Jennifer Probst's Blog, page 20

The Marriage Merger Release AND a Giveaway!

I’m so excited to share the excitement of my new release! The final installment in the Marriage to a Billionaire series hits stores and cyberspace everywhere!

Here’s already just a few early reviews:

Smut Book Club, 5 Stars

http://smutbookclub.com/books/the-marriage-merger-jennifer-probst/

“The 4th of Jennifer Probst’s Married to a Billionaire series, The Marriage Merger has firmly set itself as my favorite. I really liked the other books in the series and highly recommend them all, but Merger is far and beyond the hottest one.”

TheSub Club Books, 4.5 Stars

http://thesubclubbooks.com/?p=14878

“Jennifer Probst does an exceptional job as always, giving us a feel of not only the characters. The atmosphere, the surroundings are brilliantly told. She effortlessly shows us with words the setting. As I read I saw myself through the streets of Milan. I saw myself eating dinner in moma Conte’s kitchen, I saw myself *Ahem*… well I think you get my drift

If you are a fan of the Marriage to a Billionaire series, you won’t be disappointed with the ending of this series. This is a romantic, sexy, seductive read. With enough angst, enough humor to make the story enjoyable.”

Kirkus Reviews

https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/jennifer-probst/marriage-merger/

“Another hot, sexy, satisfying installment in the Marriage to a Billionaire series from romance phenom Probst.”

Links are live up at my site, and AUDIO is already here! Click on the link below to listen to an excerpt right now!

Audible: http://bit.ly/19niUVd

itunes: http://bit.ly/12BASUO

S&S.com: http://bit.ly/14Tc3Sr

Enter to win an awesome trip to Vegas for a sweepstakes at Simon and Schuster

Get ready for some romance in Sin City with great prizes from Simon & Schuster Audio’s new sweepstakes! Enter for a chance to win an all-expenses paid trip to Las Vegas for two, up to $3,000, a new iPod Touch with the most sinful of audiobooks—including my THE MARRIAGE MERGER audiobook —as well as a $250 gift card from Agent Provocateur!

https://www.facebook.com/SimonAudio/app_190322544333196

*Facebook Tabs are not mobile optimized, so please enter from your laptop or desktop!

BLOG TOUR AND GIVEAWAY!

I’m Talking About Marriage over at XOXO after dark! You don’t want to miss this!

http://xoxoafterdark.com/2013/07/31/i-do-jennifer-probst-marriage/

The Book Avenue: www.thebookavenue.com

Review

8/2 Under The Covers: http://www.underthecoversbookblog.com/

Review & Post: A Whole Lot of Naughty… & Giveaway

8/2 Happy Ever After/USA Today: www.usatoday.com/blog/happyeverafter/

LIVE INTERVIEW!

I’m looking for brand new newsletter subscribers and have partnered with the fab Catherine Bybee to give away a bunch of prizes! Click on the link below – you don’t want to miss out!

 

http://us5.campaign-archive2.com/?u=ef75106213393ff3ab2afaf90&id=733c08ba8d&e=

 

Happy August everyone!

 

 

 

 

 

The Marriage Merger Blog Tour!

Countdown has begun!

I’ve been knocked out by the fab reviews of my new release, The Marriage Merger, and cannot wait until release day. To gear up for the big party, I’ve scheduled a blog tour where you’ll get to win SIGNED paperback copies of Merger, read excerpts and teasers, and be entertained by a variety of topics.

Here’s the agenda:

July

7/15 Shh Mom’s Reading: http://shhmomsreading.com/

Review, Excerpt & Giveaway

7/16 Talking Supe: http://www.talkingsupe.com/

Review & Interview Questions, & Giveaway

7/17 After Dark Divas: http://www.theafterdarkdivasbookclub.com/

Review

7/18 Bookish Temptations; http://bookishtemptations.com/

Review & Post: Quirking Out-What Makes Your Character Interesting? & Giveaway

7/19 Read-Love-Blog: http://www.Read-Love-Blog.com

Review & Post: Playlist for Marriage Merger

7/20 My Not So Vacant Shelf: http://mynotsovacantshelf.blogspot.com/

Review & Giveaway

7/21 Velvet Morning82.wordpress.com (Greece): http://velvetmorning82.wordpress.com/

Review

7/22 Tugce’nin Library, My Book World (Turkey): www.tugceninKitapligi.com

Review & Post: 10 Random Facts About…Me & Giveaway

7/23 Book Obsessed Chicks Book Club & Blog:

http://book-obsessed-chicks.blogspot.com/?zx=5a8b75bedf078448

Review

7/24 Read Your Writes Book Reviews:

http://readyourwrites.blogspot.com/?zx=3aacc375dd730e24

Review & Post: Journey Of A Billionaire…How Four Hot Men Captured My Heart

7/25 The Book List Reviews: http://thebooklistreviews.blogspot.com/p/about.html

Review

7/26 Sizzling Book Club: http://chelssizzle.blogspot.com/

Review & Post: How Do You Like Your Heroine?

7/27 Natasha Is a Book Junkie: http://www.natashaisabookjunkie.com/

Review

7/28 Smut Book Club: http://smutbookclub.com/

Review

7/29 Harlequin Junkies: http://harlequinjunkie.com/

Review, Post: The Search For Love: Do Love Spells Work?, & Giveaway

7/30 Sub Club: http://thesubclubbooks.com/#

Review & Post: Wolfe Power…Why I Fell in Love with My Secondary Character &

Giveaway

7/30 Happy Ever After/USA Today: www.usatoday.com/blog/happyeverafter/

Review

7/31 Three Chicks and Their Books: www.threechicksandtheirbooks.com

Review

Can’t wait the extra two weeks for a peek?

Help me gain 550 more LIKES on my Facebook Author Page and I’ll release the first two full chapters of Merger ASAP!

Finally, I’ll be signing books at two places this month so please stop by, say hello, and pick up a signed copy!!

July 17th, RWA Literacy Signing, 5:30pm – Atlanta Marriott Marquis Hotel, Atlanta GA

August 1st – 6:30pm – Anderson’s Book Shop, 96 Chatsworth Ave, Larchmont, NY 10538, (Wine and Finger foods served)

Phone: (914) 834-6900

Happy July everyone!

The Marriage Merger Contest!

It’s release month of The Marriage Merger and I’m in the mood to play some games!

First off, lots of good news to share. To get ready for the new installment of the Marriage to a Billionaire series, The Marriage Mistake is only $2.99 at Amazon and Barnes and Noble!

What a Deal!

I’ll be everywhere this month giving away goodies, advanced reading copies, and blogging about the book. A listing of my schedule will go up soon with all links for easy access.

How would everyone like me to post the first FULL TWO chapters of The Marriage Merger before it releases?

Anyone? Anyone? Bueller? (God, that shows my age!)

All my wonderful, loyal readers need to do is help me achieve the magic number of 6,000 on my Author Facebook page. Simple, right? I get to 6,000, and I post the entire first two chapters for everyone. The faster I get there, the sooner I post, so get ready, set, GO!

The direct link is located on the right side of my home webpage. Here it is for easy copy/pasting:

https://www.facebook.com/jenniferprobst.authorpage

And don’t forget to purchase your own copy of The Book of Spells for only .99 which includes an exclusive short story with Nick and Alexa!

Hope everyone is having a fantastic summer!

The Book of Spells Release Day!

I am so excited to share the official love spell from the Marriage to a Billionaire series!

Readers have been asking me for two things since The Marriage Bargain exploded on the market last year: the actual love spell used in the book, and a short story about Nick and Alexa.

So, here it is.

Only .99!

Use it with a whole heart and open mind. You may have fun re-reading the series since each character uses the spell differently.

I truly hope you enjoy re-visiting Alexa and Nick as much as I enjoyed writing about them. The short story is called Second Chances, and has already been garnering lovely reviews. They always hold a special place in my heart because my journey began with this little book that was rejected numerous times before it burst into the world and was embraced by the readers.

Thank you once again for letting me on your reading journey. I hope we have many more together!

Buy it now on Amazon!

 http://www.amazon.com/The-Book-Spells-Billionaire-ebook/dp/B00DAJ5OYA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1370867282&sr=8-1&keywords=jennifer+probst+the+book+of+spells

Buy it now on Barnes and Noble!

 http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-book-of-spells-jennifer-probst/1115551160?ean=2940016534060

Coming soon to Kobo!

Coming soon to Itunes!

Don’t forget to sign up for my newsletter at my website! A special sneek preview from Chapter One in The Marriage Merger will be given -which includes the mysterious Book of Spells. You don’t want to miss out!

Happy Birthday Purple Bunny…

It all begins with a story.

Once upon a time, we were in Kohls and my son spotted a simple purple stuffed rabbit. He wanted it. I said no. He had a tantrum and I said I wouldn’t put up with that type of behavior and dragged him out of the store. At the time, he had about one hundred stuffed animals and he didn’t need another one.

But purple bunny stuck in his head. He asked about that bunny every day for three full weeks. And finally I surprised him. I went out with my coupon and bought it. That bunny became one of his most important items.

We’ve had purple bunny for five years now. He’s ragged, tired, and his ears don’t stick up any longer. His fur is worn. He is well loved and exactly like Rabbit from The Velveteen Rabbit. He is real. He goes to school with my son, and has become the second grade mascot.

My son declared purple bunny’s birthday in June so when I visited the classroom for a reading day, the kids asked if we could have a birthday party for purple bunny at the end of the year. The teacher agreed, stating through this animal, the kids created wonderful adventures. My son would dream up stories about where purple bunny travelled – from the high seas as a Pirate to a karate champion, there were no limits.

So, I agreed. And this week I went into the classroom with a big chocolate cake and candles. The words Happy Birthday Purple Bunny were scrawled in purple. The children sang to him – seems he’s ten years old. And the joy and laughter on their faces was priceless.

They gave the bunny gifts. Made paper hats, and created envelopes with money. Purple bunny made out with over $1,000. And as I spoke to my son’s teacher, we agreed that sometimes a bit of the mystical and innocence of children is key to learning. There are only so many standardized tests we can cram down their throats, or pull apart every sentence of a book until the magic is gone. We had purple bunny reading day, where everyone brought in their fave animals and a fave book and we read. And as I looked at my son’s face, with his two front teeth finally grown in, his round face lit up with a big grin that is his trademark, I knew these years were priceless. They slipped away so fast, and damned if I wasn’t going to enjoy every last moment of it.

So, yes, we had a party for a stuffed bunny. And it was the best day ever, as my son said.

Once again, I am reminded that everything begins with a story. How we purchased purple bunny. How out of numerous animals he became special. How he affected our family by giving us love and laughs and memories.

This is how are families are created.  And our books. That germ of an idea that seems simple can become priceless. Anything can be magical and mystical with a little love, creativity, and thought.

I wish that for everyone today.

RT, Writing, And The Marriage Merger…

In the nonstop excitement and fun that defines the RT conference, I think I have finally recovered. Two weeks later. Yes, my age is showing, when late nights, extra wine, and constant networking kills both my feet and stifles my sleep gene. My lovely roommate, Aimee Carson, coaxed me from bed by preparing homemade lattes from her very own personal coffee/cappuccino maker she drags to every conference. This time she even brought a juicer and a cooler.

Don’t ask.

I’m seriously delinquent on posting so feedback has been varied with what my wonderful readers want to hear from me. So, I’ll give you everything!

RT:

I read so many posts about RT experiences I feel late to the game so I’ll keep it short and sweet. I’ve posted many photos and been tagged all over Facebook but here are some highlights.

The authors – I met the most amazing people and fell in love over and over again. I ended up spending most of my time by the bar surrounded by interesting writers of all genres, sharing war stories, laughing, and fangirling over each other. I finally met Abbi Glines and Colleen Hoover and it was a sheer pleasure. I adored Ruth Cardello and could’ve taken her home with me. I jumped into Alice Clayton’s arms and refused to let go until it got a bit embarrassing. Raine Miller was amazing and easy to talk to. Jen Talty and Bob Mayer are always fun to be with, full of information, humor, and good conversation. Renee Bernard made me laugh so hard I almost had an accident. I finally met the greatest reader of ALL TIME – the lovely Karen Lawson. She rocked and ended up introducing me to any author I fan girled over. My core crew of Megan Mulry, Aimee Carson, and Abbi Wilder kept me company through it all.

The bloggers and readers – What can I say? Fans streamed by my table and took my breath away, bringing their copies of the Marriage series for signing. I signed Kindle covers, billboards, books, journals, anything they came up with, and got to really chat with the people who read and enjoy my books. Simply put, it doesn’t get any better than that.

The laughs – With my crew, there are always INCIDENTS. Not sure if it’s me, but it’s very possible. Some examples?

1) Aimee and I tried to get inside this Japanese restaurant at the hotel for lunch. We couldn’t find the entrance though, so we pressed our noses against the glass toward the back and watched diners eat. They drew back in surprise at our puppy dog faces while we whined: But how do we get in??? A lovely gentleman from the hotel escorted us around to the front door and didn’t even make fun of us. Well, not much.

2) When the book signing began, Aimee told me she’d be my number one minion, checking up to see if I needed a bathroom break, water, or the well needed caffeine. Halfway through, my energy seeping out because I had stayed up too late partying, I wondered why she hadn’t come to check up on me. I battled through, and fifteen minutes before close, she bounded over and asked if everything was ok. So, being good friends I immediately launched at her and said, “Dude! I was dying, where were you?”

Her guilty expression told it all. “I thought you’d text me if you needed anything.”

“I didn’t have time, not even a few minutes to spare. Were you busy?”

A pause. Then the truth. “Well, you’re gonna be mad.” I forced her to tell. “I took a nap.”

She immediately got demoted to number 2 minion. The lovely and talented Liia Ann White took her spot happily enough.

3)Aimee received the RT Reviewer Choice Award for her Harlequin Presents novel, Secret History of A Good Girl. She got to bring me as a guest, and when we got there, I drooled over all the signs lined up in the front row where all the pioneers of romance sat, along with a number of authors I love to stalk. When I finally recovered, she stood there tapping her heel. “Are you here for me or them?” My answer? “Ugh…both?”

And a good time was had by all.

 Books:

Mark your calendars! I have TWO brand new series hitting stores soon. The first begins with Searching for Someday and will morph the characters we all love from the marriage series. You’ll see Alexa’s younger sisters all grown up and ready to play, my yummy character from Merger getting his own story, and lots of updates on all your faves. Searching for Beautiful comes out May 2014. Add to your Goodreads page and available soon for preorder!

My second series will begin February 2014 – the Posse series – about a group of men who grew up together and are like brothers. One More Time releases February. Blurb and cover will be posted soon!

The Marriage Merger

OK, I’ve been swamped by begging readers for a taste, a snippet, a tease to hold them over till July. I always share things with my Probst Posse first– my street team – so if you’re interested email my assistant at lhamelsoldano@gmail.com and say SIGN ME UP!

But I should give you guys something because I love you. So take a peek. I was claimed and seduced by Sawyer Wells. I hope you are too! Remember, it’s up for preorder NOW so if I hook you, please pop on over and hit the magic button! Enjoy…

“Hell of a bike for a hell of a rider. Mind sharing how you learned to handle that thing let alone know what it can do?”

Pride etched her face. “My brother Michael raced cars on the circuit. His love of good and fast machinery extended to motorcycles, and I got hooked. He was kind enough not to tell me good girls don’t ride bad bikes and taught me everything he knew.”

Sawyer shook his head and took a long slug of water. “Nice. Most women overcompensate for their lack of brute strength. But you used it to your advantage. It was like watching a poetry slam. Heat and beauty and grace at top speed. What’s the best bike you ever owned?”

“I still have it. The classic Moto Morini 3 1/2 Vintage.”

“No. Fucking. Way.”

She leaned forward. “Yes, way. Bright red, classic lines, and if you ever heard the motor you’d swear you’re dreaming. Took years to restore and people are begging to buy it all the time.” Julietta pursed her lips. “Like I’d sell to anyone who wouldn’t ride it. That would be a tragedy.”

His gaze dropped and rested on her mouth. Her next breath came at a struggle, but she dug her nail into her palm to ground herself. This man was dangerous and she refused to mix business with pleasure. Even though he had a love and respect for bikes. “I agree. Beautiful things that are underused is a crime.”

The double innuendo stole her sanity and immediately her nipples peaked to attention. He leaned forward and lifted his hand. Slowly, he closed the distance, obviously reaching out to touch her. Mesmerized by the hunter he was, it took her a few seconds to react to his intentions.

“Don’t.” She jerked her chin away. “I thought we agreed to stick to business.”

He lifted his palm up. “Sorry. You have a smear of butter on your cheek. I was just going to wipe it off.”

She ducked her head to hide the faint blush and grabbed a napkin. Again, that distant amusement emanated from his aura. Like he cared. But didn’t. Like he was above all the messiness of emotion and drama and she was the current plaything. “What was the issue with the contract?”

“Section B, clause three. You forgot to initial.”

She stared at him. “You hunted me down, bullied me into a bike ride, and it was about my signature? Our lawyers could have handled the issue in a second.”

“I like to use a hands on approach. In all aspects.”

Julietta snorted. “Where do you come up with this stuff? It’s like a landmine of a conversation with you, all roads leading to sex.”

That got him. He lifted his brow and shifted his weight on the bench. “Is there something wrong with sex?”

She couldn’t help it. The dare was all over his face, and his desire to play her for a fool using business as an excuse burned within. Julietta moved in slowly, and stopped inches from his mouth. His breath caught, then the sweet rush of air released over her lips, smelling of mint and sugar and sin. Her tongue slid out to lick her lower lip and a tiny groan escaped him. Her hand settled on the hard muscle of his thigh and squeezed. “So do I. When the situation calls for it.”

His voice dragged like the scrape of gravel. “How about this situation?”

A husky laugh escaped her. “Not gonna happen when we’re working together.”

“You didn’t initial. Technically the contract is void.”

Come Find Me At #RT2013 And Score Big In The #EntangledHunt!

 

The 2013 Romantic Times convention is just a week away! And there are so many fun events I’ll be participating in. Today, I want to tell you about the Entangled Publishing Scavenger Hunt! For all the days of the convention, 23 Entangled authors will be giving away almost 50 prizes to RT2013 convention goers – spot prizes for seeing one of our tweets (follow the #EntangledHunt hashtag) and coming to find us at the convention and grand prizes for completing the Scavenger Hunt. To enter to win in the Scavenger Hunt, you’ll need to pick up a game form at our table in Promo Alley or during the Entangled Spotlight and then find all 23 of us so we can affix a special sticker to the game form.

You’ll know who’s participating because our book covers are on the form – and we’ll all be wearing one of our stickers on our nametags to help you pick us out. You’ll want to find author Christine Bell last, because she’s the keeper of the grand prizes – and the first 3 people to show her they’ve gotten all 23 authors’ stickers will win BIG! (Keep an eye on the #EntangledHunt hashtag during the convention for more details!)

PRIZES!1st Prize: $300 Amazon/BN/Kobo/any e-book retailer gift card. Can be used for anything the winner would like, including an e-reader, tablet, books and more.

2nd Prize: A Kindle Fire & e-books from all the participating authors. Kindle will be given to the winner at RT. Winner will provide an email address so that each author can gift a copy of their e-book via Amazon to them (See all the books included on the back of this flyer).

3rd Prize: $50 Gift Card from e-book seller of winner’s choice.

Spot Giveaways: In addition to the above prizes, each of the 23 participating authors will be doing two spot giveaways during RT. Follow our hashtag on Twitter (#EntangledHunt) as each day, more than a dozen authors will tweet their location at the conference and a directive. Find the author first and follow their directive and YOU WIN! Prizes range from signed book copies, to handmade personalized gifts, from gift cards to fun-filled baskets and more.

Doesn’t this sound like fun??? I can’t wait to meet all of you and stick myself to you. Er, my sticker, that is! Who’s excited for RT???

Guest Post from Heather Thurmeier

I’m thrilled to welcome my Hudson Valley RWA chapter-mate, friend, and amazing writer to my blog today! Heather has a brand new release that sounds amazing, and I invited her today to talk about Happy Ever Afters. Take it away, Heather!

Happily Ever After Even After The End

Do you believe in happily ever after even after The End? I guess I should specify what I mean exactly. I don’t mean “The End” of the book. I’m actually referring to the end of the world as we know it.

I don’t know about you, but I wholeheartedly believe in happily ever afters. And I fully believe that even in our toughest times, in the darkest of days, we can still have moments in our lives that make us feel blessed, lucky and happy. All you have to do is watch the news footage of the newest terrible thing that has happened in the world and you’ll see not only the bad that’s taken place, but also the good that follows. In our dark moments, there are heroes who shine through, an overwhelming sense of gratitude to be alive, solemn vows to make a change, and a feeling of camaraderie for those who have witnessed or survived something tragic together.

This thought of “happiness, even after” is a prevalent theme in my newest release ESCAPE TO MY ARMS. It’s a romance that takes place literally as the world that we know is ending. There’s been a pandemic that threatens the human race and while Sara and Dane fight to survive, they come together. It’s not only a book with adventure, dangerous situations and life-altering events, it’s also a story with tender moments between two new lovers, secrets shared and hearts opened. It’s a story about surviving in a world where the darkest days are upon them and a love story that conquers all obstacles.

Above all else, ESCAPE TO MY ARMS is a story of hope. And couldn’t we all use a little more of that these days?

I know we haven’t faced the end of the world as we know it, the apocalypse, or anything else you want to call it. But if we ever do, I believe we will still have our happily ever afters because it’s in our very human nature to seek out those beautiful moments and make them happen. I’m glad I got to write a book about dark days that still has a happy ending. I like to think that no matter what becomes of the world, we will still find a way to go on, to find happiness and to love one another—that we will always have hope for a better future.

Do you believe in happily ever afters both in books and in real life? Do you believe that even in our hardest moments, we can still find a way to bring happiness back? Do you think it’s possible to find true love in the end of days? Share your thoughts in the comments! I’d love to hear what you think!

Happy Reading!

Heather Thurmeier

http://heatherthurmeier.com

Facebook: facebook.com/HeatherThurmeierAuthor

Twitter: @hthurmeier

Heather Thurmeier is a lover of strawberry margaritas, a hater of spiders and a reality TV junkie. She was born and raised in the Canadian prairies, but now lives in New York with her husband and kids where she’s become some kind of odd Canuck-Yankee hybrid. When she’s not busy taking care of the kids and pets, Heather’s writing her next romance, which will probably be filled with sassy heroines, sexy heroes that make your heart pound, laugh out loud moments and always a happily ever after. You can find out more about Heather’s current and upcoming books by going to her website at http://heatherthurmeier.com.

 

Escape to My Arms blurb:

Sara’s been preparing for this moment her whole life—she just never believed it would actually happen. With her bug-out bag and emergency food already in her truck, her only goal is to get to her family’s hidden bunker and wait out the pandemic that’s hit every major cruise ship port in the US. But her plan quickly falls apart. She’s out of gas, her route to the bunker is now a two-lane parking lot with no alternative in sight, and her only weapon is a pocketknife. For an experienced prepper, she’s made every rookie mistake.

Dane believes he’s safe in his cabin, off the beaten path and in the woods with his own source for water, electricity and an endless supply of food to hunt. After finding Sara stranded and alone, he’s suddenly not only providing for and protecting himself, but also the girl who wandered out of the woods and into his life. When looters come looking to take what he has, Sara and Dane’s only option is to make a run for their last hope—the bunker.

Can Sara and Dane find safety in each other’s arms and will they survive long enough to escape to a future together?

Excerpt:

Sara sipped her wine and nibbled on another square of chocolate. He was right. Again.

They didn’t know what would happen in the future. Hell, they didn’t even know if there was a future to look forward to at this point. So why shouldn’t they enjoy the moments like this one while they could? Moments when they were safe, warm, fed, and comfortable. They might not get many more nights like this if things kept getting worse, as they seemed to be. Best to savor the time while you had it instead of squandering it away with fights.

At this point, she didn’t even know what future awaited her at the bunker. Would she live with her family for the rest of their lives, never to interact with people from the outside world again? That’s sort of what they wanted, wasn’t it? Wasn’t that why they hadn’t told anyone about the bunker, because they couldn’t trust anyone?

What if this was her last night on her own? It might be her last night to live her life however she wanted to before she had to start making group decisions with her family.

“You’re right.” She polished off the last of her wine in a big gulp. Her head already swirled with the effects of the alcohol. She’d always been a lightweight when it came to getting drunk. Tonight would be no different. Good thing she’d planned to stop at one this evening. She had other plans for the rest of the night.

“Right about what exactly? I said a bunch of stuff.”

She put her wineglass on the floor and took his hand in hers. “You were right about enjoying this moment we have tonight since we don’t know what the future holds, or even if we have a future.”

“Does this mean I’m forgiven?” He smiled, squeezing her hand.

“Yes. And then some.”

Sara took the wineglass from his hand and set it down next to hers, then straddled his lap, resting her hands on his chest. She pressed her mouth to his, delighting in the surprise on his face.

She wasn’t a throw-caution-to-the-wind kind of girl, but for once she was going to do just that, since she didn’t know if she’d have wind to be cautious of later on. Tonight, she’d live by her feelings. Tomorrow she’d go back to surviving.

You can check out ESCAPE TO MY ARMS by clicking on the following links!

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Escape-Arms-Prepper-Romance-ebook/dp/B00CCRMVII/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1366119505&sr=8-2&keywords=escape+to+my+arms

Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/escape-to-my-arms-heather-thurmeier/1115118789?ean=2940016578330

Decadent: http://www.decadentpublishing.com/product_info.php?products_id=763&osCsid=30r61aaim57utq8fs8mad7ung0

 

Do It…With A Billionaire…Again!

I originally thought the Marriage Mistake was my final book in my marriage to a billionaire series.

But when I created my fab workaholic CEO Julietta, and left her without a happy ever after, I couldn’t sleep.

Then Sawyer Wells popped into Marriage Mistake and tried to wrestle the scene away from my hunky hero Maximus. I beat him off, but he stayed firmly in my head, commanding me to give him his own woman.

So, I did.

The Marriage Merger hits stands on July 30th and is up for pre-order now! (Sigh..don’t you love the cover?)

This was truly one of my all time favorite books to write. I’ll be scheduling tons of guest blog stops which I’ll post here.

Is this the final book? Will there be anything new on the horizon?

So glad you asked…

Another character appeared in Merger who captured my heart, and he’ll be getting his own story but I’m not saying another word. Not until you read the book.

Mark your calendars for my brand new series that will feature both new characters AND the ones we love from the marriage series.

Searching for Someday hits stores everywhere December 10th! (I can’t stop looking at this cover either)

 

Searching for Beautiful hits stores everywhere May 2014! (Wait till you hear who’s story it’s about!)

Don’t forget to pre-order both.

Happy April!

The Power of Blogs…

With my tight writing schedule and endless deadlines, I don’t have as much time to throw myself into many creative blog posts anymore. But blogging has always been important to me because it’s how I started out in this social media world – making friends, finding my fave blogs to follow, and opening up my mind by reading other opinions, which I think makes for greater growth.

A few years ago, I started a blog called 4badmommies with some writing friends I’d become extremely close to. I was in the thick of it at the time – diapers, bottles, potty training, and the ridiculousness that makes up your life when you’re a mom in the joyous, hectic clutter of daily existence. AT that time, I dove into those blog posts as a place to vent, laugh, support, and retain a bit of sanity. I found the mom community supportive and welcomed me, and my writing took on a new edge I enjoyed. I had grown as a person and a writer during that time, learned about writing schedules by my calendar posts, how to take the simple to entertain a reader, how to dig for emotion so my nameless reader can be drawn into my world and understand.

My kids are older and I’ve been blessed to write full time now. My other friends have also had career growth, exploding in a good way, and the blog has been neglected for a while. It is time to move on from that chapter and close it. We gained so much from our journey. Sharing our kids and mothering stories was a priceless gift. And I still love to blog about the humor in raising kids, because I think it brings a depth to my voice and seasons my writing. It’s also, simply, fun.

Blogs are a great way for writers to move forward, find their voice, share and connect, and build a strong foundation. But you have to love what you’re writing, and be involved in a blog you are passionate about, whether it be parenting, food, wine, writing, reading, etc. You can never fool your readers. We want a tad of truth, twisted with fiction, a bit of humor, and lots of passion. Blogging is a way to find your voice, your community, and sometimes, a new direction.

So thank you to my partners in crime, who I dearly love, the 4 bad mommies. Our stories will live on. Our kids have already grown so much. And our paths wind before us, filled with interested twists and turns I’m looking forward to sharing.

Here’s the very first post I wrote for 4badmommies. I thought it would be fun to bust it out and get a laugh over it. I get various requests for this one. Warning: gross mommy stuff ahead. Enjoy!

The P Factor

I am in the midst of the P factor. This includes, but is not limited to: pee pee, #2, potty training and penises.

If I have not lost any readers as of yet, let’s move on.

I got rid of my Diaper Dekor a few weeks ago and whooped around the house in success. I had crossed over and I was feeling great. But there are still issues. My older one has constant accidents. He is the thinker in the family, and he becomes so engrossed in his activities, he ends up going in his pants rather than to take the necessary time to visit the bathroom.

My little one is the charmer. I had a terrible time getting him to wash his hands after using the potty, and stooped down to horrific tactics like lying. “If you don’t’ wash your hands after you hold your pee pee, and then touch your face, you will get terrible sores in your mouth,” I warned. “Then we have to go to the doctor and get the pinch!” This worked well for my older one, who cowered in fear and ALWAYS washes his hands.

But the little one is something else.

I caught him the other day going to the bathroom. While I watched him use the potty, I realized he wasn’t holding his penis. He was just swaying back and forth, spraying pee all over the bathroom in relaxed nonchalance. I went in there – guns blazing – asking him why he couldn’t target a very large opening. He literally shrugged and beamed a handsome smile up at me. “Mommy, I found a way not to touch my penis. I can go potty and I don’t have to wash my hands and I will never get sores in my mouth.”

I was busted.

I backtracked and explained how he needed to hold it to control the aim but am still working on it.

The penis is the biggest factor. Having three penises in the house is sometimes overwhelming. I hear women complain about the constant state of the toilet seat being up. I would NEVER complain – I long for that day. I can flip it down easy enough. But in my house, the lid stays down, and all I see is residual bad aim – pee on the floor, the walls, the seat. My hand is always cramped around a Clorox wipe.

Now the other p word – #2. Another residual effect of potty training is the backslide. They do well – perfectly well – but they have accidents or “phases” of backtracking. My little one has recently decided he likes going #2 in his underwear rather than the potty. This I discovered quite by accident.

A little while ago, I was getting ready for bed and my older one wanted to lay down and watch a tape. I began clearing out the mess of DVD’s and tapes and books and little animals with spiky pointy things that I always step on or roll over. And I found a little ball in the bed. My son spotted it, too.

“Mommy, what’s that?”

“I don’t’ know.” I thought it was playdough.

NOT.

I picked it up in my fingers and realized it was a small #2. I looked into my son’s eyes with terror. “It’s Poop!” I screamed. Our mouths dropped open in matched horror as we stared at the ball. My husband came running in. “What is it?”

“Poop!” we both cried out in unison.

Then we looked at Joshie.

He knew he was busted. God knows how long it was going on – going in his underwear and dumping it in the toilet. He didn’t even try to lie. “But mommy, I was going to pick it up with a tissue so I don’t have to wash my hands and get sores in my mouth.”

I went a bit hysterical then while I explained this was absolutely NEVER going to happen again. Do you know what my three year old said to me? With a twinkle in those beautiful blue eyes, he patted my arm and said, “Mommy, it’s OK!”

Needless to say, I have been a Nazi ever since, consistently checking his clothes, my bed, his bed, and anywhere else he lays.

And the penises.

Well, everyone knows in cyberspace that my boys live naked most of the time. They still come hurtling out every night, unclothed, yelling “The Naked Brothers have Arrived!” And the motto in my house, with two little naked boys doing dangerous stunts is the constant mantra:

“Protect the pee pee!”

I came in the living room the other night after working on my writing and found the three of them in the living room watching a Netflix movie: Night at the Museum. My husband, clad in his usual boxers, had his hand down his pants. I have questioned this intention many times – quite curious as to why this is such a comfortable position – but he grunts and waves me away, telling me to stop asking him outrageous questions. My gaze flicked to my little ones. Both boys were in their matching CARS chairs in front of the tv. Both had their hands resting on their penises, with a large bag of Goldfish in the center.

I just shook my head and walked out.

Words still escape me.

Boys. The p’s. And yet, their minds still fascinate me – their simplicity in life makes me envious. I already feel sorry for my future daughters in law when Joshie shrugs and states, “It’s ok!” to an important issue.

Still, I learn something about the opposite sex every day, especially in my role as mom and wife. I use all of it in my writing to try and create varied, interested and flawed characters with hearts of gold beyond the hard exterior.

Life is never boring in my house.

I wouldn’t have it any other way.