Breaking the Rules by Mel Curtis

 

 

 

Excerpt:

Vivian Gordon had a problem.

A six-foot-two-inch hunk of a problem.

Sex with Jack hadn’t solved the problem. Marrying him hadn’t solved the problem. Leaving him hadn’t solved the problem.

The problem was that Viv loved her husband, but Jack didn’t love her.

It wasn’t as if Jack was incapable of love, as some of Hollywood moguls seemed to be. No, Jack had passion aplenty, but it was for the NBA team he owned, the L.A. Flash, not for a woman. Not for Viv.

Viv watched Jack swim his daily laps with strong, commanding strokes. Heaven forbid Jack didn’t get his laps in. If he didn’t, he was the biggest shit.

Her Gianvito Rossi black suede lace up heels clicked slowly across the white marble tile as she approached the patio doors in the house they’d once shared. Her cadence was one of a doomed prisoner being shown the open door of the gas chamber.

This is the end.

And she’d chosen the execution date.

 

Buy Links:

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/breaking-the-rules/id917829215?ls=1&mt=11

Kobo: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/breaking-the-rules-29

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NHDOZT4

 

 

Special Offers:

Readers of this blog can download a FREE copy of Amber Rules from Melinda’s web site October 28-November 3, 2014. Three books are currently out in the series. Link: www.MelindaCurtis.net Username: Amber_Rules Password: blogtour2014

 

Readers of this blog will be sent a FREE sweet new adult novella set within the Hollywood Rules world by signing up for Melinda’s book release email newsletter. Link: http://www.melindacurtis.net/join-melinda-s-mailing-list

 

Bio/Info

Melinda Curtis is an award winning, USA Today bestselling author. She writes the fun, steamy Hollywood Rules series as Mel Curtis. Jayne Ann Krentz says of Blue Rules: “Sharp, sassy, modern version of a screwball comedy from Hollywood’s Golden Age except a lot hotter.” Melinda also writes the Harmony Valley series of sweet and emotional romances for Harlequin Heartwarming, and the indie-pubbed Bridesmaid series. Brenda Novak says: “Season of Change has found a place on my keeper shelf”.

Website: http://www.MelindaCurtis.net

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MelindaCurtisAuthor

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Guest Post: Does Size Matter? by Andrea Laurence

Five years ago, high school sweethearts Ivy and Blake’s relationship imploded and both their lives were changed forever. Ivy became a rock star and Blake lost not only his dreams of a successful NFL career, but his reputation. Ivy’s angry song about their breakup, called “Size Matters”; hit the top of the charts and Blake became a national laughingstock. He’s salvaged his career and returned to Rosewood to be the high school football coach, regaining his status as town hero and leading the boys to the state championships.

 

When a tornado whips through town and destroys the high school gymnasium and stadium, a committee is formed to help rebuild and plan some charity fundraisers. Blake’s grandmother requests that Ivy return to Rosewood for the events. Forced back together for the good of their hometown and their careers, Ivy and Blake have no choice but to put aside their differences, stop running from their pasts, and finally face the music.

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Does Size Matter?

Did that title get your attention? I’m betting so. In my new southern contemporary, Facing the Music, the heroine is a rock star that has made her career writing songs about her exes that aren’t so flattering. Ivy’s first song, her breakout hit, was called “Size Matters”. It was written about her high-school sweetheart after she finds he’s made out with a cheerleader while they were apart. The song becomes an anthem for underwhelmed women everywhere and her ex, Blake, becomes a national laughingstock.

 

Now, in full disclosure, the song isn’t really about Blake’s junk. It’s about the size of his heart and how he was holding back in their relationship, but you’d only get that if you really listened to the lyrics. If you just sang along with the chorus, it’s all about a woman who admits she’s lied when she told her lover that size didn’t matter. Here’s a few lines from the song:

 

Size matters…

I said it didn’t, I didn’t mean it

I told you everything was fine

But size does matter

 

Blake and Ivy have a big hurdle to get over when she returns to her home town and they’re forced to work together for the common good. Both of them have some apologizing to do, some growing up to do and some lost time to make up for.

 

But it does raise an interesting and controversial question.

 

Does size matter?

 

As with all romance heroes, Blake is not lacking in the physical attributes department, which Ivy finally admits. If romance novels are supposed to be driven by women’s fantasies, it would seem that size does matter. And yet, is there too much of a good thing? Is it more about what you can do with it? Let’s have a discussion. Be honest and tell me what you think and maybe we can answer this question once and for all…

 

— Andrea Laurence

 

Excerpt from Facing the Music

 

“I wish I could silence every iPod in America,” Blake retorted. “I would consider it a public service—protecting the general population from bitter, autotuned, subpar pop music.”

 

“First,” Ivy said, taking a few steps toward him. Her spine was ramrod straight and defiant, pressing her breasts against her silky top and giving him unhelpful flashbacks to today’s earlier encounter. “My music is not autotuned. I am not a belly-baring teenage pop princess. I play my own instruments. I perform live. I write my own music. And if that music is bitter, you’ve got no one to blame but yourself.”

 

“Blame?” Blake laughed. “I think I should get a cut of those four million sales. Before I broke your heart, your songs were nothing but the sad refrains of coffeehouse open mic nights.”

 

Ivy’s mouth fell open, her response stolen from her lips. It was a low blow and he knew it. Ivy had struggled with her music for months. He knew how hard she’d worked and how her professors just hadn’t seen the emotion and spark that made her songs special.

 

Grant sidled up. “That’s probably not the best idea,” he noted. “Never piss off a woman with a dart in her hand unless you fancy an eye patch.”

 

Blake smiled and shook off his brother’s suggestion. “I’m not too worried about that. I remember watching her out on the field during gym in high school. Her aim was never that great.”

 

“It may not be,” Ivy said, recovering herself. “But at least if I stuck something in you, you’d notice.”

 

A roar of voices and laughter followed her insult. Blake sighed. Why did she always go for the small-dick jokes? He didn’t have one. He wanted to scream it at the top of his lungs, but it would only make him look like he protested too much. No one would believe him, and he wasn’t about to start wagging it at strangers on the street to prove his point. It was above average. And an excellent performer, too, if his reviews could be trusted. He’d never heard any complaints.

 

Ivy, of course, didn’t count.

 

Author Biography

Andrea Laurence has been a lover of reading and writing stories since she learned to read at a young age. She always dreamed of seeing her work in print and is thrilled to finally be able to share her special blend of sensuality and dry, sarcastic humor with the world. A dedicated West Coast girl transplanted into the Deep South, she’s working on her own “happily ever after” with her boyfriend and their collection of animals including a Siberian Husky that sheds like nobody’s business.

Social Networking Links

Website: http://andrealaurence.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorAndreaLaurence

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Andrea_Laurence

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5398672.Andrea_Laurence

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GIVEAWAY

For the chance to win Facing the Music by Andrea Laurence just leave a comment below. The winner will be drawn on Sunday. Good luck!

 

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Jacquie Biggar – Guest blog and Giveaway

ALL SHE WANTED WAS TO LIVE HER LIFE
Sara Sheridan found the courage to escape from under her husband’s oppressive thumb, so she sure wasn’t interested in getting mixed up with another alpha attitude laden male. Especially with her ex hot on her trail.

ALL HE WANTED WAS PEACE AND QUIET
Nick Kelley needed escape from the memories that haunted him. He wanted to just be left alone. So what was it about his reticent neighbor and her child that tempted him to give it up?

THEN LOVE GOT IN THE WAY
Nick and Sara’s growing attraction for each other leads them down a dangerous path as her ex-husband closes in on the new life she’s made for her daughter and herself and threatens to blow it all apart.

 

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As the cooler temperatures come upon us with the onset of autumn, our souls search for warmth and serenity. Maybe with a crackling fire, warm blanket, and a good book. Or perhaps a nice bubble bath with scented candles, soft music, and a glass of wine.

Still others spend the day in the kitchen baking up delicious treats for their loved ones to enjoy. In my book, Tidal Falls, Grace Martin loves baking for her customers at Grits and Grace only second to her love of matchmaking. And when her young friend, Sara Reed, introduces Grace to the handyman hired to fix Sara’s house, her mind fills with ways to bring these two together.

Sara, on the run from an abusive ex-husband, wants nothing to do with matters of the heart. She’s already painfully learned how fickle that organ can be. But she can’t deny her attraction to the handsome Nick Kelley either.

 

Excerpt from Tidal Falls by Jacquie Biggar:

 

Pulling up to the curb in front of Grits and Grace, Sara turned off a grumbling Mirabelle, all the while arguing with herself over saying yes to a date with Ty. She wasn’t ready to jump back into the dating world. It’d taken her months after Tom to get to the point where she could even converse normally with a man.

She was perfectly satisfied with the status quo, thank you very much. Well okay, maybe not exactly…satisfied, per se. But she could certainly make do without men. Walter, her battery-operated boyfriend worked if she found herself desperate. The problem was Sara hadn’t realized until The Kiss, how much she’d missed some of the intimacies to be found between a man and a woman. Maybe it’d do her good to go out and test the dating pool. Have some fun, before her ovaries shriveled up like year old prunes.

Ignoring Miss Doom and Gloom going on inside her head, she pushed open the door of the diner, smiling as bells above sang out a tinkling welcome. Stopping for a moment, she was hit with a sensory overload of frying bacon, coffee, the clang of the till and chatter of happy patrons. Popular with the locals, it was much like stepping into a past era. A beautifully preserved Jukebox stood sentinel in a corner of the room, a slightly scratchy rendition of Teddy Bear emitting from its large speakers. Red leather seats, Formica tabletops and black and white checkerboard flooring were all straight out of a fifties sit-com. Looking for Nick, she found him at one of the window booths. He reminded her of bad boy, James Dean as he sat there with an arm over the back of the booth, flirting with Grace Martin, the diner’s owner.

One of her favorite people, Grace was every bit as tall as she was round. She epitomized the old adage, Never Trust a Skinny Cook. Blessed with a face that never seemed to age, she was one of those people you meet once and feel like you’ve known forever. Her diner was the perfect place to sit, have a thick slice of homemade apple pie topped with a generous scoop of slowly melting vanilla ice cream, and catch up on all the juicy gossip which made small town living so unique.

As she slid into her seat across the table from him, Nick cast those gorgeous lake blue eyes in her direction, and the sparkle lighting their depths reeled her in effortlessly—the man was lethal.

“Well, well, if it isn’t my, Sara Sunshine. Where you been hiding, girl? Old Gracie hasn’t seen you in far too long. And where is little, Jessica Bean?” Grace’s smoky voice drifted over her like a warm blanket.

Dragging her gaze away from Nick, Sara smiled at her friend. “Hi, Grace, and you’re right, it has been too long. Jessica is over at Tess’s house, probably baking up a storm.” They both grinned, well aware of Tess’s infamous messes whenever she got it in her head to bake. No dish was safe. “I wanted to drop in and see Annie for the paint I’d ordered, and thought I’d better stop for some of the delicious food you always spoil me with.”

“Well darlin’, I’ll get right on that, but first, who’s this young stud muffin? He’s been busy trying to sweet talk me into running away with him,” she smirked, her cheeks rushing up to meet her eyes. “It’s about time sugar-pie. I was beginning to think you needed me to find you a nice young man, but looking at him, you did a fine job all by your little lonesome.” Grace grinned at Nick, and Nick grinned back, looking already half in love, and he hadn’t even tasted the food yet.

“Oh no, it’s nothing like that.” Her cheeks warm, she hurried to clarify, “Nick’s my neighbor. He’s been doing some repairs on my house for Tess.” She caught a look that flickered across his face. How did he expect her to introduce him? She squirmed in her seat as his gaze dissected her for a long moment, his eyes now deep, reflective pools.

Then his mouth quirked, “Sweetheart, you’re going to give Grace here the wrong idea. You know I’m at your house more than I’m at my own.” Stretching across the table, he lifted up one of Sara’s hands and ran his thumb in a slow caress over the tops of her knuckles, causing goose bumps to erupt and her nipples to tighten.

Oh, man.

Pulling her over-sensitized hand out of his, she crossed her arms over her chest and chastised, “Nick, quit goofing off and let’s order. I’m starving.”

His low, “Me too, honey, me too,” sent quivers of lust shooting through her belly. She had a feeling he wasn’t talking about food anymore.

Grace gave them both a “get a room” look, but thankfully refrained from commenting on it. “Okay chickies, specials today are Broccoli and Cheese stuffed Tilapia, My Grace of God Meatloaf, or a Sloppy Joe Grilled Cheese. And for dessert, we have To Die for Strawberry Rhubarb Pie or Momma’s Recipe Pumpkin Bread Pudding with a warm caramel sauce drizzled over the top.”

“Well, I can’t turn down meatloaf, and the bread pudding sounds perfect. What do you think, Sara?” Nick asked, skimming a knowing look at her arms.

“I think I’ll stick with a nice salad, maybe with some grilled chicken on top. I need room for your strawberry pie, Grace; you know I can’t leave without having some of that.” She laughed.

“No wonder you’re so skinny, child. You need food if you’re going to put some meat on those bones.” Shaking her head, Grace waddled into her kitchen, no doubt intent on performing gourmet miracles.

 

Tidal Falls is available now on Amazon.com

 

Jacquie would love to connect via her website, Jacquie Biggar

 

Facebook or Twitter

 

GIVEAWAY

For the chance to win a digital copy of Tidal Falls just leave a comment below. The winner will be drawn on Sunday. Good luck!

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Cate Beauman — Guest Post & Giveaway

Cate Beauman is back with the seventh installment in her bestselling romantic suspense series, The Bodyguards of L.A. County. Saving Sophie will be on sale September 4th through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and iTunes!

Saving Sophie On Sale September 4th!

When the only choice is to run…

Jewelry designer Sophie Burke has fled Maine for the anonymity of the big city. She’s starting over with a job she tolerates and a grungy motel room she calls home on the wrong side of town, but anything is better than the nightmare she left behind.

Stone McCabe is Ethan Cooke Security’s brooding bad boy more interested in keeping to himself than anything else—until the gorgeous blond with haunted violet eyes catches his attention late one rainy night.

Stone reluctantly gives Sophie a hand only to quickly realize that the shy beauty with the soft voice and pretty smile has something to hide. Tangled up in her secrets, Stone offers Sophie a solution that has the potential to free her from her problems once and for all—or jeopardize both of their lives.

Read an excerpt from Saving Sophie:

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The Best Kind of Trouble by Lauren Dane – Guest Blog and Giveaway

 She has complete control…and he’s determined to take it away.

A librarian in the small town of Hood River, Natalie Clayton’s world is very nearly perfect. After a turbulent childhood and her once-wild ways, life is now under control. But trouble has a way of turning up unexpectedly—especially in the tall, charismatically sexy form of Paddy Hurley….

And Paddy is the kind of trouble that Natalie has a taste for.

Even after years of the rock and roll lifestyle, Paddy never forgot the two wickedly hot weeks he once shared with Natalie. Now he wants more…even if it means tempting Natalie and her iron-grip control. But there’s a fine line between well-behaved and misbehaved—and the only compromise is between the sheets!

 

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All About the Chase

 

I love a good wooing. Wooing is the foundation of all four Chase Brothers books. A hero in hot pursuit is sexy, determined and sweet.

 

In The Best Kind of Trouble, Paddy Hurley is having a cup of coffee in a local coffeshop in town when he bumps into someone from his past. A gorgeous blonde he’d spent two hot weeks with years before, right before they finally got the break that made his band, Sweet Hollow Ranch, into superstars.

 

And there she is, years later and he can’t stop thinking about her. Even as she tries—and fails—to keep him out of her life. Paddy is successful because he works tirelessly to get what he wants.

 

And what he wants is Natalie.

 

Both of them have hurts and issues that cause them hurt and a misstep here and there. But happy endings take work and in the end working is what Natalie and Paddy do.

 

I hope you all love Paddy and his relentless charm and Natalie’s vulnerable hesitation in this one 🙂

 

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For more information visit www.laurendane.com. And for a chance to win a copy of The Best Kind of Trouble just leave a comment below. Good luck!

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Jessica Clare – Guest Blog and Giveaway

Annabelle Tucker is still reeling from last season’s Endurance Island, when the man she loved played her for a fool. When producers ask her back for a new season it’s the last thing she’s interested in…until she hears her ex, the gorgeous but duplicitous Kip, will be there. Revenge and a grand prize? Yes, please!

But someone’s there to throw a kink into her plans. Someone tall and cut, and with the sexiest gray eyes. Jendan Abercrombie’s on an opposing team, but it doesn’t mean that Annabelle can’t lust after him, right? She’ll just have to save all that lusting for post-show, when she’s free to follow where her loins lead.

When a tribal twist puts them both on the same team – naked – will Annabelle be able to resist his very apparent charms? Or will she have to vote Jendan out to save her game?

 

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The Reality of a Reality TV Romance

 

Hi guys!

 

It’s no secret that I’m a reality TV junkie. While a lot of people can sit down and watch Law & Order for hours on end (cough my husband cough), I’m the one squirreling up copies of old seasons of reality TV shows. Paradise Hotel, anyone? Expedition: Impossible? Naked and Afraid? Oh yeah. I’m all about me some TV competitions. I actually wrote WICKED GAMES (the first Games book) simply because I wanted to read a Survivor-type romance and I hadn’t found one. Simple answer – write one myself! I did, and it sat on my hard drive for years, long before Rob and Amber hooked up in All-Stars and before this whole ‘self publishing’ thing ever rolled around. Reception was good, so I decided to write more in the series. They’re light, fun beach reads, right?

 

 

These books are EASILY the most difficult ones that I’ve written and involve the most planning. You wouldn’t think so, but it’s true! Not only am I fleshing out the hero and heroine and plotting out their romance ARC, but I’ve also got to come up with a gameshow. I’ve got to make the rules, create other contestants, and then create challenge after challenge to put my characters through. Not only am I showing what’s happening through the heroine’s eyes, but I’ve got to somehow show my hero’s ARC as well, and make it exciting show-wise without it being the same old story every time.

 

Oh, and did I mention the locations? Because I have to study those, too! No good reality  TV competition would be perfect without local cuisine, sights, smells, sounds, you name it. I basically spend weeks researching and mapping out things before I start writing. Book two – PLAYING GAMES – was based off of The Amazing Race and so I threw in all the places I’d ever wanted to visit, like Cappadocia or Troy or the Great Pyramids. Experiencing it through characters is almost as much fun as visiting.

 

I also fudge the rules and reality a bit for my characters. I mean, on Survivor, no one’s being waxed or handed razors and there’s probably no condoms on the island. But this is romance! I can’t imagine rubbing 3-week stubbly legs up against the hero, so I have to keep the ‘fantasy’ going a bit more. So if the heroine’s ass is covered in bug-bites, well, it’s played down enough for some sexy time on the beach anyhow. 😉

 

Most of all, I just try to have fun with things. I hope you have as much fun reading as I do writing them (maps, character grids, and all!).

 

 

 

About Jessica Clare:

Jessica Clare is a New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author who writes under three different names. As Jill Myles, she writes a little bit of everything, from sexy, comedic urban fantasy to zombie fairy tales. As Jessica Clare, she writes erotic contemporary romance.

She also has a third pen name (because why stop at two?). As Jessica Sims, she writes fun, sexy shifter paranormals. She lives in Texas with her husband, cats, and too many dust-bunnies. Jill spends her time writing, reading, writing, playing video games, and doing even more writing.

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To read a few snippets of Body Games click here. And for a chance to win a digital copy of Body Games by Jessica Clare just leave a comment below. Good luck!

 

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Beth Matthews – Guest Blog and Giveaway

After dating her childhood sweetheart Max on and off for years, aspiring actress Nicola Charles is finally ready to move on. It’s time for her to focus on her stage career and stay away from Max–before he can break her heart again.

Max regrets hurting Nicola, but he wants another chance. So when his play loses its leading lady, giving Nicola the part seems like the perfect opportunity to win back his old flame.

But the course of true love—and a theater production—never do run smooth. As Max fights to reignite Nicola’s love, the onstage antics can’t rival the bedlam backstage: a neurotic cast, a prickly crew, and an evil diva of a director who’s got designs on Max.

As Nicola and Max battle to keep the drama onstage, Max can’t help wondering if their romance will end with the last performance. Or have the two of them finally captured what they’ve dreamed of all their lives? True Love.

 

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Favorite Actor Books

 

One of my favorite “tropes” in romance novels is the actor hero/heroine. Unfortunately, it is very difficult to get this right. One of my biggest pet peeves is when the lead character is an actor but you never get to watch him act!

 

I can never get enough of actor books, though, which is probably why I’m writing the Stage Kiss Series, a whole series of nothing but actor heroes/heroines! The first book A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S FLING came out this month, and tells the story of two reunited lovers trying to work out their issues amidst all the bedlam backstage at a theater company.

 

See, I like books where you see the character on set, working on their part, getting their costume fitted, on location, etc. All the nitty gritty behind the scenes stuff. (I’m also a sucker for DVD extras and commentary tracks, incidentally…)

 

One book that really gets the actor stuff right for me is BETWEEN THE LINES by Tammara Webber (the first book in her Between the Lines NA series). I love this book because we see the actors working on location, working on their scenes, auditioning. And the book is really sexy too.

 

Speaking of working on location, THE WHITE KNIGHT by Josh Lanyon, a M/M romance, has some great on-location scenes for its actor hero. Also, it’s Josh Lanyon, who is an incredible writer, and the couple in this book have great chemistry. (It’s number two in the series, though, so probably start with THE DARK HORSE if you’re a series completist like me. 😀 )

 

Another favorite of mine is ALL OVER YOU by Sarah Mayberry. The heroine is a writer and script supervisor on a soap opera, and the hero is one of the stars who’s started directing for the show too. She’s sassy, quirky, and a fan of vintage fashion. The hero is smoking hot and a little awkward sometimes, which is charming. And the way they hook up is by being thrown together on a big project for their show. It’s an actor book AND a workplace romance.

 

OK, so if I’m a really picky “actor hero” reader, you’re probably wondering what my very, very favorite actor book is, right?

 

That would have to be AGAIN by Kathleen Gilles Seidel. This book features a Regency era soap opera (with lots of Georgette Heyer in-jokes for all you Regency fans), the hero is an actor, and the heroine is the head writer/creator of the show. Fabulous romance and so much juicy acting stuff! This is one of my favorite romances period; Seidel is a very talented author. The heroine is a tomboy and wicked smart. The hero is just wonderful: tender, nurturing, but he’ll still take you down if you mess with his woman.

 

Are any of you fans of the actor hero trope? Did I leave some of your favorite books off this list? Tell me, tell me! As you probably know by now, I’m always on the lookout for another great actor book. 😉

 

 

Book Buy Links:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00LHDTHF8

http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/a-midsummer-night-s-fling

https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-amidsummernight039sfling-1562514-149.html

My info:

Website: http://bethmatthewsbooks.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Beth-Matthews/244314945645273

Goodreads link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22667014-a-midsummer-night-s-fling

Twitter: @IAmBethMatthews

Author bio:

Beth Matthews is a California girl, born and raised. She’s a total geek, a movie buff, and a mediocre swing dancer. She lives in sunny SoCal with her boyfriend and two of the neediest housecats on the planet.

 

GIVEAWAY

For the chance to win a digital copy of A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S FLING by Beth Matthews just leave a comment below. The winner will be drawn on Sunday. Good luck!

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Cover Goodness: Razed by Shiloh Walker

 

RAZED, a sexy romance by award-winning author, Shiloh Walker, is the much awaited sequel to WRECKED in the Barnes Brothers series and it releases this December from Berkley!

 

Take a look at the cover and let us know what you think!

Don’t forget to enter the giveaway for a chance to win a signed paperback copy of WRECKED, along with some fabulous swag! (Yes, it’s international :))

 

 

Rafflecopter Giveaway

 

About RAZED:

 

Tattoo artist Keelie Jessup can handle that someone else has claimed the man of her dreams. She’s just not pleased with her remaining options…

Keelie doesn’t believe in the “perfect man.” But the men who are worth the trouble are usually taken—like her business partner Zach Barnes. After a string of bad luck and the lost chance with Zach, Keelie decides that maybe flying solo—and living with suppressed desires—is the key to happiness.

As a photographer, Zane Barnes has an eye for the human form, and his eyes can’t get enough of Keelie’s curves. Unfortunately, Keelie is like most women—always fawning over his little brother, Zach. Zane is about ready to give up, but then a few stolen moments at his brother’s wedding have him thinking maybe there’s a chance there after all. Now he just has to prove that the perfect man does exist…for her.

 

Indiebound | BN | BAMM | iBooks | Amazon

 

Also in the Barnes Brothers series: WRECKED by Shiloh Walker!

 

About Shiloh Walker:

 

Shiloh Walker has been writing since she was a kid… she fell in love with vampires with the book Bunnicula and has worked her way up to the more…ah… serious vampire stories. She loves reading and writing anything paranormal, anything fantasy, but most all anything romantic. Once upon a time, she worked as a nurse, but now she writes full time and lives with her family in the Midwest. She also writes under the pen name J. C. Daniels.

 

Website | Facebook | Twitter| Goodreads

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Marie Harte – Guest Blog

It’s official! The Troublemaker Next Door releases today, and I couldn’t be happier.

You have Maddie, a woman having the mother of all bad days—her boss sexually harassed her, and her lukewarm boyfriend decided to ditch their relationship. Just when she thinks life couldn’t get any worse, she meets the poster boy for a man-of-the-month calendar—Flynn McCauley.

Flynn is a plumber. His isn’t a sexy job, but he gets a lot of repeat business due to his work ethic, skill, bright green eyes and sexy grin. He’s one of four brothers, and when not giving the others a hard time about, well, everything, he’s much in demand with the ladies. But not only is Flynn a great guy, he’s a terrific uncle, family man, and hell on wheels between the sheets.

Maddie finds herself drawn to him, but she’ll only settle for a casual relationship—with benefits. Or so she keeps telling herself as she falls deeper under his spell.

Casual works for Flynn. Until it doesn’t work for Flynn, because the feisty redhead is all he wants in a woman. It’ll take some smooth moves to work his way into her heart. That’s if he can get past her wary reserve, and she can realize how much she loves him and let go of the past.

Here’s an excerpt from The Troublemaker Next Door:

***

“Oh man, I’m really sorry.” Abby apologized for the fourth time in as many seconds.

“Hey, don’t worry about it. Sounds like your friend had the mother of all bad days.” Flynn still had a hard time catching his breath.

 

Had Mike said the women were hot? He was out of his celibate mind. Abby had cute down to a science, and that resemblance to Lea which kind of freaked him out. But Maddie? She of the long legs, killer rack, and sultry face? Sultry, a word he’d never used to describe a woman. But damn, it fit. She wasn’t pretty or cute, but with full lips, that flush on her cheeks, and those direct, man-hating eyes so dark they looked like never-ending night, the woman had a knockout punch he still hadn’t recovered from.

 

“Maddie can be a little dramatic, but she had cause.” Abby picked up her friend’s purse and shoes and put them on the desk next to her computer.

 

It suddenly struck Flynn that in all the time he’d been standing there listening to Maddie, he hadn’t noticed that the women had turned his mother’s idea of a sitting room into an office.

 

French doors off the smaller room gave it a bigger feel, and the hardwoods had been covered with a Persian rug in dark red accents. Dark red, reminding him of Maddie’s hair. Man, he had a thing for redheads. All that temper… he could only imagine what she’d be like in bed.

 

“Flynn?”

 

“Sorry. Hey, you want me to go down to her boss’s office and pound some sense into him?”

 

She blinked. “Probably not a good idea unless you want a lawsuit. Fred Hampton has a lot of money.”

 

He shrugged. “That’s okay. I know a lot of people who’d back me up. Heck, my nephew would alibi me with no problem. I’ll go kick this Fred guy’s ass, and we’ll all pretend I was here fixing your sink while Colin watched me the whole time. Kid has the face of angel but can lie like a champ.” Was it bad he sounded like he was bragging? Though the thought of beating the shit out of Maddie’s boss had real appeal. Who the hell treated a woman like that but real scum?

 

“Nice offer. I’ll pass it on to Maddie when she’s in a better mood. Now, about the sink, how much do I owe you for parts or labor or whatever?”

 

He shook his head. “Your landlord should have handled this when the problem first happened.” He made a mental note to talk to his mom and dad after he chewed out Mike.

 

“It’s not their fault. I kind of dragged my feet to get it fixed. Vanessa usually handles the house issues, but she’s been busy at work lately.”

 

“Please tell me she doesn’t work with Maddie.” He liked saying her name. Short for Madison? Madeleine? He’d have to find out.

 

Abby snorted. “No way. Vanessa is an accountant. Very cut and dry. The woman means business when it comes to numbers. You need a good person to do your taxes, you should call her.”

 

“I would if I didn’t make my little brother, I mean, if my little brother hadn’t already offered to take care of them for me.”

 

She laughed and walked with him to the kitchen to grab his tools. “I have two sisters. They can be a handful. At least mine live on the East Coast.”

 

“Lucky you.” Cameron was such a snot. Thought he knew everything when it came to financial planning. From what little Flynn knew, his brother did, but it didn’t help Cam’s already huge ego to point that out. “If you need anything else, let me know.” He fished a business card out of his back pocket.

 

“You really are a plumber.” Her surprise disgruntled him, and she must have seen it, because she blushed. “I know you said you were, but I thought that might have been a little brotherly competition. As in, you’re better at plumbing than he is. And besides, you don’t look anything like our old neighborhood plumber. He was an older man with a big belly and that problem men get with their pants when they bend over.”

 

It took him a minute. “Ah. Crack, the nonaddictive kind. The pants too low for you?”

 

She shuddered. “Way too low.” So much for thinking the woman was shy. “But yours seem okay. Forgive me for making generalizations.”

 

She walked him to the front door.

 

“No problem. But if you want, I could wear my pants really low for you the next time your sink clogs.”

 

She winked. “Sounds good to me.”

 

She shut the door behind him, and he heard her faint chuckle. He decided he liked Abby Dunn. Her roommate, on the other hand… That redhead he had no intention of leaving alone. Now that he thought about it, his mother wasn’t exactly being neighborly by not inviting her new tenants over for a summer barbecue. He’d have to rectify that, but not until he had a few words with Mike. What had he been thinking to leave a houseful of women like that all alone? God knew what Vanessa looked like. Flynn had a sudden image of the three roommates scrapping around in a ring throwing Jell-O at one another, Maddie leading the match, and hustled back to his brother to yell at him.
***

Happy reading!

Marie

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Shari Mikels – Guest blog and giveaway

When newly-single Rachel Tanner finds out that pro pitcher Kevin Ganlin has come home to recover from an injury, her heart skips a beat. She’s loved him from afar since her preteen years, never bold enough to let him know.

Kevin is less than thrilled when Rachel shows up at his doorstep. She’s his best friend’s little sister and officially off limits. Besides, he’s staring early retirement in the face, a one-man pity-party with no interest in anything more serious than quick flings on the road. Until an icy mishap lands Rachel cozied up on his sofa, irresistible in his practice sweats.

A little game of Truth or Truth reveals much more than Rachel had ever dared to hope and leads to a midnight make-out session that leaves them both panting. But can she trust that he’s truly changed his ways? This Christmas, Kevin will do whatever it takes to make Rachel understand she’s the only one for him.

 

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Fatin was my very first book friend and the first person I got to meet in person from the book world, so getting to write my first blog post for my debut book for her just seems right. Since I’ve never done this before, I asked her if there was a particular topic she wanted me to write on and she asked me to answer the question: How did I come up with the story idea for Christmas Curveball?

Oh, sure. Dive right into the convoluted workings of my brain, why don’t you, Fatin?

I first came up with a particular scene, and not even a scene. More like a picture, or a moment, as part of a scene. And the funny thing is, that scene didn’t make it in this book. I tried writing that scene several different ways, but it just wasn’t right for this particular story. And no, I’m not going to tell you what that particular scene is because I hope to still include it in a book down the road someday.

But right after I had that scene in my head, I had the idea for the hero’s job and why he was in a cabin by himself—he was a professional baseball player recovering from a career-ending injury. At first I saw him on crutches, but trying to orchestrate the kind of set-up that would be needed to create such a devastating injury was a little much for a holiday novella. Which meant he had to be a pitcher. That was all there was to it. My next problem, though, was then figuring out exactly what kind of injury he’d need to suffer to truly end his career.

For that, I turned to Sierra Dean. If you don’t follow her on twitter or only know her through her Secret McQueen books, you might not realize just how much of a baseball fan Sierra is. I wouldn’t call her obsessed…well, maybe I would. She definitely knows her baseball facts and she reassured me that I didn’t need anything elaborate to take out poor Kevin.

Baseball pitches are fast. Like 90 mph fast. That means return hits are fast. By the time the pitcher has thrown the ball, the ball has traveled 60 feet to home plate, and the batter has hit the ball back toward the pitcher, only two seconds has passed. There’s always a chance the ball could come straight back at the pitcher (line drive), and if the ball hits the pitcher’s arm, causing a bone bruise or shatters his elbow—which is what happened to our hero—his career is done.

For a couple months after Angela James’s holiday anthology submission call, I struggled to make the story that wanted to be written fit with the original picture in my mind and they just wouldn’t gel. There were several reasons for this. One was the tone. The original idea wasn’t as easy-going and probably not as natural to my voice as I’ve since learned. Another was the actual sub-genre. My original idea would’ve had me submitting to a different anthology, but the story that wanted to be written was solidly contemporary, so that’s what I wrote.

The original idea for my heroine, Rachel, wasn’t anywhere close to how she ended up. She’s a completely different person and was born from a twitter conversation based on a blog post about favorite tropes used in romances. I enjoy so many different ones and in love with my best friend’s little sister is one of my favorites. Since my heroine needed to be a completely different person and I was writing the story, I decided I could write one of my personal favorites and hope it goes over well with readers.

Even though this isn’t a true sports story, I did find out that there is such a thing as groupies for professional baseball players, and depending on the position of the player, the better chance he has of getting some after any and every game. Pitchers rank very high on the ladder for being able to have a woman in their bed every night.

So I married a little bit of a sports theme with a guy who has the reputation for being a manwhore with the in love with the best friend’s little sister trope. Favorite tropes are talked about all the time, but for this giveaway, I want you to tell me: if an author were going to write a book for you, what theme would you want married to which trope?

 

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For more information and buy links, visit www.sharimikels.com.  And for the chance to win a digital copy of Christmas Curveball, just leave a comment below answering Shari’s question. Good luck! 😀

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