Guest Blog: Wild Texas Rose by Jodi Thomas

WILD TEXAS ROSE is my 25^th historical romance about Texas and I’m happy to say that I think readers will discover something new in this book that I’ve never seen done in a historical.  I love writing about groups of people and this time I have more than one romance going at once.  It was great fun to write and I lost a great deal of sleep because even after I turned off my computer I couldn’t turn off the story.  The characters were still dancing in my head. 

My husband also developed a strange habit of saying, “All right, all you people, get out of this bed.  We’ve got to get some sleep.”

In WILD TEXAS ROSE, Rose McMurray is one of those wonderful people who is always organized.  I hated her and loved her instantly when she walked off the pages of TALL, DARK AND TEXAN as a little girl and I understood her when she stepped into this book. 

Duncan, on the other hand, lives his life in the moment.  Never planning.  Never realizing what he truly needs.  At the wedding of Rose’s best friend, they discover a plot that could get many people killed and join forces with others to fight.

I had a great time writing WILD TEXAS ROSE.  Of course I love a good love story and this book is packed with three.  I also like watching the couples fall in love in different ways because love never comes in quite the same way to anyone.  I think this story is tender and I promise it will keep you laughing.  No one in the book is perfect, but they all do the best they can.

Thanks for reading,

Jodi Thomas

www.jodithomas.com
www.facebook.com/JodiThomasAuthor
www.twitter.com/jodithomas

About Wild Texas Rose:
Release date: August 7, 2012
Publisher: Berkley
ISBN: 978-0-425-25037-2
Retail Price: USA$7.99

NY Times and USA Today bestselling author Jodi Thomas presents her latest Whispering Mountain novel WILD TEXAS ROSE, about a woman who’s cursed when it comes to love—and the man determined to save her.

Twenty-five-year-old Rose McMurray may be beautiful, smart, and capable of running her adopted family’s ranch at Whispering Mountain, but she’s backed away from marriage three times without giving any reasons. Everyone thinks Rose is a coward, afraid of any adven-ture, including falling in love. She’s never done a single wild or reckless thing in her life...until now.

“At the top of everyone’s favorites list.”  —Romance Junkies
“Wonderfully written, romantic, and delightful.”  —The Romance Reader
“Exceptional...Packs a powerful emotional punch.”  —Booklist


About Jodi Thomas:
Jodi Thomas is the NY Times and USA Today bestselling author of 35 novels and 11 short story
collections. A RITA winning author, Jodi currently serves as the Writer in Residence at West Texas A&M University in Canyon, Texas.

www.jodithomas.com
www.facebook.com/JodiThomasAuthor
www.twitter.com/jodithomas

Where does Michael A. Rothman Write + Kindle Giveaway (Heirs of Prophecy Tour)

 

Where you are Writing?

Really?  You truly want to know about my writing space?  Okay, you asked for it.

Since I seem to find time to write, take notes, or do this type of activity almost anywhere I am sedentary for more than a couple minutes, there are lots of possible locations where this can happen.

That being said, I have captured a couple of the more “productive” locations I have spent time at for your amusement.

In the front yard, where my wife’s rosebushes are. And no, the young lady who is reading HEIRS OF PROPHECY is not my wife, nor do I have a daughter. J

This is a picture of my spot on the bed. Admittedly it seems to be occupied at the moment, but trust me – lots of my writing has happened from that nightstand with my laptop.

The cat is sitting on the table in my kitchen, and yes – he is the model for the cat “Silver” that is pictured on the back cover of HEIRS OF PROPHECY. I have spent an inordinate amount of time writing on the kitchen table.

The chair on the left is often occupied by my derriere during the summer and I bring the laptop out there and write quite a bit. Admittedly, the picture I am showing you was soon after an ice storm, but just picture lots more green and lots more sun.

And last but not least – most authors probably won’t admit it, but with the availability of smartphones with the ability to hack in notes to self or laptops, many have likely sat here and typed up good portions of their novels.  (I will note that the cat is usually not in the location grabbing a drink though.)

I hope you enjoyed the quick tour through a variety of my writing locations.

About Heirs of Prophecy  - Goodreads | Amazon | IndieBound | B&N

The Riverton family had been enjoying a simple summer vacation when, through a fluke of nature, they found themselves in a strange new land.

The Riverton brothers quickly realize that in this world, they have gained unusual powers. Powers that their parents fear will attract the attention of Azazel himself - the merciless wizard who brutally controls this world.

The two brothers soon learn that an ancient prophecy has finally been initiated by their arrival in Trimoria. As the heirs of this prophecy, they are destined to lead the armies of men, dwarves, elves, and even a misfit ogre against the prophesied demon horde.

Only one thing stands in their way.

The evil wizard who has learned of their presence, and has sent assassins to wipe them from existence.

Tools of Prophecy:
Book II in the Prophecies series
 
The TOOLS OF PROPHECY is the second volume in an epic saga which describes a prophecy that has placed the Riverton brothers in the lead roles of a struggle to save their world from being overrun by unspeakable horrors. This destiny requires that they face off with the demons that nearly destroyed their world over five centuries ago.

In the first book, the population of wizards had been practically eradicated by the former tyrant. The Rivertons are now charged with creating an Academy of Magic, recruiting qualified students, and furthering their own training with secrets that have long been held by the reclusive elves.

Despite their youth, a mysterious spirit has engaged them in an epic struggle to gain mastery of their newfound skills, help raise and train two armies, and stay alive long enough for their final showdown with destiny.

The only things that stand in their way are the assassins hired to destroy them and the Demon Lord’s minion who holds a personal grudge and intends to witness the young boys’ deaths.


About Michael Rothman - Website  | Goodreads | Twitter | Facebook

I am an Army brat and the first person in my family to be born in the United States. This heavily influenced my youth by instilling a love of reading and a burning curiosity about the world and all of the things within it. As an adult, my love of travel allowed me to explore many unimaginable locations. I participated in many adventures and documented them in what will be a series of books, the first of which you have just read.
 
Some might put these books in the Fantasy genre, and I never had issues with this label. After all, the adventures were, without any doubt in my mind, fantastic. I simply quibble with the label of "Fiction" that some might put on these tales. These tales should be viewed as historical records, more along the lines of a documentary.
 
I've learned one thing over the years. Magic is real. Keep exploring, and you too will find your magic.
- Mike Rothman

Giveaway:

Michael is giving away a Kindle during the Tour! Use the Rafflecopter below to enter, US/Canada only.

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Book Tour Stops:
Monday, July 16th - Mundie Kids
Tuesday, July 17th - Owl for YA
Wednesday, July 18th - Chapter by Chapter
Thursday, July 19th - Book and A Latte
Friday, July 20th - Sweeping Me

Monday, July 23rd - Reading in the Corner
Tuesday, July 24th - Soul Unsung
Wednesday, July 25th - Proud Booknerd
Thursday, July 26th - Bitter Sweet Enchantement

Monday, July 30th - My Reading Room
Tuesday, July 31st - Book Brats
Wednesday, August 1st - Paranormal Indulgenlence
Thursday, August 2nd - Mandy Kay Reads
Friday, August 3rd - Snowdropdreams

Win a Nook from Entangled Publishing's new Covet imprint!

In order to help Entangled Publishing welcome a new imprint to their already wonderful line of imprints, they are having a great contest to win a Nook!  What do you have to do?  Simply enter the Rafflecopter below, it's their Rafflecopter for their contest, I'm just helping host it and helping get the word out about this new imprint.  I'm a big fan of Entangled Publishing and their romances so be sure and check out COVET!   COVET: Contemporary romance with a paranormal twist. Get ready to laugh, experience romance, and fall in love with this brand new take on paranormal books.   Covet is a digital only imprint from Entangled Publishing, an exclusive, boutique publisher of romantic fiction. Located in Fort Collins, Colorado, Entangled's goal is to bridge the gap between traditional and indie publishing, giving both readers and authors the best of both worlds. Get more information at www.entangledpublishing.com
Length: 291 pages ISBN: 978-1-62266-952-3 Release Date: July 2012 Imprint: Covet	Length: 293 pages ISBN: 978-1-62266-950-9 Release Date: July 2012 Imprint: Covet	Length: 291 pages ISBN: 978-1-62266-953-0 Release Date: July 2012 Imprint: Covet

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Promo Blitz: Haceinda Moon by KaSonndra Leigh

Hacienda Moon by KaSonndra Leigh

Gothic Romance

Date Published: July 28

Synopsis: 

A Pathseekers Novel

Love, obsession, and betrayal, the most powerful human emotions, are spun together in this gothic novel. Tandie Harrison is a police medium who has just suffered a divorce after losing both her psychic visions and her daughter in a car accident. When she leaves New York City to start a new life near her hometown, she moves into the alluring plantation house, Chelby Rose, and falls for its enigmatic caretaker, EricFontalvo. Their burgeoning affair ignites a centuryold curse, ensnaring them in a web of danger, deceit,and intrigue. Soon Tandie learns that in placid Bolivia,the worlds of the living and the dead are dangerously connected.

Hacienda Moon is a seductive tale of one woman’s journey to confront the demons of her past and find the courage to face her future. It is a mesmerizing novel that explores the deepest depths of human nature, and the characters will hold and haunt you long after you have read the final chapter.

Author Bio: 

KaSonndra Leigh was born in Charlotte, North Carolina. She now lives in the City of Alchemy and Medicine, North Carolina. She likes to
write about people doing fantastical things in magical worlds. Her two sons have made her promise to write a boy book next.

She holds the MFA in creative writing, and loves to play CLUE, Monopoly (the Indiana Jones version), and Pandora's Box (good writer's
block therapy). She lives in an L-shaped house with a garden dedicated to her grandmother. It has a secret library complete with fairies, Venetian plastered walls, and a desk made out of clear blue glass.

Website

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Blog

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Book Review: Dante's Girl by Courtney Cole

Dante's Girl by Courtney Cole

Publisher: Lakehouse Press

Pub Date: June 24, 2012

356 pages

ISBN: 9780615660

The Paradise Diaries #1

My Review:
Dante's Girl is a delightful, fun, cute and yet still serious in a way book.  I read this on my recent vacation and it was the perfect feel-good book to while away the afternoon in the hammock.  It took me away to a different country, to a different life and reminded me of that first love as a teenager.

Reece is a very endearing main character.  I think almost any girl can relate to her.  She's off to her father's for the summer, somewhere she really doesn't want to be when the crazy volcanic ash thing happens and so does Dante and her whole summer changes.  Her life also goes crazy back home.  But she copes, she's strong and even though she hasn't really been in love before, I really admired the way she handled the relationship.  She is very typical teenage girl, but I think she also shows girls a strength they can have also.  I like that.  She's spunky, she's fun, and she's not too in-your-face I can do it all.  She has weaknesses and needs help too.  Reece is just a great character who grows through the book.  And Dante.  Dante is amazing as well. At times I found him a little wishy-washy, but I realize he needed to be that way to have growth in his character.  But what I really love about him was the romance he had in him. And before everyone jumps and says no teenage boy is that romantic, my husband who was my boyfriend at the end of high school was romantic, so teenagers can be romantic.  In fact take away the money and royalty and Dante reminded me a bit of my husband back then.  So that made this read even more fun on a vacation away with my husband of almost 15 years (and we have been together 20).  But back to Dante, he's handsome, sweet, and he grows up a lot in this book.

The plot is driven mainly by the characters then by romance and finally by a small suspense plot. Added all together and it makes this a very quick and enjoyable read.  I found it to be well put-together, and enjoyed everything that made up the book as a whole.  The romance was my favorite of course, but Ms. Cole does everything well.  I was very impressed by this novel and how situations are handled in it.

Dante's Girl is a great summer or anytime read for teens 14+ (some sexual situations/discussions, fade to black but they are there, handled very nicely I thought, age recommendation is just my opinion).  It has a great storyline, wonderful characters, a heartfelt romance and an ending that ends just right, but leaves you ready for the next book in the series.  Ms. Cole has captured first romance brilliantly in Dante's Girl.  She had me remembering those days with happy thoughts as I read along with Reece and Dante's story.  And she kept a smile on my face through the entire story (except for a few intense moments, but hey it's a romance, you have to have those).  Dante's Girl is just one of those great feel-good reads that you need to read!

My Rating: 5.0/5.0

About Dante's Girl
Release: June 22nd by Lakehouse Press
goodreads | amazon | B&N

I have spent every summer since I was ten years old with my father in London. Every summer, since I was ten years old, has been uneventful and boring. 

Until this year. 

And this year, after a freak volcanic eruption strands me far from home, I have learned these things:
 
1.  I can make do with one outfit for three days before I buy new clothes.
2.  If I hear the phrase, “You’re not in Kansas anymore, Toto,” even one more time, I might become a homicidal maniac.
3.  I am horribly and embarrassingly allergic to jellyfish.
4. I am in love with Dante Giliberti, who just happens to be the beautiful, sophisticated son of the Prime Minister of a Mediterranean paradise.
5. See number four above.  Because it brings with it a whole slew  of problems and I’ve learned something from every one of them.
 
Let’s start with the fact that Dante’s world is five light-years away from mine.  He goes to black-tie functions and knows the Prime Minister of England on a first name basis.  I was born and raised on a farm in Kansas and wear cut-off jeans paired with cowboy boots.  See the difference?
 
But hearts don’t care about differences.  Hearts want what they want.  And mine just wants to be Dante’s girl.
 
My heart just might be crazy.

About Courtney Cole

website | twitter |  facebook | facebook fan pageCourtney Cole is a novelist who would eat mythology for breakfast if she could.
 
She has a degree in Business, but has since discovered that corporate America is not nearly as fun to live in as fictional worlds.
 
Every Last Kiss is her debut novel and she followed it with the rest of The Bloodstone Saga (Every Last Kiss, Fated, With My Last Breath and My Tattered Bonds).
 
Courtney lives in quiet suburbia, close to Lake Michigan, with her real-life Prince Charming, her ornery kids (there is a small chance that they get their orneriness from their mother) and a small domestic zoo.
 
Learn more about Courtney and her books at www.courtneycolewrites.com

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

Book Review: The Line Between Here and Gone by Andrea Kane

The Line Between Here and Gone by Andrea Kane
Publisher: Mira
Pub Date: June 19, 2012
Hardcover, 400 pages
ISBN: 9780778313373
My rating: 4.25/5.0

****  Be sure and check out my author interview & giveaway (ends 8/1) here.  ****

****  Check out the rest of the BookTrib tour for The Line Between Here and Gone for other great reviews, features and giveaways! ****

My Review:

I really enjoyed The Line Between Here and Gone. It's the second in the Forensic Instincts series, but it's the first one I have read and while I can see where reading the first in the series can give you a greater understanding of the main players behind Forensic Instincts. I didn't have any problem reading the second book without reading the first book.

The Line Between Here is Gone is very exciting and Ms. Kane keeps up the suspense plot until just about the end, but near the end everything is explained and then the final 1/8 of the book is kind of filler. Yes it was important filler (I liked the epilogue the best, I found it to be essential). But for some reason I felt like the book ended too soon or could have been wrapped up earlier. Honestly I'm not sure what I felt about the end. I'm happy, I like it, but I'm not sure if I felt it was wrapped up too quickly or just too early. But it only gets minor takeaway points because the other 7/8 of the book is just plain amazing. I wanted to get the negative out of the way first so I could focus on the positive.

So what was positive. I love the Forensic Instincts team. Love the banter and attraction between Claire-voyant (as Ryan calls her), who is the psychic in the group and Ryan, the general computer guru and tech everything. Love Marc and his love of his children and his ability to soothe Amanda. I also enjoyed getting to know Amanda's father figure Patrick, whose FBI background keeps the whole team in line at times. Then there is Casey, who heads up the entire team. Casey is tough as nails but sometimes these cases get to her. And actually my favorite member is not human at all, but is Yoda. I love Yoda, he is so cool and you'll have to read the book to find out about Yoda. This group will handle the tough cases that haven't been solved and since they aren't the police or a government entity they can cross lines sometimes to get the job done.

And this case falls right into Marc's lap and he just can't say no to the upset mother who just wants to save her baby by finding the baby's father that may or may not be dead. When Forensic Instincts gets involved they begin to learn there is much more to this than meets the eye and that the death that did not happen may go higher than they are allowed to touch, yet they will stop at nothing to save baby Justin and find Paul and bring him home to make all of this possible.

The intrigue was well-plotted. The skipping around from scene-to-scene and person-to-person, sometimes not even letting the reader know who was in the scene was very effective for building the suspense during the story. I loved watching the members of Forensic Instincts slowly put the pieces together. But what I loved even more than that was watching them fall for baby Justin and realize there was more to this case than bringing down the big dogs, that this case was about saving a baby. That was really great to see.

The Line Between Here and Gone is a well-crafted novel balancing the creation of characters with the execution of a suspense plot. I enjoyed every minute of reading this book and I had a hard time putting it down. I wanted to know what happened to Paul and would baby Justin be saved. I felt myself pulled in and pulling for this baby, and feeling the emotions of Amanda. Ms. Kane knows how to play the readers emotions and make them feel a part of the book. If you enjoy a good suspense thriller then this is the book for you. AS for me, I'm going back to find The Girl Who Disappeared Twice Now because I don't think I can wait much longer for the next Forensics Instincts book.

About The Line Between Here and Gone:
Each day is a struggle for Amanda Gleason’s newborn son as he battles a rare immune deficiency. Justin’s best chance for a cure lies with his father, who was brutally murdered before Amanda even realized she carried his child. Or was he?

One emailed photo changes everything, planting a seed of doubt that Amanda latches onto for dear life: a recent photo of a man who looks exactly like Paul. Could Justin’s father be alive? The mother in her is desperate to find out. But tracking down a ghost when every second counts is not for amateurs.

Forensic Instincts is the one team up for the challenge.
The manhunt is on for the elusive father. Yet the further the team digs into Paul’s past, the more questions are raised about whether the man Amanda fell in love with ever really existed at all.
Dark secrets. Carefully crafted lies. From the Congressional halls of Washington D.C. to exclusive Hamptons manors, there are ruthless people who would stop at nothing to make Forensic Instincts forget about the man Amanda desperately needs to find.

Little do they realize that once Forensic Instincts takes the case, nothing will stop them from uncovering the shocking truth that transcends THE LINE BETWEEN HERE AND GONE.

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

Author Interview & Giveaway: The Line Between Here and Gone by Andrea Kane

Today I welcome Andrea Kane, author of The Line Between Here and Gone, which is her newest thriller and is currently touring with BookTrib.  I have a great Q&A with her and also a giveaway of The Line Between Here and Gone.  You can check out the full schedule here.  Make sure to visit the other sites to read excerpts, other author interviews, reviews and giveaways.  And stay tuned later today for my review.

1.      Which author inspires you most?
It depends on when you catch me. There are so many talented authors, each mastering an element. I go back as far as Carolyn Keane, when I first started reading mystery novels as a kid.  I was a big mystery reader, so later it was Agatha Christie and on to Robert Ludlum.  Now I read all genres, and my most memorable ones are the ones that are character based.

2.      What, do you feel, is your biggest success?  
From a professional standpoint, hitting the NY Times Bestseller list and hearing from my readers about how I’ve impacted their lives. But on a personal note, being a mother is the most rewarding role I fill.

3.      What are you in relation to your siblings? Are you the middle child? The baby of the family?  
I’m the baby of the family.  Establishing my own identity was the challenging part, but being referred to as “baby” when you’re an adult has its perks!


4.      Describe your latest book in 15 words or fewer.  
A mother is desperately searching for the father of her newborn baby – hoping that he’s alive and is a donor match to save her critically ill son.


5.      What inspired you to write THE LINE BETWEEN HERE AND GONE?  
As with all my books, THE LINE, started out as flashes of the characters' lives playing out in my head. I saw a flash of an important male character who vanished without a trace and a critically ill infant whose life was integrally tied to his.  But I didn't know why or how that would factor into FI's caseload.  Those answers came later, after the baby’s mother crystallized in my mind.

About The Line Between Here and Gone:
Each day is a struggle for Amanda Gleason’s newborn son as he battles a rare immune deficiency. Justin’s best chance for a cure lies with his father, who was brutally murdered before Amanda even realized she carried his child. Or was he?

One emailed photo changes everything, planting a seed of doubt that Amanda latches onto for dear life: a recent photo of a man who looks exactly like Paul. Could Justin’s father be alive? The mother in her is desperate to find out. But tracking down a ghost when every second counts is not for amateurs.

Forensic Instincts is the one team up for the challenge.
The manhunt is on for the elusive father. Yet the further the team digs into Paul’s past, the more questions are raised about whether the man Amanda fell in love with ever really existed at all.
Dark secrets. Carefully crafted lies. From the Congressional halls of Washington D.C. to exclusive Hamptons manors, there are ruthless people who would stop at nothing to make Forensic Instincts forget about the man Amanda desperately needs to find.

Little do they realize that once Forensic Instincts takes the case, nothing will stop them from uncovering the shocking truth that transcends THE LINE BETWEEN HERE AND GONE.

Giveaway:
I have one copy of The Line Between Here and Gone by Andrea Kane to give away courtesy of BookTrib.  Open to US/Canada, ends 8/1.  Book will be mailed from the publicist.  Fill out the rafflecopter below and if there are any problems with the rafflecopter please email me at crystalfulcher(at)ec.rr.com.  Thanks!

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