Lisa Sanchez's Blog, page 11

A Day In The Life Of Tawdra Kandle

Hey, peeps! It's time for another A Day In The Life of post.
Today I'm hosting the fabulous Tawdra Kandle



The first NEW ADULT SLEEPOVER WEEKEND will be held in beautiful Savannah, Georgia December 6-8, 2013. I can't wait to be there, part of the fun and sharing my New Adult books!

To get us really excited about this weekend, the fabulous Dawn Pendleton has been posting A DAY IN THE LIFE interviews on her website, and I'm happy to share this one with you all. . .get to know me! Yes, I am the featured author this week--thanks, Dawn! (Stay tuned for more fascinating NA authors. . .)

About Tawdra After years of concentrating on non-fiction, mostly parenting and homeschool related articles, I realized a dream and finished my first full-length novel in 2008. FEARLESS is the first in a series of four young adult urban fiction books. It (and the rest of THE KING SERIES) is available through Amazon and Barnes and Noble.In my non-writing hours, I am a mother of five (four biological, one in-law) and a wife of one. I homeschool the two youngest children.Writing, reading and traveling are my passions. I love and will devour anything by Anne Rice, Diana Gabaldon, Nora Roberts, Janet Evanovitch, Stephen King, Anne Perry, Julia Spencer-Fleming. . .there are too many books and not enough time!

 Stalk Tawdra here. . . AMAZON Goodreads Facebook Twitter Website Pinterest

Big, Fat 400 FB Likes giveaway!

Yay!! You did it! Because of your awesomeness, my author page on FB is growing and I'm so thankful.

So thankful, in fact, I'm hosting a giveaway. Woot!

I'm happy to announce I'll be giving away a complete ebook set of my Hanaford Park trilogy (Eve Of Samhain, Pleasures Untold, Faythe Reclaimed).





Even more awesome is the fact I managed to wrangle some of my fabulous author friends to participate as well. Check out the awesome list of books available below!





Blurb taken from Goodreads:

Seems like Leo Scott has it all: looks, brains, and athletic talent. He's captain of his high school swim team with a bright future in college and beyond. But Leo has secrets. His mother's crippling car accident has devastated his family and left Leo to deal with his father's abuse, battered and alone.

Leo's girlfriend Audrey Rose is poised for her own share of success. As one of Florida's top high school swimmers, Audrey dreams of college swimming stardom. But there's an obstacle to her glorious rise to the top. Her number-one supporter--her father--is in prison for murder.

Part murder mystery, part tale of young love in a military family, this gripping story takes readers on a journey from Pensacola to Annapolis. Leo and Audrey must band together to rise above the adversity they encounter and find their true selves in the process. When everything's on the line . . . streamline.

Blurb taken from Goodreads:

Charlotte Barnes believed her life was perfect until a betrayal forced her from everything she knew and loved. Devastated and trying to put the past behind her, Charlotte sought a new life in a new town.

Now, five years later, her fiancé has convinced her it’s time to return home and face her past. But will the truth she learns and the people she reconnects with destroy her carefully crafted happiness?

Hannah Downing has created an emotional rollercoaster about lost love and the way one indiscretion can change the course of your life. Charlotte questions every decision she’s ever made, but she may discover that when you lose everything, you can truly find yourself.


Blurb taken from Goodreads:

Jennifer Whitney was the last American virgin. At least that’s what she felt like in 1986 as she began her sophomore year at Central Illinois University. She was proud of her decision to wait for the right guy, and yet she was getting restless. It seemed like everyone around her was doing it... and having fun doing it, too. She didn’t want to become the campus slut or anything, but surely there was a difference between a trashy skank and a nice girl with a little experience. Perhaps it was time to stop relying on fate to guide her and instead take matters into her own hands. And with that realization, Jen decided to find “the one” and lose her virginity, although not necessarily in that order...

Nicki Elson has created a heroine that everyone will cheer for as she comes of age in the mid-1980s. Whether you lived through the decade and survived the bad hair and acid-wash jeans, or just heard the wild stories, readers of all ages will identify with Jen Whitney as she searches for “the one,” enjoying her romantic ups and downs, made even more entertaining by Nicki Elson’s amusingly wry sense of humor.


 Blurb taken from Goodreads:


Maggie Brock has everything under control. Even her divorce, though painful at the time, registers only as a minor blip in her carefully constructed universe. Her life in Prairie Oaks has once again returned to a smooth, predictable pace…until an angel shows up in her bedroom.

The angel is just as bewildered as Maggie about why he’s been sent to her, but their unsuccessful efforts to gain understanding of the mystery fade to the background as their relationship grows. Soon, Maggie’s biggest problem becomes the angel himself, as her feelings for him develop into something less than saintly.

While Maggie struggles to keep her desires pure, a nefarious being lurks in the shadows of Prairie Oaks, watching and waiting for the opportunity to fulfill his ambiguous purpose. Preying on her conflicted emotions, the demon manipulates her at every opportunity, but the one to deliver Maggie directly into his hands is the last person she’d expect.

Here's the Rafflecopter widget. Get clicking!!!



a Rafflecopter giveaway

A Day In the Life of Andrea Heltsley

Hello, my lovelies! Back at you with another fabulous "Day In The Life" post. Enjoy!




Andrea Heltsley is a transplant from St. Louis to Tennessee who decided writing was
more fun than science. She writes new adult books and has a very active imagination. Andrea is always thinking of new ideas and penning them for her
next book. She has a passion for the new adult industry and plans to continue
writing in the genre.



Andrea's Links:

http://andreaheltsley.blogspot.com
https://www. twitter.com/andreaheltsley
http://www. facebook.com/andreaheltsley
http://pinterest.com/aheltsley/
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5766043.Andrea_Heltsley

Andrea's Books on Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Andrea-Heltsley/e/B007RFLR4E/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1368795418&sr=8-1

Cover Reveal: A Rare Vintage by Delancey Stewart

Blurb:
Isabella DaSilva, a fiery grad student from Cornell's wine program is eager to leave her past behind her and forge a future in the vineyards of the West as an apprentice at Chateau Sauvage, a winery seeking to produce wine like no other California wineries had so far -- Rhone varietals.

She arrives at Chateau Sauvage to find that wine might not be her only interest. The winemaker, Jonathan Sauvage, is tall, dark, and handsome, and clearly in need of help. Together, they work to make a pioneering wine in an effort to keep the struggling winery afloat. Each struggles with their demons -- hers in the form of a painful and mysterious past; his created by memories of what once might have been. In the process, they find that the pain of their shattered pasts fit together perfectly, making their union as perfect as the wine it produces.

A Rare Vintage features an intense and commanding hero who isn’t afraid to ask for help, and a woman who knows that while she might technically be the apprentice, she has plenty to teach Jonathan Sauvage.

This book is the first in the Wine Country Romance series.


Author bio:

Delancey Stewart is the author of Through a Dusty Window: New York City Stories 1910-2001 and A Rare Vintage, the first in her Wine Country Romance Series. A Rare Vintage releases on May 31st.
She is also working on the Girlfriends of Gotham Series for Swoon Romance. The first book, Men and Martinis, will be released in fall 2013.
Stewart has lived on both coasts, in big cities and small towns. She's been a pharmaceutical rep, a personal trainer and a direct sales representative for a French wine importer. Beyond all that, she has always been a writer in some way shape or form.
A military spouse and the mother of two small boys, her current job titles include pirate captain, monster hunter, Lego assembler and story reader. She tackles all these efforts at her current home in Southern Maryland.
Links:

 Blog:
https://delanceystewart.wordpress.com/ FB: https://www.facebook.com/delancey.stewart Twitter: https://twitter.com/DelanceyStewart Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6581742.Delancey_Stewart

Excerpt:

They'd eaten a hurried lunch of packed fruit and cheese as they looked around the fields, making notes of how things were developing and jotting down best guesses at when harvests would occur in the fall. Isabella felt overwhelmed, but it was a welcome sensation after so many months of uncertainty. Departing New York had been an emotional necessity, but until now, she wasn't sure just where she would belong once she had put that place behind her. Inside the barn, Jonathan went to a low cabinet at the back of the room and pulled out the thieves—the long tubes they'd use to pull wine from the barrels. He bent down again and found the cups they'd use for tasting. "Shall we try the Grenache first?" he asked.Isabella felt excitement rising in her. This was why she wanted to make wine—she thrilled at the idea of taking the raw product of the fields and turning it into something magnificent. "So this is the 1988," Jonathan said, tapping the last year's huge Grenache barrels. "I'm worried that I've left it too long." Isabella raised the glass to her lips, letting the vapors rise to meet her nose, closing her eyes and seeing the warm sun, the transformation from the fat ripe grape on the vine to the living juice in the barrel. She swirled the glass, letting the oxygen mix with the juice and watching the color darken slightly. Finally, she took a small sip on her tongue, breathing deeply through her nose and letting the wine oxidize further on her palate. She rolled it around her mouth, and swallowed, eyes still shut. She noted the lingering finish on her tongue, around the sides of her mouth. She opened her eyes to find Jonathan staring at her openly. She smiled, and felt her embarrassment at being watched creep up the sides of her face. "What do you think?" he asked, the amusement still evident in the crinkles at the sides of his eyes, the laugh lines around his mouth.  "It's not bad," she said, pushing her embarrassment aside. "It's not flabby, so I don't think you've left it too long. There's a decent amount of structure to build on here. There’s some good fruit and a bit of berry. I guess it's all gonna depend on what you've got in the Syrah." "Let's find out," he said, leading her across the room. The long hot day in the fields turned into the kind of afternoon that Isabella had dreamed about during her studies. Reading about wine and theory, and tasting in cold supervised classrooms was one thing; actually feeling the raw product in her mouth, sensing the way that the grapes would develop and express themselves was something else.

Good books by lesser known authors

Happy Friday, my lovelies!  Hope the past week has treated you well, and that you've got all kinds of fun stuff planned for the weekend.

Let's get right to it, shall we?

With the rise of self-publishing, there are a LOT more books out there. Don't get me wrong. This is a GOOD thing. I'm an equal opportunity buyer when it comes to books. I don't care whether it's traditionally pubbed, or placed on Amazon by the author him/herself, if a book is written well, I'm going to read it. If I love it, I'll talk about it. And promote it. And gush about the plot and characters to everyone I know.

I'm silly that way.

Here's the thing. Because there is such a huge influx of books on the market right now, it's sometimes hard to find a diamond among the mountain of cubic zirconia. You know what I'm talking about, right? Those stories that take you on an emotional journey. Stories that tug at your heart, make you laugh, make you cry, and leave you with a book hangover that lasts several days.

I'm here to share some AMAZING books from lesser known authors with you. Books that will not only satisfy your hunger for an epic romance, and give you that shmexy tingle you're looking for, but stories that will take you on a journey.

First up:

 Ember by Carol Oates



Blurb taken from Goodreads:

When Candra Ember wakes up in hospital after a dangerous encounter with a red-haired woman, she is shocked to discover that seeing a winged boy wasn’t her imagination. Candra is exposed to a world of rivalry and sacrifice she never knew existed, and the aftermath of a war to save humanity thousands of years ago. Soon she finds herself relentlessly stalked by Sebastian, a beautiful and arrogant Watcher Angel and romantically pursued by his darkly seductive rival, Draven. Ultimately, dubious about her own goodness, Candra’s very existence compromises a tentative peace in the city of Acheron.

Link to Amazon here. 

Carol has a rare talent with words and creates characters that captivate your heart. Her work is money WELL spent. And come on… She writes about super hunky angels. Booyah!
 

Seers Of Light by Jennifer DeLucy
Blurb taken from Goodreads:

Lillian Hunt has never truly lived. Always sensing more to the world than is easily perceived, she fears that her instincts are stubborn flights of fancy, or worse, mental instability. But some things-disappearing strangers, tangible dreams, and visits from malevolent creatures-cannot be ignored. Before it's too late, Lillian is ripped from the only existence she's ever known and thrust into a reality that she always suspected, but could scarcely believe. She must learn the truth about who she is, the powerful beings that wish to destroy her, and the two men who would die to protect her. Jennifer DeLucy has created a unique, enchanting tale of destiny and the ageless power of love in her debut novel, Seers of Light. DeLucy's novel charms readers with quirky characters, while sketching a haunting portrait of one woman's journey on the path of the supernaturally gifted. But be prepared. Once you've entered the world of Seers, you will never be the same.
Amazon link here.

William and Lily's romance sent my little heart all a flutter. No joke. Their chemistry shot off the page, er, well, kindle screen, lol. Jennifer has a gift for characterization, and not only are her lead characters  amazing, but her secondary characters suck you in as well. Did I mention her series falls into the New Adult category? Uh, yeah… Go get you some, stat!

With Good Behavior by Jennifer Lane
Blurb taken from Goodreads:
In a world gripped by organized crime, family dysfunction, and dim hopes of redemption, can true love persevere? For Sophie Taylor, a beautiful psychologist who lost everything when she violated an ethical boundary, and Grant Madsen, a handsome naval officer who sacrificed everything to protect a loved one, finding that love may carry an unbearable cost.

Starting their lives over in Chicago, both are fighting influences from their family and running as fast as they can to escape the past. When their paths cross outside the parole officer's door, the attraction is instantaneous. But a hidden connection may not only shatter their fledgling love, but prove deadly to them both. Link to Amazon here. 
I'm a sucker for military men. I'm also lover of romantic suspense. Ms. Lane writes both very well. This series has it all: romance, suspense, humor, mobsters. A really, really good read, and one I highly recommend.
Do yourself a favor. One click these bad boys and see for yourself what awesome reads they are. Then, after you've read them, log onto Amazon and leave a review. That's the best kind of thanks you can give an author. Happy reading!

A Day In The Life Of JC Emery

Hey, peeps! Got a fun post for you today. Take a peek into a day in the life of author JC Emery!




 

As a child, JC was fascinated by things that went bump in the night. As they say, some things never change. Now, as an adult, she divides her time between the sexy law men, mythical creatures, and kick-ass heroines that live inside her head and pursuing her bachelor’s degree in English. As it is for most writers, finding balance is a challenge. JC is a San Francisco Bay Area native, but has also called both Texas and Louisiana home. These days she rocks her flip flops year round in Northern California and can’t imagine a climate more beautiful
With the support and encouragement of her parents and sister, JC set out to figure out what she wanted to do when she grew up. Most days, the jury is still out; however the thing that stuck with her no matter what she pursued was her love of the written word.
JC writes adult, new adult, and young adult fiction. She dabbles in many different genres including science fiction, horror, chick lit, and murder mysteries, yet she is most enthralled by supernatural stories-- and everything has at least a splash of romance.
http://jcemery.com/http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6902956.JC_Emery
https://www.facebook.com/jcemeryauthor

250 Facebook Likes Giveaway!!

Hey, peeps! I asked for more likes for my Facebook page, and you delivered! Mwah!

So, because you all are such awesome people, I'm going to give away three ebook sets of my complete Hanaford Park series!

Yeah, baby!!!






a Rafflecopter giveaway

Books I'll read twice

Hey, peeps! Long time no talk, eh?

I've been holed up in my writing cave these many months, and have managed to finish two novels and am half-way through a third! Yahoo!

The downside to riding a creative wave is that when you come up for air, you realize you've neglected everything else—like your blog, lol!

Anyhow, I thought I'd write up a quick post today about books I've read more than once.

We've all got them… Certain books we get swept away in. Books we try to read slow, try to savor, try to make last for as long as possible. We mourn the characters when the story is over, feeling as though we've lost a best friend.

So, what do we do?

We scroll to the first page—or if you're reading a paperback, you crack open the cover—and start all over again.

There have been several books I've read more than once over the past six months. Yeah, yeah, yeah… I know what you're thinking. If I didn't have time to blog, why did I have time to read?

Simply put: I can't NOT read. It's what keeps me sane.

Listed below are a few of the books I enjoyed so much I had to read them a second time :)





Blurb taken from Goodreads:

Sparrow Fisher is transforming. No longer dressed up in antiquated clothes and ideals, she is finally trying on her freedom.

Before she moves to New York City, she meets Ian Sterling, a musician Sparrow has dreamed about since she first saw him. The attraction is instant, but their relationship isn't so simple.

Over a five year span, Sparrow and Ian run into each other in unusual places. Each time, Sparrow has to decide if she can trust him, if he feels the same for her, and finally, if love is really enough.





Blurb taken from Goodreads:

A fallen boxer.
A woman with a broken dream.
A competition…

He even makes me forget my name. One night was all it took, and I forgot everything and anything except the sexy fighter in the ring who sets my mind ablaze and my body on fire with wanting…

Remington Tate is the strongest, most confusing man I’ve ever met in my life.

He’s the star of the dangerous underground fighting circuit, and I’m drawn to him as I’ve never been drawn to anything in my life. I forget who I am, what I want, with just one look from him. When he’s near, I need to remind myself that I am strong–but he is stronger. And now it’s my job to keep his body working like a perfect machine, his taut muscles primed and ready to break the bones of his next opponents . . .

But the one he’s most threatening to, now, is me.

I want him. I want him without fear. Without reservations.

If only I knew for sure what it is that he wants from me?





Blurb taken from Goodreads:

Some things are worth waiting for…

Traveling thousands of miles from home to enter college is the only way nineteen-year-old Avery Morgansten can escape what happened at the Halloween party five years ago—an event that forever changed her life. All she needs to do is make it to her classes on time, make sure the bracelet on her left wrist stays in place, not draw any attention to herself, and maybe—please God—make a few friends, because surely that would be a nice change of pace. The one thing she didn’t need and never planned on was capturing the attention of the one guy who could shatter the precarious future she’s building for herself.

Some things are worth experiencing…

Cameron Hamilton is six feet and three inches of swoon-worthy hotness, complete with a pair of striking blue eyes and a remarkable ability to make her want things she believed were irrevocably stolen from her. She knows she needs to stay away from him, but Cam is freaking everywhere, with his charm, his witty banter, and that damn dimple that’s just so… so lickable. Getting involved with him is dangerous, but when ignoring the simmering tension that sparks whenever they are around each other becomes impossible, he brings out a side of her she never knew existed.

Some things should never be kept quiet…

But when Avery starts receiving threatening emails and phone calls forcing her to face a past she wants silenced, she’s has no other choice but to acknowledge that someone is refusing to allow her to let go of that night when everything changed. When the devastating truth comes out, will she resurface this time with one less scar? And can Cam be there to help her or will he be dragged down with her?

And some things are worth fighting for…

These three stories had me swooning, smiling, laughing, crying, and pretty much everything in between. If you haven't picked up a copy of any of these, YOU NEED TO. They're worth a first read. And a second. And a third… You get what I'm saying.

Have a great day!!!  

Halloween Memories

Hiya, peeps!

Can you believe it's October already? The year has flown by. Crazy!

Fall is one of my favorite seasons. Not only because of the beautiful orange and red colors painting the leaves, or the crisp air, or even the yummy comfort food, but because of Halloween!

Halloween has always been one of my favorite holidays, and each year when it rolls around, it never fails to bring back fond memories from my childhood. I loved dressing up (I always insisted on being something scary) and I loved handing out candy almost as much as I enjoyed trick-or-treating. Mostly because my mom always bought the BEST candy, and I'd spend half my time digging through the bowl sneaking the good stuff. Lol!

One of my fondest Halloween memories from my childhood was going to the haunted house each year. The city I grew up in had an old carriage house in the center of town that would be decorated and staffed during the month of October. The line to get in was always a mile long, and I remember waiting with both excitement and dread to walk through the spooky house, knowing full well that whatever was waiting for me in the darkened home would scare the bejeesus out of me.

Unfortunately, my city doesn't have a haunted house I can take my kiddos to, but we are close to a kick ass pumpkin patch complete with pumpkin blasters, a huge corn maze, and a ropes course. Each year the family and I spend an afternoon shooting pumpkins through a target, stuffing our faces full of sugary sweets, and riding around on a tractor through a corn maze.

What's your favorite Halloween memory? Leave a comment and share!

Oh, and since your here, let me just remind you that all three of the books in the Hanaford Park series are on sale. Booyah! If you're looking for some spooky Halloween reads, look no further. Book one features a Love Faerie who must break his curse before Halloween, or die. Book two features a vampire-slaying witch who falls for—you guessed it—a vamp. And book three takes you back to the Salem Witch Trials where the main character—who has been sent back in time—must fight to stay out of the hangman's noose. There are an assortment of unsavory beasts throughout the books, from vamps and demons, to zombies, and puritanical zealots. Good stuff!

Eve Of Samhain- $2.99
Pleasures Untold- $2.99
Faythe Reclaimed- .99

Cover reveal- Pure & Sinful by Killian McRae

Woohoo! I'm so excited about this book, I cannot even tell you! When Killian asked if I wanted to be part of the cover reveal, I jumped at the opportunity. Let's get to it, shall we?




Here's the blurb:

Statistician Riona Dade knows all about probabilities. Still, even she'd tell you the chances of discovering you’re a witch, being appointed to the demon-slaying trio known as the Pure Souls, and finding yourself sinfully attracted to a catholic priest who uses amen and other four-lettered words with equal enthusiasm are pretty slim. Also learning your ex was once Hell’s first-round draft pick, and realizing you're a prize catch for Satan’s soul-damning quota leaves a girl feeling like she just won the lottery while being struck by lightning while riding a unicorn across Atlantis.

Trying to keep her mind off role playing the Thornbirds with Father Angeletti, Riona leads the Pure Souls against a maniacal menagerie of Mephistopheles’s minions plaguing greater Boston. Giving in to lust is a direct flight to damnation for both her and the priest, leading Riona to distract herself by striking up a romance with her new, foxy neighbor, Lucy. But she can't shake her attraction to Marcello, and as the tension between them grows thicker than a lumberjack’s beard, temptation may become too difficult to resist.

How long can they deny the pull growing between them, knowing there will be Hell to pay?

Excerpt:

As Dee sauntered away, Riona focused on the priest’s expression. Marc wasn’t in his collar and coat today, but always carried the air of the clergyman within to some degree, like he wore his collar on the inside.  

“How did you end up here?”  

She took in the rugged cut of his jaw, the stubble that showed he hadn’t shaved in a day or two. He wasn’t bad looking by any measure, and he probably could have been quite the heartbreaker if he wasn’t a man of God. His eyes weren’t brown, they were black, and glistened like onyx pendants. A firm jaw and supple lips were likely often employed more for battling the fires of Hell than fanning the flames of lust. Nevertheless, the tools were there to be used, if he so desired. For a man of the cloth, he sure cut that cloth fine. The priest rose to what she considered the perfect height, had a body not too muscular, but hardly milk toasty, and a swagger in his walk that would make a lady think he could move his body in all the ways the good Lord intended.  

If only his collar and his personality weren’t pressed with double starch. 

“Paolo’s is the best pizza in town. Trust me on that, I’m Italian.” Sarcasm wasn’t his most attractive trait, but it was one of the most prominent.  

“Don’t deflect the question,” Riona commanded with a click of her tongue. “I mean being one of the Pure Souls. I know how you found me…” 

“… secured in a straitjacket and pending shipment to a cushy psychiatric facility?”
She crossed her arms and grimaced, wondering suddenly if the hex she’d learned to give demons jock itch would work on humans. “Look, you walk through the steel wall of a meat locker and try to explain it to the police in a way that doesn’t get you 5150’ed, and then you can talk. But, I mean, a priest? Isn’t the Catholic Church, you know, kind of not kosher with the whole magical powers and battling goblins thing?”  

“Technically, the Catholic Church isn’t kosher with anything,” he returned. “Kosher’s a Jewish thing, not that I think the people of the book are anymore approving of mortal combat with the spawn of Hell. I was born into it. Magic is a birthright, you know. It shows up in my family every couple of generations. Just like being a priest — like my father before me, and his father before him.”

Linkage:


www.killianmcrae.comblog: authorkillianmcrae.blogspot.comtwitter: @killianmcraefacebook fan page: http://www.facebook.com/authorkillianmcrae
ISBN (print, paperback, 250 pages): 978-0-9839797-8-4 -MSRP 10.99USDISBN (electronic): 978-0-9839797-9-1- 4.50 (epub, mobi, pdf, and html. formats vary by site)