Michelle Major – Guest Blog and Giveaway

Former child star Sara Wellens has hit a dead end in Hollywood. When she inherits half of a crumbling guest ranch in Crimson, Colorado, Sara figures she’ll sell her portion to get back on her own two feet and be back in the black in no time at all. No harm, no foul…right? 

The one thing she didn’t count on was her partner-in-property, hunky former bull rider and single dad Josh Travers. Sara is surprised at how quickly she bonds with the charming cowboy and his daughter. But she insists that she’s definitely not looking for a forever family. Can the rancher and the starlet let down their guards to find their own Hollywood happy ending?

 

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As a romance reader, I love books in a series. I have to admit, I especially enjoy when I discover a new (to me) author and can binge-read several series books in a row. It’s not great for the laundry or dust bunnies but is so much fun. Of course, it’s also a huge rush when a new book in a well-loved series that I’ve pre-ordered arrives.

 

As a writer, creating a new series is one of my favorite things. There’s so much potential to create characters, relationships, the town and the people who inhabit it. Sometimes when I’m working on one book, characters for the next one pop on the scene and I get to figure out who need the next story.

 

My latest release, A KISS ON CRIMSON RANCH, is the first book in a new series set in the fictional town of Crimson, Colorado outside of the real-life mountain town Aspen. I’m a born and raised Midwestern girl, but I’ve lived in Colorado for over twenty years. There are so many things I love about the mountains and the west. It’s been a great joy to add so many of my favorite Colorado details into the Crimson stories. There are three more coming in 2015 and I hope readers enjoy this town as much as I do!

 

Website: www.michellemajor.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MichelleMajorBooks?ref=hl

Twitter: https://twitter.com/michelle_major1

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6468588.Michelle_Major

Amazon buy link: http://amzn.to/1y1kAjv

B&N buy link: http://bit.ly/1y1kEjp

GIVEAWAY:

What’s your favorite setting for a romance? Do you like small-towns, beach communities, big cities, the west or….? For a chance to win a signed copy of A KISS ON CRIMSON RANCH comment below.

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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: Never Judge A Lady By Her Cover by Sarah MacLean

 

 

RITA Award winning author, Sarah MacLean, reveals the identity of The Fallen Angel’s final scoundrel in the spectacular conclusion to her New York Times bestselling Rules of Scoundrels series…

By day, she is Lady Georgiana, sister to a duke, ruined before her first season in the worst kind of scandal. But the truth is far more shocking-in London’s darkest corners, she is Chase, the mysterious, unknown founder of the city’s most legendary gaming hell. For years, her double identity has gone undiscovered…until now.

Brilliant, driven, handsome-as-sin Duncan West is intrigued by the beautiful, ruined woman who is somehow connected to a world of darkness and sin. He knows she is more than she seems and he vows to uncover all of Georgiana’s secrets, laying bare her past, threatening her present, and risking all she holds dear…including her heart.

Sarah MacLean grew up in Rhode Island, obsessed with historical romance and bemoaning the fact that she was born far too late for her own season. Her love of all things historical helped to earn her degrees from Smith College and Harvard University before she finally set pen to paper and wrote her first book. Sarah now lives in New York City with her husband, baby daughter, their dog, and a ridiculously large collection of romance novels. She loves to hear from readers. Please visit her at www.macleanspace.com.

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Megan Mulry – Guest blog and giveaway

SECOND CHANCE…

The Marchioness of Wick is about to get a second chance at life…whether she wants it or not. After twenty years in a loveless marriage to a duplicitous British aristocrat, Claire Heyworth Barnes finds herself broke and alone. Encouraged by her dynamic American sisters-in-law, the shy royal decides to start over in New York City. When she lands a job with a famous interior designer, Claire accidentally reconnects with the first—and only—man she ever loved.

FIRST LOVE…

Benjamin Hayek has never forgiven Claire for the heartless way she left him when they were teenagers in the south of France. And even if he could, Claire’s not sure she has the courage to contend with how he makes her feel. Can they build a new love from an old flame? Or will a bitter history and a complicated future stand in their way?

Amazon * Barnes & Noble * iTunes

 

 

Dear Lillie,

 

Thanks so much for having me here at Romance Readers at Heart! Being asked to write “on any topic” is particularly vexing for me and when I am vexed (or happy or sad or breathing) I turn to Twitter. So I asked The Great Twitter what I should write for your blog and Ann Marie Gamble asked:

 

Is it tough to read recreationally these days?

 

Her question took me back to my last month in college. I remember, when I was about to graduate, I had a “to do list” that consisted of at least five ten-page papers and myriad final exams and group projects and moving out of my college apartment and getting a job and All The Things. Of course, I chose that moment to start reading Marjorie Morningstar.

 

I just couldn’t put it down. There I was in the midst of the most pressing academic responsibilities, at the most pivotal crossroads of my young life, and instead of looking harder for a real job or trying harder for the A instead of the reliable B, I followed the exploits of a rather unlikeable protagonist through her rather unlikeable exploits right through all Seven Hundred And Sixty Two pages to her VERY unlikeable end.

 

The irony is: I finished all of those final exams; I wrote all of those final papers; I graduated from university; I did all that. And do I remember anything from my Japanese Civ final (other than the fact the professor used the word hegemonic on the final and none of us knew what it meant)? No. But I remember so much about Marjorie. About her obsession with Noel. About (what I saw as) her capitulation to normalcy. About how bittersweet it is to give up obsessions. When are obsessions dreams worth pursuing? When should we give them up? When are they healthy motivations to achievement? When are they destructive paths to self-loathing?

 

And what is more germane today, Japanese Civ or Marjorie? You guessed it. Marjorie.

 

The happiest people I know eventually do what they love: their recreation becomes their occupation. So it is with my writing. So it is with Claire Heyworth, the heroine of my newest book, IN LOVE AGAIN. (See how I did that?) All Claire ever wanted was to have a loving family in a beautiful home—dreams that seemed modest to her young, privileged mind. But her first husband basically made her feel like those were shitty dreams.

 

So when she starts over in New York City and she is able to get a job working at an interior design firm—getting paid to do what she loves—it is a twofold victory. Not only is she earning her own living for the first time in her life, but her interests are being validated by everyone around her. Then she reconnects with a man who is also eager to start a family—a part of her own dreams that she had been forced to abandon years before. What can I say? Claire had a hard go of it so I thought she deserved the glamorous job and the hot, loving hero. So sue me.

 

I think when we put our dreams out there—dreams like I want to write books! Or I’m 38 and I want to have another baby!—sometimes they really can come true. A lot of that dream-coming-true-business has to do with that recreational bit. The loving bit. I think they’re related.

 

I’d love to hear your blog visitors’ thoughts about dreams versus obsessions, recreation versus occupation. When is it time to dig in? When is it time to move on?

 

Thanks so much for having me!

 

Megan

 

Megan Mulry writes sexy, stylish, romantic fiction. Her first book, A Royal Pain, was an NPR Best Book of 2012 and USA Today bestseller. Before discovering her passion for romance novels, she worked in magazine publishing and finance. After many years in New York, Boston, London, and Chicago, she now lives with her husband and children in Florida. You can find her on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Goodreads, or on her website.

 

 

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Christmas Curveball by Shari Mikels – 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.

www.sharimikels.com

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For the chance to win a digital copy from Amazon or B&N, just leave a comment below. Five winners will be drawn on Sunday.

*Giveaway sponsored by Novel Thoughts

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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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Juliet Madison – Guest blog and giveaway

5 Things My Character Probably Shouldn’t Have Done

Kelli, the character in my novel FAST FORWARD, gets herself into a lot of tricky situations, and here are the top 5 things that might have been best for her to avoid… But first, here’s an overview of the plot to give you an idea of the set up:

Aspiring supermodel, Kelli Crawford seems destined to marry her hotshot boyfriend, but on her twenty-fifth birthday she wakes in the future as a fifty-year-old suburban housewife married to the now middle-aged high school nerd.

Trapped in the opposite life of the one she wanted, Kelli is forced to re-evaluate her life and discover what is really important to her. Will she overcome the hilarious and heartbreaking challenges presented to her and get back to the body of her younger self? Or will she be stuck in the nightmare of hot flushes, demanding children, raunchy advances from her husband and hideous support underwear forever?

So, the top 5 things Kelli probably shouldn’t have done are…

 

1. Gone bungy jumping after eating eggs for breakfast

She didn’t really want to go bungy jumping in the first place, but there’s a reason why she feels she has no choice – she thinks it will catapult her back to her 25 year old self. Desperate times call for desperate measures, right?

But after a gourmet birthday breakfast served up by her geeky husband and son she’s never met before, Kelli feels a little queasy when it comes to taking that leap of faith…

“Take a deep breath, Kelli,” Ben instructed. “And then allow yourself to simply fall forward.”

I didn’t know whether to cry or vomit, or both. I imagined my half-digested yolkless eggs going on a bungy jump of their own, only without the cord, landing in the water below with a big splosh. That made me want to vomit even more.

 

2. Thrown herself at the boyfriend from her youth when she finds him in the future

Imagine this… you’re a guy, you’re with your gorgeous new girlfriend out on the town, and some strange middle-aged woman runs across the busy road and launches herself at you, declaring to have come from the past and saying “I know you still love me”?

Yeah, not the best way to win a guy over is it?

Poor Kelli, she’s had to leave her boyfriend behind in the past as now she’s married to someone else; the nerd she used to tease in high school, but she’s not quite ready to accept her new reality. Not only does she cause a bit of a scene with their reunion, but she trips over a cafe table and falls onto the back of a large man who has forgotten to pull his trousers all the way up, who then falls onto someone else, creating a human sandwich.

Nice one, Kelli.

 

3. Tried to squeeze into the dodgy SlimFX Magic Suit to look slimmer

As a 25 year old model trapped in a body twice her age, Kelli’s never needed support underwear. Until now. In order to fit into her favourite red dress she’s kept for 25 years so she can wear it to her 50th birthday party, she’s going to need a little help.

Enter, the original SlimFX Magic Suit (unfortunately she hasn’t yet discovered the new and improved version 2.0).

Problem is, she soon discovers she might need a support suit to fit into the support suit, and that could go on and on. She’d be her own Russian doll.

Despite the challenges, she gets it on, but can’t breathe, so she has to try to take it off. That’s when the real challenge begins…

I grabbed the edge of the fabric again, pulling as hard as I could, but only managed to squash my face, my upturned nose now practically touching my forehead. I must have looked like one of those criminals who cover their face with stockings. I could rob a bank in this thing, only I’d need an accomplice—or a guide dog—to show me where the hell I was going and possibly an oxygen tank feeding me air through a straw.

Oh my God! What was I going to do? My mind swirled in one chaotic haze, as panic rose within and the chances of getting out of this predicament alive seemed slimmer by the minute. Unlike my abdomen.

Crazy images flashed through my mind of Will finding me passed out on the floor of the bedroom, the magic suit still covering my head, arms still stuck up in the air … paramedics whisking me off to hospital …. Will waiting anxiously outside the operating room and the doctor emerging with an expression of defeat, pulling the mask off his face in resignation.

‘I’m sorry, Mr McSnelly. We did everything we could. We managed to remove some of it, but couldn’t get it all, I’m afraid. The situation was too far advanced and she couldn’t fight any longer. I’m very sorry.’

Will would collapse in tears and the doctor would go back to the operating room and sign my death certificate. Cause of death: Asphyxiation by SlimFX Magic Suit.

 

4. Been mean to her sister when she was younger

Kelli’s sister Kasey is the complete opposite to her. As a child, Kasey was obsessed with bugs and would spend hours in the garden studying them and collecting them, while Kelli would spend hours teasing her. The sibling rivalry continued into adulthood, and they have a big argument the night before Kelli’s 25th birthday – the night before Kelli wakes up in the future as a 50 year old.

Kelli’s in for a few shocks in the future when she sees her middle-aged sister, and let’s just say, Kasey is responsible for a huge scientific discovery that makes her a kind of celebrity in her own right, with no financial worries at all and a hot husband to boot. Take that Kelli. 😉

 

5. Stood behind her daughter who’s in labour

If it wasn’t enough of a shock for Kelli to wake up double her age and find out she’s a mother to two grown children, she discovers she’s about to become a grandmother too…

This couldn’t be happening. Real grandma’s knitted and had short curly mauve hair and stored tissues up their sleeves, didn’t they? I was too young for this. Two children and a grandchild-to-be all in one day? I needed Valium. Preferably intravenously.

And when her daughter goes into labour while wearing a fairy costume at Kelli’s fancy dress party, the maternal instincts she never knew she had kick in. She takes her daughter to the hospital, along with her costumed-up husband and son-in-law, but unfortunately takes position behind her to support her back and help her walk through the doors of the hospital…

“Quick, inside before another one comes!” Jason urged, draping his wife’s arm around his neck and the other one around Will’s while I held onto her back as we scurried rather pathetically towards the entrance.

We entered through the automatic doors when Diora stopped suddenly in pain, the broken corner of her wing poking me in the eye.

“Ouch!” I instinctively flung my hands at my eye, but Diora lost her balance so I quickly returned my hands to her back, squinting my injured eye madly with the pain. “Holy hell!”

When Diora regained her ability to stand, I finally opened my eye to find hospital staff looking at us with a combination of shock and amusement on their faces. You’d think they’d never seen a woman in labour before. Then I realised it wasn’t every day you saw Superman, Dumbledore, a pregnant fairy with a vomit-stained dress and broken wing, and a middle-aged wannabe model with a ripped dress and deformed eye walking through the doors of a hospital.

 

As you can see, Kelli goes through quite a lot in one day! And there’s plenty more where that came from. But these challenges are necessary for her to learn a few lessons and discover why she’s been launched into a future that is the opposite of what she wanted. Hopefully Kelli finds a light at the end of the tunnel!

 

Fast Forward is published by Harlequin Australia’s digital imprint, Escape Publishing.

Juliet Madison is a naturopath-turned-author with a background in dance, art, internet marketing and perfume sales (yes, she was one of those annoying people in department stores who spray you with perfume). Nowadays she prefers to indulge her propensity for multiple careers by living vicariously through her characters. She likes to put these characters into extraordinary situations and take them on a challenging journey to discover their true passion and inner strength, weaving in some laughs, tears, romance and sometimes a touch of magic along the way.

Living near the beach on the beautiful south coast of New South Wales, Australia, Juliet spends her days homeschooling her son and running her internet business, and her nights writing fiction while doing her best to avoid housework.

Visit Juliet online:

Website http://www.julietmadison.com
Blog http://www.julietmadison.wordpress.com
Facebook http://www.facebook.com/julietmadisonauthor
Twitter http://www.twitter.com/juliet_madison
Pinterest http://pinterest.com/julietmadison/
Goodreads http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6889443.Juliet_Madison

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For the chance to win a digital copy of Fast Forward by Juliet Madison, just leave a comment below. Good luck!

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What is Love? – Jess Michaels

Her mother’s madness and her father’s and brother’s irresponsibility have relegated Lady Portia to the life of a wallflower. The only shining light in her life is her best friend, Ava, who is suffering a rift with her own brother.

Portia’s quest to help takes her to the notorious Donville Masquerade in the hells, where—behind the safety of a mask—she witnesses shocking public acts of sin. And succumbs to the touch of Marquis Miles Weatherfield.

Unfortunately, they’re discovered. And now, tainted by scandal, she and Miles are destined for a marriage neither of them want. But Portia makes a bargain that raises even Miles’s eyebrows.

In return for saving her mother from the asylum, Portia will do anything Miles wants in bed. Shocked by his driving desire for Portia, Miles agrees. As they explore every wicked desire, every forbidden act that pleases them, they discover something that goes far deeper than flesh. But the lies that brought them together could be the very wedge that drives them apart.

Warning: This book contains wicked encounters, erotic voyeurism, lies, a brief threesome, and unexpected kindnesses.

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Hi everyone and a big thanks to Fatin/Mad for allowing me to come be a part of the Romance Reader at Heart Novel Thoughts Blog! It’s been about a year since the last time I stopped by here, so it’s nice to be back, especially since my visit today coincides with the release next Tuesday (November 19) of my next erotic historical romance, Pleasuring the Lady.

As a romance writer, I tend to think a lot about love. After all, it’s kind of the main part of my books. Because I write very sexy books, it’s really important that I also make sure I’m showing the characters falling in love, not just lust. So how do we ‘know’ love when we see it? What makes us love in the first place, the kind of love that will stand the test of time?

Back in the late 80s, the creators of Sesame Street decided that two of the main adult characters should get married. Luiz and Maria had, until this time, just been friends and obviously the idea of romantic love was a delicate topic to address with their target audience. The story goes that they asked kids how they would know that two people, two grown-ups, were in love and the answers were… well, kind of amazing.

They said they’d maybe save an animal together, fix something together, basically they thought if they saw Luiz and Maria doing things together, talking together, building a relationship… that would mean they were in love.

Smart kids.

The fact is that doing things together, sharing experiences and feelings on those experiences, is most definitely one of the ways we fall in love with each other. I know my husband of nearly 17 years and I often play, “remember when we” games and it definitely gives me butterflies about him (also he’s cute and a good kisser, which doesn’t hurt).

So when I begin to build a romantic relationship in any of my books, I guess in a way I go back to that idea of the shared experience bonding the hero and heroine. This is very much true in Pleasuring the Lady. My hero and heroine, Miles and Portia, are forced, fairly quickly, into a marriage. They’re sexually attracted to each other, but they have a great many issues that keep them from feeling like love will ever be in the cards.

But Miles wants insecure Portia to feel special after years in wallflower hell. And Portia feels saved by him and wants to provide something to thank him for that. They don’t realize it, but these are their acts of love. And between the hot sexiness, their talks and stolen moments are also the quiet path to a realization that their marriage could very well be real, could be amazing, could be worth fighting for, even if they started out fighting against it.

What are your favorite “acts of love” in a romance?

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For an excerpt and preorder links, visit www.authorjessmichaels.com. And for a chance to win a digital copy of Pleasuring the Lady, just leave a comment below. Good luck!

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Sarah Morgan – Guest blog and giveaway!

Once upon a time, Christmas was Kayla Green’s favorite time of year. Now all the workaholic wants for Christmas is for it to be over—as fast as possible! So when duty calls her to snowy Vermont to close a deal with a new client, Kayla is grateful for an excuse to avoid the holidays for another year.

Jackson O’Neil left a thriving business behind to return home and salvage his family’s resort—it’s in his blood, and he can’t let it fail. Now that he’s got marketing whiz Kayla Green working with him to put Snow Crystal on the map, success is on the horizon. The fact they strike enough sparks off each other to power all the Christmas lights in Vermont is just an added bonus.

Kayla might be an expert at her job, but she’s out of her depth with Jackson—he makes her crave the happy-ever-after she once dreamed of, and it’s terrifying. As the snowflakes continue to swirl, will the woman who doesn’t believe in the magic of Christmas finally fall under its spell?

sarahmorgan.com

 

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Thanks so much for having me here today!

 

I love ‘fish out of water stories’, where characters who are completely confident in their own world and surroundings are suddenly transplanted somewhere else.

I love watching characters struggle, grow and ultimately change as they face new challenges.

 

Kayla, the heroine of my first full-length contemporary romance, Sleigh Bells in the Snow, is a city girl. She’s a public relations expert working for one of the fastest growing firms in Manhattan and her best friend is her phone. Christmas is her least favorite time of year so when sexy businessman Jackson O’Neil invites her to spend the holidays at Snow Crystal Resort in Vermont to advise on a new marketing strategy for his ailing family business, she immediately agrees.  A log cabin in a snowy forest should provide the perfect sanctuary for a Santa-hating workaholic.

 

But the only experience Kayla has had with snow is to kick it off her boots and brush it off her coat. She likes ice in her margarita, but suddenly it’s under her feet and she’s spending too much time flat on her back. But it isn’t just the environment that challenges Kayla, it’s the whole O’Neil family and, specifically, hot, sexy Jackson O’Neil.

 

She is used to working out of her sleek New York office, but at Snow Crystal meetings are held in the kitchen and the whole family are there – Grandpa, Grandma, Jackson’s brother and even the dog. It’s mayhem and it totally throws Kayla.

 

I loved exploring the relationship between the characters, not just the developing love story between Kayla and Jackson, but also the dynamic between the three O’Neil brothers and the rest of the family, like this scene where she turns up for the first meeting and is overwhelmed by the O’Neils.

 

She walked into the house and stopped in surprise as she took in the details of the room and saw the number of people crowded around the large table.

“Oh, I—this is—” She turned to look at Jackson, confused. “This is the kitchen.”

“That’s right.”

“The kitchen leads to your meeting room?”

The kitchen is our meeting room.” He closed the door on the cold and Kayla felt a flash of panic as she turned back to face her audience.

They were holding this meeting in the kitchen?

She glanced around and saw shiny saucepans and stainless steel. Bunches of herbs hung drying above the range. Surfaces gleamed, but this was no showroom kitchen. It was lived in and loved. There were boots of various sizes lined up by the door and shelves stacked with recipe books. It was easy to imagine the three O’Neil boys rushing in from the snow, hoping to grab some freshly baked treats.

A woman hefted a large blue casserole dish into the oven and gave them a welcoming smile.

“You must be Kayla. We’ve heard so much about you. I’m Elizabeth O’Neil, Jackson’s mother. Alice and Walter, his grandparents—” she nodded her head in their direction “—and Tyler, Jackson’s brother. Jess might join us later but I’m sure you won’t mind that. Now come on in and let me take your coat.” She closed the oven door and hurried over, the smile still on her face, her arms outstretched.

Kayla took a hasty step backward, and the sharp heel of her stiletto drove hard into Jackson’s foot.

He swore under his breath and then his hands closed around her arms and he steadied her. “Do you have a license for that weapon?”

She didn’t answer. Terrified she was about to be hugged, Kayla thrust her hand out, almost winding his mother in the process. “Pleased to meet you.”

Jackson released her. “My mother is British, so you have that in common.” He smoothed over the potentially awkward beginning. “Thirty-five years ago she arrived to cook for a winter season and never left.”

“Why would I leave? I never saw anywhere more perfect than this place, and I’m sure Kayla agrees.”

Kayla was ready to agree to anything in order to get out of this Christmas grotto as fast as possible. “Absolutely. It’s stunning. Good to meet you, Mrs. O’Neil.”

“Call me Elizabeth, dear. We’re not formal.” Warm and friendly, his mother took Kayla’s coat, frowning as she hung it up. “It’s wet. Is it snowing again?”

“No. I fell.”

“You let her fall?” Elizabeth O’Neil turned reproachful eyes on her eldest son. “You didn’t hold her arm? Shame on you, Jackson.”

“It was my fault,” Kayla said stiffly. “I’m not used to walking on ice, but it won’t happen again.”

Elizabeth nodded approval. “Because next time you’ll hold his arm.”

“No.” Kayla had already promised herself she was going to keep physical contact to a minimum. “Next time I’ll be wearing better boots. I’m going to sort that out first thing tomorrow.”

Jackson’s grandmother made a sympathetic noise. “I’m not surprised you fell. It’s so icy. I’m afraid to go out in winter since I had my hip done and as for the cold—” Alice O’Neil peered at Kayla from across the table. “Are you wearing thermal underwear under that sweater? The wool looks thin. And your skirt is quite short. We don’t want you catching cold while you’re here. Jackson, you should take Kayla to buy underwear.”

Kayla felt heat rush into her cheeks. “I—” How was she supposed to respond to that? She was used to small talk that involved observations on the weather or the traffic in Manhattan. Occasionally people touched on the economy. No one ever mentioned underwear. “I’m warm, but thank you for your concern.” She shot Jackson a desperate look, feeling like a deer circled by a pack of hungry wolves. “Shall I begin my presentation?”

“Why do young girls wear so much black?” Walter O’Neil added his contribution from the far end of the table. “When I was young, black was for funerals.”

“I love color. You’d look pretty in green, Kayla.” Alice held out a ball of yarn to Kayla, who stared at it as if she were being offered a grenade.

Jackson’s brother gave a slow, wicked smile. “We’re very pleased to meet you Kayla. And I love the skirt. Don’t change anything about it, especially not the length—unless you want to make it shorter.”

“I didn’t say it wasn’t a nice skirt,” Alice said stoutly. “I said it was short and with the weather like this—”

“She’s warm, Grams. Don’t worry.” Jackson put his hand on Kayla’s back and urged her into the room. “And she looks smart in black. If people would listen for a moment, you’d discover she’s smart in other ways, too.” He pulled out a chair and offered it to Kayla, who sat gratefully.

They’d done the small talk now, so hopefully they could move on to business.

 

I’m giving away one signed print copy of Sleigh Bells in the Snow so leave a comment for a chance to win.

 

 

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Love & Other Games Anthology

Love and Other Games is a collection of four sexy new adult stories centered around athletes competing in the Winter Games by Ana Blaze, Melinda Dozier, Aria Kane, and Kara Leigh Miller. It releases October 1^st from Swoon Romance in all major electronic formats.

Worth More Than Gold by Ana Blaze

Amy Pierce, the klutzy sister and manager of America’s Skating Sweetheart, is used to being invisible. But when a friend drags her to a party near the Olympic Village, Amy catches the eye of a sexy Norwegian ski jumper. It’s a magical night, but an awkward next morning has her running.

Everyone knows Erik Andresen’s best shot at an individual medal was back in 2010, before an injury pulled him from the competition. He’s there for his team, but a hot night and a remarkable final training session have him wondering if a gorgeous good-luck charm could give him another chance at the podium.With a little bit of luck, these two might have a shot at something worth more than gold.

Ana Blaze’s: Website| Twitter | Facebook

Trouble With Gold by Melinda Dozier

US snowboarder and notorious prankster, Ty (Trouble) Madsen is only getting a taste of his own medicine when his Olympic teammates shackle him to a fence wearing nothing but his boxers.

Reception and protocol volunteer, Nadia Hoffman, gets up close and personal with the sexy snowboarder to rescue him, but she’s not the kind of girl who lets her hormones get in her way. A professional performance could help her land her dream job at Olympics Committee Headquarters, but her new assignment supervising the rambunctious US Snowboarding Team is making that difficult.

Can she see behind the snowman in the community center bathroom and into the warm heart of the man everyone calls Trouble?

Melinda Dozer’s: Website| Twitter | Facebook

The Girl Behind the Gold by Aria Kane

Greek aerial skier Lia Milonas’s parents are about to lose the family farm. Saving it means medaling and landing a huge sponsor. While her no-nonsense attitude has her well on her way to a medal, it hasn’t won her a place in fans’ hearts.

“Come back with a story that will make readers cry, or don’t come back.” This is what Brandon James’ boss told him before he left New York to cover the Winter Games for Moment Magazine. With a wink and a smile, he can charm his way into any invite-only party, but that career-making story is nowhere to be found – until he meets Lia.

The two strike a deal that should get them both what they want – but neither would have guessed they’d also find what they need.

Aria Kane’s: Website | Twitter | Facebook

Ice Gold by Kara Leigh Miller

Colton Campbell thrives on the fast paced, adrenaline rushed lifestyle of being an Olympic hockey player. Despite Brenna Jessup’s abhorrence for the games and the athletes, she’s hand-picked as the official photographer for the U.S. Olympic Hockey Team. When a faux pas by Brenna almost costs Colton his career, she owes him. Too bad for her, Colton doesn’t want apologies — he wants retribution! And he knows just how to get it — and her — in the process.

Kara Leigh Miller’s: Website | Twitter |Facebook

To celebrate the cover reveal, the authors are giving away a $20 gift card to the bookstore of the winner’s choice. Check out the rafflecopter below to enter!

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