The Girls' Guide To Love and Supper Clubs

Review by Darcie Czajkowski

From the outside, Hannah Sugarman appears to have it all: a successful boyfriend and an enviable job at a Washington D.C. think tank. But on the inside, Hannah feels like she’s living a lie. Her dream is to run her own catering company, an ambition not supported by her parents, prominent economics professors, and her boyfriend, Adam. To them, cooking is a hobby, not a career, especially for someone with Hannah’s intelligence. It’s not that Hannah doesn’t want to pursue her goals and forge her own path, but the pressure to follow in her parents’ footsteps makes her wonder if what she harbors is merely a pipedream.

But when Adam suddenly breaks up with her, claiming that she’s too unpredictable and volatile and that he needs someone more “gracious…subdued…serious,” Hannah decides, with a boost of confidence and assistance from her co-worker Rachel, to launch an underground supper club out of her landlord’s house. Without his consent. To Hannah’s surprise and delight, her secret, small-scale restaurant is a thriving success, not only regarding her culinary creations, but with men as well. Jacob Reaser, one of the attendees, turns on the charm with her, and Hannah lets herself fantasize that her life is finally turning around. 

Unfortunately, her fantasy remains…a fantasy. While certainly thrilling, the whole supper club venture isn’t exactly legal, which creates levels of anxiety high enough to induce a heart attack for Hannah, when she and Rachel, time and time again, host their parties while her landlord is out of town. Further complicating matters, her landlord, a man with a penchant for pirate-speak, works in politics and is currently running for a local position in which he would work to shut down operations such as hers. And the cherry on top: Jacob has issues following through on his promises to call her and notably fails to confirm her Facebook friend request.

Will Hannah get caught red-handed? Will her dream of being able to cook full-time remain a dream, a mere hobby? Will she find love again or will she just churn about, searching but perpetually getting slapped with the brunt of Murphy’s law?

The Girls’ Guide to Love and Supper Clubs is a can’t-put-it-down book that will have you laughing until your stomach aches, but will also teach you life lessons about pursuing your dreams, no matter what stands in your way. Dana Bate adeptly mixes relatable problems of a twentysomething girl with rich, vivid descriptions and witty, quick-paced humor. Oh, and she throws in a wonderful bonus at the end: a handful of Hannah’s super-club recipes. Whether or not you’re a foodie, this book is yummy from the first bite all the way until the very end.

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About the author:

Dana Bate is an award-winning journalist and author of the novel THE GIRLS’ GUIDE TO LOVE AND SUPPER CLUBS (published as THE SECRET SUPPER CLUB in the UK). Her writing has appeared in numerous outlets, including McSweeney’s Internet Tendency, Culinate, Table Matters, and Smithsonian.com.

These days, when she isn’t writing, she can usually be found in her kitchen, whipping up a new recipe from her extensive cookbook collection. She currently lives outside Philadelphia.

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Reburn & Hot Zone - Blurb Tour & Giveaway

Reburn & Hot Zone

Hot Shots Series #1&2

By: Anne Marsh

Blurb- REBURN (Hot Shots #1)

Not every man knows how to put out a fire. Fewer know when to keep it burning…

HE BATTLES THE FLAMES…

Nobody messes with Sam Clayton—or his territory. The big bruising ranger is the last line of defense in forest infernos and he’ll go up against anyone who gets in the way of putting them out. Even the FBI tracking a terrorist through the heart of a blaze. But when Sam discovers the agent is ex-lover Olivia Albert, saving himself will be more dangerous than any fire he’s faced before…

SHE LIVES FOR THE HEAT…

Olivia needs Sam’s help to survive the heat, but when it comes to keeping her quarry from detonating a major strike, this Bureau agent is calling the shots. Except when Sam’s hard body and expert hands are reigniting a second chance that could be hot enough to burn forever

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Blurb- HOT ZONE (Hot Shots #2)

FIGHTING FIRE IS HIS NATURE

To Dade Johnson, fire is a danger he can handle. But the blaze he feels from the moment he lays eyes—and hands, and mouth—on Sarah Jo is too hot to handle.  Something about the free-spirited camp cook has him throwing caution to the wind. Little does the hotshots’ second-in-command know he’s cozying up with a suspected arsonist….

SHE CAN’T HELP FANNING THE FLAMES

Sarah Jo knows she should steer clear of Dade.  A bona fide hero who battles wildland fires every day deserves better than a woman on the run.  But their five-alarm attraction has Sarah Jo too weak in the knees to resist playing with fire—until her past catches up with her. Soon, she’ll have to choose between surrendering her secrets—or taking them both down in flames….

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I live in Northern California with my husband, two kids and four cats. After ten years of graduate school and too many degrees, I escaped to become a technical writer. When not planted firmly in front of the laptop translating Engineer into English, I enjoy gardening, running (even if it’s just to the 7-11 for slurpees), and reading books curled up with my kids. The best part of writing romance, however, is finally being able to answer the question: “So… what do you do with a PhD in Slavic Languages and Literatures?” You can visit me online at www.anne-marsh.com.

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Friendship on Fire - Review & Giveaway

Friendship on Fire

The Bradens Series Book Three

By: Melissa Foster

Blurb

Small-town overachiever Riley Banks has finally scored her big break—working in Manhattan as a fashion design assistant for her childhood crush, Josh Braden. She enters her new job hoping to make a name for herself and—just maybe—explore the romance that slipped through her fingers way back when.

Josh Braden has models at his beck and call, a staff that never says never, and an elegant clothing line for the holiday season. When he hires Riley Banks, he expects her to learn the business from the ground up. But the girl next door turns out to be much more than he remembered.

Josh and Riley’s friendship heats up. Every steamy kiss and every erotic caress stirs a love they cannot deny. But when Riley designs a wedding gown that would cause even the most jaded fashion editors to swoon, Riley’s mentor accuses her of stealing the design.  

Facing indisputable proof and the mistrust of her lover, Riley is not sure she can take the heat of life in the fast lane of the fashion industry—and Josh is forced to choose between the woman he loves and the career he adores.

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Review by Marlene Engel

As Riley makes her way through the hustle and bustle of New York City, she realizes she’s a far cry from her hometown of Weston, Colorado.  Dressed in her discounted designer clothes, she heads to JBD for her first day as Josh Braden’s assistant.  It doesn’t take her long to see how cutthroat this industry is and that she’s going to have to develop thick skin if she hopes to become a designer one day.

As if working for sexy Josh Braden isn’t stressful enough, Riley finds herself under the watchful eye of Claudia who is dubbed, Cruella de Vil, by her co-workers.  Claudia doesn’t make Riley’s time at JBD easy.  She is determined to do everything in her power to drive Riley out of NYC and back to the small town she came from.  But as Riley and Josh start to become close, they know that they have to keep their relationship a secret from the rest of their co-workers.  Not wanting others to think that she slept her way to the top, Riley feels it’s best that they keep their personal life … well, personal. 

                

But when Riley gets accused of stealing Claudia’s designs and not only her job, but her relationship with Josh are on the line, will the pressure be too much for her to handle?  And will Josh believe her when she says that she’s being falsely accused?  Relationships will be at stake as integrity will be tested as Josh and Riley deal with their Friendship On Fire.

Author Info

"Melissa Foster is a wonderful connector of readers and books, a friend of authors, and a tireless advocate for women. She is the real deal"-- Bestselling Author Jennie Shortridge

"What sets Melissa Foster apart are her compelling characters who you care about... desperately. This is psychological suspense at its most chilling. I dare you to read the first chapter and not be hooked."  International bestseller, M.J. Rose 

Melissa Foster is an award-winning, International bestselling author. 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 is also a community builder for the Alliance for Independent Authors. She has been published in Calgary’s Child Magazine, the Huffington Post, and Women Business Owners magazine. 

Author Links

Website * Facebook * Twitter * My social network for women * World Literary Café * Fostering Success * Facebook (Fanpage) * Goodreads 

Link to Follow Tour HERE

Goodreads Link to Series HERE

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Hotshot - Review

Review by Darcey Pickett

The romance between Finn and Peyton was interesting; they both have all the reasons as to why they shouldn’t be together, yet their actions told a different story.

Peyton Lockhart is a graduate of a French culinary school; she has recently lost her job as a food critic.  She was made an offer she could hardly refuse – to fix up, run and turn a profit at her Uncle’s luxurious Oceanside resort, with her sisters.  Danger seems to follow Peyton from her job in Minnesota to her new adventure in Florida.

Finn MacBain is an accomplished Olympic swimmer and currently works as an FBI agent.  He is reunited with Peyton, no longer the awkward girl next door he used to know, he sees she is in danger and realizes that as before, his role is to be her protector.

Peyton and Finn become intertwined as he feels her life is in danger.  Peyton shares with him what happened in Minnesota, and after seeing the bullet holes in her car, he knows what needs to be done.  As she takes on this new challenge in Florida with her sisters, we see that danger has followed her all the way to Florida.  The passion between them is very powerful, but Finn won’t let anything get in the way of doing his job and Peyton wants to keep him at an arm’s length too. 

This book brings you on a thrilling journey that offers you strong characters, action and romance.  I enjoyed reading my first Julie Garwood novel and would suggest this hot little number to anyone looking to escape the cold winter blues.

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About the Author:

Julie Garwood is the author of numerous New York Times bestsellers, including Fire and Ice, Shadow Music, Shadow Dance, Murder List, Killjoy, Mercy, Heartbreaker, Ransom, and Come the Spring.  There are more than thirty six million copies of her books in print.

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Blitzing Emily - Book Tour & Giveaway

Blitzing Emily

A Love and Football Novel

By: Julie Brannagh

Releasing Jan 7^th, 2014

Blurb

All is fair in Love and Football...

Emily Hamilton doesn't trust men. She's much more comfortable playing the romantic lead on stage in front of a packed house than in her own life. So, when NFL star and irresistible ladies' man Brandon McKenna acts as her personal white knight, she has no illusions he'll stick around. However, a misunderstanding with the press throws them together in a fake engagement that yields unexpected (and breathtaking) benefits.

Every time Brandon calls her "Sugar," Emily almost believes Brandon's playing for keeps, not just to score. Can she let down her defenses and get her own Happily Ever After?

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 Ten things you didn’t know about Brandon McKenna of BLITZING EMILY

Brandon (the hero of BLITZING EMILY) is a fairly uncomplicated, easygoing guy. Let me amend that: He’s easygoing when he’s not on a football field. On Sunday afternoons from September until February each year, he’s a fierce competitor. When he’s not trying to tie some left tackle’s lungs together on his way to the guy’s quarterback, he’s a charmer. Here are a few things about Brandon you might find interesting!

      1.     Brandon was born and raised in beautiful New Orleans, Louisiana. He dreams about beignets, chicory coffee, and King Cake. He still has quite an accent!

      2.     Brandon has a bit of a sweet tooth.

      3.     Brandon’s mama made him take dancing lessons as a child. You’ll see some of his prowess on a dance floor in RUSHING AMY…

      4.     Brandon has to sit at a table and eat as much as he can hold four times a day to keep his weight up to play pro football. Emily considers this one of the most unfair things she’s ever seen.

      5.     College football recruiters started visiting Brandon’s home when he was a junior in high school. He chose Louisiana State University because they have great defensive line coaches.

      6.     Brandon has been known to walk around his house naked.

      7.     Brandon lets his cat, Deacon, sleep on his bed at night but would never admit to it.

      8.     Brandon secretly wants a Twitter account.

      9.     Brandon is extremely ticklish. He conceals this fact at all costs.

      10.  Brandon fell in love with Emily the moment he looked into her eyes for the first time.

I hope you’ll enjoy BLITZING EMILY! What are ten facts about YOU that the people in your life have no idea about?

Author Info

Julie Brannagh has been writing since she was old enough to hold a pencil. She lives in a small town near Seattle, where she once served as a city council member and owned a yarn shop. She shares her home with a wonderful husband, two uncivilized Maine Coons and a rambunctious chocolate Lab.

Julie hasn't quite achieved the goal of owning a pro football team, so she created a fictional one: The Seattle Sharks. When she's not writing, she's reading, or armchair-quarterbacking her favorite NFL team from the comfort of the family room couch. Julie is a Golden Heart finalist and the author of four contemporary sports romances.

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Link to Follow Tour HERE

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Becoming Josephine - Review

Review by Darcey Pickett

This is not your everyday love story; this story takes you back 200 years to France, during the French Revolution.  We visit several parts of France and Ms. Webb has such a way with words, you feel as if you are walking with our main character, Rose.

Rose Tascher comes to Paris with the hopes of attending Court with Alexandre, but soon those hopes are dashed as Alexandre leaves her in the middle of the French Revolution.  Rose being a very strong and determined woman of affluence, she climbs her way up in to the world of high society.  Again short lived as her friend and society member are dying for the cause.  After surviving time in what is described as I would view hell, Les Carmes, she is determined to have that status once again, and that means a total reinvention.  The transition is power as we see Rose become Josephine.  After all she has been through she realizes she has a choice to make, independence or love, surprisingly she choose the love of the man who will forever go down in history, Napoleon Bonaparte.

This was not at all the story I thought it would be.  I was pleasantly surprised to find among the pages very little about Napoleon and plenty on this very determined and incredibly strong woman – Josephine.  This world needs more female heroes such as Josephine who survived some of the most awful scenes of the French Revolution.

Not my typical type of read, but I enjoyed this book and recommend this to any woman that face any challenges in her life.  The strength of Josephine will flow from the words on the page to the depth of your soul.

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Heather Webb grew up a military brat and naturally became obsessed with travel, culture, and languages. She put her degrees to good use teaching high school French for nearly a decade before turning to full time novel writing and freelance editing. 

When not writing, Heather flexes her foodie skills or looks for excuses to head to the other side of the world. She loves to chitchat on Twitter with new reader friends or writers or via her blog. Stop on by!

Love and Other Games - Book Tour & Giveaway

Love and Other Games

By: Ana Blaze, Melinda Dozier, Aria Kane & Kara Leigh Miller

Blurb

LOVE AND OTHER GAMES is a collection of four sexy new adult stories centered around athletes competing in the Winter Games by Ana Blaze, Melinda Dozier, Aria Kane, and Kara Leigh Miller.

Worth More Than Gold by Ana Blaze
Amy Pierce, the klutzy sister and manager of America’s Skating Sweetheart, is used to being invisible. But when a friend drags her to a party near the Olympic Village, Amy catches the eye of a sexy Norwegian ski jumper. It’s a magical night, but an awkward next morning has her running.

Everyone knows Erik Andresen’s best shot at an individual medal was back in 2010, before an injury pulled him from the competition. He’s there for his team, but a hot night and a remarkable final training session have him wondering if a gorgeous good-luck charm could give him another chance at the podium.

With a little bit of luck, these two might have a shot at something worth more than gold.

Trouble with Gold by Melinda Dozier
US snowboarder and notorious prankster, Ty (Trouble) Madsen is only getting a taste of his own medicine when his Olympic teammates shackle him to a fence wearing nothing but his boxers.

Reception and protocol volunteer, Nadia Hoffman, gets up close and personal with the sexy snowboarder to rescue him, but she's not the kind of girl who lets her hormones get in her way. A professional performance could help her land her dream job at Olympics Committee Headquarters, but her new assignment supervising the rambunctious US Snowboarding Team is making that difficult. Can she see behind the snowman in the community center bathroom and into the warm heart of the man everyone calls Trouble?

The Girl behind the Gold by Aria Kane
Greek aerial skier Lia Milonas’s parents are about to lose the family farm. Saving it means medaling and landing a huge sponsor. While her no-nonsense attitude has her well on her way to a medal, it hasn’t won her a place in fans' hearts.

“Come back with a story that will make readers cry, or don’t come back.” This is what Brandon James’ boss told him before he left New York to cover the Winter Games for Moment Magazine. With a wink and a smile, he can charm his way into any invite-only party, but that career-making story is nowhere to be found – until he meets Lia.

The two strike a deal that should get them both what they want - but neither would have guessed they’d also find what they need.

Ice Gold by Kara Leigh Miller
Colton Campbell thrives on the fast paced, adrenaline rushed lifestyle of being an Olympic hockey player.

Despite Brenna Jessup's abhorrence for the games and the athletes, she's hand-picked as the official photographer for the U.S. Olympic Hockey Team.

When a faux pas by Brenna almost costs Colton his career, she owes him. Too bad for her, Colton doesn't want apologies -- he wants retribution! And he knows just how to get it -- and her -- in the process.

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The Golden Girls: Collaboration in the Digital Age

Guest Post By Aria Kane

The story behind the idea that led to Love and Other Games is well documented (click! It includes the phrase “70,000 condoms wasn’t enough”), but I get a lot of questions on how it was to work with my three co-authors. Namely: How’d you keep track of everything? How were decisions made?

The first question’s easy to answer: Google Docs. Sure, we had literally thousands of emails back and forth about everything, but all important information went in a Google Docs folder we all had access to. There were documents for character sketches, timelines, publishers to submit to, query information, even setting & character inspiration photos! When it was time to revise, our manuscripts even went in that folder for critique from the other authors.

I have a feeling that when people ask the second question, what they’re really asking is: what did you do when you disagreed? And that’s a much harder question to answer. When you’re writing a book on your own, you get to make all the major decisions yourself (at least, at the start).  With a project like this, everything has to be run through your collaborators.

And the key to this is two distinct things: respect and communication.

If one of us felt uncomfortable with something or didn’t agree, we were not afraid to let the other ladies know.  I have a strong personality and strong opinions and that can sometimes be intimidating (especially in email), I know, but it was clear from the beginning that everyone had equal say in the major decisions.

 I chose these ladies to work on this project with me because I already respected them. In conversations, each person’s opinion was just as valuable as anyone else’s. Some decisions (like which publisher to go with) were harder than others and there are always compromises to be made, but in the end, I feel so honored to have worked on this project with these three wonderful Golden Girls. In fact, I enjoyed it so much, I’m doing it again (twice!) in 2014! So keep an eye out for more awesome collaborative projects from us (and extra guests) this year.

Author Info and Links

Aria Kane is a recovering mechanical engineer and romance writer. As a military brat, she grew up all over the country, but now lives in sunny Florida with a 60 lb mutt who thinks he's a chihuahua.

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Kara Leigh Miller

Born and raised in the small town of Mexico, New York, Kara was an only child who was forced to find ways to entertain herself. Playing make believe with her Barbie dolls and stuffed animals was her first real taste of storytelling before she became old enough to develop a love affair with the written word.

In early 2010, Kara picked up her very first romance novel, and she was instantly hooked. She loves to write contemporary romance, new adult, and young adult romance. Currently she has several full-length novels in the works, a series of novellas, and a handful of short stories. Kara is an active member of the CNY Creative Writers Café and the CNY Romance Writers.

Today, Kara resides in New Haven, New York with her husband, five kids, and three cats. When she's not reading or writing, she's thinking about reading and writing. And when she's not doing that, she's spending time with her family and friends.

Recently, Kara has taken on the position of Managing Editor for the Surge Imprint at Anaiah Press, LLC -- a Christian fiction press. She's working exclusively in the young adult and new adult line. 

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Melinda Dozier lives in Guatemala, Central America, with her husband, three boys and German Shepherd.  She enjoys being the queen of her household and dreams of being pampered fully by her boys once they’re grown. 

Learn more about her at:

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Ana Blaze

Ana lives just outside Washington DC with her very supportive husband and three rather demanding cats. She loves the ocean, Indian food, Ikea, and cooking. Ana admits to watching too much television and she swears that someday she’s going to learn how to play the guitar resting on the bookshelf in her office.

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