Contemporary Romance

Could Love FIX YOU? Review and Giveaway

Fix-You-Banner

Hi there, and welcome to my stop on the FIX YOU blog tour sponsored by AToMR Book Tours. For other stops on the tour click here. Today’s book is an adult contemporary romance from Beck Anderson.

FixYou_CoverBook Description:
When Kelly Reynolds’s husband died, he left her—the awkward, cautious one—to raise their two young boys. She’s pieced herself back together, barely. Now she takes refuge in her routine: running her kids around and running the trails near her Idaho home.

Two years after her husband’s death, a chance encounter on a run brings Andrew into her life. But Andrew is Andy Pettigrew, the Andy Pettigrew, famous actor. Kelly hates risk, and a love affair with Andrew is certainly tempting fate. She doesn’t fit into his Hollywood world. She doesn’t own a pair of Louboutins, and she couldn’t walk five paces in them if she did. Andrew oozes cool. She reeks of dork.

But despite this, they click. It may be inexplicable, but it works. However, it’s also becoming clear that Andrew struggles with the pressures of his fame. Kelly’s hold on a so-called normal life is already tenuous, and as much as she might want to indulge the fantasy, she doesn’t know how either of them is supposed to cope with stalkerazzi and tweet-happy fans with camera phones. She and Andrew both have secrets that seem impossible to keep.

Beck Anderson’s witty, engaging writing yields an emotional tale of love, loss, and all the little things that make up a life. In the end, what is it that really holds us together? Kelly must decide if love can fix two people who might be broken beyond repair.

My Review:

Sometimes we live life; sometimes we just survive it–and Kelly Reynolds is surviving her life. Losing her husband was a nightmare she can’t escape–and her dreams are often tortured by her guilt for moving on–or not moving on enough. See, Kelly was always cautious. Her life has been played by the rules and she figures she lost the game already. Kelly can only pull herself out of bed to take care of her two boys, Hunter and Beau. But even they know she’s dead inside.

Cue the intervention. A quick trip to Indio has Kelly moving. Or, at least running. She’s taking her daily jog when realization strikes: today is the second anniversary of her husband’s death.  Overcome, she nearly collapses in tears and is assisted by a tall stranger. He dashes off so quickly he leaves behind his jacket. Kelly’s attempt to return it opens the next chapter of her life.

The stranger is movie star Andrew Pettigrew, another lonely soul surviving life. Meeting Kelly–a grounded, caring mother–is somewhat of an epiphany for him. He meets her the next day and they chat. Then they go for a run and chat some more. Kelly keeps all of this so down low it’s practically down under–a trait Andrew seems to like. He takes her number in the event he ever stops in Boise.

What do you know. A couple months later he does stop. Pops in unexpectedly. Kelly and her sons put him up for the weekend. A weekend filled with discovery. And a bit of guilt. But mostly there is something Kelly hasn’t felt in good long time: hope.

Their strange romance is kept super-down-under-low in order to foster the image of a fake romance between Andrew and his newest co-star, a Hollywood device that seems to increase ticket sales. It’s nerve-wracking for both Andrew and Kelly bringing along some unexpected baggage–Andrew’s alcoholism.

Though Kelly and Andrew share a strong love, Kelly knows she’s broken, and can’t imagine how she can help Andrew through his disease. She’d kicked her husband out years ago for alcoholism and they’d reconciled shortly before he died. This new facet with Andrew is deja vu of the Worst Kind. But maybe together they can find a way…

This book hit me hard. Maybe it’s because I’ve recently lost my father and an uncle, but a story about moving on after losing a loved one is always going to touch its readers. The romance is so super-down-low we only get Fade To Black scenes–no super steamy interludes, but that’s okay here, I think. Keeping the focus on working through grief and learning to trust in another love is amenable to a quiet love affair. At times I wanted to shake Kelly and give her a Cher-Snap-Out-Of-It smack, but she manages to right the ship and find the best course in time.

Interested? You can find FIX YOU at Goodreads, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble.

beck anderson press releaseAbout this author:
Beck Anderson believes in the power of perfectly imperfect women and in the healing power of love. Her new novel, Fix You, grew out of those beliefs and the time to write afforded by the worst Thanksgiving blizzard she’s ever witnessed in West Yellowstone.

For Beck, the path to published novelist has taken lots of twists and turns, including a degree in anthropology, a stint as a ticket seller at a ski resort, a much-loved career as a high school English teacher, and a long tenure as a member of the best writing group ever, hands down.

Beck balances (clumsily at best) writing novels and screenplays, working full-time as an educator, mothering two pre-teen males, loving one post-40 husband, and making time to walk the foothills of Boise, Idaho, with Stefano DiMera Delfino Anderson, the suavest Chihuahua north of the border. You can find Beck on her website, Facebook and twitter.

****GIVEAWAY****
Click the Rafflecopter link below for your chance at winning
(7) eBook copies of Fix You provided by Omnific Publishing – International
(1) $25 USD Gift Card to Omnific Publishing (to purchase any of their titles) – International
a Rafflecopter giveaway

AToMRTours_mdm

Saving THE CHEESECAKE QUEEN–Review and Giveaway!

Cheesecake Queen banner copy

Hi there and welcome to my stop on THE CHEESECAKE QUEEN blog tour, sponsored by YA Bound Book Tours. For other stops on the tour click here. This contemporary romance is newly released from Miranda Koerner.

thecheesecakequeen-v1-finalSugar Rule 1: Christmas is the perfect time for cheesecake.

Sugar Rule 2: Men are as useful as burnt cookies.

Book Summary:
After losing her reporting job to layoffs at the local paper, Caeleah Turner’s pity party at the airport is interrupted by a woman claiming to know the location of the world’s best cheesecake. Intrigued, Caeleah trades plane tickets with the woman and finds herself in Chestnut, Colorado, a tiny town hiding a woman known as the Cheesecake Queen. The Cheesecake Queen not only bakes the best cheesecakes in the country, but her cheesecake is known to cure everything from infertility to baldness—one woman even loses 100 pounds on it! There is a thick batter of secrets behind The Cheesecake Queen and her two sisters, who operate all the bakeries in town.

But as the mayor’s efforts to shut down the Sugar sisters before Christmas gear up, Caeleah finds herself wanting to sample his own treats.

There’s a bigger secret than love to Cinnamon’s cheesecakes. And Caeleah is determined to find out what it is.

My review:
This romp with the mystical Sugar family is a hoot! Caeleah is an unemployed food writer on her way back to Chicago following a failed interview when a strange woman convinces her to switch planes in the hunt for America’s best cheesecake.

In tiny Chestnut, Colorado, the Sugar sisters, Cinnamon, Nutmeg and Ginger, have been baking up prize desserts under the tutelage of Sugar Mama for years. Unfortunately, Mayor Nathan Watson (a Mayor Bloomberg parody, no doubt) is preparing to shut down their bakeries as a health menace. All that sugar and white flour and fat will surely cause diabetes or heart disease in the population if left unregulated, right?

In the quest for her story Caeleah learns the unsavory secrets between Ginger Sugar and Mayor Watson. They once had a blazing passion, but it soured after the High School prom. Caeleah, a lover all culinary delights, attempts to sway the mayor into being reasonable–a few sweets can’t possibly be that bad, right? Nonetheless, the mayor pursues his health initiative and Caeleah with equal vigor–even shutting down Cinnamon’s cheesecake bakery on Christmas Eve.

Caeleah is pretty sure she can end the small-town bitterness by reversing the effects of a botched love spell Ginger cooked up on prom night seventeen years ago–a disastrous recipe that turned Nathan against the Sugar sisters and all that they bake. The secret lay in the closely-guarded Black Book. Caeleah puts her job and new friendships on the line to discover the secret behind the Sugar family and their cursed love affairs. Of course, getting the mayor to stand down his calorie crusade will be difficult…and yummy!

For an adult romance it’s a surprisingly innocent tale with plenty of misdirection and lots and lots of cheesecake. Make sure to brush your teeth after reading or you’ll end up with a toothache.

Interested? You can find THE CHEESECAKE QUEEN at Goodreads, Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

About the Author
Miranda Koerner is a writer living in San Antonio, Texas, with her husband and two Chihuahuas. A former children’s magazine editor and reporter for Prime Time Newspapers and the Express-News, Miranda has written for The Current, Taste, Chicken Soup for the Soul and many other publications. Her YA novel The Butterfly Dress was published by Girl E books and is available through Amazon.com and Smashwords. She is anticipating her next novel, Blue Mermaid, with Turquoise Morning Press in April 2013.

You can find more about Miranda on Facebook and twitter.

***GIVEAWAY***

3 ebook copies of The Cheesecake Queen (INT)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

4ffae-yabounktourbutton

He can ANIMATE ME!–A Review

Animate MeHi there!  Wanted to share something fun I picked up as an Amazon Freebie a couple weeks ago. This fun New Adult romance by Ruth Clampett is everything I look for in a book–solid love story, some realistic complications, and a resolution that leaves me swoony.

ANIMATE ME does it animal-style. (more on that below!)

Here’s what happens:

Twenty-four year old animator Nathan Evans has the biggest crush on Brooke, an executive at his studio. Not only does he admire her from afar, he names is comic book character B-Girl after her.

One day their paths cross in the elevator and there’s some banter about Brooke wanting a coffee. As Nathan was on his way out for coffee anyway he buys one for Brooke, too. Being the shy-romantic he is, he draws her a tiny cartoon on the paper cup. Something to make her flash that megawatt smile he adores.

They chat a bit and he’s so into it he decides to repeat this encounter the next day. And the next. Soon it becomes an afternoon ritual they both enjoy. It’s a giant leap for Nathan–he’s a bit (deliciously) socially awkward–to reach out to a woman. See Nathan’s only had two “relationships” in his life and neither was actually consummated…that’s right. Nathan’s a 24 y/o virgin.

I love how Clampett turns the innocence tables here–having Nathan be the fumbling novice and Brooke the savvy instructor! Genius!

In fact, Brooke thinks their flirtation is designed to attract another co-worker Nathan desires. Too shy to correct her–and wanting more than anything to spend more time with Brooke–he proceeds with Brooke’s Love Lessons all the while getting more action than he’d ever dreamed. Not that it’s all roses. Cause it ain’t.

Brooke’s pseudo-boyfriend, Arnauld, is the president of their animation studio. And when he learns that Brooke is falling hard for Nathan, Arnauld’s not willing to let her go. His attempt to destroy Nathan’s career is vicious and yet perfectly believable.

Through the flame war that erupts, Nathan and Brooke get separated. The longing, anguish and anger that Nathan experiences are so poignant–I wanted to jump into the book and hug him. Tell him, “Hold on baby, it’ll all work out!”

And it does, so HEA’s for everyone.

ANIMATE ME is a home run for me. I loved the male viewpoint! I loved Nathan’s innocence and excitement and steadfastness. He’s the kind of guy I hope my sons grow into–the kind that look for a special girl to cherish and then pour their whole soul into loving her. And, bonus, we get cute little cartoons that build on the love story!

Here’s where you can find ANIMATE ME:   Goodreads   AMAZON

New books are coming out from Ruth Clampett and they sound just as fun.  I’ll keep you posted when I get my eyes on them…

Let me know if you pick up ANIMATE ME and drop me a comment on how you liked it.

And, as always, keep reading my friends!

I love a sequel NOW AND AGAIN…–Review and Giveaway

Now & Again banner copyHi there and welcome to my stop on the NOW AND AGAIN blog tour organized by YA Bound Book Tours.

If you’d like to check out other stops on the tour, click here.

NOW AND AGAIN is a steamy New Adult Romance by Brenda Rothert–and the follow-up to the delightful NOW AND THEN.
 

now and againSummary from Goodreads:
Once again, 26-year-old Layla Carson has the attention of a man eager to satisfy her. Ben Montrose, the hot, confident cop who gets off on frustrating her, is eager to show her just how arresting he can be. But as a reforming sexaholic, Layla’s sworn off casual hookups, and doesn’t miss the days of her early 20s –much.

Ben’s caught off-guard when the sexy, outspoken attorney turns him on and then turns him down. But the confident former Marine knows he can handle the simple seduction of a beautiful woman. He finds Layla’s weak spot – competition, which he happens to share – and challenges her to a game that could make them, or destroy them.

As they compete to crown the master of seduction, Ben and Layla discover there’s more to their game than power and foreplay. But as the stakes go up, they realize the game has changed, and they both stand to lose more than they bargained for.

My Review:
I wasn’t at all convinced I would like Layla. I knew from NOW AND THEN that she’s kinda not such a nice gal–conniving and manipulative and expects to get exactly what she wants pretty much describes her. Yet, her need to be assertive and strong actually isolates her from opportunities to build a stable relationship–at least with all the guys she knows. Sex is Layla’s way to find the intimacy she craves. And it isn’t working anymore. No, now she feels hollow and covets a relationship like sister Em’s more than ever.

After nine months of forced celibacy Layla encounters Ben Montrose. He’s big and burly and dominating and the exact opposite of what Layla usually finds attractive. He is, however, single–and she’s deprived, dammit. Ben thinks Layla’s a bit of alright, but he doesn’t want anything serious. He decides to woo her anyway, and can’t believe she doesn’t come to heel.

Guess Big Ben needed to ramp up his game. Good thing he does.

When Layla tells him she’s celibate that’s all the challenge Ben needs. He convinces Layla to spend four weeks together–the first two she dominates their ‘relationship’, the last two he will. While Layla keeps her vow, she and Ben spend a whole lot of time getting to know each other–building the intimacy she always sought. Meanwhile, Ben’s cool customer attitude is definitely overwhelmed by the vulnerability he finds in Layla.  It’s a fun and heartfelt tale of two strong people learning to give and receive love. In spite of the (almost total) celibacy, there’s plenty of sexual tension and some excellent heat nearer to the end.

Interested? You can find NOW AND AGAIN at Goodreads, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble.

Curious about the first book in this series?  You can catch my full review here, but here’s a taste…

If you like realistic romances, NOW AND THEN is crammed to bursting with sibling rivalry, passion, family expectations,  now and thenand responsibility. There are no billionaires. There is no S & M, no flashy cars, no contracts.

However, that’s super cool. Makes me feel like I may run into Em or Cole whilst touring my fair Chicago. They breathe my air. They have fussy mothers and scheming sisters. They have skeletons that don’t involve molestation or neglect, only family business of a personal–not shameful or criminal–nature.

NOW AND THEN is available on Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Kobo.

brenda rethortAbout the Author

Brenda Rothert lives in Central Illinois with her husband and three sons. She was a daily print journalist for nine years, during which time she enjoyed writing a wide range of stories.

These days Brenda writes New Adult Romance in the Contemporary and Dystopian genres. You can find Brenda on Goodreads, Twitter and Facebook.

***GIVEAWAY***

10 ebook copies of Now and Again by Brenda Rothert (INT)

Click here for your chance to win!

Good luck and keep reading, my friends!

bf0ac-yaboundtoursbutton

JUST ONCE? Not a chance! Review and Giveaway

Just-Once-Tour-Banner

Hi there! Welcome to my stop on the JUST ONCE blog tour organized by AToMR Book Tours. If you want to check out other stops on the tour, click here. JUST ONCE is an adult contemporary romance from debut author Julianna Keyes newly released by Omnific Publishing.

 JustOnce_cover_revBook Description:
Kate Burke is done making bad decisions. Thirty years old and belatedly determined to grow up, the successful travel writer and one-time party girl returns to work at the remote Ponderosa Pines Ranch to reassess her life.

Although her kitchen/cabin staff is lacking and the workload never relents, Kate’s main challenge is Shane Maddox, the ruggedly handsome and doggedly stubborn ranch foreman. Instantly at odds, they battle over everything from ceiling fans to bothersome bats—studiously ignoring the sparks they generate with each confrontation.

They can’t explain their explosive physical chemistry, but after a few frustrated weeks they can’t deny it either. Their solution? Just once. They’ll get past their inconvenient lust and move on.

Kate’s been trying to think with her head instead of her hormones, but is this just another bad decision in a lifetime of careless choices? Has she really changed at all?

Set in the striking and serene hills of southern Colorado, Julianna Keyes’ debut novel offers a sizzling and satisfying tale of unexpected chemistry and the power of second chances. Her characters will get under your skin and into your heart. Just once may not be enough for you either.

My Review:
This isn’t your typical downtrodden rich girl story. Kate’s always had it all, true, but after a brutal attack she finds her vapid life unsatisfying. Instead of being the globetrotter/writer she’s taken a managers job at Ponderosa Pines, the dude ranch she worked as a teen, believing spending three months in the same place will help her regain her lost bearings.

Quickly Kate’s high cleaning standards ruffles the unruly teenaged staff–who desert–and she’s agitated the ranch manager, the burly Shane Maddox. He’s not her type–too burly, too demanding–but she’s undeniably attracted. Not that she’s going to act on it. Risky, reckless, Eight-Shot Kate is a girl of the past. From now on, Kate’s the model of responsibility…

Sort of.

Seems Shane shares Kate’s attraction–even though she isn’t his type either. And he willing to trade one afternoon of passion to scratch that sexy itch.

Raowr!! That’s an offer Kate can’t refuse. Of course, one time isn’t enough, but keeping their trysts on the down-low is important, and besides, they’re just going to keep it casual, right? No strings.

Oh how I love when the best laid plans of bed buddies go HEA!

Shane is swoonworthy supreme, and Kate’s smart, sassy and strong-hearted. I adore them both, and this vanilla-tale is steamy enough to make Christian Grey sweat.

Interested? You can grab JUST ONCE at Goodreads or Amazon.

About the Author
Julianna Keyes is a Canadian writer who has lived on both coasts and several places in between. She’s been skydiving, bungee jumping, and white water rafting, but nothing thrills—or terrifies—her as much as the blank page. She has volunteered in Zambia, taught English in China, and dreams of seeing pink dolphins in the Amazon. This is her first book. Check her out on Twitter.

****GIVEAWAY****

Juliana and Omnific Publishing are giving away 5 ebooks, 1 Print Copy, 1 Swag Pack.

Click here for your chance to win!

And, as always, keep reading my friends!

AToMRTours_mdm

Sporty Romance Double Feature? Game On!

Since opening my blog I’ve had the best time interacting with authors and other bloggers and publishing folks or many stripes. For an aspiring author it’s been such a kick to learn all the stuff that happens AFTER you finish a book. Building these connections is a wondrous benefit to doing something I love–reading.

In this way, I feel blessed to find authors who reach out and embrace bloggers and what we do/how we support and nurture their work in a very real sense. Karen Erickson aka Miss Monica Murphy is one such author–and when she was offering up her newest release for review? I was all:


GAME FOR TROUBLE is the second in her Game For It series–and I seriously loved it. It drops TODAY–so here’s a sneak peek!

But, before I chat about it, perhaps we should set the scene with GAME FOR MARRIAGE–the one that started it all…

Game for Marriage (Game for It, #1)Jared Quinn is a Super Bowl winning quarterback and a rake. Yeah, he’s not just been around the block, he freaking owns the block, and could have limos drive him and his gals around and around. His team’s new owner isn’t happy with his bad boy image. Too much negative publicity and a nagging injury are threatening his contract. The PR department has a brilliant plan: get Jared married–toot-sweet…

Sheridan Harper is an artist with a funding problem. Though she has a beautiful studio, she can barely pay the expenses. It’s make-it-or-break-it-time and she’s not sure she has what it takes to make it. She meets Jared at a local festival and his admiration for her paintings lulls her into a drink, and another, and a wild night of well…hot monkey love.

Little could she have predicted Jared appearing at her studio the next morning with an (in)decent proposal.

One year of marriage + Non-disclosure = Money and publicity for her studio.

All she has to say is:  I do…

Well, she does. Before you all start yelling “Sell out!” and burning your PRETTY WOMAN VHS’s in protest, Sheridan negotiates a No Sex clause in the contract thinking this will protect her from actually becoming attached to Jared. See, she’s smitten. Jared’s a bona fide studmuffinsexgodextraordinaire, and Sheridan’s horrified that she’ll fall totally heart over heels only to have Jared walk away after 365 days of fake wedded bliss.

Only, she has no idea he’s smitten too.

Oh! It’s a fun, fun, FUN read. The usual complications ensue with a push-pull of sexual tension and eventual crash-and-burn. But yeah, it’s handled well and the HEA is de-lish.

Interested? Pick it up here:  GOODREADS  AMAZON  Barnes & Noble

For part deux, GAME FOR TROUBLE, Jared’s teammate and BFF Nick Hamilton has it bad for Willow Game for Trouble (Game for It, #2)Cavanaugh–the BFF of Sheridan Quinn.

Willow’s the stereotypical poor little rich girl. Her daddy’s a powerful entertainment lawyer and her mommy’s long gone to Europe. Willow’s desperate to make it on her own–and is finally finding success as a specialty caterer. All she needs is a great property to kick her business plans into fast-forward. Right now, it’s all about her career, and not at all about her love life, which pretty much sucks since she was royally dissed by Nick Hamilton six years ago.

Reunited by their mutual friends, Nick Hamilton is finally in finally in position to reclaim the girl he let go–at her father’s strong request [read:  blackmail]. He may have moved on in body, but never in spirit and Fate seems to have aligned their stars. He owns the VERY property Willow wants to lease. And he’s willing to rent it at a discount, if she’ll agree to 10 dates–with him.

The negotiations are fierce, and in the end they settle on 8 dates, but the die is cast. These two are gas and blowtorch. When they aren’t fighting, they’re naked. Okay, slight exaggeration. But seriously, there’s plenty of naked times…

Still, Willow can’t fully trust Nick, he’s surely going to abandon her–again–just like everybody else has. As steadfast as Nick tries to be, he’s put-off by her constant reticence. The break-up-to-make-up isn’t long and the HEA is as believable as any other.

Interested? This book comes out TODAY–Pick it up here:  GOODREADS  AMAZON  Barnes & Noble

As these two stories follow the love-lives of two football players, it’s clear that our next Game For It novel will feature another teammate. What do I say to that?

HIKE!

So, if you read either of these books remember to let me know what you thought of them in the comments.

And, as always, keep reading, my friends! 🙂

OFF CHANCE–Out Now! Excerpt and Giveaway…

OffChanceDigitalCoverAvailable NOW!!

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Goodreadsš

He is seeking absolution.

Flynn Caldwell has a hero complex and it’s one of the reasons he joined the New York City Fire Department. He has spent his entire professional career trying to atone for that one person he failed to save. Because, if he can do that, then perhaps he can be worthy of love again.š

She is seeking escape.

Rowan Page’s life is nothing short of a disaster. Always immersed in trouble, she has only herself to depend on. She’s determined to pull herself out of this mess and make something of her life, despite the hard years she has lived on the streets of New York.

Together, they have the chance to become complete.

Flynn and Rowan’s worlds exist miles apart, but when a chance meeting brings them together, neither of them can deny the instant pull that connects them to each other. What starts as a tiny spark eventually flares into a fire so hot, it refuses to be extinguished.

Both are willing to jump feet first into the flames to see where it takes them, despite the risk of being burned.

Excerpt:

I can only imagine what Thanksgiving would be like with the Caldwells. There will be plenty of good food, lots of laughter, and probably some naps when it’s all said and done.

“And Capone can come, too,” Flynn throws in to entice me further, but I’d already decided to accept.

“Okay. We’re in. Can you ask your mom what I can bring?”

“I’ll ask but I know she’ll say ‘don’t bring a thing but yourself’.”

I laugh over Flynn’s impersonation of his mom’s Irish accent. “In that case, don’t bother asking and I’ll just bring something. Maybe a pie.”

“You can cook?” Flynn asks with astonishment.

“Of course I can cook,” I tell him with indignation.

“Then how come all we ever have is pizza or bologna sandwiches when it’s your turn to cook?”

“Just because I can cook, doesn’t mean I want to. This is the twenty-first century pal… get with the times. Women have shed the chains of slavery and we no longer serve you menfolk.”

Flynn throws his head back and starts howling with laughter, then he pitches forward, holding the hand with Capone’s leash to his stomach while he laughs, with the other holding onto his hot cocoa. It’s infectious and I start laughing along with him.

He looks at me and our eyes meet.

Then it happens… there is almost a crackle in the air, like electricity is flowing between us. Flynn’s laughter immediately dies away and the smile slides from my face. The same happens to me and nothing is left in our expressions except a focused intensity on each other. It’s almost as if I can feel heat swirling all around us, and the backdrop of the world fades to black.

Until nothing is left but just Flynn and me.

I call it “The Happening” and it represents those few times when the resolve to just be friends seems to melt away into oblivion. It occurs at the weirdest of times and I have no control over it. When I’m in that moment with Flynn, I want nothing more than for him to grab me and kiss me like I was the oxygen his lungs crave. I want to strip him bare and use just my fingertips to trace every inch of skin on his body. I want to get lost… deeply lost, in Flynn.

“The Happening” hits Flynn just as hard as it hits me. I see the desire light him up from within. I feel the sexual tension pouring off him with visceral awareness, and I swear I can feel his heart moaning for me.

When “The Happening” occurs, I am powerless to fight it. In fact, if Flynn ever made a move to touch me during the event, I would completely submit to him body and soul. But thankfully, Flynn is a stronger person than I am, and he is clearly the more responsible of the two of us. He’ll usually snap out of it first, and bring me crashing back to reality.

Like he does right at this moment.

WHOA!!!

Off-Series-Banner Each book in the Off Series can be read as a standalone.

About the Author
4bebe-sawyerbennettUSA Today Best-Selling author, Sawyer Bennett, is a snarky southern woman and reformed trial lawyer who decided to finally start putting on paper all of the stories that were floating in her head. She is married to a mobster (well, a market researcher) and they have two big, furry dogs who hog the bed. Sawyer would like to report she doesn’t have many weaknesses but can be bribed with a nominal amount of milk chocolate.

Catch up with her at Facebook or on Twitter.

Giveaway!
(1) $50 Amazon gift card
(5) Swag packs – US only
a Rafflecopter giveaway

AToMRTours_mdm

Crawl Between the Sheets with NINETY EIGHT–Book Blitz and Uber-Giveaway!!

98_banner

Celebrating the release of her newest contemporary romance, Ninety Eight, Shannon Mayer is hosting a fun week long event, ‘Crawl Between the Sheets’! But first, check out Ninety Eight and don’t forget to enter our blog giveaway to win your own copy!

NinetyEight_ebook

Release: October 17, 2013

Publisher: HiJinks Ink Publishing Ltd.

New Adult/Adult Contemporary Romance

Goodreads | Amazon

For a limited time, Ninety Eight will be priced at JUST $0.99!

Shannon’s other contemporary romance, High Risk Love, has also been reduced to $0.99 during the release event for Ninety Eight!

Goodreads | Amazon


Speed Limits
Lottery Tickets
Elevator Buttons
Numbers are everywhere—they play such a vital role in our everyday lives. But what would happen if we measured love with equations just as we do our morning cup of coffee? My nana had many recipes in her cupboards, but it was her calculations for love that she insisted I live my life by; and I’ve followed her rules all these years.

One Animal
One Moment
One Critical Impact
That’s all it took for the numbers to start flying in a jumbled mess through my brain as I stared into the violet eyes that would forever make me question my choices. In a split second, the possibilities and reality of true love are revealed and I’m questioning all I’ve ever known.

A Tree
White Fences
Stolen Moments
I can’t ignore the storm brewing around—and within—me. Everything I am is confronted by these new numbers, and all they represent. My past, present and future will all be determined by the gambles I make right here, right now. Again, it’s all about the numbers.
And what I’m learning is, one plus one doesn’t always equal two and sometimes three times isn’t always the charm.

Crawl Between the Sheets

Welcome to “Crawl Between the Sheets 2013”!

This event is a web crawl scavenger hunt and you are ALL invited! Each day, different blogs will have different events for you to crawl around the web and enter the hunt.

      • GRAND PRIZE: IPAD MINI or $350 Amazon Gift Card (all Amazon territories included) winners choice.
      • RUNNER-UP PRIZE: $150 Amazon Gift Card (all Amazon territories included)

Today’s Web Crawl Events

To participate in today’s web crawl events, follow the directions below to receive your daily points. Once you have completed one of the 2-3 daily events, please return to Shannon’s website at http://www.shannonmayer.com/crawl-between-the-sheets-2013/ and enter your submissions in the Rafflecopter found there!

3pts. Go to Kelley Armstrong’s website at: http://www.kelleyarmstrong.com/

  • Find out what nationality is she?

Submit your answer as your entry at http://www.shannonmayer.com/crawl-between-the-sheets-2013/ .

5pts. TWEET THIS: @KelleyArmstrong Thanks for inspiring authors like @TheShannonMayer to write kick ass urban fantasy series like the Rylee Adamson Novels! (You MUST tag both Kelley Armstrong and Shannon Mayer)

Submit the link to your tweet as your entry at http://www.shannonmayer.com/crawl-between-the-sheets-2013/ .

OR

ON FACEBOOK:  Go to Kelley Armstrong’s Facebook page at  https://www.facebook.com/KelleyArmstrongAuthor

  • LIKE her page AND
  • Enter this as a comment @Kelley Armstrong Thanks for inspiring authors like @Author Shannon Mayer to write kick ass urban fantasy series like the Rylee Adamson Novels! (You MUST tag both Kelley Armstrong and Shannon Mayer)

Submit the link to your post as your entry at http://www.shannonmayer.com/crawl-between-the-sheets-2013/ .

10 pts.  Go to Kelley Armstrong’s website at: http://www.kelleyarmstrong.com/

  • Sign up for her newsletter

Submit the email address you signed up with as your entry at http://www.shannonmayer.com/crawl-between-the-sheets-2013/ .
ALSO, every day during this event you may do the following to earn EXTRA points:

If you share this link: http://www.shannonmayer.com/crawl-between-the-sheets-2013/ on Facebook or Twitter, you can enter the URL link to your post/tweet to gain an extra point for the day. Even if you complete the other tasks for the day, you can STILL do this as well up to once a day! 🙂

To see other blogs and the rest of the week’s events, visit Shannon’s site and check out her News Blog!

(http://www.shannonmayer.com/)

About the Author

ShannonMayer (2)Shannon Mayer lives in the southwestern tip of Canada with her husband, dog, cats, horse, and cows. When not writing she spends her time staring at immense amounts of rain, herding old people (similar to herding cats) and attempting to stay out of trouble. Especially that last is difficult for her.

She is the author of the The Rylee Adamson Novels, The Nevermore Trilogy, A Celtic Legacy series and several contemporary romances. Please visit her website at http://www.shannonmayer.com for more information on her novels.

Website | Facebook | Twitter

We are giving away (1) eBook copy of Ninety Eight courtesy of Shannon Mayer! Books will be gifted from Amazon.com only.

Leave me a Comment telling me how numbers have changed your life. Best response (as deemed by my 11 y/o son) will get a shiny new ebook. (Contest ends Oct 27th–one entry per email address!)

photo AToMRTours_sml_zps7fb7ce03.jpg

Discover UNEXPECTED–Blog Tour and GIVEAWAY!

http://atomrbookblogtours.files.wordpress.com/2013/08/unedxpected-tour-banner.jpg

Hi there!  Welcome to my stop on the UNEXPECTED Blog Tour organized by AToMR!

17728607Book Description:
Ian wasn’t ready to meet Grace Holtsen. In no way was he prepared for her. But can you ever be ready for fate to step in? Can you ever be ready to meet the one person who will change your entire existence? Ian knew that Grace would change everything he was used to, but something about her made it worth it. For the first time somebody seemed worth the risk. Will Ian jump and let fate wait for him at the bottom? Hoping that it can somehow save him…hoping that Grace can somehow save him.

I don’t think Grace is like most girls.
Maybe that’s the thing that I can’t put my finger on.
Maybe for the first time, I’ve met a girl that’s unlike
anyone that I’ve ever known.

Grace, a single mother and owner of a Nashville recording company, met Ian Paul, a recent college grad and her new employee. The moment he entered her world, it turned upside down. She knew better than anyone that a relationship with Ian would never work. He was never supposed to fit into her life, and she was never supposed to show up in his. But what happened between them was something more than either of them ever anticipated. Grace was unprepared for how bad it would hurt when they were faced with something far more unexpected.

He stole the rest of my heart tonight. I
know that no matter what happens tomorrow, or days from
now, I’ll never want it back.
I could never give it to someone else.

My Review:

Whoa. I loved the slow build of this one. Grace Holtsen’s worked hard for her thriving recording business in Nashville. She treasures her son, Milo, an unplanned memento of Grace’s first time brought back from a family vacation. She has a tense relationship with her parents–who pretty much kicked her out when she decided to keep her baby. Brash and sassy BFF Nina is a fantastic counterpoint to Grace’s reserved nature.

In fact, it’s Nina’s audacity that links Ian and Grace when Nina schmoozes Ian into pumping their gas, despite his not working at the gas station. Imagine Grace’s astonishment when Ian turns up at the company pow-wow an hour later as the new PR hire. *face palm*

Ian Paul’s in Nashville because his BFF is in a band–and it’s a good one. He’s been managing their PR throughout college and now that the sheepskins have been passed, the boys are set to take the music scene by the throat. Ian convinces Grace to hear one of their sets, and she’s captivated–has to sign them–and put Ian in charge as their manager.

While working in close quarters it’s clear that an attraction is developing. Grace hasn’t had a serious relationship in a good long time, and she’s not sure taking a chance on a strapping young buck is a great idea.  Ian is a hit with Milo–being the superhero step-dad-type–and he’s wooing Grace thoroughly regardless of their  6-year age gap.

It seems life is going grand for this fledgling couple until Grace visits Ian’s childhood home and learns a secret that may drive her and Ian apart forever.

So, I liked it. It’s a solid contemporary romance. The journal-like chronicling makes for an intimate ride. There was a point when I felt that the convenience v. coincidence battle was too much the former, but for those who love the “destined to be together” tales UNEXPECTED is right in your sweet spot.

Interested?  Get your copy here:  Amazon  Barnes and Noble  Smashwords   Goodreads

About the Authors
K. Dulaney & J. Glen, sisters & authors.

K. Dulaney was born, raised, and still resides in the Mountains of North Carolina. She is the proud mother to an amazing little boy, and happily married to her high school sweetheart. Dulaney attended Southern Universities and obtained her Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology and a Masters in Family Studies. Her passion for reading and books began at very early age, and Dulaney dreamed of one day writing stories of her own. Partnering with her sister, J. Glen, they began a journey that has exceeded their expectations and proven that through hard work and determination, that dream can be a reality.

J. Glen is a North Carolina native currently residing in a small mountainous town. She attended an East Coast university and obtained a degree in Communication and Journalism. With an interest in writing at a young age, Glen had one idea of the perfect career and now, along with the help of her sister, she’s embarking on a journey to achieve just that.

Find more on these fab authors here:

Facebook   Website   Goodreads  Twitter Amazon Author Page

***GIVEAWAY***

Want to win some swag? These lovely ladies are offering up the following goodies!!
(2) Print copies – US Only
(2) eBook copies gifted from Amazon or Barnes and Noble
(1) $25 Amazon Gift Card and
(2) swag giveaways – US Only
a Rafflecopter giveaway

AToMRTours_mdm

NOW AND THEN–Review and GIVEAWAY!

Now and Then banner copy

Welcome to my stop on the Now and Then blog tour hosted by YA Bound Book Tours.  Click HERE to see the full blog tour schedule!

Now and Then (Now #1)

by Brenda Rothert

Available now!
 
Summary from Goodreads:
Now and Then (Now, #1)Now: Emmaline Carson is a sharp, settled graphic designer who loves painting, cooking and girls’ night out with her older sister Layla. But then – in the years before she went to art school in Paris – she was a shy, awkward teenager with frizzy hair, a flat chest and a massive crush on the boy across the street, Cole Marlowe. Too bad her incredibly hot neighbor only had eyes for Layla.

Cole is now a confident, laid-back attorney who’s even hotter than he used to be. He’s planning to stay single while working his way up the corporate ladder – until he’s knocked off course by a chance run-in with Emma.

Everything is different between Cole and Emma now. He finally sees her in a way she only dreamed of, and their hot chemistry is fueled by a growing friendship. But Emma’s deception of her sister – who wants Cole for herself – and the secret Cole’s been keeping for more than a decade threaten to tear apart what’s only just begun. Because sometimes the only thing standing in the way of now is then.

My review:
Here’s how it all starts:  Coffee. While fetching coffee for her lecherous boss, Em takes a tumble spilling the brew all over herself and another customer–her childhood neighbor and school-girl crush, Cole Marlowe. He’s moved back to Chicago much the same as Em has. Cole isn’t looking for anything serious–he’s busy working up the partnership ladder at his law firm, but he can’t deny his attraction to Em’s unassuming nature and luscious figure.

And Em? For her, Cole has been this untouchable dream for sooo long–it’s as if she’s afraid to burst that precious soap bubble memory of her pining days. Plus, she’s just getting her career off the ground and doesn’t need complications like a relationship. Cole, he’d be a major complication, mostly because their mothers have pretty much planned on Cole marrying Em’s beautiful older sister, Layla, who always outshined Em…and Layla has her sights on Cole, as well.

But that’s the thing about love–it doesn’t listen to the bickering of parents. It cares not for the secondary alliances. It drive you to take risks, move obstacles, to Make. It. Work. Once decided, Cole is relentless. He’s fierce and vulnerable and overwhelming, and borderline stalker-y (Think ‘please-lets-tell-everyone’ NOT ‘restraining order’ sense) in his pursuit to woo Em. She holds out, however, afraid that this bombshell relationship will destroy the tenuous friendship she’s built with Layla. See, Layla wasn’t the nicest older sister growing up. She hounded Em and flaunted her popularity and openly taunted Em about her Cole-worship, yet that was THEN, and now they’re pretty tight.

And, while the secret Cole hides isn’t his latent affection for Layla, it’s driving Em away nonetheless.

If you like realistic romances, NOW AND THEN is crammed to bursting with sibling rivalry, passion, family expectations, and responsibility. There are no billionaires. There is no S & M, no flashy cars, no contracts.

However, that’s super cool. Makes me feel like I may run into Em or Cole whilst touring my fair Chicago. They breathe my air. They have fussy mothers and scheming sisters. They have skeletons that don’t involve molestation or neglect, only family business of a personal–not shameful or criminal–nature.

Interested? You can find NOW AND THEN here:  Goodreads  Amazon

About the Author
Brenda Rothert lives in Central Illinois with her husband and three sons. She was a daily print journalist for nine years, during which time she enjoyed writing a wide range of stories.

These days Brenda writes New Adult Romance in the Contemporary and Dystopian genres.
Connect with her at: GOODREADS TWITTER or FACEBOOK

GIVEAWAY:
10 e-books of Now and Then (INT)
a Rafflecopter giveaway

bf0ac-yaboundtoursbutton