Tuesday, December 31, 2013

Book Tour: Life Flight by Shaunna Wolf Interview & Giveaway

 

BLURB:
Malachi Blackfeather has spent twenty years in the Army. Two of those years as a Vietnam POW. Now that he's out, all he wants is some peace and quiet to figure out what to do with the rest of his life. Between the flashbacks, and an over interest in sex that is now being called sex addiction, finding his path isn't easy.

Kat is trying to escape an abusive marriage. Her soon to be ex is a master at manipulating the system, and her family thinks she should stay with him, "because no other man will want her". She's looking for escape in any form she can get it.

When they meet, sparks fly. Trapped by a blizzard, can two damaged people, who think there is no chance of love in the world for them, find each other, and survive an unforeseen circumstance that puts both of them in danger?

Mystery, romance, and danger, fill this novel, with a story that will draw you in and not let go.

EXCERPT:
We stared at each other until Johnny cleared his throat.  The back of her hand went down the side of my face.  She put the back of her hand to her face.  Frowned, and then moved back to her place on the floor.  What had that meant?

The trooper cracked a beer.  Began telling us about a nudist house party he’d broken up.  Kat laughed, stroked his ego with her voice.  But her gaze kept coming back to me, I’d look back and she’d shift her attention away, then I’d catch her again.  Did she want me out of the room?  Did her soul’s demon want this new prospect?  Did she even see it as a demon?  As something that had taken the place of real feelings and human emotions--to the point they had to be borrowed and stolen from others?

My third beer and the room felt like the outdoors.  Wind whistled over the glass.  I pulled the other blankets out of the closet.  Zipped my coat.  Johnny zipped his and pulled gloves on.  Stood up.  At least not drunk.

“Going to my car,” he told us, “Y’all welcome to come sit in the warmth.”

“Mine's got a full tank as well.  Gets too bad, we can sit in it.”  I grasped his hand, glad I’d gone back for this man. “Thanks.”

“Smoke, before we’re in for the night?”

I stepped outside with him.  The air felt as if it would shatter.  Amazingly, the lights were on over in the restaurant.  The sound of a diesel engine running echoed over the parking lot.  Johnny laughed. 

“Guess I know where I’m heading, find me a booth, and get some shut eye.”

Not a bad idea.  At least warm--and hot food.  He lit his Winston, I lit a Camel.  We stood that way, two men, each scarred in his own way by a shared experience that we hadn’t even realized was one.  And Kat scarred by something, something before her marriage. 

“That little woman,” Johnny said.  “Ain’t none my business.  But everyone said she’s a free spirit--born after her time, shoulda been her age in the 60’s.”  His blue-eyed gaze flashed to me, then away.  “Take the right kinda man to make that kinda woman into a wife, but if you got any smarts, you’ll give it a shot.  The way you look at her, and the way she looks back, yeah, the way of things brought you together for a reason.”  He dropped the butt in the snow and took sure steps across the ice covered parking lot.

INTERVIEW:
First book you remember making an indelible impression on you. 

Dune by Frank Herbert  For some reason a lot of the themes and ideas and what it said about humans stuck with me.  There are a lot of books that have influenced how and what I write, but Dune holds a special place on my book shelf.

If you could only eat one food the rest of your life, what would it be?

Wow, that’s a hard one to answer.  Something that I wouldn’t get sick of, and I can’t think of anything that if that was all I had to eat that I wouldn’t get sick of pretty fast.  Potatoes maybe, since you can make the a number of different ways.  As long as I had butter and sour cream and some salt and pepper.

If you were a shifter, what animal would you like to be?

A raccoon.  They can get into almost anything, people are afraid of them most of the time and they are fierce fighters.  And they are just so darned cute!

Favorite season? Why?

Fall.  I love the cool crisp nights, and the feel of the sun on my face when there is a chill in the air, not too cold and not too hot.  The smell of a fire and the scent of the leaves and the rain when you walk along a country road are the best in the fall.

Best movie ever made? 

Cats.  I love the Broadway play, and when they made it into a movie then I could watch it and have the music any time I wanted.


AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Facebook Author’s Page: http://www.facebook.com/srhowen1  

Blog: Critters at the Keyboard http://srhowen1.blogspot.com/

Author Web page:  http://ww.srhowen.com








GIVEAWAY:
The more you comment, the better your chances of winning. The tour dates can be found here:  http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2013/10/virtual-book-tour-life-flight-by.html

Monday, December 30, 2013

Book Tour: The Billionaire's Best Friend by Christina Tetreault Interview & Giveaway



BLURB:
Despite a wonderful family, a career she loves, and great friends, a void has existed in Lauren McDonald's life ever since her best friend Callie married billionaire Dylan Talbot. Although they have remained close, Lauren and Callie now lead very different lives, that is until Lauren meets wealthy CEO Kevin Walsh. Lauren believes he could be the man who will help make her life whole again.  That is until the night Nathaniel Callahan, her high school sweetheart and the one man she has always loved, shows up.

Although Nate ended things with Lauren before heading off to The Naval Academy and his life with the Marines, he never stopped loving her. Now 15 years later he is back to correct the mistake he made all those years ago.

With Nate back in town, Lauren must decide between the man who promises her the world and the man who has the power to crush her heart again.


Some short Teasers:
1) The one man she never stopped loving is back in town.  Now Lauren McDonald must decide between the man who promises her the world and the man who has the power to crush her heart again.

2) Lauren McDonald never stopped loving Nathaniel Callahan even though when he left it nearly destroyed her.  Now with him back in town, she must choose between playing it safe or risking her heart again.

3) After graduation Nate Callahan left Lauren McDonald behind when he entered The Naval Academy and his life with the Marines. Now fifteen years later he's returned with one goal, to win back the woman he never stopped loving and failure is not an option.

EXCERPT:
All messages between her brain and muscles stopped. For that brief moment she could only relish the feel of his firm lips once again against hers after all this time. Then the paralysis wore off, and she placed both hands on his chest and shoved him hard. "That didn't happen."
           
Nate folded his arms across his chest. "Yeah, Lauren it did."
           
Her eyes traveled down his face to his arms where his biceps strained against his shirtsleeves. Back in high school he’d been fit and muscular, but the years since then had taken his unrefined body and sculpted it to perfection.
           
Don't get distracted. "I'm seeing Kevin."
           
He took a step closer. Despite the warning bells in her head, a flash of heat and excitement burst through her body.
           
"Simple. Stop seeing him."
           
Nate's rich timber voice washed over her, triggering both desire and annoyance at the same time. Lauren latched onto the annoyance. "Kevin makes me happy." It's not a lie. He may not set her on fire, but they had fun together, and she felt safe with him. "Just because you're back changes nothing. I have a life, Nate. I didn't just sit around while you did your part saving the world."
           
Nate unfolded his arms then reached for her hand. "Lauren, give me a chance to explain. I—"
           
Rough calluses rubbed against her hand, a reminder of the different lives they had led since high school. "Nate, I'm glad you're home safe, but our relationship ended a long time ago. Maybe we can be friends again. That's it, though." Her last sentence came out almost as a whisper. If he'd come back into her life years ago, maybe her response would've been different. Now, though, too much time had passed.
           
Nate's jaw clenched, the only outward sign he felt anything. No big surprise there. Even as children he had been great at hiding his emotions. "I need some air.”
           
He disappeared out the front door onto the porch without his jacket. Ah, the wonderful Nathaniel Callahan avoidance. How many times had she seen that over the years? Oh well, at least it brought an end to their conversation.

INTERVIEW:
-      Where did you get the idea for the novel?
            I knew after I completed book 1 in my series that at some point I wanted Lauren, who appeared in that book, to have her own story.  Since her best friend in book 1 married a billionaire, I wanted to make Lauren’s book partially about making a decision.  Should she follow her heart and give her high school sweetheart another chance or marry for money and find herself living a life much like her best friend’s. 

2. Your title. Who came up with it? Did you ever change your title?
       For this book as well as the second and third in the series, I let the readers help me pick a title.  I came up with four or five possible titles and then I set up a survey and asked my readers to vote on which title they liked the best.  The title The Billionaire’s Best Friend won, although to be honest it was not the title I liked the best.


3. Why did you pick this genre? What do you like about it?
I picked this genre for a couple of reasons, the first being because I enjoy reading contemporary romance.  I also picked this genre because as much as I love historical romance, I know that at this point in my life I do not have the time needed to properly conduct research.  I believe that once all my children are in school full time I will be able to do research and hopefully write a historical.  I also enjoy writing about people I can imagine being friends with.  I think a lot of people, including myself, like to read about people they can connect with.

4. Since becoming a writer, what’s the most exciting thing to ever happen to you?
      Since becoming a writer I think the most exciting thing to happen to me is when a reader asked to meet me.  It has actually happened twice now, and it was exciting to meet people who enjoyed my books so much.

5. What book are you currently reading or what was the last book you read?
            Currently, I am reading Honor’s Splendor by Julie Garwood.  I have read the book many times. When I picked it up this time I wanted something I knew from the start that I would enjoy because the previous two books I read were by authors that were new to me, and I did not enjoy either of them.

-   What is your writing process?
Before I start writing a new book, I do a character outline.  This outline includes such things as their physical characteristics, their family background, and their personalities.  Then I just start to write.  I do not do long outlines for my books.

7.  At a book signing, do you just sign your name or do you write a note? How do you come up with stuff to say? 
I have never done a book signing.

8.  What is something people would be surprised to know about you?
People may be surprised to know that I am a certified scuba diver and have been rock climbing in the White Mountains.

9.  How do you react to a bad review?
When I get bad reviews, I tend to get down.  Often I have trouble writing anything that day. 

10.  How did you celebrate the sale of your first book?
Honestly, I did not do anything special that day.  I knew it was only the beginning.

AUTHOR Bio and Links:
I wrote my first story with characters similar to those in the Sweet Valley Twins books at the age of 10 on my grandmother's manual typewriter. As I got older my stories and characters became more mature. During my freshman year at UMass Dartmouth, I read my first romance novel and fell in love with the genre. I have been writing contemporary romance ever since.

Today I live with my husband, three beautiful daughters and two dogs in Massachusetts. Whenever I have a free moment you'll find me either reading a romance novel or working on my most current story.

Author Links:



Twitter: @cgricci


Buy Links:


GIVEAWAY:
Encourage your readers to follow the tour and comment; the more they comment, the better their chances of winning. The tour dates can be found here: 

Thursday, December 19, 2013

Book Tour: Snow White and the Vampire by Marina Myles Excerpt & Giveaway


Snow White and the Vampire The Cursed Princes
Book Two
Marina Myles

Genre: Historical/paranormal romance
Fairy tales retold
Publisher: Kensington
Date of Publication: December 19, 2013
ISBN: 9781601831002
ASIN: B00DV1ITOS
Number of pages: 244

Amazon     BN     iTunes     eKensington    Blio

Book Description:
Fog and Fascination

Alba Spencer thought her past in Romania and the dark magic that haunted it was behind her forever. She is one of the first female barristers now, safe in London. But London has its dark side, too. A man called the Ripper stalks the midnight streets. There are rumors that her hated stepmother has found her again, suggestions that the nightmares of her childhood are returning. And with them appears the cursed Gypsy boy she once loved, grown into a man more seductive and more terrifying than she ever could have dreamed…

Dimitri Grigorescu has become a surgeon, a gentleman—and a vampire. The lusts that drive his body are scarcely under control, and even he does not truly know what he is capable of. To fight evil and confusion, Alba must rely only on her wits—and a desire that overwhelms her doubts…

Excerpt from SNOW WHITE AND THE VAMPIRE

“I’m very grateful for Teddy’s friendship—and for the opportunity to be introduced to the people he’s acquainted with.” The surgeon lowered his tone. “People like you, Miss Spencer.”
His words encouraged the spattering of nervous blotches across Alba’s chest. “You’re too kind,” she murmured. “So you find this city a pleasant enough place to live?”
“Pleasant but for the brutal murderer who lurks in the Whitechapel District.”
“Are you referring to the killer the newspapers are calling ‘Leather Apron’?” she asked.
He evaluated her with interest yet said nothing.
“I understand this monster killed two unfortunates by ripping their abdomens wide open,” she went on, making no attempt to sugarcoat her words since she was speaking with a surgeon.
“Where did you hear that, Miss Spencer?”
“It said so in the penny dreadfuls. Oh, not that I read them frequently…”
Drake raised an eyebrow.
What am I saying? She didn’t normally babble on so, but this man had lit a fire beneath her, though she couldn’t say why.
To her great relief, the doctor didn’t seem to notice her jittering nerves. “Nasty business, preying on those unknowing women,” said. “I can’t imagine a man treating any female that way. After all, women are beautiful creatures to be coddled. Admired. Cherished.”
“That’s a lovely thought.” Alba repressed a girlish sigh. “It’s a shame the killer does not share your school of thought.”
Drake wrapped his hands around his back. “I daresay the police believe this murderer will strike again.”
“I fear that is why fewer people came to your party this evening than Teddy anticipated. The city is gripped with fear.” She paused to take a sip of champagne. “Perhaps we should talk about something more uplifting than murder.”
“Yes.” The surgeon took her glass and deposited it on a servant’s tray. With his hand pressed to the small of her back, he guided her to a quiet corner of the drawing room. As she turned to face him, she could smell hot liquor fumes and the scent of expensive aftershave. Surprisingly, she found that she liked the mixture of aromas.
“Teddy tells me you hail from Romania as well, Miss Spencer. What are the
chances of that?”
“Slim, I daresay.”
“You’ve lost a great deal of your accent, but if I had to guess, you are from Bucharest.”
“I am.” How did he know?
His features darkened. “It appears we were destined to meet. And since we have, I’d be fascinated to know more about you.”
Although Alba was taken aback by his boldness, nerves propelled her to continue their conversation in a blabbering rush. “I came to London when I was fourteen—to live with a family friend who runs the dormitory apartments of the Royal Opera’s corps de ballet. Just this year, I graduated from law school. That’s where Teddy and I met—at King’s College. Recently, I’ve been assisting Teddy’s father, Harold Rollingsworth, in the hopes that—”
“—you will become London’s first female barrister.” Drake completed her thought. Tilting his head to the side, he gazed at her with admiration. “Lovely, intelligent, and a pioneer. You are a rare gem, Miss Spencer.”
The Romanian’s hungry stare closed the small distance between them. Alba’s cheeks burned. We hardly know one another!
Desperate to steer the conversation away from herself, she cleared her
throat. “I have yet to wish you a happy birthday, Dr. Griffin.”
“Thank you.” The guest of honor did a cordial bow. “But ‘Griffin’ is merely my professional name.”
Alba frowned. “What is your real name?”
“Dimitri Grigorescu.”
Alba’s limbs froze and the room started to take on a slow whirl. “That’s curious,” she murmured. “I knew someone by that name in Romania.”
“And I once knew a girl named Alba Zǎpǎda,” Dimitri said as a curtain of desire passed over his face. “You.
His lips thinned into a familiar smile and Alba’s hand flew to her gaping mouth. Curse my poor eyesight! Now that she was this close to him she knew precisely who he was: Dimitri, the handsome Gypsy boy she’d fallen in love with at the tender age of fourteen.
Words escaped her while she gasped for air.
“Life is too short to be without the ones you love,” Dimitri purred. “Don’t you think?”
All at once, memories of the summer Alba spent in the Balkan countryside flashed through her mind:
The first kiss she and Dimitri shared amid a field of white poppies.
Simona, Dimitri’s raven-haired friend.
And the terrifying night the three of them spent in a haunted graveyard.
Her blood raced and the room spun in faster circles.
“I’ve been waiting an eternity to return this to you,” Dimiti whispered as he slipped a dried white poppy into her hand.
“But I thought you were dead,” she said before everything went black.

About the Author:
Although Marina Myles lives under the sunny skies of Arizona, she would reside in a historic manor house in foggy England if she had her way. Her love of books began as soon as she read her first fairy tale and eventually led to degrees in English Literature and Communications. Now, with her loyal Maltese close by, she relishes the hours she gets to escape into worlds filled with fiery—but not easily attained—love affairs.

She’s busy being a wife and a mother, but she is never too busy to hear from her amazing readers.

Visit her at www.marinamyles.com





Giveaway: