Friday, May 31, 2013

Tasty Book Tours Presents: CITY OF THE FALLEN by Diana Bocco COVER REVEAL




Five years ago, vampires came out of hiding and took over the world. It was meant to be a quick enslavement but it turned into a bloody battle that brought humanity to the brink of extinction.

Isabelle Bryant is one of the “lucky” survivors, now living in hiding, scavenging for food through deserted towns.

And she’s tired of it.

So she’s devised a plan: find the king of the vampires and drive a stake through his heart.

Except that wickedly sensual king Marcus is nothing like the monster she expected. And while landing on his bed was part of the plan all along, discovering that he might hold the key to humanity’s survival certainly wasn’t. The catch? Saving humanity also means ensuring vampire survival. It means giving up hope for a return to a human-ruled world.

As sparks fly and hate becomes heat, Isabelle must pick a side -- before the darkness devours them all.


TVBT: GEODUCKS ARE FOR LOVERS: Guest Post with Daisy Prescott, Review and Enter to win a KINDLE E-READER


Giveaway
Daisy is hosting a Tour Wide Giveaway of
A KINDLE E-READER ($69.00 Value)
Enter Below
 
 
A Tasty Read is THRILLED to have Daisy Prescott as a Guest Today, where she is talking about the AGE-old question.....


Forty is the New Twenty... or is it better?

 

            “The last time I felt totally in control of my life, and also the first time I felt like I was a real adult, was at twenty-seven.” Maggie muses. “I had a husband, a career, a NYC life. Recent grads were young and silly. Anyone over thirty was stuck. Forty was ancient. Little did I realize how fleeting the feeling would be. How fleeting that life would be.”

            “Would you go back?” Selah asks.

            “Me?” Maggie confirms. Taking a minute to think about it, she shakes her head. “No, I don’t think I would. Would any of you?”

 ~ Geoducks Are for Lovers

 

            The media loves to tell us that forty is the new twenty as if everyone on the far side of their twenties is desperate to do the impossible and return to being a twenty-something.

 
            Not me. Maybe in theory, but the reality of being a twenty-something wasn't all that fun.

 
            My novel, Geoducks Are for Lovers, focuses on a group of forty-something friends who get together for a summer weekend at the beach. As with any group of old friends, they spend some of the weekend reminiscing about their younger selves as well as catching up on their lives today. There's a lot of talk about the fun of twenty and the realities of being forty. When you're twenty, forty sounds like old age. When you are forty, twenty seems like another lifetime. Or yesterday. Sometimes both.

 
            In a positive light, if forty is the new twenty, that just means there are lots of adventures still to experience.  You don't have to go quietly into the night of “middle age” and mom jeans.

 
            Forty is freedom

In your twenties, there's a freedom with being out on your own, being in charge of your life, and your direction. But there is also the feeling that every decision will be set in stone. At forty you know yourself better and learn that life is fluid and ever-changing. You know what you won't put up with in jobs and relationships, what matters more than getting into the new, cool club or having the latest “it” bag/shoe/makeup/jeans, and what you makes you happy. You can still eat cookie dough for dinner or an entire box of pizza rolls dipped in blue cheese dressing (guilty), but you know the difference between indulging and doing the better thing for yourself.

 
            Forty is forgiveness

Our inner voices of “you can't do that” get quieter in our forties. Or maybe we just don't listen to them as much as we do in our twenties. My friends and I are more comfortable owning our lives/mistakes/triumphs/waistlines in our forties than in our twenties. The twists and turns, opportunities taken and missed, relationships made and broken in the journey from twenty to forty have made us who we are. And we're pretty amazing, if we say so ourselves.

 
            Forty is fun

Or it can be. Make yourself a priority like you did in your twenties. Spend time with friends who make you laugh until you pee. Find something to be passionate about like you were in your twenties or teen years. Be a fangirl of something. Be ridiculous. Don't care with others think and have fun!

           
Meet Daisy
 
 

Before writing full time, Daisy Prescott worked in the world of art, auctions, antiques, and home decor. She earned her degree in Art History and endured a brief stint as a film theory graduate student. Baker, art educator, antiques dealer, blue ribbon pie maker, blogger, content wrangler, freelance writer, fangirl, gardener, wife, and pet mom are a few of the other titles she’s acquired over the years.
Born and raised in San Diego, Daisy and her husband (aka SO) currently live in a real life Stars Hollow in the Boston suburbs with their dog, Hubbell, and an imaginary house goat. Geoducks Are for Lovers is her debut novel. She is busy researching her second novel.
daisyprescott.com
@daisy_prescott (Twitter)
 
~~~~~
 

Food writer Maggie Marrion is just getting back on her feet after a horrible year, or two, or three. With their twentieth reunion approaching, she invites four of her closest friends from college for a weekend at her beach cabin. What she doesn’t expect is her best friends, artist Quinn Dayton and part-time erotica novelist, Selah Elmore, to play matchmaker. The two plot a surprise that will make the weekend, and her life, a lot more interesting.
Gil Morrow, former grunge musician turned history professor, joins them as Selah’s date for the weekend. After coming face to face with the one who got away, he decides he's waited long enough to get the girl. With the support of old friends, a few wishing rocks, the world’s largest burrowing clam, and a hot lumberjack thrown into the mix, Gil reminds Maggie that forty-something isn’t too old for second chances.
Can we learn to love the life we have and let go of who we expected to be? What happens when the generation from The Breakfast Club and Reality Bites meets The Big Chill? Come spend a weekend with these Generation X-ers as they share laughter, tears, life’s ups and downs, old stories, and new beginnings.

 

Everything happens for a reason…

 
After Maggie loses her mother to a long illness, she retreats to her mother’s Pacific Northwest island home.  She becomes nestled in the island lifestyle.  Being content in living as a local girl, she is free to do her work on-line as a food blogger, she rarely has a need to leave the island. 
 
With an upcoming college reunion, she invites her college gang over for a long summer weekend.  The gang is fun loving and complete with the power couple, Ben and Joe, Quinn the flamboyant gay artist and his new husband and Selah the single girl and bestselling erotica author.  When Selah asks to bring a friend, Maggie expects it to be one of her boy toys.  She does not expect it to be Gil, her first love.  Will Maggie be able to leave her safe and secure world and take a second chance at love nearly two decades later?
 
This is wonderful story about friendships and first loves and taking chances.  I enjoyed this story and was sad when it was over, feeling like I had left my friends back at the beach.

 
Looking around at everyone, she realizes, they’ve known each other more than half their lives. Decades. Their friendships now measured in blocks of years instead of weeks, months of even days.  The fact they are drinking cans of ‘Oly’ might be adding to the nostalgia. 

 
Maggie and Gil are the heart of the story.  The undying love and friendship they have is a wonderful tale that is woven through the nostalgia and present day.  Sparks fly and rekindle after all the years.


“Oh, Maggie, what do you do to me?  I feel like I’m twenty and you have really snuck me into your room.” She giggles.  It’s kind of funny that we’re sneaking around twenty-two years later.”


 
But, Maggie struggles with letting go of her comfortable island lifestyle.  She is bound to make the same mistakes again.
 
A great love story. It has beautiful settings, witty humor and a bit of sexual tension. A great debut!

Enjoy and Happy Reading!
 
~ Nikki
 


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Thursday, May 30, 2013

RaeAnne Thayne knows her Romance! - Review by Kelly W.

Willowleaf Lane
Hope's Crossing #5
RaeAnne Thayne
Releasing June 25th, 2013
384 Pages
Harlequin
Gifted by: Author
Reviewed by: Kelly Wilson
Amazon.com | B&N.com

I could not put this book down once I started reading!! I was hooked from page one. RaeAnne Thayne fans know how addicting her books can be!!


Candy shop owner Charlotte Caine knows temptation. To reboot her life, shed weight and gain perspective, she’s passing up sweet enticements left and right. But willpower doesn’t come so easily when hell-raiser Spencer Gregory comes back to Hope’s Crossing, bringing with him memoires of broken promises and teen angst. A retired pro baseball player on the mend from injury-and a damaging scandal- he’s interested in his own brand of reinvention.


Now everything about Spencer’s new-and-improved lifestyle, from his mission to build a rehab facility for injured veterans to his clear devotion to his preteen daughter, Peyton, touches Charlotte’s heart. Holding on to past hurt is her only protection against falling for him-again. But if she takes the risk, will she find in spencer a hometown heartbreaker, or the hero she’s always wanted?



Spencer once the towns favorite son who has fallen from grace, comes back to his hometown to start over with a daughter that wants nothing to do with him. Charlotte the best friend he left behind, but never really saw who she really was because all he looked at was her appearance. Now 80 lbs. lighter Charlotte wonders if Spencer is truly interested in her, or in making up for the past.

The chemistry between Spencer and Charlotte is captivating; it leaves you not wanting to put the book down to see what happens next. Then you add in Peyton, Spencer’s stubborn, secretive pre-teen daughter, who wants nothing more to move back to where they came from. And Charlottes brother Dylan, a disabled vet who wants nothing more than to become a hermit, while battling his own inner demons. And it leaves you wanting more!!!


The romance between Charlotte and Spence was heartbreaking and addicting. The suspense if Charlotte was going to forgive Spence for long ago transgressions kept me wanting more. I look forward to reading more about Charlotte’s brother Dylan.

RaeAnne Thayne definitely puts the Romance back in the Romance Genre!! I LOVED IT!!! I will definitely be picking up another Hope’s Crossing book soon.


Enjoy and Happy Reading!

~Kelly Wilson

Wednesday, May 29, 2013

A Brother's Honor by Brenda Jackson, Review by Kerrie S.

A Brother's Honor
Granger Series
Brenda Jackson
Released May 28th, 2013
Harlequin
Gifted by: Publisher
Reviewed by: Kerrie S.



The Granger brothers left behind their family’s Virginia estate—and the bad memories it holds—years ago. But their dying grandfather’s request brings them home: to a failing business, a legacy of secrets and a deathbed promise to make things right.

As the eldest brother, attorney Jace Granger is determined to take responsibility for Granger Aeronautics, his family’s failing business. But the years of mismanagement seem impossible to untangle. As CEO, he hires a consultant to turn the company around. Smart, sexy Shana Bradford is the right person for the job—and the right woman to turn Jace’s world upside down.

But the passion between them is jeopardized when old secrets begin to emerge. A woman from Jace’s past suddenly reappears. And an explosive discovery changes everything Jace thinks he knows about his mother—and his father, who was convicted of her murder.

Jace Granger tried to leave his family history behind once before. But this time he needs to face the past…or risk losing his future.

Three brothers. One legacy. A lifetime of secrets.



I'm always happy to read the first of a new series. This one has an interesting hook: the story line of the father's murder conviction. From the beginning, we understand that his entire family believes him to be innocent. Upon their father's incarceration, they were raised by a loving grandfather, CEO of Granger Aeronautics. At the book's opening, he collapses unexpectedly and the three brothers are summoned home from their respective, highly successful, lives. They all arrive in time to say good-bye, and to hear him charge them with saving the company.

Not until they take charge after the funeral do they realize how badly the company has done in the hands of people hired by their grandfather. So, in addition to the father's murder conviction, this book has intrigue of its own. A Crisis Management firm run by Shana Bradford is brought in to help find out what is going on. There are immediate sparks between Shana and Jace, but they must fight their attraction because they work together. Naturally, that resolution doesn't last long. There are some spicy scenes between the two of them; make sure the kids aren't reading over your shoulder! (Yes, I sometimes have this problem).

We also have Shana's father in a romance of his own, and the introduction of the story lines for each of the other brothers. I thought all of this was a bit of a distraction from the main plot; too many chapters from too many different points of view. I would have liked to see those hints only from the POVs of Shana and Jace; I think that would have helped. There were some problems in formatting of the e-book I received that were very distracting as well. Hopefully those will have been cleared up in the final version.

But overall, it was entertaining. I'm interested in the story behind their mother's murder, and am glad we'll see that develop over the course of the next two books.

Happy Reading

Kerrie S.

Tuesday, May 28, 2013

SHADOW OF NIGHT by Deborah Harkness Q&A and Giveaway


IT BEGAN WITH A DISCOVERY OF WITCHES.

Historian Diana Bishop, descended from a line of powerful witches, and long-lived vampire Matthew Clairmont have broken the laws dividing creatures. When Diana discovered a significant alchemical manuscript in the Bodleian Library,she sparked a struggle in which she became bound to Matthew. Now the fragile coexistence of witches, daemons, vampires and humans is dangerously threatened.

Seeking safety, Diana and Matthew travel back in time to London, 1590. But they soon realise that the past may not provide a haven. Reclaiming his former identity as poet and spy for Queen Elizabeth, the vampire falls back in with a group of radicals known as the School of Night. Many are unruly daemons, the creative minds of the age, including playwright Christopher Marlowe and mathematician Thomas Harriot.

Together Matthew and Diana scour Tudor London for the elusive manuscript Ashmole 782, and search for the witch who will teach Diana how to control her remarkable powers...






SHADOW OF NIGHT picks up exactly where A Discovery of Witches left off: Diana Bishop and Matthew Clairmont, a witch historian and vampire geneticist respectively, have timewalked to Elizabethan England on their hunt for a magical alchemical manuscript, Ashmole 782—its sudden appearance and sudden disappearance have upended the delicately ordered world of magical creatures (witches, vampires, and daemons), threatening to unleash unprecedented metaphysical chaos.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
A CONVERSATION WITH DEBORAH HARKNESS

 

Q: A Discovery of Witches debuted at # 2 on the New York Times bestseller list with publications following in 37 countries.  What has been your reaction to the outpouring of love for A Discovery of Witches? Was it surprising how taken fans were with Diana and Matthew’s story?

 

A. It has been amazing—and a bit overwhelming. I was surprised by how quickly readers embraced two central characters who challenge our typical notion of what a heroine or hero should be. And I continue to be amazed whenever a new reader pops up, whether one in the US or somewhere like Finland or Japan—to tell me how much they enjoyed being caught up in Diana’s world.

 

Q:  Last summer, Warner Brothers acquired screen rights to the trilogy, and David Auburn, the Pulitzer-Prize-winning writer of Proof, has been tapped to pen the screenplay. Are you looking forward to your novels being portrayed on the big screen?  What are your favorite casting ideas that you’ve heard from friends and readers?

 

A. I was thrilled when Warner Brothers wanted to translate the All Souls trilogy from book to screen. At first I was reluctant about the whole idea of a movie, and it actually took me nearly two years to agree to let someone try. The team at Warner Brothers impressed me with their seriousness about the project and their commitment to the characters and story I was trying to tell. Their decision to go with David Auburn confirmed that my faith in them was not misplaced. As for the casting, I deliberately don’t say anything about that! I would hate for any actor or actress to be cast in one of these roles and feel that they didn’t have my total support. I will say, however, that many of my readers’ ideas involve actors who have already played a vampire and I would be very surprised if one of them were asked to be Matthew!

 

Q: SHADOW OF NIGHT opens on a scene in 1590s Elizabethan England featuring the famous School of Night, a group of historical figures believed to be friends, including Sir Walter Raleigh and playwright Christopher Marlowe.  Why did you choose to feature these individuals, and can we expect Diana and Matthew to meet other famous figures from the past? 

 

A. I wrote my master’s thesis on the imagery surrounding Elizabeth I during the last two decades of her reign. One of my main sources was the poem The Shadow of Night by George Chapman—a member of this circle of fascinating men—and that work is dedicated to a mysterious poet named Matthew Roydon about whom we know very little. When I was first thinking about how vampires moved in the world (and this was way back in the autumn of 2008 when I was just beginning A Discovery of Witches) I remembered Roydon and thought “that is the kind of identity a vampire would have, surrounded by interesting people but not the center of the action.” From that moment on I knew the second part of Diana and Matthew’s story would take place among the School of Night. And from a character standpoint, Walter Raleigh, Christopher Marlowe, George Chapman, and the other men associated with the group are irresistible. They were such significant, colorful presences in Elizabethan England.

 

Q: In SHADOW OF NIGHT, we learn more about the alchemical bonds between Diana and Matthew.   In your day job, you are a professor of history and science at the University of Southern California and have focused on alchemy in your research.  What aspects of this intersection between science and magic do you hope readers will pick up on while reading SHADOW OF NIGHT?

 

A. Whereas A Discovery of Witches focused on the literature and symbolism of alchemy, in Shadow of Night I’m able to explore some of the hands-on aspects of this ancient tradition. There is still plenty of symbolism for Diana to think about, but in this volume we go from abstractions and ideals to real transformation and change—which was always my intention with the series. Just as we get to know more about how Elizabethan men and women undertook alchemical experiments, we also get to see Matthew and Diana’s relationship undergo the metamorphosis from new love to something more.

 

 

Q: SHADOW OF NIGHT spans the globe, with London, France, and Prague as some of the locales. Did you travel to these destinations for your research? 

 

A. I did. My historical research has been based in London for some time now, so I’ve spent long stretches of time living in the City of London—the oldest part of the metropolis—but I had never been to the Auvergne or Prague. I visited both places while writing the book, and in both cases it was a bit like traveling in time to walk village lanes, old pilgrim roads, and twisting city streets while imagining Diana and Matthew at my side.

 

Q: Did you have an idea or an outline for SHADOW OF NIGHT when you were writing A Discovery of Witches?  Did the direction change once you sat down to write it?

 

A. I didn’t outline either book in the traditional sense. In both cases I knew what some of the high points were and how the plot moved towards the conclusion, but there were some significant changes during the revision process. This was especially true for SHADOW OF NIGHT, although most of those changes involved moving specific pieces of the plot forward or back to improve the momentum and flow.

 

Q: A Discovery of Witches begins with Diana Bishop stumbling across a lost, enchanted manuscript called Ashmole 782 in Oxford’s Bodleian Library, whose secrets Diana and Matthew are still trying to uncover in SHADOW OF NIGHT. You had a similar experience while you were completing your dissertation.  What was the story behind your discovery?  And how did it inspire the creation of these novels?

 

A. I did discover a manuscript—not an enchanted one, alas—in the Bodleian Library. It was a manuscript owned by Queen Elizabeth’s astrologer, the mathematician and alchemist John Dee. In the 1570s and 1580s he became interested in using a crystal ball to talk to angels. The angels gave him all kinds of instructions on how to manage his life at home, his work—they even told him to pack up his family and belongings and go to far-away Poland and Prague. In the conversations, Dee asked the angels about a mysterious book in his library called “the Book of Soyga” or “Aldaraia.” No one had ever been able to find it, even though many of Dee’s other books survive in libraries throughout the world. In the summer of 1994 I was spending time in Oxford between finishing my doctorate and starting my first job. It was a wonderfully creative time, since I had no deadlines to worry about and my dissertation on Dee’s angel conversations was complete. As with most discoveries, this discovery of a “lost” manuscript was entirely accidental. I was looking for something else in the Bodleian’s catalogue and in the upper corner of the page was a reference to a book called “Aldaraia.” I knew it couldn’t be Dee’s book, but I called it up anyway. And it turned out it WAS the book (or at least a copy of it). With the help of the Bodleian’s Keeper of Rare Books, I located another copy in the British Library.

 

Q: Are there other lost books like this in the world?

 

A. Absolutely! Entire books have been written about famous lost volumes—including works by Plato, Aristotle, and Shakespeare to name just a few. Libraries are full of such treasures, some of them unrecognized and others simply misfiled or mislabeled. And we find lost books outside of libraries, too. In January 2006, a completely unknown manuscript belonging to one of the 17th century’s most prominent scientists, Robert Hooke, was discovered when someone was having the contents of their house valued for auction. The manuscript included minutes of early Royal Society meetings that we presumed were lost forever.

 

Q: Unlike Twilight’s Bella and Edward—hormonal teenagers who meet in the halls of a high school—your leading characters Matthew and Diana are established academics who meet in the library of one of the most prestigious academic institutions in the world.  This is a world where vampires and witches drink wine together, practice yoga and discuss philosophy.   Are these characters based on something you found missing in the fantasy genre?

 

A. There are a lot of adults reading young adult books, and for good reason. Authors who specialize in the young adult market are writing original, compelling stories that can make even the most cynical grownups believe in magic. In writing A DISCOVERY OF WITCHES, I wanted to give adult readers a world no less magical, no less surprising and delightful, but one that included grown-up concerns and activities. These are not your children’s vampires and witches.


To enter to win a Paperback Copy of SHADOW OF NIGHT, please leave a Valid Email Address and Tell me...Are you a fan of DISCOVERY OF WITCHES!


Congrats to winner Leah Gonzales!! Thank you to ALL who have entered!!

Monday, May 27, 2013

Tasty Review Tour: SUPER LOVE by Stephanie Beck @Tastybooktours #giveaway


Giveaway
Stephanie is hosting a Tour Wide Giveaway of
One $10.00 Amazon/or B&N Gift Card
Two Digital Copies of SUPER LOVE
Three SWAG PACKS
Follow Tour for more Entries
 


Reuniting to save the world.

Dinah just wanted to save the world. That didn’t pan out, so she turned to social work, only to find herself miserable. When she’s given the option of returning to the Justice Fraternity and her life as Dinah-Go, super fast superhero, she hesitates because going back means working side by side with her former lover Myles Steele, aka Man of Wonder.

To save their city from gargoyles, Man of Wonder needs Dinah-Go back in fighting shape. But Myles wants more than just his fighting partner at his side, he wants the lover and friend he lost two years earlier. Getting her will take more than even his super strength.

 
 
*****
 

 
 
Sneak Peak
 
The spring scent of cherry blossoms wafted into the car, coloring the air to memories of the past. They’d made love under the cherry trees a few times. Not nearly often enough, but on a stray occasion they’d made the time.

There was so much Myles should share with her, update her on, but breathing her in took over too much brain space to focus. He’d missed her.

The day two passenger trains collided at Silver City Junction, stealing the lives of dozens and injuring many more, Myles lost his best friend. Not to death, but to doubt, which also acted much like death in superheroes.

 

His second chance had come and he wouldn’t waste it. He turned down the gated road toward the Justice Fraternity lair.

 

“Wow, the place looks great. This area always looks amazing in the spring. I can’t wait to see Esmerelde and Sparrow. I’m sure I’ll get along fine with the others as well. I’ll pay my dues and be back where I belong.”

 

The determination and excitement in her voice were what his weary heart needed to hear. When he’d fought beside Dinah-Go, he’d had extra incentive to do his best, to be the best. He wanted that feeling back. For the most part, mankind did deserve saving, but like Dinah, he’d been running into the scum of the earth lately, and it made putting on his tights a chore.

 

Dinah reached over the center console of the car and pushed the discrete button near the steering wheel. She turned to him and grinned. “You always did have the best toys.”

 

Instead of the garage door going up, the driveway began tilting down into an underground location. He barely slowed as he headed down, taking the curves deep into the earth as he had a thousand times before. Dinah’s breathing increased, the excitement in the situation a little like the way she approached climax. She’d once told him speed and danger made her giddy.

 

He’d bet she hadn’t felt the way she did at the moment in much too long.

 

The dark cavern had all the stereotypes of a secret lair—dim lighting, lots of mechanical additions, booby traps. Myles swerved left at the end of the drive, avoiding trick spikes. Dinah clapped her hands. “Yay, you still have them.”

 

“Some things you don’t get rid of.”

 

She turned to him, the joy and happiness in her expression everything he wanted to see. He put the car in park and turned off the engine. Dinah looked ready to bound out and explore, but instead she stayed in the car and looked at him.

 

“What?” he asked.

 

She shrugged. “I’m glad to be home. Really glad.”

 

She leaned across the center console and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, drawing him closer for a kiss. Her tongue dove immediately into his mouth, taking over the kiss with playful strength and power. She dragged her fingers through his hair, and though the space was cramped, Myles leaned back to pull her closer.

 

Her soft breasts pressed against his chest, igniting the lust that had simmered between them the entire ride. He ran his hand down her back, following her curves to her ass. She had the strongest legs and butt of any woman he’d ever met, but the fleshy softness remained. He squeezed her butt, and she giggled into his mouth.

 

A tapping on the window made both of them freeze. Dinah opened her eyes and looked at him, pupils wide, red already glowing on her cheeks. Myles looked over his shoulder and groaned when Crypto Man’s twisted grin came into view.

 

“Damn it,” Myles said and settled Dinah in her seat. “Sometimes sidekicks are way overrated.”

 *****

Review 
 
 
What an AWESOME Superhero Romance!  Yes, it Lightening-Fast and Super Speed-y, But Packed a Punch!  For a Novella length, Beck was able to grab your attention, get you emotionally involved with Dinah and Miles, and have you wanting MORE MORE MORE the moment you finish reading!  For all those girls who love their Super Hero Movies...I'd say this is a Must Read!!
 



Even before she understood what all the thrusting meant, Stephanie Beck loved reading romance. When the stories didn't end the way she wanted, writing her own was the perfect solution. From ridiculous humor to erotica, Stephanie loves being transported within a story.


When she's not elbow deep in words, her husband and three children command her attention. After they are sleeping she knits or bakes cookies…or squeezes in more writing.

Stephanie loves to hear from readers. Contact her at stephaniebeckauthor@gmail.com

Find Stephanie Beck at www.stephaniebeck.net or www.facebook.com/StephanieBeckAuthor

www.stephaniebeck.net
www.twitter.com/StephBeck123
www.plotmamas.wordpress.com
www.facebook.com/StephanieBeckAuthor


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Friday, May 24, 2013

Reno and Charli will STEAL YOUR HEART! (and Win Autographed Copy of CRAZY SWEET FINE)

Anything But Sweet
Sweet, Texas Series
Candis Terry
Releasing June 25th, 2013
384 Pages
Avon Romance
Gifted by Edelweiss
Reviewed by Lisa

Candis Terry at her finest! ANYTHING BUT SWEET is heart-warmingly FANTASTIC!


HE’S STUBBORN AND THOROUGHLY MALE . . .
 
If Charlotte Brooks thinks she and her TV makeover show can turn Reno Wilder’s hometown upside down, he’ll be happy to prove her wrong. The x-Marine has seen too much turmoil and he likes Sweet, Texas, just the way it is. Traditional. Familiar. A little dull. Everything Charli isn’t. But instead of backing off from his scowls like everyone else, Charli digs in her skyscraper heels.


SHE’S TENACIOUS AND WICKEDLY TEMPTING . . .

Reno Wilder is a one-man unwelcoming committee, but Charli isn’t budging. It’s clear the gorgeous cowboy needs an overhaul just as much as Sweet. Someone needs to break him out of that gruff shell and show him how fun and rewarding a little change can be.

THEY’RE ABOUT TO FIND THAT LOVE IS ANYTHING BUT PREDICTABLE.


Where do I even start...I absolutely loved everything about this book!  Charli, our heroine, is definitely an unforgettable character.  She is spunky, sweet and has a heart too big for her chest...loved her!  And RENO WILDER....well, well, well....talk about wanting to lick...I mean...wanting to watch this guy break down those HUGE barriers he puts up and maybe just let himself fall for Charli. 

"Just so you know, " she said in her most confident voice, "at the reveal meeting tonight in the community hall, I plan to present the big plan.  I want to do you first."
That dark gaze traveled up and down her body like a singles-party cruise.   
He was a big strong man.  A man's man.  With a TRESPASSING sign embedded in those dark eyes.  Probably burned into his heart as well. 

Reno is everything I love in a hero...Broody...Check....Sexy as ALL GET OUT...Check...Big Ole Teddy Bear...Check....Looks amazing in a flannel shirt and snug jeans that fit JUST RIGHT across his fine ass...Check!

"So you're against hairy chests? You prefer the smooth gym-rat type?"
"Well." She took another pull from her lemonade, licked her lips, and smiled.  "If I get to play Goldilocks and have my pick, I do have a confession." She leaned in and whispered.  "I've seen your chest.  And it's just right." 

All I have to say is be prepared to Fall In Love!  You will be flying through the pages, with every touch, every kiss, every funny as hell 'One Liner', and be falling so hard for Reno, right there with Charli, and want him to love her back so much...yes...I cried...you will understand how emotionally involved you will become while watching these two lost souls find each other...yep, Candis Terry will have you cracking up, tearing up and dyin for the next book in the Sweet Series...Can we say Sexy Brother Jackson....Yes...there are MORE Wilder Brothers and they are ALL SEXYYYYY!

ANYTHING BUT SWEET gripped tight to every heart-string I have and I don't think it has let go...I think Reno and Charli will stay with me a long time...and you better believe that they are making an appearance on Tasty's Top Couples of 2013.

I highly, highly recommend you Pre-Order ANYTHING BUT SWEET, and if you haven't read a Candis Terry romance, be prepared to add her to your Auto-Buy list!





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COVER REVEAL: KISS IT BETTER by Linda Kage @tastybooktours



KISS IT BETTER

Contemporary Adult Romance

61,000 words

Republishing July 2013
 
 
A PAST TO PLAGUE HIM...
When his sister is sexually assaulted, memories of his miserable childhood haunt Reed Walker and interfere with his perfectly structured life. To add to the chaos, just when dating becomes the last thing on Reed’s mind, Sophia Eschell, the very woman he’s been dreaming about for the past three years, barrels into his life.

AND A WOMAN TO HEAL HIM...
After hooking up with too many troubled men, Sophia is determined to find a normal, average guy sans baggage. She turns her attention to Reed, only to discover he has more issues than anyone. But if he can learn to open up to her, can she honestly reject him or will she kiss it all better?
 
*****
 
Author Info
Linda grew up on a dairy farm in the Midwest as the youngest of eight children. Now she lives in Kansas with her husband, toddler daughter, and their nine cuckoo clocks. She works a day job in the acquisitions department of a university library and feels her life has been blessed with lots of people to learn from and love. Writing's always been a major part her world, and she's thrilled to finally share some of her stories with other romance lovers.
You can find Linda on the web at:
 
 
 
 

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

IT HAD TO BE....One of the Best Romances of 2013

It Had to Be You
Lucky Harbor Series #7
Jill Shalvis
Releasing May 28th, 2013
368 Pages
Grand Central Publishing
Gifted by: NetGalley
Reviewed by: Lisa

Jill Shalvis does Romance like Betty Crocker does Cake: Sweet, Satisfying and Can be devoured in One Sitting!

Ali Winters is not having a good day. Her boyfriend left her, everyone in town thinks she's a thief, and now she's about to be kicked out of her home. Her only shot at keeping a roof over her head and clearing her name is to beg for help from a police detective who's as sexy as he is stern....

After a high-profile case goes wrong, Luke Hanover returns to his hometown for some peace and quiet. Instead he finds a bombshell brunette in a heap of trouble. As he helps Ali put her world back together, the pieces of Luke's own life finally seem to fall into place. Is this the start of a sizzling fling? Or are Luke and Ali on the brink of something big in a little town called Lucky Harbor?


I thought after the Chocoholics Trilogy, that the Lucky Harbor Series couldn't get any better and BOY WAS I WRONG!  Luke and Ali have secured a spot on the Tasty Favorite Couples of 2013...I loved them...loved them...loved them! 

Ali is probably one of my favorite heroines of all time, and that is saying A LOT!  She was sweet, kind, slightly quirky with a HUGE heart.  I felt for her, I wanted her to find that HEA, especially with Luke, and Luke....Whoa Momma...Talk about Sex on a Stick...No really...he is THAT SEXY...especially in his board shorts, and when he is being soft towards Ali, even if getting involved with her is the last thing he wants...Mega SWOON...

"Don't, " she said. 
"Don't what?"
"Don't be nice to me right now.  I'll lose it."
With surprising gentleness, he pushed the hair from her face, then clicked open her seatbelt.  It was all the invitation she was going to get, and all the invitation she needed.  Turning to him, she burrowed in as steady, strong arms closed around her.

Um...yeah...he does A LOT of "nice" stuff like that and I will warn you now...Luke Hanover will be your NEW BOOK BOYFRIEND the second he walks into the kitchen, be ready to FALL IN LOVE!! And the one liners....he's funny too! 

Luke and Ali will grab onto your heartstrings and Wham Bham...it's over and you will want to read it ALL OVER AGAIN!!

IT HAD TO BE YOU was funny, sweet, heartbreaking, and utterly amazing...One of Top Favorites of 2013.  The secondary characters are just as much fun as the hero and heroine, and I am DYIN to read the next in the series, Jack and Leah's romance...they got some sizzlin chemistry and I can't wait to see it combust!