Wednesday, December 24, 2014

BAD ROMEO by Leisa Rayven (Starcrossed #1) #NewAdult #Review #NewRelease @SMPRomance @LeisaRayven #Giveaway


BAD ROMEO
Star Crossed #1
Leisa Rayven
Released Dec 23rd, 2014
St. Martin's Griffin


While performing the greatest love story of all time, they discovered one of their own …

At America’s most prestigious arts academy, Cassie Taylor was the good girl acting student. Ethan Holt was the bad boy around campus. Then one fated casting choice for Romeo and Julietchanged everything. Like the characters they were playing onstage, Cassie and Ethan’s epic romance seemed destined. Until it ended in tragedy when he shattered her heart.

Now they’ve made it to Broadway, where they’re reunited as romantic leads once more, and their passionate scenes force them to confront the heartbreaking lows and pulse-pounding highs of their intense college affair.

For Ethan, losing Cassie was his biggest regret and he’s determined to redeem himself. But for Cassie, even though Ethan was her first and only great love, he hurt her too much for her to ever trust him again. The trouble is, working with him reminds her that people who rub each other the wrong way often make the best sparks. And when it comes to love, sometimes it’s the things that aren’t good for us that are the most irresistible.


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Fantastic Debut from Leisa Rayven...BAD ROMEO is a mix of first-time fall in love butterflies, and the sting of rejection all rolled into a ball of perfection! Rayven delivers the goods!

A Combination of New Adult and Contemporary Romance, BAD ROMEO takes us from past to present, following the ups and downs, and twists and turns of the brooding relationship between Ethan Holt (Holt) and Cassie Taylor (Taylor).  I was hooked from page one, and the story just took on a life of it's own!  Cassie's diary entries were my favorite...I loved her honesty, her poetic style and she just cracked me up!

Ethan was broody and sexy...and I was intrigued as to what was the cause of his trying to keep Cassie at arms length...everything comes to a head eventually, but the ride there was nothing but wild!

I am excited to see where Leisa will take these characters, and counting the days until the April release of BROKEN JULIET!!


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Writing has always been a passion for Leisa, and even though she originally intended to be an actress, it wasn’t long into her time at drama school that she began writing plays.

Those plays were bad. Very bad. Well, her friends thought they were good, but that’s because they were always cast in them and any opportunity to be on stage was met with an obnoxious amount of enthusiasm.

Since then, she’s honed her craft, and several of her plays have been produced and toured
throughout Australia.

These days, playwriting has given way to fiction writing, and Leisa’s debut novel, BAD ROMEO, will be available in a worldwide release through Macmillan Publishing in December 2014.

Leisa lives in Australia with her husband, two little boys, three cats, and a kangaroo named Howard.

(Howard may or may not be her imaginary marsupial friend. Everyone should have one.)




Add BROKEN JULIET to your Shelf


BROKEN JULIET
Starcrossed #2
Leisa Rayven
Releasing April 28th, 2015
St. Martin's Griffin


Despite destroying Cassie Taylor twice before, Ethan Holt now wants another chance, but how can she possibly take him back knowing it could all go to hell again? And yet, knowing how much she still loves him, how can she not?

Second chances are hard to come by. Third chances, even more so.

Shakespeare once wrote, "The course of true love never did run smooth." Next to that quote, he should have included a picture of Cassie and Ethan.

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Contemporary Holiday Promo Tour @KensingtonBooks #Giveaway #Lyrical #BookBundle #HolidayRomance



Win Print/iBook Bundle of ALL Six Holiday Romances

~*~


ALL HE WANTS FOR CHRISTMAS
Lisa Plumley

Kismet, Michigan # 4 

Released Oct 7th, 2014

Zebra/Kensington





In Kismet, Michigan, Christmas is special: big fluffy snowflakes, sleigh bells, carolers singing. It’s a picture-perfect holiday—you just have to choose who’s in the frame…


Jason Hamilton is on thin ice with the board of his toy company. The young CEO may be a kid at heart, but his party boy reputation requires damage control. So Jason’s off to Kismet to inspect a model store, stay on Santa’s Nice list, and stick to business—no goofing around. Which is too bad, because the store manager, Danielle Sharpe, is the definition of what makes Naughty fun…

Danielle is thrilled to show off her thriving little toy store—especially if it’s her ticket out of Kismet. The single mom is tired of manufacturing cheer solo while her ex-husband has all the fun. But if she’d known Jason was this hot, she wouldn’t have offered to host him. With Jason in her house, Danielle is getting warmer than spiked cider. She’s supposed to impress him with her expertise, not daydream about catching him under the mistletoe. Now whatever she does, she can’t get swept up in the magic…


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When she sat down to write her first book, LISA PLUMLEY expected the process to be easy. Three tries and several years later, she realized it’s not easy—but it is the most fun to be had outside of shoe shopping. Now the bestselling author of more than a dozen books, Lisa lives in sunny Arizona with her husband and two children. She invites readers to visit her website, www.lisaplumley.com, for previews of upcoming books and more.


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NO CHRISTMAS LIKE THE PRESENT
Sierra Donovan
Released Oct 7th, 2014
Zebra



Lindsay Miller is knee-deep in Christmas cards and homemade fudge, but she’s never felt more like a Grinch. Why can’t Christmas be full of magic, like in her favorite movie, A Christmas Carol…?

…Enter Fred, a sexy and eccentric stranger who arrives at Lindsay’s door out of the blue. Dressed like he just stepped out of a Dickens novel, complete with British accent, Fred claims he’s a Messenger, sent from “Headquarters” to help her discover the joy of Christmas. But is Fred an angel from above—or just stone cold crazy? 

Fred’s used to dealing with skeptics. Telling a stranger you’ve been ordered to inspire holiday cheer is a tough sell. But there’s a further complication. Fred’s mission is to help Lindsay right the wrongs from her past that have been holding her back. But somehow along the way, they’ve become wildly attracted to each other—and falling in love is not part of the plan. Fred only has ‘til the stroke of midnight on Christmas Eve to guide Lindsay to the magical future she deserves—even if it’s a future without him…

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Sierra Donovan lives with her husband and two children in Victorville, California. Readers can visit her website at www.sierradonovan.com.


~*~

CHRISTMAS IN COWBOY COUNTRY
Janet Dailey
Released Sept 30th, 2014
Zebra




The greatest gift is love…

Ski instructor Annie Bennett doesn’t have time to miss the twinkling lights and holiday parties in Aspen and Vail. With her older brothers gone and winter just around the corner, her parents need help with their sprawling Colorado ranch. The most wonderful time of the year isn’t always easy for a lot of the folks in their town, but Annie does her best—until the tall, dark, and rugged surveyor on their neighbor’s land becomes a potent distraction…

Wyoming born and bred, Marshall Stone is a practical man. But there’s something about Annie that’s as wild and sweet as the mountain wind. He doesn’t want to tame her. Just love her. Annie Bennett is all he wants for Christmas. And for always. But she’s too wary to believe he means it. Until he takes her in his arms and explains without saying a single word…

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Janet Dailey’s first book was published in 1976. Since then she has written more than 100 novels and become one of the top-selling female authors in the world, with 300 million copies of her books sold in nineteen languages in ninety-eight countries. She is known for her strong, decisive characters, her extraordinary ability to recreate a time and a place, and her unerring courage to confront important, controversial issues in her stories.


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HUCKLEBERRY CHRISTMAS
Jennifer Beckstrand
The Matchmakers of Huckleberry Hill # 3  

Released Oct 7th, 2014

Zebra/Kensington







Now that they’ve happily married off two of their grandchildren, Anna and Felty Helmuth are ready for their next matchmaking challenge. What better way to celebrate the most heartwarming of seasons—and make Huckleberry Hill, Wisconsin, the place for unexpected love…

A difficult marriage has left the Helmuths’ widowed great-granddaughter, Beth, finished with wedlock. She’s content to live with them and make a life for herself and her toddler son. But once she turns down handsome Tyler Yoder’s proposal, it seems only fair to encourage him to find a suitable wife. Trouble is, his gentleness and generous ways are showing her how joyous a real meeting of hearts can be. . .

After a failed courtship, Tyler thought the best he could hope for in a wife was mere companionship. But spirited Beth is the one he longs to protect, and hold close. Earning her trust is the hardest thing he’s ever had to do. And soon, both will discover that forgiveness and understanding are gifts that only rekindled faith—along with the happiest of holidays—can bring.

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Jennifer Beckstrand is the bestselling author of The Matchmakers of Huckleberry Hill series and the Forever After in Apple Lake series, set in two Amish communities in beautiful Wisconsin. She has always been drawn to the strong faith and the enduring family ties of the Plain people and loves writing about the antics of Anna and Felty Helmuth. Jennifer has a degree in mathematics and a background in editing. She and her husband have been married for thirty years, and she has four daughters, two sons, and two adorable grandsons, whom she spoils rotten. Readers can visit her website at www.jenniferbeckstrand.com


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SANTA’S SECRET
Serenity Woods
Released Dec 1st, 2014
Kensington Books




Will the magic still be there when they wake on Christmas morning?

Having long since lost his Christmas spirit, Rudi comes to Santa’s Secret Village looking to sell the resort. His seven-year-old daughter already knows the truth about Santa, and neither of them is particularly in the mood for the festive season.

Practically a recluse since the death of her husband, Eva’s not looking for romance. Her trip to Santa’s Village is for the sole purpose of making Christmas more festive this year for her young son. But Eva brings an unexpected sparkle to Rudi and Isabel’s lives that renews their belief in the spirit of Christmas.

As the weather grows colder, things heat up between Rudi and Eva. But will the magic still be there when they wake on Christmas morning?


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Serenity Woods lives in the sub-tropical Northland of New Zealand with her wonderful husband and gorgeous teenage son. She writes fun, flirty, sweet and sexy contemporary romances. She would much rather immerse herself in reading or writing romance than do the dusting and ironing, which is why it’s not a great idea to pop round if you have any allergies.


~*~

IF THE SHOE KILLS
Lynn Cahoon
A Tourist Trap Mystery # 3

Released Nov 10th, 2014

eKensington







The tourist town of South Cove, California, is a lovely place to spend the holidays. But this year, shop owner Jill Gardner discovers there’s no place like home for homicide…

As owner of Coffee, Books, and More, Jill Gardner looks forward to the hustle and bustle of holiday shoppers. But when the mayor ropes her into being liaison for a new work program, ‘tis the season to be wary. Local businesses are afraid the interns will be delinquents, punks, or worse. For Jill, nothing’s worse than Ted Hendricks—the jerk who runs the program. After a few run-ins, Jill’s ready to kill the guy. That, however, turns out to be unnecessary when she finds Ted in his car—dead as a doornail. Detective Greg King assumes it’s a suicide. Jill thinks it’s murder. And if the holidays weren’t stressful enough, a spoiled blonde wants to sue the city for breaking her heel. Jill has to act fast to solve this mess—before the other shoe drops…

Buy Now
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Lynn Cahoon is a multi-published author. An Idaho native, her stories focus around the depth and experience of small town life and love. Currently she lives in a small historic town on the banks of the Mississippi where her imagination tends to wander. She lives with her husband and two fur babies. 



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Tuesday, December 23, 2014

Release Day: BAD ROMEO by Leisa Rayven (Starcrossed #1) #Interview #NewRelease @SMPRomance


BAD ROMEO
Star Crossed #1
Leisa Rayven
Released Dec 23rd, 2014
St. Martin's Griffin


While performing the greatest love story of all time, they discovered one of their own …

At America’s most prestigious arts academy, Cassie Taylor was the good girl acting student. Ethan Holt was the bad boy around campus. Then one fated casting choice for Romeo and Julietchanged everything. Like the characters they were playing onstage, Cassie and Ethan’s epic romance seemed destined. Until it ended in tragedy when he shattered her heart.

Now they’ve made it to Broadway, where they’re reunited as romantic leads once more, and their passionate scenes force them to confront the heartbreaking lows and pulse-pounding highs of their intense college affair.

For Ethan, losing Cassie was his biggest regret and he’s determined to redeem himself. But for Cassie, even though Ethan was her first and only great love, he hurt her too much for her to ever trust him again. The trouble is, working with him reminds her that people who rub each other the wrong way often make the best sparks. And when it comes to love, sometimes it’s the things that aren’t good for us that are the most irresistible.

AMAZON  |  B&N  |  KOBO  | iTUNES 


A Tasty Read is THRILLED to welcome Leisa Rayven, author of BAD ROMEO, the first in the Starcrossed Series, released today!  Make sure to stop back tomorrow for my review of BAD ROMEO!

Leisa: Thanks for having me!

ATR: Leisa, BAD ROMEO is loosely based on what story?

Leisa: Well, it's not based on any particular story, but it does have elements of Romeo & Juliet sprinkled throughout as that's the play Cassie and Ethan are performing when they fall in love.

Even though Bad Romeo started life as Twilight fanfiction, it had nothing in common with Twilight apart from the character names, and the fact it was an intense love story.

ATR: Can you quickly explain what Fan Fiction is to my readers?

Leisa: Fanfiction is a medium in which fans of a particular narrative explore scenarios with that story's established characters. You wouldn't believe some of the things you can find in the fanfiction world. There's fanfiction about books, movies, TV shows, boy bands, video games, cartoons. There's even Bible fanfiction!

Books such as Twilight and Harry Potter have spawned massive fanfiction communities, and lots of best selling authors such as Cassandra Clare, Christina Lauren, and EL James honed their skills writing fanfiction before hitting the big time.

ATR: How was BR discovered by a publisher? Were you hesitant to sign on with said publisher?

Leisa: At the request of readers, I reworked BR over a period of about a year before I felt confident enough to start querying agents. Thankfully, early in the querying process, my manuscript landed on the desk of the amazing Christina Hoegrebe, and she liked it enough to offer to represent me. From the start, she knew exactly which publisher and editor to pitch the book to, and thankfully, her predictions were totally correct. A few days after receiving the manuscript, Rose Hilliard from St. Martin's Griffith/Macmillan bought the rights, and the rest is history.

I wasn't at all hesitant to sign with them. A major publisher interested in my work? Lordy! The day I received the offer, I screamed so loudly my neighbors thought I was being murdered. Everyone at SMP has been incredibly supportive and lovely. I adore my publisher.

ATR: Did the story change at all in the process?

Leisa: Absolutely! For a start, the fanfiction was loooooong! At nearly 400,000 words, something had to give. I did massive edits to get the story down to 2 books, and then my agent and editor helped strengthen the finished product. We tightened everything up a great deal. Old scenes were cut, new scenes were added. Now, we're all pretty pleased with the end result.

ATR: Can you describe BAD ROMEO in three words?

Leisa: Love – Hate - Love

ATR: What are your top five go-to reads?

Leisa:

1. The Stand by Stephen King. A fave for years.

2. The Outsiders by SE Hinton. The first book I obsessed over at the tender age of 11.

3. The Harry Potter Series by JK Rowling. I'm about due to reread from the start.

4. Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor. I adore her writing.

5. The Twilight Series by Stephanie Meyer. Haven't reread these in a few years, but because I met so many amazing people in the fanfic community from countries all over the world, these books will always have a special place in my heart.

ATR: Since this is A Tasty Read, what food/meal/dessert would best describe BAD ROMEO? (Only have to choose one)

Leisa: We have a dessert here in Australia called Pavlova which would be perfect for Bad Romeo. It has a hard meringue crust, a gooey marshamallow center, and then it's covered in decadent thick cream and tart berries and fruits. The perfect combination of sweet and sour, hard and soft.




Writing has always been a passion for Leisa, and even though she originally intended to be an actress, it wasn’t long into her time at drama school that she began writing plays.

Those plays were bad. Very bad. Well, her friends thought they were good, but that’s because they were always cast in them and any opportunity to be on stage was met with an obnoxious amount of enthusiasm.

Since then, she’s honed her craft, and several of her plays have been produced and toured
throughout Australia.

These days, playwriting has given way to fiction writing, and Leisa’s debut novel, BAD ROMEO, will be available in a worldwide release through Macmillan Publishing in December 2014.

Leisa lives in Australia with her husband, two little boys, three cats, and a kangaroo named Howard.

(Howard may or may not be her imaginary marsupial friend. Everyone should have one.)



Add BROKEN JULIET to your Shelf



Thursday, December 18, 2014

TVBT: GAME ON by Collette West (New York Kings #3) #SportsRomance #TeamJilly #Review #Giveaway @Tastybooktours


Enter to Win
Print Signed Copy of GAME ON &
$10 Amazon eGift Card


Game On
New York Kings # 3
Collette West
Released October 17th, 2014


Pitching phenom Bruce "Jilly" Gillette has a hard time talking to women. His hulking presence of tattoos and muscles is what makes him an intimidating closer on the mound, yet off the field, he's painfully shy, uncomfortable in his own skin.

Desperate to revamp his loner image, the New York Kings hold a dream date contest, granting the lucky winner a night on the town with their surly reliever, doing whatever it takes to force Jilly out of his comfort zone.

Hailey Halpert enters the contest on a whim, looking for answers as to why her high school relationship with Jilly hit the skids. Now she’s a popular romance author writing under a pen name, and her reappearance in Jilly's life is no accident. It turns out that her novels are all about the sexy players on the Kings, and Jilly has no clue that he's about to become her new leading man.


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As a certified Sports Romance Fan, I have to say, Collette West pens a very sexy, very fun romance with GAME ON.  

I really liked the past relationship/friendship/second chance romance aspect and the "Secret" that Hailey is hiding...well...that was a fun twist in the plot.  A little first hand experience for research never hurt anyone, especially if the research is a Sexy Baseball player!  Jilly and Hailey have quite a bumpy ride, but I think you will be happy with the end...I know I was!

I would have enjoyed it a bit better if I would have read the first two, only because I am a series whore and I like to be in "the know" about past characters relationships, and it seems that Jilly was a pretty major character in GAME CHANGER, so I might suggest reading NIGHT GAMES and GAME CHANGER, before GAME ON, but I had no problem getting into the story from the first page, intrigued by this gentle giant, Jilly!

Fans of Rachel Gibson and Jennifer Season's will definitely enjoy the New York Kings Series!

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Collette West grew up as somewhat of a jock-nerd hybrid. Entering the world three weeks premature, her dad nearly missed her birth because he had seats behind the dugout for a sold-out, highly-anticipated match-up between two of baseball's biggest rivals. Not to be outdone, her book-loving mom taught her how to read by the time she was three. A love of the game coupled with an appreciation for the written word were instilled in Collette's impressionable brain from a young age. No wonder her characters believe in the philosophy: sports + romance = a little slice of heaven.

Splitting her time between the Pocono Mountains and Manhattan, Collette indulges her inner fangirl by going to as many games as she can from hockey to baseball and downloading every sports romance novel in existence onto her iPad. When she's not clicking away on her laptop, she enjoys walking her dog in Central Park, satisfying her caffeine craving at the Starbucks on Broadway and keeping an eye out for Mr. Right. But above all, she loves dishing with her readers. Email her at collette_west@yahoo.com

She is the author of NIGHT GAMES, GAME CHANGER and GAME ON.

Find Her Here

Start the New York Kings Series TODAY!

Wednesday, December 17, 2014

Cover Reveal: ASA by Jay Crownover (Marked Men #6) @JayCrownover @InkSlingerPR @HarperCollins #Reveal #PreOrder

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Starting over in Denver with a whole new circle of friends and family, Asa Cross struggles with being the man he knows everyone wants him to be and the man he knows he really is. A leopard doesn’t it change its spots and Asa has always been a predator. He doesn’t want to hurt those who love and rely on him, especially one stunning arresting cop who suddenly seems to be interested in him for far more than his penchant for breaking the law. But letting go of old habits is hard, and it’s easy to hit bottom when it’s the place you know best.

Royal Hastings is quickly learning what the bottom looks like after a tragic situation at work threatens not only her career but her partner’s life. As a woman who has only ever had a few real friends she’s trying to muddle through her confusion and devastation all alone. Except she can’t stop thinking about the sexy southern bartender she locked up. Crushing on Asa is the last thing she needs but his allure is too strong to resist. His long criminal record can only hurt her already shaky career and chasing after a guy who has no respect for the law or himself can only end in heartbreak. 

A longtime criminal and a cop together just seems so wrong . . . but for Asa and Royal, being wrong together is the only right choice to make.

Pre-Order Today!


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And don’t miss the previous books in The Marked Men Series!

RULE | JET | ROME | NASH | ROWDY


And don't miss Jay at 3pm EST over at the Between The Covers page on Facebook today! Come chat with her!

Jay Crownover

Jay Crownover is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Marked Men series. She will also be introducing the dark and sexy world of The Point in a new series this summer starting with Better When He’s Bad. Like her characters, she is a big fan of tattoos. She loves music and wishes she could be a rock star, but since she has no aptitude for singing or instrument playing, she'll settle for writing stories with interesting characters that make the reader feel something. She lives in Colorado with her three dogs.

Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter |  Goodreads

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