kept on the down low. “What’s the second condition?”

“I need a handyman to do some things. Okay, a lot of things. You’re handy, you’re there and voila—you’re selected. I’ll FedEx my repair list today but anything else you see that needs fixed just go ahead.”

“I’ll do it but I want to be reimbursed once a week for whatever I buy. You don’t get to pull that sixty day wait for payment bull crap like you money people usually do.”

She laughed. “That’s how we become money people. We hold on to money as long as possible. Be warned, some of what needs done will be major costs.”

“I ain’t a carpet installer,” he warned. “Nor will I put in windows.”

Sierra sighed again. “You are a handy handyman, right?”

“Guess you’ll have to trust me, huh?”

“I’ll be keeping tabs on you.” Another pause. “I’m sorry about your dad. If you need to talk about anything—except for Rory—call me.”

By the time Dalton crossed into Crook County hours later, he had a plan in place.

Patience. Perseverance. He would not blow this chance.

Rory Wetzler was his. His. She always had been, she always would be.

And he’d do whatever it took to prove it.

GIVEAWAY TIME!!!!

Prize List:

1) Redneck Romeo charm bracelet

2) Kindle fire

3) Basket of goodies, including a McKay brand fleece blanket and other McKay branded stuff and conference trinkets

4) Full set of signed Rough Riders books

5) 1 of a kind handmade small Western purse

6) Arc of TURN AND BURN

7) $100 gift card to amazon.com

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Participating Blogs

June 18, 2013June 18, 2013

Interview & giveaway with Carolyn Brown

Note from Carolyn to the BNK Readers: Thank you all so much for inviting me to stop by your site today and visit about Billion Dollar Cowboy, the debut book in my brand new cowboy romance series, Cowboys & Brides. It’s a delight to be interviewed here. A word of warning—I’m a writer and I love words so sometimes I do get a little carried away with answers!

Can you please share with us a little about yourself?

CB: I’m a wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. Yes, I was a very young bride (17 years old) and I’ve been married 46 years. My first two books sold the same day in 1997 and Billion Dollar Cowboy is my 63^rd book to be published. My goal is to see 100 books on the shelf with my name on them. I have other more immediate goals like finishing the rough draft of the work in progress but that’s one of my big goals.

Have you always wanted to be an author?

CB: Oh, yes, ma’am. Ever since I picked up one of those little fat pencils and a Big Chief tablet (that was in the days when a tablet was not a technical device) I wanted to write stories.

Can you share with us your typical writing day. Is there anything you have to have while writing?

CB: My typical writing day starts when I wake up. My characters and I plod across the hallway to my office and we get busy. I like to have a thousand words done before breakfast. Husband brings a cup of coffee, sits it on my desk, eases the door shut and leaves me alone for an hour. After that I don’t bite or cuss and we have a wonderful breakfast together (he is a retired English teacher so he’s home all day). Then I finish the chapter I’m working on, have lunch and write one more chapter before bedtime. My goal is 5000 words each day but sometimes the grandchildren or the birds singing in the back yard gets in the way of the goal

Most challenging or rewarding part of writing?

CB: The most challenging part has to be letting go of my natural controlling nature and letting my characters out of the box. I tend to want to tell them how the story goes but they were there and if I listen to them, my editor is far happier with my work.

(Shhh…don’t tell anyone that I have voices in my head!) The most rewarding part is when the book is finished and on the shelf and I get a note like this: I have always hated reading. But about one year ago I was walking through a book store and “Red’s hot cowboy” grabbed my arm. I fell in LOVE with the book and author. I’m buying your books like crazy and I’m loving reading. Keep writing Mrs. Carolyn Brown, you are one awesome lady!!!! Thank you for changing my life!!!…Carla Jones-Sawyer. To know that one of my cowboys turned a non-reader into a reader just puts a smile on my face for days and days.

Can you please tell us about your latest book?

CB: Billion Dollar Cowboy is the story of Colton Nelson, a ranch hand who won the lottery and boom, he was a millionaire. His best friend, Andy, who was a financial genius invested well for him and turned him into a billionaire. But down deep in his heart, Colton just wanted to be a rancher. The women in the area were like the little kids in the Christmas story…only visions of dollars danced in their heads, not visions of sugar plums. Andy’s distant cousin, Laura Baker, has been getting her older sister out of gambling debt for years so it’s nothing new. But this time her sister has borrowed a lot of money and Laura has just lost her job. Andy offers her work on the ranch as his assistant until she can earn enough to get the sister out of debt. She’s there. Colton needs a fake girlfriend to keep the gold diggers at bay…and so the story begins.

How did you come with the idea for this story?

CB: Go back to #4 about those voices in my head. I had just finished the last book in the Spikes & Spurs series and these four cowboys popped up behind me. Colton said that he wanted his story told first and he introduced me to Laura and then to the secondary characters: his grandmother, Maudie, her foster child, Roxie, a sixteen year old girl that reminds Laura of herself at that age, and Rusty, the ranch foreman. I had no choice but to tell the story or else I was going to spend lots of sleepless nights fretting about just how things were going in Ambrose, Texas.

Can you share with us your current work in progress?

CB: I’m writing the last chapters of the fourth book in this series this week. How to Marry a Cowboy. So how does one marry a cowboy? Rachel Green says that the first thing you do is put on a wedding dress and then fall asleep in the swing on his front porch. I’m very excited about this book because it has a set of twin girls that are so ornery that folks in the first three books of the series have declared that they could scale a glass wall on a rainy day.

Who are some of your favorite authors?

CB: LaVryle Spencer has always been a favorite but I’m a very eclectic reader. I also like Leon Uris, Carl Hiaason, Randy Wayne White, Sue Grafton, Joanne Kennedy, J. A. Jance and…how much room do we have for this interview. I can just get plumb carried away when I talk about my favorite authors. Oh, did I mention Mary Kay Andrews, Jill Mansill and Grace Burrowes?

Do you feel that any of your favorite authors have inspired your writing style?

CB: Every author I’ve ever read has inspired me in one way or the other. Maybe it was the way they wrote a tender love scene or a hot sex scene. Or maybe it was their way of presenting the story, or the way they made their characters come alive, or the way that their writing touched my emotions. I really believe that if a writer can touch their readers’ emotions then that reader will come back for the next book. We like to feel what we read; not just look at words.

Open your book to a random page and tell us what’s happening.
CB: Page 81: Laura needs a dress to go to a fancy party with Colton and Maudie has taken her to an exclusive little shop in Sherman. Laura’s having no part of it, not with price tags with that many zeros. Excerpt:

“What if you had as much money as Colton? Would you spend that much on a one-of-a-kind dress,” Roxie asked.

(Laura’s answer) “I would not. But I’m not rich. And I won’t ever be rich. And I’m not impressed by rich people or money. There’s the Ross store, Maudie. That’s where I want to go.”

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

CB: Joanne Kennedy’s Cowboy Tough is on the top of the pile right along with Summer Rental by Mary Kay Andrews and Husband bought me a signed copy of one of Nora’s older books, High Noon.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

CB: I’d like to thank you again for letting me speechify about my books and I’d like to tell my readers to keep their boots on and their cowboy hats close by. There are three more books in the Cowboys & Brides series: The Cowboy’s Christmas Baby (Oct. 2013), The Cowboy’s Mail Order Bride (Feb. 2014) and How to Marry a Cowboy (May, 2014) AND the final book in the Spikes & Spurs series, Cowboy Seeks Bride (Aug. 2013).

BILLION DOLLAR COWBOY

by CAROLYN BROWN

IN STORES JUNE 2013

Colton Nelson was 28 when he won the Texas Lottery and went from ranch hand to ranch owner overnight. When people started lining up wanting some of his millions, he hired a friend, Andy Joe, to handle his affairs and find him a bride and buy her, no matter what the cost.

Laura Baker and her sister, Emily, had been raised in foster homes. Though she was the younger of the two, Laura was always bailing Emily out of trouble. So when Andy Joe slid into her booth at a diner one night and made a proposition to Laura, it seemed the perfect solution…until Laura met Colton and realized she didn’t give a damn about his money and that her love was not for sale.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Carolyn Brown is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author with more than 60 books published. Born in Texas and raised in southern Oklahoma, Carolyn and her husband now make their home in the town of Davis, Oklahoma. Carolyn’s first women’s fiction novel, The Blue Ribbon Jalapeño Society Jubilee is now available, and you can look for her next cowboy romance, Cowboy Seeks Bride in August 2013! For more information, please visit: www.carolynlbrown.com.

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June 17, 2013June 14, 2013

What is Cozy Kitten reading?

Here’s something fun and different for you! I’ve teamed up with mystery author Kate Carlisle and two other bloggers to bring you a really fun little contest! You could win a $25 gift card to the bookstore of your choice, or one of three copies of A COOKBOOK CONSPIRACY, Kate’s latest. To enter, visit the Contest tab on these four Facebook pages to find out what mystery with a kitty-twist The Cozy Kitten is reading on each page:

Books-n-Kisses

Escape with Dollycas into a Good Book

Cozy Mystery Book Review

Kate Carlisle Books

Don’t put it off! The contest ends soon, so you need to enter right away!