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Review:

I love Donna Alward’s writing, but I haven’t read much of her work outside of her Harlequins.  When I saw that Into the Fire had an animal shelter, I had to read it.  This is a quick read, with a hero who isn’t afraid to admit that he has made some mistakes, and a heroine with self-esteem issues.  I really enjoyed it.

Ally and Chris are brought back together after a fire destroys her animal shelter.  She is mourning the loss of the animals she couldn’t save, and isn’t ready to head home to her demanding parents yet.  Chris, her ex, offers to take her to his place, where she can take a shower and get herself back together.  Because Chris is being so kind, and because she’s in shock, she agrees to go with him.

Ally broke up with Chris three years before, and she never really got over him.  She felt pressured into marrying him, though, and she wasn’t sure what she wanted to do with her life.  When she learns that he’s become a volunteer fireman, and that he’s purchased a house of his own, she feels even more upset with herself.  While Chris has moved forward with his life and achieved some of his goals, she feels as though she hasn’t accomplished anything. She still lives at home, her parents are disappointed with her, and she’s just lost the only thing that mattered to her.  While she wasn’t make any money running the shelter, it gave her a reason to get up every day.  She knows that working part time, for minimum wage, at the local drug store isn’t a career, but it allowed her to keep the shelter going.  Now that it’s gone, she’s at lose ends.

I liked both Ally and Chris.  Ally is consumed with self-doubt, thinking that she’s disappointed her parents and that she isn’t doing anything worthwhile with her life.  Chris understands that he did push her three years ago, and now he’s willing to give her the space and time she needs if it means that they can get back together again.  What he doesn’t count on is Ally’s opposition to his job as a fire fighter.  After losing her sister, Ally is terrified of losing someone else close to her, and Chris’s job puts him in harm’s way every time he responds to an emergency call.

The conflict was believable, as Ally grappled for an identity for herself, as well as a way to reconcile herself to the danger presented by Chris’s job.  It’s easier for her to run away again, however, than it is for her to deal with her problems.  She did frustrate me when she refused to compromise, and I thought that Chris did all of the giving at first, which made Ally seem selfish and unworthy of his love.  She turns it around by the end, earning this a solid B.

Grade:  B

Review copy obtained from my local library

From Amazon:

The heat is on…

First Responders, Book 3

The last person firefighter Chris Jackson expects to rescue from a burning animal shelter is Ally Gallant—his ex-fiancée. Even though three years have passed since she gave him back his ring, one look at her frightened face in the haze of a smoky building is all it takes for him to realize he’ll still do anything to protect her.

Ally’s put her heart and soul into the shelter, and she’s devastated when it’s destroyed. What’s more, Chris is suddenly there for her in ways she doesn’t expect—ways she’s sure she doesn’t deserve—as she makes decisions about her future. Then there’s the not-so-small matter of the blazing passion between them that refuses to be extinguished.

But when Chris is injured while on a call, Ally’s reminded of all the reasons she walked away. Now she must look deep within herself to find the courage to put fear on the back burner and step into the fire—into love.

Warning: Adorable dogs, a hot firefighter and five-alarm passion. Fire extinguisher (or cold shower) highly recommended.

Jennifer Bernard dropped by the virtual offices to share a Top 5 list about her sexy new fireman hero, Fred, from The Night Belongs to Fireman.  Be sure to enter the giveaway below, too!

Fred’s Top Five (tongue-in-cheek) Headaches now that he’s been branded the Bachelor Hero:

His barber has named a haircut after him. When clients ask for “The Fred,” they get it long-ish on top, some razoring on the side. Now he keeps seeing versions of his own head wherever he goes.

His workout socks keep disappearing; turns out Ace, the rookie, has started a profitable little side business selling them to fans.

Every time he walks into a coffee shop, a stream of fellow customers buys him a cup of coffee. Since he’s too polite to turn them down, he’s in a constant state of jittery over-caffeination.

His sister Lizzie has made a life-size “Fred the Bachelor Hero” cardboard cut-out. She takes selfies with it at places like the nail salon and the lingerie store. Several have gone viral on Facebook.

A TV producer keeps pitching a reality show concept – Real Heroes of the Firehouse, starring Fred the Bachelor Hero. He’s even mocked up a sample Fred Action Figure. Just wait until the guys at the firehouse get hold of that one …

The Night Belongs to Firemen

The Bachelor Firemen of San Gabriel # 6
Jennifer Bernard

Releasing September 30th, 2014

Avon Romance

Daring . . . Sexy . . . Irresistible . . .
They’re the Bachelor Firemen of San Gabriel
When fireman Fred Breen rescues a bachelorette party after a construction crane collapses onto their limo, the media labels him the “Bachelor Hero.” But all Fred can think about is the petite brunette with the sexy mane of dark curls who bolted away from him faster than a wildfire after he carried her to safety. And when he discovers she’s none other than Rachel Kessler, the daughter of a tech billionaire, the girl whose kidnapping riveted the nation, he intends to learn every intimate detail about this intriguing woman who sets his pulse on fire.
Rachel can’t deny the lean-muscled firefighter is smokin’ hot. But after having one too many drinks at the bar where she first meets him, Rachel knows she’s made a fool of herself. Yet when he rescues her from the limo, she feels safe for the first time since she was held for ransom as a child. Then her overprotective father insists Fred be her bodyguard—and his close presence kindles a burning desire that only he can extinguish.

Link to Follow Tour: http://www.tastybooktours.com/2014/08/the-night-belongs-to-firemen-bachelor.html

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20452183-the-night-belongs-to-fireman?from_search=true

Buy Links

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Night-Belongs-Fireman-Bachelor-Firemen-ebook/dp/B00HPWULW8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1407068952&sr=8-1&keywords=the+night+belongs+to+firemen

B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-night-belongs-to-fireman-jennifer-bernard/1117992160?ean=9780062273697

Kobo: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/the-night-belongs-to-fireman

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/the-night-belongs-to-fireman/id792997674?mt=11

Author Info

Jennifer Bernard is a graduate of Harvard and a former news promo producer. The child of academics, she confounded her family by preferring romance novels to … well, any other books. She left big city life for true love in Alaska, where she now lives with her husband and stepdaughters. She’s no stranger to book success, as she also writes erotic novellas under a naughty secret name not to be mentioned at family gatherings.

Author Links

Website: http://jenniferbernard.net/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JenniferBernardBooks
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jen_bernard
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5263027.Jennifer_Bernard

Rafflecopter Giveaway (Three Winners to receive Print Copies of The Bachelor Firemen of San Gabriel Series Books 1-3, THE FIREMAN WHO LOVED ME, HOT FOR FIREMAN and SEX AND THE SINGLE FIREMAN)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The post Interview with Jennifer Bernard, Author of The Night Belongs to Fireman and Giveaway appeared first on Manga Maniac Cafe.

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When I Grow Up I Want To Be…a Firefighter!

by WIGU Publishing

978-1-939973-11-5

2014

Age 6 to 10       60 pages

.IN PROCESS OF ADDING ILLUSTRATIONS

“Will was excited to go on his class field trip, until he learned they would be touring the local firehouse. Now, he is dreading the trip. For as long as he can remember, Will has been afraid of fire and, worse than that, firefighters! Though he knows firefighters are heroes who do dangerous work, to him they are giants in heavy coats and masks. Can Will overcome his fears and maybe even learn something surprising about himself?”

Opening

“Will was sitting in his classroom at school when his teacher, Miss Elyse, made the announcement.”

The Story

Will’s class is going on a field trip to a firehouse. Will is afraid of fire and firefighters. Firefighters are right up there with monsters, even though he knows firefighters are heroes who protect our stuff and us. Still, firefighters are “huge” plus “they run out of the smoke and fire swinging axes.” On the bus, Will still worries about the trip. His friend Tommy is all excited, ready for anything.

A fireman wearing a baseball cap and a t-shirt, not a mask and a giant coat, greet the kids. Will tries to convince himself the fireman is not scary, but this one is the Captain. The Captain tells the kids the firefighters train hard, and that the six firefighters at this firehouse are “First Responders.” Will sees that the firehouse is also the firefighter’s home while on duty. As he begins to relax, Will imagines himself as “Captain Will,” the firefighter with the biggest office. The firefighters also have some cool stuff, like a shiny fire pole and two Dalmatians. Who knew they could have pets?

Out of nowhere, a firefighter slides down the gold fire pole, in full firefighter gear. Captain Kirby said, “Did you know that a lot of kids are frightened of firefighters?” Will understands. The firefighter crawls toward the kids, as if saving them in a fire, making at least one jump back. When the mask finally comes off, Will decides the firefighter is not at all scary-looking. Before the kids climb back in their school bus, Will helps aim the fire hose, receives a Junior Firefighter Badge, and hops up onto the fire engine—in the driver’s seat!

Review

When I Grow Up I Want to be . . . a Firefighter stands up to its predecessors—be in the Army and be a Teacher. If anything, the series is getting better. Will is a believable character. He gradually lets down his guard as he learns more about firefighters. Will’s fear of the GIANT firefighter was shattered as the firefighter, who suddenly slides down the fire pole, and crawls toward the kids, scaring a few, turns out to be . . . a girl! Even the Captain, wearing a t-shirt and baseball cap, looked normal. Will shares many of his thoughts along the way, yet I am guessing one thought he doesn’t share is, “why was I scared to come here today?” It is evident in his posture and his face that he is finally having fun.

Packed with career details, I Want to be . . . a Firefighter brings the firefighter down to kid level, erasing any fear that can be induce when they wear their full gear. From the contents of the typical firehouse, to various emergency response vehicles, Will, and the reader, learns what it takes to be a firefighter and what the job entails. As a take-away, there is s Home Safety Check List and a sample Home Escape Plan in the back of the book.

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Learn more about When I Grow Up I Want to be . . .  series HERE.

Buy I Want to be . . . a Firefighter at Amazon—B&N—WIGU Publishers—your local bookstore.

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Learn more about the uthor, illustrator and publisher WIGU Publishing at their website:  http://whenigrowupbooks.com/

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WHEN I GROW UP I WANT TO BE  . . . FIREFIGHTER. Text and illuostration copyright © 2014 by WIGU Publishing. Reproduced by permission of the publisher, WIGU Publishing, Laguna each, CA.

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Coming Soon from WIGU Publishing

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About UNDENIABLE

Grace King knows two things for certain: she loves working at her grandmother’s café and she loves the hunky town sheriff. She always has. As she bakes him sweet treats, Grace fantasizes about helping him work up an appetite all night long. But whenever she thinks she’s finally getting somewhere, he whips out some excuse to escape. Growing up, he never looked twice at her. Now Grace won’t rest until she has Jax’s undivided attention.

Jaxson Anderson can’t deny that his best friend’s kid sister is the sexiest woman in Mirabelle, Florida. Unwilling to burden Grace with his painful past, Jax keeps the sassy blonde at arm’s length. Yet one heated kiss crumbles all of his carefully built defenses. But when a town secret surfaces, threatening to destroy everything they have believed in, can the man who defended Grace from bullies as a child protect her now?

About Shannon Richard
Shannon Richard grew up in the Panhandle of Florida as the baby sister of two overly protective, but loving brothers. She was raised by a more than somewhat eccentric mother, a self-proclaimed vocabularist who showed her how to get lost in a book, and a father who passed on his love for coffee and really loud music. She graduated from Florida State University with a Bachelor’s in English Literature, and still lives in Tallahassee where she battles everyday life with writing, reading, and a rant every once in a while. Okay, so the rants might happen on a regular basis. She’s still waiting for her Southern, scruffy, Mr. Darcy and in the meantime writes love stories to indulge her overactive imagination. Oh, and she’s a pretty big fan of the whimsy.

It was then Jax did the most impulsive thing he’d ever done in his life. He knew exactly where the impulse came from; he’d had the desire for years. He just wasn’t sure how the overwhelming need overran all of his sense. He grabbed Grace before he even realized what he was doing. He gripped her elbows and brought her body flush up against his. His mouth came down hard on hers. She inhaled, startled, and Jax took full advantage of the tiny opening of her mouth, dipping his tongue in and finding hers.

Excerpt:

Holy shit.

Never in his life had Jax kissed a girl and felt like his whole body was on fire, burning from the inside out. This was incredible, like nothing he’d ever known. She was warm, and sweet, and soft. How could the inside of someone’s mouth feel this way? Taste this good?

Grace sighed in pleasure as her body relaxed against his. Her arms wound around his neck. He wrapped his hands around her waist as he walked her backward. When her back hit the counter he put his hands on her bottom and pulled her up to sit on top of it, their mouths never breaking.

Holy shit, his hands were on Grace’s ass. Her perfect, incredible ass.

Her shoes hit the floor a second before she pulled her legs around him, her bare feet running up the back of his thighs. Her hands were on his chest, as one of his pulled out the tie in her hair so that he could run his fingers through it. She grabbed on to his side, and her hands slid around and lowered until they were on his butt. She squeezed and he thought he was going to go off, right then and there.

He pulled away from her mouth, letting his lips travel down the slope of her neck. How many times had he fantasized about this? About feeling her soft skin underneath his lips? God he loved her neck, the soft delicate space at the hollow of her throat.

“Jax.” She said his name with so much need that he abandoned his exploration of her neck.

He palmed the back of her head in one of his hands as he slanted his mouth over hers. Grace moaned when their tongues found each other again. The sound of it rumbled in Jax’s chest and settled low in his abdomen.

Jax wasn’t sure how long they stayed like that, wrapped around each other in more ways than one, before a crackling noise filled the kitchen. Mary Landers’s voice squawked through the speaker attached to Jax’s shirt.

“Seventeen, what’s your location?”

Jax pulled back from Grace, both of them breathing hard. Grace’s hair was everywhere, courtesy of his hands. She opened her eyes slowly, as if she was delaying coming back to reality, but Jax slammed into it hard.

What the hell had he just done?

May Contain Spoilers

From Amazon:

Review:

Some books come out of nowhere, start quietly, and before you know it, you’re completely hooked by the characters.  Jane’s Gift was like that for me.  I had no expectations when I picked it up, other than I wanted a quick read with a holiday setting.  It’s all about the holidays now, and I wanted to latch onto a little Christmas spirit.  Once I started reading this book, I couldn’t put it down, and I polished it off in almost one sitting.

Jane is recovering from a house fire that took her husband’s life and left her with horrible scars.  She is understandably terrified of fire now, as are her young children.  When she moves back to her small hometown, her brother suggests she take her kids to meet the fire chief to help ease their fear of fire.  I had a hard time getting into the story at first, because it seemed a little hokey.  But I kept turning pages, and before I realized what happened, I was completely invested in the characters.  It’s the protagonists that give Jane’s Gift a breath of life, and once I got to know them, I didn’t want to step away from their fears and hang ups.  Jane thinks it’s too soon to become emotionally involved with another man, and Chris has sworn off of serious relationships after watching the train wreck that was his parents’ marriage.  As time slowly passes, both Jane and Chris find themselves drawn to each other, and as they get to know each other better, they can’t help but care for each other.

To add a little conflict to their relationship, Jane’s daughter isn’t happy about having Chris around all the time, and she makes her unhappiness known.  Jane begins to question the wisdom of a relationship with Chris again, wondering if it’s a good idea to involve her children in Chris’ life.  He has such a dangerous job, and she wants to protect them from any more emotional disasters.  She is uneasy with the thought of Chris facing death every day, when she does her best to run as far away from risk as possible.  Jane’s emotional conflict was convincing, and when she does push him away, it’s understandable.  She doesn’t know if she’s strong enough to support him, and as the reader, I kept hoping she would somehow find the strength to be there for him.

Chris turned out to be a wonderful hero.  At first he pulled a few douche bag moves, but as he allowed himself to get to know Jane and her kids better, he allowed himself to care for them.  Suddenly their feelings and well being were more important than his own.  He realized how empty his life was, and how much he wanted to be part of Jane’s family.  He actually came around faster than Jane did, though he did have less to lose.  Jane’s whole focus was on her kids, and with her scars from the fire, she didn’t think she would ever find a man who could accept her as she was after the horrible accident.  It took her a while to trust Chris enough to believe that her scars didn’t mean anything to him.

Jane’s Gift is a wonderful holiday romance with likable characters and a convincing HEA.  I am looking forward to reading more by this author.

Grade:  B+, wavering on an A-

Please welcome Karen Erickson, who is celebrating the sweet holiday romance Jane’s Gift.  Please check back tomorrow for my review, too!

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

[Karen Erickson] Romance author/mom extraordinaire/lover of books. I write for Samhain, Entangled Bliss/Brazen & Avon Impulse. I’m a lover not a fighter.

(I stole most of this from my Twitter profile LOL)

[Manga Maniac Cafe] Can you tell us a little about Jane’s Gift?

[Karen Erickson] Jane Clark is a widow who survived a house fire. Now that she’s mostly recovered, she’s moved back to her hometown to be close to her family and start anew. She immediately meets the handsome fire captain Chris Nelson, who’s her younger brother’s friend and there’s instant chemistry. Despite the both of them not looking for anything serious, they somehow end up together…

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

[Karen Erickson] I read an article a few years ago about a woman who suffered terrible burns and survived a plane crash. She should’ve died but from pure determination and surrounded by the love of her family, she survived.

I wanted to create a strong heroine like that woman. A heroine who had an amazing spirit and family, a woman who suffered much but came out on the other side a winner. And I wanted to give that woman a second chance at love.

That’s how Jane came to be. And then I gave her a fear of fire (of course) and that her hero should be a fire captain. Instant conflict!

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

[Karen Erickson] Determined, thoughtful and passionate.

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

[Karen Erickson] Oh my gosh, this is a HARD question! What’s that song Donna Summer sang? Hot Stuff? Ha! He’s pretty hot and he’s a firefighter so…yeah. That works.

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

[Karen Erickson] Her purse! When you’re a woman with three children, you need your purse to stash everything they need in. Trust me. I know (says the mother of three children).

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

[Karen Erickson] Whips, chains and a flogger? LOL This is a sweet romance so none of those naughty bedroom accessories would appear in his bedside drawer or be stashed deep in his closet.

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

[Karen Erickson] I read a lot when I was young. I was an only child until I was eleven and I needed something to occupy my mind. Plus, I had an active imagination. I wouldn’t say there’s anything that’s my one greatest creative influence but I do try to always look for a story idea. They’re everywhere. On the news, in a magazine, a person I see walking down the street…

Sometimes music gets the juices going. Or reading. Oh, I could go on and on!

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

[Karen Erickson] Diet Coke, an open mind and at the moment, my desk heater (it’s cold!).

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

[Karen Erickson] It was a YA—Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry. Oh, it was SO FREAKING GOOD. I couldn’t stop reading it. I had to know what was going to happen next. Can’t wait for the next one!

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

[Karen Erickson] That is a TOUGH question. How about the one book that turned me on to reading romance? That would be Judith McNaught’s Paradise. I found an excerpt in the back of a Cosmo magazine when I was a teen. Went right out to the local bookstore (B. Dalton’s in the mall baby!) and bought it. Oh. It was so good. That was the start of my Judith McNaught consumption.

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

[Karen Erickson] Hang out with my family, reading, catching up with the TV shows on my DVR, traveling (wish I did that more).

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

[Karen Erickson] Where you can find me: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Pinterest

[Manga Maniac Cafe] Thank you!

Karen is giving away a Kindle Paperwhite, so be sure to click the link below and fill out the widget to enter for your chance to win!

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/share-code/NzYwNzA3YTg0ZTE3OWY4MzU4MzYzMjIwZmI4Yzg3OjEx/

You can order Jane’s Gift, as well as Karen’s other titles, from your favorite bookseller or by clicking the widget below:

Blurb for Jane’s Gift:

A fire captain afraid of commitment. A widow afraid of fire. Can the holidays bring them together?

A devastating house fire cost Jane Clark nearly everything: her husband, her confidence, and her looks, with the physical scars marbling her body. Now, two years later, she’s living and healing back in her childhood hometown of Lone Pine Lake. The upcoming holidays are the perfect opportunity to bring some Christmas cheer into her young children’s lives, starting with a visit to the firehouse, where her brother’s best friend has offered to help quell their residual fears.

Lone Pine’s resident playboy, fire captain Christian Nelson is happy with his single-guy lifestyle. He’s an everyday local hero, so he’s never wanting for attention around the holidays. But when Jane Clark shows up, Chris is immediately drawn to the beautiful widow–even though kids and commitment have never been his style.

Despite her brother’s warnings about his friend’s playboy status and dangerous occupation, Jane can’t help but fall for the gorgeous fire captain. The holidays are a time of new beginnings, but can two scarred people find the strength to let go of their pasts to live in the present, when a lifetime together might be the sweetest gift of all?

You can find JANE’S GIFT | B&N | Kobo

Keep up with the Jane’s Gift blog tour here

AdoraPet’s Pima Puppy and Pico Puppy Series  4 stars Author: YiShaun Yang Illustrators: Jeeyun Lee & Claire Cho Publisher: AdoraPet Publishing Publication Date: 2011 Number of Pages: 24 each book The AdoraPet’s Series, star Pima Puppy and Pico Puppy, two lovable characters ready to take your children on many journeys.  At a time when children’s [...]