Friday Fun - Meet author Lisa Mondello!

Please help me welcome the talented LISA MONDELLO to the blog today:) 

You can find our more about Lisa at http://www.lisamondello.blogspot.com/

But come on back, grab a cup of coffee and visit with us!

Thanks for being here today, Lisa:)

Hello everyone!  I want to thank Jennifer for having me on her blog today!  And as a thank you for visiting I will be giving away an e-copy of HIS HEART FOR THE TRUSTING to one commenter.  So don’t be shy.  Leave a comment for a chance to win!

Today I want to take a moment to talk about research.  It doesn’t matter what genre or sub-genre an author writes, research will be involved.  How you get the details for a book is as individual as each author!

I know of an author who took up fencing in order to get into the head of one of her characters for one of her historical books.  Another author needed to learn about barrel racing and thought the best way to do it would be to actually take lessons in barrel racing to get the full feel of how to do it.  As for myself, I have the benefit of being married to a police officer.  So any story I write that features a cop I start with my husband.  But I have heard of authors going through the police academy to learn about the ins and outs of the law and what police officers do.

We live in an age where information is right at our fingertips.  You don’t even have to be writing a novel to learn something new on the Internet.  Youtube is my best friend these days.  If I want to learn something new, Youtube is the first place I go.  For my book HIS HEART FOR THE TRUSTING, I needed to know about Native American customs at Powwows.  The Jiggled Dance was a specific type of dance that was important to my story.  Although I’d written HIS HEART FOR THE TRUSTING over 10 years ago when Youtube was not available, Youtube gave me a way to check my research when I went to release the eBook.  It brought what I’d researched and written to life! 

HIS HEART FOR THE TRUSTING is book 2 in my Texas Hearts series.  Her Heart for the Asking is book 1 and is available for just 99 cents for Kindle, Nook, Kobo and Smashwords.

Check out the excerpt for HIS HEART FOR THE TRUSTING below and leave a comment for a chance to win!

My best,

Lisa Mondello

Blurb for His Heart for the Trusting

Ever since Mitch Broader set foot in Texas, he dreamed of owning his own ranch. Now that he’s bought a share in the Double T Ranch, he’s one step closer to the dream. Then his past greets him in the form of a baby basket, complete with infant and birth certificate naming him as the father. He can’t change diapers and work toward his dream at the same time.

When Sara Lightfoot, “Miss Hollywood” in Mitch’s eyes, rescues him with her particular knack for handling his precocious son, he hires her on the spot as a temporary nanny. No matter how much Sara’s dark eyes and warm heart make this bachelor think of making their arrangement permanent, she’s made it perfectly clear she has other plans that don’t include him or his dreams.

Sara Lightfoot never thought she’d return to her home on the reservation. Now she plans to reclaim the life she left by going back to the reservation as a Native American storyteller, teaching the Apache children stories of their culture. She didn’t expect Mitch Broader’s sexy smile or job offer as a live-in nanny to derail those plans. After all she’s been through to come home, can she open up her heart once again to love?

EXCERPT:

Still dancing in circles, Midnight eyed Mitch, seemingly aware of his every move.  Mitch turned his back to the mare and played with the bridle, as if ignoring the horse.  Finally, Midnight stopped running and with cautious steps, she moved forward, stopping every so often and taking a side step, bobbing her head or giving a neigh, as if calling Mitch to pay attention.  Eventually, she stepped up alongside him and gave him a quick nudge with her nose.  Then another until she was settled alongside Mitch.

Ever so softly, Mitch stroked her head and neck and front legs with long, easy strokes.  He smiled his pleasure and crooned softly.

Without even realizing how he'd done it, the bit was in Midnight's mouth and the bridle was around the mare’s head.  Mitch let the reins fall and allowed Midnight to get use to the bit.

Such trust.

“That's amazing,” Sara said quietly.     

“Not really,” Mitch said, glancing up at her as he kept his attention on the mare. 

She turned to him.  Mitch was looking at her, his eyes filled with the same questions she’d seen in the kitchen.  

Then he said, “She still could bolt at any time.”

Sara gripped the splintered rail.  “But she hasn't.  She came to you when she could have easily just kept running in circles.”

“Trust isn't an easy thing for her.  She still doesn't know what to think.”

“She let you put the bridle on her.  You didn't have to chase her.  She came to you.”

“I have to win her trust.  And when I have it, I can't abuse it or she'll never give it up again.”

Mitch carefully took the bridle off Midnight and took a few steps away.  Midnight followed like a stray dog.   

“Does she trust you now?  Enough to ride her?”

Mitch shook his head.  “We still need a little time together before she'll allow me put a saddle on her.  Right now, she's letting me know her boundaries.”

“She let you put a bridle on her as if she didn't even know you were doing it.”

His face was bright with a smile.  “Oh, she knew.  But she's still making up her mind.  She wants to trust me.  I can tell.  And maybe one day she will.”

“Mitch?”

He looked up at her again from across the corral.  He was incredibly handsome.  His dark hair was the color of mica in the fading light, and his eyes had turned from blue to a smoky gray.  He stood tall, his weight shifted to one hip as he held the reins of the bridle.

Such strength.

Sara remembered all too well how it had felt earlier to be in Mitch's arms.  Her heart still raced with the memory.

“What if she's never ready to trust you?”

Mitch's expression grew serious, pulling her into his gaze.  He took a few steps closer, his boots kicking up dust from the ground as he walked.  He stopped a good ten feet from where she was standing and said, “I can wait as long as it takes, Sara.”

Available at

AMAZON http://amzn.com/B007AWZGSM

Barnes and Noble http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/his-heart-for-the-trusting-lisa-mondello/1005039937?ean=2940013956841&itm=12&usri=lisa+mondello

SMASHWORDS for Kindle in Mobi and Nook in ePub http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/134008

New Release Wednesday!

Please help me welcome my friend and fellow Ass Cheek Angel blogger, Kellie Kamryn! She's brought her new release, THE PERFECT SCORE. Kellie is also giving away a FREE pdf of Book 1 of this Love and Balance Series, REBOUND, to one lucky commentator.

You can learn all about Kellie at http://www.kelliekamryn.com/

but come on back and leave a comment for you chance to win;)

Welcome, Kellie!

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Hi, Jennifer. Thanks for letting me visit today.

My love of gymnastics brought me many things in my life. It taught me that hard work, determination and perseverance pay off. Not only did it physically show me what I'm capable of, but what I can emotionally handle, to some degree, as well. When I started taking this writing gig seriously, and by that I mean to be published, I had the idea to write a series of novels based on my love for the sport as well my love of romance. Well, my hard work and dedication paid off because books 1 & 2 in the Love and Balance series are now available from Secret Cravings Publishing. Book 2, The Perfect Score was just released last week! Here's a blurb and excerpt:

Blurb:

The new head coach has barely gotten her beams in alignment when she’s threatened with a lawsuit by a father for refusing to train his brat of a daughter.

Shelley Longstaff finally has her chance to be in charge only to rue the day when she is asked to train the dreaded Anna Fortier, a gymnast who has no sense of sportsmanship and makes everyone in her vicinity miserable. When Shelley refuses, she’s threatened with a lawsuit by her father. To make things worse, Shelley has an inexplicable attraction to the arrogant rich lawyer!

Since his wife’s death five years ago, Jacques (Jack) Fortier does whatever it takes to protect what is his. Shelley’s club is his last resort to keep his daughter in the sport, but threatening to sue her isn’t exactly his smartest move. When she grudgingly agrees to give Anna a chance, he finds himself attracted to the spritely gymnastics coach – the first woman he’s had any feelings for since his wife passed away.

As Shelley and Jack leap over the line in their parent-coach relationship, Shelley worries over falling in love with a man who admittedly still loves his late wife. But when a crisis of teenage proportions threatens their relationship, will they risk everything for the chance to achieve The Perfect Score?

Excerpt:

“Because no one can get her to realize her full potential.” Even he heard the weariness in his voice. “She has a lot of talent, but no one can get her to train properly. And you’re right—she does act like a brat. Everyone lets her get away with her behavior.”

“Have you ever considered it might have something to do with you?”

His jaw dropped open. Never had someone been so candid with him.

By the look on her face, he could tell she’d even surprised herself. But even more astonishing to him was she didn’t back down or try to take back what she’d said, but forged ahead instead.

“Mr. Fortier, you barge in and demand people do your bidding. Do you treat her in the same manner? Have you ever thought she doesn’t want whatever dreams you’re shoving down her throat?”

He admired her courage, but her last statement made his jaw snap closed. Anger surged to the surface. “I’m not living vicariously through her, if that’s what you mean!” he roared. “How dare you assume I treat my daughter unfairly!”

“My apologies.” She folded her hands one on top of the other in a calm manner. “From what I’ve seen of her competition behavior in recent months, it appears to me you might want this more than she does.”

“Absurd.” Who is this woman? No one ever gave him this kind of reception. Whenever he’d found a new club for Anna, she’d been welcomed on the spot. People never questioned him. Ever. He glared at her. She’d just made another statement that hit home like a punch to the gut, expressing a sentiment he’d often wondered about. Why didn’t his daughter want to be the best anymore?

He tamped down the anger, trying to calm himself with a breath again, but he caught a whiff of her scent once more, and it sent blood racing through his veins. He took in her light brown hair pulled back into a ponytail with the exception of a few strands framing her heart-shaped face. She wasn’t just cute. She was pretty. Beautiful. His insides felt gushy. Ridiculous. Maybe it had been a mistake to come here after all.

“Mr. Fortier, have you ever heard the expression ‘You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink?’”

He gave her a withering look.

Holding her hands up in front of her, she said, “All I’m saying is I can’t work miracles. What makes you think I can get through to her when other coaches have failed?”

“Your club is the last one,” he said simply.

These books are full of emotion and steamy love scenes. They aren't as erotic as some of my other work, but I'm sure readers will enjoy them! 

If this book intrigues you, be sure to pick up book 1, Rebound. All my books can be found on these sites:

Secret Cravings

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Secret Cravings Publishing

ARe

Bookstrand 

Readers can also visit my website www.kelliekamryn.com for buy links, excerpts and more! Or join me on facebook www.facebook.com/KellieKamryn or on twitter@KellieKamryn to talk to me about whatever amuses me! Thanks for stopping by to hear about my latest release!

Thanks again Jennifer for hosting me today!

Man Candy Monday!

Time to play: Read his mind. 
Here's my guess - The air conditioner is broken. Untie my hands, take off those clothes and join me on the bed where I will lick frozen margaritas from your body ..........

Friday Fun- Meet author PJ Sharon!

Please help me welcome the talented, PJ Sharon to the blog today! (Love this cover, PJ. It's gorgeous. )

You can learn more about PJ and all her books at http://circlepad.com/pjsharon 

PJ wanted you to know 2 of her books are FREE on SmashWords through March 10th.

Thanks for being here today, PJ.

Thank you for having me Jennifer. I’d love to give away an ARC of SAVAGE CINDERELLA to one of your readers. 

Q: Do you believe in love at first sight or just lust at first sight?

A: I do believe in love at first sight, though it isn’t nearly as common as lust at first sight, LOL. I think that when we meet a soul mate, our intuitive nature takes over and our spirit guides us in a way that is different than just a chemical, physical attraction. The first time I met my husband, I was literally struck by the sense that he was “the one.” There was just something so familiar and special about him, that my heart was immediately drawn to him. Unfortunately, he was married to someone else at the time. It took fifteen years, a marriage and a divorce on my end, and an eventual divorce on his end before we found each other again. But when we did, it was a fairytale romance that is still growing and thriving ten years later.

Q: If you could time travel, would you go forward or back?

A: Great question! I sometimes think I was born in the wrong century. I would have been perfectly fine living in a time before electricity and modern conveniences. I’m an avid camper and outdoorswoman and I really enjoy the simplicity of roughing it. I don’t mind hard physical work and to me, nothing tastes as good as food cooked on an open flame. Having said that, I would not have wanted to live in a time where women were considered property and had no freedoms or choices. I feel quite blessed to be an entrepreneur, a business owner, and a published author, all roads that might have been impossible a hundred years ago. I do like the idea of traveling to the future, if only to see what becomes of mankind. Being that the bestselling vehicle in the US is still the Ford F250, I’m afraid we haven’t learned anything about global responsibility. We’re clearly doomed. The future is a bit scary these days. I’m hoping enough of us have evolved that there will be survivors.

Q: Tell us a little about your WIP.

A: As the perfect segue from the last question, I’m planning a dystopian trilogy for later this year. THE CHRONICLES OF LILLY CARMICHAEL is about a sixteen-year-old girl living in 2048. She is the first generation of genetically engineered children who were bred to survive the plagues that wipe out three quarters of the Earth’s population. Her genetic modification not only makes her resistant to the plague, but gives her the ability to heal quickly and an intuitive ability to heal others. Her thirteen-year-old brother Zephron is a Gen-2 and has the opposite capability which is to take life with just a touch. Their mother died during Zeph’s birth and their father was killed by a government agency called the Industry, an organization trying to capture these Gen-1 and Gen-2 kids to use them to create an invincible army. Lilly and Zeph live with their uncle in the North East Sector, and their goal is to remain hidden from the Industry. But when a young drifter named Will is caught in a trap on their property and Lilly decides to heal him, their secret is bound to get out.

Q: Do you have critique partners?

A: I have several awesome critique partners. I usually run ideas by them, then a few chapters, and then have a brainstorming session to work out plotting issues before diving into the whole manuscript. The problem I have lately is that all of my critique partners are getting publishing contracts and are as busy as I am, LOL. It’s a good problem to have.

Q: What is most difficult for you to write: Characters, conflict, or emotions?

A: I would have to say that all of those elements have their difficulties. Conflict is king, however. If I am clear about what the central conflict is, the rest comes easier. I find that if I spend some time getting to know my characters by compiling a character and conflict grid, the emotion evolves naturally. Making characters multidimensional and layering in the internal conflicts is what brings them to life.

Q: Favorite Romance movie?

A: Twenty-Seven Dresses comes to mind. I love romantic comedies. Maid in Manhattan, Maid of Honor, My Best Friend’s Wedding, LOL…you get the picture. I LOVE the romance of a big wedding and all the hoops our romance couples have to go through to get there. Ironically, I had a very small wedding—me, my groom, a JP, and two witnesses. Maybe I’ll do something grand when we celebrate our tenth anniversary.

Q: What is your favorite dessert/food?

A: Anything with dark chocolate and coconut. Give me a Mounds and a Red Bull and I’m good to go! I’m generally a healthy eater and live a fairly wholesome lifestyle, but put those flavors together and I’m done for.

ON THIN ICE Blurb-

Seventeen year old figure skater Penny Trudeau has secrets. She’s not perfect, as hard as she tries to be. With a mother who is dying and a father who treats her like she’s invisible, Penny has every reason to lie. To escape the life that is spinning out of control, she falls into the arms of an older boy. But when she lies about her age and he finds out the truth, Penny loses the one good thing that has happened in a long time.

            Carter McCray is the hockey hunk she falls for, but Carter has his own family drama, and he’s not looking for trouble. Penny proves to be the exception, until the truth comes out and he can’t get past the betrayal—or her father’s threats.

            Can Penny find her way back into Carter’s heart, or will she have to face the harsh realities of life on her own? Penny’s choices lead her down a dangerous road and the secrets she’s keeping will change her world forever.

ON THIN ICE BUY LINKS

https://www.createspace.com/3713549

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/On-Thin-Ice-by-PJ-Sharon?keyword=On+Thin+Ice+by+PJ+Sharon&store=allproducts

http://www.amazon.com/On-Thin-Ice-ebook/dp/B006LMXZYY/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1323832484&sr=1-1

http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/113639

Buy Links for ON THIN ICE

Amazon,  B&N,  Smashwords,  Create Space

Wednesday Releases!

Welcome to something new! I'm going to host New Releases on Wednesdays, so if you want to see what's hot, join us each week on hump day. ;)

Please welcome my first guest, Lynda Bailey! And be sure to leave a comment and your email addy for a change to win an e-copy of BATTLE BORN LOVE!

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Writing Porn – With a Plot

Thanks Jennifer for letting me hang-out today and promote my very first indie-published book, Battle Born Love. Leave a comment and be entered to win a PDF copy!

I hope I didn’t offend anyone with the title of this blog. I’ve always written really hot love scenes in my books. (Just ask one of my former CPs who’s in her seventies. She claims I made her “twitchy”.) However, I never took the “plunge” into erotic romance. That is until about four years ago. Now, as an avid writer of erotic romance, I’ve had to grin and bear the comments – good-natured and well-meaning alike – about how I write “smut.” Well, I don’t write “smut” aka erotica. Erotica is weak on character motivation and the stories don’t end with an HEA (happily ever after). I write romance, very explicit and graphic, but still romance.

A good example of erotica would be the porn classic, Debbie Does Dallas. It’s all about the sex and little else. Not that I’m a prude. Porn can be quite entertaining. I mean all hard-working cheerleaders engage in sexual activities to make a little extra cash, right? Porn and/or erotica is hot and explicit and very, very graphic, but without a doubt not romance.

A great example of erotic romance would be the love scene in Coming Home. The movie wasn’t based solely on two or more people having sex. It was about the struggles of a paralyzed Vietnam vet (Jon Voight) and a young hospital aide (Jane Fonda). The love scene between these two characters wasn’t as explicit as a porn movie, but it was unquestionably motivated, extremely hot and definitely erotic. And it was a romance.

In a nutshell, erotic romance has very explicit, very graphic love scenes which are character driven and thus motivated. It’s not just about a young and beautiful wife, left home alone by her corporate-ladder-climbing husband, who drops to her knees when the pizza delivery guy shows up – no matter how drop-dead-gorgeous the delivery guy! The difference is important, especially if you’re defending yourself to family and friends.

Now, having said all that, Battle Born Love isn’t an erotic romance, though it’s still pretty darn hot/explicit and will make you (I hope) “twitchy.” Remember to leave your email addy in your response to be entered to win a free copy. (You can also email me: Lynda@lyndabailey.net)

Thanks again, Jennifer, for letting me be here today.

Blurb:

LOVE BORN FROM BATTLE. . .

Spirited repo owner, Rory Dawson, agrees to be what she isn’t in order to save her father from a prison sentence. Now Pop is safe, but is her heart?

Handsome banker, Kane Williams, has made a deal with a most provocative devil in hopes of securing a coveted promotion. All his life Kane has endeavored to be the best, to erase the failure of his father. Will years of work be forfeited for a woman, albeit the sexiest one he’s ever known?

From opposite sides of the tracks, Rory and Kane forge an unlikely friendship. Soon, that friendship becomes a steamy relationship. Through trial and pain, they battle to have the love of a lifetime.

Excerpt:

She bit her lower lip. “Sorry.”

Kane straightened, his gaze fastened to her mouth as her teeth released the fleshy skin. He suppressed his growl on a cough. “It doesn’t matter,” he choked out. “We should leave anyway. It was wrong to put you in this situation.”

From the corner of his eye, Kane saw two assistant managers from the downtown office pass by, staring. He edged Rory closer to the wall to shield her.

She placed a hand on his arm. “How will it look if we leave? We should stay.”

He massaged the tight muscles in his neck, trying to figure a way out of the evening. She was right, damn it.

Her hand squeezed. “I promise to stay by your side and be the best fake girlfriend ever. No one will suspect anything. In fact. . .” He watched her gaze slide over to the managers who were still ogling them.

“I think it’s show time.”

Before he could react, Rory wrapped both hands around his neck and pulled him to her waiting lips. Her tongue made an immediate foray into his mouth and Kane’s world zeroed down to nothing. No restaurant. No bank people. Nothing.

Just Rory.

He tilted her head up with his middle finger while his thumb stroked her cheek, his tongue sparring with hers. Kane needed his other hand propped on the wall for support.

To a casual observer, the kiss probably didn’t seem all that intense. What a lie.

Small sounds, only he could hear, emanated from deep in her throat. Her body quivered closer to his. Kane thought again about leaving, now for very different reasons.

Rory broke the kiss and her eyes, bright and iridescent skewed him. She cleared her throat. “We should return to your friends.” In reluctant moves, he shifted to give her room to move. Her hand again squeezed.

“But, if you want to continue this later, you’ll know where I’ll be. In the bedroom next to you.”

His thoughts on that temptation, Kane followed behind her to the group.