Interview with Jill Shalvis

I was able to snag Jill Shalvis for a quick couple of questions. This girl is so busy writing us some awesome stories, raising a family, dealing with Frat boy and his craziness and keeping us entertained on social media. So without further ado.

Jill, can you tell us what is your most interesting writing quirk?

I like to write in my pjs and bunny slippers on my deck. Good things I’m not a doctor! J

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

Then Came You, the story of what happens when a rather anal-retentive woman lets her hair down and has her first one night stand and then … discovers she’s accidentally slept with her new boss.

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

Start writing and keep writing. And then write some more. Practice makes perfect.

Here is a little more about Jill:

Jill Shalvis is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of over four dozen romance novels, including Rescue My Heart, Animal Attraction, Animal Magnetism, and Slow Heat. The RITA and three-time National Readers’ Choice winner makes her home near Lake Tahoe. Visit her website at www.jillshalvis.com for a complete book list and daily blog.

*****

Then Came You

Amazon| B&N

Veterinary intern Emily can’t believe she wound up in the small town of Sunshine, Idaho, instead of the Los Angeles clinic she had always imagined. Now she has to put her plans to move to L.A. on hold for a whole year while she fulfills the obligation of her vet school scholarship.
Then Wyatt, her gorgeous one-night stand from a Reno vet conference, introduces himself as her new boss. And Emily is just as drawn to his seductive looks and quiet strength as she was on that very steamy night. She soon learns that Wyatt isn’t just a laid-back doctor, but a delicious alpha male tempting her away from her carefully laid-out plans…

Make sure to check out Kelly’s review of Then Came You HERE

June 17, 2014June 3, 2014

Interview & Giveaway with Kendra Elliot

Books-n-Kisses is super exicted to have our pal Kendra Elliot back on the blog to talk about her newest release Vanished. This was a great read. If you have not picked up your copy and you love Romance Suspense you really need to.

So, Kendra can you tell my wonderful followers a little about yourself

I’ve lived in Oregon for 96% of my life. (Yes, I’m nerdy and got out a calculator to get the right percentage) I have three teenage daughters that keep my house very busy and spent sixteen years as a dental hygienist before quitting to write full time. My first novel came out almost two years ago. VANISHED will be my fifth novel.

Have you always wanted to be an author?

I didn’t always want to write; I loved to read. From a very early age, I was a voracious reader, and I hated writing in high school and college. One day I set down a book after finishing it for the fourth or fifth time and wondered if I could make a reader feel as awesome this author always made me feel. I decided to give it a shot. My third try was published in 2012 as HIDDEN.

What is your most interesting writing quirk?

I often write with noise reducing headphones while listening to white noise from outer space. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vcJ-o_fh1B4 (Again, nerd alert!) My husband works from home, and even though we work on different levels of the house, I can still hear his constant phone conferences. The headphones make all the difference.

Can you please tell us about your newest release Vanished?

This is the blurb from the book: When an eleven-year-old is abducted on her way to school, the FBI doesn’t waste a moment, sending agents to scour the area and embedding Special Agent Ava McLane with the distraught family. In the eye of the storm is local detective Mason Callahan, whose life is crumbling to pieces—he’s related to the victim, and his longtime confidential informant has just been murdered.

Both he and Agent McLane hole up in the victim’s family home. Every second counts in a kidnapping case, and the stakes keep rising the longer the girl is missing. As Ava and Mason struggle to hold the family together in their darkest hour, the two investigators find themselves drawn to each other.

Is Vanished is part of your ongoing Bone Secret series?

Officially VANISHED is not a Bone Secret book, even though regular readers will recognize my main character, Detective Mason Callahan, from the other Bone Secret Books. The Bone Secret books are more forensics oriented; VANISHED focuses on the FBI and police officers and their lives. Right now I plan to write 3 or 4 books with Mason Callahan and his love interest, Ava McLane. The second Callahan/McLane book is finished and should be released in January 2015. We’re still searching for a series title name for them. As I’m writing this, we haven’t finalized the name decision. But there will be more Bone Secrets books! After writing two FBI books, I’m ready to dive back into forensics.

How about we give the readers a little snippet from Vanished. Please open Vanished to a random page and give us a sentence or two.

In VANISHED, my detective’s personal and professional life is spinning out of control. This is part of a scene where his boss is telling him not to come in to work because they’ve discovered some evidence that doesn’t shine favorably on Mason.

Schefte cleared his throat. “We’d already pulled your hard drive.”

“What?” Mason’s vision tunneled.

“We’re checking your calendar, too.”

“You don’t take my whole computer to look at a calendar. What the hell is going on there?”

Schefte was quiet.

“Do I need a lawyer?” Mason asked. His brain spun like he was drunk. What was happening?

“It wouldn’t hurt to talk to your union rep,” Schefte answered. “I don’t know about a lawyer. I don’t think that will be necessary.”

A sharp pain shot through Mason’s temple.

“Denny, I don’t have time for this! I’m trying to help my family stay sane while their daughter is missing! My son is about to cave in on himself he’s so stressed.” And so am I.

“I know you’ve got a lot going on. This was a good time to take some time off. Come down and get your prints done again. Then we’ll talk.” Schefte sounded distant. All his usual good buddy-ness gone from his voice.

Do they think he killed Josie? Impossible.

Something was screwed up somewhere. Evidence lines were getting crossed.

“Fine,” answered Mason in the same even tone. “I’ll have my rep with me.” He ended the call and slipped the phone in his pocket, feeling as though his support system was being chiseled away. First his family struggled with the worst imaginable horror. Now his job was in jeopardy? He felt like he was being ripped in half. As slowly as possible.

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

I’ve finished the follow-up to VANISHED which is currently titled BRIDGED and it will be out in January 2015. I also just finished a series of four small town romantic suspense novellas, The Rogue River Series, written with my author buddy Melinda Leigh that will be out next fall. I wrote two of the novellas books from the point-of-view of a woman who’s returned after five years as an LAPD officer to be a cop in her tiny home town of Solitude, Oregon. Melinda wrote two from my character’s sister’s point-of-view, a social worker who is reevaluating her marriage to her detective husband. Each novella is a complete suspense story, but there is also an over arcing mystery.

Next project? Thinking about this…it will most likely be a Bone Secret book. Any suggestions of who you’d like to read about from my previous books? I get a lot of requests for Chris’s story from BURIED.

Speaking of BURIED, it has been nominated for the International Thriller Award for Best Paperback Original. I was stunned and actually cried when I got the news. This competition is HUGE and I never dreamed I’d final. I’m still stunned at the names on this list: http://thrillerwriters.org/programs/thriller-awards/ My publisher is flying me to NYC in July for the conference and award ceremony. BURIED is also up for a Daphne award for Romantic Suspense at the Romance Writers of America national conference in July.

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

Write, write, write, and read. Keep reading. Study the works of the authors you love and try to see what makes them stand out. Read how-to books, take online classes, join professional organizations, and listen to advice from other authors but don’t follow all of it. What works for some writers is not right for you, and there is a LOT of misleading information out there. Get to know other writers, don’t be pushy, pay your dues, and attend conferences. This isn’t a get-rich-quick business. Some people have, but 99% have not. Don’t get into the business for the money; do it because you love the writing.

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

I’ve had Allison Brennan’s NOTORIOUS on my TBR pile since it came out. When I’m writing, I don’t read much. I’m about to take a much needed break between writing books and that one is on top!

Learn more about Kendra and her books here: Website | Facebook | Twitter: @KendraElliot | Goodreads

*****

Vanished

PUBLICATION DATE: June 17, 2014
Amazon| B&N

When eleven-year-old Henley Fairbanks is abducted on her way to school, the FBI doesn’t waste a moment, sending agents to scour the area and embedding Special Agent Ava McLane with the distraught family. In the eye of the storm is local detective Mason Callahan, who also happens to be related to Henley. To make matters worse for Mason, the kidnapping comes on the heels of the murder of his longtime confidential informant, and he’s been sidelined from the investigation. Now both he and Agent McLane are holed up in the Fairbanks’ home, along with Callahan’s ex-wife, Robin. Every second counts in a kidnapping case, and the stakes keep rising the longer Henley stays missing. As Ava and Mason struggle to hold the Fairbanks family together in their darkest hour, the two investigators find themselves more and more drawn to each other.

*****

GIVEAWAY TIME:

Kendra has given me permission to giveaway Kindle or print copy of reader’s choice of any of her books.
Please fill out the Rafflecopter form below to be entered.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

June 12, 2014June 12, 2014

Natasha’s Interview with Barbara Duell

Natasha: Can you please share with us a little about yourself

Barbara: My name is Barbara J Duell, and I live in Fountain Hills, just a bit east of Scottsdale, in Arizona. I married young, had four sons in four years and started college, mostly night classes at first, hoping to find a little adult conversation. But I continued on, obtained my degree (s) even as I pursued my non-certified postgraduate work at my all-male funny farm, which was an education in itself; of the highest learning, earning another degree as a stay-at-home mom until the time came to cut the apron strings. I then enter the corporate world. I spent several decades as CEO in the field of Medical Administration, and after retiring, took up the Law. I dealt primarily with Child Protective Services and Civil Rights, and then joined the county Justice Court, served on the bench, and then retired, again.

NH: Have you always wanted to be an author?

BD: From an early age reading has been my one constant, but it was hard for me to read. It was not until middle school that I realized I was not stupid, just suffered from dyslexia. Partnered with my desire to read was my passion for writing, which started out as bits of stories when I first learned to talk. Simple tales, spun from the depth of my spirit, told to anyone who would listen. And then I found a pencil and paper and started to write, well, almost. No one could understand what I scribbled, but I didn’t care. My spell checker has rebelled many times, unable to deal with the way I move about my computer writing everything garbled up, or simply backwards, but I persevered and continued to dream, and to write, but only for myself. I learned early on what it felt like to be laughed at due to my mixed-up ways, so all that I wrote stayed hidden away.

NH: What is your most interesting writing quirk?

BD: I am a very private person, although those who know me would say I am extremely outgoing and totally involved with lives and life. But when I write, it is usually at night, alone, with music playing in the background, and not always soft, soothing tunes. Sometimes the house shakes with the reverberation of loud classic rock, not what one would call a peaceful and creative environment, but it works for me.

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

BD: My first work of fiction, a contemporary romance called Beyond Love, was released in February and is doing well. Writing this book was a huge project… a lifeline, a thin thread that kept me from the edge of madness after the loss of my sons. It became an act of determination to turn a life around; one woman’s quest to find a way back into the sunlight of hope. I spread out my options regarding the chore of getting my life back on track, but like a day-old picnic, nothing looked or sounded appealing. I also knew that my sons would not want me to drown in my sorrow. They loved life too much, so I have tried to follow their example; the courage they found during their last days. I got up and dug out the book. I finished it. Then came the editing and all the other required details to have it published, but I soon realized I did not have time to go through the traditional process of publishing a book, which would take years, so I shook the cobwebs out of my brain, took the money budgeted for my next trip to Europe and did it myself, establishing Shadow Wind Publishing. I found myself up to my bra straps in a world I knew nothing about, but I learn. I am still learning and enjoying it all, most of the time.

Come Hear the Whisper of Time, which was published this week, is a collection of tales, part Fact, Fiction, and Fantasy. Some of the stories that have gathered dust over time are of the First People, snippets I have heard all my life, and thoughts that would not stay locked away, memories of my sons coming of age, of my mom and dad; the rest, simply tales from my overactive imagination. There are parts of this book, this gathering of words, where I ask my readers to open their minds and just imagine as they travel to another dimension, a premise requiring trust and faith. I hope they enjoy this journey to another place.

NH: How did you come with the idea for this story?

BD: There is no rhyme or reason, no theme for the words that found their way into this new book, except maybe the feelings we experience when we love and are loved. I would write stories and then tear them up. I tried to be funny; that too ended up in the trash can, and I found myself always returning to the same spot… that indescribably wonderful feeling love conveys.

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

BD: In an old trunk, among tattered pages hidden away for so many years, I found a story I had written long ago about a young Indian boy so crippled he can hardly walk, who finds the courage and strength to face insurmountable danger, overcoming his fears to prove he is worthy to lead others. This pre-teen chapter book is due to be released late summer. I am also working on two new books, one with a few characters from Beyond Love, and another about the First World War. Needless to say, I am busy.

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

BD: If the opportunity arose I would deem it an honor to meet Taylor Caldwell, but of course she left us in 1985. Her love of life mirrored her stories. She served in the Navy Reserve in 1918, was a court reporter in New York in the early 1920’s. She even worked for the United States Department of Justice. Her books opened doors for me, reveling issues that led me on so many adventures. From her ‘Dear and Glorious Physician’ to ‘Bright Flows the River’, written in 1978, her insight into human nature was profound, allowing my young mind to venture out and beyond local boundaries.

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

BD: Writing is a passion, and like most passions, it takes hold and never lets go. Just pick up a pen and write. Read, listen, learn, and then write.

NH: Can you share with us something off your bucket list.

BD: My bucket lists became so long that I tore it up and just try to live each day as best I can. I am fortunate that I can grab my backpack and hop on a plane going wherever, anytime I chose. And I do this a few times a year. I love Europe and England. But I also love to take my dogs and my fishing pole and drive about seven miles from home and enjoy the day fishing.

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

BD: My house is cluttered with books stacked on tables in every room. My personal library overflows with volumes of books that I love to read again and again. Right now, I am reading everything I can on WW1. I read each night before I go to sleep, and I am also currently reading, ‘A Paris Apartment’ by Michelle Gable.

NH: Is there anything else you would like to add?

BD: I thank you for your interest in me and by books.

Find out more about Barbara here: Facebook| Twitter @barbarajduell | Linkedin | Google8: bdnativespirit@gmail.com |

Shadow Wind Publishing: Facebook | Pinterest

Natasha’s review

Come Hear the Whisper of Time

CHARACTERS: Various

AUTHOR: Barbara J. Duell

PUBLICATION DATE: 5/11/14

ORDER LINKS:Amazon

Come Hear the Whisper of Time is a collection of tales, part Fact, Fiction, and Fantasy. Some are stories that have gathered dust over time―of the First People―snippets I have heard all my life, and of thoughts that would not stay locked away, memories of my sons coming of age, of my mom and dad; the rest, simply from my overactive imagination. I have written about love, that indescribably wonderful feeling that only love can convey.

Whisper of Time became my lifeline, the thin thread that kept me from the edge of madness after the loss of my sons, and this gathering of words will ask that you open your mind and just imagine as you travel to another dimension, a premise requiring trust and faith.

I am at peace when I follow the ways of those who gave me life. It is from their tradition and courage, and their love of all the Great Spirit has loaned to us that allows me to give thanks each day, for I am so blessed.

So I reach out to you from within my soul, hoping to find refuge, a safe place to share what has gathered within me from the beginning.

REVIEW PROVIDED BY: Natasha House

NUMBER OF HEARTS: 4

REVIEW: Come Hear the Whisper of Time was a new sort of story telling to me. A series of various short stories displayed the different types of love throughout the world. Mothers, children, lovers, nature, they are all depicted in this story. I truly felt the soul of the author in every page of this book. You could feel the love and history being portrayed were vivid and real. I enjoyed getting this glimpse into these stories, and there’s many that I hope she’ll actually develop into full novels themselves!

Disclaimer:

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

June 11, 2014June 7, 2014

Interview & Giveaway with Dennis Willis author of Barca’s Jackpot

Books-n-Kisses would like to welcome new author Dennis Willis. Dennis is the author of Barca’s Jackpot.

Welcome Dennis. Thanks for stopping by BnK.
Have you always wanted to be an author?

I suppose. When I was younger, I thought I would author the great American screenplay! But I suppose every 20-year-old thinks they’re going to conquer the world. I backed into being a film critic, which I’ve had the wonderful opportunity to continue doing for over 20 years. The byproduct of that, is that I get to watch a lot of films and when you absorb that much content, you begin to not only spot trends, but get a pretty clear sense of what speaks to you creatively. I wrote or co-wrote a good 12 to 15 scripts over the years, some that are terrible, some that continued to poke around in my brain. One of those was Barca’s Jackpot, so after publishing a few books of movie reviews and commentary, I tried my hand at adapting my own screenplay into a novel.

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

I don’t have a typical writing day. Much of what I do concerns radio production or editing (I produce a weekly radio show and am in pre-production on a film). So when I do sit down to write, it’s generally because I can’t stop thinking about what I’d like to work on. And also, having run my own business with a storefront in the past, I became adept at getting up to help a customer, holding on to my thought, and resuming once the customer left! I have an 8-year-old son, and believe me, that muscle comes in handy!

Most challenging or rewarding part of writing?

Well, I don’t have an ego in this fight. I know what I know, and it’s a little more than most, but I’m also acutely aware of what I don’t know, and that is where my thirst for knowledge comes in. The very first thing I did as soon as I was done with a first draft was to hand it off to colleagues who I knew would be honest with me about the work. I told them to tear it apart! The rewarding part, I suppose, is finding out that the work is decent.

Can you please tell us about your first book?

It’s about a guy who gets himself into a little bit of trouble! I love this character because he was a police officer who stuck around for one too many hands of poker with a gangster and ended up owing the bad guy money. So he’s a guy who has friends on both sides of the law, and is in a bit of a tight spot. I love that dichotomy of the character, & am thrilled about moving forward with future adventures.

How did you come with the idea for this story?

Believe it or not, it was in a dream and the first time and only time I ever woke up and wrote the idea down. It’s a scene in which one person is staking out a ballroom with a sniper rifle to do some damage, and realizing somebody else is there to do the same thing. I immediately found that idea intriguing, and the story took off after that.

Can you share with us your current work in progress?

I had so much fun with the first book that I immediately started thinking about second. But having seen so many horrible sequels as a film critic, and comparing those against the few that actually work, it’s more about starting with that list then an actual story. I’m big into theme and structure, and of course a list of don’ts. So it’s a question of continuing the forward path of the character without repeating yourself, changing the elements that the character has to navigate without altering things too much, but also about dramatically shaking things up. My favorite stories in a continuing series whether it be James Bond, Star Trek, or anything else is when something completely different or shocking gets my attention and makes me lean forward as a viewer or reader.

Who are some of your favorite authors?

I was a huge fan of Elmore Leonard, and still am. My dad was a big crime fiction fan so there was an all there was always a copy of a John D. MacDonald novel, or Dashiell Hammett, Raymond Chandler, etc. around the house. I also appreciate strong writing in films and have found myself more attracted to who wrote the screenplay than the actors in some cases!

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

I’d be lying if I didn’t say Leonard. I’m also a huge fan of his book “10 Rules of Writing.” It’s a very handy guidebook to whittling away the fat to get to the actual story. He was fond of cautioning other writers about getting in the way of the story with their prose and I agree completely. Anything more than “He said” is too much.

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

Thanks to the movie Cold in July, I just discovered Joe R. Lansdale and I’m reading that book. I’ll probably move on to the next five or six Lansdale novels after that.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

Only that I think the 21st century is an amazing time for content creators. We have heard much about the demise of the printed book, and the retail bookstore. And to a degree, as there is evolution with everything else, walking into a bookstore is getting to be a rarefied thing. But I don’t believe that love of the written word will go away anytime soon, and I have always been a fan of removing the gatekeepers that keep the little guy out of the system. Now everybody has a chance to make an impression, and that is very exciting!

Bio:
Dennis Willis is an award-winning producer, editor, writer and film critic. He produced and co-hosted the TV programs Soundwaves, and Reel Life (later called FilmTrip) and anchors the weekly Flick Nation Radio show. In addition, he hosts the weekly radio features At the Movies and Home Media Guide.

He is a member of the San Francisco Film Critics Circle and the Broadcast Film Critics Association; and the director of All You Need is Myth: The Beatles and Gods of Rock.

ONLINE:
twitter.com/denniswillis
flicknation.net
thebarcafiles.com

If you didn’t see it on Monday check out Kimberly’s review of Barca’s Jackpot HERE

GIVEAWAY:
For a chance to win a signed copy of Barca’s Jackpot by Dennis Willis comment below or on the BnK Facebook page. Winner will be selected one week from today, Wednesday the 18th. Good Luck!

June 10, 2014June 9, 2014

Book Spotlight & Giveaway: Scene of the Climb by Kate Dyer-Seeley

I’m excited to have Kate Dyer-Seeley here today to talk about her new book, Scene of the Climb. The book takes place in the Pacific Northwest and I loved reading all the places that Meg visited because I’m quite familiar with them myself. 🙂

1. Tell me about your new release.

SCENE OF THE CLIMB is set in the ruggedly beautiful Pacific Northwest and features Meg Reed, a young journalist who bills herself as an intrepid adventure in order to land a gig writing for Northwest Extreme Magazine. In reality, she’s a total klutz and terrified of heights. The magazine sends her out to Angel’s Rest trail (a steep climb up to a breathtaking view of the Columbia River) to cover an adventure race filming on location. Meg prefers vintage fashion and artisan coffee to scaling cliffs, but she’s desperate for a job and to prove herself. So she laces up her kicks and hits the trail. Once she finally huffs her way to the top, she sees a body sail off the summit and from there things just get worse.

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

One of my all-time favorite holiday movies is Christmas in Connecticut. I have clarify that I mean the original with Barbara Stanwyck, not the 1992 remake with Kris Kristofferson. The premise of the movie is that Elizabeth Lane is a food writer for a major magazine in the 1940s, with a country home in Connecticut and a family. Of course she has none of these things–she can’t cook, lives in a small apartment and is single. I love the idea of trying to be something you’re not, and how quickly things can unravel when you’re not being authentic. I think we’ve all had experiences like that, and it provides a great opportunity to watch Meg grow in the series.

I live in the Pacific Northwest and do a lot of hiking with my family. Angel’s Rest is one of my favorite hikes. It’s a relatively easy climb and the payoff at the top is truly stunning. However it seems like every year someone falls up there. I guess it’s sort of a case of life imitating art. I spent a semester in college on an eco-tourism trip in New Zealand and Australia which I used as inspiration for the storyline too.

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

I feel like writing this was kind of like cheating because most of my “research” entailed me going out to hike the trails featured in the book. My dad, who’s a retired English teacher, was my hiking partner on many of the climbs and a great sounding board for plotting and structure. I interviewed the Crag Rats, who are the first-ever mountain rescue team in the United States. It was really interesting to learn about the kind of work they do. They’re all volunteers who literally put their lives at risk to rescue others. Very impressive.

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

How much time do you have? I was so lucky to have parents who were readers and ignited that passion for me at an early age. As a kid, I loved Maud Lovelace, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Laura Ingalls Wilder, Jane Austen, Agatha Christie, Willa Cather. In terms of cozies, Jacqueline Winspear, Rhys Bowen, Cleo Coyle, Michelle Scott, Louise Penny. I could keep going…

5. What are you working on now?

I just finished the second book in the series which is set up at Timberline Lodge during opening weekend of the ski season. I had so much fun researching Timberline’s rich history, getting up to speed on snowboarding lingo and thinking about putting Meg out in the cold. I’m getting ready to start work on book three which will take Meg out to Hood River, Oregon for a windsurfing competition. Poor Meg. She can’t catch a break.

6. Favorite TV guilty pleasure? Favorite Food? Favorite book that you’ve read recently?

Great question. I love Castle. I mean, Nathan Fillion–he’s such a dream. I could watch him all day. Food…hmm. I love anything with cilantro. It’s so versatile–Thai, Mexican. I’m itching to plant a new vegetable and herb garden. It’s the best when you can pop out to the backyard to pick dinner. In terms of books, I read pretty much everything I can get my hands on. When I’m working on a new manuscript it’s hard to read the genre, which is a bummer because I LOVE cozies. Beautiful Ruins is probably my top pick. I read it a little while ago, but it’s one of those books that has stayed with me.

About the Author:

Kate Dyer-Seeley’s work has been featured in a variety of regional, national and international publications. She writes the Pacific Northwest Mystery Series for Kensington Books. The first book in the series, Scene of the Climb, was released June 3, 2014 and is now available at bookstores and online.

Kate also wrote a memoir Underneath the Ash (published in 2011) that chronicles her experience becoming a mother for the first time while losing her mother to young-onset Alzheimer’s.

Additionally, Kate writes and co-produces a monthly online magazine Broadsheet360. The magazine has a steady readership from all around the globe.

She lives in Vancouver, Washington with her husband and son.

– See more at: http://www.katedyerseeley.com/about#sthash.6fAz8TSu.dpuf

Kate also wrote a memoir Underneath the Ash (published in 2011) that chronicles her experience becoming a mother for the first time while losing her mother to young-onset Alzheimer’s.

Additionally, Kate writes and co-produces a monthly online magazine Broadsheet360. The magazine has a steady readership from all around the globe.

She lives in Vancouver, Washington with her husband and son.

– See more at: http://www.katedyerseeley.com/about#sthash.6fAz8TSu.dpuf

Kate also wrote a memoir Underneath the Ash (published in 2011) that chronicles her experience becoming a mother for the first time while losing her mother to young-onset Alzheimer’s.

Additionally, Kate writes and co-produces a monthly online magazine Broadsheet360. The magazine has a steady readership from all around the globe. She lives in Vancouver, Washington with her husband and son.

Website/Twitter/Facebook

But a girl needs a job, so Meg bluffs her way into writing for Northwest Extreme magazine, passing herself off to editor-in-chief Greg Dixon as an outdoor adventure enthusiast. Never mind that Meg’s idea of sport is climbing onto the couch without spilling her latte. So when she finds herself clawing to the top of Angel’s Rest – a two-thousand-foot peak – to cover the latest challenge in a reality TV adventure show, she can’t imagine feeling more terrified. Until she witnesses a body plummet off the side of the cliff. Now Meg has a murder to investigate. And if the climbing doesn’t kill her, a murderer just might…It includes Adventure Guides.

Amazon/B&N

Jennifer’s Review of Scene of the Climb

Review (4.5. Stars): I was so excited to have the opportunity to read this book because it takes place in the Pacific Northwest which I’m quite familiar with since I live here in Portland. Meg Reed is down on her luck, living on her best friend’s couch, trying to find any job that will utilize her Journalism degree. A chance meeting with the editor-in-chief of Northwest Extreme gives Meg the opportunity that she has been hoping for. An actual job that will pay her to write for a magazine but the kicker is that Meg must be an outdoor enthusiast and Meg is the exact opposite. On her first exclusive assignment, Meg finds herself climbing cliffs to cover the final leg of the popular reality show, Race the States. What she doesn’t expect is to witness a contestant flying over the side of the cliff to their death and now she has to investigate a murder before the killer claims another victim.

I really enjoyed Scene of the Climb and I was amazed at how quickly I got involved with the story. Meg was a great character and I enjoyed following her through the course of this book. I think that we’ve all done something to help us get a job when we are just starting out and there were times that I was laughing out loud by some of the things that she did. Scene of the Climb was a delightful start to what will be a great mystery series. I loved having the Pacific Northwest as the backdrop to the novel and I knew exactly where each location was that Meg was visiting as part of her new job. I’m looking forward to reading more from Ms. Dyer-Seeley and reading the next book in the series.

Giveaway

I’m excited to give away a copy of Scene of the Climb. This giveaway is for US Residents only. To be entered in the drawing by June 15th, answer me this question in the comments:

What is your favorite place to hike/camp or just visit?

Kate also wrote a memoir Underneath the Ash (published in 2011) that chronicles her experience becoming a mother for the first time while losing her mother to young-onset Alzheimer’s.

Additionally, Kate writes and co-produces a monthly online magazine Broadsheet360. The magazine has a steady readership from all around the globe.

She lives in Vancouver, Washington with her husband and son.

– See more at: http://www.katedyerseeley.com/about#sthash.NSHO2GJN.dpuf

Kate also wrote a memoir Underneath the Ash (published in 2011) that chronicles her experience becoming a mother for the first time while losing her mother to young-onset Alzheimer’s.

Additionally, Kate writes and co-produces a monthly online magazine Broadsheet360. The magazine has a steady readership from all around the globe.

She lives in Vancouver, Washington with her husband and son.

– See more at: http://www.katedyerseeley.com/about#sthash.6fAz8TSu.dpuf

June 9, 2014June 9, 2014

Kelly’s interview with Samantha Young

Books-n-Kisses is pleased to welcome first time guest Samantha Young to the blog. We are chatting about her newest release Fall From India Place.

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

I hate broccoli. Really, I do. Also, I’m addicted to Diet Pepsi, buying furniture and Kindle book one-clicking. I’m also the author of Scottish-based romance series ON DUBLIN STREET.

Have you always wanted to be an author?

Always, always. I never imagined one day I’d be a full time author so I have moments every now and then when I shake my head at how surreal my career is. Surreal good 😉

What is your most interesting writing quirk?

I create character profiles and histories before I start writing a book. It’s so I feel like I know my characters as well as I possibly can before I start their story. I have stats for them—I could probably upload them onto dating sites. But I won’t. Promise.

Can you please tell us about FALL FROM INDIA PLACE?

FALL FROM INDIA PLACE is Hannah Nichol’s story. If readers have been reading the series from the beginning it will be fun for them to see little Hannah all grown up. If this is a reader’s first time reading a book from the series then Hannah’s humor and determination will be refreshingly new to them. FFIP follows Hannah as she begins her first year as a high school English teacher and reconnects with her first love Marco D’Alessandro. Marco is the ultimate hero in pursuit of his heroine. He wants Hannah back and will do whatever it takes to win her over. However, both Hannah and Marco are hiding secrets from their past that could threaten to ruin everything for them.

We’ve been waiting for Hannah and Marco’s story for some time. What about their love story were you most excited to share with readers?

Readers who have been following the series got sneak peeks into Hannah’s romance with Marco when they were teens. In FALL FROM INDIA PLACE readers not only get to experience their present romance but also they get to go back and see all those moments in depth from Hannah’s perspective. As a reader, I love when I’ve been teased by a secondary character interaction and then later on I get to read all about it for myself. I’m hoping readers are excited to find just exactly how Hannah and Marco’s romance sparked and what went wrong when they were younger.

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

I’m working on Untitled (ON DUBLIN STREET #5)

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

I can’t choose just one! I’d love to meet Patrick Ness, Suzanne Collins, JK Rowling, Karen Marie Moning and Richelle Mead. They’ve all inspired me so much as a writer and each written a favourite series of mine. I’d love to meet them but I don’t know if I’d be able to string a coherent sentence together.

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

Practice, practice, practice. It sounds so simple, but really it’s hugely important to hone your writing skills over time and the only way to do that is to write lots.

Can you share with us something off your bucket list?

As a Scot I haven’t been exposed to much baseball, but I have a fascination for the nostalgia surrounding the game. I also have a fascination with Boston so I’d love to see the Red Sox play at Fenway Park one day.

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

Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

Just thank you for having me and a massive thank you to all my readers for their continued support. You rock, folks.

A little more about Samantha:

New York Times bestselling author Samantha Young is a 27 year old book addict who graduated from the University of Edinburgh. She lives in Scotland. Connect with her online at her Website | Twitter @SYoungSFAuthor | Facebook | Goodreads

*****

Fall from India Place

On Dublin Street #4

Release date June 3, 2014

Amazon| B&N | Penguin

The New York Times bestselling author of On Dublin Street and Down London Road returns with a story about letting go of the past and learning to trust in the future…

When Hannah Nichols last saw Marco D’Alessandro, five long years ago, he broke her heart. The bad boy with a hidden sweet side was the only guy Hannah ever loved—and the only man she’s ever been with. After one intense night of giving into temptation, Marco took off, leaving Scotland and Hannah behind. Shattered by the consequences of their night together, Hannah has never truly moved on.

Leaving Hannah was the biggest mistake of Marco’s life, something he has deeply regretted for years. So when fate reunites them, he refuses to let her go without a fight. Determined to make her his, Marco pursues Hannah, reminding her of all the reasons they’re meant to be together.…

But just when Marco thinks they’re committed to a future together, Hannah makes a discovery that unearths the secret pain she’s been hiding from him, a secret that could tear them apart before they have a real chance to start over again…

a Rafflecopter giveaway

June 2, 2014June 1, 2014

Blog Tour & Giveaway: Thread End by Amanda Lee

I’m so excited to welcome Amanda Lee to Books-n-Kisses today. I love her Embroidery Mystery series and I am excited that she is here to talk about her new release, Thread End.

1. Tell me about your new release.

In Thread End, Marcy is about to have the rug pulled out from under her, She can’t wait to see the new exhibit at the Tallulah Falls museum on antique tapestries and textiles, including the beautiful kilim rugs. But her enthusiasm quickly turns to alarm when, the day after the exhibition opens, she discovers a dead body behind her store, the Seven-Year Stitch, wrapped in a most unusual fashion. Also, readers will get to meet Ted’s mother for the first time! 🙂

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

Actually, the idea for the series was my editor Jessica Wade’s. She said she’d love an embroidery series set on the Oregon Coast and gave me some of the details she wanted in place, and I went with it. From there, the series has pretty much taken on a life of its own!

3. What inspired you to write mysteries?

I’ve always loved mysteries. I read the Secret Seven, Nancy Drew, and Trixie Belden series when I was young, and then I graduated to many of today’s greats (too many faves to mention them all by name). I think it’s such fun to put all the pieces of the puzzle into place and to come up with various scenarios that would lead more than one person to want the victim out of the way. “What if…?” and “Why..?” are some of the juiciest questions to answer.

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

For this particular book, I was researching the types of museum exhibits I might find in an Oregon coast museum. Since I’m on the east coast, I started out with online galleries from actual museums. Then I searched for prominent Oregonians who might’ve lived near our fictional Tallulah Falls. I found a toymaker named A.C. Gilbert who was most famous for inventing the erector set. However, he also invented and sold (very briefly) the U-238 Atomic Energy Lab in the early 1950s. It came with three low-level radioactive sources, a Geiger counter, and a book that explained uranium prospecting. The government offered kids a ten-thousand-dollar-prize if they could successfully mine uranium! And we think some of our kids’ toys are dangerous!

5. What are you working on now?

I’ve just sent the first draft of Wicked Stitch, the next book in the embroidery mystery series, to my editor. In Wicked Stitch, Marcy and the gang participate in a Renaissance Faire. I’m also working on a new novella in the Myrtle Crumb mystery series written under the name Gayle Trent. The novella is titled Soup..er…Myrtle and the story focuses on Myrtle’s attempt to discover who’s stealing people’s identities at the soup kitchen where she’s volunteering.

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

I would say Victoria Holt and Mary Higgins Clark. I read them both growing up, and they simply enchanted me with the stories they wove.

7. Favorite TV show guilty pleasure?

I have to admit to having more than one. I enjoy Rizzoli and Isles, Justified, Bates Motel, Psych, Perception, Reign, Once Upon a Time, Grimm…

8. Last book that you read?

I’m currently reading Bare it All by Lori Foster, Upstairs at the White House, by J.B. West, and Welcome to Your Brain, by Sandra Aamodt and Sam Wang.

9. Favorite food/drink while writing?

Diet Coke! 🙂

About the Author:

Amanda Lee, also writing as Gayle Trent, is a full-time writer living with her family in Southwest Virginia. She writes the embroidery mystery series as Amanda Lee and writes the cake decorating series and the Myrtle Crumb series as Gayle Trent.

Website/Twitter/Facebook

Jennifer’s Review of Thread End

Review (4.5): This is a delightful mystery series that will keep you entertained by all its plot twists and snappy dialogue. Thread End is the seventh book in the series and each new book seems to be better than its predecessor. In this one, Marcy is excited to see the new textile exhibit at the Tallulah Falls Museum and after the grand opening, she finds a body behind her shop wrapped in a textile rug from the exhibit. Now, she must investigate the clues and find the killer before they take another victim.

I love this series because each mystery is well-written and fast-paced which makes it easy to follow along even if you haven’t read the rest of the series. Marcy is a great character that you can instantly connect to and I enjoyed following her on this textile mystery. Thread End is a great addition to a wonderful cozy series and I’m looking forward to reading Wicked Stitch.

Giveaway

I’m excited to give away a copy of Thread End. This giveaway is for US Residents only. To be entered in the drawing by June 10th, leave a question or comment below for Amanda:

May 28, 2014May 26, 2014

Interview & Giveaway with Laura Moore

Books-n-Kisses is excited to welcome back our pal Laura Moore to the blog to chat about her newest book Once Tasted.

BnK: Can you please share with us a little about yourself?

LM: I write contemporary romances that are on the sexy side. My stories feature rugged, outdoorsy heroes who clean up well when the occasion demands. My heroines are strong and passionate about what and whom they love. Lots of four-legged creatures of various shapes and sizes make their way into my books because I’m a serious animal lover. My new release, Once Tasted, has all of the above. When I’m not sitting in front of the computer and writing, I like to be active. I love to ride, swim, garden, and then relax at the end of the day by cooking a really nice meal for my family.

BnK: Have you always wanted to be an author?

LM: Nope. My first dream was to be a professional rider. Then I wanted to be a racecar driver. After that I got interested in photography and art. Basically I managed to avoid writing fiction until I was in graduate school for art education. One evening a story came to me that I simply had to try and put into words. After that, I was pretty much hooked. I think I resisted writing because I have a lot of writers in my family and know how unglamorous an activity it is. Luckily it has its rewards, too.

BnK: Are you a plotter or a pantster or combo of both? Can you explain the difference?

LM: I’d say I do a bit of both plotting and flying by the seat of my pants.

I find writing a synopsis helps me get some idea of my characters’ backstory, where the story will go, and what the different conflicts will be. But I’m definitely not the type of plotter who then makes charts or spreadsheets (both of which give me the hives) or breaks the story down chapter by chapter. Once I get the synopsis finished, I pretty much let my imagination loose. Sometimes the writing proceeds at a crawl, sometimes it flies. My method is hardly the most efficient way of writing (which is important in this business) but some of the scenes I’ve most enjoyed writing have been unplanned.

BnK: What is your most interesting writing quirk?

LM: Darn, I wish I could tell you something really fun, like that I dictate my stories while reclining on a chaise longue in my peignoir while eating chocolate truffles and sipping champagne. The only quirk I can think of while I’m writing is that I like to be near my dog. His presence kind of centers me. Oh, and I also like to listen to rock-n-roll when I’m working. I think it’s a holdover from my barn days when the radio would be playing continuously as we fed, groomed, and tacked horses or mucked out their stalls.

BnK: Can you please tell us about your latest book?

LM: Once Tasted is the second book in my Silver Creek series. My hero is a smooth-talking, laidback cowboy, named Reid Knowles. Reid and his bright blue eyes can dazzle just about any woman…except for Mia Bodell, whose youthful infatuation for her handsome neighbor was shattered years ago. For his part, Reid would just as soon steer clear of Mia and her pointed disdain. Unfortunately, he’s made a promise to Mia’s uncle to help manage the winery that he and Mia own. All too soon the sparks begin to fly between Mia and Reid as their long-denied attraction becomes impossible to ignore.

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

LM: I came up with the premise of writing a series about a family that owns a large working guest ranch in California because some friends of mine own a hotel and I’m fascinated by all the different jobs running a hotel demands. I decided to make the setting a working ranch because I love a chance to write about horsemen and women, whether they ride English or Western. And okay, I’m kind of a perpetual student. I love to learn new things. I realized that if I wrote about a heroine who owns a winery, I’d get to learn all about grape growing and winemaking, and that the research would involve a lot of Pinot Noir tasting. A win-win situation!

BnK: Can you share with us your current work in progress?

LM: I’m writing the third book in the series. It’s called Once Touched and is about Quinn Knowles, Reid’s younger sister, who’s an animal lover and rescuer. My hero is Ethan Saunders, a photojournalist who’s come to Silver Creek ranch to recover from an injury he sustained in Afghanistan. Quinn soon discovers Ethan’s wounds go much deeper than he lets on and her instinct to try and heal him overcomes her need to protect her heart.

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

LM: Can this be when I die and go to writer’s heaven? Shakespeare. Just to be able to thank the man who used the English language so beautifully and bawdily.

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

LM: Write constantly and read voraciously.

Bnk: Can you share with us something off your bucket list?

LM: Scuba diving off the Great Barrier Reef.

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

LM: Kristan Higgins’s Waiting on You, Molly O’Keefe’s Never Been Kissed Eloisa James’s Three Weeks with Lady X and about twenty others.

BnK: What is one book everyone should read before they die?

LM: Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White. I re-read it recently. I actually think the world would be a lot better place if we possessed the wisdom of Charlotte and the kindness of Wilbur.

BnK: What is your favorite time of year & why?

LM: Spring. I love the bursts of color, the perfume in the air, the promise of rebirth.

Bnk: Who is your Celebrity crush?

LM: I’m a huge George Clooney fan from way, way back. I’m actually kind of relieved he’s gotten engaged. Perhaps now I can move on and stop having these fantasies of being locked in a car trunk with him and that gravelly voice of his whispering in my ear…

Bnk: And what would you do if you ever met him?

LM: Embarrass myself–of that I have no doubt!

Bnk: Is there anything else you would like to add?

LM: Just my thanks to you, Kelly, for having me at Books-n-Kisses today! This was such fun. I’d also like to give away two copies of Once Tasted. The winners will be chosen at random by Books-n-Kisses.

To enter to win, just leave a comment below.

The question I leave you with is: What’s on your TBR pile? I love to hear about what others are reading and find new authors to enjoy…and I hope that Once Tasted makes it onto your lists!

Happy Reading!

~Laura

Learn more about Laura here: Website| Facebook | Twitter

*****

Once Tasted

Silver Creek #2

Amazon link | Barnes & Noble | Indiebound

Three siblings, an extraordinary family, a lasting heritage—in the irresistible Silver Creek Ranch trilogy, they’ll fight for the land and the people they love.

Everything has come easily to Reid Knowles, the middle son of a California ranching family. But his charmed life is suddenly complicated when his good friend and neighbor asks him to help run the winery next door. His neighbor’s niece, Mia Bodell, is in charge—and she has made it clear that she’d rather be roped to a steer than to Reid Knowles. Never one to back down from a challenge, Reid vows to win her trust.

Her life marked by loss, Mia knows that nothing comes easily—love included. In high school, her heart was crushed by Reid, and even though years have passed, the hurt lingers. Mia is achingly aware that the teen heartthrob has matured into a devastatingly handsome playboy, and the budding winemaker refuses to let down her guard. But one taste of unbridled passion changes things. From Reid’s first intoxicating kiss to his unexpectedly tender seduction, Mia is swept into a passionate affair that could tear her heart to pieces . . . or give her everything she has ever wanted.

Check out my review of Once Tasted HERE

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May 27, 2014May 17, 2014

Interview & Giveaway with Gina Conkle

Books-n-Kisses is super excited to have first time guest Gina Conkle on the blog today to talk about her newest release.

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

First, thank you for letting me be part of Books-n-Kisses.

I write Viking and Georgian romance with a softly sensual side, which stems from my history nerd-ness. Our family’s big news is we’re moving to the mid-west this summer. My husband grew up in Ohio, but my boys and I have never lived in snow. This will be an adventure!

Have you always wanted to be an author?

Pretty much, yes. I read Gone with the Wind in 5^th grade and subsequently wrote a story called ‘The Girl Who Stopped World War III.’ That could be pre-teen hormone drama setting in, or I was bound to write someday.

What is your most interesting writing quirk?

I can write just about anywhere. I prefer quiet or some music with my laptop, but I’ve had great productivity with a spiral bound notebook in airports, planes, restaurants, and doctor’s offices.

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

Meet the Earl at Midnight is a loose spin on Beauty and the Beast with my “beast” (Edward) quite happy as a recluse, but he needs a woman. He strikes a midnight bargain with Lydia that changes in the light of day with distracting chemistry and secrets revealed.

Edward’s passion for science and Lydia’s passion for art rule their lives until they find each other. The crux of their love story comes to decisions and sacrifices. Both have to answer the question: What do you truly want?

How did you come with the idea for this story?

I needed a break from the Norse hammers in my head! I write Viking romance as well but this character kept showing up covered from head to toe in leather with a tricorn hat pulled low. So, I started writing him and in walked Lydia.

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

I’m almost done with The Lady Meets Her Match (April, 2015). This is book 2 in the Midnight Meetings series and tells the tale of Cyrus, a self-made man dubbed England’s King of Commerce. Sparks fly at a masked ball between Cyrus and a mysterious woman named Claire. She flees at midnight, leaving a shoe behind…a common brown shoe. But, Claire is one Cinderella who doesn’t want her shoe back.

At the same time I’m deep into Norse Fire, book 2 in my Norse series (Dec., 2014). This story features Brand a rough-souled, lone wolf warrior who must work with a feisty slave to save the kingdom. Then comes book 3, Norse Wolf, with Addis, a bad boy Viking who finds himself at the mercy of a tender-hearted healer (Mar. 2015).

As you might’ve guessed there’s a lot of juggling lately.

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

Josie Litton (a pseudonym for Maura Seger). She’s a lyrical and prolific writer. Her book Dream of Me is my all-time #1 top favorite book.

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

Write everyday. Make it a habit.

Can you share with us something off your bucket list.

I want to hike Hadrian’s Wall. Badly.

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

My reward for getting certain tasks done is to buy Julie Brannagh’s Blitzing Emily and Christina Dodd’s Just the Way You Are.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

Kelly, thanks again for hosting me on your blog. The questions were fun.

Learn more about Gina here:

It’s going to take a Beast to tame this Beauty

Enigma Earl. The Phantom of London. That’s what the gossip pages call Lord Edward Greenwich, a mysterious nobleman who doesn’t show his face in London Society. With a reputation like that, no wonder Lydia Montgomery is horrified to be dragged from bed and packed off to live with him to save her mother from penury.

While Lydia has received all of the training a lady should endure, she’s decidedly un-ladylike. She despises her corset and isn’t interested in marriage. She’d prefer to remain unmarried and spend her time improving her art. But if she wants a chance at happiness, she’ll have to set aside her fear of the earl and discover the man hiding behind the beast.

Will Edward and Lydia’s greatest discovery be each other before time runs out?

Book 1 in the series Midnight Meetings

*****

GIVEAWAY TIME!!!!

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May 8, 2014May 6, 2014

Kelly’s interview & giveaway with Macy Beckett

Books-n-Kisses is super excited to welcome Macy Beckett back to the blog. We are celebrating her newest release Make You Mine.

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

You bet! I live in the suburbs of Cincinnati with my husband and three kids, and I “retired” after a decade of teaching to write novels full time. I publish YA sci-fi romance with Disney-Hyperion and *very* steamy adult contemporary romance with Penguin. My favorite color is blue, and I can eat my weight in guacamole.

Have you always wanted to be an author?

No, I was content with reading until I left the work force to stay home with my young children. That’s when I started feeling the need for a creative outlet (and if we’re being honest, an escape too.)

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

Once I get my kids on the bus to school, I park myself in front of the computer and work until I hit a roadblock. Then I’ll go shower and get dressed. By the time I’m finished, I usually have the problem figured out and I return to my computer. Wash, rinse, repeat. That’s a typical writing day for me.

Can you please tell us about your latest book?

MAKE YOU MINE follows pastry chef Allie Mauvais and her longtime crush, riverboat captain Marc Dumont. According to legend, Allie’s great-great grandmother cursed the Dumont men so they’d never be luck in love, and none of them have made it to the altar in 99 years. But Allie is determined to change all that. Like all of my romances, it’s light and humorous with plenty of steam.

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

I knew I wanted to set the story in New Orleans, and the first visual that came to me was of a historic riverboat. So I decided to start there, and the rest just fell into place.

Please open Make You Mine to a random page and give us a few lines.

Here’s a random paragraph from chapter one, written in Marc’s point of view:

He had no intention of spending a moment alone with her. He’d learned his lesson back in high school. Against his pawpaw’s advice, Marc had asked Allie to junior prom. He’d kissed her that night and had awoken the next morning to boils beneath his boxers. Pawpaw always said sex with a Mauvais woman would rot your pecker, and after that incident, Marc wasn’t taking any chances with his manhood.

Why risk it?

Can you share with us your current work in progress?

Right now I’m working on a YA project tentatively titled “Starflight,” which will release in 2016 from Disney-Hyperion. I pitched it as Overboard meets Firefly. Basically, a teenage girl indentures herself to the rich boy who tormented her in high school in exchange for passage to a new world. But when he loses his memory, she convinced him that their roles are reversed, then leads him on a series of intergalactic misadventures.

A little about Macy:

Macy Beckett has lived in two countries and eleven different states, but she abandoned her nomadic lifestyle and now resides in Loveland, “The Sweetheart of Ohio,” with her husband and three spirited children. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in English from Texas State University and resigned after nine years of teaching to write novels full-time.

Twitter @MacyBeckett | Facebook | Website | Goodreads

A look at Make You Mine

TITLE: Make you Mine
SERIES #: Dumont Bachelors #1
CHARACTERS: Marc Dumont & Allie Mauvais
AUTHOR: Macy Beckett
PUBLICATION DATE:
ORDER LINKS: Amazon |B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
For ninety-nine years, every man in the Dumont family has remained a perpetual bachelor. Residents of Cedar Bayou, Louisiana, whisper about a voodoo hex cast upon the family, sabotaging each man’s chance at marriage. In truth, the Dumont men have their own player personalities to blame, and Marc is no exception. As captain of his family’s riverboat, he’s broken hearts up and down the Mississippi. That is, until his high school crush strolls onboard…

Allie Mauvais rocks the boat when she fills in as pastry chef. She hasn’t seen Marc since senior year, when rumors flew that her great-great-grandmother was the one who cursed the Dumonts. After two weeks on the water, neither can deny the attraction that still burns between them. But to truly reach Marc’s heart, Allie must show him that the hex isn’t real, and it’ll take more than her mouthwatering sweets to prove it. Will Allie’s love be enough to finally make Marc hers?

Don’t miss Kelly’s review HERE

Giveaway Details:

Two copies of Make You Mine (US winners only. Sorry, no Canada/International)

*giveaway sponsored by Penguin*

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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.

Website/Twitter/Facebook

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.

Amazon/B&N

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.

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.