Krista Ames's Blog, page 69

Character Interview: 50 Acts of Kindness by Ellyn Oaksmith

Please welcome  Kylie Harrow from – 50 Acts of Kindness by Ellyn Oaksmith


Hi Kylie. Welcome. First of all, I’m sorry you lost your job. Thanks. If you would have told me that there was a silver lining in being labeled the World’s Worst Boss and humiliated online, I would have called you delusional. But there really was.

Why don’t you describe what it felt like returning home to Cedar Falls.Let’s see. I felt like a total loser. I’d flamed out in New York and honestly, all over the world thanks to that You Tube post of me firing that pregnant woman. It really makes me cringe to acknowledge this but I hated my hometown. I thought absolutely nothing happened in Cedar Falls, which is ironic. It’s where I fell in love and made up with my mother. 

Describe Chet as you first saw him. Not in high school but when you first saw him after you came home from New York.Oh no! Really? You’re going to make me say this, aren’t you? Okay, let’s hope Chet never reads this. I thought he was a small town hick. Never leaving Cedar Falls was to me, back then, a total fail in life. He’d become the Sheriff, which was even worse in my mind because he ran the small town I’d come to resent. Of course, when I found out what had really happened in the last ten years, all that went out the window. But it took me a long time to figure that out. Thank God for Margaret and my mother. 

Let’s talk about Margaret. Are you friends now?Yes! Becoming friends with someone in their eighties is great. She doesn’t have time to play games or beat around the bush, which is awesome. Maybe we’re not friends in a traditional, easygoing way but we need each other. She’s my reality check, my no baloney, tell-it-like-it-is friend.  For better or worse she doesn’t have a dishonest bone (or a filter) in her body. I’m not exactly sure what she needs me for. Comic relief? Baked goods? Free dog-sitting? 

How is your mother doing?Great. She’s still running the bed and breakfast, which hasn’t changed a bit, although she is making more money now. If it weren’t for her making me do the Fifty Acts of Kindness, I wouldn’t have learned enough about myself to fall in love with Chet. I owe her so much. Of course she doesn’t see it that way. Giving is just in her nature so she never thinks in terms of debt. I do though. I’m lucky to have her. 

Do you think you’ve changed forever, thanks to the Fifty Acts of Kindness?That’s a good question. It’s not in my nature to really change permanently. Reacquainting myself with people in Cedar Falls was hard, to be honest. Sometimes it was tough to be charitable. When I need a pep talk, I talk to my mom. She’s my biggest cheerleader, even when I mess up. I’m a work in progress. Just like anyone else.

Thanks for stopping by Kylie.Gosh, thank you. Always fun to stop and chat. 
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50 Acts of KindnessEllyn Oaksmith
Romantic Comedy/90k


Being overly kind isn't in Kylie Harrow's nature. This has never been more evident than when Kylie vents her frustrations to an innocent employee—and the whole scene is posted online, tanking her career and earning her the dubious distinction of "World's Worst Boss." But when she flees home to the South, Kylie finds her childhood home has changed. The high school quarterback is now the hot and handsome sheriff. Her mother has turned her home into a nudist colony. And worst of all, having heard about her daughter's exploits, her mother won't let her in the door until Kylie completes fifty kind acts in fifty days.

The task seems easy enough at first—and may even help repair her media image—but it quickly turns into a hilarious quest that leads Kylie down a bumpy road filled with new challenges. What started as a gimmick to save her career evolves into a mission to save a spunky old woman and her little dog from homelessness. As Kylie learns about the nature of kindness, she finds the path to happiness and, for the first time ever, maybe even love. 



Buy Links:     Amazon      B&N      iBooks      Kobo      Smashwords(Print)

Excerpt:

"We are a technology marketing company. People don't want to see our underwear or ultrasounds or try to run a meeting while you jump up to pee.""I'm due in two weeks."Her whine was still grating on my nerves, but my recorded words sliced like knives. Was I the equivalent of that rooster my mom had that pecked at the hens? One morning mom found him dead, pecked to death. I thought, "Please do not let this be my barnyard reckoning," even though things were clearly sliding in that direction. On screen I plowed forward. "I cannot do your job and mine. It's killing me. I need you on the ground running. Oh no wait, you can't run. Which is why you missed the flight to Miami where you got 'dehydrated.'" I did air quotes around "dehydrated." Holy cow. I was so angry it blinded me to very fact she was recording."I was dehydrated." We were both so very tired. "Which is why you ended up lounging in Miami while I ran yet another meeting solo. I stayed up until three a.m. doing the PowerPoint you'd forgotten.""I ended up in the hospital.""And missed the flight back to New York and yet another day of work. If you are dehydrated, drink water. It's not rocket science!"I remembered this day clearly. Sleep-deprived from a red eye, I'd left Betsy in New York, begging her to prep for a meeting the following day. When I got back, the slides weren't ready. She'd gone home. I'd miss another night's sleep to finish them.It was the perfect storm, and she'd caught it.I leaned forward to downsize the screen. "2.7 million views?" She'd titled it "World's Worst Boss?!" There were lots of comments, many expletives, and a passionate, nine exclamation points in a row.Bob dug a crust from his eye. "It's not something to be proud of."My mind raced. How to spin this before he threw something out? I managed a casual shrug. "I'm in marketing. I can't help it.""This makes us look so bad."It was crunch time. There was no room for complaints or excuses. "Does it though? Does it? What I see is that we expect a certain professionalism and energy from our employees, a requirement that, pregnant or not, they perform to the best of their abilities." My delivery was very rough, but it was a message she needed to hear." He wasn't buying. I grabbed for a straw. "Isn't posting this on YouTube a violation of my privacy?""I don't know," Bob said wearily. "That's 2.7 million negative hits with MLJK's name attached."My heart clenched. I needed a cigarette. Now. "Whatever happened to 'any publicity is good publicity'?"He ignored my lame joke. "She's threatening to file suit. I checked with legal. We can tie her up in court, but the claim is legit."I inhaled sharply, forgetting, in my growing panic, to exhale."Breathe, Kylie.""S-s-suing us?" Great, now I was stuttering."You called her fat. She says you created an unhealthy work environment."My jaw dropped. This was not the time to point out that, as a former chubette, I never, ever use the F-word. "The operative word here is work.I was running on vapors."Bob got up and looked out the window at his fabulous view. "Stella, by the way, corroborates everything you've said." My eyebrows shot up in alarm. "Yes, I've talked to her. I've talked to a few people, but the point is that sooner or later we all have to deal with this. Pregnant women deserve…" He stared off into the silver buildings and cloudless sky. When I'd entered, the view had felt empowering. Now it was an invitation to jump. "Latitude. We are a family-friendly company."I snickered bitterly. MLJK years were dog years. Most of the senior partners were divorced. "And what about women who aren't ever going to have children? We just put up and shut up?" I knew this sounded whiney, but I couldn't help myself. I felt like a tightrope walker studying the tiny figures below, waiting for me to fall. Then it struck me. I felt like this most of the time.He gazed at me, his eyes weary. "Come on. You're what, not even thirty? You don't know that." Bob was still in his marriage of origin."Look at me Bob. My relationships have the longevity of a fruit fly. I have nothing left at the end of the day." I have nothing left right now."Maybe it's time to branch out."Clearly he pitied Betsy. It was time to grab the controls. "I can fix this. I can smooth things out. Get my assistant her own assistant. At least until she's had it.""Her baby is not an it," he snapped."Did I say 'it'?" I'd been talking so quickly. It? Good move Kylie."Yes," Bob said quietly, losing his starch. Crossing his arms he glanced at a framed photo: a gap-toothed, pig-tailed toddler on a swing, pushed by his beaming, very pregnant wife. "You're going to have to leave until this dies down."For a second I felt nothing but a weight pressing on the top of my head, a dull ringing in my ears. "This isn't Survivor. You can't let random strangers on YouTube vote me off because I lost my temper.""They're not. Lance is."The CEO? I was in a tippy canoe, and by golly, there went my paddle.I made a tiny bubble of an objection as I sank. "She wasn't doing her job.""Effective immediately," he said. I knew what preceded those two words. Terminated.This wasn't a break.This was permanent.




About the Author:
Ellyn Oaksmith is an award-winning writer who began her career as a screenwriter in Los Angeles. Her first book, Adventures with Max and Louise, was published in 2012. Fifty Acts of Kindness is her third book. She's currently at work on her first YA novel, Chasing Nirvana. The best part of her work day is spent watching vintage YouTube footage of Nirvana concerts and calling it research.

Ellyn is part of the Girlfriends Book Club which has been featured in The New York Times and USA Today. She lives in Seattle with her family, a rescue dog and a rather rotund cat.http://www.ellynoaksmith.com/https://www.facebook.com/EllynOaksmith
https://twitter.com/EllynOaksmithhttps://instagram.com/ellynoaksmith/https://www.pinterest.com/ellynoaksmith/Subscribe to the Gemma Halliday Publishing newsletter to receive an email alert when this book is available!

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Giveaway:  $25 Amazon Gift Card
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~ Things Mysterious by Matthew Chabin ~

Roane Publishing is giving away THREE ARCs of Things Mysterious by Matthew Chabin! Things Mysterious by Matthew Chabin Release Date: June 22, 2015Publisher: Roane Publishing
Genre: Romance (Mystery) Keywords: Romance, Mystery, Paranormal, Mortality, Literary 
Description: Dasan Garret is a disappointed man.  Recently divorced and just returned from a traumatic tour of duty in Iraq, he moves back to his hometown of Portland, Oregon only to find himself unexpectedly alone.  His old friends are all gone, moved away, locked up, or dead.  Women seem to occupy a parallel universe.  With no community and few prospects, he takes a job as a night watchman and withdraws ever deeper into the shadows of his mind.  Until one day when he meets Edenia, and she lights up his world like a bolt of pure energy.  She seems perfect: vibrant, gifted, kind, sexy, a sudden and unlooked-for reprieve from the sad ruin of his life.  And yet there remains a nagging sense that something isn’t right.  Could it be that he is merely slow to trust the happiness she offers him?  Or is there something behind that waver in her laugh, that fleeting look of sadness in her eyes?  
The mystery deepens when one day Edenia disappears.  Dasan believes he must find her in order to go on living.  But to find her again, he will have to confront a devastating truth about her life, and his.
~~~oOo~~~

Roane Publishing is giving away THREE ARC copies to three lucky winners!You don’t even have to be a blogger.
 If you are willing to leave an honest review between the dates June 22nd and July 3rd, you are eligible to enter.
How? Simply fill out the form!You have until Midnight of May 30th when three winners will be chosen by random drawing.Loading...

It's All About the Author with Barbara Valentin !!

It’s All About the Author…
1)  Please tell us 5 interesting facts about yourself that readers might not know about you …
a.    I crochet to relax. When stressed, I can actually generate sparks with my hook and have to be careful not to scorch the yarn.b.    I snort when I laugh.c.    The whole concept of down time makes me fidgety.d.   I think whoever invented hot showers ought to be canonized.e.    I’m the youngest of five kids. My mom contends I’m her favorite, but we all know it’s my brother (points for trying though, Mom).

2)  What do you like to do in your spare time? 
  Catch up with my friends (if I still have any, that is; it’s been awhile since I’ve had some spare time).

3)  Is there one book that you love to read over and over again?  If so, what is it and what is it that keeps you coming back to it?   
That’s a tough one. If I were to pick a good multi-layer, heart-warming romance, I’d say anything by Kristan Higgins (esp. Best Man) or Susan Elizabeth Phillips (esp. The Great Escape).


4)  How did you get started writing and have you always wanted to be an author? 
I’ve wanted to be a writer ever since I was a kid sitting in the newsroom at our local newspaper waiting for my reporter mom to drive me home after school. While I didn’t start out in journalism, I did some freelance writing for the Chicago Tribune that led to creating a family-oriented column that turned into a long-running feature in their local editions. That, in turn, led me to develop a manuscript (about 8 years ago). When I couldn’t get it published, I wrote False Start. Once that sold, I realized my series was rooted in my first manuscript, which eventually became Help Wanted.  
 

5)  If you for some reason couldn’t be an author, what would your other choice be? 
 I professional taste tester for either Lindt, Godiva or Ghiradelli (of course, I’d play them off of each other to see who would be willing to give me the most chocolate).


6)  Did you like school?  Were you a good student? 
No and not especially. The light bulb went off for me when I was in college. I switched majors and ended up in the remarkable Dr. Jan Youga’s Advanced Creative Writing class. She helped me find my voice and encouraged me to keep writing. That I didn’t heed her advice and instead took a technical writing job straight out of college is another story (Help Wanted, as a matter of fact).

7)    When you write, is there a specific way you have to write, ie:  certain room, noise or quiet, computer or paper etc…
 I don’t start writing until I have a semi-detailed synopsis nailed down. I write on my laptop, usually at the kitchen table, but keep a small notebook with me at all time because I never know when inspiration will hit. And it’s got to be quiet. Otherwise, my manuscript might be peppered with phrases like, “Why isn’t there ever any food in this house?” and “Who took the batteries out of the remote?”

8)   If you could write a collaboration with another author, do you have one in mind and what would you write? 
I’m going to go with Mark Twain. I’d like to put a modern spin on “A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court” – maybe “A Plate Spinner in King Arthur’s Court.”


9)    How do you come up with your story ideas?  
 Partly observing what’s going on around me and trying to find the humor in it; partly by coming up with unique stories that I would want to read.


10)                   Do titles stump you or do they come easy?  When do you pick a title, before the story is written or when it’s done?
  Once I have an idea for a story, I try to come up with a title, but it has to be just right because it sets the tone for the whole book. I really struggled with Help Wanted until I stepped back and saw that that was the underlying theme not just for the heroine, but also for the hero and several supporting characters. Tying it all together in the end was the fun part.


11)                   Do you keep a notebook near you for when new ideas pop into your head? 
  Yes, but I’ve also used post-it notes, the Notes feature on my phone, the back of receipts and, when I’m in a really tight spot, the palm of my hand.


12)                  If you write a series, do you re-read your previous books before you begin the new one?
  Guilty as charged. 


13)                  How does your family feel about your writing?
  They tell me having a published author for a wife/mom is pretty cool. That they’ve all learned to do their own laundry and fix their own meals in the process is, I think, the best thing ever. 



Thanks for sharing “you as an author” with us !  We hope you’ll come back and visit again soon!
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Help WantedAn Assignment:  Romance Novel #2Barbara Valentin




When Claire Nelson decided that her happily-ever-after lay not in marriage but in a spot on the New York Times bestseller list, she vowed never to tie the knot. But that was before she met Paul Mendez, handsome and charming enough to have her breaking said vow and marrying him shortly after college.

Almost fifteen years and four sons later, Claire is now a burned out breadwinner ready to ditch her quest for happily-ever-after, and Paul has traded his dream of chairing corporate board meetings for volunteering at PTA meetings as a stay-at-home dad. Feeling trapped in a demanding job, Claire's repeated attempts to get Paul to return to work fall flat. Contemplating divorce, she drafts a letter to the Plate Spinner, a popular advice columnist, asking for help. But when the reply contains an offer that may just put her bestselling author dreams back on track, Claire's only question is: will Paul be on board? Or does her charming husband make a surprise move of his own? 

Buy Links:    Amazon   Nook   iBooks    Kobo    Smashwords



Excerpt:
            "Dear Plate Spinner—I need your help."            After reading the plea out loud, Mattie Ross, the Chicago Gazette's reluctant advice columnist and marathon-runner-in-training, cringed.            Another letter from a frazzled working mother, seeking direction and hope— commodities she herself was in dire need of ever since her coach walked out on her, taking her heart with him.            Nick.            Her heart squeezed in her chest and she closed her eyes. After hiding behind the same I'm married with kids lie she her perpetuated with her publisher and readers for the eight months he had spent training her, she could hardly blame him for being upset.            With a heavy sigh, she texted her editor, Dianne Devane. Any openings in Metro yet?            Almost before she hit Send, she got her response. Sit tight, sweetie. I'm working on it.            Emitting a quick growl, Mattie turned her attention back to her computer screen and skimmed the brief account of the weary woman's conundrum.            "The salary of my demanding, soul-sucking job is holding me hostage. I haven't had a vacation in over five years (maternity leaves do not count). I see my kids so infrequently, that if I don't keep their pictures on my desk current, I tend not to recognize them in passing (their resemblance truly is jarring). Any friends I have left have given up hope of ever seeing me in person again, especially when I had to cancel my appearance at an intervention they were staging on my behalf, because I had to meet an absolutely critical deadline. As it is, I'm spread so thin, I make plastic wrap look opaque. My only hope is to convince my husband, a stay-at-home dad to our boys, to return to the corporate world. Chances of this happening, though, are slim to none—especially after he machine-washed yet another one of my dry-clean- only sweaters, and I leveled him with a 'does not meet expectations' on his most recent performance review (I mean, seriously—can you blame me?).            Needless to say, it did not go over well. He has since relocated to the man cave-slash-office down the hall and has barely spoken to me since.            So, tell me. Should I force his hand and quit my job, or file for divorce and offer him a job as a live-in nanny (because he looks a hell of a lot better in an apron than I do)?"            It was signed "Burned Out Breadwinner."            Mattie didn't know whether to send the writer a list of local marriage counselors or encourage her to pursue a career as a stand-up comedian. Staring at the ceiling above her cubicle for a moment, the advice columnist tried to think of a fitting response.


About the Author:
Barbara is an award-winning, best-selling novelist. A member of RWA's Windy City chapter, she still dreams of the day when her to-do list includes "Accept Godiva's request to be a taste-tester." False Start, the first book in her Assignment: Romance series, was published in 2014 (Gemma Halliday Publishing). 
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Cover Reveal: Back From Hell by Marissa Dobson

Back From HellSeries – Marine for You 2Marissa DobsonRelease Date – June 16, 2015




Lance Corporal Kyle Phillips’s life has been blown apart by an IED explosion. All the work he put in at boot camp is worthless. Now he feels he’s half the man he was before, with nothing to offer. His life fell apart in one brief moment and everything he worked for was gone. Better men than him died that day, and now he must come to terms with being chosen to live.
Staci Pence volunteers at a Veterans Affairs hospital in hopes that she could do something good. She had seen what the war had done to her father and in the end, he had taken his own life. Now she is using her own grief to save others. Her newest patient is Lance Corporal Phillips and while he believes he’s damaged goods, not worthy of living, she’s determined to show him otherwise.
Kyle had gotten to the point that he wished he’d died on that battlefield instead of living the life of half a man. That was until a woman with whiskey brown eyes and a feisty side strolled into his room looking to save him. Can he make peace with what has happened and open himself to the love Staci offers?
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  About Marissa:
Born and raised in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania area, Marissa Dobson now resides about an hour from Washington, D.C. She’s a lady who likes to keep busy, and is always busy doing something. With two different college degrees, she believes you are never done learning.

Being the first daughter to an avid reader, this gave her the advantage of learning to read at a young age. Since learning to read she has always had her nose in a book. It wasn’t until she was a teenager that she started writing down the stories she came up with.

Marissa is blessed with a wonderful supportive husband, Thomas. He’s her other half and allows her to stay home and pursue her writing. He puts up with all her quirks and listens to her brainstorm in the middle of the night.

Her writing buddies Cameron (a cocker spaniel) and Dawne (a beagle mix) are always around to listen to her bounce ideas off them. They might not be able to answer, but they’re helpful in their own ways.

She love to hear from readers so send her an email at marissa@marissadobson.com or visit her online at http://www.marissadobson.com.

May Sale with Roane Publishing !!

Don't miss out on this great month long sale for Roane Publishing titles at CreateSpace !!!

It's All About the Book ~ A GOOD KIND OF TROUBLE @ellieashe #giveaway

Please welcome Ellie Ashe as she shares a bit about her new book with an interview...

It’s All About the Book…

***Please tell us about your current or upcoming release.
A Good Kind of Trouble, book 1 in the Trouble in Twin Rivers series, is a fun and action-packed romantic suspense. 


***What is this book’s genre?  Is this the genre you usually write in?  Are there any genre’s you haven’t written that you’d like to try?
A Good Kind of Trouble is more little romance than mystery, which is a bit different from my other series, the Miranda Vaughn Mysteries. Miranda’s stories fall into the cozy mystery category, but the Twin Rivers books feature different characters who fall in love, and fall in trouble. 


***What inspired you to write this book?
This book came to me while I was trying to fall asleep one night. Well, actually, the title came to me, and then I couldn’t go back to sleep until I got up and wrote the first couple chapters. And then I didn’t even keep the original title, which was Trust Me, I’m a Lawyer. 


***How did you pick its title?  Did it come first or did you have to write the story first?
As I mentioned, I had a different title in mind up to shortly before publication. This book will probably always be Trust Me, I’m a Lawyer, to me because that title came to me while I was trying to fall asleep and wouldn’t let me go until I got up and wrote about 6,000 words. But after getting a lot of feedback (a LOT) from trusted professionals, I came up with a different title. It was a tough call, but eventually I needed to tell the cover artist what the title was so she could finish her job. And the new title needed to fit into the series theme. I already had this title, A Good Kind of Trouble, picked out for a later book in the series, but then I came up with a better one for that book. 


***How did you create your characters?  Did you use any real life people in their making?
I didn’t use any real-life people because that would be too limiting. I’d never be able to fully develop my fictional characters if I were basing them on actual people. Lindsey, Ben and the rest of the cast are all from my imagination. 


***Who is your favorite character of this book and why?
That’s too difficult a choice to make. Though, I am terribly fond of Steve McQueen. 


***What is your favorite part of this book?  Can you share an excerpt from that part?
Any part that involved writing the chemistry between Lindsey and Ben was fun and easy to write. Here’s a snippet from a scene with them:
He grabbed Lindsey's slender wrist and held her hand, turning it over, kissing her wrist, but not releasing it. "I think Kath has figured out what's going on between us," he said, leaning in close to her ear. "I don't even know what's going on between us," she protested. He smiled. Me, either. Then he ducked his head to kiss her, brushing his lips along her jaw, then lower, tasting the soft skin and relishing her shiver at the contact. "Don't do that," she said. Her voice trembled, but her hands gripped his shirt and pulled him closer. "I think I will do that," he said, tightening his grip on her body and taking her earlobe between his teeth. She groaned and he pulled her around the corner to the dressing rooms, shutting a door behind them. Once they had privacy, he took her face in his hands and kissed her deeply. He hadn't been able to concentrate on anything except her all day. It made for an unbearably long day, remembering how her body had fit against his. Now she wanted, what? To ignore this? That wasn't going to happen. "Ben, please," she whispered against his ear. "God, Ben, please." Her hands were behind his head, urging him closer, her tongue meeting his with an eager hunger he recognized. His hands roved down her body, pulling her tighter against him, lifting her so her legs encircled his waist, the hem of her dress riding up her thighs. He leaned forward, pinning her between him and the wall and kissed her again, his tongue thrusting deep into her mouth. She squirmed and the friction drove him crazy. He broke off the kiss, breathing heavily, still holding her against his body. Her face was flushed. She licked her slightly swollen lips and raised her eyes to his face. "We need to talk about your safety," he said softly.She shook her head and started to talk, but he stopped her with another kiss, not wanting to hear a denial from her.



***Did you have any special rhythm or quirks while writing this?
This was the book where I learned that I’m a plotter, not a pantser. I didn’t have an outline when I started the book and thought it was going to be a novella. About 100,000 words later, it sure wasn’t a novella. It had grown into something far more complex than I initially imagined, and I realized about three-quarters of the way in that I wanted to explore more of the secondary characters’ lives. So it actually grew into a series of at least five books. 


***Is this a stand-alone book or is it part of a series? If so, we want to hear about it and what’s next in the series.
A Good Kind of Troubleis the first of a new series of light romantic suspense novels, the Trouble in Twin Rivers series. The series revolves around the people who work at the Fields Law Group. Next you’ll get to learn more about Fiona Larkin, who makes a brief appearance in this book. Look for book 2 in 2016! For updates, readers can subscribe to my newsletter: http://bit.ly/EllieNews


*******


A Good Kind of Trouble Ellie AsheA Trouble in Twin Rivers NovelReleased May 6, 2015100,000-word humorous romantic mystery

Beacon news reporter Lindsey Fox is on the verge of breaking a huge story of political corruption that will make her career and make her famous journalist parents proud—or she could be thrown in jail and fired. It really could go either way.Her recent streak of bad luck continues when Lindsey finds herself facing a bogus contempt charge—and attorney Ben Gillespie is appointed to get her out of the slammer. They once had a bad date of epic proportions—stilted conversation, food poisoning, burglary, towed car. Then there was the incident with the pepper spray. Lindsey never believed she’d see the sexy lawyer again.Ben can totally believe that Lindsey is behind bars. The woman is trouble. Now he has to get his new client out of jail, keep her out of the grasp of a crazed bike messenger and a shady P.I., help her save her job, and convince her to put down the pepper spray and give him another chance.


Available exclusively at Amazon  until August 6th, 2015.Temporarily priced at $2.99 for a limited time.Free to Kindle Unlimited Subscribers for 90 days.Also available in Print.


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About the Author:Ellie Ashe has always been drawn to jobs where she can tell stories—journalist, lawyer, and now writer. Writing quirky romantic mysteries is how she gets the "happily ever after" that so often is lacking in her day job. When not writing, you can find her with her nose in a good book, watching far too much TV, or trying out new recipes on unsuspecting friends and family. She lives in Northern California with her husband and three cats, all of whom worry when she starts browsing the puppy listings on petfinder.com.

Author contact info:  Ellieashe.com Twitter.com/ellieashe https://www.facebook.com/EllieAsheBooks Newsletter sign-up:  http://bit.ly/EllieNews


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Giveaway:   2 Signed print copies of A GOOD KIND OF TROUBLE
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A Passion for...... TUPPERWARE !!!

People don't always have a passion just for romance :)
Sometimes they like TUPPERWARE!!!

For 2 more days only, there are some great sales offered !




























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Email me with any questions at krista@kristaames.com

Welcome to Linda Oatman High with her new release DECEMBER from @Evernightteen

I know this tour ended last week and the rafflecopter is done but I wanted to share this Character Interview with Lake Millay, protagonist of Linda Oatman High’s DECEMBER:


What are some of your favorite things?
Poetry and pies! I’ve been baking since I was little (with my Mom, when I still had her), and I love making the perfect pie crust. And poetry? Well, duh, my last name is Millay! I always wanted to own a poetry and pie shop.


What are your most treasured possessions?
“The Life Book Of Lake Millay,” my scrapbook with all my special things: the poetry I write, recipes of my Mom’s, my baby hair. All that good stuff. Plus the baby food jar of water from Lake Superior in Michigan. It was snow on the day I was born, and then it melted. Everything always changes to something else.


How would you describe yourself?
Well, non-generic, I guess. Some people say I look like a Goth, because I wear a lot of black, but I’m totally not a Goth. I’m just me: Lake Millay. A little chunky, too pale sometimes, frizzy dark hair. (Why couldn’t I inherit Mom’s sleek blonde hair?!)


Who’s your favorite person?
Emma Ebling, my best friend since I was like born. But I had to move away from her, on account of my Dad’s job. He’s a preacher.


Are you religious?
Spiritual, that’s the word. I go to church, sometimes, but I believe it’s more about how you live your life in the real world.


Why did you move to Lancaster County, Pennsylvania?
Was there any choice? We had to go because of my Dad’s job. He was offered a preacher position at some rinky-dink holy roller church in Amishland . . . so off we went.


Just you and your dad?
Yep. My mom is in Alaska, studying polar bears and global warming and all that.


What’s your best memory from being a little girl?
Well, I remember Mom wearing this T-shirt she made: it was my baby footprints dipped in paint.


And your worst memory?
Duh, my Uncle Brock.


What’s the worst decision you ever made?
To hang out with Brit and Seth.


Why?
I don’t want to talk about it anymore. It’s pretty obvious, right?


How long will you be in here?
For life . . . and that’s a helluva long time.

* * * * * *

DECEMBER Linda Oatman High
Contemporary YA Romance/Bullying, 54k



~Editor's Pick~
Lake Millay has goals, hopes, and dreams...until she moves to Lancaster County, Pennsylvania and becomes ensnared in a vortex of violence. 

Bullying and stalking become Lake’s life, and ultimately the destroyer of her dreams.

A cautionary tale based on the true story of Laurie Show, murdered by three teens in 1991.








Buy Links:    Evernight Teen    Amazon   ARe



Excerpt:
 “This gazing globe’s really old, like from the 1800s.  People believed that a witch couldn’t sneak up on you when you were looking into the dome.”   The voice comes from nowhere and from everywhere, and an electric bolt of fear buzzes through my body.  My heart thunders, filling my chest and ears.  I’m dizzy, numb with shock, not able to move. Then a face appears––a face––blurring and blending into my own in the rounded silver of the globe.   I scream, filling my body and my heart and my ears, and I leap and fall backwards, banging hard into flesh and bone:  a person.I scream again and fall on my knees in the mud. “HELP!  NO!”“Man.  You’re jumpy.  Sorry if I scared you.”It’s a girl, just a scrawny anorexic-looking girl, about my age, fair-haired and pale, with fake-looking cobalt-colored eyes.  She’s one of those girls with an upturned little nose and perfect teeth.  Flawless complexion.  Makeup.  Teeny-weeny, clean white shorts.  Tanned cheerleaderish legs.I gasp, trying to catch my breath.“You scared the crap out of me.”“Man, you scare easy.”  Knuckles on hips, she cocks her head to the side, pale hair falling over those bright blue eyes.I press my hand to my heart.  Puke climbs up my throat, and then slides back down again.“What are you so jumpy about?  There’s nothing to be scared of around here.  Not like it’s an epicenter for crime.”There are definitely shades of cheerleader in this girl, yet none of that high-pitched perkiness.  Clouds of sadness seem to be leaking from her eyes and her smile and her voice, despite the faultless exterior.  A tiny diamond-like chip glints on her nose. “We don’t even lock our doors around here,” she says.I heave myself to a standing position.  My heart’s still racing in a marathon of terror.“What did you think I was?” the girl asks and I shrug.“A wacko.  Weirdo.  Murderer.  You never know.”She barks out a laugh. “All of the above,” she says.  “You better run.”I try to smile.“Here,” she says, reaching down to pluck a flower. “Peace offering.”  She holds a red-nailed hand toward me––her thumb and finger, daintily holding the stem of the red flower.I take it.   Our fingers graze. “Servants also used these gazing globes to be sneaky and watch their bosses,” the girl says.  “Pretty far-out, huh?”I’m still shaking, but I nod.“Cool shirt.  I can tell that you’re not from around here.”I look down, suddenly super-aware I’m about fifty pounds bigger than this chick.  This makes me irritable, and I shove the red flower into the pocket of my shorts. “What are you doing here, anyway?” I ask.  “Don’t they have laws about trespassing around here?”“Just checking out the new neighbors,” she says with a shrug of bony shoulders.  Her voice is like cornhusk: raspy and rough. “Where’d you come from?”“Over there.”  She points with her sharp little chin.  “Through the field and to the left.  When the corn’s down in the winter, you can actually see our place.”“Okay.”“I’m Brit Dannon,” she says.   “Brit with one T, not two.  You’re the new preacher’s kid, I presume?  Got any pot?”“What?”  I almost laugh. “Got any weed?”“No, I . . . don’t smoke.”“Man.  You really aren’t from around here.  What’s your name, anyway?”“Lake Millay.”  There’s a final feeble clank of thunder, like beaters in an empty metal bowl, and then the sun comes out, shining.  Brit Dannon seems to shimmer:  shiny hair and makeup and nails and that perfect-girl sparkly shirt, with sequins spelling out the word Princess. “Welcome to Badger Gap, Lake Millay,” she says.  “The Center of the Universe!  The most happenin’ location on the planet!  The place that’s going to freaking change your life!” 




About the Author:
Linda Oatman High is an author/journalist/playwright who lives in Lancaster County, PA. She’s published more than 20 books for children and teens, and her books have won many awards and honors, including VOYA (Voice of Youth Advocates) “Perfect Ten” awards. Linda also writes for adults, and her short story NICKEL MINES HARDWARE, based upon the Amish school shootings of 2006, was honored in England in 2012 with the Sunday Times EFG Short Story award shortlist. Linda holds an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts, and she presents at schools from K-college both nationally and internationally.
www.lindaoatmanhigh.com lohigh@frontiernet.net  

Cover Reveal: CUFFS by Georgie Tyler

Cuffsby: Georgie Tyler
Romance/erotica, Romantic suspense46k / Momentum Publishing Pan MacMillan

It only takes one wrong turn to change your life forever.
Witnessing a murder was not on Lacey Maples’s agenda for the evening. Neither was being spotted, caught and cuffed to a cement mixer. So when the perpetrator tries to convince her he’s protecting her, she’s far from convinced. Especially when she sees the twinkle in his eye.
For Alex Petrov, Lacey is a major glitch in an otherwise perfect plan. While his motives are pure, he can’t allow Lacey to interfere before the drug deal goes down in two days’ time, least of all by getting herself killed.
If Alex could reveal his plans to her, he would, but it would only make her position more dangerous. And he’s rapidly discovering he would do almost anything to protect her.
The operation is at stake. That’s all that matters. Lives hang by a thread. And sometimes, when lives hang in the balance, people do the craziest things.


Amazon Pre-order link

About the Author: Romance is what I read.   Romance is what I write.   Romance is what I love.A mother of three busy children and an English teacher wasn’t enough of a workload for me, a suburban housewife from Sydney, Australia. I wanted more. I wanted to be an author. For many years I thought it was pie in the sky dreaming until one day I sat my butt down and began to write. Really write.It’s been a steep learning curve at times but with the support of my loving husband and children, family and friends along with the readers who have joined me on this journey, I’m having way too much fun to ever stop!

https://www.facebook.com/GeorgieTylerAuthor/likes
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http://www.georgietyler.com

Happy New Release to Layla Wolfe with 'PLAYING WITH MONSTERS' + #giveaway

PLAYING WITH MONSTERS
The Bare Bones MC #4  Layla Wolfe
Roll like thunder.  Gone like smoke.

Roman Serpico has abandoned a thriving rock star career to prospect for The Bare Bones MC.  His goal: revenge on the cartel for his father’s murder.  His black soul is a writhing mass of venom and rage, and joining the club fuels his ability to wreak havoc.  His stepfather, the club’s lawyer Slushy, calls on him to save a stepsister Roman barely knows.  Nurse’s assistant Gudrun McGill has fallen in with a bad crowd and needs an emergency extrication…now.
Roman believes he’s killed Gudrun’s assailant, but the loathsome, murderous fugitive Riker has nine lives.  He lives to traffic in human flesh another day, and Roman is hell-bent on tracking the bastard down. But The Bare Bones votes to place Gudrun into custody with her stepbrother as her bodyguard.  Things heat up between them when they hide in plain sight in the ghost town that surrounds The Citadel, their clubhouse.Roman has vowed celibacy to fixate on vengeance.  Gudrun wants nothing to do with men after losing her husband in a horrific car crash.
The terror of their situation brings them too close for comfort.  Walls must come down.  Barriers must be broken.  Taking risks is in the nature of their new MC family.  Roman has to roll the dice, to hit fast against Riker and the Chinese cartel.  To preserve his newfound family, he has to roll like thunder and be gone like smoke.


GR link:https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25305316-playing-with-monsters
Buy Links:     Amazon     All Romance eBooks



  Publisher’s Note: This is Book #4 in the Bare Bones MC series. This book is a stand-alone and can be read out of order, but the series is best read in order to gain the full experience. This is not your mother’s contemporary romance. Daring readers will encounter sexual assault, nonconsensual drugging, general violence between bikers and cowboys, and a HEA. It is not for the faint of heart. It’s a full length novel of 65,000 words with no cliffhanger. Recommended 18+ due to mature content and possible triggers.








About the Author:Bestselling author Layla Wolfe is satisfied with a leather jacket, one bad-ass pink camo compound bow, and a vicarious outlaw lifestyle.Layla Wolfe is the pen name of multi-published erotic romance author Karen Mercury. You can find her at:   
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Giveaway:  $10 Amazon Gift Card
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