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Thursday, January 29, 2015

One Week Blog Tour for Another Mazzy Monday, Tawnee Mountain Resort #1 by Savannah Young & Sierra Avalon from Jan 26 to Feb 3, 2015

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Another Mazzy Monday - Tawnee Mountain Resort #1
by Savannah Young & Sierra Avalon
Audience: Adult - Genre: Contemporary Romance - Formats: E-book - Publisher: Short on Time Books -Cover by: http://www.goonwrite.com/ - Editor: Shirley Pearson - Pages: 200 pages - ASIN: B00R0F9ZKY - Date Published: January 6, 2015
blurb
When the wealthy and charming Drew Graham walks into the Tawnee Mountain Resort where I work and offers me a lucrative part-time job it sounds too good to be true. I just have to pretend to be his fiancée until he wins the election for Governor and then we can go our separate ways. It seems like an easy way to make a hundred thousand dollars…until his brother, Austin, returns from Europe and moves in with us. And I’m completely overwhelmed by my attraction to my fake fiancé’s rebellious younger brother.
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excerpt

When I finally hit the last room in a long row of rooms I see a guy sitting there looking bored and staring at two fast food containers in front of him on the table. He glances up at me when I enter. The first thing I notice is his piercing green eyes. I don’t think I’ve ever seen eyes that green on a human being that weren’t Photoshopped The second thing I notice is his messy, light brown hair. It doesn’t look like it’s been combed it in a week. It makes me wonder if it’s some new hair trend or if he just doesn’t bother to style it. Not that I have too much room to talk when it comes to hair. My curly red mop has been the bane of my existence since I was a kid. About the only thing I can ever do with it is pull it back into a pony tail. “Sedona?” I nod. “Have a seat.” He points to the chair right next to him. I remember Lewis’s warning and take a seat across the table instead. I want to be as close to the door as possible. The guy is big and muscular and much more intimidating than I imagined he’d be. My heart is thumping in my chest because his size and rough demeanor are making me nervous. When he pushes one of the fast food containers in my direction I cringe. I rarely eat fast food and when I do it’s from Just Veggies, an organic vegetarian place near campus. He doesn’t hesitate to open his container and take a bite of the messy burger that’s dripping some kind of white sauce all over his pile of fries. My stomach turns in response. “I bought you a burger.” He points to the second container he’s pushed in my direction. “Ambrose scheduled our sessions during lunch.” I make a point of pushing the container back over to him. “No thank you.” He frowns. “It’s from Frankie’s. Everybody loves Frankie’s burgers.” “Clearly not everyone.” His brows knit like he can’t believe I refused the food he bought. “You don’t want it?” He actually sounds hurt. “No, I don’t.” “Why?” I lift my book bag from the ground and point to one of the many political cause buttons I have covering the knitted tote my mom made for me. He barely acknowledges it. “What is that supposed to mean?” Now I’m the one who’s frowning. “Meat is murder. It’s a slogan. It means that I don’t eat animal flesh.” “You’re one of those vegans?” He doesn’t bother hiding the condescension in his voice. “Technically I’m a vegetarian. I eat free range, organic dairy products.” “Fine. I’ll eat the burger.” He glares at me as he opens the second container and takes a huge bite of the burger. I’m appalled until I notice that he slyly pushes both containers away and doesn’t take another bite of either burger. “I guess I should have brought an apple for the teacher.” “Only if it’s organic. And I’m not actually a teacher. I’m a tutor.” We both stare at each other for a long moment. Awkward does not even begin to describe our pairing. We’re like two people from different planets trying to communicate when we don’t speak each other’s languages. I remove a slip of paper from my bag. “Mr. Ambrose gave me your schedule of classes for the semester. You’re taking Film Appreciation, The History of Jazz, Advanced Yoga and Stress Management. What’s your major?” He shrugs. “Undeclared right now. But I’ll probably go with Sports Management.” “So these are Gen Ed classes?” He cocks his head and looks confused. “General Education classes,” I clarify. “Elective classes you need to take to fulfill requirements that aren’t directly related to your major.” “I guess so.” I’m a little disturbed by his lackadaisical attitude, but I let it go for the moment. We’re clearly not going to be able to develop much of a rapport so maybe it’s best just to get down to business. “We’re just handed a class schedule,” he clarifies. “Assigned classes. We don’t pick them ourselves.” “And they assigned you the History of Jazz? That’s the class that you’re having trouble with?” “The dude who was supposed to teach the class croaked and they got this new chick who apparently doesn’t like basketball.” There is so much wrong with his statement I don’t even know where to begin. “Might I suggest that you call your professors either professor or doctor and not chick.” I bristle at my own use of the derogatory word, but I continue, “And what does her not liking basketball have to do with your performance in the class.” At this he gives me a sly smile. “Let’s just say she’s not willing to play ball the way the other professors are.” I’m not sure exactly what he means by that, but there seems to be some kind of sports reference that is lost on me. “So you’re saying your other classes are going well and you’re just having trouble with the one class, History of Jazz?” He leans back in his chair and eyes me for a few seconds before he nods. I don’t like when he looks at me like that. It’s like he’s examining some weird, new specimen and trying to make sense of it. “All of my other teachers are huge basketball fans and they know I’m the in the starting lineup. I’m not sure what the jazz goddess’s problem is.” I take in a deep breath before I say something that’s sure to get me fired. “Why don’t we start by calling her Dr. Fisher? I think that might help. And why do you think she has a problem?” “She doesn’t like basketball. That’s not normal. Everybody loves basketball. This entire campus lives and breathes the sport.” “I don’t love basketball. I don’t even like it. Not even a little bit.” He actually looks stunned for a moment. Like I slapped him. Then he regains his cocky composure. “You’re one weird chick,” he mutters almost to himself, but still loud enough that I can hear him. “Excuse me?” I say even though I heard him. I just didn’t like having an insult hurled at me by someone I don’t even know. “You. Are. One. Weird. Chick.” His words are slower and louder as if I didn’t hear him the first time. “I actually heard what you said. I just didn’t like it.” A smug smirk appears on his face that I would love to slap right off if I could. I continue. “In case you haven’t noticed I’m not a bird I’m a human being. I’d appreciate it if you didn’t refer to me as a chick.” He bites his bottom lip as if he’s actually giving it some thought. Then he says, “You’re one weird woman. Is that better?” “I’m not sure why you have to bring gender into the equation at all. Why not just call me a weird person?” That makes him laugh. “You don’t care that I think you’re weird. You just don’t want me to call you a chick?” “I’ve been weird my whole life. I’m used to it.” “At least you’re willing to own it.” “So did you bring your textbook with you or are you just going to spend the next ninety minutes taunting me?” “I kind of like taunting you.”
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Drew Graham  bioMazzy Olsen BioAustin Graham bioSuzie Olsen Bio giveaway
Angels with Attitude - Author Interview

What would you have done differently if you were the main character of your book?

I would have been more suspicious of a sexy guy who wanted me to be his fake fiancé. Why would he need to pay someone to pretend to be engaged to him?

What was your inspiration behind this book? 

Twins Mazzy and Suzie Olsen appear as secondary characters in my Old Town Country Romance series. I always loved their characters and wanted to spend more time with them!

Why did you become a writer?

I’ve wanted to write ever since I learned to read. It’s definitely a passion of mine.

Do you have a favorite author or authors?

One of my favorites is Colleen Hoover. I love her writing style and the subjects she chooses to tackle.

Do you like to write your books in a continuing series? 

I think readers enjoy continuing series more than stand-alone novels.

If you could date any character from any book, who would it be and why?

My biggest character crush is still Kian Kavanagh from my Dakota Madison Fire on Ice series. I think it’s because he’s the character I’ve written who is most like my husband.

What kinds of books do you like to read in your spare time?

I read a lot of different types of books, but I tend to enjoy romance novels the most.

As a reader and writer I think it is important to get to know your fans and make a connection with them as an author who takes the extra step to hear what their fans think and want in their continued writing is continued success and key to selling more books .Do you agree with that?

I often ask my fans for suggestions for my books. Of course I only have three of them…just kidding! 

Do you cry when writing sad scenes?

Yes! I always wondered if I was the only person who did that.

Did you have a Cover Designer?

I use a number of different cover designers. For his book I used http://www.goonwrite.com/

Who is your fictional boyfriend or girlfriend crush? 

Right now I have a crush on Dick Casablancas (played by Ryan Hansen). He’s a character in Veronica Mars and Play It Again, Dick.

If you were able to dine and have a one on one with your favorite writer/author who would it be?

Even though I don’t read much horror I’d love to meet Stephen King. He’s such a prolific writer I’d love to pick his brain!

Do just re-read your favorite books? 

I have re-read a few books. The book I’ve re-read the most times is Beautiful Disaster.

Do you ever get in a reading slump like your readers do? 

Not really. I like so many different types of things it doesn’t seem to be an issue.

What is the funniest book you ever read?

Lunatics by Dave Barry and Alan Zweibel   
  about the author
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USA TODAY Bestselling author Karen Mueller Bryson writes romance under four pen names. SAVANNAH YOUNG’s stories take place in fictional OLD TOWN, which is very much like the rural Northwest New Jersey town in which she grew up. SIERRA AVALON’s stories always include a bit of sass and lots of spice. When Karen isn’t on her computer writing new novels she likes to spend time with her husband and their bloodhounds in their home outside Phoenix, Arizona.

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Tour Schedule - One Week Blog Tour for Another Mazzy Monday, Tawnee Mountain Resort #1 by Savannah Young & Sierra Avalon from Jan 26 to Feb 3, 2015
Jan 26
Books, Authors, Blogs - Promo
Coffee Books & Art - Promo
Fictional Rendezvous Book Blog - Promo
Jan 27
3 Partners in Shopping, Nana, Mommy, & Sissy, Too! - Promo
Angels with Attitude Book Reviews - Promo, Author Interview & Playlist
Jan 28
The Avid Reader - Promo, Dream Cast, Character Bio's, Author Interview & Playlist
Room With Books - Promo
Jan 29
Reading by the Book - Promo & Top Ten
Booky Ramblings of a Neurotic Mom - Promo & Top Ten
Jan 30
Evanlea's Bookshelf - Promo & Playlist
Indy Book Fairy - Promo & Character Bio's
Feb 2
Deal Sharing Aunt - Promo
Eclipse Reviews - Promo, Dream Cast, Character Bio's & Playlist
Feb 3
Portals to New Worlds - Promo, Dream Cast, Character Bio's, Author Interview & Playlist
A Little Bit of R&R - Promo, Character Bio's, Dream Cast & Playlist

Thursday, January 22, 2015

One Week Blog Tour for A Fruitful Intimacy by Donna Gallagher from Jan 19 to Jan 27, 2015

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 A Fruitful Intimacy by  Donna Gallagher
Audience: Erotic - Genre: Contemporary Romance - Formats: E-book - Publisher: Totally Bound - Cover by: Posh Gosh – Totally Bound Publishing - Editor: Sarah Smeaton – Totally Bound Publishing - Pages: Novella – (under 20k words so about 60pages) - ISBN : 9781784303532 - Date Published: 9th January 2015  
blurb
The fire and passion of their love has slowly ebbed away through years of neglect. Can a second honeymoon re-ignite that spark? There was no physical contact in their marriage for so long that when Ben first hatches his plan to take Beth away for the weekend it really is all about the sex and providing an environment where there are no distractions, and no excuse for her to refuse his advances again. But while Ben is making all the arrangements it suddenly becomes clear to him that there’s something more important at stake. His marriage, to the woman of his dreams, is actually in trouble. Beth believed that motherhood would come easy, that building a perfect world around her three sons and husband would be achievable. But reality has proven her wrong. The more she tried the bigger her failures shattered her confidence. Where she planned to shower her family with home baked cookies, smiles and unconditional love—she struggles just getting the evening meal on the table. By the end of the day she’s so exhausted that she can’t even fulfil her marital obligations. Once upon a time making love to Ben was just as necessary as breathing, before her body was ravaged by the demands of pregnancy and childbirth. They’ve grown so far apart that Beth’s convinced Ben’s having an affair. Can a second honeymoon really help Beth and Ben bridge that growing divide between them and bring back the fire and passion that has slowly, through years of neglect, ebbed away? And will this give the couple a much needed chance to work together for a happier future? Or is it too late? Publisher's Note: This book was previously published elsewhere. It has been revised and re-edited for release with Totally Bound Publishing.
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excerpt

Beth was so angry and upset. And she was right, lately he’d had no idea of what was going on in her head. Over the last few weeks, Beth’s mood had only gotten worse. She hardly even spoke to him at all now. He hated seeing her sitting in the chair like that, looking so sad—her body so rigid, full of tension, as if one more word from him could splinter her into pieces. The idea of spending any time with him, alone, was more than likely the last thing she’d want to do. All of which didn’t bode well for his grand plan. His stupid brother, opening his big loose mouth like that. Ben could’ve killed him. He’d wanted tonight to go smoothly, considering he was going to tell Beth about the break he had planned out for them. He believed if he told her with Luke and Lucy right there in person to ease any anxiety about their ability to look after the kids, she would happily go along with the holiday. Nobody could have anticipated Luke throwing a spanner in the works from the get go. Well, that wasn’t true. His brother had a brilliant gift for the unexpected. He wanted to drag her from the chair into his embrace, tuck the errant blonde strand that hung from her constantly tied back hair, behind her ear and kiss her. God, he wanted to feel Beth’s lips on his own. For the life of him, Ben couldn’t remember the last time he had explored her mouth with his tongue or heard her soft whimper in response to his touch. How could they have let this happen to them? Let their relationship get so broken that he was too scared to even try to touch his own wife for fear of yet another rejection. Had Beth fallen out of love with him? Had he failed to see it? Was this trip even worth it? Had the divide between them become too great to bridge? Ben didn’t have those answers, didn’t really want to deal with the possible outcome. He wanted his wife back. Now was not the right time to repair the damage, not with his house echoing the sounds of laughter of his boys as they rumbled with his brother and Lucy’s voice egging them on. But later, he would convince Beth to give them another try. First, he had to follow through with the more trivial aspects of his life, cooking the meat and feeding his family. Ignoring his need to touch Beth, Ben turned away from her and grabbed the tray of meat from the bench. “I need to get this cooked. The barbeque plate is getting too hot.” He walked from the kitchen, did not look back to see if Beth remained at the table, if she was looking his way or not. The quicker he got this done, the quicker he could reveal his idea to her. Ben just prayed that it wasn’t too little, too late.    
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about the author
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A few years ago when the sensual, male voices in Australian-born Donna Gallagher’s head became too loud to ignore there were only two options available – check herself into a mental hospital or put pen to paper and write. A voracious reader and avid sports fan it was no surprise that her first seven books were based around her beloved sport of rugby league. A former WAG Donna had plenty of personal experience to fall back on as she created her fictional team of hunky Aussie sports heroes and the women that won their hearts. A double finalist in the Australian Romance Readers Awards 2013 for Favourite Erotic Romance with her books Emily’s Cowboy and Sarah’s Soldier, Donna was also thrilled to be named a finalist for ARRA’s Favourite Australian Romance Author and Favourite Continuing Romance Series. While sports romances will always hold a special place in her heart Donna has now expanded her genres to include romantic suspense with her soon to be released Haven Security series and a sexy, short, contemporary erotic story A Fruitful Intimacy set on a tropical island in Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. Her years as a WAG may not have lived up to the happy-ever-after she creates in her books but a second shot at love has proven a winner. Donna is now happily married to her very own hero. She lives a ten minute drive from Sydney’s iconic Harbour Bridge and Opera House with her three grown sons, two turtles and a very spoilt mini dachshund called Toni.

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Angels with Attitude - Author Interview

What would you have done differently if you were the main character of your book? 

Communicate. Discuss my fears and doubts from the beginning. Which is easy to say, but probably harder to do when you’re suffering self-doubts.

What was your inspiration behind this book?

My mother. I also wanted to write a book that deals with life after that ‘happily-ever-after’ moment. When the reality of life, and the responsibility of having a family, hits home.

Why did you become a writer?

I never had any aspirations to become a writer. I left school and home at an early age. There was a time where I would get stressed just trying to write a simple absentee from school letter for my children. I’ve had no formal writing, or creative writing training. I was and still am an avid reader. One morning I woke to find there was a sexy male voice in my head telling me his story. I had to write it down just to get some peace. At first I thought I might be having a mental breakdown but since chatting to other authors I have found this is not unusual – Thank goodness!

Do you have a favorite author or authors? 

Yes, definitely. I have a few authors that I pre-order without even reading what their new release is about. #1 on my list is N.j. Walters. I’ve loved everything she’s ever written. A new favourite is H.K. Carlton, her last series was amazing. Since becoming ‘a writer’ I’ve discovered so many new to me authors.

Do you like to write your books in a continuing series? 

I’m a series junkie. I think I suffer separation anxiety. I love to get glimpses of past characters and how they are getting on in subsequent books.  A Fruitful Intimacy is my first stand-alone but I do have an idea for a spin off book. My first books, the League of Love series, are about Australian football players and my next release is the first book in a series about ex-soldiers that start a security firm – Haven Security.

If you could date any character from any book, who would it be and why?

Shamus O’Rourke from N.j. Walters, The Seduction of Shamus O’Rourke. I fell in love with him because of the way he stood his ground against family and friends. He bothered to take the time to get to know his heroine and not judge her on past mistakes.  

What kinds of books do you like to read in your spare time? 

I pretty much just read romance genre books now. In the past I’ve read horror and spy type books but I feel I get all I need from the various genres of romance available.

As a reader and writer I think it is important to get to know your fans and make a connection with them as an author who takes the extra step to hear what their fans think and want in their continued writing is continued success and key to selling more books .Do you agree with that?

As a reader I sent many emails to authors expressing my thanks for the beautiful stories they had written. I’m glad to say most replied to me.  It did make a difference in my purchase of books for the authors who didn’t reply. I still bought books by them if I liked the sound of the story but maybe not straight away. When my favorite author N.j. Walters accepted my friend request on Facebook (I agonized over whether I should send her a request in the first place) I think the neighbors could hear my squeals of excitement. I love hearing from readers and encourage you to contact me. I don’t expect everyone to love what I write but it’s such a wonderful feeling to think someone has spent their hard earned cash buying my book and enjoyed them. 

Do you cry when writing sad scenes? 

Of course, my characters are like my children. When they are in pain I am in pain – My family are used to it now.

Did you have a Cover Designer? 

Yes, the very talented Posh Gosh from Totally Bound Publishing.

Who is your fictional boyfriend or girlfriend crush? 

I have a couple of crushes, Shamus the character I mentioned before and Optimus Prime from the Transformers movies – I get tingles listening to that voice. 

If you were able to dine and have a one on one with your favorite writer/author who would it be?

N.j. – I have a slush fund put away, so that if I ever hear she is attending a convention I have the money to go. I live in Australia and she is in Canada so it would mean hours of travel but I don’t care, I’m there 

Do just re-read your favorite books? 

 I have re-read some books. 
If I’m feeling a bit down I know the ones that will cheer me up. I have so many books on my TBR list, that I REALLY want to read, I have little time to revisit my favorites.

Do you ever get in a reading slump like your readers do? 

No! There is never enough time for reading. In fact I think my publisher would prefer me to spend less time reading and more time writing! I do love writing but I love reading as well. Such a dilemma!


Thank you so much for inviting me to visit today. I hope I’ve made some new friends and possibly enticed a few into reading one of my books. I love to hear from readers, send me an email or contact me through social media. There’s nothing better than chatting about books.


Tour Schedule - One Week Blog Tour for A Fruitful Intimacy by Donna Gallagher from Jan 19 to Jan 27, 2015.
Jan 19
Indy Book Fairy - Promo
Deal Sharing Aunt - Promo
Eclipse Reviews - Promo & Character Interview
Ogitchida Kwe's Book Blog - Promo
Jan 20
Pick a Genre Already - Promo
Deborah's Blog of Book Reviews, Spotlights and More - Promo & Review
Portals to New Worlds - Promo & Top Ten
Jan 21
Babu's Bookshelf - Review
SiK Reviews - Promo
Jan 22
Rustys Reading - Promo
Angels with Attitude Book Reviews - Promo & Author Interview
Room With Books - Promo
Jan 23
Bound 2 Escape - Promo
The Avid Reader - Promo & Author Interview
Jan 26
Fictional Rendezvous Book Blog - Promo
Booky Ramblings of a Neurotic Mom - Promo & Top Ten
Jan 27
Book Groupies - Promo
Hooked on Books - Review