Blogging on NNN - My Reunion!

Last summer, I went to my high school reunion. At the end of the month, the first book in the Girls Most Likely To series will be released by Carina. If you want to see how the two connect, hop on over to the Nine Naughty Novelists blog and check it out!

Most Likely To Succeed - First Look!

In just 17 days, Most Likely To Succeed is going to be released from Carina Press. The first novella in the Girls Most Likely To trilogy, Most Likely To Succeed is the story of Kelsey Moore, a hometown girl who feels like she hasn't lived up to her potential, and Nathan Barrow, her high school crush who's gone on to great things since graduation. Here's a quick peek at the book:

Book one in The Girls Most Likely to…

Ten years after being voted Most Likely to Succeed, Kelsey Moore is still living in her hometown, still working in her family's flower shop, and too embarrassed to attend her high school reunion. Only the chance to reconnect with her study buddy—and secret crush—Nathan Barrow tempts her to go.

Nathan isn't sure why he came back for the reunion after spending the past decade working abroad. But when he runs into his former lab partner, Kelsey, he's sure glad he did. The chemistry between them is as potent as ever, and when she offers him a weekend of wild, no-strings-attached sex, Nathan knows he'd be a fool to say no.

Nathan can't be tied to one place for long. But the more time they spend together—in and out of bed—the more Kelsey wonders if their reunion could become something more permanent. That is, if Nathan is still interested when he finds out she's been less than honest with him about her life since graduation…

SNEAK PEEK #1

Kelsey shifted the flower arrangement in her arms and sighed. The last thing she needed today was an emergency run over to the hotel, especially since she’d already agreed to take the weekend off for the reunion.

But Tess had wheedled, and begged, and probably would have batted her eyelashes if they’d been on Skype, so she’d caved.

Besides, Tess hardly ever asked for anything. Made it damn near impossible to say no to her when she did have a favor to ask.

Twice in one week, in fact.
Nancy, as always busy behind the counter, smiled as Kelsey entered the hotel. “Tess said to just go ahead and bring it up to room 417.”

Kelsey nodded and headed for the elevator. She had no idea why Tess thought the suite needed a new flower arrangement, but she’d been insistent.

Must be someone pretty special staying there, too, since Tess had ordered their largest display.

The elevator doors opened and Kelsey walked down the hall to room 417. Once there, she shifted the vase to one arm so she could knock.

There was no response, so she knocked again, wondering if she was going to need to head back downstairs to get a passkey. Before she could turn to go, though, the door opened.

And so did her mouth, her jaw dropping almost to the floor.
Because Nathan Barrow was standing in the doorway.
Wearing nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist.

****
Want more? Stop by next week for another excerpt!

Available for presale: Barnes and Noble   Amazon   Carina

Book BIN Tuesday - High Risk by Vivian Arend

Y'all, Vivian Arend has a new series starting today. And it sounds GOOOOOD.

Here are the deets:

 

LIFELINE: an elite search-and-rescue squad based out of Banff, Alberta. Specializing in high-risk rescue missions, this team goes wherever the job takes them…
Rebecca James was once revered for her devil-may-care attitude and backcountry survival skills. But ever since she lost her partner in a fatal accident, patches of her memory have been missing. And until she can recall those final, tragic moments before the accident, she can’t move on.

Since Marcus Landers was permanently injured during a mission, all his energies have been focused on his Lifeline team. When Becki—whom he had an intense affair with seven years ago—arrives in Banff, he’s inspired to reignite the spark they once had. Their mutual ardor slowly awakens Becki’s dormant, haunting memories.

New truths surface until Becki must at last confront her greatest fear. Remembering the past might mean a future without the man she loves…

***
Okay, you guys know what to do. Run on out and Buy It Now!

Book BIN Tuesday - Now Comes The Night

More vampires from PG Forte! Yay!

Home is where the heart bleeds.

Children of Night, Book 3

Growing up, vampire-born twins Julie and Marc Fischer were taught one simple fact of life: you can choose your food, but not your family. Six months after moving to San Francisco, though, the new challenges and choices each are facing are a Gordian knot of complicated.

Marc must decide whether to stay with Conrad and Damian, the only family he’s ever known, or embrace his destiny and the unexpected family—the ferals—that comes along with it. Meanwhile, Julie is forced to deal with the unpleasant realization that the man she loves isn’t necessarily the man who’s best for her.

For Conrad and Damian, the holiday season is stirring up bittersweet memories, and neither can keep from revisiting past passion and pain.

Faced with new mysteries to solve, new alliances to forge, new secrets to keep, and old relationships to rebuild, it’s no wonder the Fischer-Quintano vampires long for the good old days—when food was food and family was all that mattered.

---

Product Warnings

If you’ve previously suffered from Disco Fever, this book could precipitate a relapse. Extreme care is recommended for anyone with a pronounced weakness for mistletoe, fang play, pretty young men of either species or extremely dangerous alpha-male vampire single dads. May contain trace amounts of polyester. 

 

*** Don't delay! Better get out there and Buy It Now!

Book BIN Tuesday - Just What I Need

Can't get enough of Erin Nicholas' Bradfords? Well, you're in luck - Just What I Need releases today!

 

 



Expect the unexpected…especially when a Bradford is expecting.

A Bradford Novella

As family and friends gather to see Dooley and Morgan get married, anticipation is high—but no one saw this much excitement coming. A wedding that doubles as a baby shower, a limo that doubles as an ambulance, a hospital room that doubles as a honeymoon suite… Sure, why not? It’s a Bradford wedding, after all.

Dani’s in labor, Sam’s in a daze, Ben’s taking charge, Sara’s crying, Jessica’s got a secret, Dooley’s missing his honeymoon—in other words, things are crazy. As usual. But through it all they’ve got each other. As always.

Warning: An epilogue to the Bradford series (seriously, this is an epilogue, so keep that in mind) featuring all the couples, a wedding, a baby—or two—and donuts. Because you have to have donuts.

Show more

*****

So what are you waiting for? Get out there and Buy It Now!

Book BIN Tuesday - Ascending Hearts

Ooh, more retold fairy tales from Keira Andrews and Leta Blake!

Ascending Hearts

Leta Blake & Keira Andrews

 Part of the Tempting Tales series.

Rumors of treasure have long sent fortune hunters clambering up a magic beanstalk to a mysterious castle in the clouds. Survivors told of an evil giant who guards the gold with savage strength. No sane man would dare risk the climb—but Jack has nothing left to lose. Shunned for his evil red hair and abandoned by his cruel lover, he’s desperate to escape his life.

Rion isn’t a giant, only a man bearing the burden of protecting his family’s legacy. It’s a lonely existence, but he’s duty bound. Then Jack appears, and Rion’s world changes. After a blazing confrontation, undeniable lust sparks. Isolated in the clouds, Jack and Rion give in to their desire and growing connection. Soon they must protect the treasure—and each other—from a new threat. And they have everything to lose.

A Romantica® erotic romance from Ellora’s Cave

 

Sounds great, doesn't it?  So why not head on over and Buy It Now?

Now Posted on NNN - Sax On A Stick!

 

So way back in October, when eight of the Nine Naughties met up in New Orleans for a writer's weekend, we planned a group blog event based around the city we all fell in love with. We'd each write a short story set in NOLA, and post them one week at a time on the blog.

Well, this is my week, and Sax On A Stick is ready to be read!

It's my first m/m story to see the light of day (at least outside of a fanfic site, LOL), and I really love it. There's a sexy dirty sax player and a buttoned-up shy guy, and well, there are a lot of sparks flying!

I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. And keep your eye out once all nine stories are posted, because we'll be collecting them into an anthology for sale wherever e-books are sold!

Hop on over to Nine Naughty Novelists and take a peek!

Cover Reveal - Cutest Couple!

Yay! New cover art!

(Cutest Couple, coming out April 25 from Carina Press!)

I am LOVING what Carina is doing with this series. Can't wait to see what they come up with for Life of the Party!

The Next Big Thing - Chantilly White

Please welcome Chantilly White to the blog today! She's stopping by to participate in The Next Big Thing. Thanks for blogging with me, Chantilly!

 

 

What is your working title of your book?

My next release is a short Valentine's Day story titled Cupid's Mistake, which will be available in early February.

Where did the idea come from for the book?

Cupid's Mistake is a mini sequel to my Christmas release, Unwrapped, which starred Mia Patterson and Derrick Fox. Allison Kelly is their best friend, a feisty modern woman who is very much used to going after and getting what she wants, including any man she sets her sights on. She's never thought seriously about settling down before, but now she's surrounded by friends who are pairing up and getting married—she's an event planner by trade, so she's also handling all their weddings—and she's suddenly having these strange feelings she doesn't quite know what to do with. On New Year's Day, she's feeling vulnerable and unsure, very foreign concepts for her, and it leads to her making a life-altering decision.

Allison was so together and self-assured in Unwrapped, I wanted to see her knocked off her stride a little bit—and nothing does that better than unexpectedly falling in love! Especially when the guy is nothing like the men she's used to dating. Ben's not her type at all, and she has to come to grips with that before she can really give her heart.

I wanted to see her get her happily-ever-after, because while she was busy running around having fun with her one-or-a-few-night stands with all those hot guys, I felt her heart was in trouble. She was on the edge of becoming jaded, and I didn't want to see that happen to her. I like her. I thought she deserved her HEA, too.

What genre does your book fall under?

Spicy-hot contemporary romance.

Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?

I see Allison as a cross between Emma Stone and Scarlett Johansson—insanely beautiful, tough and spunky, smart and sassy, but with a more vulnerable core than even she suspects. Her love interest, Ben, is totally delectable, but in a rougher way than she's used to with all the California surfer dudes and hipsters she's gone out with in the past. I see him as a slightly younger Jeffrey Dean Morgan type, but mountain-manned up, since when they first meet, he has a full beard and is looking pretty scruffy.

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

In a moment of emotional weakness, Allison Kelly signs up for what she is sure will be her biggest mistake ever—an internet dating service that sets her up with a man so wrong for her, he must be Mr. Right.

Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?

I'm indie publishing at this time.

How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?

Cupid's Mistake is a short story, so it took about two weeks to write. But once my manuscripts are done, they go to my critique partners, I get them back and revise based on their recommendations, then they go to my beta readers, and I revise again after I get my stories back from them. Then there's the final edit/revision/polish process, so altogether, it takes me about six weeks to produce a finished version of a short story like Cupid's Mistake.

What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

That's a tough question. There are a lot of authors I admire and a lot of excellent stories I aspire to, as far as reaching their level of craft, but to compare them. . . I don't know.

Who or what inspired you to write this book?

The person who actually inspired me to write this story is one of my best friends, and fellow writer, Joan Satterlee. She beta read Unwrapped for me, and in the process mentioned how much she enjoyed Allison and thought she ought to get her own story. I agreed!

What else about your book might pique the reader's interest?

It's a short story, so there's not a lot of time commitment involved—it's the perfect length for curling up with a cup of coffee or cocoa and grabbing a little time for yourself—but still has a complete story resolution, including that all-important happily-ever-after. It's spicy and emotional and fun—hopefully, readers will find it a quick, satisfying read.

Thanks so much for having me!

Chantilly White

The Next Big Thing Blog Hop

Welcome! I was tagged by author Jennifer Bernard; her post can be found here.

What is your working title of your book?

Most Likely To Succeed, book one in the Girls Most Likely To trilogy.

Where did the idea come from for the book?
I love reunion stories, and a ten year high school reunion seemed like a perfect opportunity to explore that theme. Add in a yearbook curse - the three heroines in the trilogy all found their lives turned out the exact opposite of what they were voted on in high school - and I was hooked!

What genre does your book fall under?
Contemporary.

Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?

Nathan, my hero, is a scientist for a relief organization, inspired (very loosely) by Doctors Without Borders. I have to admit that *I* was inspired by Eric Sheffer Stevens, my favorite actor, who played Dr. Reid Oliver on As The World Turns. When his character was killed off near the end of the show, fans wanted to donate to his favorite charity as a way of honoring his work. He suggested DWB. And the rest is history! (Also, he's just adorable, you know?)

Kelsey - she'd have to be played by a short brunette. Hmm. I was in theater for years, why couldn't...

Okay, fine. How about Katie Holmes? I hear she's acting again. :)

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
(I'm cheating and giving you two sentences.) Ten years after being voted Most Likely to Succeed, Kelsey Moore is still living in her hometown, still working in her family's flower shop, and too embarrassed to attend her high school reunion. Only the chance to reconnect with her study buddy—and secret crush—Nathan Barrow tempts her to go.

Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
My book is being published by Carina Press on March 25, 2013. :)

How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?
About five months. (Don't be too impressed; it's a novella.)

What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
Hmmm, that's a tough question! I've thought of the series more as how they're related to movies - like Romy and Michelle's High School Reunion or Peggy Sue Got Married. Films where the characters had the opportunity to reinvent themselves thanks to that milestone.

Who or what inspired you to write this book?

My high school graduating class. Even *mumbletymumble* years later, I still enjoy hanging out with them.

What else about your book might pique the reader's interest?
A fun detail about the series is that all three books take place over the same weekend, so all the major events at the reunion are shown from multiple points of view over the course of three books. It was a challenge keeping that continuity without repeating conversations or situations!

For next week, I've tagged:

Allie K. Adams

as well as two authors who will be guest posting right here on this blog! Stop by next Wednesday to meet Janette Harjo and Chantilly White!