by Sarah | Aug 8, 2014 | Character Interview, Guest Authors, Writing
- What is your story?
*smirking and arching a brow* Tell me your’s and I’ll tell you mine.
- Who are you?
My name is Angela MacCallister, I’m a report for the Channel 12 News and I’m doing a story on animal cruelty in the sport of rodeo.
- Do you have a problem that wasn’t mentioned in the story?
I don’t have problems, (laughs) I solve them.
- Do you embrace conflict? Or do you run from conflict?
I guess I embrace it as much as anyone does. I mean, if it gets me where I want to be in life, I’ll embrace it. I wouldn’t say I’m afraid of conflict but it’s not something I enjoy. If I can avoid it, I will.
- How do you see yourself?
I’m strong and independent. I have been since I was young. I had to be. I guess I’m kind of a loner. I mean, you can’t really ever fully trust anyone but yourself. And if you do, you’re bound to be disappointed. Don’t get me wrong, I’m loyal to those I love, there just aren’t many people who I let close enough to see that side of me.
- How do your friends see you?
(Laughing sarcastically) What friends? I don’t really have any. I never have. Like I said, you can’t really trust other people. They might want to help but when push comes to shove, they are going to do what’s best for themselves first. It’s just the way things are. The only person I’d even consider a friend is Joe and he looks at me the same way other people do – frigid, cold. But they also know I can get the job done.
- How do your enemies see you?
I don’t really have any that I know of. I mean, reporting is a cut-throat business but we all know that so it’s not something you hold against another reporter if they scoop you on a story. I guess there are probably some people who don’t like me but it’s probably for the same reasons other people do like me – I’m strong, independent and get the job done.
- How does the author see you?
It’s strange but she likes me. She has this notion that my independence is a coping mechanism, that it’s not who I really am. She sees me as this softie with a tough outer shell and worked really hard to try to crumble it.
- What, if anything, haunts you?
Is this really something we need to talk about? (pauses) I guess my mother’s death, the way she died, that there was nothing I could do to help her, that I watched it happen. No kid should ever have to endure going through that.
- Has anyone ever betrayed you?
(Bitter laugh) Yeah, over and over and, stupidly, I continue to come back for more. I guess it’s that loyalty thing to those I love but I can’t seem to give up and let my father cave to his demons.
- Have you ever failed anyone?
Do we really have to keep talking about this? (Shifting nervously in the chair) Yeah, my mother and my father. I couldn’t save my mother before she died and, as hard as I try, I’m not so sure I’m going to be able to save my father either.
- Have you ever betrayed anyone?
That would depend on who you asked. Mike, Sydney and Scott might tell you I betrayed Derek. I’m not so sure I’d call it a betrayal as much as a mistake. Other’s might believe I betrayed my friend, Joe, but I wouldn’t call it that.
- What was your childhood like?
Pretty bad. Horrible really. If my parents weren’t fighting about my father being drunk, Mom and I were trying to keep everything quiet while he was suffering from a hangover. After she died, I had to take care of both of us. When he had a job, I used to sneak his checks from his wallet before he could cash them and spend it all at the bar on the corner. I think he knew what I was doing but he never said anything. He wasn’t a mean drunk. (sigh) I can’t tell you how many times, as a teenager, I got phone calls from a bartender telling me to come get him.
- What in your past would you like to forget?
Most of it. I don’t really have those sparkly, rainbow memories most kids have. Don’t get me wrong, there were some good times before my mom died but I’d like to flush most of my past down the toilet.
- What in your past would you like others to forget?
Very few people know about my past at all. It’s my present I don’t want them to know about. Joe is the only person who knows about my dad’s drinking problem. If it got out…(shakes head) That’s just something I won’t let happen.
- Who was your first love?
It’s pretty hard to date or fall in love when you’re busy carting your father home from bars each and every night so I only went out on a few dates in high school and never serious. The only person in my life who’s been constant is Joe and we tried that once, in college. That’s just not happening. I care about him, love him even, but like a brother. So, I guess the short answer is when you can’t get close to people and you don’t do relationships, you can’t fall in love.
- Who is your true love?
My imaginary Prince Charming? If I were to pick an ideal man he’d be strong, physically and emotionally, and supportive. He would need to be able to understand and share my loyalty to family. And he would need a great sense of humor. That’s a must because you can’t deal with this much sarcasm without a sense of humor. It wouldn’t hurt if he was good looking but that’s not what’s important to me. It’s what’s in here. (tapping her chest over her heart). If he’s kindhearted without being a pushover, that’s better than looks. If you find a guy like that, hook me up.
- Was there ever a defining moment of your life?
When we got the call from the hospital saying my mother had died. I was in our apartment and heard my father make this God-awful wailing sound, like…I don’t know. He sounded like his heart was being ripped from his chest. He was still drunk but not to the point of falling over but I saw him fall to his knees. I took the phone and tried to sound like an adult on the phone but they knew I was just a kid. When I hung it up, I didn’t cry. I just put my dad back to bed and set a glass of water on the nightstand. I didn’t let myself cry until I was alone in my room. That was the last time I cried. For my mother, for my father, for the childhood I realized I would never have. From that night on, I grew up fast. I had to.
- What is your most closely guarded secret?
In my line of work, you have to be perfect and pleasing so no one at work knows about my father’s drinking except Joe. I’ve been able to keep it quiet and my life out of the limelight but he’s getting worse. I have to get him into a rehab or some sort of treatment program. If I do that, people are bound to find out.
- What is your most prized possession? Why?
My mother’s wedding ring. I keep it on a gold chain and never take it off.
- What one word best describes you?
Cautious
- What is your first memory?
My third birthday. Mom and Dad threw me a little party with the three of us but, I think, it was as the zoo. I remember them pretending the animals were eating cake for my birthday too. It’s one of my best memories as a child and one of the only times I remember my father being completely sober and my mother looked up at him holding me like he hung the moon. In spite of his flaws, she loved him.
- Any non-family member adults stick out in your mind? Who were they, and how did you know them? Why do they stick out?
- Who was your best friend when you were growing up?
That would be Joe. His family moved into our apartment building about a year before my mother died and, since we were the only kids in the complex at the time, we hung out together a lot. We’ve been inseparable since. We went to college together and now he’s my boss. He’s seen the worst times in my life and never turned his back on me. I can trust him when I trust no one else.
- What is your fondest, childhood memory?
Saturday mornings with my mother. I would wake up to her fixing pancakes, always a different flavor, and then we’d clean house together. I know it sounds strange but we had fun doing it together. We’d blast music since dad was working and we’d sing. Badly but it was fun.
- What habit that others have annoys you most?
There are so many things people do to annoy me but I hate it when people try to get away with things they shouldn’t do because they think they can. Maybe it’s why I’m always trying to do an exposé and bring down crooked politicians and scams. I definitely fight for the underdog, even when everyone might be taking advantage of them.
- Do you have any bad habits? If so, what are they, and do you plan to get rid of them?
I fidget. When I get uptight, I will start messing with my mother’s ring or the chain holding it around my neck. Either rolling the ring or sliding my fingers over the chain. I’ve learned to control it for the most part and usually only mess with it when I’m really stressed now.
- What kind of things embarrass you? Why?
There’s always the little things like toilet paper on my shoe, or food on my cheek but mostly things like crying or showing fear…I don’t like anyone to see weakness in me. It gives them something they can exploit.
- What don’t you like about yourself?
I don’t like the part of me that still hopes for a better future. Life would be so much easier if I could just face reality and accept the situation my dad and I are in. But that “root-for-the-underdog” thing comes back and I want more, a better life, and keep killing myself trying to get it. It’s only more disappointment but I can’t quite give up. Even admitting I want to irritates me but there are just those days when I wish I could just accept things as they are like other people seem to.
- Do you currently have a lover? What is their name, and what is your relationship like? What are they like? Why are you attracted to them?
- What is the perfect romantic date?
I really wouldn’t know. I guess, for me, it would just mean someone allowing me to be myself, to show my vulnerabilities and accept them without judging me. To be held, connected on an emotional level with someone who makes me feel…safe. We wouldn’t need to go anywhere or do anything, just be together. It would be more of a feeling with that person, not a specific thing we do.
- What is more important – sex or intimacy? Why?
(Laughs) Sex is just sex, just another thing you do, without intimacy. I should know. I’ve had sex, meaningless, unfulfilling, unemotional sex. I’ve never had intimacy. I can’t trust anyone.
- What was your most recent relationship like? Who was it with? (Does not need to be sexual, merely romantic.)
My most recent relationship was about a year ago. I went out with a guy from work, a new reporter who was only at the station a few weeks. We had dinner, went back to his place after a few drinks and had sex. I went home. That was all, one date. Two months later, he got picked up by a bigger station. I like it that way. No complications, no emotional connections and I’m completely in control.
- Do you think redemption is possible? If so, can anyone be redeemed, or are there only certain circumstances that can be? If not, why do you think nothing can redeem itself?
I certainly hope there is redemption. I’m the poster child of someone who needs it. I mean, there must be. Everyone needs to be forgiven for something. I’ve seen the secrets people hide, I know what happens when they are revealed. Everyone had something that they need to be redeemed for. I think redemption is available to everyone but you have to want to pay the price and for most people, it’s too high.
- Is it okay for you to cry? When was the last time you cried?
No, next question.
- What do you think is wrong with MOST people, overall?
Do you have all day for me to list everything? I guess, overall, it would be a lack of empathy. I see the underbelly of society every day, even if I am only reporting the sweet stuff on television. People in general only care about themselves and their own little world. They forget there are other people out there worse off. It’s where greed stems from, people hurting other people, taking what doesn’t belong to them. If people would open their eyes, consider the ripple effect of actions before they take them, the world would be a much better place.
- What is the thing that has frightened you most? Do you think there is anything out there that’s scarier than that? What do you think that would be?
Complete and utter vulnerability. I’m sure there are other things out there – terrorism attacks, brutality, acts of nature – that would scare other people but for me, right now in my life this would frighten me most. A close second would be giving up control, trusting someone else with an outcome. If I fail, I know who is to blame and who is responsible, but I also know what I put into it. Trusting someone else? (shakes head) I just don’t think I can do that.
*~*
Blurb
From our NaNoWriMo author T. J. Kline comes the stunning follow up to RODEO QUEEN. When a sexy cowboy falls for a not-so-angelic reporter, secrets and sparks abound.
Reporter Angela McCallister needs the scoop of her career in order to save her father from his bad decisions that have depleted their savings. When the chance to spend a week at the Findley Brothers ranch arises, she sees a chance to get a behind-the-scenes scoop on rodeo. That certainly doesn’t include kissing the devastatingly handsome and charming cowboy, Derek Chandler, who insists on calling her angel.
Derek has a rodeo to run and a chip on his shoulder. He has no time for the fiery woman who is clearly hiding something. But for some reason he can’t keep his hands off of her. Their connection is instant and explosive but Angela’s secrets could threaten his family and Derek needs to prove that he’s not the irresponsible kid brother anymore.
When the rodeo dust has settled, will the Cowboy and his Angel allow themselves to give in to the attraction that threatens to consume them both?
Link to Follow Tour: http://tastybooktours.blogspot.com/2014/06/now-booking-tasty-virtual-tour-for_9536.html
Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22493055-the-cowboy-and-the-angel
Buy Links
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00JZOX5CM/ref=cm_sw_su_dp?tag=avonromancehc-20
B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-cowboy-and-the-angel-t-j-kline/1119471859?cm_mmc=affiliates-_-linkshare-_-mdxm68jzjz8-_-10%3a1&ean=9780062370075&isbn=9780062370075&r=1
Kobo: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/the-cowboy-and-the-angel-4?utm_source=linkshare_us&utm_medium=Affiliate&utm_campaign=linkshare_us&siteID=MdXm68JZJz8-ZNNsDrsxVS8YoMK7PeFdLw
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/the-cowboy-and-the-angel/id870615758?mt=11
Author Info
T. J. Kline was raised competing in rodeos and Rodeo Queen competitions since the age of 14 and has thorough knowledge of the sport as well as the culture involved. She has written several articles about rodeo for small periodicals, as well as a more recent how-to article for RevWriter, and has published a nonfiction health book and two inspirational fiction titles under the name Tina Klinesmith. She is also an avid reader and book reviewer for both Tyndale and Multnomah. In her spare time, she can be found laughing hysterically with her husband, children, and their menagerie of pets in Northern California.
Author Links
http://tinaklinesmith.com/
https://www.facebook.com/TKlinesmith
https://twitter.com/TinaKlinesmith
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7379969.T_J_Kline
GIVEAWAY
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by Sarah | Aug 6, 2014 | Book Spotlight, Guest Authors, Guest Post, Writing
Thank you so much for hosting me today! It gives me the chance to talk about my favorite subject – men! Specifically, the bad boy in my newest romance novel, Take the Key and Lock Her Up.
If you’ve read the earlier books in my Deadly Games series, then you know my heroes are sexy, big, strong alpha males. Many of them have law-enforcement occupations. They’re honorable, have integrity, strong moral codes, and old-fashioned good manners. They respect women for their brains. But they appreciate their other assets as well and are attentive, devoted lovers (as any fantasy hero should be!). These are the kind of men I’ve always chosen to write about.
Until now.
The hero of my newest book, Devlin “Devil” Buchanan, doesn’t have a law enforcement occupation. He uses good manners when it helps him achieve his goals. He’s an attentive lover, charming in fact, but only for one night. He never lets anyone get close to him. He loves his family, would do anything to protect them, but none of them really know him. None of them suspect that he’s hiding a deep, dark secret. What’s the secret?
Devlin Buchanan is an assassin.
That’s right. He kills people. For money. So how can he be a hero? The answer to that question lies in the reasons that he kills, and the identity of the people he is hired to terminate. If you read this story, you’ll discover–just like police detective, Emily O’Malley does–that Devlin is a complicated man with a complicated, tragic past that informs every decision he has ever made. And once you learn more about him you’ll begin to understand exactly why he does what he does. And hopefully, if I’ve done my job right, you’ll realize Devlin truly is honorable and adheres to a strict moral code. And maybe, just maybe, you’ll come to love him as much as the heroine does.
Devlin is the most difficult character I’ve ever written. But he is also the most rewarding, because redeeming an assassin took an enormous amount of work, and soul-searching, and a lot of “what if” thinking. There are compelling reasons for what Devlin does. And once you know those reasons you might find yourself agreeing with them.
Devlin and Emily couldn’t be more different, a criminal and a cop, but through the incredibly difficult challenges they endure together, they find a middle ground. Both of them grow and change in this story and discover a new truth, a new understanding, that neither of them would have ever found on their own. Both characters are flawed, but as Emily says at one point in the story, they may not be perfect, but they’re perfect for each other.
*~*
| Amazon | ARe | BN | Kobo |
Blurb
Lena Diaz returns with another sexy, thrilling Deadly Games novel and the darkest question of all: What do you do when your freedom could cost you your life?
Detective Emily O’Malley just stumbled upon a killer’s lair—and the remains of a woman he kept locked away for years. But this killer isn’t done yet. More women are missing, and all clues point to Devlin Buchanan—the man who seems to know just a little too much. Emily’s instincts are rarely wrong, and now they’re telling her this sexy, mysterious man is hiding something big …
As a trained assassin for EXIT Inc—a top-secret mercenary group posing as an international tour company—Devlin “Devil” Buchanan isn’t afraid to take justice into his own hands. But when the hot new detective on his trail gets too close to the organization and a contract is placed on her life, Devlin does the only thing he can: he turns rogue agent and kidnaps her to save her life.
With EXIT Inc closing in and passions running hot between them, Emily and Devlin must work together to find the missing women and clear both their names before time runs out … and the key to freedom is thrown away.
*~*
Author Info
Originally from Kentucky, romantic suspense author Lena Diaz also lived in California and Louisiana before settling in Northeast Florida with her husband, two children, and a Shetland Sheepdog named Sparky. A Romance Writers of America Golden Heart® finalist, she’s won the prestigious Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense and has been a finalist for the National Excellence in Romance Fiction Award. She loves to watch action movies, garden, and hike in the beautiful Tennessee Smoky Mountains.
Author Links
http://www.lenadiaz.com/
https://twitter.com/LenaDiaz
https://www.facebook.com/LenaDiazAuthor
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5026871.Lena_Diaz?from_search=true
*~*
Giveaway
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by Sarah | Aug 5, 2014 | Author Interview, Book Spotlight, Guest Authors, Writing
Today I’m pleased to have the author of Enemies on Tap, Avery Flynn, visiting! She agreed to sit down and answer a few questions. So, please help me welcome Avery!
*~*
Thanks so much for having me over!!
Personal
- What was the greatest thing you learned at school? – We moved around a lot as a kid and the best school advice I ever got came from my older sister who told me that on the first day to never sit in the back of the room and never sit alone in the lunchroom. Go out and make friends.
- Do you laugh at your own jokes? – Sometimes I’m the only one who does. 🙂
- Where can people find you on the web? Where can they read more about your books? – Come visit me on Twitter (@AveryFlynn), on Facebook or on my website (www.averyflynn.com). I’m fun. I promise!
Your Novel
- What is your book about? – Enemies on Tap is about two people who are fighting against what the world expects of them. They’re underdogs in the game of love and you just can’t help but root for them.
- What about your book might pique the reader’s interest? – If a reader is not into sassy, sexy, funny books than they should stay away from Enemies on Tap. If you do like that sort of thing, then come join the fun!
- Who is your most unusual/most likeable character? – Personally, I love them all but Ruby Sue is a real hoot. You gotta love an older woman who speaks her mind without censure.
Fun (Crazy, odd questions just for fun)
- You were just given a yacht. What would you name it? – The Full Monte. 🙂
- Someday I want to _____ (fill in the blank) – Have my own private island.
- If you could have a super power, what would it be? – The ability to be more than one place at the same time.
- How many licks does it take to get to the middle of a Tootsie Pop? – 412. Try it. See if I’m wrong.
- If parents say ‘never take candy from strangers’then why do we trick or treat? – Because candy is that damn good. 🙂
Quick Questions
- Sing in the rain or dance in the streets? – Both at the same time!
- Pen or pencil? – Pen.
- Summer or Winter? – Summer for sure.
- Movies or TV? – I love movies.
- Cowboy or Bad Boy? – Bad boy all the way.
- Sunrise or Sunset? – I am a night owl so sunset is like my sunrise. 🙂
*~*
**BUY LINKS WILL NEED TO BE ADDED
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“I Love to Read” Ring, Beer
Lovers Coasters
& $50 Amazon GC
Brewing up trouble one pint at a time.
Enemies
What’s a girl to do when the only person who can help her is the man who betrayed her? After years away, Miranda returns to Salvation, Virginia to save her family’s brewery, but her fate is in the hands of her first lover turned enemy, Logan Martin.
Lovers
Logan, Salvation’s de facto prince, can’t believe his luck when the woman who smashed his heart to smithereens walks into his bank asking for his help. What she doesn’t know is he needs the land her brewery is on. When she tempts him with a bet—if she wins, he gives her the loan; if he wins, she forfeits the land—he knows it’s a sure thing.
An Irresistible Combination
But soon it’s a battle between their attraction for each other and their determination to win, and it’s in each other’s arms that they realize there might be more at stake now than the bet. With the town dead set against the Sweet Salvation Brewery’s success, Logan has to choose between what’s expected of him and what he really wants—even if helping Miranda means she’ll run out of his life once again.
Avery Flynn
has three slightly-wild children, loves a hockey-addicted husband and is
desperately hoping someone invents the coffee IV drip.
Hosted by
by Sarah | Aug 3, 2014 | Book Spotlight, Guest Authors, Writing
To post this Grand Finale (we’ll send you the HTML code) and add your Social Media to the Rafflecopter,
email us at PrismBookTours(at)gmail.com with “Reese’s Cowboy Kiss GF” in the subject line.
A themed book tour through Prism Book Tours.
The Sweet Montana Bride Series by Kimberly Krey is complete at last! Reese’s Cowboy Kiss is available now on kindle or paperback. Did you get a chance to check out the tour and enter the $100 Amazon gift card? If not, go check them out now!
Launch – The Emerson Brothers
Some of you have already read Cassie and Shane’s love story. Some have read Jade and Gavin’s tale too. Now for the first and final book of the series. That’s right – first chronologically, and final in order of release. In Reese’s Cowboy Kiss you’ll find out just how Reese and Blake’s romance begins. From that first, tender kiss to the conflict that threatens to tear them apart, their story is filled with passion, romance, and action too.
Kelly P’s Blog – Interview
If you could sum your main character into five words, what would they be?
Reese: Genuine, Tender-hearted, Flirtatious, Spunky, Charming
Blake: Loyal, Hard-working, Honest, Masculine, Passionate
Mary Terrani.com – Emerson Ranch
It has been an absolute pleasure to read comments about the setting for my Sweet Montana Bride Series. Emerson Ranch has willing protectors, welcoming folks, and all the beauty a land can possess. Oh, and let’s not forget about the good-looking cowboys…
I Am A Reader – Dream Cast
As a writer, I know just what my characters look like. Sometimes I can picture a certain actor who fits the bill, other times it requires a little more thought. With Reese Taylor, it was easy. She’s a Texan pageant girl who defies the stereotype in many ways. She’s loving, kind, and looks for the best in others. While she’s beautiful and bold and loves to flirt with the guys, at twenty-four years old, Reese has never been in love.
Christy’s Cozy Corners – Review
“The romance in this book is sweet and clean (with much kissing!), and the suspense near the end of the book is very exciting. The main characters in the book are well-written and the secondary characters are good supporting cast members. The story is a quick, cute read.”
Musings of Immortals – Spotlight
Letters from Annie (Douglass) Lima – Recipe for Slow-Cooked Beef Brisket
In the Sweet Montana Bride Series, the Emersons like to welcome newcomers with a nice, big meal. So when Reese came with a family recipe of her own, they were thrilled to serve up the savory beef brisket. In the book I refer to it as Texan BBQ, but I always had this delicious dish in mind. It is one of my favorites, and definitely worth trying at home.
The Wonderings of One Person – Interview
Can we expect to hear more from these characters in the near future?
Yes, actually! I’ll be doing a few novellas connected to the Sweet Montana Bride Series. The first one, Rough Edges, is about Allie (the Emerson Brothers’ cousin). After her divorce, she reconnects with her ex-husband’s old high school friend, Braden Fox. Braden is a carpenter, and though he has always liked Allie, he has hard feelings about Allie picking Terrance over him. It’s called Rough Edges, and it will be about Braden’s ability to smooth out the past.
Wishful Endings – Review
“If you’re looking for romance with some suspense and plenty of laughs and sizzle, then you’ll definitely like Reese’s Cowboy Kiss.”
Book-Marks the Spot – Review
“I loved this book and I recommend it to everyone that likes a clean romance with a dash of angst, a cupful of looming danger, and a whole lot of cowboys.”
Undercover Book Reviews – Review
“Loved this book! Romance and suspense! Well written and easy to follow. Clean little romance that you will love as well!”
My Devotional Thoughts – Review
“This book is everything I love–clean romance, mystery, comedy–all rolled into one. And I can honestly say that this book is just a notch below my favorite.”
The Written Adventure – Dodging An Unwanted Kiss
“We all know what it’s like to go out on a date only to find the chemistry isn’t quite what we hoped for. But what if our date has a different view? What if, at the end of the evening, he leans in for a goodnight kiss? In Reese’s Cowboy Kiss, Reese, our Texan bombshell, has to deal with this very dilemma when Rowdy, one of the ranch hands, asks her out. Sadly, she’s already fallen for the foreman of the ranch, Blake Emerson, so the guy doesn’t stand a chance.”
Sarah’s StoryLines – “Helping” Him Notice
Relationships can be rather tricky at times. Men are often clueless as to the time and attention we women need. In novel Reese’s Cowboy Kiss, Reese realizes the truth of this when Blake, the man watching over her in witness protection, spends hours late into the night out on the land. And though the two have had a connection, he continues to leave her to either eat alone, or go against his wishes and invite the ranch hands to join her for dinner.
Katie’s Clean Book Collection – Review
“I loved watching the romance blossom and the suspenseful element was fantastic! I was on edge reading through those parts–very romantic and very creepy. The author did a great job in drawing me completely into the story.”
Southern Chelle – Review
“I loved this book! I’m a huge sucker for a good cowboy/country/western book anyway, but Reese’s Cowboy Kiss was an absolutely amazing read!”
Bookworm Lisa – Review
“Kimberly Krey does an amazing job at creating a story that is fun and entertaing. Reese’s personality takes the cuteness and fun factor for a female MC to a fantastic level.”
Reese’s Cowboy Kiss
(Sweet Montana Bride #1)
by Kimberly Krey
Adult Romance
Paperback, 307 Pages
May 13th 2014 by Candle House Publishing
Texan pageant winner, Reese Taylor, has a former classmate who wants her dead. Now she must leave her friends and family to enter a protection program on Emerson Ranch. A group of good-looking cowboys awaits her, but Reese has her eye on Blake Emerson, the one man too busy with the ranch to give her a chance.
Blake Emerson has no time to go lookin’ for love. He’s got a ranch to run, positions to fill, and an ache in his heart from love gone wrong. So when he agrees to harbor a witness to help on the ranch, Blake assumes his first two problems are solved. But he never dreamed his new guest would be a woman. One he was destined to lose his heart to.
With sparks burning hot and danger around the bend, one question lingers in his mind: Has he only added to his list of troubles, or has Blake just found the woman of his dreams?
*While this book is considered clean romance, it contains passionate kissing and a few mild curse words.*
Amazon – Barnes & Noble
Other Books in the Sweet Montana Bride Series:
Amazon Amazon
Barnes & Noble Barnes & Noble
About Kimberly Krey
I’m a writer of contemporary clean romance, a lover of home, family, & friends, & the ultimate hater of laundry.
A few of my favorite things: Diet Coke, Cafe Rio, and novels by Marcia Lynn McClure.
I do not go anywhere without: SoftLips Chapstick and Altoids Smalls.
Website – Facebook – Twitter – Goodreads
Tour-Wide Giveaway
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by Sarah | Jul 30, 2014 | Book Spotlight, Guest Authors, Writing
Expected publication: July 22nd 2014
“Sometimes, something jolts you out of everything you have ever known, and it isn’t possible to go back to the way things were.”
Kallie Adam’s life is turned upside down when she loses her first love. When she can’t handle the pressure of her overbearing life anymore, she runs away. Kallie has always been forced to live up to everyone’s expectations. When Kallie meets Ryder, she sees an opportunity to break out of the good girl life she always led.
Ryder Brooks has his own secrets and knows he is no good for the girl that showed up out of nowhere. He will only ruin her, like he ruins everything, but he can’t help wondering what she is running from. Ryder makes Kallie feel things she thought she would never feel again. Will he help Kallie heal or be her undoing? They will soon realize they have more in common than they knew, enough to keep them apart.
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The one story building was brick and had no windows. A neon open sign hung in the glass door. This must be a bar, but I had no other options and was not about to start driving aimlessly looking for a more family-friendly place to eat alone. I parked and entered the building.
The smell of smoke and beer met me. A long bar lined the wall with bottles of liquor filling the shelves behind it. Low hung lights with green shades gave the place little lighting. Several guys played pool in the back corner. Several other men stopped to look at me from the tables scattered around the room.
I took a deep breath and made my way to the bartender, who was watching me from the bar. The older man had graying hair and looked slightly overweight. I tried to ignore the fact that I looked like an alien in here, with my stark white dress, expensive purse, jewelry and high heels clicking on the weathered tile. I took the barstool directly in front of the bartender, feeling eyes watch me the whole way there.
“Lost?” he asked bluntly.
“And very hungry sir,” I said meekly and embarrassed.
He gave me a sad smile and handed me a sheet of laminated paper they called a menu. After quickly scanning through, I ordered a burger and fries. I anxiously played with the charms of my bracelet while waiting for my food to come. I could feel the eyes burning into my back, but the voices picked back up as I no longer was the center of attention.
I couldn’t tell if it was dark out yet from inside the dark and dingy bar. I almost laughed when I thought of my mother’s reaction if she knew where I was, instead of her well-planned party. I never went out to bars and partied like my classmates did. I stayed in, concentrated on my studies and watched as Chloe and the girls got ready to head out for nights of fun and drinking. I didn’t imagine this would be the kind of bar they would go to, though.
My food arrived and I slowly ate the burger to stall from having to start the drive home. Driving in the dark on the winding country roads was the last thing I wanted to do. After all, I know how dangerous that could be. Maybe Carter would be sitting on my patio with me right now if it had been daylight for his drive home. Maybe I wouldn’t be in this smokey bar alone.
I slid my card to the bartender when he took my empty plate. “Do you want to start a tab?” he asked me.
“For drinks?” I asked, like I have never been in a bar before. “Yes,” I answered quickly to cover my embarrassment. I could at least try to look like I know what I am doing and remotely blend in. I grabbed my ID from my purse and slid it across the bar.
“What can I get you then, sweetie?” He tucked my card under the register.
“Scotch. On the rocks,” rolled off my tongue before even thinking. I had no idea what I was thinking. I saw it in so many movies and commercials, it seemed like the right thing to say.
The bartender tried to hide his laugh and shook his head. Taking a bottle from the shelves behind him, he filled a glass and slid it in front of me. The smell burned my nose as I lifted it to my lips. He watched me curiously as I inhaled a deep breath. I took a long drink from the glass to keep up my rouse.
The liquid burned my throat like I swallowed flames. I instantly started coughing and shaking my head to clear the burn. I kept my eyes down on the ice cubes in my glass to avoid looking at the bartender. Surely, he must know how deep over my head I am by now.
“Hey, Hank,” came from a voice from next to me, drawing the worried man away from me.
“Ryder,” he said back to the voice while popping the top off a beer bottle and sliding it across the bar. I didn’t even hear him ask for one.
I rolled the glass around in my hands and kept my gaze down. I just wanted to crawl up in a hole and hide from here, this bar, and home and my family. But, I currently have no where to hide that’s not any of those places.
“You’re not from around here, are you?” I heard in a deep voice near my ear.
I looked up quickly to see the guy, named Ryder, sliding over to the stool next to me. His eyes traveled from my high heels, up my bare legs and the rest of my body before landing on my face. I wanted to cringe away from his look, but my body made no moves. I could almost feel his eyes moving up my skin.
Even with an empty and broken heart, my mind could not ignore that the face in front of mine was striking. Black hair spiked in every direction. His pointed jaw and high cheekbones brought all your attention to piercing, dark brown eyes. Some stubble on his chin made him look older, but his broad shoulders and wide chest showed a body of someone younger. He raised one eyebrow at me, reminding me he asked a question.
“Um…no. I’m not,” I stuttered, turning away from his handsome face. He was opposite of Carter in almost every way. I could see him still watching me from the corner of my eye, so I took another drink to break the tension. My body shuddered as the Scotch burned it’s way down.
“Hank, Mojito,” he called out, slamming his hand on the bar.
Hank slid a tall glass with mint leaves and a clear liquid inside. I turned to look at Ryder in shock as he slid the Scotch away from me and downed the rest.
“This is better. Trust me,” he said, sliding the glass closer to me.
In utter curiosity, I took a small sniff. The smell of citrus and mint was a delightful contrast to the previous drink.
“Thank you,” I said, bringing the drink to my lips. The drink burned when swallowed, but then was washed away with the freshness of mint, lime and bubbles.
“Ryder,” the stranger said, sticking out his hand. His eyes shined bright with amusement and something that looked almost daring, like he was challenging me.
“Kallie,” I answered, putting my hand in his. His large hand covered mine. It was rough and instantly warmed my whole body.I have an obsession with owls.
- I make homemade wine, and drink it.
- I love watermelon and anything flavored or scented watermelon.
- I have a dog and a cat. They are my kids.
- I have 5 tattoos and need more.
- I’m a Mac person, I have no idea how to use anything Windows.
- If I could live in any state it would be Georgia.
- I am scared of spiders and big fish.
- On the first day of sixth grade, I walked into the boys bathroom. Most embarrassing moment.
- My favorite candy is skittles.
- I never eat breakfast in the morning, but can eat if for dinner everyday of the week.
- I have ridiculously naturally long nails.
- I collected clowns when I was a kid. I have over 100 in my bedroom. No one wanted to come over for sleepovers.
- My sister and my husband are my best friends.
- If I won the lottery, I would own every Mustang model ever made.
- I have never had stiches or broken a bone in my life [knock on wood]
- Unless you count the time I knocked out both my front teeth. [They are fixed now]
- I am a famous singer, in my shower.
- I used to have a motorcycle until I dropped it. I traded it in for a 4-wheeler. I guess I’m too small to hold up a bike.
- I choose Coke over Pepsi and Miller Light over Bud Light.
Alyne lives in Ohio with her husband, dog and cat. Working full time in an office all day, she spends her nights reading, writing or watching TV marathons. She loves coffee, animals and country music.
Author Central Amazon amazon.com/author/alyneroberts
Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7866185.Alyne_Roberts
Blog http://alyneroberts.blogspot.com
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/AlyneRoberts
Twitter http://www.twitter.com/AlyneRoberts
by Sarah | Jul 30, 2014 | Character Interview, Guest Authors, Writing
- What is your story? I grew up dirt poor in a leaky trailer in the small town of Marshall’s Creek, Virginia. I wish I could say that my parents loved me. But I never knew my Native American mother and my father was a drunken bully who beat me nearly every day I can remember. Until I turned 14 and got to be as big as he was. I threatened to kill him if he ever touched me again. He never did.
- Who are you? I am a retired Navy SEAL, and am now the Chief of Police of Marshall’s Creek, Virginia. I have a beautiful wife and a partner, both of whom I love unconditionally.
- Do you think the author portrayed you accurately? My author knows me better than I know myself. Her faith in me allowed me to be loved by two of the most amazin’ human bein’s on the face of the planet.
- Do you have any special strengths? I believe I’m a pretty good judge of character and have a pretty strong BS detector. Not much gets by me.
- Do you have any special weaknesses? Not that I’m aware of, although, if you were to ask Sarah or Adam if I have any special weaknesses, you’d probably get a different answer.
- What makes you happy? Sarah and Adam.
- What are you afraid of? Losin’ either of them.
- What do you regret? That I left town the day of Sarah’s eighteenth birthday and stayed away for eight years before tryin’ to put things right.
- What is your biggest disappointment? I try not to dwell on negative things in my life.
- What in your past had the most profound effect on you? Seein’ Sarah on the day of her eighteenth birthday about to be raped. I still have nightmares about it.
- Who is your true love? Well, in case you haven’t guessed by now, Sarah.
- What is the most important thing that ever happened to you? Gettin’ a job when I was nineteen as a gardener’s assistant at Marshall’s Hill, the estate home of Sarah Marshall. Why? Because that was the day I rescued her from a thirty-foot fall out of a tree.
- Was there a major turning point in your life? I would say that becomin’ a SEAL was a pretty major turning point. Up until that point, I’d never really challenged myself and discoverin’ what I was truly capable of was pretty satisfying.
- What is your most closely guarded secret? Well, now, if I tell you that, it wouldn’t be a secret anymore, now, would it?
- Do you have any hobbies? You know, I really don’t. I’ve never thought about it before, and can’t think of a single thing I’d like to do as a hobby. I don’t see me takin’ up golf, for instance. Or goin’ fishin’. I have no talent for anything of an artistic nature. I do love to travel. And read.
- Name five items in your purse, briefcase, or pockets. My keys, some change, my Swiss Army knife (never leave home without it), my wallet, and my cell phone.
- If you had the power to change one thing in the world that didn’t affect you personally, what would it be? I’d get rid of bullying.
- How do you envision your future? I see Sarah, Adam, and me settlin’ down, maybe havin’ a couple of kids. That’s gonna be kinda tricky, considerin’ the lifestyle we lead, but it can be done. I would love to have some kids. Damn sure I’ll be a better father than my own was.
- What is your most prized mundane possession? My dog-eared copy of Watership Down. Why do you value it so much? It was the first book Sarah made me read. When I saw that it was a 500-page book about rabbits, I nearly balked. I mean, c’mon. But I read it and wished it was 800 pages, it was so phenomenal.
- What was your family like? Never met my Native American mother. My father said she ran off with another man when I was just a toddler. Frankly, I always suspected that he’d simply killed her and hid her body deep in the woods around our town. He was a drunken bully and used to beat me every day. Haven’t seen him since I was 17.
- When’s the last time you saw any member of your family? I have two older cousins, Brian and Matt Wilson. I saw Brian just yesterday when I went over to Marshall’s Hill to check on the BDSM Club he’s creatin’ for us at Marshall’s Hill, Sarah’s old home. Saw Matt just a few days ago. Where are they now? Matt’s probably either in his garage or at his biker bar, Brian’s probably over at Marshall’s Hill.
- Did you ever meet any other family members? Don’t have any other family. Who were they? What did you think of them?
- What is your worst childhood memory? The sound of my dad taking off his belt.
- What is something you had to learn that you hated? Never learned to hate anything. The things I hate I always knew I hated, bullies, abusers, liars.
- What do you find most relaxing? (Not as in stress relief, but as something that actually calms you down.) Comin’ home and seein’ Sarah in her submissive posture, ready to please me. When she hands me her power that calms me to my core.
- What is the perfect romantic date? Flowers, a candlelit dinner, dancin’ in the moonlight, strawberries and champagne, a petal-strewn bed, and Sarah, bound and spread and beggin’ to be allowed to come.
- What is more important – sex or intimacy? Intimacy. Why? Because sex without intimacy does nothing to nurture a relationship. There needs to be a deep emotional connection between the partners for the act of sex to soar to new heights. That’s what I love about our D/s way of life. With every power exchange, the emotional bond between Adam, Sarah, and I grows stronger. With every sexual interaction, the trust grows deeper, the love more profound. With true intimacy, the sex is so deeply intertwined, the two can no longer be separated.
- What’s the worst thing you’ve done to someone you loved? I left Sarah in the lurch the day of her eighteenth birthday. After I pulled her would-be rapist off of her, I locked us in her father’s study to wait for the police. She threw herself at me, begged me to make love to her, and I panicked. I knew that if I stayed in Marshall’s Creek, I wouldn’t be able to stop myself from takin’ her. So I left town, like a coward, with no word of good-bye or explanation. I wanted the break to be clean, so she’d forget all about me.
- What one act in your past are you most ashamed of? Leavin’ Sarah without sayin’ good-bye. What one act in your past are you most proud of? Leavin’ Sarah without sayin’ good-bye. If I had stayed, I would have destroyed her future. I would have made her my woman, whether she was ready to be or not. She never would have gone to college, never would have become the brilliant attorney she is today. So, yeah, that eight-year separation was emotionally devastating to both of us, but in the end it made both of us much stronger people.
- What trait do you find most admirable, and how often do you find it? Honesty. I know my friends and my SEAL buddies are honest with me, but not many other people are.
- Is an ounce of prevention really worth a pound of cure? Which is more valuable? Why do you feel this way? These are difficult questions. If your ounce of prevention is to have ‘round the clock bodyguards for someone under the threat of kidnappin’ and that someone gets kidnapped anyway, the point is rather moot, don’t you think?
- What one word best describes you? Bad-ass [grins]
- How do your friends see you? They see me as a man of honor and integrity, who will always speak the truth, and who can be relied upon in a tight spot.
- How do your enemies see you? As their worst nightmare…to coin a phrase.
- What, if anything, haunts you? I don’t let anything haunt me. Life is too short. Sarah and Adam have introduced me to so many joys that it would be foolish to allow shadows from the past to diminish the experience.
- How private of a person are you? To my friends and family, I’m an open book. To others, I’m guarded until I get to know them. Why? Because, frankly, it’s nobody’s business what I do, think, or feel, except for those close, intimate few with whom I’m sharing’ those thoughts or feelin’s.
- If you were to gain an obscenely large sum of money (via an inhertiance, a lawsuit, a lottery, or anything else) what would you do with it? I already have an obscenely large sum of money, thanks to years of wise investments by Adam’s Uncle Joe. I’m spending a walloping amount on turning Marshall’s Hill, Sarah’s ancestral home, into an exclusive BDSM Club. I fund two psychiatric clinics, one in England and one here in the States, for women who’ve been trafficked as sex slaves. Along with my cousin Brian Wilson, who owns a construction company, I’m turning an old, abandoned cotton mill on the outskirts of Marshall’s Creek into luxury apartments. The money we collect in rents will fund a shelter for battered women.
- What would you wish for if you found a genie? World peace. No, truly. This is not a cliché. I would wish for world peace.
*~*~*~*
KEEPING SARAH BACK COVER BLURB
Honeymooning in England, Jesse Colter, Adam Sinclair and their beloved wife, Sarah, are heading for their friend Thorne Cahill’s BDSM club for dinner when another car deliberately tries to run them off the road. Thanks to their own driver’s skills, the other car is destroyed, the two unknown occupants killed.
Through Thorne, they discover that they’re the targets of a “blood feud”, instigated by Konstandin Sokolov, son of Viktor Sokolov, the Albanian mobster who had unwisely kidnapped Sarah a few months back, and paid for it with his life. They also discover that Thorne’s guests, ruthless human traffickers, have gathered at the club for a slave auction being held the following night. Konstandin Sokolov happens to be one of the buyers.
Fraught with treachery, betrayal, and deadly danger, Keeping Sarah keeps the reader on a knife’s edge of tension, while simultaneously exploring the deepening emotional and physical commitment between Jesse and Adam. They already trust each other with their lives. Now they must learn how to trust each other with their love.
STORY EXCERPT
As they raised their heads, both men noticed the headlights of the car behind them, approaching way too fast for such mountainous terrain. Jesse knew that they were in a section of the Pennines where the road hugged the cliff face. Beyond, to their left, only a slender guard rail stood between them and a sheer drop-off of hundreds of feet. He also knew that the car rapidly approaching them was not going to swerve off and pass them by.
“Clay!” Jesse roared, pressing the button for the intercom. “What the fuck?”
“Yeah, I see ’em,” was Clay’s laconic response. “Brace yourselves.”
“Crap! Hang on, Sarah!” Grabbing Sarah’s seat belt, Jesse managed to buckle it around her just as the car behind them, what looked like a Honda CR-V, crashed into their rear bumper in an impact that would have been much worse if Clay hadn’t skillfully countered it by speeding up at the last second. Crystal rattled and champagne went flying, drenching everything with the sticky liquid. As the limo shot forward, the headlights of the other vehicle swung wildly to the right as the driver tried to avoid running over the pieces of his own front end that now littered the road.
Clay increased speed, taking the next turn with a loud squeal of the tires, and the SUV’s headlights were lost around a bend. But within seconds it had caught up, trying to pull alongside the black Mercedes. Clay swerved abruptly, cutting them off. Both vehicles zig-zagged wildly back and forth, each trying to gain the advantage as they hurtled down the road. The SUV veered wide, turned back hard, and slammed into the right rear quarter panel of the limo with a resounding crash of metal. Miraculously, Clay’s skillful driving kept the heavy limo firmly on the road. The SUV veered wide again. Clay waited until they were about to slam into the Mercedes again, before countering their move by slamming the heavier limo into the driver’s side of the SUV, doubling the force of the resulting impact and sending the SUV, tires screeching, skidding across the road toward the sheer cliff face. Amid the crash and shriek of metal striking metal, Clay slammed into them again, keeping the pressure on as the limo’s superior weight slowly pushed the smaller, lighter-weight car sideways off the road and onto the narrow shoulder. The driver’s side rear window of the SUV lowered and Jesse could see the passenger kneeling in his seat and aiming what looked like a Kalashnikov assault rifle in their direction.
“Clay!” Jesse yelled again.
EDITOR’S COMMENTS ON KEEPING SARAH
“I heartily enjoyed this book. It’s truly an erotic BDSM ménage epic, and it’s extremely well written. The locations are sweeping and exotic, the food is lusciously described, the sex scenes are plentiful and romantic and delightfully perverse. Pacing is breezy throughout, even though this is a fairly long novel, and the suspense plot keeps the reader wanting more. It’s excellent that the menage relationship features a lot of hot M/M scenes between Jesse and Adam, not to mention the pegging by Sarah. I can’t compliment Keeping Sarah highly enough.
Special mention should be made of the Sybian competition and slave auction scenes. These were both highly unique, beautifully written, disturbing, and felt like Sadean ceremonies. The Sybian competition had an exuberance and weirdness about it that was both comical and surreal. It showed great imagination. The slave auction was nightmarish—imagining this secret organization existing was very frightening. The poetic details were what really made it—the fact that the boy being auctioned was chubby and albino, the disturbing concept of “pony girls,” and the appearance of the sinister Mistress Diabolica. I loved it.” J
AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY
Julie has always loved stories, both reading and writing them, ever since she was old enough to hold a book in her hands. One of her favorite childhood activities was smuggling books under the covers to read by flashlight after she was supposed to be asleep.
A career as a children’s librarian eventually led to her dream career as a freelance storyteller and puppeteer, a business she operated successfully for twenty-five years. During that time she created and wrote all the original material for a monthly language arts newsletter full of poems, songs, puppet and flannel-board stories, fingerplays, and other resource material for early childhood educators. For that endeavor she won the prestigious EDPRESS Award for the best educational newsletter of 1982. She has also written other resource materials for preschool and early elementary teachers.
Julie lives in a suburb of Atlanta, Georgia. Now widowed and retired, she once again has time to devote to her two favorite things—reading and writing—especially her new love, erotic romances.
Keeping Sarah is available now for pre-order at a discount at www.bookstrand.com/keeping-sarah.
*~*
BUY LINKS FOR LOVING SARAH
| Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Siren-Bookstrand | Kobobooks | GooglePlay |
COVER BLURB FOR LOVING SARAH
Eight years ago Jesse Colter fled his small town, leaving behind eighteen-year-old Sarah Marshall, broken-hearted and devastated. Now a retired Navy SEAL, he’s back and he wants only one thing—Sarah Marshall—preferably bound, naked, and on her knees before him.
She has never forgotten Jesse. He’s been the object of all her sexual fantasies since she was fifteen, as well as the star of nightly dreams that have become increasingly erotic over the years. So when he suddenly reappears in her life, she is torn. Can she trust him not to hurt her, or will he once again break her heart? Warily, she agrees to let him introduce her to his world—the world of bondage, Domination, and erotic slavery. When he also introduces her to his best friend, Adam Sinclair, Sarah faces a daunting future of sexual submission to two powerful alpha males.
But Sarah faces an even bigger challenge. Someone is stalking her. Is it the old enemy who’s just been released from prison? Or is it someone else from her past who is determined to destroy any chance she has at happiness? Can Adam’s and Jesse’s love protect her? Or will her world explode in a cataclysm of betrayal and violence that will destroy them all?
*~*
BUY LINKS FOR OWNING SARAH
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Siren-Bookstrand | Kobobooks |
Owning Sarah, back cover blurb
It’s been a month since Sarah Marshall was kidnapped and held at knife-point by her ex-fiance. But Jesse Colter and Adam Sinclair, her two loving Doms, know that there is an even deadlier threat still out there—Ryder Malone.
He blames both Sarah and Jesse for sending him to prison eight years ago for attempted rape, and he’s determined to make them pay. So, he begins a systematic campaign of terror and intimidation against them. But the danger he poses doesn’t end there.
Set against the deepening love and commitment between Sarah, Jesse, and Adam, Owning Sarah is more than just a sexy, sensual, BDSM love story. It is a harrowing race against time for Jesse, Adam, and a team of former SEALs to stop one of the biggest arms-for-drugs deals in U.S. history. And to rescue Sarah before Malone sells her to a human trafficker and she’s lost to her men forever.
MY LINKS
Amazon author page: http://amzn.to/UsPzGk
Website: http://bit.ly/Nn2gPE
Facebook author page: http://on.fb.me/19nGsh2
LinkedIn Profile: http://linkd.in/1gYBG9p
Blurb
