Quote-Tastic and Review: On the Naughty List by Lori Foster, Carly Phillips, Sugar Jamison, and Beth Ciotta

Publisher: St. Martin 
Format Read: eGalley
Source: the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Release Date: October 14, 2014
Buying Links: Amazon* | Kobo | ARe* | Barnes & Noble |
* affiliate links; the blog receives a small commission from purchases made through these links.

Blurb from goodreads:

The most wonderful time of the year is back with On The Naughty List, bringing perennial favorite holiday stories from Lori Foster and Carly Phillips, along with two Christmas stories that delighted readers a year ago. This sexy anthology will make you want to give your heart to Christmas again and again…Lori Foster has two co-workers plan a Christmas party side-by-side-and discover a love worth celebrating in Christmas Bonus Carly Phillips explores a "mistletoe moment" when a no-nonsense lawyer intent on seducing her boss meets his twin instead--and gives him a scintillating kiss that leaves him begging for more in Naughty Under the Mistletoe.In Sugar Jamison’s Have Yourself a Curvy Little Christmas, former wild child Dina Gregory returns home to New York to find the father of her young son. Instead, she finds his stuffy older brother, Ben. Ben can’t help but admire her tenacity—and her bold beauty. Could it be that Dina has reignited his Christmas spirit? Beth Ciotta brings two friends who, after years apart, together at home for the holidays. They don’t seem to have much in common anymore, but when the two get stranded together during a blizzard, they are forced to reexamine if they are better off as "just friends"? Or could it be that true love was there all along? in Some Kind of Wonderful.

EXCERPT from No Limits by Lori Foster

The world of MMA wrestling has become a hot trend in romances and today I have an excerpt from Lori Foster's new release, "No Limits", part of her new series, "Ultimate", that's also a spin-off of  sorts from her "Love Undercover" series.

Since first publishing in January 1996, Lori Foster has become a Waldenbooks, Borders, USA Today, Publisher’s Weekly and New York Times bestselling author of over 70 novellas and novels. She currently writes single titles for HQN. Lori believes it’s important to give back to the community as much as possible, and for that reason she ran special contests in conjunction with a publisher, facilitating many first sales for new authors. She routinely organizes events among authors and readers to gather donations for various organizations.

Q&A with Lori Foster and Giveaway of Getting Rowdy

Welcome to my stop on the Getting Rowdy blog tour. Lori Foster is back again for another quick interview (I also interviewed Lori last October.) and then her publisherHarlequin, and PR firm Meryl L Moss Media, are giving away a paperback copy of "Getting Rowdy".

Since first publishing in January 1996, Lori Foster has become a Waldenbooks, Borders, USA Today, Publisher’s Weekly and New York Times bestselling author of over 70 novellas and novels. She currently writes single titles for HQN. Lori believes it’s important to give back to the community as much as possible, and for that reason she ran special contests in conjunction with a publisher, facilitating many first sales for new authors. She routinely organizes events among authors and readers to gather donations for various organizations.

Get Yourself Some Animal Attraction and Help Some Animals! New Romance Anthology

As you know I'm an animal lover. While I'm partial to cats, I love all animals and believe they all deserve to be treated decently and domestic animals given a good home. Several of romance's hot authors have come together to write a book to help animals.

"Animal Attraction" brings you four sizzling tales of finding love unexpectedly—with a little help from man’s best friend. All Author and Agent proceeds from sales of this book will benefit the Animal Adoption Foundation, a no-kill animal shelter in Hamilton, Ohio.

 Blurb from goodreads:

All Author and Agent proceeds from sales of the book will benefit the AAF - Animal Adoption Foundation - a no-kill animal shelter in Hamilton, Ohio.

Buckhorn Ever After by Lori Foster
Shohn Hudson & Nadine Moest.
Shohn is Casey’s younger brother, son to Sawyer and Honey....Includes appearances from other relatives (Link to family tree on Lori's website: http://lorifoster.com/buckhorn-brothe... ).

Gimme Shelter by Heidi Betts
When animal lover Erica Castillo’s sexy neighbor shows up on her doorstep at midnight, in the pouring rain, with three tiny kittens cradled in his strong arms, she can’t turn him away. But will Dean Maxwell’s rescue efforts make him a temporary hero…or the forever kind?

Imagine Me and You by Maisey Yates
Partner In Crime by Jules Bennett

Publisher: Harlequin
Release Date: June 1, 2013
Formats: ebook
Buying Links:  Amazon |  Barnes & Noble | Harlequin

So go indulge in some animal attraction and help some animals while you're at it!

Lori Foster #BookTrib Chat Tuesday April 30th

Are you a Lori Foster fan? Love her hot men? Want to talk to her but can't make it to her annual authors and readers gathering? She'll be on Booktrib on Tuesday April 30th for a live chat about her new release, "Bare It All".

Already receiving rave reviews in Publisher’s Weekly, RT Book Reviews, and more— "Bare It All", Lori Foster’s latest in her Love Undercover series, does not disappoint!

A cop’s craving to know more about the woman next door could prove fatal.

As the person responsible for taking down a brutal human trafficker, Alice Appleton fears retaliation at every turn. No one knows about her past, which is exactly how she prefers it…until the sexy cop next door comes knocking. Detective Reese Bareden thinks he knows what makes women tick, but his ever-elusive neighbor keeps him guessing like no other. Is his goal to unmask Alice’s secrets? Or protect her from a dangerous new threat? One thing is certain: their chemistry is a time bomb waiting to explode. And with no one to trust but each other, Reese and Alice are soon drawn into a deadly maze of corruption, intrigue and desire—and into the line of fire….

So, join BookTrib to chat live with Lori and find out everything you ever wanted to know about her red hot reads.

Bonus! — For the first time ever, BookTrib will give away a goodie bag filled with ALL of Lori Foster’s favorite things, including chocolate, lip balm, and more! AND FREE copies of the book!

Click on the image to go the BookTrib event page and if you want, you can sign up to receive an email reminder about the event.

Interview, Excerpt, & Giveaway of Run The Risk by Lori Foster

Today it's my pleasure to welcome romance author Lori Foster to the Nook. She's touring the book blogosphere to celebrate and promote the release of her newest book, "Run the Risk".

Since first publishing in January 1996, Lori Foster has become a Waldenbooks, Borders, USA Today, Publisher’s Weekly and New York Times bestselling author of over 70 novellas and novels. She currently writes single titles for HQN. Lori believes it’s important to give back to the community as much as possible, and for that reason she ran special contests in conjunction with a publisher, facilitating many first sales for new authors. She routinely organizes events among authors and readers to gather donations for various organizations.

Along with her good friend, Duffy Brown, Lori hosts a very special annual “Reader & Author” event in West Chester, Ohio. Proceeds from the event have benefited many worthy causes, including the Hamilton County YWCA Battered Women’s Shelter, the Animal Adoption Foundation, The Conductive Learning Center for children with spina bifida and cerebral palsy, and The One Way Farm, Children’s Home.

Lori has received many prestigious awards, including: Romantic Times “Career Achievement Award” for: Series Romantic Fantasy Contemporary Romance Lori Foster has been both a clue in the New York Times crossword puzzle and the USA Today Quick Cross puzzle. She enjoys visiting with readers on her Facebook Fan page, Twitter, Goodreads, and Pinterest. Sign up for Lori’s Newsletter to get the latest news on book releases!

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 Q&A:

 Bea: What book are you reading now?

Lori: This might change by the time the answer is posted, so how about I mention BOTH series that I’m loving? Jill Shalvis’s “Lucky Harbor” series. I’ve already read (and loved) “Lucky in Love,” and “At Last,” and I’ve already purchased “Forever and a Day.” I’m also reading Erin McCarthy’s “Fast Track” series. I’ve finished “Flat Out Sexy” and “Hard and Fast.” She has a lot more in the series, so I see myself with plenty of reading to do for the next few months.

Bea: When did you first consider yourself a writer?

Lori: Not until after I sold my 3rd book. Before that, I still didn’t say too much about writing. I didn’t want to be a one-book wonder, and two books could still be a fluke. So I waited. In fact, I’m still pretty uptight about telling it to strangers. Not sure why.

Bea: What inspired you to write your first book?

Lori: Reading great stories! Romance blew my mind. Great dialogue, engaging characters that drove the plot, happen endings... love it all. I’d always been a day-dreamer and a right-brained oddity. J I decided to write that 1st book (and then the 2nd and 3rd and 4th) just for me. “If there’s a book you really want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet, then you must write it.” –Toni Morrison. When I went to a writers’ con and met a bunch of writers who’d been working on their 1st chapter for 5 years, I thought, hmmm. Maybe I have what it takes.

Bea: How did you come up with the title?

Lori: RUN THE RISK is about Logan Riske. Ages ago, readers would write me and say that they couldn’t remember which hero had which title. It made sense then to put a part of the hero’s name in the title to make it easier for readers. But after this series, I think I might switch it up again. HQN is giving me such amazing covers that I hope readers will remember the image, if not the title.

Follow the tour here: http://booktrib.com/blog-tour-run-the-risk-by-lori-foster/


Have more questions for Lori? She's having a live chat on BookTrib.com this coming Monday, October 22nd at 7PM EST. Come join Lori and ask her your burning questions! BookTrib will be giving away 10 copies of "Run The Risk", as well as her Dirty Car Art print and t-shirt! Click on the photo below for more information. 

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Excerpt: 

 “I keep to myself.” She awkwardly snatched back her groceries and straightened her spine. “Others should do the same.” “Yeah, maybe I could.” Giving up his scrutiny of her cluttered living space, he leaned in her door frame—all six-feet-plus of him. His broad shoulders kept her from closing the door. Patient, silent, he waited for her to meet his gaze. Girding herself, Pepper looked up—and felt caressed by his suggestive, intimate attention.

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 Giveaway

  

Book Blurb (from goodreads):

When Detective Logan Riske goes undercover to find Pepper Yates, a potential link to his best friend's unsolved murder, he vows to gain her cooperation by any means necessary. But the elusive beauty is more suspicious—and in far more danger—than he expected. And the last thing Logan needs is to start caring for her….Pepper has spent years dodging the corrupt club owner who will stop at nothing to keep her silenced. She can trust no one, not even the handsome new "construction worker" who's moved in next door. The heat between them is undeniable. But will surrendering to passion bring her the safety she so desires—or will her feelings for Logan draw them both into a killer's crosshairs?

Run the Risk
Series: Love Undercover #1
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Formats: Paperback, ebook, audio
Length: 384 pages, 529 KB
Buying Links:  Amazon   Barnes & Noble   The Book Depository

I have one paperback copy to giveaway to a US or Canadian resident. Enter using the rafflecopter widget below.

Run The Risk Book Trailer

Lori Foster has a new book that released in September. "Run The Risk" is the first in her new romantic suspense series, Love Undercover. On the 18th, I'll have a short Q&A with Lori and a brief excerpt from the book. In the meantime, here's a trailer to whet your appetite.

Win A Trip To Lori Foster's Annual Reader & Author Get Together.

Romance author Lori Foster has been publishing since January 1996, and has been a Waldenbooks, Borders, USA Today, Publisher’s Weekly and New York Times bestselling author. Lori has published through a variety of publishers, including Kensington, St. Martin’s, Harlequin, Silhouette and Samhain. She is currently with Berkley/Jove.

Lori believes it’s important to give back to the community as much as possible, and for that reason she runs special contests in conjunction with a publisher, facilitating many first sales for new authors. She routinely organizes events among authors and readers to gather donations for various organizations.

Along with her good friend, Duffy Brown, Lori hosts a very special annual “Reader & Author” event in West Chester, Ohio. Proceeds from the event have benefited many worthy causes, including the Hamilton County YWCA Battered Women’s Shelter, the Animal Adoption Foundation, The Conductive Learning Center for children with spina bifida and cerebral palsy, and The One Way Farm, Children’s Home.

Harlequin is hosting a caption contest to celebrate the release of her latest novel,"Run the Risk", where you have a chance to win a trip to West Chester, Ohio, to meet Lori Foster at her 2013 Annual Reader & Author Get Together. To enter, submit a creative caption for the cover art of "Run The Risk". You can vote once per day for your favorite entries. Click on the widget below to enter; it's also in the right-hand side bar.

The contest started Monday September 17th and runs through Monday October 1st at 11:59PM EST.

Have fun and good luck!

Blog Tour Excerpt & Review of A Perfect Storm by Lori Foster

Publisher: HQN Books
Series: Men Who Walk the Edge of Honor #4
Release Date: March 27, 2012
Buying Links: Amazon    The Book Depository

Book Blurb (from goodreads):

He never saw her coming...

Spencer Lark already knows too many secrets about Arizona Storm, including the nightmare she survived and her resulting trust issues. But in order to expose a smuggling ring—and continue avenging his own tragic past—the bounty hunter reluctantly agrees to make Arizona a decoy. Yet nothing has equipped him for her hypnotic blend of fragility and bravery, or for the protective instincts she stirs in him.  
 Arizona wants to reclaim her life, which means acting as bait to lure the enemy into a trap. Sure it's dangerous, especially with a partner as distractingly appealing as Spencer. But as their plan—and their chemistry—shifts into high gear, Arizona may discover there's an even greater risk in surrendering her heart to a hero...

Teaser:

For a short time, he only held her, watching her, his thumb moving over her knuckles until her skin tingled, and the butterflies in her stomach rioted.

"Relax." He lifted her hand toward his mouth, looked at her palm, then pressed a kiss there.

Firm. Lingering.

Her pulse stuttered. Heat swelled inside her. His mouth was war, his breath moist, his hold so incredibly tender.

Ho boy.

Suddenly he released her and stood to walk back to the window. 

She kept her arm extended for half a minute before she caught herself and snatched it back. "That's it?"

Hands on his hips, his head down and his shoulders rigid, he said, "This time, yeah."  

Reviewed By: Bea

My Thoughts:

I read one of the other books in the series, "Trace of Fever", last summer, which was helpful when reading this one. You could read this as a stand alone but it would probably be less confusing if you have at least one other book in the series. I liked "Trace of Fever" well enough but I definitely preferred this one. I connected more with the characters in "A Perfect Storm". Spencer is a decent guy, just trying to do the right thing - he saves abused dogs, tracks down criminals, and is very careful of Arizona due to her past as a victim of human trafficking. But at times, he is so concerned with doing what he thinks is right, that he can't always see the truth. He's so blinded by Arizona's past and what he sees as her needs that he doesn't see, or respect, who Arizona is. Neither do the mercenaries who rescued her and have adopted her. They all see her as a little girl (she's 21) who needs to be sheltered and protected.

Instead, Arizona feels smothered and misunderstood (which she is). She can be very reckless and careless of her own well-being so their attitude is somewhat understandable but she's far more competent and capable than they give her credit for. The book is not only a romance but a coming of age story for Arizona. She slowly comes to accept that the men care about her and that it's okay to open up and care about others and she comes to accept that being an adult can include settling down.

The romance unfolds slowly and I love how careful Spencer is with her. They have a misunderstanding, naturally, well two really: his failure to accept her for who she really is, which gets resolved, and her belief that he wants her to move onto another man, which sort of gets forgotten about.

I had trouble believing in Arizona's naivete at times; she was 17 when she was sold to human traffickers so unless she was incredibly sheltered, and we're not told that she was, there were some things that just didn't ring true. But overall, Foster wrote a sweet love story, with wonderful characters, and I enjoyed it very much.

I received a paperback ARC for review as part of a blog tour.

Blog Tour Schedule

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EXCERPT

Minutes later, just to prove a point, she went about making coffee.

SPENCER STOOD WITH HIS HANDS braced on the porcelain sink, his head hanging, his muscles twitchy.

What the hell?

Sure, he knew Arizona Storm was a reckless, impetuous, headstrong girl. He’d figured that out in the first few seconds of making her acquaintance.

But breaking and entering?

Why the hell had she sat there watching him sleep?

He felt…violated. Angry.

He felt extreme pity. For her.

Damn, but he didn’t want her, not in his house, not in his head. He could control the first.

Hadn’t had much luck controlling the second. 

To read the next excerpt from Chapter One go to  http://chicklitplus.com/

Review of Trace of Fever by Lori Foster

Publisher: Harlequin

Release Date: May 31, 2011

Series:  #2 in Men Who Walk the Edge of Honor

More Info:  Amazon    The Book Depository

Book Blurb (from Amazon):

Undercover mercenary Trace Rivers loves the adrenaline rush of a well-planned mission. First he'll earn the trust of corrupt businessman Murray Coburn, then gather the proof he needs to shut down the man's dirty smuggling operation. It's a perfect scheme—until Coburn's long-lost daughter saunters in with her own deadly plan for revenge.
With a smile like an angel and fire in her eyes, Priscilla Patterson isn't who she seems to be. But neither is the gorgeous bodyguard who ignites all her senses. Joining forces to plot Coburn's downfall, Priss and Trace must fight the undeniable heat between them. For one wrong move, one lingering embrace, will expose them to the wrath of a merciless opponent….

My Thoughts:

I'd heard of Ms Foster before but had never read one of her books. This sounded like something I'd enjoy: a sexy, romantic suspense, exactly what I like. And I did. While I didn't love it, I did enjoy it and I want to read the next one, "Savor the Danger", which is already out. Trace comes across at first as macho, silent, cocky; he's all of that but he's also compassionate, kind, and principled. He definitely believes that the ends justify the means but he's also got a strong set of morals that he abides by. He also has a sense of humor. Overall, he's a pretty well rounded character.

I didn't find Priscilla, or Priss as she's usually called, to be quite as well fleshed out. We're told Trace's motivations for his actions pretty early on and we get a deeper look over the course of the book. Priss though, she's keeping secrets and not just from Trace but from the reader as well. I also found her backstory to strain credulity; it could happen but it seemed far-fetched to me.

I enjoyed the interactions between Priss and Trace and Priss and Jackson, a colleague of Trace's. The writing can be quite sharp and funny:

 "My balls still hurt. It's affecting my brain." "Your brain is located a little low, isn't it?" 

"With this dress, undergarments are out." Priss squeaked. "I have to be naked underneath?"

His eyes narrowed. "Sweet? I offer to kill a man and you think it's sweet?"

The story was a little convoluted and it could have benefitted from some trimming but overall, I liked. The characters are mostly well written, Trace and Priss make a good couple, and the plotline compelling. I expect I'll be reading more of Ms Foster's books.

I received this paperback from the publisher for review.