Excerpt from Hot Winter Kisses by JoAnne Kenrick

It may be cold and gray outside (depending on where you live) but this post should warm you up. "How Winter Kiss" is part of JoAnne's sexy but sweet 1NS series with Decadent Publishing. I've read the first book and the other three, including this one, are in my TBR pile. I'm saving them for a cold, yucky day when I can curl up on the couch and enjoy!

Born n bred Brit, JoAnne Kenrick grew up in a wee sea-side town in North Wales and has enjoyed a variety of vocations such as holistic healer, window dresser, and ghost tour guide. Having lived in Wales, England, and Scotland with her dear family, she finally escaped the dull British summers to reside in sunny Australia. After two years, they moved to the States where she endured three harsh winters in Minnesota. She now lives in North Carolina with her husband, two kids and two puddy cats. When they aren't demanding her attention, or jumping on her head, she strums away on the keys of her little laptop, creating worlds and adventures she could only ever dream of. Come across the pond and faraway....with JoAnne Kenrick! www.joannekenrick.com

Get exclusive sneak peeks at her new and upcoming releases by signing up to her quarterly newsletter here: http://tinyletter.com/joannekenrick

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                                                               Excerpt - PG/13

Digging out the treat the staff had bought her for her trip, all wrapped in hot hunks printed gift paper, she grinned. She’d promised to wait until she’d arrived at the castle before opening her surprise, but if not for the ferry delay and the bus strikes, she’d be snug by the fireplace already. By her calculations, present time had come and gone. She ripped that baby open and found a gift only good friends would think to buy her.

“An e-reader!”

They’d included a card, on the front of which a very sexy Santa hung up a fishnet stocking over a cartoon fireplace.

Now you’ll be able to carry those sexy stories around with you wherever you go, without your grandkids ever discovering those smutty covers! And to ensure your holiday is romantic, we’ve stocked your reader with books from your favorite series. One is about an Irish castle owner. Wink, wink. Oh, and talking of romance, tucked into the cover is another present to ensure your Christmas is one filled with joy.

Happy holidays! Your wee family from Bell’s.

Sandra thumbed around the cover and found what looked like an invitation. She opened the envelope and cringed. A 1Night Stand date. Hell’s bells. Had to be Devlin’s idea, the cheeky sod. Her co-worker always teased her about her reading habits at work. Yup. This trickery had Devlin written all over it. Insensitive bastard.

“Sandra? I’m from Ballygalley, here ta give ya a ride ta the castle. Bloody good job the barman recalled seeing ya. I’d never have found ya tucked way back here.”

A man loomed over her, his face shadowed by a knit hat pulled down to his temples; a hint of dark ginger peeked through the wool.

He rubbed his hands together then blew on them. “Let’s get a move on, shall we?”

Christmas lametta tinsel from above reflected across his smoldering, indigo glare. His brow furrowed and a glint of impatience flickered in his eyes. He rubbed at his stubbled face, and she could have sworn she heard the gentle sweep of thick whiskers brushing his palm. Her ex used to do the same thing when he was deep in thought. A tightening in her throat stalled her.

“Not got all night.” He pulled out her chair, nearly knocking her flying.

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Hot Winter Kiss 

Author: JoAnne Kenrick

Publisher: Decadent Publishing

Series: Irish Kisses #4; 1NS

Genre: Contemporary, Romance, Erotica

Release Date: November 30, 2012

Format: eBook

Length: 305 KB

Buying Links: Amazon   Barnes & Noble   Decadent Publishing

Book Blurb (from author):

Hot winter kisses to warm broken hearts….

Sick of tending to everyone else’s needs around the holidays, divorced barmaid and granny Sandra ferries it from London to Belfast. All she wants for Christmas is some peace with a romance story in front of a roaring fire in a remote Irish castle. What she gets is a most unexpected Christmas present from her friends at Bell’s—A 1Night Stand with a young Irishman.

Can she hack it in the real world of romance, or are life’s complications and treacherous snowstorms best left to the pages of a book?

Newly widowed Ardan Draighean owns Ballygalley castle. Once run as a hotel with his late wife, the stone building now serves as a home for him and his son. After hearing about Madame Eve’s matchmaking skills, he contacts her in search of the perfect match. Although much older than him—by fifteen years—Sandra is his ideal woman. He be damned if he’ll let a good story get in the way of his happy ever after with her.

Hot winter kisses are all this couple needs to stay warm this Christmas, but will the heat stay long after the magical season of mistletoe has finished?

PARINGS: m/f

FLAME RATING: four

GENRE: contemporary romance

PUBLISHER: www.decadentpublishing.com

PAGE COUNT: 47

CONTENT: May to December / Tinsel Play / Irish Castle / Snowed In / Holiday Romance

Dusty Reads Link Up

Dusty Reads is a meme started by Giselle at Xpresso Reads featuring a book that has been sitting unread on your shelf for some time. Books don't have to be 'x' years old. If you've had the book for a few months without reading it, it's dusty! :D You can post on any day but Giselle and I usually post or put up a linky on Tuesdays. If you don't use the button, try to link back to this post or Giselle's so others will know how/where to link up. You can use the above button, the one below or create your own if you prefer. 

Spotlight on The Middle Aisle by Taylor Dean

"The Middle Aisle", a paranormal romance, is the sequel to "Lancaster House" and was released last month, just in time for the holidays. Author Taylor Dean lives in Texas and is the mother of four grown children. Upon finding herself with an empty nest, she began to write the stories that were always wandering around in her head, quickly finding that she had a passion for writing, specifically romance. Whether it’s paranormal, contemporary, or suspense—you’ll find all sub-genres of romance in her line-up. 

Find Taylor Online:

Facebook

Website

The Middle Aisle

Author: Taylor Dean

Publisher: CreateSpace

ISBN: 9781480082236

Release Date: November 26, 2012

Genre: Fiction, Romance, Paranormal

Length: 356 pages

Format: Paperback

Buying Links:  Barnes & Noble  Amazon  The Book Depository  

Book Blurb (from author):

The sequel to Lancaster House

Zoe Grayson is back in Lancaster House, ordered to bed rest for the duration of her unexpected pregnancy. Doctor Wade Channing, her overzealous psychiatrist, is living in Lancaster House, taking care of her, waiting on her, and tending to her every need. It seems to be the perfect arrangement.

There’s just one catch.

 She has to tell him her story—everything that has happened in her life since the moment she escaped from Serenity Hills. It’s been quite an adventure to include renovating another home and a walk down the middle aisle.

But, that’s all over now. Nothing is real. It never was.

How did she end up in this miserable situation?

 The cover reminds me of something from the early 70's :D and judging by the blurb, this is not a romance with a happy ending. Have you read it yet? What did you think?

Sunday Book Share #15

I'm participating in Feed My Reader Friday hosted by I Am A Reader, Not A Writer,  The Sunday Post, hosted by Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer, and Stacking the Shelves, hosted by Tynga's Reviews. The  memes allow book bloggers the chance to share print and digital books they've received and different posts and events at their blog.

The week was going pretty well up until Friday afternoon when I checked twitter on my afternoon break and heard about the mass shooting at an elementary school in Connecticut, almost thirty children and adults dead. I truly do not comprehend how or why people commit these crimes. It put a pall on the rest of the day and my co-workers and I had to be careful not to discuss it in our classrooms. My heart goes out to all of the families affected.

The tragedy took some of the joy out of my going to see "The Hobbit" Friday evening but once the movie started I was able to enter into Middle Earth and enjoy myself. I didn't love it but I did like it. It's much darker than the book, which I didn't enjoy.

The week in review

Review: The Devil's Garden by Brady Christianson

Cover reveal: Timespell by Diana Paz

Spotlights: Winter's Magic by Cynthia Gail

Toying with Temptation by Madison Martin

Snow White Sorrow by Cameron Jace

Yours Affectionately, Jane Austen & Christmas at Sea Pines Cottage by Sally Smith O'Rourke

Excerpts: The Reluctant Countess by Wendy Vella

Giveaways: 10 eBook copies (tour wide) of Toying with Temptation by Madison Martin

The Grimm Diaries Prequels (set of 6) by Cameron Jace

$50 Amazon GC or PayPal Cash

Memes: Sunday Book Share #14   Dusty Reads

News & Info: Live Chat with Diana Pharaoh Francis

Help First Book Donate Books to Children in Need

BOOKS

It was a very, very light week for books. I downloaded one kindle freebie, a cookbook sampler, didn't buy any books, or get any from the library.

Won - Kindle

I won this from the author on twitter.

Review - Print

Wishing peace, health and happiness to you and yours.

Spotlight on Michael Meyer, Mystery Author

              

Suspense/Thriller

Date Published: 10/17/11

COVERT DREAMS synopsis: Imagine waking up remembering intimate details about a country in which you have never traveled and fluently speaking a language that you have never spoken. B.J. is living the ideal life. He has a great wife, a wonderful job. And yet he is experiencing life-like vivid dreams of Munich, a city he has never visited.

Stan Halsey is a professor in Saudi Arabia, who sends for his wife to join him. She arrives, and, in the blink of an eye, she vanishes, leaving no trace of ever being alive in either the United States or in Saudi Arabia.

COVERT DREAMS is a fast-paced international suspense thriller that moves from Munich to the burning sands of Saudi Arabia. What is real, and who is responsible for the terrifying nightmare?

COVERT DREAMS trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b9drU4-um_U 

Suspense/Thriller

Date Published: 3/8/12

DEADLY EYES synopsis: James Cuffy, better known as Cuff, is living in paradise with his girlfriend, Rosie, on the small Caribbean island of St. Croix, where the sky is as blue as Cuff's eyes, the ocean as pretty as Rosie's cheeks, where the gentle lapping of the waves is a lullaby, and the swaying of the palm trees is a dance. The sandy beaches are as white as sugar, and the horizon is a world away. St. Croix indeed is paradise, the perfect place for living, laughing, and loving. 

But the sandy beaches and the turquoise sea can provide no cover from the deadly eyes of the unknown stalker pursuing Cuff. Murder leads to murder as he attempts to untangle the terrible web in which he has suddenly become entangled.

The twists and turns are many, the roads of the fast action leading in all directions. Cuff and Rosie are relentlessly pursued by a diabolical force that shows them no mercy. Do these two good people stand a chance against such sheer evil? 

DEADLY EYES trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWLBtVDUdC4&feature=relmfu  

I have resided in and have visited many places in the world, all of which have

contributed in some way to my own published writing. I have literally traveled

throughout the world, on numerous occasions. I have lived in Finland, Germany,

Thailand, Saudi Arabia (where COVERT DREAMS is set), and the U.S. Virgin

Islands (where DEADLY EYES is set). I gained the wanderlust to see the world,

to experience other cultures, at an early age, and this desire has never left

me. If anything, it has only gained in intensity as I have aged. I try to travel

internationally at least once a year. In the interim, I spend lots of time traveling

around both my home state of California and other nearby states.

I spent my early years in the small town of Lone Pine, California, the home of

almost every western movie, in addition to a wide variety of other genres, made

in the 30's, 40's, 50's, and 60's. In fact, Hollywood still films parts of big-time

movies there today. My dad, the town's lifeguard at the time, personally knew

John Wayne, Lloyd Bridges, and Lee Marvin, all of whom came to the town's

pool, the Memorial Plunge, at times to cool off after a hectic day of working

in the sun. I was even an extra in a movie filmed there in 1957, MONOLITH

MONSTERS, a B-cult favorite even today. I was ten years old at the time. Even

though I resided in a small town hours from the big city, I was exposed to the

excitement of action and heroes at a formative age, and, thus, my interest in

writing novels of suspense such as COVERT DREAMS and DEADLY EYES was

born.

As a recent retiree from a forty-year career as a professor of writing, I now live in

Southern California wine country with my wife, Kitty, and our two other cats.

Contact Links

Website

LINKS TO BUY

COVERT DREAMS Amazon 

DEADLY EYES Amazon 

First Book and Their Big Give Campaign for Children

It's holiday season; last month there was Diwali and this month there's Hannukah and Christmas, oh and winter solstice. The month of January has Kwanzaa and undoubtedly I've missed some. What all these holidays have in common is the tradition of giving; giving your time, your money or an actual physical present. It's also a time of year when many, many organizations of all varieties seek your money.

First Book is no different; they always need money so that they can provide low-cost or free books to children in need. Since I work with young children and I am an avid reader, this organization seems tailor-made for my support. I'm getting ahead of myself; here's some basic info about First Books from the Groupon page:

First Book is a nonprofit that aims to empower children from low-income families in the United States and Canada by improving their reading skills and subsequently their academic success and quality of education by increasing their access to books and educational resources. The organization connects classrooms and programs serving children with brand new books through its First Book Marketplace, where it sells new books online to community programs and schools at a reduced cost, and through the First Book National Book Bank, a clearinghouse for en masse donations from publishers. Since 1992, First Book has distributed more than 100 million books and educational resources in partnership with a network of more than 35,000 schools and programs across North America. After receiving books from First Book, children read more at home and overcome a pervasive barrier to success.

First Book has partnered up with Groupon, the social coupon site, to make it easy for people to donate money to buy books. Please, take a minute, share your love of book and donate to help a child out and make them happy. Thank you. <3

Excerpt from The Reluctant Countess by Wendy Vella

Today's excerpt is from a forthcoming historical romance by Wendy Vella. I like the colors in the cover but I wish there were more contrast between the blues.  If you like Mary Balogh, Julia Quinn or Sabrina Jeffries, you’ll probably enjoy Vella’s fluid writing and witty style. Next month, on the 18th, I'll have a guest post from Vella and several copies to giveaway so if you enjoy the excerpt, come back then.

The Reluctant Countess
Author: Wendy Vella
Publisher: Loveswept
ISBN: 978-0-345-54007-2
Formats: ebook
Genre: Fiction, Romance, Historical
Release Date: January 14, 2013
Buying Links:  Amazon   Random   Barnes & Noble 

Book Blurb (from publisher):

From rising romance star Wendy Vella comes a Cinderella story of whirlwind passion between a dashing earl and a beautiful countess—and the secret that threatens to tear them apart.

Regal, poised, and elegant, Sophie, Countess of Monmouth, is everything that a highborn lady should be. But Sophie is hiding a past that is far from royal. When Patrick, Earl of Coulter, realizes that her story doesn’t add up, he resolves to find out the truth of what Sophie and her sister-in-law are concealing. Although Sophie has every reason to avoid him, the handsome and charismatic Patrick awakens something wicked deep within her soul . . . a powerful need that Sophie must stifle in order to protect her place in society.

Despite Sophie’s humble background, the raven-haired beauty has won Patrick’s heart. But what Sophie needs now is an ally. Viscount Myles Dumbly, the disgruntled former heir of Monmouth, is determined to expose Sophie as a fraud to recapture his lost inheritance. Soon Patrick is drawn into a fight for both their lives. Somehow he must find a way not only to rescue Sophie from poverty once and for all, but to keep her in his arms forever.

Includes a special message from the editor, as well as excerpts from these Loveswept titles: "The Escape Diaries", "The Devil’s Thief", and "The Magic".

Vella ReluctantCountess Final

Cover Reveal: Timespell by Diana paz

Timespell by Diana Paz - Publication date: April 1st, 2013 / Rhemalda Publishing 

Book Blurb (from author):

In TIMESPELL, the brash and impulsive Julia must team up with her sweet and straight-laced best friend, Angie, and the malicious and power-hungry Kaitlyn in order to keep the witch-like powers of her inheritance. But these powers come at a cost. The girls are bound to serve the Fates, and their first mission sends them back in time to Marie Antoinette’s Paris and eventually, into the chaos and war of the French Revolution.

AUTHOR BIO:

Diana Paz writes books about magic, adventure, and romance. She was born in Costa Rica, grew up on Miami Beach, moved to Los Angeles in high school, and went to college in San Diego. Basically, she’s a beach bum. Diana graduated from California State University, San Marcos with a Bachelor’s Degree in Liberal Arts. She loves old movies, epic fantasy, all kinds of music, and heading to the beach with a good book. Preferably sipping a highly sweetened iced coffee. (I love iced coffee! I do drink it less sweet than hot coffee but it's still pretty sweet. Basically, I have coffee with my cream and sugar. :D ~ Bea)

Author Links:

Website: http://www.dianapaz.com/

Blog: http://www.dianapazwrites.blogspot.ca/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dianapazwrites

Twitter: https://twitter.com/dianapazwrites

The style and pose have been done to death but I love the colors in this and the title font.

 

Curious? Want more? Check out this book trailer.