Thursday 8 June 2017

Call to Honor: A SEAL Brotherhood Novel, #1by Tawny Weber #Contemporary #Romance

Tawny will be awarding a $20 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

If you could have one paranormal ability, what would it be? I’d love to be able to teleport.  Think of how much easier it’d be to travel!  No lines, no crowds, no airplanes (I really hate flying).  It’d be awesome to just pop into my parents’ place, to visit reader events, to hit the beach without having to deal with all the travel stress. 

What is one thing your readers would be most surprised to learn about you? Hmm, maybe that before I began writing, I earned my living as a tarot reader and Reiki master.  I started reading the tarot when I was 17, and spent a few years working the psychic fair circuit and building my client list. 

When writing descriptions of your hero/ine, what feature do you start with? I always seem to start with their hair.  The color, the style, the degree of trendiness, it’s such a huge point of self-expression and always seems to set the tone for who that character is.  For example, Harper Maclean, the heroine in CALL TO HONOR, has blonde, shoulder length hair in an edgy, layered style.  To mean, that was a nod to her being a California girl with the beach-styled hair, but length was mom-easy, versatile and the style fashionable, which fit her career as an interior decorator. 

Are you a plotter or a pantser? I’m closer to a plotter than a pantser, but I never actually solidify my plot until the story is about 1/4 of the way solid.  I start with a generally idea of who I think the characters are and a pretty good handle on the story question/plot and where it’ll end up.  I write those first few chapters over and over again, honing the characters, intensifying their conflicts, getting to know their personality at the same time I’m really getting a handle on the actual plot.  Usually by that one-quarter mark, I have a good enough feel for it that I can create my plotting board, which is a huge white board sectioned into chapters that I fill with colored post-it notes.  Yes, I color code my plotting board. It makes me happy!  

Did you learn anything  from writing this book? If so, what? Over the course of writing CALL TO HONOR, I learned a lot more about military missions than I’d know before.   I also learned how fabulous it felt to write a longer story.  At over 90k words, CALL TO HONOR is considerably longer than my Blaze books were.  Having that much more room was fabulous.  It let me really delve into Diego and Harper’s pasts, into their issues and to not only add in secondary characters points of view, but also a secondary romance.  So probably my biggest lesson was that I really don’t  want to go back to writing shorter books again.

BLURB
“No man left behind” is inscribed in the DNA of every SEAL and Lieutenant Diego Torres is no exception. But with a team member killed—and the body missing— Diego’s honor is sorely tested. Now his career and reputation are on the line, and a traitor is hiding among them. Diego wants answers...and only one woman has them.

Single mom Harper Maclean has two priorities—raising her son Nathan and starting a new life. Her mysterious new neighbor may be impossibly charming, but Diego asks too many questions about her past—and about the father of her child. Questions she fears will reveal her burning attraction for Diego, and ultimately put them all in danger’s path.

EXCERPT
Damn.

Not even signing for a slew of packages and fending off the flirtations of the delivery guy were enough to keep Harper Maclean from sending her son a protective frown.

So far his glimpses of her had been at a longer distance than the twenty feet currently separating them. Her photos didn’t do her justice. He’d known she was a looker, but no way he’d have thought fully dressed in person could trump that bikini shot, even if that bikini shot had been kind of blurry.

He’d have been wrong.

Even glaring at him, as if she thought he’d get greasy cooties all over her sweet little boy, she was gorgeous.

From the tip of her tousled blond hair to the toes of her strappy high-heeled sandals, she screamed California girl. She was too far away to see many details, but he knew from the file Lansky had compiled that she had strong features. A wide mouth with its generous bottom lip and dark brows that arched over big blue eyes.

Diego wasn’t sure why he felt as if he’d just taken a kick to the solar plexus. He’d never gone for the good-girl look, and there was nothing particularly sexy about what she was wearing. The turquoise pleated skirt flared in a way that made her waist look miniscule and her cream-colored top looked like a silky T-shirt, but both were a little too generous with the fabric for his tastes.

Which didn’t matter, he reminded himself as the woman walked from the front door to her courtyard’s arch. Sexy or dog ugly, she was a means to an end. And that end had nothing to do with getting her naked, mores the pity.

AUTHOR Bio and Links
New York Times and USA TODAY Bestselling author of more than forty books, Tawny Weber loves writing about sexy heroes, most notably her popular Navy SEALs series.  Her sassy, emotional romances are filled with men dedicated to being the best—and women determined to have the best.  Tawny credits her ex-military alpha husband for inspiration in her writing, and in her life.   The recipient of numerous writing accolades, including Romantic Times Reviewers Choice and in addition to the NY Times and USA Today bestseller lists, Tawny has also hit the number one spot on Amazon and Barnes & Noble. 

A homeschooling mom, Tawny enjoys scrapbooking, gardening and spending time with her family and dogs in her Northern California home.


Wednesday 3 May 2017

Jersey Diner by Lisa Diane Kastner #commercial #romance

Lisa Diane Kastner will be awarding a $50, a $25 and a $10 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winners (three winners) via rafflecopter during the tour.

If your book were made into a movie, who would you want to play your main characters?
Great question. I would want Selena Gomez to be Lauren because Selena has this wonderful innocence to her and I’d want Jonathan to be played by Dev Patel or Diego Luna. Diego and Dev have a kindness to them but an undercurrent of intensity. That’s how I see Jonathan and that’s what attracts Lauren to him.  I’d love PINK to play the secondary character who befriends Lauren. She’d be AMAZING.

How do you come up with the titles of your books?
It’s weird. It’s almost like the titles come to me when I first start coming up with the concepts and story arc. I typically know the titles pretty quickly into writing them.

What does your writing space look like?
A mess.  I write everywhere. In my living room. In bed. In my office. On a train. On a plane. In the airport. At the deli. At the coffee shop.  I write whenever and wherever I can.  You should see me trying to knock out pages while I’m smooshed between two people in Coach on an airplane. Oh so fun.


What do you enjoy doing when you’re not writing? 
I’m a foodie. I love yoga and running and museums. And movies! Don’t forget movies.  I’m super lucky in that I live in Los Angeles so I get to go to movies that then have the stars or director or producers or the writer attend a question and answer afterwards.  Very fun.


What is your favourite color?
Red. Duh. Huge ego. Right … over … here.


What is your favourite pleasure food?
So when we say “pleasure food” what do we really mean? J  On weekends, it’s bacon and pancakes with fresh fruit (I need to pretend I’m a little healthy). I love pasta. I adore a great steak.  My husband and I frequent Big Man Bakes bakery in Downtown Los Angeles. They have some of THE BEST cupcakes in the area, bar none.

What is your favourite season?
Autumn. I love the scents, the colors, the playfulness of the time. I love the slight chill in the area. I love that it’s a season that’s really a transitional season between Summer and Winter. It’s the glue that keeps the other seasons together.


What is your favourite television show?
Admittedly, we cut the cord a long, long time ago. That said, we binged on Luke Cage and are desperately waiting for more.

What is your favourite movie?
I can only pick one?  Not possible.  FIGHT CLUB. PRINCESS BRIDE. CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON. THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL


Who is your favourite actor?
Robert Redford is by far a genius. Crushes on Mike Colter, Mahershala Ali, Mark Ruffalo.


What is your favourite song?
ROAR by Katie Perry


What is your favourite comfort clothing attire?
How funny … I’m wearing them now – a slightly fitted T-shirt with sweatpants that could pass for semi formal pants.  Seriously.  I throw on a cardigan and I’m good to go.


What books might we find on your bedside table?
The Book Thief, The Westing Game, Powerhouse, the Untold Story of Hollywood’s Creative Powerhouse.  Yeah, I read a wide variety of works.
 
Describe yourself in three words. Fiery. Smartass. Enigmatic.

BLURB
Lauren has a dead end job as a waitress at the Oaklyn Diner. She becomes ecstatic when the diner is chosen to be the focal point of an upcoming movie, *Jersey Diner,* starring Jonathan Pearce. When filming ends she moves to California to start a new life with him. Lauren quickly discovers that all that she thought was real and true are in question.

EXCERPT
“Before me the television hummed. The remote felt heavy and big in my hands. With the next channel came my favorite interview show. The host, Lawrence Corran, spoke with Jonathan. I couldn’t believe it. They played a rerun of my favorite episode.

The two men were on a stage with a black backdrop. On a table next to them stood glasses filled with water. Lawrence, a small man with a receding hairline, thick horn-rimmed glasses, a goatee, and a rounded jaw, sat across from Jonathan. Jonathan lounged in his high backed chair. If someone else sat in the chair, it would have been overpowering, but he looked confident, relaxed. Mama used to call him a young Sean Connery. His thin black sweater provided a hint of the muscles underneath it. A grey suit jacket hung from his shoulders. The creases in his black suit pants followed the bend of his knees. I wanted to reach in and touch those creases. He glowed with each move and every word. He crossed his legs and formed a pyramid with his fingers.
           
“Wasn’t that screen test for the next day?”
           
Jonathan looked embarrassed by the question. “Yes. They said they could use someone with my looks and then sent me home.”
           
I moved closer to the screen.
           
“How long after that test did you get your first part?”
           
“Six months.”
           
“Now. See students? Don’t get discouraged if they don’t call you back immediately. Even Jonathan Pearce waited to get his first part.” Lawrence flipped to the next note card.
           
“I was an extra in a military movie called, The Edge of Life.”
           
My lips moved in time with his.
           
“I had one line. I said, ‘Sir, yes sir.’” His eyes crinkled with a touch of a smile. I had heard this story a dozen times.

“Again, students. Not only did he have to wait six months but he also had a very small role.”
           
“After that my next role wasn’t for another year. I took night classes and got a job as a construction worker.”
           
“That’s how you stayed trim.”
           
“I wanted to spend my money on classes so I needed a job that would maintain my physique.” Jonathan turned, looked at me and leaned in. “Lauren. Lauren? How are you doing?”
           
I looked around the living room. I felt self-conscious in my clothes. I tied the knot in my robe tighter and pointed to myself as if another Lauren sat next to me.
           
“Yes. I wondered if you needed anything?” he said.
           
I hesitated for a moment. My throat dried up as I tried to respond. “I-I-I’m fine.”
           
Jonathan rested back in his chair, tension eased from his shoulders. “Good. I’m glad to hear it. I’ll be in town soon. We can get together for coffee.”
           
Did Jonathan Pearce ask me out on a date? “I’m sorry? I mean. Sure. That. Would. Be. Great.

” I reached my hand out to touch the screen. To see if I could be there with him and test if this was real. My fingertips reached the screen’s edge. The static electrified them, covered them in a fuzzy haze that spread up my wrist and traveled down my arm. It prepared me to become one with the images before me. Ready me to become one with Jonathan.

I prepared to break through the barrier of static, glass, and electricity, when Jonathan said, “Lauren, you better get to bed.”

He nudged my shoulder. “I gotta go now. Don’t forget. Coffee.” He winked. “Lauren. Lauren?”
His voice changed to emulate my father’s tone. Now that’s a gross thought. Someone shook my shoulder a little more. A fog broke free from my mind. It forced me to wake up. The television shone before me, my father clicking off the static filled screen.

“You should head to bed now.”

AUTHOR Bio and Links
Lisa is a former correspondent for the Philadelphia Theatre Review and Features Editor for the Picolata Review, her short stories have appeared in magazines and journals such as StraightJackets Magazine and HESA Inprint. In 2007 Kastner was featured in the Fresh Lines @ Fresh Nine, a public reading hosted by Gross McCleaf Art Gallery.
She founded Running Wild Writers and is the former president of Pennwriters, Inc. (www.pennwriters.com). She received her MFA in Creative Writing from Fairfield University, her MBA from Pennsylvania State and her BS from Drexel University (She’s definitely full of it). Her novel THE KEEPER OF LOST THINGS was shortlisted in the fiction category of the William Faulkner Words and Wisdom Award and her memoir BREATHE was a semi-finalist in the nonfiction category of the same award.
Lisa presented at a TEDx in Seattle on The Power of Connecting. And presented at the Association of Writers and Writing Programs (AWP) on the “You Sent Us What?” panel.
Born and raised in Camden, New Jersey The Redness migrated to Philadelphia in her twenties and eventually transported to Los Angeles, California with her partner-in-crime and ever-talented husband. They nurture two felonious felines who anxiously encourage and engage in little sparks of anarchy.

The book is on sale for $0.99.

Thursday 27 April 2017

Smoke by Emily Mims #Romance #RomanticSuspense


Emily Mims will be awarding a  $10 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
 
If your book were made into a movie, who would you want to play your main characters?  Complete unknowns.  Established actors bring every role they ever played to your character.

How do you come up with the titles of your books?  For the Smoky Blue series, I’m using single words that describe various aspects of the Smoky Mountains.

What does your writing space look like? A computer desk tucked into the corner of my bedroom.  At the lake house, it’s a computer desk looking out on the water.

What do you enjoy doing when you’re not writing? Making music.  I play piano, organ, dulcimer and ukulele.

What is your favourite colour?  Fuchsia.  The brighter the better.

What is your favourite pleasure food? Chili rellenos stuffed with cheese

What is your favourite season? Christmas.  I live in south Texas and we don’t do much in the way of seasons.

What is your favourite television show?  Fixer Upper, maybe?  I watch very little television.

What is your favourite movie? Close Encounters of the Third Kind

Who is your favourite actor?  Charlton Heston

What is your favourite song? ‘Over the Rainbow’ by Bruddah Iz

What is your favourite comfort clothing attire? Aloha shirt and Bermuda shorts

What books might we find on your bedside table?  What is this book of which you speak?  You will find my I pad with a Kindle app loaded with the latest romances.

Describe yourself in three words.  Smart, funny, and hopefully very kind.

BLURB
A concert violinist and musical prodigy, Francesca Giordano is internationally acclaimed and always in the spotlight—right where she doesn’t want to be. Not after she’s witnessed a murder. Suddenly on the run, she finds her way to Bristol, Tennessee, and to the music club Acoustics. There, as “ Chessie Hope,” she can hide out in the open. But with this newest gig comes a different kind of danger. Older and impossibly sexy, bluegrass singer Cooper Barstow is everything she’s ever wanted in a man, and his daughters are just as easy to love. Yet Francesca cannot enjoy the luxury of such a relationship, not even if he could protect her from the men on her trail or if she could be honest with him about who she is. Cooper is as wounded as he is strong, and he needs someone who will stay by his side for the rest of his life. Just as Francesca does. And the smoke on the mountains and the haze of desire almost make her believe that could happen.

EXCERPT
“No, it was more than that.  You’re wise for your tender years, Chessie.  How did you get to be so smart?”

“I’m not all that smart.  You’d eventually have figured it all out.”

They stared into one another’s eyes for a moment.  “I was jealous.”  Cooper was abrupt.  “Of Jeremy.  When he came on to you.”

Chessie cupped his face between her hands.  “Cooper, why?”

Cooper put his good hand on Chessie’s shoulder.  “He’s young and he’s cute and he has both his arms.”

“If I were into boys, I might have been impressed.  But I’m not into boys, Cooper.  I’m into men.  One man, in particular.  And you know what?  I’m going to kiss that man, right now.”

Cooper stood, not moving, as Chessie went up on her tiptoes and placed her lips against his.  She held his face in her hands and nibbled, touching and seeking in the gentlest of caresses before deepening their embrace.  At first Cooper let her take the lead, but as hiss torment became unbearable he crushed her to him, her soft curves fitting just right into his hard, muscled body like a cool drink of water in the parched Arizona desert.  She wrapped her arms around his body and held him even closer.  Her nipples stiffened with desire and poked into his chest.  Cooper was overcome with longing.  He wanted this woman so badly he could taste it.

AUTHOR Bio and Links
Author of thirty romance novels, Emily Mims combined her writing career with a career in public education until leaving the classroom to write full time.  The mother of two sons and grandmother of six, she and her husband Charles live in central Texas but frequently visit grandchildren in eastern Tennessee and Georgia.  She plays the piano, organ, dulcimer, and ukulele and belongs to two performing bands.  She says, “I love to write romances because I believe in them.  Romance happened to me and it can happen to any woman-if she’ll just let it.”