Jan 18, 2016 | January 2015, Sarah Ballance
For Seven Nights Only (Chase Brothers Book 2) by Sarah Ballance is the perfect way to start the work week. What could be better than a book about conquering fear and accepting that not everything you do will result in failure, especially when it comes to love.
Kelsie Reed is having a tough go at finding love. When an accident in her apartment building results with Sawyer Chase coming to her aide, will she accept his help or come up with a plan of her own?
Sawyer Chase is drawn to Kelsie and wants to help her. After the awkward and hilarious first encounter there is something there. But, neither one are ready to admit there might be something more. If Kelsie will agree to seven dates with Sawyer, she might be able to reinvent herself and have men knocking down her door. A welcome change from them running away. I love our hero!
Sawyer is content with no commitments until Kelsie gets into his system and he’s unable to shake her out of it. What will he do when he realizes she’s exactly what he’s been looking for? Will the family business survive without him? Will he measure up to his reputation?
Both have a few obstacles to overcome, their own fears and concerns to work through. Kelsie’s priority is finding a date for her sister’s wedding? The stress and drama surrounding the wedding is what’s pushing her to tackle her “problems.” Will Sawyer overcome his phobia at the expense of loosing Kelsie forever?
Once again, Sarah Balance delivers characters are real and completely charming. I’m so in love with the Chase brothers and the rest of the characters their paths cross. As soon as you’re finished, I challenge you to tackle your own fears. It’s not easy to admit you’re afraid or have something to improve. However, when you find someone you trust that is willing to help you work through it, it’s amazing what you can accomplish. Kelsie is a lucky girl and Sawyer is about to find out what he’s been missing.
While Sarah’s book can be read as a standalone, this sexy and flirty- fun book is the second installment in a must read series. These characters are witty, creative and willing to go outside the box for love. The perfect recipe for this contemporary romance.
This two peppers spicy latte hot 
delight has just enough sizzle to make you tingle. Oh, and yes, it’s for mature readers 18+.
I received this ARC from the publisher for a fair and honest review. Download today for $2.99 before the price goes up and meet the Chase Brothers, you’ll be glad you did!
ICMYI: My previous review of Five Things I Love About You (Chase Brothers Book 1)
Author Info:
Sarah and her husband of what he calls many long, long years live on the mid-Atlantic coast with their six young children, all of whom are perfectly adorable when they’re asleep. She never dreamed of becoming an author, but as a homeschooling mom, she often jokes she writes fiction because if she wants anyone to listen to her, she has to make them up. (As it turns out, her characters aren’t much better than the kids). To learn more about her work in contemporary, historical, and supernatural romance and romantic suspense, please stalk accordingly.
FIND THE AUTHOR HERE: @SarahBallance Facebook Website Good Reads Pinterest
Jan 30, 2015 | Blog, Blog Blitz, January 2015, Karen Ranney
In Your Wildest Scottish Dreams by Karen Ranney is a beautifully written story into the world of shipbuilding, war and love in Scotland. This is Book One in a new series that is sure to please as we explore the effects of the American Civil War through the eyes of amazing characters in Scotland.
Glynis MacIain has adored Lennox Cameron, her older brother’s dear friend, since she was a little girl. When rumors start to spread that he’s about to marry the daughter of a Russian Business partner, she flees the country. Instead of confronting Lennox, she marries a Diplomat and moves to Washington. For seven years Glynis has led a different life as the wife of a Diplomat whose ultimate goal was to mold her into the perfect wife, but did he succeed? Did he truly destroy her wild and impulsive nature?
When an unfortunate accident leaves her a widow and alone, she is forced to return to Scotland. It’s time to deal with the rumors from her past both in Washington and Scotland. Unfortunately for Glynis she discovers an old acquaintance, an American, who once again is pursuing her and now she must figure out how to deal with him once and for all. Talks of spies, war and yes, even attraction, are spoken daily fueling gossip amongst even those who are considered friends.
Blackmail? Secrets? Will it ever end? Too many misunderstandings and words unspoken leave both Lennox and Glynis headed in opposite directions. Lennox is intent on helping to bring cotton back to Scotland, even if it means supporting the Confederacy.
When Glynis once again musters up the courage to kiss Lennox will they finally give in to their feelings? Will they be able to put everything behind them and figure if they can be together? When Lennox realizes that Glynnis may be hiding more than just her feelings things get complicated.
As it becomes increasingly more difficult to determine who’s telling the truth and what secrets will be discovered, tension mounts. Why should it matter who helps soldiers fighting in the American Civil War? Cotton shortages, fiber mill struggles, and trust issues, Lennox is determined to find a better way. His dream is to become a world renowned shipbuilder for constructing the biggest and fastest ships. With the American Civil war still going strong he needs to find a way to bring the cotton back to save Scotland, but will it come at too high a price?
Will Glynis and Lennox finally admit to each other how they really feel? Will they be able to move forward and finally find a way to forget the past seven years? What will Glynis do when she discovers the truth about what really happened?
This is definitely a must read story that will keep you wondering until the very end who’s side everyone is on. I received this ARC for a fair and honest review and am glad I did! This was the first book I’ve read by Karen Ranney and found her work to be refreshing, exciting and full of zest!
Link to Rafflecopter Page, https://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/share-code/NTIxYWM0YzhjYmFkNDc1MDkxYzA3ZDNmMjhhM2RjOjU0Ng==/?
Author Q & A
1. What is a MUST read book and why? The Creative Habit: Learn It and Use It for Life by Twyla Harp. I have oodles of favorite fiction titles, but that book by Twyla Harp is a must read for writers, I think.
2. What is one place that I should see if I visit your hometown?
San Antonio is a tourist town. I’d have to say the Riverwalk.
3. What is your favorite movie of all time and why? Murder by Death and The Private Eyes – I have a very goofy sense of humor and I don’t watch movies all that much. I prefer TV.
4. When you plot out your book how long does it take and do you know how it will end? I use Scrivener. I adore Scrivener, by the way. Serious plotting takes about three days. I not only know how it will end, I know all the scenes. I’m most definitely a plotter. I think of plotting like dancing in a huge dance studio. I can make any movement I want, dance the ballet or the tango. The studio just keeps me from dancing down the stairs and out into the street. A plot always changes a little as you’re writing, but it serves to keep you from dancing down the stairs and out into the street.
5. What was on your playlist while writing “In Your Wildest Scottish Dreams?” Only Time by Enya and In Your Wildest Dreams by The Moody Blues. I don’t listen to music while I write, but those two songs featured prominently while I was editing.
6. Do you watch a TV show weekly or binge watch? I just recently got rid of satellite TV, so I’m on Roku with Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime. I’m really surprised to find so many great series I never watched. I can only watch about two hours of TV a night. I have to be doing something else at the same time. Right now I’m going through The Killing which, structurally, is fascinating.
7. What’s your guilty pleasure? I don’t have one. Anything I really want to do, I do. I don’t feel guilty about it. (Guilt is overrated.)
8. What is the craziest souvenir you picked up while traveling? Do you collect things when you travel? I’m odd about “stuff” I don’t really collect things. I might have to clean it later.
9. I love reading books about Scotland, what’s your favorite place to visit during a trip for research? If you didn’t travel, how did you research for the book? I adore Edinburgh. My second favorite city is Inverness. I have a library of some old and esoteric books about Scotland. What I can’t remember I look up. I also haunt the newspaper and broadsheet libraries now online – fantastic resource.
Link to Follow Tour: https://www.tastybooktours.com/2014/11/in-your-widest-scottish-dreams-by-karen.html
Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22046610-in-your-wildest-scottish-dreams?from_search=true
Buy Links: Amazon | B&N | iTunes | Kobo
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00K53D3HE?tag=karerann-20
B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/in-your-wildest-scottish-dreams-karen-ranney/1119565608?ean=9780062337474
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/in-your-wildest-scottish-dreams/id874639413?mt=11
Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/in-your-wild-scottish-dreams/yVJcJ_1O4EuKbDR8vd7wZQ
Bio:
Karen Ranney began writing when she was five. Her first published work was The Maple Leaf, read over the school intercom when she was in the first grade. In addition to wanting to be a violinist (her parents had a special violin crafted for her when she was seven), she wanted to be a lawyer, a teacher, and, most of all, a writer. Though the violin was discarded early, she still admits to a fascination with the law, and she volunteers as a teacher whenever needed. Writing, however, has remained the overwhelming love of her life.
Author Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads
Website: https://www.facebook.com/WriterKarenRanney
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WriterKarenRanney
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Karen_Ranney
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/68758.Karen_Ranney
Jan 28, 2015 | Blog, Cover Reveal, January 2015
The Commitment Test
(The Marin Test Series: Book Two)
By: Amanda Aksel
Release Date: February 4th, 2015
Publisher: Elephantine Publishing
Genre: Women’s Fiction
Synopsis:
When a Valentine’s Day proposal doesn’t come with an engagement ring, Marin Johns begins to wonder if she and James will ever get married. As her closest friends begin to move forward with their lives, she refuses to be left behind.
Hope is restored as she devises a plan to get James down on one knee by becoming the ideal mate. Everything seems to fall into place until her college boyfriend resurfaces after a decade with his own ideas about their future. Will Marin be forced to choose between the man of her dreams and the diamond ring she’s always dreamed of?
Amanda Aksel Bio
Amanda Aksel is an author with an affinity for love. Becoming a couples therapist was her “backup” career, and after completing her BA in Psychology she was on her way to solving love’s most complicated quandaries one couple at a time. Now she plans to solve love’s most complicated quandaries one novel at a time.
Social media links
Website: www.amandaaksel.com
Email: amandaaksel@gmail.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/amandaaksel
Twitter: @amandaaksel
Instagram: https://instagram.com/amandaaksel
Link to buy Amanda’s first novel The Man Test (The Marin Test Series: Book One
Jan 27, 2015 | Blog, Coffee With, January 2015
First, If we were meeting at a coffee shop I’d be drinking a Latte 🙂
What would you order? Cappuccino! But I love lattes.
Thanks for taking the time to answer a few questions.
How many books do you plan to write with the men of the New Jersey Sonics? THE BOYS OF SUMMER series will consist of four books.
What inspired you to write about a Baseball Team? I was inspired to do a baseball romance theory by the Philadelphia Phillies. My daughter and I had Sunday season tickets for years. I had written historical’s previously, but in watching those gorgeous baseball players, I realized no swashbuckling hero of the past had anything on these boys!
What type of research did you do to prep for this series? I became an avid fan, watched the games consistently, read about the players in the paper to understand more about their personal lives, interviewed an expert (my daughter), and actually met the team at a charity event which inspired the first book BRING ON THE HEAT.
Congratulations and Happy Release Day for TOO HOT TO HANDLE! How long will we have to wait for the next book? Book 3, the HEAT OF THE MOMENT will debut late spring.
8 Tantalizing Tidbits:
1. A Must read book and why? There are so many great books! But I’d have to say TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD. It was written with such sensitivity, not only about the trial and racial issues, but even the scenes with some of the less fortunate people in town show such a keen understanding of human nature. It is one of my absolute favorites.
2. What is one place that I should see if I visit your hometown? The Log cabins and the lakes. There are 22 lakes and over 150 log cabins, most of which were built in the early 1900s. There are also two very talented psychic mediums in our area. The experience is amazing.
3. What is your favorite movie of all time and why? RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK. I know I should say something more intellectual, but I can’t help it. I’ve been in love with Harrison Ford since I can remember and true love lasts a lifetime.
4. When you plot out your book do you know how it will end or do you figure it out as you go? I start with the general idea of the story and the characters. I then write the first couple of chapters to get a feel for these people, and the situation. I then write a synopsis. I’ve read Michael Hauge’s books about plot structure, and highly recommend them.
5. What is on your playlist when you write? I like the house quiet.
6. Do you watch a TV show weekly or binge watch? I am guilty of watching the Bachelor and Bachelorette. The tweets are awesome!
7. What’s your guilty pleasure? See above.
8. What is the craziest souvenir you picked up while traveling? Do you collect things when you travel? I have a Guinness pebble in my purse that you get in Ireland when you go on the tour. It says: Believe, and contains a drop of stout. It’s a good luck charm for me. I lost it one time, and my brother actually ordered a replacement for me.
Hire someone to do the job or fix it yourself? I have a handyman who has saved my life. I can’t paint without getting it everywhere, and if I attempted household repairs it would look an old Three Stooges episode.
Thank you so much I had a great time! Thanks again!
BIO:
Katie Rose is the award-winning author of 12 historical, three novellas, and two contemporary romances published under the name of Katie Rose and Colleen Quinn. Katie made her contemporary debut in 2014 with a baseball romance series entitled the Boys of Summer. BRING ON THE HEAT was published in August 2014, and the second book of the series, TOO HOT TO HANDLE will appear January 27, 2015. A long time Phillies fan, Katie combines her love of baseball, romance, and fun in the sports themed romances. A graduate of Temple University with a BA in Journalism, Katie is the recipient of the Doug Perry award, and the Romantic Times Achievement Award. Katie lives on a lake in Medford Lakes New Jersey, and is hard at work on the next book of the series, the HEAT OF THE MOMENT
Jan 26, 2015 | Blog, January 2015
In Too Hot to Handle (The Boys of Summer Book 2) by Katie Rose delivers a super sexy hot baseball story that’s packed with summer heat! After a rough season, the Sonics decide to hire PR specialist Nikki Case. Management has decided that they need someone like Nikki to “fix” the bad boys reputation so the media will perceive them to be a more wholesome and family- friendly ballpark.
Instead they just keep feeding the media nothing but front page blunders to put them in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons. Nothing spoils a team like a barroom brawl and that’s exactly what the Sonics have done with their latest misadventure. With one Bar Brawl too many, the “bad boys” of the NJ Sonics have just sailed straight into social media spotlight in the worst possible way.
Their only hope to salvage their tarnished reputation is with a little help from Nikki. If only the boys were amenable to a little constructive criticism, alas they are not. Instead they respond to the new house rules with pranks, and lots of them towards Nikki.
Unfortunately even the sexy ball players must be show that they are not impervious to the rules and she can handle what they dish or wind up losing out on such a huge client! Wondering what needs to happen for them to take her seriously, she presents a “clean up your act or walk” ultimatum. They need to be clean and respectable. That means no more missed practices, no more sloppy appearances, cover up the tats, stop drinking and most definitely no more public fraternizing with fans! Throughout all the changes one of the players bets Jake Baldwin, the team’s residential “playboy,” that he can’t get every woman he sets eyes on. This time there’s a wager that will test both Jake and his teammates. Fortunately for Nikki she’s not impressed with his media reputation and as he tries to woo her, she’s not so impressed. Can he show her that he’s not all the media makes him out to be? Is there more to him that his sexy looks and delectable charm?
All eyes are on the Team, but as things are starting to turn around for the Sonics when a tragic event unfolds during one of the games. Will they all survive?
Is there such a thing as a reformed bad boy? With more than her heart on the line Jake needs to prove his feelings, whatever they may be, to Nikki and the Sonics. After everything that’s happened, there are still a few unexplained canceled dates and mysterious phone calls that take him away from the ballpark that leave her wondering what his intentions are. Are they really right for each other or just another passing fling? When the bet that started all of this backfires will he gain the courage to tell her the truth?
As a super huge baseball fan I really loved reading this book. The cover is perfect and there is a great story to be told. There are hot, sexy baseball players, smart heroines and of course a steamy scene or two that will leave you wanting more of this fantastic must read series.
As I mentioned in a previous blog post I don’t rate any of my reviews on my blog. However, for this “Spicy Read” I will rate it for its spiciness that way you’ll know if this little gem is for you!
There is just enough sizzle to make you tingle, for 18+
I received this ARC for an honest review and would most definitely purchase this for myself and my friends! Add this to your e-reader or bookshelf to tide you over till spring training! Again, this story from the first pitch to the last is fantastic. Head out to the ballpark for a SONICs game to watch a hot player learn a lesson or two about the necessity of a good PR rep!
BIO:
Katie Rose is the award-winning author of 12 historical, three novellas, and two contemporary romances published under the name of Katie Rose and Colleen Quinn. Katie made her contemporary debut in 2014 with a baseball romance series entitled the Boys of Summer. BRING ON THE HEAT was published in August 2014, and the second book of the series, TOO HOT TO HANDLE will appear January 27, 2015. A long time Phillies fan, Katie combines her love of baseball, romance, and fun in the sports themed romances. A graduate of Temple University with a BA in Journalism, Katie is the recipient of the Doug Perry award, and the Romantic Times Achievement Award. Katie lives on a lake in Medford Lakes New Jersey, and is hard at work on the next book of the series, the HEAT OF THE MOMENT.
Jan 10, 2015 | Blog, January 2015, Women's Fiction
In her debut novel, Before I Go, Colleen Oakley, masterfully introduces us into a world where wishes don’t necessarily come true, or do they? Daisy, who is goal oriented and list focused, receives devastating news. She is no longer in remission. It’s back, her breast cancer, and this time it’s attacked with a vengeance. This young and health conscious newlywed has decided to be brave and tackle this without relying on her family and friends. Facing limited treatment options of which none will cure and annihilate this awful disease she must deal with a devastating truth. For the first time in her life, Daisy finds herself completely lost. One minute she’s looking forward to celebrating her future with her husband with talk of starting a family. The next minute she’s listening to the Doctor rattle off the limited options to live comfortably, she must decide how she is going to tell her family.
While browsing through the published description of this book it states an obvious fact, Daisy is going to die. No, I’m not giving you dear reader any spoilers so don’t get mad at me. With this new discovery will she do what she’s always done? Will there be copious amounts of lists? Will she have the energy to fight? Jack, her kind and sometimes disorganized husband is just months away from graduating as a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, will this change that? Knowing how oblivious and unable to see beyond the physical mess tugs at her soul. How can she be sure he’ll be ok?
The author, Colleen Oakley shows us that facing death can be ugly, unfair and frightening, no matter how old you are. What Daisy and Jack do with the amount of time they have left with each other is what makes this a must read book. While reading the book description to some acquaintances they immediately responded that they couldn’t read yet another “Cancer” story.
I normally would agree and not pick up yet another survive/victim story, I urge you to take this frustrating and humorous journey with Daisy and Jack, and take a ride on this emotional roller coaster with them. Be a passenger. It is worth it and will change how you look at those facing adversity, and make you think about how we all deal with situations where death is inevitable. I received this ARC for an honest review and I look forward to whatever else Colleen Oakley writes in the future no matter what the subject matter is. Thank you Colleen, for a heartwarming and poignant story that very few chose to tell.
BIO:
Colleen Oakley’s articles, essays, and interviews have been featured in The New York Times, Ladies’ Home Journal, Marie Claire, Women’s Health, Redbook and Martha Stewart Weddings. She’s the former editor-in-chief of Women’s Health & Fitness and senior editor of Marie Claire. She lives in Atlanta with her husband, two painfully cute kids and a huge lapdog named Bailey. Before I Go is her debut novel.
delight has just enough sizzle to make you tingle. Oh, and yes, it’s for mature readers 18+.
