Monday, September 30, 2013

Stop on the SUGAR & SPICE, a The Sugar Cookie Sweetheart Swap novella by Kimberly Kincaid Tasty Book Blog Tour

Welcome to my stop on the SUGAR & SPICE, a novella by Kimberly Kincaid featured in The Sugar Cookie Sweetheart Swap Anthology Tasty Book Blog Tour! I couldn’t pass up a chance to read yet another delicious romance from Kimberly and this one has such a sweet title that I knew it would be extra delicious, and I wasn’t wrong. Stick around after the review for a chance to win your own copy of this sweet anthology.

***eCopy provided by publisher via Net Galley in exchange for an honest and unscripted review.

Blurb for SUGAR AND SPICE:

When caterer Lily Callahan goes up against hotshot pastry chef Pete Mancuso in the bake-off of the season, the stakes are high--and scandalously passionate. Will the gorgeous gourmand steal Lily's heart--and the top prize in the Christmas cookie competition?

*             *            *            *            *

Lily Callahan has a dream of opening her own storefront bakery so when a chance to win ten thousand dollars comes along she goes for it with gusto. Determined to win the Pine Mountain Resort Christmas Cookie Bake-off, Lily isn’t going to let anything get in her way – not even a pastry chef with a cocky smile that makes her knees weak every time he flashes it at her.

Pete Mancuso is confident that he can, not only win the Cookie Bake-off, but also land the job of his dreams at L’Orangerie as their new pastry chef. At least, he thought he would until he’s partnered with the talented and sexy Lily Callahan who manages to blow away the judges every event. Pete discovers more about himself during this test of skill in the kitchen than he ever expects and finds himself wanting to share more than a recipe with the lovely Lily.

SUGAR AND SPICE by Kimberly Kincaid is everything nice and then some. The chemistry between Lily and Pete is explosive right from the minute they bump into each other upon arriving at the resort. When they are teamed up in the kitchen, more than the oven gets hot, and the double boiler for melting chocolate isn't the only thing steaming. Kimberly has a knack for bringing her characters together over food but even better, this time her characters reveal themselves through their food creations. Lily and Pete have more in common than each realizes yet envies each other for what they don’t have. Before long, they share with each other more than they expect, find that having isn’t always what’s most wanted, that giving is far more satisfying, and that love is sweeter than the greatest prize.

I highly recommend reading SUGAR AND SPICE by Kimberly Kincaid, and if the other stories in this anthology are half as good as hers, the experience should be extraordinary and as satisfying as snacking on your favorite sweet treat. So if you enjoy sweet romance, delicious foodie talk with cookie descriptions that will have you dreaming of Christmas cookie planning, give this one a read – oh, and the recipe Kimberly shares at the end – well, it will surely delight you as much as this sweet, deliciously tantalizing romance.

Happy Reading Everyone!

*     *     *     *     * 

About the Author:

Kimberly Kincaid writes contemporary romance that splits the difference between sexy and sweet. When she's not sitting cross-legged in an ancient desk chair known as "The Pleather Bomber", she can be found practicing
obscene amounts of yoga, whipping up anything from enchiladas to éclairs in her kitchen, or curled up with her nose in a book. Kimberly is a 2011 RWA Golden Heart® finalist who lives (and writes!) by the mantra that food is love. She has written two digital novellas, LOVE ON THE LINE and DRAWING THE LINE, about hot cops and sexy chefs, with a third novella, OUTSIDE THE LINES, due this summer. She is also thrilled to have collaborated on a Christmas anthology with Donna Kauffman and Kate Angell, titled The Sugar Cookie Sweetheart Swap, to kick off her Pine Mountain foodie series with Kensington this October. Kimberly’s first full-length novel, TURN UP THE HEAT, will follow in February 2014. She resides in northern Virginia with her wildly patient husband and their three daughters.

If you’d like to learn more about Kimberly and her fabulous novellas, please visit her website, and follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.

GIVEAWAY:

Kimberly is offering up two digital copies of this fabulous anthology containing her delicious romance, SUGAR AND SPICE, tour wide, so I hope you’ll enter for your chance to experience this sweet delight. Please use rafflecopter to enter and Good Luck Everyone!


SUGAR AND SPICE, a THE SUGAR COOKIE SWEETHEART SWAP anthology novella by Kimberly Kincaid, Kensington Books, available now in print and ebook formats at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Kobobooks.

***click on links above or cover below for purchasing information

   

Friday, September 27, 2013

Review Stop on the IN THE SHADOW OF EVIL by Nancy C. Weeks Tasty Book Blog Tour

Welcome to my stop on the IN THE SHADOW OF EVIL by Nancy C. Weeks Blog Tour hosted by Tasty Book Tours and this one is a must read if you love suspense filled romance! Sticky around for the giveaway – today’s the last day of the tour but I promise, the excitement over this story will around for a while.

***eARC provided by author in exchange for an honest and unscripted review.

Blurb for IN THE SHADOW OF EVIL:

Elías Mendoza’s personal vendetta against the McKenzie family rests on Jennie’s shoulders. As she cradles the bullet ridden body of her ten-year old student, she knows Mendoza is responsible. Quinton’s death is a message. Jennie’s life belongs to only Mendoza. But she has her own message. No one else dies. Her life means nothing as long as Mendoza is free.

Jared McNeil has spent ten years with Maryland’s Special Crime Unit and very little rattles him. When the haunted teenager he once tried to protect walks into his precinct now a beautiful woman, he wants nothing more than to wrap her in his arms and never let her go. But he soon realizes she is there only to settle her debts before she goes after his nemesis, Mendoza. Jared’s vow to stay away from Jennie until the task force destroys Mendoza now means nothing.

What Jared and Jennie don't understand is there are forces at play greater than the evil shadowing them, but time is running out. United, they can do anything. Alone, they will fail.

*           *           *            *            * 

Jennifer McKenzie lives in a world where evil shadows her every move. She’s lost everyone she ever loved to the man who represents that evil and fears she’ll lose the man she loves if she doesn’t stay as far away from him as possible. Left with little time to end things, she sets out to trap and finally exact her revenge on Elías Mendoza for those who cannot – her father, her mother, and Nick, who was like a brother. Now others are in the path of destruction that only Mendoza can wreck and she’s determined to stop him for good.

Jared McNeil can’t stay away from Jennie no matter how hard he tries. He watches, he waits, he hopes for a time when it will be safe to be close to her, all the while wondering if his connection and affection for her goes both ways. He knows the danger that surrounds her. He wears the scars as proof of what the mad man, Mendoza, likes to hand out to anyone who gets between him and his Jennifer Marie. But why? What is it about this woman grown up from a teen once in the care of Mendoza and why won’t he let her go? All Jared knows is that he’d die before he allowed anyone to harm Jennifer McKenzie, including his own twin brother.

IN THE SHADOW OF EVIL by Nancy C. Weeks is a fast-paced, exciting, edge of the seat, dangerous journey that Jennie and Jared travel to save loved ones, innocents, and each other from a mad man. Mendoza is truly vicious and insane with an obsession for revenge against Jennie yet the need to possess her and destroy anyone who loves her. What Mendoza doesn’t realize is that it is love in its purest form that will be his undoing. The love of family, the love of friends, and the love that has existed for so many years and finally requited between Jennie and Jared, is what will destroy Elías Mendoza.

Nancy kept me glued to this story through the characters. Her characters are lively, personable, and their familial relationships are honest and believable. The characters kept the story, the edginess, and the intrigue moving forward without question or delay.  

I highly recommend IN THE SHADOW OF EVIL by Nancy C. Weeks if you love danger and true – what’s going to happen next – suspense with your romance. Whereas the romance isn’t overly steamy, it works well, and for those who like it mild, you’ll be certainly pleased with the level that Nancy infuses into this amazing story, but the love is there - in abundance.

Happy Reading Everyone! 

About the Author:

Nancy C. Weeks has loved happy-ever-after romances since she was in her early teens. While still in college, she met and married her hero and spent the
next several years honeymooning and working overseas. Today, she lives in suburban Maryland with her husband of more than thirty years. Her two children are in college and she spends her days out on her deck writing as the local bird population keeps her company. She loves to hear from her readers.

Feel free to visit Nancy’s website and her blog and follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.

GIVEAWAY:
As part of her celebration, Nancy is holding a Giveaway. If you’d like to enter, please use the rafflecopter and be sure to congratulate Nancy on the release of IN THE SHADOW OF EVIL.

Happy Reading and Good Luck!

IN THE SHADOW OF EVIL by Nancy C. Banks, Crimson Romance, available now in ebook format at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Kobobooks.
***click on links or cover below for purchasing information

   

Thursday, September 26, 2013

The Argeneau 10-Year anniversary Blog Tour for ONE LUCKY VAMPIRE by Lynsay Sands

When I hear that a new Argeneau Novel is coming from Lynsay Sands, I cannot contain my excitement until I actually have the book in my hands. Well, with a title like ONE LUCKY VAMPIRE, I was so excited that I started reading as soon as I downloaded the galley. As usual, Lynsay treats us to one sexy immortal! She’s also celebrating something else with the release of ONE LUCKY VAMPIRE. Lynsay is celebrating 10 years of Argeneau novels and I can’t be happier to talk about just that and share with you my thoughts on her newest novel and as a request from Avon Romance, tell you who my favorite Argeneau couple is today. Why today? Because today also happens to be Unwrapping Romance’s two year anniversary! So let the celebration begin!

***eARC provided by publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest and unscripted review.

Blurb for ONE LUCKY VAMPIRE:

Luck be a vampire tonight . . .

When Nicole Phillips agreed to hire a housekeeper, she pictured someone a little frumpy and almost certainly female. Instead, she gets gorgeous, unmistakably male Jake Colson. The man is proving indispensable in the kitchen—and everywhere else. Except Jake might not be a mortal man at all.

. . . and every night

Who wouldn't want to be a tall, dark, powerful vampire? Jake, for one. He's barely had time to adjust to his new state before he's roped into a family favor. Still, secretly playing bodyguard to sweet, sexy Nicole is turning out to be the wildest ride of his life. First he'll put a stop to whoever's targeting her. Then he'll prove that this kind of love, and luck, happens only once in an eternity.

*                      *                    *                     *                      *

Marguerite Argeneau is up to her matchmaking again in ONE LUCKY VAMPIRE when she asks Jake Colson, aka Stephano Notte to the family, the same Stephano who after attacked by a crazed killer was turned by Vincent Argeneau and hasn’t been happy about it since, to help protect a friend with a dangerous ex-husband.

Nicole Phillips married the wrong man. She married a controlling, lazy charmer who treats her like a workhorse and an endless purse, but with the help of a little push from Marguerite, she’s kicked the loser to the curb. Now Marguerite is worried that the husband is trying to kill her young friend and it might be all her fault.

Jake Colson wants nothing to do with the family, he hates that he’s now an immortal who depends on blood to survive and hides away from everyone even when in plain sight. Now working as a professional bodyguard, he’s satisfied with his life even if he’s not happy. When he gets a request to meet the beautiful Marguerite Argeneau, he doesn’t refuse but he’s wary that she’s there to pull him back to the family. Instead, she asks for his help. She paints a picture of a woman in need of someone smart, savvy, and best able to protect her – just what he does best. Only this time he’s going to have to do it in the guise of a cook/housekeeper. Only problem, Jake can’t cook but then again, once he discovers he also can’t read Nicole maybe he won’t be doing much cooking – in the kitchen, that is.

When more dangerous things start happening and Jake nearly loses his life from poisoning, the family comes together to help solve the mystery. Once Jake is well again, his cousins, Dante and Tomasso – the gorgeous Notte twins – stay behind to help him explain who and what they are to Nicole, his life mate.

ONE LUCKY VAMPIRE by Lynsay Sands isn’t her most exciting, most dangerous, or even her funniest Argeneau novel but it’s an Argeneau all the same. Jake is definitely sexy, sweet, charming, and as easy to fall in love with as any of his immortal counterparts. Nicole is smart, accommodating, and definitely one of my favorite mortal life mate partners. She doesn’t freak out over what she learns about Jake and the twins but is actually more concerned over whether or not the gorgeous Italians are going to eat her out of house and home. I always get a kick out of how Lynsay incorporates a love of food into her stories – afterall, an increased appetite for human food is an absolute symptom when an immortal meets his life mate. There’s a scene involving a chocolate cake that made me laugh aloud – Jake vocalizes something I say quite often about certain females.  

If you love the humor that only Lynsay can infuse in her stories, you're going to love ONE LUCKY VAMPIRE! Jake and Nicole are a match made in immortal heaven. If you’re already a fan of the Lynsay Sands’ Argeneau novels, then I highly recommend you read ONE LUCKY VAMPIRE because – well, because you just need to know the next part of the story and it’s Stephano Jacob Colson Notte’s. If you haven’t indulged in the world of the immortals created by Lynsay Sands, then ONE LUCKY VAMPIRE is the one you want to start with and then you’ll learn about them as Jake and Nicole do – easily, simply, and without a lot of bloodshed.

BEYOND THE REVIEW:

As part of the 10TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ARGENEAU NOVEL SERIES BY LYNSAY SANDS, I was asked by Avon Romance to share with you which was my favorite among her immortal couples. That took a lot of thinking because I adore them all in some way. But when I thought about which of her books left the most lasting effect on me, I knew it had to be HUNGRY FOR YOU.

Blurb for HUNGRY FOR YOU by Lynsay Sands:

This vampire has been alone for far too long . . .

As one of the most ancient in the Argeneau clan, Cale Valens has given up on finding a life mate. His friends and family, however, have not. In fact, they believe they've finally found his perfect match. Getting them together, however, requires one little white lie . . .

Alexandra Willan is in a panic. Her restaurant is due to open in two weeks, but her chef just walked out. Then a highly recommended replacement arrives, an impossibly handsome culinary genius who sends electric tingles racing through her body . . .

Except he can't cook. In fact, Cale hasn't eaten real food in two thousand years. Yet he's determined to prove to Alex his prowess in the kitchen . . . and elsewhere. Because never has he hungered so for any mortal woman. And not just for a taste of her, but for the whole delicious feast!

*              *            *             *            *

Cale Valens and Alex Willan are my favorite Argeneau couple because they are by far the couple who has the most fun.

Cale goes to work in Alex’s restaurant as a fabulous chef but can’t boil water. He’s one of the oldest immortals and has been alone so long that he has no need for anything human – especially food  - but all of that changes after he meets Alex Willan.

Alex is determined to rescue her sister, Sam, from the mad man who is keeping her prisoner in that huge house where she now lives. When Alex discovers that all of the gorgeous men she keeps meeting are actually vampires, she overreacts big time. She covers her head in foil and goes in to rescue her sister armed with a wooden spoon! I laughed until my belly hurt and I couldn’t read the words for the tears in my eyes. If there’s one thing that Lynsay knows how to do even better than create sexy heroes, it’s how to make her readers laugh.

Cale is the man for Alex. He hasn't known what it is to connect to a woman the way he connects with Alex and at times it overwhelms him. He's generous and caring, and so open to the adventure of falling in love that you can't help falling in love with him. You've got to love a man who is willing to step into a kitchen and fumble around the way he does and still come out looking sexy as ever, even covered in flour. 

If you haven’t read HUNGRY FOR YOU by Lynsay Sands then please do. It will certainly thrill you, make you swoon or need a cold shower, but it will also brighten your day with one of the liveliest, funniest, and delightfully charming couples ever.

Happy Reading Everyone and Happy Anniversary to Lynsay and the Argeneau clan. I love you!

About the Author: 

LYNSAY SANDS is the nationally bestselling author of the Argeneau/Rogue Hunter vampire series, as well as numerous historicals and anthologies. She’s been writing stories since grade school and considers herself incredibly lucky to be able to make a career out of it. Her hope is that readers can get away from their everyday stress through her stories, and if there’s occasional uncontrollable fits of laughter, that’s just a big bonus.

Visit her official website and follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and at Goodreads.

TOUR WIDE GIVEAWAY:
Your chance to win one of three great celebratory prizes. You can comment here and at all of the blog stops for as many chances as you want. Good Luck!



ONE LUCKY VAMPIRE, an Argeneau novel by Lynsay Sands, Avon Romance, available now in print and ebook formats at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Kobobooks.

HUNGRY FOR YOU, an Argeneau novel by Lynsay Sands, Avon Romance, available in print and ebook formats at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Kobobooks.
***click on links or covers below for purchasing information.



Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Cover Reveal for WALK ON THE STRIPED SIDE, a Big Bad Bite novel by Jessie Lane

WALK ON THE STRIPED SIDE,
A Big Bad Bite Novel 
by Jessie Lane

Blurb for WALK ON THE STRIPED SIDE:

Does he have his claws in her for good? Or is she just yanking his tail?

Elena Demos’ life has been turned upside down. Her mother passed away, leaving Elena and her two half-sisters to deal with their mother’s will and the crazy stipulations in it. For the three sisters to inherit the substantial amount of money left behind they have to go work with two Aunts they’ve never met, in the family business they knew nothing about. Amazons Inc.. If that wasn’t bad enough, she runs into the man who broke her heart their first day on the job.

Gage Ivanov is a stupid beast. He let the woman who should be his mate go because she couldn't be told of his Other identity.Now Elena’s back, but she refuses to give into his demands for her to be his mate. The timing for all of this couldn’t be worse. Gage and his circle of friends are trying to subdue a rogue pack of wolf shifters in Germany who threaten to out the Others to the world of humans. Will he be able to juggle the oncoming conflict and win back his mate?

Claws have never been this sexy.

 *              *               *                *              *

Excerpt from WALK ON THE STRIPED SIDE:

Gage Ivanov was in no mood to be fucked with by the woman looking blankly back at him from the other side of the desk that separated them. One would think since he’d finally caught some desperately needed zzz’s after being awake for 48 hours straight while on a mission, he’d be in a better mood. This was not the case. If anything, he felt as if he was approximately 3.2 seconds from flipping his shit. Which would involve tearing the door off of the Fort Bragg Military Police’s inner sanctum, stalking past the annoying female with a tantalizing scent that was starting to drive him insane, and collecting his Heckler & Koch MK 23 his damn self from the evidence room. Screw the harpy for saying he couldn’t have his issued side arm back.

Taking a deep breath to try and battle his building anger, he blew it out slowly and decided to give the feeble human another chance before he did something drastic. Like pin her to a wall and kiss the ever living shit out of her.

Whoa.

Gage rubbed his forehead and wondered where the hell that crazy thought had come from? That idea was flat out ridiculous. He must be loopy still from lack of sleep. He’d probably meant that he’d pin her to the wall and scare the shit out of her. Not kiss her. Yeah. That sounded better.

*        *       *       *       *
About the Author:

Jessie Lane is the writing team of Crystal Leo and Melissa Pahl. The two sisters-in-law share a passionate love of naughty romance, cliff hanging
Crystal Leo & Melissa Pahl aka JESSIE LANE
suspense, and out-of-this-world characters that demand your attention, or threaten to slap you around until you do pay attention to them. Because really, it is ALL about the characters. (They’re kind of megalomaniacs – but don’t tell them that we said that.)
 
Crystal lives in Kentucky with her husband, little 7 and 9 year old Rock Chicks in the making, and her Dad who likes to play the air guitar while listening to George Thorogood’s Bad To The Bone. Melissa just moved to Minnesota with her husband and giant furry Rottweiler baby named Yuffi. Crystal is now trying to talk Melissa into “polar bear” swimming in Lake Superior, but so far Melissa is adamantly telling her no.
  
Their first YA novel, THE BURNING STAR, was released in May 2012. BIG BAD BITE was their second novel, but their first adult paranormal romance, and released in January 2013. Their third book, SECRET MANEUVERS, just released this past June and re-released yesterday with a new cover, and is the start of a new adult contemporary romance series (Ex Ops Series). They are now working on their next three novels, WALK ON THE STRIPED SIDE (Big Bad Bite Series #2), STRIPPING HER DEFENSES (Ex Ops Series #2) and THE FROZEN STAR (YA Star Series #2).With these projects underway, they are looking forward to showing the rest of the world their crazy stories, heroes and heroines that often plague their minds until written, and hope you will join them on their journey!

Feel free to visit the Jessie Lane website, follow them on Facebook, Twitter, at Goodreads, and their Amazon Author page.

Tour-Wide Giveaway:
Signed paperbacks, custom glow in the dark swag bag, Ex Ops dog tags, $20 gift card! Lots of goodies to win so use the rafflecopter to enter and Good Luck!


WALK ON THE STRIPED SIDE, a Big Bad Bite novel by Jessie Lane, self-publish, coming in Winter 2013!

Happy Reading Everyone!

Monday, September 23, 2013

New Cover Reveal for SECRET MANEUVERS, an Ex Ops novel by Jessie Lane


Back on June 15, 2013, I reviewed a fabulous suspense romance by Jessie Lane – a writing duo – called SECRET MANEUVERS, the first book in the Ex Ops series. It seems a lot of folks weren’t too thrilled with the cover, although as I said in my review, once you read it, you’d understand the strange filter color – well, Jessie Lane decided to give it a new cover and re-release it with its new showstopper! Feel free to stop by my review of SECRET MANEUVERS by Jessie Lane to get my thoughts, simply click the title. This is one to read – whichever cover graces it.

Blurb for SECRET MANEUVERS:

Some mistakes from the past haunt us forever...

One 'dear John' letter haunts Bobby Baker's every living moment. It’s the letter he stupidly wrote to his high school sweetheart, Belle, right after he left to join the Army. The letter that he told her that he wasn't so sure if they were ready for forever yet. But before he can let her know that the letter, and his second thoughts, are nothing but a mistake, she up and disappears from the small Georgia town they were both raised in.
unless fate steps in with a second chance.

Fifteen years later, Belle unknowingly walks back into Bobby's life when her job as an ATF Agent forces her to work with a group of men secretly headed by the CIA to help her track down whoever is involved in funneling black market weapons to a drug cartel in Mexico.

Bobby will use this mission to try and soothe Belle's hurt feelings while proving to her that their love is still meant for forever. He'll use every dirty trick he's learned since he joined the Army to maneuver her back into his life for the long haul. But Belle's not making it easy as she keeps him at arm's length in the hopes that mistakes of her own never come to light.

*                *                 *                  *                   *

Excerpt from SECRET MANEUVERS:

Belle headed out of the room first to disappear in the parking lot while the guys proceeded to file out a few minutes later. Being at the back of the group I missed what made the guys catcall and laugh until I came into full view of Belle leaned up against a black jacked up Ford F350 decked out with a ram air hood, brush guard, monster-sized tires and a banner on the top of the windshield that read ‘G.R.I.T.S.’.

Lucas’s slightly New York accented voice sounded confused as he asked, “G.R.I.T.S.? Isn’t that like a food or something?”

Logan clapped him on the shoulder as barks of laughter echoed in the parking lot. “Naw, buddy. That stands for ‘Girls Raised In The South’. You could say that Agent Roberts is showing off her southern pride a bit, that’s all. It’s a damn good thing to be proud of, too.”

Belle climbed up into the cab of the truck. Still hanging out of the door a bit she yelled, “Come on Sullivan brothers. We’re gonna have some fun before we head to the bar!”

Declan and Riley Sullivan looked wary. “What kind of fun exactly?”

“Muddin’ and Jason Aldean. Let’s go, baby!” The heavy rumble of her engine came to life as ‘She’s Country’ blasted out of its open windows.

The Sullivan brothers looked at each other nervously. Riley spoke in a low voice to Declan, “You think she’s alright upstairs or should I be worried?” Declan clapped his brother on the back before hopping up into the passenger side of the truck.

I was insanely jealous as the truck tore out of the parking lot to head down the highway while the rest of us piled into our respective vehicles to leave. It almost felt as if she was trying to rub my nose in one of our best memories. When you lived in a small southern town, out in the middle of nowhere, muddin’ with your buddies, your girl, and pilfered beer where you could cut loose and be free was one of the few options for entertainment. There went my buddies. There went my girl. Here I still stood, looking like a jackass.

Jaxon watched the retreating vehicle with a mix of amusement and trepidation. Turning to Sheriff Jenkins he asked, “Should I be worried about any of that?” His finger pointing in the direction of where Belle’s truck had already disappeared.

The Sheriff’s easy smile didn’t seem to convince Jaxon. “Not at all, Commander Wall. Annabelle is harmless. Swear.”

I snorted. “Tell that to the guy she knocked unconscious her senior year. He was twice her size.”

Sheriff Jenkins’s eyebrows shot to his hairline as he turned to face me in the back seat. “You knew Annabelle in high school?”

My mouth kicked up in a half smile. “Yeah, you could say that. We grew up in the same small town. Belle and I were as close as you could get until I left for the Army just after graduation.”

The Sheriff’s eyebrows pulled down into an intense expression as something flashed over his face before he could cover it up. He quickly turned around to start the car. “I’m just going to turn on the radio. Hope you don’t mind.”

The radio kicked on and a local country station came on. All conversation in the car stopped. The last look the Sheriff had made bothered me. There was something there that made my instincts flare up. The Sheriff knew something. What in the hell could that possibly be?

*             *              *              *              *
About the Author:

Jessie Lane is the writing team of Crystal Leo and Melissa Pahl. The two sisters-in-law share a passionate love of naughty romance, cliff hanging suspense, and out-of-this-world characters that demand your attention, or threaten to slap you around until you do pay attention to them. Because
Crystal Leo and Melissa Pahl - aka JESSIE LANE
really, it is ALL about the characters. (They’re kind of megalomaniacs – but don’t tell them that we said that.)
 
Crystal lives in Kentucky with her husband, little 7 and 9 year old Rock Chicks in the making, and her Dad who likes to play the air guitar while listening to George Thorogood’s Bad To The Bone. Melissa just moved to Minnesota with her husband and giant furry Rottweiler baby named Yuffi. Crystal is now trying to talk Melissa into “polar bear” swimming in Lake Superior, but so far Melissa is adamantly telling her no.
  
Their first YA novel, THE BURNING STAR, was released in May 2012. BIG BAD BITE was their second novel, but their first adult paranormal romance, and released in January 2013. Their third book, SECRET MANEUVERS, just released this past June, and will be the start of a new adult contemporary romance series (Ex Ops Series). They are now working on their next three novels, WALK ON THE STRIPED SIDE (Big Bad Bite Series #2), STRIPPING HER DEFENSES (Ex Ops Series #2) and THE FROZEN STAR (YA Star Series #2).With these projects underway, they are looking forward to showing the rest of the world their crazy stories, heroes and heroines that often plague their minds until written, and hope you will join them on their journey!

Feel free to visit the Jessie Lane website, follow them on Facebook, Twitter, at Goodreads, and their Amazon Author page.

Happy Reading Everyone! This is a good one!

TOUR WIDE GIVEAWAY:
Signed paperbacks, custom glow in the dark swag bag, Ex Ops dog tags, $20 gift card – lots of goodies to win, so use the rafflecopter to enter and Good Luck!


SECRET MANEUVERS, an Ex Ops novel by Jessie Lane, self-publish, in re-release and available in print and ebook formats at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobobooks, All Romance EBooks, and Smashwords.
***click on links or cover below for purchasing information

   

Friday, September 20, 2013

Unwrapping: Review of HOW TO TAME A WILD FIREMAN by Jennifer Bernard

Firemen! Jennifer Bernard writes the sexiest firemen on the planet and she’s done it again with HOW TO TAME A WILD FIREMAN. If you’ve been following the Bachelor Firemen of San Gabriel series then you know Patrick Callahan, aka Psycho. This one is a must read because once you start reading, it’s a wild ride that you’re not going to want to get off of – ever!

***eARC provided by publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest and unscripted review.

Blurb for HOW TO TAME A WILD FIREMAN:

The Bachelor Firemen of San Gabriel have a rebel among them, and there's only one woman who can put his flames out.

Firefighter Patrick "Psycho" Callahan earns his nickname every day. Fast, fit, and a furious worker, he thrives on the danger which helps him forget a near-tragedy that changed his life forever. But when his off-duty carousing gets out of hand, Patrick is sent back to Loveless, Nevada, where the wildfire threatening his hometown has nothing on sizzling Dr. Lara Nelson.

Lara would rather be thought of as the physician who returned to Loveless than as the misfit brought up at a hippie New Age commune. But right now she's focused on her job at hand, patching up injured firemen...until the past hits her in the hard-muscled, blue-eyed form of Patrick Callahan. Now, the embers of their decade-old attraction have ignited into a full-on inferno, as the bad-boy firefighter and the good doctor take a walk on the wild side they'll never forget.

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Patrick Callahan, aka Psycho has always lived on the edge. With more energy and wild ambition than any one man can handle, he doesn’t rest even when he’s supposed to be and there’s a deep-seated reason for that. Guilt. He bears the guilt of a night long ago that cost him everything he held dear. Now, after letting his pent up energy get the better of him, Captain Brody is volunteering him to go to Nevada to fight a wildfire. The last place Psycho wants to go, or rather feels he’s welcome to go, is Nevada. More specifically, Loveless, Nevada - his hometown. His family, specifically his father, doesn’t want him there. After that fateful night, Big Dog Callahan turned his eldest son out and told him to never return.

Lara Nelson escaped Loveless, Texas for a dream of being a doctor, of putting her past behind her, and making a new life for herself that didn’t include the misfit outcast that she was growing up. Upon learning of her Aunt Tam’s death and the wonderful loving woman’s last request, Lara had no choice but to return to her hometown and face what she’s left behind. The very last thing she expects is to be caught up in the tragedy of a wildfire that endangers her home, the people she loves, and to come face to face with the only man that ever lit her libido on fire.

Together, Patrick and Lara, pool their skills as firefighter and doctor to fight the fire, save lives, face familial problems, and their mutual desire for each other.

Jennifer Bernard has done it big time with HOW TO TAME A WILD FIREMAN. Reading this one is like riding a roller coaster of emotion, action, sexual fire, and heartache such that made me want the ride to continue and never stop. I’ve always liked Psycho but in this story, we see a sensitive side of Patrick that had me falling in love with him almost immediately, or well, at least as soon as he carried an adorable llama out of the fire. I love a man who isn’t afraid to admit he can’t do everything, can’t fix everything, and can admit when he’s made a mistake. Jennifer wrote the most amazing hero character ever and I’m in love with him.

Lara is tough as nails but has the biggest heart a gal can have. Even when angry, hurt, or scared, she can find it in herself to look out for others. Always feeling like an outsider, she revels in being part of something greater and that makes her someone I could easily have as a best friend. When her protective instincts kick in there’s no telling who she’ll stand up to and when she does, you want to cheer for her.

HOW TO TAME A WILD FIREMAN by Jennifer Bernard is extraordinary and enthralling. It takes us on a journey from San Gabriel to Nevada and back. It makes us worry our book or reader as to how she’s going to get Patrick and Lara together. Then they’re off to Mexico and a landslide of emotion than will have you falling in love with Patrick even harder, if you aren’t already. When the fire threatens their loved ones back in Nevada, they rush back to Loveless where danger lights an even greater fire that tears open truths, pulls families together, and begins to tame even the toughest Burl Ives-type character in Big Dog Callahan.

I highly recommend HOW TO TAME A WILD FIREMAN by Jennifer Bernard to anyone who wants to be swept away by a romance filled with action, danger, self-revelations, love of family, reconciliations, and falling in love so hard you’ll never want it to end. In other words, this is a mega-must read for all romance lovers.

Happy Reading Everyone!

HOW TO TAME A FIREMAN, a Bachelor Firemen of San Gabriel novel by Jennifer Bernard, Avon Romance, release date – September 24, 2013, available in print and ebook formats at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Kobobooks.
***click on the links or cover below for purchasing information

Monday, September 16, 2013

Special Avon Addict Cover Reveal for RECKLESSLY ROYAL by Nichole Chase


RECKLESSLY ROYAL by Nichole Chase
On Sale from Avon Books March 25, 2014

Catherine has spent her life being the perfect princess. She’s kept her hands clean, her head down, and most importantly-men at arm’s length. After all, most men are after only one thing, and for Cathy there’s a lot more at stake than her bed; she has to worry about the fate of an entire nation. But at the rate she’s going, Cathy is afraid she’ll give the Virgin Queen a run for her money. She is tired of waiting for someone good enough to come along. She has a plan, and it all hinges on seducing the one man who seems utterly unimpressed by all things royal. The one man she is tempted by more than any other . . .

When David arrives at the royal wedding of his friend, the newly ordained Duchess Samantha Rousseau, he expected to feel uncomfortable and out of his element, but he wasn’t prepared to be targeted by Prince Alex’s gorgeous younger sister. With Cathy’s giant blue eyes, killer figure, and sense of humor, it won’t take long before he gives in. But when he finds out just how innocent the crown princess really is, will he play the part of knight in shining armor or the dashing rogue? 

About the Author:

Nichole Chase is a daydreamer. No, really, just ask any of the math teachers that had the misfortune of seeing her name appear on their class schedule. For years she has had story lines and characters begging for attention, but she resolutely pushed them aside to focus on more normal (read, boring) jobs. Well, no longer! She is currently heeding the voices in her head and frantically writing their stories. Nichole resides in South Georgia with her husband, energetic toddler, super hero dog, Sulcata tortoise, and two cats. When not devouring novels by the dozens, you may find her writing, painting, crafting, or chasing her daughter around the house while making monster noises. She is the author of SUDDENLY ROYAL, FLUKES, The Dark Betrayal Trilogy, and several short stories. 

If you’d like to learn more about Nichole and her books, please visit her website and follow her on Twitter, Goodreads, and Pinterest.

Happy Reading Everyone!

RECKLESSLY ROYAL, a Suddenly novel by Nichole Chase, Avon Romance, release date – March 25, 2014.