tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-73743545746599605012024-03-05T14:44:38.039-08:00HarlequinJunkie Romance ReviewsHarlequinJunkie Romance Reviews...I've moved check out the NEW site at harlequinjunkie.comUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger121125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7374354574659960501.post-83662597267126624212012-09-10T07:00:00.000-07:002012-09-10T07:00:03.407-07:00HarlequinJunkie has moved - New Website Info<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7374354574659960501.post-90037432655034899892012-08-27T06:00:00.000-07:002012-08-27T06:00:14.248-07:00HarlequinJunkie has moved - New Website Info<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7374354574659960501.post-74665122178138120602012-08-20T05:30:00.000-07:002012-08-20T05:30:05.157-07:00HarlequinJunkie has Moved - New Site Info<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7374354574659960501.post-12736116423977479042012-08-14T21:46:00.000-07:002012-08-14T11:33:33.559-07:00HarlequinJunkie has moved!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7374354574659960501.post-29486832647449560612012-08-09T09:47:00.001-07:002012-08-09T09:47:05.189-07:00Planning for Love by Christi Barth (Aisle Bound Trilogy #1)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15724799-planning-for-love" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="Planning for Love (Aisle Bound Trilogy, #1)" border="0" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1340807576m/15724799.jpg" /></a><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15724799-planning-for-love">Planning for Love</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3272041.Christi_Barth">Christi Barth</a><br />
My rating: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/387674170">5 of 5 stars</a><br />
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Book Blurb:<br />
<span id="freeText15099669733271639272"><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Hopeless romantic Ivy Rhodes and anti-Cupid Bennett Westcott<br />request the pleasure of your company for their disaster of a courtship<br /><br />Wedding planner Ivy Rhodes is the best in the business, and she's not about to let a personal problem stop her from getting ahead. So when she's asked to star in the reality TV show Planning for Love, it doesn't matter that the show's videographer happens to be a recent—and heartbreaking—one-night stand.<br /><br />Bennett Westcott admits he didn't handle his encounter with Ivy very well. But looking at her beautiful smile—and great body—through a camera lens every day? He can't be faulted for suggesting they have some no-strings fun.<br /><br />The more time they spend together, the more Ben realizes Ivy isn't the wedding-crazed bridezilla he'd imagined. But if he doesn't trust himself to make a relationship last, how can he convince Ivy to give him another chance?</span><a class="actionLinkLite" href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15724799-planning-for-love#"></a></span><br />
<span></span><br />Review:<br />
I have never been one for reading books about wedding planners ,I am more a bride and groom's road to the altar kind of girl. But with this one I was pleasantly surprised and very much delighted. The book was a perfect 10!<br />
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The book told of Ivy the super organized wedding planner and her sexy as sin one night stand photographer,Ben. Reading about these two tip toeing around each other after their super hot encounter heated up the pages and I could not get enough !<br />
<br />The blurb will give you a very good idea what is to come but what follows is more than just your average story of love. The extreme passion and pure emotion that the author packed into this one was simply put superb!<br />
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Favorite Quote:<br />
<pre>"I don't know how anyone can stay dry eyed at a wedding." Easy. Know the divorce stats." </pre>
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It took me behind the scenes of what all goes into planning a wedding. I never actually thought about everything and all the little details that are needed to bring a wedding together for a bride and groom.<br />
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I adored the glimpse into the world of wedding planning and the unfolding relationship between between Ben and Ivy was explosive ! Having never read anything by this author before I can with all honesty say that I will definitely be a returning reader and I am glad to have been introduced to the author's captivating style of writing. <br />
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/8600286-sara-harlequinjunkie">View all my reviews</a>
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7374354574659960501.post-10899615525102243152012-08-07T09:41:00.000-07:002012-08-07T10:52:19.195-07:00A Marriage Worth Fighting For by Lilian Darcy<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13545558-a-marriage-worth-fighting-for" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="A Marriage Worth Fighting For" border="0" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1339983126m/13545558.jpg" /></a><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13545558-a-marriage-worth-fighting-for">A Marriage Worth Fighting For</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/181378.Lilian_Darcy">Lilian Darcy</a><br />
My rating: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/386121479">5 of 5 stars</a><br />
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Book Blurb:<br />
<span id="freeText11069904063451368585"><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">I DO...AGAIN? When Alicia McKinley agreed to a whirlwind Las Vegas wedding, she'd been swept away by the sheer romance of it all. How could she <em>not</em> say "I do" to Michael James McKinley, the gorgeous doctor who offered her everything she'd ever dreamed of? Still, after years of coming in second to MJ's career, it was time to say "I don't" to the workaholic husband who took her totally for granted. But MJ is not a man who gives up without a fight. He and Alicia might not have a perfect marriage, but now that he knows what is on the line, he is determined to risk everything-including his heart-for a second chance with his wife!</span><a class="actionLinkLite" href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13545558-a-marriage-worth-fighting-for#"></a></span><br />
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Review:<br />
I totally loved this book ! It was really a fabulous read that had me glued to my seat and I read this one in one sitting ! The story of MJ and Alicia and their two beautiful children had me inspired and entranced. MJ recons he has it all a beautiful wife,two gorgeous kids,a great job and that life could not be better.<br />
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That is until his world comes crashing down with such a force that it knocks the wind in his sails. He and Alica had a love that is pure and passionate which you will agree is everything every woman dreams of. So what could possibly tear them apart,you might ask?<br />
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The author took a couple each set as good,strong characters and mixed in the perfect amount of drama to bring forth a good old fashioned story of love conquers all if that love is strong enough. The emotion packed into the plot by the author had me really emotionally connected to all characters involved,I felt the pain they experienced and felt the joy when the author very talently takes the reader back to the past,so vividly that I felt like I was on a emotional roller coaster.<br />
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The book had depth,passion and reminded me that out there are couples that each have their own set of problems to deal with. <br />
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Whether your a first time Lilian Darcy fan or a returning reader you will be pleasantly surprised at just how powerful her writing can be.
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</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7374354574659960501.post-23613294004611499682012-08-07T09:28:00.000-07:002012-08-07T09:31:02.961-07:00Her Kind of Man by Elaine Cantrell<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/14625058-her-kind-of-man" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="Her Kind of Man" border="0" height="320" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1338604647m/14625058.jpg" width="212" /></a><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/14625058-her-kind-of-man">Her Kind of Man</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/818508.Elaine_Cantrell">Elaine Cantrell</a><br />
My rating: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/386069355">4 of 5 stars</a><br />
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Book Blurb:</span><br />
<span id="freeText6598484903439132388" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Is it possible she’s finally found Her Kind of Man?<br /><br />Ross Williams has been in love with Kara Cochrane since they were kids so when Kara's fiancé Brandon Miles cheats on her and calls off their wedding—Ross steps in to rescue the damsel in distress.<br /><br />A heartbroken Kara just wants to get on with her life and hunky Ross provides her with a definite distraction—that is until she starts falling for him. Big time.<br /><br />But a devastating family secret threatens to destroy everything that Kara holds dear—including her relationship with Ross</span><br />
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Review<br />
This was the first Elaine Cantrell book that I read and I was from the word get go very quickly interested. It tells the tale of Cara , a average woman who is about to embark on the life of her dreams,however life deals her more than one crucial blow that turns her life upside down ,and in steps Ross the sexy hero !<br />
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I really enjoyed this book,it had a life lesson to teach me that it is not to say the world will turn against you when you "fall". The characters were well placed and the scenes were very informative. The author had a very unique manner of laying out the facts and bringing it all together for the reader.<br />
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I particularly loved the character of Ross so funny and tongue tied at times and so sweet and passionate at other times. Cara was also a very interesting character so interesting in fact that I got completely hooked on seeing what she would do next !<br />
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The balance upheld by the author between the very thin line of dragging the scene out too far and giving the reader just enough to want to continue the read was perfectly upheld.<br />
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I look forward to the next offering from Elaine Cantrell. <br />
<br /> </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7374354574659960501.post-46231313513121901052012-08-07T09:00:00.000-07:002012-08-07T09:29:42.005-07:00Here Comes the Bride: A Loveswept Classic Romance by Gayle Kasper<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13531280-here-comes-the-bride" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="Here Comes the Bride: A Loveswept Classic Romance" border="0" src="http://www.goodreads.com/assets/nocover/111x148.png" /></a><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13531280-here-comes-the-bride">Here Comes the Bride: A Loveswept Classic Romance</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/822503.Gayle_Kasper">Gayle Kasper</a><br />
My rating: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/386108086">4 of 5 stars</a><br />
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Back cover:</span><br />
<span id="freeText15383645503661159887"><span style="color: #20124d;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><em>He looks like a man who breaks hearts for a living, </em>observes Fiona Ames when she gets her first glimpse of Nick Killian. <em>And his underwear is as wicked as his grin,</em> she thinks as the silk briefs spill out of his suitcase and onto the luggage carousel. Fiona has flown to Las Vegas to talk her father out of his surprise wedding, never expecting to find an irresistible ally on the other side of the aisle. But a late-night strategy session with Nick inspires her own whirlwind affair.<br /> <br /> Nick may not think Walter Ames is any match for his vivacious aunt, but Walter’s beautiful, blushing daughter might just be the match for Nick. Fiona’s a little uptight for his taste, but that’s not the only hitch—Nick doesn’t believe in love. A divorce lawyer by trade, he’s seen plenty of honeymooners turn into bitter enemies. Now, even as they try to silence the wedding bells of Sin City, Fiona’s fighting a battle of her own: convincing Nick that true love is no mirage.</span></span></span><br />
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<span id="freeText15383645503661159887">With more sizzle than the Nevada sun, this delectable romance showcases Gayle Kasper’s talent for bringing together passionate characters and re-creating the magic of falling headfirst into love<strong>.</strong></span><br />
<br />
Review:<br />
Here Comes the Bride is a page turner; full of warmth, passion, humor and compassion.<br />
<br />
Highly recommended for lovers of contemporary romance.
<br />
<br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7374354574659960501.post-68779113194722888532012-08-05T21:53:00.000-07:002012-08-06T10:26:29.630-07:00Spotlight & Giveaway: Laura Kaye<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Today it is my pleasure to welcome Breakout Author of 2011- Laura Kaye to HarlequinJunkie</span></b></div>
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Thanks for hosting me here at Harlequin Junkie today! I’m
excited to talk books and heroes with you all! And look down below for a fun
giveaway, too!<br />
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<b>For the Love of Tortured Heroes</b></div>
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I love a good tortured hero and adore reading stories
featuring tortured heroes in them. Tortured heroes convince themselves that
they don’t deserve happiness or that they’re too screwed up to ever find it
again. And that’s fun to read because these men tend to be all hard angles and
rough edges on the outside, but vulnerable and aching on the inside. They tend
to be strong enough to overcome their inner pain, all while doing what needs to
be done for others. And, tortured heroes are awesome to read because their
redemption is <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">so so</i> satisfying to
see—that moment when all the walls fall, when all the masks drop, when he lets
all that raw pain rise to the surface to finally be healed. Gah! Totally love
that moment!</div>
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And I love writing tortured heroes as much as I enjoy
reading them. And I’ve got quite a few pretty awesome tortured heroes to share
with you today!</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Hearts in Darkness’s
Caden Grayson…</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfl1HxwyhpRz5RTD7zwWmCIbNLqRcexkPtU_D1OA3KqMpmGqkg0li3ck_nxuM7CsT3OppMara-M7P13YqI_xLXZKBVFYravF9r7bg0NF-vQn3dmcZo8IbBLboWY0RKr1c_NFiWFh9_EyAU/s1600/KayeHeartsinDarkness.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfl1HxwyhpRz5RTD7zwWmCIbNLqRcexkPtU_D1OA3KqMpmGqkg0li3ck_nxuM7CsT3OppMara-M7P13YqI_xLXZKBVFYravF9r7bg0NF-vQn3dmcZo8IbBLboWY0RKr1c_NFiWFh9_EyAU/s320/KayeHeartsinDarkness.jpg" width="204" /></a><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Hearts in Darkness</i>
is a contemporary romance about two strangers who find love and acceptance
after being trapped for hours in a pitch black elevator. After surviving a
tragic accident that claimed most of his family, Caden Grayson has put up walls
to keep others out, including using piercings and ink to warn others away. Talk
about a guy who looks rough on the outside, but is a quintessential good guy on
the inside…</div>
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Hair: Dark brown, but skull trimmed</div>
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Eyes: Brown</div>
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Build: 6’2” of hard and cut</div>
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Distinguishing Features: 2 piercings, 7 tattoos, 1 prominent
scar</div>
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Occupation: EMT</div>
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Greatest Fear: Dark, enclosed spaces</div>
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Greatest Weakness: Inability to risk loss again</div>
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Heroine Who Redeems Him: Makenna James</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Her Forbidden Hero’s
Marco Vieri…</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJfqtT5ICSIdneCNt9uB9kfQceqyDF3OnN_IvA5lx4XL4-ZUayrGZ8kjVKmZpHXUL-FNF7Z4VFOuOm4vbbM1VBxhI4cmmJEcvh4E4aycCFIC0M_4V2rWDjaCH-kjYRNdJRZhf2kw_WM7Zr/s1600/HFH-500px.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJfqtT5ICSIdneCNt9uB9kfQceqyDF3OnN_IvA5lx4XL4-ZUayrGZ8kjVKmZpHXUL-FNF7Z4VFOuOm4vbbM1VBxhI4cmmJEcvh4E4aycCFIC0M_4V2rWDjaCH-kjYRNdJRZhf2kw_WM7Zr/s320/HFH-500px.jpg" width="213" /></a><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Her Forbidden Hero</i>
is a contemporary romance about close friends turned lovers—with a twist:
Alyssa Scott is the little sister of hero Marco Vieri’s best friend and Army
Special Forces teammate, and he knows her brother isn’t going to be happy about
them being together, especially given the scars Marco bears from a
mission-gone-bad. Moreover, Marco’s sense of honor refuses to let him claim
love and happiness when the deaths of some of his teammates lie at his feet…</div>
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Hair: Dark brown</div>
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Eyes: Bright blue</div>
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Build: 6’3” of muscle honed by military training and
hardened by warfare</div>
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Distinguishing Features: Badly scarred left hand and forearm</div>
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Occupation: currently, bartender; recently, Army Special
Forces soldier</div>
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Greatest Fear: That he’s not the man he used to be and never
will again</div>
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Greatest Weakness: Inability to forgive himself</div>
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Heroine Who Redeems Him: Alyssa Scott</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Seduced by the
Vampire King’s Nikolai Vasilyev…<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhetavriRYnjmXhSjBHRwSw6_8fyscRpf5m2lBtyMHU9_DiFSxBfHARMXxnhrhb4E6BQPBOfWHNTHpczbDvu8WjtTlz8ciB0Z1wUfOJtFZsEdbjXe45UHvq-LZN9zDXn87UKQHSDy79Gbf/s1600/LK_SeducedByTheVampireKing_medium.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhetavriRYnjmXhSjBHRwSw6_8fyscRpf5m2lBtyMHU9_DiFSxBfHARMXxnhrhb4E6BQPBOfWHNTHpczbDvu8WjtTlz8ciB0Z1wUfOJtFZsEdbjXe45UHvq-LZN9zDXn87UKQHSDy79Gbf/s320/LK_SeducedByTheVampireKing_medium.jpg" width="202" /></a><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Seduced by the Vampire
King</i> is the second in my Vampire Warrior Kings series, and it’s about
finding what you need, even if it is the last thing you expected or wanted.
Nikolai Vasilyev is a grieving vampire king who refuses to mate, and Katherine
Bordessa is a human woman who fled her family to escape a supernatural destiny.
When they meet on the mid-night streets of Moscow, Russia, Nikolai finds
himself fighting his desire for Kate’s love and comfort, believing he lost the
right to such things the night he let his two brothers die…</div>
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Hair: Long blond</div>
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Eyes: Sapphire blue</div>
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Build: 6’5” of hot-blooded, hard-bodied vampire</div>
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Distinguishing Features: He refuses to wear his most
distinguishing marks, the ones that would identify him as the vampire warrior
king of Russia. His body bears numerous tattoos that mark his royal lineage</div>
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Occupation: Vampire Warrior King of Russia, though he
refuses to lead</div>
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Greatest Fear: Letting others down</div>
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Greatest Weakness: Anger</div>
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Heroine Who Redeems Him: Katherine Bordessa</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRTQVzA-JvTohxYar5mBNquuSpPovFIkGPUYuhrpoJga-FatgplnYML2RMYYVnnW7b4Kw_YxE6YenyDO3vZDPp1Wzmoy17_Wc6CUYNl-75zrdQ7r4jwGhz9dJB5EYzKu9heIlBDwtl0lpu/s1600/WoW+RGB-500px+quote.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRTQVzA-JvTohxYar5mBNquuSpPovFIkGPUYuhrpoJga-FatgplnYML2RMYYVnnW7b4Kw_YxE6YenyDO3vZDPp1Wzmoy17_Wc6CUYNl-75zrdQ7r4jwGhz9dJB5EYzKu9heIlBDwtl0lpu/s320/WoW+RGB-500px+quote.jpg" width="211" /></a><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">West of Want’s
Zephyros Martius…</b></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">West of Want</i> is
the second in my Greek-mythology-based Hearts of the Anemoi series, and it’s
about a god who bears soul-deep wounds from repeated betrayals falling in love
with a woman he nearly killed. Zephyros Martius’s greatest weaknesses are his
desire for love and his inability to trust in it. So even being the strongest
of the Cardinal Anemoi—wind gods the Greeks associated with the weather and
seasons—hasn’t been able to protect his heart…</div>
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Hair: Brown tinged with gray at the temples</div>
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Eyes: Slate blue and glowing depending on his mood</div>
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Build: In human form, he is broad and muscled at the
shoulders and trim at the waist, and wears a pair of jeans like you’ve only
heard about</div>
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Distinguishing Features: He can manifest light from his
hands and eyes</div>
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Occupation: Supreme God of the West Wind and Guardian of
Spring</div>
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Greatest Fear: Being betrayed again, not being worthy of
love</div>
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Greatest Weakness: Self-doubt</div>
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Heroine Who Redeems Him: Ella Raines</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">GIVEAWAY!:</b><b>Two commenters who leave their email address will win their choice of one of these four ebooks: <i>Hearts in Darkness</i>, <i>Her Forbidden Hero</i>, <i>Seduced by the Vampire King</i>, or <i>West of Want</i>. Open to international! Good luck!</b><br />
<b><br /></b><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 23px;"><strong style="color: #a64d79;">To enter the Giveway:</strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79;"> </span><strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79;">Please enter your </span><u style="color: #a64d79;">email </u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79;">in the Rafflecopter below and </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;"><span style="color: #a64d79;">Leave a<u> comment</u> </span></span></strong></span></span></span></span><br />
<b>So,
which tortured hero would <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">you</i> like to
learn more about and why? </b></div>
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Thanks for reading!</div>
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Laura Kaye</div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Laura-Kaye/e/B004XMNF6W/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1"><b>Buy Laura's Books</b></a></div>
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<b><a href="http://www.laurakayeauthor.com/">Website</a> | <a href="http://laurakayeauthor.blogspot.com/">Blog</a> | <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Laura-Kaye/151361821639940">Facebook</a> | <a href="http://twitter.com/#%21/laurakayeauthor">Twitter</a> | <a href="http://eepurl.com/d9ruD">Newsletter SignUp</a></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black;">About Laura Kaye:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgisNp5WGoBC_3hXI6U73d8gUkKI5BmLqX4Oj5Bd3rxo2CGvUURvvIUkEAlGX1prlh-YJCLjUvAPX275yM_knfw9HLMrxj5Vxhy1ELjOH1nX4J8Q6MxlwMyO6o_kDkEVgiVx8Fc3n1PVGkv/s1600/Laura+Kamoie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgisNp5WGoBC_3hXI6U73d8gUkKI5BmLqX4Oj5Bd3rxo2CGvUURvvIUkEAlGX1prlh-YJCLjUvAPX275yM_knfw9HLMrxj5Vxhy1ELjOH1nX4J8Q6MxlwMyO6o_kDkEVgiVx8Fc3n1PVGkv/s200/Laura+Kamoie.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #660000;">Voted Breakout Author of the Year
in the 2011 GraveTells Readers’ Choice Awards, Laura is the bestselling and
award-winning author of over a half-dozen books in paranormal, contemporary and
erotic romance. Growing up, Laura’s large extended family believed in the
supernatural, and family lore involving angels, ghosts, and evil-eye curses
cemented in Laura a life-long fascination with all things paranormal. A
published non-fiction author, Laura’s work as an historian and training as an
archaeologist help her create vivid and accurate portrayals of other times and
places. <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">She</span> lives in Maryland with her husband, two daughters, and
cute-but-bad dog, and appreciates her view of the Chesapeake Bay every day.</span><br />
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</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7374354574659960501.post-4988964598988333872012-08-04T10:40:00.003-07:002012-08-04T10:54:47.894-07:00The Tarnished Jewel of Jazaar by Susanna Carr<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEildaHUGR__CL5M9e4VCG6RQE7HR3na6RmXIyGQR8FcIvFGYhugUHqk1MnzAzmOP9TdcA4C64xzVuEzg4O_H6KCG8RClFlRXAex7kQT_rUizG-_xTDqG_ckcstTjfOJI5vd0AzVntPIaJOB/s1600/CARR_The+Tarnished+Jewel+of+Jazaar+US+edition.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEildaHUGR__CL5M9e4VCG6RQE7HR3na6RmXIyGQR8FcIvFGYhugUHqk1MnzAzmOP9TdcA4C64xzVuEzg4O_H6KCG8RClFlRXAex7kQT_rUizG-_xTDqG_ckcstTjfOJI5vd0AzVntPIaJOB/s400/CARR_The+Tarnished+Jewel+of+Jazaar+US+edition.jpg" width="252" /></a></div>
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13546952-the-tarnished-jewel-of-jazaar">The Tarnished Jewel of Jazaar</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/22371.Susanna_Carr">Susanna Carr</a><br />
My rating: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/383449286">5 of 5 stars</a><br />
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Back Cover:<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Jeweled veil weighing heavily on her head, Zoe Martin waits for her sheikh husband-to-be. The shame of her adoptive family, orphan Zoe has endured six years of being kept as a slave—now she's been sold into marriage…to a man known as The Beast!<br /><br />Being discarded to the sheikh has one bonus—this could mean freedom! Zoe must play along with the three-day—and three-night—ceremony, but she isn't expecting the blazing attraction from just one stolen glance at playboy sheikh Nadir</span><br />
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My Review:<br />
The Tarnished Jewel of Jazaar will put you through an emotional ringer as it leads you on a beautiful journey of perseverance, hope, trust and true love.<br />
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American teen Zeo is forced to move to Jazaar to live with her relatives when she is orphaned. At 15 Zoe is suddenly thrust in an oppressive male dominated society where her family considers her tarnished as she is not Jazaari born. Her rights and ambitions are stifled and her only escape from the cruelty she suffers on a daily basis is an arranged marriage to Sheikh Nadir. <br />
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Both Nadir and Zoe have ulterior motives for agreeing to the arranged Marriage, but what starts out as a means to an end for both of them blossoms into a wonderful romance much too both their surprise. I love the ending and the epilogue; both are very heartfelt and beautifully written.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpiRvGQ45FvnwhtsyrdflGcgwnzGw8gY8wLFsMIv9vqai3SauxYqEE3mSc26XnoUsId4VG31dUlFovfuPUQFO_3ZDDdbyATv3om1Fkw1kay_cA0drjgEgXrWMufD6QW_wPTdRkTcX43_Oy/s1600/TopPickWHITE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpiRvGQ45FvnwhtsyrdflGcgwnzGw8gY8wLFsMIv9vqai3SauxYqEE3mSc26XnoUsId4VG31dUlFovfuPUQFO_3ZDDdbyATv3om1Fkw1kay_cA0drjgEgXrWMufD6QW_wPTdRkTcX43_Oy/s200/TopPickWHITE.jpg" width="194" /></a><br />
Zoe is constantly plotting her escape throughout the book. I totally adored Zoe’s feisty personality; her defiance, her resilience, her courage and her supreme determination to achieve her goals. <br />
<br />
What makes this book stand out are the two beautifully written characters in Zoe and Nadir,they are constantly conflicted between using the other to achieve their goals and doing right by the other. <br />
<br />
Congrats Susanna on your debut Presents release, you sure have a Winner on your hands with ‘The Tarnished Jewel of Jazaar. This book had me captivated from start to finish and I would highly recommend this book. <br />
<br />
<br />
<br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7374354574659960501.post-21727051072544550822012-08-02T14:25:00.000-07:002012-08-02T14:25:32.073-07:00Spotlight & Giveaway: The Tarnished Jewel of Jazaar by Susanna Carr<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79; font-family: inherit;"><b>Susanna Welcome back to HarlequinJunkie!</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79; font-family: inherit;"><b>Susanna is here today to celebrate the release for her Presents Debut </b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79; font-family: inherit;"><b>'<i>The Tarnished Jewel of Jazaar'</i></b></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79; font-family: inherit;"><i><b><br /></b></i></span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEildaHUGR__CL5M9e4VCG6RQE7HR3na6RmXIyGQR8FcIvFGYhugUHqk1MnzAzmOP9TdcA4C64xzVuEzg4O_H6KCG8RClFlRXAex7kQT_rUizG-_xTDqG_ckcstTjfOJI5vd0AzVntPIaJOB/s1600/CARR_The+Tarnished+Jewel+of+Jazaar+US+edition.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEildaHUGR__CL5M9e4VCG6RQE7HR3na6RmXIyGQR8FcIvFGYhugUHqk1MnzAzmOP9TdcA4C64xzVuEzg4O_H6KCG8RClFlRXAex7kQT_rUizG-_xTDqG_ckcstTjfOJI5vd0AzVntPIaJOB/s400/CARR_The+Tarnished+Jewel+of+Jazaar+US+edition.jpg" width="252" /></a><br />
<i> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0c343d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Back cover blurb:<br />
From one desert prison to another…<br /><br />
Jeweled veil weighing heavily on her head, Zoe Martin waits for her
sheikh husband-to-be. The shame of her adoptive family, orphan Zoe has
endured six years of being kept a slave--now she's being sold into
marriage… to a man known as The Beast!</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0c343d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">
<i><br /><br />
The stakes couldn't be higher… or more sinfully pleasurable!</i>
<i><br /><br />
Being discarded to the sheikh has one bonus--this could mean freedom!
Zoe must play along with the three-day--and three-night--ceremony, but
she isn't expecting the blazing attraction from just one stolen glance
at playboy sheikh Nadir….</i>
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0c343d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Sara: </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0c343d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Tell us a few things about yourself.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6aa84f;">Susanna: </span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0c343d;">I have been a romance reader ever since I read a Harlequin Presents when I was ten years old. I’ve written sexy contemporary romance for several publishers and I’m currently writing for Harlequin Blaze and Harlequin Presents. I live in the Pacific Northwest with my family.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0c343d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Sara: </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0c343d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">What inspired you to write your first book?</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6aa84f;">Susanna: </span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0c343d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">My first print book, The Wrong Bride, was written ten years ago and it’s about a woman switching places with her twin sister on her wedding day. I like writing about twins because I am one and I think it really has influenced how I see the world.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0c343d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Sara: </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0c343d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Is this your first Presents Novel? What was your experience like writing for the Presents Line? </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6aa84f;">Susanna: </span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0c343d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The Tarnished Jewel of Jazaar is my first Presents and writing for the line is a dream come true. Working for Presents is intense but I’m lucky to work with incredibly supportive editors. I’m in awe with the other writers. Not only have I read their books for years, but they are also remarkable, creative and professional women</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0c343d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Sara: </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0c343d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Which heroine from your books is most like you?</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6aa84f;">Susanna: </span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0c343d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">There is one trait that I share with all my heroines: perseverance. You need it when you’re chasing a dream.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0c343d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Sara: </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0c343d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">If you were stranded on an island…</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6aa84f;">Susanna: </span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0c343d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I would need sunblock, my Kindle, and a Navy SEAL.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0c343d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0c343d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> <i>Let’s talk about your new release <b>“The Tarnished Jewel of Jazaar”</b></i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0c343d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Sara: </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0c343d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">If you had to sum up “The Tarnished Jewel of Jazaar”, what would you say? </span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkVTuNF4WM-q_oxfGZi5iairCKD80LBYhp8almBqG4sY_aJjJVi7wq8wZTn6gBir4MOzqOItgfefEVig_XCgg95asrIpVeb-_7OtLOMHYh85lX7biu9958csaXC58aovtJMeq8j8Vo0v_J/s1600/CARR_The+Tarnished+Jewel+of+Jazaar_UK+paperback+edition.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0c343d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkVTuNF4WM-q_oxfGZi5iairCKD80LBYhp8almBqG4sY_aJjJVi7wq8wZTn6gBir4MOzqOItgfefEVig_XCgg95asrIpVeb-_7OtLOMHYh85lX7biu9958csaXC58aovtJMeq8j8Vo0v_J/s320/CARR_The+Tarnished+Jewel+of+Jazaar_UK+paperback+edition.jpg" width="200" /></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6aa84f;">Susanna: </span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0c343d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">It’s a marriage of convenience story about a woman who needs to escape and a man who needs her to behave.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0c343d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Sara: </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0c343d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">What sparked the idea for your novel “The Tarnished Jewel of Jazaar”? </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6aa84f;">Susanna: </span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0c343d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">This story was inspired by an Indian fairy tale I read many years ago. It’s about a woman who is sold into a marriage with a monster prince. I thought about this fairy tale when I decided to write a marriage of convenience story.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0c343d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Sara: </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0c343d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">How did you come up with the characters for this book?</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6aa84f;">Susanna: </span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0c343d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I had the idea of Zoe. She’s an outcast and determined to escape a difficult life. She’s treated as a slave in a desert tribe and doesn’t meet the requirements of their idea for a perfect woman. She has a secret that could place her in great danger and she has tried to run away only to get caught. The only way to escape is to get married.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0c343d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0c343d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">So then it was a matter of deciding what kind of husband I should find for Zoe. He had to be her biggest obstacle and her greatest challenge. I came up with Nadir, a sheikh who is also something of an outsider. He needs a suitable bride. Someone who is quiet, feminine and obedient. Everything that Zoe is not.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0c343d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Sara: </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0c343d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">What were the challenges you faced in bringing this book to life? </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6aa84f;">Susanna: </span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0c343d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">One of the challenges was going through a few sets of revisions. Each set forced me to rethink the story and make it stronger.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0c343d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Sara: </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0c343d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Are there any other books to be released in 2012? Can you share a little of your current work with us?</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6aa84f;">Susanna: </span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0c343d;">My Harlequin Blaze, </span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;"><i>Suddenly Sexy</i></span></b><b style="color: #0c343d;">,</b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0c343d;"> was released in June and readers can buy a print or eBook edition online. My next Presents, </span><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;">Her Shameful Secret</span></i></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0c343d;">, will be released January 2013.</span></span><br />
<br />
Excerpt:<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">"Come, Zoe." One of her cousins unceremoniously pulled her from her chair and her female relatives surrounded her. "It's time to prepare you for your wedding night."</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Her wedding night. Her stomach twisted sharply and she battled back nausea. Her aunts smiled and giggled as they swept her out of the courtyard and up to the honeymoon suite. She hunched her shoulders as corroding fear, thick and searing hot, bled through her body. It pooled under her skin, pressing harder and harder, threatening to burst through.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">It suddenly sank into her. She belonged to the sheikh. A man they called The Beast. She was married to him. Married.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Her married cousins were offering words of advice, telling her how to please her husband, but Zoe didn't hear a word of it. There was a desperate energy among the women. Their laughter was a little shrill, their advice raw and uncoated.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Zoe didn't resist as the women settled her in the center of the bed. She knelt on the mattress, her hands folded in front of her, her head bent down. She wanted to jump out of bed and run, but she knew all these women would bring her back and guard the bedroom.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">She closed her eyes and took a deep, jagged breath. She heard the women leaving the room, the laughter harsh and they tossed her more marital advice. She had always thought her wedding day would be different. In her daydreams it had been full of laughter and joy, not to mention love.</span><br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEildaHUGR__CL5M9e4VCG6RQE7HR3na6RmXIyGQR8FcIvFGYhugUHqk1MnzAzmOP9TdcA4C64xzVuEzg4O_H6KCG8RClFlRXAex7kQT_rUizG-_xTDqG_ckcstTjfOJI5vd0AzVntPIaJOB/s1600/CARR_The+Tarnished+Jewel+of+Jazaar+US+edition.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEildaHUGR__CL5M9e4VCG6RQE7HR3na6RmXIyGQR8FcIvFGYhugUHqk1MnzAzmOP9TdcA4C64xzVuEzg4O_H6KCG8RClFlRXAex7kQT_rUizG-_xTDqG_ckcstTjfOJI5vd0AzVntPIaJOB/s200/CARR_The+Tarnished+Jewel+of+Jazaar+US+edition.jpg" width="126" /></a><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">The reality was much bleaker. Zoe slowly opened her eyes. She was marrying because she was out of options and running out of luck. She was taking a leap of faith, believing she could use this marriage to her advantage. But she might have given up more than her freedom to a man who was a dangerous stranger.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">What had she done?</span><br />
<br />
<div class="Body1">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 23px;"><strong>Susanna will be giving away 2 copies of her book </strong></span></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;">The Tarnished Jewel of Jazaar</span></b></span></div>
<div class="Body1">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 23px;"><strong style="color: #a64d79;">To enter the Giveway:</strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79;"> </span><strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79;">Please enter your </span><u style="color: #a64d79;">email </u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79;">in the Rafflecopter below and </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;"><span style="color: #a64d79;">Leave a<u> comment</u> Telling us</span> </span></strong></span></span></span><span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: inherit;"><strong>Which celebrity or actor do you think would be a good inspiration for a sheikh?</strong></span></div>
</div>
<a class="rafl" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/40fd8434/" id="rc-40fd8434" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>
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<br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7374354574659960501.post-67890956853717514962012-08-02T13:33:00.000-07:002012-08-02T13:33:19.393-07:00Bloodlust by Faye Robertson<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15727486-bloodlust" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="Bloodlust" border="0" height="320" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1340955419m/15727486.jpg" width="213" /></a><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15727486-bloodlust">Bloodlust</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5370986.Faye_Robertson">Faye Robertson</a><br />
My rating: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/382629749">5 of 5 stars</a><br />
<br />Back Cover:<br />
<span id="freeText6904606688761112190"><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">It had to be nuns.<br /><br />Some vampires had a thing for B+. Some preferred redheads. Others preferred blondes.<br /><br />For Jasper, it had to be nuns--and he's been regretting that since the day he bit Amabel de Woodville, almost two centuries ago.<br /><br />She'd
done something to him. Something that restored his conscience, pointed
his moral compass straight north, and ended his career of seducing
virgin nuns and killing as he pleased. But even worse--she'd gotten
under his skin, and he hasn't forgotten the green-eyed witch who'd been
immune to his charms.<br /><br />When Amabel ends up in his office, still as
young as the day they'd met and seeking a charity sponsor, Jasper has
the chance he's ached for: to show her the pleasure that's haunted her
dreams for decades. He's taken the virginity of a hundred nuns...but a
vampire nun? That's new.<br /><br />And Jasper has always enjoyed a challenge.</span></span><br />
<br />
My Review:<br />
<br />
Loved it! I devoured this book in under 30 minutes, it is that Good.<br />
<br />
<pre>“Some men had alcohol. Some had narcotics.
Women had chocolate, and occasionally shoes.
Jasper’s weakness was nuns.”</pre>
<br />The writing is Fab and the dialogues are Laugh out loud witty.<br />
<br />It's a fairly short read so I'm not going to say any more. READ IT, If you like Vamps you are in for an absolute treat.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br /> </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7374354574659960501.post-7705337271350960162012-08-02T09:50:00.000-07:002012-08-02T09:50:05.623-07:00The Legendary Playboy Surgeon by Alison Roberts<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15726439-the-legendary-playboy-surgeon" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="The Legendary Playboy Surgeon (Heartbreakers of St. Patrick's Hospital)" border="0" height="320" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1342897628m/15726439.jpg" width="202" /></a><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15726439-the-legendary-playboy-surgeon">The Legendary Playboy Surgeon</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/258036.Alison_Roberts">Alison Roberts</a><br />
My rating: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/381982133">5 of 5 stars</a><br />
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<span id="freeText5363504087571419907"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #20124d;"><em>The man behind the reputation</em><br /><br />Connor Matthews has to be the only surgeon ever to ride his motorbike into the E.R.! And Dr. Kate Graham is determined to disapprove, even if it made a sick little boy's dream come true.<br /><br />Connor's love-'em-and-leave-'em reputation is hospital legend, so Kate's steering well clear. Although, Connor's sinful sexiness is coming critically close to cracking the shield around Kate's fragile heart
.<br /></span></span><em><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Heartbreakers of St. Patrick's Hospital<br />The delicious doctors you know you shouldn't fall for</span></em></span><br />
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My Review:<br />
I love how this story unfolds; it is light and flirty at times and deeply emotional and moving at others with a bit of adrenalin packing action thrown in at the end.<br />
<br />Conner Mathew’s is a sexy motorbike riding surgeon who delights in breaking the rules, a playboy rebel with a cause. Kate is his total opposite studious, serious a bit of a workaholic. As the story moves along we learn that both Conner and Kate have had rough childhoods and their past has shaped them into the people they are today. What starts out as a battle between to adversaries turn into friendship and develops into a beautiful romance.<br />
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I love Alison’s book, the writing is crisp and characters delightful. Kate’s niece Bella adds a nice touch to this story. I enjoyed reading this book and can’t wait to read Bella’s story next (Heartbreakers of St. Patrick's Hospital Series). I would definitely recommend this book.<br />
<br /> </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7374354574659960501.post-84311681877174090262012-08-02T09:47:00.005-07:002012-08-02T09:47:44.080-07:00The Boss and Her Billionaire by Michele de Winton<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15756533-the-boss-and-her-billionaire" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="The Boss and Her Billionaire" border="0" height="200" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1342541232m/15756533.jpg" width="133" /></a><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15756533-the-boss-and-her-billionaire">The Boss and Her Billionaire</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6443966.Michele_de_Winton">Michele de Winton</a><br />
My rating: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/378526531">3 of 5 stars</a><br />
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Back Cover:<br />
<span id="freeText11004295028387021749"><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">He threw her inhibitions overboard.<br /><br />Cruise director Michaela Western has everything she wants—everything except a sex life. But there are no secrets on cruise ships. She risked her job once for a dalliance with the Captain, and won’t do it again for a few minutes of toe-curling pleasure. Until a devilishly handsome new staffer with a body made for sin tempts her to walk on the wild side...<br /><br />Investment billionaire Dylan Johns always gets what he wants. He is used to giving orders—not taking them—until he’s forced to go on hiatus from his investment company. To bide his time and carry out an old dream, he takes a job on a cruise ship—and ends up taking orders from his gorgeous, but uptight, new boss. He is determined to loosen her up with a fun onboard romance, but their no-strings fling turns serious and Dylan is forced to confess his lies. <br /><br />When the affair threatens to shatter Michaela’s own career dreams, she finds herself caught between the devil and the deep blue sea.</span><a class="actionLinkLite" href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15756533-the-boss-and-her-billionaire#"></a></span><br />
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My Review<br />
This book started out with a lot of promise...A shipboard romance between the Curise director and a billionaire moonlighting as a dancer on his forced vacation from his Family.<br />
<br />But, alas midway through it lost a bit of steam, the story seemed to move along a bit slow at times. I liked the shipboard romance, but once Michaela and Dylan's romance moved from the Cruise ship to Sydney it kinda lost me. I didn't care much for Dylan just up and leaving all the time without an explanation. To sum it up I was kinda disapponited that it did not live up to my initial expectations.
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<br /> </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7374354574659960501.post-45735921367146949832012-07-29T10:30:00.001-07:002012-07-29T12:13:58.475-07:00Spotlight & Giveaway: The CEO'S Unexpected Proposal by Karen Rose Smith<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #000090;">Today it is my Pleasure to Welcome Harlequin Special Edition author </span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">Karen Rose Smith </span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #000090;">to HarlequinJunkie!</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #000090;">Karen is here to tell us about her brand new release </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #000090;"><b>The CEO'S Unexpected Proposal </b></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79;">Sara: </span></span><span style="color: #000090; font-family: Arial;">If you had to sum up The CEO'S Unexpected Proposal….</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6aa84f;">Karen: </span></b></span><span style="color: #000090; font-family: Arial;">My latest release is The CEO'S Unexpected Proposal. Mikala and Dawson were friends back in high school. The night of the prom Dawson had been Mikala's white knight and she never forgot that or the way he made her feel. They are reunited at their fifteenth year high school reunion and Dawson asks Mikala, who is a music therapist, for help with his son. As Mikala leads ten-year-old Luke on a journey to emotional healing, she leads herself and Dawson, too. But old wounds form scars that are difficult to forget. They have to leave the past behind to find love, trust and their happily-ever-after.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Arial;">Sara:<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #000090;">What sparked the idea for your novel “The CEO'S Unexpected Proposal</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6aa84f;">Karen: </span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #000090; font-family: Arial;">Music can lift me up, energize and heal. I wanted to use all of those feelings in a book.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><div class="Body1" style="color: black; font-family: Times; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Arial;">Sara:</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #000090;">How did you come up with character in this book?</span><div class="Body1" style="color: black; font-family: Times; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span style="color: #000090; font-family: Arial;">Mikala has a lot of me in her.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6aa84f;">Karen: </span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #000090;">She appeared in my imagination almost fully developed. I added details to her background that would explain how she felt about the world and her relationships with people in it.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #000090; font-family: Arial;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><div class="Body1" style="color: black; font-family: Times; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Arial;">Sara:<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #000090;">How did you come up with the title?</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6aa84f;">Karen: </span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #000090; font-family: Arial;">The title was one in a list I gave my editor and embodied themes in the book. My working title had been A DANCE WITH HER PRINCE CHARMING.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #000090; font-family: Arial;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><div class="Body1" style="color: black; font-family: Times; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Arial;">Sara:<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #000090;">What were the challenges you faced in bringing this book to life?</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6aa84f;">Karen: </span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #000090; font-family: Arial;">The emotional content was, at times, challenging. I wanted to make the situation and Luke's therapy honest and real.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><div class="Body1" style="color: black; font-family: Times; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Arial;">Sara:</span><span style="color: #000090; font-family: Arial;">Please Tell us a
little bit about yourself...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7mpVDVuyaJdYVHZojnhQd2HOYZkqyUYjK1hRsttJ2hjNYDBCC6HDmjCPQhMkb9Cdei9dIiQ5SFt0d1Cirtr5F-dablNyIlFRAdBBwxWdhVmP_yjMWEqKEddRjM6ELTmE77kR5PwLnwFC_/s1600/Social+Media+Photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7mpVDVuyaJdYVHZojnhQd2HOYZkqyUYjK1hRsttJ2hjNYDBCC6HDmjCPQhMkb9Cdei9dIiQ5SFt0d1Cirtr5F-dablNyIlFRAdBBwxWdhVmP_yjMWEqKEddRjM6ELTmE77kR5PwLnwFC_/s320/Social+Media+Photo.jpg" width="256" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6aa84f;">Karen: </span></b></span><span style="color: #000090; font-family: Arial;">An only child, I
delved into books at an early age. I learned about kindred spirits from Anne of
Green Gables, solved mysteries with Nancy Drew, and wished I could have been
the rider on The Black Stallion. Yet even though I escaped often into story
worlds, I had many aunts, uncles and cousins around me on weekends. My sense of
family and relationships began there.
Maybe that's why families are a strong theme in my novels along with
couples finding true love.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #000090; font-family: Arial;">As my couples fall
in love I like to use different settings. Many of my first releases were set
around my home town in Pennsylvania. Over 80 books later, I now enjoy settings
like Northern Arizona, New Mexico and Wyoming where the landscape can become as
integral to the plot as another character. There is something about canyons,
mountains and the ocean that give me a sense of awe and I like to bring that to
my romances.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #000090; font-family: Arial;">Readers often ask
me about my past times. I have herb, flower and vegetable gardens that help me
relax. In the winter, I cook rather than garden! And year round I spend most of
my time with my husband, as well as my two cats who are my constant companions.
They chase rainbows from sun catchers, reminding me life isn't all about work.
Everyone needs that rainbow to chase.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Arial;">Sara: </span><span style="color: #000090; font-family: Arial;">What inspired you
to write your first book? How long did it take you to publish your first book?</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #000090; font-family: Arial;"> </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6aa84f;">Karen: </span></b></span><span style="color: #000090; font-family: Arial;">I was used to an
exercise routine of biking, swimming and aerobics when I started having back
pain. I was confined to bed rest and I needed a creative and emotional outlet.
I turned to writing. I wrote for six years and finished thirteen manuscripts
before I was published. Then I sold two books in one week to two different
companies.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Arial;">Sara: </span><span style="color: #000090; font-family: Arial;">How did you choose
the genre you write in?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6aa84f;">Karen: </span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #000090; font-family: Arial;">Relationships have
always fascinated me. I read teenage romances, then Emilie Loring and
Harlequins. It just seemed to be the most natural genre for me to write.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Arial;">Sara: </span><span style="color: #000090; font-family: Arial;">Which comes first?
The character's story or the idea for the novel?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #000090; font-family: Arial;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6aa84f;">Karen: </span></b></span><span style="color: #000090; font-family: Arial;">That depends on
the book. In my latest release The CEO'S Unexpected Proposal, I knew I wanted
to write about a heroine who was a music therapist. I developed the story
around her. But in my ebook AWAYS DEVOTED, a mystery/romance, I thought about
the story first then developed the characters around that.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Arial;">Sara: </span><span style="color: #000090; font-family: Arial;">What are your
current projects? Can you share a little of your current work with us? Is this
book part of a series?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #000090; font-family: Arial;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6aa84f;">Karen: </span></b></span><span style="color: #000090; font-family: Arial;">I'm working on two
projects at once--a new series for Harlequin Special Edition--<b><i>The Mommy Club</i></b>
(women helping parents in need of a helping hand), as well as a new mystery
series for Kensington tentatively called <b><i>Staged To Death</i></b>. It's a 3 book series
about a home stager who stages high-end houses. Caprice De Luca takes in stray
animals, shops in a vintage store, likes to cook and loves her big Italian
family, though they often interfere in her life.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Arial;">Sara: </span><span style="color: #000090; font-family: Arial;">Take us through a
typical day in the life of “Author”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #000090; font-family: Arial;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6aa84f;">Karen: </span></b></span><span style="color: #000090; font-family: Arial;">Writing, tweeting,
blogging, working on promo, gardening, writing, relaxing with hubby, writing</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #000090; font-family: Arial;"><i>On a lighter note... </i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Arial;">Sara: </span><span style="color: #000090; font-family: Arial;">Would you rather
be ugly and loved or beautiful and lonely?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #000090; font-family: Arial;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6aa84f;">Karen: </span></b></span><span style="color: #000090; font-family: Arial;">Definitely ugly
and loved.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #000090; font-family: Arial;">a. Rather find true love or be filthy rich?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #000090; font-family: Arial;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6aa84f;">Karen: </span></b></span><span style="color: #000090; font-family: Arial;">Find true love.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #000090; font-family: Arial;">b. Invent an item that everybody uses or a song that everybody hums?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #000090; font-family: Arial;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6aa84f;">Karen: </span></b></span><span style="color: #000090; font-family: Arial;">I do have a
practical side, too. If I invented an item everyone uses, I'd probably be rich!
Everybody humming one song might not do that.:)</span></div>
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<span style="color: #000090; font-family: Arial;">c. Have a
relationship with someone 10 years younger or 10 yrs older?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6aa84f;">Karen: </span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #000090; font-family: Arial;">Ten years younger.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #000090; font-family: Arial;">d. Be deaf or blind?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6aa84f;">Karen: </span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #000090; font-family: Arial;">This is a tough
one. For a few years, because of the result of a medication, I developed severe
cataracts. I listened to TV rather than watched, listened to books on tape
instead of reading. I couldn't see well across a room but I could hear voices,
hear loved ones' words, develop listening skills to make up for what I couldn't
see. I think I would rather be blind and stay connected to the rest of the
world with words.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #000090; font-family: Arial;"> </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #000090; font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="Body1">
<span style="color: #000090; font-family: Arial;">e. Sing in the rain
or dance in the streets<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Body1">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6aa84f;">Karen: </span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #000090; font-family: Arial;">Sing in the rain.
SINGING IN THE RAIN is one of my favorite movies.</span></div>
<div class="Body1">
<span style="color: #000090; font-family: Arial;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #000090; font-family: Arial;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #000090; font-family: Arial;"> </span></div>
<div class="Body1">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Arial;">Sara: </span><span style="color: #000090; font-family: Arial;">If someone wrote a
biography about you, what do you think the title should be?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Body1">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6aa84f;">Karen: </span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #000090; font-family: Arial;">Consistently Yours</span></div>
<div class="Body1">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #000090; font-family: Arial;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #000090; font-family: Arial;"> </span></div>
<div class="Body1">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Arial;">Sara: </span><span style="color: #000090; font-family: Arial;">Your favorite
quotes?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Body1">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6aa84f;">Karen: </span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #000090; font-family: Arial;">Ralph Waldo
Emerson. "None of us will
ever accomplish anything excellent or commanding except when he listens to this
whisper which is heard by him alone."</span></div>
<div class="Body1">
<span style="color: #000090; font-family: Arial;">"When it is
dark enough, you can see the stars."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Body1">
<span style="color: #000090; font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="Body1">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Arial;">Sara: </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6aa84f;"> </span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #000090; font-family: Arial;">What would your
ideal career be, if you couldn't be an author?</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #000090; font-family: Arial;"> </span></div>
<div class="Body1">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6aa84f;">Karen:</span></b></span><span style="color: #000090; font-family: Arial;">A songwriter</span></div>
<div class="Body1">
<span style="color: #000090; font-family: Arial;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #000090; font-family: Arial;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #000090; font-family: Arial;"> </span></div>
<div class="Body1">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Arial;">Sara: </span><span style="color: #000090; font-family: Arial;">If you were a
salad, what kind of dressing would you have? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Body1">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6aa84f;">Karen: </span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #000090; font-family: Arial;">Something creamy
with a bit of zing.</span></div>
<div class="Body1">
<br /></div>
<div class="Body1">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Arial;">Sara: </span><span style="color: #000090; font-family: Arial;">Which super power
do you like to have and why? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Body1">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6aa84f;">Karen: </span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #000090; font-family: Arial;">I'd like to be
able to read other people's minds...to know their feelings and motives. But I'd
also want to be able to turn it on and off so I wouldn't get overloaded!</span></div>
<div class="Body1">
<br /></div>
<div class="Body1">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Arial;">Sara: </span><span style="color: #000090; font-family: Arial;">What one
thing that has happened in your life has made the biggest impact on who you are
today? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Body1">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6aa84f;">Karen: </span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #000090; font-family: Arial;">My marriage.
Because of it I have experienced unconditional love. I've also learned how to
give it.</span></div>
<div class="Body1">
<br /></div>
<div class="Body1">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #000090; font-family: Arial;">Karen thanks for this wonderful interview.</span></div>
<div class="Body1">
<br /></div>
<div class="Body1">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 23px;"><strong>Karen will be giving away copies of her book </strong></span></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;">The CEO'S Unexpected Proposal </span></b></span></div>
<div class="Body1">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 23px;"><strong style="color: #a64d79;">To enter the Giveway:</strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79;"> </span><strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79;">Please enter your </span><u style="color: #a64d79;">email </u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79;">in the Rafflecopter below and </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;">Leave<u> </u>a comment for Karen on your thoughts on the book or A proposal story if you have one to share. </span></strong></span></span></span></div>
<div class="Body1">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div>
</div>
<a class="rafl" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/40fd8432/" id="rc-40fd8432" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>
<script src="//d12vno17mo87cx.cloudfront.net/embed/rafl/cptr.js">
</script></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7374354574659960501.post-89732155618255560892012-07-27T16:03:00.003-07:002012-07-27T16:21:19.476-07:00Spotlight & Giveaway: His Unexpected Family by Robyn Thomas<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy2f9huMntxeBOrbhFEFTp_C7LmabZRZ1vqLFEmcBgTN8pSJWtkyytF_DqLPvtW4Dq4LvWf4CtL6avsLtLRRBp2U1arXL7Judb045q-YtX5tzOPTeBuHRrL3U026-HMAWZC8wWX8DLIaCb/s1600/SpotlightCLEAR.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy2f9huMntxeBOrbhFEFTp_C7LmabZRZ1vqLFEmcBgTN8pSJWtkyytF_DqLPvtW4Dq4LvWf4CtL6avsLtLRRBp2U1arXL7Judb045q-YtX5tzOPTeBuHRrL3U026-HMAWZC8wWX8DLIaCb/s1600/SpotlightCLEAR.png" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79; font-family: inherit;">ROBYN, Welcome to HarlequinJunkie and Congrats on the release of your debut Novel "His Unexpected Family"</span></b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7; font-family: inherit;">Thank you to
Sara for inviting me here today. Settles comfortably and sips cool drink as we
chat. Pull up a chair, grab a drink.</span></b></span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvHvyC3A7D7Vt5C4L96EZnhOhZVwQ8Lleq1OWeUxBjMu__8iWsssfCpYTqZ16UIWRKSesyQrcrAVcmz_Ltb2moJWbgIxYbvMAijOWNmFviPaom8wxU-_0OoPMCLFjNSeqVdgtngyHC7g1_/s1600/HUF-500px.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvHvyC3A7D7Vt5C4L96EZnhOhZVwQ8Lleq1OWeUxBjMu__8iWsssfCpYTqZ16UIWRKSesyQrcrAVcmz_Ltb2moJWbgIxYbvMAijOWNmFviPaom8wxU-_0OoPMCLFjNSeqVdgtngyHC7g1_/s400/HUF-500px.jpg" width="266" /></span></a><em><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-style: normal;">
</span></em><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<em><span lang="EN-AU" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;">Let’s start with your debut Novel “His Unexpected Family” <o:p></o:p></span></em></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-style: italic;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="color: #a64d79; line-height: 115%;">Sara: </span><span lang="EN-AU" style="color: #20124d; line-height: 115%;">If you had
to sum up ‘His Unexpected Family’ what would you say...</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="color: #674ea7; line-height: 115%;"><b><i>Robyn:</i></b></span><span lang="EN-AU" style="color: #20124d; line-height: 115%;"> It’s a story
of redemption, acceptance and starting over. It’s proof that sometimes amazing things can happen while
your focus and energy is directed elsewhere<i>.<o:p></o:p></i></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-style: italic;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18px;">Sara:</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i> </i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; line-height: normal;"><em></em></span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="display: inline !important;">
<div style="display: inline !important;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; line-height: normal;"><em><span lang="EN-AU" style="line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">What was the
inspiration behind your debut novel </span><b>“His Unexpected Family”</b></span></em></span></span></div>
</div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; line-height: normal;"><em>
</em></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18px;"><b><i>Robyn:</i></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><em><span style="font-style: normal;"></span></em></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="display: inline !important;">
<div style="display: inline !important;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><em><span style="font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="line-height: 115%;">I watched
Touching the Void and thought that the filming of it must’ve involved
considerable risks. I wondered what sort of person would film an expedition
like that, and how they’d differ from the mountaineers they were filming. What
if they were a team and had worked together before? What if being delayed for a
few days saved the life of the cameraman while both his brother and his best
friend perished? I had a flawed hero on my hands, and I knew straight away that
his penchant for extreme sports was going to be a problem. </span></span></em></span></div>
</div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><em><span style="font-style: normal;">
</span></em></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><em><span style="font-style: normal;"></span></em><em><span style="font-style: normal;"></span></em></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><em><span style="font-style: normal;"><br /></span></em></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><em><span style="font-style: normal;">
</span></em></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18px;">Sara:</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><em><span style="font-style: normal;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="display: inline !important;">
<div style="display: inline !important;">
<span lang="EN-AU" style="line-height: 115%;">How did you
come up with the characters for this book?</span></div>
</div>
</span></em></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18px;"><b><i>Robyn: </i></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><em><span style="font-style: normal;"></span></em></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="display: inline !important;">
<div style="display: inline !important;">
<div style="display: inline !important;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><em><span style="font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="line-height: 115%;">Oops, I’ve
already answered for Cole. To be perfectly honest, I didn’t come up with Ren’s
character in a deliberate manner. I made Cole wait for his story until Ren “arrived”
in my mind, already named, recently widowed and with a newborn daughter. I was
surprised to find that her life had been turned inside out by the same tragedy
that had ruined Cole’s. It gave the
two of them common ground and opposing perspectives and a whole world of guilt
to navigate through. </span></span></em></span></div>
</div>
</div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><em><span style="font-style: normal;">
</span></em></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><em><span style="font-style: normal;"></span></em><em><span style="font-style: normal;"></span></em></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
</div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><em><span style="font-style: normal;">
</span></em></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><em><span style="font-style: normal;"> </span></em></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<em><span lang="EN-AU" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"> </span></em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><em><span style="font-style: normal;"></span></em></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
</div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><em><span style="font-style: normal;">
</span></em></span><em><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-style: normal;">
</span></em><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18px;">Sara: </span><em><span style="font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;">What were
the challenges you faced in bringing this book to life?</span></span></em></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><em><span style="font-style: normal;">
</span></em><em><span style="font-style: normal;"></span></em></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="display: inline !important;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18px;"><b><i>Robyn: </i></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><em><span style="font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="line-height: 115%;">I’m not a
big fan of ordinary sports, let alone extreme ones. I had to familiarise myself
with what there was to do, the mindsets of the participants, and the risks
involved. I watched whatever I could get my hands on in the way of interviews
and documentaries, and read up on survivor guilt.</span></span></em></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><em><span style="font-style: normal;">
</span></em><em><span style="font-style: normal;">
</span></em></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><em><span style="font-style: normal;"><br /></span></em></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><em><span style="font-style: normal;">
</span></em></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18px;">Sara: </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><em><span style="font-style: normal;"></span></em></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><em><span style="font-style: normal;"></span></em></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="display: inline !important;">
<div style="display: inline !important;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><em><span style="font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="line-height: 115%;">What one
Favorite Scene would you never cut from ‘His Unexpected Family’</span></span></em></span></div>
</div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><em><span style="font-style: normal;">
</span></em></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18px;"><b><i>Robyn: </i></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><em><span style="font-style: normal;"></span></em></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><em><span style="font-style: normal;"></span></em></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><em><span style="font-style: normal;"></span></em></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="display: inline !important;">
<div style="display: inline !important;">
<div style="display: inline !important;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><em><span style="font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="line-height: 115%;">I’d have to
say the shaving scene where there’s plenty of shaving cream flying around but
no sign of a razor.</span></span></em></span></div>
</div>
</div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><em><span style="font-style: normal;">
</span></em></span><br />
<em><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-style: normal;"></span></em><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="display: inline !important;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><i><br /></i></span></span></div>
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Now that we know about your debut, it's time to get to know you....</span></i><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU" style="line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; line-height: normal;"><em><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-style: normal;"></span></em></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18px;">Sara: </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Who is Robyn
Thomas, what should we know about her?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTQNE9z1SZRxxvq-a6gyUXgT9ZqjqOqXYsnzt776PtqUEGfBf16XN0aFKd2JkDLnNjRzkDHXeGwOmd9zHEWZnc3-uDyF_fG1AqJR-wmrK46ZXdQ5R7Wg5rmXQBdhgDHhQrvTQ7rHdA8AO5/s1600/Robyn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTQNE9z1SZRxxvq-a6gyUXgT9ZqjqOqXYsnzt776PtqUEGfBf16XN0aFKd2JkDLnNjRzkDHXeGwOmd9zHEWZnc3-uDyF_fG1AqJR-wmrK46ZXdQ5R7Wg5rmXQBdhgDHhQrvTQ7rHdA8AO5/s1600/Robyn.jpg" /></span></a><em><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-style: normal;"></span></em></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18px;"><b><i>Robyn:</i></b></span><em><span lang="EN-AU"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b> </b></span></span></em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18px;">Robyn Thomas
is the kind of person who wonders what happens to people after their current
mishap or hardship has been on the nightly news. Did they recover, are they
traumatised, will their life ever be the same again?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU" style="line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; line-height: normal;"><em><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-style: normal;"></span></em></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">What you
should know about me: if the book </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I’m reading doesn’t have a happy ending, I’m
going to want to pencil one in.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU" style="line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; line-height: normal;"><em><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-style: normal;"></span></em></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18px;">Sara: </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">What
inspired you to be an author? How did you choose the genre you write in?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU" style="line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; line-height: normal;"><em><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-style: normal;"></span></em></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18px;"><b><i>Robyn:</i></b></span><em><span lang="EN-AU"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b> </b></span></span></em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">For many
years I read a lot and entertained the idea of writing something “one day.” When an idea took hold and the characters
in my head insisted on having their story written, I knew that day had arrived.
April Fool’s Day was fast approaching so I made that my start date – a
safeguard in case the whole exercise was a disaster. That first book was truly
awful and will never see the light of day, but I was already hooked on writing.
The guarantee of a happy ending made romance an obvious choice for me. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU" style="line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; line-height: normal;"><em><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-style: normal;"></span></em></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18px;">Sara: </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Tell us
about the “CALL”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU" style="line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; line-height: normal;"><em><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-style: normal;"></span></em></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18px;"><b><i>Robyn: </i></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The call was
an event in itself. I totally missed it! My lovely editor sent an email saying
she’d like to acquire my book, and I eventually stumbled across – wait for it –
a follow up email. I don’t believe I’ve ever made such a high pitched squeal of
horror and disbelief. I was
thrilled, don’t get me wrong, but the most amazing news ever had been
squirrelled away in some obscure spam filter that I didn’t even know I had. And
it‘d been there for more than two weeks! When I finally got myself together
enough to hit reply… I repeatedly got an error message.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;">I emailed my
critique partners two words that are rarely coupled together, and got their
undivided attention. Between all of us we got it sorted, and I managed to send
a resounding yes (please) email to my editor! Thankfully, I hadn’t missed my
chance to accept her offer. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU" style="line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; line-height: normal;"><em><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-style: normal;"></span></em></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18px;">Sara: </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">What are you
currently working on? Are there any other books to be released in 2012?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU" style="line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; line-height: normal;"><em><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-style: normal;"></span></em></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18px;"><b><i>Robyn: </i></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I’m
currently working on another Indulgence that’s due to release in Fall 2012. It
can be described as: Prince Charming never moved into Cinderella’s house! But
mega rock star Jake Olsen is rewriting the script, complete with a fake yet
headline grabbing engagement. Beth Carlisle’s insular life is shaken up and
publicly dissected, but this modern day Cinderella has the ability to direct
her own Happily Ever After.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU" style="line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; line-height: normal;"><em><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-style: normal;"></span></em></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18px;">Sara: </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Are you a
plotter or pantser?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU" style="line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; line-height: normal;"><em><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-style: normal;"></span></em></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18px;"><b><i>Robyn:</i></b></span><em><span lang="EN-AU"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b> </b></span></span></em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I’m
definitely a pantser. I like to have a clear resolution in my mind before I
start, but I follow my instincts for the bulk of the story. My characters tend
to be headstrong and I try to let them have free rein. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU" style="line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; line-height: normal;"><em><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-style: normal;"></span></em></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18px;">Sara: </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">What is the
one thing you've always wanted to do, but never had the courage to try?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU" style="line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; line-height: normal;"><em><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-style: normal;"></span></em></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18px;"><b><i>Robyn: </i></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">This is it!
Getting a book published and sharing it with the world.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU" style="line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; line-height: normal;"><em><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-style: normal;"></span></em></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18px;">Sara: </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">If you were
stranded on an Island…</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU" style="line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; line-height: normal;"><em><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-style: normal;"></span></em></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18px;"><b><i>Robyn:</i></b></span><em><span lang="EN-AU"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b> </b></span></span></em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">If I was
stranded on an island I’d definitely need my family with me. My husband is the
most resourceful person I know, and my sons want to be inventors. Can anyone
say Gilligan’s Island?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;">Oh, and I’d
want the contents of my hubby’s off road vehicle. We’d be able to start a fire,
catch fish, drink fresh water, snack and rug up. And there’s a radio to call
for help. </span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvHvyC3A7D7Vt5C4L96EZnhOhZVwQ8Lleq1OWeUxBjMu__8iWsssfCpYTqZ16UIWRKSesyQrcrAVcmz_Ltb2moJWbgIxYbvMAijOWNmFviPaom8wxU-_0OoPMCLFjNSeqVdgtngyHC7g1_/s1600/HUF-500px.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvHvyC3A7D7Vt5C4L96EZnhOhZVwQ8Lleq1OWeUxBjMu__8iWsssfCpYTqZ16UIWRKSesyQrcrAVcmz_Ltb2moJWbgIxYbvMAijOWNmFviPaom8wxU-_0OoPMCLFjNSeqVdgtngyHC7g1_/s200/HUF-500px.jpg" width="133" /></span></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d;">Book Blurb:</span></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><em><span style="font-style: normal;">Sometimes you have to take the leap…again.</span></em><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Newly widowed with a new
baby, Ren Jamieson is putting her life back together after her thrill-seeking
husband’s death. But when she’s called to show a high-end property to a
prospective client—a commission she desperately needs—she meets a man who makes
her pulse pound like nothing she’s ever known…<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Cole Matthews is more than
he seems. Real estate is only part of the reason he’s in Australia – the other
is to see Ren, and make amends somehow for the life lost. The last thing Cole
expects is a woman whose humor, sweetness and sexiness give him a rush greater
than any he’s ever experienced…<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Torn between her growing
feelings for Cole and the risks of loving yet another adventurer, Ren will have
to choose between keeping her feet on the ground…and taking the most dangerous
leap of her life.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;">Read the
first chapter: <a href="http://www.entangledpublishing.com/his-unexpected-family/">http://www.entangledpublishing.com/his-unexpected-family/</a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="line-height: 115%;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"> </span></span></div>
<div auto;"="" class="MsoNormal" line-height:="" mso-margin-top-alt:="" normal;="">
<span lang="EN" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Contact Robyn: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div auto;"="" class="MsoNormal" line-height:="" mso-margin-top-alt:="" normal;="">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span lang="EN-AU"><a href="http://www.robynthomasromance.com/"><span lang="EN">http://www.robynthomasromance.com/</span></a></span><span lang="EN"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div auto;"="" class="MsoNormal" line-height:="" mso-margin-top-alt:="" normal;="">
<span lang="EN" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">@robynsromance <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div auto;"="" class="MsoNormal" line-height:="" mso-margin-top-alt:="" normal;="">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span lang="EN-AU"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/#!/robyn.thomas.376"><span lang="EN" style="color: #20124d;">http://www.facebook.com/#!/robyn.thomas.376</span></a></span><span lang="EN" style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div auto;"="" class="MsoNormal" line-height:="" mso-margin-top-alt:="" normal;="">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 23px;"><strong>To enter the Giveway:</strong> <span style="color: #38761d;"><strong><span style="color: black;">Please enter your <u>email </u>in the Rafflecopter below and <u>Post </u>a comment - </span></strong></span></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"> Please tell us which fairytale characters you’d most like to see paired up in a contemporary romance? </span></b></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><br /></span></b></span></span></div>
</div>
<a class="rafl" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/40fd8431/" id="rc-40fd8431" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>
<script src="//d12vno17mo87cx.cloudfront.net/embed/rafl/cptr.js">
</script>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7374354574659960501.post-90726978471112139472012-07-25T15:30:00.000-07:002012-07-25T15:30:01.913-07:00Spotlight & Giveaway: Hajar's Hidden Legacy by Maisey Yates<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy2f9huMntxeBOrbhFEFTp_C7LmabZRZ1vqLFEmcBgTN8pSJWtkyytF_DqLPvtW4Dq4LvWf4CtL6avsLtLRRBp2U1arXL7Judb045q-YtX5tzOPTeBuHRrL3U026-HMAWZC8wWX8DLIaCb/s1600/SpotlightCLEAR.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy2f9huMntxeBOrbhFEFTp_C7LmabZRZ1vqLFEmcBgTN8pSJWtkyytF_DqLPvtW4Dq4LvWf4CtL6avsLtLRRBp2U1arXL7Judb045q-YtX5tzOPTeBuHRrL3U026-HMAWZC8wWX8DLIaCb/s1600/SpotlightCLEAR.png" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79;">I'm absolutely thrilled to have Harlequin Presents and USA today best selling author </span><span style="color: #351c75;">Maisey Yates</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79;"> here today to share with us her inspiration behind the book</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"> 'Hajar's Hidden Legacy'</span></strong></span><br />
<br />
<strong><span style="color: #a64d79;">Maisey Yates Welcome to HarlequinJunkie!</span></strong><br />
<br />
<em>Over to Maisey....</em><br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxssf05UOWuZEWaYrpgO01RxmVb1e8ba0lSxmd8Yd42dmiJicwHVKshcsctcN2glXugnAgJQJzq5eX7cGqDVk9Q43myK5dtApMe4N0t5svXmuo55PDVpVN7026_URMAzrdeL84S-W5ZBTV/s1600/Hajars.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxssf05UOWuZEWaYrpgO01RxmVb1e8ba0lSxmd8Yd42dmiJicwHVKshcsctcN2glXugnAgJQJzq5eX7cGqDVk9Q43myK5dtApMe4N0t5svXmuo55PDVpVN7026_URMAzrdeL84S-W5ZBTV/s400/Hajars.jpg" width="251" /></a>What happens when you combine my love of tortured heroes,
strong heroines and Disney movies? Hajar's Hidden Legacy is what happens. <o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
Beauty and the Beast has been my favorite cartoon ever since
my dad took me to see it when I was six. What's not to love? A strong woman who
loves books sacrifices for her father, teaches the beast to love and ultimately
breaks the spell! <o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
I knew I wanted to write my own version. <o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
The Beauty is Princess Katharine Rauch, princess of
Austrich. She was promised to the future ruler of Hajar five years earlier.
Until, a tragic accident took the lives of the royal family. The only remaining
survivor was the second son. And he is...<o:p></o:p><br />
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The Beast. Sheikh Zahir S'ad al din is known as the Beast of
Hajar. After losing his family in an attack on his country, the reclusive ruler
has concealed himself in his palace, only making appearances when they can't
possible be avoided. <o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<o:p> </o:p>He's horribly scarred, both inside and out, and the last
thing he wants is a wife. <o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
But Katharine needs a husband to protect her country, and
Zahir's honor won't allow him to go back on the bargain drawn up between their
families years earlier. <o:p></o:p><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTFT2T2pM1Z5LyVX_ba_L_sirevbgWU4UOQied_hi545etpTU5V8ChuBWCPbyxRLXLZBz6t_04CeyhzKH6-HYmEiU99EumKKDAxGLxVL13AdPaCwXvQN5J2YZsKzzMsMewJ1nBoRPILgTw/s1600/maybe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTFT2T2pM1Z5LyVX_ba_L_sirevbgWU4UOQied_hi545etpTU5V8ChuBWCPbyxRLXLZBz6t_04CeyhzKH6-HYmEiU99EumKKDAxGLxVL13AdPaCwXvQN5J2YZsKzzMsMewJ1nBoRPILgTw/s320/maybe.jpg" width="213" /></a>I so enjoyed writing this intensely scarred man. Physically,
he's damaged past the point of being called handsome. He's limited now, with a
mostly blind eye and a badly wounded leg. But it's his internal scars,
flashbacks of the attack that take over even while he's awake, that truly
cripple him. <o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
Zahir and Katharine have a lot to overcome. Katharine is
living for honor, while Zahir is just living each day as a matter of survival. <o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
I loved bringing this strong woman into Zahir's life to push
him our of his cave, to help him overcome the issues in his life to become the
best ruler, and the best man that he can be. And not only does Zahir find
healing, he finds love. <o:p></o:p><br />
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And even though there's no transforming his outside, those
scars will remain, he gets his healing inside. And that's what counts! <o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<strong><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: inherit;">I have an excerpt I'd like to share with you. </span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: inherit;">And one
commenter will win a copy of Hajar's Hidden Legacy! (this is an international
contest! Open to all!)</span></strong> <o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<a class="rafl" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/40fd8430/" id="rc-40fd8430" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>
<script src="//d12vno17mo87cx.cloudfront.net/embed/rafl/cptr.js">
</script>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<strong>Excerpt</strong><br />
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">They called him the Beast of Hajar for a reason. Katharine could see that now. Zahir S’ad al Din was every bit as frightening as they said. He was an entirely different man from the one she’d met so many years ago. Cold, completely forbidding.<br />But Katharine didn’t have the luxury of being frightened by him. Anyway, she was used to cold, forbidding men.<br />“Sheikh Zahir,” she began, taking a step toward his expansive desk. He wasn’t looking at her, his dark head inclined, his focus on a paper in front of him. “I have been waiting for you to contact me. You haven’t.”<br />“No, I have not. Which makes me wonder why you are here.”<br />Katharine swallowed. “To marry you.”<br />“Is that right, Princess Katharine? I had heard a rumor about that, but I didn’t believe it.” He lifted his head and for the first time, Katharine saw his face.<br />Yes, he was every bit as frightening as they said. The skin on the left side of his face ravaged, his eye not as focused or sharp on that side. Yet she still felt like he was seeing all the way into her, as if the accident that had served to cloud his physical vision had made him able to see more than a mere mortal man.<br />That he was a ghost, or a god of some kind was part of his legend, and looking at him now, she understood why.<br />“I did call.” She hadn’t exactly talked to Zahir, but she’d talked to his advisor. And she hadn’t really been invited, either.<br />“I didn’t think you would travel all the way from the comfort of your palace to have your marriage proposal turned down, as I was certain I had relayed my thoughts on the matter.”<br />She straightened her shoulders. “I thought you owed me a conversation. A personal one, not your relayed response. And I didn’t come to be turned down. I came to make sure the contract was honored. The deal was struck six years ago…”<br />“For you to marry Malik. Not me.”<br />Thinking of Malik always made her feel sad. But her sadness was for a young life cut short, nothing deeper. He had been her destiny, her duty, for all of her adult life, and while she had liked him, cared for him in some ways, she had not loved him.<br />At first it seemed like losing him had changed everything, that her horizons had opened, that she might have a different future before her. It was clear now that nothing had changed.<br />Instead of Malik, it would be Zahir. But she was still destined to be sold into marriage for the sake of her country. She’d accepted it. Ultimately she hadn’t felt that the change in groom had mattered all that much.<br />Although, looking at him now it became a whole different matter than it had been in theory. He was…he was something much more than she’d counted on.<br />This was never about you. Never about your feelings. You have to be prepared to see this through.<br />“That’s what I thought. But when I examined the documents a little bit closer…” Her father had handled most of the legal portion of the marriage agreement that had been drawn up between her and Malik.<br />It hadn’t really been of personal interest to her. Her relationship with him had been nothing more than political maneuvering by their parents. She’d only met him on a few occasions. She’d simply accepted that it was what she could do for her country, that the marriage was what she could contribute. She had never personally studied the agreement. Until recently.<br />“Well, yes. But really, if you look at the wording, I am promised to Malik. Unless he is not able to assume the throne of Hajar. In that case, it is his successor that I’m meant to marry. That’s…</span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7374354574659960501.post-589127589809555942012-07-24T17:38:00.000-07:002012-07-24T17:38:27.104-07:00The Oil Tycoon and Her Sexy Sheikh by Ros Clarke<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15754726-the-oil-tycoon-and-her-sexy-sheikh">The Oil Tycoon and Her Sexy Sheikh</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5087303.Ros_Clarke">Ros Clarke</a><br />
My rating: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/376154922">4.5 of 5 stars</a><br />
<br />
Back Cover:<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">His duty, her dreams, undone by their desire...<br /><br />In the male-dominated oil industry, executive Olivia McInnes plays a careful game - she's cold, uncompromising, and ambitious as hell. Once she seals the deal to drill in the clear waters of Saqat, she'll finally prove herself worthy to take the reins of her father's oil company. Her only obstacle is marine biologist - and Saqat's royal heir - Sheikh Khaled Ibm Saqat al Mayim, who's determined to protect both his people and his country from environmental devastation...<br /><br />It's not long before Olivia's icy cool exterior is shattered by the intelligent and wickedly hot sheikh, and business is surpassed by sweet, stolen pleasures. But outside the bedroom, there's reality to be faced. Soon Khaled must return to his obligations - and his betrothed - in Saqat.<br /><br />Caught between duty and ambition, can an oil tycoon and a sexy sheikh find room for love... or will this business deal spell disaster for them both?</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span><br />
My Review<br />
The Oil Tycoon and Her Sexy Sheikh is a sexy, engaging read about two star-crossed lovers who are caught between duty and desire; ambition and passion… <br />
<br />
Olivia and Khaled meet as adversaries across a boardroom trying to negotiate a mutually beneficial deal that will allow drilling oil in the clear waters of Saqat. <br />
<br />
Olivia needs this deal to secure her position as the new CEO of MCI oil once her father retires. She has worked hard to succeed in this male dominated world trying to live upto her father’s expectations and cannot afford to fail this late in the game. The only thorn in her side is Marine Biologist and Heir to the throne of Saqat Sheikh Khaled.<br />
<br />
Khaled and Olivia are instantly attracted to each other but they both know they cannot have more than a brief fling. Olivia has her own ambitious goals and Khaled has a duty to his country, as heir to the sheikhdom he is required to marry a Saqat woman a bride pre-chosen for him. Destiny however has very different plans for them…<br />
<br />
The characters were well written; Khaled isn’t your typical playboy sheikh, He is a sexy scientist who is actually more concerned about the environment that making money and Olivia is smart, feisty, ambitious businesswoman with heart.<br />
<br />
The Oil Tycoon and Her Sexy Sheikh is a well-written romance that will have you turning the pages, I like the way the story flowed and have to give credit to the author for not rushing the ending; but being a huge fan of epilogues I sure would have liked to read about their lives 5 years down to find out if they achieved all they set out to do.<br />
<br />
Ros Clarke is a new author for me and I have to say I quite enjoyed reading this book and would definitely recommend it. <br />
<br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7374354574659960501.post-14945029436165518372012-07-22T15:35:00.000-07:002012-07-22T15:35:18.942-07:00Spotlight & Giveaway: Battle for the Soldier's Heart by Cara Colter<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Today it is my Pleasure to Welcome Harlequin Romance Best Selling Author <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">Cara Colter</span> to HarlequinJunkie...</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">I love Cara's books, if you have read Cara's books you know what I am gushing about if not here's your chance to Win a copy!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #353535;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">Battle for the Soldier's Heart</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIfNljvJ_E6ozDY2sOqtH3TodSkGThOZtVPX3QTBkOgKfcBMNhjpAMsDarGnkn_OWZkPsanD7acvzvAm8niPTM4s36POTPtAxqend9uZ8viUya885zF_GRWDxLvKvlFClA7MJseUQ8EdaQ/s1600/0112-9780373178193-bigw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIfNljvJ_E6ozDY2sOqtH3TodSkGThOZtVPX3QTBkOgKfcBMNhjpAMsDarGnkn_OWZkPsanD7acvzvAm8niPTM4s36POTPtAxqend9uZ8viUya885zF_GRWDxLvKvlFClA7MJseUQ8EdaQ/s400/0112-9780373178193-bigw.jpg" width="252" /></a><span style="color: #353535;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #484848; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When Grace Day accepts returning soldier Rory Adams's help for the military fundraiser she's organizing, memories of her teenage crush on him come rushing back.<br /><br />Growing up in practically a war zone, Rory's motto is "When you expect the worst, you are rarely disappointed." Yet Grace's sweetness, hope and light threaten his cynicism.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #484848; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As she discovers the Rory beneath the armor, can Grace convince him to believe in the man he really is: a man so good it brings tears to her eyes—the man she wants to spend her life with?</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sara: </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #353535;">If you had to sum up </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">“Battle
for the soldier's Heart”</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #353535;"> in 100 words or less, what would you say? </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #353535;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #353535;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Cara: </b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I think I
specialize in stories about people who have lost their way, finding their way
back home. This story is no exception. But I have to add it's not
serious. It's very funny and sweet. The opening line is "There
were Shetland ponies everywhere" so you've got to know you're are in for a
fun ride (er, read.)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #353535;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sara: </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What were the challenges you
faced in bringing this book to life?</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #353535;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;"><b>Cara: </b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #353535;">I'm having problems with insomnia right
now, so sometimes when its time to work my poor brain feels like mush!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79;">Sara: </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #353535;">Please tell us a few things about yourself? </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #353535;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #353535;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Cara: </b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I love my "H"s -- horses, Hawaii, HGTV, also Hubby, Rob ( not necessarily in that order!) Where were you born and where do you call home? I was born in Calgary, Alberta, and I now live in the interior of British Columbia on a small acreage that I share with above mentioned horses and hubby.</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sara: </span><span style="color: #353535;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What are your current projects?</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Cara: </b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #353535; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I just finished a book that will be out
for Mother's Day, 2013. It doesn't even have a title yet. It has one
scene I adore where the hero and heroine unearth an old two-seater
bicycle. Unfortunatley, ever since I wrote it, I cannot get that song out
of my head: </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>Daisy, Daisy, give me your answer, do, I'm half crazy, all for the
love of you, I can't afford a carriage, we won't have a fancy marriage, but
wouldn't you look sweet, upon the seat of a bicycle built for two?</i> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #353535; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Try and get
that unstuck from your head once its in there! (Misery loves company, I bet now
you'll be stuck with it, now, too. Evil laugh.)</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #353535; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've just been asked to do a Christmas trilogy with Rebecca Winters and Shirley Jump, so we're at the planning stages right now. It is always creatively really invigorating to work with other writers, espeically ones as talented as them. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #353535;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sara: </span><span style="color: #353535;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What are 4 things you never
leave home without (apart from keys, money and phone)?</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #353535;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Cara: </b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There is a part in the
Mother's Day book where a woman tells the hero they dress for dinner, and he
says "As opposed to what?". So, generally when I leave I have
clothes (though I've been known to walk the dog in my pajamas); I live in the
middle of nowhere (this makes the pajama part slightly less risque), so I am
not going anywhere without my truck. I honestly cannot think of
anything else that makes every trip out of the house with me. I know it
would be politcally correct to say pictures of my children, my sainted mother
or other inspirational items, but sadly, no. My dog wishes it was her,
though!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #353535;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sara: </span><span style="color: #353535;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you won $20 million in the
lottery, what would you do with the money? </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #353535;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #353535;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Cara: </b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Again, I'm sure there is a
politcally correct answer that would have something to do with being unselfish
and saving the world, but somehow I see myself wintering in Hawaii, (there's
those H's again) one foot hanging off the lounger into the pool, and
a lifetime supply of books beside me. (And maybe a cute poolboy
refreshing my virgin pina coloda, with apologies to another of my H's Rob.)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #353535;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sara: </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #353535;">Where can readers contact
you?</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #353535;">Facebook is the best way. </span><a href="http://facebook.com/caracolter"><span style="color: #264f77; text-decoration: none;">facebook.com/caracolter</span></a></span><span style="color: #353535;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">Cara will be giving away
a Copy of </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">‘Battle for the Soldier's Heart’</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">
to 1 lucky Winner.<o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47; font-family: inherit;"><b>TO WIN: Please enter your <u>email </u>in
the Rafflecopter widget and <u>leave </u>a comment for Cara below.</b></span><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Book Antiqua';"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Book Antiqua';">Giveaway is open to reader’s world wide</span></i><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Book Antiqua';"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a class="rafl" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/" id="rc-40fd8426">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>
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<h3 class="productDescriptionSource" style="clear: left; color: #333333; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 1.23em; margin-bottom: 0.375em; margin-left: -15px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.75em;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"> </span> Excerpt. </h3>
<h3 class="productDescriptionSource" style="clear: left; color: #333333; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.375em; margin-left: -15px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.75em;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"> Harlequin.com- All rights reserved.</span></span></h3>
<div class="productDescriptionWrapper" id="yui_3_4_1_1_1341202826349_252" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">There were Shetland ponies everywhere.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">They were gobbling the long strands of grass that sprouted around the brightly painted legs of the children's playground equipment. They were chowing down on the weeping-willow fronds at the edge of the duck pond.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Three had found their way through the chain-link fence and were grazing with voracious appetite on the green temptations of the Mason Memorial Soccer Field.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">One had its face buried in the remnants of a birthday cake, and another, wandering toward the wading pool, was trailing a banner that said Happy Birthday, Wilson Schmelski.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">From where he stood at the pedestrian bridge that crossed into the city of Mason's most favored civic park, Pondview, Rory Adams counted eight ponies on the loose.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">And only one person trying to catch them. "You little monster! You beady-eyed ingrate!" The woman lunged right, the pony left. If it had been anyone else, he might have allowed himself to see the humor in her predicament.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Instead, he frowned. When he thought of Gracie Day, somehow, even after speaking to her on the phone, he hadn't factored in the passage of time. She was frozen in his mind at fourteen or fifteen. All glittering braces and freckles, skinned knees, smartalecky and annoying.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">To him, six years her senior, Gracie, his best friend's little sister, had not even been a blip on his radar. He had not considered her a <i>girl</i> in the sense that he considered girls. And at that age? Had he ever considered anything but girls?</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">He'd been twenty-one when he saw her last. He and Graham mustering out, on their first tour of Afghanistan, and her looking at him with fury glittering in her tear-filled eyes. <i>I hate you. How couldyou talk him into this?</i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Graham had started to argue—the whole let's-go-play-soldier thing had been his idea, after all—but Rory had nudged him, and Graham had understood instantly.</span><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Let me take it, let me be the bad guy in your kid sister 's eyes.</span></i><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">The memory made him wince. They had looked out for each other. They'd had each other's backs. Probably thousands of times since they had said good-bye to Gracie that day. But the one time it had really counted…</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Rory shook off the thoughts, and focused on the woman chasing ponies.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">That <i>kid</i> sister.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Gracie Day was small and slender, deliciously curved in all the right places. Auburn hair that had probably started the day perfectly controlled and prettily coiffed, had long since surrendered to humidity and the pitfalls of pony-chasing. Her hair was practically hissing with bad temper and fell in a wild wave to her bare sun-kissed shoulders.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">She was daintily dressed in a wide-skirted cream sundress and matching heels that had probably been perfect for the children's birthday party her event-planning company had just hosted.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">But if Gracie had worked at it, she couldn't have chosen a worse outfit for chasing ponies.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">The dress was looking rumpled, one slender strap kept sliding off her shoulder, and not only couldn't she get up any speed in those shoes, but the heels kept turning in the grass. At first glance, the smudge on the delectable rise of her bosom might have been mistaken for part of the pattern on the dress. But a closer look—that was <i>not</i> the bosom she'd had at fourteen—and he was pretty sure the bright-green splotch was horse slobber.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">"Do you have any idea what glue is made from? Do you?"</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Something still in her, then, of that fourteen-year-old girl she had once been. That girl was closer to the surface than the cool, calm and collected Gracie Day she had managed to convince him she was when he had spoken to her on the phone.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">"I need to talk to you," he'd said, when he'd finally made it home. By then Graham had already been gone for six months. He'd wanted to tell her the truth.</span><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">I failed.</span></i><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">"I can't see why we would need to talk," she'd responded, and the fact was, he'd been relieved.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Talking about what had happened to Graham—and his part in it—was not going to be easy. And while he was not a man who shirked hard things, he had been thankful for the reprieve.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Rory felt a shiver along his spine. They said it was survivor's guilt, but in his heart he felt it <i>was</i> his fault her brother hadn't come home.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Somehow, instead of being a temporary diversion, playing soldier had turned into a career for both of them. Graham, on their third deployment, Afghanistan again, had taken a bullet.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Rory still woke almost every night, sweating, his heart pounding.</span><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Two teenage boys. Something about them. He'd hesitated because they were so young. And then bullets everywhere. Ducking, taking cover. Where was Graham? Out there. Crawling out, pulling him back, cradling him in his arms.</span></i><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Blood, so much blood.</span></i><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">But the dream woke him before it was done. There was a piece missing from it, words he could not remember though he chased after them once he was awake.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">The dream never told him what he needed to know. Had it been those boys? Were they the ones who had fired those shots? What could he have done differently? Could he have shoved Graham behind him, taken it instead?</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><i>Check up on Gracie.</i> Those words whispered, a plea.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">You didn't take a dying request lightly. And especially not the dying request of the man who'd been his best friend for more than ten years.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">So, back home for six months now, Rory had tried. He called Gracie twice, and admittedly had been somewhat relieved to have been coolly rejected each time. The dreams were bad enough without the reality of having to tell her what had happened, while at the same time sparing her what had happened.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">And so, he had followed the letter of Graham's instruction and checked up on her. While he had been away, the company he and his own brother had started—they had begun with race-car graphics and were now taking on the world—had succeeded beyond his wildest dreams. Once home, done with the military for good, Rory Adams was amazed to find himself a man with considerable resources.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">One of whom was named Bridey O'Mitchell. Officially, she was his personal assistant. Unofficially, he considered her his secret weapon.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Bridey, middle-age, British, unflappable, could accomplish anything. Some days, Rory entertained himself by finding impossible challenges for her.</span><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Can you get ice cream delivered to that crew working on the graphics for those Saudi airplanes? I know it's short notice, but do you think you could find half a dozen tickets to the sold-out hockey game? I'd like a koala bear and two kangaroos at the opening of that Aussie tour company we did the buses for.</span></i><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Checking up on Gracie Day? That had been child's play for Bridey.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">And the ensuing report about Gracie Day had been soothingly dull. Gracie was no longer engaged to the fiance Graham had disliked intensely, and she ran a successful event-planning company, Day of Your Life, here in Mason, in the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia. Hers was the "it" company for weddings and anniversaries and special events.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">The company had just been chosen to do the major annual fundraiser for Warrior Down, the organization that helped wounded vets and their families.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">But Gracie's bread and butter was birthday parties for the children of the well-heeled, politicians and doctors and lawyers and CeOs. She put together the kind of parties that had clowns in them. And bouncy tents. Maybe a magician. And fireworks. The ponies must be an added touch since Rory had received Bridey's very thorough report.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Gracie Day organized the kind of parties that he had never had. In fact, he didn't recall his birthday ever being celebrated, except on one memorable occasion when his mother had ended up face-first in the cake. How old had he been? Six? After that, he'd said no thanks to efforts at celebration.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">There. He'd "checked up" on her. Even that little bit of checking had triggered a bad memory, so he wanted to let it go there. Grace Day was doing well.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Still, even as he tried to tell himself he'd obeyed the letter of Graham's last instruction to him, it ate at the honor he had left. Rory had needed to see for himself that Gracie was doing all right. His last call had been a week ago.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">And there had been <i>something</i> in her voice.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Even though she had said she was doing fabulously.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">He couldn't pinpoint what exactly he had heard in her voice. A certain forced note to the breezy tone? Something guarded, as if she had a secret that she was not planning on revealing to him?</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Whatever it was, it wouldn't let him go. Over the past week, the need to see her had grown in urgency. Instinct had become such a big part of his life when he was a soldier, that he found he couldn't ignore that niggling little voice. When he tried, it was just one more thing that woke him in the night, that haunted his dreams.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">A little lie to her secretary had sent him to Pondview. "My company is one of the sponsors of Warrior Down. I need to talk to her urgently. And in person."</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Just as he'd suspected, the mention of Gracie's pet project got him all the information he needed. Did he feel guilty for lying?</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">No. Guilt was for guys of a sensitive nature, and he definitely did not qualify. In his house, growing up, later on the battlefield, that was how you stayed alive. You didn't let things touch you.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">But Graham dying… Rory shook it off, chose to focus with unnecessary intensity on Gracie. She was sneaking up on a fat black-and-white pony, who, while seeming oblivious, was clearly watching her out of the corner of his eye. She was right on one count: the pony <i>was</i> beady-eyed.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">And a whole lot smarter than he looked. Because when she made her move, the pony sidled sideways, out of her grasp. He turned and looked at her balefully, chewing a clump of grass.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Rory winced when her heel embedded itself in the grassy ground, spongy from a recent watering and Gracie pitched forward. The heel snapped o...</span></div>
<br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7374354574659960501.post-88846389110303174142012-07-19T20:13:00.000-07:002012-07-22T15:28:54.002-07:00Free excerpt & ARC Giveaway: The Inn at Rose Harbor by Debbie Macomber<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBohu9SJkmXtxsIhWoaY43sK5AjiSGYWqFs2XZGq9Ea5InYFFp_8bGQjSdE3VKkzMI51WYcD9b8DvG5NUXqqN3ts3BaQzT9ARPI9U-unL5Yt7Fz1nXH5vww-aBqcPmV1su-XeQp_RHXlIS/s1600/174725660513568325_Vjr0wiZQ_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBohu9SJkmXtxsIhWoaY43sK5AjiSGYWqFs2XZGq9Ea5InYFFp_8bGQjSdE3VKkzMI51WYcD9b8DvG5NUXqqN3ts3BaQzT9ARPI9U-unL5Yt7Fz1nXH5vww-aBqcPmV1su-XeQp_RHXlIS/s1600/174725660513568325_Vjr0wiZQ_b.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: inherit;"><strong>Thanks to
Sue Grimshaw and Random House Publishing Group I have 10, YES 10 ARC's of Debbie Macomber's Newest book <em><span style="color: #0b5394;">The Inn at Rose Harbor</span></em> releasing August 14th, 2012 to
giveaway. This book marks the beginning of a new series.</strong></span><br />
<br />
The Inn at Rose Harbor by Debbie Macomber (Preview)<br />
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<strong>Synopsis:</strong> <br />
From #1 <i>New York Times</i> bestselling author Debbie Macomber comes a heartwarming new series based in the Pacific Northwest town of Cedar Cove, where a charming cast of characters finds love, forgiveness, and renewal behind the doors of the cozy Rose Harbor Inn.<br />
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Jo Marie Rose first arrives in Cedar Cove seeking a sense of peace and a fresh start. Coping with the death of her husband, she purchases a local bed-and-breakfast—the newly christened Rose Harbor Inn—ready to begin her life anew. Yet the inn holds more surprises than Jo Marie can imagine.<br />
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Her first guest is Joshua Weaver, who has come home to care for his ailing stepfather. The two have never seen eye to eye, and Joshua has little hope that they can reconcile their differences. But a long-lost acquaintance from Joshua’s high school days proves to him that forgiveness is never out of reach and love can bloom even where it’s least expected. <br />
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The other guest is Abby Kincaid, who has returned to Cedar Cove to attend her brother’s wedding. Back for the first time in twenty years, she almost wishes she hadn’t come, the picturesque town harboring painful memories from her past. And while Abby reconnects with family and old friends, she realizes she can only move on if she truly allows herself to let go.<br />
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A touching novel of life’s grand possibilities and the heart’s ability to heal, <i>The Inn at Rose Harbor</i> is a welcome introduction to an unforgettable set of friends.<br />
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<strong>About the Author</strong></div>
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<a href="http://www.randomhouse.com/images/dyn/auth-sm/?source=143328&width=110&type=gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img \="" alt="Debbie Macomber - The Inn at Rose Harbor " border="0" src="http://www.randomhouse.com/images/dyn/auth-sm/?source=143328&width=110&type=gif" /></a> Photo © Dane Gregory Meyer </div>
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<b>Debbie Macomber</b>, the author of <i>Hannah’s List, 1022 Evergreen Place, Summer on Blossom Street, 92 Pacific Boulevard, </i>and <i>Twenty Wishes</i>, is a leading voice in women’s fiction. Three of her novels have scored the #1 slot on the <i>New York Times, USA Today, </i>and <i>Publishers Weekly</i> bestseller lists. Debbie Macomber’s <i>Mrs. Miracle</i> was Hallmark Channel’s top-watched movie for 2009. This prolific author has more than 140 million copies of her books in print worldwide. </div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><strong>Hope you enjoyed the sneak peek..</strong></span></span></span></div>
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</script></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com29tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7374354574659960501.post-56000912827401566662012-07-18T15:59:00.000-07:002012-07-18T15:59:00.055-07:00Spotlight & Giveaway: Barbara White Daille<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d;">Today it is my Pleasure to host Harlequin American Romance Series writer </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">Barbara White Daille to HarlequinJunkie!</span></b></span></o:p></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><b>A big thank you to Sara for inviting me
here today to talk about one of my favorite topics: heroes</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;">. </span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;"><b>So Many Heroes...So Much Fun!</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d;">I'm currently wrapped up in my own
favorite fictional men, all rough, tough, sexy rancher/cowboys. In this Spotlight, I'll focus on all
three of them, because they give me specific examples to share with you. Besides, there's no way I could pick
just one. (smile)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d;">My latest and upcoming books involve
the small town of Flagman's Folly, New Mexico, where everyone's in everybody
else's business and no one's safe from the local matchmakers! Each book has a different type of hero.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;"><b>The Loner</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs2pBK7h5ndx0k7qFCIOpCcc3EXdVt3l2beHi-KDiAtWLj0yNuzee8vwcSfIVaqK4rPJUGQuA1SplYNm5i5gdonojWAAuz1qrczedE4kZ5PyiP0QzCiSScOOAq_0INlCiPRBzgxnCdjAO_/s1600/A+Rancher's+Pride.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs2pBK7h5ndx0k7qFCIOpCcc3EXdVt3l2beHi-KDiAtWLj0yNuzee8vwcSfIVaqK4rPJUGQuA1SplYNm5i5gdonojWAAuz1qrczedE4kZ5PyiP0QzCiSScOOAq_0INlCiPRBzgxnCdjAO_/s320/A+Rancher's+Pride.jpg" width="202" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d;">Loners are usually strong, silent types
who tend to keep to themselves.
The fun comes when events bring them out of their self-imposed
isolation. Ranch owner Sam
Robertson (A RANCHER'S PRIDE) is such a hero, with a history guaranteed to make
him wary of women. Unfortunately,
as the book opens, he's forced to deal with not one but two females destined to
turn his life...and his heart...inside-out.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d;">He's suddenly given custody of a
four-year-old girl he had never known he'd fathered—a child he can't
communicate with because she's deaf.
Immediately afterward, the child's aunt shows up. She does know how to talk with little
Becky, and she's determined to take his daughter away from him.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d;">Now, Sam might be the quiet type, but
as with most loners, that doesn't mean he sits back and lets folks take
advantage of him. And he sure as
heck doesn't plan to let this woman walk off with his daughter. Yet, he's also faced with the
difficulty of figuring out what's best for his child—a dilemma that's about to
break him.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;"><b>The Bad Boy</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSbpb8oHaTkX8jjgNxqMphjHXmsUoGKSsjEgkuKfZIr61CCYR8jPtUgtV8iLDBmoJpoyru6DeLtxB1emqaTaZGZAKVQyAhUSfw2HRvAd_zvALuhNAiYiTycquNLbLqXeQLIAj9GlxaZBRk/s1600/The+Rodeo+Man's+Daughter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSbpb8oHaTkX8jjgNxqMphjHXmsUoGKSsjEgkuKfZIr61CCYR8jPtUgtV8iLDBmoJpoyru6DeLtxB1emqaTaZGZAKVQyAhUSfw2HRvAd_zvALuhNAiYiTycquNLbLqXeQLIAj9GlxaZBRk/s320/The+Rodeo+Man's+Daughter.jpg" width="202" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d;">Bad boys are the heroes we shouldn't
love but do. They usually have
reputations to go along with the name.
Growing up, rodeo champion Caleb Cantrell (THE RODEO MAN'S DAUGHTER)
sure enough did. As a teen, he
left Flagman's Folly in the dust with no intention of ever going back. But when a fall from a bull puts him
and his rodeo dreams out of commission, he returns to town seeking revenge from
the folks who'd made his early life a misery.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d;">Most of all, he wants to settle a few
scores with his former high-school sweetheart before he leaves her behind for
good. Only, once they meet up
again, he finds it hard to keep his mind—and his hands—off her.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d;">Like many bad boys, Caleb has a lot to
learn. He hides all of
himself...wants, fears, vulnerability, heart...behind a heavy layer of
armor. But he's not the only one
with things to hide—which he discovers when he finds the key to a ten-year-old
secret.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">The Boy-Next-Door </span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6EvGiD5bISJnz-16OP6e8KiN_JqwV245dyi0M3R_GIsdfSkBXiMahDfEQzWaC1AmJS2Pnf306pEml5QvBd3tZ9e5eSzIjzteKwyVcvYVC9WR-SdfcQvnlCu9V5hO-Ao-br93fblIsaR75/s1600/Honorable+Rancher.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6EvGiD5bISJnz-16OP6e8KiN_JqwV245dyi0M3R_GIsdfSkBXiMahDfEQzWaC1AmJS2Pnf306pEml5QvBd3tZ9e5eSzIjzteKwyVcvYVC9WR-SdfcQvnlCu9V5hO-Ao-br93fblIsaR75/s320/Honorable+Rancher.jpg" width="202" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d;">The boy-next-door hero plays a special
role in fueling many of our fantasies, because he's one of the first to enter
our lives. The boy from three houses
over...on our school bus...in our biology class... He's the kind of hero who's always ready to give support and
friendship, always willing to lend a sympathetic ear and a helping hand. That's Ben Sawyer, from the upcoming
Flagman's Folly story (HONORABLE RANCHER). <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d;">Ben lost the love of his life to his
own best friend, who has recently died an army hero. Now, no one in town will ever let him forget the respect he
needs to maintain for his friend.
The honor he needs to uphold.
<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d;">Of course, this type of hero always
chooses the right path, doesn't he?
<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d;">But...what happens when a hero like Ben
is all torn up inside? He knows
what he has to do and what the whole danged town expects of him. But how can he give up this chance to
fight for the woman he's always loved from afar?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d;">As with most heroes, the boy-next-door
doesn't wear his heart on his sleeve, doesn't let his feelings show. He's just there—a steady, constant,
reliable presence—sometimes for much longer than the woman of his dreams ever
knows. That's Ben, all right! Take a peek into his past....<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d;">~~<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Dana
was no Cinderella. She hadn't left
a shoe behind. Hadn't even dropped
a button from that pink dress as something for him to remember her by. As if he could ever forget her. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">She'd
been the heroine of a story he'd once created long ago, a story he'd had to
write in his head because he hadn't yet known how to spell all the words.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">How
did it go? Like in his niece's
storybook...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><i>Once upon a time,</i> that was it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Once upon a time, in the Land of
Enchantment—otherwise known as the state of New Mexico—Benjamin Franklin Sawyer
had high hopes and a huge crush on the girl who sat one desk over from him in
their classroom every day.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">No
other girl in town, Ben felt sure, could beat Dana Smith, and most likely no
other woman in the world could compare to her, either. In any case, without a doubt, she was
the cutest of all his female friends in their kindergarten classroom.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Unfortunately,
when the teacher moved his best friend, Paul Wright, to the desk on the other
side of Dana's, Ben saw his hopes dashed.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">The
crush, however, continued. For a
good long while.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Arial;">Originally from the East
Coast, award-winning author Barbara White Daille now lives with her husband in
the warm, sunny Southwest, where they love the lizards in the front yard but
could do without the scorpions in the bathroom.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d;">From the time she was a toddler, Barbara found
herself fascinated by those things her mom called "books." Once
she learned the words between the covers held the magic of storytelling, she
wanted to see <b>her</b> words in print so she could weave that spell for
others.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d;">Barbara hopes you will enjoy reading her stories
and will find your own storytelling magic in them!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d;">Her latest release is THE RODEO MAN'S DAUGHTER,
with HONORABLE RANCHER upcoming in August.<span style="letter-spacing: 0.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d;">She would love to have you drop by her
website: <a href="http://www.barbarawhitedaille.com/">www.barbarawhitedaille.com</a> <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d;">and look for her on Twitter: <span class="MsoHyperlink">https://twitter.com/BarbaraWDaille</span> <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7374354574659960501.post-83887487633607053222012-07-15T11:05:00.000-07:002012-07-15T11:15:28.518-07:00Spotlight & Giveaway: One Day To Find a Husband by Shirley Jump<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47; font-family: inherit;">Today it is my Pleasure to Welcome Harlequin Romance and USA Best Selling Author Shirley Jump to Harlequin Junkie</span></b></div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><span style="color: #741b47;"></span></span></b></div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47; font-family: inherit;">Shirley is here to talk to us about the her new Harlequin Romance Trilogy: McKenna Brothers </span></b></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47; font-family: inherit;">Over to Shirley....</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Three Brothers—Three Challenges</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The McKenna Brothers series marks my first back-to-back trilogy, something I actually volunteered for when I went to my editor with the idea for the series. I love connected books and have written several that featured family members, but never have I done a trilogy that came out in a three-month span.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrA4hCzrX2yPiBNunteBAKT95e5_iPhC_xXCoDqeVoXHqfiHfAS55-JDPeNa0-PQukHZZ2ft3CMBeMPUpmMMqARkgg1o1u9U_p9Oo1Yo55MchIhgLVHDPKoJ9tBYVMaiwzkuLq8I_QPydq/s1600/One+Day+to+Find+a+Husband.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrA4hCzrX2yPiBNunteBAKT95e5_iPhC_xXCoDqeVoXHqfiHfAS55-JDPeNa0-PQukHZZ2ft3CMBeMPUpmMMqARkgg1o1u9U_p9Oo1Yo55MchIhgLVHDPKoJ9tBYVMaiwzkuLq8I_QPydq/s400/One+Day+to+Find+a+Husband.jpg" width="250" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That meant writing the books in a short time period, and making sure the stories linked not just by relationship, but by time frame, too. I had to have three plots that would work within a three-month window, and make sure I wrapped everyone’s storyline up in the last book. But what really made the McKenna Brothers series was the men themselves.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I wanted strong, compelling characters, heroes in their own right, with their own personalities and quirks. Originally, I was going to write Finn’s story first, then Brody’s, then Riley’s, but Riley became such a big part of Finn’s book that he needed his story second. That meant for some shuffling, as I moved the youngest brother into the middle book, and saved the middle brother for last.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Riley ended up becoming the glue that held all three books together, which surprised me. I hadn’t expected the charming playboy brother to be the one that linked all three, but as I got to know Riley and his infectious personality, it was clear he would be a great bridge for Finn and Brody’s books. Riley also shows up for a little while in my online read featuring McKenna cousin, Alec.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Those three heroes needed three equally compelling and strong heroines, too, and I know I found them in Ellie, Stace and Kate. They were fun heroines to write, with their three vastly different worlds and goals. I loved the way the series wrapped up, too, with the whole family and eldest brother Finn getting the last word—something that is totally a Finn thing to do.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtjzawhsV04mlqSs68hsKtIKdcIORPQnEncI_fmS0X42Qai9tlhJwNHt9-UCAwasRBEL7mt7mz5VZqaubn54-2PXQgCjt5KSvrHORtKzTySIa5RR3baybLL7D9hlXOyHWls8uI1GNfHs1U/s1600/ShirleyJump_BrideWoreChocolate_800px.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtjzawhsV04mlqSs68hsKtIKdcIORPQnEncI_fmS0X42Qai9tlhJwNHt9-UCAwasRBEL7mt7mz5VZqaubn54-2PXQgCjt5KSvrHORtKzTySIa5RR3baybLL7D9hlXOyHWls8uI1GNfHs1U/s320/ShirleyJump_BrideWoreChocolate_800px.jpg" width="213" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I hope you enjoy the McKenna brothers! I set the story in Boston, which is near where I grew up, and is definitely one of my favorite cities. I visit Boston at least once a year, and never tire of seeing the skyline and harbor. Writing these three books gave me a taste of home, which made the trilogy all that much more sweet!</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Let's Talk about your RomCom books...The Bride wore Chocolate was such a fun read!</span></div>
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Sara:</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Where did you come up for the idea
of combining recipes with a romantic comedy?</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6aa84f;"><b>Shirley: </b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d;">When I was coming up with the idea for this series, I sat down and made a list
of the things that are most important to me. Family, love and food made that
list—and some days food is at the top, depending on whether there’s any
chocolate in the house! I have always loved to cook and loved books that
incorporated food into the storyline, then wondered what it would be like to
have my characters reflect that love. Hence, the idea for having the characters
write the recipes was born…and an entire series based on my three favorite
things was concocted. And from that, came </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;"><b>THE
BRIDE WORE CHOCOLATE, THE DEVIL SERVED DESIRE</b> and <b>THE ANGEL TASTED TEMPTATION</b>.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sara: </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What is the most rewarding aspect
of your career?</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Shirley: </b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hands-down, reader response. I
have had such wonderful letters and conversations with readers, and they always
seem to come on days when the writing isn’t going as easily or I’m struggling
with a new idea. There’s the woman who told me my books helped her get through
a dark time in her own life; the young lady who wrote to me and said my books
were the distraction she needed from the stress of being a new mom. The others
who have said that a line from one of my books provided a laugh when they most
needed one, or helped them see their own relationships in a new light—all of
those have brightened my days and given me a reward far greater than any I
could imagine.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sara:</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Among
the characters that you have created, do you have a personal favorite?</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
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</span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSwgmfqtyVB4UkX2X2xGujhaLdOwxPD_Nsc3YgJV5Qzg66rzWxNupGZRQuKQWVYvqAwIldyISdu6g-t1zmQTudVIbb0RDsusbuJgrS0zIhJz0ag5pWSkJEocDWQjnbR-283Y6tMNj4hxSL/s1600/ShirleyJump_DevilServedDesire_2500px.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSwgmfqtyVB4UkX2X2xGujhaLdOwxPD_Nsc3YgJV5Qzg66rzWxNupGZRQuKQWVYvqAwIldyISdu6g-t1zmQTudVIbb0RDsusbuJgrS0zIhJz0ag5pWSkJEocDWQjnbR-283Y6tMNj4hxSL/s320/ShirleyJump_DevilServedDesire_2500px.jpg" width="213" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Shirley: </b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I
have to say I love them all! I love Grandma Woodrow in <b><span style="text-transform: uppercase;">The Bride Wore
Chocolate</span> </b>because she’s not afraid to live her life; I love Vinny in <span style="text-transform: uppercase;">The Devil Served Desire</span> (despite his faults) because he lets his
feelings show. I love the Chubby Chums, I love Maria (and especially Dante!). I
have to say I am always partial to my heroes, but each one of my characters has
a tiny part of them that I admire and thus, they all become close to my heart.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sara: </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What
would you consider to be the perfect romantic evening?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Shirley: </b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I
could say the cliché of a dinner out without the kids and a spin on the dance
floor, but truly, for my husband and me, we’re so easy to please that a
romantic evening is anytime the kids go to bed early (with minimal returns for
water) and the dogs take more interest in a rawhide bone than our toes. Before
we had kids, I had high expectations for romantic evenings. Now we’ll settle
for a delivered pizza and having the TV to ourselves for a few hours. ;-)</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sara: </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">How
did you come up with the plot for <span style="text-transform: uppercase;">The Devil Served Desire</span>?</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Shirley: </b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It
sprang out of necessity! After I wrote <span style="text-transform: uppercase;">The Bride Wore Chocolate</span>,
I had, ah, gained a few pounds from testing all those recipes. Each book I
write in this series leaves me a few pounds heavier (how I suffer for my craft;
those rum balls were just torture to consume), which means I need to watch my
diet after I turn the book in. I decided to write a book about a woman on a
continual diet (having been there myself) who then meets a man who undoes her
best intentions. Any mom with kids who crave Twinkies will know all about the
temptations the people you love can bring into the house.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sara: </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Do
you visit the places where your stories are set?</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKgWwGgG4ZrIcR3wYoUQ4QfPf56d_7v-MkgWtNoLYdpBedwqXknhLuxi7QEMmziX-ApXtDl3AR9LMzBdsLnTg-2rpIzQEZY46XBFEFy0w1h1wrCvcOS-iHD2h7wprKqHPjwi675Qmw6FHi/s1600/ShirleyJump_theAngelTastedTemptation_HR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKgWwGgG4ZrIcR3wYoUQ4QfPf56d_7v-MkgWtNoLYdpBedwqXknhLuxi7QEMmziX-ApXtDl3AR9LMzBdsLnTg-2rpIzQEZY46XBFEFy0w1h1wrCvcOS-iHD2h7wprKqHPjwi675Qmw6FHi/s320/ShirleyJump_theAngelTastedTemptation_HR.jpg" width="213" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Shirley: </b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I’m
originally from the Boston area and much of my family still lives there, so
yes, I do visit Boston often. I create a number of fictional locations for some
of the scenes, because I like to be able to control the characters’ worlds. At
least to whatever degree an author thinks she’s got control! J<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText3" style="margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.25in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sara: </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Is there one specific quality that your
heroes/heroines must possess?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText3" style="margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.25in;">
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Shirley: </b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Family, whether the one you’re born with or the one
you create out of those around you. I think family helps keep you grounded. I
also believe it gives people a depth and richness of character that they
wouldn’t have if they existed solely on their own. I grew up in a small town in
a close family and believe those ties stay with you forever; they’re passed
down into the next generation and continue that sense of community wherever you
live.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText3" style="margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.25in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText3" style="margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.25in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sara: </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What hobbies do you enjoy when you’re not writing?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText3" style="margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.25in;">
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Shirley: </b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Besides shopping and eating J, I’d have to say I love to travel. My kids
have inherited that bug and told us they want to visit all 50 states before
they’re 18. So, every year, my husband and I take them to at least a couple new
ones. Not only do I get to see the sites in other locations, but there’s the
bonus of eating out every night and finding shoe bargains all over the United
States!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="color: black;">Shirley will be giving
away: “</span></b><b><span style="color: black;">5 pack of
assorted Shirley Jump Harlequin Books” to 2 lucky Winners</span></b></span></div>
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</div>
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</div>
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</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">TO WIN: Please enter your<b> <u>email </u></b>in
the Rafflecopter below and <b><u>Post </u></b>a comment answering the question below</span></span><br />
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47; font-family: inherit;"><b>Tell
me, what’s your favorite city? Do you like books that are linked by family like
the McKenna Brothers series? And if you could write a trilogy set anywhere in
the world, where would you choose? - Shirley</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47; font-family: inherit;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Book Antiqua";">Giveaway is open to readers world wide</span></i></div>
<a class="rafl" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/40fd8424/" id="rc-40fd8424" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>
<script src="//d12vno17mo87cx.cloudfront.net/embed/rafl/cptr.js">
</script>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7374354574659960501.post-79994072395493851232012-07-15T09:33:00.000-07:002012-07-15T11:01:30.934-07:00Infamous by Irene Preston<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13646701-infamous" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="Infamous " border="0" height="200" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1336860687m/13646701.jpg" width="130" /></a><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13646701-infamous">Infamous</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5834730.Irene_Preston">Irene Preston</a><br />
My rating: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/369052331">4.5 of 5 stars</a><br />
Sensuality Level: Hot<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Back Cover:</span><br />
<span id="freeText17691171776939407354"><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Four years ago it was
pure Hollywood—the windswept beach, the whirlwind romance, the runaway
marriage. Unfortunately, the ride into the sunset didn't survive the
publication of the bride's tell-all book two months after she said “I
do.”<br /><br />Reclusive venture capitalist Morgan Riley isn't interested
in fame. He prefers a quiet life in the suburbs. For his daughter’s
sake, he agrees to give his notorious wife another chance to be part of
their family. Even though she's back at home and fulfilling all his
late-night fantasies, he can't help wonder if she misses her
high-profile lifestyle and famous friends.<br /><br />Everyone knows Jessica
Sinclair. She’s that girl on the cover of all the tabloids. As a
Hollywood insider, Jessica has spent her life partying with A-list
celebrities, shopping on Rodeo Drive, and living through scandal after
scandal. When her estranged husband offers her a second chance at an
“All-American” lifestyle, she can’t pass up her shot at real happiness.
Back in suburbia, Jessica spends her nights in sexy role-play hoping
Morgan will overlook her deficiencies as a homemaker. She spends her
days attending P.T.A. meetings, burning cookies, and asking herself,
“What would June Cleaver do?” More to the point, what will Morgan do
when Jessica winds up back in the tabloids—with his teenage daughter
right next to her?</span></span><br />
My Review:<br />
<br />
Infamous is one hot sensual read that grabs your attention right from the very beginning and keeps you turning those pages.<br />
<br />
The Plot:<br />
Hollywood glamour girl and infamous celebrity Jessica Sinclair and Reclusive venture capitalist Morgan Riley were secretly married after a whirlwind romance for a brief period of time, but when reality intruded their marriage fell apart. Morgan and Jessica are poles apart in personality and their choice of lifestyles but four years on nothing’s changed they still have feelings for each other and quite literally combust when they are in the same room together. <br />
<br />
In order to have a chance at HEA both Jessica and Morgan need to find some middle ground but will becoming a Stepford suburban wife be the answer for Jessica? You are gonna have to read this book to find out.<br />
<br />
Writing Style:<br />
The writing is light and fun and the characters in the story are very well developed, though I was tempted to thump Morgan over his head a few times. <br />
<br />
With INFAMOUS Irene Preston immerses us into the Hollywood world of Glitz, Glamour and Scandal with well-developed characters, sizzling hot sex scenes and engaging storyline.<br />
<br />
Infamous is Irene Preston debut novel and I would definitely recommend this book and look forward to reading future releases.<br />
<br /></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7374354574659960501.post-58641960373492875182012-07-13T16:30:00.000-07:002012-07-13T16:30:01.033-07:00Spotlight & Giveaway: Lusted in Las Vegas by Sandra Bunino<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy2f9huMntxeBOrbhFEFTp_C7LmabZRZ1vqLFEmcBgTN8pSJWtkyytF_DqLPvtW4Dq4LvWf4CtL6avsLtLRRBp2U1arXL7Judb045q-YtX5tzOPTeBuHRrL3U026-HMAWZC8wWX8DLIaCb/s1600/SpotlightCLEAR.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy2f9huMntxeBOrbhFEFTp_C7LmabZRZ1vqLFEmcBgTN8pSJWtkyytF_DqLPvtW4Dq4LvWf4CtL6avsLtLRRBp2U1arXL7Judb045q-YtX5tzOPTeBuHRrL3U026-HMAWZC8wWX8DLIaCb/s1600/SpotlightCLEAR.png" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Today it is my pleasure to Welcome Sandra Bunino to HarlequinJunkie! Sandra thanks for stopping by!</span></b></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><br /></b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><b>Why do erotic romance readers love H/h conflict in their stories? </b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><b>by Sandra Bunino</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><br /></b></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnKeZi5WFVx9h667I-ZX8iyPX_WhZpY4fz9l4L-WfGlhLR9sLlepxU__FEjxjv2oUrEHkak58elOvPiCvEScrp_T6o1KrQHg7Q4cvGSGGGyNBAEvJ14zvevNwQ4K0p0G2pQUgBewK42xZt/s1600/LustedInLasVegas_Front.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnKeZi5WFVx9h667I-ZX8iyPX_WhZpY4fz9l4L-WfGlhLR9sLlepxU__FEjxjv2oUrEHkak58elOvPiCvEScrp_T6o1KrQHg7Q4cvGSGGGyNBAEvJ14zvevNwQ4K0p0G2pQUgBewK42xZt/s400/LustedInLasVegas_Front.jpg" width="266" /></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Simple. It’s the make-up sex, baby. What’s better
than plain old-fashioned make-up sex? Against the wall, door, over the sofa arm
make-up sex, that’s what. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">There’s nothing like the feel of tense,
rippling muscles immobilizing you against a cool hard surface. Heated pants
intermingling on a tear stained cheek. Mouths crushing, tongues battling,
strong hands restraining…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Oh my, *fans self* let’s take a look at the beginning of exactly one of
those scene’s from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Lusted-in-Las-Vegas-ebook/dp/B008GUB33O/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1341356067&sr=1-1&keywords=lusted+in+las+vegas">LUSTED
IN LAS VEGAS</a> while I take a sip of my iced non-fat latte:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> She
let go of her suitcase and sobbed into her hands. Jason pulled her back into
the villa, slammed the door and pushed her against it. Heat radiated from
Jason’s body as he embraced her. Heavy breath steamed through her hair. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> Stephanie
struggled to free herself from his grip. Her face was hot and her hair stuck to
her cheeks from a mixture of tears and sweat. Jason held her even tighter. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> “No,
Stef. I won’t leave you alone. I can’t.” <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> Stephanie
could barely breathe as his body crushed hers. She turned her head; ashamed of
the tears she shed. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> “Look
at me,” he said.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> Stephanie
lifted her eyes to meet his. She stopped struggling and searched his eyes for
answers. As though he understood her unspoken questions, he cradled her face
into his hands, wiping the tears away with his thumbs. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> “I
won’t let you go. Not now, not ever.” <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> He
greedily kissed her firmly and his tongue sought hers. Stephanie resisted for
just a moment. Then in a show of acceptance she sighed and put her arms around
him. The action fueled Jason’s yearning. He pinned her against the door and
kissed her along her jawbone and down her neck. A day’s growth of stubble
scratched at her neck and excited her senses. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> “Jason,
but—“<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> He
placed his fingers to her mouth. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI13W7Ud-46kCTbEYLcSpfsoccwa1Jir41uGKLvVfyEnhYC8_VYGCVGtAC8HSpbk4zvLf-2ZU1JZMemy2JSZ5bH3PEvc9atLBkl1MUah9b2vEJ8lU8DeEm_Z5gdPuFhyphenhyphenAS5LEO7EoJmXTG/s1600/70.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI13W7Ud-46kCTbEYLcSpfsoccwa1Jir41uGKLvVfyEnhYC8_VYGCVGtAC8HSpbk4zvLf-2ZU1JZMemy2JSZ5bH3PEvc9atLBkl1MUah9b2vEJ8lU8DeEm_Z5gdPuFhyphenhyphenAS5LEO7EoJmXTG/s200/70.jpg" width="200" /></a><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> “I’ll
explain everything but not now. Right now, I am going to make love to you right
here.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Oh, there’s more, much more (and
the arm of a sofa is involved) but you’ll need to read the whole story for the
full effect. ;-)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So, what is it about make-up sex?
It’s a hot topic! A clinical psychologist from <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Psychology Today</i> even suggests it’s just as addictive as cocaine. </span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">It seems anger
increases testosterone in both men and women. The more hot and bothered you
become during the argument, the higher your sex drive becomes which leads to an
explosive encounter.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><a href="http://www.menshealth.com/mhlists/best_sexual_experiences/Makeup_Sex.php#ixzz1zZ6JO5KS">Men’s
Health</a> lists Make-Up Sex as one of the 8 monumental sexual experiences you
must have along with the ever-popular Vacation & Birthday Sex (note to
self: write a Vacation Sex post). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><a href="http://www.glamour.com/sex-love-life/blogs/smitten/2012/02/the-dos-and-donts-of-makeup-se.html#ixzz1zbHAHxKH">Glamour
Magazine</a> adds some dos and don’ts to the mix:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<b><span style="font-family: Calibri;">DO: Resolve the argument before getting frisky.</span></b><span style="font-family: Calibri;">
Having sex
in place of resolving the conflict is not a good way to go. You don’t want to
use it as a temporary cure, like a band-aid on an open wound, because the next
time the issue arises, you’ll be doubly upset.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<b><span style="font-family: Calibri;">DON'T: Use it to reignite the passion in your
relationship.</span></b><span style="font-family: Calibri;">
It shouldn’t take a blow-out to get you two
in bed. If fighting is the only way to create intimacy, then makeup sex is not
the solution.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<b><span style="font-family: Calibri;">DON'T: Bring up the fight mid-hump.</span></b><span style="font-family: Calibri;">
If you have
an urge to say, “Oh, and one other thing…,” this is not the time. If you have
something on your mind, wait until you're both calm and level-headed to discuss
it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<b><span style="font-family: Calibri;">DO: Have makeup sex to reconnect and enhance
intimacy.</span></b><span style="font-family: Calibri;">
Let it all out, girl. Take advantage of the surges of hormones and
adrenalin pumping through your bod, and put it to good use.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnKeZi5WFVx9h667I-ZX8iyPX_WhZpY4fz9l4L-WfGlhLR9sLlepxU__FEjxjv2oUrEHkak58elOvPiCvEScrp_T6o1KrQHg7Q4cvGSGGGyNBAEvJ14zvevNwQ4K0p0G2pQUgBewK42xZt/s1600/LustedInLasVegas_Front.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnKeZi5WFVx9h667I-ZX8iyPX_WhZpY4fz9l4L-WfGlhLR9sLlepxU__FEjxjv2oUrEHkak58elOvPiCvEScrp_T6o1KrQHg7Q4cvGSGGGyNBAEvJ14zvevNwQ4K0p0G2pQUgBewK42xZt/s200/LustedInLasVegas_Front.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;">So, go ahead and have that fight. Just make
sure to end it right…what a way to make-up and move on…until the next
time. ;-)</span></b><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;"><b><br /></b></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394; font-family: inherit;"><b>I'm giving away a copy of </b><b>Lusted in LasVegas </b><b>to a lucky commenter! </b><br /><b></b></span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="display: inline !important;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394; font-family: inherit;"><b>TO WIN: Please enter your<b> <u>email </u></b>in the Rafflecopter below and <b><u>Post </u></b>a comment.</b></span></div>
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47; font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-size: 12px; line-height: 24px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></span></span><br />
<div id="yui_3_2_0_1_1341292274525454" style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; display: block; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 24px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://sandrabunino.com/" rel="nofollow" style="color: #234786; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1341363612_0" style="color: #366388; cursor: pointer;">Sandra Bunino</span></a> began a love of romance stories while penning a creative writing assignment in high school. The story ended with the heroine receiving a long stem red rose in her locker on Valentine’s Day. Since then, all of her stories feature the hero presenting the heroine with roses. Sandra is constantly searching for different ways to achieve a heart-pumping, stomach-flipping, breath-catching reaction from her readers.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">These days, Sandra lives on a wooded mountaintop not far from New York City with her family. She always looks forward to hearing from her readers and she may be contacted at <a href="mailto:sbunino@gmail.com" rel="nofollow" style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; color: #0066cc; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank" ymailto="mailto:sbunino@gmail.com"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1341363612_1" style="color: #366388; cursor: pointer;">sbunino@gmail.com</span></a>. Come back often to find out more about her current and future releases. You can also follow her on Facebook and Twitter (@sandrabunino). Remember, following is sexy!</span></div>
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<br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7374354574659960501.post-47877070614122764572012-07-13T12:22:00.002-07:002012-07-13T12:25:42.031-07:00The Other Soldier by Kathy Altman<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13545534-the-other-soldier" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="The Other Soldier" border="0" height="200" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1338897372m/13545534.jpg" width="126" /></a><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13545534-the-other-soldier">The Other Soldier</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5777824.Kathy_Altman">Kathy Altman</a><br />
My rating: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/367645808">4 of 5 stars</a><br />
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<span style="color: #0c343d;">Back Cover:</span><br />
<span id="freeText17700737034647380185"><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Corporal Reid Macfarland has one mission: to make amends for the mistake he lives with every day. That friendly-fire incident in Afghanistan that killed a fellow soldier haunts him. Maybe if he can help the widow, he'll find some peace. <br /><br />But amends are easier said than done. Just one meeting with the independent and engaging Parker Dean makes it clear that forgiveness is a little more complicated than offering money or an apology. If he really wants to help, Reid has to stick around for a while. The more their daily lives intertwine, the more he realizes her forgiveness isn't the only thing he needs--he needs her.</span><a class="actionLinkLite" href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13545534-the-other-soldier#"></a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">My Review:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The Other Soldier is a poignant and enduring romance about love and forgiveness.</span><br />
<br /><span style="font-family: inherit;">Corporal Reid MacFarland was responsible for the friendly fire incident that killed Parken Dean’s husband leaving her a Widow. When Reid visits Parker looking for absolution for his sins she makes it clear that money won’t buy him forgiveness or bring back her dead husband. Reid decides to stick around and help this fiercely independent single mother run her farm.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Parker and Reid’s romance is slow to develop; even though they are attracted to each other they both need to come to terms with their loss and learn to forgive before they can open themselves up to a new relationship.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Reid’s relationship with Nat Parker’s daughter is enduring to read; there is also a secondary romance between Harris Briggs and Eugenia an older couple which adds another dimension to this story.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">‘The other Soldier’ is beautifully written with great characters; given the premise of this story I think Kathy did a remarkable job in keeping the tone fun and light. If you like military romances I would definitely recommend this book.</span><br />
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