• Contemporary

    Cover Love: Say Nothing of What You See @christyeffinger #RLFblog #PNR

    Say Nothing of What You See
    by Christy Effinger
    Cover Love includes a cover, blurb, buy links, and social
    media contacts for the author. Today’s featured book is Say Nothing of What You
    See.
    Author: Christy Effinger
    Genre: Paranormal New Adult
    Rating: PG-13
    When her aunt steps off a grain elevator into the emptiness of
    a prairie evening, Mira Piper loses her one protector. Chloe, her flighty mother,
    impulsively drags her daughter to Bramblewood, an isolated spiritualist retreat
    in northern Michigan, run by the enigmatic Dr. Virgil Simon.
    Chloe plans to train as a medium but it’s Mira who discovers
    she can communicate with the dead. When her mother abandons her, Mira discovers
    a darker aspect to Bramblewood: the seemingly kind doctor has a sinister side and
    a strange control over his students.
    Then one winter’s day Troy Farrington arrives, to fulfill his
    mother’s dying wish and deliver her letter to the doctor. But calamity strikes and
    he finds himself a captive, tended by a sympathetic Mira. Haunted by her dead aunt
    and desperate to escape Bramblewood, Mira makes a devil’s deal with Dr. Simon. But
    fulfillment comes with a steep cost…betrayal.

    Buy This Book

    Barnes and Noble http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/say-nothing-of-what-you-see-christy-effinger/1120219553?ean=2940150511323:
    Kobo: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/books/say-nothing-of-what-you-see/oiWl4gN380KzUjQgGA61WA?MixID=oiWl4gN380KzUjQgGA61WA&PageNumber=1
    BookStrand: http://www.bookstrand.com/say-nothing-of-what-you-see

    Author Social Media

    Website: http://christyeffinger.com
    Goodreads: http://goodreads.com/christyeffinger
    Google+: http://google.com/+christyeffinger
    Tumblr: http://christyeffinger.tumblr.com
  • Contemporary

    5 Easy Questions: Jennifer Hayward author of Magnate’s Manifesto #RLFblog #romance

    Magnate’s Manifesto
    by Jennifer Hayward
    5 Easy Questions is an interview is designed to be quick, easy,
    and fun. Today’s guest is Jennifer Hayward.
    What is your go-to meal
    to order when you dine out? Your favorite “I know it will hit the spot”
    item.
    Pizza. Gourmet pizza with just about anything on it! One of my
    latest favourites is one with arugula and pancetta at this amazing pizzeria called
    Libretto in Toronto
    Who is your “book
    boyfriend”? You know, that hottie you read about and drool over
     Undoubtedly Gideon from
    Sylvia Day’s Crossfire series. OMG the ultimate male. It doesn’t get any more droolworthy!
    Would you rather stay
    inside and watch snow falling, or get out in it and build a snowman?
    Inside, with hot chocolate or coffee with Baileys J And
    I’m Canadian too!
    What was your favorite
    book as a child?
    James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl. Such a classic. So imaginative.
    My son just read it in school.
    What was the last movie
    you watched (home or theater)?
    Rush. Utterly amazing movie based on a true story about two race
    car drivers who are rivals.

    About the Book

    Title: The Magnate’s Manifesto
    Genre : Sexy romance
    Author Name : Jennifer Hayward
    Book heat level (based on movie ratings): R
    Billionaire Playboy Ignites International Incident With His Manifesto
    On Women
    Jared Stone: Visionary, rebel, the tech world’s golden boy…and
    now the most hated man on the planet!
    Bailey St. James: Survivor, powerful female executive, the only
    woman who refuses to bow down to Jared Stone…and the only woman who can save him?
    When Jared’s manifesto makes him public enemy #1 the only way
    out is to make Bailey an offer she can’t refuse—a very public promotion to VP! Now,
    with a major deal on the line and tensions rising, can it be long before Jared and
    Bailey move from spreadsheets to bed sheets?

    Buy This Book

    Amazon http://www.amazon.com/The-Magnates-Manifesto-Harlequin-Presents/dp/0373133014/ref=tmm_mmp_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1415296026&sr=8-1
    Barnes and Noble http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-magnates-manifesto-jennifer-hayward/1119709628?ean=9780373133017&itm=1&usri=9780373133017

    About the Author

    Jennifer Hayward has been a fan of romance since filching her
    sister’s novels to escape her teenaged angst.
    Her career in journalism and PR, including years of working alongside
    powerful, charismatic CEOs and traveling the world, has provided perfect fodder
    for the fast-paced, sexy stories she likes to write, always with a touch of humour.
    A native of Canada’s East coast, Jennifer lives in Toronto with
    her Viking husband and young Viking-in-training.

    Author Social Media

  • Contemporary

    5 Easy Questions: Anita Philmar @anitaphilmar #RLFblog #erotic

    Deputy’s Bride 
    5 Easy Questions is an interview is designed to be quick,
    easy, and fun. Today’s guest is Anita Philmar.
    Who is your “book
    boyfriend”? You know, that hottie you read about and drool over.
    I have to say I feel in love with Bo and Chase from my book Deputy’s
    Bride. True cowboys, they get me hot just thinking about them
    Would you rather stay
    inside and watch snow falling, or get out in it and build a snowman?
    Both, I enjoy getting out and building the snowman, but love
    sitting next to a fire and watching the snow fall.
    What was the last movie
    you watched (home or theater)?
    Date Night – I enjoyed how the couple was struggling with keeping
    the romance alive. Maybe why I have my romantic tip blog because we can all use
    help with our love life.
    If you’re on Twitter,
    what’s your favorite hashtag to watch?
    Right now, I’m watching the #HolidayRecipe because there are
    so many wonderful recipes to try out.
    If the hero of your latest
    book called you on the phone, what would be a perfect ringtone for him?
    When you’re hot, you’re hot, when you’re not, you’re not.

    About the Book

    Title Deputy Bride
    Genre Erotic Romance
    Author Name Anita Philmar
    Book heat level (based on movie ratings): R
    A hot, historical western stand-alone story with a satisfying
    HEA.
    Texas Deputy Bo Kildare is looking for a special kind of lady,
    one that is willing to meet his special requirements. No sweet little virgin will
    do, he wants a woman who knows how to please a man, perhaps two.
    Recently widowed, Sarah Elizabeth Foster-LaFever has lived in
    the public eye for the last few years and wants out. Her reputation as Micah LaFever’s
    wife has left her penniless and without many viable options until Bo comes calling.
    Now, she believes she found the perfect man until her past rears
    its ugly head. Can murder and corrupt dealings keep these two lovers from making
    it to the alter?

    Buy This Book

    Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Deputys-Bride-Naked-Bluff-Texas-ebook/dp/B00NUTJ5N6
    Barnes and Noble http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/deputys-bride-anita-philmar/1120622534?ean=2940046357318
    ARe https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-deputy039sbride-1689844-357.html

    Author Social Media

    Website: http://www.anitaphilmar.com/
    Blog: http://www.anitaphilmar.blogspot.com/
  • Contemporary

    #amreading Christmas Delights a new #romance by Heather Hiestand @HeatherHiestand #RLFblog

    Christmas Delights 
    This quick interview includes info about the author, and introduces
    the story.

    About the Author

    Heather Hiestand was born in Illinois, but her family migrated west before she
    started school. Since then she has claimed Washington State as home, except for
    a few years in California. She wrote her first story at age seven and went on to
    major in creative writing at the University of Washington. Her first published fiction
    was a mystery short story, but since then it has been all about the many flavors
    of romance. Heather’s first published romance short story was set in the Victorian
    period and she continues to return, fascinated by the rapid changes of the nineteenth
    century. The author of many novels, novellas, and short stories, she is a bestseller
    at both Amazon and Barnes and Noble. With her husband and son, she makes her home
    in a small town and supposedly works out of her tiny office, though she mostly writes
    in her easy chair in the living room. She also writes as Anh Leod.
    Heather loves to hear from readers! Visit her website for contact information.

    Interview with Heather Hiestand

    Why did you write this
    book?
    I have been dancing around the Christmas season in a few of my
    Redcakes series books and wanted to make sure I had a proper Christmas read to round
    out the series. When you have books that involve so many baked goods, the holidays
    are a perfect time of year to embrace! I also wanted to make sure Lewis Noble, my
    hero, had a happy ending, after being shot down romantically in The Marquess of
    Cake, Redcakes #1. He’s become a reader favorite character. My heroine, Victoria
    Courtnay, has also had rough luck in romance and I wanted her to have a love story.
    What is your favorite
    genre to read?
    I’ve been a romance reader since about 1993. I dabble-read in
    everything, but primarily read romance. I like books that uplift me and have positive
    messages. I don’t need that much reality in my fiction! Give me true love any day.
    Who is your favorite character
    from fiction (not including your own)?
    Kivrin from Connie Willis’s Doomsday Book. This is such a powerful
    read and makes me cry. Kivrin is a time traveler to the time of the Black Death.
    What are you working on
    at the moment, and will see from you in coming months?
    I just did plotting for Trifling Favors, which will be the seventh
    Redcakes book. I’ll be writing that in early 2015. I’ve also plotted the first book
    in a new series for my editor’s consideration, and I continue to work on another
    idea when I have time, set earlier in the nineteenth century than the Redcakes series.
    My next release will be in August 2015. That is Wedding Matilda, the sixth Redcakes
    book.
    Please tell us about your
    latest book.
    The sweetest gift is the hardest to unwrap. . .
    Lady Victoria Allen-Hill never dreamed she’d be a widow at twenty-one–let
    alone a virgin. Her father insists that she attend a matchmaking house party in
    the snow-covered seaside town of Pevensey in hopes she’ll find a suitable husband.
    But for Victoria, it’s an opportunity to indulge in a passionate affair–and the
    handsome inventor she meets at the Christmas Eve masquerade ball may be just the
    man for the job. . .
    Lewis Noble is the cousin of London’s famed Redcake sisters,
    so it almost stands to reason that he’s just as irresistible as one of their sugar-iced
    pastries. Lewis catches the eye of every woman at the party–but Victoria is the
    only one who catches his. He won’t be tied down in her father’s business, but watching
    other men court her amid a flurry of engagements ignites a jealousy he’s never felt
    before. A dose of honesty may be just the thing to mend their broken hearts–for
    many holidays to come. . .

    About the Book

    Title Christmas Delights
    Genre Historical Romance
    Author Heather Hiestand
    Book heat level (based on movie ratings): R

    Buy This Book

    Barnes and Noble http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/christmas-delights-heather-hiestand/1119633674?ean=9781601832580
    ARe https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-christmasdelights-1624223-237.html

    Author Social Media

  • Contemporary

    5 Easy Questions: Christine Ashworth author of Christmas Star @CCAshworth #RLFblog #holiday

    Christmas Star 
    5 Easy Questions is an interview is designed to be quick,
    easy, and fun. Today’s guest is Christine Ashworth.
    What is your favorite
    go-to meal to order when you dine out? Your favorite “I know it will hit the
    spot” item?
    Honestly? A hamburger and fries. Or eggplant parmigiana. Beef
    panang. Confession time…I like a lot of different foods!
    What were you like when
    you were in school?
    In high school, I was impatient with my peers. I was usually
    in the ballet studio – I knew what I wanted to do with my life, and it didn’t include
    gossiping about football players. Of course, I haven’t danced ballet in too many
    years now.
    Would you rather stay
    inside and watch snow falling, or get out in it and build a snowman?
    Both! I grew up in San Diego, and live in the Los Angeles area
    – I love snow, both watching it fall and getting out in it to build snowmen. But
    only if I’ve got the proper clothes, and know that there’s a fire and my hubby waiting
    for me to get me warm.
    If you’re on Twitter,
    what’s your favorite hashtag to watch?
    I love checking in on the #1k1hr hashtag. I almost always make
    new friends that way, too.
    What was the last movie
    you watched (home or theater)?
    “The Red Violin”. An AWESOME film that I’ve watched
    several times now.

    About The Book:

    Title: Christmas Star
    Genre: Contemporary Romance
    Author: Christine Ashworth
    Book heat level: PG13
    After a whirlwind courtship, the Christmas season finds plain-Jane-with-a-secret
    Elle Houston engaged to one of the brightest stars in the Hollywood firmament–and
    falling for the personal chef at her ritzy, pre-wedding resort.
    Elle doesn’t know for sure if marrying Taylor Collins, superstar,
    is the right thing to do. Separated by a continent four days before their wedding,
    Elle is waiting at a private resort as her doubts escalate. Hunky Chef Luc Favreau
    isn’t helping, with his Christmas cookies, and hot chocolate, and his ability to
    really listen, to really see a girl for who she is, rather than who he wants her
    to be…

    Buy this book:

    Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Christmas-Star-Tide-Book-ebook/dp/B00OM0TX7A/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1413586441&sr=1-1&keywords=Christmas+Star+by+Christine+AShworth
    Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/christmas-star-christine-ashworth/1120611206?ean=2940046352498
    ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-christmasstar-1652296-177.html

    About the Author

  • Contemporary

    Characters: Writer’s Creation or Reader’s Interpretation @AndiDowning #RLFblog #writertips

    Dearest Darling by Andrea Downing
    I see my characters clearly in my head. I hear their voices. I’d know them on the street and I understand them perfectly, what they would do in any given situation. When people ask me, what actor would you have play your hero or heroine in the film of the book, it’s difficult for me to answer because I envisage what they look like so plainly, and it’s not like any actor I know. So, with all this clarity, all this precise depiction, why do I get the occasional comment in a review that completely contradicts what I know my character to be?
    When I wrote Loveland, it was perfectly apparent to me that Lady Alex was the product of a neglected childhood. Her father had made it clear that he hated her, had sent her off for several years to live in a strange country, on a rough ranch, with no one of her own age. He then forced her into a disastrous marriage. Now, with all this behind her, she wanted to be independent—especially of men. She wanted a career. So why was it that a couple of people commented that they thought she was spoilt? Yes, as a member of the aristocracy, she had a maid, wore fine clothes, but did that imply she was spoilt? What happens is that the reader puts his or her own interpretation on the book; one reader might agree with me that Lady Alex was the product of her background with expectations to have these accouterments, but the next reader might have the view that these things make Lady Alex spoilt, that she had expectations beyond the norm. So who is right?
    In a way, both of us. A reader can only interpret what she reads from her own knowledge or background of experience. The author must strengthen the characterization enough to get the correct interpretation—the reader is not going to get what is in my mind by osmosis! It has to be down on the page. Perhaps the author must account for the breadth of viewpoints of her readership, the variety of experiences that readers are bringing to the page. On the other hand, I have to ask myself, could I, for instance, have created someone of Lady Alex’s background without the necessary props to show exactly who she was?
    So, how does the author create a character? First of all, the author shows the back-story of the character—let’s call him Charles for now. Charles has a body of experience behind him when the story begins that has helped to shape his character. As the novel proceeds, Charles will act and react to events, and the reader will know his thoughts on these events. When we’re in his POV, we’ll show his inner conflicts (is he torn between sweet Betty Lou and the glamorous Megan?), the emotions and tensions within him. We’ll relate his view on his relationship with other characters in the book; does he hate his father, is he bored stiff by his aunt? And we’ll describe his appearance, his quirks and his ticks; he’s grown a beard, he plays incessantly with the ring on his finger.
    Now comes the reader, Miss R. She gets the back story in drips and drabs so that a picture begins to form. Charles went to a posh school; Miss R thinks that means money in his background—that is, until it is revealed he was a scholarship student. Then her view of him

    changes somewhat. He buys a coffee and his hand shakes and a spill burns him. Miss R. wonders if he’s ill or nervous? Meantime, both Betty Lou and Megan are equally likeable and have an equal amount of faults. But Miss R is sitting in NYC and thinks the choice should be Megan, while Mrs. Farmer favors Betty Lou. Now we have 2 different interpretations of what’s going on, what’s going to happen and what SHOULD happen. Further complications arise when it becomes apparent that Charles hates his father and Miss R. did too, but Mrs. Farmer adored and worshipped hers so thinks ill of Charles. Finally, there’s that beard. Is it hiding a scar? Is he playing with that ring because he’s nervous or because he wants to remember the beautiful woman who gave it to him?

    The author has no control over what goes on in her readers’ minds and, at the same time, we don’t want to give away the whole story at once. Part of the telling is in letting out the secrets and the story in doses, but in such a way the reader reaches the correct interpretation of the character. And if we don’t do that, then, perhaps, we, as authors, have failed.

    About the Book

    Author: Andrea Downing
    Genre: western historical romance
    Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
    Stuck in a life of servitude to her penny-pinching brother, Emily Darling longs for a more exciting existence. When a packet with travel tickets, meant for one Ethel Darton, accidentally lands on her doormat, Emily sees a chance for escape. Having turned down the dreary suitors that have come her way, is it possible a new existence also offers a different kind of man?
    Daniel Saunders has carved out a life for himself in Wyoming—a life missing one thing: a wife. Having scrimped and saved to bring his mail-order bride from New York, he is outraged to find in her stead a runaway fraud. Even worse, the impostor is the sister of his old enemy.
    But people are not always as they seem, and sometimes the heart knows more than the head.

    About the Author

    Andrea Downing
    Andrea Downing
    Andrea Downing likes to say that when she decided to do a Masters Degree, she made the mistake of turning left out of New York, where she was born, instead of right to the west, and ended up in the UK. She eventually married there, raising a beautiful daughter and staying for longer than she cares to admit. Teaching, editing a poetry magazine, writing travel articles, and a short stint in Nigeria filled those years until in 2008 she returned to NYC. She now divides her time between the city and the shore, and often trades the canyons of New York for the wide open spaces of Wyoming. Family vacations are often out west and, to date, she and her daughter have been to some 20 ranches throughout the west. Loveland, her first book, was a finalist for Best American Historical at the 2013 RONE Awards. Lawless Love, a short story, part of The Wild Rose Press ‘Lawmen and Outlaws’ series, was a finalist for Best Historical Novella at the RONE Awards and placed in the 2014 International Digital Awards Historical Short contest. Dearest Darling, a novella, is part of The Wild Rose Press Love Letters series, and came out Oct. 8th, 2014, and Dances of the Heart, another full length novel, comes out in February, 2015.

    Author Social Media

    Buy This Book