Guest Blogger: Molly Harper

Books-n-Kisses is please to let one of our all time favorite authors take over the blog today. If you don’t know about Molly Harper yet here is a little about Molly.

When Molly Harper was eight years old, she set up a “writing office” in her parents’ living room, complete with an old manual typewriter and a toy phone. And she (very slowly) pecked out the story of her third-grade class taking a trip around the world and losing a kid in each city. She had a dark sense of humor even then.

When Molly was considerably older, she headed for Western Kentucky University, where she majored in print journalism. After graduation, she landed a job with The Paducah Sun and married her high school sweetheart, David, a local police officer. After six years at the newspaper, Molly took a more family-friendly secretarial position at a local church office.

Her husband worked nights and Molly was alone with their small child in the “The Apartment of Lost Souls.” A big fan of vampire movies and TV shows, she decided to write a vampire romance novel. Molly created Jane Jameson, a bit of an accidental loser. Jane is single, almost 30, and a librarian working in Half-Moon Hollow, Ky. She has become a permanent fixture on her Mama’s prayer list. And despite the fact that she’s pretty good at her job, she just got canned so her boss could replace her with someone who occasionally starts workplace fires. Jane drowns her sorrows at the local faux nostalgia-themed sports bar. On her way home, she’s mistaken for a deer and shot by a drunk hunter. And then she wakes up as a vampire. The three-book JANE JAMESON series–which includes Nice Girls Don’t Have Fangs, Nice Girls Don’t Date Dead Men and Nice Girls Don’t Live Forever—was released in 2009. A fourth and final installment, Nice Girls Don’t Bite Their Neighbors, was released in 2012.

Molly continues stories in the Jane Jameson universe through her HALF-MOON HOLLOW series, Driving Mr. Dead, The Care and Feeding of Stray Vampires, Undead Sublet, and A Witch’s Handbook of Kisses and Curses. Undead Sublet is a short story in The Undead in My Bed anthology. A Witch’s Handbook of Kisses and Curses was released in June 2013.

A special FREE audio holiday novella, I’m Dreaming of an Undead Christmas is available now from Audible (so be sure to get your copy today!).

Molly has been updating her popular NAKED WEREWOLF romance series in 2013. How to Flirt with a Naked Werewolf was originally released in February 2011, quickly followed by The Art of Seducing a Naked Werewolf. A third installment, How to Run With a Naked Werewolf, will be released on 12/31/13.

Molly also launched her first-ever contemporary romance series, BLUEGRASS, with My Bluegrass Baby in December 2012. Rhythm and Bluegrass was subsequently released in October 2013.

Molly’s books are published by Pocket Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster. They are available in print, as e-books and audio books at major book stores and on Amazon. Molly is a native of Kentucky. She lives in Paducah with her husband and children.

You can keep up with Molly online at her Website, on Facebook, on Twitter, and onGoodReads.

For those of you new to Molly’s work, we highly suggest that you check out her entire backlist, but for today, we’re going to spotlight her NAKED WEREWOLF series and its upcoming release.

So now that you know a little about Molly I will let her take over. Take it away Molly:

Every time I write a book, I try to walk away with a lesson.

Whether it’s new information from research or a skill I picked up while studying a character’s potential background, I try to learn something from every project. For instance, I while writing THE CARE AND FEEDING OF STRAY VAMPIRES, I spent so much time looking up poisonous plants, I’m pretty sure my internet history would have put me in jail if anything had happened to my loved ones. After writing the Bluegrass contemporary series, I’m pretty sure I could run a tourism marketing department on my own – but probably just for the state of Kentucky.

With HOW TO RUN WITH A NAKED WEREWOLF, the main character, Anna, is on the run from an abusive ex, and stumbles into the path of Caleb Graham, a member of the Grundy werewolf pack. I spent a lot of time reading about dysfunctional relationships and abusive men so I could accurately portray the ex’s transition from a seemingly normal guy to someone who would break into his ex-wife’s email so he could hunt her across ten states.

But I forgot that I share a Kindle account with my husband, so every time I ordered a book like TOXIC MEN: TEN WAYS TO IDENTIFY, DEAL WITH AND HEAL FROM THE MEN WHO MAKE YOUR LIFE MISERABLE by Lillian Glass, PhD, the same book would pop up on David’s carousel. Two or three titles later, he walked into our living room and asked, “Sweetheart, is there something you’re trying to tell me?”

It is not easy being married to an author.

And even though David is not toxic, I did walk away from this manuscript feeling very fortunate to have the man I married, and fairly certain that I’d learned enough verbal disarmament techniques to drive him insane if he gets sassy with me.

Again, it is not easy being married to an author.

I recently started taking Brazillian jiu jitsu lessons, which didn’t directly result from a book idea. But so far, the techniques I’ve learned have made their way into two manuscripts. If I can conjure up an idea about a female assassin who is highly deadly, but trips over her own feet while not on assignment, the “lesson” cycle will be complete.

HOW TO RUN WITH A NAKED WEREWOLF is available in print, ebook and audio at all major book retailers. For more information, go to mollyharper.com or simonandschuster.com.

*****

How To Run With a Naked Werewolf

NAKED WEREWOLF Book #3

Out now!!!!

Add to your GoodReads Shelf

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Caleb Graham is a werewolf by nature, a tracker by profession. He uses his “extra gifts” to find people, and not always in the most legal or ethical manner. He doesn’t care what they’ve done, or who wants them found, as long as his considerable fee is paid. He likes his life simple and uncomplicated.

Anna Moder, former physician to Caleb’s pack, happens across Caleb during a particularly violent “negotiation” that has left him bloodied and unconscious. She helps him, despite the fact that he’s cost her a car, so he insists that she stay with him on the road for a while. As they grow closer, Anna looks past the gruff exterior and and the questionable job to thoroughly decent werewolf underneath.

Anna – who is careful to edit her involvement with Caleb’s pack from their conversations – doesn’t talk about why a nice girl wants to live in the middle of frozen nowhere, but she’s obviously on the run from something. When Anna’s past collides with Caleb’s current assignment from one of his sleazier contacts, Caleb finally has to make a choice—protect his job…or his potential mate?

Don’t forget to check out our review of How to Run with A Naked Werewolf HERE

January 3, 2014December 30, 2013

Kimberly reviews Turn Up The Heat by Foster, Ridgway & Dahl

TITLE: Turn Up The Heat
CHARACTERS: Varies
AUTHOR: Foster, Ridgway & Dahl
PUBLICATION DATE: 12/31/13
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Three sizzling tales from three bestselling authors

Love Won’t Wait by Lori Foster
Brendan “Brick” Carlisle is used to women falling at his feet, so shy waitress Merrily Loveland is a breath of fresh air—and an irresistible challenge. But before he can make his move, Merrily comes to him with an offer he can’t refuse. If only their “no-strings” pact didn’t leave him wanting so much more….

Beach House Beginnings by Christie Ridgway
She might have avoided Crescent Cove, California, for years, but no-nonsense Meg Alexander is confident she can handle a brief trip home. What she doesn’t count on is the spark of desire she feels for Caleb McCall. Can a weekend in paradise convince her to give love a second chance?

Strong Enough to Love by Victoria Dahl
Photographer Eve Hill had always told herself that sexy Brian Stewart was off-limits. But now he’s back in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, and Eve can’t resist their long-denied attraction. When the reality turns out to be hotter than the fantasy, Eve might end up getting more than she bargained for…

REVIEW:
Love Won’t Wait by Lori Foster
3.5 Hearts Sweet story of innocence. I can’t really say much since it is a short story but the characters have a connection right away. Brick is a good guy and Merrily is pure innocence. The story wrapped up a little too quickly but it is an enjoyable read.

Beach House Beginnings by Christie Ridgway
3 Hearts Sad but sweet romance novella. Meg lost the love of her life 10 years ago now she back to the cove and Caleb comes into the picture. Caleb is very sweet and understanding. Meg is still sad and has built a wall around herself. Having read the rest of the series it was a nice trip back to the cove.

Strong Enough to Love by Victoria Dahl
3 Hearts Again this is a very sweet short story. It is a bit sad though. The characters were in love before but circumstances did not allow for their romance. But now Brian is back and the situation has changed but Eve has a hard time getting over how he left. It is a very quick read and did not allow for a lot of time to get to know the characters.

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

January 3, 2014December 30, 2013

Kelly reviews Sweet Nothings by Kim Law

TITLE: Sweet Nothings
SERIES #: Sugar Springs #2
CHARACTERS: Nick Dalton & Joanie Bigbee
AUTHOR: Kim Law
PUBLICATION DATE: January 7, 2014
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Joanie Bigbee, cupcake baker extraordinaire, likes to keep her options open—and she’s good at it. She’s started and sold some 30 businesses in her postage stamp-sized Tennessee town, and at the moment she can be found in a short skirt and go-go boots, selling cupcakes out of the back of a converted Volkswagen van. What she moves on to next is anybody’s guess. She knows better than to be tied down. In any way. She’s watched every woman in her family fall head-over-heels, only to find themselves wondering how to pick up the pieces when love is lost.

When Nick Dalton shows up at the groovy cupcakery, all Joanie wants is a taste; a fling with no strings suits her just fine. But for Nick, a bite is not enough; he wants the whole cake: a big house, a family, true love. But love only makes you stupid, right? Joanie has to decide whether to follow where her free-spirit leads… or hold on to the sweetest thing she’s ever known

REVIEW:
Joanie Bigbee is a woman who has never made any kind of commitments. Not to her family, not to her job and most definitely not to a man. Except for one problem. Nick Dalton. Nick is back in town and really throwing a wrench in Joanie’s armor.

Nick Dalton has come back to town to open a new branch of his business so that he has a reason to come visit his newly found brother. But Nick’s reason for staying might have just changed do to a very sexy pair of pink go-go boots.

This was a sweet book. I really enjoyed Joanie and Nick’s journey. Although there were times that I really wished that Joanie would either put her big girl pants on and grow up or that Nick would wisen up. But all in all I loved these two. I do need to go back and read book one in this series Cody & Lee Ann seem like a really awesome couple. I can’t wait to see what Kim has in store for us next in this series.

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

January 2, 2014December 30, 2013

Thursday’s Thought…

January 2, 2014January 1, 2014

Guest Blogger & Giveaway with Lee Christine

A modern day author’s life varies greatly from the practises of say, an author writing thirty years ago. While Barbara Cartland would lay on her chaise lounge with her fluffy white dog in her lap and speak into a dictation machine, and P.D. James’ secretary would turn up at 10am every day to type up P.D.’s longhand, modern day authors are using voice recognition software to get the words down, while the others are pounding away on their laptops. Everything is quicker, if not instantaneous.

The first thing I do in the morning, after taking a forty five minute walk with my husband along the beach to clear my head, is check email and social media. Living in Australia, I’m always interested to see what’s come in overnight from the Northern Hemisphere and from our friends, two hours ahead of us, across the ditch in New Zealand. This means scrolling through Facebook and Twitter as well as reading my emails and preparing blog posts. And I haven’t even had breakfast yet.

My morning is usually spent editing my work from the day before. It helps to read it again after a good nights’ sleep. Some days, I spend an hour or two skyping with my grown up children who are living in the United States. Instantaneous.

Most things are a mere key stroke away, and for a writer, this is both awesome and distracting. The internet has forever changed the way we work and the way we interact, but what hasn’t changed is the need for writer’s to have discipline, the discipline of putting your butt in the recliner and getting the words down one way or another. Usually my afternoons are spent this way, trying to add words to my current WIP. And like everyone else on the planet, there are chores to do, messages to run and elderly parents to visit. Sometimes, it’s hard to find the hours to forge ahead, and some days are more successful than others. But there’s no way around exercising that discipline, because in the end the book is not going to write itself.

Six o’clock is wine o’clock in my house, and I usually begin thinking about getting started on dinner. If I’m not satisfied with my word count for the day, I’ll try getting some more words down at night, maybe after catching a TV program like Homeland or Hostages.

Then it’s time for bed, and like everyone else, it all begins again the next day.

About Lee Christine:

Lee Christine is a former legal practice manager and corporate trainer. An amateur songwriter in her teens, she is passionate about music, and plays the alto saxophone.

In 2011, In Safe Hands won first place in the Romance Writers of America Silicon Valley Gotcha Contest, followed in 2012 with first place in The Smoky Mountains Laurie Award and the East Texas Southern Heat Writing Contest. The novel also received a Commended in the 2012 Romance Writers of New Zealand Clendon Award.

In Safe Hands is Lee’s first novel, and she is currently writing her second, another gripping romantic suspense. She has two grown children, and lives in Newcastle, Australia. Learn more about Lee here

*****

In Safe Arms

Amazon US | Amazon UK | B&N | iBooks

Smooth, seductive and savage: Lee Christine returns to the dark, criminal underbelly of Sydney with her follow-up to In Safe Hands.

Legal secretary Josephine Valenti has no idea why a notorious bikie president would be contacting her, but when he is murdered in front of her eyes, she knows that she is in very deep trouble. Fleeing to her home, she’s intercepted by Nate Hunter, a man she used to know and lust after…a man she used to care about.

However, Nate has changed. His leathers and his bike tell of a lifestyle that Josie can’t begin to accept or understand. His is a life of drugs, money laundering and prostitution.

Though, all is not what it seems, and Josie must fight harder than she ever has before — for the truth, for what’s right, and, ultimately for the man who still has a hold of her heart.

Goodreads praise for In Safe Hands: “This is a fabulous debut novel, expertly thought out and skilfully written with a passionate pair of main characters that both have hidden depths…I’m definitely looking forward to her next release!”

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Giveaway ends 1/8/14

January 2, 2014December 30, 2013

Kimberly reviews Master Of The Opera Act 1: Passionate Overture by Jeffe Kennedy

TITLE: Master Of The Opera Act 1: Passionate Overture
SERIES #: Master Of The Opera #1
CHARACTERS: Christy & The Ghost
AUTHOR: Jeffe Kennedy
PUBLICATION DATE: 01/02/14
ORDER LINKS: Amazon| B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
In the first tantalizing installment of Jeffe Kennedy’s ravishing serial novel Master of the Opera, an innocent young woman is initiated into a sensual world of music, mystery, passion–and one man’s private obsession. . .

Fresh out of college, Christine Davis is thrilled to begin a summer internship at the prestigious Sante Fe Opera House. But on her first day, she discovers that her dream job has a dark side. Beneath the theater, a sprawling maze of passageways are rumored to be haunted. Ghostly music echoes through the halls at night. And Christy’s predecessor has mysteriously disappeared. Luckily, Christy finds a friend and admirer in Roman Sanclaro, the theater’s wealthy and handsome patron. He convinces her there’s nothing to fear–until she hears the phantom’s voice for herself. Echoing in the labrynths. Singing of a lost love. Whispering her name: Christine.

At first, Christy thinks she’s hearing things. But when a tall masked man steps out of the shadows–and into her arms–she knows he’s not a phantom of her imagination. He is the master of her desire. .

REVIEW:
3.75 Hearts This is the first installment by Jeffe Kennedy’s new book. It is a very short story so far (40 pages) so I don’t have too much to say but as a fan of Kennedy’s I am sure this will be an interesting read. It is obviously based on Phantom of the Opera with a few differences of course. Act 1 is just the introduction introducing us to the characters and the storyline. I look forward to Act 2.

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

January 1, 2014

Tell us who you want to see

Tell us who you want to see featured on our SINsational Saturday Series.

January 1, 2014

Interview & Tour wide giveaway with Abby Niles

Can you please share with us a little about yourself?

I’m a single mom to nine-year-old boy/girl twins. Most of my morning is spent writing while the kids are in school. The nights my ex-hubs have the twinks, I work at a gym and watch other people’s kids so they can work-out. When I don’t have on the mom/writer hat, I’m catching up with friends over a glass of spiced rum and coke. No wine for this chickie, gives me a roaring headache 😉

Have you always wanted to be an author?

No, actually, I didn’t even keep a diary as a kid. Reading had always been my escape. After I had the twins, the exhaustion kept me from getting lost in a book. I started picking plots apart, characters apart etc. And my escape was gone. One day I got this idea and started writing. I was able to escape into the (very bad) book I was writing and I found I enjoyed using my imagination. So I decided to get some critique partners and quickly learned how bad I was at writing. At that point, it became a challenge, and I started taking workshops. The more I learned, the more I feel in love. Here I am today, almost ten years later, and I can’t imagine not writing.

What is your most interesting writing quirk?

I talk while I write. I just did it. I verbally answered this questions before I typed it. LOL. I also gesticulate, which most people do, but I also do it while I’m writing. It usually happens when I’m deep in an emotional scene. I might slash my hand through the air in anger because my heroine just did. It won’t be shocking when I say, I don’t write in public.

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

FIGHTING LOVE is a friends-to-lovers story. Tommy “Lightning” Sparks has lost his belt and his career. A fire takes care of the rest. Left with nothing, he has to move in with his best friend, Julie. While he expects his short stay with her to be drama-free, the way their relationship has always been, all kinds of drama explodes after an incident forces him to see the woman she is and not the sister he’s always considered her. Tommy isn’t a one woman sort of man, so the fact his player radar is pointing to the most important person in his life, freaks him out to no end. When she starts spending time with another fighter, jealousy gets thrown into the mix and he struggles between fear of losing her to another man and doing what he knows is right by her because he will end up hurting her and then he’ll lose her completely.

Julie is on the other side of the spectrum. She has always been in love with Tommy and she doesn’t want to be. Deep down, she knows that she and Tommy would never really work in a relationship because they are so different. She tries to move on, but can’t seem to find that guy who will help erase the unwanted love she has for her best friend from her heart. After Tommy moves in, she meets Brody and all the sudden her best friend is doing things she’s spent years fantasizing about. And their relationship is taken to a whole new level and the close bond they’ve shared is tested.

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

I love friends-to-lovers stories. When I wrote the proposal for the Love to the Extreme series, I knew I wanted to have a book centered on two friends, but I wanted their relationship to be deeper than a couple who have only been friends for a few years. Those types of relationships are already difficult enough when transitioning from friends to lovers, but when it’s a childhood friendship that has continued on into adulthood it’s a whole different realm of difficult. That is Tommy and Julie. Two people who already have a unique bond, who do love each other, share memories and a dark past. Two people who have always been there for the other no matter what. I wanted to take an established relationship like that and explore how terrifying it would be to start having feeling for a person you already can’t imagine your life without. Then explores the fears that if you screwed up, like you have a reputation of doing, you wouldn’t just lose a romantic partner, but you would lose a friendship that has meant everything to you.

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

I’m currently working on WINNING LOVE, which is the third book of the Love to the Extreme series. Sorry girls, this is not Brody’s book. LOL. That is in response to some earlier reviews. I DO plan to write his book though. I fell in love with Brody, too. I get the draw. WINNING LOVE is Mac’s story. We will be going out of Atlanta, Georgia and taking things to Kansas, where Mac is helping a longtime friend with some training for an upcoming fight and while he is there, he will face the terrors of his past. He also meets Gayle Andrews, his infuriatingly, will-not-take-no-for-an-answer new neighbor, whose passion for life and contagious smile starts to burrow into the darkness that has laid heavy inside him since wife’s death. I absolutely love this book. I’m almost completed with the first draft and I can’t wait to share the blurb for this one.

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

Karen Marie Moning. Why? Because she created Jericho Barrons. LOL. No, seriously. Karen Marie Moning is one my favorite authors. I feel in love with her writing and Grimm Roderick when I read To Tame a Highland Warrior years ago and I’ve been a huge fan ever since.

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

Grow thick skin. If you don’t, you won’t make it past the first critique. And you sure won’t make it once you get published. Trust me, no critique partner will ever massacre your written baby like your editor will J

Can you share with us something off your bucket list?

After my kids are grown, I’d really like to spend a summer exploring Scotland and Ireland. Two places I’ve always wanted to go.

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

My to-read pile is out of control right now. I’ve put out five books this year and I have had NO time to read. I’ve bought, lol, but…yeah, reading just hasn’t been in the cards. So I have a LONG list of books waiting on my Kindle that just seems to grow. At this point, I don’t even know which story to start with because there are sooo many good ones. Things should settle down for me within the next couple of months, so my plan is to pick one and go.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

Thank you so much for having me today!!!

*****
Fighting Love

Abby Niles

Amazon | B&N

Talk about kicking a fighter while he’s down.

Former Middleweight champion and confirmed bachelor Tommy “Lightning” Sparks has lost it all: his belt, his career, and now his home. After the devastating fire, he moves in with his drama-free best friend, Julie. One encounter changes everything and Julie is no longer the girl he’s spent his life protecting but a desirable woman he wants to take to his bed. Knowing his reputation, he’s determined to protect Julie more than ever—from himself.

Veterinarian Julie Rogers has been in love with Tommy since she was ten, but would love to get over the man. She’s quiet nights at home and a glass of wine. He’s clubbing all night and shots of tequila. As friends they work great. As a couple? No way in hell. She just can’t get her heart to agree. When she starts spending time with another fighter, the man who’s always treated her like a sister is suddenly not being very brotherly and enflames her body like never before.

Can two childhood friends make a relationship work, or will they lose everything because they stopped FIGHTING LOVE.

A little about Abby:

Abby Niles has always loved to read. After having twins and becoming a stay-at-home mom, she started doodling stories to keep her sanity. She didn’t plan for writing to become an obsession, but it did. Today, she juggles work, home life, and writing. It’s not always easy, but hey, who said life was easy? When Abby’s not writing, you can find her playing ‘Just Dance’ with her kids or trying to catch up on her never-ending to-be-read list.

Website | Facebook | Twitter

Giveaway:

The author is giving away a $50 Visa gift card.

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January 1, 2014December 30, 2013

Kelly reviews Shatter by Joan Swan

TITLE: Shatter
SERIES #: Phoenix Rising #4
CHARACTERS: Mitch Foster & Halina Beloi
AUTHOR: Joan Swan
PUBLICATION DATE: December 31, 2013
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
For seven years, Halina Beloi has been in hiding. But she’s never forgotten Mitch Foster, the long, lean man she had to leave behind. Until, that is, Mitch shows up with a list of questions and a 9mm in his hand.

All Mitch knows is that Halina broke his heart and disappeared. But new information has surfaced implicating her as a player in the deadliest game of Mitch’s life. This time, he’s not letting go without answers. Now terror, danger and heat will fuse them together or shatter the future.

REVIEW:
Mitch, Mitch, Mitch. I think it is safe to say that we have all come to love Alyssa’s smart ass brother Mitch. He has definitely keep things fun and exciting over the course of the Phoenix Rising series. In Shatter Mitch finally meets his match. Well re-meets. Halina is a woman from the past, a past that Mitch wished that he could forget but never will. While Halina may hold the answers to helping the team with their future, she also is the only one that can help Mitch let go of the past. But working together not only makes Mitch realize that he is not over this woman. He realized that he never will be. And that makes the choices that need to be made just that much more difficult.

I love the Phoenix Rising series. And Mitch’s book is just great. I love that Mitch is such a smart a$$. I loved that Halina gets the best of him a time or two. I mean really nothing says I love you like a gun in your face or getting your butt kicked by the girl you love right???
If you have enjoyed the first 4 books in the Phoenix Rising story you will love Mitch’s book!! If you have not started the series you really need to start with book one. This series follows a timeline and while you might be able to read Shatter. You would be a little lost with the references from the past.

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

January 1, 2014December 30, 2013

Kelly & Kimberly review Rebel by Skye Jordan

TITLE: Rebel
SERIES #: Renegades #2
CHARACTERS: Wes Lawson & Rubi Russo
AUTHOR: Syke Jordan
PUBLICATION DATE: December 22, 2013
ORDER LINKS: Amazon| B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Sassy, smart, and sexy, former supermodel-turned-tech guru Rubi Russo has it all—looks, money, confidence and freedom. Her life is a whirlwind of fast cars and fleeting affairs—and she likes it that way. With a past like Rubi’s, forever isn’t part of her vocabulary. So when studly Renegade stuntman Wes Lawson wants to take their friendship to the next level, she’s all out.

Raised a simple country-boy, Wes knows the brazen Rubi isn’t his type. But after spending time with her, he discovers she’s everything he’s ever wanted in a woman. To win her wild rebel heart, he’ll have to prove he sees behind her smokescreen to all the goodness she tries to hide. Then it’s just a matter of crushing her fears, shattering her barriers, and convincing her that loving him is everything she’s been missing in her life, too.

Piece of cake.

REVIEW:
4.5 Hearts Wes has finally realized that it is time to break out of his mold and go for what he really wants in life. And what he wants is Rubi. Forever. Trying to convince her of that is another story.
Rubi is a woman who doesn’t do relationships at all. Her only lasting relationship is with Lexi and now the Renegades. As much as Rubi is tempted by Wes and what he has to offer she can’t take the risk of losing her best friend.
Heartbreaking, fun, determination, a little stupidity and amazing true love is how I would describe this book. Wes & Rubi are on fire in every way possible. They are both headstrong, very determined and very set in their ways. I felt Rubi’s pain pour off the pages of this story. I wanted so bad to hug this girl. And Wes as sweet and determined as he is I wanted to slap him so bad for leaving her. Oh I was so mad at him!!!

Skye has knocked out of the park again with this book. I so love this series and can’t wait to see who is next. Rachel maybe???

Oh but I have one questions for Skye. Was that a safe thing to do with ice cream?

KIMBERLY’S REVIEW:
5 Hearts I have a new make believe boyfriend. I totally love Wes. He is the guy every girl wants. He is all man but with a heart as big as Missouri (you will understand that when you read the book). He has a romantic side any woman would love and he seems to “get” the way Rubi thinks so well that he makes you melt.

Rubi is just an insecure little girl in a woman’s incredible body. She has abandonment issues, she is commitment phobic and she is just plain scared sometimes but hides it with her flirty ways. She makes the reader want to become friends with her so you can try to help her understand how much she hurts herself.

I loved the first book in the series and thought the author could never match up to that one and I was right… She didn’t match it she surpassed it. The scene at lunch encompasses the whole relationship of the couple. I found that scene so poignant and knew from that moment on this couple should and would be together. Great read!

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

January 1, 2014December 30, 2013

Happy New Year from Books-n-Kisses!

December 31, 2013

Shatter by Joan Swan Tour & Giveaway

Shatter

by Joan Swan

Genre: Romantic Suspense (with paranormal elements)

Heat Level: 3.5/5

Elements/Tags: romance, suspense, paranormal abilities, conspiracy, firefighters,

Publisher: Kensington

Publishing Date: 12/31/13

Series: Phoenix Rising, 4

Format: Print and Ebook

Words: 110k

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For seven years, Halina Beloi has been in hiding. But she’s never forgotten Mitch Foster, the long, lean man she had to leave behind. Until, that is, Mitch shows up with a list of questions and a 9mm in his hand.

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Excerpt:

Outside, the cold, wet fog hit them like a wall. Halina tightened her arms around herself and took tentative steps on the concrete in her bare feet, pausing near the building.

People in robes, slippers and pajamas clustered in the parking lot. A ladder truck, lights flashing, parked in front of the hotel. Firefighters in yellow turnouts roamed in different directions.

“Fucking firefighters,” Mitch muttered. “I swear I could go the rest of my life without ever seeing one again.”

Beneath his hand, Halina started to shiver. He tossed his jacket around her shoulders.

“Away from the building, people,” one of the firefighters called, gesturing toward the parking lot. “Come this way.”

“Stay at the back of the crowd,” Mitch said. “Dex is dark and low. No one will notice him.”

Once there, Halina pulled from Mitch’s hold and dropped into a crouch, drawing Dex into a hug. With everyone watching the fire truck—which was doing nothing, along with the milling firefighters . . .fucking waste of taxpayer dollars—no one noticed they had a dog. Last thing Mitch needed was someone complaining about an animal in a non-animal-friendly hotel. Or bitching they hadn’t gotten to bring their dog. Or, worse, wanting to pet the mutt. Any attention was unwanted attention.

Mitch crossed his arms and faced her. “Tell me, Halina. Why?”

She released Dex and pushed to her feet. Her eyes blazed with emotion, but the night had taken its toll, leaving only a ghostly trace of her beauty. Mitch forced himself to ignore the shadows beneath her eyes, the injury across her forehead, her nearly translucent skin. She’d brought this on herself.

“Maybe, if you were a good guy,” she said, her anger showing only in the flare of heat in her gaze, “if you were genuine, if you cared, if you were nice, I’d tell you. But you know what, Mitch? You’ve been nothing but angry and mean. You came here with an agenda, one that was all about you. You don’t give a shit about me. You don’t give a shit what that agenda will cost me.”

She took a breath so deep it raised her shoulders. Mitch’s chest tightened with anger and regret and more of the self-disgust that was becoming far too familiar.

“So you can go to hell not knowing why. I know I hurt you. And you may not believe it, but it hurt me too. It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done and I’ve done a shitload of hard things in my life. I told you that night that I was sorry. There’s nothing more I can say than I’m sorry. But that will never be enough for you. And it’s clear nothing about me will ever be enough for you now. You don’t believe anything I say anyway.”

Tears spilled over her lashes and slid down her cheeks. She was shaking. And damn it, Mitch wanted to reach for her, hold her. At the same time he wanted to shake her until the words he needed to hear fell from her mouth.

“Fuck you, Mitch,” she said, voice strong even pushing through a throat clogged with tears. “You don’t deserve answers from me.”

She didn’t turn and walk away as he expected. She stood her ground and glared at him. Daring him to deny he’d been the worst kind of bastard. To deny he was risking her safety. Her sanity. Her life.

And he couldn’t. She knew he couldn’t. And she knew he’d hate himself because he couldn’t.

Nor could he stand the sight of her tears, and reached out to wipe them. She knocked his hand away in one smooth, practiced move, then turned her back on him—nothing new there—and wandered further into the darkness, Dex beside her.

Mitch heaved a breath and checked on the unfolding events at the front of the hotel, hands stuffed into his pockets. But there were no unfolding events. Nothing was happening. “What the hell are they doing?”

With Dex standing guard over Halina, Mitch approached one of the firefighters. “Sir,” he said, “my wife’s sick. Do you have an ETA of when we’ll be able to go back in?”

“We’re just doing a final check,” he said. “Ten minutes.”

Mitch slogged back through the crowd. Statements like “false alarm” and “someone pulled the box in the lobby” and “getting a lot of different stories” penetrated his troubled mind, escalating into a vague sense of alarm.

A small yelp sounded at the back of the crowd. The sheer wrongness of it sent dread skittering across his chest. He sidestepped a couple and peered through the darkness in the direction Halina had taken Dex.

She was crouched next to a dark shadow on the concrete and her worried voice cut through the night.

“Dex. Dex. God, Dex.”

Dread turned to fear.

“Halina.” He called to her as he jostled through milling people, trying to get her attention off the dog and onto her surroundings. Her head came up and her light, frantic eyes met his, flooded with a plea for help just as another shadow moved.

“Behind you!” Fear burst at the center of his body and Mitch pushed into a sprint, drawing his gun. But she was too far away. The man behind her, dressed in a black jacket and black pants, slammed a fist to her arm.

Halina turned, grabbed his wrist and pushed to her feet. She struggled for mere seconds before losing strength. Then she went limp and fell right into the man’s arms—Abernathy’s arms, torn, scabbed lips and all.

Abernathy whipped Halina over his shoulder and threw her in the backseat of an SUV. A gray Chevy SUV. Mitch’s mind snapped back to the freeway accident. To the car that had made that insane cut across traffic. “Sonofabitch.”

Mitch passed the spot where Halina had been standing and chased the SUV as it fishtailed out of the parking lot. When the vehicle was well out of range, he came to a shaky stop and dragged in air.

He set his stance. “No way, you fucker.” Aimed. “She’s mine.” Fired.

Meet Author Joan Swan:

NY Times and USA Today Bestselling Author Joan Swan writes sexy romantic suspense for Kensington (Phoenix Rising Series) and independently (Covert Affairs Series). She also works as a sonographer at a top medical facility in San Francisco and lives in magnificent wine country on the central coast of California with her husband and two daughters.

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