Book Review, Interview & Giveaway: Seven-Night Stand by Nicole Helm

  
Today I welcome Nicole Helm, author of Seven-Night Stand, which is an amazing romance that I had a hard time putting down.  So go grab your favorite cuppa, snuggle up if you are in certain parts of the country and learn a little more about Nicole and then check out my review of Seven-Night Stand and enter the giveaway to win your own copy of Seven-Night Stand.  

What three things do you need in order to write?

My Ipad, something or someone occupying my children, and the Internet so I can procrastinate
when I get stuck.

What's your favorite season?

I love spring. I have a spring birthday and when I was a kid spring meant I usually got to spend
a week at my grandma's where we would search for the first signs of wildflowers. My absolute
fondest memories.

If you could travel anywhere, where would you go?

I'd love to see New Zealand, I think. Or Alaska. Somewhere with very few people, but a
gorgeous landscape. :)

What's the first sentence of Seven Night Stand?

"Vivvy Marsh stepped out of the car and saw nothing but flat, barren land and sky."

Tell us what is Seven Night Stand about.

Here's the blurb: Reality TV scout Vivvy Marsh loves her job, but she'll lose it if she doesn’t find
a hit. When she’s sent to Demo, Kansas to scout a show, it looks like a bust. It’s flat, boring, and
she's not inspired...until she meets sexy pilot, Nate Harrington.

Nate can’t deny his feelings for Vivvy. She’s beautiful, and doesn’t blink an eye at his crazy
family. He could get used to her...but her Hollywood lifestyle doesn’t fly in his small town.

Their feelings deepen, but they’re going to have to part ways at the end of seven days, or one of
them is going to have to make a sacrifice that’ll change their lives forever.

Dish, who’s your favorite character?

That is tough. I love them all for different reasons. (Except for Nate's parents. They're awful, of
course). In the end though, I'd have to give the edge to Nate. He's kind of rough and tumble, but
he's got a soft spot for Vivvy. He likes that she evens out the crazy in his life, and I love that he
likes that about her.

Do you watch Reality TV? If you do, what is your favorite show?

I watch some, though I used to watch a lot more before I had children and watching any TV
became an exercise in which is louder...TV or my kids? Right now my favorite is probably either
The Voice or Pawn Stars. I like competition shows like The Voice because I think it's fun to root
for someone, and I love listening to music. I also think Adam and Blake are hilarious. Pawn
Stars is nice because it's the only reality show my husband will watch with me, and they have a
bunch of fun history facts for the history nerd in me.

Did Seven Night Stand go the way you thought it would when you started or did it take on a life
of it’s own as you wrote?

I spent most of Seven-Night Stand whining to my critique partner that I couldn't write it. And then
she would tell me I could, and I'd write a bit more. Spicy contemporaries were new for me at
the time. Still, more changes happened in the revision process with my Entangled editors than
did when I was actually writing it. In the end, it's still the same story it was supposed to be. A
woman afraid of connecting with anyone, and a man she does just that with, even with all his
crazy baggage.

What can we expect next from you?

Late this summer I'll have a release from Samhain Publishing titled Flight Risk. Then, if all goes
well, there will be two more Harrington books. Book 2 will feature Nate's twin, Ryan, and Book 3
will feature a heroine readers will meet in Book 2.

Thanks Nicole!

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


My Review:
From the first page I was drawn right into the story of Vivvy and Nate in Seven-Night Stand.  Ms. Helm has written a wonderful and believable romance that's fun to read and hard to put down.

I loved Vivvy, loved getting to know her and understanding her and Nate and seeing how they work together and fall for each other.  And Nate is a wonderful make something of himself despite his family type man and I really like him. And I like his protective streak. He wants to protect his grandfather, the business and his brother.  He's a good man with a tough exterior.  Vivvy is a Hollywood woman who's not really a Hollywood woman. Vivvy's tough, she's trying to make it, but she won't sacrifice people and ideas to do it.  Watching Nate and Vivvy together made this a perfect romance.  And yes there is conflict, how does a man who is made for a small town and a woman who is very use to travel and loves her job plan to make a seven-night stand into more?

The story revolves around the week that Vivvy is in town trying to get Nate to agree to the reality show.  And that morphs into their "seven-night stand"  So the storyline revolves around these two plots, the romance and the convincing to do the reality show.  Both bring about conflict that make the story interesting.  Of course the romance brings about quite a bit of interest as well.  I found the story moved at a great pace.  I was drawn right in and felt I was right there with the characters.  Ms. Helm does a great job with pacing and creating a realistic story that the reader both believes and wants to keep turning the page to find out what happens next.  The reader cares about the characters and what is happening in the story.

I found Seven-Night Stand to be a realistic and delightful story.  It was a great romance between two characters that I really cared about. I also loved that it introduced some secondary characters that will be in future books (I'm so glad she answered that in the interview, it was something I was wondering about when reading).  The book really came alive for me.  The romance, the story, the characters were all wonderfully written and I look forward to reading more Nicole Helm books in the future!
 
My rating: 5.0/5.0    

About the book:

Title: Seven-Night Stand
Author: Nicole Helm
Genre: Category - Contemporary Romance
Length: 183 pages
Release Date: February 2013
Ebook ISBN: 978-1-62266-005-6
Imprint: Indulgence

Reality TV scout Vivvy Marsh loves her job, but she'll lose it if she doesn’t find a hit. When she’s sent to Kansas to scout a show, it looks like a bust...until she meets sexy pilot, Nate Harrington. His family would make the perfect show to save her career.

Nate can’t deny his attraction to Vivvy, but no way can he let this show take off. The Harrington family is riddled with secrets, and she wants it all out in the open. For the next seven days, he’s going to stop at nothing to keep her out of his family's business, even if it means keeping her distracted in his bedroom.

About the Author:
I grew up with my nose in a book and a dream of becoming a writer. Luckily, after a few failed career choices, a husband, and two kids, I get to pursue that dream.

I write down-to-earth contemporary romance over the backdrop of America’s flyover states for Entangled Indulgence and Samhain Publishing.

I live in Missouri with my husband and two young sons, and write my novels one baby’s nap at a time. I’m slightly (okay, totally) addicted to Twitter (nicolethelm), the St. Louis Cardinals, and someday owning a barn.

You can contact me at NicoleTHelm@gmail.com. I am a contributor at the From Fact to Fiction blog and the Entangled Indulgence Author’s blog.

Social Media:
Website

Twitter
Facebook
Blog 

Giveaway:
Thanks to the publisher is for one ebook copy of Seven Night Stand and is open internationally, ends 3/13.  Enter through the Rafflecopter.  



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FTC Notification: I received this book from Entangled Publishing for review.  I was not compensated in any other way than receiving a free book.

Interview, Review & Giveaway: The Valentine Challenge by Marisa Cleveland

  
Today I welcome Marisa Cleveland, author of The Valentine Challenge, which is a fast, fun romantic read that will make you remember why you love Valentine's Day, sigh . . .  So go grab your favorite cuppa, snuggle up if you are in certain parts of the country and learn a little more about Marisa and then check out my review of The Valentine Challenge.  

What three things do you need in order to write?
Oh, that's a tough one! I need... champagne to loosen my fingers, tissues to clean the blood
after pouring it onto the page, and an even sense of humor.

What's your favorite season?
Spring

If you could travel anywhere, where would you go?
Wherever my husband goes. We like the Caribbean. If it's anywhere, maybe the center of the
universe or Mount Olympus...

What’s your ideal Valentine’s Day gift?
Time alone with my hubby.

What's the first sentence of The Valentine Challenge?
"Anyone but her."

Tell us what is The Valentine Challenge about.
Because it's a novella, it's short, so it's really about a moment. That moment when two
people realize they are friends, and then they realize it's more than anything else they've ever
experienced with anyone else. It's more than attraction. It's that moment when they need
someone most - that shoulder to lean on or cry on or bounce an idea off of - and that other
person is there in the most complete way possible. Yeah. That's what it's about.

Dish, who’s your favorite character?
From the novella or ever? From the novella, it's Simon. He's the CEO of Dimistar Enterprises,
the company that champions local businesses in South Beach. Favorite character ever is likely
to change depending on when it's asked, but right now and for a while now, it's been Fitzwilliam
Darcy.

What was your inspiration for The Valentine Challenge?
So many different situations inspired me to write the novella, and it's difficult to pin down, but I'm
inspired by love and couples in love and office romances.

What can we expect next from you?
Thanks for asking! My Entangled Indulgence, South Beach Serenade, is releasing this summer!

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


My Review:
Novellas are hit or miss for me. I imagine it's hard for authors to write them. It's hard to get a full story in so few pages and really interest the reader.  But Marisa Cleveland manages to do just that in The Valentine Challenge.

She brings us two characters that I cared about from the start.  She starts us off on the very first page with conflict.  Marsh doesn't want Stacey as his assistant, he finds her attractive.  Stacey needs this job, she has an issue we don't know yet.  Yes, something to find out.  The attraction is immediate.  I felt it.  It zings on the page.  Ms. Cleveland makes the reader feel it and makes you care about the characters.

The conflict grows and I honestly was starting to wonder how it could possibly resolve. It got much bigger than I thought possible in a novella (and I loved it).  And then it did and when it did, wow.  I can only say wow.  You just have to read it.  Romance, love, hearts, Valentine's Day, more romance.  It just has it all, and it all started with conflict.

All I can say is buy it.  It's worth it.  You will enjoy the time spent reading this if you enjoy contemporary romance.  If you enjoy romance with a challenge in it.  Heck if you just enjoy romance period.  It will make you believe in love again if you don't already.  

My rating: 5.0/5.0    

About the book:

Stacey Bradford believes in love, but when her hot boss, Marshall Royce, decides to close her best friend's flower shop - days before Valentine's Day! - Stacey declares war.

Intrigued by Stacey's devotion to her friend, the hearts and flowers holiday, and belief in true love, Marsh issues a challenge - prove love exists or deliver the closing documents to her friend herself.

Stacey never could resist a challenge, but when Marsh makes Valentine's Day the deadline for their deal, Stacey must decide how far she's willing to go for love.




 

About the Author:
Website
Goodreads
Twitter
Facebook

Giveaway:
I have two giveaways today.  One thanks to the publisher is for one ebook copy of The Valentine Challenge and is open internationally, ends 3/12.  Enter through the Rafflecopter.  


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The second is the tour giveaway, and is for a $25 Amazon Gift Certificate!  Enter through the Rafflecopter below.  


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Paperback Release of The Book of Lost Fragrances by M.J. Rose (with beautiful new cover)

Paperback Publication Date: March 13, 2013
Publisher:  Atria Books
Paperback; 384p
ISBN-10: 1451621485

SYNOPSIS: 

A Secret Worth Dying For.

Jac L’Etoile is plunged into a world she thought she’d left behind when her brother, coheir to their father’s storied French perfumery, makes an earthshattering discovery in the family archives, and then suddenly goes missing— leaving a dead body in his wake. In Paris to investigate his disappearance, Jac becomes haunted by the legend of the House of L’Etoile. If there is an ancient perfume developed in Cleopatra’s time that holds the power to unlock memories of past lives, possessing it is not only worth living for . . . it’s worth killing for, too.
Fusing history, passion and suspense in an intoxicating web that moves from Cleopatra’s Egypt and the terrors of revolutionary France to Tibet’s battle with China and the glamour of modern-day Paris, this marvelous, spellbinding novel comes to life as richly as our most wildly imagined dreams.

Read an EXCERPT.

Buy Links:  Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Indie Bound

Praise for THE BOOK OF LOST FRAGRANCES

Selected by Indie Booksellers for the March 2012 Indie Next List

Selected by Publishers Weekly as one of the Top Ten Mystery/Thrillers Spring 2012

"Compelling... suspenseful tale. Once you catch a whiff, you will be enchanted". —Associated Press

"Rose has entered another realm and written what is bound to be one of this year's best books." —Seattle Post-Intelligencer

"From 18th-century Egypt and France to present-day Paris, New York, and China, Rose's deliciously sensual novel of paranormal suspense smoothly melds a perfume-scented quest to protect an ancient artifact with an ages-spanning romance. Rose imbues her characters with rich internal lives in a complex plot that races to a satisfying finish." —Publishers Weekly, Starred and Boxed Review

"Amazing... utterly engrossing. Elegantly written, with unforgettable characters. Will keep you up all night—and leave you with powerful feelings of revelation, wonder, and the infinitude of human possibility." —New York Times best selling author Douglas Preston

"A simmering brew that mingles the erotic sensuality of Patrick Suskind's Perfume with the dark and timeless obsessions of Rider Haggard's classic, She." —New York Times best selling author Katherine Neville

About the Author

M.J. Rose is the international best selling author of eleven novels and two non-fiction books on marketing. Her fiction and non-fiction has appeared in many magazines and reviews including Oprah Magazine. She has been featured in the New York Times, Newsweek, Time, USA Today and on the Today Show, and NPR radio.  Rose graduated from Syracuse University, spent the '80s in advertising, has a commercial in the Museum of Modern Art in NYC and since 2005 has run the first marketing company for authors - Authorbuzz.com.  The television series PAST LIFE, was based on Rose's novels in the Renincarnationist series. She is one of the founding board members of International Thriller Writers and runs the blog- Buzz, Balls & Hype.  She is also the co-founder of Peroozal.com and BookTrib.com.

Rose lives in CT with her husband the musician and composer, Doug Scofield, and their very spoiled and often photographed dog, Winka.

For more information on M.J. Rose and her novels, please visit her WEBSITE. You can also find her on Facebook and Twitter.

Second Rate Chances Blog Tour: Guest Post by Holly Stephens & Giveaway chance

Today I welcome Holly Stephens, author of Second Rate Chances.  She's here as part of her blog tour and will be sharing her top five things that inspire her.

The top five things that inspire me, as an author, are:
1. Music. It’s how it all starts for me. I can hear a song on the radio and maybe one line in it will
spark an idea for a book. Then as I sit on the idea, I’ll hear other songs that keep adding to the storyline.  Before I know it, I’ve got a solid idea working.
2.  Other authors! I read so much. I read books in the genre’s I want to write and I read from genre’s that I don’t write in. I’ve learned so much from reading other author’s works. They say in order to be a good writer you have to read and that statement is so true.
3.  My family inspires me. We hit rough times when I can’t sit down at the computer like I’d like to-
whether it’s spending time watching TV with my husband or playing Lego’s with my son- but when it
comes down to the wire, they are there to remind me of what I need to do.
4.  Traveling. The series I plan to release this summer was inspired by a trip to the beach we took
this summer. I spent so much time documenting the smell of the air, the sound of the waves, even going as far as to jotting down the names of the condo’s that we passed for city names.
5.  My readers inspire me as well. It’s because of them that I continue to drive myself to write. I
realize that not everyone will like you, or what you write, but if I can please those that love my works, then that’s what matters.

About Second Rate Chances

Sam wakes up in the hospital expecting to find his girlfriend by his bedside. Instead, he finds a bleached-blond diva, claiming to be his fiancée, hovering over him. When he learns that he's just woken up from a coma and has lost the last three years of his life, any semblance of stability he thought he had falls down around him. All he wants – all he needs – is Lil.

After countless visits with her shrink and too many sleepless nights waiting for the one man she loves to walk back through the door, Lil wants nothing more than to separate herself from the life she used to have. But the moment Sam smiles at her, Lil knows it's going to take more than self-restraint to stay away.

Second-Rate Chances is about a young man fighting to regain his memory, and the one thing in his life that felt real. A modern-day Samson and Delilah, it's a look at what it means to love and be loved, and to fight though it seems hopeless.

About Holly

People have often told me that I live in a fantasy world. Little did they know, I was building an empire of stories in my head to one day share.

I'm a mother first, a wife second, and a writer third. I'm so thankful to have been given this chance to get my stories out of my head and onto paper.

When I'm not writing, I sell plumbing (no I'm not kidding) and read romances that leave my heart a flutter. I know a ridiculous amount of pop culture information and can quote certain movies word for word. Music drives me to write and to also sing off key.
Blog / Twitter / Facebook  / Goodreads  

Enter the Tour-wide giveaway for a ebook and signed Paperback

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Cover reveal and iTunes giveaway: Olivia Twisted by Vivi Barnes

Today I am excited to share the cover reveal for the November Entangled Teen release of Olivia Twisted by Vivi Barnes.  I don't know about you but once I read this blurb, I was excited, so read on for the official blurb release and scroll down to see this stunning cover.  There is also a giveaway to win $10 iTunes Gift Cards so be sure and enter!



Blurb from Olivia Twisted:
Olivia

He tilts my chin up so my eyes meet his, his thumb brushing lightly across my lips. I close my eyes. I know Z is trouble. I know that being with him is going to get me into trouble. I don’t care.

At least at this moment, I don’t care.

Tossed from foster home to foster home, Olivia’s seen a lot in her sixteen years. She’s hardened, sure, though mostly just wants to fly under the radar until graduation. But her natural ability with computers catches the eye of Z, a mysterious guy at her new school. Soon, Z has brought Liv into his team of hacker elite—break into a few bank accounts, and voila, he drives a motorcycle. Follow his lead, and Olivia might even be able to escape from her oppressive foster parents. As Olivia and Z grow closer, though, so does the watchful eye of Bill Sykes, Z’s boss. And he’s got bigger plans for Liv…

Z

I can picture Liv’s face: wide-eyed, trusting. Her smooth lips that taste like strawberry Fanta.

   It was just a kiss. That’s all. She’s just like any other girl.

Except that she’s not.

Thanks to Z, Olivia’s about to get twisted.

About the author:
Vivi Barnes was raised on a farm in East Texas where her theater-loving mom and cowboy dad gave her a unique perspective on life. Now living in the magic and sunshine of Orlando, Florida, she divides her time writing, working, goofing off with her husband and three kids, and avoiding dirty dishes.


Find her on her blog: http://4chicks.wordpress.com/
Find her on twitter: https://twitter.com/ViviBarnes
Find her on facebook: http://www.facebook.com/vivibarnes.author 






Giveaway:


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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.  ***

Book Review and Giveaway: To Trust a Thief by Michelle McLean

To Trust a Thief by Michelle McLean

Publisher: Entangled Publishing (Scandalous)

Publish Date: January 21, 2013

eBook, 267 pages
Fiction, Historical Romance
 ISBN: 9781622668663

My Review:
To Trust a Thief is quite a delightful book. Not only does the plot draw you right into the book from the start with the mysterious necklace but then both the main characters shine and make you really care about the story.  I loved both aspects of this book.

The story starts out with a bang introducing us to the characters and then starts developing the characters.  I really like that it dives right in and involves the reader in the story.  I was enthralled and couldn't stop reading and then as I got to know Min and Bryant I could not stop reading.  Min's character is so fun.  She's a klutz and amusing and not a typical debutante.  I like her attitude and spunk.  Bryant is handsome and mysterious and I like how he feels about Min and how he falls for her.  His build up is interesting and really adds to the story line.  The secondary characters also add to the story and make this a great read just from the character standpoint.

The plot is wonderful and a great mystery.  The hunt for the necklace really adds to the romance and the characters of the book and makes the conflict in the romance very interesting.  Ms. McLean does an excellent job in weaving this plot.

An excellent historical romance romp for lovers of the genre.  Add in the bit of mystery and it's a wonderful exciting read.  I can't wait to read more from Ms. McLean in the future!

My Rating: 4.5/5.0


About the Book:

Minuette Sinclair's parents are in trouble and her fake fiancé is too. A legendary lost necklace might be their salvation, and Min is determined to find it and use it to buy her family and fiancé out of their misfortunes.

Master thief Bryant Westley is also looking for the fabled necklace. He knows Min’s got information he can use so he poses as her dance instructor and tries to seduce it from her. What he doesn’t count on are his feelings for her. He offers to partner up in the search – even though she is a distraction he can’t afford.

Things become more complicated when Min realizes that her convenient engagement means more to her fake fiancé than her and that she’s fallen in love with Bryant. Bryant realizes that he can’t double cross the young lady he’s come to love. Can they find the necklace together and admit their love before it’s too late?

About the Author (from Goodreads.com): 
Michelle is the author of historical and paranormal romances, including TO TRUST A THIEF (Entangled Scandalous Jan 2013), a historical trilogy, BLOOD BLADE SISTERS (Entangled Scandalous 2013), and a zombie fairy tale retelling WISH UPON A STAR (Entangled Ever After Oct 2013). She is also the author of the educational non-fiction book HOMEWORK HELPERS: ESSAYS AND TERM PAPERS.

Michelle has a B.S. in History, a M.A. in English, and tends to be a bit of an overly organized mess with an insatiable love of books and more weird quirks than you can shake a stick at. She is also a contributor on The Naked Hero, and the Operation Awesome, Scene 13, and Scandalous book blogs as well as maintaining her personal blog.

If she's not editing, reading or chasing her kids around, she can usually be found in a quiet corner working on her next book. Michelle resides in PA with her husband and two young children, an insanely hyper dog, and two very spoiled cats.

Website
Twitter


Giveaway:
Thanks to the publicist at Entangled I have one copy of To Trust a Thief in ebook format to give to one lucky winner.  Open Internationally, ends 3/8.


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FTC Information: I received this book from the publisher for an honest review. 

Cover Reveal: Out of Play by Nyrae Dawn and Jolene Perry (Entangled Teen)

Today I'm very excited to bring you the cover reveal for Out of Play by Nyrae Dawn and Jolene Perry, a new title due out from Entangled Teen in August.  And judging from this cover, I can't wait to read the book!

About Out of Play

Rock star drummer Bishop Riley doesn't have a problem.  
Celebrities—especially ones suffering from anxiety—deserve to party, right? Wrong. After taking a few too many pills, Bishop wakes up in the hospital facing an intervention. If he wants to stay in the band, he’ll have to detox while under house arrest in Seldon, Alaska.

Hockey player Penny Jones can't imagine a life outside of Seldon. Though she has tons of scholarship offers, the last thing she wants is to leave. Who'll take care of her absent-minded gramps? Not her mother, who can’t even be bothered with the new tenants next door.

Penny’s too hung up on another guy to deal with Bishop’s crappy attitude, and Bishop’s too busy sneaking pills to care. Until he starts hanging out with Gramps. If Bishop wants a chance with the fiery girl next door, he’ll have to admit he has a problem and kick it. Too bad addiction is hard to kick…and Bishop’s about to run out of time.