tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51557791059627962292024-03-12T18:41:37.199-04:00Not Another Romance BlogAn Over-Dose on your favorite drug. The place to gorge on Historical Romances, Book Reviews, Trailers, Discussions and More!Ritahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02204042949680975830noreply@blogger.comBlogger395125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5155779105962796229.post-8798161767903945942017-03-06T17:28:00.001-05:002017-03-06T17:45:11.735-05:00Devil in Spring by Lisa Kleypas- Review<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wG__rq9AluU/WL3dGdNuZ1I/AAAAAAAABy4/dJKgAFx2jo0qWYGAbnqO0O5zMfRODX2GwCLcB/s1600/DevilInSpring_LK.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wG__rq9AluU/WL3dGdNuZ1I/AAAAAAAABy4/dJKgAFx2jo0qWYGAbnqO0O5zMfRODX2GwCLcB/s320/DevilInSpring_LK.jpg" width="198" /></a><b><i><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Devil in Spring</span></i></b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"> (Avon/HarperCollins, Feb 2017) is
a return to form for the incomparable Lisa Kleypas. Meticulously crafted with
extreme attention paid to detail and the historical context in which these
characters evolve; this latest effort proves to be on par with its' wintry
literary relative (see what I did there #wink #DevilInWinterVibes). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Excerpt: <a href="http://www.lisakleypas.com/bookdevil_in_spring.asp">here</a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Arguably, Kleypas’
greatest protagonist, Sebastian Challon, Duke of Kingston has raised an equally
indelible and wholly irresistible heir in Gabriel. This not-so-fallen angel has
all the wickedness of his Father tempered with the good-natured thoughtfulness
of his mother. Gabriel is in no rush to meet a proper miss at the altar but
when circumstances and honor come into play following an innocent attempt to
play the hero, it takes very little to warm him to the idea. Especially when
the reluctant soon-to-be bearer of his name and children is the enigmatic and
distinctive Pandora.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Pandora is
grasping on to her independence by both gloved hands as the demands of her lofty lineage becomes increasingly stifling. She suffers the mundanity of a London
season for the benefit of her sister and strict chaperone but would much rather
be home designing board games. Unfortunately, a chance encounter and an awkward
predicament seeks to derail the carefully laid plans of this eccentric wallflower.
Enter: A marriage she doesn't want, into a life she cannot abide, multiplied by
the acute sense of loss over her dream to start a business that would see her self-reliant
in an era where a woman's worth is measured by the man at her side. And damned
Pandora’s luck that the perpetrator of this inconvenience happens to be the
only Adonis in London that may be worth the sacrifice. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Rating: 4
Red Roses<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">My Favorite Part of this Book: Call
me morbid but I love when a Heroine suffers an injury. Not your garden
variety twisted ankle, but life threatening, gory, she may not make it through
the night injured. And Kleypas DELIVERED (Oops, guess that's a spoiler). Whenever
an author gives me that type of scene with characters I really enjoy it
just enhances the story beyond measure for me. I guess I enjoy seeing the
aftermath and that raw emotion that comes through when someone they care deeply for is
almost taken away.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">For a
while, I have not been as blown away with the recent works of Kleypas. Starting
with <i>Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor</i>, that
'Kleypas Punch' she always delivered so deftly was starting to lose its sting. Even her return back to historical in Oct 2015
(<i>Cold-Hearted Rake</i>) felt a bit void
of that magic I am use to finding between the pages. But it's safe to say Lisa Kleypas is back to steal your heart.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">While I do
feel this is a great book for longtime fans, one of my biggest points of
contention came with the extremes of the characters. At times, I enjoyed
Pandora’s quirkiness thoroughly, but more often than I would have liked, I
found myself slightly turned off at how girlish she came off. I get that
she's this bluestocking heroine fresh into her first season and had been closeted
away on a country estate for far too long- but I wish the woman who yearned to
discuss Darwinism with her potential father-in-law wouldn't have been so drastically flighty.
It boarder on pubescent and was uncomfortable to read pass as the couple dealt
with adult situations. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Gabriel
also lacked some of that endearing edge that made his father one of my favorite heroes of all time. Have you ever had an Ice Caramel Coffee from Dunkin Donuts
that was delicious but a TOUCH too sweet? You still guzzle it down but a little
less sugar would have made the drink blend better. At a certain point, it becomes
too tedious to go along with the "every breath she draws is a small wonder”
prose. As cynical as I tend to be, I
know the deal when it comes to reading these types of books and am no stranger
to suspending my own disbelief in order to get to the emotional pay off I seek in
these novels. Pandora's immaturity and Gabriel's overabundance of affection read more exaggerated than it was probably intended.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Another
glaring grievance is that about 50% of the book is dedicated to this week-long countryside courtship. Don't get me wrong this was delightfully written but as
I started to really get into the characters as a couple, I wanted to be done
with the preamble and jump right into their union- especially when the blurb
hints at a deeper, more nefarious subplot of mystery and danger ahead.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">SO very
often these "scandal to marriage' plot lines incessantly draw out a
'courtship period' prior to the union. It is 'SCANDAL TO MARRIAGE' for a reason.
I reminisce over what I think of as the Mary Balogh and Johanna Lindsey-style; Where the characters relationship develops almost entirely within the confines of an unwanted marriage rather than on the road to it. (I believe some of Kleypas older works have done this cc: Suddenly You?). I've been having a hard time finding those types of books. Cutting to the chase would have benefited the story as a whole
because once Pandora and Gabriel go on their honeymoon; it feels like we are
starting a completely different story. Either half of the book was strong enough to hold its own but as a package they undermine more than the complement.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">In the end, that fiction magic Kleypas spins like a spider’s
web will most definitely ensnare and satisfy readers from the first page to the back cover.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Ritahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02204042949680975830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5155779105962796229.post-25221262079750050442016-04-05T11:54:00.001-04:002016-04-05T11:54:17.150-04:00Available Now: YOU CAN'T ALWAYS GET THE MARQUESS YOU WANT by Alexandra Hawkins<br />
<div style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">
</div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The weeks/months (years really) have just creeped right passed me! </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I am sure a million new releases have come and gone and I've been never the wiser. Other than awaiting that new Lisa Kleypas effort at the end of May and Tessa Dare novel in Sept., I am not sure what should be on my radar this year. But, be it luck or destiny, I came across a new release today from one of my FAVORITE authors. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I am so excited to read and can't wait to get a copy- what about you?</span></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">YOU CAN'T ALWAYS GET THE MARQUESS YOU WANT </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">by Alexandra Hawkins</span></div>
<a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51WCj3jfKVL._SX304_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51WCj3jfKVL._SX304_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" width="195" /></span></a><b></b><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">A MOST FORBIDDEN LOVE</span></b></b></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">They call him Chance, though in truth the Marquess of Fairlamb feels bitterly cursed: A long-ago family feud is standing in the way of his heart's desire. Lady Tempest is the daughter of his father's sworn enemy, the Marquess of Norgrave. She is beautiful, innocent, and utterly untouchable. But some seductions are just too good to resist...</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Tempest is a woman of her own mind-and a true romantic who will overcome every obstacle to be with the man of her dreams. But the odds are against the handsome, wickedly charming Chance if he intends to win Tempest as his bride. Will he choose loyalty to his family-or risk everything he has for the woman he yearns for?</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<div style="background-color: #f1f4f6; font-size: 14.3px; line-height: 18.59px; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Get Your Copy Today:</span></b></div>
<div style="background-color: #f1f4f6; font-size: 14.3px; line-height: 18.59px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://amzn.to/1W9Kuzm" style="color: #6d0606; text-decoration: none;">Amazon (Paperback)</a> | <a href="http://amzn.to/1N6K19N" style="color: #6d0606; text-decoration: none;">Amazon (Kindle)</a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: #f1f4f6; font-size: 14.3px; line-height: 18.59px;"></span></span><br />
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: #f1f4f6; color: black; font-size: 14.3px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 18.59px; orphans: auto; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 1; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/you-cant-always-get-the-marquess-you-want-alexandra-hawkins/1120919314?ean=9781250064738" style="color: #6d0606; text-decoration: none;">Barnes & Noble (Paperback)</a> | <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/you-cant-always-get-the-marquess-you-want-alexandra-hawkins/1120919314?ean=9781466871045" style="color: #6d0606; text-decoration: none;">Barnes & Noble (Nook)</a></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: #f1f4f6; color: black; font-size: 14.3px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 18.59px; orphans: auto; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 1; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: #f1f4f6; color: black; font-size: 14.3px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 18.59px; orphans: auto; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 1; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">~*~</span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: #f1f4f6; color: black; font-size: 14.3px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 18.59px; orphans: auto; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 1; word-spacing: 0px;">
<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">What book are you most excited for this Spring/Summer?</span></b></div>
<br />Ritahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02204042949680975830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5155779105962796229.post-84020695313196494202016-03-29T12:30:00.000-04:002016-03-29T12:30:02.113-04:00Out Today: A BETTER MAN by Candis Terry and FLASH BURNED by Calista Fox<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>It's the last Tuesday of the month! </i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>You know what that means- an exciting new crop of awesome reads hits bookstores and e-readers near you! </i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>For your consideration: </i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">A BETTER MAN by Candis Terry</span></b><br />
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KSH1I2ZWULs/VvnmIaTMTTI/AAAAAAAABv8/UytoUmB1dg0JKJzcLZiwWwXentNWlthCw/s1600/ABetterMan_CandisTerry%2Bcover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KSH1I2ZWULs/VvnmIaTMTTI/AAAAAAAABv8/UytoUmB1dg0JKJzcLZiwWwXentNWlthCw/s320/ABetterMan_CandisTerry%2Bcover.jpg" width="196" /></span></a><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Sooner or later…</span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Hockey star Jordan Kincade wasted no time ditching Sunshine Creek for the NHL, but his sports career has overshadowed everything else-a truth Jordan confronts when his parents’ deaths bring him home. Now his little sister Nicki is flunking out of school, and only one teacher can help Jordan save her-the shy but incredibly sexy Lucy Diamond, the same girl whose heart he broke years ago. But he’s determined not to make the same mistake twice. If only Lucy would give him the time of day.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Love has a way of catching up with you.</span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Lucy has no intention of drowning in Jordan’s deep blue gaze again, even if he seems to have turned over a new leaf. Still, his devotion to his sister is impossible to ignore. As they team up to salvage Nicki’s future, Lucy soon discovers that Jordan’s sweet caresses and lingering kisses might just be everything she needs. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Get Your Copy Today:</span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://amzn.to/1PDwgiA">Amazon (Paperback)</a> | <a href="http://amzn.to/1TgEzaW">Amazon (Kindle)</a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-better-man-candis-terry/1122340977?ean=9780062351173">Barnes & Noble (Paperback)</a> | <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-better-man-candis-terry/1122340977?ean=9780062351180">Barnes & Noble (Nook)</a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>FLASH BURNED by Calista Fox</b></span><br />
<br />
<a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51QnW-K9QoL._SX332_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51QnW-K9QoL._SX332_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" width="212" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Ari cannot live without Dane. She lives him, breathes him, and aches for pleasures he gives her night after night. But not all is safe in Ari's world. When a group of vicious men hell-bent on ruining Dane shatters their bliss, Ari is left alone and bereft, save for her best friend Kyle, who has loved her since he first laid eyes on her.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Kyle knows that Ari's heart truly belongs to another, but he will still do everything he can to protect Ari...and hope that he can seduce her as he does. Kyle is loving, kind, desirable, and completely someone that Ari could fall for. But even as she and Dane are separated by the most dire of circumstances, she will not give up on the man who has shaken her to her very core...</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Get Your Copy Today:</span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://amzn.to/1VRHHKR">Amazon (Paperback)</a> | <a href="http://amzn.to/1UruTLJ">Amazon (Kindle)</a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/flash-burned-calista-fox/1121998127">Barnes & Noble (Paperback)</a> | <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/flash-burned-calista-fox/1121998127?ean=9781466884205">Barnes & Noble (Nook)</a></span></div>
Ritahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02204042949680975830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5155779105962796229.post-23956447504367931892015-10-02T10:48:00.001-04:002016-03-29T13:02:03.068-04:00Author Interview with Madeline Hunter<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: #9fc5e8; color: #9fc5e8; font-family: georgia, times new roman, serif; font-size: 14.3px; line-height: 18.59px;"><a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/3336064/?claim=wvp27c4qdm5">Follow my blog with Bloglovin</a></span></span><br />
<div style="background-color: #f1f4f6;">
<span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.3px; line-height: 18.59px;">Today on the blog we have one of my favorite authors spilling the beans on her latest release. I fell in love with her </span></span><i style="color: #674ea7; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14.3px; line-height: 18.59px;">The Rarest Blooms</i><span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.3px; line-height: 18.59px;"> series and often find myself eradicated from a reading slump between the pages of one of her stories. </span></span><span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.3px; line-height: 18.59px;">Check out our interview below:</span></div>
</div>
<div style="background-color: #f1f4f6; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 14.3px; line-height: 18.59px; text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: #f1f4f6; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 14.3px; line-height: 18.59px; text-align: left;">
<b style="font-size: 14.3px; line-height: 18.59px;">About the Author</b><span style="font-size: 14.3px; line-height: 18.59px;">:</span></div>
<div style="background-color: #f1f4f6; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 14.3px; line-height: 18.59px; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-z5n9xGlGchw/Vg6VIw7hZFI/AAAAAAAABuU/547Oyb0reH8/s1600/mh.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-z5n9xGlGchw/Vg6VIw7hZFI/AAAAAAAABuU/547Oyb0reH8/s320/mh.jpg" width="219" /></a></div>
<div style="background-color: #f1f4f6; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 14.3px; line-height: 18.59px; text-align: center;">
<i style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14.3px; line-height: 18.59px;"><b>Madeline Hunter’s first romance was published in </b></i></div>
<div style="background-color: #f1f4f6; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 14.3px; line-height: 18.59px; text-align: center;">
<i style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14.3px; line-height: 18.59px;"><b>June, 2000.</b></i></div>
<i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14.3px; line-height: 18.59px;">Since then she has seen twenty-four historical romances and one novella published, and her books have been translated into twelve languages. Over six million of her books are in print. She is a seven-time RITA finalist, and two-time RITA winner. Twenty-three of her books have been on the USA Today bestseller list, and she has also had titles on the New York Times printed list, Publishers Weekly list, and the Waldenbooks paperback fiction list. She has received two starred reviews in Publishers Weekly, and Romantic Times has awarded twenty-two of her books 4 1/2 stars. Madeline is a Ph.D. in Art History, and she teaches at the college level. She currently lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and two sons.</i><br />
<br style="background-color: #f1f4f6; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 14.3px; line-height: 18.59px;" />
<b style="font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 14.3px; line-height: 18.59px;">Find Madeline Online</b><span style="background-color: #f1f4f6; font-family: "georgia" , "times" , serif; font-size: 14.3px; line-height: 18.59px;">:</span><span style="background-color: #f1f4f6; font-family: "georgia" , "times" , serif; font-size: 14.3px; line-height: 18.59px;"> </span><a href="https://www.madelinehunter.com/" style="color: #6d0606; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 14.3px; line-height: 18.59px; text-decoration: none;">Website</a><span style="background-color: #f1f4f6; font-family: "georgia" , "times" , serif; font-size: 14.3px; line-height: 18.59px;"> </span><span style="background-color: #f1f4f6; font-family: "georgia" , "times" , serif; font-size: 14.3px; line-height: 18.59px;">|</span><span style="background-color: #f1f4f6; font-family: "georgia" , "times" , serif; font-size: 14.3px; line-height: 18.59px;"> </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/MadelineHunter" style="color: #6d0606; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 14.3px; line-height: 18.59px; text-decoration: none;">Facebook</a><span style="background-color: #f1f4f6; font-family: "georgia" , "times" , serif; font-size: 14.3px; line-height: 18.59px;"> </span><span style="background-color: #f1f4f6; font-family: "georgia" , "times" , serif; font-size: 14.3px; line-height: 18.59px;">|</span><span style="background-color: #f1f4f6; font-family: "georgia" , "times" , serif; font-size: 14.3px; line-height: 18.59px;"> </span><a href="https://twitter.com/MadelineHunter" style="color: #6d0606; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 14.3px; line-height: 18.59px; text-decoration: none;">Twitter</a><br />
<br />
<br />
<b style="background-color: #f1f4f6; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 14.3px; line-height: 18.59px;">About the Book</b><span style="background-color: #f1f4f6; font-family: "georgia" , "times" , serif; font-size: 14.3px; line-height: 18.59px;">:</span><br />
<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-K4KydCABJPU/Vg6UUI00sRI/AAAAAAAABuI/3j1frdjpavk/s1600/Tall%2Bdark%2Band%2Bwicked%2Bfinal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-K4KydCABJPU/Vg6UUI00sRI/AAAAAAAABuI/3j1frdjpavk/s400/Tall%2Bdark%2Band%2Bwicked%2Bfinal.jpg" width="247" /></a><br />
<blockquote style="background: rgb(248, 248, 248); border: 1px solid rgb(169, 187, 202); margin: 1em 20px; padding: 5px;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div>
<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: "georgia" , "times" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18.59px;"><i><b>Most women will give him anything he wants. She is not most women… </b></i></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: "georgia" , "times" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18.59px;"><i><br /></i></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: "georgia" , "times" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18.59px;"><i>As a well-known barrister and the son of a duke, Ives confines his passionate impulses to discreet affairs with worldly mistresses. A twist of fate, however, has him looking for a new lover right when a fascinating woman shows up in his chambers, asking him to help save her father from the gallows. Unfortunately, he has already been asked to serve as the prosecutor in the case, but that only ensures close encounters with the rarity named Padua Belvoir. And every encounter increases his desire to tutor her in pleasure’s wicked ways...</i></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: "georgia" , "times" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18.59px;"><i><br /></i></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: "georgia" , "times" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18.59px;"><i>Having always been too tall, too willful, and too smart to appeal to men, Padua Belvoir is shocked when Ives shows interest in her. Knowing his penchant for helping the wrongly accused, she had initially thought he might be her father’s best hope for salvation. Instead, he is her worst adversary—not least because every time he looks at her, she is tempted to give him anything he wants…</i></span></span></div>
</div>
</blockquote>
<div style="background-color: #f1f4f6; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 14.3px; line-height: 18.59px; text-align: center;">
<b>Read an excerpt</b>: <a href="https://www.madelinehunter.com/books/talldarkandwicked.php#excerpt" style="color: #6d0606; text-decoration: none;">here</a> | <b>Read a review </b>at <a href="http://www.rtbookreviews.com/book-review/tall-dark-and-wicked" style="color: #6d0606; text-decoration: none;">RT Book Reviews</a></div>
<div style="background-color: #f1f4f6; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 14.3px; line-height: 18.59px; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: #f1f4f6; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 14.3px; line-height: 18.59px; text-align: center;">
<b>Get Your Copy Today!</b></div>
<div style="background-color: #f1f4f6; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 14.3px; line-height: 18.59px; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://amzn.to/1P94BtQ" style="color: #6d0606; text-decoration: none;">Amazon (paperback)</a> | <a href="http://amzn.to/1P94GxQ" style="color: #6d0606; text-decoration: none;">Amazon (Kindle)</a> </div>
<div style="background-color: #f1f4f6; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 14.3px; line-height: 18.59px; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/tall-dark-and-wicked-madeline-hunter/1121098464" style="color: #6d0606; font-size: 14.3px; line-height: 18.59px; text-decoration: none;">Barnes&Noble (paperback)</a><span style="font-size: 14.3px; line-height: 18.59px;"> </span><span style="font-size: 14.3px; line-height: 18.59px;">|</span><span style="font-size: 14.3px; line-height: 18.59px;"> </span><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/tall-dark-and-wicked-madeline-hunter/1121098464?ean=9780698156586" style="color: #6d0606; font-size: 14.3px; line-height: 18.59px; text-decoration: none;">Barnes&Nobel (Nook)</a><span style="font-size: 14.3px; line-height: 18.59px;"> </span></div>
<div style="background-color: #f1f4f6; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 14.3px; line-height: 18.59px; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: #f1f4f6; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 14.3px; line-height: 18.59px; text-align: right;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><u>The Interview</u></span></b></div>
<div style="background-color: #f1f4f6; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 14.3px; line-height: 18.59px; text-align: right;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><u><br /></u></span></b></div>
<div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><b>RJ: Welcome and
thanks for stopping by Not Another Romance Blog, Madeline! Congrats on your
latest book, TALL, DARK AND WICKED (October 6, 2015 | Berkley/NAL). Could you
give us the author’s cut of the book’s blurb?</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">MH: <i>As a well-known barrister and the son of a
duke, Ives confines his edgy sensuality to discreet affairs with worldly
mistresses. A twist of fate, however, has him looking for a new lover right
when a fascinating and unusual woman shows up in his chambers, asking him to
help save her father from the gallows</i></span></div>
<a name='more'></a><i> <o:p></o:p></i><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><b>RJ: Let’s get
to know more about your Hero and Heroine (Ives and Padua). What are some of
their flaws and positive qualities? What attracts them to each other?</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">MH: The sensible Hemingford brother, the lawyer
with sage advice, Ives also has a volatile streak in him. When it surfaces, he
is apt to throw the first punch. He has refined sensual tastes, and by that I
mean erotic refinement. Think a few shades of light gray. He avoids real
romance in his life, for reasons he never contemplates. Being a lawyer, he can
be a bit preachy about the logic, or lack of it, behind others’ choices and
activities, especially when it comes to his older brother the duke..<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">No one is more
astonished than he is when he falls hard for Padua Belvoir, the daughter of a
man he is expected to prosecute for a major crime. What he calls desire is
actually more, and as the story progresses he makes choices that could ruin his
reputation, and he risks all that he has built. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">His most endearing
qualities are his bond with his brothers and his willingness to defend
criminals if he thinks they are innocent. On the other hand, his decision to
become a lawyer---not totally unheard of for a man of his birth, but hardly
appropriate and extremely unusual--- was mostly a way to thumb his nose at the
eldest of the brothers, who died prior to the series beginning. At least he
does not pretend it was anything other than an immature way to irritate someone
he disliked!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">Ives has a little
list of the six essential qualities in a mistress, and Padua fits them all.
Most significant is that she has what he considers the most important one---
loyalty. She stands by her father even as her father repudiates her. Among her virtues
are things that her world and the men in it normally do not admire---She has
always been too willful, too independent and too smart to appeal to men. She is
perhaps too careless with her reputation, too, and even with her sole means of
employment, and her habit of stating her mind’s thinking creates problems that
she doesn’t need. She harbors a romantic streak in her, that prior to the book’s
time got her into trouble at least once. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">They are initially
attracted by physical qualities. Even though Padua is not a typical beauty,
Ives finds her quirks, like her unusual height, elegant and provocative. From
their first meeting each intrigues the other as distinctive and interesting.
There is the magnetism of equals meeting from the get-go.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><b>RJ: Is there
anything special you can share behind the inspiration for the book’s plot,
characters, or setting? Also, did you incorporate any quirky research findings
into the story?</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">MH: Ives’s
character developed in the first book in the series. In the course of that
book there is a little
exchange/misunderstanding regarding which brother another man’s wife meant
when, in a letter her husband found, she referred to her lover as Hemingford.
Ives explains he never allows his mistresses to call him that. He much prefers
they call him Lord and Master. With that line I saw an inner life for this
secondary character, who, with his written contracts with mistresses, orders
that part of his life as neatly as the rest. What, I asked myself, if he met a
woman who makes his life very messy? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">Padua is named
after the city in Italy where her mother studied at the university and received
a degree. There were several such cities in Italy where woman could obtain a
higher education, and even teach. The history of those women and those
institutions was very interesting to me, so I gave her this background and the
dream, fading fast, of literally following in her mother’s footsteps. I chose
the university in Padua because that worked as a woman’s name, where, for
example, Bologna does not. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><b>RJ: I
understand that this book will be the second in The Wicked trilogy. What is the
premise for this series and how did the idea for it come about?</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">MH: In my last couple of series, the males
characters have had a bond, and their give and take while together, away from
the ladies, was a lot of fun to write
(and, I hope, to read.) They joke with each other, and there is a lot of
good-natured male goading too. My editor suggested I consider a series that is
male-centric. The men would need a connection, and I chose having them be
brothers because an overarching plot point came to me, the event that serves as
the catalyst for the first book’s beginning, and the final book’s plot. That
plot required they be brothers, all sons of a duke. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><b>RJ: What makes
a good romances novel to you and who are your favorite authors? </b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">MH: I like
stories with stakes that require the characters to grow in their understanding
of themselves, and each other. Also stories where the characters seem very real
to me, and are experiencing the kinds of things real people experience, and
processing it all that way too. I like there to be a meaningful secondary plot
that brings them together and that weaves into the romance. I have enjoyed
books by many authors, and have a long list of auto-buys, but some of my
earliest favorites that I continue to read are Mary Balogh, Mary Jo Putney, and
Amanda Quick.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><b>RJ: What
projects are you currently working on and what can we expect from you next?</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">MH: I am
writing the third and last book in the trilogy, The Wicked Duke. When book #1
opened, the eldest of the brothers and the then current duke has died
unexpectedly. There is a chance he was poisoned, and suspicion falls on brother
number 2., Lance, who inherits the title. The Wicked Duke is his story, and
revolves around that mystery and its solution, and the woman he pursues because
of his need to clear his name. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Wmxmo3jiVxw/Vg6UT-F_7FI/AAAAAAAABuE/61KGohCmhGg/s1600/james-caviezel_jpg-3838.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Wmxmo3jiVxw/Vg6UT-F_7FI/AAAAAAAABuE/61KGohCmhGg/s200/james-caviezel_jpg-3838.jpg" width="150" /></a><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>RJ: Final
Question: Let’s say your book gets its own PBS Masterpiece Classic adaptation;
which actors and actress would you ideally cast to portray your characters?</b></div>
<o:p></o:p><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<a href="http://zntent.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Anne-Hathaway.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="http://zntent.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Anne-Hathaway.jpg" height="177" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">MH: Wow, don’t
I wish! For Ives, I would seriously consider James Caviezel and for Padua, Anne
Hathaway.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><b>RJ: Thanks
again for visiting my blog and I can’t wait to get to know Ives and Padua
better! Best wishes on TALL, DARK AND WICKED available 10/6/2015! </b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">--</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="background-color: #f1f4f6; color: #674ea7; font-family: "georgia" , "times" , serif; font-size: 14.3px; line-height: 18.59px; text-align: center;">I hope you all have enjoyed this interview and will get to know Ives and Padua through Hunter's latest release! </span><b style="background-color: #f1f4f6; color: #674ea7; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 14.3px; line-height: 18.59px; text-align: center;">What's your favorite book by one of Madeline's go-to authors: </b><span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: "georgia" , "times" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.3px; line-height: 18.59px;"><b>Mary Balogh, Mary Jo Putney, and Amanda Quick</b></span></span><b style="background-color: #f1f4f6; color: #674ea7; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 14.3px; line-height: 18.59px; text-align: center;">? </b></div>
</div>
Ritahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02204042949680975830noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5155779105962796229.post-51044311648194836382015-09-11T17:54:00.002-04:002015-09-11T17:54:46.980-04:00Review: IF YOU ONLY KNEW by Kristan Higgins<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;">
<o:p> </o:p><img src="http://www.superbookshop.net/covers/974/9780373784974.jpg" height="320" width="201" /></div>
WOW.<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Yep, that’s my review. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Read an excerpt: <a href="http://notanotherromanceblog.blogspot.com/2015/08/new-release-highlight-excerpt-if-you.html">here</a><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Jenny Tate is the consummate New Yorker. A celebrated dress designer with access to the posh lifestyle- Jenny has it all. She even has a sickeningly cordial relationship with her ex-husband and his perfect wife. How <i>modern</i>. Nothing says closure like forced cheerfulness so you don’t seem bitter at an ex’s current wife’s baby shower!<br />
<br />
Jenny decides to open a new page in her life and moves back upstate to be closer to her family and open a dress shop. While her sister’s life starts to unravel, Jenny may find a few other hearts in need of mending.<br />
<br />
Rachel Carver, <i>nee-Tate</i>, is living the ultimate Stepford existence in Cambry-on-Hudson, NY; A loving husband, three adorable daughters (triplets no less), Mommy and Me Swim sessions...But the dream life gets flipped upside down by the ultimate betrayal. As Rach tithers back and forth on the right next step, she discovers more about herself than she ever realized existed.<br />
<br />
4 ½ Red Roses<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
<b>My Favorite Part of this Book: </b>Call me a glutton for punishment but I enjoyed the emotionally wrecking scenes where Rachel had to confront her husband on his wrong doings. They were so filled with emotion I felt myself getting worked up, too!<br />
<br />
Let me preface my final thoughts on this book with the following: I don’t cry. I am pretty desensitized and disenchanted when it comes to emotional/sappy scenes in books (ignore the oxymoron of me running this book blog and focusing on HEAs). I am just not that girl who wears her emotions on her sleeve (even in private).<br />
<br />
That being said- IF YOU ONLY KNEW was so god damn affecting, I felt physically drained 3/4s through. I wanted to scream, and cry, and vented to my best friend how upset I was with Adam (Rachel’s husband). I stayed up all night and straight through to work the next morning reading because this book truly swept me away. I just couldn’t escape the feelings this book evoked and as I am not use to many books inspiring this, I couldn’t get enough! I recall an actual physical ache in my chest- my heart was in my stomach. This book is on par with Lisa Kleypas’ Sugar Daddy (my favorite contemporary of all time).<br />
<br />
I think at the heart of it, we have an incredibly realistic book. Jenny’s love interest isn’t this dashing prince charming who rides in on a white horse and finds the way she eats, blinks, breathes intoxicating. He actually thinks she’s a little crazy when they first met. He was a bit of a dickhead, actually. There were no rose-colored angles- raw characters with plenty of flaws I found myself in. <br />
<br />
The only thing keeping this from being a full 5 star read is that the writing style was difficult to follow at times. It was told from two perspectives (either sister) in alternating chapters (which I fucking hate 99% of the time)- oddly enough, once I became engrossed in both characters’ individual story, I didn’t find it as distracting/annoying. What did get me was with the writing style was that I found myself confused between reality and sarcastic day dream a lot- it was a little more work keeping everything straight. Also, the middle of this book was so spectacular that the final 20% paled in comparison and brought the story down as a whole for me.<br />
<br />
There’s so much I could say about this book. From the excellent writing, to realistic characters, to the devastation left in the absence of its’ palpable suspense- IF YOU ONLY KNEW is going down as a favorite and go-to recommendation.<br />
<br />
IF you want heart, triumph, laughs and love then you want IF YOU ONLY KNEW.<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
Ritahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02204042949680975830noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5155779105962796229.post-51262668913677143772015-08-31T13:39:00.000-04:002015-08-31T14:32:27.044-04:00Review: When A Scot Ties The Knot by Tessa Dare<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-size: 9.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> </span></span><img src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1424383735l/23587120.jpg" /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I kissed a man in a skirt…and I liked it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Maybe those aren’t the exact
lyrics but, thanks to WHEN A SCOT TIES THE KNOT, I wouldn’t be opposed to
a revision. It worked for our bluestocking heroine well enough!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">A little falsehood from the
past snowballs into an engagement Maddie Gracechurch never anticipated nor
wanted. The same childhood fantasy becomes a Highland Captain’s ticket to a stable life for his loyal troop. Where
lies meet opportunity, can love exist too?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Read an excerpt: <a href="http://tessadare.com/bookshelf/when-a-scot-ties-the-knot/#read-an-excerpt">here</a></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Madeline Gracechurch uses her boundless
imagination to avoid the embarrassment of rejection her first London season by
creating a fictitious relationship with an officer at war. This small lie
blossoms into a full blown long distance relationship complete with smarmy
letters posted for her parents' benefit and a heroic death that frees her to peaceful
spinsterhood. But when a very real Captain Logan MacKenzie shows up on her
doorstep years later- the tangled web of lies Maddie concocted will take more
than a little finessing to undo.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Logan grew up rough, unloved
and experiencing horrors of battle in a war that ended with him and his troop without a
proper home to be welcomed to.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span> His hard exterior may ward off
nefarious foes, but will it aide his claim on a castle bequeathed to him and the
betrothed he never proposed to? </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The silly girl whose incriminating letters of their faux-engagement found their way to his camp over the years has grown into
a gorgeous, maddening woman who proves cleverer at shirking his will than any
enemy on the battlefield. To provide a home for his loyal followers Logan must get
Maddie to submit to a marriage she never wanted in the first place; but also
risks his heart as well as hers in the venture.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Rating: 4 Red Roses</b><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 9.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><b>My Favorite Part of the Book</b>:
Was the beginning- with the letters. This could have been a boring, unfeeling
info dump but I enjoyed them immensely. I could have gone on and read a full book of Maddie’s letters to
a supposed fantasy fiancé. The letters helped display Madeline’s brain (and the
author's fun, tangible writing style) in an unassuming way. It made me think of Lisa
Kleypas’ Love in the Afternoon which starts off similarly and I love when authors
with a strong voice flex them this way.</i><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 9.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Overall, it was another HIT of a love story from Tessa Dare. Again, she writes in a way that speaks close to
home and entertains thoroughly. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">A few gripes: There were these amazing secondary characters
she developed- I wanted more! We have this incredible grandmother who disappeared
halfway through the book and pops up sporadically towards the end. And then the band of forgotten soldiers- they all had their own
quirks and a dynamic I would have enjoyed getting to see more of.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I have a heavy dislike for the “I am fighting against love/I am not worthy of love” angle most rom-novels
adopt, and felt a bit cheated with the MoC plot since consummation took so
long to occur, but the spirited heroine (an all-time favorite now), dazzling supporting cast, and expert
writing style keep readers fully entwined and satisfied!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I love a good marriage of convenience story, I love the pen-pals (however one-sided) to lovers angle, I love Highlanders and Bluestockings—the way these elements were weaved together, while not always in the proportions I love, were compelling and heartfelt. </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Basically, Read it. <b>Now.</b></span><br />
<br /></div>
Ritahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02204042949680975830noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5155779105962796229.post-46975637412651861532015-08-26T17:07:00.001-04:002015-08-26T17:07:17.411-04:00New Release Highlight + Excerpt: If You Only Knew by Kristan Higgins<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">
</div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
Time to highlight another new release this month from a fav author. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
When I need my contemporary fix, no one speaks to me quite like how Kristan Higgins can. Yesterday marked the release of her latest, <b>IF YOU ONLY KNEW </b>! Another book I've begun which grabbed me at page one and I am dying to finish in-between work and <i>responsibilities (bleh)</i>. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Review on the way, but in the meantime, how about an extra special excerpt !? </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
(<i>You can stop screaming now and get to reading!</i>)</div>
<br />
<b>About The Book: </b><br />
<i style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Letting go of her ex-husband is harder than wedding-dress designer Jenny Tate expected…especially since his new wife wants to be Jenny's new best friend. Sensing this isn't exactly helping her achieve closure, Jenny trades the Manhattan skyline for her hometown up the Hudson, where she'll start her own business and bask in her sister Rachel's picture-perfect family life…and maybe even find a little romance of her own with Leo, her downstairs neighbor, a guy who's utterly irresistible and annoyingly distant at the same time. </i><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br />Rachel's idyllic marriage, however, is imploding after she discovers her husband sexting with a colleague. She always thought she'd walk away in this situation, but her triplet daughters have her reconsidering her stance on adultery, much to Jenny's surprise. Rachel points to their parents' perfect marriage as a shining example of patience and forgiveness; but to protect her sister, Jenny may have to tarnish that memory—and their relationship—and reveal a family secret she's been keeping since childhood. <br /><br />Both Rachel and Jenny will have to come to terms with the past and the present and find a way to get what they want most of all.</i></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.superbookshop.net/covers/974/9780373784974.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://www.superbookshop.net/covers/974/9780373784974.jpg" width="252" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Get Your Copy Today: </b></div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: #f1f4f6; clear: both; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 14.3000001907349px; line-height: 18.5900001525879px; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/You-Only-Knew-Kristan-Higgins-ebook/dp/B00SFS2A98/ref=as_sl_pc_ss_til?tag=notanoromblo-20&linkCode=w01&linkId=J5QWT2K2BVY6LQDE&creativeASIN=B00SFS2A98" style="color: #6d0606; text-decoration: none;">Amazon (Kindle)</a> | <a href="https://www.amazon.com/You-Only-Knew-Kristan-Higgins/dp/037378497X/ref=as_sl_pc_ss_til?tag=notanoromblo-20&linkCode=w01&linkId=4GR4JWNIPON6R5RP&creativeASIN=037378497X" style="color: #6d0606; text-decoration: none;">Amazon (Paperback)</a></div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: #f1f4f6; clear: both; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 14.3000001907349px; line-height: 18.5900001525879px; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/if-you-only-knew-kristan-higgins/1120421597?ean=9781460382233" style="color: #6d0606; text-decoration: none;">Barnes and Noble (Nook)</a> | <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/if-you-only-knew-kristan-higgins/1120421597?ean=9780373784974" style="color: #6d0606; text-decoration: none;">Barnes and Noble (Paperback)</a></div>
<br />
<b>Excerpt:</b><br />
<div dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-40985130-6bcd-e0d1-0688-1794bef167f6" style="line-height: 1.2; margin: 3pt 5.9pt 0pt 41pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">CHAPTER 1</span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin: 0pt 5.9pt 0pt 41pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Jenny</span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin: 0pt 6.15pt 0pt 5pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Today is one of those days when I realize that staying friends with my ex- husband was a huge mistake.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin: 0pt 7.1pt 0pt 5pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I’m at the baby shower for Ana-Sofia, Owen’s wife and my replacement. Indeed, I’m sitting next to her, a place of honor in this circle of beaming well- wishers, and I’m probably beaming just as hard as everyone else. Harder, even, my </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Gosh, isn’t it wonderful, she’s so radiant </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">smile that I give at work quite often, especially as my brides get bitchier or their mothers get more critical or their maids of honor get more jealous. But this smile, the baby shower smile…this is superhuman, really.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin: 0pt 8.8pt 0pt 5pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I know that coming today is incredibly pathetic, don’t worry. It’s just that I didn’t want to seem bitter by not showing up (though I’m pretty sure I </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">am </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">bitter, at least a little). After all, I’m the one who always wanted kids. Every time I brought it up, though, Owen said he wasn’t sure the time was right, and he loved our life the way it was.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin: 0pt 6.45pt 0pt 5pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Yeah. So. That turned out not to be quite true, but we did stay friends. Coming today, though…pathetic.</span></div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin: 0pt 8.15pt 0pt 5pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">However, I woke up this morning utterly starving, and I knew the food would be amazing at the shower. Ana-Sofia </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">inspires </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">people. Plus, I’m moving out of the city, so for the past three weeks, I’ve been trying to eat or give away every morsel of food in my apartment. Let’s also mention that I couldn’t figure out an excuse that people</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin: 3pt 8.95pt 0pt 5pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">would buy. Better to be an oddity here than Poor Jenny at home, scrounging through a box of Wheat-Thins of indeterminate age.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin: 0pt 6.25pt 0pt 5pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Ana-Sofia opens my gift, which is wrapped in Christmas paper, despite it being April. Liza, my host, glowers; the red and green cocoa-swilling Santas are an affront to the party vibe, which Liza noted on the invitations. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">In an effort to create a beautiful and harmonious environment for Ana-Sofia, please adhere to the apricot and sage color scheme in your clothing and gift-wrapping choices. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Only in Manhattan, folks. I’m wearing a purple dress as a middle finger to Liza, who used to be my friend but now posts daily on FB that she’s LOL-ing with her BFF, Ana-Sofia.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin: 0pt 6.7pt 0pt 5pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Oh! This is so lovely! Thank you, Jenny! Everyone, look at this! It’s beautiful!” Ana-Sofia holds up my gift, and there are gasps and murmurs and exclamations and a few glares that I have the best present here. I cock an eyebrow at the haters. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Suck it up, bitches. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">My gift was actually dashed off last night, as I kind of forgot to buy a present, but they don’t have to know that.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin: 0pt 7.1pt 0pt 5pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">It’s a white satin baby blanket with leaves and trees and birds stitched into it. Hey. It only took me two hours. Nothing was hand-stitched. It wasn’t that big a deal.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin: 0pt 7.1pt 0pt 41pt; text-indent: -36.05pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I sew for a living. A wedding dress designer. The irony is not lost on me, don’t worry. “Couldn’t you have just bought a stuffed animal like a normal person?”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin: 0pt 6.3pt 0pt 5pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">murmurs the person on my left. Andreas (born Andrew), my assistant, and the only man here. Gay, of course—do straight men work in designer bridal wear? Also, he hates and fears children, which makes him the perfect date for me under the circumstances. I needed an ally.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin: 0pt 5.9pt 0pt 41pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Have I mentioned that the shower is held in the apartment I once shared with</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin: 3pt 7.95pt 0pt 5pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Owen? Where, so far as I could tell, he and I were extremely happy? Yes. Liza is hosting, but the power went out in her apartment, thanks to the ham-fisted construction crew installing her new glass countertops (granite being so very last decade), and so we’re here instead. Liza is sweaty and loud, rightfully worried about being judged on her prowess as hostess. This is the Upper East Side, after all. We’re all about judgment here.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin: 0pt 5.9pt 0pt 41pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The gifts (including mine) border on the ridiculous. The shower invitation</span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin: 0pt 6.15pt 0pt 5pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">(engraved from Crane’s) asked, at the behest of the parents, for donations to the clean-well-water charity Ana-Sofia founded—Gushing.Org, the name of which brings to mind a particularly bad menstrual period, but which raises funds for wells in Africa. Yeah. Therefore, everyone donated fat checks </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">and </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">tried to outdo themselves with gifts. There’s a Calder mobile. A 1918 edition of Mother Goose stories. A mohair Steiff teddy bear that costs about as much as the rent on my soon-to-be former apartment in the Village.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin: 0pt 10.5pt 0pt 5pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">My gaze drifts across the now-tastefully furnished apartment. When I lived here, it was cozier and Bo-Ho—fat, comfortable furniture, dozens of pictures of my three nieces, the occasional wall hanging from Target, that bastion of color and joy for the middle class. Now, the décor is incredibly tasteful, with African masks on the wall to remind us what Ana-Sofia does, and original paintings from around the globe. The walls are painted those boring, neutral colors with sexy names—October Fog, Birmingham Cream, Icicle.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin: 0pt 7.6pt 0pt 5pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">There’s their wedding photo. They eloped, so thank God I didn’t have to go to that (or, God forbid, make her gown, which I would’ve done if asked, because I’m</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.66px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin: 3pt 11.7pt 0pt 5pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">still pretty pitiful where Owen is concerned and can’t figure out how to divorce him out of my heart). Though the photo was taken by the justice of the peace in Maine, it’s perfect. Both bride and groom are laughing, slightly turned away from the camera, Ana’s hair blowing in the sea breeze. The </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">New York Times </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">featured the photo in the Sunday Vows section.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin: 0pt 5.9pt 0pt 41pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">They really are the perfect couple. Once, it was Owen and me, and while I</span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.395; margin: 0pt 8.8pt 0pt 5pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">didn’t expect perfection, I thought we were pretty great. We never fought. My mom felt that since Owen is half Japanese, he was a better bet than “those simpletons” I dated (all of whom I hoped to marry at one point or another, starting with Nico Stephanopolous in eighth grade). “The Japanese don’t believe in divorce,” Mom said the first time I introduced her. “Right, Owen?”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin: 0pt 6.4pt 0pt 5pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">He agreed, and I can still see his omnipresent, sweet smile, the Dr. Perfect Smile, as I called it. It’s his resting expression. Very reassuring to his patients, I’m sure. Owen is a plastic surgeon, the kind who fixes cleft palates and birthmarks and changes the lives of his patients. Ana-Sofia, who is from Peru and speaks five languages, met Owen eleven weeks after our divorce when he was doing his annual stint with Doctors Without Borders in the Sudan and she was digging wells.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin: 0pt 5.9pt 0pt 41pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">And I make wedding dresses, as I believe I’ve already said. Listen. It’s not as</span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin: 0pt 9.55pt 0pt 5pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">shallow as it sounds. I make women look like they dreamed they would on one of the happiest days of their lives. I make them cry at their own reflections, I give them the dress they’ve spent years thinking about, the dress they’ll be wearing when they pledge their hearts, the dress they’ll pass onto their own daughters someday, the dress that signifies all their hopes and dreams for a happy, sparkling future.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin: 3pt 9.65pt 0pt 5pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">But compared with what Owen and his second wife do, yeah, it’s incredibly shallow.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin: 0pt 5.9pt 0pt 5pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">In theory, I should hate them both. No, he didn’t cheat with her. He’s far too decent for that.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin: 0pt 6.4pt 0pt 5pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">He loves her, though. Ostensibly, I could hate him for loving her and not me. Make no mistake. I was heartbroken. But I can’t hate Owen, or Ana-Sofia. They’re too damn nice, which is incredibly inconsiderate of them.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin: 0pt 5.9pt 0pt 41pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">And being Owen’s friend is better than being without Owen entirely.</span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.395; margin: 0pt 17.05pt 0pt 5pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The quilt has made the rounds of admiration and is passed back to Ana. She strokes it tenderly, then looks at me with tears in her eyes. “I don’t have the words to tell you how much this means.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin: 0pt 10.35pt 0pt 5pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Oh, shut up, </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I want to say. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I forgot to buy you a gift and dashed this off last night with some leftover Duchess satin. It’s no big deal.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin: 0pt 8.55pt 0pt 43.65pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Hey, no worries,” I say. I’m often glib and stupid around Ana-Sofia. Andreas</span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin: 0pt 9.65pt 0pt 5pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">hands me another cream puff. I may have to give him a raise.</span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin: 0pt 6.45pt 0pt 5pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I’m so excited about your new shop,” Ana says. “Owen and I were talking about how talented you are just last night.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin: 0pt 6.3pt 0pt 5pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Andreas gives me a significant look and rolls his eyes. He has no problem hating Ana-Sofia </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">and </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Owen, which I appreciate. I smile and take another sip of my mimosa, which is made with blood oranges and really good champagne.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin: 0pt 10.6pt 0pt 5pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">If I’m ever pregnant, though the chances of that are plummeting by the hour, I imagine I’ll have the unenviable “I sat on an air hose” look that my sister had when she was percolating the triplets. There was no glow. There was acne. Stretch marks</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin: 3pt 9.05pt 0pt 5pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">that made her look as if she’d been mauled by a Bengal tiger. She gnashed on Tums and burped constantly, but in true Rachel fashion, my sister never complained.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin: 0pt 9.65pt 0pt 5pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Ana-Sofia </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">glows</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">. Her perfect olive skin is without a blemish or, indeed, a visible pore. Her boobs look fantastic, and though she is eight and a half months pregnant, her baby bump is modest and perfectly round. She has no cankles. Life is so unfair.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin: 0pt 5.9pt 0pt 41pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“We just found out that our daughter’s classmate is her half-brother,” says</span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.395; margin: 0pt 6.55pt 0pt 5pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">the taller woman in Lesbian Couple #1. One of them just became a partner in Owen’s practice, but I don’t remember her name. “Imagine if we hadn’t known that! She could’ve ended up dating her half-brother! Marrying him! The fertility clinic gave out </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">fourteen </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">samples of that donor’s sperm. We’re filing a lawsuit.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin: 0pt 5.9pt 0pt 5pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“It’s better than adopting,” says another woman. “My sister? She and her husband had to give back their son the fourth time he set fire to the living room.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin: 0pt 5.9pt 0pt 41pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“That’s not so bad. My cousin adopted, and then the birth mother came out of</span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin: 0pt 9.65pt 0pt 5pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">rehab and the judge gave her custody of the baby. After two years, mind you.”</span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin: 0pt 6.4pt 0pt 5pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">On the other side of the circle, there seems to be a heated debate over whose labor and delivery was most grueling. “I almost died,” one woman says proudly. “I looked at my husband and told him I loved him, and the next thing I knew, the crash cart was there…”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin: 0pt 9.25pt 0pt 5pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I was in labor for three </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">days</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">,” another states. “I was like a wild animal, clawing at the sheets.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin: 0pt 8.45pt 0pt 5pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Emergency cesarean eight weeks early, no anesthesia,” someone else says proudly. “My daughter weighed two pounds. NICU, fifty-seven days.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.66px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin: 3pt 11.1pt 0pt 5pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">And we have a winner! </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The other mothers shoot her resentful looks. Talk turns to food allergies, vaccines, family beds and the sad dearth of gifted and talented programs for preschoolers.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin: 0pt 5.9pt 0pt 41pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“This is fun,” I murmur to Ana-Sofia.</span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin: 0pt 7.1pt 0pt 5pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Oh, yes,” she says. Irony is not one of her skills. “I’m so glad you are here, Jenny. Thank you for giving up your afternoon! You must be very busy with the move.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin: 0pt 5.9pt 0pt 5pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“You’re moving?” one of her extremely beautiful and well-educated friends asks. “Where?”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.395; margin: 0pt 8.8pt 0pt 5pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Cambry-on-Hudson,” I answer. “I grew up there. My sister and her family are—“</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin: 0.05pt 8pt 0pt 5pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Oh, my God, you’re leaving Manhattan? Will you have to get a car? Are there any restaurants there? I couldn’t live without Zenyasa Yoga.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin: 0pt 5.9pt 0pt 41pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“You still go to Zenyasa?” someone says. “I’ve moved on. It’s Bikram Hot for</span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin: 0pt 9.65pt 0pt 5pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">me. I saw Neil Patrick Harris there last week.”</span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin: 0pt 10.35pt 0pt 5pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I don’t do yoga anymore,” a blond woman says, studying a raspberry. “I joined a trampoline studio over on Amsterdam. Sarah Jessica Parker told me about it.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin: 0pt 8.5pt 0pt 5pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“What about brunch?” someone asks me, her brow wrinkling in concern. “What will you do for brunch if you leave the city?”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin: 0pt 5.9pt 0pt 5pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I think brunch is illegal outside Manhattan,” I answer gravely. No one laughs. They may think I’m telling the truth.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin: 0pt 5.9pt 0pt 41pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Now granted, I love Manhattan. To paraphrase the song, if you make it here,</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin: 3pt 7.1pt 0pt 5pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">the rest of the world is a cake walk. And I </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">have </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">made it here. I’ve worked for the best—even Vera Wang, as a matter of fact. My work is sold at Kleinfeld’s and has supported me for fifteen years. I was named one of the Designers of the Year when I was at Parson’s. I’ve been to not one but two parties at Tim Gunn’s place. He greeted me by name (and yes, he’s as nice as he seems).</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin: 0pt 5.9pt 0pt 41pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">But while I love the city, its roar, its buildings and smells, its subways and</span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin: 0pt 7.6pt 0pt 5pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">skyline, in my heart of hearts, I want a yard. I want to see my nieces more often. I want the happily ever after that my sister nailed, that’s unfolding for my ex-husband and his too-nice wife.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.395; margin: 0pt 8.55pt 0pt 5pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I hope I’m running to something, not away. The truth is, work has felt a little flat lately.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin: 0.05pt 11.05pt 0pt 5pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Cambry-on-Hudson is a lovely little city about an hour north of Manhattan. It has several excellent restaurants (some even serve brunch, shockingly). The downtown has a movie theater, flowering trees, a park and a Williams-Sonoma. It’s hardly a third-world country, no matter what these women think. And the latest shop is Bliss. Custom-made wedding gowns. My baby, in lieu of the human kind.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin: 0pt 5.9pt 0pt 41pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">My phone beeps softly with a text. It’s from Andreas, who has put in his ear</span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin: 0pt 8.2pt 0pt 5pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">buds in order to drown out the stories of blocked milk ducts and bleeding nipples. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Check out the nose on the great-aunt. I hope the baby inherits that. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I smile at him gratefully.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin: 0pt 8.8pt 0pt 5pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Did you hear about the obstetrician who fathered fifty-nine babies?” someone asks.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin: 0pt 5.9pt 0pt 41pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“That was an episode on </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Law & Order</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin: 3pt 8.15pt 0pt 5pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Ripped from the headlines,” someone else murmurs. “Someone in my building was one of his patients.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin: 0pt 5.9pt 0pt 41pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Oh. Oh, dear,” Ana-Sofia says.</span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin: 0pt 14.9pt 0pt 41pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I turn to her. She looks a bit startled. “It’s probably not true,” I tell her. “No…I think…it appears my water has broken.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin: 0pt 5.9pt 0pt 41pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">There is a silence, followed by a collective roar.</span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.395; margin: 0pt 6.3pt 0pt 5pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I’ll spare you the details. Suffice it to say that, despite there being a dozen women who’ve given birth all jockeying for position, my hand is the one Ana-Sofia clutches. “Oh, Jenny, it’s happening,” she says, and her beautiful brown eyes are wide and terrified, and then I’m easing her onto the floor and crouched between her still- slim thighs (she’s maintained her bikini wax, FYI). Off with the thong (really, it’s like she’s showing off), and holy Mother of God, I can see the head.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin: 0pt 10.1pt 0pt 5pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I fumble in my purse for the travel-size Purell (if you ride the subways on a daily basis, you carry Purell). Slap some on my hands. “Get some towels and quiet down!” I bark at the other shower guests. I’m kind of good in emergencies. Liza hands me a stack of towels (very soft and about to be ruined by whatever comes out of a woman during childbirth).</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin: 0pt 5.9pt 0pt 41pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Let me help,” Liza whines. Indeed, this would make a great Facebook post.</span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin: 0pt 9.65pt 0pt 5pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Just delivered my BFF’s baby, LOL! –with Ana-Sofia Marquez-Takahashi.</span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin: 0pt 8.45pt 0pt 5pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I need to push,” Ana pants, and she does, once, twice, a third time, and a face appears (a baby! there’s a baby coming into my hands!). One more push, and I’m holding it, slimy and covered in white gunk and a little blood and incredibly beautiful.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin: 3pt 5.9pt 0pt 41pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Dark hair, huge eyes. A miracle.</span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin: 0pt 6.45pt 0pt 5pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I ease her out all the way and put her on Ana’s chest. “It’s a girl,” I say, covering the baby with a towel.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin: 0pt 5.9pt 0pt 41pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Then FDNY clomps in, and I entertain a quick and deeply satisfying fantasy—</span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin: 0pt 8.55pt 0pt 5pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The head firefighter is filled with admiration for my cleverness, checks me out and asks me to dinner in the cutest Brooklyn accent the world has ever heard. His biceps flex hypnotically, and at the end of the date, yes, he does pick me up to demonstrate just how easy it would be for him to save my life, and a few years later, we have three strong sons and twin daughters on the way. And a Dalmatian.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin: 0pt 8.15pt 0pt 5pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">But no, their attention is quite taken with Ana-Sofia (as it should be, I guess, though it would be nice if just one of them checked me out). Someone cuts the cord, and Ana is weeping beautifully over her daughter, and Liza holds her phone to Ana’s ear so my ex-husband can sob his love and admiration for his wife, who just set the land-speed record for labor and delivery.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin: 0pt 7.6pt 0pt 5pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">From down the hall, I can hear Andreas dry-heaving in the tastefully decorated powder room over the murmurs of admiration from the shower guests and the brawny firefighters as they tell Ana how amazing she is, how beautiful her daughter is.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin: 0pt 5.9pt 0pt 41pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Seems like I’m leaving the city in the very nick of time.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.66px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></div>
----<br /><br />
<b><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">On hell of a first chapter, #AmIRight? Have this on your TBR list? Comment your excitement below!</span></i></b><br />
Ritahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02204042949680975830noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5155779105962796229.post-1761491530931708502015-08-25T16:11:00.001-04:002015-08-25T16:15:59.325-04:00Out Today: When A Scot Ties The Knot by Tessa Dare<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!</i></div>
<br />
<br />
I am so excited! I've yet to find a Tessa Dare book I didn't LOVE! Whenever I am in a reading slump- I check to make sure she hasn't released anything new to knock me out of it.<br />
My prayers have been heard by someone because TODAY, <b>WHEN A SCOT TIES THE KNOT</b> has been released. I am almost done with it and will post a review later this week, but from what I've read so far- it's perfection. Instantly enthralling- it pains me to do things like eat and sleep and interact with other humans for wanting to finish the last few chapters. Damn responsibilities.<br />
<br />
<b>More on the book: </b><br />
<br />
<i><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On the cusp of her first London season, Miss Madeline Gracechurch was shy, pretty, and talented with a drawing pencil, but hopelessly awkward with gentlemen. She was certain to be a dismal failure on the London marriage mart. So Maddie did what generations of shy, awkward young ladies have done: she invented a sweetheart.<br /><br />A Scottish sweetheart. One who was handsome and honorable and devoted to her, but conveniently never around. Maddie poured her heart into writing the imaginary Captain MacKenzie letter after letter . . . and by pretending to be devastated when he was (not really) killed in battle, she managed to avoid the pressures of London society entirely.<br /><br />Until years later, when this kilted Highland lover of her imaginings shows up in the flesh. The real Captain Logan MacKenzie arrives on her doorstep—handsome as anything, but not entirely honorable. He's wounded, jaded, in possession of her letters . . . and ready to make good on every promise Maddie never expected to keep.</span></i><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1424383735l/23587120.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1424383735l/23587120.jpg" height="400" width="247" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b>Get Your Copy Today!</b> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://amzn.to/1KKZEBs">Amazon (Kindle)</a> | <a href="https://www.amazon.com/When-Scot-Ties-Knot-Castles/dp/0062349023/ref=as_sl_pc_ss_til?tag=notanoromblo-20&linkCode=w01&linkId=C7SDBLYVVXMCCSBE&creativeASIN=0062349023">Amazon (Paperback)</a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/when-a-scot-ties-the-knot-tessa-dare/1122449690?ean=9780062349033">Barnes and Noble (Nook)</a> | <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/when-a-scot-ties-the-knot-tessa-dare/1122449690?ean=9780062349026">Barnes and Noble (Paperback)</a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Have you devoured it? What are your thoughts!? Share in the comment section (but no Spoilers! I still have to finish!)</div>
Ritahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02204042949680975830noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5155779105962796229.post-54957537694252260762015-06-22T16:08:00.000-04:002015-06-22T16:15:53.421-04:00Review: Suddenly One Summer by Julie James<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rZFj4G1nUlc/VYgN3IALdQI/AAAAAAAABsw/mTdqodPAGv8/s1600/Suddenly%2BOne%2BSummer-%2BJJ.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rZFj4G1nUlc/VYgN3IALdQI/AAAAAAAABsw/mTdqodPAGv8/s320/Suddenly%2BOne%2BSummer-%2BJJ.jpg" width="198" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">Julie James writes it, we read it, we
love it- - rinse, lather, repeat. This time around we take an attractive
journalist, add one snarky, kick ass family lawyer, multiply by their complicated
pasts and a convenient "my sister needs your help, so let’s- grudgingly- work together” </span><span style="font-size: 15.3333330154419px;">story line</span><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">, (and subtract a
'cavalcade' of misunderstood female companion sightings) = and you've got your
next best read.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Read an
except: <a href="http://juliejames.com/books/suddenly-one-summer/excerpt-from-suddenly-one-summer/">here</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Ford Dixon can get to the bottom of any story for his numerous investigative pieces for the
local newspaper. His instinct bodes well professionally, but sometimes falls short outside of the newsroom - especially when Victoria Slade enters his life (and
the apartment next door). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">Slade, a
highly successful divorce lawyer, has seen it all. The trials of life have helped
mold Victoria into the woman she is today. She’s the always on-it,
semi-compulsive, love-cynic wunderkind that clients love as much as opposing
counsel loathes. A traumatic episode sets her down a path of losing that hard-won
control and it’s through resilience and some well-meaning </span><span style="font-size: 15.3333330154419px;">prodding</span><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"> by her pesky-cute (new word) neighbor
that she’ll begin to do the ground work needed to get to the root of
her issues. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">And pesky-cute neighbor guy…the one with penis pop parties with </span><span style="font-size: 15.3333330154419px;">brunettes</span><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"> at night and mysterious blondes saying they loves him in the A.M. --well, he has his own
misguided philosophies and views on love to reevaluate. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"> These two are perfectly imperfect for one
another, and while working towards a mutual goal, they'll recognize that fact profoundly-
or risk devastating the other in resisting. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><b>Rating:</b></span></div>
<a name='more'></a><o:p></o:p><br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">3 3/4 Red
Roses<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0.5in 0.0001pt 27pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">My Favorite
Part of the Book:</span></b><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"> Is when Victoria comes face to face with one of her biggest fears
since her ordeal. Ford is on hand to catch her when she falls (quite literally)
and this scene represents chapters and chapters of buildup! Reader can tell
something to this effect is coming. The suspense was palpa</span><span style="font-size: 15.3333330154419px;">ble</span><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"> and very well done!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">The <b>winning</b> components to this novel are the
skillfully crafted characters. James really takes her time molding an H/h
readers will actually care about. You instantly connect with Victoria from the
first scene as she lives through a nightmare and works through the subsequent
aftershock. Fear and anxiety are familiar emotions for anyone- and the author
plays with them memorably. Ford also wars with his past and the empathy you'll
share spans actual sadness to tentative hope.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">On the flip
side, with so much concentration on developing these perfectly flawed
characters, I felt slightly deprived of that interaction and romance I wanted for H/h.
The therapy sessions started to crowd the story and once the H/h finally </span></span><i style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">get busy</i><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"> it took me off </span><span style="font-size: 15.3333330154419px;">guard a bit</span><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"> (all this time was spent developing these amazing characters
separately that when they came together I wasn't prepped enough for that dynamic). I found myself wanting to scream "YOU GOT ME! I CARE!",
let’s get more scenes like the </span></span><i style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Taste of
Chicago</i><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"> that don't have the whole battle of wills thing going all out.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Ya'll know I am all action/need to see cars blowing up, etc- so therapy sessions with a lot of internal plot
movement/set up kills me- only James could keep me as engage as I was considering
my disposition to these methods. </span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">So like it, love
it, you'll definitely feel the heat <b><i>Suddenly <strike>One </strike>THIS Summer!</i></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Don't forget
to check out:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00FX7LX0Q/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00FX7LX0Q&linkCode=as2&tag=notanoromblo-20&linkId=7IMIFBPK7ZB5RAHN"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B00FX7LX0Q&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=notanoromblo-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=notanoromblo-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00FX7LX0Q" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
</div>
Ritahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02204042949680975830noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5155779105962796229.post-76799852939002915552015-06-16T09:51:00.001-04:002015-06-16T10:14:21.936-04:00Watch Poldark on PBS this Sunday, 6/21! <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<a href="http://s.sidereel.com/tv_shows/57043/giant_2x/280582-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="http://s.sidereel.com/tv_shows/57043/giant_2x/280582-1.jpg" height="200" width="136" /></span></a><b><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">"<i>The infamous, swashbuckling hero is back! Ross Poldark returns in a new take on a beloved story. Poldark premieres Sunday, June 21 at 9/8c on MASTERPIECE on PBS. #PoldarkPBS</i>"</span></b><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">You guys know how much I love period pieces- and this one looks like it'll be my new obsession ! New appointment TV for Sundays (Thank God- HBO devastated me with GoT + Silicon Valley finales- I am going to need something to fill the void!)</span><br />
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Check out the trailer below: </span></b></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/B1rA6jD9ATo" width="560"></iframe></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>More about the series: </b></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Aidan Turner (The Hobbit) stars as Captain Ross Poldark in a gorgeous love story set in windswept Cornwall in the late 1700s. Returning from war, the dashing captain faces financial ruin, romantic betrayal, and a golden opportunity that only he sees. Eleanor Tomlinson (Death Comes to Pemberley) costars as the fiery beauty Demelza. A remake of the 1970s series that helped launch MASTERPIECE, the glorious new Poldark was a runaway hit in the UK and garnered reviews such as the following: “A beautifully filmed Sunday night romp,” said The Times (London), and from the Guardian: “You need look no further for your next guilty pleasure.”</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Will you be watching? Make sure to live tweet with #PoldarkPBS and let's fan out together!</b></span></div>
Ritahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02204042949680975830noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5155779105962796229.post-35353585773387521492015-01-05T12:00:00.000-05:002015-01-05T12:05:51.830-05:00Review: THE DUKE OF DARK DESIRES by Miranda Neville<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nVxdq3Dbfug/VKrAwmqOCcI/AAAAAAAABq4/8efm5xXBNf8/s1600/Duke-of-Dark-Desires.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nVxdq3Dbfug/VKrAwmqOCcI/AAAAAAAABq4/8efm5xXBNf8/s1600/Duke-of-Dark-Desires.jpg" height="320" width="198" /></a>Finally! Lord Julian's book is here and it definitely delivers! From the first chapter you'll become enraptured by this seductive tale of mutual subterfuge which is sprinkled with wit and heart. An unwanted dukedom, three unwanted wards, but a very much wanted governess will drive Julian Fortescue to commit unthinkable acts-- such as love and rising to responsibility.<br />
<br />
Read an excerpt: <a href="http://www.mirandaneville.com/excerpt-duke-dark-desires/">here</a><br />
<br />
If you thought Marie Antoinette had it bad, those aristocrats who survived the French Revolution might beg to differ. One fortunate (or unfortunate) noble who made it was Jeanne-Louise Marie-Adoree de Falleron, the once pampered daughter of the Marquis de Falleron. She endured the horrors of witnessing her family's execution and jumping from traitorous "protector" to "protector" to stay alive. She vows revenge against the man named Fortescue who betrayed her father's trust and foiled her family's escape plan- just as soon as she finds him.<br />
<br />
Going by the alias of Jane Grey, Jeanne's hunt leads her to London and the home of the new Duke of Denford. The unexpectedly handsome new duke has just been saddled with the care of his precocious half sisters. This allows for the perfect opportunity to infiltrate the home of a member of the Fortescue family and with that Jane applies for the position of governess. The dubious potholes in her past notwithstanding, the duke finds her (and her looks) satisfactory and gives Jane the job. A dangerous dance of balancing pretenses and desires ensues, becoming further complicated with the entry of some treacherous characters in the form of an evil surviving cousin of Jeanne/Jane and a nemesis from the art world who has his eyes on Julian's treasured collection.<br />
<br />
Rating:<br />
4 Red Roses<br />
<br />
<i><b>My Favorite Part of the Story: Was witnessing Julian rise to the challenge and become an admirable brother, friend, lover, and peer of the realm. From the previous book, you know Julian isn't as dark and careless as his persona lets on, but it was very gratifying to see his evolution and the ways in which Neville displayed this. I was in love when he was a rotten apple, so I am positively smitten now.</b></i><br />
<br />
I am no longer surprised when I reach the back cover of a Miranda Neville novel and realize she's done it again. This has to be one of my favorite stories and a perfect end to an exciting series. I can't think of much I didn't enjoy in this book. The references and respect of art (some aspects I could actually identify!) were always well represented and complimentary to the story. That rat of a cousin Jeanne/Jane had truly got under my skin, and the three step sisters were endearing and funny. I am never one for a long, drawn out, secret identty plot, but Neville made it bearable with her amazing secondary characters and scenes filled with heat. I am already anxiously awaiting what Neville conjures up next!Ritahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02204042949680975830noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5155779105962796229.post-79365334021096865452014-06-24T09:00:00.000-04:002014-06-24T13:00:34.230-04:00Review: LADY WINDERMERE'S LOVER by Miranda Neville<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YqOt5eUKJ7k/U4Nkfi4lqGI/AAAAAAAABpU/C3iUYnWZHR4/s1600/9780062243324.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YqOt5eUKJ7k/U4Nkfi4lqGI/AAAAAAAABpU/C3iUYnWZHR4/s1600/9780062243324.jpg" height="400" width="248" /></a>This latest offering from Miranda Neville is richly entertaining and expertly arranged. 1 part Marriage of Convenience <span style="color: #545454; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.200000762939453px;">+</span></span> 1 part love triangle <span style="background-color: white; color: #545454; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: 18.200000762939453px;">+</span> a little dash of national intrigue = Your next fun read!<br />
<br />
When the husband that abandoned her shortly after their wedding returns to town, Cynthia Chorley's battle with temptation and the past comes to a head. She is no longer the provincial nobody the Earl of Windermere married, but a fully grown woman with admirers a plenty and a stubborn streak that will test the Earl's resolve as much as it intrigues him.<br />
<br />
Read an excerpt: <a href="http://mirandaneville.com/lady_windermeres_lover.php">here</a><br />
<br />
The rift between Damian Lewis, Earl of Windermere and Julian Fortescue, newly minted Duke of Denford, dates back 7 years to Damian's majority. A bad turn of cards and one too many spirits led to the divesting of an important sentimental asset which Julian could have supposedly prevented. In retaliation, Damian interfered with Julian's (an untitled art dealer at the time) career prospects which set him back significantly and led to the lines being drawn in the sand.<br />
<br />
One of those lines took the elegant form of Cynthia Lewis, née Chorley- the dukes neglected, provincial bride. Neither husband nor wife entered into the union under false impressions; In marrying Cynthia, Damian regained the asset lost to him all those years ago and also enjoys an infusion of cash. Cynthia gains a title and her family enjoys exalted status and their legacy continuing with the Earldom. Whatever the pretenses of the marriage, Cynthia was enthusiastic about giving married life with her handsome new husband a real go. Sadly, her chance would be delayed a year because shortly after consummating the marriage, Damian accepts an assignment from the Foreign Office which sends him trapezing all over Persia- sans wife.<br />
<br />
Damian's slights and inattentiveness to his wife have festered and while the husband is away the devil will play. Julian tries his damnedest to seduce the wife of his ex-cohort almost as soon as he left the scene. When Damian returns he finds himself in an awkward love triangle that has deep seated issues and implications that run farther than forbidden attraction. It doesn't help that the biddable, country bumpkin of a wife he left behind has blossomed into a fashionable, polished temptress. Damian's newest assignment will have him biting his tongue and allowing the flirtation (and perhaps more) between his wife and nemesis to persist. Can he rein in his jealousy long enough to complete his objective? And what of the dizzying attraction he now feels for his wife- will that get in the way of a well-laid plan?<br />
<br />
Through all of the misunderstandings and suppressed feelings, Cynthia and Damian will first have to make peace with the past and learn how to forgive if they ever hope to achieve future bliss in love and friendship.<br />
<br />
Rating:<br />
3 1/2<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>My Favorite Part of the Book: </b><i>I really enjoyed the Bhang scene where Damian teaches Cynthia about the hookah-like activity he brought home with him from his travels in Persia. The Bhang is a psychedelic which is inhaled and leaves a person feeling relaxed, happy, and "drunk". This scene occurs about 50% into the book and is the first time we see husband and wife truly connect and explore their chemistry. The more relaxed the couple became during the scene, the more enjoyable their interactions became to the reader. One of my favorite aspects of a romances novel is seeing first-hand how the protagonists' love develops and blooms. This scene was unique and sweet.</i><br />
<br />
You can always expect to NOT be disappointed with a Miranda Neville novel. She has a way of putting together scenes and developing characters that secretly burrow their way into your subconscious and differentiates her stories from everyone else's. Her secondary characters are also always a delight and the misunderstood bad boy Julian was no exception (Yes, I am a Julian Fan-Girl). I like how the sub plot of the new assignment with Foreign Affairs that brought Damian back to London was both interesting and not as intrusive on the story as it could have been- leaving more room for relationship reconstruction. That being said, I really wish the love triangle element would have been explored more. If the journey back to harmonious marital bliss was going to take up the majority of the book than I would have enjoyed an even more compelling opposition in the form of Julian and Cynthia's relationship.<br />
<br />
I feel as though Cynthia and Damian encountered so many road blocks which stalled their development as a couple and I would have much preferred a furthering of the forbidden connection to fill in some of that space than the rehashing/going nowhere interactions that dominated the middle-end of the book (in other words: a more proportioned distribution+ diversity of plot development). I also didn't connect much to the heroine- I admired her charitable characteristics and resolute attitude that developed from the trials she went through earlier in life, and her vulnerability and loneliness at being neglected by her husband endeared her more to me, but overall I stopped caring about her as an individual character.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YqOt5eUKJ7k/U4Nkfi4lqGI/AAAAAAAABpU/C3iUYnWZHR4/s1600/9780062243324.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><br />
As stated, you can never go wrong with a Neville novel, and this latest offering is no deviation from that fact.Ritahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02204042949680975830noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5155779105962796229.post-89184231863767151552014-05-08T09:30:00.000-04:002014-05-13T01:26:07.498-04:00Blog Tour: Tartan Takeover with Karen Ranney ~ Book Spotlight and Giveaway!<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #674ea7;"><i>Hey Guys! I am excited to be teaming up with BookSlapped on this awesome blog tour for Karen Ranney! This post is to spotlight book 2 in Karen's Clan Sinclair series, on-sale now, which features Logan and Mairi. Enter the giveaway for a chance at some cool prizes! I'll have reviews of book 1 and 2 later in the week but do yourself a favor and pre-order now! </i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<img alt="Inline image 1" height="182" src="https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ui=2&ik=30bf19a143&view=att&th=14590789f842d29e&attid=0.2&disp=emb&realattid=ii_1458cec7d281a1b6&zw&atsh=1" width="400" /></div>
<br />
<br />
<b>About The Book:</b><br />
<a href="https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ui=2&ik=30bf19a143&view=att&th=14590789f842d29e&attid=0.4&disp=emb&realattid=ii_1458ceced38d3f1a&zw&atsh=1" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Inline image 4" border="0" height="400" src="https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ui=2&ik=30bf19a143&view=att&th=14590789f842d29e&attid=0.4&disp=emb&realattid=ii_1458ceced38d3f1a&zw&atsh=1" width="246" /></a><b>The next <i>sizzling</i> romance in New York Times bestselling author Karen Ranney's Clan Sinclair series...</b><br />
<br />
Logan Harrison is looking for a wife. As the Lord Provost of Edinburgh, he needs a conventional and diplomatic woman who will stand by his side and help further his political ambitions. He most certainly does not need Mairi Sinclair, the fiery, passionate, fiercely beautiful woman who tries to thwart him at every turn. But if she's so wrong for him, why can't he stop kissing her? He is completely bewitched.<br />
<br />
Mairi Sinclair has never met anyone like Logan Harrison, the perfect example of everything she finds wrong with the world. He's also incredibly handsome, immensely popular, and impossible to resist. His kisses inflame her and awaken a passion she can barely control.<br />
<br />
Can two people who are at such odds admit to a love that would bind them together for life?<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Order Your Copy Today!</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://amzn.to/1o4Z5g6">Amazon (paperback)</a> | <a href="http://amzn.to/1o4Z5g6">Amazon (kindle)</a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-witch-of-clan-sinclair-karen-ranney/1116864932?ean=9780062242464">Barnes & Noble (paperback)</a> | <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-witch-of-clan-sinclair-karen-ranney/1116864932?ean=9780062242464">Barnes & Noble (nook)</a><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>The Series:</b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<img alt="The Devil of Clan Sinclair ..." height="75" src="https://ci4.googleusercontent.com/proxy/wktf3LkOGOX3CzdXuRSM008WrfT4aLTZ2rKQaxuhwW5SObFSg_HAL66H_ukhndYpFY0kPdhMYbgB7ENuQoP705RQUchvhZE3gbhL=s0-d-e1-ft#http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1359352044s/16065677.jpg" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.800000190734863px; margin-right: 0px;" width="46" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.800000190734863px;"> </span><img alt="The Witch of Clan Sinclair ..." src="https://ci3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/W3_99BoLDQAQxZnkC01yhSfY8jL7KMvidiMI49JSCL3RuparYTfFBuoVbNvHehjTYFg4wo5WTvqGt0CeTC1_geWsQEr2t2Kv0KEI=s0-d-e1-ft#http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1396659411s/18331058.jpg" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.800000190734863px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.800000190734863px;"> </span><img alt="The Virgin of Clan Sinclair..." src="https://ci4.googleusercontent.com/proxy/AtI1vPDzeR9O3BwqcKzixICUXtP8mJI_e_KSuzAcIrL7NO3LB7-0TgUwYFLL6fNofDQjks6l02maoO-kN9mLLhGAKpweCiXMrwd5=s0-d-e1-ft#http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1396659038s/18482665.jpg" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.800000190734863px;" /></div>
</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="https://fbcdn-profile-a.akamaihd.net/hprofile-ak-prn2/t1.0-1/c0.34.189.189/10151993_711309505588073_279183609_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Karen Ranney" border="0" src="https://fbcdn-profile-a.akamaihd.net/hprofile-ak-prn2/t1.0-1/c0.34.189.189/10151993_711309505588073_279183609_n.jpg" /></a></div>
<b>More on the Author:</b><br />
<div>
New York Times bestselling author Karen Ranney was first published in 1995. Since then, she's gone on to write dozens of historical romances, most of them set in Scotland.</div>
<br />
Her books have been described as evocative, intensely romantic stories featuring characters who leap off the page.<br />
<div>
<br />
<br />
<b style="background-color: #f1f4f6; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: small; line-height: 18.578125px; text-align: center;">~<span style="color: magenta;">*</span>~G<span style="color: #cc0000;">I</span>V<span style="color: blue;">E</span>A<span style="color: #20124d;">W</span>A<span style="color: #bf9000;">Y</span>~<span style="color: magenta;">*</span>~</b></div>
<a class="rafl" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/c31fbf27/" id="rc-c31fbf27" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>
<script src="//d12vno17mo87cx.cloudfront.net/embed/rafl/cptr.js"></script>Ritahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02204042949680975830noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5155779105962796229.post-35073673106336595182014-04-28T08:59:00.000-04:002014-04-28T09:01:04.247-04:00A Peek into the Sausage Factory… with Alison DeLaine [Guest Post + Giveaway]<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="color: #674ea7;">Happy Spring everyone! It feels a bit like fall but I am not complaining. Soon it'll be sweltering outside and guess where I'll be... Curled up under an air conditioner catching up on reads! I have so many life updates to share with ya'll, including being | | this close to finishing undergrad, but more on that later. Today we have one of my fav new(er) authors on the blog celebrating the release of her second novel! She literally left me in tears from laughter after her last appearance so you guys can expect more of the same today. </span></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="color: #674ea7;">Without further adieu:</span></i></div>
<br />
<div style="background-color: #f1f4f6; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18.59000015258789px;">
<b style="line-height: 18.578125px;">About Alison:</b></div>
<div style="background-color: #f1f4f6; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18.59000015258789px;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;">
<img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-httJCusWnVM/Uq6dgOw6DhI/AAAAAAAABmE/4ontjT7CW_0/s1600/DeLaine-headshot-250x300.jpg" style="padding: 4px;" /></div>
<span style="line-height: 18.578125px;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div style="background-color: #f1f4f6; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18.59000015258789px;">
<span id="goog_1895166215"></span></div>
<div>
<div style="background-color: #f1f4f6; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18.59000015258789px;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Alison DeLaine lives in rural Arizona, where she tries to keep her hillbilly side under control (but generally fails) and can often be found driving a dented old pickup truck out to her mining claim in the desert. When she’s not busy striking it rich, waiting on spoiled pets, or keeping her husband in line, she is happily putting characters through the wringer. Alison is a two-time Golden Heart® finalist and currently writes historical romance for Harlequin HQN.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 18.578125px; text-align: center;">
<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 18.578125px; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 18.578125px; text-align: center;">
Find Alison Online: <a href="http://www.alisondelaine.com/" style="color: #6d0606; text-decoration: none;">Website</a> | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Alison-DeLaine/143357585793192" style="color: #6d0606; text-decoration: none;">Facebook</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/AlisonDeLaine" style="color: #6d0606; text-decoration: none;">Twitter</a></div>
</div>
<div style="background-color: #f1f4f6; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18.578125px; text-align: right;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: #f1f4f6; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18.578125px; text-align: right;">
<b>About the Book:</b></div>
<div style="background-color: #f1f4f6; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18.59000015258789px; text-align: right;">
</div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b style="background-color: #f1f4f6; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18.578125px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">A WEDDING BY DAWN</span></b><br />
<div>
<div style="background-color: #f1f4f6; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KRZS4FNIJok/U15LxKCPxEI/AAAAAAAABos/w2bVdhGSiwQ/s1600/9780373778683_prd_with+quote.jpg" height="320" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="202" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Buy Links at Bottom of Post</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b></b><br />
<b></b></div>
<b>A hellion on the run.</b> <br />
<br />
Lady India Sinclair will stop at nothing to live life on her own terms—even stealing a ship and fleeing to the Mediterranean. At last on her own, free to do as she pleases, she is determined to chart her own course. There's only one problem…. <br />
<br />
<b>A gentleman determined to possess her. </b><br />
<br />
Nicholas Warre has made a deal. To save his endangered estate, he will find Lady India, marry her and bring her back to England at the behest of her father. And with thousands at stake, he doesn't much care what the lady thinks of the idea. But as the two engage in a contest of wills, the heat between them becomes undeniable…and the wedding they each dread may lead to a love they can't live without.</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div style="background-color: #f1f4f6; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18.59000015258789px; text-align: right;">
<span style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></span></div>
<div style="background-color: #f1f4f6; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18.59000015258789px;">
<b></b></div>
<div style="background-color: #f1f4f6; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18.59000015258789px;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: #f1f4f6; clear: both; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18.578125px; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: #f1f4f6; clear: both; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18.578125px; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: #f1f4f6; clear: both; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18.578125px; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: #f1f4f6; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></div>
<div style="background-color: #f1f4f6; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18.578125px;">
<b><span style="font-size: small;">The Guest Post:</span></b><br />
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5155779105962796229" name="more" style="color: #6d0606; text-decoration: none;"></a><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><u><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">A Peek into the Sausage Factory...</span></span></u></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
a Guest Post by Alison DeLaine</div>
</div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We've all heard that old adage about watching sausage get made. I'm convinced the principle holds true for watching books get written. If you actually did observe this entire process, you might never read again! It's that messy.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Which is why I'm not going to tell you about all those bits of tired dialogue and eye-rolling prose littering the DeLaine factory floor. I want you to think my stories flow perfectly formed from my fingertips like...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">um...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Well, there goes the sausage metaphor.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IBnQ65fOK1c/U15QFHkLF5I/AAAAAAAABo4/gCpOn2-vvIA/s1600/Sausage+vs+Book.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IBnQ65fOK1c/U15QFHkLF5I/AAAAAAAABo4/gCpOn2-vvIA/s1600/Sausage+vs+Book.jpg" height="267" width="320" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As messy as my process was, A Wedding by Dawn was especially fun to write. I already knew Nick and India from my debut novel, A Gentleman 'til Midnight, and I knew they would hate each other. Well, "hate" may be a bit strong. Let's just say that Nick would not have considered Lady India for a single second were it not for the money that came with marrying her. And India would rather have given her virtue to a stranger than give herself to Nick in marriage.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">At least, that's how it starts. If you're a romance reader, I don't have to tell you that's not how it ends. But getting these two together wasn’t easy! And sometimes, as an author, I am my own worst enemy.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />Since this is a behind-the-scenes post, I'll share a few glimpses into the sausage factory after all by revealing three Important Lessons I learned while writing A Wedding by Dawn:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1) A Romance Hero cannot have, shall we say, an anatomical failure. Not even if he's been drinking heavily. Apparently, some kinds of realism are undesirable in a romance novel. (Who knew?) The Romance Hero must be able to "stand at attention" under any and all circumstances. So rest assured, you'll not have to worry about any unseemly moments of underperformance from Nick.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2) A Romance Heroine must have certain standards of modesty. Just call me Alison "Taking things too far" DeLaine. I could fall back on the old "just doing what the characters told me to do" excuse, but the fact is, I'm the one who thought it would be a good idea for India to bare all in her quest to prove herself unmarriageable. Enter my editor... and exit the semi-public nudity. My bad.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">3) A Romance Author should not use the dart-board approach to decide when and where the Romance Couple will consummate their relationship. Seriously, there was a point at which I had absolutely no idea when Nick and India would first do the deed. Here? There? (No, not everywhere. Sorry.) Don't get me wrong... There's plenty of spicy stuff. I mean, there has to be lots of lead-in before the Big Scene, right? But when it came to that Special Moment, it wasn't until one of the very last drafts that I finally realized, "Yes! Now!" (At which point, fortunately, I had already learned Lesson #1.)</span><br />
<br />
<div style="background-color: #f1f4f6; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18.578125px;">
---<br />
A WEDDING BY DAWN will be on-sale TOMORROW (4/29/2014) ! </div>
<div style="background-color: #f1f4f6; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18.578125px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: #f1f4f6; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18.578125px;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #666666;"><i><b>Order your copy of A WEDDING BY DAWN today!</b></i></span> </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div>
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/A-Wedding-By-Dawn-Hqn/dp/0373778686/ref=as_li_ss_til?tag=notanoromblo-20&linkCode=w01&creativeASIN=0373778686" style="color: #6d0606; text-decoration: none;">Amazon</a> (paperback) | <a href="https://www.amazon.com/A-Wedding-By-Dawn-Hqn-ebook/dp/B00GPDSU4O/ref=as_li_ss_til?tag=notanoromblo-20&linkCode=w01&creativeASIN=B00GPDSU4O" style="color: #6d0606; text-decoration: none;">Amazon</a> (kindle)</div>
<div>
<a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-wedding-by-dawn-alison-delaine/1116762920?ean=9780373778683&itm=1&usri=alison+delaine" style="color: #6d0606; text-decoration: none;">Barnes&Noble</a> (paperback) | <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-gentleman-til-midnight-alison-delaine/1115476102?ean=9781460323816&itm=1&usri=alison+delaine" style="color: #6d0606; text-decoration: none;">Barnes&Noble</a> (kindle)<br />
<br />
<div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>~<span style="color: magenta;">*</span>~G<span style="color: #cc0000;">I</span>V<span style="color: blue;">E</span>A<span style="color: #20124d;">W</span>A<span style="color: #bf9000;">Y</span>~<span style="color: magenta;">*</span>~</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Alison has generously offered to give away a copy of her latest novel, A WEDDING BY DAWN, to a lucky commenter!All you have to do is comment below with your favorite historical dish <b>AND</b> fill out the rafflecopter form below. Giveaway ends 5/12 at midnight! A winner will be chosen/emailed and announced shortly thereafter!</div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
</div>
</div>
<a class="rafl" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/6b4a4961/" id="rc-6b4a4961" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>
<script src="//widget.rafflecopter.com/load.js"></script>Ritahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02204042949680975830noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5155779105962796229.post-77005320966167628062014-04-22T14:15:00.000-04:002014-04-22T14:31:41.782-04:00Review: PAWN by Aimee Carter<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="clear: right; float: right; line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; margin-top: 0pt;">
<img height="402px;" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/2FA5vIwQlbBgWld8opI5woA9jbDq4EtS5TX-paqrcE7FEhmoHTwQKELIMD6IMvpepy3Uyo40tSagD2gAsNvnorN8tZi4OioJUvL2AlFGQthqgQu0qU2d35cNQJBbau0XeA" style="border: medium none; transform: rotate(0rad);" width="267px;" /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></div>
<b id="docs-internal-guid-b555532b-8aa2-dbc5-662e-3de47ecbe1ba" style="font-weight: normal;"></b><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<b id="docs-internal-guid-b555532b-8aa2-dbc5-662e-3de47ecbe1ba" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Take one unlikely, hopeless feeling heroine paired with attractive young males, added to a tyrannical government and you</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">’</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">ve got yourself a young adult dystopian novel.</span></span></span></b></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<b id="docs-internal-guid-b555532b-8aa2-dbc5-662e-3de47ecbe1ba" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></span></b></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<b id="docs-internal-guid-b555532b-8aa2-dbc5-662e-3de47ecbe1ba" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">’</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">s become a sort of formula or pattern with these books lately. Teenagers who feel their lives are constantly being controlled by the adults that rule society until one day, usually around their 16th or 17th birthdays, they are given a chance to change their lives forever.</span></span></span></b></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<b id="docs-internal-guid-b555532b-8aa2-dbc5-662e-3de47ecbe1ba" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></span></b></div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<b id="docs-internal-guid-b555532b-8aa2-dbc5-662e-3de47ecbe1ba" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Divergent gave us the test of factions, Matched had you put into a system and paired with your </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">life mate</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">”</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, Delirium had you tested for and wiped of any affectionate emotions and Hunger Games gave you the lovely, once in a lifetime opportunity to be raffled off and put into an arena where you would either fight to survive or suffer a horrible death.</span></span></span></b></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<b id="docs-internal-guid-b555532b-8aa2-dbc5-662e-3de47ecbe1ba" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></span></b></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<b id="docs-internal-guid-b555532b-8aa2-dbc5-662e-3de47ecbe1ba" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In Pawn, we face yet another test. In this novel the population is kept under control by a kind of numbering system. You live out either a miserable or pampered life until you are 17 and then you must take a test that adds new meaning to standardized and placement testing.</span></span></span></b></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<b id="docs-internal-guid-b555532b-8aa2-dbc5-662e-3de47ecbe1ba" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></span></b></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<b id="docs-internal-guid-b555532b-8aa2-dbc5-662e-3de47ecbe1ba" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">You are given a time limit, generalized questions, and then depending on your results you will have a number tattooed (or rather branded) into the back of your neck. The numbers range from the utter wastes of society I</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">’</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">s up through the royal and larger than life VII</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">’</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">s.</span></span></span></b></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<b id="docs-internal-guid-b555532b-8aa2-dbc5-662e-3de47ecbe1ba" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></span></b></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<b id="docs-internal-guid-b555532b-8aa2-dbc5-662e-3de47ecbe1ba" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Kitty Doe, a 17 year old girl living in a group home in the wretched slums of D.C, has been branded a less-than-average III, and because III’s are only fit for manual labor, Kitty will be assigned to sewage maintenance -- every teen girl</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">’</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">s dream job.</span></span></span></b></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<b id="docs-internal-guid-b555532b-8aa2-dbc5-662e-3de47ecbe1ba" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></span></b></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<b id="docs-internal-guid-b555532b-8aa2-dbc5-662e-3de47ecbe1ba" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It’s not all doom and gloom, thanks to Kitty’s very hot and very sweet boyfriend Benjy; He’s there to cheer her up, tell her that she’s special, and even proposed running away with her to escape their fate- but Kitty doesn’t want him to just throw away his life.</span></span></span></b></div>
<b id="docs-internal-guid-b555532b-8aa2-dbc5-662e-3de47ecbe1ba" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<b id="docs-internal-guid-b555532b-8aa2-dbc5-662e-3de47ecbe1ba" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">On one unfortunate day a street officer notices Kitty stealing an orange from a merchant’s table - an offence punishable by death. Only one things stops the guard from putting a bullet between her eyes... and it just so happens to be, her eyes. The unnatural shade of blue-grey that perfectly match the eyes of the prime minister’s niece, Lila Hart. After being ordered to not move and wait for more guards to arrive, Kitty and Benjy’s natural reactions are to simply run like hell to their group home - thinking they have escaped for good. </span></b></div>
<b id="docs-internal-guid-b555532b-8aa2-dbc5-662e-3de47ecbe1ba" style="font-weight: normal;">
</b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<b id="docs-internal-guid-b555532b-8aa2-dbc5-662e-3de47ecbe1ba" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></b></div>
<b id="docs-internal-guid-b555532b-8aa2-dbc5-662e-3de47ecbe1ba" style="font-weight: normal;"></b><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<b id="docs-internal-guid-b555532b-8aa2-dbc5-662e-3de47ecbe1ba" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Having accepted that her future is quite literally down the toilets and into the sewers, Kitty decides to make a drastic choice.</span></b></div>
<b id="docs-internal-guid-b555532b-8aa2-dbc5-662e-3de47ecbe1ba" style="font-weight: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></b><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<b id="docs-internal-guid-b555532b-8aa2-dbc5-662e-3de47ecbe1ba" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">She joins an acquaintance, Tabs, and decides to work for her at a club where she will sell her body to men to earn money. Despite being completely pure, innocent, and inexperienced she is instantly purchased for three times the amount any ‘seasoned’ woman would make in months of working. But while she hoped this would be a night of profit for her future with Benjy it turns out to be very much the opposite. The man who buys her company turns out to be the Prime Minister who heard of Kitty’s uniquely colored eyes that closely resemble his niece’s and he wanted to see them for himself. You might think the man has an eye fetish...but it’s all a part of his weird, twisted master plan to transform Kitty Doe into his dead niece, Lila Hart.</span></b></div>
<b id="docs-internal-guid-b555532b-8aa2-dbc5-662e-3de47ecbe1ba" style="font-weight: normal;">
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" />This is another book that challenges the ideas of socialism and the utopia that these politicians and leaders seek in the fiction world of dystopian novels, a world so strict in who deserves what that only the higher IV’s and V’s are allowed to steal from street merchants. Societies that purposely divide the people, controlling where and how they live, how many children they are permitted to have and raise, and keep a strong grip over their personal choices and words against their superiors. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As a young adult novel it deals in dark themes such as going into prostitution and supposed incest between Daxton and Lila Hart but this is Young ADULT so there will be that slight chance at it becoming just a little more dark than many would expect. And as a dystopian novel it's not bad, though its not refreshing to the point of standing out amongst the others in its genre either.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What you probably expect based on the reading: </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Kitty Doe facing day after day of government influence before being offered the chance at a better life and then working with others to begin a revolution</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What you'll get:</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> A rushed/fast paced beginning which leads straight into Kitty having to be trained to act like Lila which will last a couple of chapters. Family members who constantly try to get rid of one another, a small glimpse at the rebellious forces, a few plot twists here and there, and a somber ending.<br class="kix-line-break" /> </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">FINAL VERDICT: 3 - 3/2 “Red Roses” </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">While the main idea was interesting enough there could have been more focus on the society itself. If the history of how the world came to be the way it was were to be further expanded on or even just showing the readers more of it, it could add more to the book’s plot. The book is definitely more action based - dealing with what Kitty must do to convince others she is actually Lila Hart while working to escape Daxton and the plans he has for her. Character relationships do not come off too strongly yet so it’s possible the next book will add to them - of course the strongest relationship is between Benjy and Kitty which causes the book to give off the vibe of a dystopian romance more than anything else. </span></div>
<br /><br /><b>Other books by Aimee Carter</b>:<br />The Goddess Test Series<b id="docs-internal-guid-b555d243-8aae-ff66-8c18-9e43d3b3726b" style="font-weight: normal;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/8fT2WA-asi13HHdoDdtH-aCYALbGcF8ZCISvuCVgBspgHtvyt4DzLczPmBZ48YbJcx4yoOC7lhAgG_lwY35g2w1PD8BhOP5D3MptXDldKKQoGJ6IbsIyOSVQ9CU1aZPT0A" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/8fT2WA-asi13HHdoDdtH-aCYALbGcF8ZCISvuCVgBspgHtvyt4DzLczPmBZ48YbJcx4yoOC7lhAgG_lwY35g2w1PD8BhOP5D3MptXDldKKQoGJ6IbsIyOSVQ9CU1aZPT0A" style="border: medium none; transform: rotate(0rad);" width="124" /></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /><br /><br /><br /></span></div>
</b></b><br />
<b id="docs-internal-guid-b555532b-8aa2-dbc5-662e-3de47ecbe1ba" style="font-weight: normal;"><b id="docs-internal-guid-b555d243-8aae-ff66-8c18-9e43d3b3726b" style="font-weight: normal;"></b></b><br />
<b id="docs-internal-guid-b555532b-8aa2-dbc5-662e-3de47ecbe1ba" style="font-weight: normal;"><b id="docs-internal-guid-b555d243-8aae-ff66-8c18-9e43d3b3726b" style="font-weight: normal;"></b></b><br />
<b id="docs-internal-guid-b555532b-8aa2-dbc5-662e-3de47ecbe1ba" style="font-weight: normal;"><b id="docs-internal-guid-b555d243-8aae-ff66-8c18-9e43d3b3726b" style="font-weight: normal;"></b></b><br />
<b id="docs-internal-guid-b555532b-8aa2-dbc5-662e-3de47ecbe1ba" style="font-weight: normal;"><b id="docs-internal-guid-b555d243-8aae-ff66-8c18-9e43d3b3726b" style="font-weight: normal;"></b></b><br />
<b id="docs-internal-guid-b555532b-8aa2-dbc5-662e-3de47ecbe1ba" style="font-weight: normal;"><b id="docs-internal-guid-b555d243-8aae-ff66-8c18-9e43d3b3726b" style="font-weight: normal;"></b></b><br />
<b id="docs-internal-guid-b555532b-8aa2-dbc5-662e-3de47ecbe1ba" style="font-weight: normal;"><b id="docs-internal-guid-b555d243-8aae-ff66-8c18-9e43d3b3726b" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Book Trailer:</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><iframe embed="" height="315" http:="" rhjeqnnbm="" src="//</span><a href=" style="text-decoration: none;" width="400" www.youtube.com=""><span style="font-size:13px;font-family:Arial;color:#1155cc;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:underline;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">www.youtube.com/embed/5UrHJEQNnbM</span></a><span style="font-size:13px;font-family:Arial;color:#222222;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></span></b><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></b><br />
-Reviewed by Emily A. for NARB<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">copy of the book obtained at Harlequin TEEN preview</span><b id="docs-internal-guid-b555532b-8aa2-dbc5-662e-3de47ecbe1ba" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></b>Ritahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02204042949680975830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5155779105962796229.post-81805582511123361792014-04-09T09:40:00.000-04:002014-04-09T09:56:59.645-04:00Review: HOTELLES by Emma Mars<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8IYVscu8qII/U0U-Rm93wKI/AAAAAAAABoU/nl6QZWYH4mU/s1600/18090118.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8IYVscu8qII/U0U-Rm93wKI/AAAAAAAABoU/nl6QZWYH4mU/s1600/18090118.jpg" height="320" width="212" /></a>HOTELLES is an eloquent and enveloping exploration in sensual intrigue. It balances suspense, mystery, sexual awakening, and romance with a craftsmanship that will endear this writer to many fans of reading. Mars takes readers on a journey that'll not only strip the surface off characters who feel like neighbors, but gives readers the chance to reveal intimate details about themselves to themselves. Buckle up and prepare for an erotic roller-coaster ride of a lifetime.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
Hotel des Charmes is a special hotel in Paris, France where each room is designed and dedicated to a historically famous mistress, lady of the night, or woman who used her wiles to seduce men. It is an apt setting for our female protagonist, Annabelle- aka Elle, the escort.<br />
<br />
Putting herself through school for journalism and caring for a cancer-stricken mother, Annabelle turns to escorting as a way to keep her head above water. She's not as sexually free as her fellow escorting friend, Sophia, but she does what she musts and starts to "sleeps" with her clients to command higher fees. She never feels quite that satisfied after these illicit encounters but her purpose resonates deeply within her and she's resolved to do whatever it takes.<br />
<br />
<div>
Soon Annabelle grabs the attention of a well-to-do producer/businessman whom quickly falls in love and proposes to her. He doesn't know of her nighttime activities and Annabelle hopes she'll be able to keep it secret, but she'll soon face some opposition that'll threaten what she hopes to build with David.<br />
<br />
All seems well until her fiancé's brother Louie starts to pursue (and blackmail!) her. Louie brings out the sexual vixen in Annabelle, but why does something that is so obviously wrong feel so damn good? All the while the increasingly personal and salacious anonymous notes Annabelle has been receiving begin to get bolder and more insane threatening her "way out" with David. Is this mystery author Louie?<br />
<br />
Between investigating the demons of the Barlet brothers' pasts and getting closer to solving the mystery of the silver notebook that was slipped into her bag and for which the anonymous notes belong, Annabelle receives a sexual education of a lifetime (from someone other than her betrothed) and leaves behind a story of her own fit for the decadent hotel rooms she has been liberated in.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>My Rating:</b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gOwpWki2VXM/UqzT9orW2BI/AAAAAAAABlg/4A6p4bDENZg/s1600/fourredroses.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gOwpWki2VXM/UqzT9orW2BI/AAAAAAAABlg/4A6p4bDENZg/s1600/fourredroses.png" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<b>My Favorite Part of the Book</b>: Was reading the overall journey Annabelle went through in discovering sexual freedom and seeing how everything connected. A lot of it was internally sorted- which I usually dislike- but it was written in a very compelling way. Annabelle's exploration happened under the dynamic circumstances of the plot which intricacies added to its allure. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
This story was a marvelous introduction to Emma Mars. You could feel the French influence in every elegantly-strung sentence and reference. It was a bit of an adjustment getting use to the writing style, but an entertaining one. It didn't all work for me- like the fast progression of Annabelle and David's relationship irked me and the sequence some details were revealed. Early on, Annabelle's detachment from the situation, which isn't an outrageous reaction given the circumstances,started to rub off on me (the reader) and made it harder for me to connect with her character at first- but eventually as Annabelle started opening up, I started to connect more. There was a lot going on both internally and externally with this book, but 500+ pages might have been pushing it just a tad; The story is so intricate and distinct, however, that you won't be too perturbed at the extra hour or so of sleep you'll lose finishing it. I'd say, if you're open, adventurous, and looking for something a bit different from your usual erotic romance give this book a read! </div>
</div>
Ritahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02204042949680975830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5155779105962796229.post-58169704809398027012014-04-08T09:30:00.000-04:002014-04-08T09:30:00.260-04:00Author Interview with Emma Mars<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #674ea7;"><i><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Hey
everyone! Today is a fun day on the blog. Debut-to-states author Emma Mars and
I did an interview you have to check out! Her novel, HOTELLES,</span></span><b style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"> just released
today</b><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"> with Harper Perennial and </span></span><span style="font-size: 19px; line-height: 21.466665267944336px;">I've</span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"> got all the juicy details on this one. </span></span></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #674ea7;"><i><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">This
steamy and romantic tale has it all! Without further adieu….</span></span></i></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #674ea7;"><i><br /></i></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><b>About the
Book:</b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b></b></div>
<o:p></o:p><br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
<b><i>Paris, a hotel room, the middle of the afternoon . . .</i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://d3myrwj42s63no.cloudfront.net/180/978/006/227/417/5/9780062274175.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://d3myrwj42s63no.cloudfront.net/180/978/006/227/417/5/9780062274175.jpg" /></a><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">So begins
the story of Annabelle, a young escort in Paris who has accepted her final
proposition before marrying the powerful and generous man of her dreams, media
mogul David Barlet. But the mysterious handwritten notes she has been
receiving—notes that detail personal fantasies no one could possibly know—don't
prepare her for the fact that her new client is her fiancé's brother, Louie.
Through visits to the Hotel des Charmes, where each chamber is dedicated to one
of French history's great seductresses, Louie awakens Annabelle's body and her
psyche, delivering her to heights of ecstasy and fits of passion.He pushes her
beyond her limitations to tap into her deep seductive power—and she discovers
that true freedom comes only when you fully surrender to desire.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Funny,
sensual, candid, and revealing, <i>Hotelles</i> is a titillating
novel of mysteries and surprises by a radiant new voice.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> <b>Get Your Copy Today:</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Hotelles-A-Novel-Emma-Mars/dp/0062274171/ref=as_li_ss_til?tag=notanoromblo-20&linkCode=w01&creativeASIN=0062274171">Amazon</a> (ppb-trade) | <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/hotelles-emma-mars/1115554755?ean=9780062274175">Barnes and Noble</a> (ppb)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Hotelles-Emma-Mars-ebook/dp/B00DB3A7OM/ref=as_li_ss_til?tag=notanoromblo-20&linkCode=w01&creativeASIN=B00DB3A7OM">Amazon</a> (Kindle) | <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/hotelles-emma-mars/1115554755?ean=9780062274175">Barnes and Noble</a> (ppb)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<br />
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Interview:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><b>RJ: Hey
Emma! Thanks so much for stopping by the blog today. Firstly, congratulations
on the release of HOTELLES (Harper Perennial; Original Trade Paperback; on-sale
TODAY: April 8, 2014). You’re a new author for me and this appears to be a
debut novel – Mind telling me and my readers a bit more about you as an author
and your journey to publication?</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><b></b></span></div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">EM:</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">You’re
right, this is my debut novel in the States, which thrills me a lot. But I
already wrote a few books here in France (where I come from), in several
genres, and under various pen names.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In a
previous professional life, I was a journalist, and a photographer. But It
appeared to me that I was more skilled to write my own (fiction) stories than
other people's real lives.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><b>RJ: What
drew me to HOTELLES was the scandalous and intricate plot line the blurb hints
at. It’s also part one of a trilogy. What is the book and trilogy about and
where did the inspiration for the stories/characters/settings come from?</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">EM: HOTELLES
is a romance, an erotica and a family saga at the same time. My goal was to mix
all that up in a sole story, one thrilling and sensual cocktail. I hope the mix
is convincing enough!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Annabelle,
my central character, is an aspiring journalist whose mother needs expensive
medical care—so Annabelle becomes Elle, a paid escort for one of Paris’s most
exclusive agencies. When she meets high-flying businessman David Barlet and he
proposes marriage, Elle thinks her problems are over, but they’re just
beginning. David’s brother, Louie, is one of Elle’s past clients, and he’s not
above blackmailing her. Meanwhile, someone is sending Elle anonymous erotic
notes. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><b>RJ: Escorts
and fiancés brothers- Sounds pretty risqué! How/what was the research process
like and did you learn about anything particularly outrageous you can share?</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">EM: I read
and watched a lot about casual escorting and prostitution, which is a growing
phenomenon in Europe, especially amongst young female students. Rental fares
are so high nowadays that some of them do not find other solution to make ends
meet each month. But I also found it interesting that Annabelle might have some
romantic reason (she wants to offer a luxurious engagement watch to David) to
do such thing for the very last time.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><b>RJ: What do
you value in a good novel and what sort of characteristics do you like to find
in the protagonists?</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">EM: I value
pace and cliffhangers, but most of all I need to feel that characters are not
only puppets made up in a convenient way to fit in my script, but real
personalities who live and feel the situations they are stuck in, just like we
could live them you and me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><b>RJ: What is
the best and worst part about living in France? </b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://glsvlsi.org/paris_pic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://glsvlsi.org/paris_pic.jpg" height="200" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">EM: France
is a wonderful place to live… If you manage to forget that it is full of French
people! I'm kidding, but some people here are very pessimistic, and grumpy, so
sometimes it is hard to stay as open and as positive you'd like to be.
Sometimes I think that I was born at the right time period, but not under the
good latitude. If I live again, I think I would rather pick some place in North
America !<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><b>RJ: What
projects are you currently working on and what do the readers (and me!) have to
look forward to next from you?</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">EM: I’m
working on an historical drama, set during WWII, mostly taking place in Poland.
Less fun than Hotelles, but also very thrilling, I hope. My other releases in
the US this year are the two following volumes of the Hotelles trilogy. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><b>RJ: Final
Question: What is something shocking or interesting about you that the readers
may not know?</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">EM: I smell
everything. I’m mad about smells I like, whether this is a perfume or a natural
flavor. I could kill to smell again something that I smelled only once, even
years before.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">---</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">RJ: I would like to thank Emma for taking the time to sate my </span></span><span style="font-size: 19px; line-height: 21.466665267944336px;">curiosity</span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"> and whet the </span><span style="line-height: 20.700000762939453px;">appetite</span><span style="line-height: 115%;"> for her </span><span style="line-height: 20.700000762939453px;">delicious</span><span style="line-height: 115%;"> read! Check back tomorrow for my review!</span></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Ritahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02204042949680975830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5155779105962796229.post-3950081459535988422014-04-03T12:06:00.003-04:002014-04-03T12:46:56.737-04:00Review + Giveaway: Waiting on You by Kristan Higgins<a href="http://www.kristanhiggins.com/images/WOYfc.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.kristanhiggins.com/images/WOYfc.png" height="320" width="206" /></a>WAITING ON YOU by Kristan Higgins is rife with emotion and not as cookie-cutter as you'd expect a small town contemporary romance to be; These quintessential Higgins characters learn lessons in love, forgiveness and acceptance that keeps a reader engaged until the final page.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
Colleen O'Rourke is the beloved bar owner/matchmaker in the small town of Manningsport, New York. She has found contentment with her lot in life with the help of some awesome friends, loving and supportive (often times annoying) family, prosperous business with unique regulars, and a faithful dog named Rufus. That's not to say the betrayal of her first love marrying another woman or her father's infidelity and subsequent neglect doesn't make her feel blue or seek out the reassuring attention of the nice but mysteriously unappealing gentleman of Manningsport. Colleen's unattainability mixed with her nurturing disposition makes her pretty popular. Will the calm she worked so hard to develop be disrupted beyond repair when a blast from the past blows into town?<br />
<br />
10 years, a miscarriage, failed marriage, and sick uncle later, Lucas Campbell finds his way back to the small town that never really felt like home. His only family included an aunt that went above and beyond to make him feel like an outsider, a dimwitted but lovable cousin, and the kind but preoccupied (and pussy-whipped) brother of his father. The only person that made Manningsport worth living in, back then and now, was Colleen O'Rourke- but she currently regards him as the asshole who refused to marry her because he wasn't ready one moment and then turns up engaged the next. Despite the awkward tension, Lucas has to insert himself back into the fold of the town- if only to honor a dying wish and see his cousin settled before Uncle Joe's passing. It wouldn't be nearly as frustrating if his ex-girlfriend wasn't butting in at every turn and trying to set the cousin up with someone who was obviously a waste of time (or was she?).<br />
<br />
Characters both young and old learn from their mistakes and find contentment in exactly who they are. When misunderstandings from the past float to the surface, a second chance at first love just might persevere.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>My Rating:</b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SvjvV16_1XQ/Uz2IixZA5OI/AAAAAAAABoA/INbGiKyd1MA/s1600/threeandahalfredroses.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SvjvV16_1XQ/Uz2IixZA5OI/AAAAAAAABoA/INbGiKyd1MA/s1600/threeandahalfredroses.png" /></a></div>
<br />
<b>My Favorite Part of the Book:</b> Was the complexity of the relationship between Colleen and her father. This dynamic resonated with me deeply and was written in a very convincing and poignant way. I love when I can see little pieces of myself and true life struggles in the books that I am reading and it's nice to be on the outside looking in on something that hits close to home. I connected a lot more with the characters because of this.<br />
<br />
Every time I read a book by this author I have some pop culture comparatives to mention; This book was like Cheers meets the soap opera Passions (anyone else remember Passions!?!). I tend to shy away from small town novels because they can read too cookie cutter (and honestly too staid) to me- and for a short time in the beginning of the novel I started to worry this one would follow suit. Sure enough, Higgins worked her magic and delivered characters and plot twists that kept me engrossed with the story all the way through. I appreciated the flaws of the characters (not just protagonists) and the very real way the author chose to address those insecurities and short comings. I also appreciated a female protagonist who actually knew she was pretty, not pulling the whole "I-am-a-simple-small-town-girl-with-no-idea-how-gorgeous-and-irresistible-I-am", but Colleen did start to irk me when her beauty and her promiscuity became a repetitive theme she liked to use as a defense mechanism. And as hilarious as #TeamMenopause was, some of their conduct (and specifically a scene at a single's painting class event) just read too dramatic for me. Still, this book is classic Higgins and delivers a story ripe with characters worth reading and plenty of inspirational messages to take home.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
***GIVEAWAY***</div>
Little Bird Publicity and Kristan Higgins would like to offer a copy of WAITING ON YOU to one (1) lucky commenter! Comment on this review AND fill out the rafflecopter form below to be entered. This giveaway is open to US only (no P.O. Boxes please) and will end April 17th. A winner will be chosen and emailed.<br />
<br />
<br />
<a class="rafl" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/6b4a4959/" id="rc-6b4a4959" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>
<script src="//d12vno17mo87cx.cloudfront.net/embed/rafl/cptr.js"></script>Ritahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02204042949680975830noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5155779105962796229.post-65665690903855324992014-01-28T10:00:00.000-05:002014-01-28T10:00:03.845-05:00Romancing the Duke by Tessa Dare -Review-<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6vb_d4NX0Zc/UudhuNiUB0I/AAAAAAAABnQ/AsVo9ye0rn0/s1600/Romancing_the_Duke-250x403.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6vb_d4NX0Zc/UudhuNiUB0I/AAAAAAAABnQ/AsVo9ye0rn0/s1600/Romancing_the_Duke-250x403.jpg" height="320" width="198" /></a><b>If I won the lottery, I'd buy a castle; Lucky for the heroine of this magnificent tale, she happened to inherit one - scary, yet severely sexy duke included! </b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Izzy's life wasn't exactly akin to the characters' in her father's widely acclaimed stories. She was incredibly "plain" and exceedingly poor- but through a crazy twist of fate she now finds herself the new landlady of a dilapidated castle. </b><br />
<b>Ransom Vane is the scarred and ornery duke hiding away in said castle and not exactly thrilled at the new intrusions Izzy's warped fairytale lucky has wrought. Sparks will fly, someone's sanity is questioned and two hearts join in this latest pleaser from Tessa Dare! </b><br />
<b></b><br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<span style="background-color: #f1f4f6; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18.59000015258789px;">Read an Excerpt: </span><a href="http://tessadare.com/bookshelf/romancing-the-duke/#read-an-excerpt" style="background-color: #f1f4f6; color: #6d0606; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18.59000015258789px; text-decoration: none;">here</a><br style="background-color: #f1f4f6; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18.59000015258789px;" /><br />
<div style="background-color: #f1f4f6; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18.59000015258789px; text-align: center;">
<b>Available Now! (Just Released Today)</b></div>
<br style="background-color: #f1f4f6; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18.59000015258789px;" />
<div style="background-color: #f1f4f6; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18.59000015258789px; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0062240196?tag=notanoromblo-20&camp=0&creative=0&linkCode=as4&creativeASIN=0062240196&adid=0P3VJZZND1MYBPD36RPN&" style="color: #6d0606; text-decoration: none;">Amazon</a> (paperback) | <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DB36D5E?tag=notanoromblo-20&camp=0&creative=0&linkCode=as4&creativeASIN=B00DB36D5E&adid=1C6SEA3XNH1FW7PESTXD&" style="color: #6d0606; text-decoration: none;">Amazon</a> (kindle)</div>
<div style="background-color: #f1f4f6; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18.59000015258789px; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbninquiry.asp?ean=9780062240194" style="color: #6d0606; text-decoration: none;">Barnes&Noble</a> (paperback) | <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/romancing-the-duke-tessa-dare/1115554709" style="color: #6d0606; text-decoration: none;">Barnes&Noble</a> (Nook)</div>
<br />
Isolde Ophelia Goodnight did not have a life as fanciful and fairytale-esque as her name suggests. Those familiar with her father's work likely find her lacking and unremarkable upon actually meeting her- nowhere near the image that came to mind when reading her cameo's in The Goodnight Tales. Due to her father's deplorable money management, the now adult orphan is without money or prospects and lives off the generosity and hospitality of the more ardent fans of her father's work. Just when all hope looks lost a letter arrives informing Izzy of a change in circumstance fit for a chapter in a fanciful story book. <br />
<br />
The reclusive Duke of Rothbury is recuperating from a duel-gone-bad in an ancient castle that has been in his family's holdings for centuries. Ransom has shut the world out as he goes through the motions of existing while feeling out the new normal his injuries have forced upon him. Everything is a haze of grey and shadows but his unexpected visitor will test not only his failing vision but his mind and convictions too. She may have bought with her only one small valise (and smaller ermine), but the baggage she heaps on his door will infiltrate every nook and cranny of the enormous castle leaving no room to escape his past, present or future.<br />
<br />
The table piled high with unattended correspondence and the possibility of duplicitous solicitors threatening what little Ransom has left to rely on leaves him no choice but to remain under the same roof as his supposed new landlady as they work together to sort through one hell of a mess. With a little love and a few unlikely friends, the castle, Ransom's business affairs and two hearts may not be such a hopeless case after all.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Rating: 5 Red Roses</b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-URuTYjowrUo/UudkjL-wGZI/AAAAAAAABnY/FDUYN9mkkCs/s1600/fiveredroses.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-URuTYjowrUo/UudkjL-wGZI/AAAAAAAABnY/FDUYN9mkkCs/s1600/fiveredroses.png" /></a></div>
<span id="goog_438194332"></span><span id="goog_438194333"></span><br />
<b>My Favorite Part of the Book</b>: What wasn't my favorite would be an easier question to answer. This book was so amazing and everything worked perfectly. The fact that this book wasn't one I had to skim through to get to the interesting bits and that it kept me truly entertained and engaged from start to finish is what I took away most from it. The book was an experience. I had been on a dry spell of books lately that didn't capture me like romance novels use to do when I first started to read. Dare put that elusive touch of magic back into reading with every page.<br />
<br />
This novel is simply stunning. I can not think of sufficient adjectives to adequately describe my adoration of this latest from Dare. Upon reading the first few pages I immediately tweeted the following and could have simply left this as an accurate review of the book as the sentiment expressed remained true throughout and thereafter:<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
Ever begin reading a book & want to simply tweet thank you to the author? Thank you for sharing your gift & helping me escape <a href="https://twitter.com/TessaDare">@TessaDare</a><br />
— Rita Jett (@NotAnotherRBlog) <a href="https://twitter.com/NotAnotherRBlog/statuses/411987128319758336">December 14, 2013</a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
Dare has outdone herself with this one. Romancing the Duke had such an incredible balance of humor, dark/serious elements, camaraderie, LOVE, multidimensional characters and plot twists. Dare's voice shines through and guides us readers on a journey that keeps you entertained from cover to cover. As stated previously, you can not skim this one. You will be able to take it in and savor it like fine wine. Each scene, line and metaphor is crafted in an enticing and artful way that resonates with the reader. This is an incredible read and astounding way to start off what will probably be yet another successful book series filled with characters and stories that'll stick with me long after the happily ever after.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://tessadare.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/ants-238x410.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="A Night to Surrender" border="0" height="200" src="http://tessadare.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/ants-238x410.jpg" width="116" /></a></div>
<a href="http://tessadare.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/sayyestothemarquess-250x410.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Say Yes to the Marquess" border="0" height="200" src="http://tessadare.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/sayyestothemarquess-250x410.jpg" width="121" /></a>Want more? Book 2 in the series, Say Yes To The Marquess, (which I can not wait to devour) will be releasing in Late 2014. Can't wait? This book isn't a fluke. Ms. Dare has a habit writing similarly amazing stories/series and you can get lost for months on her back list. Try the Spindle Cove series (Book 1: A Night to Surrender)<br />
Ritahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02204042949680975830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5155779105962796229.post-85762794551947050552013-12-16T10:00:00.000-05:002013-12-16T10:00:03.113-05:00For the Love of Breeches...with Alison DeLaine (Guest Post & Giveaway)<div style="text-align: center;">
<i style="color: #674ea7;"></i><br />
<div style="display: inline !important;">
<i style="color: #674ea7;"><i>I am as pleased as ever to welcome to the blog a debut author whose upcoming novel will sail into your hearts in no time. She's on the blog today to share in our mutual adoration of a very necessary undergarment ;)</i></i><br />
<i style="color: #674ea7;"><i>Without further adieu:</i></i></div>
</div>
<div>
<div style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;">
<span style="text-align: start;"></span><br /></div>
<b style="background-color: #f1f4f6; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18.578125px;">About Alison:</b></div>
<div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;">
<img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-httJCusWnVM/Uq6dgOw6DhI/AAAAAAAABmE/4ontjT7CW_0/s1600/DeLaine-headshot-250x300.jpg" /></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18.578125px;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div>
<div>
<span id="goog_1895166215"></span></div>
<div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Alison DeLaine lives in rural Arizona, where she tries to keep her hillbilly side under control (but generally fails) and can often be found driving a dented old pickup truck out to her mining claim in the desert. When she’s not busy striking it rich, waiting on spoiled pets, or keeping her husband in line, she is happily putting characters through the wringer. Alison is a two-time Golden Heart® finalist and currently writes historical romance for Harlequin HQN.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: #f1f4f6; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18.578125px; text-align: center;">
<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: #f1f4f6; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18.578125px; text-align: center;">
Find Alison Online: <a href="http://www.alisondelaine.com/" style="color: #6d0606; text-decoration: none;">Website</a> | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Alison-DeLaine/143357585793192" style="color: #6d0606; text-decoration: none;">Facebook</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/AlisonDeLaine" style="color: #6d0606; text-decoration: none;">Twitter</a></div>
</div>
<div style="background-color: #f1f4f6; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18.578125px; text-align: right;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: #f1f4f6; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18.578125px; text-align: right;">
<b>About the Book:</b></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
</div>
<div style="background-color: #f1f4f6; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18.578125px;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;">A Gentleman 'Til Midnight</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; line-height: normal; text-align: start;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.alisondelaine.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/A-Gentleman-Til-Midnight_Chapters-1-and-2_excerpt.pdf" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://www.alisondelaine.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/HQN-final-artwork_front-cover-e1385481361296.jpg" width="202" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click cover for excerpt | Buy links below<br />
Read my Review: <a href="http://notanotherromanceblog.blogspot.com/2013/12/a-gentleman-til-midnight-by-alison.html">here</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b><b>The complication they don’t want…</b></b><br />
Lady Katherine Kinloch survived captivity once. Now the notorious captain of her own ship, she refuses to let anyone jeopardize her hard-won freedom. But on a voyage to England to fight for her family’s endangered estate, Katherine is thrown off course when she unknowingly rescues celebrated naval captain James Warre…a man who stands for everything she despises.<br />
<br /></div>
</div>
<div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; line-height: normal; text-align: start;">
<div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><b>The passion they desperately need…</b></b></div>
Haunted by regret for his role in her dark past, James is determined to be more than the cold, calculating officer Katherine expects. Her seduction is his obsession, but his pride hangs in the balance if he gives in to temptation. And hiding beneath the scorching attraction between them lies a secret that could force the two apart for good.</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></span></div>
<div>
<b></b></div>
<div>
<div>
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: #f1f4f6; clear: both; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18.578125px; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: #f1f4f6; clear: both; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18.578125px; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: #f1f4f6; clear: both; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18.578125px; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></div>
<div style="background-color: #f1f4f6; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18.578125px;">
<b><span style="font-size: medium;">The Guest Post:</span></b><br />
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5155779105962796229" name="more"></a><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><u><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">For the Love of Breeches</span>.</span></u></b><b><u><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: red;">.</span></span></span></u></b><b><u><span style="font-size: large;">.</span></u></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
a Guest Post by Alison DeLaine</div>
</div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PpnTyHnsuRM/Uq6oV0xrOgI/AAAAAAAABmw/Ex3gS_4TG80/s1600/Breeches+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PpnTyHnsuRM/Uq6oV0xrOgI/AAAAAAAABmw/Ex3gS_4TG80/s200/Breeches+1.jpg" width="110" /></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">What's Not to Love Inside Breeches?<br /><br />Oops. I meant to say about breeches. Seriously. There’s a lot to love about them. Any woman worth her salt fantasizes about the days when a girl could ogle a man's legs without having her view obstructed by extra yardage. (Of fabric. What kind of blog post do you think this is?) <br /><br />Breeches were the mini-skirts of their day--except the male/female roles were completely reversed. And some of those men had a damn fine pair of legs. Which, of course, is exactly how I envision my hero in A Gentleman 'til Midnight. Because I just wouldn't write a hero who didn't have good legs. And by "good," I mean strong, muscular, and powerful enough to sustain the leverage required for a good, long--</span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bb6ETYW0PqI/Uq6oV76f1pI/AAAAAAAABmk/IBcvHxoVU44/s1600/Breeches+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bb6ETYW0PqI/Uq6oV76f1pI/AAAAAAAABmk/IBcvHxoVU44/s200/Breeches+2.jpg" width="96" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />Well, never mind about that. Let's just say that for Captain James Warre (aka the Earl of Croston), performance isn't an issue:</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><i><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> “Touch me, Katherine,” he rasped, but she was already there. Her hands moved over the front of his breeches—too slow, too soft. His breeches were so tight it hurt. Ah, God—he undid the fastening and…"</span></i></div>
<div>
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yIUIBzDkCO4/Uq6oV_-eU4I/AAAAAAAABmg/YurPEfWkRxE/s1600/Breeches+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yIUIBzDkCO4/Uq6oV_-eU4I/AAAAAAAABmg/YurPEfWkRxE/s200/Breeches+3.jpg" width="94" /></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">And you’ll just have to read the book for the rest, because it wouldn’t be appropriate on a family blog like NARB. <br /><br />As you can see, breeches play a very crucial role in the historical romance. Really, as an author, I'm not sure what I would do without them. I like to imagine that a man's breeches could reveal… well… all kinds of things about what he might be thinking. In A Gentleman ‘til Midnight, my heroine is pretty sharp about these things. Her cutlass is pretty sharp, too, and comes in handy when cornered by an unwanted rakehell: </span></div>
<div>
<i><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /> Apparently sensing victory, the duke pushed away from the railing and took a step toward her. “I’m very sure when I meet a woman who would appreciate my strengths.” There was just enough light filtering from the windows to see his strengths bulging hard inside his breeches.<br /> “Oh, yes. I certainly can appreciate them.” Katherine feinted with her left hand as though she meant to touch him.<br /> “Then by all means, let us— Bloody hell!” The duke jumped back three feet when she whipped her cutlass from its hiding place in her skirts.</span></i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1gDA8x4GQPI/Uq6oWY3gOeI/AAAAAAAABmo/g2DUOcrLi3w/s1600/Breeches+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1gDA8x4GQPI/Uq6oWY3gOeI/AAAAAAAABmo/g2DUOcrLi3w/s200/Breeches+4.jpg" width="95" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Let’s just say the poor duke’s breeches ended up a casualty of that encounter. <br /><br />Really, the saddest thing about breeches in a historical romance is that at some point—yes, it’s true—they must be pulled up and refastened. For my Captain Warre, that certainly marked a low point:</span></div>
<div>
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-B8PoiA7wxew/Uq6oWf8pUCI/AAAAAAAABm0/ikBYcR31q1M/s1600/Breeches+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-B8PoiA7wxew/Uq6oWf8pUCI/AAAAAAAABm0/ikBYcR31q1M/s200/Breeches+5.jpg" width="84" /></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i> Was that it, then? A hasty farewell as he buttoned his breeches and stepped out of her coach two streets away to avoid being seen? Sod it all, he’d made a bloody mess of things.</i></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /><br />There’s just so much implied in a phrase like “he buttoned his breeches,” isn’t there? But if implications aren’t enough for you, I’m giving away a FREE copy of A Gentleman ‘til Midnight to TWO lucky people who comment here on or before December 23rd! Winners will be chosen on December 24.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<div style="background-color: #f1f4f6; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18.578125px;">
---<br />
A Gentleman 'til Midnight is available for Pre-Order right now wherever books are sold and will be released on December 31st, 2013.</div>
<div style="background-color: #f1f4f6; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18.578125px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: #f1f4f6; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18.578125px;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #666666;"><i><b>Pre-order A Gentleman 'til Midnight today!</b></i></span> </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div>
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0373778368?tag=notanoromblo-20&camp=0&creative=0&linkCode=as4&creativeASIN=0373778368&adid=1D6E7E4T4R9H8ASCX9NV&" style="color: #6d0606; text-decoration: none;">Amazon</a> (paperback) | <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EB3FJJ4?tag=notanoromblo-20&camp=0&creative=0&linkCode=as4&creativeASIN=B00EB3FJJ4&adid=1569WQSFZJN8QT80R3M0&" style="color: #6d0606; text-decoration: none;">Amazon</a> (kindle)</div>
<div>
<a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-gentleman-til-midnight-alison-delaine/1115476102?ean=9780373778362" style="color: #6d0606; text-decoration: none;">Barnes&Noble</a> (paperback) | <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-gentleman-til-midnight-alison-delaine/1115476102?ean=9781460323816" style="color: #6d0606; text-decoration: none;">Barnes&Noble</a> (kindle)</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Garamond; font-size: x-small;"><b><a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=jrKkg1ChIJs&subid=&offerid=239662.1&type=10&tmpid=8432&RD_PARM1=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.barnesandnoble.com%252Fw%252Fsweet-enemy-heather-snow%252F1101077574%253Fean%253D9780451236104%2526itm%253D1%2526usri%253Dhe" style="color: #6d0606; text-decoration: none;"></a></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Garamond; font-size: medium;"><b><u><a href="http://www.indiebound.org/book/978-0451236104?aff=HeatherSnow" style="color: #6d0606; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><br /></a></u></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><b>~<span style="color: magenta;">*</span>~G<span style="color: #cc0000;">I</span>V<span style="color: blue;">E</span>A<span style="color: #20124d;">W</span>A<span style="color: #bf9000;">Y</span>~<span style="color: magenta;">*</span>~</b></span></div>
<div>
Alison has generously offered to give away two (2) copies of her debut novel, A Gentleman 'til Midnight, to two (<b>2</b>) lucky commenters! What a special treat, just in time for the holidays! All you have to do is comment below with your favorite piece of historical apparel <b>AND</b> fill out the rafflecopter form below. Giveaway ends 12/23 at midnight! Winners will be chosen and announced on Christmas Eve!</div>
<div align="center">
<br /></div>
</div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<a class="rafl" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/6b4a4958/" id="rc-6b4a4958" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>
<script src="//d12vno17mo87cx.cloudfront.net/embed/rafl/cptr.js"></script>Ritahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02204042949680975830noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5155779105962796229.post-86062401827034944042013-12-15T10:30:00.001-05:002013-12-15T10:39:00.275-05:00A Gentleman 'Til Midnight by Alison DeLaine [ARC Review]<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2mOdtWNlTu0/UqzPxq_OnqI/AAAAAAAABlQ/DtNK6JtOqYM/s1600/GentelmenTillMidnight-AD.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2mOdtWNlTu0/UqzPxq_OnqI/AAAAAAAABlQ/DtNK6JtOqYM/s320/GentelmenTillMidnight-AD.JPG" width="201" /></a><b>It's captain versus captain in this battle of wills, attraction and righting wrongs from the past. A relentless force on the high seas, Our hellion heroine must embark on a journey back to her native England to ensure her inheritance isn't stolen from her. When a blast from the past requires salvation, his identity might help her cause more than she thinks...and in more ways than one.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Adventurous and intoxicatingly sweet, Alison DeLaine’s debut novel will strike a chord for any and every historical romance fan lucky enough to board passage on her story’s voyage.</b><br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
Read an Excerpt: <a href="http://www.alisondelaine.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/A-Gentleman-Til-Midnight_Chapters-1-and-2_excerpt.pdf">here</a><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
Pre-Order Today! (Available Dec. 31st)</div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0373778368?tag=notanoromblo-20&camp=0&creative=0&linkCode=as4&creativeASIN=0373778368&adid=1D6E7E4T4R9H8ASCX9NV&">Amazon</a> (paperback) | <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EB3FJJ4?tag=notanoromblo-20&camp=0&creative=0&linkCode=as4&creativeASIN=B00EB3FJJ4&adid=1569WQSFZJN8QT80R3M0&">Amazon</a> (kindle)</div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-gentleman-til-midnight-alison-delaine/1115476102?ean=9780373778362">Barnes&Noble</a> (paperback) | <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-gentleman-til-midnight-alison-delaine/1115476102?ean=9781460323816">Barnes&Noble</a> (kindle)</div>
<br />
<br />
Abducted and held captive at the age of 17, Katherine Kinloch has known great terror and helplessness at the hands of powerful men. The late Scottish Earl’s daughter turned concubine turned pirate makes her own way in the world now while also serving as karma to corsairs with ill gotten goods. Katherine has been cutting a swath and earning her moniker of “Corsair Kate” handily for several years now, but when her inheritance is threatened back at home, the misunderstood piratess trades in the sunny blue Mediterranean seas for smoggy London air.<br />
<br />
On her way back to Britain, some cargo of interest bumps up along side her ship. Despite her better judgement and ever mindful of the potential threat of disease or enemy alliance, she directs her crew to hoist the unfortunate soul from the water. The newcomer turns out to be very much alive and very connected to someone she isn't too fond of. She'll later find out that the word "connected" is a huge understatement<br />
<br />
Captain James Warre is ready to resign his commission and live the quiet life his years at sea have yet to afford him. Before he can settle down with his brandy by the fireplace he has a debt to repay to the woman he couldn't rescue all those years ago but who ironically saved him from a watery grave. When they finally land in London he finds out that his brother is in cahoots with the Parliament powers who want to see Katherine disinherited. James' debt will take a little more time and finesse to work out than he originally believed; All the while his admiration and attraction to the strong Captain/Countess grows stronger with each new day and obstacle.<br />
<br />
James and Kate have won countless battles at sea, but it's the one on land and for the heart that proves most challenging and worthwhile.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gOwpWki2VXM/UqzT9orW2BI/AAAAAAAABlc/ikEru5_QNnM/s1600/fourredroses.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gOwpWki2VXM/UqzT9orW2BI/AAAAAAAABlc/ikEru5_QNnM/s1600/fourredroses.png" /></a></div>
<br />
<b>My Favorite Part of the Book</b>: I am torn! I really enjoyed seeing Katherine battle propriety and her pirate instincts when it came to handling a ne'er-do-well of the ton whom was after her, but I am a sucker for more tender emotions, so the interaction between James and Katherine's daughter, Anne stole the show for me. I mentally swooned so many times! There's nothing like a man bonding with a child to make me turn into a silly weepy emotional mess! Anne could have easily been just a prop in this story, but her ailment combined with James' compassion gave an extra level of dimension to this book that had me hooked!<br />
<br />
Looks like Ms DeLaine has made an instant fan out of me. For starters, one things I love (and need) in my romances, almost as much as a compelling central love story itself, is a strong cast of secondary characters. It's a hard balance to write characters that support just enough rather than overwhelm the story or fall short/come off unnecessary and tedious. This book had a lot that worked for me and it beings with the intriguing supporting characters (And might I just say, I am positively <i>painting</i> for Lord Winston's book! He was a blackguard for 90% of the book and I fell irrevocably in love!).<br />
<br />
I will say that I was expecting a bit more drama on the voyage back to England in the first few chapters. A bad storm and hidden identity were nice, but coming off of reading great "at-sea" romances like the Black Cobra series by Stephanie Laurens and many of Johanna Lindsey's classics, I wanted even more angst (I thought for sure they would be engaged by rival corsairs). Also, I wanted the romance to pick up faster and more intensely. I'd already invested in the couple after a certain point, so I wanted less waltzing around propriety and more stolen moments that grew their bond as a couple. I favored James a bit more than Kathrine and liked how his character fleshed out. Kathrine took some time for me to warm up to but eventually won my heart along with her sweet daughter and peculiar motley crew.<br />
<br />
Finish this year off right by being one of the first to read this year-end treat from an author you'll be sure to hear more of very soon!<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<br />
<div>
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fYcDcKSMFZk/Uq3HP-tRJJI/AAAAAAAABls/M4VR6QJTpVQ/s1600/9780373778683_smp-e1385480419755.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fYcDcKSMFZk/Uq3HP-tRJJI/AAAAAAAABls/M4VR6QJTpVQ/s200/9780373778683_smp-e1385480419755.jpg" width="126" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-badJP41y-no/Uq3HRz6g-II/AAAAAAAABl0/nT2wUeXl-ZE/s1600/IMG_0028-189x300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-badJP41y-no/Uq3HRz6g-II/AAAAAAAABl0/nT2wUeXl-ZE/s200/IMG_0028-189x300.jpg" width="126" /></a></div>
<div>
If you can't wait for December 31st when this book is released, check out DeLaine's anthology with Stephanie Laurens <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/037377818X?tag=notanoromblo-20&camp=0&creative=0&linkCode=as4&creativeASIN=037377818X&adid=1Z32060PAANVR3KQ1QWV&">here</a> (Available Now)</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
And be on the look out in Spring 2014 for the follow up to this novel, James' brother Nicholas' story, <i>A Wedding by Dawn</i><br />
<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
Ritahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02204042949680975830noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5155779105962796229.post-29933977404604059092013-05-23T09:00:00.000-04:002013-05-23T23:04:10.972-04:00Guest Post: "New Zealand – It's A Great Place to Set Your Book!" by Jackie Ashenden<b id="docs-internal-guid-79bc87b8-d0bd-72c2-b2fc-a4141f104323" style="font-weight: normal;"></b><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<b id="docs-internal-guid-79bc87b8-d0bd-72c2-b2fc-a4141f104323" style="font-weight: normal;"><b style="background-color: #f1f4f6; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18.578125px; text-align: left;">About the Author</b><span style="background-color: #f1f4f6; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18.578125px; text-align: left;">:</span></b></div>
<div>
<a href="http://jackieashenden.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/photo-175x300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="background-color: #f1f4f6; clear: left; float: left; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18.578125px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://jackieashenden.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/photo-175x300.jpg" /></a><b id="docs-internal-guid-79bc87b8-d0bd-72c2-b2fc-a4141f104323"><b id="docs-internal-guid-79bc87b8-d0bd-72c2-b2fc-a4141f104323"></b></b><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; display: inline !important; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<b id="docs-internal-guid-79bc87b8-d0bd-72c2-b2fc-a4141f104323"><b id="docs-internal-guid-79bc87b8-d0bd-72c2-b2fc-a4141f104323"><b id="docs-internal-guid-79bc87b8-d0bd-72c2-b2fc-a4141f104323" style="font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start;"></b></b></b></div>
<b id="docs-internal-guid-79bc87b8-d0bd-72c2-b2fc-a4141f104323"><b id="docs-internal-guid-79bc87b8-d0bd-72c2-b2fc-a4141f104323">
</b></b><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<b id="docs-internal-guid-79bc87b8-d0bd-72c2-b2fc-a4141f104323"><b id="docs-internal-guid-79bc87b8-d0bd-72c2-b2fc-a4141f104323"><b id="docs-internal-guid-79bc87b8-d0bd-72c2-b2fc-a4141f104323"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 18.578125px; text-align: start;"><i></i></span></b></b></b></div>
<div style="background-color: #f1f4f6; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18.578125px; text-align: left;">
<b id="docs-internal-guid-79bc87b8-d0bd-72c2-b2fc-a4141f104323"><b id="docs-internal-guid-79bc87b8-d0bd-72c2-b2fc-a4141f104323"><b id="docs-internal-guid-79bc87b8-d0bd-72c2-b2fc-a4141f104323"><i><b id="docs-internal-guid-79bc87b8-d0bd-72c2-b2fc-a4141f104323" style="background-color: transparent; text-align: center;"><b id="docs-internal-guid-79bc87b8-d0bd-72c2-b2fc-a4141f104323"><b id="docs-internal-guid-79bc87b8-d0bd-72c2-b2fc-a4141f104323"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight: normal;"><i></i></span></b></b></b><i></i></i></b></b></b><br />
<div style="display: inline !important;">
<b id="docs-internal-guid-79bc87b8-d0bd-72c2-b2fc-a4141f104323"><i><i><b id="docs-internal-guid-79bc87b8-d0bd-72c2-b2fc-a4141f104323" style="background-color: transparent; text-align: center;"><b id="docs-internal-guid-79bc87b8-d0bd-72c2-b2fc-a4141f104323" style="background-color: transparent;"><b id="docs-internal-guid-79bc87b8-d0bd-72c2-b2fc-a4141f104323"><b id="docs-internal-guid-79bc87b8-d0bd-72c2-b2fc-a4141f104323"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight: normal;"><i></i></span></b></b></b></b></i></i></b><br />
<div style="display: inline !important; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; text-align: left;">
<b id="docs-internal-guid-79bc87b8-d0bd-72c2-b2fc-a4141f104323"><i><i><b id="docs-internal-guid-79bc87b8-d0bd-72c2-b2fc-a4141f104323" style="background-color: transparent; text-align: center;"><b id="docs-internal-guid-79bc87b8-d0bd-72c2-b2fc-a4141f104323" style="background-color: transparent;"><b id="docs-internal-guid-79bc87b8-d0bd-72c2-b2fc-a4141f104323"><b id="docs-internal-guid-79bc87b8-d0bd-72c2-b2fc-a4141f104323"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight: normal;"><i><b id="docs-internal-guid-79bc87b8-d0bd-72c2-b2fc-a4141f104323" style="background-color: transparent; text-align: center;"><b id="docs-internal-guid-79bc87b8-d0bd-72c2-b2fc-a4141f104323"><b id="docs-internal-guid-79bc87b8-d0bd-72c2-b2fc-a4141f104323"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight: normal;"><i>"</i></span></b></b></b><span style="background-color: transparent;">Jackie has been writing fiction since she was eleven years old. Mild mannered fantasy/SF/pseudo-literary writer by day, obsessive romance writer by night, she used to balance her writing with the more serious job of librarianship until a chance meeting with another romance writer prompted her to throw off the shackles of her day job and devote herself to the true love of her heart – writing romance. She particularly likes to write dark, emotional stories with alpha heroes who’ve just got the world to their liking only to have it blown wide apart by their kick-ass heroines.</span></i></span></b></b></b></b></i></i></b></div>
<i><b id="docs-internal-guid-79bc87b8-d0bd-72c2-b2fc-a4141f104323" style="background-color: transparent; text-align: center;"><b id="docs-internal-guid-79bc87b8-d0bd-72c2-b2fc-a4141f104323" style="background-color: transparent;"><b id="docs-internal-guid-79bc87b8-d0bd-72c2-b2fc-a4141f104323"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight: normal;"><i>
</i></span></b></b></b></i></div>
<i>
</i></div>
<div style="background-color: #f1f4f6; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18.578125px; text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: transparent;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: #f1f4f6; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18.578125px; text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: transparent;">She lives in Auckland, New Zealand with her husband, the inimitable Dr Jax, two kids, two cats and some guppies (possibly dead guppies by the time you read this). When she’s not torturing alpha males and their stroppy heroines, she can be found drinking chocolate martinis, reading anything she can lay her hands on, posting random crap on her blog, or being forced to go mountain biking with her husband.</span><b id="docs-internal-guid-79bc87b8-d0bd-72c2-b2fc-a4141f104323" style="background-color: transparent; text-align: center;"><b id="docs-internal-guid-79bc87b8-d0bd-72c2-b2fc-a4141f104323"><b id="docs-internal-guid-79bc87b8-d0bd-72c2-b2fc-a4141f104323"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight: normal;"><i>"</i></span></b></b></b></div>
<br />
<b id="docs-internal-guid-79bc87b8-d0bd-72c2-b2fc-a4141f104323"><b id="docs-internal-guid-79bc87b8-d0bd-72c2-b2fc-a4141f104323"></b></b><br />
<div style="background-color: transparent; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 18.578125px;">
</div>
<b id="docs-internal-guid-79bc87b8-d0bd-72c2-b2fc-a4141f104323"><b id="docs-internal-guid-79bc87b8-d0bd-72c2-b2fc-a4141f104323">
</b></b></div>
<span id="docs-internal-guid-79bc87b8-d0bd-72c2-b2fc-a4141f104323"><b id="docs-internal-guid-79bc87b8-d0bd-72c2-b2fc-a4141f104323" style="font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start;"></b></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span id="docs-internal-guid-79bc87b8-d0bd-72c2-b2fc-a4141f104323"><b id="docs-internal-guid-79bc87b8-d0bd-72c2-b2fc-a4141f104323" style="font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start;"><br style="background-color: #f1f4f6; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18.578125px; text-align: left;" /></b></span></div>
<span id="docs-internal-guid-79bc87b8-d0bd-72c2-b2fc-a4141f104323"><b id="docs-internal-guid-79bc87b8-d0bd-72c2-b2fc-a4141f104323" style="font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start;">
</b><br style="background-color: #f1f4f6; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18.578125px; text-align: left;" /><div style="background-color: #f1f4f6; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 18.578125px;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="background-color: #f1f4f6; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 18.578125px; text-align: left;">
<b>Find Jackie Online</b>: <a href="http://jackieashenden.com/" style="color: #6d0606; text-decoration: none;">Website</a> | <a href="http://jackieashenden.com/?page_id=624" style="color: #6d0606; text-decoration: none;">Blog</a> | <a href="http://www.facebook.com/jackie.ashenden" style="color: #6d0606; text-decoration: none;">Facebook</a> | <a href="http://www.twitter.com/JackieAshenden" style="color: #6d0606; text-decoration: none;">Twitter</a></div>
<br style="background-color: #f1f4f6; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18.578125px; text-align: left;" /><div style="font-weight: bold; text-align: right;">
<b id="docs-internal-guid-79bc87b8-d0bd-72c2-b2fc-a4141f104323"><b style="background-color: #f1f4f6; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18.578125px;">About the Book</b><span style="background-color: #f1f4f6; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 18.578125px;">:</span></b></div>
<blockquote style="background-color: #f8f8f8; border: 1px solid rgb(169, 187, 202); color: #670808; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; font-weight: normal; line-height: 18.578125px; margin: 1em 20px; padding: 5px; text-align: left;">
<a href="http://jackieashenden.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Talking-Dirty-with-the-CEO-cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Talking Dirty with the CEO cover" border="0" height="320" src="http://jackieashenden.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Talking-Dirty-with-the-CEO-cover.jpg" width="213" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #1f1f1f; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: normal; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 24px; padding: 0px; text-align: start; vertical-align: baseline;">
Gadget journalist Christie St. John is more geek than chic. But when research for an article she has to write on online dating leads to the bed of the hottest guy she’s ever met, she knows that if the geek is to keep the hottie CEO, she’s going to have to come out of her digital shell.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #1f1f1f; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: normal; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 24px; padding: 0px; text-align: start; vertical-align: baseline;">
Tech mogul Joseph Ashton never expected an Internet blind date to end in the best sex of his life. Yet as the chemistry between him and Christie burns out of control, he can’t help but think this woman is out for his money like all the rest. She claims she wants his heart instead – but that’s the one thing he can never give.</div>
</div>
</blockquote>
<div style="background-color: #f1f4f6; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 18.578125px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: #f1f4f6; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 18.578125px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: #f1f4f6; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 18.578125px; text-align: right;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Guest Post-</span></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal;">
</div>
<div dir="ltr" style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 1; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman Bold'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></div>
<a name='more'></a><div style="font-weight: bold;">
</div>
<div dir="ltr" style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 1; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 1; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<b id="docs-internal-guid--2b6f93b-d0c4-3d2b-181a-5f3de2c7d566" style="font-weight: normal;"></b></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<b id="docs-internal-guid--2b6f93b-d0c4-3d2b-181a-5f3de2c7d566" style="font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman Bold'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">New Zealand – It's A Great Place to Set Your Book!</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></u></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b id="docs-internal-guid--2b6f93b-d0c4-3d2b-181a-5f3de2c7d566" style="font-weight: normal;"><b id="docs-internal-guid--2b6f93b-d0c4-3d2b-181a-5f3de2c7d566" style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 1;">by Jackie Ashenden</b></b></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="line-height: 16px;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">When I first started out writing for publication I got told by a lot of people that setting my book in New Zealand was a mistake. In fact, that's what a lot of New Zealand authors get told. Apparently readers - and American readers in particular - are suspicious of settings in places that they aren't familiar with. </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="line-height: 16px;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Just to be clear I do NOT agree with this assessment of American reader's tastes. </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">However, just in case people are unsure of or are a bit timorous about New Zealand settings, I thought I'd do a small post about what to expect when you read a book set in New Zealand. </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Firstly, we're not Australian. Australia is the big continent off to your left on the map. Kiwis affectionately refer to Australia as 'the left island'. And we're not connected to Australia by a bridge either - yes, believe it or not, some people think this is true. It actually takes a good 2 - 3 hours to fly to Aussie so it's not just a quick half hour's drive.</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Secondly although there ARE a lot of sheep in NZ, they're not everywhere. I live in Auckland and I can go days without seeing a single one. ;-)</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Thirdly we have cafes and ATM machines, and even an Apple store. We're pretty cosmopolitan here in NZ. </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Fourthly, and funny you should ask, living here IS like living on a giant Lord of the Rings set. I've even walked up Mt Doom (and no, I didn't have a ring with me) and yes, it's bloody hard yakka (translation – hard work).</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Obviously I am talking tongue in cheek. But here are a few pics to help you get your bearings if you should happen to pick up Talking Dirty with the CEO, which is set in Auckland. </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<span style="vertical-align: baseline;"><div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
</span><span style="vertical-align: baseline;"><div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
</span><span style="vertical-align: baseline;"><div style="text-align: left;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-an_LRXcgvvw/UZ7YminP79I/AAAAAAAABhU/OUOnDSxkW7o/s1600/harbor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="172" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-an_LRXcgvvw/UZ7YminP79I/AAAAAAAABhU/OUOnDSxkW7o/s320/harbor.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Here's Auckland Harbor. Note Sky Tower. It looks like a proper city so don't be alarmed. </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The harbor IS actually in the book. </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<span style="vertical-align: baseline;"><div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="line-height: 1; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img height="273px;" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/n6JAZHTfA9RqJB98vDxignLbmwEM_A5Ggl8tTTBtUu76RtIW76Sd5hopw148n9yXeTfrrIgUVH9qeGu0umSsflUNfK6DuvK2Fj_wWRBIdE-9fF9FgbPs_NweYxRHQa15uK8" width="364px;" /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="line-height: 1; vertical-align: baseline;"> Here is the Auckland Harbor bridge. Not as nice as Sydney's or obviously as majestic as the Golden Gate. But we rather like it (except at rush hour). </span></div>
</span><span style="vertical-align: baseline;"><div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="line-height: 1; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img height="240px;" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/2d_U3C2diIpL6TFMAfm0yCMIH1-szRnDL1yJPnUBw6kFBmUJl0IbOnOv8IPSmwJbz_1qHzMj-VBjCNTpjpkGZQUrKvto1-Pk6uE8qe356jDjBeEpyrqeMIblvVIhl86thZc" width="359px;" /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="line-height: 1; vertical-align: baseline;"> Sheep. None appear in the story, I just thought you might like to see one. </span></div>
</span><span style="vertical-align: baseline;"><div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</span><span style="vertical-align: baseline;"><div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="line-height: 1; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img height="213px;" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/qCg9-tocCII4slOo8EvtuKAUmpjNRpYfG6aK7wP_ik76sMeFX4wA9nzUEvpxXrTWqJWO0uBGOoTzIGg77A0ixkpwFQ7-IwTDSkDYSY5lACyltbAkD5B9KLFHxleMh40uxF8" width="320px;" /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="line-height: 1; vertical-align: baseline;">Ugg Boots. Which are in my story. And are actually quite warm and cosy. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="line-height: 1; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="line-height: 1; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span></div>
</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">So there you are, not much about NZ that's too scary, right? (except that sheep. It looks kind of mad). </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Anyone have any questions about scary NZ? Ask away!</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">-Jackie</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<div style="font-weight: normal;">
<span style="font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
</span>Ritahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02204042949680975830noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5155779105962796229.post-78502876806109629672013-05-17T09:00:00.000-04:002013-05-17T09:00:07.648-04:00Author (Video) Spotlight: Amanda Scott and Rexanne Becnel<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="color: #674ea7;">Check out some awesome videos featuring historical romance author</span> </i><a href="http://www.amandascottauthor.com/"><span style="color: blue;">Amanda Scott</span></a> <span style="color: #674ea7;"><i>and historical romance and contemporary mainstream author </i></span><a href="http://www.openroadmedia.com/rexanne-becnel"><span style="color: blue;">Rexanne Becnel</span></a>.<i> <span style="color: #674ea7;">Get the inside look as Scott talks us through the importance of history to her work and Becnel describes how she creates her feisty heroines!</span></i></div>
<br />
<b>Meet Amanda:</b><br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="300" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/_IWcF8mfJD0?rel=0" width="500"></iframe><br />
<br />
<b>Amanda's Latest:</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Can two passionate people stop fighting long enough to admit their love for each other?</b></div>
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hxpI9X33DfI/UZXW-mM5qEI/AAAAAAAABhE/7G4ueEzzErk/s1600/Bath+Quadrille_Amanda+Scott.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hxpI9X33DfI/UZXW-mM5qEI/AAAAAAAABhE/7G4ueEzzErk/s1600/Bath+Quadrille_Amanda+Scott.jpg" /></a><br />
After spirited Lady Sybilla Calverton discovers her husband , the Earl of Ramsbury, in an embrace with the notorious Lady Fanny Mandeville, she returns to her father’s home in Bath determined to match the wayward Ramsbury scandal for scandal. When the Earl learns that his wife has stirred gossip by being seen too often with elegant collector Sidney St. Denis, he hastens to Bath to see if the gossip is true—and to reinsert himself into Sybilla’s affairs. Quarrels immediately reignite between them—and so does their passion. But are their strong wills the only threat to their love, or is someone deliberately trying to destroy their tempestuous marriage?<br />
<div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
*<b>Book 1 in the Bath Trilogy</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Get Your Copy Today</b>:</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CE34W3W/ref=as_li_ss_til?tag=notanoromblo-20&camp=0&creative=0&linkCode=as4&creativeASIN=B00CE34W3W&adid=16ACYY65CK0DMHVVV4N4&">Amazon</a> (Kindle) | <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1102091072?ean=9781480415171">Barnes & Noble</a> (Nook)</div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<b>Meet Rexanne:</b></div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="300" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/EfavpHU4rPE" width="500"></iframe><br />
<br />
<br />
<b></b><br />
<b><div style="text-align: right;">
<b>Rexanne's Latest:</b></div>
</b><br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>A maiden’s self-imposed isolation makes her the seductive prize in a royal battle for power</b></div>
<div>
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5R6xvHXzl4k/UZXW9xwP_8I/AAAAAAAABg8/adLaus9MB04/s1600/A+Dove+at+Midnight_Rexanne+Becnel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5R6xvHXzl4k/UZXW9xwP_8I/AAAAAAAABg8/adLaus9MB04/s1600/A+Dove+at+Midnight_Rexanne+Becnel.jpg" style="cursor: move;" /></a>Lady Joanna Preston lives cloistered behind the walls of a nunnery, sealed away from a world of savagery and sorrow. As heir to the sought-after Oxwich Castle, Joanna has vowed never to love or take a husband, denying herself the passion she has secretly dreamed of. When Sir Rylan Kempe, Lord of Blaecston, a fierce yet noble warrior-knight locked in a vengeful battle with a royal enemy, comes to claim her and her castle in the name of ultimate revenge, Joanna is intent on defying the commanding knight at every turn. Yet soon the treachery of kings binds them together in unholy union and soul-deep desire, and Rylan must choose between his consuming love for Joanna and the treacherous game to which he has pledged his life.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Get Your Copy Today</b>:</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BX8U50S/ref=as_li_ss_til?tag=notanoromblo-20&camp=0&creative=0&linkCode=as4&creativeASIN=B00BX8U50S&adid=07RGHYXP35AR7EHJFN7W&">Amazon</a> (Kindle) | <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-dove-at-midnight-rexanne-becnel/1000447342?ean=9781480409569">Barnes & Noble</a> (Nook)</div>
</div>
Ritahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02204042949680975830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5155779105962796229.post-90653552299104081752013-04-16T15:23:00.003-04:002013-04-16T15:23:27.079-04:00LIVE Interview with Historical Romance Author Kate Noble (+Giveaway) | Starts @ 6:30EST<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><b>Today I am excited to be interviewing historical romance author Kate Noble. Kate will be talking all about her latest novel, Let It Be Me (available now) and answering all of your questions!</b></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><b>The chat room will open at 6 EST and we will go live at 6:30!</b></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><b>Below is the video player where the live feed will be streaming!</b></i></div>
<br />
<br />
<div id="vokle_embed_lineup_39364_container">
<script src="//api.vokle.com/embed/lineup/39364?width=500" type="text/javascript"></script></div>
<b>About the Author:</b><br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dsiyH9UkxyQ/UW2hXReH8fI/AAAAAAAABfk/yRGW_RnpCr4/s1600/164958.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dsiyH9UkxyQ/UW2hXReH8fI/AAAAAAAABfk/yRGW_RnpCr4/s1600/164958.jpg" /></a><br />
Kate Noble love books. Romances especially. But, being born into a family of doctors, scientists, and mathematicians, she didn't discover she was adept at writing until, oh, about junior year of high school. Which came as something of a relief, as she was hopeless at memorizing the Latin names for all the bones in the human body. The Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle eludes her to this day. Kate lives in Los Angeles.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
<b>About the Book:</b></div>
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-B5C4hhoAM-Y/UW2hvfKEFJI/AAAAAAAABfs/HRaAACYjwEs/s1600/let_350.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-B5C4hhoAM-Y/UW2hvfKEFJI/AAAAAAAABfs/HRaAACYjwEs/s320/let_350.jpg" width="198" /></a>Bridget longs to meet a gentleman who doesn't mention her beautiful sister upon shaking her hand. But since being branded a shrew after a disastrous social season, Bridget knows she's lucky to even have a man come near her. It's enough to make a lady flee the country…<br /><br />So Bridget heads to Venice for music lessons with the renowned Italian composer Vincenzo Carpenini, with whom she's been corresponding. But not only is Carpenini not expecting her, he doesn't even remember her! His friend, theater owner Oliver Merrick, does, though. And one look into her tantalizing green eyes has him cursing his impulsive letter-writing, which brought her across the continent. Yet before Merrick can apologize, Carpenini has ordered her away.<br /><br />Little does either man know that they will soon be embroiled in a wager that will require the beautiful Miss Forrester's help—or that there'll be far more at stake in this gamble than money…<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Tech Stuff:</b><br />
Some of you may be unfamiliar with the Vokle platform on which the interview will be held. It's fairly simple to get the hang of and joining the event will allow you to participate directly with me and the author as well as be eligible for the giveaway. Just click the red "Join Event" button on the player and you can choose to either sign in with a Twitter or Facebook account, or make a Vokle account.<br />
Once you're logged in, you will see the chat room and can interact with other viewers as well as myself and the author. Click the red "Ask A Question" button and you can either send in a text question or follow the prompts to ask a question in person live with your web cam (please use earphones to eliminate echo). All questions submitted this way can and will (if appropriate) be answered on air- so you are encouraged to ask away! (No limit)<br />
<br />
<b>The Giveaway:</b><br />
I enjoyed Kate's book SO much that I want to give one of you the chance to read it and fall in love too! If you Join the Event and participate in some way (whether it be in the chat, asking a question, or tweeting about the interview) I'll enter you in the giveaway and at the end of the interview I'll announce who wins. The winner will get their choice of either ebook or paperback format. I can gift a copy of the book to Amazon, Nook, or Kobo users or have the book shipped to you from The Book Depository. This is open to any and all who can receive books in the aforementioned ways. Good luck!<br />
<br />
<br />Ritahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02204042949680975830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5155779105962796229.post-19112940741644384792012-12-23T17:45:00.001-05:002012-12-23T17:45:46.858-05:00A Historical Christmas Eve with Carrie Lofty (+Giveaway)<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;">A Historical </span></b><b><span style="font-size: large;">Christmas Eve </span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">with </span></b><b><span style="font-size: large;">Carrie Lofty</span></b></div>
<div style="background-color: #f1f4f6; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="background-color: #f1f4f6; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">
<div style="text-align: right;">
<b>About the Author:</b></div>
</div>
<div style="background-color: #f1f4f6;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cUTPPMHoqsg/UNcqT_fDkwI/AAAAAAAABek/mtE9Kes82jM/s1600/6f1770c48d300ad8956eb8.L._V148505750_SY470_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cUTPPMHoqsg/UNcqT_fDkwI/AAAAAAAABek/mtE9Kes82jM/s320/6f1770c48d300ad8956eb8.L._V148505750_SY470_.jpg" width="227" /></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Carrie Lofty holds a Masters degree in history, which she puts to good use as a historical romance writer and lecturer on the craft of writing. Active within the Romance Writers of America, she also weight trains and soaks up movie trivia like a sponge. She lives in the Chicago area with her husband and two daughters.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />Co-writing as Ellen Connor, Carrie's RITA™ nominated NIGHTFALL, from the "Dark Age Dawning" trilogy, won RT's Reviewers' Choice Best Futuristic Romance of 2011.<br />And as Katie Porter, Carrie and her long-time friend and critique partner, Lorelie Brown, write contemporary erotic romance. Their "Vegas Top Guns" series debuted July 31 with DOUBLE DOWN.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; text-align: center;">
<b>Find Carrie Online: </b><a href="http://www.carrielofty.com/home.html" style="color: #6d0606; text-decoration: initial;">Website</a> | <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1369826.Carrie_Lofty" style="color: #6d0606; text-decoration: initial;">Goodreads</a> | <a href="http://www.facebook.com/AuthorCarrieLofty?fref=ts" style="color: #6d0606; text-decoration: initial;">Facebook</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/carrielofty" style="color: #6d0606; text-decoration: initial;">Twitter</a></div>
<div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">
</div>
</div>
<div style="background-color: #f1f4f6; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; text-align: center;">
<div style="font-family: Georgia, Times, serif;">
<br /></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Joe Weber returned to the United States after having served as a paratrooper. He dropped into Normandy and the Netherlands, and barely survived a brutal winter in camped in Belgium just outside the German border. Letters from the complicated, unconventional woman he loved kept him strong. Lulu Davies emigrated from England months after the war's conclusion to be reunited with her husband. Here I present their first Christmas Eve together, as well as a glimpse into their future together.-Carrie</span></span><br />
<div style="font-family: Georgia, Times, serif;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div style="background-color: #f1f4f6; text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div style="margin-bottom: 6pt;">
</div>
<div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6pt;">
</div>
<div style="line-height: 18px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline;">Home For Christmas</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 18px;">
<span style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline;"></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 18px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline;">by Carrie Lofty</span><br />
<a name='more'></a></div>
<div style="line-height: 18px;">
<span style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline;"></span></div>
<div style="font-size: medium; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6pt;">
<br />
<div style="line-height: 24pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">A rush of nervous excitement mixed with her abject happiness. She still hoped he would accept her desire to keep flying. Reclining on the sofa, Lulu reminded herself to stop underestimating him. He wasn’t the same man she’d first met, when he’d been so certain about the world and where men and women fit within it. The war had altered them both down to their bones.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 24pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Joe hadn’t refastened the buttons during his brief trip to their bedroom. Lulu watched him return to the sofa, as thoughts of presents were replaced with the familiar, heady urge to undress and explore.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 24pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Soon</span>, his eyes promised, as if he’d been thinking the same thing. Not surprising. They were newlyweds. Wartime newlyweds. Insatiable hardly began to describe their hunger.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 24pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Settled with Lulu in his lap once again, Joe handed her a thin square package wrapped in white butcher paper. “It’s not much.”</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 24pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">She frowned slightly. Surely…</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 24pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Opening the 78 of Bing Crosby’s “White Christmas” only deepened her frown. “Joe, we don’t own a photograph.”</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 24pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">“So smart, Miss Know-It-All.”</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 24pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">“<span style="font-style: italic;">Mrs.</span> Know-It-All.”</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 24pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">“No, ma’am,” he said, standing and sweeping her up into his arms. “You are definitely Mrs. Weber.”</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 24pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">He gave her ribs a quick tickle as he carried her to their bedroom. In the corner was an unfamiliar piece of furniture covered in a bed sheet. A silk ribbon tied into the shape of a bow the size of an apple sat on its top.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 24pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">“You daft man. That’s not…”</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 24pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">She wiggled out of his arms and drew back the sheet, revealing a beautiful Silvertone phonograph. Lulu whispered his name. Another dozen 78s waited in one of the cabinet’s compartment, including her latest favorite, Frank Sinatra’s “Oh What It Seemed To Be.”</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 24pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">“How?”</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 24pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">“It’s used.” The wide blue and white stripes of his pajamas shifted as he shrugged. “And I’ve been saving up.”</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 24pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">“It’s…”</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 24pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">She was rarely at a loss for words, much to Joe’s chagrin, but Lulu could only shake her head. Could there be such a thing as too much happiness?</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 24pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Her hands were trembling so badly that she couldn’t start the phonograph. Joe came up behind her, his arms bracketing her body, and placed the needle on the record’s outer groove. The sounds of a soft piano and a swirling orchestra began, followed by Bing Crosby’s crooning, melodic voice.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 24pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">“Thank you,” she whispered. “I don’t know what else to say. Really Joe, it’s too much.”</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 24pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">“Only you follow up ‘I don’t know what else to say’ with another sentence.”</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 24pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">“I mean it!”</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 24pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">“Then you’re really going to flip when you see the Studebaker parked downstairs.”</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 24pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">“The Studebaker…?”</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 24pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">“I’ve been patching it together for a couple months in my spare time, down at the garage. It’s a good machine. I like it.” He kissed her temple and whispered, “I promise it can get us to Miami.”</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 24pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Now Lulu was really, truly, never-going-to-speak again speechless. She turned and he pulled her body flush against his. She could only look into his eyes, those beautiful, telling eyes, and read the truth.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 24pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">“You deserve that job offer,” he said with film assurance. “Nobody flies better than my Lulu. And that’s not flattery, doll. That’s plain truth. It just took me a while to figure out it wasn’t a bad thing.”</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 24pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">“You’d need to leave your position at Hersh’s.”</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 24pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">“They’ll give me a referral. Finding another job as a mechanic shouldn’t be any harder in Florida than in New York. Besides, you’ve come all this way to be with me.” His voice thickened with surprising emotion. “I know you’ll never stop missing England.”</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 24pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Lulu ducked her head. Blinking back her tears was becoming impossible. “I didn’t think it showed.”</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 24pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">“Doesn’t have to. Just trust I’ve been paying attention. I think I’ve learned a <span style="font-style: italic;">little </span>about you.”</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 24pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Her laugh was half of a joyful sob. “You believe so, do you?”</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 24pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">“I do.”</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 24pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">“I’ll never get tired of thinking about those two words. I do. Getting married in a hospital ward did nothing to diminish what they meant to me.”</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 24pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">“Same here, honey.” He petted her upper back and nape, sending shivers of happy heat down her spine with every pass. “For better for worse. We’re in this together. That means making the most of a great opportunity. We’d be… What do you call it? Barmy? For passing it up.”</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 24pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">“The boy from Indiana using Cockney slang. Worlds have collided.” Tears wet her cheeks and his half-bared chest as she clung to him. “I love you so much.”</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 24pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">“I love you too, Lulu. Merry Christmas.”</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 24pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">“But…” she said on a hiccupping giggle. “But I only got you a <span style="font-style: italic;">hat</span>.”</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 24pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">“Oh, go ahead and spoil it for me.”</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 24pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Once again he swept her into his arms. This time he placed her on the bed they shared. Old mattress springs squeaked. They laughed as one, pressing their foreheads together. His warm smile brushed hers.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 24pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Lulu ran her fingers from his chest to his scalp, indulging in his thick, sandy brown hair. “If I give you a present tonight, would you forgive me too?”</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 24pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">“Yes,” he said, his voice turning rough and primal. “Yes, I would.”</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 24pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">He levered over her body. One eager hand found the hem of her nightgown and pushed beneath it, palming her thigh. She shivered. She sighed. She counted a hundred blessings. Some day soon, they’d drive to Miami. And she’d keep flying. His faith and pride left her as breathless as the kissed his trailed between her bared breasts.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 24pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The music stopped and the radiator rattled to life, but Lulu barely noticed. On that night, on their first of many Christmas Eves together, she only wanted Joe. Having her husband in her arms, safe and forever, was a miracle—the most perfect present she would ever hold.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 24pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Arial;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div style="font-size: medium; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">*Don't forget to stop by <b>Ramblings From This Chick</b> for Part 1 of <a href="http://ramblingsfromthischick.blogspot.com/2012/12/a-historical-christmas-eve-with-carrie.html#more">Carrie Lofty's Scene</a>*</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: start;">
<i>This year has been a blast! In addition to HIS VERY OWN GIRL, my three Christie Family [<a href="http://carrielofty.com/Books.html" rel="nofollow" style="color: #1155cc; outline: 0px;" target="_blank">http://carrielofty.com/Books.<wbr></wbr>html</a>] romances are available now from Pocket. FLAWLESS kicked it off with a tale of an estranged couple's search for love. The 99</i>¢<b> </b><i>tie-in novella, "A LITTLE MORE SCANDAL" follows two aspiring lovers to London. And the Scottish-set second novel, STARLIGHT, was an RT BookReviews 4½ Star Top Pick. "Richly nuanced characters and a superbly realized Victorian setting come together brilliantly." ~ The Chicago Tribune</i></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: start;">
</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: start;">
<i>I've also launched a co-written pseudonym, Katie Porter [<a href="http://www.katieporterbooks.com/" rel="nofollow" style="color: #1155cc; outline: 0px;" target="_blank">http://www.katieporterbooks.<wbr></wbr>com</a>], with my long-time friend and critique partner, Lorelie Brown. RT BookReviews said of our "Vegas Top Guns" series of contemporary erotic romances from Samhain: "This racy, raunchy, hella good read…will move Fifty Shades of Grey to the children's section of the bookstore." </i></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: start;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: start;">
<i>Happy holidays to you from the shores of Lake Michigan. My family, my cats, and the nice men who plow the snow at our condo wish you the best for 2013--and so do I!- Carrie</i></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-size: medium; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6pt;">
<b>Available Now:</b></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LpB_Z8Q1uQM/UNcqtAgVJmI/AAAAAAAABes/sPP57N10aFY/s1600/9ca00cda14e51673c5aec2f452073678_lyyl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LpB_Z8Q1uQM/UNcqtAgVJmI/AAAAAAAABes/sPP57N10aFY/s1600/9ca00cda14e51673c5aec2f452073678_lyyl.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">After war took the lives of Lulu Davies's parents and her fiancé, she promised herself she would guard her heart carefully and concentrate on her great love--flying the biggest and best airplanes as a British civilian pilot. <br /><br />Brawny, quiet American medic Joe Weber signed up with the paratroopers to escape his checkered past. The first test of his medical skill takes place when he rushes to the scene of a plane crash. He's stunned to come face-to-face with a spirited, dark-haired beauty.<br /><br />Their flirtation breaks all of Lulu's rules, but dance by dance, she falls in love with this honest, vulnerable man on the run from his demons. Only time and hope will prove whether they can overcome their pasts, survive the war, and forge a beautiful life in peace-time.</span></div>
</blockquote>
<div style="font-size: medium; line-height: 18px;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;">
<b>Get Your Copy Today:</b></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B006IDG2I2/ref=as_li_ss_til?tag=notanoromblo-20&camp=0&creative=0&linkCode=as4&creativeASIN=B006IDG2I2&adid=0JE4BP0DZHWH8BKHDR7J&" style="color: #6d0606; text-decoration: initial;">Amazon (Kindle)</a> <span style="background-color: transparent;">| </span><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/his-very-own-girl-carrie-lofty/1108180113?ean=9781451679120" style="background-color: transparent; color: #6d0606; text-decoration: initial;">B&N (Nook)</a></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: medium; line-height: 18px; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wTTev5gn1O0/ULr_1DwmHVI/AAAAAAAABVI/w5gag-sFFZY/s200/GiveawayButton.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wTTev5gn1O0/ULr_1DwmHVI/AAAAAAAABVI/w5gag-sFFZY/s200/GiveawayButton.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">Carrie is giving away 2 ecopies of her book, </span></span><i>His Very Own Girl</i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">, to two lucky commenters (open to all with ereading capabilities)! Make sure to</span></span><b style="font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;"> leave a meaningful comment below AND fill out the rafflecopter</b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">.</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: normal;">
<br />
<div>
<a class="rafl" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/208eb8338/" id="rc-208eb8338" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>
<script src="//d12vno17mo87cx.cloudfront.net/embed/rafl/cptr.js"></script><br />
<div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>And don't forget to enter the Grand Prize Giveaway</b></span></div>
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://notanotherromanceblog.blogspot.com/p/a-historical-christmas-eveevent-page.html"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IkmJTYN8Pl4/ULr3gt8X-tI/AAAAAAAABU0/s2LcA-_ZmOU/s1600/GPButton.jpg" /></a></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
Ritahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02204042949680975830noreply@blogger.com24