Veronica Wolff Guest Blog and Giveaway

For Laura Bailey, weathering her teen years at her quaint family lodge in a boondock town at the foothills of the Sierra Nevadas wasn’t easy. Fleeing for San Francisco the minute she graduated high school seemed like a good idea—until she lost her job and her fiancé. The blow to her pride sent her back to Sierra Falls to figure out her life. But her hometown is undergoing a bit of renovation.

A new Sierra Falls resort is posing a threat to the Bailey family business. Even worse, the construction company developing the property is run by Eddie Jessup, Laura’s cocky high school nemesis who delighted in locking horns with the little spitfire. Some things never change. But their battle isn’t the only thing heating up between Laura and Eddie, and before long they realize that getting to know each other all over again has its rewards. But fate isn’t through with them. Nor are the games men and women play in the name of love.

 

~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~

 

Thanks for having me in to discuss TIMBER CREEK, book two in my Sierra Falls series!

I was a beach girl growing up and had never spent much time in the mountains, so the first time I saw the Sierra Nevada range, it was a revelation. I hadn’t known the sky could be so blue or the air so crisp. And don’t get me started on the residents—maybe it’s because they all have such amazing views from their kitchen windows, but so many of the people I’ve met there are friendly, easy-smiling, dog-walking sorts of folks. In fact, I’ve come to feel such peace and serenity whenever I’m in the Sierras, I figured if I can’t spend all my time there, well, at least I can set a town in their midst.

Plus, do you know what else is great about the mountains? All those mountain men.

Which brings me to TIMBER CREEK…I have to confess: I have a big crush on the hero, one Eddie Jessup. Eddie’s the best kind of bad boy–the sort who’s turned over a new leaf, while still being naughty at heart. He’s a man’s man who knows what he likes, and what he likes is having Laura Bailey back in town.

Too bad Laura Bailey disagrees. Eddie’s easy swagger, that wicked…thing he gets in his eyes, and that annoying red pickup truck…she’s not having any of it. Especially as his construction company is renovating a ranch hotel that’ll pose a threat to her family business.

But all isn’t as it appears in Sierra Falls. Eddie has a tender heart hidden beneath that bad-boy exterior, and Laura…well, you know what they say about ladies who protest too much.

So head over to the Thirsty Bear Tavern, have a seat by the fire, and watch the sparks fly. Meantime, I hope to see you at http://veronicawolff.com, or please pop by my Twitter or Facebook pages to say hello!

Happy holidays, everyone!

 

http://twitter.com/veronicawolff

http://www.facebook.com/VeronicaWolffFanPage

~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~

Veronica is giving away 3 print copies of TIMBER CREEK! Leave a comment below for a chance to win. Good luck!

Read Full Post »

Mad’s Life According to the Books Read in 2012

Following Lillie’s example…here’s my life according to the books I read in 2012. 🙂

Describe yourself: 
An Ordinary Girl by Barbara Elsberg

How do you feel: 
The Black Sheep by Susan Fox
 

Describe where you currently live: The Comforts of Home by Jodi Thomas


If you could go anywhere, where would you go: 
Visiting Paradise by Jess Dee


Your favorite form of transportation:
 Have nothing for this one….
 

Your best friend is:
 Cherished by Maya Banks & Lauren Dane
 

You and your friends are: 
Good At Being Bad by Cathryn Fox
 

What’s the weather like: 
Winter Destiny by Grace Green
 

What is life to you: 
Master Class by Cassandra Carr
 
Favorite time of day: 
Nightfire by Lisa Marie Rice
 

Your fear: 
Out of the Dark by Megan Hart
 

What is the best advice you have to give: Taking A Shot by Jaci Burton
 

Thought for the day: And She Was by Alison Gaylin
 

How I would like to die: 
Defying The Odds by Kele Moon
 

My soul’s present condition: Fury of Fire by Coreene Callahan

Will do a more detailed Year in Review post later…have finally been able to read books so I’m trying to get as many read in the next couple days as I can. 🙂

Read Full Post »

My Life According to the Books I Read in 2012

I found this meme over at Book Binge and it looked like fun!

Here are the rules:
To play along, use only titles of books that you read this year (2012) and complete the prompts below.

Try not to repeat any book titles. Think creatively and have fun!

 

Describe yourself:
Tart by Lauren Dane

How do you feel:
Down For The Count by Christine Bell

 
Describe where you currently live:
Southern Comfort by Mari Carr and Jayne Rylon

 
If you could go anywhere, where would you go:
On Dublin Street by Samantha Young

 
Your favorite form of transportation:
Motorcycle Man by Kristen Ashley

 
Your best friend is:
A Rare Gift by Jaci Burton

 
You and your friends are:
Beyond Shame by Kit Rocha

 
What’s the weather like:
Winterblaze by Kristen Callihan

 
What is life to you:
Sweet as Sin by Inez Kelley

 
Favorite time of day:
Night Whispers by Alisha Rai

 
Your fear:
Bear Meets Girl by Shelly Laurenston

 
What is the best advice you have to give:
Believe in Magic by Cait Miller

 
Thought for the day:
Breathe by Kristen Ashley

 
How I would like to die:
Pure Bliss by Sophie Oak

 
My soul’s present condition:
Shades of Gray by Maya Banks

 

There’s my life according to the books I read in 2012! I’ve gotta say, I’m pretty happy with it 😀

 

 

Read Full Post »

Review – Alpha One by Cynthia Eden

Juliana is in hell. Her father, the senator, has double crossed criminal mastermind Guerrero, who has kidnapped Juliana in order to get the evidence her father is holding. Her only companion in this hell is John, another captive who she shares the details of her life with in the darkness. When rescue arrives in the form of her ex-lover, Logan, Juliana is shocked. She hasn’t seen him since  she was twenty. She loved him and believed him when he said they would run away and have a beautiful life together. Until he left her standing in a bus station with no explanation.

Now Logan is all that is standing between her and Guerrero. Her father couldn’t live with what he’d done and committed suicide after saying he left the evidence on Guerrero with Juliana. And her friend “John” is really Guerrero himself, making her the only person that has seen and can identify him. With law enforcement personnel and members of her father’s staff being on Guerrero’s payroll, Juliana has no choice but to trust the man that broke her heart all those years ago.

I struggled a bit with this one. It’s a solid story but there was nothing special to make this stand out from any other Harlequin Intrigue I’ve read. It’s missing that magic touch I’ve come to expect from Cynthia Eden’s books. The bad guys and two secondary characters were fleshed out and so interesting to read. Their pasts were detailed, the emotions rich, and I was fully invested in their scenes. Unfortunately, Logan and Juliana felt flat to me. The book turned around in the last 20% and I adored the ending but it was a long and sometimes boring journey to get there.

I’ll be looking for the next book in this series because I think the two secondary characters I enjoyed are up next but ALPHA ONE will not be making it to my keeper shelf.

Genre: Romantic Suspense
Release Date: January 2, 2013
Format: Print and digital

Preorder:
Amazon
Barnes & Noble

 

Read Full Post »

Lillie’s Favorite Books of 2012

I read the first book in the Darkest London series by Kristen Callihan earlier in the year and really enjoyed it. Then I won an ARC of MOONGLOW. Holy smokes, I was in love. Dark and angsty, I loved the hero and heroine equally. Callihan’s writing style is so lush, I felt like I was right there for every moment of the story. Not only is MOONGLOW one of my favorite books of 2012, Kristen Callihan is my favorite new author of the year. (My review)

I’ve been a fan of this series for a while. Vivian Arend’s cowboys are always fun and sexy but ROCKY MOUNTAIN ANGEL was extra special for me. Gabe has been the caregiver of the bunch. Not as wild as his cousins, always stepping in to clean up their messes, he never had the limelight and had a habit of always putting others first. I loved seeing him find a heroine who made Gabe her priority and gave him the HEA he deserved.

When a book can make me reach for ice water, sob like a baby, give happy sighs, and email friends with “Read it! OMG, the ending! READ!” all within 30 minutes, I have to put it on the list. The Fallen series as a whole is pretty awesome but ANGEL IN CHAINS by Cynthia Eden was amazing. (My review)

If I had a checklist of all my favorite things in romance novels, THE VIRGIN’S REVENGE by Dee Tenorio hits almost every one of them.  A geeky hero in love with his best friend’s little sister (who’s just a wee bit bitchy), all set in a small town that I’ve come to love. It’s pretty much my perfect book. It was such a joy to read! Plus it gave me Locke, the heroine’s big brother. I’ve developed a bigger crush on this fictional character than I have anyone in real life. So when Locke’s book comes out, just remember that I claimed him first. He’s all mine 😉

Dystopian romance? My first thought was “No, thank you. I don’t read that genre.” Then I got an early look at BEYOND SHAME by Kit Rocha and I couldn’t shut up about it. Apparently I DO read dystopian romance and I love it! Dark, gritty, unique, and oh so dirty, this was my most surprising love of 2012. Book two can’t get here soon enough for me.

I think I should just give in and crown Shannon Stacey the queen of contemporary novellas. I normally prefer longer books but Shannon’s novellas just work for me and SLOW SUMMER KISSES was no exception to that. With perfect pacing, I never felt the book was rushed or missing something. Pure entertainment from the first page, I’ve reread this numerous times this year. (My review)

I read CHAOS BURNING by Lauren Dane for the first time in May and I am still thinking about this book. It’s edgy, risky, and it taught me an important lesson. Expected the unexpected from Lauren Dane. I’ve read all her books and thought I had a grasp on what to expect but I never saw this one coming. (My review)

NEVER SEDUCE A SCOT by Maya Banks has already become a comfort read for me. It’s one of those books that just make me happy. Eveline’s inner strength caught me from the beginning and Graeme is a strong, tender hero that always makes me sigh. This is the type of book that made me fall in love with romance so many years ago.

What can I really say about ORACLE’S MOON by Thea Harrison? I poured out my love for Khalil in my review. I still can’t see others mention this book without sighing his name like breathless schoolgirl. Really, this level of love for a fictional character is a little embarrassing. (My review)

I don’t like sports, barely know what a touchdown is, yet I’ve become addicted to the Play-by-Play series by Jaci Burton. I’ve enjoyed them all but PLAYING TO WIN is my favorite so far. I loved seeing Cole’s redemption and watching him prove to Savannah that he could be what she needed.

This is the book I was waiting for. The anticipation for ROGUE RIDER by Larissa Ione has been building for 4 books and it was worth every second of the wait. Respeth was possibly the baddest bad boy the romance genre has seen and he earned his HEA. And the big reveal toward the end? Totally worth it!

 

Honorable Mentions

The next two books couldn’t be put on my list because I stuck with books published in 2012 and these will not be officially out until 2013 but they deserve to be here.

HIGH RISK is the debut book in Vivian Arend’s Adrenaline series. It has all the sexiness and fun I’ve come to expect from Vivian but it also has a deeper emotional side as the beautifully flawed hero and heroine work together to overcome emotional trauma and find love.

SHADES OF GRAY will be out in a few days and it is my favorite book by Maya Banks. It’s not an easy read and I needed a box of tissues to get through it. It broke my heart and then gave me an ending that healed it. The commitment of the KGI family shined in this book and PJ may be my favorite heroine ever.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Read Full Post »

Kristina Knight – Winner!

Michelle Grayce

wins WHAT A TEXAS GIRL NEEDS by Kristina Knight

Congrats! To claim your prize, please email mad @ romancereaderatheart.com (without the spaces). You have 48 hours to email before a new name is chosen.

Read Full Post »

Kristina Knight: Guest Post & Giveaway

Vanessa Witte is ready to finally claim her life. The middle of three daughters born into the Witte family – a powerful Texas name – she’s been content to float through life. Being dumped by her shady ex? A blessing in disguise. Having a one-night-stand with Matias Barnes? Not one of her more stellar moments. But she’s back in Lockhardt with a secret and a reason to start fresh: A baby.

Matias Barnes knows all about society women – it’s part of the reason he left his wealthy family behind and took a job on a ranch. He doesn’t like the endless string of parties, the inane conversation, or the gold-digging tricks those women have perfected. But that doesn’t stop him from wanting Vanessa Witte. Mat knows she’s so not right for him, but with her back in Lockhardt, can he resist her charms long enough to really let her go?

 

~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~

I probably shouldn’t admit this, but I never set out to write a trilogy about three sisters who grew up and apart in Texas. I started out wanting to write Kathleen’s story – the story of a modern woman who isn’t afraid to take what she wants in business but is very much afraid of admitting what she wants for herself. But then I started to write that story and new people started cropping up, namely her sisters.

 

There was Vanessa, who was spoiled and lost and eversoslightly demanding. There was Monica who thought she had everything – a great career, a man waiting at home. And neither one would leave me along long enough to get a firm handle on Kathleen’s story. So I started writing down bits of backstory for Vanessa and Monica in separate files – enough to keep them happy, not enough to take the spotlight away from Kathleen – and kept pushing forward.

 

The more I wrote down bits of Vanessa’s and Monica’s stories, the more I wanted to tell them. Not because I didn’t love Kathleen, but because I loved Kathleen. She was getting her happily ever after and while her story was a fun one to tell, I felt badly that Vanessa and Monica were stuck in a kind of romance-limbo. So I fiddle a little more and wondering what could be the absolute worst thing that could happen for each of them.

 

And then I did what is probably the scariest thing I’ve ever done (at least so far): I sent my editor a proposal based on rough character sketches, a sample chapter and what can never be called actual synopsis’  – and not just because the final drafts of the stories only loosely resemble them. The second scariest moment: why my editor emailed to say she loved the ideas and wanted me to write the stories. And attached two contracts to the email. Signing a contract for two books that were still mostly in my head? Freaky!

 

But, I wrote and wrote and revised and I did get to tell Vanessa and Monica’s stories – and a little birdie tells me I may even have made my editor a little weepy at one point. So, here’s to facing down scary ideas!

Buy Links:
Amazon
iTunes

Author Bio:

Once upon a time, Kristina Knight spent her days running from car crash to fire to meetings with local police–no, she wasn’t a troublemaker, she was a journalist. When the opportunity to focus a bit of energy on the stories in her head, she jumped at it. And she’s never looked back. Now she writes magazine articles by day and romance novels with spice by night. She lives on Lake Erie with her husband and three-year-old daughter. Happily ever after.

Find Kristina online:

Website: http://www.kristinaknightauthor.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/kristinaknightromanceauthor

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/authorkristina

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/kristinaknight

Leave a comment for a chance to win an e-copy of What a Texas Girl Needs. Good luck!

Read Full Post »

Winners!

trish dechant

wins the first two books in Jaci Burton’s Kent Brothers series

*

CrystalGB

wins We’ll Be Home For Christmas by HelenKay Dimon

*

flchen1

wins Breath On Embers by Anne Calhoun

*

Congrats! To claim your prize, please email mad @ romancereaderatheart.com (without the spaces). You have 48 hours to email before a new name is chosen.

Read Full Post »

Meet Thea Moretti by Anne Calhoun

 

Christmas is the perfect time for Firefighter Ronan O’Rourke to take things to the next level with his sexually adventurous girlfriend. He knows she has feelings for him—and he’s sure of his feelings for her—but when Thea refuses his invitation to sample Christmas in New York City because what they share is nothing more than sheet-burning sex, Ronan sets out to change her mind.

Deep down Thea Moretti knows she cares for Ronan, but she can’t move past her grief over her late husband. Loud music and sex with Ronan are the only things she’s got that her feel alive, so she takes as much of both as she can get. She knows Ronan wants more, but during the darkest time of the year finding her way won’t be easy.

Ronan gambles everything and challenges Thea: one night of passion with him and another man. Can he prove to her that what they share isn’t just great sex but an emotional connection strong enough to last forever?

~~~*~~~*~~~

Meet Thea Moretti

 

Thea walks into the Starbucks at 87^th and Lex and orders a peppermint hot cocoa. She’s wearing leggings and boots and a pea coat, with her blond hair spilling out of her black watchcap, and a scarf wrapped around her neck.

 

Thea: Ronan said you wrote a story about us.

 

Anne: He’s pissed at me, I assume.

 

Thea: To put it mildly.

 

Anne: He’ll get over it. So, how are you?

 

Thea: Better, thanks. It was a long couple of years.

 

Anne: I can’t imagine what it’s like to lose a husband you love, and at your favorite time of year, too.

 

Thea: Words can’t really describe the loss. I thought I was going to grow old with Jesse and raise our kids in Columbus, Ohio, celebrating Christmas every year with our families. Then he died. I loved Jesse, and I thought I’d never feel alive again, let alone love like that.

 

Anne: Why did you move to New York City?

 

Thea: I needed to get out of Columbus. Both our families were watching me grieve. It was like being pinned to a corkboard by an entomologist. When a headhunter called about a job at Cooper Bensonhurst, I took it. I thought it would help. It didn’t.

 

Anne: Until you met Ronan.

 

Thea (sips cocoa): I didn’t meet Ronan so much as hurl myself into sex with him. I saw the most wickedly handsome man I’d ever seen in real life. Black hair, blue eyes, firefighter’s dress uniform over a firefighter’s build, hot enough to be a total player but surprisingly a really good guy. A good man, even after we hooked up.

 

Anne: So he snared you with the uniform and kept you with character?

 

Thea (smiles): In hindsight, I didn’t stand a chance.

 

Anne: But you held him off as long as you could.

 

Thea: I’m stubborn. (pauses) There’s this strange space when you’re grieving, where you want something so passionately, but you’ve forgotten how to have it. I could get all the other things I needed – food, water, sex. I could work. I could function. I’d just forgotten how to be alive.

 

Anne (types away): You give answers much more easily than Ronan.

 

Thea: He’s very protective of me.

 

Anne: In what way? In the story he specifically says he doesn’t let you do anything.

 

Thea: There’s more to protecting than deciding what someone can or can’t do. He could have forced the issue so many different times, given up, or demanded I get over Jesse or lose him forever. Ronan’s infinitely patient. He gave me the space I needed to say goodbye when it was the right time to say goodbye…until I hurt him.

 

Anne: And hurt him you did.

 

Thea: I think I had to go there, to feel what I was doing to myself, and to someone I loved, even if I wouldn’t admit it. But if he’d been a hardass about it I would have just resisted more. It’s hard to stand strong against someone who gives you everything but the freedom to destroy yourself.

 

Anne (whispers): Don’t tell the other guys, but Ronan’s actually my favorite hero.

 

Thea (whispers back): Ronan said you were a little odd, but I think you have good taste.

 

Anne: Last question…why should people read this story?

 

Thea: I can’t imagine why anyone would want to read about me, but Ronan’s worth it. Ronan’s…everything. He’s amazing.

 

Anne: Funny, Ronan said the same thing.

 

Thea (in disbelief): Ronan said to read the story for him?

 

Anne: No, he said to read it for you. That you were amazing, and that every time he looks at you, his heart nearly stops from the shock of it.

 

Thea: Wow. Really?

 

Anne: Yeah.

 

Thea: That’s kind of sweet. (sips cocoa) So. You included everything between December 3 and Christmas Eve?

 

Anne: I did.

 

Thea: December was an excellent month.

 

Anne: What’s next for you two?

 

Thea: We’re taking it slow. More dinners, more walks in the park. We made great plans for New Year’s Eve. January promises to be better than December.

 

Anne: Oooh! Tell me about them!

 

Thea (slightly wicked smile): I think you need to move on, Ms. Calhoun.

 

Anne (wrinkles brow): Hmmmmm. You may be right. Now that you and Ronan are sorted, perhaps I’ll work on poor Tim. So gorgeous and yet such bad lines.

 

Thea: Good luck.

 

Anne: Thanks. I’m going to need it.

 

If you want to spend a little more time with Thea, and Ronan, the man who wouldn’t let her drown, ask Thea a question in the comments for a chance to win a copy of BREATH ON EMBERS! I promise she’ll answer all of them. 🙂

annecalhoun.com
twitter.com/annecalhoun
facebook.com/anne.calhoun

One commenter will win a digital copy of BREATH ON EMBERS.  Good luck!

Read Full Post »

Cover Goodness – Avenging Angel by Cynthia Eden

Wheee! Cynthia Eden revealed her newest cover on Facebook today. AVENGING ANGEL, from The Fallen series!

I haven’t found a blurb yet but this is what Cynthia said about it on FB.

AVENGING ANGEL will be out on 5/28/13. This book focuses on Marna and Tanner (if you read ANGEL IN CHAINS, then you met these two!). He’s a shifter, she’s a fallen angel. Trouble *must* be coming their way.

I am so excited about this one! If you’ve read my reviews for this series (Angel Betrayed and Angel in Chains) you know I’ve developed an almost fan-girl love for these books. They are dark and gritty with so much angst! And Marna and Tanner played a big part in ANGEL IN CHAINS so my anticipation level is through the roof! Is it May yet?

(Also, I think I used my monthly allowance of exclamation points on this one post. Oops 😉 )

Read Full Post »