Cover Reveal & Weekend Giveaway - I Need You For Christmas by Leah Braemel

And now...pulling back the red curtains to reveal ................

I Need You by Leah Braemel

Publisher: Carina Press 

Release Date: Early December 2012

Blurb: 

Ryan Porter is a sculptor, and beneath his callused hands, even the most rigid metals bend to his will. So, too, does his girlfriend Megan—a confident, strong woman who delights in submitting to Ryan’s dominance in the bedroom.

Megan is a Mountie, and she’s spent the past few years in the arctic following her career dreams. Family obligations kept Ryan at home, but their love survived the distance thanks to several hot visits. A Mountie always gets her man, and Megan is bound and determined to keep Ryan.

Now Megan’s with Ryan for the holidays…but how long will this visit last? She’s always been willing to do anything Ryan desires, but will he finally tell her that all he needs for Christmas is her?

Doesn't that cover look great?  I can't wait for it to release.  Here's the cover for the anthology it will be a part of too.

 

I have to admit I have a thing for covers so I'll probably get the individual books and the anthology...lol

And because it's almost the weekend, and I love Leah's books and her new cover - I'm holding a contest over the weekend.  Leave a comment below about either the cover or blurb of her upcoming book and on Sunday Night, Sept 16, 2012, I'll use Random.org to choose a winner of one of Leah's ebooks.  

Open to both US and International as long as there is a seller to your location.

Good Luck Everyone!

VBT Review & Giveaway - Stella & Dane by Deanna Roy

Welcome to my stop on Deanna Roy's Virtual Book Review Tour for her book, Stella & Dane.  Please be sure to leave a comment or question below for Deanna as she will be awarding a $25 Amazon Gift Card to one randomly drawn commenter during her tour.  You can follow her tour stops here.  

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Stella and Dane: A Honky Tonk Romance

by Deanna Roy

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BLURB:

Stella is one step from leaving her honky tonk town when bad-boy Dane roars through Main Street on his prized Harley-Davidson. Their dangerous romance keeps the locals talking, but when Dane is sent to prison for manslaughter after a bar fight, the couple discovers their love runs deeper than their reputations.

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Excerpt: 

They cut across the yard and pushed through a broken-down gate. Stella dug through her purse and pulled out her keys. Dane leaned the bike against the house. The moon slid behind a cloud, pitching them into near-blackness. Stella dropped the keys and cursed. He felt his way along the house, tripping over a coil of garden hose.

The landscape brightened again, and Stella fumbled with the door. “I don’t get it,” she said.

He came up behind her on the stoop. “Get what?”

“The key. It isn’t working.”

“Here.” He fished his own keys from his pocket and twisted a tiny light hanging on the chain.

“Sure it’s the right one?”

“I’ve been going in this door all my life.”

He shone the light on the lock. “It’s new.”

“What?”

Stella crowded in. “Oh my God. She changed the locks. My mother changed the locks.”

Dane squeezed her arm. “She’s upset, Stell, that’s all.”

Stella turned and leaned her back on the door. “She locked me out of the only place I ever called home.”

Dane could feel the trembling in her legs. “I’ll get you in. Not like a little lock can stop someone like me.”

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Deanna is the author of Baby Dust and Stella & Dane, interrelated books on the hardships we sometimes face while searching for that ideal love and looking to build a family.

Her articles and short stories have been published in many magazines including The Writer magazine, The First Line, and publications by SCBWI and the Writers' League of Texas. Her best work has been collected into a short story collection Single Edged Blades.

She lives in Austin, Texas, with her two daughters and new husband. They were married 6.9.12!

Twitter: @deannaroy
Facebook: http://facebook.com/deannaroy
Web site: www.deannaroy.com

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My Review: 

Living in a small town can be a wonderful experience if you're in the right town.  There's a sense of community, a group of hard working people and usually a willingness to help your neighbor or the older woman in town who's alone.  Unfortunately there are some small towns that give small towns a bad name - the ones full of prejudice, judgement and nosy neighbors.  Stella & Dane by Deanna Roy is set in one of those small towns, the kind you don't want to live in and want to escape if you were unfortunate enough to be born in it.

Stella is a young woman who hates Holly, Missouri, the small town where she's  grown up.  Plotting her escape is just one of the ways she spends her time between working and climbing the town's water tower.    The only reason Stella hasn't left town is because of her love for her Grandmother Angie; who's dying of cancer.  Stella can't get along with her parents, especially her mother Vivian, and her older sister has already married and fled town.  Her best friend, Janine, is her closest confidant.  

Just when Stella thinks it's time to formalize her plans, a new man arrives in town on a Harley and Stella's instantly drawn to him.  I'll admit I had a hard time liking Stella at first, she has a tendency to jump into the frying pan before she thinks and she's immature.  Her decision making skills are almost non-existent and she's pretty self centered at the beginning of this story.  Fortunately, Stella does a lot of character growth during the story - I was happy with the person she becomes by the end of the book.

Dane is a "Bad Boy" on a Harley, he's got a quick temper, falls in love too easily and acts before he thinks.  He's immediately drawn to Stella and will do whatever it takes to have her.  Deciding Holly is too small for the both of them, Stella and Dane begin to make plans for their departure.  Only Dane's insane jealousy, and bad judgement end up landing him in a world of hurt.  I'll admit I had issues with Dane's character too, he's really got bad judgement and he's never learned to listen to other's advice.  When a bad decision leads to him being placed in jail, Dane worries he'll not only lose the life he's dreamed of but also lose the woman he loves.

Will Stella realize Dane's the man she wants in her future forever?  And will she wait for him to become a free man?  You'll have to read Stella & Dane to find out.  If you like intense and emotionally filled reads, then this is the book for you!

My Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars 

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Don't forget to leave a comment or question below to be entered in Deanna's giveaway.  You can follow her tour stops here.  

VBT - Empty Net by Toni Aleo

Welcome to my stop on Toni Aleo's Empty Net Virtual Blog Tour. Toni was kind enough to do a short interview below. Please make sure to leave a comment or question below for Toni as she will be awarding one (1) ebook per tour stop and a grand prize at the end of her tour. You can enter her giveaway in the form below.

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Interview:

Me: Hockey plays a large part of both your personal life and your writing life. Were you always a hockey fan? What attracted you to the sport?

Toni: I didn't even know what hockey was until I met my husband in middle school. He was a HUGE hockey guy. Played all the time, took me to all the Red Wings games, it started to become part of my life. Now, I am obsessed, love it more than anything!

Me: How many books are you planning in your "Assassin's series"?

Toni: Right now, I have 4 more books outlined. After that, I really dont know what I'll do. Lol.

Me: If you had to describe yourself as a shoe, what would you be?

Toni: Something crazy. Lots of glitter with spikes and a 7 inch heel!

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Empty Net by Toni Aleo

Definition of an Empty Net: When a team pulls the goalie for an extra attacker, desperately seeking a goal.

Audrey Parker was in a horrible place.

She hated her job, her sister was getting married and moving out, but worst of all, she was in love with a total jerk. No matter what she did, every guy she met hurt her. All she wanted was her happily ever after. Her Prince Charming. Her Lucas Brooks! She didn’t know how to change her life but she knew she needed too.

Feeling like she was about to hit rock bottom, Audrey wakes up next to Tate Odder.

Tate Odder had lost everything.

After being brought up from the Assassins’ farm team, the Florida Rays to the Nashville Assassins, Tate hopes he’ll forget everything he has lost. He doesn’t. Each day gets harder to live in a place he doesn’t know. Even being the first rookie goalie to shut out an opposing team three times during the Lord Stanly Cup Finals, he still felt empty. With the loss of his parents and sister still heavy on his heart, Tate isn’t sure how to live like everything is okay.

But when he wakes up beside Audrey Parker, things start to change. She turns his life upside down with her kooky sense of humor and her bright clothing. She is intelligent and beautiful, and for once, he doesn’t feel empty.

Will Audrey be the person to fill the holes in Tate’s heart, making him whole again?

Or will another player ruin everything, leaving him feeling forever like an empty net?

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Who Is Toni Aleo? 

My name is Toni Aleo!
(and I’m a total dork!)

I am a wife, mother of two and a bulldog, and also a hopeless romantic.

I have been told I have anger issues, but I think it’s cause of my intense love for hockey!


I am the biggest Shea Weber fan ever, and can be found during hockey season with my nose pressed against the Bridgestone Arena’s glass, watching my Nashville Predators play!

When my nose isn’t pressed against the glass, I enjoy going to my husband and son’s hockey games, my daughter’s dance competition, hanging with my best friends, taking pictures, scrapbooking, and reading the latest romance novel.

I have a slight Disney and Harry Potter obsession, I love things that sparkle, I love the color pink, I might have been a Disney Princess in a past life…probably Belle, and did I mention I love hockey?

I hope to hear from you on here, my Facebook, or my twitter! Thank you so much!

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tonialeo1 

Twitter: @tonilovesweber

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My Review: 

I debated how to start this review so I'm just going to start with how I feel about hockey, the sport.  For some reason, I'm not a huge fan of the game; I've been to the local pro-team's games and for some reason, it's never been a pleasant experience.  I also don't really like the sport on television but for some strange reason - I love, love, love, hockey romance books.  I guess it's just a personal quirk.  When I was offered the opportunity to host this tour stop and review the book, I of course jumped at the chance, even though I'd never heard of the author or read any of her previous books.  I can honestly say, I'm happy I did.

Ms. Aleo is a gifted author whose characters captured my attention from the first page.  With good dialogue, plenty of action on and off the ice, good emotional development and spicy love scenes, I'm hooked on a new to me series.  

Tate Odder is a young, talented hockey player who just recently joined the Assassins team.  While he may not have the experience some of the other players have had, Tate has a colorful past which includes some heartbreak.  He has some issues but he's determined to move on and live a good life.  He never planned on falling for a fellow team member's sister-in-law but that's just what happens when he meets Audrey Parker.

Audrey Parker is unhappy with her lot in life.  She's been dating nothing but losers and now her sister, Fallon, is getting married to a professional hockey player, Lucas Brooks of the Nashville Assassins, and leaving her behind.  Audrey wants her own Happily Ever After and Prince Charming, she just doesn't think its in the cards for her.  She wasn't planning on finding it with a younger man or in waking up in his bed the day after her sister's wedding.

The scenes between Tate and Audrey are very well written, they have great chemistry but it's the emotional growth they go through as individuals and as a couple that make this story great.  The secondary characters were also well developed and contributed to my enjoyment of the story.  I didn't realize till after I started reading the story that this was the third book in the series and that some of the secondary characters were primary characters in previous books.  I plan to go back and get the previous two books to get their full back stories.  

Will Audrey and Tate both get the happy ending they deserve, on and off the ice?  You'll have to read Empty Net to find out.  I really liked this hockey romance and I think you will too.

My Rating:  5 out of 5 Stars 

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EMPTY NET Blog Tour Schedule:


9/10/12 - Nose In A Book
9/10/12 - Redheads Review It Better
9/11/12 - Mrs. Condit & Friends Read Books
9/12/12 - Harlie's Books
9/13/12 - Queen of the Night Reviews
9/14/12 - Under The Covers Book Blog
9/15/12 - Blackraven's Erotic Cafe
9/16/12 - Guilty Pleasures Book Reviews
9/17/12 - Rumor Has It
9/18/12 - Ravishing Romance
9/19/12 - My Secret Romance
9/20/12 - Reviews By Molly
9/21/12 - My Odd Little World

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Have You Read Entangled Publishing's Bliss Line Yet ?

 

Bliss books are contemporary, modern, fresh tales of women and men finding their happily ever after in small towns with the support of their best friends and family. 

Though the focus lies on the characters’ emotional journey, at Bliss we like to say our heroes and heroines still jump in the sack…it just then fades to black.

 Find your bliss during this amazing launch celebration. 

Win an eReader from Entangled Publishing! 

All you have to do is enter to win using their Rafflecopter entry form below.  Spread the word!

 

Lucky Break by Kelly Vitollo 

She’ll gamble her heart on the best friend she left behind…

One lucky break is all struggling actress Sidney Williams needs. But when living the LA life becomes too much, she heads back to the small town of Shamrock Falls for the vacation she needs to get her life on track—and immediately runs into Kade Mitchell, her former best friend and the boy next door she’s always regretted leaving behind.

Kade, the new owner of Lucky’s—once the most popular bar in Shamrock Falls—is determined to bring the place back to its former glory, and seeing Sidney again is a distraction he doesn’t need. Sure, the chemistry between them is explosive, but Kade can’t let himself fall into a fling with his best friend—not when he knows she’s soon heading back to the glitter of Tinseltown.

Now, with the possibility of her first major acting role looming, Sidney must decide if her lucky break is in Hollywood or right where she left it—in Shamrock Falls. 

Buy now on Amazon or Barnes & Noble for $2.99

 

Three River Ranch by Roxanne Snopek: 

To save his ranch, he needs a wife. But can she save his heart?

Needing a fresh start from her two-timing fiancé, Aurora McAllister answers a realtor’s ad for a guesthouse on the beautiful, serene Three River Ranch. She shows up at Three River tired, alone, and—oh, yeah—pregnant.

Cowboy Carson Granger has enough trouble in his life without adding a pregnant woman to the mix. There’s the untamed mustang he’s prepping to release into the wild, not to mention his father’s crazy will, which stipulates that if he wants to fully inherit Three River, he’ll need to find a bride. Carson wants nothing to do with love or marriage. And children? They’ve never been in the cards. But he soon realizes Rory, and everything she represents, might just be exactly what he needs.

Sometimes love arrives on your doorstep when you least expect it… 

Buy now on Amazon or Barnes & Noble for $2.99

 

 

Sugar Rush by Rachel Astor: 

There’s nothing quite like your first bite.

Dulcie Carter has been running her family’s homemade sweet shop, Candy Land Confections, on her own since her mom passed away. But business is slow and rent is high, so Dulcie knows if she wants to keep her mom’s dream alive, she’ll need a miracle. Winning the annual Assembly of Chocolatiers competition will change everything, if only she can overcome her fears and bring herself to create something new for the first time in a long time.

Then she meets Nick, a molten-hot guy with a sexy smirk and chocolate brown eyes. The attraction is stronger than any sugar rush—until she discovers he’s set to inherit his family’s big-box candy shop in town, which is her strongest competitor for first prize. Nick’s got his own reasons for needing the win, but then being around Dulcie is proving addictive.

As the competition heats up, so do the sparks between them. Can they keep their sights on winning, when love might be the sweetest prize of all?

Buy now on Amazon or Barnes & Noble for $2.99

 

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