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[Manga Maniac Cafe]  Good morning, Lynna!   Describe yourself in five words or less.

[Lynna Banning] Shy, smart, determined, and hard-working

[Manga Maniac Cafe] Can you tell us a little about The Lone Sheriff?

[Lynna Banning] I am partial to “wounded warriors,” and was drawn to an orphan of undetermined heritage (maybe part Indian, maybe part Mexican, but he doesn’t really know) who pulled himself up by his bootstraps and in adulthood worked his way up to being sheriff. I saddled him with a privileged back-East girl whom he sees as a “piece of rich fluff” but who earns his respect, then his admiration, and then his love based on her wit and strength of character.

[Manga Maniac Cafe]  Can you share your favorite scene?

[Lynna Banning] My favorite scene is the opening one, where Jericho meets the train from Chicago, expecting a male Pinkerton agent, and instead finds himself looking at Madison O’Donnell, who turns out to be a very beautiful lady Pinkerton detective with a feathered hat and a mint-green parasol.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] What did you enjoy most about writing this book?

[Lynna Banning] Working out the push-pull dialogue and interaction between Jericho and Maddie, with his stubborn streak and her very smart one-ups-manship capabilities.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] What’s one thing you won’t leave home without?

[Lynna Banning] A book, whatever I’m reading at the moment.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] Name three things on your desk right now.

[Lynna Banning] A photograph of my husband; a straw-basket bed for my cat; and a fluffy feather duster for my computer keyboard.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] What’s your favorite snack when you’re working on a deadline?

[Lynna Banning] Anything chocolate. Sometimes if I’m out of peanut butter cups I pour out a handful of chocolate chips and nibble on those.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] If you could trade places with anyone for just one day, who would you be?

[Lynna Banning] A reporter on 60 Minutes, interviewing women historical romance writers.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] You have been granted the use of one superpower for one week.  Which power would you choose, and what would you do with it?

[Lynna Banning] My superpower would be the ability to bring clarity of thinking and humanitarian regard to people who are abusing other people, whether in the home, the community, or the nation—any nation.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] What are some books that you enjoyed recently?

[Lynna Banning] Tracy Chevalier’s “The Last Runaway”; Christina Dodd’s “Candle in the Window”; “Duty” by Robert Gates; and my annual re-reading of “Anne of Green Gables,” by Lucy Montgomery.

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

[Lynna Banning] I love to hear from readers! Write me at P.O. Box 324, Felton, California 95018. Email me at [email protected]. My web page is www.lynnabanning.net.

THE LONE SHERIFF

LYNNA BANNING

Harlequin Western historical ~ 75k words

As if tracking down train robbers isn’t enough, now Sheriff Jericho Silver’s backup detective is a gun-toting, head-turning beauty who sure spells trouble.

Madison O’Donnell had the perfect life—a beautiful home and all the ladies

luncheons she could stomach—but it left her bored to tears. Now the determined widow fills her days with daring deeds and wild adventures, including working with Jericho. But he insists on her returning to the city where she belongs and finds she is one lady who refuses to take no for an answer.

Buy links: Amazon B&N Harlequin Romance

Excerpt:

None of them looked remotely like a Pinkerton man. A Pinkerton agent would no doubt be wearing a proper suit. But the only male who looked the least bit citified was Ike Bruhn, home from his honeymoon with his new bride.

Sandy jiggled at his side. “Ya see ’im?”

“Nope,” Jerico grunted.

“Maybe he missed the train,” his deputy suggested.

“Naw, must be here somewhere. Look for a gent in a gray suit.” Pinkerton men always wore grey to blend in with crowds. He scanned the thronged station platform again.

“Check inside, Sandy. Maybe he slipped past me.”

His deputy jogged off and Jericho perused the crowd a third time. Nothing. Maybe Mr. Detective had chickened out at the prospect of fingering an elusive outlaw gang that was robbing trains. He narrowed his eyes and turned to check the station once more when someone stumbled smack into him.

“Oh, I am terribly sorry.” An extremely pretty young woman carrying a green-striped parasol gazed up at him. Her voice sounded like rich whiskey sliding over smooth river stones and for a moment Jericho forgot what he’d come for. She only came up to his shoulder and on her dark, piled-up hair sat the most ridiculous concoction of feathers and stuffed birds he’d ever laid eyes on.

He sucked in a breath to apologize, then wished he hadn’t. Goddam she smelled good. Soap and something flowery.

Made his head swim.

He stepped back. “’Scuse me, ma’am.”

She waved a gloved hand and peered at his chest. “Oh, you are the sheriff.”

“Yeah, I am.”

She smiled and his mouth went dry. “You are just the man I want to see.”

Jericho swallowed. “You have a problem?”

“Oh, no.” She twirled her parasol. “You have the problem. I have come to help.” She waited, an expectant look on her face.

“Help?” Jerico echoed.

“Of course.” The whiskey in her voice was now sliding over some pointy rocks. “I am Madison O’Donnell. The Smoke River Bank hired me to help catch the gang robbing their gold shipments.”

Jericho stared at her.

“I believe you were expecting me?”

He snapped his jaw shut. He sure as hell wasn’t expecting her. The last thing he’d expected was this frilly-looking female with her ridiculous hat. In her green-striped dress and twirling her parasol like that she made him think of a dish of cool mint ice cream.

“Whatever is the matter, Sheriff? You have gone quite pale? Are you ill?”

He jerked at the question. Not ill, just gutshot. “Uh, yeah. I mean No, I’m not ill. Just . . . surprised.”

She lowered her voice. “Most Pinkerton clients are surprised when they meet me. It will pass.”

Hell no, it won’t.

Madison O’Donnell picked up her travel bag. “Shall we go?”

Not on your life. “Uh, my deputy’s inside the station house. ’Scuse me, ma’am.” He strode past her without looking back. Inside, he found Sandy talking to the ticket seller.

“Charlie says nobody’s come in except the two Weatherby women. You want me to hang around and – ?”

Biography for Lynna Banning:

Lynna Banning combines a lifelong love of history and literature into a satisfying career as a writer. Born in Oregon, she has lived in Northern California most of her life. After graduating from Scripps College she embarked on a career as an editor and technical writer, and later as a high school English teacher.

An amateur pianist and harpsichordist, Lynna performs on psaltery and harp in a medieval music ensemble, and she also plays cortholt, recorders, and tar (drum). She enjoys hearing from her readers. You may write to her directly at P.O. Box 324, Felton, CA 95018, USA, or at [email protected]. Visit Lynna’s website at www.lynnabanning.net.

*** *** ***

Giveaway: Seven(7) copies of The Lone Sheriff…Seven(7) lucky winners

a Rafflecopter giveaway /

The post Interview with Lynna Banning, Author of The Lone Sheriff and Giveaway appeared first on Manga Maniac Cafe.

May Contain Spoilers

Review:

I am a big fan of Donna Alward, so when I saw this free novella, I scooped it up and immediately sat down to read it.  Like her other books, this short story just clicked with me.  I could easily relate to Megan; she’s a hard working vet during the week, but she loves participating in rodeo during the weekend.  Pax isn’t a bad guy, he’s just a bit misguided.  Five years ago, after a traumatic event puts him in charge of the family business, he abruptly breaks things off with Megan after she leaves for college.  He ignores her calls and emails, leaving her broken hearted and confused.  Hadn’t they fallen in love over the summer before she left for school?

Megan realizes that she never got over Paxton when she sees him at the fairgrounds where she’s competing.  His family breeds stock for rodeos, and he’s there with a trailer of animals for the show.  They immediately butt heads, and when he tries to apologize for ending things the way he did, Megan just can’t get past her anger.  He took the coward’s way out back then, and she doesn’t want to hear his excuses.  Deep down Pax thought he was doing the right thing.  By ending their relationship, he was ensuring that she would follow her dream of becoming a veterinarian, instead of being tied to the fortunes of his ranch. 

Now that Megan has built a life that she likes and is proud of, she resents that Pax has come marching back into it.  She has bulls to ride, and she needs to concentrate on that, and not let Pax distract her.  She keeps dredging up the past, though, and wonders if she’ll ever be completely over him.  When a bull ride goes wrong, Pax thinks that he made a mistake, but nothing has really changed, so he doesn’t see a way for them to be together.

Even though Rodeo Rebel is a short story, it packed a big emotional punch.  I could feel Megan’s pain and frustration over Paxton and his insistence that there was no way they could be together.  Though he originally thought he was acting in her best interests, he still refuses, years later, to compromise.  He doesn’t like being at the rodeo fairgrounds, but Megan thrives on the excitement and the commotion.  He loves the quiet of his ranch, and Megan has a job that she loves, at a vet practice far away.  Instead of thinking of ways to work things out, he keeps putting up road blocks, and threatening to break Megan’s heart all over again.

I enjoyed this so much that I grabbed the rest of the books in the Texas Rodeo Barons continuity, and I am looking forward to reading them.  I like the Harlequin American Romance line, but I don’t feel that I read enough of them, which is unfortunate, because I know I’m missing out on some good stuff.

Grade:  B+

Review copy purchase from Amazon – FREE

From Amazon:

The Barons, six tight-knit siblings—loud, daring and loyal—are about to discover that love can be as rough as the rodeo. Bestselling author Donna Alward introduces the exciting Texas Rodeo Barons series with her charming prequel novella, Rodeo Rebel.

Back in the ring

As the first female bull rider in her circuit, Megan Robertson needs to focus. But all she can think about is her ex, Pax Lantry. Megan knew their paths would cross again—she just wasn’t prepared for the effect it would have on her. More surprising than the old heartache is the jolt of pure attraction she still feels for him.

Even after five years, Pax has never gotten over Megan. All it takes is seeing her, just once, for him to know that their connection is as strong as ever. But he’s committed to his family’s ranch and Meg has her own demanding career. It seems as if Pax and Megan have moved on, so why can’t they let each other go?

Don’t miss the first heartwarming novel in the Texas Rodeo Barons series, The Texan’s Baby.

The post Novella Review: Rodeo Rebel by Donna Alward appeared first on Manga Maniac Cafe.

May Contain Spoilers

Review:

I have been having a hard time finishing a book for the last week or so.  Nothing has been holding my interest, and when that happens, I usually pick up a Harlequin to help me over my reading hurdle.  There’s just something about the formula and the guaranteed HEA that I, and many, many others, find appealing.  I picked up Her Cowboy Hero because it has, you guessed it, a cowboy!  Yeah, I can be pretty shallow.

Her Cowboy Hero is a very touching story about loss, acceptance, and finally moving forward instead of avoiding the future  and wallowing in the past.  Colin is still suffering from the tragic accident that took his wife and young son from him, and instead of trying to deal with his pain, he runs away from his memories.  Traveling from one short-term ranch job to another, he has given up his house, his vet practice, and even his siblings.  He never wants to be hurt again, so instead of caring about the people he still has left in his life, he turns his back on them, ignoring their gestures of comfort.  When he runs into Widow Shaw and her broken down truck, she’s the last person he thinks he needs in his life.  The young widow is beautiful, perpetually perky, and so not what he wants right now.  Maybe not, but he sure does need Hannah and her bright dreams for the future.

Hannah is struggling with grief, too.  Her husband was killed overseas, serving the country, and her mother-in-law, the only family she had left, passed away soon after.  Neither survived to see the birth of her son, Evan.  Having  been bounced around from one foster home to another when she was growing up, Hannah is determined to provide a loving, stable home for Evan, even if she has to do it on her own.  With a dream of fixing up the ranch that has been in husband’s family, and turning it into a B&B, she always puts her best foot forward.  Money’s tight and financing is a challenge, but she knows that everything will work out in the end.   Deciding long ago that she could either dwell on all of the unhappiness in her life or find the bright side to any situation, she is the ultimate glass is half-full kind of girl.  Colin, on the other hand, is a cheerless, grumpy cowboy, and he needs to lighten up.  A lot.  Good thing he ran into Hannah.

There were times during the first half of the book that I had tears in my eyes.  I loved how the relationships developed between Hannah and Colin, and Colin and Evan.  Colin has avoided children since the death of his son, and he feels panicky whenever Evan is around.  If he sees him coming, Colin turns and practically runs in the other direction.  When Evan tries to slide head first down the banister, Colin saves him from hurting himself, changing their relationship.

“Mr Colin?”  Evan’s voice was hesitant, but close.

Colin jerked his head up, realizing Evan had partially emerged from his sanctuary.

“Are you gonna cry?”

“What?” Surprised by the question, Colin raised a hand to his eyes, realizing his vision was beginning to blur.  Dammit.  He looked back at the curious little boy, but for a moment, he didn’t see Evan Shaw. He saw Danny’s face, Danny laughingly demanding to be swung high in the air.  Danny, solemn as he nodded his understanding that the oven was hot and that he needed to stay back.  Danny worn out after a Christmas carnival, asleep on his stomach with his little butt curved up in the air.

That now familiar suffocating sensation crowded Colin’s chest.  He shot to his feet, wanting to put as much space as possible between himself and this room filled with all the bright adventure of childhood.

I loved that scene between Colin and Evan.  It marks the point in Colin’s road where he is able to look at Evan and see beyond his grief.  He agrees to keep a secret for Evan, something he is reluctant to do, because he fears the bond it will forge between them, and the pain it might bring him.  It does change their relationship, allowing Colin to finally realize that, while he’s still heartbroken over the loss of his family, closing himself off from others is just as painful.

This conversation between Colin and his younger brother is another of my favorite scenes.  Colin has never seen comfortable discussing his feelings, but he discovers the value in doing just that, despite how awkward it makes him feel.  He also begins to acknowledge that he hasn’t done himself any favors by walking away from his family and friends.

“It’s like I’ve had a splinter in my heart,” he said haltingly.  “It got worse and worse and worse for two years, infected probably.  And Hannah somehow drew it to the surface.  She has this way of getting me to talk-about the accident, about random stuff like picking out nursery furniture before Danny was born.  She’s not only extracting the memories but the pain.”

Her Cowboy Hero is a sweet and touching journey from the grip of grief and despair, to the courage of self-forgiveness and the power of a second chance at love, because everyone deserves happiness-even a cranky cowboy.

Grade:  B+

Review copy provided by publisher

From Amazon:

He’s Just The Hired Help… 

What kind of cockeyed Pollyanna is Colin Cade working for? Her porch is rotting, her “guest cabin” is cheerless and her land and livestock have only a geriatric cowboy to care for them. Yet Hannah Shaw is positive she can turn her ranch into a successful B and B—and that Colin’s the man to make it happen. 

But Colin can’t stick around. He lives with the loss of his family by avoiding the memories, and the way he feels around Hannah and her young son is like a knife to the heart. Trouble is, he’s better at ignoring his own pain than someone else’s, and bright, cheerful Hannah has a heart as haunted as his own. She deserves to be happy—but could she really be with him?

The post Review: Her Cowboy Hero by Tanya Michaels appeared first on Manga Maniac Cafe.

May Contain Spoilers

Review:

When the author pitched a review of The Return of the Rebel, I was happy to accept.  I love almost all Harlequin imprints, but with my other review commitments, I don’t often find the time to read one unless there is some outside pressure applied (a blog tour or a direct author request).  I didn’t even need to know plot details beyond the primary trope, which is one of my favorites.  For some reason, carrying a torch for your older brother’s best friend always pushes the right buttons for me.  Adding in Jax’s understandable anxiety for the future, and you have a gripping read.  I wish there had either been more attention given to his trial, or that that plot thread hadn’t been included at all.  There’s actually a lot going on in the book, and I felt that the trial was short-changed, but that is a minor quibble.

Cleo has just been promoted, and she’s under a lot of pressure to not only succeed in her new position, but excel as well.  She went over her supervisor’s head for the position, and he isn’t too happy with her about that.  The hostess at a Las Vegas casino, it’s her job to ensure that her client has a wonderful time so that he drops a boatload of cash at the gaming tables.  She gets off to a rocky start after discovering that her privacy-hungry client is none other than Jax Monroe, a boy from the wrong side of the tracks in her small farming community in Wyoming.  Jax was her brother’s friend, and he was also her first crush. She’s still mortified that she tried to kiss him all those years ago.  Soon after that embarrassing fiasco, Jax packed up and left Hope Springs for good.

Cleo has also relocated from Wyoming.  First attending an Ivy League school in East, now she’s settled in Las Vegas.  She’s desperate to make her mark in town, because her family’s ranch is deep in debt.  Her brother blames her for the financial mess;  her father paid for her very expensive college tuition, diminishing the family coffers.  He was tragically killed in an accident, and her mother blames her for his death.  Estranged from her family, Cleo suffers from guilt and is determined to help bail them out of their money problems.

Her reunion with Jax doesn’t go well, and her supervisor threatens to fire her if her behavior doesn’t change pronto.  Jax, traveling incognito, doesn’t want anyone to know where he is.  He’s the key witness in a money-laundering case, and there is someone out to get him.  When Cleo is the unwitting victim of the attacker, Jax steps in to protect her by whisking her away to a friend’s mansion, where they both are forced to own up to their past, as well as contemplate their plans for the future.

I think Jax’s health concerns made this a winner for me.  He is so afraid that he won’t have a future that he keeps shutting down his relationship with Cleo.  His own parents died young, and he is terrified that he will, too.  He doesn’t want to put a family through that, so he has decided that he won’t allow himself to fall in love, and forget having kids at all.  There’s no way he’s going to put a child through the painful loss of a parent.  He’s coming from a fragile emotional state, and even though he’s bested his disease this time, he’s fearful that it will return, and so he closes up and refuses to allow himself the luxury of falling in love with Cleo.

Cleo is dealing with emotional baggage as well.  She regrets her last conversation with her father, and she has taken her mother’s blame to heart.  If she hadn’t been such a disappointment to her parents, her father would still be alive.  She hasn’t spoken to her mother in years, and the loss of her family eats away at her.  Jax recognizes how important her family is, and suffering from an unpleasant childhood, he urges her to make up with her mother.   I thought each character had a convincing reason to avoid commitment, so it was gratifying as each overcame the past and their painful regrets and rediscovered the wonder of trust and caring.

The Return of the Rebel is a sweet read, and it’s a perfect read while you are lounging in the sun.

Grade:  B

Review copy provided by author

From Amazon:

The guy from the wrong side of the tracks… 

Being promoted should be a dream come true, only it means working closely with Cleo’s childhood crush, Jax Monroe. Jax may no longer be the rebel she remembers, but he still gets her heart racing like no other.  

Jax cares too much about Cleo to let her get too close—but keeping his distance is proving impossible! As Jax reveals the extent of what he’s been through, will Cleo show him that some things are too precious to put off until tomorrow?

Purchase At

Amazon   |   Amazon – UK   |  Barnes & Noble   |  Harlequin  |  Kobo  |  iTunes

The post Review: The Return of the Rebel by Jennifer Faye appeared first on Manga Maniac Cafe.

I jumped all over this book for two reasons; it features a quarterback hero, and it’s a release under Harlequin’s Kimani imprint.  I haven’t had the pleasure of reading anything under this imprint, and since I am a sucker for all things Harlequin, I started hopping up and down with my arm in the air, shouting, “Oh, pick me! Pick me to read this one!”

Right from the start, I felt a bit sorry for Danica.  She has expended so much effort to live up to everyone’s expectations of her, and all she’s gotten in return is grief.  Her ex-husband, a music producer, confessed to cheating on her, giving her self-esteem a serious dent.  While a bit of distance had grown between them over the past ten years, she still believed in their marriage and she still believed that they were meant to be life-mates.  Married at eighteen, her demanding parents heartily endorsed their union, so when the marriage fell apart, she was left confused, hurt, and wondering where she had failed.  Guys can be such jerks!

After firing Dex Harper, the quarterback of her parents’ football franchise, she’s furious when he goes over her head and requests a meeting with her parents.  As the GM of the team, he should have come to her and not jumped rank.  Fuming about his behavior, she and Dex get off to a contentious start.  He’s angry that he’s been sacked from the team, for reasons that are patently false, and she’s pissed that he won’t just go away.  I have to say that I liked this twist – Danica is in the power position here, and Dex is scrambling to get his job back and prove that he wasn’t on the take like the former owner of the team.

The chemistry between Dex and Danica is instantaneous, and it quickly burns out of control.  She can’t get him out of her head, and he can’t keep his hands off of her.  Too bad there’s that whole firing thing spoiling what would otherwise be a fantastic relationship.  As Danica gets to know Dex better, she sees the real man underneath all of the attitude and brazen behavior.  He’s got a rep as a complete bad boy, and Danica, the ultimate good girl, doesn’t trust him with her heart.  I enjoyed the tension between them, and wondered how they would ever get their happily ever after, especially since Danica was responsible for taking away the thing that Dex loved most.  If he couldn’t play football, he was adrift, and with his history and his reputation, other teams wouldn’t even glance his way.

Danica is gifted as a spin queen, so she offers to help Dex clean up his image so another team will take a chance on him.  I have to say the one plot thread that didn’t make sense to me was the whole firing Dex and then not taking him back when it’s proven that he had nothing to do with the corruption of the former team owner.  Accused of throwing games, he vehemently defended his innocence, and when his playing abilities are questioned, he blames other teammates who have been implicated in the corruption case.  The other players have been released, and no one has proven that Dex was on the take.  His replacement on the team is not cutting it; he’s playing with an injury and can’t play well under pressure, so it didn’t make much sense to me to can Dex, a proven player, for the new guy.

The story really took off for me when Danica started doing things for herself.  This caused a lot of friction between her and her mom, and I have to say – good!  Her mom could be cutting, selfish, and not supportive of  her daughters.  Used to getting her way, she bristles when Danica puts her foot down and pushes back.  Her parents constantly interfere in her life, demand total obedience, and it was so awesome when Danica finally said, “Hell, no!”  Good for you, girl!  Don’t let anyone push you around and dictate what’s going to make you happy!  I really did not like her power couple parents.

Midnight Play was a successful foray into an imprint I hadn’t sampled before, and I’ll have to keep an eye out for more in the future.  As for the Blue Dynasty, I didn’t have any trouble figuring what was going on, even having not read the first book in the series.  I’d like to read more about Danica’s sisters, if for no other reason than to see them give their mom a hard time!

MIDNIGHT PLAY

Love evens the score 

As general manager of the Las Vegas Slayers, Danica Blue goes toe-to-toe with players whose size is matched only by their egos. Quarterback Dex Harper is the biggest and toughest of them all, with a hell-raiser reputation that he insists he doesn’t deserve. And Danica, the good daughter who’s always played by the rules, is suddenly tempted to break every last one. 

Football is the only thing Dex has ever been able to count on. To save his career he needs Danica’s PR savvy, and he’s happy to help her discover her inner bad girl in return. But glimpsing the real woman behind that sexy, flawless facade is making him realize how much is at stake. Because getting back on the team could mean losing Danica, unless he’s willing to risk it all—and play for keeps….

Buy Links

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00I66GD5G/ref=s9_simh_gw_p351_d0_i4?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=0CCDZ7437VWK9DMJMXG6&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=1688200382&pf_rd_i=507846

B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/midnight-play-lisa-marie-perry/1118053061?ean=9780373863648

Link to Follow Tour: http://tastybooktours.blogspot.com/2014/03/now-booking-tasty-review-tour-for.html

Author Info

Lisa Marie Perry encounters difficult fictional men and women on a daily basis. She writes contemporary romance fiction with plenty of sizzle, energy and depth. Flawed, problematic, damaged characters are welcome. Her tales feature exciting multicultural mash-ups, sexy guy-next-door heroes and powerful larger-than-life alphas who are brought to their knees by the love of complicated women.

According to Lisa Marie, an imagination’s a terrible thing to ignore. So is a good cappuccino. After years of college, customer service gigs and a career in caregiving, she at last gave in to buying an espresso machine and writing to her imagination’s desire. She lives in America’s heartland and she has every intention of making the Colorado mountains her new stomping grounds. She drives a truck, enjoys indie rock, collects Medieval literature, watches too many comedies, has a not-so-secret love for lace and adores rugged men with a little bit of nerd.

Author Links

http://www.perrytalebooks.com/

https://twitter.com/PerryOrdinary

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7729201.Lisa_Marie_Perry

The post Review: Midnight Play by Lisa Marie Perry appeared first on Manga Maniac Cafe.

Lisa Marie Perry stopped by the virtual offices to chat about Midnight Play.  Please check later this morning for my review of her latest release.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] Describe yourself in five words or less.  

[Lisa Marie Perry] Random. Complicated. Survivor. Searching. Good-intentioned.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] Can you tell us a little about your book?

[Lisa Marie Perry] In MIDNIGHT PLAY Dex Harper is a disgraced quarterback in the prime of his career, so Danica Blue—the woman who fired him and smiled while doing it—isn’t one of his favorite people. Until he ends up alone with her and a bag of sex toys. Attraction and awareness throw them both off guard even as she tries to help restore his damaged reputation and they become unlikely friends. Their scorching story unlocks plenty of secrets and rocks Las Vegas.

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

[Lisa Marie Perry] Danica’s the “be perfect or die trying” type and Dex is the hell-raiser with a heart. In book #1 of The Blue Dynasty, it’s revealed that Danica fired Dex. Dex isn’t a man who backs down when he sees something he wants. So their romance was practically written in the stars.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] What did you enjoy most about writing this book?

[Lisa Marie Perry] I enjoyed so hard how Dex and Danica fell in love. They screwed up each other’s plans, cracked each other’s armor, and were so sexy and passionate while doing it.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] What gave you the most trouble with this story?

[Lisa Marie Perry] Writing a “good girl” heroine! Danica Blue is the type of woman I am fascinated with. She seems to have it all so well put together. But … she’s got issues! And this is what I found to be endearing about her. She’s more twisted than perfect and she’s just the gal to keep badass Dex Harper on his toes.

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

[Lisa Marie Perry] American Girl by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. The language. It’s beautiful and broken … and I’ll just stop there.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] Name one thing you won’t leave home without.

[Lisa Marie Perry] Lip balm. I’m a lip balm slut. Just can’t have enough. Although, the thing I should never leave home without is my cell phone, because without it I am lost and distracted.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] Name three things on your desk right now.

[Lisa Marie Perry] Scented candle, Elle Woods—style fuzzy pink ink pen, my favorite perfume. My desk is stress-me-out central, so I try to decorate it with pretty things.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] If you could trade places with anyone for just one day, who would you be?

[Lisa Marie Perry]  A woman on a glorious honeymoon cruise. Not really the “I’m married!” part, because I’m perpetually single, but the romantic element of being on a honeymoon. And on a cruise. It must be on a cruise.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] What are some books that you enjoyed recently?

[Lisa Marie Perry] I’ve been on a children’s book kick lately and am crazy about the A Series of Unfortunate Events books. Also, I’m hungry for new historical romance. Julie Anne Long’s stories have my heart.

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

[Lisa Marie Perry] Researching! Every day I incorporate a bit of research into my day. It could be anything from bringing doughnuts to the local fire station to stalking the Bellagio’s website to browsing sexy men on Pinterest. And when I’m not researching, I’m kicking back eating junk food and thinking sarcastic thoughts.

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

[Lisa Marie Perry] Twitter is my water cooler. I’m plenty inappropriate and sometimes unfiltered. So if for some misguided reason anyone wants to become more acquainted with that side of me, holler at @PerryOrdinary. Also, do visit my website: www.perrytalebooks.com.

Night Games & Midnight Play

The Blue Dynasty Books 1 & 2

By: Lisa Marie Perry

Blurb

NIGHT GAMES

No risk, no reward in the game of love 

Training the Las Vegas Slayers by day, sampling Sin City’s delights by night, Nate Franco’s life is one to envy. But a hot nightclub encounter could change all that. Because Charlotte Blue is more than a beautiful stranger. She’s the daughter of his team’s new owners—and his rival for the top training job. To keep his career and his legacy intact, Nate’s prepared to play a little dirty. 

Charlotte works hard to make her mark in a male-dominated sport. On the field, she and Nate are the picture of professionalism. In the bedroom, she’s risking everything for their breathtaking forbidden affair. But is Nate just using her so his family can reclaim the team—or will they be able to look beyond the passionate games to embrace real love?

Buy Links

Amazon http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00FBZL9TK/ref=s9_simh_gw_p351_d0_i2?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=1PDVQX3QYAXEDFXWE6RZ&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=1688200382&pf_rd_i=507846
B&N:
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/night-games-lisa-perry/1116871080?ean=9780373863488

MIDNIGHT PLAY

Love evens the score 

As general manager of the Las Vegas Slayers, Danica Blue goes toe-to-toe with players whose size is matched only by their egos. Quarterback Dex Harper is the biggest and toughest of them all, with a hell-raiser reputation that he insists he doesn’t deserve. And Danica, the good daughter who’s always played by the rules, is suddenly tempted to break every last one. 

Football is the only thing Dex has ever been able to count on. To save his career he needs Danica’s PR savvy, and he’s happy to help her discover her inner bad girl in return. But glimpsing the real woman behind that sexy, flawless facade is making him realize how much is at stake. Because getting back on the team could mean losing Danica, unless he’s willing to risk it all—and play for keeps….

Buy Links

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00I66GD5G/ref=s9_simh_gw_p351_d0_i4?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=0CCDZ7437VWK9DMJMXG6&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=1688200382&pf_rd_i=507846

B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/midnight-play-lisa-marie-perry/1118053061?ean=9780373863648

Link to Follow Tour: http://tastybooktours.blogspot.com/2014/03/now-booking-tasty-review-tour-for.html

Author Info

Lisa Marie Perry encounters difficult fictional men and women on a daily basis. She writes contemporary romance fiction with plenty of sizzle, energy and depth. Flawed, problematic, damaged characters are welcome. Her tales feature exciting multicultural mash-ups, sexy guy-next-door heroes and powerful larger-than-life alphas who are brought to their knees by the love of complicated women.

According to Lisa Marie, an imagination’s a terrible thing to ignore. So is a good cappuccino. After years of college, customer service gigs and a career in caregiving, she at last gave in to buying an espresso machine and writing to her imagination’s desire. She lives in America’s heartland and she has every intention of making the Colorado mountains her new stomping grounds. She drives a truck, enjoys indie rock, collects Medieval literature, watches too many comedies, has a not-so-secret love for lace and adores rugged men with a little bit of nerd.

Author Links

http://www.perrytalebooks.com/

https://twitter.com/PerryOrdinary

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7729201.Lisa_Marie_Perry

Rafflecopter Giveaway ($25.00 Amazon or B&N Gift Card and Print Copies of NIGHT GAMES and MIDNIGHT PLAY)

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Excerpt From MIDNIGHT PLAY

“Here. Your, uh, personal items scattered when you dropped your purse.”

Danica took the tiny item, and finding it unfamiliar, twisted it to read the label. Travel-sized massage oil. Cherry flavored.

A gasp almost slipped out, but she pressed her lips together and watched for his reaction. But he was diligently scooping the other runaway items—a silky blindfold, a pair of mini “sex dice,” a strip of condoms—into the pink goody bag Veda had jammed into her purse.

Crap. Blunders like this didn’t happen to her. What could she say to kill both the awkwardness and the electric current of tension that ping-ponged between them? “These are gifts.”

Dex looked her in the eyes, handing her the bag. His fingers swept her palm, and he straightened, distancing himself. Too late. His touch, despite how brief and innocent, had sparked a sensation that penetrated her flesh and was working its way into her bloodstream.

Count on a few strippers to make her overly aware of a good-looking man.

“Your…gifts…are no business of mine.” But the heat that danced in his gaze as it flicked from the pink bag to her eyes told her that maybe he’d like them to be his business. 

The post Interview with Lisa Marie Perry, Author of Midnight Play and Giveaway appeared first on Manga Maniac Cafe.

This morning I have an excerpt from Susanna Carr’s latest release, Secrets of a Bollywood Marriage.  I have a fondness for Bollywood movies, so this book immediately hit my TBR pile.

Excerpt: 

Tina walked to the center of the large entryway and stared at the sight before her. As she inhaled the stench of alcohol, sweat and cigarette smoke, she recognized a few of the guests. They were celebrities and actors whose faces graced billboards and movie posters. They still looked gorgeous, their damp hair and clothes plastered to their skin, as they moved feverishly to the heavy beat of the drums.

She narrowed her eyes and watched as two guests competed in a drinking game at the bar. So this was how her husband had spent his days while she was away. After reading the weeks-old tabloid, it shouldn’t surprise her.

Tina wondered what the occasion was for the party. It had to be about business. The moment Dev was born he had been destined to reign this world. But it was not enough to take his rightful place at the top. He was driven to succeed, conquer new territories and gain incredible power. Money was secondary to this man yet every moment of Dev’s day was consumed with business.

Well, almost every moment. She had been the exception. Once she thought that the aberration meant he loved her. Now she knew differently.

Tina continued to walk through the house. She wondered if he would claim that it was her welcome-back party. He was bold enough to try. And why not? He could lie and break promises without suffering the consequences. Dev was untouchable.

But her return had been impulsive. She hadn’t known that she was coming back until yesterday. Now she wondered if that had been the wrong decision. Tina bit the inside of her lip as she walked further away from the main entrance. Her goal was to show that she was no longer vulnerable. That she was stronger than her husband could imagine.

Tina hesitated before she moved deeper into the house. Once she had felt safe and comfortable here. She had even considered it her home. Now she knew it had been an illusion. Instead of being protected, she had ultimately been stripped of her power and freedom. Her fingers flexed nervously against her purse strap as she looked around, trying to remember where the closest exit was located.

She heard a group of people clapping and chanting loudly in the direction of the billiards room. Tina pivoted and marched to the back of the house, certain that her husband would be there. With his stunning looks, raw masculinity and star power, Dev was always the center of attention.

Tina rolled her eyes when she recognized the song the men were chanting. It had been from Dev’s first hit movie. She had seen it countless times but she knew her husband was privately critical of his performance in it. He wouldn’t play the song unless it was a special request for someone important.

She suddenly remembered the scene also included an actress. Would he be dancing with a partner? A certain ingénue? Bile burned in her stomach at the thought, but Tina kept moving. She needed to see this herself and not rely on other sources. She needed to know.

Tina entered the billiards room unnoticed. She was invisible in this brand-name crowd. Her crumpled tunic and baggy jeans didn’t cause one head to turn. The only time the Hindi film elite noticed her was when she was on the arm of her husband.

Everyone was facing the center of the room, jumping up and down with their arms outstretched as they sang. She stumbled to a halt when she heard Dev’s bold laughter. The sound pierced her heart.

He sounded…carefree. Happy. Tina staggered back as the realization hit her like a fierce blow. How could he be like this after everything that had happened? Didn’t he feel anything? Or was it just a relief to him?

Tina hunched her shoulders. Perhaps it was a bad idea to return for one final confrontation. She had always suspected that she had been a burden to Dev. She’d thought they had been desperately in love, but now she realized he had felt obligated to marry her. It hadn’t helped that his parents had disapproved of the match. Of her.

Who could blame them? She was not worthy of him. His parents were Bollywood legends and she was from the slums. Dev had given up his parents’ grand plans and eventually he’d given up on her.

Everyone had known it was bound to happen, believing she’d tricked him into marriage. They confused her with the bad-girl roles she had in those low-budget masala films. Perhaps Dev did, too. It had soon become obvious that she wasn’t the brazen and sexy woman of his dreams. Dev had been ready to return to his playboy ways and he wasn’t going to let a wife stop him.

And she wasn’t going to let him have any more power over her. Determined to get this over with, Tina took a shaky breath and plunged into the crowd. She stopped, her heart lurching when she saw Dev standing alone in the center of the circle. He held the guests captive as he performed the intricate dance step with effortless grace.

Tina’s chest squeezed tight. Dev Arjun. Her first love. Her biggest mistake.

She stared breathlessly at her husband, unable to look away. Dev was lean and muscular thanks to years of training for his popular action adventure movies. Tina shivered as she remembered how his strong and athletic build felt under her fingertips. His golden skin had been warm and rough and she had enjoyed watching his rock-hard abdomen clench as she’d teased him.

She flushed, her skin tingling, as she watched Dev finish the iconic dance, encouraging the others to follow along. Yet no one could match his confident swagger or his bold and precise moves.

As he raised his hands up like a conquering hero, Dev appeared taller than she remembered. Larger than life. Tina noticed how his dark shirt couldn’t hide his broad chest and how his jeans encased his powerful thighs.

She wished she wasn’t aware of how good he looked, but this was a man in the prime of his life. His strength and vitality came off him in waves. In the past she had yearned to have those powerful arms encircle her. Now she knew to keep her distance.

As his audience roared with their approval, Tina dragged her gaze to Dev’s face. Only then did she notice the darker shadows and the deeper lines around his eyes. His angular features were harsh and mesmerizing. He looked older. Harder.

Dev bowed before he accepted a drink from one of his friends. He tilted his head back and her gaze locked with his. Dev froze. He held the glass midway as his eyes widened. Tina felt his shock quiver in the air.

“Tina?”

His husky question scraped at her taut nerves. She wanted to melt back into the protection of the crowd. She wanted to run. She wasn’t ready for this. She wasn’t ready for him. But it was too late.

The room went silent. She couldn’t speak, couldn’t move, as Dev tossed down his drink and pounced. He moved with a swiftness that stole her breath. Her throat tightened as her heart thumped against her ribs. She suddenly felt cold as her muscles locked violently.

Dev captured her in his arms and gathered her tightly against him. She was trapped. She inhaled his spicy scent and tears sprang in the corner of her eyes as their most intimate memories assailed her.

Tina had imagined how she would act when she was finally in the same room as Dev. This was not part of the plan. She was supposed to be aloof. Icy cold. Untouched. Just like he had been during the last days they were together. This was the moment when she would take back her power and make her demands.

Instead, she remained silent as he slid his large fingers through her short hair. She stared at him as he firmly tilted her head back. Her mouth trembled with anticipation. She knew he was going to claim her with a hard and possessive kiss.

About the book:

After the glitter settles… 

Tina Sharma and Dev Arjun’s whirlwind romance made them Bollywood royalty, but beneath the glitz and glamour there’s trouble—Tina is about to demand a divorce! 

But Dev won’t give in without a fight, so he proposes a deal: play the dutiful wife for two months, then he’ll let her go. Tina is furious! He clearly regrets their shotgun wedding, so why stay together a day longer? But it isn’t the days she should be worried about…. 

As Dev turns up the heat, Tina may just find herself wishing for a lifetime of pleasure with her devilishly delicious husband!

[Manga Maniac Cafe] Good morning, Tawny!  Describe yourself in five words or less.

[Tawny Weber] Creative, loving, focused, intuitive, neurotic.  

[Manga Maniac Cafe] Can you tell us a little about A SEAL’s Kiss?

[Tawny Weber] A SEAL’s Kiss is an Engagement of Convenience story between two complete opposites.  Sage and Aiden have known each other all their lives, but now a mission of mercy puts them in much closer contact than ever before.  

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

[Tawny Weber] I loved writing this story because I started with the concept of ‘how does a girl get engaged to a guy without him having clue’ and it sort of blossomed from there. Since I knew I the story would be an Engagement of Convenience, I wanted to start with weddings to show Sage’s feelings about the institution—which I didn’t actually know the depths of until I wrote the scene LOL.  Sage is such a free spirit and Aiden is so regimented, both of them think they want different things; Sage to follow her bliss and Aiden to do the right thing. But really, they both just want to be happy.  

[Manga Maniac Cafe] What did you enjoy most about writing this book?

[Tawny Weber] The devotion both of the characters had to Sage’s father and to doing whatever they could to make his life happy.  I know they are fictional, but feeling that kind of unconditional love, even in a book, gives me such hope.  

[Manga Maniac Cafe] What gave you the most trouble with this story?

[Tawny Weber] The ending – Sage and Aiden are both pretty mellow, so a realistic and logical dark moment was a challenge for sure.  

[Manga Maniac Cafe] What’s one thing you won’t leave home without?

[Tawny Weber] My cell phone

[Manga Maniac Cafe] Name three things on your desk right now.

[Tawny Weber] Iced tea, a bouquet of flowers and my dog Daisy Mae.  

[Manga Maniac Cafe] If you were stranded in a secluded cabin during a blizzard, who would you most like to be stranded with?

[Tawny Weber] Hmm, if the blizzard is in fantasy-land I’d love to be trapped with Johnny Depp (and his guitar).  If it’s in the real word, I’d like my husband there. I know he can keep the fire going ;-)  

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

[Tawny Weber] I garden and scrapbook, knit and, of course, read.  A lot :-) 

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

[Tawny Weber] Website:  tawnyweber.com

Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/TawnyWeber.RomanceAuthor

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/TawnyWeber

Subject: Navy SEAL Petty Officer Aiden Masters 

Current Status: On leave 

Obstacle: Deploy “Mission: (Fake) Engagement”…without actually falling for his fiancée! 

The goal of Mission: Engagement is simple—a fake engagement concocted to bring happiness to Sage Taylor’s ailing father. 

The Rules: 

1) Treat it like a military mission 

2) Keep the truth undercover 

3) The “engagement” lasts as long as the professor’s health depends on it; and 

4) No sex…especially with each other! 

But the incredibly spirited (and a touch quirky) Sage has never been one for rules. Especially when they involve Aiden’s rock-hard navy bod and a ton of smokin’-hot sexual attraction. Which means in order to seduce this sexy SEAL, she’ll have to completely outmaneuver him….

Safe in the Tycoon’s Arms is kind of an angsty read.  Single mom Kate is struggling to pay the medical expenses for her young daughter, who is suffering from a brain tumor.  Already in debt up to her ears, she’s finally found a surgeon willing to perform the operation that may save Molly’s life.  The only catch?  It’s an experimental procedure, and her insurance company won’t cover any of the costs.  Now Kate has to come up with a down payment for the hospital charges, or they won’t allow the doctor to perform the operation.  At least the guy is being decent enough to waive his fees….

When a good Samaritan lets Kate stay at a house close to the hospital while the owner is out of town, neither Kate nor Lucas, the guy who owns the mansion, expect a late night run-in.  Lucas’ out of town business has gone sour, so he’s returned home unexpectedly.  He reluctantly agrees to let Kate stay the rest of the night, but then he’s determined to find her somewhere else to stay.  After realizing how worried and upset Kate is as her luck keeps getting worse, he allows her to stay temporarily.

This is fast read, and the emotions keep battering away at the reader.   I was so conflicted over Lucas; he was hard for me to like.  Like Kate, he is divorced, but unlike Kate, he has allowed his wife to have complete control of their daughter, even though the lack of contact with her is eating him alive.  His ex is manipulative, and now that she’s remarried, she doesn’t want anything to do with Lucas.  To avoid making Carrie a pawn like his feuding parents did to him while he was a boy, he has decided to gracefully bow out of her life.  He doesn’t want to confuse her, and now that he’s a complete stranger to her, he doesn’t want to frighten her by insisting on spending time with her. 

Scarred by his ex’s betrayal and the subsequent loss of his family, Lucas has shut himself off from the rest of the world.  He lives to work, and spends his focus on making the family jewelry company even more successful.  His emotions are stunted, and when Kate charges into his life, he is left feeling uncomfortable and off kilter.   He doesn’t want to get involved with her, but after seeing how sweet and kind she is, he can’t just kick her out when she has nowhere to go.  Instead, he offers her a job.  He has allowed the family home to fall in to despair, and Kate, an interior designer, is the perfect person to oversee the much needed repairs of the house.  Kate agrees on one condition-when the work on the house is complete, she wants to hold a fundraiser for Molly’s medical bills at his home.  Reluctantly, he agrees.

Now, here is what I didn’t like about Lucas.  Any time the pressure was cranked up and he was forced to feel something, he would run.  Or threaten to not allow Kate to hold the fundraiser at his house.  Thankfully, he was soon apologizing for his immature behavior, but it still bothered me that when the going got tough, he got going. 

Both Kate and Lucas have lost all trust in other people.  Both had dysfunctional parents, followed by dysfunctional marriages.  As they struggle to overcome the scars from their previous relationships, they both begin to heal and to finally put the past into perspective.  It takes a lot of work, and it’s not an easy task.  Just when it looks like they have made progress, an outer conflict interferes and forces them to backtrack.  As they learn to make peace with the failures they have experienced, they grow closer, and are able to accept that relationships are hard work, and if both parties aren’t willing to make an effort, any relationship is doomed to fail.  Putting aside their pride and opening themselves up to rejection isn’t easy, but when they finally take a chance, I was convinced that they had found a happy ending. 

Check out my interview with Jennifer and enter to win some fantastic prizes here – http://www.mangamaniaccafe.com/?p=10198

Safe in the Tycoon’s Arms

By: Jennifer Faye

Releasing March 1st, 2014

Blurb

The man behind the headlines…

When billionaire Lucas Carrington returns to his New York mansion, he never expects to find beautiful stranger Kate Whitley making herself at home. Invited by his aunt to stay, he soon discovers she’s a woman in need. She’s raising funds for her sick daughter, so he agrees to let her stay—temporarily! 

Kate may not belong in Lucas’s high-society world, but she sees there is more to this tycoon than the headlines suggest. Yet with so much at stake, can she trust herself and her heart with New York’s most sought-after bachelor?

Buy Links

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Safe-Tycoons-Arms-Harlequin-Romance-ebook/dp/B00FBZMY7Q

B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/safe-in-the-tycoons-arms-jennifer-faye/1116871047?ean=9781460327463

Kobo: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/books/safe-in-the-tycoon-s-arms/_H1w_C36QE-vlvSSqfYC1g?MixID=_H1w_C36QE-vlvSSqfYC1g&PageNumber=1

Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Safe-Tycoons-Arms-Harlequin-Romance-ebook/dp/B00FBZMY7Q/ref=la_B00HDOYIHM_1_5_title_1_kin?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1387315713&sr=1-5

Link to Follow Tour: http://tastybooktours.blogspot.com/2013/12/now-booking-tasty-virtual-book-tour-for_19.html

[Manga Maniac Café] Good morning, Jennifer!  Welcome to the Café!

[Jennifer Faye] Hi. I’m so happy to be here. And I’m very curious to see what questions you have for me.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] Describe yourself in five words or less.

[Jennifer Faye] Loving. Loyal. Procrastinator. Creative. Happy.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] Can you tell us a little about Safe in the Tycoon’s Arms?

[Jennifer Faye] With a storm churning outside, Kate Whitley can’t sleep even though she’s beyond exhausted after a stressful day. Safe inside a long-neglected historic New York City mansion while the owner is away, she wanders the darkened halls. However, she soon discovers that she isn’t alone.

Lucas Carrington is heir to Carrington Gems, but he never expected to take over at such a young age. He soon finds himself working long, hard hours to make it and himself a success. But things don’t go as planned. When he cuts an unsuccessful business trip short, he returns to New York where a beautiful stranger is making herself at home in his house—a place filled with memories—a place he’d cut off from the world. He’s bound and determined to get rid of her…one way or the other.

Kate isn’t so easily deterred, not when she thinks they can help each other. Even though both have vowed not to put their scarred hearts back on the line, will they be able to resist a chance for happiness?

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

[Jennifer Faye] I don’t really have an answer for you. It’s a bit of magic that takes place inside my mind and the story starts to unfold. Usually the characters come to me first. Where they come from, I do not know. And then I learn about their backgrounds. If I know where they’ve come from, I have a good idea where they are headed. And the story begins to take shape.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] What did you enjoy most about writing this book?

[Jennifer Faye] You mean aside from Lucas and Kate’s journey to their HEA? Hmm…I had a lot of fun doing the research for this book. Lucas’s mansion was a hub of activity during the Roaring 20’s. And there’s even a secret room. Shh…don’t tell anyone.

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

[Jennifer Faye] Hmm…good question. Well since I’m a country music fan, it’d have to be one of those songs. I think in a way “The Heart of Dixie” fits the two characters in SAFE IN THE TYCOON’S ARMS. Both Lucas and Kate have been deeply hurt by their ex’s. And though they don’t run away like the song, they do head out on their own emotional journeys. It is during this journey that they help each other see that they’ve got the fire and the fight to get through whatever life throws at them.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] Name one thing you won’t leave home without.

[Jennifer Faye] Oh, that’s easy. My locket. It has pictures of kids in it. And I love having it next to my heart. I’m lost without it.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] Name three things on your desk right now.

My cat—in her wicker basket with her fuzzy blanket because she’s never warm enough / my laptop because it needed the battery charged, otherwise I’d be curled up in my recliner / my cup of hot tea because I can’t write without caffeine. They go hand-in-hand.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] Name some books that you enjoyed recently.

[Jennifer Faye] I’d love to share the titles with you, but I can’t. I’m currently judging the RITA contest and I can’t reveal which romance titles were assigned to me.

But one of the last books I read before the judging began was Ami Weaver’s THE NANNY’S CHRISTMAS WISH. It was a heartwarming and delightful book. I’d highly recommend it.

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

[Jennifer Faye] You mean I’m supposed to do something other than write??? I’m still searching for that balance between writing, social media and life. But when I have time I like to read, sew and spend time with the family.

Thanks so much for having me. I’ve really enjoyed my visit.

Safe in the Tycoon’s Arms

By: Jennifer Faye

Releasing March 1st, 2014

Blurb

The man behind the headlines…

When billionaire Lucas Carrington returns to his New York mansion, he never expects to find beautiful stranger Kate Whitley making herself at home. Invited by his aunt to stay, he soon discovers she’s a woman in need. She’s raising funds for her sick daughter, so he agrees to let her stay—temporarily! 

Kate may not belong in Lucas’s high-society world, but she sees there is more to this tycoon than the headlines suggest. Yet with so much at stake, can she trust herself and her heart with New York’s most sought-after bachelor?

Buy Links

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Safe-Tycoons-Arms-Harlequin-Romance-ebook/dp/B00FBZMY7Q

B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/safe-in-the-tycoons-arms-jennifer-faye/1116871047?ean=9781460327463

Kobo: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/books/safe-in-the-tycoon-s-arms/_H1w_C36QE-vlvSSqfYC1g?MixID=_H1w_C36QE-vlvSSqfYC1g&PageNumber=1

Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Safe-Tycoons-Arms-Harlequin-Romance-ebook/dp/B00FBZMY7Q/ref=la_B00HDOYIHM_1_5_title_1_kin?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1387315713&sr=1-5

Link to Follow Tour: http://tastybooktours.blogspot.com/2013/12/now-booking-tasty-virtual-book-tour-for_19.html

Author Info

Jennifer Faye is a two-time RT Book Reviews Reviewers’ Choice Best Book Award nominee. Maybe that’s partly due to the fact that she has spent most of her life with her nose in one book or another. It was only natural that she would go on to spin tales of her own. Now living her dream, she resides in Pennsylvania with her patient husband, one amazing daughter (the other remarkable daughter has flown the coop to chase her own dreams) and two spoiled cats. She’d love to hear from you via her website.

Author Links

http://jenniferfaye.com/

https://www.facebook.com/JenniferFayeAuthor

https://twitter.com/JenniferFaye34

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6902849.Jennifer_Faye

Giveaway ((1) $25.00 Amazon Gift Card, (2) Signed Copies and Swag, (3) Digital Copies of SAFE IN THE TYCOONS ARMS)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Please give a warm welcome to Loreth Anne White!  She’s visiting the virtual offices to chat about The Missing Colton, and she has a book for one of you to win!

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

[Loreth Anne White]   Hugely empathetic. Passionate. Intense. Analytical. Philosophical … Serious. (Yeah, yeah, makes me sound like a barrel of fun, I know!) Understanding. Open minded. Adventurous. Unsettled. Solitary.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] Can you tell us a little about The Missing Colton?

[Loreth Anne White] THE MISSING COLTON is book 3 in the Colton’s of Wyoming Continuity from Harlequin Romantic Suspense. The dark mystery of a Colton child’s disappearance has haunted Dead River Ranch for thirty years and solving the crime is foreign correspondent Jagger McKnight’s last chance to put his war-ravaged past to rest.

But his undercover mission leaves him the victim of an attack. And he wakes up to discover that beautiful infirmary nurse Mia Sanders believes he’s the missing Colton.

Now the real danger begins. An unknown enemy has Jagger—and Mia—in sight. For survival and the sake of his story, he must lie to the woman he’ll do anything to protect. But when deception turns deadly, can love save them both?

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

[Loreth Anne White] The story concept was the brainchild of the Harlequin Romantic Suspense editorial team, and they gave all six of us contributing authors a ‘bible’ from which to work. The bible outlined the overall arc of the series and within that framework, we were each given room to create our own characters and sub stories. I was given an amnesia theme, and a war-ravaged hero who was partnered with the ranch nurse. It gave me the opportunity to play with the concept of how memory shapes who we are, and how the secrets we keep affect not only those around us, but ourselves. All this set against the exciting and drama-laden backdrop of the Colton ranch and missing baby saga. It was a challenge juggling the huge cast that appeared across the books, but it was also huge fun!

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

[Loreth Anne White] Nurturing. Sensitive. Bold.

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

[Loreth Anne White] Fun question! I think it would be Five For Fighting’s Superman (It’s Not Easy). Because Jagger is bold, he’s strong. He’s a journalistic crusader, a hero. But inside he’s broken.

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

[Loreth Anne White] Her first aid and backcountry survival kit. It saves them in the end!

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

[Loreth Anne White] Signs that he lives there J. Jagger has been without a real ‘home’ base for many long years. In fact, he hasn’t felt a real sense of home and belonging since he was taken away from his ‘mother’, the woman who kidnapped him when he was baby.

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

[Loreth Anne White] Believing that the man who left her standing at the altar loved her.

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

[Loreth Anne White] I was turned onto writing for the romantic suspense genre by reading authors like Tami Hoag, Lisa Gardiner, Tess Gerritsen, Elizabeth Lowell/Anne Maxwell, Nora Roberts, Suzanne Brockman, Linda Howard. Their novels–among those of many others–have inspired my writing. 

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

[Loreth Anne White] A big bottle of water on my desk. And I need a clean desk — well, as clean as it can be — before I can create. And my Black Beast of a labradog at my feet

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

[Loreth Anne White] The last book I read that really wowed me was THE SNOW CHILD by Eowyn Ivey. Part fairy tale, part myth, part historical set against the rugged and often brutal backdrop of Alaska in the 1920s. It’s lyrical, and complex in its deceptive simplicity. And there was romance in it–a tender, loving, growing relationship between an isolated husband and wife. Eowyn Ivey has a wonderfully light touch, never overdoing anything. Really loved it.

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

[Loreth Anne White] A book about a spotty pig that my grandfather bought for me when I was two. I adored it, and have not been without books since.

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

[Loreth Anne White] Cross country skiing and skijoring with my Black Beast (aka Hudson), biking and hiking our local mountain trails. Tracking, search games, other dog sports. Camping. Reading. I like to cook and wish I had a garden where I could grow herbs and veg and have chickens.

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

[Loreth Anne White] I love hearing from readers! I can be contacted in several ways:

Through the contact form on my website here: http://www.lorethannewhite.com/#!contact/c1kcz

Via email: loreth.anne @ gmail .com (Spaces for security)

Via my newsletter–sign up is here: http://lorethannewhite.us6.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=bac74ac639fddddc3d7612500&id=c450725ea7

My Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/Loreth.Anne.White?ref=hl

My Twitter: @loreth

My Goodreads profile: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/150272.Loreth_Anne_White

[Manga Maniac Cafe]  Thank you!

Giveaway!

US addresses only please

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About the book:

About the author:

Loreth Anne White hails from southern Africa, but now lives in Whistler, a ski resort in the moody Coast Mountain range. It’s a place of vast, wild and often dangerous mountains, larger-than-life characters, epic adventure, and romance — the perfect place to escape reality. And the perfect inspiration for her new Snowy Creek series!

It’s no wonder it was here she was inspired to abandon a 16-year career in newspapers to escape into a world of romantic fiction filled with dangerous men and adventurous women.

When she’s not writing you will find her long-distance running, biking or skiing on the trails with her Black Dog, and generally trying to avoid the bears – albeit not very successfully. She calls this work, because it’s when the best ideas come.

Loreth has won the Romantic Times Reviewer’s choice award, is a double Romantic Times Reviewers’ choice award finalist, a double Rita finalist, a double Daphne Du Maurier finalist, and multiple CataRomance Reviewers’ choice winner. Her new single title Romantic Suspense, PIECES OF YOU ~ A Snowy Creek Novel, is out now!

Please give a warm welcome to guest Tara Pammi! She’s visiting the virtual offices to chat about A Hint Of Scandal.

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

[Tara Pammi] Author, work-in-progress wife, mom, and coffee fueled insomniac

[Manga Maniac Cafe] Can you tell us a little about A Hint of Scandal?

[Tara Pammi] A Hint of Scandal is a story of opposites falling in love. Alexander King is perfection personified, a control freak who’s long ago cut off any emotion from his life whereas Olivia as Alexander calls her is an Emotion Junkie thriving on everything she feels- whether love or hurt or attraction.

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

[Tara Pammi] This is going to sound hooey…but the characters always come first to me. In this case, it was Olivia first. Olivia had so much love to give but the problem was that she kept giving it to the wrong men. Once I had in Olivia in mind, I thought of what kind of a man would find her irresistible but would want nothing of what she had to give and Alexander came into picture.

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

[Tara Pammi] Impulsive, loving, loyal.

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

[Tara Pammi] Poison and Wine by Civil Wars.

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

[Tara Pammi] Her bright red lipstick- her armor against a world that has never been kind to her

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

[Tara Pammi] Anything that belonged to his ex-girlfriends, or scented calendars and in the beginning of the story- anything that belonged to Olivia either…;-)

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

[Tara Pammi] That in search of someone who loved her, in search of validation, she fell in love with the wrong man at the age of nineteen.

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

[Tara Pammi] My father who had been a writer. I remember him sitting at his table, with a pen and paper in hand, writing, and in the middle of it sometimes realizing I was there, and smiling.

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

[Tara Pammi] Coffee, quiet and my laptop ?

[Manga Maniac Cafe] What was your biggest distraction while working on A Hint of Scandal?

[Tara Pammi] LOL…this one’s the easiest. It is always the Internet. Writing is such a solitary occupation that you want to forever see who’s on twitter/FB etc. so that you feel like you are interacting with people other than those in our heads.

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

[Tara Pammi] Nalini Singh’s Heart of Obsidian.

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

[Tara Pammi] I grew up surrounded by books and it’s really hard to pick one.

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

[Tara Pammi] Read, and playing board games with my girls.

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

[Tara Pammi] I would love to hear from readers.

They can email me at [email protected] or drop me a line through the Contact form on my website www.tarapammi.com

[Manga Maniac Cafe] Thank you

Purchase link

About the book:

Jennifer Hayward is celebrating the release of The Divorce Party this morning.  She dropped by the virtual offices for a chat, and brought along a copy of her book for one of you to win!

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

[Jennifer Hayward] Writer/PR person who lives to travel, drink great wine and hang with friends and family – preferably in combination

[Manga Maniac Cafe] Can you tell us a little about The Divorce Party?

[Jennifer Hayward] The Divorce Party is the story of a billionaire wine magnate whose only failure has been the dissolution of his marriage to his wife. The story of two people who love each other beyond reason, but who perhaps cannot be together because of who they are and the pressure that puts on their relationship. I wanted to explore the issue of infidelity in this book. The reader doesn’t just think Riccardo did something wrong, he did cross the line. I truly believe you can never fully cast judgment on such a complex subject until you put yourself in someone else’s shoes and I hope, in the end, the reader will understand what it’s like to be in Riccardo and Lilly’s shoes.

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

[Jennifer Hayward] The story was inspired by a million-dollar divorce party a Manhattan billionaire threw to celebrate the end of his three-year marriage. Embossed invitations, the society event of the year. When I saw the newspaper article I couldn’t believe anyone would want to end their marriage this way and it made me wonder why? Why would anyone do this? Perhaps my hero didn’t actually want a divorce and it was the only way he could get his wife into a room with him. Thus appeared Riccardo and Lilly’s story.

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

[Jennifer Hayward] Vulnerable, steely and goodhearted

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

[Jennifer Hayward] Eye of The Tiger

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

[Jennifer Hayward] Her phone

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

[Jennifer Hayward] A robe, smelly soap, a hair dryer

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

[Jennifer Hayward] Her fractured family life

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

[Jennifer Hayward] The news, television/movies, travelling, backstory from my PR career (it’s amazing what actually happens)

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

[Jennifer Hayward] Concentration/quiet (sometimes music is good, especially for love scenes ), coffee and a storyline that inspires me. A beach house with the waves lapping at the base of the steps is preferable!

[Manga Maniac Cafe] What was your biggest distraction while working on The Divorce Party?

[Jennifer Hayward] So You Think You Can Write! I had entered the manuscript into Harlequin’s global competition to find a new author. It was the most exciting, distracting roller coaster ride of my life! Amazingly enough – I won! And got the chance to write all three of the De Campo brother’s books! The second book of the trilogy comes out in Feb with Presents – Alex & Gabe’s story is called An Exquisite Affair.

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

[Jennifer Hayward] Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn – utterly compelling can’t put it down genius

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

[Jennifer Hayward] Early on I would say the Nancy Drew mysteries, then Judy Blume

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

[Jennifer Hayward] Hang with my husband and little boy, with my amazing ten-year-strong book club, travel and hike

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

[Jennifer Hayward] Please do! My website is jenniferhaywardromance.com, twitter – jenhayward_ and facebook – facebook.com/jenniferhaywardromance

[Manga Maniac Cafe] Thank you!

Purchase link

About the book:

About the author:

JENNIFER HAYWARD has been a fan of romance and adventure since filching her sister’s Harlequin Presents novels to escape her teenaged angst.

Jennifer penned her first romance at nineteen. When it was rejected, she went on to complete a journalism degree and intern as a sports broadcaster before settling into a career in public relations. Years of working alongside powerful, charismatic CEOs and traveling the world provided perfect fodder for the arrogant alpha males she loves to write, and free research on the some of the world’s most glamorous locales.

Her debut novel, The Divorce Party, was the winner of Harlequin’s 2012 So You Think You Can Write contest. Jennifer writes for Harlequin’s Presents/Mills & Boon Modern line.

A native of Canada’s gorgeous East coast, Jennifer now lives in Toronto with her Viking husband and their young Viking-in-training.

Giveaway!

Please welcome Rebecca Winters to the virtual offices this morning! Rebecca is here to discuss her Daddy Dude Ranch series, which is published by Harlequin.

[Manga Maniac Café] Please tell us a little about yourself.

[Rebecca Winters] I’m a mother and a grandmother and have been a student all my life which means I’ve been a reader first. Victor Hugo is a favorite author. I have a great love of Europe because I went to school both in Paris and in Switzerland and did a lot of traveling. Because I had to learn French, I found myself wanting to learn Spanish and Italian. It seems like every step I’ve taken in my life has led me to a new place. When I turned my hand to writing, I was able to go everywhere in my mind. I love the British comedies, Days of Our Lives, politics, canasta, great art (The French Impressionists) I played the piano and love classical music. My favorites are the piano concertos of Brahms, Grieg, Rachmaninoff, Tchkaikowsky. I love opera: Aida, Carmen, Tosca. I’m an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

[Manga Maniac Café] Can you tell us a little about your Daddy Dude Ranch series? How did you come up with the concept and the characters for the series?

[Rebecca Winters] I was reading about some military men in a magazine who developed a coughing problem while they were deployed and it gave me an idea about 3 vets who are in a hospital at a low point in their lives. They have to leave the military and go home. TO WHAT? Their therapist suggests they find a way to serve others so they won’t feel so empty. One of the vets comes from a ranch in Wyoming, but with his grandfather gone, he’s going back to an empty ranch house. He and his buddies start talking about turning the place into a dude ranch for kids who’ve lost a father in the war. They can be dads and bring a little joy into their lives. Maybe for a week?

[Manga Maniac Café] What traits best define the heroes of these books?

[Rebecca Winters] These guys are pretty selfless. Although they’re ill and down for a while, they have this wonderful desire to be of use and never give up hope. Their compassion for their comrades who died in battle and left wives and children at home takes them out of their despair. They are steadfast and indomitable in their desire to make a difference.

[Manga Maniac Café] Why did you choose to have the series set in Wyoming?

[Rebecca Winters] The Tetons are my favorite vacation place in the West. You can’t see them without it taking your breath. It’s glorious scenery and air, the perfect place for a son or daughter to enjoy nature in God’s country. That’s what I call it.

[Manga Maniac Café] What motivated you to write about former marines?

[Rebecca Winters] They have a reputation for being in there first during war and they’re fearless. I wanted to use them for the great example they are.

[Manga Maniac Café] What do you enjoy best about writing for Harlequin?

[Rebecca Winters] They encourage me to write about the subjects and places I know best. I love Europe and I love the West, so I’m very happy.

[Manga Maniac Café] You are so prolific! What’s your secret to keeping your stories so fresh?

[Rebecca Winters] I’ve done a lot of genealogy in my life. As you study the stories of those who have passed on, you realize every living soul has his or her own story to tell. Keeping that in mind, I find I never run out of ideas. Each person is precious and has a unique history. Like snowflakes and grains of sand, not one is alike. That’s what makes it fun to write.

[Manga Maniac Café] What has changed the most in publishing since you started your career as an author?

[Rebecca Winters] Technology! I used to hand write, then write on an old black typewriter, then an electric typewriter, then a keyboard and computer. I used to have to go to the library to look up all the research. It took hours, days, weeks. Now I can get answers to a hundred different questions in one day on the Internet. Because of the speed, you can write more books at a time and there are new avenues with the digital printings and of course ebooks with the Kindle and Nooks. The public’s appetite for more stories is greater than ever before. We lucky authors want to meet those needs. Don’t forget I’m a reader first and I look forward to one of my favorite author’s next books as much as the next reader does.

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

[Rebecca Winters] Due to my marvelous mom who opened my eyes to this wonderful world, I’m influenced by: music, movies, art, theater, opera, nature itself, travel, family. Everything!

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

[Rebecca Winters] An idea.

Something to help me get it down.

Energy to keep at it!

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

[Rebecca Winters] THE HELP.  A few years ago I took my children on a driving trip to the South and we toured several plantations and tried to get a feel for the past. I only recently read THE HELP and it opened my eyes to so much!

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

[Rebecca Winters] I spend time with my children and grandchildren, read, watch movies, spend time at the park, the mountains, travel to the beach.

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

[Rebecca Winters] Email me at [email protected]

Facebook  www.cleanromances.com

[Manga Maniac Café] Thank you!

Purchase links

Title:  Belonging Author: Karen Ann Hopkins

May Contain Spoilers

From Amazon:

Review:

Belonging picks up right where Temptation left off.  Rose has just been introduced to her new Amish guardians, the Hershbergers, and she’s immediately confronted by the community elders.  They are an intimidating group of old men, and they warn that they will not tolerate any poor behavior from Rose.  If she’s going to court Noah, she has to work hard and prove herself to them.  Both Noah and Rose are disappointed that Rose will have a ramping up period before she’s allowed to join the church.  Until she’s an official member of the community and officially courting Noah, they aren’t allowed to be together. 

This is a soap opera on an epic scale.  Rose is so in love with Noah that she’s willing to give up her family to be with him, though she’s less than happy at the thought of being a drudge for the rest of her life.  She definitely irritated me, because even as she’s pretending to go along with her new way of life, she’s convinced herself that somehow she will coax Noah into leaving the Amish and becoming English for her.  I realize that she is young, and that she’s gotten everything she’s wanted to this point in her life, but I really wanted to shake her every time she thought about Noah abandoning his family for her.  He already explained that he is content with his life, that he enjoys the community, and that he is counting on the assistance of his family and friends to start his adult life with his new wife.  He made perfect sense to me, and his behavior remained comfortingly steady.

After Rose’s father discovers that she’s taken to the Amish way of life a little too well, he and Sam plot to kidnap her and send her off to live with her aunt in Cincinnati.  They both think that once she’s back in her old life, with her old friends, that she will forget about Noah.  To ensure that their plan is a success, they meddle even more, and turn Noah against her.  And this is where  I actually, finally, started to like Rose.  She didn’t forget about Noah, and she began to look back on her time with the Amish with fondness.  She made friends with them, life was a little more laid back, and there was her life with Noah to look forward to.  Sure, doing the laundry by hand sucks, and so did the constant cleaning and unending chores, but the community, for the most part, had been welcoming and encouraging of her efforts to belong with them.

As her time apart from Noah stretched on, Hunter resurfaced in her life.  I’ll be honest and say that love triangles aren’t my favorite trope.  Love triangles are probably one of the major reasons that I don’t read as much YA as I once did.  I just don’t find them that compelling.  If the heroine is that confused about who she wants to be with, she’s not ready to be with anyone yet.  Just hang out with both of them, because there is a lack of commitment for either guy and avoid all of the drama.  Since Rose thinks that Noah hates her, she doesn’t have a reason to not hang out with Hunter, and when he tells her how much he cares for her, she thinks that they might have a future together.  Good thing that Sam suddenly suffered from a guilty conscience, thanks to Rose’s friend Summer, and he comes clean to Noah about how he interfered in their relationship.  Hunter is a great guy and all, but compared to Noah, he’s boring and shallow, and a huge pushover whenever Rose so much as smiled at him.

I enjoyed Belonging better than Temptation, though I had the same reservations about Rose.  The novel is character driven, and we have the addition of Sam’s POV this time around.  He is just as over indulged and spoiled as Rose; probably more so, as he’s made himself a reputation of loving and leaving countless high school girls and their broken hearts in his wake.  Even though I didn’t necessarily like him, his POV still made for engaging reading.  The drama, drama, drama at times is overwhelming, but I couldn’t put my Kindle down.  Every emotion and setback is huge and over the top, and made me want to see how Rose, Noah, and Sam would handle these conflicts tossed at them throughout the book.  The ending is a huge cliffhanger, and made me want Forever, the next book in series, RIGHT NOW!  I am so curious to see how everything plays out.  Will Rose leave her modern life behind, and embrace a life with Noah,in his Amish community?  I would have a really hard time giving up my electric gadgets, so I’m dying to see how this series ends.

Grade:  B

Review copy provided by Kismet Blog Tours

About Karen Ann Hopkins

Blog | Goodreads | Facebook

A native of New York State, Karen Ann Hopkins now lives with her family on a farm in northern Kentucky, where her neighbors in all directions are members of a strict Amish community. Her unique perspective became the inspiration for the story of star-crossed lovers Rose and Noah. When she’s not homeschooling her kids, giving riding lessons or tending to a menagerie of horses, goats, peacocks, chickens, ducks, rabbits, dogs and cats, she is dreaming up her next romantic novel.

Please welcome Jace McCannon, the dangerous and sexy hero from Kait Ballenger’s Twilight Hunter.  He stopped by the virtual offices for a chat, and brought along a copy of Twilight Hunter for one of you to win!

[Manga Maniac Cafe] Describe yourself in five words or less.

[Jace McCannon] Werewolf hunter. Stubborn. Bullheaded. Loyal.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] Can you share a typical day in the life of Jace McCannon?

[Jace McCannon] My days usually consist of sleeping. It’s my nights that see all the action. A typical night for me is spent hunting down any werewolves who are attacking humans. If there happens to be no targets for me to hunt, I usually spend my evening doing shitloads of boring paperwork for Headquarters so my division leader doesn’t chew my ass out.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] What three words come to mind when you think of Frankie?

[Jace McCannon] Smart. Beautiful. Strong.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] What do you find most exasperating about her?

[Jace McCannon] That she’s equally as stubborn as I am when she wants to be.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] If you could change one thing you’ve done in your life, what would it be?

[Jace McCannon] I try not to have regrets.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] What’s one thing you won’t leave home without?

[Jace McCannon] My Mateba handgun. I never go anywhere without it.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] What do you like to do when you aren’t protecting humanity from sadistic murderers?

[Jace McCannon] I usually kick back and relax with a drink, occasionally I hang out with my fellow hunters. I try to stay busy though. I live for my job.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] Can you share your dreams for the future in five words or less.

[Jace McCannon] Frankie and continue hunting

[Manga Maniac Cafe] Thank you!

About the book:

About the author:

Kait Ballenger is a full-time paranormal romance author, wife, bellydancer, graduate student, and soon-to-be-professor. She is the multi-published, award-winning author of the Execution Underground paranormal romance series. With a B.A in English from Stetson University, Kait is currently earning an M.F.A in Writing. Kait believes anything is possible with hard work and dedication. One day, she hopes to be a bestseller and to see her novels on the big screen. Look for the next two books in her page-turning Execution Underground series: Twilight Hunter, book one (August 2013) and Immortal Hunter, book two (January 2014), and don’t forget to check out Shadow Hunter, a prequel novella to the series featured in the After Dark anthology along NYT Bestseller Gena Showalter—now available in trade paperback, ebook, and audiobook formats. For more information, please visit www.kaitballenger.com or follow her on Twitter @kait_ballenger.

Website: www.kaitballenger.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/kait_ballenger

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

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5989661.Kait_Ballenger

Purchase links

Amazon link

Twilight Hunter on Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/twilight-hunter-kait-ballenger/1114504377?ean=9780373777389

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Title: Twilight Hunter Author: Kait Ballenger

May Contain Spoilers

From Amazon:

Review:

I was trying to put my finger on why I don’t didn’t really care for Twilight Hunter, and I think I finally figured it out.  Kait Ballanger’s Execution Underground world is grim, bleak, and brutal, and it’s not one that I would want to visit.   There is nothing cutesy about the series or the characters, and there are times when the darkness caught me off guard.  This installment focuses on Jace, a half-werewolf whose abusive childhood shaped him into a cold, hard killer.  Jace hunts werewolves for a living, and every rogue werewolf has him hoping that it’s his father he’s hunting down.  He will never forgive his father for beating his mother, and worse, for walking out on them so many years before.

When a serial killer begins preying on young women, torturing, raping, and ripping them to shreds, Jace is certain that a werewolf is committing the horrible crimes.  He’s determined to stop the killer before he murders again, but he can’t catch a break in the case.  Finding Frankie at one of the murder scenes, he’s positive she has something to do with the deaths.  She’s an abomination, isn’t she? She has to be responsible for the killings, or know who the killer is.  What Jace doesn’t know is that Frankie is the leader of the local pack, and she’s on the trail of the killer, too, in part to avoid the full moon and her expected joining with her childhood friend Alejandro.  Now, she’s Jace’s captive, and if he doesn’t back off, they are going to be doing the bronto  bop when her estrus is at it’s height.

Mating rituals is a  component of werewolf stories that I don’t like.  It kind of takes all of the guessing out of the game if whenever that full moon looms overhead the protagonists are so compelled by their wolf that they will jump the first available prospect they see.  In this context, it gave Jace something else to beat himself up over, because he was too weak to keep himself from sleeping with a werewolf.  It also gave him another excuse to hold Frankie in contempt, because she would obviously sleep with anybody.  Sigh.

One thing that I do like about werewolves stories is the action, and there is a ton of it here.  The fighting scenes are a blast to read, and Frankie is a kick-ass heroine.  She doesn’t back down from anything or anyone,  especially when she’s defending her position in her own pack.  Not all of the members are happy that she’s their leader, and it’s a constant struggle to maintain her place.  Her parents were murdered a few years ago, and she took their place in the pack.  The altercations within the pack are no-holds barred exchanges, and only Frankie’s fighting skills and determination have kept her in charge, and still breathing.

Both Jace’s and Frankie’s pasts collide during their attempts to capture and kill the murderer.  The killer is one sick puppy, and his demise couldn’t come soon enough.  He made me uncomfortable, with his remorseless drive to inflict pain and death.  At first I was afraid that there wouldn’t be an explanation for his behavior, other than that he was a psycho (which he was, in spades), but there was rational behind his nutcase behavior.

Twilight Hunter will appeal to fans who enjoy grittier tales with a high steam factor and lots of intense action.

Review copy provided by author

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.

I love Kelly Hunter!  What the Bride Didn’t Know will be in stores November 1st (Kindle version)

What the Bride Didn’t Know (The West Family)

What are you waiting on?

Title: Betting on Texas Author:  Amanda Renee

May Contain Spoilers

From Amazon:

Review:

Once again, I am drawn to a cowboy book.  Betting on Texas by Amanda Renee even has horses.  Bonus!  Surly Jesse is a horse trainer, and they are actually featured predominately in the story.  Yeah!  Unfortunately, Jesse knowingly puts Miranda in some hazardous situations, which did make me think less of him.  A horse trainer of all people should know better to put a horse and a human at risk like that. 

Miranda Archer is embarking on a new life.  Having won the state lottery, she purchases a ranch in Texas, loads up her meager belongings in her brand new pickup truck, and heads for greener pastures.  What she finds isn’t exactly the solitary haven she’s expecting.  Instead, she discovers that she also owns several horses, a small herd of cattle, and some chickens in addition to the farm house and acreage.  Oh, yeah, and there’s that angry, angry cowboy, Jesse Langtry, in residence, too.  Jesse has sacrificed the better part of the last 15 years  working on the ranch, training sought after cutting horses and managing the property for the former owners.  They had a hand shake agreement that Jesse would buy the ranch when they were ready to retire.  Unfortunately, the older couple is tragically killed in an accident, and the ranch is placed on the auction block by.  Jesse is outbid by Miranda, and he is pissed!  How could this rich, city-slicker from DC just stroll into town and take away his  dream?

I really wanted to enjoy this book more than I did, but the story didn’t gel for me.  The adversarial relationship between Jesse and Miranda turned me off.  Jesse completely and unfairly misjudges Miranda, which makes him hard to like.  They are constantly bickering about the ranch, which is legally Miranda’s, and Jesse blames her for buying it from under him.  He is so bitter that I just couldn’t buy into their relationship.  He puts her at risk several times with the horses, and I couldn’t get over that.  Horses are large animals, and when handled by inexperienced people, they can be dangerous.  Heck, they can be dangerous when you know what you’re doing!  To leave her to load a horse onto a trailer after getting mad at her; I just can’t imagine a professional horseman doing something risky like that.  After getting dumped off of my mare the same day I read a majority of the book, for no other reason than she was feeling frisky, I know how quickly things can go wrong with horses.  This probably won’t be a major sticking point for most, but it was for me.

I did like Miranda.  She put up with Jesse’s sullen behavior and tried not to let it bother her.  She met his dismissive treatment of her head on.  She didn’t let him alter her plans to have the home she had always dreamed of.  When life bit her in the behind, she quickly made adjustments to ensure that the animals and the people who were now depending on her were taken care of.  Her initial poor reception in town was entirely due to Jesse spreading false rumors about her and her plans for the ranch, and she acted forcefully to try to counteract the gossip he had spread about her.  Even though he did this before he met her, it’s hard to forgive a guy who would try to sabotage a complete stranger like that.

To settle things between them, Miranda and Jesse make a bet, and the winner ends up with the ranch.  Because of Jesse’s determination to win the bet and get his dreams back on track, it was hard to buy into his sincerity when his feelings for Miranda started to change.  I wasn’t sure if he really did like her, or if gaining control of the ranch was playing into his change of heart.  In fact, it wasn’t until the last two chapters that I even started to like him. 

Betting on Texas was a mixed bag for me, and I blame the confrontational relationship established early in the story for my tepid respond to Jesse.  It was hard to look beyond Jesse’s desire to own the ranch, and his less than chivalrous behavior rankled at times.  Even though Betting on Texas didn’t work for me,  I am looking forward to getting to know Jesse’s brothers better in Home To The Cowboy, the next book in the series. 

Grade: B-/C+

Review copy provided by publisher

Amanda Renee dropped by the virtual offices to chat about her debut novel, Betting on Texas.  Please give her a warm welcome.

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

[Amanda Renee] Risk taking, no holds barred author who believes dreams really do come true if you work hard for them! No regrets, no apologies. Just do it!

[Manga Maniac Cafe] Can you tell us a little about Betting on Texas?

[Amanda Renee] Miranda Archer buys the Double Trouble Ranch sight unseen at the urging of her best friend and unwilling upends Jesse Langtry and his plans for the ranch.  Believing he can chase the city girl back where she came from, he bets she won’t make it one month working on the ranch like everyone else.  If she wins, he goes away quietly, if he wins, she sells him the ranch.  It’s a 30 day battle of wits and determination.

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

[Amanda Renee] Miranda and Jesse live in my dream town.  The characters throughout Betting on Texas are the people I would want for neighbors, but that’s not to say there aren’t a few bad eggs in the bunch.  Life in Ramblewood, Texas is far from perfect. I love the down home atmosphere of ranch life.  It’s hard work, but at the end of the day, you have something tangible to show for it.  Jesse and Miranda never fear the unknown.  Nothing is ever impossible to them and that’s my favorite quality in a person.

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

[Amanda Renee] Determined, Spunky, Competitive

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

[Amanda Renee] All We Ever Find by Tim McGraw – sums up his feelings for Miranda perfectly.

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

[Amanda Renee] Her determination! It’s all she needs to get through life.  She never considers giving up on anything, regardless of what it is. 

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

[Amanda Renee] Sex Toys (he’s good to go on his own), frou-frou (he keeps things simple), television (if you’re in his bedroom, you’re there for a reason and it isn’t to watch I Love Lucy reruns)

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

[Amanda Renee] Her relationship with her deceased alcoholic mother.  Miranda always wonders if she could have done more to save her from herself.

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

[Amanda Renee] Edward Lear – For his whimsical style of writing and brilliant artistry

Sandra Brown – I aspire to one day reach her level of greatness

Antonio Vivaldi – His compositions inspire greatness

Jonathan Firth – For the emotional depth of every character he portrays

Dave Sabo of Skid Row – His musical creativity blows me away every time

My Grandpa Joe – There was nothing he wasn’t willing to try

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

[Amanda Renee] Quiet (I’m easily distracted), my netbook (all 1st drafts are written on my netbook so I can easily take it anywhere and the battery lasts the entire day), my dog

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

[Amanda Renee] Triggerfish Twist by Tim Dorsey – I howled all the way through it!

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

[Amanda Renee] Wow!  I’ve read since I was 3 years old. I come from a family of bookworms.  Dr Seuss started it all – Green Eggs and Ham!

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

[Amanda Renee] I hate to sound cliché but long walks on the beach with my dog, motoring in my Mini Cooper, spending time with family & friends, anything on the water and anytime I can work with animals, I’m happy!

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

[Amanda Renee] My website: www.amandarenee.com

Twitter: www.twitter.com/TheAmandaRenee

Facebook: www.facebook.com/AmandaReneeFanPage

Snail Mail: Amanda Renee, PO Box 3251, North Myrtle Beach, SC 29582

Thank you!  It’s been a pleasure speaking with you!

[Manga Maniac Café] Thank you!

You can purchase Betting on Texas from your favorite bookseller or by clicking the links below.

About the book:

About the Author:

Born and raised in the northeast, Amanda Renee currently resides on the Intracoastal Waterway in sunny South Carolina. She was discovered through Harlequin’s So You Think You Can Write contest and began writing for the American Romance line. When not creating stories about love, laughter and things that go bump in the night, she enjoys the company of her Schnoodle named Duffy, traveling, photography, playing guitar and anything involving horses. You can visit her at www.amandarenee.com.

Add Amanda’s books to your shopping list!

BETTING ON TEXAS – March 2013

HOME SWEET COWBOY – August 2013

LEGACY OF A LONE STAR – Early 2014

Don’t care which political side you are on, this is very cute!

NEW JERSEY – BERGEN COUNTY
New critique group forming for picture book, middle grade, and YA writers in Bergen County. WHERE AND WHEN: Initial meeting will be on Monday, March 11th at 7:30 pm at the Upper Saddle River Library– 245 Lake Street. Future meetings and group goals will be discussed and formulated that night.
INTERESTED? Contact SCBWI member Nona Maher at [email protected]

Eliza Wheeler’s illustrations’s for Kate Milford’s LEFT-HANDED FATE, a nautical fantasy set in 1813 about the wars in the Atlantic was sold to Noa Wheeler at Holt Children’s, for publication in Fall 2014. Eliza was featured on Illustrator’s Saturday.  Here’s the link: http://wp.me/pss2W-3Kp

At Pippin Properties, Elena Mechlin has been named literary agent and will continue managing the agency’s foreign and audio rights.

At Harlequin’s Love Inspired imprint, Giselle Regus has been promoted to assistant editor.

Amy Tannenbaumhas joined the Jane Rotrosen Agency as a literary agent. She was previously an editor at Atria, and will represent new adult, romance, and commercial women’s fiction authors.

Avideh Bashirrad has been promoted to vp, associate publisher for the Random House and Dial Press imprints, reporting to Susan Kamil.

At Harlequin, Mira executive editor Valerie Gray will retire at the end of March after more than 13 years with the company. As a result, Tara Parsons will move into that role in addition to her duties as executive editor for HQN and Luna. Also at Mira, Nicole Brebner has been promoted to senior editor, while both Leonore Waldrip and Michelle Venditti move up to assistant editor (Waldrip will also work on HQN titles.)

In addition, Susan Swinwood has been promoted to executive editor, HQN and Luna, while Margo Lipschultz moves up to senior editor. Finally, Emily Martin has been promoted to director of overseas publishing for the company.

Grand Central’s romance imprint Forever and their companion digital imprint Forever Yours will expand to publish 120 titles in 2013 and more than 190 titles in 2013 — up from 64 titles in 2012 — as part of a “major initiative” celebrating the imprint’s 10th anniversary. Forever will also add editorial and marketing staff.

Illustrator Hazel Mitchel, who was featured on Illustrator Saturday http://wp.me/pss2W-2pf sent in this book promotion opportunity:

Do you have a book on cows or ice cream? This may be of interest to you:

“One of my PR clients is a large homemade ice cream stand in Swansea, Mass. I am organizing a spring book fair and would like to have authors of cow and ice cream-related books appear for a book signing/ ice cream festival.

Also, we are going to have other signings throughout the spring, summer and early fall and would love to showcase your talent – free of charge. You will also get a free ice cream cone!

Please email me offline if your are interested in participating. The creamery is located about 20 mins. east of Providence and on weekends sells about 1,300 cones a day.

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL!

Talk tomorrow,

Kathy

Title:  Texas Christmas Author: Nancy Robards Thompson

May Contain Spoilers

From Amazon:

Review:

On a recent outing to the library, I caught sight of Texas Christmas.  The cover totally sucked me in; how could I resist that oh so sexy cowboy and the horses?  This cover is like a dream  date for me – the ultimate date would be going riding with some hot dude who likes animals, especially horses, and would actually go on a ride with me.  Sigh. Sadly, this scene is not in the book.  The protagonist, Pepper, doesn’t like horses, and hasn’t since an accident when she was a child.  So, no trail riding with a super sexy cowboy is in this story.

Pepper Merriweather is reeling from her father’s arrest. He’s been accused of defrauding investors of millions, and suddenly, Pepper is facing a very ugly future.  Raised in wealth, she is now scrambling to find a job.  With her father’s face in the papers, it’s getting harder and harder to find the strength to move on with her life.  Everyone is placing blame on her, even though she never worked at her father’s company.  I thought this was especially unfair, because her father wouldn’t have anything to do with her.   They hadn’t spoken in years, and he refused to allow her to visit him in prison.  So Pepper is basically taking heat for a jerk of father who hasn’t been part of her life in forever. 

Pepper meets billionaire Robert Macintyre on a flight home from Paris, where she and her mother have been hiding from the press.  He’s a nice guy, and Pepper’s grateful that he doesn’t mention her father and his alleged crimes even once.  After rescuing her from a very angry drunk who confronts her in the airport, Rob gives her a lift home.  After a steamy kiss, the two part ways, seemingly for good.  However, when Pepper’s good friend insists that Rob hire her, or she won’t make a donation for the children’s hospital he wants to build, Rob and Pepper find themselves together again.  Add in a massive amount of guilt on Pepper’s part, and you have a slow to burn romance.

When Pepper was a young girl, she and her brother were involved in an accident, and Pepper never forgave herself for it.  She isn’t ready to allow someone else to love her, either.   Just look at her father, who can’t find it in himself to forgive her. How can she allow Rob and his young son to get close to her, when all she does is hurt people?  While I found this conflict compelling, I felt that it was resolved too easily.  The pacing of this book felt so off to me, and it hindered my enjoyment of the story.   Pepper and Rob meet early in the book, and then don’t get together again until about 130 pages later.  That didn’t leave enough page time for their romance to convincingly develop.  Instead, the focus of the story is on Pepper dealing with fallout from her father’s crimes, and Rob trying to fund the hospital expansion.  There just wasn’t enough romance to satisfy me, and I was left wanting more.

Grade:  C

Review copy obtained from my local library

Juliet Madison is visiting the virtual offices this morning to chat about her new book Fast Forward.  Check out what she has to say about her latest release!

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

[Juliet Madison] Writer, mother, creative, passionate, determined, daydreamer, positive, health-conscious, thinker, helper, impatient, night owl.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] Can you tell us a little about Fast Forward?

[Juliet Madison] Fast Forward is a romantic comedy with a time-travel twist, out now from Escape Publishing. Here’s the blurb:

Aspiring supermodel, Kelli Crawford seems destined to marry her hotshot boyfriend, but on her twenty-fifth birthday she wakes in the future as a fifty-year-old suburban housewife married to the now middle-aged high school nerd.

Trapped in the opposite life of the one she wanted, Kelli is forced to re-evaluate her life and discover what is really important to her. Will she overcome the hilarious and heartbreaking challenges presented to her and get back to the body of her younger self? Or will she be stuck in the nightmare of hot flushes, demanding children, raunchy advances from her husband and hideous support underwear forever?

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

[Juliet Madison] I came up with the concept when I was reading a book where a character acted beyond her years, and I thought it would be fun to write about a character ageing suddenly and jumping ahead to the future. I remembered movies like Suddenly 30 (13 Going on 30), Big, and 17 Again, but in all of these, the character becomes a ‘desirable’ age – youthful, energetic, successful, attractive…etc, so I decided to do the opposite – take a beautiful young character and make her an age she doesn’t want to be, in a life she doesn’t want to be in. I chose a model because I wanted to have a character who relied on her looks for her career suddenly realise she doesn’t have those looks anymore and has to discover who she really is on the inside. And because her boyfriend is a gorgeous, successful, rich man, I made her husband in the future someone completely different – a geek she used to tease in high school.

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

[Juliet Madison] Young Kelli – Beautiful, idealistic, certain

Future Kelli – confused, determined, resourceful

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

[Juliet Madison] Young Kelli – Material Girl (Madonna)

Future Kelli – Help! (The Beatles)

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

[Juliet Madison] Young Kelli – shine control oil blotting sheets

Future Kelli – e-pad (an awesome invention you’ll read about in the book!)

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

[Juliet Madison] Cheap make-up, junk food, a library card.

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

[Juliet Madison] Other authors’ books, great movies, well-written television shows… these all reinforce the power of fiction to enrich our lives and they get me itching to write! Also nature, there’s something about it that inspires me and brings out my creative side.

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

[Juliet Madison] 1.Time.

2. My trusty Alphasmart NEO (or computer).

3. A brief list of plot points for what I’m going to be writing about.

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

[Juliet Madison] It was actually a non-fiction book called Dying To Be Me by Anita Moorjani, about her near death experience. Fascinating stuff, and very inspiring.

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

[Juliet Madison] The Magic Faraway Tree by Enid Blyton. I loved escaping into the world of the tree, it taught me how powerful the imagination is and how powerful books can be.

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

[Juliet Madison] Reading, watching movies and TV shows, exploring the shops in town, having lunch at the beach, chatting on facebook and twitter!

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

[Juliet Madison] Website: http://www.julietmadison.com

Blog: http://www.julietmadison.wordpress.com

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

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/juliet_madison

Buy FAST FORWARD via Escape Publishing: http://www.escapepublishing.com.au

[Manga Maniac Café] Thank you!

GIVEAWAY (From Juliet’s website):

You can WIN:

1. Grand Prize of a $50 Amazon gift card

2. Runner-up prize of a $25 Amazon gift card

3. Bonus prize of a $25 Amazon gift card (for those who purchase the book)

HOW TO ENTER:

1. Leave a comment on my interviews or posts at any (or all) of the blogs I’ll be visiting during February. For every comment you leave (one per blog) you get one entry into the draw. So if you comment on ten blogs, you’ll get ten entries, if you comment on fifteen, you’ll get fifteen entries, and so on. Some blogs may require that you leave your email address in the comment so be sure to read the instructions at each post. One person will be chosen randomly to win the $50 card, and another person will win the $25 card which will be delivered via email.

2. To win the bonus prize of another $25 Amazon gift card, purchase Fast Forward and then forward your receipt to a dedicated email address: fastforwardbook(at)gmail(dot)com – replace (at) with @ and (dot) with . One lucky reader will be chosen randomly to win the gift card. If you enter both draws (leaving comments and forwarding your receipt) you could potentially win both prizes!

WINNER:

Will be drawn at the conclusion of the blog tour, around the first weekend in March. You will be notified via email so be sure to leave your address in the comments if asked to. If you’re not asked to, it means your address will be able to be seen by the blog owner and passed onto me.

You can order Fast Forward from your favorite bookseller of by clicking the link below.

About the book:

Title:  The One that Got Away Author: Kelly Hunter

May Contain Spoilers

From Amazon:

Review:

I have read three titles from the Harlequin Kiss line now, and each has been vastly different in tone and texture.  My previous forays into the Kiss line were a bit more light hearted and more in line with what I thought this line would be like.  The One That Got Away caught me by surprise.  This is a darker read, with flawed but likable characters.  It delves into the fears of a man whose childhood was marred by abuse, and examines his deepest fear – that he will be as violent, controlling, and selfish as his father.  This fear has shaped his adult life, twisting his relationships and fueling his desperation to keep everyone at arm’s length.  Mix in a hopeless obsession that has festered for over ten years, and you have a story that makes you uneasy and steals your breath away in equal measure.

Evie has worked long and hard to make a successful business of MEP, the architectural firm she runs with her friend Max.  When a huge opportunity looms for them, they both fret about raising enough working capital.  Then Max drops a bombshell.  He asks Evie to marry him so he can access his multimillion dollar trust fund.  Shocked, she agrees, and they travel to Max’s hometown to meet his family, and give Evie another shock.  Max’s older brother, Logan, is the man she spent a blissful week with 10 years ago, a week that ended in disaster.  Both Evie and Logan have been haunted by their brief time together, but for different reasons.  Evie’s heart was broken when she didn’t hear from him again, while Logan ran as fast and as far away from Evie and his obsession for her as he could.  Evie represented everything that terrified him, and he didn’t want to face that monster in the closet of his mind. 

Now, older and ten years wiser, Evie wants to put that week from her past into perspective.  Logan refuses to discuss it.  With the support of Max and his mother, Evie slowly begins to understand the demons that stalk Logan.  She confronts him, time and again, trying to make him understand that they are both different people than they were ten years ago.  I admit that their relationship made me uncomfortable at several points,.  Logan’s fear of being like his father has made him try to repress his inner most desires, and when they batter at him, they terrify him.   Evie and Logan’s relationship is dark and intense, and at times, unhealthy.  I began to wonder if I would be convinced that they could ever have a HEA.  Fortunately, I was, and I became a bigger fan of Kelly Hunter’s because of it.

My one quibble would be the lack of depth regarding Evie’s background, and how her dysfunctional childhood affected her.  We are given a brief sketch of her parents and their inability to commit, but there is no clear picture given.

Grade: A

Review copy provided by publisher

Please welcome Zander Rush, hot-shot producer for EROS radio station.  He’s here to chat about a recent promotion that is currently the talk of the town.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] Describe yourself in five words or less.

[Zander Rush] Complicated, professional, focussed.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] Can you share a typical day in the life of Zander Rush?

[Zander Rush] Typically, I’d be up early for a run. One hour minimum. Then home for shower and coffee and into the Jag. Stop for drive-through coffee on the way to work. Much better than my own (I have the top-of-the-range machine but I’ve never read the manual). Then it’s pretty much meetings and paper shuffling from 8am until 6pm. No coffee there at all, the machine’s rubbish. Either lunch with clients or one of the local restaurants will deliver to my desk. End of day my assistant nudges me out the door and I grab something on the way home. Then another couple of hours of work, a bit of time on my training schedule and bed.

Rinse, repeat.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] What three words come to mind when you think of Georgia?

[Zander Rush] Shambolic, fearless, real

[Manga Maniac Cafe] What is the first thing that you noticed about her?

[Zander Rush] Her voice, husky and anxious piping out through the whole studio. But I hadn’t seen her then. Once I met her I became fixated by her manners, even though she was falling apart. She was so unflinchingly polite. Classic Brit.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] Have you ever had a promotion backfire like Georgia’s Valentine’s proposal?

[Zander Rush] One man’s backfire is another man’s boon. The network were ecstatic at the exposure it got and I was able to pull it back on track pretty quickly. But no, that’s probably the biggest ‘oh crap’ moment of my life…

[Manga Maniac Cafe] What was the primary reason you offered to foot the bill for the Year of Georgia?

[Zander Rush] It was her money the moment she signed the proposal contract, I just found a way of her earning it that wasn’t truly horrible for her. That two minutes in the lift with her, the look on her face… I knew the money would be the last thing she’d be thinking of but it was also my biggest tool to set things to rights.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] If you could change one thing you’ve done in your life, what would it be?

[Zander Rush] Answering an ad for EROS looking for a production coordinator. That was the moment my life went off track. And then it just kept veering…

[Manga Maniac Cafe] What’s one thing you won’t leave home without?

[Zander Rush] My door key? Heh.

*cough*

Okay, serious then… uh… my smartphone. There isn’t a brain on this planet big enough to keep all my obligations in it.

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

[Zander Rush] I train. I love to run. The longer and the more peaceful the better. Just me, my heartbeat and the thump of my feet on the track.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] Can you share your dreams for the future in five words or less.

[Zander Rush] Meaning. Freedom. Family. Garden. Georgia.  They’re all kind of sub-sets of Georgia, really…

[Manga Maniac Cafe] Thank you!

[Zander Rush] You’re welcome. Invoice is in the mail. Now I have a radio station to run….

To learn more about Georgia, Zander, and the Valentine’s Day proposal gone wrong, read How To Get Over Your Ex by Nikki Logan. You can order a copy from your favorite bookseller or by clicking the links below.

About the book: