Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Book Promo: Taken By Storm by Angela Morrison

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Synopsis:

Mormon girl Leesie has life figured out until devastated Michael lands in her small town high school. He needs her like no one has before. A rare journey into a faithful LDS teen’s intimate struggle.
"[Morrison] handles the topics of religion and premarital sex gracefully without passing judgment. The message has less to do with religion than learning to respect and cherish others while staying true to one’s own beliefs.”  – Publisher’s Weekly, starred review

Brand new paperback and reformatted ebook with fully scalable fonts. Includes bonus, never-before-published scene, "Airport Good-bye!" 
10 Year Anniversary
Ten years ago this week, Taken by Storm's scuba-diving hero, Michael, swam out of Angela's brain and onto her page. Join the anniversary celebration! Win your own copy of the brand new paperback!  Snag Taken by Storm's Kindle ebook for only $ .99 

Unbroken Connection (Book 2) and Cayman Summer (Book 3) are free on Kindle! Hurry. The promotion ends Friday, July 20th. Don't own a Kindle?  Download free Kindle apps for your laptop, tablet, iTouch, or phone.  
Short Excerpt:
I’m lost to his firm chest,
his slender fingertips, his long wavy hair,
his mouth sucking my bottom lip—
The world spins, the stars shift,
and I can’t see anything except his smoky
gray eyes gazing into mine.


You scare me, whispers
from my mouth across his.


Good, he breathes into me.
I need you to save me.






Links to Buy:

Author Bio
Angela Morrison is the award-winning YA author of Taken by Storm (Books 1-3) and Sing me to Sleep. She graduated from Brigham Young University and holds an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts. She grew up in Eastern Washington on the wheat farm where Taken by Storm is set. She's an advanced NAUI, Nitrox certified scuba diver. The hurricane that kills Michael's parents was inspired by a real-life diving accident. 
After over a decade in Canada, Switzerland, and Singapore, Angela and her family are happily settled in Mesa, Arizona. She enjoys speaking to writers and readers of all ages about her craft. She has four children--mostly grown up--and the most remarkable grandson in the universe. 





Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Author Interview: Robin Covington (A Night of Southern Comfort)

Today I welcome Robin Covington to My Reading Room.  Robin is the author of A Night of Southern Comfort, a recently released contemporary romance from Entangled Publications, which I reviewed last week.  I loved the book and Robin is a fun interview as well!  Grab your favorite cuppa and enjoy the interview and then be sure and check out my review if you haven't already.  Welcome Robin!

 
What do you like to do when you aren’t writing?
I love to read, watch anything with Alex O’Loughlin (Hawaii-50) or Jake Gyllenhall in it, and I love to entertain and have people over for good food and conversation.

What's your favorite season?
Summer.  I’m from the South and it can never be too hot for me.  So, I would live in eternal summer but I love part of the world so I can’t imagine moving somewhere like Arizona and actually getting a year-round summer.

Describe your ideal reading space (no expense spared here).
In a nice, comfy bed with perfect pillows to support my head and lots of blankets to nest in.  Aahhh.

If you could travel anywhere, where would you go?
Australia.  My critique partner, Emmie Dark. Live sin Melbourne and I keep threatening to go over and sleep on her couch. It is such a wonderfully diverse and interesting country, I would love to see that.

What three things do you need in order to write?
My netbook computer, “Little Red”, a diet coke and my iPod.  I am addicted to DC and I have to write with music on or I get distracted too easily.


What's the first sentence of A Night of Southern Comfort?
 “Her Junior League membership was toast.”
Do you have a favorite line in A Night of Southern Comfort?
Yes, I do!  Here’s a line from Jackson:
“Date me. Move in with me. Marry me. Make me beg. I don’t care.”
Tell us what is A Night of Southern Comfort about.
One night of passion... 
Detective Jackson Cantrell never imagined that one night with an irresistible stranger would turn his life upside down. He’s spent years living in the shadows, but Dr. Michaela Roarke awakened a passion inside him he'd buried years ago. 
He never expected the woman would turn out to be the governor's daughter...and his next assignment. The governor blackmails Jackson to secretly watch over Michaela and protect her from a stalker, or kiss his dream job at the FBI good-bye. Swearing to keep things strictly professional, Jackson moves in with Michaela. Too bad his heart can't keep the same promise. 
But when the stalker's attacks quickly escalate beyond mere photographs to bodily harm, Jackson must race to save Michaela's life. And he’ll have to figure out how to keep her once she discovers his lie.

Dish, who’s your favorite character?
Oh, that I hard . . . but I have to say that I have a soft spot for Jackson.  I “get” him and I think he’s the most like me.  I grew up in a small, southern town that I couldn’t wait to see in my rear-view mirror but as I got older, I understood how special it was.  Jackson is a little heartsore at the beginning of the story and coming home was a good thing for him, even if he didn’t want to be there.

How did you feel when you finished A Night of Southern Comfort?
You know, I write between 9:30 and 1 am so I think I was tired.  : )  But, it is always so rejuvenating to finish a book.  You feel like you won the race – and you really did.  I walk on air for about two days just from the sense of accomplishment.

For all of us impatient readers, what is up next for you?
I just sold a Christmas novella to Entangled’s Flirt line and it will be out I Nov/Dec 2012.  I have two projects, a paranormal and a super sexy category, under consideration with them as well and I’m writing the book proposal for the three books that are sequels to ANoSC.

Yay!  That excites me because I want more of Jackson's friends :)

Thanks Robin!

Thanks for having me!  I had a great time.

Robin


Excerpt:

Mr. Sex-on-a-Stick took his last shot and accepted the congratulatory thumps on the back from his friends. He didn’t smile in response, just quirked his full, sensual lips and turned to face her head-on with an expression full of hot promise. Catcalls and low whistles from his friends drifted across the crowded bar.
Come on, handsome. Don’t let me strike out at my first real bar pickup.
The breath she didn’t realize she was holding whooshed out as he separated himself from his friends and headed over to her. His movements were precise, controlled, and deliciously predatory. He possessed the confident demeanor of either military or law enforcement. He definitely wasn’t a paper-pushing warlord or a politico. Years of experience trained her to spot those guys a mile away. No, his mask of control was one born of the need for survival, much like hers.
Okay, big boy. You let me peek behind yours and I’ll let you peek behind mine.
He stopped in front of her, his thigh brushing her leg and setting off a series of sparks underneath her skin. His chocolate brown eyes met hers, filled with the assurance of decadent possibilities.
Michaela opened her mouth and shut it again. Now that he was here, she had no idea what to say. What would Angelina do? Channel your inner Jolie.
She cleared her throat. The result was a sultry, sexy voice she didn’t know she possessed. “May I buy you a drink?”
He glanced at the glass in her hand and nodded.
“A Southern Comfort.” She spoke in the general direction of the bartender, unable to tear herself away from her companion. “Neat.”
He slid onto the stool next her, his leg still against hers and her temperature hovering near the boiling point. He leaned on the bar, creating their own intimate circle as the noise of the busy bar faded into the background. His lips curved into a slight smile.
“Is there something funny?”
“No. Not at all.” His deep voice rumbled in her ear, his warm breath grazed her cheek. “I didn’t take you for the whiskey type.”
“And what type am I?”
He leaned back, examining her ice-blue satin, strapless cocktail dress and matching Manolo Blahnik pumps. She squirmed in her seat as her body responded to the desire pulsing between them.
“Honestly?” He cocked his head. “You strike me as the chardonnay type. A proper drink for a proper lady.”
She laughed. Any other night, his description would have been close to the mark. “Whiskey’s a drink of control and power.” She took another sip and caught his stare over the rim of her glass.
“I see.” He lifted his glass and downed the contents, then turned his full attention back to her. “So…why are you drinking alone?”
“I’m not drinking alone. Now.” Michaela gestured toward his drink and ordered him another when he nodded.
“Okay, so you’re here…?”
“Celebrating my new life.”
“Aahhh.” He lifted his glass to her in salute. “Let me be the first to say that your ex-husband is an idiot.”

Bio:
On her fortieth birthday, Robin Covington decided that having a mid-life crisis and finding a boy-toy were far too tacky, so she delved a little deeper into the “bucket list” and pulled out the long-shelved dream of becoming an author. Now, she spends her time writing sizzling romance where the hero and heroine can’t keep their hands off each other.

She doesn’t miss the boy-toy at all.

Robin is a member of the Romance Writers of America, the Washington Romance Writers, a faculty member at Romance University, a member of the Waterworld Mermaids, and a guest contributor to the Happy Ever After blog at USA Today.

Robin lives in Maryland with her hilarious husband, brilliant children, and ginormous puppy.  You can find Robin on her website, Facebook,  and Twitter (@RobinCovington).


Links:

Twitter: @RobinCovington

Buy links:


Monday, July 16, 2012

Author Interview & Giveaway: Debra Kayn (Rodeo Rebel)

Today I welcome Debra Kayn to My Reading Room.  Debra is the author of Rodeo Rebel, a recently released contemporary romance from Entangled Publications' Indulgence line, which I reviewed last week.  I loved the book and really enjoyed interviewing Debra too!  Grab your favorite cuppa and enjoy the interview and then be sure and check out my review if you haven't already.  Then enter the giveaway below as well so you can win your own copy of Rodeo Rebel!   So welcome Debra!

 
Describe the area you write in.
I always write at my desk. It’s large…like an old-fashion teacher’s desk. The desk is in our family room, because I can stay focused on writing longer if the kids are noisy, tv’s blaring, and the dogs are wrestling. Maybe it’s a mother’s gift that I can zone everything out and slip into my story.

What's your favorite season?
Winter! I love snow. The more, the better! I enjoy being out in the cold, and being able to wear boots, sweaters, and scarfs.

Describe your ideal reading space (no expense spared here).
All I need is a blanket and a body of water. I love reading by our creek. The noise from the water, the birds, the wind relaxes me. I can lose hours if I’m reading outside.

Crystal: I'm with you there, here it's the ocean for me, but I'm even happy in my backyard, there is just something magical about being outside (except for right now when it's 90+ degrees )

If you could travel anywhere, where would you go?
At this moment, I’d go to North Dakota. I know, weird answer. But, our place is for sale and the minute it sells, we’re going to be moving to North Dakota. My husband grew up there, and I’ve never been to the area. Since I’ve only lived in Alaska, Washington, and Oregon, I’m anxious to see how flat it is in person. The pictures make it look like the plains are on top of the world and if you keep walking, I’ll fall off. I also want to see sunrises and sunsets. Living in the coastal mountains of Oregon, I don’t get to see them break the horizon.

When did you decide you wanted to be a writer?
About 5 years ago, I took the jump from writing for myself to wondering if I could ever get a book published. Before that it was always in my mind that I could never be a real author. lol

What's the first sentence of Rodeo Rebel?
 The nerves hit her every time she planned to throw her leg over an eighteen-hundred-pound pissed off bull, and today was no different.

Do you have a favorite line in Rodeo Rebel?
 “Whatever you’re imagining in that bull head of yours, you better rope yourself tight, because I’ll buck you every step.” She sauntered closer. “Maybe you’re all muscles and little smarts. I had a dog like that once. He damn near chewed his own leg off before he realized it wasn’t a bone.”

Tell us what is Rodeo Rebel about.

In my words…
When Florentine comes home to the McDougal ranch for her sister's wedding, bringing along her sexy sponsor and his little girl, it'll take some sass and butt kickin' to convince Cole she's not a high risk and to take a chance on love. She's already fallen in love with his rambunctious daughter, now she has to convince Cole she loves him too.

And, the official blurb….
When widower and land baron Cole Reardon acquired the Turner Grain Corporation, he didn't know the company sponsored a bull rider. He refuses to support thrill-seekers dumb enough to get on the back of a crazed animal. He’s not willing to risk his fortune and livelihood when he has his daughter's well-being to consider. Not even when the bull rider is the sexiest woman he's ever seen.

Bull rider Florentine McDougal plans to turn pro after the season championship, fulfilling her lifelong dream of succeeding in a man’s world. That is, until Cole Reardon shows up and threatens to break his sponsorship contract with her. Now everything she’s worked for is less than eight seconds away from being destroyed.

Cole distracts Florentine with his sexy mouth and unreasonable demands, and he's not going to compromise his integrity. But she's not going to let him loose until she has pro status. And neither will come away from this dust-up unscathed.
Available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble


Dish, who’s your favorite character?
Florentine! I have to admire a woman who is competitive and has worked her way up in the ranks of a man’s sport. She’s also balanced the roles of being a tough woman with a soft heart that impresses me.

How did you feel when you finished Rodeo Rebel?
Well, after I stopped crying after writing the ending (yes, it even reduced me to tears), I had a rush of relief. I knew I’d captured a deeper love with Florentine and Cole, and couldn’t wait for my readers to give me their opinion.

Rodeo Rebel is part of the Sisters of McDougal Ranch series, where does it fit in the series and what other books are/will be in the series?

Rodeo Rebel is the 4th book of the series, but is easily a stand-alone book. The only benefit of reading them in order would be to learn about their daddy without having any spoilers.

There’s one more book to go in the series. Bisette is still single and singing on the stage. I’m currently ¾ of the way through her book, so it shouldn’t be too much longer until I can get that one out to readers.

Although, going by the emails I get from readers, they’ve asked for Craig and Ryan’s stories too. So, I might have to do a spinoff of the men of Pike, Montana.


For all of us impatient readers, what is up next for you?
I’ve recently received a contract for another Indulgence book that’ll come out this November. It’s a brand new beginning to a series about professional athletes and the women who love them despite their big, um, egos.


Thanks Debra!

Thank you so much for having me here today!

About Debra Kayn:
Multi-published Romance Author, Debra Kayn, lives with her family in the beautiful coastal mountains of Oregon on a hobby farm. During the summer, she enjoys riding motorcycles, gardening, playing tennis, and fishing. During the winter, you’ll find her outside playing in the snow. A cold weather nut, she lives for the days she’s snowbound and fighting with the woodstove to keep the house warm when the power goes out. A huge animal lover, she always has a dog under her desk when she writes and chickens standing at the front door looking for a treat. She's famous in her family for teaching a 270 lb pig named Harley to jog with her every morning.

Her love of family ties and laughter makes her a natural to write heartwarming contemporary stories to the delight of her readers. As someone who met her husband on a blind date when she was nineteen years old, she’s a believer of love at first sight and happily ever after.

Giveaway:
Entangled Publishing and the author are giving away one ebook copy of Rodeo Rebel and you will want to read this book. Open international. Ends 7/23/12. Simply fill out Rafflecopter below. The only required entry is a free entry.  Thank you to Debra and Entangled Publishing for this giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway




Sunday, July 15, 2012

Never Too Far by Thomas Christopher Promo Blitz


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Young Adult Suspense
Title: Never Too Far
Author: Thomas Christopher
Date Published: 5/10/12
Synopsis: 
A harrowing story of love and survival. In a future of scarce resources, where the possession of gas and diesel is punishable by death, a teenage boy and a pregnant girl must find a way to save their impoverished family. They risk their lives on a terrifying journey to sell stolen fuel on the black market.
 



EXCERPT

Mary surprised Joe by knocking his arms away. She was stronger than she looked. Then she swept her legs off the bed and sprang to her feet. She took two steps and turned to face him as if to prove there was nothing wrong with her. But there was definitely something wrong. She wavered a moment. Her already white face turned ghostly. Her eyelids trembled. She seemed to realize she was becoming faint, and what that meant.
“I’m fine,” she said. “You don’t have to go.”
Joe got ready to catch her in case she fell, but somehow she held herself steady.
“It’s okay,” Joe said. “Just sit down. I will go find some food.”
Joe inched toward her. He was afraid to grab her again because she might try to wrench free once more and really fall. When she coughed, her little shoulders jerked and her round stomach jumped. Her head was drooped low and her hair hung down so he couldn’t see her face at all.
“Come on, lay down,” Joe said.
She didn’t move. Joe stepped toward her, but before he could put his arms around her, she tilted forward and rested the crown of her head against his chest. He slid his arms along the sides of her hard belly and around her waist. Then he shifted her toward the bed again. She moved like a bundle of empty sacks in his arms. He set her gently on the bed before he bent down to lift her feet onto the sheets.
After he sat in the chair, Mary asked him, “What if you don’t come back?”
“That’s not going to happen,” Joe said.
“How do you know?”
“I just know. You have to trust me.”

 
Author Bio
Thomas Christopher grew up in Iowa. He received his MFA from Western Michigan University. His short stories have appeared in The Louisville Review and The MacGuffin. He was awarded an Irving S. Gilmore Emerging Artist Grant and was a finalist for the Matthew Clark Prize in Fiction. He lives in Wisconsin with his wife and son. 


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*Disclosure of Material Connection: I am a member of Reading Addiction Blog Tours and a copy of this book was provided to me by the author. Although payment may have been received by Reading Addiction Blog Tours, no payment was received by me in exchange for this review. There was no obligation to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are entirely my own and may not necessarily agree with those of the author, publisher, publicist, or readers of this review. This disclosure is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commision’s 16 CFR, Part 255, Guides Concerning Use of Endorcements and Testimonials in Advertising*