Tara Chevrestt's Blog, page 97

Why Bidding Wars Won the Bid for Lacey Wolfe's Heart

Being a multi-published author, some books are more special to me than others. Bidding Wars is one of those that holds a special place in my heart.
This story hit me like a ton of bricks and flowed from my fingertips to the keyboard in record speed—at least for me. This story is filled with passion. Not just between the characters, but from me.
You see, when I set out to write this story, I wanted to forget about sex. Sex is in all books and some heat us up more than others. I write both erotic and contemporary romance. I wanted to write a story that put all that aside and simply told a love story. Now, it isn’t completely sex free. After all, I was writing about two adults. The door is only slightly cracked open. But you aren’t going to find all the nitty gritty details in this story.I hope readers will find in Bidding Wars, two people coming together in a way unimaginable. After all, they both want to buy the same house. And yet, only one of them can have it.
Bidding Wars will be the first story in a new trilogy titled Love Strikes. It will follow three nurses from a pediatric 24-hour office. The second book has been contracted, and I suspect will release later this year. If you enjoy this style of writing from me, be on the lookout for It Must Be Fate.

Blurb:

A sheriff plus a nurse plus a house equals trouble…

Nurse Molly Harper has had a tough year. But when she decides to regain control of her life, buying her dream house becomes her first priority. Finding the perfect house and falling in love with it—that’s the easy part. The hard part is getting rid of the obnoxious man who thinks he’s going to be the new owner. Even if he is gorgeous. And the sheriff…

Sheriff Luke Logan needs to buy a house. Getting out of the renting game will help in the custody battle for his son, so when the perfect place pops up right on his street, he can’t believe his luck. But there’s already an offer on the table, and the woman won’t back down. Too bad she doesn’t know that he always goes after what he wants, and he has no intention of letting her have “his” house. Even if she does make him feel that he might need more than just a house to make a home…
About Lacey:Lacey Wolfe has always had a passion for words, whether it’s getting lost in a book or writing her own. From the time she was a child she would slip away to write short stories about people she knew and fantasies she wished would happen. It has always been her dream to be a published author and with her two children now of school age, she finally has the time to work on making her dream come true.

Lacey lives in Georgia with her husband, son and daughter, their six cats and one black lab who rules the house.

You can find Lacey at the following places:
Website / Facebook / Facebook Page / Twitter / Pinterest

Strong is Sexy Heroine of the Week: Jane Doe

Book: Changing TracksAuthor: Sarah CassHeroine: Jane Doe
Imagine waking up in a world completely unfamiliar to you – without any knowledge of who you are, where you came from, or why you were near death from a beating. 
Jane Doe wakes up Dominion Falls in this exact state.  Her body is still recovering from surgery, and she can’t remember a thing about where she came from or who she is. Worse, the more she learns from people out of her past, the less she believes she was a wholly good person.
As her past life is fed to her in tiny morsels, Jane holds tight to an inner strength based on a firm belief in the person she is after the amnesia. Not that she’s perfect, on the contrary she makes mistakes, but she is always honest enough to own up to them once she realizes what she’s done.  She’s confesses to her imperfections and embraces them.
Jane is also rather open and confident in her sexuality—which in 1871 isn’t exactly the most popular behavior. Despite her openness, she feels no need to put it out on display. In crude terms she ‘dresses like a schoolmarm’, buttoned up and put together. Her self-confidence carries through no matter what she wears, or how she acts.
Through some difficult challenges Jane learns many lessons about herself, life, and the importance of being able to ask for help and support. Each of them makes her powerful, strong and confident—all of which add to her sex appeal.
*~*
Blurb:
There’s nothing simple about forgetting your past.

Cole Mitchell runs the busiest saloon and brothel in Dominion Falls. He keeps his women at a distance, unwilling to relive a past he worked hard to forget.

Until the night Jane Doe falls into his saloon bleeding and near death. She wakes with no memory, only the firm belief someone tried to kill her. In the strange world of amnesia she manages to find solace in Cole’s arms and he finds home in hers.

While they work together to solve the mystery of her appearance, their pasts – her lack of, and his buried – build a barrier between them.

To make matters worse, Jane’s past isn’t willing to let her go. A stranger proves he’ll kill to keep his secrets safe. With those she loves in danger, Jane’s errant memory is all that stands between them and death. Cole can only do so much to protect her, will it be enough?

Buy Links:Secret Cravings Website -  http://bit.ly/14XQPTlAmazon -  http://amzn.to/11DDgcGBarnes & Noble -  http://bit.ly/XcTs0RAll Romance Ebooks -  http://bit.ly/WJxSiABookstrand -  http://bit.ly/12dl2PB

Tasty Review & Giveaway: Super Love by Stephanie Beck

Reuniting to save the world. 

Dinah just wanted to save the world. That didn’t pan out, so she turned to social work, only to find herself miserable. When she’s given the option of returning to the Justice Fraternity and her life as Dinah-Go, super fast superhero, she hesitates because going back means working side by side with her former lover Myles Steele, aka Man of Wonder.

To save their city from gargoyles, Man of Wonder needs Dinah-Go back in fighting shape. But Myles wants more than just his fighting partner at his side, he wants the lover and friend he lost two years earlier. Getting her will take more than even his super strength.

**MY REVIEW**



First, I have to give the author a lot of thumbs up for uniqueness and plot. You don't see many romances with superhero heroes and heroines. Also loved that the bad "guys" were female. Nice touch!
The setting is mostly a superhero lair, complete with hidden cameras , an underground driveway, and booby traps. There are two conflicts: The head honcho (hero) has permitted and sorta "hired" four gargoyle women, knowing full well they are bad seeds and after his lair/operation, but he wants to keep his enemies closer and find a way of killing them.
The other conflict is a romantic one: Does he love the heroine? Did he bring her back (she had the superhero group previously) because he loves her and missed her or because he needs her help to kill the gargoyles?The story is very climatic.
Problems: This is an idea that could have been expanded on a lot. More scenes, more details, and def more emotion would have been nice. At times the writing came across as cold and unfeeling, just far too "to the point".
About the Author:

Even before she understood what all the thrusting meant, Stephanie Beck loved reading romance. When the stories didn't end the way she wanted, writing her own was the perfect solution. From ridiculous humor to erotica, Stephanie loves being transported within a story.

When she's not elbow deep in words, her husband and three children command her attention. After they are sleeping she knits or bakes cookies…or squeezes in more writing.

Stephanie loves to hear from readers. Contact her at stephaniebeckauthor@gmail.com

Find Stephanie Beck at www.stephaniebeck.net or www.facebook.com/StephanieBeckAuthor

www.stephaniebeck.net
www.twitter.com/StephBeck123
www.plotmamas.wordpress.com
www.facebook.com/StephanieBeckAuthor


Giveaway 
*Stephanie will be hosting Six Tour Wide Commenter Giveaway's for: 
- One $10.00 Amazon/or B&N Gift Card 
- Two Digital Copies of SUPER LOVE 
- Three SWAG PACKS

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I'll Be Seeing You by Suzanne Hayes Palmieri & Loretta Nyhan

When I first realized this book was written entirely in letters...I thought "uh oh...all telling, no showing."

I couldn't have been more wrong.

Yes, it's all told through letters, but the words draw you into the page. As I read, I stepped back in time, into the lives of two women left on the home-front during WWII. Everything--from their gardens to their recipes to their nosy neighbors all served to totally transport me and draw me in.

Two pen-pals develop an incredible bond. And I found myself comparing these two women to modern-day women on Facebook. We make friendships, incredible ones, through the Internet, so I believe many friendships were made back then via snail mail.

Rita is an older woman. She has a grown son in the Navy and her husband is also serving. She has so much to lose. Her strength helps those around her, as well as Glory across the country. Glory is much younger and at times, stupid, but she's discovering herself.

There's worry and fear and all kinds of guilt in their letters. There's infidelity. There's grief. There's conflicting emotions. There are pregnancies. There's romance. (Now, remember, these ladies are talking about others in their lives too.) 

There's so much really within these letters, but I'm just going to mention two things I loved very much...I felt Glory's story, her changes, really showed the evolution of women during this time. First, she learns to take care of a house without servants, she then begins to speak up for women's rights, and by the end of the war, she's looking around her and speaking for all rights. Her story, despite some of her wrongdoings, really spoke to me. The Glory pre-war was not the same woman after the war.

Rita...Rita changes too. She starts a bit more judgmental and as the book goes on, opens her heart and her home to others.

Their letters are filled with heartache, but also humor. For every time a tear ran down my face, I laughed at least twice in other parts of the book.

I highlighted some areas, really, I've gone on long enough.

Terrific book. I can't recommend it highly enough. Though-evoking, rich in history, tear-jerking, and just REAL. Five stars. I received this from netgalley.

Wendiann Proteau Talks Online Relationships

Popular Jade Prency would never describe herself as beautiful. Amazonian and imperfect, she relied on humor and her ability to help others to find her place in the world. Believing tomorrow would always come; two words invade to twist her world. Illness becomes her personal battle. Grief is a process her soul must endure. Feeling separate and alone, she searches for a new way to cope. 

In today’s world, the internet has become the new best-friend as websites and chat-rooms offer anonymity and a place to escape from life’s struggles. Millions reach out around the world from the safety of their home. One in five relationships start online they say and for every success, I’m betting there are ten stories never to be repeated; they just don’t boast about that in the ads. What could possibly go wrong for Jade when she finally reaches out for understanding?

“Hon,” she whispered then looked away from him.

“Here it comes,” Brady said with a wide smile.

“Umm…”

“Yes?” he prodded by poking her lightly in the back.

It’s now or never, she thought. Meeting his gaze she watched his reaction. “Would it be okay if I kiss you once?” His eyes showed a surprise, then warmth.

“You sure you want to?” He smiled at her.

I need to overcome this shyness, she thought. With her left hand supporting her, she moved closer. When they were inches apart she whispered, “I’ve been waiting a long time for this.” Her lips were almost touching his. “I’m pretty sure.” She watched his eyes darken, then closed her own and moved forward.

Brady remained perfectly still as her lips hesitantly grazed his lower, then upper lip. She felt the gentleness as he kissed her, his lips a silky softness.

His right hand at her lower back pulled her closer, while his left laced through her long hair and she started again, this time deepening the kiss. Her tongue entered his mouth as her fingers reached to his hair then slid to his chest. Lost in what she’d dreamt about many times, he was like a drug. Kiss him once…kiss him once…Jade thought as her tongue became aggressive and the warnings went off in her brain.

Have you ever engaged in an online relationship of any kind? How did that go?

Ask Away Sunday: Ask Me Anything, I'll Answer Sunday

I'm starting a new thing. First, an explanation:

I keep getting lots of really nice compliments about this blog. Let me say I'm grateful to each and every one of you for following. I appreciate it.

But despite the fact people seem to be liking the blog, I'm not getting any comments/interaction on here--not enough to get excited about anyway. LOL

BUT...I get emails, PMs, and Goodreads messages from all kinds of people. Some are readers asking me questions, like, "How in the world could Hunter and Lindsey come from the same household?" in regards to some characters in Love Request. (This is an example.) Sometimes readers want to know where an idea came from, etc.

I'll happily answer. 

I get PMs from authors, like, "Is this sentence okay? Do you think I should change this word? My editor said..." or even, "This publisher has offered me this and that...what do you think?"

I get questions from fellow deaf people, authors, etc. Sometimes, I feel the answers should be shared. I bet everyone else can learn from them too.

Ask me. Seriously, ASK ME. From now on, every Sunday, I'm going to post questions from readers/authors/random people and my answers. You can be anonymous. You can give me a fake name. No email address required. You ask me and I'll post an answer the following Sunday. If I don't know the answer, I'll do my darndest to find it. Don't be scared. Even if you just want my opinion, ask.

I'm interested to see what comes of this. Please, nothing nasty.

And on that note, here's the form. Ask away! And be sure to come back Sunday to see the answer.

It Happened at the Fair (It Happened at the Fair) by Deeanne Gist

This is one of the best books I've read in some time, one that once you pick it up, you want to read it all the way through and have to force yourself to eat, sleep, and do anything not related to the book. And then when you are doing those things, you're thinking about the book or telling the husband all about it.


It's the Chicago World's Fair in the 1890s...and Cullen is there trying to sell his invention: an automatic sprinkler system. His family is about to lose his farm so he's under tremendous pressure, but he's going deaf and add to that, he's in a noisy environment, and he can't make a single sale!

Enter Della, also at the fair teaching deaf children to lip read. When he seeks her help in learning himself, neither has any clue what this will lead to.

A revelation...and I LOVED THIS SO MUCH. This is how Della has been taught and thus, how she feels, "You must never, ever use sign language. It would brand you as deaf and different. It's critical that you blend in with everyone else."

This attitude, while not without its merits (as witnessed later in the book when a potential client refuses to do business with Cullen upon finding out he's going deaf...grrrr) is like saying deafness is something to be ashamed of and teaches the kids just that.. "I must hide it.."

Cullen and his story about how he one time communicated with a deaf man not only touched my heart, but I think began the slow roll of opening Della's eyes. That and his persistence, as well as her own issues in public with claustrophobia...just because she has a fear of confined spaces doesn't mean she belongs in the looney bit any more than a deaf person does... I loved watching Della change her attitude and thoughts and accept sign language. It was beautiful and made a huge impact on me, a deaf reader.

"The problem was, those who supported sign language accepted difference, while those who supported lip-reading sought equality. What she'd just begun to grasp was the deaf were not one for the other; they were both different and equal."

Romance... These two wonderful people fall in love and it's clean and wholesome. There's no sex, no hardening you-know-whats. Though it's not without its barriers. Cullen is engaged to a girl back home and Della has a severe mistrust of men, thanks to her father's warnings.

Humor... There's not shortage of cute, LOL moments.

"There was no point in trying to figure out a woman. There were illogical, inconsistent, confounded creatures, and Cullen didn't know why God thought He'd been doing Adam a favor."

Historical detail about the World's Fair. Very rich and very well done, this. As they tour the fair, readers tour with them. The author had a perfect balance of telling/showing and has her characters see and experience things, letting the readers, in turn, experience and see them as well.

Foul Play...Someone doesn't want Cullen succeeding.

Tragedy...There are fires and lives lost.

The lip-reading will be a huge eye-opener for those not familiar with it. Many people don't understand all that goes into, that it's not easy and not learned in a day and so many factors are involved. I appreciate the way the author handled this and slowly opened the door to another world for the non-lip-reading community.

"So much depended on whether the person was facing him, facing away, or looking to the side. Whether their lips were thick or thin. If they had a mustache, a beard, or both."

I loved both the heroine and the hero. He wasn't an alpha male aka douche bag. He was a good person and I was gripping my Kindle at times, just hoping so hard they would find happiness, that someone would buy his sprinkler...etc etc.

There was no sex. The book doesn't need it. I was never bored and appreciated the slow growth from teacher/student to more. And though this is labeled Christian Fiction, it never once preached at me. There was none of that "find God and everything just falls into place" stuff. It was just a really good story that didn't need cursing or sex.

Five stars. I can't recommend it highly enough. Thank you, netgalley.

Stop Hearing Loss Bullying Video

I've spoken a few times of Author Shanna Groves, her new book, Confessions of a Lip Reading Mom, and how I met her in at the Deaf Cultural Center where we talked about a video she was putting together.

I'm pleased to say, she did it! She had an incredible and thought-evoking video made to boost awareness of hearing loss and the bully that sadly, too often comes with it.

Take a moment this week and ask yourself: How do I treat those who are different from me? How do I speak to them? What message do my actions send my children?


Watch the video. Thank you for your interest and be sure to visit lipreadingmom.com to find out what more you can do. And do leave a comment. My quotes and pictures are in this too. I'd love to know what you think.

Tasty Spotlight: To Stand Beside Her by Kristin McMichael

BlurbTo be the best courier in the world, eighteen-year-old Benét Leila follows three simple rules: always work alone, never stay in one place too long, and never fall in love. Too bad she didn't follow her own advice.
Leila is a courier. To the people she takes from, she is seen as a common thief; to the people she helps, she is a savior.
Nalick is your typical king. He's rich, powerful, and always assumed to be right. When Leila crosses paths with King Nalick, she finds herself trapped. In a rush to save her best friend Kay from a prison sentence for a crime Leila committed, Leila trades her hand in marriage in exchange for Kay’s freedom.
Tomboy Leila does not want to grow up, but in three months’ time, she will be married to King Nalick, if Nalick can keep his end of the bargain. First, Nalick must make Leila fall in love with him, a hard task since Leila is not ready to love again after losing her first love to a greedy king. Second, Nalick must keep her safe. He is not the only king trying to hold onto her. Leila has made many enemies over the years, and even more admirers that want her as a prize. Lastly, Nalick must convince Leila that ten years of love is better than a lifetime without. Unless Leila can trust her destiny, she might not reach her wedding day at all.


Excerpt“And where should we put her, Nalick?” one of them asked. Leila was surprised to hear the man address Nalick so casually.“Leave her here,” he ordered.“But, but . . .” the tracker sputtered. “If you just put my captive back in jail she will escape.”“Don’t worry. She will not be going anywhere. She is not the ghost courier,” Nalick replied as Kay was escorted out of the room. “Now, I’d like to be left alone with this one,” Nalick said, referring to Leila. “Bring the seer,” he ordered. The men beside him rose and left the room. One of the men from earlier escorted the tracker out. The second man shut the door and stood at the back of the room.“So everyone out did not include him?” Leila asked. She had no chance of leaving if both men stayed in the room with Nalick and her. One, she could possibly overpower, but two would be foolish to challenge.Nalick rose and walked over to her. Leila stood her ground and did not move. Nalick circled around her, inspecting her like a wolf getting ready to pounce on its prey. Leila knew what was coming next. She had this same encounter with five other kings before. Though, in her opinion, they were all lesser men than the man in front of her. She still did not happily anticipate the next words out of his mouth. Leila stood in silence as he returned to his table and leaned against the tabletop. Just like all the other kings, he looked at her like she was a trophy. Leila refused to be a trophy to any king. Like any man in power, Nalick had committed acts against innocent people. Intentionally or not, Leila did not approve of hurting innocent people. She had been in several battles over the last four years, and luckily escaped with her life each time, but never once had she killed anyone who attacked her. Even those who would try to kill her did not deserve to die in her opinion.As she stood there, the door in the back of the room opened and the seer, Gabor, walked in escorted by the man who had just left. Leila stared blankly at Nalick, trying her best to read his expression.“I really don’t think you understand the word alone,” she commented to Nalick sarcastically, as the door shut and there were now five people in the room.Gabor walked past her and bowed his head slightly to the king. Nalick nodded his head, and Gabor returned to Leila. Extending his hand, Leila knew what he was planning to do. Trying to stay in control of the situation, Leila gave the old man her hand. Surprised, he stopped, held her hand, and closed his eyes. After a few moments, Gabor returned to the king’s side. Nalick leaned over to the seer and asked him a question too quiet for Leila to hear.“You don’t need to be hushed about this since you are discussing me,” Leila said before Gabor could respond. Nalick looked up at her. “I am guessing I can answer your questions just as well as he could.”Nalick smiled. He had become the king when he was fourteen and then everything changed. Almost every person treated him differently, apart from his two good friends that were standing in the room with him now. In his years of being king, Nalick had yet to find a woman that would speak her mind to, or at, him. Here before him stood the woman who was a legend around the dinner tables he shared with neighboring kings. All told of encountering a lady so beautiful she would take your breath away and yet who was so cunning none could cage her long enough to make her into a wife. She was truly everything they talked about, and even more. Nalick didn’t need the seer’s opinion to know that this was the woman he wanted to marry.
Author Info: Originally from Wisconsin, B. Kristin currently resides in Ohio with her husband, two small children, and three cats. When not doing the mom thing of chasing kids, baking cookies, and playing outside, she is using her PhD in Biology working as a scientist. In her free time she is hard at work on multiple novels; as each day passes, she has more ideas for both current and future novels.



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Strong is Sexy Heroine of the Week: Katie Walsh

Book: Trove (Katie Walsh Mysteries, Book 1)
Author: KJ MontgomeryHeroine: Katie Walsh
Katie Walsh is an investigative mythologist. She seeks to find the origin of Celtic/Norse legends and decipher what the ancients were trying to tell us. Katie believes these legends transcended time for a reason only through the ages the tales had morphed into “quaint” entertainment having no bearing on modern times.

In the first book of my series “Trove, The Katie Walsh Mysteries,” we find out that Katie is a survivor. Her parents had been killed in a horrific accident that was due to negligence. When the professional community closes ranks around the person responsible and he’s basically let go with barely a slap on the wrists, Katie realizes she can rely on herself. She forges on with her career and bruises a few egos in the process. She’s not out to destroy anyone, but in her quest for the truth, her work, based on valid facts and data, ends up invalidating some of her colleagues’ life-long research. Katie believes in bringing the truth to light rather than living in the shadows. 
In Trove, life seems to continually through curveballs her way, yet she’s quick to regroup or at the least get out of the way. When the hero, Alec, comes roaring back into her life, she refuses to let him control her. The back and forth struggle between Katie and Alec reinforces in the reader’s mind that she is every bit as strong as Alec, at least mentally, and every bit his equal (but Alec wouldn’t have it any other way). 
There is a book trailer at my website that captures the overall feel of Trove: BLURB: 

Katie Walsh is an investigative mythologist seeking clues that could lead her into the very distant past and uncover the secrets of the mythic Norland. Alec MacGowan is an archaeologist searching for clues in the recent past in an attempt to bring a murderer to justice. 

Anonymous lovers five years before, they’re re-united as their worlds collide when they are thrown together to decipher the murdered man’s notes and identify his killer. As the quest unfolds, they are forced to deal with their simmering attraction and hidden secrets.

Can they uncover the secret hidden in the murdered man’s notes before the killer finds them? And can they open their hearts to each other before it’s too late?

Follow Katie and Alec as they search for clues in their race to uncover secrets from the long past and their past while staying out of the killer’s cross-hairs.