Friday, January 31, 2014

Trailer Reveal: Take Two by Laurelin Paige.



Book Title: Take Two
Author: Laurelin Paige
Release Date: February 4, 2014
Publisher: Samhain Publishing

 
Summary: He’s ready for his close up, but she’s the one calling the shots.

On the night of her graduation from film school, straight-laced Maddie Bauers fell completely out of character for an oh-my-god make-out session with a perfect stranger. Complete with the big O.

Seven years later, that romantic interlude is still fresh in her mind. That stranger is now a rich and famous actor. And she’s one very distracted camera assistant working on his latest production. She might consider another tryst…if he even remembers her.

Micah Preston does indeed remember Maddie. Too bad he’s sworn off Hollywood relationships. He allows himself as much sex as he likes—and oh, he does like—but anything more is asking for trouble. For the woman, not for him. Yet knowing Maddie could want more than a movie-set fling doesn’t stop him from pursuing her like a moth drawn to hot stage lights.

But as the shoot nears its end, it’s decision time. Is it time to call, “Cut!” on their affair, or is there enough material for a sequel?

Warning: Contains a dreamy movie star hero, a focus-pulling heroine, off-the-charts instant chemistry, steamy sex in near-public locations, and a new use for lip gloss.











About Laurelin: Laurelin Paige is the USA Today Bestselling Author of the Fixed Trilogy. She's a sucker for a good romance and gets giddy anytime there's kissing, much to the embarrassment of her three daughters. Her husband doesn't seem to complain, however. When she isn't reading or writing sexy stories, she's probably singing, watching Mad Men and the Walking Dead, or dreaming of Adam Levine.

Melt with You Blog Tour. Amber's Interview with author Jessie Evans.

 
 


 
Today we are spotlighting Jessie Evans. I was introduced to Jessie’s work by the ultra-fabulous Lauren Blakely a few months ago. Lauren thought I might like Jessie’s books in her “Always a Bridesmaids” series and she was so spot on. After exchanging a few emails Jessie and I discovered we actually grew up within 30 minutes of each other!! She sent me a couple of arcs and I fell in love with her sweet and getting sexier stories!! So getting to do this interview and share a little bit of her with y’all is a real treat that I hope y’all enjoy as much as I did doing it! So without further ado….
 
Amber: What is the first book you read that made you fall in love with books?
 
Jessie:  "Little Women." I checked it out from the library the summer before second grade and read it four times in a row. I was IN LOVE with all the sisters. I think that's part of the reason I still like writing about close families. That first experience with a tight literary family made a big impression.

A:  When did you decide to start writing and what was the first story about?
 
J:  I wrote my first romance when I was still in elementary school (I was a fan as soon as I snagged my first Jude Deveraux from my mother's book shelf). It was a medieval historical and I think I got up to chapter six before I quit. I started seriously pursuing a career as a romance writer in 2005 and was published under a different pen name nine months after I finished my first manuscript.

A:   What inspires you?
 
J:  Everything! The news, family, friends, music, movies, long walks, driving thirty minutes to the good grocery store in the big city (I live in a tiny river town). I don't find it hard to get inspired.

A:   Since we both grew up in the same part of Arkansas, what do you miss about home?
 
J:  I miss being close to family and friends and being able to be there to hold all the new babies. Seeing pictures on Facebook just isn't the same. I do not miss the mosquitoes big enough to carry a girl away, however. Northeast Arkansas can keep those suckers.

A:  How did you create Summerville? Did being a Southern girl at heart play a part? (I have to say I love stories set in the South!)
 
J:  Being from the South definitely played a part--I loved growing up in a part of the country where it's normal to smile and say howdy to strangers at the store--but in Summerville I could create a kinder, gentler small town, one where people care about each other and work together and nothing REALLY bad happens.

A:   Do you listen to music while you write? And if so have there been songs that have inspired story ideas?
 
J:  I don't often listen to music while writing the Summerville books--I write them too quickly and music tends to slow me down/distract me--but I did listen to "Would You Go With Me" by Josh Turner now and then while writing the Fire and Icing series. I love his deep voice and that song is so sweet.

A:  Cooking has been a theme in both the 'Always a Bridesmaid' and 'Fire and Icing' series; do you like to cook? And if so what's your favorite dish?
 
J:  I like to cook, but I LOVE to eat. I'm a foodie and love trying new foods. My favorite things to cook, however, are vegetables. A little weird, I know, but I love experimenting with new ways to make veggies tasty. I've been stir frying shredded brussel sprouts with Sriracha sauce recently, and it is so freaking tasty. I could eat a bucket of those sprouts. (That sounds so yummy and I usually don’t like spicy!)

A:  Do you have a favorite couple from the two series?
 
J:  Aw man, that's hard. I love them all the same while I'm writing them, but I think Aria and Nash (from KEEPING YOU) and Jamison and Maddie (from SWEET TO YOU) are tied for my favorite couple. I love a story where a single mom finds her perfect partner (Aria), but I also loved seeing Maddie get a chance at love after her divorce. I just love second chances of all kinds. Those are hopeful stories to write.

A:  What's the last book you read?
 
J:  I'm reading to judge a contest right now so I can't really say the LAST book I read, but I recently read THE THRILL OF IT by Lauren Blakely and it was awesome. I highly recommend it.

A:  Who's your favorite author?
 
J:  I can't pick just one. There have been too many authors who have touched me at different points in my life. It would feel like a betrayal to pick just one.

A:  What's your favorite drink?
 
J:  A tie between red wine and coffee (though if I had to pick one beverage for life it would be water, of course. I drink a ton of water.)

A:  What's next after the 'Fire and Icing' series ends?
 
J:  I'm not sure! I'm torn between two ideas, but I know I'm going to step away from Summerville for a bit. I think I'll have to ask my soon-to-form street team what they'd like to read most and go from there.

A:  Last question. Do you have a favorite book boyfriend?
 
J:  I actually love Peeta from "The Hunger Games." I love that he was man enough to know when Katniss needed to take the lead. I think that a man having that much faith in his lady/confidence in himself is pretty hot.
 
Thanks so much for the interview!
 
Check out the Always a Bridesmaids books out now which I reviewed a previously and Melt with You and Hot for You (books 1 & 2), from Jessie’s new Fire and Icing series are also out!! Check below for an excerpt from Melt with You!
 

A Summerville Novel #6
Fire and Icing Book 1
 

Some fires never burn out…

After ten years as America’s sweetest celebrity chef, Naomi Whitehouse is enjoying life out of the spotlight, back in her hometown of Summerville, Georgia. She’s opening a pastry shop with her sister, housesitting for her snowbird parents, and reconnecting with her roots. Life is good until she runs into her high school sweetheart, Jake Hansen, a sexy firefighter who gives her a reception chilly enough to freeze a forest fire. If Naomi wants her homecoming to remain all cupcakes and sugar cookies, she’ll have to win Jake over. But how can she earn his forgiveness when he won’t even speak to her?

When the girl who broke his heart buys a month of dates at the firefighter’s Hunk-for-a-Month fundraiser auction, only honor keeps widower Jake Hansen from backing out of the commitment. He won’t let the firehouse down, even if it means enduring a torturous month with Naomi Whitehouse. And Jake knows being close to Naomi again will be torture. Even after all these years, she still gets to him…not that he intends to let her know it. He’ll be civil, honor his obligation, and with any luck Naomi will tire of playing small-town pastry chef and Jake will never see her again.

But as the month passes, Jake and Naomi discover some fires never burn out. Will the heat between them be enough to melt away the pain of past mistakes, or is their second chance doomed from the start?

 

 

MELT WITH YOU Excerpt:

 

She was getting ready to order Maddie to have fun without her and make a run for the exit, when the curtain parted again and Naomi lost the ability to form words.

There, wearing nothing but black jeans and a black Summerville Fire Department baseball cap, was the man she’d come for. Naomi’s breath caught and a horrible, excited-but-miserable feeling filled her chest. It was same feeling that had overwhelmed her when Jake had turned and walked away from her at the store yesterday, but this time, he didn’t know she was watching. Naomi was able to let her eyes linger, taking in every inch of the stunning man her high school sweetheart had become.

Jake didn’t strut down the catwalk like his little brother; he owned the stage like the captain of a ship, like a Roman commander leading his army into battle. With his tanned, olive skin, broad shoulders, chiseled chest, and deliciously narrow hips, Jake was every bit the beefcake his little brother was. But that wasn’t what made the crowd suck in their breath in appreciation as he reached the end of the catwalk and took off his hat, his tousled brown hair flopping over one eye as he bowed to the ladies on either side of the stage.

No, it wasn’t his muscles, the strong planes of his face, or those dark brown eyes that glittered with intelligence that made it impossible for Naomi to take her eyes off of him. It was the way he held himself, the way he moved like a creature that was completely at home in its body. Jake was a man who walked, talked, and prowled the catwalk with innate confidence. He knew who he was and where he was going. He was a man who worked hard and loved harder, who believed in the value of a man’s word, and never gave a woman a second chance to make a bad impression.
 
 
Buy Links:
 
 
 
 
Interview with author Jessie Evans:
 
 
About the Author
 
Jessie Evans gave up a career as an international woman of mystery to write the sassy, Southern romances she always wanted to read.
 
She's married to the man of her dreams, and together they're raising a few adorable, mischievous children in a tree house in the boonies. She grew up in rural Arkansas, spending summers running wild, being chewed by chiggers, and now appreciates her home in a chigger-free part of the world even more. 

When she's not writing, Jessie enjoys playing her dulcimer (badly), sewing the worlds ugliest quilts to give to her friends, going for bike rides with her house full of boys, and wandering the woods, glass of wine and camera both in hand, on the lookout for Bigfoot.

A southern girl, born and bred, Jessie loves writing Southern romances with just the right amount of sizzle, and hopes you'll enjoy her stories set in the fictional town of Summerville, Georgia. 
 
 
Connect with Jessie
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

The New Covers for the Kylie Ryans Series!! #giveaway





The Kylie Ryans series has all new covers, and they are perfect!!




 
Custom Photography by Lauren Perry of L. Perry Designs
 
Book Cover Design by E.M. Tippetts Book Design
 
Cover Model: Teale Murdock
 
 

THE KYLIE RYANS SERIES 
 
 
 
A girl with a dream and a guitar...
 
 
A troubled artist struggling to hold onto his career...
 

What they found was each other.
 
 
 
 
 
Girl with Guitar
 
 
 
Girl on Tour
 
 
 
 
 
Girl in Love 
 
Coming February 4th! 
 
 
 
 

*Titles are also available on iTunes & Kobo. 
 
 

*Special DELUXE EDITION paperbacks with bonus content will be available for a limited time at http://www.caiseyquinnwrites.com/store.html
 
 
 
 
 

Want to join the Kylie Ryans Read Along Happening RIGHT NOW on Facebook? 



Click






ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Caisey Quinn lives in Birmingham, Alabama with her husband, daughter, and other assorted animals. She is the bestselling author of the Kylie Ryans series as well as several New and Young Adult Romance novels featuring country girls finding love in unexpected places. You can find her online at www.caiseyquinnwrites.com. 







 
 

GIVEAWAY




Thursday, January 30, 2014

Excerpt Blast: Taking Something by Elizabeth Lee. #giveaway


TakingSomething
Excerpt Blast
 
We are thrilled to share an excerpt from Elizabeth Lee's TAKING SOMETHING! 
TAKING SOMETHING is the second book in Elizabeth Lee’s Give Me Something Series and is set to be released February 18, 2014!
To celebrate GIVE ME SOMETHING is on sale for only $.99!!
Check out the excerpt and a special thank you bonus for readers from Elizabeth!!!

 

Taking
Something -Front Cover

About TAKING SOMETHING:

 

I know what you're thinking. “You were such a jerk, Nick!”  Believe me, I know I screwed up the best thing I had going in my life, but that was kind of my thing. I’d learned how to run cons before I could even form complete sentences, and I'd always been selfish.  But I changed.  Lila forgave me, my brother and I were getting along, and I was trying to make a name for myself in the music world.

 

At least that was what I was trying to do when I negotiated my way into the recording studio with pop superstar Sadie Sinclair. I thought it would be a piece of cake—charm my way into her heart and into her record label's good graces.

 

Just when I thought I had it all figured out, I got mixed up in a web of lies, manipulation, and deception. A web that had me questioning my motives and desires altogether.

 

Was the fame and fortune really worth the price?

 
Excerpt:

 

“How about you pour me a cup of coffee, sweat pea?” I finally spoke, breaking the trace her graceful hands had on me and pointing at steaming coffee press in between us. She sighed and placed the knife she was holding down on the counter. With her empty hands firmly placed down on the marble, she looked up at me.

 

“Look, sweat pea,” she lipped. “I've got enough people to wait on and one of them actually pays me for it. If you want a cup of coffee, I suggest you get up off your self-entitled ass and pour one.”

 

My feet were on the floor and leading me around the counter to the cabinets before I had a chance to realize what I was doing. It must have been the look in her eyes or maybe I just felt like not being a jerk. I needed to be on her good side before I asked her the question I'd been thinking about all night.

 

“Mugs are in the one next to the fridge,” she told me, picking up her knife to continue her job.

 

“Thanks,” I replied, grateful that her civility was quick to return, and grabbed mug. I moved over next to her. The sweet smell of the fruit coupled with the scent of her shampoo, or soap, or maybe it was just her, had my mouth watering. Then she looked over and smiled at me, watching as I poured the coffee. Barely any make-up and her chocolate hair flowing down to the middle of her back, un-styled. Not my normal type, but something about her had me swallowing hard. And apparently daydreaming, because as I was watching her I decided I was going to fill my hand with scalding hot coffee instead of the mug it was holding. “Son of bitch,” I seethed.

 

Gia reacted quickly, pulling a washcloth from the drawer and soaking it with cool water. She was at my side quickly placing it on my stinging hand.

 

“Let me see,” she said sweetly, her eyes full of concern. She pulled back the rag and pulled my hand up. “I don't think it's going to blister.”

 

God, she's beautiful. The look of concern on her face. The feel of her hand in mine. I had to remind myself to take a breath. I wanted more than anything to reach out and touch her face. Her warm, caring, concerned face.

 

“Thank you,” I said, pulling the rag from her hand and placing it back on the burn. She released her hand from mine and I took a step back. There had only been one other person who looked at me the way Gia was and we all know how that ended. I couldn't let myself get wrapped up in the idea that another person could actually care about me. And I sure as hell didn't deserve her compassion. I had been a total dick to her.

 

“That's beautiful,” she said, reaching over and trailing her fingers across the moon tattoo on my right forearm. I wanted her to run her fingers over my skin again. All of it.

 
A special thank you from Elizabeth:

 

To celebrate the release Elizabeth is giving away an advanced copy of TAKING SOMETHING!

 


 

Elizabeth is also setting up something very special for readers! You GIVE Nick a shot and add TAKING SOMETHING to your Goodreads TBR and in return you can TAKE home GIVE ME SOMETHING for FREE!!!  That’s right…FREE!

 

Once TAKING SOMETHING hits 1,000 Want To Reads on Goodreads, Elizabeth will drop the price completely on all digital formats of GIVE ME SOMETHING and give you a chance to see where it all started and get ready for the February 18th release of TAKING SOMETHING!

 

Elizabeth Lee Bio:

 
Author
Photo
When I'm not writing or playing the part of wife and mother, you can find me dancing back-up for Beyonce, singing back-up for Miranda, or sunning myself on the beach with a drink in hand.  Here's the thing about being born and raised in a small town—you have a very vivid imagination!  Now, I channel it all to create stories where the girl always ends up with the right guy, first kisses are magical, and a happy ending is just that!

 



 



 

Buy Links for GIVE ME SOMETHING:

 


 


 



 



 

Links:

 


 


 


 


 

Happy Release Day to Prince of Blood and Steel by AJ Elmore & Nazarea Andrews! #giveaway

 
 
 
Prince of Blood and Steel Synopsis:

Seth Morgan has returned home after two years spent building an alliance that will take his family's crime syndicate to a new level in New York City's black collar society. He expects a warm welcome as heir of the Morgan empire. He hopes to finally marry Nicolette, the woman he's loved his whole life.

 What he finds is a different world, one where his family's legacy is in ruins. His big brother, Caleb, has changed into someone cold and bitter, plotting to overthrow their patriarch. And Nicolette, daughter of the criminal banking industry, has left the family entirely.

 When a vicious misunderstanding leaves Caleb dead, Seth is left reeling. Desperate for truth, Seth is forced to turn to his only remaining cousin, Emma, for support. As he tries to mend his relationship with Nicolette, he begins a search for answers that will take him from the dirty streets to the highest reaches of their illicit empire.

 Torn between the desire to protect those who mean the most to him, and a need to learn more about Caleb's death, he grows distant to protect them. As each secret surfaces, he realizes that the only way to restore his family is to take his place at its head, and fully embrace the brutal way they live.
 
 
 
 
 
 
Buy Links:
 


 
 

Author Bio:
 

AJ and Nazarea became friends in a writers group. Drawn together by a love of fictional bad boys and good wine, they are best kept several states apart but rack up a ton of emails and text messages arguing plot points.

Nazarea Andrews is an avid reader and tends to write the stories she wants to read. She loves chocolate and coffee almost as much as she loves books, but not quite as much as she loves her kids. She lives in south Georgia with her husband, daughters, and overgrown dog.

Aj has seven tattoos, two dogs, and a bachelor's degree in journalism.  She enjoys live music, and a diverse range of writing styles and genres.  She has been writing creatively and therapeutically since childhood.  She also supports artist collaboration and cross-media projects.  She is an advocate of experience as inspiration.  She lives and works in southern West Virginia as a bartender novelist.

 

 

AUTHOR LINKS:
Nazarea Andrews:
A.J. Elmore