Thursday, May 29, 2014

Blog Tour & Giveaway with Jane Graves



 
 
 
About BABY IT’S YOU:
With only the wedding dress on her back and her honeymoon luggage in the car, Kari Worthington is running away. Determined to put her controlling father, her rigidly structured life, and the uptight groom she left at the altar in her rearview mirror, she escapes to the Texas Hill country . . . and lands on a tall, dark, and gorgeous winery owner's doorstep. All she needs is a job and a place to live until she can get back on her feet. So why is she fantasizing about losing herself in his powerful arms?

For Marc Cordero, freedom is so close he can taste it. He's devoted his life to managing the family business and being a single dad. Now with his daughter away at college and his brother taking over the winery, Marc is ready to hop on his Harley for parts unknown-until a runaway bride bursts onto the scene. Free-spirited and tantalizingly sexy, Kari excites him like no other woman has before. But when irresistible passion turns into something more, will Marc give up his future to take a chance on love?



Excerpt:
The ibuprofen, the wine, the heating pad, a sexy man putting Band-Aids on her blisters…what didn't make her feel good?

"Much better," she said.

Marc applied the last Band-Aid and removed her foot from his thigh, and she settled back with a sigh of pure contentment. Nobody in her adult life had anyone ever done anything like this for her. On the surface, Marc was big and gruff and demanding, but beneath it all was a kindness and compassion she never would have imagined, and it drew her to him like nothing else. Now she hoped he would pour himself a glass of wine and stay for a while. After that, who knew what might happen?

"Okay," he said. "It's time for me to go."

Kari's eyes flew open. "Go? Why?"

"I'm finished here. I'll leave everything. You'll probably need all of it again tomorrow."

No! She didn't want him to go. She wanted him to stay there forever so this feeling would never go away.

"You don't have to go," she said.

"I have work to do."

"After dark?"

"Accounting stuff."

"Why don't you forget that for tonight? Stick around? Have a glass of wine?"

"Can't," he said. "Things piles up."

"Don't you ever relax?"

”Not when there are things to do."

As he rose to leave, Kari felt a rush of disappointment. But what was she supposed to do? Grab him by the arm and forbid him to leave?

"Wait,” she said. “I'll lock the door behind you. Assuming you lock things all the way out here."

"Always lock doors," Marc said. "You never know."

Of course he would say that. Mr. Practicality. And of course Mr. Practicality couldn't stick around and have a glass of wine if there was an iota of work to be done. To say she was attracted to him was an understatement. To say he was frustrating the hell out her was a bigger one.

Suppressing a groan of pain, she rose from the sofa and followed him. When he reached the door, she called out to him.

“Marc?”

He turned back. “What?”

She stopped in front of him. “Thank you for all this.”

“It was no big deal.”

“No. It was a big deal. Believe me. A really big deal.”

“A pair of shoes, a heating pad, a couple of Band‑Aids—“

“No. You don’t understand.  Nobody's ever done stuff like this for me before."

The words were out of her mouth before she really thought about them. Now she was stuck feeling just a little bit pitiful, particularly when a look of disbelief came over Marc's face.

"Ever?"

"Yeah. Ever."

"But when you were a kid, surely--"

"When my mother was alive, I guess."

"How old were you when she died?"

"Eight. After that, my father's staff was nice to me. But it wasn't the same." She shrugged. "You can pay people to do all kinds of things. Doesn't mean they care."

Marc just stared at her as if her words didn't compute, and suddenly she wished she'd kept her mouth shut. She'd looked pitiful enough when she'd almost quit her job. The last thing she wanted to do was look even more pathetic now.

"What made you change your mind about the job?” Marc asked.

"I don't know. It doesn't matter. Thanks again for helping me," she said, having a hard time looking at him. She nodded toward the door. "Go ahead. I'll close it behind you."

But he didn’t move. Instead, he continued to stare at her. It was just like at Animal House that night, when he hadn't even blinked. He just stared at her stoically, as if he was feeling absolutely nothing. Zero. Nada. Zilch.

So why wasn't he leaving?

He flicked his gaze to her almost‑empty wineglass. "Now that I think about it," he said, "they say people who drink alone have a drinking problem. You're new in town. We wouldn't want people jumping to the wrong conclusion."

Kari's heart bumped hard against her chest, her stomach quivering with anticipation. "Exactly. It's like you said when we were at the inn. This is a small town. Word gets around."

But he made no move to grab another wineglass and fill it. She held her breath, wondering what he was thinking. His gaze played across her face, then moved downward to her chest, then lower to the V of her robe where it dipped down between her breasts. It had fallen open slightly when she rose from the sofa, but the last thing she wanted to do right then was pull it shut. As far as she was concerned, he could look at anything he wanted to as long as he wanted to.

They both stood motionless, the air between them growing hot and heavy. Evening was turning to dusk, and the dim light from the single lamp gave the room a dreamy, otherworldly feeling. Or maybe it was the wine. Maybe she didn't know. She only knew she loved the feeling and didn't want to lose it.

Then his attention turned to a spot above her eyes, and his brows drew together with concern.

"What's the matter?" she asked.

"Is that a bruise on your forehead?"

"Yeah."

"What happened?"

"I came out the kitchen door. Unfortunately, it was the door you're supposed to use to come in. I've learned that's a felony when you're working in a restaurant."

He lifted the hair on her forehead to examine it more closely.

"It's okay," she said. "It doesn't hurt."

"If I'd known about it, I'd have brought an ice pack."

"No need. I'm fine."

He moved his fingertips downward, letting her hair fall back against her forehead. But to her surprise, instead of pulling his hand away, he traced those two fingertips all the way along her cheek to her jaw, then wrapped his callused hand around the side of her neck and stepped closer.

Oh, my God.

She couldn't meet his eyes. Didn't dare. She just stared straight ahead at that big, rock‑hard chest and prayed he didn't stop. She leaned into him, closing her eyes at the heavenly feeling of her body pressed against all that bone and muscle. All the sexy thoughts she'd been having about him since she came to his door two nights ago melted into a red-hot jumble in her mind until thinking wasn't an option. She couldn't have mustered up a single coherent thought if her life depended on it. Whatever pain she'd felt earlier had vanished. She only knew she wanted Marc. She wanted him here. And she wanted him now.

"This is a bad idea," he whispered.

Kari felt a shot of desperation. "No. It's a good idea. An excellent idea. In fact, it's the best idea I've come across all day."

He moved his other hand around to the small of her back to pull her closer, and her heart went crazy. But he still did nothing else. Good God. Did he have to have so damned much self-control?

"What's wrong?" she said, barely able to breathe for the anticipation she felt. "Do you have a girlfriend I don't know about?"

"No. No girlfriend."

"And I no longer have a fiancé."

"But you just left him at the altar two days ago."

"Which was better than marrying the wrong man."

"Okay, that's logical," he said.

And then he kissed her.

 
 
About Jane Graves:

New York Times bestselling author Jane Graves is a nine-time finalist for Romance Writers of America's RITA Award, the industry's highest honor, and is the recipient of two National Readers' Choice Awards, the Booksellers' Best Award, and the Golden Quill, among others.  Jane lives in the Dallas area with her husband and a very sweet kitty who kindly keeps her lap warm while she writes. You can write to her at jane@janegraves.com.  She'd love to hear from you!
 
Jane’s social media:
@JaneGraves
 
Buy links:
Barnes and Noble: http://tiny.cc/v21bgx
IndieBound: http://tiny.cc/g31bgx
 
Giveaway Enter here:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tuesday, May 20, 2014

Guest Post & Giveaway with Lisa Eugene




First Kisses

 

                I love to read romance novels as well as write them. I love to sit in a quiet place and get enrapt in a beautiful relationship as it unfolds. Chemistry between the hero and heroine is paramount, and the way the sexual build up occurs speaks to the entire trajectory of the novel. It all starts with that all important first kiss. Will it be slow and tentative, or impulsive and raw? Well, I guess it all depends on the type of novel you’re reading and the personality of the characters. But for me it’s a defining moment. A moment when I say to myself, wow, these two belong together or well…maybe not. Because even if your characters start out hating each other, there has to be passion. Even if the kiss is impulsive and done in a moment of spontaneous emotion, it still has to be electric. Sometimes the body knows more than the mind what it likes.

                In my books, the first kiss is an extension of my characters’ emotions. It’s usually a moment that’s long remembered and may come up again during the novel. This is usually where I define all the feelings that go into that moment—the racing heart, the sensuous tingles, the heated breaths, the arousal! I think the reader should be a part of that moment too. After that first kiss, the reader should have an idea of how intimacy will evolve between the hero and heroine and be looking forward seeing more.



Praise for Lisa Eugene's Washington Memorial Hospital series

 

“Suspense filled, evocative and heart pounding.” - Book Addict Mumma

Lisa Eugene is one of my top 10 authors. She writes some wicked good mystery-suspense-erotica that I LOVE! Gah it's so good! and now that it's over I want more more more! This is the third book in the Washington Memorial Series (it's a stand alone so no cliffy) and it just keeps getting better and better every time!”  - Taryn Lee’s Book Blog

“Written with knowledge of the medical profession, this love/lust story grabs your attention with its ‘who done it tale’. The heroine in the book is an intelligent woman who finds herself entangled in more than she bargained for. I like to compare the book to a 50 shades meets Sydney Sheldon.” - Annie, Amazon reviewer


Want to learn more about the Washington Memorial Hospital Series? Be sure to check out this exclusive interview with Lisa Eugene!



Win some awesome prizes:

A $20 gift card to Amazon or Barnes & Noble (winners choice) and 3 runner ups will win an eBook of their choice from the Washington Memorial Hospital series.
Enter here:
 
a Rafflecopter giveaway


About the books in the Washington Memorial Hospital series:

 

 

SURRENDER MY LOVE

Lisa Eugene takes us back to Washington Memorial Hospital in SURRENDER MY LOVE with a deliciously hot and intriguing tale of dangerous romance. Fans of The Blackstone Affair trilogy by Raine Miller and The Real series by Katy Evans will eat this up!

 





 

 


STEAL MY HEART

There’s forbidden romance, and there’s unlikely romance.  Gabe Masters is everything that Maggie Lawson, an OR nurse, can’t stand. In STEAL MY HEART, Lisa Eugene explores uncontrollable passion and unexpected romance between two people who at first glance, are least likely to fall in…love?

 






STRICTLY BUSINESS

Conservative meets sexy in STRICTLY BUSINESS–which is anything but. Lisa Eugene delivers undeniable chemistry and hotter romance than asked for in the first book in the Winthrop Memorial series. Rest assured, STRICTLY BUSINESS will leave readers breathless.

 




 
 
About Lisa Eugene:

 


Lisa Eugene began writing as a way to mentally escape from the hectic medical world where she has been a practicing nurse for over twenty years. After publishing her first novel, STRICTLY BUSINESS, she quickly learned that readers couldn't get enough of the world she created and now she lives out her wildest fantasies by writing steamy romantic suspense for her fan-favorite Washington Memorial Hospital series.


When she's not plotting her next dangerous, fast-paced, sexy adventure, you can find her juggling a full time job, playing soccer mom, or curled up reading a good romance. Lisa loves hearing from fans; be sure to connect with her on Twitter at @lisaeugene43 or at lisaeugene43@gmail.com.

 







 

Wednesday, May 14, 2014

Blog Tour & Giveaway with Elley Arden



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Second chances don’t come around often, especially not in a town known for its scandals, and almost definitely not with the one that got away, but Morgan and Charlie get theirs in Elley Arden’s latest Harmony Falls novel, MARRYING THE WRONG MAN. Will they take the chance and make it work? This is a story that’ll tug at the reader’s heartstrings!

 

Want to learn more about MARRYING THE WRONG MAN? Be sure to check out this exclusive interview with Elley Arden!

 

Win some awesome prizes:

A $15 gift card for Amazon or Barnes & Noble (winners choice) plus a signed copy of Crashing the Congressman's Wedding AND Battling the Best Man! (US residents only)

 

Enter here to win:











Title: MARRYING THE WRONG MAN


Author: Elley Arden


Author Location: Pittsburgh, PA


Genre: Contemporary Romance


Release Date: May12th, 2014


Word Count: 50,000words


Publisher: Crimson Romance


Format: Digital eBook


ISBN:9781440579639


 


Synopsis: Morgan Parrish returns to Harmony Falls after her spectacle of an almost wedding and her father’s colossal fall from grace. She’s broke and infamous. But that’s nothing compared to the secret she’s been keeping.


 


Life is finally on the upswing for Charlie Cramer. He’s sober and chef of Chargrilled Bistro. But his peace is shattered, when the woman he loves—the woman who left him—shows up in town with shocking cargo: the baby he’d begged her to keep and raise with him.


 


When fate steps in and Morgan takes a job working in Charlie’s bistro, things heat up—in and out of the kitchen. Can they learn to trust each other enough to love again? And is that love enough to keep them up when everyone else is trying to tear them down?


 




 


Add MARRYING THE WRONG MAN to your TBR pile on Goodreads!


Other books in the Harmony Falls series:


BATTLING THE BEST MAN:




 


CRASHING THE CONGRESSMAN'S WEDDING:




 
About Elley Arden:



Elley Arden




Elley Arden is a born and bred Pennsylvanian who has lived as far west as Utah and as far north as Wisconsin. She drinks wine like it’s water (a slight exaggeration), prefers a night at the ballpark to a night on the town, and believes almond English toffee is the key to happiness.

Elley writes provocative, emotional, contemporary romances, where Mr. Not-My-Type ends up being Mr. Right.


 




Excerpt: I should have washed my hands of you.

 

“No!” He held up his hand. “I don’t want to hear any more from you until I’ve said what I’ve wanted to say for the last two years.”

She stuck out her chin and locked her jaw like she expected the words to pack one hell of a punch.

“I hate what you did,” he said. “All of it. I should’ve told you to go to hell when you broke things off, saying you wanted your daddy to be proud of you, and that meant you couldn’t be with me. I should’ve washed my hands of you then. But no, I let you cry on my shoulder too many damn times, and twice that led to … ” he sneered, “other things. Justin and I may have grown apart long before you two got engaged, but I still owed him more respect than that. I owed myself more respect than that. Falling in love with you was the stupidest thing I ever did. No wonder I ended up a drunk. You damn near destroyed me.”

Her lip quivered. “I didn’t mean to.”

“Really?” He fisted his hands and lifted his face to the sky for a roar. “Tell me you would’ve stopped that wedding had my sister not stood up and stopped it for you.”

She opened her mouth but shut it again.

“That’s what I thought.” He shook his head. “You’re sick. But the good news is, I’m not … not anymore. You might be stuck in Harmony Falls, but you better stay the hell away from me.”

Her gaze shot to the house again, but this time she gasped.

He turned in time to see Phyllis’s head. “Is everything okay? I heard yelling.”

“Shut the door!” Morgan’s whole body jerked like she was readying to run.

“I can call the cops.”

“I said shut the … ”

And then a child cried.

Charlie’s blood ran cold as Phyllis slammed the door. “Who was that?”

“Nobody.” Morgan rushed toward the house. “Leave, Charlie, or I’ll call the cops myself.”

A child. Whose child? The hairs on the back of his neck stood. “Morgan … ”
But she didn’t stop, and she slammed the door behind her like Phyllis had done, leaving him gaping in the driveway with the sound of a crying child ringing in his ears.