Monday, September 29, 2014

LOVE on the LIDO Deck author Barbara Olliverio on Why Writing Isn’t for Sissies + Giveaway

Kinky Vanilla Romance is pleased to share Love on the Lido Deck: A Nautical Romantic Comedy by Barbara Oliverio, a contemporary novel available now from Scolapasta Press, LTD. This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions.


http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2014/06/virtual-nbtm-book-tour-love-on-lido.html


Barbara will be awarding a $25 Amazon GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour, and a $25 Amazon GC to a randomly drawn host. Click on the banner to see additional tour stops. Remember, the more stops you visit, the more chances you earn to win.


Love on the Lido Deck
A Nautical Romantic Comedy

 by Barbara Olliverio

 

BLURB


Sharp-witted, always-organized Keira Graham has traded in her high tech career as a systems analyst for the whirlwind world of event planning. As she builds up her fledging business, she learns that her widowed mother has news of her own – she has a serious gentleman caller! Is Keira ready for mom’s new romance?

When she gets a game-changing opportunity to organize a major event on a luxury Caribbean cruise, Keira turns to best pal chef Alexandria D'Agostino to help recruit famous chefs who will offer classes for foodies looking for fun in the sun as they gain cooking know-how. The cruise becomes a rollicking adventure for Keira, her sassy assistant Juliet, the entire D'Agostino clan, Keira's mother and other surprise guests. And has Keira meet her match in charismatic Cruise Director Brennan McAllister, who could have something more than keeping everything shipshape on his mind?


EXCERPT


“Honestly. Canasta?” Alex smiled lovingly as she watched her two men go toward the door and heard Marco’s gleeful laughter as Cam dipped him from side to side as they weaved through the regular clients, who laughed along with him.

I looked after him wistfully as well. I wanted to tell them both that it wasn’t my fault I couldn’t find as great a guy as Cam. Maybe they only make one in a generation. It’s not like I was jealous of Alex. No one was closer to me than she was, and when she found her soul mate, I couldn’t have been happier. It’s just that I had not been able to find anyone to connect with. Shoot, even my mother had found someone now.

My thoughts screeched to a halt.

“What up, Keira? I know that look,” said Alex as she swiveled her barstool back toward me.

“Drat, drat, drat, Ali.” I pounded my head on the bar.

“Stop it, Keir,” she said. “We can’t afford to rebuild this bar just because you’re having a bad day.”

My head shot up.

“First of all, the bar is six-inch-thick oak, and my head could not possibly do damage because the physics of the situation—”

“There.” She grinned. “I knew I could count on your penchant for correct information to pull you back.”

My eyes slightly welled up.

“Hey, come on.” She put her arms around me. “It can’t be that bad that your mom found a nice man to get serious with. Your dad has been dead a long time, sweetie.”

I took a gulp of my tea.

“It’s not just that she has a serious boyfriend, Ali. It’s who he is.”




GUEST POST

Writing Isn’t for Sissies

Oh sure, we’ve all seen it in the movies. The heroine becomes weary of the daily grind and announces that she is going to write that book she’s always wanted to write. All of her friends and family are tentative, but loving and supportive. Fast forward through a few scenes where she is sitting at a pristine desk or cozily tucked into a corner at the coffee shop with just her laptop and a latte, then, bang, she’s at a book signing standing behind a huge pile of hardbacks, with a line of eager fans stretched outside the (brand name, chain) bookstore waiting for a signed copy. Her friends and family look on proudly. Minutes later, her agent is talking about the movie rights. That is exactly how it works.

Maybe not.

If Hollywood documented most journeys a bit more accurately, they might look a bit more like this:

Our heroine finally decides to write a book. She may have thought about this for her whole life, or it may be a relatively recent dream. In any case, she’s had to think long and hard about taking this plunge. Chances are she is not independently wealthy, so she needs to worry about how she is going to pay for minor things like, oh, food and shelter while writing and that is what has kept her from starting her project before this point. When she finally determines a plan that can work, she tentatively announces her decision.

Well-meaning people are outwardly skeptical. “Are you sure?” one asks. “Don’t you realize how hard this will be?” says another. She assumes a brave-little-toaster smile and nods. With the support of a very few, she puts aside the doubts of the many and soldiers onward.

(Not so) fast forward, she completes the amount of research necessary. Despite the myth of the “muse”, she knows that writing is just as much a skill as an art. She studies the nuances, she learns the subject matter and perhaps takes classes or seminars. She wonders how Jane Austen ever did this in the age before computers.

Her desk is an explosion of notebooks, scraps of paper with random ideas for dialog, pictures ripped from magazines, reference books, good luck charms, chocolate bar wrappers, teacups, and other items that are essential to her process. If she moves her operation to the coffee shop for a few hours, she brings her computer, scouts out the seat near an electrical outlet so that she can make sure she will be fully charged, and probably has a backpack chock full of notes with her.

Manuscript complete, she edits and re-edits (then re-edits yet again – should she leave that scene in or take it out??) as she pitches to agents hoping for representation or decides to independently publish. In either case, going from manuscript to actual book takes roughly the same amount of time as gestation of an elephant.

She launches her book and works on publicity, including book club visits, signings at small and large bookstores and any other avenue she can manage. She maintains her presence daily on every social media site. Ah. Finally the glamour -- she is a published author! (Never mind the physical therapy bill for lugging cartons of books hither and yon.)

Running into some of the same people who were skeptical when she embarked on the project, she is excited and proud to let them know she completed the book. At last! Maybe they’ll acknowledge her leap of faith has paid off.

The response: “Oh. Nice…When will your next one be out?”
 
Writing just isn’t for sissies.
 

AUTHOR BIO

Readers' Favorite Award™ Winner Barbara Oliverio is the daughter of Italian immigrants and grew up in North Central West Virginia with a love of reading and a passion for learning. Following a career path that included being a teacher, journalist, and marketer, she has lived as far away from home as Italy where she practiced her family's native tongue as well as took advantage of living near to other European countries to travel extensively. A rabid Pittsburgh Steeler fan, she lives with her husband, an equally committed New York Giants fan, in suburban Denver where off-football-season dinner conversation is calmer and is usually accompanied by a meal she cooks from one of her mother's treasured recipes. Other interests include New York Times crossword puzzles, good movies, and travel. She volunteers extensively for her parish and writes for its publications. She also teaches part-time for the St. Catherine of Siena Institute.

Author Links

Website: www.barbaraoliverio.com
 
 
GIVEAWAY

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Molly Harper and Duets by Emelle Gamble: Excerpt and Giveaway

Kinky Vanilla Romance is pleased to share Molly Harper and Duets by Emelle Gamble, Women's Romantic Fiction books available now.
 


Emelle will award a signed paperback of MOLLY HARPER with bonus novella DUETS included (US ONLY) to THREE randomly drawn winners via rafflecopter during the tour. Please click the tour banner at the top to see other stops on this tour.

Movie star Molly Harper has it all, beauty, success in her field, and a loving family and marriage to actor Ben Delmonico. Norma Wintz, Molly’s mother, has it all, a lovely life style and two children who adore her, and a respite from the battle against cancer she’s been fighting. Anne Sullivan, at age fifty, is optimistic that her move to sunny Santa Barbara, California, will allow her to be closer to her youngest son and his family, and help her start her life anew after the death of her beloved husband.

But all three of these women, despite their considerable blessings, are plunged into turmoil when the most intimate of secrets that ties their lives together is revealed. At this same time, Molly Harper is confronted with the news that her marriage to actor Ben Delmonico is over. As she navigates this heartbreak and tries to keep the personal details of the drama off the front pages of the newspapers, Molly must also find a way to once and forever negotiate a way forward with her ex- lover and best friend, the volatile and compelling Cruz Morales.

How each of these characters handles the resulting upheaval in their own life, and in their relationships with one another, forms the compelling story of family, secrets and trust in the romantic women’s fiction novel, Molly Harper.



DUETS offers alternating looks into the lives of two women who would seem to have little or nothing in common.

Screen star Molly Harper has it all…beauty, success in her profession, a loving family and an upcoming marriage to actor Ben Delmonico. But as Molly is on the verge of marrying the man who has swept her off her feet, she still wonders if he hasn’t swept all her feelings for her first love away, Cruz Morales.

A handsome and cerebral college professor, Molly and Cruz have an on-again, off-again history stretching back to Molly’s early teen years. He’s not a man who a girl can ever forget about, and his feelings for Molly are equally conflicted.

Anne Sullivan, happily married for twenty-five years, is fighting to hold onto the man she loves, and hold off a confrontation that could shatter her family’s image of what they are. It involves the beautiful screen star and her mother, upper crust matron Norma Wintz, who Anne has traveled to California to meet under the most dramatic of circumstances.

Duets confronts the most intimate type of family secret that ties these two women’s lives together, just as chance events turn Molly and Anne’s worlds upside down.

Enjoy an excerpt from DUETS:

Anne Sullivan looked down at her watch.

One twenty-one p.m. Norma Wintz was twenty minutes late.

Anne leaned back against the banquette and avoided making eye contact with the hovering waitress. She folded her hands together and wondered if her face looked tight as cellophane stretched over a bowl of tuna salad. That’s how it felt.

I shouldn’t have come. She glanced around the unfamiliar restaurant. It was all glass and mirrors; chock full of shockingly glamorous Californians surely leading shockingly exciting lives. People who wouldn’t understand why a widow from Potomac, Maryland was breaking into sobs and intruding on their lunch experience.

Which is probably what I’m going to do once Norma arrives, she thought. She had tried to prepare herself for meeting the woman, face-to-face, who had adopted her baby thirty-five years ago, but Anne wasn’t sure she was going to be able to handle it as she hoped.

Calmly. Dispassionately. In control.

Anne’s chest suddenly ached, as if all the emotion she’d suppressed for decades gathered into a knot under her ribs.

I should call the number for Norma Wintz and tell her not to come. Which was a great idea, except she’d left her cell phone in the car. And if she went to her car to get it, she might not have the emotional courage to come back.

To say nothing of the fact that if she walked the two long blocks to where she was parked, there was a good chance she would miss Norma Wintz altogether, and the woman would probably think she was a crack pot.

Anne took another peek at her watch.

One twenty-two.

That’s impossible. It felt as if an hour had passed since she’d last looked at the time.

“Excuse me, are you Mrs. Sullivan?” A waiter, his eyes jade green against his tan skin, smiled at Anne. His name tag read ‘Taj’.

“Yes, I’m Anne Sullivan."

“There’s a call for you.” Taj held out a phone.

Anne pressed it against her head. “This is Anne Sullivan.”

Taj clasped his hands behind his back and smiled at her as if she was a small child on the first day of school.

“Hello, this is Norma Wintz calling,” a voice said in Anne’s ear. “I’m on my way but there was an accident and traffic is wretched. I got no answer on the number you gave me, but I wanted to let you know I wasn’t standing you up.”

“Oh, that’s no problem.” Anne nodded at Taj and repositioned the phone an inch higher on her ear. “I don’t have other plans for this afternoon.”

“Fine. I’ll be there in about ten minutes.” The phone went dead.

“Okay. Thank you!” Anne met the waiter’s eyes and wondered how Taj had known to bring it to her.

Norma Wintz must have described me to him. But what could she have said, since we’ve never met? Look for a woman who seems the sort to give up her first-born child for adoption?


Emelle Gamble was a writer at an early age, bursting with the requisite childhood stories of introspection. These evolved into bad teen poetry and worse short stories. She took her first stab at full length fiction in an adult education writing class when her kids were in bed. As M.L. Gamble, she published several romantic suspense novels with Harlequin. She contracted with Soul Mate Publishing for Secret Sister, published in the summer of 2013, and Dating Cary Grant, an April 2014 release.

Once and Forever, an anthology which includes the novella Duets, came out on November 1st. Molly Harper, a full length novel starring the characters from Duets 3 years later was released by Posh Publishing in January, 2014. Duets is now available as a standalone novella. Emelle lives in suburban Washington D.C. with her husband, ‘Phil-the-fist’, her hero of thirty years, and two orange cats, Lucy and Bella. These girls, like all good villains, have their reasons for misbehaving.

Her daughter, Olivia, and son, Allen, are happily launched on their own and contributing great things to society, their mother’s fondest wish.

Review Quotes:

Praise for SECRET SISTER…

“Along with being a very unique and captivating plot, SECRET SISTER offers a shocking turn of the paranormal kind… This is a story of friendship, family, and most of all, true love and what those things can mean. I cannot recommend SECRET SISTER strongly enough… “ Fresh Fiction, Fresh Reviews

DUETS…

"I'll admit I grabbed this book for review more because Emelle Gamble had a story in there - I've loved her significant touch brought to family relationships in a previous book of hers that I've read, and I wanted to confirm if this sort of embroiled-relationships type of tale is really her niche or not. Turns out, it is!" Zee Monodee's Author's Corner reviews MOLLY HARPER…

"MOLLY HARPER ...is the first book I've read by this author, but it won't be my last! Ms. Gamble does a wonderful job of drawing these characters and making them just leap off the page." Long and Short Reviews

DATING CARY GRANT…

"Fantasy and reality blend together in this mesmerizing tale from Emelle Gamble…It's not your typical romance, making it a breath of fresh air in a market currently inundated with new adult contemporary romances (which I do love, but need a break once in a while!). I continue to be a fan of this author..." Andi's Book Reviews

Links:

Email: emellegamble@aol.com

Website: www.EmelleGamble.com

FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/Emelle.Gamble

Twitter: https://twitter.com/EmelleGamble

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7123746.Emelle_Gamble

Emelle Gamble BOOKS:

DATING CARY GRANT book of the month at Long & Short Reviews. eBook exclusively at Amazon.com http://amzn.to/1iiE8Y0

SECRET SISTER… RONE Award Honorable Mention for BEST CONTEMPORARY NOVEL of 2013 available in audio, paperback and eBook at Amazon http://amzn.to/17J2Bn6

DUETS, a prequel novella to MOLLY HARPER, now available at Amazon http://amzn.to/1cagyNa

MOLLY HARPER, available in paperback and eBook at Amazon http://amzn.to/MOJUXa

MOLLY HARPER and DUETS now available in one Paperback volume! http://amzn.to/1hW6YSj

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Sunday, September 28, 2014

Love on the Lido Deck: A Nautical Romantic Comedy by Barbara Oliverio

Kinky Vanilla Romance is pleased to share Love on the Lido Deck: A Nautical Romantic Comedy by Barbara Oliverio, a contemporary available now from Scolapasta Press, LTD. This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions.


http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2014/06/virtual-nbtm-book-tour-love-on-lido.html


Barbara will be awarding a $25 Amazon GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour, and a $25 Amazon GC to a randomly drawn host. Click on the banner to see additional tour stops. Remember, the more stops you visit, the more chances you earn to win.


Love on the Lido Deck
A Nautical Romantic Comedy

 by Barbara Olliverio


BLURB


Sharp-witted, always-organized Keira Graham has traded in her high tech career as a systems analyst for the whirlwind world of event planning. As she builds up her fledging business, she learns that her widowed mother has news of her own – she has a serious gentleman caller! Is Keira ready for mom’s new romance?

When she gets a game-changing opportunity to organize a major event on a luxury Caribbean cruise, Keira turns to best pal chef Alexandria D'Agostino to help recruit famous chefs who will offer classes for foodies looking for fun in the sun as they gain cooking know-how. The cruise becomes a rollicking adventure for Keira, her sassy assistant Juliet, the entire D'Agostino clan, Keira's mother and other surprise guests. And has Keira meet her match in charismatic Cruise Director Brennan McAllister, who could have something more than keeping everything shipshape on his mind?


EXCERPT


“Honestly. Canasta?” Alex smiled lovingly as she watched her two men go toward the door and heard Marco’s gleeful laughter as Cam dipped him from side to side as they weaved through the regular clients, who laughed along with him.

I looked after him wistfully as well. I wanted to tell them both that it wasn’t my fault I couldn’t find as great a guy as Cam. Maybe they only make one in a generation. It’s not like I was jealous of Alex. No one was closer to me than she was, and when she found her soul mate, I couldn’t have been happier. It’s just that I had not been able to find anyone to connect with. Shoot, even my mother had found someone now.

My thoughts screeched to a halt.

“What up, Keira? I know that look,” said Alex as she swiveled her barstool back toward me.

“Drat, drat, drat, Ali.” I pounded my head on the bar.

“Stop it, Keir,” she said. “We can’t afford to rebuild this bar just because you’re having a bad day.”

My head shot up.

“First of all, the bar is six-inch-thick oak, and my head could not possibly do damage because the physics of the situation—”

“There.” She grinned. “I knew I could count on your penchant for correct information to pull you back.”

My eyes slightly welled up.

“Hey, come on.” She put her arms around me. “It can’t be that bad that your mom found a nice man to get serious with. Your dad has been dead a long time, sweetie.”

I took a gulp of my tea.

“It’s not just that she has a serious boyfriend, Ali. It’s who he is.”


AUTHOR BIO

Readers' Favorite Award™ Winner Barbara Oliverio is the daughter of Italian immigrants and grew up in North Central West Virginia with a love of reading and a passion for learning. Following a career path that included being a teacher, journalist, and marketer, she has lived as far away from home as Italy where she practiced her family's native tongue as well as took advantage of living near to other European countries to travel extensively. A rabid Pittsburgh Steeler fan, she lives with her husband, an equally committed New York Giants fan, in suburban Denver where off-football-season dinner conversation is calmer and is usually accompanied by a meal she cooks from one of her mother's treasured recipes. Other interests include New York Times crossword puzzles, good movies, and travel. She volunteers extensively for her parish and writes for its publications. She also teaches part-time for the St. Catherine of Siena Institute.

Author Links

Website: www.barbaraoliverio.com
GIVEAWAY

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Saturday, September 27, 2014

Claimed by Light by Reese Monroe: Blog Blitz and Giveaway

Kinky Vanilla Romance is pleased to share Claimed by Light by Reese Monroe, book three in the Bound by Hades series.   
   
Claimed by Light
~~~
Book Title: Claimed by Light
Series: Bound by Hades (#3)
Author Name: Reese Monroe
Publisher: Entangled Embrace
Genre: New Adult Paranormal Romance
Release Date: September 15th, 2014
 


Blurb

Forgiveness softens even the hardest of hearts…
 


College senior Slade Bennet is so close to his degree he can taste it…until his sister becomes tangled with a coven of demons and he must trade his soul to save her. But first he must kill the assigned target: a sexually charged beauty who ignites his protective instinct.

After the devastating loss of her Companion, the last thing Halena Girard can stomach is the emotional connection to a Mate. She lives for only two things: vanquishing demons, and seeking Artifacts rumored to lead to Lucifer’s downfall. That is, until she’s attacked by a…frat boy? Worse, a newly-demonic frat boy wearing the mark of her Mate.

Halena would rather kill Slade than give him her heart. Unfortunately, the only way Slade can find his sister and Halena the Artifacts is to work together. As they face the darkest of evil, Slade’s ability to crush Halena’s carefully erected walls might prove to be the most lethal battle of all.



Author Bio

Originally from Minnesota, Reese Monroe currently enjoys living in the sunny Arizona desert with her husband of seventeen years and her loveable Shetland Sheep dog, Maddux. Monroe holds a degree in psychology from Southwest Minnesota State University and a master's degree from the University of Iowa. When she’s not busy writing her next trilogy, she can be found pounding the pavement, training for her next endurance event.

Connect with Reese on Twitter (@Rush_Monroe), through Facebook (Facebook.com/LynnRushWrites) or her website ReeseMonroe.net.


Book #1 in trilogy: Forged by Fate

Book #2 in trilogy: Marked by Hades


 
Giveaway

Runs through 9.29.14
Prize is Kindle eReader
 

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Friday, September 26, 2014

Cover Reveal and Giveaway: Fix Up & Change Up by Stephanie Witter

Kinky Vanilla Romance is pleased to share Fix Up and Change Up by Stephanie Witter as part of a cover reveal promo with Xpresso Book Tours. The covers were designed by Cover It! Designs.




Fix Up

Series: Patch Up (#2)
Publication Date: Fall, 2014
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance


Synopsis

Saying “I love you'' doesn’t erase the old scars and fears. 

"I love you to insanity. I'm not even sure if it's a good thing.'' — Duke

Skye is trying to overcome what happened with Sean. Now that she’s slowly healing, both physically and mentally, she’s determined to do something she should have done sooner. 

She’s meeting twice a week with a new, very young therapist, Dr. Marshall. 

There, she’s able to talk freely, unwind, and question things. Most of the sessions she talks about herself and her hangups, along with her relationship with Duke, which is still on rocky ground. 

"I want to taste his sweat. I want to hear his groans. I want to feel him inside of me.'' — Skye

But while Skye is slowly getting back on her feet, Duke feels like he's drowning. He’s afraid of pushing her too much, of initiating intimacy, and it’s weighing between them. Moreover, knowing that he's not the one she’s talking to anymore is making him feel things he never thought possible. 

"It’s a matter of when I’ll stop fighting." — Duke

As days pass, Duke is showing over and over how vulnerable he truly is and how Skye has more power over him than she ever imagined.

When Skye sees how they keep hurting each other, she’s determined to do everything in her power to make things right, no matter what the cost. But one thing is still sure; she can count on Duke whenever she needs him, even if they disagree and fight. When Duke loves, he loves with everything he’s made of, the good and the bad. 
 
"Loving her is confusing, making me afraid of myself and what I can do ... because I can break us both." — Duke


Change Up

Series: Patch Up (#3)
Publication Date: Fall, 2014
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance

 
Synopsis
 
In Patch Up and Fix Up you had Skye and Duke’s story. Now, it’s time for Derek and Kate to find their path.

He fights for the people he loves.

She fights against love. 

Kate Andrews is starting her second year of college in Seattle. She is happy to leave Chicago and her dysfunctional family behind to be with her friends again. Growing up she thought that her parents' loveless marriage was all her father’s fault, but that summer she discovered that things are so much more complicated in life and love. 

Her mother is bipolar. That doesn’t mean her father isn’t unfaithful, nor does he support her and her choices. Additionally, he isn't a great father or husband, but it brings a new perspective in her life; the way she envisions love. 

Derek Williams graduated college a few months ago, and while he moved back in again with his single mother and teenage brother, he never thought that he would be struggling with two crappy jobs. He is not succeeding in either of his jobs or in his countless plans for the future. 

Instead, he’s trying to bring back his brother and set him on a straight path, while trying to avoid the wrong crowd hounding him, thanks to his brother. Together with fighting his mother on her lack of support in their family, this all has caused chaos.

“Yes, my life is a fucking mess. I have nothing for that girl who deserves everything, and yet I still can’t just sit on my ass and wait for the next asshole to pursue her.‘' — DEREK

Both of them are very different. Their upbringing is opposite; their vision of love and life contrast, and yet …

“I want to open up to it, open up to the possibility of heartbreak even if I’m scared to death. I’m ready to change up.'' — KATE

They’re both still hung up on each other. 

They can’t forget that one night they shared months ago, can’t ignore their attraction and quickly maturing love. They match in every way that matters, but time and time again their respective families are getting in the way. 

"He’s the commitment kind while I’m anti-commitment." — KATE

Are they willing to fight for each other? Is Kate ready to risk her comfort and everything else for love? Is Derek prepared to chose which battles are worth fighting for?

 “It’s never been friendship, and it’ll never be.’’ — DEREK


Goodreads (Fix Up): https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18633407-fix-up
Goodreads (Change Up): https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18633426-change-up


Author Bio

Stephanie Witter is a French dreamer. She started learning English at three, and fell in love with the language. Always with a book, or two close by, she started reading in English when she couldn't wait any longer for Harry Potter to be translated in French. After a while, reading wasn't enough. She started writing Young Adult and New Adult Contemporary novels and PATCH UP is her first New Adult Contemporary novel.

Author Links

 
Giveaway

The author is hosting a giveaway to celebrate the reveal!

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Thursday, September 25, 2014

Garret and Choosing You by Allie Everhart: Book Blitz and Giveaway

Kinky Vanilla Romance is pleased to share Garret and Choosing You by Allie Everhart as part of a book blitz with Xpresso Book Tours.



GARRET

Garret by Allie Everhart 
Publication Date: September 19, 2014
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance

Synopsis
 
This full-length novel is Garret’s point of view from CHOOSING YOU (The Jade Series #1).

My life is nothing but rules. Rules for how I act. How I dress. Who I date. Who my friends are. I hate the rules and yet I keep following them. Until I met Jade. Being with her is forbidden. She’s not one of us. She’s not allowed in my world. But I don’t care. She’s different and I like her and I want her. And the fact that she wants nothing to do with me makes me want her even more.

But my father won’t allow it. Neither will the people around me. Being with Jade means making deals, blackmail, bribes–whatever it takes to keep my relationship with her a secret.

Jade has no idea what my life is like. She doesn’t know the rules. She doesn’t know about my family and what they’re involved in. And although I can’t tell her all my secrets, there’s one rule she must know: Never ask questions. It’s a rule that I live by. Because in my world, knowing the answers can get you killed.
 

CHOOSING YOU

Choosing You by Allie Everhart
The Jade Series (#1)
Publication Date: September 23, 2013
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance

Synopsis
 
When Jade is given a scholarship to an elite private college in Connecticut, she sees it as a chance to finally escape her painful past and get a fresh start. She’s determined to succeed and that means keeping her focus on school and not guys. But that plan falls apart her first day on campus when Garret, a wealthy prep school boy with swimmer abs and a perfect smile, offers to help her move in.

Jade tries to push him away but she can’t deny her attraction to him and Garret won’t let her. Things quickly heat up between them, but then come to a sudden halt when reality hits and Jade realizes that a relationship with Garret may never be possible. He comes from a world of wealth where there are rules, including rules about who he can date. And not following those rules has consequences.

As the two of them try to overcome the obstacles working to keep them apart, Jade is confronted with another challenge. On her 19th birthday, she receives a letter that her now deceased mother wrote years ago. In it are revelations that explain her traumatic childhood but also make her question the past she’s been running from. 
 
 
Author Bio
 
Allie Everhart writes books about dating, love, and romance. She’s also a freelance health writer for magazines and websites. She loves to read as much as she loves to write. And when she’s not reading or writing, she’s outside running, which is when she gets her best book ideas.

Author Links
Giveaway

-- Blitz-wide giveaway
-- $10 Amazon gift card (INTL)
-- Ends Sept 30th

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Garret Excerpt

“So you obviously have a thing for this girl,” Decker says.

I shake my head. “No, I just met her. I don’t know anything about her.”

“Yeah, but you want to. You want her for yourself. Otherwise you wouldn’t have yelled at me just now.”

Is it that obvious? I’m usually better at hiding this stuff.

“It’s not that. I just think you should leave her alone, Dek. She just got here and she needs time to adjust. She’s from Iowa, so this is a big change for her. I bet she’s never even been to Connecticut before today.”

He nudges me, smiling. “And you want to be the one to show her around, right?”

“Don’t be an ass. I was just being nice to her. That’s it.”

“If she’s from Iowa, what the hell is she doing going to Moorhurst?”

I hesitate, not sure if I want to tell him. But he figures it out.

“Wait. Is she the scholarship winner?”

I nod, then drink my beer.

“Did you tell her who you are?”

“Not yet.”

I glance at the door and see two hot blondes walking in. Long legs. Short skirts. Big breasts. I keep my eyes on them but that image of Jade remains in my head and the hot blondes aren’t looking so hot.

“Why didn’t you tell her?”

“Because she doesn’t need to know. She’d feel uncomfortable around me if she knew my dad was paying for her school.”

“Do you plan on seeing her again?”

“Yeah, we’re going out tomorrow. I’m taking her to the party.”

The hot blondes spot me from across the room and smile. I don’t smile back but they still start walking toward me.

“You have to tell her who you are, Garret. She’ll be pissed if she finds out later.”

“Yeah, well, I’m not ready to tell her. And besides, what difference does it make? I’m not the one paying for her school. My dad is. It has nothing to do with me.”

“You need to tell her, especially if you want to be friends with her. Or more than friends. Actually, you can’t be more than friends. You can’t date the scholarship winner.”

“Why the hell not?”

“Because your dad would kill you. And Katherine would kill you.”

“I don’t give a shit about Katherine. And my dad doesn’t need to know. I’m in college now. He needs to stay out of my business.”

Decker sighs. “Do not do this, Garret. You get in enough trouble with your dad. Just leave the girl alone.”

Speaking of girls, the hot blondes are now approaching me. They almost look like twins. I’ve never been with twins before.

“Hey.” The one girl steps in front of me. I’m still standing next to the keg and she reaches behind me to get a cup. Correction. She uses the cup as an excuse to grope me. Instead of going around me, she leans in and presses her entire body against mine. Her arm goes behind me as she slowly takes a cup from the stack.

“Excuse me.” She smiles at me, our bodies still pressed together. “I just needed a cup.”

My one hand is at my side, the other is holding my beer. Normally, I’d grab the girl’s ass and pull her aside and see if I want to take this somewhere. And given the way her twin is eyeing me, I’m seeing a threesome in my future. Never had one of those.

“I’m Kristy,” the girl fondling me says. She had her hand on my ass but now it’s snaking down my chest, heading for my belt. “And that’s Misty.” She nods back to the other blonde.

Kristy and Misty? Seriously? I feel like I just walked on the set of a porn film.

“Are you two twins?” Decker asks. His eyes are huge, his voice eager. He’s such a nerd sometimes. This is why he doesn’t get girls. He doesn’t know how to play it cool.

“Yeah, we’re twins,” Misty says, meeting up with her sister. Now they’ve both got their hands on my chest and I have nowhere to go. The table is behind me and I can’t move. I’m trapped with two hot blondes attached to me. Should be every guy’s dream.

But I’m not interested. Not tonight. I know that’s completely crazy. Any other guy would jump at this opportunity. Grab an open bedroom and go for it.

That’s exactly what Decker’s thinking. He’s got his jealous smile going and he says, “Garret, I’ll see you later.”

He’s being a friend, doing what he’s supposed to do. Getting out of the way so I can take part in whatever these girls have planned for me. But I’m just not feeling it.

“Dek, wait.” I peel the girls off me and walk past them toward Decker.

“Hey,” Kristy says. “Where are you going?”

“I have a girlfriend,” I say, glancing back at her.

I hear her huff, then say to her twin, “Since when does that matter?”

I don’t know why I said that. I don’t have a girlfriend. And I just turned down a threesome. What the hell is wrong with me?

I picture those jewel-toned eyes. That beautiful face. That sweet smile. That’s what’s wrong with me. I can’t stop thinking of Jade.

Wednesday, September 24, 2014

Cover Reveal and Giveaway: HYPERCARS CRUSADER by Jordana Mia Lezamy

Kinky Vanilla Romance is pleased to share Hypercars Crusader by Jordana Mia Lezamy as part of a cover reveal promo with Between the Sheets Promotions.

HC cover
 
Title: Hypercars Crusader (Griffin League #1)
Author: Jordana Mia Lezamy
Genre: Romance/ Erotica/New Adult
Release Date: November 4, 2014
Cover Design: Cover Me Darling
 
goodreads
 
Synopsis
 
HYPERCARS MEET A LOVE STORY
 
"NOTHING IN LIFE IS A COINCIDENCE" It was the day of a special occasion in my life, when my entire future was rewritten and set on a new course Or was this always part of destiny that I believed you cannot run from? My Destiny. Now Ours. Together. Exclusively. As I watched him at the show I never planned on attending – I was certain of one thing about his velocity: ONLY GOD is capable of catching him. The moment we met, there was no looking back on a past life down a darkened and lonely road any longer. Before him I had never dated anyone. Before him I lead a normal good-girl life. With him my plus size curves and unique facial features are loved and adored beyond a passionate and lustful extent Beside him I became queen to the messiah of a hypercars racing universe I defied heaven for As fate would have it, regrets collected like old friends ready to relive both our darkest moments It’s always darkest before the dawn, but to see the sunrise at the end of the finish line, there are SEVEN words of a pledge barricading the way: Oath Griffin Blood Hypersonic Racers Breakneck League Cauterized words onto his soul that will decide if he is either a villain or a savior The ultimate sacrifice must be made by him alone Which will he choose? Which will he let go of? Which means more? This is our journey This is where our saga with fast cars begin.

Contemporary, Erotica, New Adult, Romance : Due to strong language and sexual content, this book is not intended for readers under the age of 18.

HC teaser
 
About The Author
 
Jordana
 
27 years old. Birthday November 12th.
 
I have an obsession with REALLY fast cars, car magazines and car shows too.
 
I am an event co-ordinator part time and love to bake.
 
I mostly read “dark-themed” or extreme Dominant and Alpha Male novels.
 
Hypercars Crusader is not dark. My characters love each other waaaaaaay too much for that.
 
I am in love with Henry Cavill, 90’s or old-school music and I have an addiction to Italian Ice-Cream.
 
My family and friends are always laughing are always telling me I’m funny and louder than the average human.
 
Biggest passion in life is that I LOVE to laugh.
 
My body shape is curvy in all the right places and that is why my leading lady is plus-size too.
 
 
 
Giveaway
 
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love 2

Cover Reveal and Giveaway: The Light of Day by Kristen Kehoe





Today I am excited to announce and share the cover of The Light of Day by Kristen Kehoe. Isn't it lovely? The Light of Day is a New Adult contemporary. This is an installment in the Beyond the Horizon series, not a sequel and does not need to be read after Beyond the Horizon. Release date is October 2014. 

 The first two chapters can be read at www.kristenkehoe.com.
 
Add it to your shelf! 
 


About the Author:
Mom, Wife, Coffee Addict, and Book Lover
I am a writer of YA/NA contemporary novels.  I write about those crazy ages of 18-23 because there is nothing scarier than being told to grow up and decide what to do with your life and who to be so suddenly.  I write about love because it’s my belief that love, in one form or another, saves us all at some point in our lives.  I am married to a man who understands and believes in me, and mother to a beautiful baby girl and a neurotic Great Dane Puppy.
 
Website | Facebook | Twitter

 

 

Giveaway:  

$25 Amazon Gift Card (INT)

a Rafflecopter giveaway
 

Tuesday, September 23, 2014

The Incubus Saga by Amanda Meuwissen: Incubus Book Review, Author Interview, and Giveaway


Kinky Vanilla Romance is pleased to share The Incubus SagaIncubus and Changeling by Amanda Meuwissen, a Paranormal Erotic (M/M) Romance series available now from BigWorldNetwork.com.


http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2014/06/virtual-nbtm-book-tour-incubus-saga-by.html


This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Amanda will be awarding a digital copy of both Incubus and Changeling to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter during the tour. Remember, the more stops you visit, the more chances you earn to win.


The Incubus Saga by Amanda Meuwissen

 
INCUBUS: Nathan only ever wanted a normal life, but for him, life, family, and love are anything but normal.

On the other side of the Veil, dark and light fae exist outside the knowledge of most humans. Nathan Grier was born human, but his twin brother Jim is a changeling. On the run since they were children, time for both of them is running out. Turning to fae hunter Sasha Kelly for help, Nathan must soon face his growing feelings for the other man while trying to save himself and his brother from a fate worse than death.

CHANGELING: Nathan Grier’s dark fae bounty looms overhead. As he faces the very real threat of becoming a slave to the bounty’s owner, his brother Jim uses his changeling abilities more and more trying to save him. Every changeling throughout history turns evil once their powers manifest, meaning time may be running out for both of them as Jim nears True Awakening.

Fae hunter and incubus, Sasha Kelly, is prophesized to save Nathan, but while Nathan has embraced his feelings for the other man, he fears their time together will be cut short—either from his impending fate…or Jim’s.




EXCERPT

Incubus


“Nathan, I couldn’t make you like me if you didn’t already even if I doused you in pheromones. It doesn’t work that way. This is just us. Just you and me. For all intents and purposes, right now I’m practically human.”

“Ha,” Nathan laughed. “Right.”

“No tricks,” Sasha said, moving in that much closer so he was practically speaking against Nathan’s lips. “Just…”

Nathan didn’t realize his eyes were shut until Sasha's lips were on him. Half of him thought he had to be dreaming and that when he opened his eyes he would be alone. His senses told him differently.

Sasha’s lips were as soft as Nathan’s were chapped, and pliant, and giving. They enveloped Nathan like no lips ever had. A flicker of what Nathan had felt when Sasha shared the feeding experience with him stirred in Nathan's stomach, like an echo, and he found himself leaning in. Sasha was so warm. Even without his jacket, he radiated heat and that glorious smell of leather.

That's when it finally struck Nathan. Fae didn't have a scent—not any that Nathan had ever met before—but Sasha did. And it was intoxicating.

Sasha’s lips were moving against his, and Nathan was moving his too, and their mouths were open just enough that the smallest tilt of Sasha’s head pushed the kiss deep enough to touch tongues. Nathan shivered, and shivered again when he felt Sasha’s hand at the curve of his face and neck—gentle, guiding.

The kiss was lasting too long already. Nathan had to think quickly. He readied himself as much as he could and pulled away, smiling. “See,” he said, and his voice didn’t waver in the slightest. “Nothing. Sorry, man.”


MY RAMBLES

Changelings. Dark fae. Light fae.  It was all news to me. This was my first time dipping my toes in the pool of M/M paranormal erotic romance. I was introduced to Nathan and Jim Grier in Incubus. In one of the most unique plot twists I've read recently, Nathan is born human and his twin brother Jim is a changeling.

Jim's changeling status forces them to live life on the run. These brothers stick together no matter what. As Jim comes into his own as a changeling, danger seems to lurk around every corner. Their brotherly bond reminded me a little of brothers Dean and Sam Winchester from the television show Supernatural. When Nathan feels like his protection is no longer enough, he seeks help from fae hunter Sasha Kelly. Sparks of attraction unexpectedly heat things up between Nathan and Sasha - further complicating things in ways that Nathan struggles to handle.

What I enjoyed most about Incubus was the world-building. It is a complex set-up, but laid out in way that was easy for me to follow. [sighs in appreciation] Jim, Nathan, and Sasha each have their own unique issues and approaches to handling them. The secondary characters are well-written and engaging. The story is full of suspense, romance, and adventure so I think that it has appeal across genres. I highly recommend listening to the audiobook episodes on the Big Network website.

I couldn't wait to dive into The Incubus Saga #2, Changeling. Drop by tomorrow and check out my review of the book.

NOTE: I received a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.


AUTHOR INTERVIEW


How much of a story did you have in mind before you started writing Incubus?

When I initially started writing Incubus in 2007, very little, just the idea of a short novella at most with an incubus love story. As I wrote more, the story progressed into something much bigger. When I went back starting in 2011 to transform the original version of the story into something I was really proud to make into a novel series, I had all of the groundwork ready for me, but have definitely cut and changed a lot.


What was your favorite chapter (or part) of Changeling to write and why?

The cave scenes near the end. I have a particular love for ‘good guy goes evil’ moments, and Nathan having to face his brother and lover as evil versions of themselves was a real treat to write.


What about your characters surprised you while writing The Incubus Saga?

A character that is introduced who was always planned to be killed off, actually revealed to me that he has to be killed off sooner in book 3 than originally intended, which surprised me at first, and then made me go…no, this makes sense, I always felt something was off there. I love when characters do that. 

You are a narrator for several BigWorldNetwork.com series, including Incubus. How has that experience influenced your writing?

More than I thought it would. I have experience as an on-air radio personality, theater background, etc., but it was still very weird at first reading my own and others’ work out loud, especially when it gets to steamier bits. Now, it’s old hat. I narrate for The Vlishgnath Chronicles and other related works by Daniel Mitchell, which is a very male-heavy cast, like my own work, and it’s always fun to figure out how different characters should sound. But where narrating influences my writing is when I’m recording something and I realize it sounds off when read out loud, so I’ve made several last minute edits while doing audio.


How did you celebrate the sale of your first book?

Ever? That would have been The Collector at a small Minnesota convention aptly named MiniCon, which we frequent every year. The buyer was another vendor, but she was a dear. I got a photo with her, and got to hear what she thought of the book at the con the following year, when she then purchased Incubus. We went out to dinner that night with others representing BWN, including CEO Jim McGovern, Creative Director Mario Hernandez, fellow author, editor, and narrator Meagan Hedin, and my husband.


What’s your biggest challenge as a writer? How did you overcome it, or how are you working to overcome it?

Killing my babies/darlings, especially with The Incubus Saga, since it was something I initially wrote years ago that was much longer than the final product. It has required SO much editing and paring down, and yet I know I could do even better to improve the pacing. I look forward to my first book after The Incubus Saga, so I can put into practice keeping things more minimalistic with plot and progress, which working on editing Incubus has really pushed me toward.


Do you have an ideal reader in mind when you write? If so, please describe that reader.

Myself. :-) I love reading my own work, and sometimes go on binges where I go back and read all my old fanfiction. I wrote those stories, and continue to write original work now, because I felt something was missing in what I wanted to read from others, so my goal is always to please myself. When I come across readers who get excited about the same things for the same reasons, and somehow seem to love my work as much as me…that’s the best feeling in the world.


What is on your “keeper shelf” of books?

Everything published by BWN, but then I’m bias. :-) Otherwise, The Dark is Rising series, the Night Watch series, Anne Rice’s original 5 books in the Vampire Chronicles, Fight Club and Invisible Monsters, The Rainbow Trilogy, and Good Omens.


What is something people would be surprised to know about you?

While I did create my own major at college centered around creative writing, I was also and am first and foremost an Asian Studies major, which is how I met my husband. I speak Japanese (though no longer fluently or as well as my husband) and have studied in both China and Japan.


What project are you working on now?

Finishing the last arc of the final book in The Incubus Saga: Sidhe. Hard to believe it’s so close to being complete. After that I’m excited to work on my YA GLBT vampire novel, tentatively titled right now Life as a Teenage Vampire.



ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Amanda Meuwissen is the author of The Incubus Saga and the novelette The Collector. She has a Bachelor of Arts in a personally designed major from St. Olaf College in Creative Writing, and has been writing and posting online for many years, including maintaining the blog for the customer engagement company Outsell. She spent a summer writing screenplay script coverages for a company in L.A., and is an avid writer and consumer of fiction through film, prose, and video games.

Amanda also serves as COO and Managing Editor for BigWorldNetwork.com. She oversees editing and series selection, as well as being involved in marketing and promotion, and is featured as a narrator for several BWN series.

Amanda lives in Minneapolis, MN, with her husband, John, and their cats, Helga and Sasha (no connection to the incubus of the same name).

Website: https://bigworldnetwork.com/site/series/incubus

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6831429.Amanda_Meuwissen

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheIncubusSaga

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MissSuperCube


Buy Links for Incubus:

https://bigworldnetwork.com/site/store/incubus/

http://www.amazon.com/Incubus-The-Saga-Volume/dp/0615828604


Buy Links for Changeling:

https://bigworldnetwork.com/site/store/changeling/

http://www.amazon.com/Changeling-Incubus-Saga-Book-2-ebook/dp/B00KUIT7CE


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