Mary Kay Andrews - Goody Bag Giveaway

Mary Kay Andrews' SAVE THE DATE is now available in trade paperback and SUMMER RENTAL in mass market paperback.  To celebrate, we are giving away an amazing Mary Kay Andrews Goody Bag.  The bag comes complete with two books and chock full of other swag.

Here's a list of what all will be in the fabulous goody bag:

• Copy of SAVE THE DATE in trade paperback
• Copy of SUMMER RENTAL in mass market paperback
• Two different Mary Kay Andrews bookmarks
• Set of 3 SAVE THE DATE recipe cards
• SAVE THE DATE magnet
• MKA Summer Rental sticker
• BEACH TOWN lip balm with SPF 15

What better way to start off the warm weather months than with this amazing goody bag?

Purchase Summer Rental at:

Amazon * Barnes&Noble

Purchase Save The Date at:

Amazon * Barnes&Noble

About the Author:

Mary Kay Andrews is the author of the New York Times bestselling The Fixer Upper, Savannah Breeze and Blue Christmas, as well as Deep Dish,Hissy Fit, Little Bitty Lies and Savannah Blues.

She also wrote ten critically acclaimed mysteries, including the Callahan Garrity mystery series, under her real name, Kathy Hogan Trocheck. Her mysteries have been nominated for the Edgar, Anthony, Agatha and Macavity Awards.

A native of St. Petersburg, Florida (and a diplomate of the Maas Bros. Department Store School of Charm), Trocheck earned a B.A. in journalism from the University of Georgia in 1976 (Go Dawgs!). She started her professional journalism career in Savannah, Georgia, where she covered the real-life murder trials which were the basis ofMidnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. She left journalism after a ten-year stint as a reporter for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

She is a frequent lecturer and writing teacher at workshops including Emory University, The University of Georgia’s Harriette Austin Writer’s Workshop, the Tennessee Mountain Writer’s Workshop, and the Antioch Writer’s Workshop.

As a lifelong “junker” the author claims to know the location of every promising thrift store, flea market and junkpile in the southeastern United States, plus many parts of Ohio.

Married to her high school sweetheart, she is the mother of two grown children and a proud grandmother. After a brief hiatus in Raleigh, NC, she and her husband moved back to their old neighborhood in Atlanta, where they live in a restored 1926 Craftsman bungalow. She divides her time between Atlanta and her restored beach cottage on Tybee Island, GA.

Connect with the author at:

Website * Facebook * Twitter

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The Guest Cottage - Review, 12 Things About Nancy & A Giveaway

Review by KT Sullivan

Sophie Anderson has decided to take her teenage children Lacey and Jonah to Nantucket for the summer after husband, Zach, has announces that he loves another woman and wants a divorce. However, the woman who owns the cottage didn't realize that her cousin had already rented the cottage to Trevor Black for that same time. 

Trevor Black and his four year old son Leo are dealing with the sudden death of their wife/mother. They decide to head to Nantucket and rent a house.  When Trevor and Sophie find out about the mix-up, they figure, the house is huge and decide to share. 

There’s a music room with a piano. Sophie’s childhood was spent playing at recitals. After one horrible experience, she never touched the piano again. But now, it soothes her to play. 

Thankfully, the children get along well and, at the same time, Trevor and Sophie's attraction starts to develop. They welcome visitors, her friends, his friends, and family. Each group adds to the budding relationship. During this time, Lacey makes a friend and her father starts showing interest in Sophie. She’s not used to so much male attention. After one kiss witnessed by Jonah, Sophie comes clean about the state of her marriage to her children. Both of them knew about it. Jonah had actually followed his father to his mistress’ house. Turns out, Sophie is the one out of the loop.                                                                                                                                              

I liked Sophie and was rooting for her happiness, but the most interesting character is Leo. He starts out as a timid little boy, but his exposure to the Anderson family brings his life back. He begins to accept his mother's passing and fit in. To me, that was the most uplifting part of the story.

Purchase the book at:

Amazon * Barnes&Noble

“12 Things about Nancy Thayer”

I eat chocolate when I’m writing.  Also when I’m not writing.

I fell in love with Charley when I first met him, but was afraid to marry him because he’s six years younger than I am.

Charley and I have been married for thirty years.

Charley likes chocolates, too.

All of my 28 novels center on family. I’m sure that if I write long enough, I’ll understand my own family.  Maybe.

I consider animals a part of my family.  Our cat Regina, loved to eat apples.  I think eccentricity in animals is easier to deal with than eccentricity in people.

I’ve lived on Nantucket for thirty years.  Most of my novels are set here.  Winter is the best time for writing, especially when I can’t get off the island.

 This is my first step in going to a mall or eating at Burger King or Dairy Queen.

Honestly, I couldn’t exist without a library nearby.

I keep diaries and I’m glad.  When my son Josh was 5, he said, “Mommy, I don’t love you because you won’t let me say fart!”  I enjoy reminding him of this now that he’s 42.

My daughter, Samantha Wilde, has published two novels: This Little Mommy Stayed Home and I’ll Take What She Has.  She has all Jen Lancaster’s books.

I consider “Beach Books” the chocolate truffles in the book box—delicious, sensual, and compelling.

I can’t count.

About the Author:

Nancy Thayer is the author of twenty-three novels, including Summer House, The Hot Flash Club, Beachcombers, Heat Wave, Summer Breeze, and Island Girls.

Her books concern the mysteries and romance of families and relationships: marriage and friendships, divorce and love, custody and step parenting, family secrets and private self-affirmation, the quest for independence and the normal human hunger for personal connections.

Nancy Thayer’s work has been translated into many languages, including German, Finnish, Hebrew, Russian, Turkish, French, Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch, Serbo-Croatian, Swedish, Danish, and Polish. Her novels have been condensed or excerpted in several literary reviews and magazines, including Redbook and Good Housekeeping, England’s Cosmopolitan, Holland’s Viva, and South Africa’s Personality.

Nancy Thayer has a B.A. and M.A. in English literature from the University of Missouri at Kansas City. She was a Fellow at the Breadloaf Writers’ Conference. She has lived on Nantucket Island year-round for twenty-eight years with her husband Charley Walters. Her daughter is the novelist Samantha Wilde

Connect with the author at:
Website * Facebook * Twitter

Random House is giving 2 lucky winners

print copies of

The Guest Cottage by Nancy Thayer

Open Internationally

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No One Like You - Blurb & Giveaway

No One Like You
Barefoot William # 4

By: Kate Angell

Releasing April 28th, 2015

Zebra

Blurb

No One Expects a Curveball

For Rylan Cates, the gloriously sunny beachside town of Barefoot William may be home, but the pro baseball player needs to focus on spring training. Hiring a personal assistant to keep him and his four dogs organized for the next eight weeks is the first step—and Beth Avery is the perfect pinch hitter. 

Beth is still looking for her place in the world, and a couple months caring for Rylan’s two dachshunds, his golden retriever, and a Great Dane named Atlas should shore up her finances before she moves on. Except it’s Atlas who won’t budge, pushing her toward tanned, scruffy, sexy Rylan every chance he gets. One more strike and she’s calling the dog out—unless she and Rylan admit that the attraction they’re feeling is a game-winning grand slam…

Buy Links:  Amazon | B & N | iTunes | Kobo | Publisher

About the Author:

National bestselling author Kate Angell lives in Naples, Florida. She’s an animal lover, avid reader, and sports fan. Bookstores are her second home. She takes coffee breaks at Starbucks. Her philosophy: Out of chaos comes calmness. Enjoy the peace.

Author Links:    Website | Facebook  | Goodreads

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Print Copies of NO ONE LIKE YOU

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I Regret Nothing - Review & Giveaway

Review by Darcie Czajkowski

Middle age doesn’t have to be synonymous with boring, settling, following a routine. If you’re like Jen Lancaster and your forties seem predictable and banal, then it’s time to shake things up.

In her memoir, Jen Lancaster decides to create a bucket list as a way of challenging herself to step outside of her comfort zone, try new things, and not succumb to the feeling that middle age is the beginning of the end.

  

With Jen’s proven knack for humor, non-self-deprecating ability to laugh at herself, and positive attitude, she takes the reader on a journey in which she dabbles in new hobbies and sets personal goals to better her life.

While Jen loves being a writer, she knows she has other talents and starts refurbishing old furniture. She finds that she not only loves it but is also pretty skillful at it. So much so that she is able to have her own show to sell her work.

Jen learns Italian for the dual-purpose of connecting with her heritage and being able to communicate with the locals when she later travels to Italy for her first international trip since she was a child. She had to apply for a passport specifically for the trip.

Jen re-committed to her long-held goal of losing weight and feeling better about her long-term health. Going hand in hand with this commitment was her accomplishment of completing a 5K.

And then there’s learning how to ride a bicycle. Sure, she learned as a child, but she doesn’t think the old adage – it’s just like riding a bike – holds true for her. So…maybe she’ll start with a three-wheeled adult tricycle. That ought to be better for balance, right?

Throughout it all, Jen inserts life lessons that can resonate with people of all ages. Pick up a new hobby; you might be surprised at how much you enjoy it. Don’t be too hard on yourself; we are our own worst critics. Sprinkle kindness everywhere; it costs nothing. And finally, never stop growing into the best version of yourself; there is always room for improvement. If you do these things, you will probably, like Jen, “regret nothing.”

Purchase the book at:

Amazon * Barnes&Noble

About the Author:

Jen is an American author whose titles have appeared on the New York Times bestseller list.

As of 2014, she has ten published books: Bitter is the New Black; Bright Lights, Big Ass; Such A Pretty Fat; Pretty in Plaid; My Fair Lazy; Jeneration X; If You Were Here, her first foray into fiction; The Tao of Martha and "Here I Go Again" her second fiction novel; and finally, "Twisted Sisters". She is also an occasional NPR columnist.

Lancaster was an associate vice president for a technology company prior to being laid off after 9/11. Being laid off, and her adaption thereto, became the subject matter for her blog and, later, her books.

Lancaster was raised in Indiana and now resides in Chicago, Illinois with her husband, Fletch, and their many pets. She is an alumna of Purdue University. She is known for her humor and rampant narcissism which is mentioned in her books

Connect with the author at:

Website * Facebook * Twitter

NAL is giving one lucky reader

A print copy of Jen’s book

I Regret Nothing

US Only

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That Thing You Do - 12 Things About Maria & A Giveaway

That Thing You Do  
Whispering Bay # 1

By: Maria Geraci

Releasing April 28^th, 2015

TKA Distribution

Blurb

Allie Grant doesn’t believe in second chances. She does, however, believe in the power of a permanent paycheck. So when a tipster reports that the soon-to-be demolished senior center in her hometown is haunted, Allie hightails it to Whispering Bay to get the scoop that could secure her dream job at Florida! magazine. What she finds, though, is far scarier than any ghost. Cue her ex-boyfriend, sexy construction foreman Tom Donalan.

                                                                                                                                    

When Tom catches Allie poking around his construction site, he quickly realizes his former high school flame is just as feisty as ever. And, heaven help him, her irresistible, mile-high legs still take his breath away. But Tom isn’t about to delay the building’s demolition because of a silly ghost story.

With neither of the stubborn exes backing down from their opposing positions, sparks fly. And, underneath the surface, the fire of their old attraction burns as hot as ever. When strange things start happening with increasing frequency around town, even a tough skeptic like Tom is tested. The question is, can Allie and Tom stop fighting long enough to get to the bottom of Whispering Bay’s ghost problem—and the more important matter of mending their broken hearts?

Buy Links: 

Amazon | B & N | iTunes | Kobo

“12 Things About Maria Geraci”

1.    When I was four years old, a squirrel swooped down onto my family’s picnic table and stole my McDonald’s hamburger. I have hated the little rats ever since. And yes, I hold a grudge.

2.    My first kiss was while playing Spin the Bottle at an 8^th grade graduation party. That counts, right?

3.    My favorite Jane Austen romance is Persuasion. I adore Captain Wentworth and the beautiful love letter he sends to Anne at the end of the novel.

4.    I am a huge Survivor fan, although I know I wouldn’t last one day on the island without begging to be voted off!

5.    I am terrified of bridges. When I was a little girl my mother used to pay me a penny anytime we had to go over one. Later in life, this went up to a nickel.

6.    I hate mayonnaise. No need to expound on that.

7.    My favorite comfort food is a toss-up between ropa vieja and fried grouper with cheese grits.

8.    I am most comfortable wearing either flip flops or sneakers. Unlike a lot of women, the number of shoes I own would be in the single digit category.

9.    My idea of a great date would be dinner at a quiet restaurant followed by a couple of hours in a book store, then coffee and dessert (key lime pie or cheese cake).

10.I have to eat some chocolate every day.

11.When I started writing, I wrote in my husband’s walk in closet. I converted it into an “office” because there wasn’t any other room in the house where I could get any privacy!

 12.I have “accidentally” delivered more babies than I can count (in my other life I’m a labor and delivery nurse!). 

About the Author:

Maria Geraci writes contemporary romance and women’s fiction with a happy ending. The Portland Book Review called her novel, The Boyfriend of the Month Club, “immensely sexy, immensely satisfying and humorous.” Her fourth novel, A Girl Like You, was nominated for Romance Writers of America’s prestigious RITA ® award. She lives in north Florida with her family, which includes a very needy chihuahua, an extremely needy dachshund and a not-so-needy cat (guess which one she likes best?). You can reach at her www.mariageraci.com.

Author Links:  Website |Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Grand Prize: Vera Bradley Beach Tote

Second prize: Signed Print Copy of That Thing You Do

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Catching Cassidy - Review & Giveaway

Catching Cassidy
Harborside Nights # 1

By: Melissa Foster

Releasing April 28^th, 2015

World Literary Press

Blurb

Wyatt Armstrong never imagined that instead of celebrating his college graduation, he and his twin sister would be dealing with the death of their parents.  Then again, Wyatt had never been one to think past tomorrow. He heads to their summer home in Harborside, Massachusetts, with his best friend Cassidy Lowell in tow, to deal with his parents’ death and to try to figure out his next step.

Six foot two, infuriatingly handsome, and flirtatious, Wyatt Armstrong has always been there for Cassidy, helping her pass her classes and fend off unwanted advances, while driving her insane with his one-night stands—but that’s what best friends are for, isn’t it? Having each other’s backs. There was never any doubt that she would accompany him to his family’s summer home—but she never expected to begin seeing Wyatt as more than a friend. Or has she been ignoring her feelings all along?

It’s impossible to ignore the sizzling heat between them as Wyatt and Cassidy get even closer, but Cassidy knows Wyatt’s past, and she has a real job to begin in the fall. Wyatt may be a sure thing for the summer, but Cassidy needs more. For the first time in his life, Wyatt is forced to look toward the future if he doesn’t want to lose the one woman who’s shared his past and owns his heart.

Purchase the book at:

Amazon | B & N | iTunes | Kobo

Review by Marlene Engel

It’s true what they say … you don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone.  That couldn’t be more true for twins, Wyatt and Delilah.  Following their college graduation, it should be one of the happiest times of their lives, but when their parents are killed in a car crash their worlds are quickly turned upside down.  Dealing with their loss and taking over the family’s business quickly forces them to grow up.  Thankfully their best friend, Cassidy, is there to help them out along the way. 

Cassidy has been a staple in their lives for seventeen years.  Through Wyatt’s crazy years full of a revolving door of girls and Delilah’s struggle dealing with her sexuality, Cassidy has been through it all with them.  But it’s now when they need her the most.  But Wyatt’s not sure if it’s the death of his parents or witnessing how Cassidy’s ex-boyfriend treated her that makes him start questioning his true feelings for his best friend.  When his protectiveness over Cassidy turns to jealousy, he’s left wondering if it’s worth risking their friendship by potentially taking their relationship to a new level.

Love, loss, family and friendships … Spend the summer with Wyatt, Delilah, Cassidy and a whole group of amazing friends at Harborside as they share highs, lows, laughs and tears.  But through it all, they always have each other’s backs.

About the Author:

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 onFostering 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.

Connect with the author at:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

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Braden’s Series Romance in Ebook Format

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The Girl On The Train - Review & Giveaway

Review by Deb Czajkowski

You board the train, the 8:04 AM commuter train.  You, like many others, take this train every morning, Monday through Friday, heading into the city.  It doesn’t take long and you begin to recognize the faces of fellow commuters; all are quite normal-looking, each filling the travel time in a variety of ways.  Some are listening to music, some are reading, others are on their phones, or typing away on computers.  There are also a few, like you, who just enjoy looking out the windows, as landscape after landscape floats by.  Are they, also like you, staring into people’s homes?  Wondering what their lives are like?  Creating imaginary lives for them?

This is Rachel; one of our 8:04 commuters, a creator of imaginary lives.  Well, mostly Rachel focuses on two houses, number fifteen and number twenty-three on Blenheim Road.  Rachel used to live in number twenty-three when she was married to Tom.  Now Tom lives there with his new wife, Anna, and their baby daughter, Evie.  Number fifteen is where Rachel sees Jess and Jason most days as the train slowly creeps passed their row house.  Jess and Jason are, in Rachel’s mind, her ideal couple: both beautiful and happily married; two things Rachel is not but wishes she were.

Anna loves being Tom’s mistress-turned-wife; and now also the mother of his daughter.  Cheating on poor, pathetic Rachel with Tom was exciting, exhilarating.  Being married to Tom, well, it’s still good.  But it also has its drawbacks: Anna hates living by the tracks, in the house that he shared with his ex-wife, Rachel; and she really hates the constant harassment by whiney−and usually drunk− Rachel, who frequently calls Tom, professing her undying love for him and begging him to take her back.

 

Megan, a.k.a. “Jess”, lives in row house number fifteen with her husband, Scott, a.k.a. “Jason.” Megan loves living by the tracks, listening to the trains every day.  She loves to have her morning coffee on the back patio as the trains rumble by.  To the commuters−to Rachel, Megan appears to be the picture of pure bliss.  Megan, however, is imagining their happy, uncomplicated lives−secret-free lives.

 

Then one night, Megan walks out of her house and completely disappears. And so the search for−and questions about−Megan begins, starting with the obvious:  Where is Megan?  Is she dead or did she simply walk away from her life in number fifteen?   If she’s dead, who killed her?  And why?  If she’s alive, why did she leave?

 

Looking at your house, would people imagine a happy family, happy lives?  Probably.  Does that mean your life is as picture perfect as it might seem from the outside?  Probably not.  We do that; we look at other people’s lives and imagine them problem-free, secret-free, care-free.  But whose life is?  Author Paula Hawkins illustrates this well in The Girl on the Train.   Things aren’t always as they seem, and people aren’t always exactly as they appear to be.  Paula starts this life lesson by laying out Rachel’s flaws, problems, and obsessions.  And then she lets us peek up-close through the windows at numbers fifteen and twenty-three, right into the real lives of the people who live there.

  

Perhaps your life right now feels like more struggling and less succeeding.  Perhaps you like a good mystery.  Or perhaps you just want to know what did happen to Megan.  Join Rachel, The Girl on the Train, for an interesting ride and an intriguing read.

Purchase the book at:

Amazon * Barnes&Noble

About the Author:

Paula Hawkins worked as a journalist for fifteen years before turning her hand to fiction. She lives in London. The Girl on the Train is her first thriller. It is being published all over the world and has been optioned by Dreamworks.

Connect with the author at:

Website * Facebook * Twitter

Penguin/Random House is giving

2 lucky winners a print copy of

The Girl On The Train

US ONLY

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