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  I invited Nicole to drop by the virtual offices and share the qualities required to be America’s Sweet.  Check out what she has to say!

Top 5 qualities required to be America’s Sweetheart

Thanks so much for having me on the Manga Maniac Cafe! In my recent Entangled Indulgence release, Risky Return, the heroine is not just a movie star, but she’s been deemed America’s Sweetheart by the press. Celia has some very clear ideas on what it takes to be America’s Sweetheart.

1. Always look camera ready! You never know when the paparazzi, or a not-so-ex husband might show up.

2. Do whatever it takes to keep your secrets under wraps, including agreeing to do a reality show in Kansas with your exish husband so that he’ll give you a silent annulment and head back to Hollywood with one less piece of baggage,

3. Do not, under any circumstances, fall for an ex. No matter how handsome, determined, or safe he feels.

4. Trust no one with all your secrets. The more people who know, the more fires you have to extinguish, and sometimes they get very out of hand.

5. If for whatever reason you find yourself in Kansas, falling for that ex-husband and having all your secrets exposed, at least have the presence of mind to take the reins and make your life what you want it.

Risky Return by Nicole Helm

Blurb: Blackmail never felt so right.

Celia Grant has spent the last ten years keeping her past at bay, building her Hollywood reputation as America’s Sweetheart. When ex-boyfriend Ryan Harrington threatens to reveal her darkest secrets, she has no choice but to return to Demo, Kansas, and the people she left behind. In exchange for Ryan’s silence, she will appear in a reality television show that promises to save his family’s legacy.

Ryan Harrington knows an opportunity when he sees one, and using Celia to save his family is one he can’t ignore. But he didn’t count on the pull they still have on each other.

Celia reminds herself that she and Ryan were never destined to have a happily ever after ending like in the movies she stars in. But even as the ghosts of her past refuse to be suppressed any longer, she finds herself tempted by the hopes of a love she never thought she could have. Between secrets, fame, and love, Celia’s made the riskiest return of all.

Risky Return Links:

Goodreads Amazon B&N Kobo Entangled

Author Bio:

Nicole Helm grew up with her nose in a book and a dream of becoming a writer. Luckily, after a few failed career choices, a husband, and two kids, she gets to pursue that dream.

Nicole lives in Missouri with her husband and two sons, and writes her novels one baby’s nap at a time. She’s slightly (okay, totally) addicted to Twitter (@nicolethelm), loves watching the St. Louis Cardinals, and her dream is to someday own a barn.

Nicole’s Links:

Website Facebook Twitter: @nicoleTHelm Goodreads

Indulgence’s Links:

Facebook Twitter @IndulgenceBooks

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Title: Author: Publisher: ISBN:

May Contain Spoilers

From Amazon:

Review:

While Love Lost and Found didn’t completely work for me, there were several aspects of the story that I found very compelling.  After Felicity suffers from a fall while rock-climbing with her business partner, Rick, she reawakens with no memory of the last five years.  She tries to readjust to her old life, but nothing feels right.  Her apartment is cold and sterile, and she can’t remember her co-workers.  Worse, what she does remember is breaking up with her old boyfriend after catching him cheating on her.  As she contemplates the emptiness in  her life, she decides that starting over somewhere else is preferable to trying to fit back into a life she doesn’t remember, and one that seems lonely and isolated.  She takes a job on a cruise ship, and sails off into the horizon.

What she doesn’t remember is Rick, the man she has been working with and dating.  She doesn’t remember that he had proposed to her just before the accident that sent them both to the hospital.  Rick was in a coma for six weeks, and when he comes to, he can’t believe that Felicity left him, without a word or a note.  Worse, he company is on the verge of a remarkable research discovery, but he needs Felicity to sign the paperwork that will see the fruition of his labors since the death of his brother.  With Felicity’s assistance, he’s on the path to a breakthrough for a leukemia treatment.  Desperate to keep his promise to his brother to get the process approved, he hires a private detective and tracks his errant fiancée down.

First, what didn’t work for me; Rick doesn’t believe that Felicity lost her memory, so he pretends to be a prospective investor for the cruise line, and makes his re-acquaintance with Felicity under false pretenses.  There isn’t a time during the story, except for the very end, that he isn’t lying to her.  That just grated on my last nerve.  He is given the opportunity to start over with her, but every overture is based on a falsehood.  He doesn’t trust her enough to be upfront with her, and he suspects that she is faking the amnesia.  Great way to make a new start, Rick.  And by not being honest, it just made his motives for reconnecting with her suspect.  If I were Felicity, I wouldn’t have been able to believe anything he said after discovering that he wasn’t being straight up from the beginning.

The second thing that didn’t work was the couple being left on a desert island.  Rick makes arrangements with the captain of the cruise ship to have them “left” on an island with no supplies – no food, shelter, or water.  First, the liability of the scenario makes me cringe.  Regardless of whether Rick signed waivers promising not to sue the cruise line, Felicity did not.  I would have been furious when I discovered that I spent a night with no provisions  by design instead by accident.  I don’t care how romantic it was; either one of them could (and did) have gotten injured with no help nearby.  Plus, there are bugs on that island, and everyone who knows me knows how much I hate bugs.  Ugh! The whole episode on the island was like a nightmare to me.

What did I like?  Felicity looked at her old life, and realized that she didn’t like what she saw.  She had no close friends, and no real connection with anyone.  Her apartment was as barren as she suspected her life was, and so she decided to make lemonade out of the lemons life had handed to her.  She starts over, and she’s a completely different person.  Her change in circumstance opens her up to make the first real connections she ever made, and allowed her to re-discover her love for Rick.  She was all business before the accident, but after, she was able to embrace a softer side of herself and truly begin to like herself and the people in her life.  I loved this about the book.

While Love Lost and Found didn’t completely win me over, there were enough positives to keep me engaged in the story.  I just wish the hero had been more likable, and had acted a little more, well, heroic.

Grade:  B-

Review copy provided by publisher

[Manga Maniac Cafe] Hi, Marisa, welcome to the Manga Maniac Café!  Can you please describe yourself in 140 characters or less.

[Marisa Cleveland] writer. reader. infinite dreamer. that’s me.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] Can you tell us a little about Reforming the Cowboy?

[Marisa Cleveland] Thanks for asking! This book is about a guy who needs a girl to help him get back on the Country music charts. It’s also about a girl who needs a guy to help her launch her dream of owning a successful coffeehouse. But as they both help each other get what they want, it makes them better people and changes their perspective.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] How did you come up with the concept and the characters for the story?

[Marisa Cleveland] There are many different ways this story came into existence. One piece of it comes from my addiction to espresso and music. So, I gave Lacey the coffeehouse and Billy the Country tunes. I’m a huge fan of Blake Shelton, The Voice, and Starbucks. This story let me combine all three!

[Manga Maniac Cafe] What three words best describe Billy?

[Marisa Cleveland] Creative. Loyal. Reformed!

[Manga Maniac Cafe] If Lacey had a theme song, what would it be?

[Marisa Cleveland] Oh! I love this question! Theme song… theme song… there are too many! Okay, the best one for her pre-Billy would be BareNaked by Jennifer Love Hewitt.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] Name one thing Billy is never without.

[Marisa Cleveland] His guitar.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] What three things will you never find in Lacey’s bathroom?

[Marisa Cleveland] Oooooh! How fun! Her phone, bubble bath, and cookies!

[Manga Maniac Cafe] What is Billy’s greatest regret?

[Marisa Cleveland] Billy’s greatest regret is not being able to save his parents.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] What are your greatest creative influences?

[Marisa Cleveland] I’m influenced by so much of the world around me, but my hubby is definitely one of my greatest creative influences. Him and champagne.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] What three things do you need in order to write?

[Marisa Cleveland] Besides the computer/tablet/phone to pour out my heart, I also need champagne and hand lotion.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] What was your biggest distraction while working on Reforming the Cowboy?

[Marisa Cleveland] Hehehehee… my hubby! He’s working on his doctorate in information systems, and we converted a bedroom into an office. I love that we are in the same room, but I will admit, it’s distracting at times.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] What is the last book that you read that knocked your socks off?

[Marisa Cleveland] I have read so many fabulous books lately! I mean, it’s crazy amazing how many great authors are out there! The last knocked my socks off book that I read comes down to timing. I was lucky enough to grab Jaime Rush’s Dragon Awakened (releasing in December), and WOW!

[Manga Maniac Cafe] If you had to pick one book that turned you on to reading, which would it be?

[Marisa Cleveland] I don’t remember a time without books, so I can’t say for certain which specific book turned me on to reading. But I do remember sitting in front of the stereo (record player) and following along to my favorite books over and over again.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] What do you like to do when you aren’t writing?

[Marisa Cleveland] When I’m not writing, I’m usually daydreaming or thinking about writing or I’m reading. My hubby and I take long walks and talk about random topics that spring to mind. We like to play chess, eat strawberries, and Fox Trot around the kitchen. Sometimes I play with Adobe Photoshop or Corel VideoStudio. I have a sewing machine I don’t know how to use. But mostly I’m writing or reading.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] How can readers connect with you?

[Marisa Cleveland] I love to connect with other readers through social media!

Social Media:

Website – http://www.marisacleveland.com

Twitter – http://twitter.com/marisacleveland

Facebook – http://facebook.com/marisacleveland00

Google Plus – http://plus.google.com/102206201174009013772

Pinterest – http://pinterest.com/marisacleveland

Tumblr – http://marisacleveland.tumblr.com

Goodreads – http://goodreads.com/marisacleveland

Thanks so much for having me on your blog! I love your unicorn graphic. Unicorns are a personal fave of mine.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] Thank you so much for stopping by!

Purchase link

About the book:

About the author:

Marisa Cleveland loves to laugh, hates to cry, and does both often. As a writer, she writes. Every day. If she couldn’t express herself through writing, music, and dance, she would die. Perhaps because she married her best friend, her adult romance novels focus on playfully naughty relationships developed through friendship and family-oriented values. She believes romance novels are the perfect “how to” books, because no matter the obstacles, the characters keep working toward their happily ever after. She loves to connect with writers and readers through social media.

Excerpt

He stepped back, his eyes regarding her with unreadable scrutiny. "Do you have to control everything?"

A shiver of fear slid in her stomach. She was a private person. She didn’t want the whole world to know how close she’d come to failure. "Just promise me."

Flashing her a sardonic smile, he drawled, "Honey, I don’t make promises I can’t keep."

Her hands fisted at her sides. "You are so insensitive! For just once in your life, why can’t you be reliable and make a promise and keep it?"

Her eyes widened as she realized what she’d said.

He advanced forward, and she shuffled back until her back hit the refrigerator, even though nothing but the ferocity of his gaze pinned her in place. "Honey, in Country, in order for a song to be good, it has to be honest. This is me being honest."

[Manga Maniac Cafe] Good morning, Sofia, and welcome to the Manga Maniac Café!  Can you please describe yourself in 140 characters or less.

[Sofia Harper] Part smart aleck, part book nerd. The rest of me is pretty much coffee addict.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] Can you tell us a little about Hot Knight in Paradise?

[Sofia Harper] Leah’s stranded, broke and in need of a job so she can get back home. Her only hope is Marshall. He’s pretty much exiled himself from America and runs a bar creatively named the Rum Shack. (Yeah. I know.) Until she earns enough money to end her disastrous vacation, they’re stuck together. Sparks fly. Pasts are revealed. Love happens. So, it’s your basic boy meets girl while girl is stranded with a hot man.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] How did you come up with the concept and the characters for the story?

[Sofia Harper] I wanted to write a redemption story. I love those. I’d been watching the now defunct show Life and the idea of feeling guilty of wrong you didn’t commit appealed to me. At the time there was a huge kerfluffle online about rape culture. Leah and Marshall stepped into my head and the story came together.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] What three words best describe Leah?

[Sofia Harper] Will shoot trespassers.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] If Marshall had a theme song, what would it be?

[Sofia Harper] DayDreamer by Adele. “He can change the world with his hands behind his back.” It’s song about an amazing, sexy man. This song fits him down to the bone.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] Name one thing Leah is never without.

[Sofia Harper] This is a tough one because Leah gets mugged of all her belongings. The first things she buys is something to tame her hair. If I’d given her a choice, she’d have grabbed her hair products along with her ID and passport.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] What three things will you never find in Marshall’s bathroom?

[Sofia Harper] Cologne, nose hair trimmer and baby powder.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] What is Leah’s greatest regret?

[Sofia Harper] Not being there for her cousin when she needed her the most.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] What are your greatest creative influences?

[Sofia Harper] Music. It shuts off the world and I can hear the story in my head. I need some form of solitude to tap into my creative well. Sometimes I need words that fit a character or scene perfectly.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] What three things do you need in order to write?

[Sofia Harper] Coffee, computer and place to sit. I’ve written without pretty much everything else I sometimes I feel I need, but without those three I’m not likely to get any work down. lol

[Manga Maniac Cafe] What was your biggest distraction while working on Hot Knight in Paradise?

[Sofia Harper] Sleep. It’s not often that a story writes itself, but this one was it. I wrote the last 20,000 words in two days. So, sleep was definitely something that kept me from finishing sooner.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] What is the last book that you read that knocked your socks off?

[Sofia Harper] Ride With Me by Ruthie Knox. I have a hard time reading contemporary because I write it. The internal editor is always talking while I’m trying to enjoy the book. She shut up while I read this book. It was simply incredible. And fresh.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] If you had to pick one book that turned you on to reading, which would it be?

[Sofia Harper] The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. I read this book as a child and the world just seemed so wonderful. The idea that you could walk into something as mundane as a closet and there were worlds to be found. I loved it.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] What do you like to do when you aren’t writing?

[Sofia Harper] Spend time with children. They are wonderful, if I say so myself. They’re funny and entertaining. I also watch a lot of TV shows on DVD. It’s a family thing. I’m currently trying to get my daughter to stop watching Degrassi though. OMG, talk about teenage emo drama. I sat through nine seasons. Please make it stop at ten.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] How can readers connect with you?

[Sofia Harper] These are the places you can find moi:

Website: http://sofiaharper.com

Blog: sofiaharper.blogspot.com/?

Twitter: https://twitter.com/sofiaharp?

Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/sofiaharper.author?

Goodreads Page: www.goodreads.com/author/show/7154484.Sofia_Harper

[Manga Maniac Cafe] Thank you!

Purchase link

About the book:

About the author:

Sofia Harper started writing contemporary romance a long, long time ago. When Sofia’s not spending time with imaginary people in her head, she’s corrupting two little trouble makers. Currently she lives in California where the wine is good. She also going full-throttle on the ride called publishing. These two thoughts are not related.

Extended Excerpt:

“I find it hard to believe a man like you would consider bartending his calling.” She gave him a dubious look. “And I’m feeling like a margarita. Got some limes?”

“Of course.” He opened the compartment where he kept the salt. Using some of the tequila, he lined the lip of the glass.

“How’d you know I wanted salt?”

“If you want lime, you want salt.” He took his time making the drink. “You’d be amazed how listening can change the world.”

He cut the lime in quarters, placing one on the rim, the rest in another cup. “Now I didn’t say you didn’t get something out of what you do. I said it’s probably not your calling.”

“Semantics.”

The weight of his past darkened his tone and he leaned against the bar for support. “You can save someone’s life by what you say.”

She sipped her drink and then sucked on the lemon. Her breath whooshed out. “You make a damn good margarita.”

“Thanks.” He nursed his bourbon as he tried to beat back the memories, but then her hand was on his face, bringing him back to the now.

“Hey, where’d you go? We’re debating.”

“Political analyst,” he said.

“I’m not that cynical about mankind,” she said.

Her tongue flicked out, licking at the salt from the corner of her mouth. His mind blanked. When his brain came back online he could only wonder if the tartness of lime would complement her taste. She must have noticed the expression, because her gaze went to his mouth.

Her tongue lashed out again. “It doesn’t make me uncomfortable when you look at my mouth with an I-want-tobite-

you expression,” she said quietly. “Though I want to say my eyes are up here, but—”

She bit her lip, and his gaze followed the action. He wished she’d look away, make a joke…anything to break the moment, but his heart rammed against his ribcage.

“I’m insane,” she murmured.

Marshall frowned, finally tearing his gaze from her mouth. Leah pushed their drinks aside and leaned over the bar, and then her mouth was on his, and he couldn’t think. His lips parted automatically, and she was there, supping on the taste of him. Leah’s tongue explored urgently, as if they’d been kissing for eons, and he matched her rhythm.

“Wait,” Marshall said, pulling back, which was probably the dumbest thing he’d ever done in his life.

He knew if she had enough time to consider what the hell they were doing, she’d end it and run. He took advantage of her moment of confusion and untied the scarf holding back the soft curls.

“There,” he sighed.

This time, he claimed her mouth. The kiss lost its urgency, and still the taste of her seared his tongue. He had the time to nip and lick, noting the softness of her lips and how the lime only made her taste better. He couldn’t be anywhere but in that moment. He tightened the hold in her hair, forcing Leah still and allowing him to deepen the kiss. He made illicit promises with his teeth and tongue until she moaned in his mouth, and it took everything in him not to have her there on the counter.

With the little room he allowed, she pulled back. “Wait.”

He loosened the hold on her hair. Leah climbed the counter, knocking over the stool in the process. Once settled in front of him, she fisted her hands on his shirt and yanked him forward. Forgetting honor, he pressed against her, felt the heat between her thighs along his erection. Keeping a hand in the curly strands, he exposed her neck. He sucked softly at first and then hard on the flesh between her neck and collarbone. Her legs tightened around his waist, binding him to the heat. Trailing kisses up to her ear, he bit the lobe. She gasped.

“Do you want me to stop?” he whispered.

“Yes,” she moaned.

It’s already the middle of September?!  Yikes!  That means that I’m way, way behind on my diet of new Indulgence titles!  I’m going to spotlight one title each morning for the next four days, so check out these releases if they look interesting to you.  I’ll get things kicked off with – no surprise – COWBOYS!!!

Reforming the Cowboy: A South Beach Book by Marisa Cleveland

Imprint: Entangled Indulgence

About the book:

Purchase link

About the author:

Marisa Cleveland loves to laugh, hates to cry, and does both often. As a writer, she writes. Every day. Perhaps because she married her best friend, her adult romance novels focus on relationships developed through friendship and family-oriented values. She loves to connect with other writers and readers.

Marisa Cleveland loves to laugh, hates to cry, and does both often. As a writer, she writes. Every day. Perhaps because she married her best friend, her adult romance novels focus on relationships developed through friendship and family-oriented values. She loves to connect with other writers and readers.

Marisa’s Social Media:

Twitter – http://twitter.com/marisacleveland

Facebook – http://facebook.com/marisacleveland00

Google Plus – http://plus.google.com/102206201174009013772

Pinterest – http://pinterest.com/marisacleveland

Tumblr – http://marisacleveland.tumblr.com

Goodreads – http://goodreads.com/marisacleveland

Title: Gamble in Gold Author: Natalie Anderson

May Contain Spoilers

From Amazon:

Review:

I’ve read one other novella by Natalie Anderson, and it really worked for me (Melt).  Gamble in Gold, sadly, did not.  Even though it featured one of my favorite tropes,  it was too short and too predictable to keep me engaged in the story.  Worse yet, a day after reading it, most of the plot has escaped my memory, so it’s also fairly forgettable.  Mango the dog, though he played only a small role, was the most memorable character for me.

Lexie is crashing at Luke Marchetti’s flat while he’s out of town.  He’s supposed to be gone for a month, so color Lexie very surprised, and also embarrassed, when he walks into his home and finds her in the kitchen.  In a gold negligee.  At the sight of him, Lexie is overcome with many emotions.  She’s had a monster crush on him since she was a foreign exchange student staying with his family in high school, and to her dismay, she hasn’t gotten over it.  Mix in the hurt from his cool dismissal of her – after sharing her first kiss – and she’s instantly on edge and angry.  He’s probably still a man whore, lacking any ability to have a real, caring relationship.  When she discovers that he’s hurt his leg in a training accident, though, her heart thaws, just a little.  Maybe he’s not so bad?

Unknown to Lexie, Luke has been attracted to her since she was a shy guest in his parents’ home.  When they’re caught kissing, his father tells him in no uncertain terms to keep his hands to himself.  With Lexie off limits, Luke turns to serial dating to forget her.  All he does is frustrate himself and break her heart.  With so many misunderstandings between them, can he convince her to give him a second chance?

I think my favorite part of Gamble in Gold was Luke’s realization that Lexie is the one for him, and that he’s finally ready to settle down with one woman.  When she coolly brushes off their night together as nothing more than a one night stand, it’s his turn to be hurt.  Lexie is beating herself up for succumbing to Luke’s charm, knowing that it will only result in heartache, so she wants to cut to the chase and make him think that he means nothing to her before he can do it to her.  Luke must plead his case, and he has to face some of his fears about a lasting relationship as he does so.

I was also disappointed with the length of GiG.  Based on the file size, I thought it would be longer, but the included preview took up a big chunk of the end.

Grade: C/C-

Review copy provided by publisher

Title:  A Risk Worth Taking Author: Victoria James

May Contain Spoilers

From Amazon:

Review:

This book had me invested in Holly’s life by the end of the first chapter.  It was heart-breaking.  It’s her big day at work, and she has worked the last ten years for this moment.  Her wardrobe was carefully picked out, and she is glowing with happiness. She is finally going to be made a partner at the prestigious design firm where she’s employed when she gets the call that makes her realize how pointless her achievement really is.  Her sister and brother-in-law have been killed in an accident, and now she’s left reeling, the guardian of her infant niece.  How can she raise a child alone?  How will she recover from yet another loss?  Everyone she has loved has died – her parents,  the grandparents who raised her and her sister, and now her sister’s gone, too.  It’s just too much, and Holly is devastated.

Returning to her rural hometown to renovate and then flip her grandparents’ house, she is confronted with painful memories of her past.  She has loved Quinn for a lifetime, but he rejected her when she was eighteen.  Now she has to put on a brave front and face him, and all of her childhood memories.  All she wants to do is get the house finished and get out of town, and back to her life in the city where she’s so busy she doesn’t have time to dwell on the emptiness of her life.

I enjoyed A Risk Worth Taking very much.  I loved the interactions between Holly and Quinn, and even enjoyed Emma, Holly’s little niece.  I usually am not a big fan of babies in romances, but Emma wasn’t just window-dressing here.  She was central to the storyline, and she helped both Holly and Quinn’s hearts to heal.  Despite her best efforts to not get caught up in her feelings for Quinn, which still burned bright, Holly’s resolve crumbled as he became an important addition to her new family.  And Quinn, though he didn’t feel worthy of Emma’s love or trust, was able to put his painful past behind him with the baby and Holly’s help. 

A Risk Worth Taking is a feel good read.  You’ll get caught up in Quinn and Holly’s romance, and cheer along as they both learn to trust again.   As Holly puts aside her sadness, she begins to remember all of the happiness she has turned her back on. As she remembers what is really important in life, she is willing to face the risks, and the rewards, of loving Quinn. 

Grade:  B+

Review copy provided by publisher

Please welcome special guest Nicole Helm to the virtual offices today.  Nicole is here to chat about her new release Seven Night Stand.  She also brought along a $10 Amazon gift card for one of you to win after the interview!

[Manga Maniac Cafe] Describe yourself in 140 characters or less.

[Nicole Helm] I’m a mom of two young boys who writes contemporary romance novels between changing diapers and fielding incessant toddler questions.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] Can you tell us a little about Seven Night Stand?

[Nicole Helm] Seven-Night Stand is about a reality TV scout, Vivvy Marsh, who lands at a small private airfield in Kansas to try and find a reality TV show that will work. She’s pretty desperate for Harrington Airfield & Mechanics to be the setting for that show, but small airport owner Nate Harrington has way too many skeletons in his closet to let that happen. What he does let happen is a seven-night stand that turns complicated when feelings enter the equation.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] How did you come up with the concept and the characters for the story?

[Nicole Helm] I actually wrote the first 1,000 words for a contest where the opening scene had to have a man and a plane. Nate and his airfield were born. The reality TV idea came from something my grandpa mentioned in passing once regarding someone calling him from a TV station with the possibility of doing a show on his business (which is an airfield, although a different kind of one than the Harrington Airfield in my book). It never came to fruition, but it was enough of a seed in my brain for me to use it as a story premise.

The characters themselves came from the idea of wanting a woman to be bowled over by a man and a plane in the first thousand words. Thus, hunky Nate was born. He’s got a little swagger, so I knew he’d need a confident woman who didn’t take anyone’s crap. And that’s how Vivvy came to be.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] What three words best describe Vivvy?

[Nicole Helm] No-nonsense, guarded, driven.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] If Nate had a theme song, what would it be?

[Nicole Helm] Oooh, I love this question! A good theme song for Nate would probably be Guys Like Me by Eric Church. Even though Nate’s a successful businessman, he’s a little rough around the edges, and he definitely embodies his small town.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] Name one thing Vivvy is never without.

[Nicole Helm] Her cell phone–her only connection to the outside world when she’s in Kansas.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] What three things will you never find in Nate’s bedroom?

[Nicole Helm] This is hard. Nate’s a pretty laid back guy, but I’d have to go with a suit, throw pillows, and hair dye.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] What is Vivvy’s greatest regret?

[Nicole Helm] Spending so much of her life fearing connection.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] What are your greatest creative influences?

[Nicole Helm] Books. I’m a lifelong reader, I was once an English major and then an English teacher, so books of all shapes and sizes influence–not just my writing life–but my life in general. I also love music, especially country music. A lot of story ideas have started from listening to a country song.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] What three things do you need in order to write?

[Nicole Helm] My iPad, something distracting my kids, and the internet so I can procrastinate when I get stuck.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] What is the last book that you read that knocked your socks off?

[Nicole Helm] Crazy Thing Called Love by Molly O’Keefe. I think Molly is writing some of the most complex, interesting heroines in contemporary romance right now and this book totally blew me away.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] If you had to pick one book that turned you on to reading, which would it be?

[Nicole Helm] I’ve been a reader my whole life. I remember my dad reading me and my sister a picture book called "Pudgy Pals" when we were tiny, tiny, and I remember the first books I read on my own were a collection of Dr. Seuss books, but I have always, always loved to read. I think I was born with it.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] What do you like to do when you aren’t writing?

[Nicole Helm] Spend time with my husband and kids, watch St. Louis Cardinals baseball, hike (if it’s a nice day), bake, and, of course, read.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] How can readers connect with you?

[Nicole Helm] My website: www.nicolehelm.wordpress.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Nicole-Helm/125277964228020?ref=hl

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5832703.Nicole_Helm

But the best bet is Twitter because, as my husband can attest, I spend waaay too much time on it. @NicoleTHelm

[Manga Maniac Cafe] Thank you!

Giveaway Time!!

Nicole is giving away a $10 Amazon gift card!  Please fill out the widget to enter. Earn extra entries by following. Open to US addresses.

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You can order Seven Night Stand from your favorite bookseller or by clicking the link below.

About Seven Night Stand:

Reality TV scout Vivvy Marsh loves her job, but she’ll lose it if she doesn’t find a hit. When she’s sent to Kansas to scout a show, it looks like a bust…until she meets sexy pilot, Nate Harrington. His family would make the perfect show to save her career.
Nate can’t deny his attraction to Vivvy, but no way can he let this show take off. The Harrington family is riddled with secrets, and she wants it all out in the open. For the next seven days, he’s going to stop at nothing to keep her out of his family’s business, even if it means keeping her distracted in his bedroom.

Nicole’s Bio:

I grew up with my nose in a book and a dream of becoming a writer. Luckily, after a few failed career choices, a husband, and two kids, I get to pursue that dream.
I write down-to-earth contemporary romance over the backdrop of America’s flyover states for Entangled Indulgence and Samhain Publishing.
I live in Missouri with my husband and two young sons, and write my novels one baby’s nap at a time. I’m slightly (okay, totally) addicted to Twitter (nicolethelm), the St. Louis Cardinals, and someday owning a barn.
You can contact me at [email protected]. I am a contributor at the From Fact to Fiction blog and the Entangled Indulgence Author’s blog.
Social Media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Nicole-Helm/125277964228020?ref=hl
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/nicolethelm
Website: www.nicolehelm.wordpress.com
Blog: www.nicolehelm.wordpress.com/blog
Seven Night Stand Buy Links:
B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/seven-night-stand-nicole-helm/1114300676
Kobo: http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/Seven-Night-Stand/book-ZhbPXJ2v8EumCA_tC8Jdhw/page1.html?s=L2AYTnOAwkuKvZQ48mIjqA

Bronwen Evans, author of The Reluctant Wife, stopped by the virtual offices to discuss her latest release.  She brought along a digital copy of The Reluctant Wife for one of you to win, too!  Please give her a warm welcome!

[Manga Maniac Cafe] Describe yourself in 140 characters or less.

[Bronwen Evans] Hi Julie

Waving from New Zealand. I’m a woman who loves life, and who doesn’t want to get to the end and have regrets. When I know what I want, I’m determined to get it. Just go for it is my motto.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] Can you tell us a little about The Reluctant Wife?

[Bronwen Evans] It’s a story close to my heart, for personal reasons. Read the story and guess. When my hero, Dante, and my heroine, Abby, marry they are at different stages in their lives, and they want different things. This leads to lies and deceit and the marriage falls apart. Three years later, they are forced to confront what truly matters in life and love when tragedy strikes.

She married the wrong man, but has to pretend he’s the right guy…

Abby Taylor walked out on her irresistible husband three years ago. Now she has no choice but to return to Italy to ask him for a favor. To pay for her grandmother’s heart operation she needs his money, but it comes with strings attached.

Conte Dante Lombardi has it all—an Italian villa, a successful family business, and a noble title. But he needs a child to carry on his legacy and time is running out. He also hopes to satisfy the desire Abby rouses in him.

As Abby uncovers why he’s in such a hurry for a child, she falls in love with him again … just as she realizes it might be impossible to keep her end of the deal.

…an intense, passionate rollercoaster of a love story—just perfect!

- USA TODAY bestselling author Natalie Anderson

[Manga Maniac Cafe] How did you come up with the concept and the characters for the story?

[Bronwen Evans] I love looking at what is happening around me and thinking what this situation would be like if you were not simply an observer but actually living it.

I have a friend who is battling prostate cancer. His father died of it and my friend was regularly tested. He’s young to have got the disease and it made me think about the position he finds himself in. Luckily because he is tested they got it fairly early. He’s head of a very successful family business and I know he worries about what will happen should the cancer beat him.

What would a man who thought he may die young want most of all – and in my story I made it worse by giving the hero a title, he’s an Italian Conte–he wants children and security for his family, which is linked to his title and company.

As Melanie Milburn, one of my favorite contemporary authors, once said to me, always, always make the story worse. What could be worse? A man facing his own mortality whose wife is estranged. He needs her back because time might be running out and because he thinks what is important is keeping the title for future generations—children. Then what would make the story even worse…His wife might not be able to have children…

[Manga Maniac Cafe] What three words best describe Abby?

[Bronwen Evans] Contained, quietly determined and hopeful

[Manga Maniac Cafe] If Dante had a theme song, what would it be?

[Bronwen Evans] Have a Nice Day by the Stereophonics

[Manga Maniac Cafe] Name one thing Abby won’t leave the house without.

[Bronwen Evans] As she lives in Tuscany, Italy, her sunglasses – squinting causes lines.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] What three things will you never find in Dante’s bedroom?

[Bronwen Evans] Pornography. A sex manual. Viagra. He doesn’t need any of them…

[Manga Maniac Cafe] What is Dante’s greatest regret?

[Bronwen Evans] Not going after Abby when she first left him and begging her to come back to him. He wasted three years in which they could have been together and he’ll never get that time back.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] What are your greatest creative influences?

[Bronwen Evans] A lot of things get my creative juices flowing. I’m rarely without a gem of a story and new characters are always popping into my head.

I get ideas from TV or movies, or people I meet, or things I read in the news.

And lastly I sit and look at the beautiful view out of my study window and because I’m happy and content I want all my characters to have their happy ever after too.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] What three things do you need in order to write?

[Bronwen Evans] My netbook or laptop, a desk and a comfortable chair.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] What is the last book that you read that knocked your socks off?

[Bronwen Evans] Sarah MacLean’s A Rogue by Any Other Name

[Manga Maniac Cafe] If you had to pick one book that turned you on to reading, which would it be?

[Bronwen Evans] One of Penny Jordan’s first Mills and Boon books, I can’t remember the title.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] What do you like to do when you aren’t writing?

[Bronwen Evans] I love catching up with friends and family. I play bridge and sometimes, if the weather’s good, you’ll find me on the golf course.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] How can readers connect with you?

[Bronwen Evans] I love social media but email works too – [email protected]

FB: https://www.facebook.com/bronwenevansauthor

Twitter: @bronwenevans_NZ

Website: http://www.bronwenevans.com/

Blog: http://www.bronwenevans.com/bronwen-blog.html

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/bronwenevans/

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4331713.Bronwen_Evans

[Manga Maniac Cafe] Thank you!

About Bron:

New Zealander Bronwen Evans grew up loving books. She’s always indulged her love for story-telling, and is constantly gobbling up movies, books and theatre. Her head is filled with characters and stories, particularly lovers in angst. Is it any wonder she’s a proud romance writer?

She writes both historical and contemporary sexy romances for the modern woman who likes intelligent, spirited heroines, and compassionate alpha heroes. Her debut Regency romance, Invitation to Ruin won the RomCon 2012 Readers Crown Best Historical and was an RT Reviewers’ Choice Nominee Best First Historical 2011. To Dare the Duke of Dangerfield was a FINALIST in the Kindle Book Review Indie Romance Book of the Year 2012. Look out for her first Entangled Publishing Indulgence released Dec 2012, The Reluctant Wife.

Bronwen loves hearing from avid romance readers at [email protected]
you can keep up with Bronwen’s news by visiting her website www.bronwenevans.com

Giveaway Time!!

Ready for your chance to win a digital copy of The Reluctant Wife? Just fill out the widget below.  Earn extra entries for following.  Open Internationally.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

You can purchase The Reluctant Wife from your favorite bookseller or by clicking the links below:

B&N http://bit.ly/UCy4Rp

Barbara DeLeo stopped by the virtual offices today to chat about her new release, Contract for Marriage.  Check out what she has to say about her new Indulgence romance!

[Manga Maniac Cafe] Describe yourself in 140 characters or less.

[Barbara DeLeo]  A short, blonde Scorpio with four kids, a husband, dog and a thousand stories in her head, who loves long weekend lunches with friends.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] Can you tell us a little about Contract for Marriage?

[Barbara DeLeo] Contract for Marriage is about what happens when you have to compromise your own needs for those of someone else. Christo wants to acquire the villa where his mother’s been housekeeper for forty years so she can stay on in the only home she’s known. Ruby wants the same house too—for her unborn baby so it can have links to a family that’s been lost. Both Ruby and Christo must trust each other to get what they want, but first they must revisit a past littered with lies and deception.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] How did you come up with the concept and the characters for the story?

[Barbara DeLeo] I started with the characters and how they could have come from the same home that meant so much to them. Having Christo as the son of the housekeeper and Ruby the daughter of the estate owner threw up a whole set of “what ifs” when I began thinking about a teenage relationship between them. Creating a believable situation where they were both entitled to an equal share of the house was a challenge, but once I’d done that the whole story came into focus.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] What three words best describe Ruby?

[Barbara DeLeo] Determined, Creative, Vulnerable

[Manga Maniac Cafe] What three activities would Christo never engage in?

[Barbara DeLeo] Flower arranging, Gossip, Giving up

[Manga Maniac Cafe] If Christo had a theme song, what would it be?

[Barbara DeLeo] I did it my way.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] Name one thing Ruby won’t leave the house without.

[Barbara DeLeo] A piece of jewelry that she’s made herself.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] What are your greatest creative influences?

[Barbara DeLeo] Books and movies. I’ve been a big reader since I was very small and I love the feeling of being lost in a story. When I was very small my dad used to go to the library every Friday night and we’d wake up Saturday morning to a pile of books on each of our beds. I still feel that excitement when I open a book for the first time. I’m also a very big movie fan —not action or adventure or sci-fi, but stories of real people living real lives. Seeing the way other authors, screenwriters and directors tell their stories has a big influence in me finding my own creativity.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] What three things do you need in order to write?

[Barbara DeLeo] Silence, a tidy space, my super-dooper Scrivener writing program.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] What is the last book that you read that knocked your socks off?

[Barbara DeLeo] The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] If you had to pick one book that turned you on to reading, which would it be?

[Barbara DeLeo] The Enchanted Wood by Enid Blyton.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] What do you like to do when you aren’t writing?

[Barbara DeLeo] I love walking in the hills behind my house, catching up with my girlfriends over a glass or three of wine, and reading.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] How can readers connect with you?

[Barbara DeLeo] I’m at these places:

Website Facebook Goodreads Twitter

Thanks so much for having me, Manga Maniac Cafe!

[Manga Maniac Cafe] Thank you!

You can order  Contract for Marriage from your favorite bookseller or by clicking the widget below.

Barnes and Noble or  Kobo

Barbara’s Bio

Barbara DeLeo’s first book, co-written with her best friend, was a story about beauty queens in space. She was eleven, and the sole, handwritten copy was lost years ago, much to everyone’s relief. It’s some small miracle that she kept the faith and is now living her dream of writing sparkling contemporary romance with unforgettable characters.

After completing degrees in Psychology and English then travelling the world, Barbara married her winemaker hero and had two sets of twins. She still loves telling stories about finding love in all the wrong places, with not a beauty queen or spaceship in sight.

Michele de Winton is the author of The Boss and Her Billionaire, a recent release from Entangled Publishing under their Indulgence imprint.  Michele stopped by the virtual offices recently for a chat, and she brought a copy of her book for one of you to win!

[Manga Maniac Cafe] Describe yourself in 140 characters or less.

[Michele de Winton] I’d like to think I’m like my characters: with sass, style and smarts. Love yoga, books, food, sun, girlfriends, my boys. Words are my drug.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] Can you tell us a little about The Boss and Her Billionaire?

[Michele de Winton] Life is complicated and it’s too easy to forget our dreams when family, life and work get in the way. This is a book about following your dreams, for both characters. Michaela’s aspirations are focused around getting the dream job, having the perfect career trajectory, but along the way she finds that life without people in it is much harder work than she figured. For Dylan, his dreams of dancing (muscle rippling, sweat inducing, fabulous body making, dancing) have been on hold because of all the people in his life, his family and his brother specifically.

In The Boss and Her Billionaire I wanted to bring two people from completely different worlds together, but in order for them to meet at all, Dylan being a workaholic, I needed him completely outside his comfort zone. I needed to get a man who hadn’t taken a holiday in years to stop a moment, and smell the palm trees. Solution? Cruise ship. It’s set in and around the Pacific Islands so there’s plenty of scope for a ‘holiday affair’ to spark into reality, the difficulty for both characters is negotiating the tensions of real life verses holiday life realities. Both of these characters are strong willed so it takes some good advice and butt kicking to get them to see sense but in the end their dreams win out. Oh and the chemistry is untamed, unstoppable, and wonderfully unprofessional.

I like to ‘cast’ my characters early on so I have a solid picture of them in my mind. So if I was casting the film of the book I think Maggie Gyllenhall would play Michaela, with a blond wig. She’s definitely got enough sass to pull it off, and can play strong and sultry as well as soft and hopeful. And for Dylan, I’d cast Channing Tatum (although he’d have to wear green contact lenses). He’s got a great bod, some real smarts and he really can dance. Defiantly one to sweep ladies of their feet – literally.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] How did you come up with the concept and the characters for the story?

[Michele de Winton] I was a guest writer on a Cruise ship last year. I know. Dream! I didn’t even know there was such a thing, but I had been doing a reading at an event and the CEO of a cruise ship company happened to be there. She asked if I’d be interested doing something similar. A free cruise? Count me in! Of course I said yes! It meant that my husband and I had a sort of hybrid cruise, having a full guest experience with a lovely stateroom and full access to the onshore tours etc, but also going backstage and into the staff offices and quarters of the ship. The Cruise Director was a man (there really are very few women in that role for some reason) and I never even met the Captain. But watching the dancers interact with guests and being involved with some of the onboard shows sparked something in my mind. I have also been a professional dancer so felt I definitely knew what my characters would be thinking and feeling. They burst almost fully formed onto my pages when I sat down to write them. Dylan takes a little while to see the light, but he’s my kind of hero—smart, generous and loyal. He just needed a bit of time to see that his priorities were off target. Michaela is like so many

May Contain Spoilers

From Amazon:

Review:

I wanted to read The Oil Tycoon and Her Sexy Sheikh because I was curious to see how the conflict between the characters would be portrayed.  Olivia is an executive at a successful oil company, and in order to ensure that she will take her father’s place  when he retires, she needs to land the contract to drill for oil in the waters off of Saqat.  Khaled is next in line to rule the country, but he is also a marine biologist.  He has studied the long term effects of oil spills on marine life, and what he has learned is discouraging.  It takes far longer than originally thought for the aquatic ecosystem to recover from the devastating consequences of a spill, and he is reluctant to allow any corporation to set up shop in his coastal waters.  He doesn’t believe that safety precautions go far enough, and he thinks that the cleanup efforts outlined in the contract are also lacking.  But tempering his reluctance to open up Saqat to oil investors is the need to alleviate the poverty of his  people.  The money from oil production would help bring education and improvements in medical care, and it is very difficult for him to turn that down.  I enjoyed this conflict between these two driven people.  Olivia is gung-ho to prove herself to the naysayers at her father’s company, and Khaled wants what’s best for both his country and his people.  This puts them at odds with each other, and it is a heavy weight on Khaled’s shoulders.  Does he allow these foreigners into the pristine waters, when there is a potential that they will bring ruin to the fragile ecosystem?

While I found the business negotiations interesting, I was not convinced about the romantic conflict between Khaled and Olivia.  They are instantly attracted to each other, but because Khaled is next in line to inherit the throne, he tries to put the brakes on their budding relationship.  It just can’t work out for them, because he has a duty to his people.  Their relationship can’t go anywhere, because he is expected to marry a quiet, respectable Muslim girl from Saqat, and Olivia just doesn’t fit into the mold he has imagined his future wife must fit  into.  I didn’t buy into this conflict because the only person wh

Ros Clarke is visiting the Café today to chat about her new release, The Oil Tycoon and Her Sexy Sheikh.  After the interview, Ros brought along a digital copy of her book for one of you to win! 

[Manga Maniac Cafe] Hi, Ros! Thanks for dropping in!

[Ros Clarke] Hello and thanks for welcoming me to the Manga Maniac Cafe today!

[Manga Maniac Cafe] Describe yourself in 140 characters or less.

[Ros Clarke] Fun, fat, fabulous, happy, British, clever, silly, creative, colourful, addicted to adverbs, chocolate, romance novels and daytime TV.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] Can you tell us a little about The Oil Tycoon and Her Sexy Sheikh?

[Ros Clarke] It’s a traditional category romance, with truly twenty-first century characters. The Oil Tycoon is Olivia McInnes, a fiercely determined career woman who intends to take over the running of her father’s oil company. And Her Sexy Sheikh is Khaled Saqat, a marine biologist and expert on the long-term effects of oil spills. The problem is that there is oil in Saqat waters and Olivia wants the contract to drill. Khaled can’t think of anything worse – but his country needs the money, so he has to find a way to negotiate with Olivia to come up with a solution that works for them both. Their romance is just as complicated to negotiate as their business partnership but of course there is a happy ever after – eventually!

[Manga Maniac Cafe] How did you come up with the concept and the characters for the story?

[Ros Clarke] I love a good sheikh story, but most of them seem to bear absolutely no resemblance to the real world of the Middle East. I wanted to try to write something a bit more realistic. Oil was the obvious place to start. And if you’ve got oil, then you’ve got environmentalists protesting about it. The lightbulb moment for me was when I realised that the sheikh could be the environmentalist which let the heroine be the oil executive. Everything else followed from there.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] What three words best describe Olivia?

[Ros Clarke] Ambitious, independent, lonely

[Manga Maniac Cafe] What are three things Khaled would never have in his bedroom?

[Ros Clarke] A hot water bottle, a cute picture of a baby dugong, a cat. Actually, I don’t know about the cat, but I wouldn’t have one, so I am projecting.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] If Khaled had a theme song, what would it be?

[Ros Clarke] Whale Song, Pearl Jam

[Manga Maniac Cafe] What are your greatest creative influences?

[Ros Clarke] I suppose it’s the authors I’ve read most: Dorothy L Sayers, Dick Francis, Georgette Heyer. They all wrote genre fiction but they all wrote intelligent, interesting books with believable characters and realistic settings. They are books you can fall into and inhabit. I don’t think my writing is anywhere like as good, but that’s what I’m aiming for.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] What three things do you need in order to write?

[Ros Clarke] Time, lack of stress, laptop

[Manga Maniac Cafe] What is the last book that you read that knocked your socks off?

[Ros Clarke] Kate Hewitt’s The Darkest of Secrets. I loved the way she explored the taboo subject of adultery in romance and I really loved the way she made the hero work for his happy ending. I don’t want to say any more because it will spoil the story, but if you haven’t already, go read it!

[Manga Maniac Cafe] If you had to pick one book that turned y