Thursday, January 29, 2015

Book Blast With Exclusive Excerpt & #Giveaway for A Perfect Catch by Anna Sugden


Welcome to my stop on the Book Blast, presented by Goddess Fish Promotions, for A Perfect Catch by Anna Sugden.  Please leave a comment or question for Anna to let her know you stopped by.  You can enter her tour wide giveaway, for a $15 Amazon GC to one randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter, as well as 4 signed copies of A Perfect CatchAND 4 exclusive A Perfect Catch notebooks. (international giveaway), by filling out the Rafflecopter form below.  You can also follow the rest of the tour by clicking on the tour banner above.

A Perfect Catch
By Anna Sugden
New Jersey IcebCats, Book 3

Publisher:  Harlequin Superromance
Release Date: February 3, 2015
Genre: Contemporary Sports Romance
Length:  384 Pages
ISBN:  978-0373608980
ASIN:  B00O94D47Y

Buy Links:  Amazon | B&N | Harlequin

About the book: 

He's the perfect catch…for now!

When it comes to romance, Tracy Hayden is not looking for a rematch. She's had epic passion—and problems!—with professional hockey player Ike Jelinek. Brilliant on skates and magic in bed, his too-traditional-for-her views were like a bucket of ice water on their affair.

Then an injury takes Ike out of the game, and everything changes. Suddenly he needs her services-providing business—even though he once claimed it was their biggest problem. Tracy's determined to be professional, despite the sizzling attraction between them that won't go away. Maybe they need a second fling to fix that!




EXCLUSIVE EXCERPT



“Why does it take so long to have a baby?”

At her niece’s question, Tracy Hayden looked up from the stack of invoices she was logging into her business’s accounting system.

She smiled at Emily, who was playing a game on the other home-office computer. “They don’t have bar codes on their bums, so you can’t just pick them up at a grocery store.”

Tracy’s sister, Maggie, had gone to the hospital early that morning, when her water had broken. The latest update from Maggie’s anxious husband, Jake, at 5:00 p.m., had been that all was progressing well, if a bit slowly.

Now, at seven-thirty, ten-year-old Emily’s excitement was stretched thin by the lack of action.

“Very funny, Auntie Tracy.” The soon-to-be older sister rolled her eyes. “Do you think Mummy’s having a girl or a boy?”

“Hmm.” Tracy pretended to consider the question seriously. “I have a feeling the sproglet is a boy.”

Her niece leaned forward eagerly. “Why?”

Tracy lowered her voice conspiratorially. “Your mum put sugar in her cup of tea yesterday. They say you need extra sweetness if you’re having a boy.”

Emily’s eyes widened. “She also ate a whole bar of Cadbury’s chocolate from her stash.”

“Aha.” Tracy snapped her fingers. “That settles it.”

“A baby brother would be okay,” Emily mused. “He wouldn’t want any of my things. Plus he’ll like sports. I could teach him to skate and play hockey.”

Tracy clipped the invoices together, then slipped them into a folder marked November Bills. She’d allocate them to the appropriate accounts tomorrow. “That would be nice.”

“Maybe he’ll even get to play on the Ice Cats like Daddy Jake.”

Jake “Bad Boy” Badoletti was a star defenseman for the local professional hockey team, the New Jersey Ice Cats. He and Maggie had gotten together after his transfer from Chicago a few years ago, when Maggie had helped him find a place to live. Though she’d been wary of falling for another pro athlete after escaping an abusive marriage to Emily’s father—an English Premier League soccer player—Jake had eventually won the hearts of both mother and daughter. As well as being an avid fan of her stepfather’s team, Emily had also become a good mites’ hockey player.

The child pouted. “It’s not fair that girls can’t play for the Ice Cats.”

“You never know. Maybe you’ll be the second woman to play in the NHL.”

“But Manon Rhéaume was a goaltender.” Em wrinkled her nose. “I want to be a forward and score lots of goals.”

Naturally. Her niece was all about action.

The phone rang, startling them both.

Tracy’s heart leaped into her throat as she saw Jake’s number. She snatched up the receiver. “Is everything okay?”

“Yeah.” He sounded a little befuddled. “We have a boy. Eight pounds, six ounces. Mom and son both doing well. Dad’s not sure he ever wants to go through that again.”

“Isn’t that supposed to be Maggie’s line?” Tracy said drily.

“She had an epidural. I did the whole thing without anesthetic.”

She laughed. “A tough guy like you can’t handle childbirth. I’m shocked.”

“I can’t believe, having survived it once with Emily, she’d be willing to do it again.” He paused and Tracy could almost feel his shudder down the phone. “Maggie’s one tough cookie.”

“She certainly is.”

Despite what she’d been through, Maggie had not only managed to make a fresh start in the US, but she’d also embraced marriage again.

Something Tracy couldn’t do after her own disastrous experience. That mess wasn’t something she wanted to think about. Not when there was a new life to celebrate. “So, are you up for visitors?”

“Sure. Whenever you can get here. I’ll call my parents next and get them to pass the news to everyone else.”

After she’d hung up, Tracy turned to Emily. “A boy,” she said smugly.

“You rock, Auntie Tracy.” Emily reached across the back-to-back desks to fist-bump her. “When can we go to see him?”

“Right now.” Tracy saved her files, then switched off her computer and stood. “Get your coat and we’ll head over.”

Em dashed out of the office. A moment later, she stuck her head back around the door. “Don’t forget the teddy bear.”

“I won’t. He’s already in the gift bag by the front door.”

The drive to the hospital passed quickly, with Emily chattering like a magpie about her new sibling. As they walked across the parking lot toward the hospital entrance, Emily squealed and darted toward a tall dark-haired man getting out of a black Mercedes SUV.

“Uncle Ike!”


Tracy’s pulse hitched at the familiar figure of Ice Cats goaltender Eisenhower “Ike” Jelinek.



AUTHOR Bio and Links: 

Harlequin SuperRomance author, Anna Sugden, loves reading and writing happy endings as much as hockey! When not reading or watching hockey, she loves football, good food & wine, making simple cross-stitch projects, and collecting memorabilia, penguins and fab shoes!

A former marketing executive and primary teacher, Anna lives in Cambridge, England, with her husband and two bossy black cats. Learn more about Anna, her heart-warming romances and her shoes at www.annasugden.com . You can also follow her on Facebook (www.facebook.com/annasugden.romanceauthor), Twitter (www.twitter.com/annasugden) Pinterest (www.pinterest.com/annasugden) and on the Romance Bandits blog (www.romancebandits.com).


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Virtual Book Tour & #Giveaway for Murder, Mayhem & Bliss


Welcome to my stop on the Virtual Book Tour, Presented by Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours, for Murder, Mayhem & Bliss by LouLou Harrington.  Please leave a comment or question for LouLou to let her know you stopped by.  You can enter her tour wide giveaway by filling out the Rafflecopter form below.  You can also follow the rest of LouLou’s tour by clicking on the tour banner above.

Murder, Mayhem & Bliss
By LouLou Harrington
Myrtle Grove Garden Club Mystery Book 1

Publisher: Deadly Niche Press
Release Date:  November 26, 2014
Genre:  Cozy Mystery
Length:  240 pages
ISBN-13: 978-1620161418
E-Book File Size: 461 KB
ASIN: B00PFAP65E

Buy Links: Amazon | B&N | Book Depository

About the book:

Nothing much happens in Myrtle Grove, Oklahoma. So when prominent businessman Harry Kerr is discovered face down in his pool shortly after dawn, the breakfast crowd in Jesse Camden’s tea room is buzzing. Recognizing the name, Jesse hurries to her friend Vivian Windsor, Myrtle Grove’s resident oil heiress and great-aunt to Bliss Kerr, widow of the deceased and soon-to-be prime suspect in his suspicious death.

Clearing Bliss and finding the real murderer isn’t what Jesse meant when she offered her assistance. And wrangling an eager band of helpers while chasing a tangle of leads across the countryside, tripping over deputies and evidence along the way, isn’t her first choice for her weekend. But here she is, and here she will be, hearing secrets no one should know, and discovering betrayals no one could live with, until Jesse finds her way through the maze of deceit to uncover the real killer.



About LouLou Harrington: 


A lifelong fan of mysteries and the cozy genre, in particular, Loulou Harrington began her published career in romances and is now happy to be writing what she has always loved to read—a good, old-fashioned mystery. Even better, she has the chance to incorporate her personal love of gardening, cooking, exploring quaint villages and wandering through the great outdoors in her new Myrtle Grove Garden Club mystery series. She sincerely hopes you will enjoy sharing this special world with her.


Author Links




A quiet small town, a marriage with issues and a garden club determined to discover the truth take center stage in LouLou Harrington’s debut mystery, Murder, Mayhem & Bliss.  Colorful characters, good dialogue and a solid mystery kept me turning the pages to uncover who committed the crime.  The first book in a new series, Murder, Mayhem & Bliss is a solid start to the Myrtle Grove Garden Mystery series. 

When car dealer Harry Kerry is discovered dead floating in his pool, and his wife, Bliss appears to have no real alibi, the police jump to the natural conclusion that “the wife did it”.  Determined to prove her niece innocent, oil heiress and the town’s wealthiest widow, Vivian Windsor asks friend, and local tea room owner, Jesse Camden to uncover the truth behind Harry’s death.  While Jesse had offered to help, she never thought she’d be conducting a clandestine investigation behind the sheriff’s back, or that she’d be “helped” by the members of “The Garden Club”.  Determined to prove Bliss is innocent, Jesse finds herself uncovering secrets, betrayals and deceit she never would have imagined in her home town.

Ms. Harrington does a good job developing the characters in her story; I really enjoyed getting to know Jesse, Vivian and the members of the garden club.  I also enjoyed the friendship between Jesse and Vivian, what brought them together and keeps their friendship thick as thieves.  While it’s clear from the start that Harry was not a nice man and that he and Bliss had an estranged marriage, everyone in the garden club agrees that Bliss didn’t do it.   Though Jesse, Vivian and quite a few other people think that Harry being dead is no great loss. 

The mystery is well written and takes plenty of twists and turns.  While conducting her own investigation, Jesse runs into and gets in the way of the police investigation a few times and it’s clear the sheriff is not thrilled with her “meddling”.  Especially since she’s good at uncovering clues.

Will Jesse discover who killed Harry and left him floating in the pool? Will the garden club be better at solving a crime than the local police? You’ll have to read Murder, Mayhem & Bliss to find out.  I enjoyed this cozy mystery with light humor and look forward to reading the next book when it comes out.

My Rating:  4 out of 5 Crowns





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Wednesday, January 28, 2015

Author Spotlight for Karen Rose Smith with Giveaway


Karen Rose Smith


Karen Rose Smith was born in the Susquehanna Valley of Pennsylvania. Although she was an only child, she remembers the bonds of an extended family. Since her father came from a family of ten and her mother, a family of seven, there were always aunts, uncles and cousins visiting on weekends. Family is a strong theme in her books and she suspects her childhood memories are the reason.

In college, Karen began writing poetry and also met her husband to be. They both began married life as teachers, but when their son was born, Karen decided to try her hand at a home-decorating business. She returned to teaching for a while but changes in her life led her to writing romance fiction. Now she writes mysteries and romances full time. She is a USA Today best-selling and award-winning author. Her 86th novel, GILT BY ASSOCIATION, will be released in 2015 by Kensington Books.

When she isn't writing, she cares for four rescue cats and a couple of strays, gardens, and cooks. Married to her college sweetheart since 1971, believing in the power of love and commitment, she envisions herself writing relationship novels, both mystery and romance, for a long time to come!


Ten Things About Me
  1. I was an only child who always longed for a sister.
     
  2. During my childhood I always had access to a relative's farm.
     
  3. This summer my husband and I took in a stray pregnant cat and helped deliver her kittens.
     
  4. When I was in my late twenties, I learned to swim and ride horses!
     
  5. I attended the Beatles concert at Dodger Stadium.
     
  6. With my cousin I wrote a script for The Monkees tv show.
     
  7. I wrote for six years and finished 13 manuscripts before I sold two books in one week to two different publishers.
     
  8. I use a tape recorder to write and like to tape on the patio on summer nights under the moon.
     
  9. I love 60's fashion.
     
  10. I'm a crazy cat lady!


Join Karen Rose Smith's Street Team, Team Caprice



Staged to Death (Book 1) - on sale for only $2.99
Deadly Decor (Book 2) - on sale for only $1.99

Gilt By Association (Book 3)
Drape Expectations (Book 4)
Coming August 2015



Nathan’s Vow (Book 1)
Audio Book: Amazon ~ Audible ~ iTunes

Jakes’s Bride (Book 2)
Audio Book: Amazon ~ Audible ~ iTunes

Always Devoted (Book 3)
Audio Book: Amazon ~ Audible ~ iTunes

Always Her Cowboy (Book 4)
Audio Book: Amazon ~ Audible ~ iTunes

Heartfire (Book 5)
Audio Book: Amazon ~ Audible ~ iTunes

Cassidy’s Cowboy (Book 6)
Audio Book: Amazon ~ Audible ~ iTunes

Her Sister (Book 7)
Audio Book: Amazon ~ Audible ~ iTunes





Cover Reveal for A Dish Best Served Cold by Rosie Genova


A Dish Best Served Cold
By Rosie Genova
An Italian Kitchen Mystery, Book 3

Publisher:  NAL (Penguin Group)
Expected Release Date:  August 4, 2015
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Length:  336 Pages
ISBN:   978-0451415165
ASIN:  B00PT4IZ72


Pre-Order Links:  Kindle |Amazon PrintB&N Print


About the book: 

The national bestselling author of The Wedding Soup Murder returns to the Jersey Shore where a killer is stirring up trouble during a hurricane…

At the Casa Lido, the end of summer means a party, and hit whodunit writer Victoria “Vic” Rienzi and her family are cooking like crazy for the restaurant’s seventieth anniversary celebration. As they chop onions and garlic, old family friend Pete Petrocelli stops by, saying he knows something that would make for a good mystery novel. Curious, Vic asks Nonna to elaborate on Pete’s claim and learns of a relative who mysteriously disappeared back in Italy…

The night of the party brings a crowd—and a full throttle hurricane. When the storm finally passes, everyone thinks they’re in the clear—until the first casualty is found, and it’s Pete. Remembering his visit, Vic isn’t certain Pete’s death was an accident and decides to dig deeper into his story. What she finds is meatier than Nonna’s sauce… 

Add to Goodreads

Praise for the Italian Kitchen Mysteries:

"So good I can taste it."—New York Times bestselling author Stephanie Evanovich

"I enjoyed every bite."—New York Times bestselling author Jenn McKinlay

“Blends mystery with comedy, romance, family drama, a vivid and affectionate portrayal of the Jersey Shore.”—New Jersey Monthly

“More twists in it than a bowl of rotini.”—Suspense Magazine

“My mouth is already watering for the next book in this delicious series.”—Myshelf.com


MEET ROSIE
A Jersey girl born and bred, national bestselling author Rosie Genova left her heart at the shore, which serves as the setting for much of her work. The atmosphere of the Jersey shore is present in the details, whether it’s the smell of the sea, the sound of a Springsteen song, or the taste of Kohr’s custard from the boardwalk. And no summer is complete unless she has sand in her shoes.

A bookworm from the time she could sound out words, Rosie spent many happy hours in her home town library where she hid behind the stacks reading the titles she was too young to check out. She earned two degrees in English from Rutgers University, where she discovered to her delight that reading Jane Austen was actually considered homework. 
Though she’s always considered herself a writer, she didn’t pen her first novel until ten years ago, and she hasn’t stopped since.

Her series, the Italian Kitchen Mysteries, is informed by her deep appreciation for good food, her pride in her heritage, and her love of classic mysteries, from Nancy Drew to Miss Marple. Her debut novel, Murder and Marinara, was named a Best Cozy of 2013 by Suspense Magazine and was a finalist for a 2014 Daphne Du Maurier Award. An English teacher by day and novelist by night, Rosie also writes women’s fiction as Rosemary DiBattista. She still lives in her home state with her husband and her youngest son.

Connect With Rosie:



Tuesday, January 27, 2015

Release Blast & Giveaway for Sweet Surprise by Candis Terry


Join the Hunt
(See Details Below)




Playing naughty or nice . . .

Fiona Wilder knows all about falling in lust. Love? That's another story. Determined not to repeat past mistakes, the single mom and cupcake shop owner is focused on walking the straight and narrow. But trouble has a way of finding her. And this time it comes in the form of a smoking hot firefighter who knows all the delicious ways to ignite her bad-girl fuse. Can lead to heartbreak . . .

Firefighter Mike Halsey learned long ago that playing with fire just gets you burned. He's put his demons behind him, and if there's one line he won't cross, it's getting involved with his best friend's ex. But when fate throws him in the path of the beautiful, strong, and off-limits Fiona, will he be able to fight their attraction? Or will he willingly go down in flames? Or a sweet surprise!


BUY NOW
Amazon | Barnes | iTunes | Kobo | BAM




*SCAVENGER HUNT*

Each host will have a different letter placed within their post during the SWEET SURPRISE Release Blast! 

Readers, you will have to visit EACH tour stop to find the letters, and then enter the "Secret Word" into the Rafflecopter for more chances to win!   

You can enter ONE WORD per day, five words to find!





Candis Terry was born and raised near the sunny beaches of Southern California and now makes her home on an Idaho farm. She’s experienced life in such diverse ways as working in a Hollywood recording studio to chasing down wayward steers. Only one thing has remained the same: her passion for writing stories about relationships, the push and pull in the search for love, and the security one finds in their own happily ever after.
Find Candis Here


SOMETHING SWEETER by Candis Terry is the 
Harlequin Junkie Book Club Read for January!

Mark your calendars for Jan 29th!
(6pm PST/9pm EST)





Cover Reveal for The City Beneath by Melody Johnson


Title: The City Beneath (The Night Blood Series)
Author: Melody Johnson
Publisher: Kensington Books

As a journalist, Cassidy DiRocco thought she had seen every depraved thing New York City’s underbelly had to offer. But while covering what appears to be a vicious animal attack, she finds herself drawn into a world she never knew existed. Her exposé makes her the target of the handsome yet brutal Dominic Lysander, the Master Vampire of New York City, who has no problem silencing her to keep his coven's secrets safe…

But Dominic offers Cassidy another option: ally. He reveals she is a night blood, a being with powers of her own, including the ability to become a vampire. As the body count escalates, Cassidy is caught in the middle of a vampire rebellion. Dominic insists she can help him stop the coming war, but wary of his intentions, Cassidy enlists the help of the charming Ian Walker, a fellow night blood. As the battle between vampires takes over the city, Cassidy will have to tap into her newfound powers and decide where to place her trust...

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Melody Johnson is the author of the Night Blood series. She graduated magna cum laude from Lycoming College with her B.A. in creative writing and psychology. While still earning her degree, she worked as an editing intern for Wahida Clark Presents Publishing. She was a copyeditor for several novels, including Cheetah by Missy Jackson; Trust No Man II by Cash; and Karma with a Vengeance by Tash Hawthorne. Book #1 of the Night Blood series, The City Beneath, is her debut novel. When she isn't writing, Melody can be found hiking the many woodsy trails in her Pennsylvania hometown or sunning and swimming at the beach.

You can learn more about Melody and her work at elodymay.blog.comFacebook and Twitter.

For More Information


 

Monday, January 26, 2015

Virtual Book Tour & Giveaway for Macdeath by Cindy Brown

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Welcome to my stop on the Virtual Book Tour, presented by Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours, for MacDeath by Cindy Brown.  Please leave a comment or question for Cindy to let her know you stopped by.  You can enter the giveaway for this post by filling out the Rafflecopter form below.  You can also visit the remaining tour stops by clicking on the banner above.  My review will be posted later this morning.

Macdeath
By Cindy Brown
An Ivy Meadows Mystery, Book 1

Publisher:  Henery Press
Release Date: January 20, 2015
Genre: Cozy Mysgery/Female Sleuth
Length: 275 Pages
ISBN:  978-1940976693
ASIN:  B00OQJG9NI

Buy Links:  Amazon | B&N | Kobo | iTunes


About the book:

Like every actor, Ivy Meadows knows that Macbeth is cursed. But she’s finally scored her big break, cast as an acrobatic witch in a circus-themed production of Macbeth in Phoenix, Arizona. And though it may not be Broadway, nothing can dampen her enthusiasm—not her flying caldron, too-tight leotard, or carrot-wielding dictator of a director.

But when one of the cast dies on opening night, Ivy is sure the seeming accident is “murder most foul” and that she’s the perfect person to solve the crime (after all, she does work part-time in her uncle’s detective agency). Undeterred by a poisoned Big Gulp, the threat of being blackballed, and the suddenly too-real curse, Ivy pursues the truth at the risk of her hard-won career—and her life.


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About Cindy Brown
Cindy Brown has been a theater geek (musician, actor, director, producer, and playwright) since her first professional gig at age 14. Now a full-time writer, she’s lucky enough to have garnered several awards (including 3rd place in the 2013 international Words With Jam First Page Competition, judged by Sue Grafton!) and is an alumnus of the Squaw Valley Writers Workshop. 

Though Cindy and her husband now live in Portland, Oregon, she made her home in Phoenix, Arizona, for more than 25 years and knows all the good places to hide dead bodies in both cities.


Author Links
Website & Blog: www.cindybrownwriter.com
Twitter handle: @friendlybrown