Sisters in Bloom by Melissa Foster -- Review and Giveaway

(Comtemporary Romance)

This review is done in conjunction with a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Melissa will be awarding one of three copies of HAVE NO SHAME as Kindle files to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

"Steamy love scenes, emotionally-charged drama, and a family-driven story, make this the perfect story for any romance reader; especially those who have read Book One, Sisters in Love."
-- Diane Donovan, Reviewer, Midwest Book Review

Kaylie Snow has always been the fun, flirty, pretty sister. Now, her burgeoning baby bump, hormone infused emotions, and faltering singing career are sending her into an unexpected identity crisis. Watching her older sister Danica glide through a major career change and a new relationship with the grace of a ballerina, Kaylie’s insecurities rise to the forefront—and her relationship, with fiancé Chaz Crew, is caught in the crossfire.

Chaz Crew has everything he’s ever wanted: a lovely fiancé, a baby on the way, and soon, the film festival he owns will host its biggest event ever. When he’s called away to woo the festival’s largest sponsor—and the lover he’s never admitted to having—secrets from his past turn his new life upside down.

With her baby shower around the corner, and her fiancé’s big event looming, the pressure is on for Kaylie to pull herself together—and for Chaz to right his wrongs. In a few short weeks, the couple who had it all figured out will learn things about life and love that may change their minds—and their hearts.

SISTERS IN BLOOM is a testament to the bond of sisters, the strength of women, and the pains and delights that accompany motherhood. A book for every mother, sister, and daughter, SISTERS IN BLOOM will resonate with readers who love to explore family dramas.

Read the review:

This is the second book of the series and can easily be read on its own--however, I enjoyed the characters so much, I've already downloaded book 1 to my Nook (HINT: Book 1, Sisters in Love, is currently free for Nook and Kindle).

The story centers around Kaylie and her fiance Chaz--but life to the altar is not all rose petals and champagne. For one thing... she's pregnant, having problems with her career, and feeling all the emotions that go along with being very pregnant. Add to that mix, she's got a lot of baggage to go through from her parents' divorce--not to mention a scheming woman from Chaz's past, and you have a powder keg ready to go off.

Chaz is amazingly patient with her and her mood swings... but goes too far in wanting to protect her. To the extent that he keeps things from her he really should have told her. And, that's always a recipe for trouble.

The supporting characters (especially Danika, Blake, and Max) are all as likeable as Kaylie and Chaz--I really want to know more about how Danika and Blake got together--I think I will find that out in Book 1--and Max intrigues me. I hope there will be a Book 3.. I have my suspicions about her. Melissa, any hints here?

This book is full of excitement and caring and loving and Melissa Foster did a #1 job of making me fall in love!! Thanks!

Enjoy this excerpt:

Kaylie Snow didn’t just have to tinkle, she had to pee. If she wasn’t out of bed in two minutes, she’d very likely not make it to the bathroom, and then she’d have to explain to her fiancé why the carpet was wet. She pulled the sheet over her naked, burgeoning belly, and sat up, watching Chaz’s chest rise and fall with each peaceful breath. She stifled the urge to lean over and kiss his barely parted lips. He’d been working so hard; he really did deserve to sleep in. The morning light streamed through the curtains reminding her of the morning after they’d first met. Surely, her bladder could wait one small minute while she savored those memories. She’d had far too many margaritas celebrating her best friend Camille’s impending wedding, and Chaz had been only mildly tipsy when they left Bar None together and headed to his place. She remembered thinking that she wanted to run her hands through his wavy blond hair, which set off his ocean-blue eyes like jewels. And she’d desperately wanted to kiss him, just as she did now.

She’d waited a long time for that first kiss. They talked until five in the morning, when—tucked perfectly into the curve of his arm, her head against his muscular chest—they’d fallen asleep on the couch in his living room. When she awoke,  the sun was warming the room, and his unkissed lips slightly parted as he slept. She could feel their connection as if it was another person in the room, and she’d known in her heart that she’d found the man she’d one day marry. She reached over now and ran her finger over the prickles of whiskers that lined the chiseled edge of his jaw.

He rolled onto his side, snuggling deeper into the pillow, and shifted just enough to jiggle her bladder. She winced, pressing the heel of her hand on the mattress to push herself to her feet—not an easy task at thirty-five weeks pregnant. As she raised herself off the bed, she felt Chaz’s hand fold into her own.

“Come back,” he whispered.

Kaylie turned, holding the sheet across her heavy breasts. “I have to pee,” she whispered.

“Then come back.” He squeezed her hand gently, and then let her go.

After Kaylie went to the bathroom, she washed her hands and inspected herself in the mirror. Naked Buddha. She turned sideways. Beached whale. She turned to the rear and looked over her shoulder. Oh, God, that’s even worse. What had she been thinking last night, believing each of Chaz’s compliments about how gorgeous she looked? The evening before came tumbling back to her. The phone call from the Denver nightclub, the one she’d sung in for the last two years. Just another in a long line of lost singing gigs that she’d hoped to secure, for after the baby was born. She was a good singer! Audiences loved her and she’d never missed a single gig. She’d always dreamt of being offered a record deal; now, it seemed as if her pregnancy changed everything, like she had a tattoo on her forehead that read, Don’t hire me. I’ll have a baby soon and it’ll make me unreliable. She’d cried for twenty minutes, blaming herself, the baby, and even Chaz. Later, she realized she hadn’t really meant a word of it, she’d just been overwhelmed. Chaz had stuck right beside her, calm and empathetic, and she’d fallen for every one of his lines about how sexy and beautiful she looked, and how wonderful of a mother she’d be. He’d reeled her right into his loving, secure arms, and whisked those worries away.

Look at me. That’s it! No more sleeping naked. She ran her hands along the pockets of flesh that had somehow gathered above her waist. Jesus, I have love handles? She’d been a size five since she was a teenager. How could she have love handles? Babies grew in the uterus, not above the hipbones. What the hell is this all about? She patted her blond hair into submission—sort of—brushed her teeth, and then grabbed one of Chaz’s T-shirts from his dresser drawer before returning to bed.

Kaylie lay on her back, her legs bent at the knees. She restrained herself from feeling the love handles that now seemed to silently taunt her. Just knowing they were there was making her cranky. She felt her chest tighten, and clenched her fingers around the edges of Chaz’s shirt.

Chaz curled into her, his knees tucked under hers, and his arm across her narrow hips, below her enormous belly. He rested his head on her shoulder, and she listened to his breathing, each breath calming her nerves a little bit more. She felt so safe when she was with Chaz. No wonder she hadn’t put on clothes last night. She believed anything that came out of his mouth.

“Wanna think about names?” he whispered.

“We agreed not to.” When Kaylie first learned she was pregnant, they’d decided not to find out the gender of the baby. There were so few real surprises in life that they wanted the birth of their baby to be one of those moments that really grabbed them by their hearts in a way that nothing else ever could. For that reason, and with her doctor’s permission, she’d only had one sonogram. She wasn’t a high-risk pregnancy, and she was so young that her doctor saw no reason to have more; Kaylie had been relieved. The idea of lying on the table with her baby on that screen—close enough to reach out and touch—would have been too hard to turn away from.

Kaylie was also adamant about not trying out names before it was born. She’d never understood how a child could have a name before the parents had met it. What if a Charles was really a Michael? It would be hard to change the name to fit the personality or looks of a baby if they’d been calling it Charles for nine months.

 She and Chaz were so much alike. They agreed on almost everything, and Kaylie had dated enough men to know just how lucky she was. She closed her eyes, thinking about the things she had to do today. She was meeting her older sister, Danica, and her mother, who she hadn’t seen in—gosh—a year? Had it really been that long? Guilt settled in around her. Her mother was once such a big part of her life, but ever since she found out that her mother had stayed with her father after learning of his affair, she no longer saw her mother in the same light. The strong woman she thought she knew seemed weak and almost pathetic. Now that Kaylie was going to be a mother, she found herself thinking of her mother more often, but she had no idea how to handle the anger and disappointment she felt toward her. Once again, she tucked away these uncomfortable thoughts about her mother. They were too difficult to deal with right then. She had other pressing issues that she could not ignore.

 Her nerves tightened against the incessant nag in the back of her mind, the one that reminded her that it had been months since her last singing gig. The one that reminded her that her sister Danica would never let her career just fade away, unless that’s what she wanted. Kaylie felt powerless to change the path of her failing career, and determined, fearless Kaylie had never felt powerless in her entire life.

Chaz moved his hand slowly across her pelvis, then traced gentle circles on the underside of her belly. “Gracie?”

“We’re not doing this,” she said, smiling despite her desire to chew on her worry for just another minute or two. She brushed his bangs from his forehead.

“Felix?”

“Chaz.”

He scooted up beside her and whispered in her ear, “Jezabel? Bambi?”

About the Author:

Melissa Foster is an award-winning, International bestselling author. Her books have been recommended by USA Today's book blog, Hagerstown Magazine, The Patriot, and several other print venues. She is the founder of the Women’s Nest, a social and support community for women, the World Literary Café. When she's not writing, Melissa helps authors navigate the publishing industry through her author training programs on Fostering Success. Melissa is also a community builder for the Alliance for Independent Authors. She has been published in Calgary’s Child Magazine, the Huffington Post, and Women Business Owners magazine.

Website: www.MelissaFoster.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MelissaFosterAuthor
Twitter: @Melissa_Foster
Facebook Melissa Foster : http://www.facebook.com/MelissaFosterBooks (profile)
Goodreads http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3023973.Melissa_Foster
The Women’s Nest (My social network for women): http://www.TheWomensNest.com
World Literary Café, Where readers and author unite! http://www.worldlitcafe.com
Fostering Success – www.fostering-success.com

Five Things You Might Not Know About Charmaine Gordon

Picture this: Wearing only a blanket with panties underneath, on stage in a play Off Broadway, I sat on the bed with my lover. Act 1. I had said blanket tucked under my arms and toga style slung over one shoulder. The full audience laughed, enjoying the comedy drama before them but the biggest laugh came when I stood up and crossed while talking, forgetting to clutch the blanket. What happened next you ask? Left breast exposed for all who paid to see, I didn’t miss a beat as I covered up and finished the scene. Heart beating a bit too fast. When my stage lover asked for a peek at my right breast, I slugged him with a script. Not too hard. We had to get ready for Act 2.

Before I had total left hip replacement, I built patios. Show me a rock and I’d drag it home. We drove upstate NY where flagstones abound. I’d yell, “Stop the car and open the trunk.” Out I’d run looking this way and that like a thief in the night only it was daytime on a country road, no homes for miles around. My husband didn’t get it or me; my need to create and build with found material. I’m bereft since I can’t do that anymore. On the plus side, all my creative juices flow into writing.

Born in the thirties, yes my secret is out, girls were expected to be good daughters, wives, and mothers. I, the first girl, lived in a world surrounded by men, brothers, cousins, uncles, a virtual sea of male domination. Women were designated slaves to the kitchen and home. Secretly I wanted to be a triple threat; dance, sing, act. Years flew by as I fulfilled everyone’s wishes except mine and then when my youngest and only daughter turned sixteen, I developed wings and became an actor to work professionally in NYC. Not a star. Just a ripple in a large pond but I did it on my own.

There I was on set in Working Girl. “Don’t talk to the stars.” During a break, I sauntered over to Harrison Ford and he smiled that crooked grin. We shared a hot dog and sang “Don’t know much about history. . .” He didn’t care about rules nor did I. Anthony Hopkins, call me Tony, invited me to lunch with him one day on the set of another movie at Lake Mohunk. Nice gentle man.

My book To Be Continued has been optioned for a television movie. YIPPEE!

About the Author:

Charmaine Gordon writes books about women who Survive and Thrive. Her motto is take one step and then another to leave your past behind and begin again. Six books and several short stories in three years, she’s always at work on the next story. The books include To Be Continued, Starting Over, Now What?, Reconstructing Charlie, Sin of Omission and The Catch. Plus four long/short stories in a new series of Mature Romances. Young at Heart, Instant Grandpa, Before the Final Curtain and now No Time for Green Bananas.

“I didn’t realize at the time while working as an actor in NYC, I’d become a sponge soaking up dialogue, setting, and stage directions. I learned many tools of writing during the years watching directors like Mike Nichols and actors including Harrison Ford, Anthony Hopkins, and Billy Crystal. And would you believe, I was Geraldine Ferraro’s stand-in leg model, my first job giving me entrée into all the Unions needed to work. When the sweet time ended, I began another career and creative juices flowed.”

You can reach Charmaine at http://authorCharmaineGordon.wordpress.com
And on her FB page http://www.facebook.com/charmaine.gordon

My latest release is book four in a series of Mature Romances, a relatively new genre. Since I’m a senior (when did that happen?) I know about the good life we still have.

AVAILABLE IN ALL EBOOK FORMATS

NO TIME FOR GREEN BANANAS
by Charmaine Gordon
Series: The Beginning…Not the End, Book 4
Celeste Hamlin, the seventy-five year old widow, CEO of O.U.R. Airlines specializing in chartered vacations, has a goal... She needs to once more conquer the six mountains in the Saranac Lake region before deciding what to do with the rest of her life.

Sixty-two year old Professor Paul Harris, is on sabbatical to hike and relax. When he meets the dynamic Celeste, he recalls the last words his wife said before she passed. “Find another love and begin again.”

What happens next between an older woman and younger man is a story of gentle passion and discovery of The Beginning... Not The End.

Buy the book at Amazon, All Romance, Smashwords, Apple, or Barnes and Noble.

Check out the book video:

Dust Bowl by J.P. Lantern - Interview and Giveaway

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. J.P. will be awarding a grand prize of a $25 Amazon gift card to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour, and one commenter on each stop will receive a digital download of a backlist book. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

A special thanks to J.P. for coming by and being foolish brave enough to answer some of our questions. We promise we will try to make it fairly painless for you. First, why do you write in your genre? What draws you to it?

I always joke that sci-fi is great because whenever I don’t understand how something works, I can just make up something to replace it. That’s not entirely true—and often making up something completely new is more work than just understanding the thing that’s there already—but it’s a little true.

I think that it’s nice to be able to pick and choose what you want to include in your canvas of the world, and science fiction allows that to happen. For whatever reason, I like to focus on humans when they are without a lot of resources—what material deprivation does to us individually and in groups. So, that’s a little more fun in my eyes when you can use some kind of outlandish explanation to provide the backdrop for a set of circumstances.

In my book, the main character travels all over a dystopian Southwestern landscape—ravaged by war and steadily being beaten down by endless dust storms—and has to fend for himself against the elements and all the unsavory characters that this environment has created. I think that kind of setting is sort of possible in the real world—but at a certain point you’re stretching the reader’s credulity if you’re trying to say, “No really, this could all happen today.” I think people are more willing to believe, “Of course this couldn’t happen. But if it could, isn’t this how you see it working?”

What research (or world-building – for fantasy/paranormal/Sci-fi) is required?

Oh, I couldn’t stop researching stuff for this book. So much of it is concerned with the process of surviving on the road, and how that would work in a sort of dystopian war-torn landscape—so that requires some research. I knew that I wanted the characters in my cleaning crew—essentially, these amoral crews that go around kidnapping children to build up population for their starships—I wanted them to know how to live off the land. So I did a lot of research about trapping and skinning and building fires. I learned a lot about self-defense, and knives, and building shelters, and all that sort of thing. The crew follows a very specific route, and so I was always trying to check according to maps to make sure that the places they went to were basically real, and that the highways they used existed, and that sort of thing.

As I revised, enormous swaths of all that sort of thing were cut because a lot of it was not really essential to showing who the characters were or what the story was about. It wasn’t a survival guide, after all.

Name one thing you learned from your hero/heroine.

For the first few drafts of this book, I was very much an active alcoholic. Ward—the main character—is an alcoholic as well, but I was never truly aware of how much his thinking really correlated mine at the time. I always thought I was sort of taking my regular thoughts and just turning them up to “eleven,” so to speak.

When I started recovery a few years ago, I noticed more and more just how exactly his thinking was completely not self-aware at all (like pretty much any addict), and his general attitudes and pessimism mirrored a lot of mine at that particular time. It’s odd because there’s a lot in there from very early drafts that is about working toward acceptance—that’s Ward’s entire journey, really, in an emotional sense—but being a non-self-aware person I never really picked up on it even though I was the one writing it.

Any odd or interesting writing quirks, habits or superstitions?

Once upon a time, I would only write after starting a game of Free Cell. I used to also never put anything on top of my notebooks that I would write in—sacrilege! Nothing is more important than my random thoughts!

I think that’s about as weird as I got.

I have to get up every thirty minutes or so to stretch—but that’s just something that writers should be doing regardless if they want to use their hands and shoulders in twenty years.

Plotter or pantser?

I’m a bit of both! I find that I can’t really sit down and write without having some sense of direction, and I almost always have some general events laid out. For this particular book, I had some of the major character occurrences thought of before I wrote a single word.

And I like that—knowing what I have to build up to and what needs to make sense. Character creation is of course essential to any piece of fiction, but what draws me to writing fiction is often seeing certain images in my head, and then building backwards and forwards from that. How does that image make sense? Why is that scene happening? That sort of thing.

The image in this case for a large portion of this novel was the character of Ward meeting the character of Dummy (an abandoned young girl) for the first time—and that only happens in the final act of the story, so there was a lot to build up!

Look to your right – what’s sitting there?

Let’s see—a fresh cup of coffee, a bottle of water, a used copy of Robert Heinlein’s Stranger in a Strange Land, my mouse, a half-empty pen, some un-attended crosswords, a wall layered with notes, and a Spider-Man bobblehead.

Anything new coming up from you? What?

Not at the moment! I am planning on having another release in the first half of 2014, though I have no idea what it might be right now. I keep thinking it’ll be something with an island prison, maybe something with clones. I have to keep reading and wait for some inspiration.

Do you have a question for our readers?

What do you love about dystopian fiction?

About the Author:

J.P. Lantern lives in the Midwestern US, though his heart and probably some essential parts of his liver and pancreas and whatnot live metaphorically in Texas. He writes speculative science fiction short stories, novellas, and novels which he has deemed "rugged," though he would also be fine with "roughhewn" because that is a terrific and wonderfully apt word.

Full of adventure and discovery, these stories examine complex people in situations fraught with conflict as they search for truth in increasingly violent and complicated worlds.

Connect with J.P. at his website, Facebook, or his Amazon Author Page.

With the world ending around him, Ward flounders for purpose and survival. Resources are gone, disease is rampant, and governments have all but dissolved. The only way off the broken planet is with the Order. Obsessed with technology, the Order is a cult that has developed the means for faster-than-light travel. They claim they can populate the galaxy and save humanity.

Ward joins the Order, inspired by sudden and irrational love for a mysterious beauty named Kansas who saves his life. But quickly, he finds out Kansas and the Order want him to kill adults and kidnap children from across the country. With impressionable youth filling their starships, the Order hopes for their tenets to be spread to all future generations of humanity.

The Order is Ward’s only chance for survival in the wreck the earth has become. Worse than that, those in the Order come to accept him and value his skills for their nightmarish quest across the dystopian landscape of America. But, somewhere inside of him, still, is the strength to strike out on his own and protect whatever good he can find left in the world.

Buy the book at Amazon.

The Cowboys of Chance Creek by Cora Seton - Spotlight and Giveaway

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Cora will be awarding a $100 Amazon GC to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour. Make sure you click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour--remember, the more you comment, the better your chances.

The Cowboys of Chance Creek Box Set, Books 1 – 3

Ethan Cruz, Jamie Lassiter and Rob Matheson have been friends since they were kids, and they’re about to get each other in a whole lot of trouble—women trouble, that is. When a practical joke kicks off a series of romances, the Cowboys of Chance Creek will never be the same.

Includes:

The Cowboy’s E-Mail Order Bride (Book 1>

When Ethan Cruz finds himself with an e-mail order bride he never asked for, he’s ready to send her right back where she came from—just as soon as he gets to know her a little better. When Autumn Leeds answers a plea for a modern mail-order bride for a cowboy, it sounds like the story of the century, but when she reaches Montana, she’s surprised to find Ethan’s the perfect cowboy husband-to-be. Against her better judgment, her plan to keep her handsome groom at arm’s length while she writes a scathing article on the subject disintegrates into a night of passion spent in his arms.

Ethan knows he can’t keep playing this game – he has to come clean with Autumn and tell her the truth; about the practical joke and about the state of his ranch. Autumn’s in bigger trouble than ever. Not only has she fallen in love with the subject of her exposé – she might be carrying his child. Can she trust a man she’s just met when she knows too well that men always let you down?

Can a love based on lies last?

The Cowboy Wins a Bride (Book 2)

All Jamie Lassiter wants is to marry his best friend’s sister and settle down for the rest of his life in Chance Creek. He’s saved his money, bought into the Cruz Guest Ranch and he’s ready for that wedding, but Claire Cruz is nowhere to be found. Claire’s too busy leaving Montana behind to care about cowboys or their wedding plans. She’s got plans of her own – a trip around the world. She’ll go as soon as she buys her tickets and she doesn’t care if she ever sees Chance Creek again.

Desperate to change Claire’s mind, Jamie proposes a bet: give him six weeks to convince her to marry him. If he can’t, he’ll pay for her round-the-world tickets himself. Claire can wait six weeks if it means free tickets and a chance to get a little revenge on a man who once broke her heart. She’s got only one stipulation: Jamie can’t touch or flirt with her – or any other woman – while the bet is on.

Now Jamie’s on the run from a bevy of cowboy-groupie ranch guests, and Claire’s learning she cares about the ranch – and Jamie – more than she dreamed possible.

Maybe it’s time to lose that bet. As long as Jamie loses it first.

The Cowboy Imports a Bride (Book 3)

Rob Matheson doesn’t know how much longer he can keep up the tough-guy act. As his buddies get married one by one, he’s left with the sinking feeling he lost more than his dreams when he traded them for a thick skin. Now Rob’s father has issued a challenge – he’ll give 200 acres to the first of his four sons to wed. Could this be a chance to become the man he really wants to be?

Morgan Tate’s worked for years to climb the ladder to a top job at Cassidy Wineries, but Duncan Cassidy, the boss’ son, always stands in her way. Now he’s issued an ultimatum; marry him or he’ll make sure she never works in the wine industry again..

Rob offers Morgan a proposition – marry him and split the land. Now they’ve got sixty days to fall in love, and a passel of family and friends determined to keep them apart. Will it take the biggest practical joke of all to convince the world – and themselves – that they’re truly meant to be man and wife?

Now Available – The Cowgirl Ropes a Billionaire (Book 4)

Bella Chatham will lose everything – her veterinary practice, her animal shelter, and even her home – if she can’t find another source of income, fast. So when her best friend signs her up for the hot new reality television show, Can You Beat a Billionaire, Bella accepts the challenge and hopes against hope she can win the ten million dollar prize. If she doesn’t, it’s bye-bye pet clinic and shelter, bye-bye Chance Creek, Montana, and hello to marriage to the billionaire for a year!

Evan Mortimer, billionaire, can’t believe he’s reduced to competing in a television contest to win a wife. Unfortunately, it’s the only foolproof way to secure his position as head of Mortimer Innovations. At least he’ll be able to dump his “spouse” at the end of the year; he’s much too busy to be tied down to a country bumpkin cowgirl.

As the contests heat up, so do the sparks between the contestants. Will either of them remember in time that it’s not who wins or who loses – it’s how they play the game that really counts?

From: The Cowboy Imports a Bride

“I'm going to make this short and sweet.” Holt Matheson stalked into the dining room and hung his cowboy hat on the back of the nearest chair. He braced his hands against the walnut dining room table and looked from one to the other of his grown children, who sat two per side in varying degrees of boredom and irritation. All of them were dusty from the day's work. Usually Holt convened these meetings right after dinner. Today it was barely two in the afternoon—and they'd been summoned inside smack in the middle of their ranching chores.

“I have four sons ranging in age from 28 to 33. Four sons,” he repeated, slapping his hand on the polished surface of the table. “And not one single daughter-in-law or grandchild in sight. What the hell is wrong with all of you?”

Rob Matheson, the youngest of the four, tilted his chair back on two legs and laced his hands behind his neck, exchanging a puzzled glance with his oldest brother, Jake. Normally Holt stuck to tried and true subjects: get up before the sun and don't stop working until it's dark; don't turn your back on an unbroken horse; just because you elect a government doesn't mean it isn't out to get you; and his perennial favorite—take your barn boots off before you enter the house.

Marriage was a new topic at the Matheson table.

“You saying you want us to go knock someone up?” Ned drawled. Rob coughed to cover his laugh. Second eldest, Ned always could get away with baiting their father. If he'd said that, he'd more than likely be flat on the floor by now. As the afternoon sun slanted through the windows, a fly droned somewhere out of sight. It was August, hotter than hell, and as usual his father refused to turn on the air-conditioning.

“I'm saying I'm starting to wonder if you all are batting for the wrong team,” Holt said, straightening up. His rectangular belt buckle, emblazoned with a bald eagle, glinted in the sunlight.

“Holt,” Lisa chided from the opposite end of the table. “Set a good example for the children.”

About the Author:

Cora Seton loves cowboys, country life, gardening, bike-riding, and lazing around with a good book. Mother of four, wife to a computer programmer/eco-farmer, she ditched her California lifestyle eight years ago and moved to a remote logging town in northwestern British Columbia.

Like the characters in her novels, Cora enjoys old-fashioned pursuits and modern technology, spending mornings transforming a neglected one-acre lot into a paradise of orchards, berry bushes and market gardens, and afternoons writing the latest Chance Creek romance novel on her iPad mini. Visit www.CoraSeton.com to read about new releases, contests and other cool events! You can also find her on Facebook and Twitter.

Freedom of Love by G.S. Carr - Review and Giveaway

(Historical Romance)

This review is posted in conjunction with a Virtual Book Tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. The author will be awarding a $20 Amazon gift card, a swag pack with bookmarks, bracelets, key chains etc. related to Freedom of Love, and two paperback copies of her favorite romance novels, to a randomly drawn commenter between this tour AND the NBtM book tour.

The stunning daughter of the French nobleman Dominique, marquis d’Chartes and the African beauty Imani Marsan, Soleil is captivated by everything during her first trip to America including Alex. She loves him almost from their first meeting. However, their love is interrupted when she is abducted and sold into slavery. Alone and scared she only wishes to regain her freedom.

Alexander couldn't help but love the exotic beauty with the caramel skin that made him want to taste it. Losing her was the hardest day of his life. After years of searching she appears as if conjured by his deepest desires. But she returns far from the same. Can they rekindle their love or will they never find the freedom only love can bring.

My Review:

This book was really a surprise and different than I expected. At its core, it’s a story about slavery, but really it is so much more than that.

In the early 1800’s a family from France arrived in the Deep South where the father was working on a business deal. The father was a marquis, his wife an African and the daughter was a mulatto. As you can imagine, this was a very difficult thing for southerners to accept. It was quite upsetting, and I had to put the book down for a while to catch my breath and to think about what I had been reading.

I know all about that time period, but this book made it so personal and poignant I wanted to cry. This is really a love story, but as it happened in this time, it had all kinds of complications. When the young daughter was kidnapped and then sold as a slave, I was sick. During the capture, she hit her head and lost her memory. Her family was devastated and although they looked for her, they couldn’t find her.

The story of her life as a slave is so sad, but she is eventually recovered. Then the story, although very sad initially, is something everyone should read. She slowly regains her memory, and begins to live life again.

This then becomes a tender and sensitive love story and with the background of slavery, is unique and very loving and caring. There are many ups and downs in this part of the story too. I kept hoping for a HEA, but couldn’t really see it happening in this era. However, it has a wonderful ending and I really loved reading this story. It was much more than just a romance.

I give it 4 stars.

Enjoy this excerpt:

“You will not regret this. I will make you the happiest woman that ever lived.” He brought his lips to hers and kissed with the promise of what was to come. Pulling apart Alex lifted Soleil into his arms and stood rocking the tiny boat.

“Attendre! Wait!” Without heeding her protest Alex jumped over the side of the boat into the lake. They surfaced laughing while Alex held Soleil securely in his arms. Soleil pushed away and splashed water in his face.

“Who said that I wanted to be wet?” Alex swam towards her only for Soleil to swim away.

“I thought it would be a great relief from this summer heat.” Soleil lay back floating across the water looking up at the sky.

“A great relief it is. But now my clothes are soaked through and I will not be able to go home like this.” Alex swam up next to her and ran a hand from her legs all the way up her body resting it on her breast.

“Then let us go back to shore and take our clothes off. So they can hang and dry of course.” Soleil saw the storm of desire in his eyes and was excited that he wanted her so badly.

“Yes, let us.”

About the Author:

Raised in Charlotte NC, G.S. Carr has always enjoyed indulging in her imagination. At a very young age she had a thirst for reading and the many possibilities it helped come alive in her mind’s eye. She consumed books like they were the air she needed to survive. It seemed inevitable that her love of reading would transcend into a desire to create her own stories. She began writing poetry and stories at the age of 10. By the time she was thirteen she found her passion in the romance genre and has not looked back ever since.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/G.S.CarrBooks
Twitter: https://twitter.com/GS_Carr

Buy the book at Barnes and Noble or Amazon.

First Position by Prescott Lane - Spotlight and Giveaway

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Prescott will be awarding an eBook copy of "First Position" to 5 randomly drawn commenters during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on her tour.

Emory faces life’s challenges at the one place that’s never failed her, the ballet barre. But even the barre can’t steady her when fate brings her face-to-face with her old college flame, Mason, who’s hoping to return to the NFL after a career-threatening injury. Before they can surrender to their sexual desires and find salvation in each other’s arms, they need to come to terms with their past. Mason must confront the demons that have set him on a path of self-destruction, while Emory must decide whether to keep her painful secrets locked away, or expose them and risk losing the love of her life. But nothing can prepare Mason for what Emory has kept hidden, or the possibility that he himself may be to blame for the very secrets she keeps – and why they continue to haunt her.

Here's an excerpt from the book:

“So, little miss, want to fess up to what you were doing yesterday?”

“Well, it depends,” she said. “Before or after, I threw my half-naked body at Mason?”

Wesley dropped the knife. “Excuse me?”

Tomás raised his eyebrows and gave her a smile. “It was just for a little while,” she said playfully.

“How little?” Wesley munched on his biscuit.

“Not too long.”

“How naked?”

“I told you -- about half.”

“Which half?”

“A little of both.”

“Both breasts?”

“No. Top and bottom.”

“Is that so?” Wesley took a sip of his drink, thoughtfully considering what she’d said, like he was some kind of philosopher. “Any action?”

“I tried.”

“How hard?”

“Pretty hard.”

“Was he?” Wesley grinned at Tomás and took another bite of his biscuit.

“Shut up,” she said blushing. “We decided it was best to take things slow.”

“That’s too bad,” Wesley said, and Tomás slapped his arm. “In all seriousness, I’m happy for you.”

“Me too,” Emory said, rising from the table with her and Tomás’ plates.

Wesley grabbed her shoulder and whispered in her ear, “Did you tell him?” Emory shook her head walking to the sink, and Wesley shot her a disapproving look. Tomás eyed them both curiously. “He deserves to know!”

Tomás mouthed to Wesley, “Know what?” Wesley shook his head that it was none of his business.

“No lectures, Wesley.” She scrubbed the plates. “Let me enjoy myself and Mason before I ruin it.”

“You need to stop running,” Wesley said.

“I’ll stop when you stop.”

About the Author:Prescott Lane is originally from Little Rock, Arkansas, and graduated from Centenary College in 1997 with a degree in sociology. She went on to Tulane University to receive her MSW in 1998, after which she worked with developmentally delayed and disabled children. She currently resides in New Orleans with her husband and two children.

Amazon Author Page ~ Facebook ~ Twitter

Self Publishing: Writing A Book and Publishing Books and Ebooks For Yourself and Others by A. William Benitez - Interview and Giveaway

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. The author will be awarding a $5 Amazon GC to a randomly drawn commenter at each stop and a Grand Prize of a $50 Amazon GC at the end of the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour---remember, the more you comment, the better your chances to win.

Thanks for stopping by It's Raining Books to talk with us today. First, why do you write in your genre?

My specialty is how to books related to business or work methods. I’ve written books on how to succeed financially in a woodworking business and a handyman business. I am attracted to this kind of books because I enjoy teaching others the simplest, proven methods to perform tasks and succeed. I’ve always strived to develop the quickest, simplest, and least costly method to maintain my businesses. My latest how to book is on Self Publishing and it is based on the same premise that even things that seem really complex can be simplified with the development of proven methods.

What research is required?

I do little research because I write all my books based on personal experience. My woodworking and handyman book were based entirely on over 30 years of first hand experience in those businesses. The limited research I do is to make certain that I consider any new methods that might simplify things for my readers. With my Self Publishing book I did exactly the same thing. I didn’t begin writing the book until I had successfully completed three print books and three ebooks. I know have more than a dozen print books and six ebooks.

Any odd or interesting writing quirks, habits, or superstitions.

Don’t have any superstitions but I believe in working with a detailed outline that lists every topic I want to cover in my book. After completing the outline, I organize it into the order that best suits the subject and then I began writing. Once I start writing I don’t deviate from the outline. If something comes to mind during the writing, I make a completely separate note to come back to it later but I keep moving forward until the entire thing is written. I believe it is distracting to alter your direction during the writing of the first draft. Plenty of time for that after it is finished. Then I go back and take into consideration any ideas that may have come up during the writing and add it to the draft.

Look to your right – what is sitting there?

I like a break from my workstation once in a while so when I look to my right I see my laptop sitting there waiting for me to pick it up and go to the living room, in front of the fireplace, and continue working in a casual, relaxed, and warm environment.

Anything new coming up from you? What?

I have two new books that just came out. One is a kindle book on the business of woodworking with a print version and the other is a how to on a woodworking tool known as a Biscuit Joiner that has absolutely nothing to do with the biscuits you eat. It is a specialized wood joinery tool that saves woodworkers a lot of valuable time while still delivering quality work. It is a new tool but one that is often misunderstood.

Do you have a question for our readers?

I would like to hear from anyone interested in self publishing so my question is, are you interesting in publishing your own books?

About the Author:

From age twelve I spent my summers and weekends working with my dad, a general contractor, building homes and buildings. I contracted my first home at age nineteen and built my own home by age twenty. For more than 30 years I have operated one-person businesses. Twelve years of my life were spent working for local government managing federally-assisted housing programs. I started as an inspector with a three month assignment and was Director of Community Improvement with 78 employees when I resigned to do writing and consulting.

Writing, Publishing and Consulting

During the 80’s I established Rehab Notes Library a publishing company that published a monthly newsletter (Rehab Notes) with subscribers in all 50 states, Canada and England. I also did consulting and public speaking on housing related topics for agencies and organizations in cities across the country and testified before the U.S. Congress on housing issues.

I wrote and published nine guidebooks on the subject of housing rehabilitation. After 1980 when most federal funding was pulled from housing activities, I took advantage of my construction and business experience and started a handyman and woodworking business.

Over Twenty Years of Woodworking

For over twenty years, first in Tampa, Florida and then in Austin, Texas, I built hundreds of small and large cabinet and furniture projects for individuals, companies and government agencies. During these years I began writing books about my woodworking business experiences.

Positive Publishing

In 2007 I established Positive Imaging, LLC, to publish a children’s book for my wife and then begin publishing my own books and that of other using methods I call positive publishing. To date we have published twelve paperback books, a half dozen ebooks, and presently have several books in various levels of completion.

Computer Experience

My computer experience dates back more than fifteen years and began in response to poor technical support for our computers. I used home study to acquire A+ and Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer Certifications.

I was born and raised in Tampa, Florida and moved to Austin, Texas in 1986, where I now live with my wife, Barbara Frances. We have three adult children, eight grand-children, and two great grandchildren.

Main Sales/Info Page – http://selfpublishingworkbook.com
Createspace Fulfillment Page - https://www.createspace.com/3851405
Main Positive Imaging, LLC Site – http://positive-imaging.com
Self Publishing Support Blog - http://self-publishing-support.com
PublishingSimplified Blog - http://publishingsimplified.com

The Strong, Silent Type by Lynn Kellan - Spotlight and Giveaway

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Lynn will be awarding eBook copies of The Strong, Silent Type and Anything You Ask to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour. Remember, the more you comment the better your chances.

If he breaks his silence about the scars marring his face, will the truth drive her away?

Tina Hudson's busy sales job is a welcome distraction from her empty house and memories of the husband she lost to cancer, but she's tired of running from her loneliness. Tina suspects her brawny neighbor has been leaving single red roses in her mailbox, but he's the strong, silent type-the kind that should come with a warning label.

Wade Scott felt dead inside over the loss of his son and the disintegration of his marriage. When Tina moves next door, Wade comes alive again. Problem is, she's a beautiful sales whiz and he's an ordinary plumber with a wicked scar along his temple. The truth of his past might drive her away. With little hope of attracting her attention, he showers her with anonymous acts of kindness.

When Tina realizes Wade is the guardian angel who's been watching over her for the past six months, she invites him to dinner. New Year's Eve is approaching, a perfect time to start over...but Wade's stoic silence drives a wedge in their burgeoning relationship. Should she take a new job that will put her on the run again, or take a chance the strong, silent type might fill her heart-and her home-with love?

Here's an excerpt. We hope you will enjoy it.:

He set down the wine glass with a soft thump. “You invited me to dinner to get Austin off your back, right?”

Whoa. Nothing like a blunt question to ruin the mood. Tina’s spirits took a nosedive, crashing somewhere in the pit of her stomach. She wiped her mouth on a napkin, smoothing away the telltale quiver along her bottom lip.

“Not entirely. I’ve been meaning to invite you for dinner.” She regretted lighting the candle in the center of the polished dining room table. The obvious attempt at romance had gone unnoticed. Or ignored. “You’re always doing nice things for me. I wanted to reciprocate.”

“You already thanked me last night.” Wade’s thick forefinger tapped the opaque green bottle of Merlot. “Why the fifty dollar wine? The good china?” Hazel eyes skimmed up her burgundy sweater, targeting the loose brunette curl dangling from the elegant clip holding up the rest of her hair. “The way you look?”

Desire glimmered in his appraising gaze. Tina could tell he liked what he saw, but the rigid ligaments along his forearm indicated he would not reach for her.

Why wouldn’t Wade act on his impulses? She lowered her gaze, rubbing a thumb along the crisp crease of her gray slacks. Could he tell she was out of practice and a little scared?

Okay, she was terrified—but maybe a dose of honesty would boost her courage. “It’s been a long time since I’ve had dinner with someone. I wanted everything to be… nice.” Tina forced herself to give voice to what had been bouncing around in her mind for the past few weeks. “To tell you the truth, I’m tired of feeling empty and alone. I’m ready for something good to happen.”

About the Author:Lynn Kellan has fallen in love with bad boys, burly athletes, and battle-hardened Marines. All of that research produced a startling revelation: men and women aren’t that different. We both want to be with someone who will empty the dishwasher.

When Lynn Kellan isn't writing stories about men and women who adore each other, she loves to play tennis and golf - but not at the same time. Her books contain a hearty dose of love and humor, which are necessary ingredients for a happily ever after.

Find Lynn at http://LynnKellan.com.
Buy The Strong, Silent Type at Amazon.

Highland Homecoming by B.J. Scott - Interview and Giveaway

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. B.J. will be awarding a $50 Amazon gift card, Scottish shortbread cookies, can cooler and mouse pad (US/CANADA ONLY) to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour, and a beaded book thong with silver charms, book marks, pen, and canvas tote to a randomly drawn host (US/CANADA ONLY). Click on the tour banners to see the other stops on the tour.

Welcome, B.J., for being foolish brave enough to answer our questions. Why do you write in your genre? What draws you to it?

Given my Scottish, Irish and English ancestry, I have always been fascinated with anything Scottish or Celtic. I love reading historical fiction and romances. I am also enjoy visiting museums and historic sites, researching my favorite time periods, finding new and interesting facts that I never knew before and can share with my readers. Historical Romance was the logical choice for both reading and writing.

What research (or world-building – for fantasy/paranormal/Sci-fi) is required?

World building is important in any genre. Especially in historical romance. In order to make the experience enjoyable and believable for the reader, you need to transport them back in time. Having a setting, dialogue and activities that are historically accurate is an essential part of writing a historical romance. Those who love the genre are often well versed in the customs and specific time periods and they will notice if you are not accurate in your world building.

Do you have any odd or interesting writing quirks, habits or superstitions?

I have a very busy schedule. Balancing work, a small business, real life and writing can be tricky so I must write when and where ever I can find a spare minute. I don’t usually seclude myself or hole up in a quiet secluded place. I need some activity and noise in the background. But when I am stuck on a plot issue or chapter, I find I can resolve most problems by filling my claw-footed tub with hot water and lavender, that soak for as long as it take to work out the issues. I have been known to write some of my favorite chapters in the tub or to spend hours in there working through a problem spot in my book.

Are you a plotter or pantser?

A little of both. While I usually have my story outlined and a general idea of how my story will go, my characters and the outcome, nothing is set in stone. As I flesh out each chapter things change and characters change. Not until I am finished the book is done. But I have to admit that even after it is published, I see things I wish I had changed or thought of while writing the book.

Look to your right – what’s sitting there?

My dog is curled up on the couch beside me.

Anything new coming up from you? What?

I am currently working on another Scottish historical romance, Bedded by Her Highland Enemy. I am very excited about this new book and hope my readers will enjoy it as much as I am writing it. After that I am straying slightly from the Scottish historical to finish another work in progress, a paranormal time travel with ties to the American Civil war. I have shared the story with a few people and everyone has told me they can’t wait for me to write this one.

Do you have a question for our readers?

The readers play such an important role in an author’s life. Without them there would be no books. I am often interested to hear people’s view on series or sequels. Do you prefer a standalone title or do you like to read more about a specific group of characters? If so how many books do you think is enough for one series? What makes a good series in your opinion?

About the Author:

With a passion for historical romance, history in general, and anything Celtic, B.J. always has an exciting work in progress. Each story offers a blend of romance, adventure, suspense, and, where appropriate, a dab of comic relief. Carefully researched historical facts are woven into each manuscript, providing a backdrop from which steamy romance, gripping plots, and vivid characters—dashing alpha heroes and resourceful, beguiling heroines you can’t help but admire—spring to life. A member of RWA, World Romance Writers, Celtic Hearts Romance Writers, and Savvy Authors, B.J. also writes contemporary, paranormal, time travel, and romantic suspense.

C.S. Lewis first captivated B. J.’s imagination in the fourth grade, and her desire to write sprang from there. Following a career in nursing and child and youth work, B.J. married her knight-in-shining-armor, and he whisked her away to his castle by the sea. In reality, they share their century-old home in a small Canadian town on the shore of Lake Erie with three dogs and a cat. When she is not working at her childcare job, on her small business, or writing, you will find her reading, camping, or antique hunting.

http://www.authorbjscott.com/home
http://www.soulmatepublishing.com/highland-homecoming/
http://www.amazon.com/B.J.-Scott/e/B006NSQR9G/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1
http://authorbjscott.wordpress.com
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Author-BJ-Scott/308663055834706

The last thing Alasdair Fraser expects to find on an isolated beach in Northern Scotland is a beautiful, unconscious lass. Unable to turn his back on someone in need, he delays his journey and tends to her injuries–an act that has him questioning his destiny and his plans to rejoin the fight for Scotland’s independence.

Will he drop the shield that guards his heart or will the secrets she fails to reveal and his own stubbornness keep them apart forever?

Highland Homecoming( book 3 of Fraser Brother Trilogy): http://www.amazon.com/Highland-Homecoming-Brothers-Trilogy-ebook/dp/B00F9U3SBO
Highland Quest (book 2 of Fraser Brother Trilogy): http://www.amazon.com/Highland-Fraser-Brothers-Trilogy-ebook/dp/B00AQKYPU0
Highland Legacy: (book 1 of Fraser Brother Trilogy): http://www.amazon.com/Highland-Legacy-Brothers-Trilogy-ebook/dp/B0065KX8P8

Love by Deception by Debra Elizabeth - Book Blast and Giveaway

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Debra will award digital copies of Love by Secrets and Love by Deception to two randomly drawn commenters during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Content with her life as a lady's maid, Isabel Knott learns the father she never knew has left her a fortune. The news comes with one restriction—she can never reveal his name. Isabel falls in love with Colby Tisbury, but with her nonexistent pedigree his father, Lord Tisbury, will never accept her as his daughter-in-law.

Colby Tisbury must marry, and soon. If he doesn’t find a bride before the end of the Season, his father will supply one. Then Colby meets sassy Isabel Knott, and everything changes—but can he go against his father’s wishes and marry a girl utterly lacking in family and connections? Isabel is forced to make an impossible choice - reveal her secret identity and bring shame to her true father or lose Colby forever.

Enjoy an excerpt:

“Of course, why wouldn’t you? You’re beautiful and smart, and perhaps with a few lessons, the perfect young lady for any gentleman to be happy to have as his wife.”

Isabel beamed at her sister. She always knew the right things to say to make her feel loved. A husband? Wouldn’t that be something? She closed her eyes and wondered what it would be like to be kissed, really kissed by a man. The only man she’d been around for most of her life was Mr. Condiff and half the time, he had ignored her.

“Isabel, are you listening?”

Isabel’s eyes popped open and she felt a blush rise up her neck. “Sorry, I was merely thinking about the possibility of attracting a husband.”

Georgette nodded. “I understand, but please pay attention. A lady’s most important accessory is her fan. Use it to give yourself a few moments to think of an appropriate response should a gentlemen come over and speak with you. It would not do well for you to blurt out the first thing that comes to mind.”

“Are you saying I’m too bold?”

“Maybe a little,” Georgette said.

Isabel stood and placed her teacup on the tray and hurried up the stairs. “I’ll be right back,” she said over her shoulder.

When Isabel came back into the parlor with a white lace fan, she saw her sister was frowning.

“Isabel, what are you doing?”

“I’m following your advice. Shall I practice for you?”

Georgette couldn’t help but smile. “Yes.”

Isabel set out to practice every scenario she could think of. “Miss Knott, it is a pleasure to meet you,” she said in her best imitation of a low, manly voice. Fanning herself, she batted her eyes and replied, “Thank you, sir. And who are you again? I’m so busy fanning myself that I completely forgot your name.”

Her sister’s laughter filled the front parlor. “Isabel, you’re shameless.”

“I know. Shall I demonstrate more?”

Before Georgette could answer, Isabel played out scene after scene entertaining her. She was laughing so much that tears rolled down her cheeks. “Stop, you must stop. I can’t breathe anymore,” Georgette begged.

About the Author:Debra Elizabeth is the romance pen name for fantasy author Debra L Martin. Together with her co-author and brother, they enjoy writing epic fantasy. They have published 4 books to date, THE SILVER CROSS, ASSASSIN'S CURSE, THE QUEST FOR NOBILITY AND THE CRYSTAL FACADE. They are currently working on WITCH'S CURSE, Book 2 in the Witchstone Prophecies.

LOVE BY DECEPTION is Book 2 in the Age of Innocence series. Book 1 is LOVE BY SECRETS. She is currently working on Book 3, DARE TO LOVE A SPY.

Debra also blogs at Two Ends of the Pen where she writes about everything writing as well as hosting author interviews and posting book reviews.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/debra.l.martin
Facebook Author/Fan Page: http://www.facebook.com/Debra.L.Martin.Author
Twitter: http://twitter.com/dlmartin6
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Debra-L-Martin/e/B003Q1WLXY
Two Ends of the Pen

Buy the book at Amazon or Barnes and Noble.

April Love by Nancy Fraser - Book Blast and Giveaway

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. April Love is the fourth book in the Golden Decade of Rock and Roll series, which includes Love Is a Many Splendored Thing, Love Me Tender, and Wake Up, Little Susie. One randomly drawn commenter will win the right to have a character named after them in Book 5 of the Series, plus a copy of the book in which they are named, as well a copy of the first three novellas in the series.

Eleanor Martin is every company's dream employee. She arrives early, stays late and never misses a day. If it weren't for Eleanor's skill as a private secretary, her architect boss would never make a deadline. Not only does she keep him on track, she runs interference between him and his over-bearing mother, his deadbeat brother, and the half dozen or so women who want to bed him and/or wed him.

When Jess Norton acquires a new client who asks him to build a palatial hideaway on Grand Cayman Island, Jess is certain he'll never be able to complete the multi-million dollar job without the help of his efficient secretary. Despite her reservations, he convinces Eleanor to accompany him on the assignment of a lifetime.

The sun and the sand cast the perfect spell for romance But will the tides turn in the opposite direction?

Enjoy an excerpt:

Just when she thought he wouldn’t comment further on the file, he added, “Then, book a second airline seat for yourself on the flight to Grand Cayman.”

“But—”

Jess quickly interrupted any excuse she might have given. “If anyone can help me pull this all together on such short notice, Miss Martin, it’s you. Book the flights, our hotel accommodations, and advise Mack MacKenzie of our arrival date.”

“What about the office?” she asked. “Who’s going to run things here?” As an excuse it wasn’t much, but all she had at the moment.

“As I see it, if I’m not here, you don’t need to be here. Paula can handle any emergencies and the receptionist can take your messages.”

“When do you want to leave?” she asked.

“Day after tomorrow, preferably. Or, as soon as you can rearrange my schedule.”

“Day after tomorrow is Saturday.”

“You’ve never minded working weekends before,” he pointed out. “Plus, we can get a head start on the next week and be home before you know it.”

Eleanor left her boss’ office in a daze. He’d been right when he’d said she never minded working weekends; she’d just not expected the weekend to be on Grand Cayman Island. Mentally she began a list of everything she’d need to get done, starting with flights, hotel and a rental car, followed by what she’d need to pack. In the back of her mind, something told her this was not going to work out well.

However, short of breaking a leg, she didn’t see a way out of making the trip.

About the Author: Like most authors, Nancy Fraser began writing at an early age, usually on the walls and with crayons or, heaven forbid, permanent markers. Her love of writing often made her the English teacher’s pet, which, of course, resulted in a whole lot of teasing. Still, it was worth it.

When not writing (which is almost never), Nancy dotes on her five beautiful grandchildren and looks forward to traveling and reading when time permits. Nancy lives in Atlantic Canada where she enjoys the relaxed pace and colorful people.

Website: www.NancyFraser.ca
Blog: http://nancyfraser.ca/wordpress/
Twitter: @nfraserauthor
FB: http://facebook.com/nancyfraserauthor

During the course of the tour, April Love is free, with the other books on sale for only $0.99 each:

Love Is A Many Splendored Thing
Love Me Tender
Wake Up, Little Susie

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Taming a Gentleman Spy by Maggi Andersen - Book Blast and Giveway

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Maggi will award a $50 Amazon GC plus an e-book copy of A Baron in Her Bed – The Spies of Mayfair, Book #1 to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

John Haldane, Earl of Strathairn, is on an urgent mission to find the killer of his fellow spy. After visiting the young widow of one of his agents, Strathairn strengthens his resolve. A spy should never marry, and most certainly not to Lady Sibella Winborne, with her romantic ideas of love and marriage. Unable to give Sibella up entirely, he has kept her close as a friend. Then, weak fool that he is, he kissed her.

Lady Sibella Winborne has refused several offers of marriage since she first set eyes on the handsome Earl of Strathairn. Sibella’s many siblings always rush to her aid to discourage an ardent suitor, but not this time. Her elder brother, Chaloner, Marquess of Brandreth, has approved Lord Coombe’s suit. Sibella yearns to set up her own household. She is known to be the sensible member of the family, but she doesn’t feel at all sensible about Lord Strathairn. If only she could forget that kiss.

Enjoy an excerpt:

Sibella’s brother Edward stood at her shoulder. “I’ve come to claim you for the next dance, before any of your admirers beat me to it.”

“I shouldn’t worry, many are losing interest,” she said crisply, rising from her chair.

He eyed her as they entered the dance floor. “Losing hope, more like.”

As they moved through the steps of the quadrille, he dropped quiet remarks in her ear.

“Give up on Strathairn, Sib.”

“I don’t believe, I—” They parted, and by the time the steps brought them back together, she’d given up protesting. Edward had inherited their mother’s astute nature.

“It’s not that I don’t like him. I do very much. But he’s not for you.”

“You needn’t worry. He doesn’t wish to marry.”

Her brother raised a black eyebrow. “Oh, I believe you could sway him toward marriage, if you set your mind to it. That’s not the reason.”

“Then what is the reason?”

“Chaloner hears things in the House of Lords. I can’t repeat them.”

“So he tells you but not me.”

Edward shrugged with a smile and moved away.

“Why does such mystery surround the Earl of Strathairn?” she hissed at him when she next got a chance.

He shook his head. She’d learn no more.

About the Author:Maggi Andersen fell in love with the Georgian and Regency worlds after reading the books of Georgette Heyer. Victoria Holt's Gothic Victorian novels were also great favorites.

She has raised three children and gained a BA and an MA in Creative Writing. After husband David retired from the law, they moved to the beautiful Southern Highlands of Australia.

Maggi's free time is spent enjoying her garden and the local wildlife, reading, movies and the theatre. She keeps fit swimming and visiting the gym.

Maggi is a multi-published author, and writes mysteries and young adult novels as well as her Georgian, Regency and Victorian romances.

Author Website: www.MaggiAndersenAuthor.com
Author Blog: http://www.maggiandersen.blogspot.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/maggiandersen
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Maggi-Andersen-Author/372854959805

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When It's Right by Jeanette Grey - Excerpt and Giveaway

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Jeanette will be awarding a $25 gift card to the winner's choice of Amazon.com or BarnesAndNoble.com to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour via the Rafflecopter at the end of this post. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops and for more chances to win.

Still licking his wounds after a messy breakup, Nate is at loose ends for New Year’s Eve and itching for a wild and crazy adventure to jolt him out of his rut. Now if he could only convince his best friend, Cassie, to break away for an impromptu road trip to Times Square.

Fun as it sounds, Cassie is reluctant to accept Nate’s invitation. Little does he know, she’s made resolutions of her own—resolutions about finally getting over her long-standing crush on him. Telling herself this trip will be the perfect “last hurrah”, she packs her bag.

The trip is a fiasco from the outset. A car that won’t start, a freak storm that strands them on the side of the road, and a long drive with too much time for true confessions. Cassie’s rocks Nate to the core, leaving him wondering if the best thing that ever happened to him has been right in front of him all along.

Warning: Contains two best friends, a secret crush, and a road trip that leads to tow trucks, unexpected hotel-room sharing, epiphanies, sex, and more.

Enjoy an excerpt:

Dropping her bag on the floor, she buried her face in her hands and sank to sit on the edge of that stupid, stupid bed. The corners of her eyes prickled, and her cheeks burned as she stuttered out a shaking, “This is wrong. Everything is so, so wrong.”

The room and his presence, his mocking desire for a new start and a new opportunity for love. The broken wreck of her car and the road spinning out beneath them. The clicking silence of his engine and…and everything.

She should never have come. Should have stayed at home where she could nurse her broken heart and mourn her unrequited love alone. Should never have let herself be so closed or opened herself up again. Should have should have should have.

For too many long, aching moments, there was no sound but for her ragged gasps for air and the lingering echo of how wrong this was. But then there was motion. The gust of wind and the closing of the door, a thud as another bag hit the floor. Footfalls. Nate’s hands on hers and everything about him too close.

Making quiet shushing noises, he peeled her fingers from her face, then curled his hands around hers, holding them between their bodies. He was kneeling on the floor before her, so close she could feel his breath against her lips. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed.

His eyes blazed, but his hands and voice were so, so soft.

“Cassie. I will go to that office and I will change this room.” He paused, and something in his expression seemed to melt. “But…”

Her heart went cold and hot inside her chest. “But?”

“But what if it’s not wrong?” With his thumbs, he caressed the centers of her palms. “What if it’s not wrong at all? What if it’s right?”

About the Author:

Jeanette Grey started out with degrees in physics and painting, which she dutifully applied to stunted careers in teaching, technical support, and advertising. When none of that panned out, she started writing. In her spare time, Jeanette enjoys making pottery, playing board games, and spending time with her husband and her pet frog. She lives, loves, and writes in upstate New York.

Website: http://jeanettegrey.com/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/jeanettelgrey
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jeanettelgrey
Blog: http://www.badgirlzwrite.com
GoodReads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18293472-when-it-s-right

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