The Cowboy of Valentine Valley - Review & Giveaway

The Cowboy of Valentine Valley 

Valentine Valley Series 

By: Emma Cane

Welcome to Valentine Valley, where the cowboys have many talents and love is waiting around every corner . . .

Ever since a heated late-night kiss—that absolutely should not have happened—cowboy Josh Thalberg makes former Hollywood bad girl Whitney Winslow's pulse beat faster. But when she decides to use his gorgeous leatherwork in her new upscale lingerie shop, Leather & Lace, she's determined to keep their relationship strictly professional . . . even if she wants so much more.

Josh has never met a challenge he isn't up for. Which is probably why he allowed Whitney to persuade him to take the sexy publicity photo that went viral—and now has every woman in America knocking down his door . . . every woman except the one he can't get out of his head.

But how to convince a reformed bad girl that some rules are worth breaking?

Buy Links:

Amazon * B&N * BAM

Review by K.T Sullivan

Whitney Winslow is opening a new store in Valentine Valley. Leather and Lace will offer lingerie and leather jewelry. Josh Thalberg is a cowboy, leather craftsman, and stunning. He offers his work to different shops and works on his family’s ranch. He and Whitney have a history and are trying not to repeat it. This time it’s all business, except the stolen kisses and secret glances. They travel to Aspen to visit with another shopkeeper. Whitney pretends to be his agent. The woman asks to photograph Josh to help sell the leather bags. She suggests he pose with a few shirt buttons undone. The picture goes viral and a star is born. A Facebook page and fan websites sprout up. Josh hopes it will all die down soon. He’s surprised to find out who’s fanning the flames of his celebrity. His family is very close and live in the same town. Whitney’s is wealthy and not supportive of her store, but they arrive looking for her help. Leave all the lingerie behind and return to New York to run the family business. She’d hoped to be asked when she graduated from college, but was snubbed. Now, she likes her independence and loves Josh. Why are hard decisions so easy to make?

Whitney and Josh make a perfect opposites attract couple. The only thing they have in common is each other. The secondary characters, especially the older widows in the town, add humor and a sense of belonging. This is the third book in a series. They should be read in order. Earlier episodes are referred to in the book that impact Josh’s and Whitney’s relationship. Plus characters have dealings with the couple too. They were fleshed out in the earlier books. This a sweet read and the image of Josh’s picture provides plenty of heat. 

Author Info

EMMA CANE grew up reading and soon discovered that she liked to write passionate stories of teenagers in space. Her love of “passionate stories” has never gone away, although today she concentrates on the heartwarming characters of Valentine, her fictional small town in the Colorado Rockies. Now that her three children are grown, Emma loves spending time crocheting and singing (although not necessarily at the same time), and hiking and snowshoeing alongside her husband Jim and two rambunctious dogs Apollo and Uma

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The Brim Reaper - Excerpt & Giveaway

Blurb

When an over-the-top collection of vintage Hollywood costumes comes to Samantha Kidd’s hometown, it brings a hat box full of hype. Close friend Eddie is in charge of the exhibit but when hype turns to homicide, he turns to Samantha for help. Brimming with good intentions, she loops in the cops, but after one too many cloche calls, she’s soon in over her head. If she can tear the lid off the investigation, it might mean a feather in her fedora. And if she can’t? She might get capped.

Excerpt

"How’s the job search going?” he asked.

“How much do you think I could get for a dozen satin cargo pants from the mid nineties?”

“That well, huh?” Eddie flopped down on a pile of Bubble Wrap. A burst of popping sounds shot from under his tush while he rearranged his legs in front of him. He let out an exaggerated sigh.

“The main problem is my recent work history. I was a buyer at Bentley’s for ten years, which was great, but it feels like another lifetime ago. After that I moved here and worked at Tradava for a week. Six months later I worked at Heist for something like that too. So basically my resume makes me look like a flake.”

“I might have a lead for you. That’s why I wanted your help. I can’t pay you, but I thought I could be a reference. Give you something to fill in the gap in your employment until you find a job.” He kicked his feet out in front of him. “But it doesn’t really matter, I guess. This whole project has been trouble from the start. You showing up looking like an extra in a hip-hop video is just the icing on the cake.”

I ignored his dig. “Why would my outfit have anything to do with your project?”

“Because my project could very easily become your project.”

“I’m not following.”

“Your major was the history of fashion, right? This exhibit encompasses that. We’re getting loans from some of the best private collections of clothing in the tri-state area, along with a couple of local hat stores and one designer from Hollywood.”

I leaned forward. “The museum’s putting on an exhibit on the history of fashion? Here, in Ribbon? You’re in charge of it? The whole thing? I would love to be involved with something like this, but my experience is in retail buying, not visual.”

“That’s where the opportunity comes in. I’m in charge of the installation. I’m giving you a foot back inside the door.”

“So why’s my outfit a problem?”

“I need you to be my liaison with the sponsor.”

“Who’s the sponsor?”

“Tradava.”

Tradava. The local department store that had promised me a job but delivered a homicide investigation—and then sent me a very polite letter that said they were dismantling the very department I’d been hired to work in.

As soon as I heard the name of the store, I tensed. I turned away from Eddie and pushed my fingers into my long brown hair, boosting the roots, while delivering a mental pep talk at the same time. Tradava would be lucky to get me back.

“You’re the curator?”

“Guest curator. More like exhibit merchandiser. Last year the museum sponsored a visual competition between a few different retailers. Tradava won. The prize was the chance to guest curate an exhibit. It took a while for the board of directors to agree on the exhibit concept and for the director to obtain loans from collectors, but once they green-lighted it, I’ve been on an almost impossible deadline. If you’re looking for something to tear you away from your job search, I could use your help coordinating the exhibit.”

“Maybe I should forget about Tradava. Maybe what happened is a sign that I shouldn’t work for them.”

“Sign-schmign. You need a job. They’re hiring. Sounds like a match to me.”

“You don’t believe in signs?”

“I believe in stop signs and sale signs. Everything else is woo-woo.”

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About the Author:

Diane Vallere is living proof that you can redesign your life with a little know how and a lot of determination! After close to two decades working for a top luxury retailer, she traded fashion accessories for accessories to murder, now juggling three different mystery series: Style & Error, featuring former fashion buyer Samantha Kidd; Mad for Mod, featuring Doris Day-loving interior decorator Madison Night; and the upcoming Material Witness series, featuring Polyester Monroe and the fabric shop she inherited. Diane started her own detective agency at age ten and has maintained a passion for shoes, clues, and clothes ever since. Find her at http://www.dianevallere.com/.

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Tiny Acts of Love - Dream Cast & Giveaway

Surviving motherhood? It's all about having the right support network.

Lawyer and new mum Cassie has a husband who converses mainly through jokes, a best friend on the other side of the world, and a taskforce of Babycraft mothers who make her feel she has about as much maternal aptitude as a jellyfish.

Husband Jonathan dismisses Cassie’s maternal anxieties, but is he really paying attention to his struggling wife? He’s started sleep talking and it seems there’s more on his mind than he’s letting on. Then sexy, swaggering ex-boyfriend Malkie saunters into Cassie’s life again.

Unlike Jonathan, he ‘gets’ her. He’d like to get her into bed again, too…

And on top of all her emotional turmoil, she also finds herself advising a funeral director on ghost protocol and becomes involved in an act of hotel spa fraud, never mind hiding cans of wasp spray all over the house to deal with the stalker who seems to be lurking everywhere she looks. Marriage and motherhood isn’t the fairytale Cassie thought it would be. Will her strange new world fall apart around her or will tiny acts of love be enough to get her through?

Funny, perceptive and real, Tiny Acts of Love portrays the rawness of motherhood, the flipside of love and the powerful lure of paths not taken.

Tiny Acts of Love Dream Cast

Today I’ve been given the exciting task of deciding on a dream cast for the principal characters in Tiny Acts of Love! So here goes:

Cassie

Cassie is a young lawyer, and the lead character in the novel. She’s just had her first baby, and she’s trying to find out who she is, now that she’s a mother, and a wife who’s a mother, and has stepped back with her career. She frets a lot and has a tendency to catastrophise. But she also knows how to laugh at herself, which is her saving grace.

I think Amy Adams would be perfect to play Cassie. Here she is:

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/amy_adams/      

My two little girls and I have been watching the DVD of Enchanted (purchased in desperation in the supermarket one rainy day at half term!) It’s a modern day princess story set in Manhattan, affectionately poking fun at Disney classics like Cinderella and Snow White. Amy plays the lead and she reminds me of Cassie, as she’s got that wide-eyed, innocent look going on, but with wicked, tongue-in-cheek humour underneath. I also like her because she’s very beautiful, but warm and real-looking, too.

Jonathan

Jonathan is Cassie’s husband, and quite a complicated soul. When Janne from my publishers suggested Benedict Cumberbatch to play him, I wasn’t sure to begin with because he didn’t fit my idea of Jonathan physically. In my mind, Jonathan is sturdier and more heavily set (though he also has dark hair and is tall). I was convinced, however, after carefully studying the photos in this hilarious article which Janne found!

http://www.buzzfeed.com/elliewoodward/times-benedict-cumberbatch-looked-like-an-absolute-god-in

Photo number 3, in particular, is very Jonathan! And in terms of character, it would be a perfect match. Jonathan has a streak of arrogance, and will always think he’s the most intelligent person in the room. But there’s vulnerability underneath that. He doesn’t like to show his emotions (something which infuriates Cassie!) but they’re definitely there, having an effect on his actions and reactions. Benedict would be brilliant at bringing that out. With his understated, dead pan humour, he would also be devastatingly good at delivering some of Jonathan’s comic lines.

Malkie

Malkie is Cassie's long lost first love, who appears out of the blue - working at her law firm - when she returns from maternity leave. He’s a bit of a bad boy come (sort of) good, but with vulnerability underneath all that, too. His charm is that he’s very intuitive  – he ‘gets’ Cassie like no-one else does.

I knew straight away who would play him! Imagine Ewan McGregor's Renton from Trainspotting, ten or fifteen years on, all cleaned up, with a sharp suit and a good job. That would be Malkie. 

This picture, in particular, is very Malkie!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SapClGprE2A

Dita

Dita is Jonathan’s mum. She’s a lovely character, emotionally available and very supportive of both Jonathan and Cassie, as well as being a doting grandmother to baby Sophie. Sometimes she can be a little too open, and always seems to puts her foot in it with the ultra-competitive, right-on Babycraft group.

I would cast Barbra Streisand in this role!

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000659/

I’m thinking, in particular, of Barbra playing Roz, Ben Stiller’s embarrassingly open but endearing mum in Meet the Fockers.

I hope you enjoyed meeting my dream cast for Tiny Acts of Love. It was great fun choosing them!

About the Author:

Lucy Lawrie was born in Edinburgh, and gained an honours degree in English Literature from Durham University before going on to study law. She worked as a lawyer in Edinburgh for several years, specialising in Employment and Pensions law. When Lucy was on maternity leave with her first baby, she unearthed a primary two homework book in which she’d stated, in very wobbly handwriting: ‘I want to be an AUTHOR when I grow up.’ To appease her six-year old self, she began writing her first novel.

Connect with the author at:

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Cree - Blog Tour Stop

Synopsis:

Whose parents abandon them in a trashy trailer when they are five years old? Oh Yeah! Mine do!


Hey Hoochies! I'm Milly, and I am tired of taking kicks to the gut. A broken family, an asshole husband and the loss of loved ones have left me crying Uncle, and declaring a serious case of the Fuck-Its!

I had my heart broken, stomped on and shattered before I ever started on my journey to find my little piece of happiness. With a bucket list, a '66 Ford and wild dreams, I set out on an adventure that changed my life forever.

I found Cree…

A pirate with a little princess and they swept me off my ever lovin' feet, filling my world with sprinkles, mac n’ cheese and the courage to live again.

They forced my fragile heart to trust and love without fear. 

But the truth is, nobody’s past stays hidden forever. It’s an invisible monster waiting to attack and destroy. It has the capability to ruin everything you’ve worked to set right.

All it takes is one final blow to the gut to end everything…

Author Bio:

I am just a simple country girl getting one story out of my head at a time. I was raised in small town, USA and still reside there with my husband and children. I am a huge country music fan and am inspired by it every day. I live and love country life, and you will find those elements in my books. I also adore strong and brave lead female characters, and strive to be a courageous and independent woman in everyday life. In my opinion, life is no fun without a good sense of humor, sprinkles, cheese whiz, and candy. It is the simple things that warm my heart. Live life your way, HJ Bellus

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Saved by the Belles - Review

Review by Darcey Pickett

Finally, Blake has the life of her dreams, a love affair with her high school sweetheart and a new baby on the way.  Her dreams take a turn when she receives a phone call from her ex-husband, Harry.  Harry comes to town begging her for forgiveness and vowing his undying love, but as usual with Harry things are not what they seem.

Blake is a true Southern Belle and rallies her team to prove Harry’s innocence.

This novella was a cute, quick read and as always Ms. Albright delivers.  This is a take-off from her Sassy Belle’s series, but can certainly be read as a stand-alone, with that said it will lure you in and have you running out to get the remaining books in the Sassy Belle’s series.

About the Author:

After knowing Beth Albright for just a few short seconds you are sure to learn she is from Alabama. No, it’s not the lilt of magnolia you can still catch in her voice, or even the way she lovingly describes her undying love for her famous alma mater's football champions. She will tell you she loves Tuscaloosa, even after living quite literally all over the country. Though Beth has had a remarkable career, from New York City to Hollywood, and all points in between, she has never forgotten where she came from...and what she loves. That's why when it came time to write, Beth had no choice but to write about Tuscaloosa and The University of Alabama, and all the quirky people she still calls family, though some do not actually share her bloodline!

Beth Albright has always been a storyteller. After spending nearly 15 years in talk radio, as a talk show host, playing the part of a principal character on the soap opera, DAYS OF OUR LIVES, owning her own acting school and children's theater, and raising a son who is a nationally ranked figure skater, Beth has decided to return to her roots; storytelling. When she was in the sixth grade, her teacher gave her the floor every Friday to tell her stories. See, Beth was a talker, a future talk show host in the making, and she was telling stories so much that her teacher couldn't teach. Well, this brilliant teacher told 12 year old Beth if she would begin writing her stories down, she would be allowed time to share those stories with the class. And she's been writing, AND talking ever since. Beth has interviewed Bob Hope, Oprah Winfrey, Betty White, Wolfgang Puck and George Burns live from the Chinese Theatre, as well as numerous other celebrities, and authors. Then Beth became a principal character on Days of Our Lives. But through all of the excitement of talk shows and soap operas, Beth loved telling stories to her audience the most. With a degree in Journalism from her beloved University of Alabama, She remains true to her roots and has never forgotten where she comes from. Born and raised in Tuscaloosa, "My grandfather was the play by play announcer for the Crimson Tide in the 50s!" Beth will proudly tell you, she is a down homespun girl, although she currently lives in San Francisco with her TV producer husband and her brilliant son. She has just completed her first trilogy, The Sassy Belles, and her first screen play, Kiss Me Goodnight.

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Game of Love - Review & Giveaway

GAME OF LOVE

Book One, The Remingtons

Order Amazon US

Publishing 17^th February 2014

Ellie Parker is a master at building walls around her heart. In the twenty-five years she’s been alive, Dex Remington has been the only person who has always believed in her and been there for her. But four years earlier she came to Dex seeking comfort, and then disappeared like a thief in the night, leaving him a broken man.

Dex Remington is one of the top PC game developers in the U.S. He’s handsome, smart, and numb. So damn numb that he’s not sure he’ll ever find a reason to feel again.

A chance encounter sparks intense desires in Ellie and Dex. Desires that make her want to run—and make him want to feel. A combination of lust and fear leads these young lovers down a dangerous path. Is it possible to cross a burned bridge or are they destined to be apart forever?

Review by Marlene Engel

Dex Remington has always guarded his heart as if he was wearing a protective shield.  Ever since he was a teenager, he’s had feelings for Ellie Parker.  But Ellie has always been one to run away when times got tough.  Growing up in different foster homes, Ellie has learned to close off her feelings and not let people in.  Despite Dex’s attempt at breaking through the walls Ellie has built up, she would always take off before he was successfully able to do so.  Four years ago, Dex professed his love to Ellie, only for her to leave again without saying goodbye.  You can imagine his surprise when he sees her at a bar.  She was still the same, pretty girl who wore the all too familiar worried look on her face.  But despite all of the silent warnings going off in Dex’s head, he couldn’t stop himself from making his way over to her.

Back in New York, Ellie was looking for a new start.  She wanted to leave her old life, and all of the bad memories, back in Maryland.  But it didn’t take long for chaos to find her and for Dex’s feelings for her to come rushing back.  But would Ellie stick around this time?  Or would she leave again without so much as a goodbye like she has done twice to Dex in the past?

As a foster parent, I could relate to how Ellie felt with the stigma that foster children tend to carry around with them.  The feeling of being different, unwanted and not having a family or home to call their own.  The author did a brilliant job expressing the feelings that foster children not only have while in the system, but that they carry throughout their lives.  This book had such pure, raw emotions and characters that felt so real.  I found myself rooting for Ellie’s happiness and hoping that she finds love in Dex’s arms.  I love, love, love this book.  It is a definite, must read! 

About the Author:

Melissa Foster is a New York Times & USA Today bestselling and award-winning author. She writes contemporary romance, new adult, contemporary women's fiction, suspense, and historical fiction with emotionally compelling characters that stay with you long after you turn the last page. Her books have been recommended by USA Today's book blog, Hagerstown Magazine, The Patriot, and several other print venues. She is the founder of the Women’s Nest, a social and support community for women, the World Literary Café. When she's not writing, Melissa helps authors navigate the publishing industry through her author training programs on Fostering Success. Melissa has been published in Calgary’s Child Magazine, the Huffington Post, and Women Business Owners magazine. 

Melissa hosts an annual Aspiring Authors contest for children and has painted and donated several murals to The Hospital for Sick Children in Washington, DC. Melissa lives in Maryland with her family.

Visit Melissa on The Women's Nest, Fostering Success, or World Lit Cafe. Melissa enjoys discussing her books with book clubs and reader groups, and welcomes an invitation to your event.

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Turn Up the Heat - Guest Post & Giveaway

Turn Up the Heat

Pine Mountain #1

By: Kimberly Kincaid

Releasing March 4^th, 2014

Blurb

"It's not you."

There are only so many times a girl can hear those words before she believes that it is, in fact, very much her. Unexpectedly jilted by her locally famous boyfriend and haunted by a boss who makes Attila the Hun look like a lap dog, Bellamy Blake does what any self-respecting girl in her shoes would do. She rounds up her two best girlfriends and makes plans to get the hell out of Dodge.

But Bellamy's escape plan takes a nose dive on the side of rural route 164 when her transmission self-destructs, leaving her in the middle of a cell phone dead zone with nothing but her wits. Oh, and Shane Griffin, the hottest mechanic who's ever checked under her hood.

Yet this small-town man isn't all he seems. Can Shane and Bellamy prove that sometimes the most unlikely ingredients make the most deliciously sexy mix?

Buy Links

Amazon * B&N * Kensington

Guest Post:  10 Things About Turn Up The Heat

This book has been on quite a journey, and it sure didn’t look like this when I first came up with the idea. Turn Up The Heat has gone through a bunch of incarnations, inspirations, changes and challenges. Here are 10 things about the book that nobody really knows…

One: Turn Up The Heat was originally a road trip story. Bellamy was headed cross-country to attend her sister’s impromptu wedding, and her car broke down in the middle of Montana, where she was stranded with super-hot rancher, Shane Griffin. The original flavor of the story stuck around (city girl/small town guy, heroine stranded), but the details sure changed along the way!

Two: That very first outline (with the rancher) was written in late 2009. It was tabled—several times, in fact—for other projects. But Shane and Bellamy never quite left my head.

Three: Until 2011! I started writing the “real” version of Turn Up The Heat in early January 2011. I was driving home one night when the song “Come On Het Higher” by Matt Nathanson came on the radio. I immediately got a huge flash of the story elements in my head, and swerved over three lanes of traffic to write the lyrics of the song and the story ideas down. I had no paper in my car, so I ended up writing it all on my arm with a Sharpie. I started the book that night, and finished it three months later. Thanks, Matt!

Four: Turn Up The Heat was originally titled “It’s Not You”. But my amazing editor suggested getting something with the food theme in there. In hindsight, it’s a perfect fit!

Five: In my head, Shane looks just like actor Alex O’Loughlin. You’re welcome J

Six: The Pine Mountain series sold as the result of a romance writing contest. Shane and Bellamy’s book was a finalist in the WRW Marlene in early 2012. The judging editor requested it, but then went on maternity leave, so my now-editor read it instead. She fell in love with the story, and the rest is history.

Seven: The Sugar Cookie Sweetheart Swap, which is the intro to the Pine Mountain series, was actually written after the first three books. But because of the production schedule, we were able to get Sugar Cookie in as a way to show everyone a glimpse of Pine Mountain, but I did get to use the chance to “drop hints” (and characters) for the upcoming books in my novella. Look closely. Shane is in there!

Eight: Turn Up The Heat was originally supposed to have a secondary storyline where Jackson (Shane’s buddy) and Jenna (Bellamy’s friend) had a clandestine hookup, which would then carry over into their own book. But I couldn’t get the two of them to cooperate no matter what I did! Turns out, I had them mismatched. Check out the sneak peek at the end of Turn Up The Heat for more on that!

Nine: The town of Pine Mountain is modeled after Deep Creek Lake, in the Blue Ridge Mountains. My family loves to vacation there, and I love getting to call it “research”.

Ten: Speaking of research! I’m not a chef, so when it came time to figure out the nuts and bolts of working in a kitchen, I had to get really creative. I spent a bunch of dinner services in the “back of the house” at a neighborhood bar and grill here in my home town, and did a lot of interviews and taste-testing. Best research ever! Like Bellamy, I loved every second if being in the kitchen. 

About the Author:

Kimberly Kincaid writes contemporary romance that splits the difference between sexy and sweet. When she's not sitting cross-legged in an ancient desk chair known as "The Pleather Bomber", she can be found practicing obscene amounts of yoga, whipping up anything from enchiladas to éclairs in her kitchen, or curled up with her nose in a book. Kimberly is a 2011 RWA Golden Heart® finalist who lives (and writes!) by the mantra that food is love. She has written two digital novellas, Love On The Line and Drawing The Line, about hot cops and sexy chefs, with a third novella, Outside The Lines, due this summer. She is also thrilled to have collaborated on a Christmas anthology with Donna Kauffman and Kate Angell, titled The Sugar Cookie Sweetheart Swap, to kick off her Pine Mountain foodie series with Kensington this October. Kimberly’s first full-length novel, Turn Up the Heat, will follow in February 2014. She resides in northern Virginia with her wildly patient husband and their three daughters.

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Link to Follow the Tour HERE

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