Author Interview & Giveaway: Tracy March (The Practice Proposal)

  
Today I welcome Tracy March, author of The Practice Proposal, which is a delightful romance I am reading while on vacaction on the wonderful island of Ocracoke at the moment. If I don't post my review later in the day I will post later in the week, but it is a wonderful book so far.  For today, please grab your favorite cuppa and sit and learn a little more about Tracy March and then enter the giveaway to win Kindle Paperwhite and a beautiful silver bracelet..  

What three things do you need in order to write?
Silence, Diet Coke, and Reduced Fat Cheez-Its! J

What's your favorite season?
Autumn. I just love the beautiful foliage that we get in Virginia, the crisp air, and the relief from the summer heat.

If you could travel anywhere, where would you go?
I’ve been fortunate enough to do quite a bit of traveling, so I’ve already seen many beautiful places. Some of my favorites are Bariloche, Argentina; Lucerne Switzerland; Santiago, Chile; and St. Lucia. In the U.S., I love Big Sur, California; Asheville, North Carolina; Estes Park, Colorado; and Charleston, South Carolina. It’s difficult to pick just one place I want to visit, but I’d love to tour Europe, do a cross-country trip in the U.S., and spend at least a month in New Zealand. That’s not too much to ask, is it? ;)

What's the first sentence of The Practice Proposal?
Liza Sutherland would much rather be in a ballpark than a ballroom, and tonight’s black-tie charity gala had gone on way too long.

Tell us what The Practice Proposal about.
The story is a sweet and sassy romance about a sexy pro baseball player and the daughter of the owner of a rival team. I could aimlessly riff about it for paragraphs, but here’s the official version! ;)

Liza Sutherland isn’t looking for love. Not from a charity-auction date she didn’t even bid on and especially not with Nationals first baseman Cole Collins, the guy she obsessed over as an awkward teenager. She won’t get involved with a notorious player, no matter how attractive Cole is.

Cole Collins is up for contract renegotiation, but after too many late-night parties, he’ll need some positive publicity before he can make the roster. His agent, Frank, pitches Liza as the perfect prop…only Cole didn’t account for Liza no longer being just a teenager with a crush. She’s gorgeous and smart and he’s instantly hooked.

When Frank makes Liza a deal she can’t refuse—a bet she will fall in love with Cole or a cool half mil goes to charity—the game is on. But neither bet on the real feelings that surface. Could a fake fling turn into an official forever?

Where did the idea for The Practice Proposal come from?
I’m a big baseball fan, and I started thinking about how challenging it must be for players who are rich and hot and famous to find genuine love. What would it take for them to be certain that a woman they fell for was sincere and not after them for theirmoney and fame? That was the seed of the idea, and the story grew from there.

Dish, who’s your favorite character in The Practice Proposal?
Definitely the hero, Cole Collins. He’s an All-American blonde-haired, blue-eyed athlete who might seem too perfect at first. Readers quickly learn he isn’t, but he’s even more attractive with all of his flaws. He’s become misguided and made some questionable decisions. Yet deep down, he’s just looking for a place to belong, and someone to belong to, so he quickly stole my heart.

What was your inspiration for The Practice Proposal?
It was more like who was my inspiration?! I have a favorite baseball player—Michael Morse—who used to play for my favorite team, the Washington Nationals. Sadly for me, he was recently traded to the Seattle Mariners. Cole doesn’t look like Michael, but he does have some of Michael’s best  ersonality traits like his sportsmanship, his love of the fans, his team spirit and his quirky sense of humor.

If you could cast anyone as Liza and Cole who would you choose to play them?
I could easily see Minka Kelly as Liza. For Cole, I would cast the super-hot Jessie Pavelka. I think the two of them would make a beautiful pair!

What can we expect next from you?
I write contemporary romance and romantic thrillers. My debut romantic thriller, Girl Three, releases in print and e-book on April 30th. Here’s the set-up for the story:

Bioethicist Jessica Croft, estranged daughter of a federal judge, has avoided the players, power, and passions of Washington, DC. But when her sister’s suspicious death is classified as natural, Jessie resolves to expose the murderer. Pursuing elite suspects on both sides of the stem-cell-research debate leads her to security consultant Michael Gillette, who knows more about her sister than he’ll admit.

Michael has a vested interest in Jessie’s plight. Her sister died on his watch—while he wasn’t watching. His plan to find her murderer becomes complicated when Jessie’s father hires him to protect Jessie, and his interest turns from professional…to romantic.

Jessie and Michael must unravel a mystery rife with political agendas and deceit. When confidential papers reveal a fertility scandal surrounding the enigmatic Girl Three, the two realize the danger of exposing the truth. Who is Girl Three? And will the murderer kill again to keep a secret?

Thanks so much for hosting me here today, Crystal. It’s fun hanging out with you and your readers!


To follow the tour, click on the banner at the top of the post or go here.

About the book:
Liza Sutherland isn’t looking for love. Not from a charity-auction date she didn’t even bid on and especially not with Nationals first baseman Cole Collins, the guy she obsessed over as an awkward teenager. She won’t get involved with a notorious player, no matter how attractive Cole is.

Cole Collins is up for contract renegotiation, but after too
many late-night parties, he’ll need some positive publicity
before he can make the roster. His agent, Frank, pitches Liza as the perfect prop…only Cole didn’t account for Liza no longer
being just a teenager with a crush. She’s gorgeous and smart and he’s instantly hooked.

When Frank makes Liza a deal she can’t refuse—a bet she will fall in love with Cole or a cool half mil goes to charity—the game is on. But neither bet on the real feelings that surface. Could a fake fling turn into an official forever?

Goodreads
Amazon
Barnes and Noble


About the Author:
Award-winning author Tracy March writes romantic thrillers influenced by her career in the pharmaceutical field, and her interest in science and politics. She also writes lighthearted romances inspired by her real-life happily ever after.

Always up for travel and adventure, Tracy has flown in a stunt plane, snowmobiled on the  Continental Divide, ziplined in the Swiss Alps, and been chased by a bull in the mountains of St. Lucia. She loves Nationals baseball, Saturday date nights, and Dairy Queen Blizzards—and rarely goes a day without Diet Coke and Cheez-Its.



Find Tracy March at:
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Giveaway:
First there is a tour-wide giveaway of a Kindle Paperwhite! My sister-in-law has one of these and she says you want one even if you have a Kindle Fire!


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Second each tour stop has the option of hosting a giveaway for this beautiful silver bracelet.  Simply enter by using the Rafflecopter below!  This is for US/Canada only.
 

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Guest Blog: Tanya Anne Crosby (Speak No Evil)

  
Today I welcome Tanya Ann Crosby, author of See No Evil, an e-original from Kensington, which I'm currently reading and enjoying while on vacation with my family.  I will be posting my review hopefully later this week, but for today, please grab your favorite cuppa and sit and learn a little more about Tanya Ann Crosby and See No Evil.  

For me, the seeds of a story come from anything and everything—a newspaper headline,
a dream, something my husband said. For Speak No Evil, it began with the concept that
every event in a person’s life is connected. Every small decision we make leads to a cascade
of events we can’t predict: A moment of indiscretion may plant the seed for villainy; an
inattentive moment on the beach may lead to a never-ending search along the shore for a
missing child. The state of our lives, at any given time, is the sum total of everything we have
done and everywhere we have been ... and our next decision determines, not merely where
our lives end, but who we become along the way.

But there’s a certain “woo woo” factor that goes into the creation of a story as well. For
Speak No Evil, some of that “woo woo” has to do with the setting itself. Although I grew
up in Charleston, S.C., I had never been to the Secessionville Creek area on James Island—
a historic location that saw one of Charleston’s—and in fact the entire Civil War’s—most
pivotal battles. If the Secessionville Creek Battle had been lost by the South it might have
meant an end to the war nearly two years sooner. But I first stumbled upon that pinpoint
on the map after a game of eeny meeny miny mo . . . or just maybe, if you believe in
providence . . . it chose me.

My first look at the area was through Google Earth—just to be sure the layout of the land
was close to what I had in mind. But I was shocked to find there was already a historic
plantation sitting right where I planned to place the fictional Oyster Point Plantation. The
Stiles-Hinson house dates back to 1741 and was a vital working plantation through the 18th
and 19th Centuries. It couldn’t have been more perfect.

SPEAK NO EVIL is just the second of my books to be set in Charleston, S.C. where I grew
up. I very much love the city and still have family there and visit often, and I felt Charleston
was the perfect place to set this story of a perfect family (at least on the surface) living in an
idyllic setting. But Charleston also has its super creepy factor. It’s full of alleys, old buildings,
ruins, swamps and old cemeteries. It has a very genteel image that serves as a wonderful
juxtaposition for a darker story—and lots of woo woo for a great story! As for the setting—
Charleston, with all its secrets—is a character in itself.

To see some of the places that inspired SPEAK NO EVIL, visit my Facebook at http://on.fb.me/164M9sg


About the book:

Lifting the veil of secrecy on a grand Southern family in decline, author Tanya Anne Crosby explores the lives of Caroline, Augusta, and Savannah Aldridge, three sisters who share a dark past and an uncertain future...Caroline Aldridge was surprised by the number of mourners at her mother's funeral. Evidently the newspaper heiress who had caused her children so much pain was well-loved by everyone else in Charleston. Now she was gone, leaving behind countless secrets--and a few demands: Caroline and her sisters must live together for one year or lose their inheritance. And Caroline must take over "The Tribune." But a killer is making headlines, and Caroline may have unwittingly stepped into the crosshairs...

A series of kidnappings and murders resurrect the sisters' memories of their brother's disappearance as a child--and Caroline fears she may be next. Yet in the midst of her turmoil, she may be rekindling a romance she'd extinguished long ago. With Jack back in her life and the tattered bonds of sisterhood slowly mending, Caroline hopes the family can restore its position in Charleston society--unless a sinister force beyond their control tears them apart forever. . .


About the Author:

Put a menu in front of me and I immediately don't know what I want. Fried green tomatoes with grits? Yep, OK. Fish? Sounds good, too. OK, so what are you having? I'll do that too. When it comes to shoes--forget it. I end up buying nothing because I can't make up my mind. Thank God I have a husband who has great tastes, or my closet might be empty. I'm one of those people who suffers from acute ambivalence given too many choices, but when it comes to what I wanted to do with my life, I've known that decidedly since the age of 12--and probably long before that. It all began once upon a time after a tonsillectomy, when the doc advised mom and dad they should reward me with anything I wanted (the key word here being anything). All I wanted was dad's typewriter. I got it, of course--a black, sporty Olympia I immediately set out to wearing the letters off the keys. So here I am all these years later, with sixteen books under my belt and a new one on the way ... still wearing the letters off keyboards ... and loving every minute



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Book Review: With This Kiss Part One, Two and Three by Eloisa James

With This Kiss Part One, Two & Three by Eloisa James

Publisher: Avon Impulse

Publish Date: March 12, 19, and 26, 2013

ebook, 30 pages each
Fiction, Historical Romance

 ISBN: Part One: 9780062276933
 ISBN: Part Two: 9780062276940
 ISBN: Part Three: 9780062276957

My Review:
I do not read a lot of historical romance and after reading this little novella series, I'm not quite sure why.  Ms. James has penned a marvelous story in serial format and if you didn't know about the books yet,  you are in luck because now all of them are out and you won't have to wait a week between releases to find out what happens between Grace and Colin next!

For some reason while I was perusing Edelweiss this serial just jumped right out at me and while not feeling well a couple of afternoons, I dove right in.  And I plowed through all three in no time. Yes they are short, but they tell a full story and as I was formatting this post I was honestly shocked to see that they were only around 30 pages a piece.  It seemed like I got so much more story than that, even for the combined pages.  That is how magical it was to me.

The first story sets everything up.  How Grace and Colin know each other and how their relationship grows and the first obstacle in their path.  It's wonderful and it's heartbreaking all at the same time.  The second and third continue the story toward their happy ending, but it's rough going getting there.  I won't elaborate more but just know there is plenty of conflict in this novella serial to keep you reading.  The plot is very interesting without being tedious.  I was fully immersed in it and almost hated having to change books (but I did it, in a hurry I might add).

The characters are marvelous, from Grace and Colin to Grace's little sister to Grace and Colin's parents.  I loved them all, but I loved the stubborn Grace and Colin best and so cheered for them to fall in love despite the odds that seemed to be against them at every turn.  I just can't say enough about these characters without giving anything away. 

If you've read Ms. James (I hadn't) or you just enjoy a good historical I think this would be for you.  It's a quick enthralling read.  Again feel blessed they are all out now, I can't imagine having to wait a week between installments.  I would just feel bereft!

There is a note on Goodreads that Lady Grace is the daughter of the main characters from The Ugly Duchess and Colin is the adopted son of the main character from Seduced by a Pirate.  So more reasons to read for you Eloisa James fans.  And now more reasons for me to read Eloisa James' backlist.


My Rating: 5.0/5.0


About the Book:
Part One:

Lady Grace Ryburn, the daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Ashbrook, has fallen wildly in love with Colin Barry, a dashing young lieutenant serving his country in the Royal Navy. When he returns home to exuberant celebrations, will he even notice the quiet wallflower he grew up with … or will he fall for Grace's sparkling, gorgeous sister?

Part Two:
Lady Grace Ryburn has accepted another man's proposal after the love of her life, Lieutenant Colin Barry, asked for her own sister's hand in marriage.

But when Colin returns home from the wars, injured in body and spirit, will she be able to turn her back and marry another? Or will she throw away every rule her mother taught her and try to seduce a man who has shown no interest in her kisses?

Part Three:
Lieutenant Colin Barry returns from the wars injured in body and spirit, knowing that he has no right to steal Grace from the arms of her fiancé. Yet the same warrior's spirit that won so many battles at sea is prompting him to throw propriety to the winds, imitate his pirate father, and simply take what he most desires!
 
About the Author (from Goodreads.com): 
New York Times bestselling author Eloisa James writes historical romances for HarperCollins Publishers. Her novels have been published to great acclaim. A reviewer from USA Today wrote of Eloisa's very first book that she "found herself devouring the book like a dieter with a Hershey bar"; later People Magazine raved that "romance writing does not get much better than this." Her novels have repeatedly received starred reviews from Publishers' Weekly and Library Journal and regularly appear on the best-seller lists.

After graduating from Harvard University, Eloisa got an M.Phil. from Oxford University, a Ph.D. from Yale and eventually became a Shakespeare professor, publishing an academic book with Oxford University Press. Currently she is an associate professor and head of the Creative Writing program at Fordham University in New York City. Her "double life" is a source of fascination to the media and her readers. In her professorial guise, she's written a New York Times op-ed defending romance, as well as articles published everywhere from women's magazines such as More to writers' journals such as the Romance Writers' Report.

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

Author Interview + Excerpt: Sarah Ballance (Last Call)

Today I welcome Sarah Ballance, author of Last Call, a romantic suspense which you can get for the great price of $0.99! You can run do that, but right now grab your favorite cuppa and sit and learn a little more about Sarah and Last Call .  

What three things do you need in order to write?

I really only need my laptop and, since I’m writing a historical at the moment, an internet connection. (The things I have to research make me laugh out loud at times). But throw in some music and I’m in heaven. I have this strange habit of listening to the same CD over and over and OVER again while I’m writing. Five, six times a night and five days a week. (The other two days I write with Ghost Adventures. There’s a marathon every Friday and Saturday night on the Travel Channel, LOL.)

What's your favorite season?

My overall lurve-it-most season is fall. Once the humid summer air turns crisp and cool and there’s a hint of chimney smoke in the air, I am in the BEST mood. But right now I’d TOTALLY love a shot of spring. Airing out the house to the scent of freshly cut grass is nothing short of amazeballs after a long, cold winter. (Also, I dig summer because it’s boating season. Clearly, I’m easy to please! LOL.)

If you could travel anywhere, where would you go?

We’re actually taking that dream trip this year! LOL. When I was a kid my parents drove cross country and it was something I’ve never forgotten. I want my children to experience that, and my
husband hasn’t been out west yet, so we’re driving to Mt. Rushmore, the Black Hills, Deadwood,
Yellowstone, and the Grand Tetons. I am SO excited! (Ask me again after nine days in the car with six kids, mkay?)

How much research did you do into law enforcement or do you have someone in law
enforcement close to you?

I’ve always been interested in the topic, and as such have read TONS. I also double majored in
biology and biochemistry in college, so there’s sort of a basic knowledge base already there. I
don’t write massive details (and prefer the rogue types who don’t necessarily follow the rules) so
usually a quick google to confirm what I think I know works for me.

What's the first sentence of Last Call?

Rhys Clark swore and jerked her foot from the murky puddle that had just claimed one of her new running shoes.

Tell us what is Last Call about.

When ex-cop Rhys is kidnapped, her captor does something unexpected: he dumps her at the feet of her ex-partner, Nick. Nick is ordered to keep her safe or they both end up dead, but in his struggle to come to terms with the way he left Rhys, he discovers things aren’t quite what they seem. With an unseen enemy and the walls closing in, they find the darkest betrayals can come not just from the bad guys, but from within.

Dish, who’s your favorite character in Last Call?

Oh, tough one. I think Nick. He wants nothing more than to make things right with Rhys, but he can’t forgive himself for the mistakes of his past. His emotional journey throughout this book is sometimes painful to watch, but he loves her so much, and it’s hard not to love him for it.

What was your inspiration for Last Call?

It was actually inspired by another of my releases, Unforgiven. I originally intended Last Call to follow Unforgiven, so my characters more or less plotted this one for me as an extension of the first book. When my plans changed, I had to change out the characters I had planned for the story—which was a struggle—but I kept the plot points that didn’t tie directly with the other book.

If you could cast anyone as Rhys and Nick who would you choose to play them?

This is so hard because I don’t know who anyone is! I don’t watch much TV and rarely go to the movies, so I’m pretty clueless on this kind of thing. I can say, however, Nick is totally the guy on the cover. ;c)

What can we expect next from you?

If all goes well, I’ll have two releases this fall from Entangled Publishing—one a category-length historical romance and the other a spooky novella set in an abandoned asylum. Between that and my road trip, I can’t tell you how excited I am about the fall! (No wonder it’s my favorite season, lol!)

Thanks Sarah!

Thank you so very much. It’s a pleasure and an honor to share space with you and your readers
today. ;c)

About the book:
Romantic suspense for just 99 cents!

In a perilous game of trust, a shocking betrayal deals a dangerous hand.

An accidental witness to a murder-for-hire, ex-cop Rhys Clark becomes the target of ruthless killer—one determined to silence her at any cost. Playing dead seems to be the most likely way to stay alive, but when her protection comes in the form of mega-sexy former adversary Nick Massey, Rhys can think of a few fates worse than death.

Nick Massey may have walked away from his troubles, but he never got past wanting Rhys. Once paired undercover, they’d been nothing but fireworks until a botched assignment ended her career, sending his into a tailspin. Now a mysterious client threatens Nick’s life if he doesn’t keep Rhys safe, but it isn’t until fate takes a critical turn that he realizes the devastating truth: he’s been her greatest threat all along.

LAST CALL is available from: For the Muse Publishing, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and
Smashwords (formats: .mobi, .epub, HTML, PDF, RTF, LRF, PalmDoc, and Plain Text). Click here to add to Goodreads or here for reviews.

Cover art by For the Muse Design.
  
About the Author:
Sarah and her husband of what he calls “many long, long years” live on the mid-Atlantic coast with their six young children, all of whom are perfectly adorable when they’re asleep. She never dreamed of becoming an author, but as a homeschooling mom, she often jokes she writes fiction because if she wants anyone to listen to her, she has to make them up. (As it turns out, her characters aren’t much better than the kids). When not buried under piles of laundry, she may be found adrift in the Atlantic (preferably on a boat) or seeking that ever-elusive perfect writing spot where not even the kids can find her.

She loves creating unforgettable stories while putting her characters through an unkind amount of torture—a hobby that has nothing to do with living with six children. (Really.) Though she adores nail-biting mystery and edge-of-your-seat thrillers, Sarah writes in many genres including contemporary and ghostly paranormal romance.
 
Her ever-growing roster of releases may be found on her website.

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Excerpt:

Rhys Clark swore and jerked her foot from the murky puddle that had just claimed one of her new running shoes. Perfect. The day was now officially perfect.

She blamed Nick Massey.

Blaming him was easy enough. She didn’t know which required more nerve on his part—leaving town or crawling back—but both events left her bitter and raw. And wet, she grumbled inwardly. With the sky spitting rain and the occasional pellet of sleet smacking her face, she should have skipped her evening jog. The street was little more than a concrete alley of shuttered businesses, and the bleak weather amplified the emptiness. But tonight, with Nick hot on her mind, running through the cold was her last ditch effort to return to her senses.

It hadn’t worked.

Another blast of icy air howled through the narrow street. If she hadn’t been standing still, she probably wouldn’t have heard the shouting that followed.

A few months ago, an altercation wouldn’t have been unusual in this part of town. But the whole area was under reconstruction. Local crime dissipated to nothing with the razing of several apartment buildings, and until now Rhys had long found her route to be a place of solace. She glanced around as the voices drew closer and more intense. Rapid footsteps smacked the wet pavement. Then the echo of a gunshot cracked the night.

Where fear left her paralyzed, instinct insisted she get out of sight. She looked around and found an unbroken expanse of concrete wall offering few options. Heart pounding, Rhys ducked into the recessed doorway of a vacant storefront and hoped the deep shadows would keep her concealed.

Terrifying seconds passed. The sound of her own suppressed breath roared in her ears.

Voices came, clearer this time. Close.

“If we screw this up…” The words, terse and hushed, were encapsulated in panic.

“Shut up,” demanded a second voice. “No one messed up. He’s as good as dead.”

“You think you’re going to sell that without a body? We didn’t get paid to lose him.”

“He took one to the gut. He won’t get far. We’ll find him.”

“He’s leaving a trail. Blood. We got the big bucks for a clean—”

“Shut up.”

A hit? Rhys shuddered, fear scaling her spine. A professional hit would have been silent—something not accomplished by the gunshot or the ensuing conversation—but in this game, experience wasn’t always a prerequisite for willingness to pull the trigger. Two years of undercover work had taught her as much.

So had a bullet.

Rhys froze, waiting for the voices to pass. But luck was not on her side. Rather than drawing away, the footsteps ceased.

“Well, well, well,” said the confident one. “Looks like our little game of hide and seek is over.”

Hope crumbled. The voice was far too close. Had they seen her?

She dared not move. Through her lashes, she saw nothing in her narrow view of the dimly lit street but dirty puddles and the occasional bit of trash plastered to wet pavement. She prayed they didn’t look her way should they walk past.

Grunts erupted nearby, followed by the sound of sneakers scuffling on concrete. Then two shots fired, and all sounds of struggle gave way to profane celebration.

In the same instant, a man fell to the sidewalk in front of Rhys. His eyes, sightless and familiar, bore into her.

She choked a gasp.

A man stepped into her line of sight, his weapon at the ready. Before she could stop herself, she locked eyes with him. Big mistake. The decision threw her into a cloud of emotional shrapnel, the past flying at her in shards. She’d been shot once before.

It hadn’t ended well.

The gunman opened his mouth and formed an ugly grin, his breath coming in visible puffs through yellowed teeth.

“Looks like a double header tonight, T,” he said, never taking his gaze off Rhys.

“Whaddya mean?” came the reply. The voice . . . she blinked until the second man shifted into focus.

She knew him. From where? She couldn’t think.

She glanced to the dead man, and her vision wavered. Panic shifted her world into a screen of jarred pixels, the flashback jagged and severe.

“Rhys! Stay with me, Rhys. Do you hear me? Rhys!”

Blood. So much blood.

“Nick.” She touched his face, feeling stubble beneath her fingertips. Then the weight of her arm was too much; as gravity won he slipped away. The world twisted into a sickening spiral until all that was left was his voice, the desperation in his tone bringing warmth to the darkness.

“Rhys!”

Motion jarred her to the present.

The gunman gestured. “Our witness here is about to have an unfortunate accident.” He raised the weapon, aiming for the kill.

It was a short view down the barrel at point blank range. She expected that.

What she didn’t anticipate was the speed with which he pulled the trigger.

Or how quickly the pain hit.

Giveaway: Admission by Jean Hanff Korelitz

Thanks to Grand Central Publishing, I have one copy of Jean Hanff Korelitz’s ADMISSION for giveaway (US only, ends 3/28).  If you haven't already heard, Admission opens in theaters tomorrow, 3/22 and from what I've seen it looks to be a great movie.  I read the book several years ago and really enjoyed it and I have to say I think the casting is really great.  It doesn't get much better than Tina Fey, Paul Rudd, Michael Sheen, Wallace Shawn, and Lily Tomlin. So if you haven't read this book, now is a great time.  It's a great read. It's fun, it's good and it's hard to put down.

ABOUT THE BOOK:
Today’s college admissions office is a complex cultural “hot spot” where many American themes converge: aspiration, immigration, tradition. To be an admissions officer is to be disliked and suspected by more or less everyone you meet. In ADMISSION, Jean Hanff Korelitz explores the life of 38-year-old Portia Nathan, an Admissions Officer at Princeton University with a settled domestic life and a rewarding, if sometimes punishing, career. Years after the life-altering decision she has never revealed, Portia sees that she must take the ultimate risk, and in doing so, make the ultimate admission.

Originally published in hardcover in 2009, the movie-tie-in edition of ADMISSION was released January 15, 2013. The film, directed by Oscar®-nominated Paul Weitz, opens March 22, 2013 and stars Tina Fey and Paul Rudd with Michael Sheen, Wallace Shawn, and Lily Tomlin.

ADMISSION is at once a fascinating look at the complex college admissions process and an emotional examination of what happens when the secrets of the past abruptly come back and shake a woman’s life to its very core. Kirkus calls it a “Gripping portrait of a woman in crisis from the extremely gifted Korelitz…Strongly plotted, crowded with full-bodied characters and as thoughtful about this national hysteria over college admissions as it is about the protagonist’s complex personality—a fine, moving example of traditional realistic fiction.”

ABOUT JEAN HANFF KORELITZ: 
Jean Hanff Korelitz was a part-time reader for Princeton’s Office of Admission during the
2006 and 2007 admissions season. She was born and raised in New York and graduated from Dartmouth College and Clare College, Cambridge. She is the author of one book of poems, The Properties of Breath, and three previous novels—A Jury of Her Peers, The Sabbathday River, and The White Rose—as well as a novel for children, Interference Powder.

Korelitz has also published essays in the anthologies Modern Love and Because I Said So, and in the magazines Vogue, Real Simple, More, Newsweek, Organic Style, Travel and Leisure  (Family), and others. She lives in Princeton, NJ with her husband (Irish poet Paul Muldoon, poetry editor at The New Yorker and Princeton poetry professor) and two children.

Please visit www.jeanhanffkorelitz.com and www.HachetteBookGroup.com



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Author Interview & Giveaway: Tessa Bailey (Protecting What's His)

  
Today I welcome Tessa Bailey, author of Protecting What's His, an Entangled Brazen title I am currently enjoying.  So grab your favorite cuppa and sit and learn a little more about Tessa and then enter the giveaway to win a copy of Protecting What's His.  


What three things do you need in order to write? 
Silence, gummy bears and warm socks

What's your favorite season? 
Fall. I love sweater weather. Weather you can walk around and drink coffee in. People are making holiday plans. I love it!

If you could travel anywhere, where would you go?
It used to be the west of Ireland, but I finally checked that off my list over the summer – what an absolutely breathtaking place! Now I would love to see Greece.

How much research did you do into law enforcement or do you have someone in law enforcement close to you? 
I did some research on law enforcement and Chicago in general for PROTECTING WHAT’S HIS, but I also know a retired narcotics officer for the NYPD. He tells incredibly fascinating stories and I can ask him questions. I’ve also read so much romantic suspense and watch so many cop dramas, I think I’ve absorbed a lot of knowledge about law enforcement that way! It almost feels like second nature.

What's the first sentence of Protecting What’s His? 
“To steal or not to steal, that was the question.”

Tell us what is Protecting What’s His about. 
We come upon Ginger, our mostly fearless heroine as she is deciding whether or not to steal fifty-thousand dollars from her passed-out stripper mother. Ultimately, she decides to take the cash (and her little sister, Willa) on the run to Chicago.

She thinks she’s gotten away with it until she meets homicide cop and sexy new neighbor,
Lieutenant Derek Tyler.

Dish, who’s your favorite character? 
Lieutenant Derek Tyler! My swoon-worthy alpha male J

What was your inspiration for Protecting What’s His? 
 My inspiration came in the form of Ginger first. I heard this song “Bad Man’s World” by Jenny Lewis and it inspired her character. It’s about a woman who has suffered at the hands of others and has something to prove. It’s a little dark for Ginger, because she’s actually a really spunky character, but her beginnings weren’t so great. I built the story for her.

If you could cast anyone as Ginger and Derek who would you choose to play them? 
I can’t for the life of me cast Derek! But if I had to, it would be someone like Stephen Amell from the television show Arrow. As for Ginger, there is an actress named Shelley Hennig I came across recently that is a dead ringer for the girl in my head. There are some pictures on my website of the people I would cast as well.


What can we expect next from you? 
I’m working on a trilogy set in New York City about law enforcement. The first book is about a hot-shot hostage negotiator who falls hard for his mentor’s daughter. Guaranteed to be steamy!



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About the book:

Title: Protecting What’s His
Author: Tessa Bailey
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Length: 273
Release Date: February 2013
ISBN: 978-1-62266-789-5
Imprint: Brazen
She’s running from the law, and the law wants her bad.

The opportunity was just too damn delicious for Ginger Peet to pass up. The purse full of money she finds—$50,000 to be exact—could give her and her teen sister the new start they need. So she grabs the cash, her gothy sibling, and their life-sized statue of Dolly Parton, and blows outta Nashville in a cloud of dust. Chicago, here we come…

Turns out, Chicago has some pretty hot cops. Hot, intense, naughty-lookin’ cops like Derek Tyler, who looks like he could eat a girl up and leave her begging for more. And more. Tempting as he is, getting involved with the sexy homicide lieutenant next door poses a teensy problem for a gal who’s on the lam. But one thing is certain—Derek’s onto her, and he wants more than just a taste.

And as far as he’s concerned, possession is nine-tenths of the law.

 Find the Author on the web:

Webpage
Blog
Like Tessa on Facebook
Follow Tessa on Twitter 
 
Giveaway:
Win an ebook of Protecting What's His, courtesy of the publisher.  Open internationally, ends 3/27.  Enter using the Rafflecopter.

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Spring Cleaning Giveaway Hop

It's Spring Cleaning Giveaway Hop Time!  For this giveaway I will have two (2) winners, US/Canada only please because of shipping costs.  And what is up for grabs, each winner will get their choice of one of the following books which are books I have finished in the past and are just sitting around waiting for a new home or are books that I should finish by the end of the hop (please note, some are ARCs).  So have a look, enter below and then make sure you check out all the other great giveaways too!

 

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