Book Review, Excerpt & Giveaway: One Night in Close Exposure by AshleyC. Harris

One Night in Close Exposure by Ashley C. Harris

The highly awaited follow up (and final book in the series) to Ashley C. Harris’ ONE NIGHT IN HEATED SNAPSHOTS.

My Review:

First I should mention that I haven't read the first book in the series, One Night in Heated Snapshots.  And while I could easily read this book, I would like personally to go back and read the first book to get more of a feel for Beth and Sterling in their past.

That said, I don't think you must read the first book to enjoy the second story.  There are brief glimpses into what happened in the first book, but never anything that I thought of as a major spoiler.  So I thought the history was treated welll for people like me who jump in and start reading One Night in Close Exposure.

So what did I think.  It's a cute story that is powered along by some character development and a lot going on in the plot. It's a quick, easy and satisfying book to read.  A romance just finding it's start again despite a lot of of odds against it.

I enjoyed Beth and Sterling's characters.  They were different and going through different things but they share so much.  Both have fears and both have dreams, but will things work between them?  You'll have to read it to find out.

My only fault with the book was not in the story or the characters but there were some minor editing blips that may have gotten missed on first pass and I'm hoping by the time that the book is released (I think this was an eARC) that these will be fixed.  They were very minor and most people would miss them.  They didn't glare at me or yank me out of the story.  And most of the book has no editing issues at all.

If you enjoy a simple romance (guy+girl) with some hurdles thrown in then this is perfect for you.  Both Sterling and Beth are fun characters and the sparks fly when they are together which makes for a great romance.  So come, read and enjoy.

 My Rating: 4.0/5.0

Excerpt:

“Beth, you need to go ... ” is what her mom had told her repeatedly all week long the moment there was breaking news that Sterling Johnson, and a whole slew of other Olympic athletes, were flying into Beth’s city for the governor’s honorary ball. Beth knew her mom was right, what other chance would she get to talk to Sterling at this point, especially now that he had actually broken a new world record and joined the U.S.A. Olympic team? The answer was none.

            Too many people had begun calling him the minute his Olympic swimming status was announced on a national level, which is why he must have switched numbers, breaking off the possibility of Beth getting ahold of him again. Well, not all possibility, but the truth was she hadn’t ever wanted to face him after their one steamy night that had ended so wrong. But now, just as Sterling’s stellar Olympic news was announced, she had learned her own life stopping drama. In fact, she was pretty sure her life was over as she imagined her dreams and aspirations suddenly crashing to the floor. Oh God, how can this really be happening to me? How can I do this, Lord?

            She entered the ballroom with waves of hot nausea assaulting her. Smells of seafood and other appetizers were making her stomach turn in the worst possible way. Of course, her stomach had been turning for two and a half months now; she just hadn’t realized it was morning sickness until it was too late. I’ve been so foolish ...

            There was a big yellow taped off area where media was not allowed to pass and yet Beth stood at the very edge of it with her photography media badge, looking. Would she be able to get Sterling’s attention ahead of time before the speeches came? A bodyguard warned her with his stern eyes not to dare take a step further and trip up the rope.

            Nervous energy caused her to tremble at the thought of speaking to Sterling now, looking upon his tall height and too ripped abs, ripped in a way that made him this next generation’s newest Michael Phelps and Michael Lochte rolled into one. Young fans posted statuses on the web that Sterling’s face was far more handsome, far more perfect, than any swimmer before him. His photos had been spread across all the papers, capturing his best angles. Beth had to admit, it seemed like they were right.

            If only everyone knew the true man and his motives under that swim cap.

About ONE NIGHT IN CLOSE EXPOSURE:

Title: One Night in Close Exposure

Series: Snapshots #2

Genre: New Adult Romance

Release Date: February 23, 2015

Publisher: Self-Published

Print Length: 89 pages

Format: Digital

Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Synopsis: Beth, in another life, was a top student and had nothing but visions of a successful career in her head. That was until one night with Sterling Johnson, the sexy and deceitful swim champion next door, who changed her entire future. Now, because of that night from her past, Beth’s path as a photographer is forever changed. Gone is the young women she used to be as she struggles to keep a secret hidden.

Sterling Johnson, on the other hand, has quickly become America’s favorite Olympic athlete. Constantly followed and stalked by the press and the father he has turned his back on, Sterling craves someone who isn’t interested in his celebrity.

When a publicity stunt takes him back to a wild college campus and Beth, who turns out to be the media photographer assigned to his story, the flame he thought was dead rekindles. Will Beth prove to be the only girl not interested in his celebrity status? Or are her own twisted secrets and lies about to bring both their worlds down?

ONE NIGHT IN HEATED SNAPSHOTS, Book One in the Heated Snapshots series, is currently free on Amazon! Grab your copy now!

About Ashley C. Harris:
Author and film director Ashley C. Harris resides in Florida. Ashley was first recognized for her edgy writing and unique film work when she wrote and directed the teenage film Lines. Lines was the first feature film in the world captured using only Mac Laptops.

In 2013 Ashley teamed up with Barclay Publicity to release the first title in a new young adult series Shock Me. Ashley then went on to release the first of a new NA series, One Night in Heated Snapshots, that quickly reached Amazon's Best Selling top ten list for sports romances.

When she is not dreaming up new books and working on film sets, she loves to spend time with her friends and family.

Keep a close watch for Ashley's newest young adult books releases!

Connect with Ashley at: Website | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads | Tumblr | Instagram

To celebrate the release of ONE NIGHT IN CLOSE EXPOSURE, Ashley’s giving away a gift card to Amazon or Barnes and Noble (winner’s choice) worth $10! Enter below!

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***I received this book from Barclay Publicity for an honest review.  I was not compensated in any other way except receiving the book for free.  ***

Afterparty 3 chapter release and giveaway

About AFTERPARTY: 

A toxic friendship takes a dangerous turn in this riveting novel from the author of Where It Began.

Emma is tired of being good. Always the dutiful daughter to an overprotective father, she is the antithesis of her mother—whose name her dad won’t even say out loud. That’s why meeting Siobhan is the best thing that ever happened to her…and the most dangerous. Because Siobhan is fun and alluring and experienced and lives on the edge. In other words, she’s everything Emma isn’t.

And it may be more than Emma can handle.

Because as intoxicating as her secret life may be, when Emma begins to make her own decisions, Siobhan starts to unravel. It’s more than just Dylan, the boy who comes between them. Their high-stakes pacts are spinning out of control. Elaborate lies become second nature. Loyalties and boundaries are blurred. And it all comes to a head at the infamous Afterparty, a bash where debauchery rages and an intense, inescapable confrontation ends in a plummet from the rooftop...

Buy Links:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1442423242/simonsayscom

B & N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/afterparty-ann-redisch-stampler/1112033708?ean=9781442423244&itm=1&usri=9781442423244&cm_mmc=AFFILIATES-_-Linkshare-_-PwUJvmDcu1U-_-10:1&r=1,%201

Book Depository: http://www.bookdepository.com/Afterparty-Ann-Redisch-Stampler/9781442423244

Indiebound: http://www.indiebound.org/book/9781442423244

About Ann Stampler:

Ann Stampler was the mild mannered author of literary picture books when she broke out, tore off her tasteful string of pearls, and started writing edgy, contemporary young adult novels set in Los Angeles, where she lives with her husband and writer’s-helper rescue dog – without whose compelling distraction she would have no doubt penned dozens of novels by now.

Social media links:

Twitter: @annstampler

Facebook: www.facebook.com/whereitbegan )

The writing life blog: www.annstampler.com/ya

Novel in the Oven: Really Bad Writing Advice (among other things): www.annstampler.blogspot.com

Book on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15751652-afterparty

Author on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4949584.Ann_Redisch_Stampler

Tumblr/Pinterest/Etc:

http://www.pinterest.com/annstampler/boards/

 

The LINK to the first three chapters of AFTERPARTY by Ann Stampler: http://www.scribd.com/doc/183272047/Afterparty-by-Ann-Redisch-Stampler-Excerpt

Giveaway:

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Book Promo and Excerpt: Her Rocky Mountain Guardian by Margery Scott

Her Rocky Mountain Guardian by Margery Scott

Publisher: Entangled Ignite

Publish Date: Oct. 28, 2013

ebook, 250 pages

ISBN: 9781622662029

About the Book:
An unforgivable disappearance… Four years ago, Jennie Brooks and Sheriff Brae Colton were engaged to be married—then Jennie disappeared without a word.  

Leads to a mysterious reunion… Brae hated Jennie for deserting him just as they were set to begin their life together. But when he finds her badly injured in a hit and run accident on a snowy mountain road, he can’t deny the love he’s never forgotten—until she regains consciousness with no memory of her identity, or what they once shared.  

Where love holds the key to everything… Brae wants to know why Jennie’s come home. Despite everything, she’s still the woman he fell in love with in high school—the woman he’s falling for again. But when the bullets start flying, his first priority is to protect her and catch her would-be killer. And if they can’t find a way to restore her memory soon, they may both end up dead.

About the Author:
Born in the Scottish lowlands, Margery now lives on a lake in Canada A late bloomer, she didn't start writing until she found herself with an empty nest, some free time, and an old standard typewriter her father found somewhere she'd rather not think about. She still has the empty nest, but the typewriter has been replaced by a computer and free time is a thing of the past. Margery writes all across the genre board as the muse and the mood hit her, but these days she tends to stick to either historical romance or romantic suspense. When she's not writing or traveling in search of the perfect setting for her next novel, you can usually find her wielding a pair of knitting needles or a pool cue. Margery loves to hear from her readers. You can reach her at margeryscott@gmail.com and follow her on Facebook and Twitter.

Website 

Blog 

Facebook     

Twitter

Excerpt:

Jennie gazed out the passenger window as Brae steered the SUV through downtown Eagle Ridge. Ever since they'd left the hospital, he'd been tense, his eyes constantly shifting and taking in the vehicles around them.

            "Do you think we're being followed?" she asked finally.

            "Probably not, but I don't want any surprises."

            She stayed silent then, letting him concentrate. A lock of hair hung over his forehead, and she had an almost irresistible urge to brush it back. The muscles in his face were tense, his lips pressed into a thin line. 

            Those lips… Her thoughts strayed back to the kiss they'd shared in her hospital room.

            Obviously they'd kissed before, and more than likely they'd done a lot more than kiss. She didn't remember those kisses, though. His kiss from a half hour earlier, she'd never forget. Something about the way he held her, the way his mouth slanted over hers, the heat pooling in her belly when his tongue had touched hers…it felt so familiar, so right.

            "You look like you're thinking hard," he said, his baritone voice filling the interior of the car.

            She felt her cheeks heat. If he only knew where her thoughts had taken her.

            "Remembering something?"

            Oh, yes. She remembered every detail of the kiss they'd just shared. Although she would like to know whether the memories of his kisses back then were as exciting and breath-stealing as the reality of the one they'd just shared. She doubted that was what he was asking, though.

Book Spotlight & Giveaway: In the Arms of a Stranger by Virginia Kelly

In the Arms of a Stranger by Virginia Kelly

Genre: Contemporary RS

Release Date: October 2013

Imprint: Ignite

About the Book:
A dangerous man on the run…

Wounded and accused of treason, CIA operative JP Blackmon is on the run from his own agency and desperate to clear his name. When he finds out his old partner is dead, he’ll do anything to get to the truth...including using his partner's widow.

A vulnerable woman looking for answers…

Abby Price wanted nothing more than a family and a safe home. But her late husband kept big secrets from her—secrets that got him killed and have government agents watching her every move. Fearing for her life, it seems the only man who can help her is a mysterious stranger who suddenly appears out of nowhere. But can she trust him?

Together they discover a passion worth dying for.

As danger stalks them at every turn, unexpected passion flares between JP and Abby. But the last thing either wants or needs is more complications. Romance? No. Way. That would involve trust—something neither is willing or able to do. But in the end, sharing their deadly secrets is their only hope for survival…their only hope to hold onto the love they’ve just begun to share…

  
About the Author:

An RWA Golden Heart® finalist, Virginia Kelly’s first book was published as To the Limit and finaled in several contests such as the Holt Medallion, The Golden Quill and The Aspen Gold.

Virginia has always loved adventure novels, but romance is at the core of her stories—romance with the adrenalin rush of danger. Against the Wind, a full-length novel, and Dancing in the Dark, the prequel novella to In the Arms of a Stranger,

are about dangerous men and the adventurous women willing to take a chance on them.

Traveling is a passion that came early in life. Her first airplane ride was a trip over the Andes Mountains in Peru at the ripe old age of two months. Her travels provide the settings for her novels, whether it’s a fictitious Latin American country based on Peru, the country of her birth, or Florida and the American South where she now lives.

A graduate of the University of Alabama with a master’s degree in Library Science, Virginia is an academic librarian. She tries to include a librarian in all of her books as either the heroine or as a minor character. Having taught high school and college, she has a great appreciation for teachers and often uses that as the profession for her heroines.

Links:

Website

Facebook

Twitter

Goodreads

Excerpt from Chapter 2

He was out cold. But what if he was faking? Abby’s late husband had always told her to be careful, and here she’d let a total stranger into the house. One who’d nearly run her over.

Ready to run and careful not to get too close, she nudged him with her foot. Nothing. He just lay there. She tried again, gingerly using her foot to lift his arm. Again, nothing.

Stop, think, she told herself. He’d almost hit her with his car, but he’d stopped to help. Have a little faith. Not everyone lied.

She waited a minute, barely breathing. He didn’t move.

Still prepared to bolt, she knelt, watching him closely, and shifted until her knees were next to him—John, he’d said. He lay on his back, his legs bent to one side, his head turned to the other, arms at his sides. Reaching with her good arm, she pulled at his wet blue jeans until his legs were reasonably straight. His bare feet rested against one of the end tables.

Now for his head. He had a bruise on his forehead, but he couldn’t have gotten it from hitting the floor. Maybe he’d hit the windshield when he’d gone over the embankment. She took in the days’ growth of beard, his short, disheveled hair, the lines of exhaustion that bracketed his mouth.

He looked like trouble. Rough and disreputable.

More than likely he’d been in a fight. She still had reservations, but she reminded herself that he’d helped her when he could have kept going. And Cole had trusted him, talking easily to him. Abby couldn’t remember the last time her son had done that with a stranger. Especially a man.

Giveaway:

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