Catherine Bybee's Blog, page 11

Fiance by Friday ARC Giveaway

It looks like the ARC Fairy is still flying around my house. I have another ARC of Fiance by Friday up for grabs... Do you want one?

Make a comment on this BLOG post to be entered to win.

This is for a signed print ARC. Be sure and post your email address so I can get a hold of you if you win.

From New York Times bestselling author Catherine Bybee comes the newest installment in her popular Weekday Brides series.

Gwen Harrison: The beautiful, high-born daughter of an English duke came to America to take over her sister-in-law’s matchmaking business. But just because she’s the boss doesn’t mean she can’t fantasize about making her own perfect match with bodyguard Neil MacBain. Will the enigmatic man who haunts her dreams cost her more than she bargained for?

Neil MacBain: The retired Marine can’t deny the effect blue-blooded Gwen has on his troubled soul or his battle-hardened body. But as a client, Gwen is off-limits—until a threat from Neil’s past returns…and Gwen is caught in the crossfire. Now to keep her safe he will risk it all: his career, his life…and his heart.

Exclusive Excerpt Fiance by Friday

How about a new excerpt of Fiance by Friday.
We're only 2 months and 8 days away ya know...

Gwen and Neil have been dancing around their feelings for a while now. When faced with Gwen living alone, Neil isn't very comfortable with the idea. He has something to say about that!


The entire time he moved about the house he kept thinking of her living there alone.Lady Gwendolyn Harrison, a pampered daughter of a duke, and the most stunning woman God ever graced the earth with had no business living alone in this cheap neighborhood only blocks away from murderers, rapists, and thieves. Neil had listened to the police scanners enough to understand the neighborhood demographics.No wonder writers crafted tales of keeping captive princesses safe in ivory towers.“You’ve tested that lock three times.” Gwen graced him with her pristine white teeth and brilliant smile.“It sticks.”“Ah, huh.”“When will you know about Karen?” He twisted the lock a fourth time.“We’ll finish the background check, and then have them meet. We should know if it’s going to work in a couple of weeks. Maybe sooner.”Enough time to add a couple of cameras…update a couple of things. He didn’t like the amount of motion the outside detectors were picking up. He stood in the yard, completely still, and the damn things were going ape-shit crazy. Glitches like that made people ignore the signals.He tapped the control panel used to set and unset the alarms. “What’s your distress code?”“Zod.”“What numbers?”“Nine six three.”“When do you use that code?” He was drilling her, but he didn’t know what else he could do.“If someone was here threatening me and telling me to turn off the alarm. I know the drill. Nothing is going to happen. I’m a big girl.”“You’re a tiny girl the neighborhood paperboy could snap like a twig if he wanted to.”“Tommy would do no such thing. He’s a good boy.”The edge of his lips lifted ever so slightly.“Is that a smile I see on Neil’s lips?”He forced his lips to a thin line.“Oh, my mistake.” Gwen hid her own grin.“I’ll call tomorrow with details about who will come to fix a few things.” He returned his equipment to his bag. “Lock the door behind me.”“Yes, sir.” She gave him a mock salute.“I’m serious, Gwen. Your security habits suck. Your brother isn’t going to let you live here alone if you don’t start taking things seriously.”Her playful grin fell and Neil knew he’d used the wrong words to get her to move over to his way of thinking.“My brother is not my keeper.”“He owns the house.”“Samantha owns the house. And she’d never make me leave.”Neil’s jaw started to twitch again.“Perhaps I need to remind you that I’m not a child.”His eyes did a quick sweep of her body. “You don’t have to remind me of that.”

~~~~~~~~~~~

Pre-Order on Amazon HERE 

Interview, Barbara Bretton

Barbara Bretton is the USA Today bestselling, award-winning author of more than 40 books. She currently has over ten million copies in print around the world. I had the chance to interview her for the Crosse Harbor Time Travel Blog Tour. Check it out below and don't forget to drop a comment to say hi!

Tell us a little about yourself and the genre you write.
Thanks so much for inviting me to visit, Catherine! I'm Barbara Bretton and I've been a published romance novelist for thirty years! (No, I can't quite believe it's been that long either.) I sold my first romance to Vivian Stephens at Harlequin American in 1982 and in 1983 LOVE CHANGES became one of the launch titles for the line. In the years since I've written contemporary romance, historical romance, mainstream novels, women's fiction, and paranormals for Harlequin, MIRA, Crown, Pocket, and Penguin Berkley --somewhere around fifty titles in all.

What do you love about being a writer?
Living inside my imagination. Not being part of the 9-5 everyday world. Being able to slip in and out of different personalities, different lives, every time I sit down at the computer. I'm living my childhood dream and it never gets old.

What do you hate about being a writer?
When you decide to become a working writer, you take a giant step away from normal. Deadlines rule. The Muse (or just plain hard work) is everything. You learn quickly that the ability to say no ("No, I can't go out to lunch or to the movies or just hang out") is paramount. The freedom from punching a metaphorical 9-5 time clock is only an illusion because deadline pressure rules a writer's life with an iron hand. And deadlines don't much care if it's Christmas Eve or your birthday or your anniversary. That's definitely the downside of writing for a living.

If there was one thing about the industry you could change, what would it be?
The length of time it takes to turn a finished book into a published book is right up there at the top of my list. Of course, while that's true of traditional publishing it no longer applies if you're taking the indie route. That freedom is exhilarating. 

What do you like better, Twitter or Facebook? Why?
Definitely Facebook. 140 characters? Really, Twitter?? I am way too wordy for Twitter, although I keep trying to master the format.

Tell us about your latest release and where we can find it.
The three books in the Crosse Harbor Time Travel Trilogy were published original in paper by Harlequin and MIRA. I regained the rights to them last year and am delighted to say they're available now in digital form through Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Smashwords, iTunes, Kobo, Sony, and other e-retailers. Right now SOMEWHERE IN TIME (the first book in the series) is free everywhere but Barnes and Noble. I urge you to download a copy and join the fun.


SOMEWHERE IN TIME (CURRENTLY FREE!)

Reviewers Choice Award - Best Historical Time Travel --Romantic Times

Historian Emilie Crosse dreamed of a love that would last forever Who knew she'd have to sail across two centuries to find it?

When her ex-husband Zane Grey Rutledge showed up at her door with a Revolutionary War uniform that was part of his grandmother's estate, neither one suspected that their lives were about to change in ways they couldn't possibly imagine.

Swept back in time to 1777 where a nation is struggling to be born, Emilie finds herself torn between two men: Zane, her ex who still holds the key to her heart, and Andrew McVie, the Patriot hero of her long-ago dreams . . . .

Amazon | B&N | Smashwords


TOMORROW & ALWAYS

Timeless Lovers . . . Different Worlds

Shannon Whitney didn't believe she had a future until Andrew McVie crash-lands his time-traveling hot air balloon in her backyard one summer afternoon and changes her life forever.

He is a Revolutionary War patriot. She is an independent modern woman.

Their paths should never have crossed but apparently fate has other plans.

Amazon | B&N | Smashwords


DESTINY'S CHILD

It's not every day a woman goes traveling through time.

Dakota Wylie is a wisecracking, unemployed, overweight psychic librarian from Princeton.

Patrick Devane is an angry, hard-headed spy with a six-year-old daughter who hears voices.

The only thing they have in common is New Jersey.

But when Dakota leaps from the basket of a hot air balloon to help his crying child, little does she know that she's leaping into history . . . and love.

Amazon | B&N | Smashwords


RAPID FIRE QUESTIONS

Milk or Dark Chocolate?
Darker the better.

Wine or Beer?
Sorry, but I'm a pina-colada-served-in-a-pineapple-with-a-paper-umbrella kind of girl.

Beach or Mountains?
Both, please. (Not that I'm greedy or anything.)

RV or Hotel?
Hotel. With room service. And a pool. And a view of beach and mountain!

Driving or Flying?
Driving. (Which would make you think I'd love an RV, wouldn't you?)

Toilet Paper...Over or Under?
Did you know that a personal valet folds Prince Charles's Charmin into neat fluffy squares and stacks them on a silver salver?


Barbara Bretton is the USA Today bestselling, award-winning author of more than 40 books. She currently has over ten million copies in print around the world. Her works have been translated into twelve languages in over twenty countries.

Barbara has been featured in articles in The New York Times, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, Romantic Times, Cleveland Plain Dealer, Herald News, Home News, Somerset Gazette, among others, and has been interviewed by Independent Network News Television, appeared on the Susan Stamberg Show on NPR, and been featured in an interview with Charles Osgood of WCBS, among others.

Her awards include both Reviewer's Choice and Career Achievement Awards from Romantic Times; Gold and Silver certificates from Affaire de Coeur; the RWA Region 1 Golden Leaf; and several sales awards from Bookrak. Ms. Bretton was included in a recent edition of Contemporary Authors.

Barbara loves to spend as much time as possible in Maine with her husband, walking the rocky beaches and dreaming up plots for upcoming books.

Website  |  Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Goodreads  |  Ravelry


GIVEAWAY!
Barbara is giving away an audio version of SOMEWHERE IN TIME. Remember the ebook version is currently FREE, but if you enjoy audio books comment below to be entered to win. Good luck!

Not Quite Enough has Cover ART!

YEAH! I just love this cover. LOVE< LOVE
Not Quite Enough will be released in early October and I can't wait to hear your thoughts on Monica's story!

Here is the blurb... for those of you who haven't read it.

Monica Mann has made it her life’s work to save lives. After an earthquake and tsunami hit the shores of Jamaica, she volunteers her trauma skills with Borderless Nurses. Calculating and methodical, Monica creates order out of whatever chaos she finds.
Until she finds the perpetually barefoot, impossibly masculine Trent Fairchild. No one can pin him down. No, really. He's a pilot and manages a small fleet of choppers on his adopted island home. Hopelessly drawn to one another, they manage to slip away from the wreckage to get a little closer. And they get a lot closer than expected when aftershocks from the earthquake trap them in their own life-or-death scenario. Paradise has brought them together. Now will it tear them apart?
You can PRE-ORDER your copy HERE for your Kindle or order a print copy HERE  and it will be in your mailbox on release day. Love how easy it is! 

Apple, Australia and Smashwords!

Whoo hoo... It looks like my friends in Australia are just loving Before the Moon Rises.
There is a big promotion featuring Max and Janet and my jog in the paranormal werewolf world.
Tens of thousands of this spicy novella have been downloaded and enjoyed. It's FREE, so why not give it a try!



Here is the direct LINK to the Australia iTune store to download your copy of Before the Moon Rises.

Book Feature, Any Duchess Will Do by Tessa Dare

ANY DUCHESS WILL DOTESSA DAREMay 28, 2013Historical RomanceAvon BooksPages: 384ISBN: 9780062240125ISBN: 0062240129

Today Pauline is just a serving girl in Spindle Cove but tomorrow... she'll be a Duchess?! It's a Spindle Cove Pygmalion story as only New York Times Bestselling author Tessa Dare can tell it.

What's a duke to do, when the girl who's perfectly wrong becomes the woman he can't live without?

Griffin York, the Duke of Halford, has no desire to wed this season-or any season-but his diabolical mother abducts him to "Spinster Cove" and insists he select a bride from the ladies in residence. Griff decides to teach her a lesson that will end the marriage debate forever. He chooses the serving girl. 

Overworked and struggling, Pauline Simms doesn't dream about dukes. All she wants is to hang up her barmaid apron and open a bookshop. That dream becomes a possibility when an arrogant, sinfully attractive duke offers her a small fortune for a week's employment. Her duties are simple: submit to his mother's "duchess training"… and fail miserably.

But in London, Pauline isn't a miserable failure. She's a brave, quick-witted, beguiling failure-a woman who ignites Griff's desire and soothes the darkness in his soul. Keeping Pauline by his side won't be easy. Even if Society could accept a serving girl duchess-can a roguish duke convince a serving girl to trust him with her heart?

Click to read chapter one!

Amazon | B&N | BAM | IndieBound | iBookstore




Tessa Dare is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of nine historical romance novels and three novellas. Her books have won numerous accolades, including Romance Writers of America’s prestigious RITA® award and multiple RT Book ReviewsReviewer’s Choice Awards.  Booklist magazine named her one of the “new stars of historical romance,” and her books have been contracted for translation in ten languages.

Mixing wit, sensuality, and emotion, Tessa writes Regency-set romance novels that feel relatable to modern readers. With her bestselling “Spindle Cove” series, she’s had great fun creating a fictional seaside community populated by women who defy the conventions of their time—engaging in such unladylike pursuits as medicine, geology, and artillery. And she’s had even more fun dreaming up the strong-willed, unsuspecting men who’ll find their hearts ensnared by these unlikely heroines.

A librarian by training and a booklover at heart, Tessa makes her home in Southern California, where she shares a cozy, cluttered bungalow with her husband, their two children, and a big brown dog.

Website | Newsletter | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads


Tessa is on blog tour for Any Duchess Will Do & Beauty and the Blacksmith. As part of the tour she is hosting a tour wide giveaway! Five copies each of:  A Night to Surrender, A Week to be Wicked, A Lady by Midnight
Click to enter!

Last day of the Not Quite Mine Tour

Today is the last day of my blog tour. My tours generally go for two weeks, give or take a couple of days. I meet lots of new people...and with any luck reach many new readers.

Thanks to you, dear readers...Not Quite Mine managed to place in the top 5 on Amazon at one point and is still in the twenty to thirty range on Amazon's top 100 in e-books. Over 53,000 copies have been downloaded and hopefully, loved.

Much like a parent who lets their baby take the training wheels off their bike, only to watch with nail-biting worry... letting my story go out in the world and turning on to the next project is bittersweet.

I adored Katie and Dean's story and loved glimpsing into Jack and Jessie's HEA. And I truly cannot wait until October when everyone will have an opportunity to read Monica and Trent's story. I really think you are all going to love Not Quite Enough .

Thank you to everyone who dropped by my blog tour and left comments. For everyone who bought , read and reviewed Not Quite Mine...I can't thank you enough.

Big shout out to my street team who have pimped Bybee for weeks. Love you all!

The blog tour giveaway is still active and will be for several more days to get those of you who don't blog or surf the net on a daily basis.


a Rafflecopter giveaway


Not Quite Mine
Amazon Kindle / Amazon Print
Barnes & Noble Print 

5 Stars ~ For Fiance by Friday

The first reviews are always the sweetest!

And then there are reviewers that you just LIVE to earn a 5 Star rating from.  It is no secret that TJ and I are friends. She was my first real fan and we've really become quite close over the years. HOWEVER... and this is a big however folks. She never, as in EVER, grants my 5 Star reviews unless I earn them. I always let people know that she rated me 2 Stars  on one of my werewolf novellas and she rated a book I dedicated to her a 4 Star. And from her, 4 stars is good... but she'd damn stingy with her 5's.

She is a true friend and my toughest critic. She loved Neil and Gwen!


TJ rated it 5 of 5 stars

FINALLY! We get to uncover the enigma that is Neil!! He has been that elusive bodyguard in the background that Gwen just hasn't been able to ignore. And, Ms. Bybee does not disappoint. He is exactly as we have seen in previous books, only better!

I think of all of this author's books, this one is arguably the best and most tightly written. The characters stay true while the reader uncovers, bit by bit, their tender, funny, loyal yet honorable, and distinctly scrumptious inner-sides. Neil is still quiet and stoic to a fault, yet we slowly get to see who he truly is (YUM!!) Gwen is ever the sheltered but sweet British aristocrat that we get watch grow a set! All while we are treated to the hottest love on mainstream paper.

There is a warning, however... This book leans very heavily into romantic suspense, a definite departure from Bybee's usual fare. Honestly, I was impressed with how well she handled it. Both the love story and the suspense aspects were given the proper attention needed for a truly riveting ride with a sigh at the end!

This review is posted on GOODREADS... where you can see for yourself how she rates all of my books.

Not Quite Enough ~ Official Blurb

Yes, dear reader... Monica's story is next up for the Not Quite series.

Not Quite Enough is slated for release on October 8th 2013

You've waited for two books for Monica to have her story... I depart from the southern charms here as we dig into what makes Monica tick...and explore the life of a nurse.

I hope to share cover art with you within the month.

Monica Mann has made it her life’s work to save lives. After an earthquake and tsunami hit the shores of Jamaica, she volunteers her trauma skills with Borderless Nurses. Calculating and methodical, Monica creates order out of whatever chaos she finds.

Until she finds the perpetually barefoot, impossibly masculine Trent Fairchild. No one can pin him down. No, really. He's a pilot and manages a small fleet of choppers on his adopted island home. Hopelessly drawn to one another, they manage to slip away from the wreckage to get a little closer. And they get a lot closer than expected when aftershocks from the earthquake trap them in their own life-or-death scenario. Paradise has brought them together. Now will it tear them apart?

Pre-Order on Amazon HERE 

Not Quite Mine is out Today!

Not Quite Mine is out Today!!!!

That's right folks, the second book in my Not Quite series is out now. So what are you waiting for? Go forth and buy.

The cover alone is worthy of the read. And then there is Katie and Dean... And Mother's Day...

Thank you to all my readers who picked up this book and have made Katie and Dean's story surge to the top 100 on Amazon. I truly couldn't enjoy my day job more.

Here are the links to download or order your copy of Not Quite Mine

Amazon Kindle
Amazon Print
B&N Print