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Interview with Casea Major


Q1) Can you please share with us a little about yourself
I am Casea Major writer of Erotic Romantic Comedy. I’ve been writing a little over a year and love it.

Q2) Have you always wanted to be an author?
I think I have always wanted to write. I have not always wanted to be an author.

Q3) Can you share with us your typical writing day.  Is there anything you have to have while writing?
I get up and take my kids to school. I come back and sit at my laptop. The only thing I have to have to start is electricity and internet access. Everything else is on an ‘as needed’ basis.

Q4) Most challenging or rewarding part of writing?
Finishing a story. I am notorious for starting gung ho and never completing. I am always amazed and blessed when I can type “the end” because it’s so contrary to who I am. I’m not saying I don’t have a few unfinished stories – I do. But I have just as many finished ones and that’s a testament to how much I love what I do.

Q5) Can you please tell us about your latest book(s)?
One Knight in Brooklyn is and Erotic Romantic Comedy with a little bit of fantasy time-travel.  It is a fun, fast-paced story with a lot of heart and some steamy lovemaking.

Q6) How did you come with the idea for this story?
Last summer I had finished my second full-length manuscript and had my first short story published. I was looking to write another shorty story but wasn’t sure which way to go. I saw a call for submissions on Facebook for Decadent’s new 1 night stand series. They were branching out into fantasy and paranormal. So the idea of Robin Hood came to me. But that seemed too serious. But then I wondered what would happen if the heroine expected Robin Hood but got Jersey Shore instead. How would she react? One Knight in Brooklyn was born.
What resulted was the funniest story I’ve ever written with two characters who have explosive chemistry. I am so proud of what they are able to accomplish in their short time and the genuine love and attraction they feel for each other.

Q7) Can you share with us your current work in progress?
My current WIP is something I’ve never written. In fact, it’s a brand new take on the genre. It’s a romance from the guy’s point of view. It’s like a paranormal Guys and Dolls meets Kindergarten Cop. I’m hoping it will live up to the hilarious scenes that are playing in my mind.

Q8) Who are some of your favorite authors?
My tastes in writing vary. I read a lot of YA and not as much romance oddly enough. Although I will say, my favorite authors are Lisa Kleypas, Karen Marie Moning, Suzanne Collins. They are class acts in writing and life.

Q9) What is in your To Read Pile that you are dying to start or upcoming release you can’t wait for?
Lisa Kleypas’ new book comes out 2/28. I am very much looking forward to it. Also I am looking forward to seeing the Hunger Games on the big screen.

Q10) Is there anything else you would like to add?
Kelly – thank you so much for having me. I hope everyone checks out Robert and Marianne in One Knight in Brooklyn. It’s a fun romp.

Learn more about Casea here: 
Website / Facebook / Twitter
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Interview & Giveaway with Larry Sweazy

Books-n-Kisses is super pleased to welcome Larry Sweazy to the blog today to talk about his upcoming release The Devil’s Bones

Q1) Can you please share with us a little about yourself?  
Larry : I grew in Indiana in a blue collar environment; most of my family worked for the local GM factory at one time or another.  My grandmother loved working crosswords.  My mother read paperbacks.  And my uncle was a sportswriter.  I was surrounded by people who loved words.   I was a geeky kid who sucked at athletics, and lacked discipline.  I escaped into books, TV, and theater, where I found sanctuary, a community, and the joy of stepping outside of myself.  I learned how to create characters at a reasonably young age. 

Q2) Have you always wanted to be an author? 
Larry: I probably flirted with the idea of being an actor for a little while in high school, but writing really caught hold in my late-teens, so I’d have to say yes, I’ve always wanted to be a writer.  Once I made that decision, I never wanted to be anything else.  I’ve been all in for a long time.

Q3) Can you share with us your typical writing day.  Is there anything you have to have while writing?   
Larry: I’m definitely a goal person now.  I write a thousand words a day, five days a week—on my novel in progress.  If I have articles, blogs, or short stories to write, that’s over and above my novel, so I don’t limit myself to a five day work week.  I’m also a freelance indexer (I write back of the book indexes for non-fiction books), and I share my day with those projects, too.  Really, my fingers just need to touch the keyboard every day.  Most of the time I have music on, one or both of my dogs, Rhodesian ridgebacks, are in the office snoozing, and a cup of coffee or tea is close by, but that’s about it.  I don’t have any other rituals other than sitting my butt in the chair, and going to work.

Q4) Most challenging or rewarding part of writing?  
Larry:  I love the physical and mental challenges of writing.  I don’t mind being alone, most of the time.  I like research.  I still enjoy reading, though it is different now than it was for me twenty, thirty years ago.  But the business annoys me sometimes.  Especially the last couple of years with the rise of ebooks, the fight with Amazon, the collapse of Borders.  The difficult task of getting a book into a reader’s hands seems to be getting more difficult.  It’s always been difficult.  But now a writer has to have a blog, get on Facebook, market themselves, and navigate a career while maintaining a high level of creativity.  The expectations from publishers seem higher, too.  I’ve always thought that getting published was the easy part (after collecting hundreds of rejection slips), and staying published is the hard part of being a writer.  It’s even truer today.  I would love to just write and leave the business worries aside, but sadly, I haven’t evolved to that level just yet.

Q5) Can you please tell us about your latest book(s)?
Larry: The Devil’s Bones (Five Star) is my debut mystery novel, and a departure from the Josiah Wolfe western novels I’ve been writing for a few years.  This novel set in modern-day Indiana, and the story revolves around the disappearance of young boy from a small town, and the repercussions, over the years, that follow.  It’s been described as “a gritty and hard-hitting mystery,” and I kind of like that, but I also think it’s as much a family drama as it is a mystery. 

Q6)  How did you come with the idea for this story? 
Larry: I first created the main character, Jordan McManus,  in 1993 for a short story I was working on.  That short story was never published, but the character wouldn’t let go.  I expanded that story into a novel that bounced around New York, and didn’t sell.  While it was being shopped, I wrote another novel with Jordan in it, hoping to write a series.  That novel didn’t sell, either, but became the seed for The Devil’s Bones, so almost twenty years after getting the idea for a small town murder mystery, here it is…

Q7)  Can you share with us your current work in progress?  
Larry:  I’m working on The Gila Wars, the sixth book in the Josiah Wolfe, Texas Rangers series published by Berkley.  It’s due April 1st, so I’m at the very end of the process.  I usually have an eight or nine month schedule for the westerns, and they’re 80,000 words, so I have to be pretty disciplined to hit the deadlines.  I’ve learned a lot writing this series.      

Q8)  Who are some of your favorite authors?
Larry:  Loren D. Estleman, George R. R. Martin, Joe R. Lansdale, Elmore Leonard, and a new author I recently discovered, Laini Taylor, come to mind. 

Q9)  Do you feel that any of your favorite authors have inspired your writing style?
Larry:  Leonard’s style of dialogue has been an influence, and his drive to always be in the story and not pretty it up with too much description is an important lesson.  Estleman riffs on dialogue and description like a jazz artist, and Lansdale is a no holds barred kind of writer.  Anything goes.  Strap yourself and get ready for the ride.  I like that.   Taylor and Martin have vast, complicated imaginations, and I find their adventures all-consuming and intriguing.  All of these authors, and more, inspire to write on as big a palette as I can imagine. 

Q10) What is in your To Read Pile that you are dying to start or upcoming release you can’t wait for? 
Larry:  Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Tyalor is one of the most interesting books I’ve read in a while, and the sequel, Days of Blood and Starlight, comes out in September.  I really can’t wait to see what happens next…

Q11) Is there anything else you would like to add?   
Larry: Thanks for having me on your blog.  I’ll also be giving away a signed copy of The Devil’s Bones on 03/14/2012.  All your readers need to do is go to my blog, and leave a comment on TheDevil’s Bones contest post, and I’ll pick a winner from there.  
Click HERE

Website |  Good Reads | Facebook | Twitter


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Guest blogger: Jane Isaac

Books-n-Kisses is pleased to let Jane Isaac take over the blog today….
Jane Isaac lives in rural Northamptonshire, UK with her husband, daughter and dog, Bollo. Jane studied creative writing, and later specialist fiction with the London School of Journalism.
Jane blogs about her writing experience, ‘Diary of a Newbie Novelist’ at www.newbiewriters.com. She is also co-author at the Pyjama Club.
Two of Jane’s short stories, Duplicity and Perilous Truths, will appear in Crime Anthologies released in 2012 by Rainstorm Press and Bridge House Publishing. An Unfamiliar Murder is her first novel, ‘due for release’ in 2012.
Website /Twitter / Facebook

The Music of Murder
My husband recently joked that I’ve lived with my characters for so long that they’ve become good friends. And he’s right (well, for most of them anyway). I want my readers to relate to them in this way too, so that they jump out and grab you, and when you finish the book, you miss them dearly. But to enable us to feel their journey we need to be acquainted with every aspect of them.  
Tunes like those used in a film, like the Intermezzo in Raging Bull, can provide a reference point, like a car or place that people know and relate to, that all important song that conjures images and memories in your mind. Your mind, just like theirs. You may not like the song, you may hate the film, but how many of your friends and partners have different musical tastes to you? And it still reveals a little of their personality, helping you to understand them.
Songs can be very useful in revealing something about a person’s character. Many of us have our music collated onto an iPod these days, a small tablet containing thousands of our favourite songs, tunes that we love, tunes that provide a window into our soul. Imagine a stranger picking up your iPod and listening to your ‘top 25’ playlist. What story would that tell them about you?
Music can also be very effective in creating the right atmosphere for a particular scene. In An Unfamiliar Murder, Anna is missing her boyfriend Ross when a song comes on the radio; it’s a band they were due to go and see together, a group they both loved. Listening to that song only served to increase the gravity of his loss.
Here is a list of the music mentioned in An Unfamiliar Murder:-
Snow Patrol – Eyes Open
Snow Patrol – Chasing Cars
Muse
The Intermezzo
And it led me to think. What music would I use in a film version? This is essentially the story of two women – Anna Cottrell who comes home from work to find the murdered body of a stranger in her flat and becomes suspect in a murder enquiry, fighting to show her innocence – and DCI Helen Lavery, leading her first murder investigation and forced into a race against time, as people close to Anna start to disappear. But there is also a menacing killer lurking in the background, stalking his prey. I think the classical piece would provide a wonderful backdrop for his snippets…
Jane Isaac is author of An Unfamiliar Murder – out now. You can contact Jane and read an excerpt of the book on her website at www.janeisaac.co.uk Sign up to her newsletter for updates on An Unfamiliar Murder and its sequel which should be out by the end of 2012. Alternatively, follow her on Twitter: @JaneIsaacAuthor or on Face Book: Jane Isaac Author.
Buy An Unfamiliar Murder here:
 Paperback US:

Paperback UK:

 Kindle US:
 Kindle UK:

What readers are saying:
  

“The characters are brilliantly crafted…. I can’t wait for the sequel!” 

 

“…as fast paced as it is full of twists and turns… “

 

“…compulsive reading. Brilliantly written, gripping plot.”

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Interview & Giveaway with TJ Michaels

Books-n-Kisses is super excited to have TJ Michaels back on the blog today.  So I will stop babbling and get to sharing TJ with you… 

Q1) Can you please share with us a little about yourself
I’m a West Coast girl with two grown kids and a kick ass day job in the technology sector. I can sing. I dance fairly well. I love German Shepherd dogs. Uh, what else? I’m goofy, love video games and take great pleasure in embarrassing my kids on occasion. It’s really special since they’re big now. Heh!

Q2)  Have you always wanted to be an author?
Nope. I’ve always wanted to be a business owner or run a school. Writing came as something later in life after reading some really good books and thinking, “I can do that!” And once I started I fell in love with it.

Q3) Can you share with us your typical writing day.  Is there anything you have to have while writing?
I look forward to the day when I can write for a living, but for now I have to fit it into my day job and family time. My typical day starts with me walking into my office and working for my clients. Usually once I walk in, I don’t walk out until around 7pm or so. After that I’ll do dinner or hang out with my kids, then I’ll sit down to write. I’ll hit the sheets sometime between 11pm and 2am. That includes weekends. It’s a non-stop thing, but I enjoy it so it’s not a hardship. I do get tired though. And when I’m wiped out, I’ll veg.

Q4) Most challenging or rewarding part of writing?
The most rewarding part of writing is when a reader sends a note asking for a new story in a series, or writes a review to say they love your writing. What’s tough is keeping your head in a place where you continue to love writing for writing’s sake.
Last year I had some major emergencies in my family, including the death of my father. I went from selling several books a year to my publishers to selling not a single new book. There were some changes at one of my pubs that meant I was shuffled around to my 4th or 5th editor and my new editor didn’t seem to care for my style. It was discouraging. I spent a lot of time worrying about promo and getting my sales up. Nothing was working. Add to that my demanding day and you’ve got a basic disaster.
My daughter looked at me and said, “I hope you get back to the place where you write because you love it.” It was a wake-up call and I had a decision to make. I seriously considered walking away. Then a story popped into my head, and here I am. Again *smile*.

Q5) Can you please tell us about your latest book(s)?
I’m a History Channel nutball and I was watching a program one weekend. Honestly I wasn’t paying much attention to it, but then the narrator started talking about lost books of the bible and how some of them reference magic. And my ears perked up at full attention. And the idea for the story just started gelling together in my head. After some research and bugging the heck out of my critique partner, R.G. Alexander (who happens to have studied mythology and ancient cultures in school) I put it down on paper and Seals of Destiny was born.

The first book will be available in May/June. The title is Silk Road, and I’m absolutely thrilled about this book. It’s got angels, Fallen angels, Fallen demons, leprechauns (yes, I really mean leprechauns, though this one is a bit more edgy than the ones on the cereal box), along with some characters inspired by video games, places I’ve traveled with my day job and things like that.

Q6) Can you share with us your current work in progress?
It’s a post-apocalyptic paranormal romance. It’s a 3-book series (well, three books so far – could be more though because the world is huge) called Gathering of the Storms. The story is about a woman who is overdue to take a husband in the most technologically advanced society remaining on the planet. She’s a blademaster and heir to the councilship of her province. She’s a real badass, but very much a lady. A spitfire that bucks what has come to be tradition, yet at the same time she also follows orders as the second-highest ranking officer in the military, second only to her father. A complex woman…who ends up with a warlord husband. Funny thing is she’s known him all her life and his idea of a good time is the same as hers – fighting. And therein lies the problem *grin*
Q7) Who are some of your favorite authors?
Goodness, that’s a tough one. There are quite a few, but my short list is Lauren Dane, Kresley Cole, Gena Showalter, Alyssa Day, Sylvia Day, Larissa Ione, Cynthia Eden, Lora Leigh and Shayla Black. Many of them write, or used to write, for the same publishers as me. Lauren, Sylvia and Shayla were particularly, and continue to be, nice to me and extremely supportive. Angela Knight and Jaid Black were authors I read right before I first got published and their writing was a punch in the gut, creatively speaking. It got me to write “out of the box”.

Q8) Do you feel that any of your favorite authors have inspired your writing style?
Not really. Style and voice are pretty unique to the author. But they have definitely inspired me to hang in there with this writing thing and to write what I love no matter what anyone says.

Q9) What is in your To Read Pile that you are dying to start or upcoming release you can’t wait for?
Lothaire by Kresley Cole is on my absolutely “Can’t Wait to Read” list. Just waiting for the ebook price to come down a little *tj praying hard for the ebook gods to cooperate*

Q10) Is there anything else you would like to add?
I’m attending the Authors After Dark readers and writers convention in New Orleans this year and in celebration I’m hosting a HUGE contest called ZART – Zombie Apocalypse Response Team. We’re giving away a book a week from some of the coolest authors from now until the convention. The first survival kit item is up for grabs starting today. For those of your readers who enter my contest, mention that they saw it here along with the comment number, and I’ll enter them TWICE for the grand prizes!
For deets visit http://www.tjmichaels.com/zart-baby 

So to enter for a chance to win your Zombie Apocalypse survival kit.   Stop by TJ’s blog here——>>>>>http://www.tjmichaels.com/zart-baby  .  Enter, Make sure you tell her that you saw the ZART button at Books-n-Kisses and get and extra entry.  
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The Danger that is Damion by Lisa Renee Jones Tour & Giveaway

The Danger that is Damion
ZODIUS #3
By Lisa Renee Jones
Sourcebooks Casablanca (May 2012)
Read an EXCERPT
Zodius Series Page 
Pre-order at Amazon|Barnes and Noble
General Powell from book 1 has returned and he’s developed a way to create and control a new generation of female GTECHs. He plans to use these women to bring both, the Renegades and the Zodius soldiers, back under his command. The world will be his. Now, Damion, a Renegade, who readers met in book two, will be pitted against one of those soldiers, a woman destined to be both his Lifebond and his enemy. Damion will become her only hope of salvation and their trust in each other the only chance they have to save the world from a madman.
My thoughts:
Lara is a woman on a mission, a mission to kill those who have hurt her and her family.  But when Lara gets the chance she can’t pull the trigger.  Something about this mission doesn’t feel right.   Now Lara has drawn the attention of one of the Renegades.  Not just any Renegade, Damion Browne.
What Lara learns from Damion, will make her questions everything she thinks, knows and feels.  Lara now has to trust the people she has long hated.  But how can she trust them when she can’t trust herself. 
Damion never breaks the rules.  NEVER!!!  He is a by-the-book kind of guy, but the minute he sees Lara the rule book gets thrown out the window.  Damion doesn’t know why yet but he is drawn to Lara, and is willing to do anything, sacrifice anything, and most of all break any rules to keep her safe and with him.
I loved Damion & Lara together.  They are both so stubborn and hard headed but perfect for each other.  Both think that they can handle anything on their own, but soon learn they are much better as a team.  I so love this series.  I can’t wait to see where Lisa takes us next. 
Giveaway time…
For a chance to win an ecopy of either The Legend of Michael (my review) or The Storm that is Sterling (my review) .  Please fill out the Rafflecopter form below.  
But WAIT!!!! you want more chances to win?   I see you shaking your head yes.  Good.
  
Stop by Lisa’s blog —>> http://www.lisareneejones.com/blog-tour/
There are 17 different blogs offering e-copies of Micheal and Sterling.  Each blog you enter on also puts you in a drawing for a Grand prize of a $20 Amazon gift card.  
Good Luck!!! 


a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Interview with Camryn Rhys

Books-n-Kisses is pleased as punch to welcome back Camryn Rhys to the blog.



Q1) Can you please share with us a little about yourself
I’m a sports fan, so this book was a lot of fun for me. I got to research it, at first, by going to Madison Square Garden, so how bad can that be? Plus, if you read the book, there’s… um… lots of research to do.
 
Q2) Have you always wanted to be an author?
Pretty much. I’ve always done a lot of things, but I’ve been writing from my early years. My very first “career” day, I wanted to be a romance author. Imagine that!
 
Q3) What is your most interesting writing quirk?
I almost always start writing without knowing what’s going to happen. I like to let my characters direct what happens, but that’s unpredictable, and sometimes unsafe. They get me into lots of trouble. 🙂
 
Q4) Can you please tell us about your latest book(s)?
Every Time I Think of You is a contemporary erotic romance, the story of a girl with a fantasy. She’s had fantasies before, and they haven’t worked out so well. So she’s hoping that this time, her fantasy will survive the test.
 
Q5) How did you come with the idea for this story?
Honestly, I wrote the first scene and just went from there. It sort of wrote itself after that.
 
Q6) Can you share with us your current work(s) in progress?
I’m currently editing my next release, a Steampunk Paranormal erotic romance novel for Ellora’s Cave. It’s the story of a woman who’s on the front lines of Victorian Europe’s war on magic. She falls for a lone alpha werewolf with a messiah complex. Hilarity and much sexxors ensue, and voila! You’ve got an Airship Seduction. 🙂
 
Q7) Who is the one author that you would love to meet someday and why?
I’ve always wanted to meet Diana Gabaldon. She was at RWA last year, but her booksigning line made the lines at Disney look abandoned. Between her and Julie Garwood (who I’d also like to meet), they’re the reason I got into romance in the first place. I would love to meet them someday.
 
Q8) What is the best piece of advice you would give to someone that wants to get into writing?
Write. Honestly, too many people want to write and never finish a book. Can’t publish something that’s not done.
 
Q9) Can you share with us something off your bucket list.
I’ve always wanted to travel to Lisbon. I had a friend once tell me that city reminded him of me, and somewhere I would enjoy, so I’ve always thought I would go there and see if I could find myself there.
 
Q10) What is in your To Read Pile that you are dying to start or upcoming release you can’t wait for?
I don’t have anything right now that’s calling my name. I think once I get through these edits, I’ll have some time to get back into what I really want to read.
 
Q11) Is there anything else you would like to add?
Thanks so much for having me! Love Books’n’Kisses. 🙂 Thanks for having me back.
 
Facebook: @CamrynRhys
Twitter: @camrynrhys
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Guest blogger: Rachel Brimble

Book fanatic? Me??
As a writer, I have a natural (almost unnatural!) obsession with books and my home as well as my office is overflowing with them. I am a self-confessed bibliophile and despite having over 250 books waiting to be read, I still buy more. This backlog of books are all hardback and paperbacks, by the way – it doesn’t include the 40 + I have downloaded onto my Kindle.
It is usual for me to be reading three books at any one time – a hardback, a paperback and an ebook. Makes complete sense, right? No? Let me explain. The hardback is for reading in bed, the paperback is for reading in the bath or when I am walking the dog (I kid you not) and the ebook is for when I am waiting to pick up my kids from one club or another, or waiting at the dentist/doctors etc. Simple.
Okay, so as you can see I LOVE books with a passion so it is darn near impossible for me to choose a single favorite title – so I’m going to cheat and name my all-time favorite author instead….
It has to be the fabulous Nora Roberts every time.
Now I know there maybe some moans and groans out there, but I seriously don’t know why so many people seem to have such a gripe with the fabulous Nora. She writes fantastic stories, with fantastic characters and most of all a fantastic romance. For me at least, she delivers each and every time. I am yet to be disappointed by any of her books and I’ve read a lot – and yes, I still have a lot to read too!
As for erotic romance I enjoy far too many authors to list but the romances I love to read, even though I don’t write them, is any featuring a hunky cowboy, yum! If you like a bit of erotic Western naughtiness too, I cannot recommend the Cowboy Kink series from The Wild Rose Press highly enough 😉
Rachel’s latest release is “Paying The Piper” and it’s available now from Lyrical Press. Here’s the blurb:

Nightclub manager, Grace Butler is on a mission to buy the pub where her mother’s ashes are scattered – except the vendor wants to sell to anyone but her. And the vendor happens to be her father…with a secret Grace will do anything to uncover.
Social worker and all-round good guy, Jimmy Betts needs cash to buy a house for three special kids before their care home closes. In a desperate bid for cash, he agrees to a one-time ‘job’ for bad-man Karl Butler. But in a sudden turn of events, Jimmy finds himself employed by Karl’s beautiful, funny and incredibly sexy daughter, Grace.

Their lives are so different except for one unifying thread – they are both trying to escape the binds of their tyrannical fathers. But is the key to their liberty each other?
Buy:
http://www.lyricalpress.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=3_25&products_id=424
Bio:
Rachel lives with her husband and two young daughters in a small town near Bath in the UK.  She started writing short stories about eight years ago but once her children were at school, she embarked on her first novel. It was published in 2007. Since then, she’s had several books published with The Wild Rose Press, Eternal Press and Lyrical Press. 
She recently acquired a US agent with her second Victorian historical. A member of the Romantic Novelists Association and Romance Writers of America, Rachel hopes to have a further two novels, one mainstream contemporary and one romantic suspense published in 2012 as well as two novellas.
When she isn’t writing, you’ll find Rachel with her head in a book or walking the beautiful English countryside with her family.  Her dream place to live is Bourton-on-the-Water in South West England. And in the evening? Well, a well-deserved glass of wine is never, ever refused…
Links:
http://www.rachelbrimble.com/
http://rachelbrimble.blogspot.com/
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Rachel-Brimble/181873201887441
Twitter: @rachelbrimble
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sick day

Sorry for the lack of posts today.. 
We are feeling a little under the weather.   
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Jaci Butron’s Play by Play Series

The Perfect Play
Book One in the Play-by-Play Series
Football pro Mick Riley is an all-star, both on the field and in the bedroom. But a sexy, determinedly single mom just might be the one to throw him off his game…
For years Mick has been taking full advantage of the life available to a pro athlete: fame, fortune, and a different girl in every city. But when he meets and beds confident, beautiful event planner Tara Lincoln, he wants much more than the typical one-night stand. Too bad Tara’s not interested in getting to know football’s most notorious playboy any better.
As the single mother of a teenage son, the last thing Tara needs is the jet-set lifestyle of Mick Riley; even though their steamy and passionate one-night stand was unforgettable. Tara’s life is complicated enough without being thrust into the spotlight as Mick’s latest girl du jour. Tara played the game of love once and lost big, and she doesn’t intend to put herself out there again, especially with a heartbreaker like Mick.
But when Mick sets his mind to win, nothing will stop him. And he has the perfect play in mind.
Excerpt
print editions
Amazon.com
Barnes+Noble.com
Books-A-Million
The Book Depository
Chapters
digital editions
Kindle from Amazon.com
Nook from Barnes+Noble.com
Kobo eReader
iBookstore
Changing the Game
Book Two in the Play-by-Play Series
Most people play by the rules. Gavin and Liz aren’t most people…
Win at any cost. That’s always been the mantra of sports agent Liz Darnell. When she carries things too far and risks losing her number-one client, baseball pro Gavin Riley, Liz realizes that she’ll have to work extra innings to win him back. It might not be too much of a stretch. She’s had a thing for this player’s moves since she first laid eyes on him, and by the looks of it, he wants her just as bad.
Gavin’s more than ready—especially when Liz is offering herself as part of the bargain. And as much of her as Gavin wants. For added thrills, he decides to throw a little curve ball Liz’s way to see just how far she’s truly willing to go to keep him as a client. But when love unexpectedly enters the playing field, neither Liz nor Gavin are ready for the biggest game-changer of them all.
Excerpt
print editions
Amazon.com
Barnes+Noble.com
Books-A-Million
The Book Depository
Chapters
digital editions
Kindle from Amazon.com
Nook from Barnes+Noble.com
Kobo eReader
iBookstore
Taking A Shot
Book Three in the Play-by-Play Series
If you want to score, you have to get in the game…
The last thing Jenna Riley needs is more sports in her life. While her brothers are off being athletic superstars, she’s stuck running the family’s sports bar, whether she likes it or not. Then in walks pro hockey stud Tyler Anderson. As much as Jenna would like to go to the boards with him, she’s vowed to never fall for a jock—even one as hot as Ty.
Ty, intrigued by the beautiful bar owner, becomes a regular. He senses that Jenna wants to do something more with her life. And as he gains her trust, the passion between them grows, as does Ty’s insistence that Jenna should start living for herself. With his encouragement, Jenna starts to believe it, too…
But first, Jenna has to figure out what she wants, what she needs, who she loves, and if she has the passion and pride to take a shot at having it all—including Ty…
Excerpt
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Playing to Win
Book Four in the Play-by-Play Series
Coming Soon
September 4, 2012
Someone’s going to have to let down their guard…
Football star Cole Riley is notorious for doing as he pleases—on the field and off. He parties hard and fights harder, but if he doesn’t clean up his act, his career is over—so Cole reluctantly agrees to work with image makeover consultant Savannah Brooks. He’s not used to being told what to do, especially by some (admittedly hot) southern belle. As for Savannah, she’s not convinced she can transform this cocky (and aggressively sexy) force of nature. But she’s determined to give it her best shot.
When the sparks start to fly, Savannah lays down the ground rules: no personal complications. If she can turn off the tingle she feels every time Cole gives her a hot stare with his gorgeous baby blues, he can turn off his desire as well. But for two people determined to have it all, a hands-off policy can only last so long before one of them yields.
PLAYING TO WIN releases September 4th and is now available for Preorder!
Learn more about Jaci here
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Interview & Giveaway with Jaci Burton

Books-n-Kisses is so excited to have the wonderful Jaci Burton on the blog today.  We are talking about her upcoming release Taking a Shot.  If you love hot, sweaty sport stars, you will fall in love with Jaci’s Play-by –Play series. 

1.    Can you please share with us a little about yourself
Jaci: I’m an author of over 50 books, living in the wilds of Oklahoma with my husband and our dogs. I’ve been writing romance for ten years now, and love every day I get to roll out of bed in my pajamas, stumble to the coffee pot and start my day in my slippers and with bad hair. It’s a dream come true!
2.    Have you always wanted to be an author?      
Jaci: Not always. I wanted to be a teacher, then a nurse, but those were dreams that never quite made it to fruition. I ended up spending many years in corporate health care management while also juggling raising my kids. But I always loved to write, and dabbled here and there with nothing to show for it. It wasn’t until I divorced and married my totally awesome husband, who encouraged me to take my dreams of writing seriously, that it became the full time career I love so much now.
book 1
3.    Who are some of your favorite writers? Who do you feel has influenced your writing?
Jaci: Oh, I have so many favorite authors—Nora Roberts, Jill Shalvis, Maya Banks, Julie James, Shannon Stacey, just to name a few. But I’d have to say I was heavily influenced by the historical writers of the 70’s and 80’s who fostered my love of reading—Kathleen Woodiwiss, Rosemary Rogers, Johanna Lindsay, Elizabeth Lowell, and Jude Deveraux, who taught me what romances were all about. Without them I’d have never fallen in love with romances, and would have never wanted to write them.
4.    How did you get into writing in this specific genre?  Have you ever thought about writing in a different genre?
Jaci: When I first started writing, I released books in a multitude of genres, from contemporary to suspense to fantasy and paranormals, but always came back to contemporary romances, because it’s the genre I love to read the most. And while on occasion I will read in other genres, I plan to stick with writing contemporaries, because it’s the genre I’m the happiest writing.
book 2
5.    What are some of your writing rituals?
Jaci: I don’t really have any set rituals. I try to hit a certain word count per day, but sometimes life and other things get in the way and it doesn’t always work out. I generally fly by the seat of my pants, and as long as the book gets done on time, I’m happy.
6.    Can you please tell us about your latest book(s)?
Jaci: Taking A Shot is my current release, and is the third book in my Play-by-Play sports series. It’s about hot sports players and the women they love. Taking A Shot is about Ty Anderson, hockey player for the fictional ST Louis Ice, and Jenna Riley, owner of Riley’s sports bar. Jenna wants nothing to do with sports players since her family is all about sports. But Ty’s determined to show her that they belong together, and his job shouldn’t matter.
7.    How did you come with the idea for this story?
book 3
Jaci: I had an idea to do a series about professional sports players, and thought it might be fun to make the books family-centric. So the Riley family was born, with Mick the football player in the first book, The Perfect Play, Gavin the baseball player in the second book, Changing The Game, and though Jenna doesn’t play professional sports, she runs the family sports bar and meets up with Ty the hockey player in Taking A Shot. We extend the Riley family with Cole, a Riley cousin, in Book 4, Playing to Win, which will release in September.
8.    Can you share with us your current work(s) in progress?
Jaci: Right now I’m working on Book 5 of the Play-by-Play series, Thrown By A Curve, which is a baseball story and features Cole’s sister, Alicia.
9.    What would you be if you were not an author?
Jaci: Uh….I have no idea. I’d probably still be in corporate life, bored and dissatisfied. 😉
10. What is in your To Read Pile that you are dying to start or upcoming release you can’t wait for?
Jaci: Right now I have an ARC of Julie James upcoming book, About That Night. Lucky me!
11.  Is there anything else you would like to add?
book 4
Jaci: I’m most appreciative of this interview, and I want to thank everyone who has read and loved my Play-by-Play series!
I’d also like to offer up a copy of The Perfect Play, Book 1 in my Play by Play series, or Changing The Game, Book 2 in the Play by Play series. The winner can decide which book they’d like to receiver, and the book can be in either print or Kindle or Nook format, winner’s choice!
Website: http://www.jaciburton.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorJaciBurton
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/jaciburton
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/jaciburton

GIVEAWAY TIME….. 
For a chance to win The Perfect Play or Changing the Game please fill out the Rafflecopter form below. 


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Book Feature of Moon over Alcatraz by Patricia Yager Delagrange

Following the death of their baby during a difficult birth, Brandy and Weston Chambers are grief-stricken and withdraw from each other, both seeking solace outside of their marriage; however, they vow to work through their painful disloyalty.  But when the man Brandy slept with moves back to their hometown, three lives are forever changed by his return.
Excerpt:
Three days later we were standing at the edge of a hole in the ground at Holy Sepulcher Cemetery in Hayward, the silence so thick, the insides of my ears buzzed like a distant swarm of angry bees.  Mr. Peralta and another gentleman stood off to the side while Weston and I held hands next to the tiny casket.
Weston had chosen a simple mahogany box with gold handles, a bouquet of white lilies graced the top of the small box.  I knelt down and laid a kiss on the smooth wood then wiped off the tears that had fallen on the wood.  Weston joined me and placed a single red rose in the middle of the lilies.
He helped me up and we stood side-by-side in silence, my guilt over her death like a stone in my empty belly.  I missed everything I’d dreamed would be happening right now, yearned for all that could have been.
Weston nodded at the man standing next to Mr. Peralta and our baby was slowly lowered into the gaping maw.  She reached the bottom, and a bird landed on the rich brown dirt piled next to the grave.  It pecked around, chirping a little song, then flew off – as if saying goodbye.  My heart squeezed inside my chest.
I picked up a small handful of soft dirt.  “Goodbye, Christine,” I whispered, throwing it on top of her casket.
Weston wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me in close to his side.  Why her?  Why my baby?  Was this supposed to make sense?  And, if so, to whom?
We drove home in silence.  No words existed to express my grief.
Fascinated by broken-hearted couples and atypical families, Patricia weaves engaging tales of men and women who create cohesive families where love reigns supreme.  She sprinkles her books with intriguing characters who struggle to find balance in life after tragedy.  Whether an unwed teenager, desperate widow, abandoned father, or a couple who stray from their marital vows, her characters form relationships impacted by their desire to create a family.
Aside from writing, her favorite things to do include riding her Friesian horse, Maximus, dot-to-dot for adults, and watching Russell Crowe and Denzel Washington movies.  She spends a majority of her days writing while her two very large Chocolate Labs lounge on the couch cuddled next to her and her MacBook.
She writes a blog every Wednesday, so if you’re interested, sign up to be on the mailing list and she’ll notify you after she posts her blog on this website.  Or just drop by Wednesday mornings and leave a comment.
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