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Thursday, February 28, 2013

Deceived by Eve Carter Book Tour



Deceived Part 3 Chloe's Revenge by Eve Carter
Genre: Erotic Romance
Publisher: Carter Publishing House (Self-Published)
Format: Ebook
Length: approx. 130 pages
Release Date: March 15th 2013

Book Description:

The steamy Deceived romance trilogy by Eve Carter, in the bestselling tradition of Fifty Shades of Grey by E. L. James and The Blackstone Affair by Raine Miller.

When Chloe Swanson, an innocent mid-western college graduate, lands her dream job in New York City, she doesn't realize what kind of a ride she's in for.
It doesn't take long before her boss, the charming and sharp businessman Patrick Collins, deceives her into being part of his plan to land the biggest account of his life.

However, he never expected that he would fall for her. Suddenly, he finds himself trapped between a ruthless billionaire client, who has her own eyes set on Patrick, and his deep affection for the beautiful Chloe.

What follows is a sensual and passionate journey of self-discovery, as Chloe faces the harsh reality of jealousy, love and money in the big city.

Stimulating, amusing and highly arousing, Deceived is a romance that will excite and titillate your senses.

Purchase Deceived Part 1 - New York: Amazon

Purchase Deceived Part 2 - Paris: Amazon

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

White Diamonds by Shirley Hailstock Book Tour


Guest Post: Perfect settings for writing stories.


 Often the book determines the setting.  I’ve noticed many authors tend to set their stories where they live or someplace close to where they live.  In my case, I’ve lived in a lot of places, so this gives me several choices of where stories can be set.  Anyone who’s familiar with my body of work knows that some of the stories are set in Washington, D.C.  I went to college there and lived there for many years.  My suspense novels that involve the government or a government official beg to be set in or around the District.

My historical CLARA’S PROMISE set in 1899 is about a woman running away from her home in northern Virginia.  She had attended D.C. Teachers College and went to Montana to teach and find her life and love.  In this case, I needed a totally different world from the one Clara lived in.  They needed teachers out west so west seemed the place to set the book.  Why Montana?  It fascinated me.  I wanted to know more about it and I’d met some people who lived there.  I could use them for research.

Currently, I have a new e-book release entitled LEGACY that is an updated re-issue of a print book.  The hero in this book was traumatized after defending a deranged man.  He turns his back on the world and goes to live on a mountain in Maryland.  I’ve been to the Maryland mountains and know what the terrain looks like.  I didn’t choose Maryland, the character did, but since he did I could write from a place of authority.  To get him off the mountain, I needed to send him to a metropolitan area, but not back to the same environment where he’d been traumatized.  Yet, I didn’t want him too far from his home and family.  They play roles in the plot.  Philadelphia became the setting.

I live in New Jersey an hour from Philadelphia.  I can go there and look at the land if need be.  Truth is I’ve been to Philly a number of times and don’t need to visit it for writing.  Sometimes familiar places are the best.

When I decide on a new story, I want my setting to not only be where the story takes place, but to be part of the definition of character.  Sometimes that means being a fish-out-of-water as in the case of CLARA’S PROMISE.  It could also be a place that is safe for the character.  In MY LOVER, MY FRIEND, the hero has PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder).  He returns to his family home in Lighthouse, Maine.  In the telling of his story, we go to a small town where the residents all know each other. The entrance to the town is over a bridge that not only symbolically links two types of lives, but aids in transiting the hero to deal with the event that caused his stress.  The lighthouse, the sea, the homes of the hero and heroine (next door to each other) all play into the character of the town and its people.

I began by saying authors often use places where they live or know very well as settings.  I have never been to Maine and I’ve set two books there.  I’ve never set foot in Montana and I have two books set there -- third one in the works.  Where did I get the information about these places?  The Internet is always the first answer.  But luckily I talked to other romance writers who live in these places.  For Montana it was easy since Robert Redford loves Montana so much that he gives long sweeping visuals of the landscape in his movies.  Visuals and descriptions don’t give a feel for the people, how they speak or how they feel about their area and other sections of the country or how the residents feel about outsiders who come into their environment.  This is where other writers and social media come into play.  Writers are always willing to help with details.  And fans are thrilled to help.

My latest e-book release, LEGACY, is set in Princeton, NJ only fifteen minutes from where I live.  The book I’m working on now for my print publisher called WEDDINGS BY DIANA is set in Princeton.

For readers who may have never been to these places, making the setting a character not only adds to the character of the book, but gives the reader a small trip to a place they haven’t been.  Long ago, before I began to write, I read a novel practically every day.  Many were set in Europe, Greece and Spain.  I so wanted to visit those places because of the books.  I’ve been to Europe a number of times.  Greece and Spain are still on the list.

Closer to home, I read TIME AFTER TIME by Jack Finney.  It’s a time travel set in New York City in the mid 1800’s.  I was so intrigued by the places he mentioned in the story that one night I went to New York to see if a particular building was where the author said it was.  The building was called the Dakota Apartments.  They’re famous now because John Lennon and Yoko Ono lived there.  At the time, it was the place where Rosemary’s Baby had been filmed.  The minute I saw it, I recognized it as Rosemary’s building.

Jack Finney made the building so alive in his book, that I took a trip just to see if it was there, yet it didn’t override the characters in the story.  It enhanced them.  I still have vivid memories of the people.  Readers find settings intriguing, sometimes to the point that they have to go looking for them, even if they’re fictional.

I have a romantic suspense (MORE THAN GOLD) partially set in St. Louis.  In the book there is a fictitious abandoned air force base that I use as a hideaway for the hero and heroine.  At a booksigning after the book was released two women who live in St. Louis told me they went looking for the base and couldn’t find it.  They wanted to know where it was and were totally disappointed when I told them I made it up.  I’m not sure they believed me.

Settings matter to readers -- to those who live near the places and to those who get to vist them vicariously.  Settings are like music in a movie.  They act as background to tell the story and not intrude upon it.  But they bring the story alive.  No matter if the place is around the corner or across the globe, if we’re true to our depiction of the place and the people, readers will see it -- and love it.

Interview
How did you come up with the idea of White Diamonds?

            I wanted to write something different, something I didn’t read in every other romantic suspense I picked up.  Since I went to college and spent a lot of time in Washington, D.C., I decided to use that as the backdrop for my book.  D.C. has so much potential with the government there.  They can be the good guys or the bad guys.  So the idea of a guy dying and sending something to his best friend, who is then fighting for his life but doesn’t know why, was too good to ignore.  At the time I was unsure of what the “thing” was.  Then I thought of a communication system that used white diamonds and the book was born.  The world has become so small with the advent of the Internet.  I thought what if someone could ease drop on a device, like a phone or a computer from anywhere in the world.  I knew it was possible but didn't realize how close we were to that reality until after the book was published.

Did you draw inspiration for any of the characters from anybody in particular?

No, I don’t take inspiration from anyone I know.  I tried once to name a character after one of my nieces, but I found myself giving the same traits to the character that my niece had.  I immediately scraped thoughts of doing that.  It took away from the true characters in the story.

I usually work on who I need the character to be in the story.  Eventually, they take on a life of their own and they tell me who they are.  I do extensive character sheets, writing down all their characteristics, hobbies, likes, dislikes, fears, accomplishments, family, including their occupations, whatever is necessary.

I often get my plot first, then I find the people to go with the story.  When it happens the other way around, it may take years to get a story to go with a character.  This happened in the book LEGACY (an e-book that was just released).  The hero dropped in my head one day and said I needed a story for him, but I didn’t have one.  He sat virtually in my head for three years before I found a story that worked for him.

Is there a quirk of yours that translates in your books, something you know is a part of you?

                I tend to build something.  I can rebuild it, decorate it or totally describe it, making it a focal point of the story.  I used to tease and say in a past life I must have been an architect.  After HGTV and the DIY Network became so popular, I started doing some of the small things around my own house and found I love doing it myself.

            I also tend to make my heroines extremely capable, able to handle whatever comes their way.  I think this is part of my makeup.  I’ve had to handle a lot from childhood on and I think that makes for strong characters.

Review:

4.5 Stars


Sandra Rutledge stumbles missing Senator Wyatt Randolph, who is in need of help and unconscious,  while taking a mini vacation at her family cabin .  Wyatt awakens wanting the diamonds he was carrying and wishing beyond hope he has not just put the beautiful woman who saved him in harm’s way.  Finding out that she is the daughter of the man he believes is a traitor to his country. 

Sandra doesn’t believe her father is involved, but with evidence mounting against his innocence, Sandra plans to stick by Wyatt’s side until she figures out the truth.  Wyatt is falling hard for Sandra and the feelings are mutual, but every time they have a second to embrace their feelings they are reminded that their lives are in danger and the list of suspects involved in the secret behind the diamonds leads all the way to the White House.

Intense cat and mouse story, I thought the concept was fascinating.  You are pulled into the story right away and it has layers that continue to unravel as you read.  Excellent read, the first book for me of Shirley Hailstock’s, will definitely be reading more.


Author Bio:

Shirley Hailstock began her writing life as a lover of reading.  She likes nothing better than to get lost in a book, explore new worlds and visit places she never expected to see.  As an author, she can not only visit those places, but she can be the heroine of her own stories.  A past president of Romance Writers of America, Shirley’s has authored 29 books and won many awards and accolades for her work.

Connect with Shirley!



Buy the Book!






 February 25 - Chick Lit Plus - Review

February 27 - Musings From An Addicted Reader - Review, Guest Post & Interview

March 1 - Tea and Scribbles - Review

March 5 - Samantha March - Q&A & Excerpt

March 7 - Every Free Chance Book Reviews - Review


March 8 - Kindle eBook Addict - Interview

March 11 - Change The Word - Review & Excerpt

March 12 - Change The Word - Interview

March 13 - Jersey Girl Book Reviews - Review, Guest Post & Excerpt

March 14 - Karma For Life - Review

March 15 - Evolved World - Review

March 15 - For The Love of Film and Novels - Book Excerpt

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Lucky Charm by Mary Astor Book Excerpt Tour and Giveaway




Lucky Charm
by Marie Astor

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BLURB:


Twenty-eight-year old Annabel Green is about to tie the knot with her college love, an aspiring author Jeremy Blake, but her plans for an ideal wedding are rudely interrupted when she catches Jeremy kissing his gorgeous book agent.

Shell-shocked by Jeremy’s betrayal, Annabel retreats into the quiet routine of TV dinners and solitary evenings. It is then that Annabel’s best friend, fashion designer Lilly Clayton, sets herself on a mission to draw Annabel out of her shell. In an attempt to persuade Annabel to keep an open mind on dating, Lilly takes Annabel for a stunning makeover, but after Annabel passes on a date with a dashing entrepreneur, Lilly decides that more drastic measures are needed. Lilly invites Annabel to see a palm reader who gives Annabel a lucky charm that is supposed to help her find true love.

A few weeks later, Annabel meets a new love interest, and as the two embark on a whirlwind romance, she starts to believe in the power of the talisman the palm reader has given her. But what Annabel doesn’t know is that Lilly is hiding a secret that could unravel her faith in her newly found luck in love.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Excerpt:

For several moments, Lilly and Simon were oblivious to everything around them, as Annabel stood back, embarrassed. She was happy for her friend, yet she could not help feeling out of place, secretly wishing that she too had someone who would be so glad to see her. She scanned the crowd in an effort to distract herself, but regretted her decision almost immediately. It seemed that everywhere she looked, there were couples hugging, snuggling, kissing. Annabel had never seen so many people kissing at the same time. Was there something in the air? Granted, Paris was a renowned destination for lovers, but this was surreal. Even the middle-aged, gray-haired couple she remembered from her flight were now smooching as though they were a couple of fifteen-year-olds. Even a saint would be jealous being alone in the middle of this love fest, and Annabel was far from being a saint. 

Suddenly, coming to Paris did not seem like such a good idea anymore. She had armed herself with maps and brochures to explore the city, but being alone in the sea of lovers was something that she was not prepared for. Breathe, Annabel thought, calm down. With nowhere else to look, she turned her gaze to the floor and began studying the pattern of the gray carpeting. 

“Ann! What are you doing over there? Come on!” Lilly urged her. “I’m so sorry we got carried away. This won’t happen again,” Lilly added in a guilty whisper.

“Don’t worry about me.” Annabel shrugged, hoping that her expression looked convincing enough. 

“Hello, Annabel. It’s so nice to see you again.” Simon smiled and leaned in to kiss her on both cheeks, true Frenchman that he was. “Let me get your bag,” he offered, and before Annabel could object, he grabbed both hers and Lilly’s suitcases as though they weighed nothing at all. “This way. My car is parked a little way off.”

The glass airport doors parted, and Annabel felt the gust of Parisian air on her face. Well, to be precise, she was not in Paris yet, since Charles de Gaulle airport was in the suburbs, fourteen miles away from Paris. This was a fact that she remembered from the numerous travel guides that she had perused in preparation for her trip. Still, as corny as it sounded, Annabel had to admit that even the air smelled different. For starters, there was none of the leaden humidity of New York’s summer heat. Instead, the air felt fresh and full of movement, but there was more to it than that. There was an indescribable, magical quality that transcended into the way people walked and talked, as though they were determined to appreciate every moment of their existence, even while performing the most mundane of tasks.

“Here we are.” Simon motioned at his black Mercedes in the parking lot. After loading the suitcases into the trunk, he opened the door for Annabel in the back and then for Lilly, up front.





~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Marie Astor is the author of contemporary romance novels This Tangled Thing Called Love, Lucky Charm, On the Rim of Love, romantic suspense, To Catch a Bad Guy, and a short story collection,  A Dress in a Window. Marie is also the author of young adult fantasy adventure novel, Over the Mountain and Back.

If you would like to learn more about Marie’s writing, please stop by her website: www.marieastor.com or visit her on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/marieastorcollection


Books by Marie Astor:

This Tangled Thing Called Love – a contemporary romance about overcoming one’s inhibitions, learning to tango, and finding one’s true love match.
http://www.amazon.com/This-Tangled-Thing-Called-ebook/dp/B0078IPNCW/ref=la_B004EBDX9Q_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1337972977&sr=1-3

Lucky Charm – a humorous contemporary romance about love, luck and friendship.
http://www.amazon.com/Lucky-Charm-Contemporary-Romance-ebook/dp/B005BZL3L4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1336842915&sr=8-1

On the Rim of Love – a contemporary romance about the unexpected power of love.
http://www.amazon.com/On-Rim-Love-Contemporary-ebook/dp/B005TOWI7K/ref=pd_sim_kstore_1?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2

A Dress in a Window – a collection of short stories about love, coincidences, and fate.
http://www.amazon.com/A-Dress-Window-ebook/dp/B004E112TO/ref=pd_sim_kstore_3?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2

Over the Mountain and Back – young adult fantasy adventure novel about a boy who takes his snowboard for a ride and finds himself in a magical, hidden world he never knew existed.
http://www.amazon.com/Over-Mountain-Back-Adventure-ebook/dp/B008WF1Y78/ref=la_B004EBDX9Q_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1350684616&sr=1-6

Social Media Links:

Website: http://www.marieastor.com/

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

GoodReads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4665230.Marie_Astor

Twitter: @marieastor





Marie will be awarding to five randomly drawn commenters at the end of the tour (US ONLY), one of the following five custom-designed jewelry prizes:


Prize 1: Smoky quartz necklace with sterling silver flower clasp
Prize 2: Lapis and labradorite necklace with sterling silver clasp
Prize 3: Kayanite and turquoise sterling silver necklace
Prize 4: Onyx and red agate sterling silver bracelet
Prize 5: Jade, amber and red agate necklace

Please leave a comment to enter this fantastic contest.  The tour dates can be found here:



Laura's Light by Donna Gallagher Book Blast






Laura’s Light
by Donna Gallagher

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BLURB:

Forty-two- year- old single mother Laura Harris devoted more than half her life to raising her son. She remembered the concept of having sex but it had been aeons since she’s actually been a participant - especially with a real flesh-and-blood partner. But it’s time to reclaim her life. Her son is a man now. And the rising star of the Jets rugby league team. Their future is brighter than ever and, for the first time, financially secure. But Laura is starting to think agreeing to have dinner with Trevor Hughes could be biting off more than she can chew. Not that she can’t see herself taking a nice big chunk from the absolutely gorgeous thirty-four-year-old sports commentator’s rump, he’s one prime piece of masculinity! She just isn’t sure how or when the whole sex thing will become an issue. She can’t even get past the what-to-wear step. Let alone the when-to-take-it-off stage…

Trevor Hughes usually avoids the woman with substance - he has enough of his own demons to deal without trying to care for anyone else. But there’s something about the upbeat, sexy, one-woman-dynamo Laura Harris. The woman is pure sunshine and happiness. And that’s surprising when you look at what life has handed her. Nothing seemed to dampen Laura’s spirits and she quickly becomes someone Trevor needs in his life…Until misunderstandings come between them. Can Trevor put things right?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Excerpt:

“I didn’t mean to fall asleep. I’m sorry… I should have left hours ago. This isn’t what is supposed to happen these days, I suspect.” Laura caught sight of the light shining from the corner of the closed drapes. 

“The sun is up! I have no idea what time it is. What on earth is Mitchell going to think?” Laura started to struggle in an attempt to free herself from Trevor’s hold, tried to remove herself from his arms, his bed. Then, realizing she was naked, she froze. How the hell was she going to make a gracious exit when she would have to hunt, completely naked in front of him, for her clothing? Any chance of her maturing body’s flaws remaining hidden in the room’s darkness was now fading as the sun rose. Not to mention the walk of shame she was facing, going home in the probably now rumpled clothing that she’d left home in last night. Laura groaned.

“Oh, this is so embarrassing. I’m not really up on the etiquette this sort of thing involves. You know, the morning after the night before. What the hell was I thinking?” Laura buried her face into the pillow, thinking that hiding from the world might magically make all her uncertainty and embarrassment go away.

She heard Trevor chuckling next to her, and anger was the first emotion to take hold.

“This might seem funny to you, but I’m not some young bunny that hops from bed to bed. This is my first one-night stand and I’m a mother, for goodness’ sake. What will I tell my son? ‘Yes, Mitchell, it’s okay for me to stay out all night without letting you know, but heaven help you if you do the same to me—I’m the only one allowed to worry in this family.’ Not to mention the fact I’ve never stayed away from home before. No, I’m sure Mitchell is feeling just fine that his accusations proved correct, that we did end up in bed together. My God, what must he think of me?” And if the embarrassment of admitting her lack of a sex life hadn’t been enough to completely humiliate her, then bursting into tears left her in no doubt.



AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Sydney-born Donna Gallagher decided at an early age that life needed be tackled head on.
Leaving home at 15 she supported herself through her teen years.
In her twenties she married a professional sportsman, her love of sport -- especially rugby league -- probably overriding her good sense.

The seven-year marriage was an adventure. There were the emotional ups and downs of having a husband with a public profile in a sometimes glamorous but always high-pressure field. There were always interesting characters to meet and observe and even the opportunity to live for a time in the UK.

Eventually Donna returned home a single woman, but she never lost her passion for watching sport, as well as the people in and around it.

Now happily re-married and with three sons Donna loves coffee mornings with her female friends, sorting through problems from the personal to the international. But she's on even footing with the keenest man when it comes to watching and talking rugby league.

Donna considers herself something of a black sheep in a family of high achievers. Her brother has a doctorate in mathematics and her sister is a well-known sports journalist.

An avid reader, especially of romance, Donna finally found she couldn't stop the characters residing in her imagination from spilling onto paper. Naturally rugby league is the backdrop to her League of Love Series, published through UK publisher Total-E-Bound, spicy tales of hunky heroes and spunky heroines overcoming adversity to eventually find true love.

http://www.donnagallagherromance.com

http://facebook.com/donnagallagher63

https://twitter.com/donnag63

http://www.total-e-bound.com/authordetail.asp?A_ID=251

http://www.total-e-bound.com/product.asp?strParents=&CAT_ID=&P_ID=1866 



Donna will be awarding a $50 Amazon GC to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour.
  

Leave a comment to enter.  Follow the tour or more chances to win.