Friday 20 December 2013

A Week in Milan by Aimee Duffy

I have fellow Beachwalk Babe Aimee Duffy here today with her newest release A Week in Milan. Looks amazing! Over to you Aimee...

Thank you for stopping by! To celebrate the release of A Week in Milan, I’m giving away a mini-Kobo and a signed copy of Isle of Sensuality, the first book Amanda from A Week in Milan makes an appearance in!
Here’s a little about the story…
Getting what she wants isn't going to be easy…
Designer department store owner Giovanni Monastero thought moving to LA would help him forget the nightmare of his childhood. Until he visits Milan during Fashion Week with one of their designers he doesn't realize how much his past still haunts him.
Fashion designer Amanda Hart has been chewed up and spat out by her son's father. The only dating she does now is in her dreams. None of the guys she fantasizes about can hurt her. When the star of those fantasies offers her the career chance of a lifetime "no" isn't an option even though it means spending a week in close contact with him.
With one dream coming true, will Amanda have the courage to go after another?
Content Warning: contains smoldering sex, enough doubt to keep an island afloat, and more persuasion than a guy should need.
Buy link (All Formats)
Enter the Rafflecopter for your chance to win!
About the Author
Aimée writes steamy, contemporary romance for the 21st century woman who enjoys the 21st century alpha male. She’s addicted to reading, shopping and can’t go a day without music. When she’s not writing you can find her traipsing up the Ochils (weather permitting of course) or procrastinating on Facebook and Twitter. Twitter / Facebook / Goodreads / Pinterest / Google +

The Migraine Mafia by Maia Sepp


 
 

 

Blurb


On paper, Viive McBroome lives the perfect life—a key player in a fast-paced, technical field, one promotion away from real success—but that’s only if you ignore one little problem.

Sandwiched between one migraine and the next, Viive’s life is like those choose-your-own-adventure books you read as a kid, only less fun and with a lot more drugs. And lately, as her bosses politely march her toward a vacation that might never end, even the good days seem like a struggle for survival.

Faced with frustration from her loved ones and the dark machinations of a new coworker, Viive feels herself getting pulled under by guilt, apologies, and workplace shenanigans. But then she meets the Migraine Mafia, a quirky, vibrant support group, and her fragile camouflage begins to crumble. She discovers that a room full of strangers just might be able to change the way she views her illness—and realizes that if she doesn’t learn to ask for help, her health isn’t the only thing she stands to lose.

Sometimes painful, frequently hilarious, never dull, The Migraine Mafia is the story of one woman’s life-altering decision to thrive in the face of chronic illness.

 


 

Link to Follow Tour: http://tastybooktours.blogspot.com/2013/11/now-booking-release-day-blast-for.html

 

Author Info


Maia left the tech sector to write about sock thievery, migraines, and...the tech sector. She lives on the Danforth in Toronto with her better half, John.

The Sock Wars is her debut novel. The first chapter of The Sock Wars was published as a short story/novel excerpt titled Irish Drinking Socks, and became a Kobo bestselling short story. The Sock Wars has been a top-100 digital bestseller on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and the iBookstore, as well as a genre and Writing Life bestseller on Kobo.

Maia's next novel will be released in December 2013: The Migraine Mafia, a story about a nerdy thirtysomething's quest to come to terms with a chronic illness.

 

Author Links






 

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Thursday 19 December 2013

Best Fake Day Review!



When I first saw the title of I was curious, when I saw the cover I was intrigued. The moment I picked up this book, to the moment I finished it, all I could think of was WOW! This is the first book I've read by Tracey Rogers, but I will definitely be reading more. The writing was very good, I was so swept up in the story that I was glued to my kindle the entire day and didn't stop until I'd finished.
The leading lady of the story, Izzy was just the right amount of girl next door. She was the younger sister of a star, but the author didn't play too much on this, and so it was never once a cliché. She was strong and sassy, and brave enough to show just what she was feeling.
And Jack? Well he was one hell of a hero! Definitely one to drool over. He had it all going on and for those who like their men a little bit tortured, look no further.
The snappy dialogue had me laughing all the way through, although I did get quite emotional at the end. Fast paced an addictive, if your looking for a book that will make you smile every time you think of it, pick this up today! You won't regret it ;)

Wednesday 18 December 2013

Best Fake Day by Tracey Rogers


 

Blurb

Faking it never felt so good.
Wedding photographer and romance lover Izzy Latham dreams of finding her own happily-ever-after. When her former teenage crush arrives at her doorstep, looking sexier than ever, and asks to marry her, it should be her dream come true, right? Wrong. It turns out he doesn't want to actually marry her—he only wants to pretend to marry her.

Marriage hater Jack Carter will do anything to close his latest business deal, including finding a wife. The only person who can help him is his childhood friend, Izzy. Except Izzy isn't a little girl anymore. She's definitely all woman, and there's an attraction between them that's hard to ignore.

Jack has to convince Izzy to fake it, but the problem is that she hates to lie. However, she can't deny her feelings for him either. So when Jack makes her an offer she can't refuse, she reluctantly agrees to help him out.

Faking it is the easy part. But what happens when fake starts to feel so real?

Content Warning: contains sensual sex and occasional strong language

 


Excerpt

"Let me work off the money," Izzy said.

She felt Jack's gaze rake over her body, watched the clench of his jaw. "And how are you planning to work it off, Isabel?" he almost growled. "Is that what all of this is about?" he asked as his hand made an indicating sweep over her body. "Dress to impress so you can pay me in kind?"

"Oh God, no," she spluttered. "This is me showing you I'm not the weak, naïve girl I used to be and I won't be pushed around!"

The hard glint in his eyes softened slightly. "You were never weak. Naïve…" He trailed off. "So how exactly were you planning to pay me back?"

"Working here for you for free until I pay you back. I could collect glasses, work the bar, or clean."

"And you have experience in any of those roles?"

"No. But I could learn."

"But what about the house repairs?"

She shrugged. "I could do that during the daytime and work here at night. Then when I'm earning again from my day job I'll pay you back."

"And what exactly is your day job?"

"I'm a photographer. I could even do that here. Take photographs of the patrons and sell them for you."

"You work freelance?"

"I have my own business." She hesitated before elaborating. "As a wedding photographer," she said quickly, hoping he wouldn't snag the teasing opportunity.

Too late. The corner of his mouth quirked until it bloomed until a grin. "A wedding photographer. How appropriate. I knew playing dress-up with your mother's veil and having teddy bears as your guests would have an influence on you one day."

"You mean like wanting to have a traditional wedding where the groom doesn't have to bribe the bride? Yeah, my childhood messed me up real bad," she said with sarcasm.

"You're not working here, Izzy. And this conversation is over."

"No, it's not. I'm giving you a solution to paying off what I owe. I'll work off the amount Ellie paid for our debts and the rest you get from her. So when do I start?"

"You are not working here."

"Why?"

"Do you really want to have some guy groping you as you serve drinks? Or a group of guys? I run a tight ship and look out for my staff, but sometimes it happens."

"I can look after myself. I have been groped before, you know. I can deal with it."

He slid his chair closer, bending his legs so hers surrounded him without touching, but close, very close. He looked up at her under dark lashes. "So if some guy puts a hand on your leg you wouldn’t mind?"

She shook her head.

"And if that hand strayed beneath your dress?" he asked as his hand reached out to graze the sensitive skin of her inner thigh, making her shudder.

She shook her head slowly, earning a dark look. Of course she would mind. But this was Jack.

He stood abruptly, stepping into the v of her thighs. "And if a guy tried to kiss you?"

"I have been kissed before, remember?" she said, inwardly cringing at how breathless she sounded.

"I remember being a boy kissing you as a girl. If I were to kiss you now I wouldn’t be holding back and I wouldn’t be kissing you as a boy—I’d be kissing you as a man."

"Then do it," she demanded.


 
 

 


Author bio

A devourer of books from an early age, I spent much of my childhood stepping into wardrobes, searching for that magical snowy world where conversing with animals would be expected. When I wasn't searching for those worlds, I wrote about them instead. My first step into the world of romance was when I stole sneak peeks into my nana's books. I'm still in that world and refuse to leave.

I live in Staffordshire, UK, with my husband and three wonderful children. An avid reader and writer of romance, I strongly believe that words make the world go around.

You can find me here: http://traceyrogers.wordpress.com/

On Facebook

On twitter

Or email me at: traceyrogersaut@gmail.com

 Interview

1. What was your inspiration for this story?
I hit the big 40 next year and I think because of that I’ve reached an age where I keep looking back at my teen years. So then came the idea of Izzy, who never got over her teen crush Jack. She always dreamed of the day he would ask her to marry him, so imagine her surprise when he does. If only it wasn’t fake!
2. Do you see a little bit of yourself in any of your characters?
In Best Fake Day, Izzy is a dreamer and a romantic. Jack remembers Izzy having pretend weddings with her toys. There is a possibility that I may have staged weddings with my Sindy dolls and my brother’s Action Man. Okay, make that a big possibility. My older brother wasn’t impressed by this at all.
3. About how long did it take you to write the story?
It took me about five months to write.
4. Did you have any trouble writing it at all?
I must admit I found it more difficult to write my second book. When I wrote Daring to Wish, my first book, I was much more relaxed because I had no expectations on myself. Book 2 and I felt I had that coveted author label to live up to and had many more doubt crows flying around. I shooed them away though ;-)
 
Tell me a little bit about you as a writer
5. Do you have any kind of writing schedule?
I wish I could stick to one! I usually have time to write during school hours, but I find inspiration strikes as soon as the PJ’s come on at night. I do aim for a daily word count and if I’m slacking 1k1hr’s on twitter are a much needed nudge.
6. What is your writing environment like?
I write on my sofa in the living room usually surrounded by tea and coffee cups.
7. And what would your ideal writing environment be like?
Oh Emily, I would love a writing treehouse or a log cabin. Somewhere free from distraction. Except for the male inspiration posters on the walls of course. There would be a roof that slides back in the summer so I can have a nap in my hammock with the sun on my face. The housework fairies would keep it all tidy and write my synopsis for me too. Not that I’ve thought about this at all. ;-)
8. If you’re ever stuck for an idea, how do you go about finding inspiration?
One thing I’ve discovered as a writer is that forced ideas don’t work. If my mind is blank I usually take a step back and read books by my favourite authors. Then when I’m not looking for an idea, five suddenly come along. The one that nags the loudest is a keeper.
9. Did you always want to be a writer?
I did. I wanted to be many things over the years but writing always stayed with me.
10. What’s the first thing you can remember writing? (it doesn’t have to be published)
In primary school I wrote a story called The Mystery Key. I tried to write my first romance during my teens. The heroine for that one is still trapped beneath a hedge somewhere with the hero staring at her behind.
11. Do you have any advice for new writers?
Don’t write purely to become a published author, write because you love to write and enjoy every moment of it. If you love what you do, you won’t give up. The writing community is hugely supportive and there is always someone on social media who can offer advice, so soak it up like a sponge. Twitter writing sprints are fab for motivation.
Just a few days to go until Christmas! So tell me…

12.Will you be taking any time off over Christmas, or powering on through?
I have to admit I get twitchy if I haven’t written for a while so I may sneak some words in.        13. Who’s responsible for Christmas dinner in your house?
It’s my turn to have family over, so dinner will be cooked between hubby and me.
Don’t tell hubby, but his roast potatoes are better than mine!
                               
14. What will you be overindulging in this year?
I don’t drink alcohol but I’m sure there will be lots of chocolate passing my lips. Also
at Christmas I find it hard to stay away from pickled onions.
 
15. Is there a book you’re praying Santa will buy you?
Sadly there’s more than one! The only organised about me are my books. I really
want to finish off my series collection of Immortals After Dark by Kresley Cole.

16. If you could be stuck in the snow, in a cosy log cabin with any man, real or fictional, who would it be?
Brad Pitt! *checks weather forecast and crosses fingers*

17. If you were granted one Christmas wish, what would it be?
To have a nice, peaceful, family Christmas. You can’t beat happy family memories.
But if Santa wants to leave me a bestseller writing pen I wouldn’t mind at all!
Interview



Friday 6 December 2013

Holidays with the Beachwalk Babes Hop


My Christmas Traditions


I have a big family, and Christmas has always been a great time for us, because its the one time of year where we ALL get together. When I was a child, because of the full house, I'd always have to bunk up with my sisters on Christmas eve. We always kept each other awake until late, and then I used to love waking up early and listening to every creak in the house until finally, one of those creaks would be our parents opening the door with a stocking full of presents telling us that Santa had been. We always used to have grapefruit for breakfast, a tradition from my grandparents, because during the war fruit was a luxury, and exotic fruit was only for Christmas day. I still serve up grapefruit now, although I can't say my children are very fond of this tradition. And last but not least, the tradition that will always live on in my house. A book wrapped up on the breakfast table for each of us. My father started this, he was a big reader, and thought we should all take a moment to appreciate the written word before the madness of the toys took over!


 

The Right Kind of Wrong

 
The book I'm promoting today is the third in my series, Rags and Riches, which came out August this year. Here's a little about it

 

Blurb

 

Maybe only someone who's been behind bars can understand how to set her free.
Fresh out of jail, Jamie Pierce is desperate to change his ways and become a better person. He wants to earn enough money to get out of London for good and live a quiet life somewhere in the country. But then he meets Harriet Jones, a beautiful young fashion designer who is plagued by self-doubt, and suddenly leaving doesn't seem so simple.
Harriet has spent years trying to win her father's affection, but time and time again she's been left feeling that she just isn't good enough. When she starts to fall for her rough-around-the-edges neighbor, she knows her father would never approve.
It was only meant to be a fling, but maybe the person who seems so wrong for her could be just the kind of person she needs. Can Jamie help Harriet learn to believe in herself, or will she remain trapped in her own prison of self-doubt?

Beachwalk Press link
 
 

Giveaway!

 For your chance to win a $10 Amazon Gift Card just leave a comment below with your name and email address!



Follow the rest of the hop!

 


Tuesday 3 December 2013

Sleepless in Las Vegas by Colleen Collins


 






Blurb

 
After nearly destroying each other’s careers, PI-intern Val LeRoy and seasoned Las Vegas P.I. Drake Morgan are forced to work together.  If each had their way, they’d walk, but when threatened by a dangerous criminal who jeopardizes their lives and families, they put aside their differences to solve the case.  As the hunt for the truth intensifies and their passion rivals the triple-digit temperature, Val and Drake learn why Las Vegas is the city that never sleeps….

Buy Links



Amazon U.S.:
http://www.amazon.com/Sleepless-Las-Vegas-Harlequin-Superromance/dp/0373718934


Amazon UK:http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sleepless-Vegas-Harlequin-Super-Romance/dp/0373718934

Barnes & Noble:
 http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sleepless-in-las-vegas-colleen-collins/1115566121

 
Link to Follow Tour: http://tastybooktours.blogspot.com/2013/10/now-booking-release-day-tasty-book_23.html

Excerpt




Author Info

Colleen Collins is an award-winning author who has written several dozen novels for Harlequin and Dorchester, as well as three indie nonfiction books on private investigations and one indie mystery, The Zen Man. When not sleuthing, Colleen loves spending time with her husband, the two of them watching one of their favorite sports teams, taking walks with their two Rottweilers (named Jack Nicholson and Aretha Franklin) and herding their three cats.



Author Links
Website: http://colleencollinsbooks.com/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/104928.Colleen_Collins

Twitter: @writingpis



Rafflecopter Giveaway ($25.00 Amazon Gift Card)



 
 
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Saturday 2 November 2013

Lacy: The Doves of Primrose by Krista Kedrick

 


Blurb


Lacy Weston… or is it Campbell? Hell her husband took off so fast he may as well take his name with him. She is trying to run the historic family bed and breakfast out in the middle of the prairie while coping with her husband’s desertion, trying to keep up with her two best friends and oh yeah, the movie production that has landed in the middle of The Dove House and taken over, bringing former rodeo champion, famous actor and Lacy’s old flame with it.

The last thing Lacy needs…

Kyle McClintock is back in Primrose to shoot his latest western blockbuster and to see if the passion he and Lacy Weston had so many years ago could be reclaimed. Yes, he had ulterior motives when requesting his old hometown for the set, but he may get more than he bargained for. Strange happenings, hot tempers and Indian summer nights may prove too much for this cowboy.

Nobody ever said it was easy loving a Weston.
Trailer: http://youtu.be/D0F_JWgPHK4





 

 

Buy Links




 

Author Info


Hi y’all! I’m Krista Kedrick and I’m a country loving writer. I write stories with the country way of life in mind. Yes, they have cowboys and cowgirls, ranches, tractors, dogs, children and your occasional bar room brawl, but in the end they are down home people who do the right thing and find a love more powerful and promising than your everyday story. Because that’s how we are. Everything is stronger, more passionate and long-lasting.

I write from my home state of Nebraska while living my dream life (well, almost). I have an amazing husband, two of the cutest daughters on the prairie and a Basset Hound who teaches me the meaning of the word "patience".

Kick back and enjoy my books about the country life-- but keep your boots off my coffee table.

Author Links


 

Thursday 3 October 2013

What Not To Bare by Megan Frampton


 

 

 

 

Blurb

In Megan Frampton’s witty historical romance, a woman is judged by her gown, and a man by his reputation—until both are shed in one sexy moment of seduction.

Lady Charlotte Jepstow certainly knows how to make an impression—a terrible one. Each one of her ball gowns is more ostentatiously ugly than the one before. Even she has been forced to wonder: Is she unmarried because of her abysmal wardrobe, or does she wear clashing clothing because she doesn’t want to be pursued in the first place? But when Charlotte meets Lord David Marchston, suddenly a little courtship doesn’t sound so bad after all.

David will be the first to admit he’s made some mistakes. But when he gets yanked from his post by his superiors, he is ordered to do the unthinkable to win back his position: woo his commander’s niece. If David wants his life back, he must use his skills as a negotiator to persuade society that Charlotte is a woman worth pursuing, despite her rather unusual "flair" for color. But David does such a terrific job that he develops an unexpected problem, one that violates both his rakish mentality and his marching orders: He’s starting to fall in love.

Buy Links

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBookstore | Google Play | Kobo | Other retailers



Author Info

Megan Frampton majored in English literature at Barnard College, with a double minor in political science and religion. She worked in the music industry for fifteen years, editing and writing music reviews for a music-industry trade magazine and eventually becoming the editor in chief. Frampton married one of her former interns and lives in Brooklyn, New York, with him and her son. When she isn’t writing, she serves as the community manager for the romance novel website Heroes and Heartbreakers.
Connect with Megan: Facebook | Twitter | Website

Link to Follow Tour: http://tastybooktours.blogspot.com/2013/07/now-booking-tasty-virtual-book-tour-for_5684.html





Guest Post

 

Lord David Marchston’s best asset is his worst curse (at least in his opinion). Poor David; he’s fantastically good-looking, so handsome that people will do whatever he wants. But David wants to be appreciated for more than his stunning visage; he wants people to appreciate his mind.

(When he shares how he feels to Lady Charlotte, she falls over laughing because she finds his plight so funny, made even more so when he confesses his nickname in his home-away-from-home, India, was "Mr. Gorgeous.")

David is the second son in an aristocratic family, which means he has no purpose in life except to be there in case his older brother dies and cannot assume his title. But now that his older brother is in fine health, and has his own sons, David really has no purpose, and he chafes at having no purpose.

He knew that his looks could serve him to advantage, if he were to become a diplomat, but he was able to obtain his position without an in-person interview, which to him meant that they wanted him for his qualifications, not his beauty.

So when his superior asks him to pay attention to his niece, because people will notice who David notices, he’s angry. He thought he was beyond having to be just a pretty face.

He has a close friendship with his servant, Gotam, an Indian who doesn’t hesitate to bring David down a notch. He is curious about other ways of life—hence his interest in India—and doesn’t like being a ‘lily of the field,’ neither toiling nor spinning. He wants to work hard, he wants to make a difference, and he wants to be more than just a good-looking gentleman of means.

He does accept, after Charlotte’s bout of laughter, that is blessed to look as he does, and he realizes he has been depending on his looks to get him certain things, and that appearances—like Charlotte’s dress sense—can go a long way to altering Society’s view of a person. In accepting that however Charlotte looks is very pleasing to him, he’s better able to accept his own handsomeness with grace.



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Tuesday 1 October 2013

Anything But Love by Beth Ciotta


 



 

Blurb



For Reagan Deveraux, Sugar Creek, Vermont, and the Cupcake Lovers are a dream come true: A cozy little town where family and friends come before everything else. She’s never experienced anything like it—especially not growing up with her mother, a fickle, fame-hungry
heiress. But Rae’s plan to hide out in anonymity for a year until she can claim her inheritance—and her independence—changes with one kiss from gorgeous pub owner Luke Monroe.



Luke’s charm is legendary, but he’s never been a one-woman man. Until Rae captures his attention, that is, and then disappears. With a little help from a friend, Luke tracks her down—and unearths secrets almost too wild to be true, as well as the fact that Rae lied to him, and to all of Sugar Creek. Luke’s not sure if he can forgive her, but he definitely can’t forget her, and when she returns to save the Cupcake Lovers from disaster, he knows it’s his chance to get the truth—and get the girl, this time for good…








 



Buy Links



















Author Bio




Storytelling comes naturally to award-winning author Beth Ciotta. Dubbed "fun and sexy" by Publisher's Weekly, Beth specializes in contemporary, historical, steampunk, and paranormal romantic fiction. 



Beth lives in NJ with her husband, two zany dogs, and a crazy cat. A retired professional performer, Beth now pours her artistic passion into her writing. To learn more about her colorful life, visit her website at www.bethciotta.com





Author Links





 

 

 






 

Excerpt




"I’m looking for a woman who just came in. Gorgeous redhead in a green dress?"
 
The man raised a brow and Luke realized he probably sounded like a stalker.
 
"Reagan Deveraux," Luke added. "I was supposed to meet her in the lobby."

"I believe the woman you’re looking for went into the lounge."
 
Luke thanked the man and headed toward where he pointed. He found Rae sitting at the bar throwing back a shot of tequila. He had no idea she did shots. He’d only ever seen her sip beer. Now she was licking salt from her hand like a pro. He watched, transfixed, as her red lips closed over a wedge of lime and sucked.  
 
He wasn’t the only man watching.

Luke felt a jab of jealously when a designer-suited dude eased in and offered to buy her a drink.  Then a surge of relief when Rae turned the man away. Luke cursed his whacked-out emotions.  He shouldn’t be feeling anything for Rae aside from betrayal and confusion.
 
He joined her at the bar. "What are you doing?"

"Treating myself to a birthday drink." She barely cast him a glance while attacking her second shot. 
 
Luke clenched his jaw as she repeated the ritual. Salt, tequila, lime. Lick, drink, suck. Not overtly sexy, but sexy all the same. He gestured to the bartender. "Two Coronas, please." Then he looked back to Rae. "Drinking alone on your birthday is sort of pathetic."

"I’m not alone." She met his gaze.  "Unfortunately."
 
Luke searched her eyes, his gut clenching when he caught a glimpse of Rachel Lacey, the same vulnerability that had intrigued him all those months ago. He had a weakness for women in need. Hell, he had a weakness for women period. 
 
The bartender served two longnecks.

Luke waved off the glasses.  
 
"Put it on my tab," Rae said.

"It’s on me." Luke paid cash for two of the most expensive beers he’d ever bought in his life. 
 
"As for the cab," he said to Rae, "thank you, but I can manage." He pulled five twenties from his wallet and when she refused, he shoved the money in her purse. "Three months ago you were desperate for money. Or so you said. Jayce called you a trust fund baby. You might not have inherited your fortune until today, but you must have had access to a monthly allowance."

"I didn’t want to touch that money."
 
"Why not?"

"I can’t believe you had me investigated."

She sounded somewhere between hurt and outraged. Luke knew the feeling. "I had you tracked, which I wouldn’t have done if you had had the decency to say good-bye."
 
Gaze averted, she sipped her beer then ordered another shot. "I felt awful about hurting Sam. 

Plus I was compromising the success of the Cupcake Lover’s recipe book by refusing to participate in any publicity." 

"So you ran away?"

"I didn’t think I’d be missed."
 
What the freaking hell? "Are you that insecure or that oblivious?"
 
"People come and go all the time, Luke."

"You’re missing the point, Rae." He nabbed her wrist as she reached for the salt shaker. Her pulse raced beneath his thumb.  His own heart bucked. He’d always had a talent for reading and finessing women. He had no clue how to handle Rae. Did she have the tolerance to withstand a third shot? He didn’t want to take the chance. He grabbed her shooter and downed the Cuervo himself.  "Why don’t we sit at one of those tables and talk?"
 
"Why aren’t you on your way to the airport?"

"Why won’t you tell me why you paid for a false identity?

She glanced away, picked at the label on the beer bottle. "I needed to be someone else for a while."

"Why?"
 
"It’s personal."

One thing hadn’t changed. Reagan Devereaux was every bit as aloof as Rachel Lacey. Luke wanted to shake the crap out of her. Kissing her came to mind, too.  He’d never been so angry and turned on at the same time. He told himself it was because she was smoking hot and he’d been celibate for weeks. Aching to jump her bones was natural. It wasn’t because he was jonesing to re-create the magic he’d felt the one and only time they’d locked lips. Who needed that kind of misery? Having a thing for a woman beyond his reach. A woman of privileged birth. A woman who’d earned a master’s degree. A woman worth a freaking million!
 
Hit the road, Monroe.

He wasn’t getting the answers he wanted so why was he wasting his time? As it was he’d be lucky if he got home before Christmas morning.  Part of him had been desperate to see for himself that Rae was okay. She was more than okay.  Except for her obsessive lying and the tension between her and her mom and that dickhead Geoffrey Stein. Every family had drama, right? The Monroes certainly had their fair share. More often than not, Luke played mediator. He should be home making peace, not here waging war. Besides, reasoning with this woman was a losing battle.     

Luke reached down for his backpack and when he straightened the infuriating enigma was finishing off another shot. 

For the love of. . .
 
He couldn’t leave Rae in this bar.  What if she drank herself under the table? What if one of the several men watching took advantage? 

"Do you think your mom and Stein left the house yet?"

"I’m sure of it. God forbid they miss a moment of the party."
 
"Then come on. I’ll drop you home before I head to the airport."
 
"I’m not going home." She flashed a key card. "I’m staying here tonight." 
 
"Then I’ll walk you to your room."
 
"Not necessary." She stood, swaying a little on those sexy four-inch heels. 
 
Luke groaned. "Humor me." 
                       

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Monday 23 September 2013

The Governess Club by Ellie MacDonald, Interview




Blurb



Four regency misses, making their ways as governesses, make a pact work together in order to leave London and support themselves in the country. Thus, the Governess Club was born. But little did they know that their heroes might have something else to say about the matter.

 


Claire

   


Claire Bannister just wants to be a good governess so that she, and the other ladies of the Governess Club, can make enough money to leave their jobs and start their own school in the country. But when the new, sinfully handsome, and utterly distracting tutor arrives, Claire finds herself caught up in a whirlwind romance that could change the course of her future.

Jacob Knightly has a secret. He’s actually the notorious Earl of Rimmel. He’s just posing as a tutor to escape his reputation in the city. He never expected to fall in love with the beautiful and kind governess. She is the first person to love him for himself and not his title.

But when Jacob’s true identity is revealed, Claire realizes she has risked her reputation and her heart on a man she doesn’t truly know. Will Jacob be able to convince her that the Wild Earl has been tamed and that she is the true Countess of his heart?


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 Bonnie


Miss Bonnie Hodges, governess to the Darrow family, is desperately trying to hold it together. Tragedy has struck and she is the sole person left to be strong for the two little boys in her care. When the new guardian arrives, she hopes that things will get better. She wasn’t expecting her new employer to be the most frustrating, overbearing, and ... handsome man she’s ever seen.

Sir Stephen Montgomery is utterly distracted. He should be trying to figure out how his two best friends were killed in a suspicious accident and why the new young viscount seems destined to be the next victim. But he can’t concentrate on anything but his growing feelings for the beautiful, mysterious, and utterly captivating governess.

Together they put their heads together to save the two young boys but will Stephen’s feelings for Bonnie get in the way of their search for a killer?

 
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Author Info



Ellie Macdonald has held several jobs beginning with the letter t: taxi-driver, telemarketer and most recently, teacher. She is thankful her interests have shifted to writing instead of taxidermy or tornado chasing. Having travelled to five different continents, she has swum with elephants, scuba dived coral mazes, visited a leper colony and climbed waterfalls and windmills, but her favorite place remains Regency England. She currently lives in Ontario, Canada. The Governess Club series is her first published work.


Author Links


http://www.elliemacdonald.com/

https://www.facebook.com/EllieMacdonaldAuthor

https://twitter.com/elliemacdauthor

Interview

Tell us about your story-

1. About how long did it take you to write the story?
Writing Claire took about eight months in total to complete. It’s not a very long story, but during this time, my life underwent many large changes. I started writing spring of 2012 when I was living in England. That summer, visa issues forced me to leave my job overseas and return to Canada. Two weeks after that I found myself moving again, 800 kilometres to a remote northern community, finding myself having to adjust to yet another new job and new lifestyle. So writing was put on the back burner, so to speak. It wasn’t until early winter that I was able to have the time to dedicate to finishing the story.
Bonnie, however, took only about four months to complete. I was much more organized and had the time to dedicate to the project.
2. Did you have any trouble writing it at all?
Aside from the time issues, Claire came quite easily. I had more trouble with Bonnie as it delves into a genre I have no experience in writing: murder mystery. I think I did a good enough job to make the story work, but I have no illusions regarding the complexity and expertise of the subplot.

Tell us a little bit about you as a writer-

3. Do you have any kind of writing schedule?
I wish I could have one! My day job, teaching, can be quite consuming; the demands on my time fluctuates, depending on the time of year. Most of my writing is limited to weekends and can only be considered as frantic, trying to get in as much as I possibly can. When there are school breaks, I try to keep myself to a 2000 word a day expectation and I tend to be more productive in the evenings and late nights. There have been many times where I finally look up from the computer to find it’s 2am!
4. What is your writing environment like?
Pretty plain and non-descript, actually. I am sure many would find it hard to be creative in such a place! I sit at the table in my kitchen/dining room, white walls surrounding me, the white fridge to my right and the white chest freezer at my back. The faux-hardwood laminate is cold on my feet, the chairs hard and the lighting harsh. But it works for me. The fridge is where I tape up my planning sheets, so whenever I get stuck or forget where the story is going, it’s just a quick glance away.
5. And what would your ideal writing environment be like? J

I’m not too sure, actually. I’ve written in so many different environments because they were the only ones available to me, so I’ve had to be adaptable. I’ve never really thought about what I would need in order to have a designed writing space, but I’m sure it would run along the lines of a comfortable leather chair and a desk that fits me properly so I don’t have to hunch like I do at my dining room table.
6. Did you always want to be a writer?
I’ve always been good at writing, but never really thought of pursuing it as a career until several years ago. It was the summer between university degrees 2 and 3 and I had just finished reading a book. I got to thinking about something that isn’t normally included in romance novels; if it is, it usually appears as part of a back story or as a blacked out experience. And then I thought, "Well, if that’s in there, what if this was in the story? And that? And then this?" I knew I wouldn’t ever find a romance novel that had all those components and therefore knew in order to read it, I would have to write it. So I began typing away. I didn’t take it seriously at first, but about halfway through, I noticed that I was enjoying the process, enjoying what I was writing, and most importantly, the people to whom I had given sections to read were enjoying it. It was then that I realized that writing could actually be a reality for me and looking back at the story, I can see the shift in the writing when I began to take it more seriously. Of course, that story needs to be completely scrapped and re-written before I would even consider submitting it to my editor; I consider it more as part of my development as a writer than an actual readable story.
7. What’s the first thing you can remember writing? (it doesn’t have to be published)
Oh wow, this is a bit embarrassing to share. It was the winter my parents bought a brand new Polaroid camera – I must have been about 10 years old – and we had a blast shaking the pictures to develop them. One afternoon, my younger brother and I went around the house taking pictures of what everyone was doing and put it all together into a single-edition newspaper. The one "article" I remember had a picture of my mother taking croissants out of the oven and questioning whether or not she was baking slugs.
8. Do you have any advice for new writers?
Read, read, read and then write, read, write, read, write. Read books on writing. Read the genre you want to write in, read those you don’t. Read books that are always on your favourite list, read new authors to see what editors are looking for and what gets published. Take notes on what you like and what you don’t like; then be sure to include things that you like and avoid that which you don’t. Just don’t ever stop reading.

Tell us a little bit about you as a person-

9. How do you spend your time when you’re not writing?
When I’m not working at all, I love to read. Not very surprising, but there it is. I can spend the entire day lost between the covers of a well-written romance. I also love spending time with friends, either at one of our places or out at a pub. I love talking with them, playing board games with them, travelling with them, etc. I recently went to a married friend’s house to have brunch with them and their family and ended up staying until dinner. It’s what I do.
10. What are you currently reading?
A book by Mary Balogh called The Arrangement. It’s the second book in her new series called The Survivor’s Club which follows a group of friends who have been thrown together by mutual suffering from the Napoleonic Wars. Ms. Balogh is by far one of my favourite authors and I always eagerly wait for her releases. Since e-books came into existence, she’s been able to publish her backlist, which has meant that I don’t have to wait so long between stories – her old ones are new to me!
11. If you could go anywhere in the world where would you go, and why?
This is too hard of a question for me to answer. I am a big traveller; I have already been to five of the seven continents and plan to go to all of them. There are far too many places that I want to go to – and return to! – to give this question the answer it deserves.
12. And finally where can my readers find you?
My website is www.elliemacdonald.com. My Facebook page is www.facebook.com/ElleMacdonaldAuthor and you can follow me on Twitter @elliemacdauthor.
Thanks so much for having me! It’s been a pleasure answering your questions.
~Ellie.


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