Sweet 'n Steamy

Hi all,

 

I don’t normally do blog tours, but I’m trying to get a feel for it before I do one for myself and I really believe in these guys, so it seemed like a good place to start. So without further ado let me present the:

 

 

 

 

 

Book Title: Jilted

Author: Kara Leigh Miller

Publisher: Books to Go Now

Genre: Erotic Contemporary Romance

Release Date: 9.15.2013

Length: 49K

Heat Rating: Hot

Book Blurb:

Amy and Brett have been friends since they were kids; and their friendship has withstood the test of time. But can it withstand Brett's fiancée, Vanessa?

Brett Hudson has often wondered what it would be like to be more than Amy's friend, but when he's chosen as the newest professional dancer on Dancing with the Stars, he meets Vanessa, one of the shows costume designers and it's a whirlwind romance that ends in a wedding proposal. As the big day draws closer, Brett begins to think that marrying Vanessa might be a bad idea. She wants him to give up Amy. Completely. Will he give up his best friend for the woman he's supposed to marry?

Amy King is heartbroken to learn that Brett is marrying another woman. But, when Brett is jilted at the altar, he begs Amy to go on his honeymoon with him. A week on a tropical island with her best friend, the man she's fantasized about for years is a dream come true for Amy. But when Brett suggests crossing the line from friends to lovers, Amy is reluctant. Will she risk years of friendship for one night of passion?

 

Buy Links:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Jilted-ebook/dp/B00F6DFUG0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1379161399&sr=8-1&keywords=Jilted+kara+leigh+miller

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/jilted-kara-leigh-miller/1116906522?ean=2940148724681

Excerpt:

"It's because you go for the wrong type of guy," Brett said matter-of-factly, pouring a third shot down his throat. "Those muscle bound jocks are all bark and no bite. They look good on the outside, but they're a mess on the inside."

            Amy threw a piece of ice at him and laughed. "And the goody two shoes, school teacher types you date are much better?"

            "Nope." He grinned. "Which is why we're both still single."

            She sighed. "Yeah, so much for my dream of having kids."

            "You're young. I'm sure you'll find someone." He drank his last shot and chased it with his beer.

            "I'm thirty, Brett. By the time I find a man, date him, and get married, I'll be an old hag with no viable eggs."

            The thought of Amy finding a man to marry and have kids with didn't sit well with him. He couldn't stomach the thought of losing her. "I'll tell you what." He leaned across the table and pointed at her. "Three years from now, if neither of us are married, I'll marry you and give you as many babies as you want." Brett's words were slurred. Yup. He was definitely drunk. He wouldn't have made that proposition otherwise.

            "Yeah right." Amy rolled her eyes. "You and me? That would be like fucking my brother. Thanks, but no thanks."

            He flinched at her words. "You think of me as your brother?" That bothered him a lot more than it should, especially considering he'd never once thought of her as a sister.

            She shrugged. "We're best friends. How else would I think of you?" Amy glanced away, and then set her gaze on him again. "Why? How do you think of me?"

            Oh shit! He hadn't expected the conversation to backfire on him like that. What was he supposed to tell her? That he thought of her as a best friend that he wanted to fuck? No, he definitely couldn't tell her that. "As a friend, I guess. I don't know. It's not like I sit around and think about how I should think of you. You're Amy."

            "And you're drunk."

            "Maybe a little." He grinned. "So, do we have a deal or what?"

 

Author Bio:

Kara is a multi-published romance author who dabbles in young adult, new adult, paranormal, and contemporary romances. However, her genre of choice will always be erotic romance. She's a member of the CNY Writers Haven and the Romance Writers of America. Writing is her passion and she loves to share her knowledge and enthusiasm with her fellow authors and her fans.

 

Today, Kara resides in Upstate New York with her husband, five kids, three cats, and two dogs. When she's not reading or writing, she's spending time with her family and friends.

Nothing excites Kara more than hearing from her fans. So, send her a note. She'll go total fan girl over it!

Website/Blog: www.karaleighmiller.com

Email: karaleighmiller@yahoo.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/KaraLeighMiller

Twitter: www.twitter.com/KaraLeighMille1

Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/KaraLeighMiller

 

 

 

 

 

Book Title: Halo's Wish

Author: Sharon Kleve

Publisher: Books to Go Now

Genre: Sweet Contemporary Christmas Romance

Release Date: 9.15.2013

Length: 11K

Heat Rating: Sweet

 

Book Blurb:

Halo Ann Carlyle wishes for a home, family, and a boat-load of pets. What she gets is a bruised hip, a lump on the head, a broken ankle, and her new yellow Honda Civic is demolished.

 Rich McFarland, a sexy veterinarian, keeps showing up in the most unexpected places, promising everything she's ever wanted.

 Halo believes she only has time to pursue her career as a pet detective and must ignore her growing attraction to achieve her dreams.

 Will Halo trust her heart, and find a way to get both for Christmas?

Buy Links:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Halos-Wish-Dreams-Come-ebook/dp/B00F4M2N6S/ref=sr_1_11?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1379080942&sr=1-11&keywords=sharon+kleve

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/halos-christmas-wish-sharon-kleve/1116884729?ean=2940148671077

Excerpt:

She'd just placed another call through to Pemsky's office, which went straight to his voicemail, when the office door opened. Halo smiled and looked up into dreamy, gold-flecked green eyes, short sandy brown hair, a slight cleft chin, and full lips set in a hard line. Even with the stern look he had on his face, her hormones jumped into overdrive.

Mr. Dreamy cleared his throat—she must've been staring. In her most professional voice she said, "Good morning. How may I help you?"

He removed a piece of paper from his shirt pocket and unfolded the sheet.

"I was parked in front of the Beacon Hill Ale House and my driver's side mirror was sideswiped by one of Pemsky's Security's SUV's Friday night."

Halo loved the Beacon Hill Ale House. Every Saturday night the Ale House allowed local bands to jam together. That's where she'd met her last loser boyfriend. She'd had a lot of loser boyfriends. She's currently on a hiatus from dating, but she wouldn't mind jumping back into the dating game for this dream-boat.

He handed her the piece of paper.

"I wasn't able to get a look at the driver, but I got the license plate number of the vehicle that hit my car and drove away."

He emphasized the last part.

"I'm very sorry about your car. I'm sure Mr. Pemsky will be happy to cover the damage." Halo checked the company log and Pemsky's name popped up as the driver—she gulped.

 

Author Bio:

Sharon Kleve was born and raised in Washington and currently lives on the Olympic Peninsula with her husband.

Sharon is a writer of paranormal and contemporary romance. She loves romance. She loves reading romance, living romance, and especially loves writing about romance. She gets no greater feeling than watching her characters come alive in each other's arms. Most of all, she loves giving her characters the happily ever after they deserve—with a few bumps and bruises along the way.

One of her favorite things to do is picking up a new book and sinking into the story, immersing herself in the emotions between the characters. She hopes to inspire her readers the same way her favorite authors have inspired her.

When not writing, she can usually be found either curled up in her recliner with her cat and a good book, or in the kitchen baking sourdough bread or bagels.

Social Media Links:

Email: sharon.kleve@yahoo.com

Blog: http://authorsharonkleve.blogspot.com/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/sharonrkleve

Twitter: https://twitter.com/SharonKleve

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5399389.Sharon_Kleve

Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/sharon-kleve/56/ab/691/

Rafflecopter Giveaway Info:

Prizes:

• One (1) Winner will receive a $25 gift card to a book seller of their choice
• One (1) Winner will receive Kara Leigh Miller's complete backlist, which includes five novellas and two full-length books

 

 

 

Christmas In July - time to write

I do most of my writing in the summer, the lack of games actually makes it easier to write about hockey, believe it or not. I normally get a bunch of short pieces and something a bit longer done between June and October.

I start writing my Christmas stories in July. My birthday is July 17th and my father’s was December 19th. So I start on my birthday and want to have it done, edited and out by Dad’s. My family doesn’t have much in the way of Christmas traditions, my mother was a minister when I was young and from what I have seen in my family and others having a minster in the family has a way of discouraging holiday traditions, but the Christmas Story tradition is one I share with my mother who writes historical mysteries.

So I started my Christmas story on Wednesday. Well I guess it isn’t really a Christmas story, the heroine is a Valkyrie an actual daughter of a Norse god so the story will fall in the two weeks of yule.

I live near Philly and it has been crazy hot this week so during the heat I have been imagining Massachusetts in December. As coping measures go, it is pretty good. Not Gatorade good, but not that bad either.

So for the next month or so I will be thinking and writing about cold, snow and ice. And hockey, always hockey.

Comment with your e-mail address to win a ten dollar gift certificate to Amazon or Dunkin Donuts and a copy of my Christmas story Rejoice a Burden.

Excerpt from Rejoice a Burden

     A few of the team were standing around. Steve, a rookie forward was standing with his wife and they were both holding thin swords. Billy, a defenseman was cradling his arm while his girlfriend stood between him and the door. Our captain Shawn Murphy was sitting on the floor holding his nose, trying to stop it from bleeding, his new girlfriend looked at me and then her lips pulled back from extremely sharp teeth. I knew all sorts of odd and magical beings played for the Nor’easters, but Nimah’s teeth gave me pause.

“What are you?” I asked her.

“Selkie,” Murphy said his voice muffled by his broken nose.

“A what?” I asked.

“She is a seal, like Vále is a wolf,” Murphy said getting up off the floor, “Look you have bigger problems but here is a rundown. Vále is a wolf, Nimah is a Selkie, Steve is Jack Frost, Rose seems to be springtime in a chick’s body, Gabby is - well I don’t know what she and Billy are.”

“I’m in recovery,” Billy grunted, “nothing more exotic than that.”

Murphy ignored Billy’s interjection, “But something came and took your girl.”

“Joulupukki,” Steve’s wife Rose said.

“Santa Claus?” I asked stupidly, “Santa Clause kidnapped my girlfriend?” 

 

 

Indiependence - So Good I Couldn’t Pick One

http://indeliblewriters.blogspot.fi/2013/06/indiependence-day-2013.html

I should say that I read huge amounts of independent and small press authors. Until very recently I had an independent bookstore not far from my house and I got almost all my books through him. The store is gone now but I still read mostly independent and small press, so I couldn’t pick just one.

One lucky commenter will win an e-book copy of one of the titles I talk about in this post.


First let me touch on a book that I am reading now, Forbidden Kin, a romance by T.M. Hobbs published by Books To Go Now.

http://www.amazon.com/Forbidden-Kin-ebook/dp/B00ASNZ5UY/ref=sr_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1372606953&sr=1-5

I got this book recently. I got it because I read her first novel Wings of Fate and really enjoyed it. There is a subtle joy to everything this author writes and she always delivers a happy ever after ending. This is the author’s first Regency, she normally writes paranormal, and I can’t wait to see how she handles a new sub-genre.

Next is The Halfling’s Court by Danielle Ackley-McPhail published by Dark Quest books

http://www.amazon.com/The-Halflings-Court-ebook/dp/B004I6E4FE/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1372608720&sr=1-1&keywords=halflings+court

I read this when it first came out. I had originally thought of submitting a story to the first Bad-Ass Fairies collection, but didn’t (truth be told I’m still working up my nerve to submit to an anthology from this publisher) so when that collection came out I gobbled it up. When I read the story At The Crossroads by this author my first reaction was “What? You can’t leave me there! This needs to be a novel!” When it became a novel I bought it and just sat down and read the whole thing. I know nothing about motorcycles or Biker Gangs (the last person to own a motorcycle in my family was my great-uncle and I think it was an Indian made for the Military) but the combination of them and fairies still sticks with me. I still wonder about these characters and I come back to this author time and time again. She has a new novel in the series that came out in May that I haven’t had a chance to read yet, but I will have by the end of the month, because I am saving it for my birthday mid month. Yeah, these are birthday present good.

My last book is Zombie Fallout by Mark Tufo published by Mark Tufo.

 http://www.amazon.com/Zombie-Fallout-ebook/dp/B003A022YO/ref=cm_cr_pr_pb_t

I guess the header on my blog points this out, but I am part of the Boston diaspora. That plays into my love of this series. Mike, the main character, is also part of the Boston diaspora and the pacing of the dialog and word choice shows it very clearly. This is a light hearted zombie story and I spent the whole time laughing. And sometimes you just need a good laugh, these were suggested to me just after the Marathon bombing and I wish I could tell you who suggested them but it has slipped my mind, but I really did need a good laugh. These books are in first person, in the form of journals and Mike could pass for my husband who has many of the same issues and preferences (mind you my husband is a hockey fan and not much into baseball)these books are character based so from time to time the plot can meander a bit, but those meanders show the traits of the characters off and for the length of seven books I just floated away with Mike and his family.

Hot Nights Cold Ice

I write about ice hockey, so you would think that hot summer nights wouldn’t be my cup of tea but you would be wrong. This week is the second round of the playoffs and this is when I get all my best ideas and I know that I will have time to write those ideas soon.

I was watching a Boston Bruins game last week and it was hot. The players were hot and the crowd was over heated and uncomfortable. It brought to mind hot nights in the old Boston Garden of my childhood.

The old Garden opened in 1928 and as the hockey season got longer a particular weakness of the building was revealed. Fog. When the old Garden got hot, the rink would generate fog. The image of those ghostly players moving through the fog created by poor air conditioning has always left me with the idea of unworldly hockey players. Now I have a whole magical universe filled with, shape-shifters, wizards and fairies all from one image caused by a hot summer night over cold, cold ice.

  One lucky commenter will win a $10 gift certificate from Amazon and a hockey charm bracelet.

An excerpt from the short story Accrocher Ses Pantins by Elizabeth Inglee-Richards from my new anthology Wicked Slapshots

  Packing was something I did fairly regularly. Every year the season ended, and Jennot and I went home to Moncton. It had been the same since the team had moved from Halifax in the sixties. Before that we still packed to go home, but home was much closer then. That day I thought I may be packing for the final time, at least a final time for a long time.

Jennot was tired. He wanted a break from hockey, a break from the team, and a few quiet years before we came back to Massachusetts. A few years that he didn’t have to be called Trey. I could see him taking the place of Walter, the current goalie coach. I wondered if Jennot would want a break from me as well. It wouldn’t be the first time we had parted in our lives together. Hyenas don’t mate for life, like people think wolves do, and neither do Bouda.

Above our bed was our wedding photograph. Our original one. Taken in the summer of 1927. I took it off the wall and held it in my hands. The only piece of our original life left to us after all these years. My most precious belonging. I didn’t think many of our clan kept many reminders of the past.

At the intersection of Sport and History

     Although it isn’t always obvious, I am from Boston . Yes, I have spent most of my life in the Philly metro area, but Boston is still home, if I had my way I would live in both places at once. Boston is a city of small places as you have probably heard over and over again this week. These small places are tied together with string made up of sport and history. Often the thread is sport and history at the same time as is the case with Patriots Day. The holiday is celebrated with the marathon, a Red Sox game and then the Bruins or Celtics in the evening.
      To give this a little personal context I left for Columbus OH on the 9th and was just returning home on the 15th. I was at a trade show that is long days and tight living. I was sick Sunday night. Monday we left around ten in the morning for our long drive home. I was co-pilot and I was glibly telling the driver about Marathon Monday when I started to get texts that something had happened at the marathon.
      Boston lives with one foot in the past. The Marathon celebrates the battles of Lexington and Concord. I know you’ve heard that a million times now, but it can’t be said enough, this is a public Civic holiday. There is so much going on that day; reenactments of the battles, reenactments of the ride of Paul Revere and William Dawes.
      It is often one of the first really nice days in Boston and after a long winter everyone wants to be out. Patriots Day is half memorial service and half Bacchanalia and totally, utterly sacred.
      I don’t know anyone who hasn’t stayed at the finish line until the last runner had crossed a million hours after the start, totally snookered and talking to people they had just met. It’s just something that you do at least once in your life.
     My brother in law had said he might go that year. He had gone in the past. He had decided not to, but it took me about an hour to get in touch with him. Patriots Day in general and the Marathon in particular is personal to Boston. It is ours in a way that no other holiday is.
     I have spent a lot of time texting and e-mailing this week. I have been angry, and frightened and sad. My family has been locked down. My family has heard explosions. Hundreds of rounds were shot not far from my old office.
     This week has been hard, but hard places make hard people. All Bostonians were wounded by this act even if we weren’t there that day. I doubt that we will ever know why this happened, I’m not sure I care why it happened.
      I want my city to go back to normal. I want people to feel safe. I want next Patriots Day to be sunny and I want to see happy locals giveing high fives to strangers again.

Mythic Monday

This past weekend I’ve been playing catch up. Catch up with laundry, catch up with making lunches. I downloaded a few books and my pod-casts, so I am almost ready for the week. While at work on Saturday, my co-worker and I had a long talk about folk lore and fantasy. So I started thinking about one of my favorite fairy-tails, or maybe I should say groups of fairytales. When I was little my mother read me Andrew Lang’s “Fairy Book” series. There are twelve books in the series. The first book is “The Blue Fairy Book” and it was published in 1889, the last one was the “Lilac Fairy Book” and it was published in 1910. In that eleven years fairytales went from rather brutal to what we think of them now - Jack went from “Jack the Giantkiller” to “Jack in the Beanstalk” One of my favorite stories was in the first book and was called “Bluebeard”. Basicly a woman marries a siralkiller and is told not to go into a room in the house they share, of course she does and finds all the dead wives he has had before her. In the version in the Lang book the woman’s brothers save her. I probably would have liked it better if she had saved herself. That said, Bluebeard is the French version of this type of tale, there other versions where the woman does save herself. Bluebeard scared the crap out of me as a child and engendered a lifelong love of horror. Read more about Bluebeard here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bluebeard

wicked slapshot

Mulit-Published Author Elizabeth Inglee-Richards Releases Wicked Slapshots Books To Go Now is proud to announce author Elizabeth Inglee-Richards hockey anthology, Wicked Slapshots, has been released! About Wicked Slapshots: First time together in an anthology, Elizabeth Inglee-Richards best-selling Paranormal hockey series. The Rebuilding Years: The Hampden County Hyenas are a hockey team that is a bit unusual. They really are hyenas-or boudas. Much like werewolves they are both man and beast-a perfect fit for hockey. It is a rebuilding year for the team and it's time to hunt for a new recruit. Breakthrough Game: When an old leader is ready to step down Rob Grahame is the only one who knows. How do you take on a responsibility you aren’t sure you are ready for? Rob and his team are both over their heads, in the midst of the play-offs with the core of the team shifting. Will Rob be able to step up and be the leader no one expected him to have to be? Will the hyena follow him? Wings and Blades: Betrayed by his wife, William Fonte, a defenseman in the Pan-American Champion Hockey League, returns home to Boston in search of a trade to the team he had loved as a child, the Nahant Nor’easters. Will he learn to soar again with the help of an angel from his past? Or will his past keep him earthbound? Accrocher Ses Pantins (Hanging 'em Up): In the nineteen twenty’s the world of Ice Hockey was changing forever, spreading south into the US markets. Two young lovers from New Brunswick were preparing to get married when the young man is offered his dream job as a goalie for a team based in Halifax. The couple has no idea what changes they are going to have to make for the team that doesn’t just wear the Hyena, they become the hyena quite literally. Rejoice: A Burden: It’s the last game before Christmas and Arttu, forward for the Nor’easter ice hockey team, is having a hard time with his asthma. When his fiance is kidnapped from the teams Christmas party by Nuuttipukki, a Holiday spirit trying to punish her for using magic on people without consent, will he be able to save her, or will Nuuttipukki drag her to hell? About Author Elizabeth Inglee-Richards: Elizabeth is a writer of modern Urban and Suburban fantasy. Her stories are mostly set in Delaware or Massachusetts, the two places she has spent most of her life. Many of her stories have a romantic twist and often deal with professional hockey players; after all there are never enough romantic urban fantasies about hockey! You can find her at her blog: http://elizabethingleerichards.blogspot.com Where you can find the anthology Wicked Slapshots: http://www.amazon.com/Wicked-Slapshots-ebook/dp/B00BSAIDK...