Release Day Book Blast & Giveaway for The Shadow of Mudflap

Welcome to my stop on the Release Day Book Blast for The Shadow of Mud Flap by Christi Snow and M.F. Smith.  Please leave a comment or question for Christi or M.F. to let them know you stopped by.  You can enter their tour wide giveaway by filling out the Rafflecopter form below.  You can follow the tour stops here, the more stops you visit the better you odds of winning.

The Shadow of Mud Flap

By Christi Snow and M.F. Smith

A Fox-Trot Team Novel

Publishers: Christi Snow and M.F. Smith

Release Date: July 23, 2013

Genre: Romantic Thriller

Print Length: 215 Pages

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Book Description: 

To us, first responders are heroes. But for them, risking their lives is a normal, everyday thing.

Mudflap:

Born the baby of the family, Mudflap has always had something to prove to emerge out of the shadows of his older siblings. He spent eight years as a Special Ops elite sniper and is now a firefighter. But at his heart, he’s just a normal West Texas good old boy who loves his beer, women and football, until the Department of Defense calls him up to say they need his skills again.

Shanae:

Shanae is a first responder of a different sort. She’s a trauma nurse who works on a medical evacuation helicopter team. But while she lives a life full of adrenaline every day, it’s just a cover for her real life, where she hides in the shadows and is secret agent, Shadowfox for the Lubbock Foxtrot Team (LiFT). She’s living the kind of life that most people think exists only in movies and books.

Working for two different branches of the government, Mudflap and Shanae are in a race against time and the terrorists who threaten the very heart of West Texas life, football. They’re working toward the same goal, but find themselves in a confrontation against each other and the lies they’ve each had to hide behind. Can love win out in the end or will the cost be each other and their very lives?

First responders are heroes every day, but this story tells the tale of when they become even more and find love along the way. The key is for them to stay alive so that they can complete their mission and just maybe live happily ever after.

On an ordinary day, they save lives. On an extraordinary day, they save the country.

Buy Links:

Amazon │Barnes & Noble │ARe│Kobo

Excerpt

“Hey, there. You look good enough to eat,” he growled. He glanced back at his Bronco. “Unfortunately, Derek is waiting for us in the car so I can’t take a nibble.”

A frisson of awareness skated down her spine. That tone in his voice…yummy.

“Thanks,” she said as she leaned up to give him a quick kiss on the cheek. “You know how to make a girl feel good.” She lingered for a moment right below his ear to whisper, “You look pretty damn good yourself. But it’s hot and we don’t want the poor thing to suffer from heat exhaustion. I’m confused though.” She glanced at him as they walked out toward his truck. “Why would you bring your dog golfing? Are they even allowed on the course?”

He pulled her door open for her, but stalled her entrance into the Bronco. “Dog? I don’t have a dog.”

She sat in the seat, but scowled at him in confusion through the still open door. “Isn’t Derek your dog?”

Mudflap burst out laughing as he shut her car door. But it was the outraged, “What the hell did he tell you to make you think that?” coming from the backseat that told her she’d gotten something wrong.

She turned slowly to him. He was a young, clean cut, extremely good looking guy, who was not happy right now. He looked like a model from a young, hip magazine ad; well, he would if he wasn’t scowling.

Wincing, she offered her hand to him. “I guess you’re Derek, huh?”

Mudflap got into the car and continued to laugh at Derek’s expense. Derek shoved at his shoulder and muttered, “Asshole,” before offering her his hand. “Yes, I’m Derek. It’s nice to meet you Shanae.” His scowl quickly morphed into a flirty smile. “Already I can tell you’re too good for this guy. I say we dump him on the back nine and you and I can make a fun day of it without him.” He waggled his eyebrows at her.

Uh oh, this guy and that mischievous smile was trouble. She couldn’t help the giggle that erupted. “Sorry about the dog comment. I misunderstood.”

“Aw, sweetheart, no forgiveness is necessary. I know who to blame.” He turned to glare again at Mudflap. “Besides, gracing us with your beauty today more than makes up for it.”

Shanae couldn’t help the eye-roll. This guy was digging it deep.

“Hey, now. No horning in on my girl.” Mudflap frowned at Derek, but the corners of his mouth twitched with humor.

The two guys continued the back and forth banter all the way to the golf course, renting their equipment, and meeting up with their golf pro for the day, a very attractive redhead named Lisa. Shanae clued in on the fact that Derek had a bit of a crush on her simply by the fact that he continued to give both Shanae and Mudflap a hard time, but then got stiff when it came to interacting with her. It was sweet, if not for the fact that Lisa seemed completely oblivious to Derek.

Shanae would guess there was a pretty good age difference between the two. Derek was young, definitely early twenties, while Lisa was probably closer to thirty. Shanae doubted Lisa even saw Derek as a possibility for a date. She watched the two of them as Lisa corrected Derek’s form on the fourth hole. Lisa slid her hand down Derek’s arm to adjust his grip and Shanae could see all his muscles tighten in response.

Mudflap slid in to stand behind her. His hand wrapped around her waist felt entirely too right, so right she completely forgot about Lisa and Derek. She could feel the heat coming off his body and her pulse skittered.

But then Mudflap, who’d also been watching the other two, whispered in her ear, “I think his shaft is too big for that stroke.”

Of course, Shanae worked with guys all the time so her gaze immediately landed on Derek’s crotch where his erection pressed against his pants. “Don’t,” she hissed at Mudflap. “Don’t give him a hard time right now. Poor kid is infatuated and she isn’t even aware of him.”

Mudflap nuzzled her ear for a moment before whispering, “Ask her for some help on the next hole and make her aware. He’s a good guy. It would be nice if he could hook up with a woman who might actually appreciate him.”

And right there, Shanae’s heart melted a little bit more for this guy. Damn, sexy and sweet.

Author Info

Christi Snow

As an avid reader her entire life, Christi Snow always dreamed of writing books that brought to others the kind of joy she felt when she read. But...she never did anything about it besides jot down a few ideas and sparse scenes.

When she turned 41, she decided it was time to go after her dream and started writing. Within four months, she'd written over 150,000 words and hasn't stopped since.

She's found her calling by writing about sexy, alpha heroes and smart, tough heroines falling in love and finding their passion. She's truly living the dream and loving every minute of it.

Her tagline is... Passion and adventure on the road to Happily Ever After. She's loving this adventure!

www.christi-snow.com

http://smittenwithreading.blogspot.com (book review blog)

https://www.facebook.com/christisnowauthor?ref=hl

https://twitter.com/ChristiSnow

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5849322.Christi_Snow

M.F. Smith

Mudflap is a morning show personality for 96.3 KLLL in Lubbock, TX. He’s been on the morning show for seven years and in radio for over ten years. He’s entertained people all over the world, and has helped raise money for many non-profit agencies and charities.

Mudflap loves to see people smile and believes everyone deserves a hug.

KLLL radio station website

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Spotlight for The Best Man's Baby by Victoria James

A Red River Series Book by Victoria James

Florist Claire Holbrook has always played by the rules her entire life, but breaks them to spend one night with sexy lone wolf Jake Manning, a man she’s adored since she was a teenager. Six weeks later, things get complicated when she discovers they created a bond that will last a lifetime

Jake has never played by the rules. Getting Minister Holbrook’s daughter pregnant wasn’t part of any life plan, but he won’t run from his responsibilities. He’ll step up and be the best man he can, even if he doesn’t have a clue where to begin. The more time he spends with Claire, though, the more he wants her, and the harder it is to get close, because that would mean sharing the one thing he hasn’t with anyone–the truth and his heart.

Buy Links

Amazon │Barnes & Noble │Kobo │iTunes

Excerpt
© 2013 Victoria James

“To Holly and Quinn,” Jake Manning said, holding up his champagne flute.

Claire Holbrook raised her glass, toasting to her best friend and her new husband. Holly’s cheeks were flushed with an unbridled happiness. Her eyes glistened with tears, and her smile hadn’t wavered all day. Holly had claimed love, Quinn, and happily ever after.

“Welcome to the family,” Evan Manning said, leaning down to give Holly a kiss.

“You’re the only woman I’d wear a tux for,” Jake said, giving Holly a hug.

Claire’s heart dipped, but she held her smile intact. And she should. Today wasn’t about Claire and her ridiculous, lifelong crush on Jake Manning. Or the fact that he’d basically just said he’d never wear a tuxedo again, which pretty much meant he was never intending on getting married. She forced those thoughts aside and focused on these last few minutes with the bride and groom.

“It was a gorgeous day. Everything was perfect,” Claire said with a smile, her eyes taking in the Edwardian ballroom again. The event had been straight out of an issue of Martha Stewart Weddings. The ceremony in the charming chapel had been poignant, and the reception a true celebration of the couple’s new life together. But now that the night was coming to an end, only a few guests were still meandering around the ballroom. The live band was playing soft music, and Holly and Quinn’s daughter, Ella, was dancing with a few children on the dance floor. The five of them were standing together for one last chat before Quinn and Holly left for the night.

“Thank you all for everything. Claire, you’ve always been like a sister to me. Evan and Jake, you’ve made me feel like family right from day one and I will never, ever forget that. I never thought I’d have a family again—and now I have one that is better than I could have imagined,” she said, tears filling her eyes. Quinn wrapped his arms around her from behind, still holding his champagne flute. Her friend leaned back into her husband. They were perfect for each other, and anyone who saw them together knew it. Felt it. Today all of Holly’s dreams had come true. She had married the man she’d loved since she was a teenager.

“To the best men,” Holly said, smiling and holding up her glass to Evan and Jake. Quinn’s brothers had shared the honored position, and Claire spent the day being sandwiched between the two of them as maid of honor.

“To the best men,” Claire said.

“And to the maid of honor,” Quinn said, smiling at her.

“And to Mom and Dad. Quinn, I know they’d be really proud of you today,” Evan said, holding up his glass.

“All right, Schmaltz family, I think we’re done with the toasts,” Jake said wryly.

“To me!” Ella came charging through and stood in the middle of the circle they’d created. They all laughed as she bounced around in her pink dupioni silk gown, which was now horribly stained and wrinkled. Quinn picked her up, and the half-eaten cupcake she was holding came precariously close to landing on his shoulder.

“Okay, for Ella we make an exception. To Ella,” Jake said, giving his niece a kiss and holding up his glass. Claire’s toes curled at the sight. Two-and-a-half year old Ella had her uncles wrapped around her little finger.

“To Ella,” they all agreed and she clapped her hands, cupcake landing on Quinn’s tuxedo.

“I think it’s time for us to make our exit,” Holly said, turning to give them all a kiss.

Her friend stopped to hug her tightly. “I love you, Holl,” Claire managed to choke out as tears clogged her throat.

“I love you too,” she whispered, her own eyes filled with tears. Claire looked up at Quinn, who was smiling at them both, Ella sitting wide-awake and alert in his arms.

“I love you, Auntie Care,” she said and blew her a kiss.

Claire blew her one back and waved at them over Quinn’s shoulder as they left the room.

She, Jake, and Evan stood still, silently watching them leave.

“I always knew Quinn would be the first to get hitched,” Jake said after a few minutes, downing the rest of his champagne.

“Me too. He was always the sap in the family. Soft,” Evan said with a nod.

“Like the Pillsbury Doughboy,” Jake said, still staring at the doorway.

“You guys are horrible. You’re both speaking out of insecurity,” Claire said, looking back and forth between them. They made quite the pair, the two brothers. And if she had to bet on the next contender for marriage she’d put her money on Evan. He was a levelheaded, handsome doctor who should have been exactly her type. Unfortunately, it was Jake she’d been infatuated with since adolescence.

Reckless, hot, brooding Jake.

“I don’t have an insecure bone in my body,” Evan said.

“Me neither,” Jake said, tugging at his shirt collar.

“I wouldn’t mind some fresh air,” Evan said, glancing at the large French doors that led out to the terrace.

“That sounds good,” Jake said without looking at her.

Claire stood there feeling like an idiot. “I, uh,” she pointed to the bar. “I think I’ll go grab a drink.” She really should just go to her room upstairs. She should put an end to this day.

She turned on her heel before they had a chance to see the humiliation play across her face. Once again, Jake dismissed her. It was the same old thing. She was the same old thing. It was time to make changes. Big changes. She’d spent the entire day in Jake’s company and was about to end it with nothing more than a nod of his perfect chin in her direction.

“I’ll have a whiskey, please,” Claire said at the bar. “Actually, make it a double.”

The bartender gave her a quick nod and then placed her glass on the marble counter.

She stood there, alone, her feet aching in her three-inch heels. Every part of her ached for the man outside. She glanced toward the balcony, looking for a glimpse of Jake, but it appeared empty. They had probably left, and without even saying good-bye. As happy as she was for Holly, she had never felt so damn alone.

She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to obliterate the image of Jake from her mind. He was rough and hard, sexy in a way that made most women shiver inwardly with anticipation. He was the guy who worked hard but played harder, and he was never without a woman by his side. Jake was the kind of man so good-looking that temperatures rose a few degrees the moment he walked into the room. The kind of man who always knew if he wanted a woman he could have her. The kind of man…oh shut up, Claire. She took a long drink, savoring the slow heat as it traveled down her throat.

“I never had you pegged as a whiskey drinker,” a deep voice said close to her ear. Her body and mind recognized that voice at the exact same time. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. He’d come back. Jake was the only man who could fill the void that was threatening to consume her tonight.

She could feel the heat emanating off his body. He was standing directly behind her, close enough that if she leaned back an inch or so, she would be against Jake Manning’s hard chest. She slowly turned around, heart hammering, senses buzzing, and looked up into his blue eyes.

Try to be cool, Claire. Sultry. “And what kind of drink do you think I would have ordered?”

A leisurely smile graced his handsome face, revealing straight white teeth. “A Shirley Temple.”

Her mouth dropped open. The man thought she was a child. “Thanks,” she muttered, determined tonight she would change his opinion of her. “I bet you your Harley you don’t know a thing about me.” She finished off the remains of her whiskey and licked the moisture from her lips. Jake’s gaze went from her mouth to her eyes, and then he took a drink. He placed his empty glass on the counter, his arm brushing against her bare shoulder.

“Can I buy you another one?”

“It’s an open bar, but I guess old habits die hard. Woman at bar. Buy drink. Score,” she said, tapping her finger against his hard chest.

“I’ll have you know it takes a lot more skill than that,” he murmured, his voice low and delicious, each syllable resonating inside her body.

“I’ve seen the women you hang out with. I’m sure it doesn’t.”

“I wasn’t aware you were keeping tabs on me.”

“I wasn’t. Just a guess,” she whispered, her courage faltering slightly as his eyes focused on her mouth. “I don’t frequent the Red River Tavern—”

“Right. Busy going to church?”

“Yup. Me and church are like this,” she said, crossing her index finger over her middle finger. She almost groaned out loud at her own stupidity. Of all the dumb things to say. She needed to show him there was more to her than he thought. She needed to seduce him. It was now or never, tonight or never. She’d spent too many years secretly wanting him. Tonight she planned on having a taste of heaven.

A taste of Jake Manning.

….........

He was going straight to hell.

Jake stared down at Claire, the only woman who’d interested him lately, and the only woman who was off-limits. She was Holly’s best friend. She was Reverend Holbrook’s only daughter. She was the good girl. And there wasn’t a good bone in his entire body. Right now, he didn’t really care about all that anymore.

Her voice sent vibrations of awareness through him. He’d been aware for the last five years. He’d been aware all damn day. And now after a few drinks, he was even more aware of how attracted he was to her.

He looked at Claire the way he’d wanted to since the moment she’d walked down the aisle today. He started at the top of her head, taking in the shiny dark hair that fell around her shoulders, the updo she’d had long gone, when she’d pulled her hair free while dancing. He admired the smooth, perfect skin, and the mouth that teased him mercilessly. Her shoulders were toned, bare except for the thin straps of her pale-pink dress. His eyes wandered lower, and her chest was rising and falling in rapid breaths.

He held her gaze as he ran his hands up her bare arms, and she shivered. She wanted him as much as he wanted her. He knew it the moment she’d walked down the aisle today and had made eye contact with him. Maybe it was seeing his brother get married to the love of his life, but he didn’t want to be left alone tonight.

“You looked beautiful today,” he murmured.

She raised her eyebrows. “That’s it?”

“What do you mean?” he said, taking a step toward her.

“That’s all you’ve got? You’re supposed to be a pro at this. You’ve got to be able to come up with something better than that.”

“I didn’t think you’d fall for the usual lines,” he whispered, the urge to take her mouth with his overwhelming now that he stood this close to her. “And for some reason, I don’t think I want to use any of those lines on you.”

He caught the way her eyes ignited. Her hands slowly traveled up his chest, her eyes not leaving his. She tugged at his nape, urging him to bend down. Her lips grazed his ear. “I don’t want lines. I don’t want anything except you tonight.”

Jake stopped breathing for a moment. The invitation was written all over her beautiful face when she pulled away from him. She couldn’t make it any clearer. That was probably the last thing he’d ever expect from Claire.

“Let’s go,” he said, linking her hand in his.

They were halfway across the ballroom when he stopped. “Wait.” He left Claire standing in the middle of the ballroom and walked toward the band, which was beginning to pack up. He didn’t question why it mattered, why he was stopping, why he was making this more than it should be. The chandeliers in the room were off, the tables cleared, the massive dance floor empty.

“What’s your favorite song?” he called out to her. Her mouth dropped open, and he was momentarily distracted by her lips. She paused for a second, then told him.

He repeated it to the singer of the band.

“Sorry, buddy, we’re ready to go. Last song was twenty minutes ago. We’re only paid until one a.m.,” the young man said, his hand ready to tug the microphone off the stand.

Jake handed him a large bill. “One song.”

The singer looked at the bill, stuffed it into his pocket, and nodded.

“What are you doing?” Claire whispered as he tugged her along to the middle of the dance floor.

“I’m dancing with you the way I wanted to dance with you tonight,” he whispered roughly, and pulled Claire into his arms. And she fit there exactly as he knew she would, just like the dreams he’d had about her. Except it was better because she smelled like flowers and spring and her skin was soft and smooth. He knew he didn’t need to do this. And he didn’t want to question why he was doing this. His hands traveled up the small of her back and to the nape of her neck, gently pulling her head back. He wanted to kiss her, finally taste the mouth of the woman he had no business wanting.

He bent his head and stood still. Everything stopped as he finally tasted her, savored her, and became consumed by her.

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Tasty Review Tour for When You're Ready by J.L. Berg

Welcome to my stop on the Tasty Review Tour for When You’re Ready by J.L. Berg.  Please leave a comment or question for J.L. to let her know you stopped by.  You can enter her tour wide giveaway by filling out the Rafflecopter form below.  You can also follow her tour here, the more stops you visit, the better your odds of winning. 

When You’re Ready

By J.L. Berg

The Ready Series, Book 1 

Publisher: J.L. Berg

Release Date: July 23, 2013

Genre: Contemporary Romance

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Book Description: 

When Clare Murray suffers the tragic loss of her husband Ethan, leaving her alone to raise their infant daughter, she feels the grief overwhelming her, seeping into her very soul. Weeks later, she stumbles upon an envelope with the words “When You’re Ready” written in Ethan’s familiar messy handwriting, but can’t bring herself to breach the seal. Ready for what? He was her entire world, and Clare has accepted a life without him, without love. Until, years later, fate brings her to an emergency room, and face to face with stormy eyed doctor intent on changing her mind.

Logan Matthews is the son of a billionaire who has spent his entire life trying to make his absent father proud. Years of living up to man who more ghost than father, and a public failed marriage has left Logan cold and emotionless until he walks into an exam room to discover a woman who stops his heart, makes his body burn with desire and leaves his entire world altered.

But how far are Clare and Logan willing to go for love? When their love is tested, is Clare ready to put her whole heart on the line again? Can Logan learn the true meaning of love, even if it means sacrificing his own happiness? When a second chance at love is given, Clare and Logan learn you never know you are truly ready until you’re ready to risk it all.
  

Buy Links

Amazon │Barnes & Noble │ Smashwords

Excerpt

*Contains Adult Content*

A knock on the door marked the entrance of yet another person. As I turned my head, I found myself face to face with the real-life version of Dr.McSteamy entering the exam room. Is this our doctor? Holy hell, I think I just whimpered a little.

Tall and built like a swimmer, he was sexiest thing I’d ever seen in a pair of scrubs. Like the sky right before a summer storm, his eyes bordered between gray and blue, and I couldn’t help but stare into their thunderous intensity. His hair was dark brown that edged near black and had that “just fucked” look to it. The kind of hair that made you want to run your hands through it. How did guys do that? Did they spend time creating that look in a mirror, or was it really a product of being fucked? I suddenly wanted to know. Oh shit, was I drooling? Did he say something?

He was looking right at me, waiting

“Are you the mother?” he asked. His eyebrow arched in question. A really hot question.

Seriously, Clare…get your mind out of the gutter.

“Uh, yes. I’m Clare Murray. This is my daughter Madilyn, uh, Maddie,” I said, trying to cover up the fact that I had probably been standing there for an ungodly amount of time, lamely staring at him and forming my own mini puddle of drool, while he tried to get my attention back on my sick daughter.

Yup, best mother ever.

“Nice to meet you Ms. Murray, I’m Dr. Matthews.” Turning to Maddie, he said “And this must be the princess.”

Calling Maddie a princess earned him major brownie points, and I think I even heard a faint giggle. She immediately looked up, her big brown eyes connecting with his as he began the examination.

Dr. Matthews bent down, leaning over her tiny frame and ran his hand over Maddie’s head. I knew he was checking for any bumps or abnormalities, but his gesture seemed protective and my heart did a little flip flop seeing my daughter in the arms of another man.

Done with his physical exam, he settled himself at the end of the hospital bed and motioned for me to take a seat in the chair positioned next to Maddie. It was a small room, making us all very cozy. I could feel the heat radiating off his body. His really, really hot body. His eyes lingered on mine briefly, and I felt the blush start to creep up my cheeks. A quick smirk flashed across his face before he began speaking.

“Well, your nurse already gave me some of the details on what lead to Maddie’s injury this afternoon. Sounds like you had an eventful day,” he said, giving Maddie a gentle smile. She looked up at him like he’s the king of the world, which surprised me. Maddie’s generally not a fan of men, having not been around many in her life.

“But it looks like a classic concussion. Her skull feels normal, and I don’t see any signs of swelling or bleeding. I’m going to go ahead and order a CT just to rule out anything major and make sure we’ve covered all of our bases. But more than likely she’ll be back to her old self in a few days,” he said, offering reassurance.

I nodded absently, those stark white walls starting to tighten around me. It’s not the fact that he wanted a test that sent me into an instant panic attack. I understood the precaution. I was glad Dr. Matthews was taking the time to do so, and I appreciated his thoroughness. It was the way in which he said it. The exact phrasing. One sentence, and the memory came back to haunt me, flooding my mind and taking over my senses.

Ethan sat down next to me on the bed. He looked at me with those dark brown eyes and concerned, loving look. He knew I always worried about everything.

“Baby, I don’t need any more tests. The doctor says they’re only migraines,” he said. “The CT came back normal which rules out anything major. I don’t want to fight with the insurance company to get an MRI. You know they aren’t going to pay for it, so why bother?” He pulled me down onto our bed so that we were laying side by side.

“It’s going to be fine. So please, stop worrying.” He pleaded, leaning in to kiss me slowly, desperately trying to change the subject. He pulled away, looking at me with a devious grin plastered on his face. “Besides, we have more important things to think about right now,” he whispered, looking down my body slowly and appreciatively.

“Oh, yeah? I can’t think of anything,” I said, faking a yawn and stretching my arms out wide. “I think I’m going to go to sleep. Night!”

I tried to keep my face steady, but I couldn’t help the grin that escaped, and before I could cover my mouth to hide it, he attacked and I squealed with laughter. He straddled my body, pinning me to the bed with his knees, and trapping my wrists above my head in his tight grasp.

“Shhh! This is the first night in weeks the baby has been asleep for more than an hour, and you’re going to ruin it with your squealing horse laugh!” He leaned down to kiss me, chuckling.

“I do not laugh like a horse!” I pouted.

The annoyance in my voice melted as his trailing kisses reached my neck and meandered down to my shoulder, taking the strap of my nightgown with him. He pulled my body firmly against his and slowly made his way back to my mouth, kissing me so fiercely that every other thought melted away. Tests and headaches were left in the past.

If only I had been more persistent, more demanding…taken him to more specialists…

“Are you sure the CT will be enough? Nothing will be overlooked? I asked, escaping from the memory that had held me captive. Fear was evident in my voice. I knew everything was fine, and what happened with Ethan had been rare, but the irrational panic was there nonetheless.

Maddie is not Ethan. Maddie is not going to die. I silently chant, feeling the calm beginning to return.

I looked up at Dr. Matthews, and he was watching me with concern and confusion painted all over his gorgeous face.

Awesome. Good job, Clare. Now the hot doctor thinks you are crazy.

Author Info

I’m a California native, who lives in the South – Virginia to be exact.  I still prefer sushi to fried chicken, avocado to okra, and I absolutely loathe humidity, but I love watching the seasons change.  My husband and I have been here for ten years, and I still get giddy like a school girl every time it snows.

I’m married to my high school sweetheart.  We were married young, barely out of high school, when everyone told us we were crazy and stupid.  We’ll be celebrating 12 years of marriage this year, and I love him more every single day. We’re living proof that true love knows no age limit.

We’ve been blessed with two beautiful daughters who continue to amaze and inspire me, and are probably making me go a bit insane.  I’m obsessed with yoga and pilates and am a complete chocoholic.  I apologize in advance for the amount of sweets in my book.

I’m absolutely obsessed with romance novels (duh) and probably could have built a vacation home with the amount of money I’ve invested in them over the years.  Romance novels take you to another place, making your heart race, emotions swell, passion run free.  After so many years of meeting hundreds of fictional characters and discovering their worlds, I found myself creating my own.

My debut novel, When You’re Ready, a novel about about finding love after loss, will be released August 1st!

Author Links

Website: http://jlberg.com/

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/authorjlberg

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7084780.J_L_Berg

My Review

An emotional and compelling romance, When You’re Ready by J.L. Berg captured my attention from the first page and never let go.  I found myself falling in love with Ms. Berg’s likable and well developed characters, her style of dialogue and the way she provided us with insight into both Clare and Logan’s pasts, while keeping us firmly rooted in the present.  Adding just enough emotional angst and some light comedy, I devoured this book in one sitting.

A young widow and single parent, Clare Murray spends her days and nights taking care of her young daughter.  Still mourning her husband’s death, Clare’s memories of their time together, and a letter he left her marked for “When You’re Ready” are all she has left of Ethan.  Sure she’s had her only chance at love, Clare is surprised when a trip to the emergency room, and a gorgeous doctor , make her wonder if it’s possible to find the love of your life twice.

The son of a New York billionaire and a succesful doctor, Logan Matthews has spent his whole life trying to impress his father; a cold hearted man only interested in financial success.  An endless work schedule succeeded in a publically humiliating divorce and brings Loan to Georgia, where he spends his days in the E.R. and his nights roaming the bars.  A life he’s happy with until the night he treats Clare Murray’s young daughter and falls in love.   

The scenes between Clare and Logan are full of good dialogue, are well written and have plenty of emotional angst and sexual chemistry to make things interesting.  Ms. Berg does a good job developing their characters and giving us glimpses into their past experiences, their current desires and their fears.  I really enjoyed watching Logan realize he was capable of being in love and giving love, and enjoyed watching Clare open her heart to the possiblity of falling in love again.

The secondary characters, from their best friends to Clare’s parents, were well written and each contributed something to the story.  Even Ethan, the deceased husband played a part – first only as part of Clare’s memories and then when Clare was finally ready to read his final words to her. 

Will Clare and Logan really take a chance on finding love?  And will their love be strong enough to survive what they’ll face in the future?  You’ll have to read When You’re Ready to find out, I really enjoyed it and would recommend it to anyone who loves to read modern romance.

My Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars 

FTC Disclosure:  I received a complimentary copy of this book as a part of a book tour in exchange for a fair and honest review.  I did not receive any additional compensation for my opinion of the reading material provided.

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Tasty Review Tour & Giveaway for Kissing My Life Au Revoir by Eliza Watson

Welcome to my stop on the Review Tour for Kissing My Old Life Au Revoir by Eliza Watson.  Please leave a comment or question for Eliza to let her know you stopped by.  You can enter her tour wide giveaway by filling out the Rafflecopter form below.  You can also follow her tour stops here, the more stops you visit, the better your odds of winning.

Kissing My Old Life Au Revoir

By Eliza Watson

Publisher:  Eliza Watson

Release Date: July 10, 2013

Genre: Contemporary Romance

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Book Description: 

Event planner Samantha Hunter is prepared for a few challenges when escorting a group of good ole boy beer distributors to Paris, the city of haute cuisine and fine wines. However, she doesn’t foresee being passed up for a promotion because she is too professional and doesn’t knock back beers with her clients. 

Her focus soon switches from landing the well-deserved promotion to finding her free-spirited sister, who lives in Paris and has disappeared, leaving behind family secrets to be uncovered. A sexy puppeteer helps Samantha search for clues to her sister’s whereabouts and teaches her to embrace her inner child. And a funeral-crashing psychic demonstrates the importance of living life to the fullest. It takes Samantha’s life spiraling out of control for her to finally get a life.

Buy Links

Amazon │ Barnes & Noble │ Smashwords

Author Info

Eliza’s first attempt at creative writing was in fourth grade. She and her friends were huge Charlie's Angels fans and she would sit in her bedroom at night writing scripts for them to act out at recess the following day. She was Kelly Garrett. The journey from fourth grade script writer to published author wasn't an easy one, but it was always an adventure and the final destination was well worth it.

When she’s not traveling for her job as an event planner, or tracing her ancestry roots through Ireland, she’s at home in Wisconsin working on her next novel, bouncing ideas off her husband Mark, and her cats Quigley and Frankie.

Author Links

www.elizawatson.com

http://www.goodreads.com/ElizaWatson

https://www.facebook.com/ElizaWatsonAuthor

My Review

A funny, poignant contemporary romance, Kissing My Old Life Au Revoir by Eliza Watson is as much about knowing who you are and what you want out of life as it is about finding true love and happiness in life.  Well developed characters, good dialogue, emotional angst and just the right touch of comedy had me turning the pages to discover what her characters were going to do next.  Setting her story in Paris, the “City of Love” was the perfect choice.

Workaholic Samantha Jones puts in over 60 hours a week as an event planner for a large brewing company.  Picking Paris for the annual meeting with distributors wasn’t her first choice, but she’s worked hard to make sure the event will be a success and is sure it’s the perfect setting for her boss to announce her well deserved promotion.  Only suddenly nothing’s going according to plan.

First she discovers that Libby, the younger sister she’s been helping to support as an artist living in Paris is at least 8 months pregnant.  Then Evan, her boyfriend and immediate supervisor at work, proposes marriage and tells her she’s probably not getting promoted.  And then her sister goes into labor one month early.  The responsible one in the family, Samantha does what she always does – try to pick up the pieces.

Ms. Watson does an excellent job developing Samantha’s character; at the beginning of the book we get to learn about Samantha, the overly competent worker who leaves nothing to chance and literally goes the extra mile to make sure everything is perfect.  Even if working as hard and as many hours as she does is giving her an ulcer and could be leading to a premature death.  As Samantha is forced to pick up the pieces of her life, she’s suddenly forced to look at who she’s become and what it is she really wants out of life.

While Samantha embarks on her journey of discovery, she’s forced to realize she’s never known real love and has let life pass her by.  When Libby runs off and leaves her baby behind, Samantha and Luc, one of Libby’s friends, search for Libby and Samantha realizes she’s falling in love with Paris and with Luc.  Something she never expected to happen.

Will Samantha choose Paris over her old life when it comes knocking back on her door?  Will she take a chance on the love of a lifetime?  You’ll have to read Kissing My Old Life Au Revoir to find out.  I enjoyed it and look forward to reading more of Ms. Watson’s work.  

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 Stars

FTC Disclosure:  I received a complimentary copy of this book as a part of a book tour in exchange for a fair and honest review.  I did not receive any additional compensation for my opinion of the reading material provided.  

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