Laura Kaye's Blog, page 62

Welcome Guest Author Christi Barth! #PlanningForLove

  Welcome My Good Friend and Guest Author Christi Barth to the Blog Today!
Welcome, Christi!  Please share a little about yourself, your genres, any other pen names you use.
I’m a diehard romantic who writes contemporary romance. It is a natural fit for me, because I’m a big believer that everyone deserves a happy ending.
You are a diehard romantic! And I love that about you! Okay, so tell us a little about your latest or upcoming release.
I kicked off my Aisle Bound Chicago wedding trilogy with book one, Planning for Love . It is funny and sexy and unapologetically romantic!
Big grin! Which character is your favorite and why?
My hero, Ben, is my favorite character.  Underneath his charming, easygoing exterior beats the heart of a passionate fighter. He had such a long, hard journey to make in this book. The poor, sexy thing didn’t even realize he needed love in his life, let alone that he’d ever get it.  I’m kind of a sucker for all his smart ass wisecracks, too.
He sounds great! As the author, what surprised you about this story?
It surprised me that it launched a trilogy. I’d never written—or even contemplated—one before. But the more I thought about this story, the more I saw the potential to expand it into multiple books. And now I’m hooked on creating trilogies!
Who doesn’t love a series??? Will there be any sequels or other books in the same series?
Book #2, A Fine Romance , is the story of Sam the baker/aspiring chocolatier and Mira, the manager of Ivy’s new romance store who doesn’t like chocolate. Spoiler alert: there is a VERY hot sex scene that just might involve melted chocolate… Book #3, Friends to Lovers , follows Daphne the florist and Gib the British lothario as they journey from—well, friends to lovers! Just finished writing their aphrodisiac dinner that works far better than either of them expected.  Also, please keep an eye out in December for my novella Ask Her at Christmas, in the anthology Romancing the Holiday , also featuring stories by Jaci Burton and Helen Kay Dimon. It, too, is set in Chicago, with a cameo appearance from the hotel where Ivy & Ben have their one torrid night. 
Man! This all sounds awesome! What was the hardest thing for you about writing this story?
Oh, the same thing that always stops me dead in my tracks – except this time it happens very early in the book. I guess as a romance author I shouldn't admit this, but love scenes are brutal to craft.  You can only say he stroked such and such body part so many times, so many ways.  The actual writing becomes very clinical and leaches all the sexiness out of it for me.  I can grit my teeth through makeout scenes, but when it comes to full blown sex, my requirements are a single white Russian (nope, no other drink will do) and Pink Martini on the CD player.
LOL! That’s awesome! What are you working on right now?
I am knee deep in book #3 of the series.  Their first big makeout scene is behind me.  The heroine is about to be asked to star in a reality television flower competition.
Awesome! What happened to the first book you ever wrote?
I published it, I’m thrilled to report! Carolina Heat:  An undercover journalist finds steamy passion, mortal danger…and the love of her life.  A missing best friend escalates into a mystery with ties all the way back to the Civil War. 
Congratulations! Have you incorporated actual events or people from your own life into your books?
When it comes to people, almost never. I based a character in my second book after an acquaintance long out of my life. I think it would have the potential to hurt my friends, if they saw my interpretation as a caricature. My imagination never runs out of characters. I did use a few actual wedding stories from my years as a wedding planner in Planning for Love . Very, very loose interpretations, of course. The most outrageous hijinx are wholly from my fertile mind.
LOL! Is there a theme or message that runs through your work?
Everything in life is better when shared with the person you love. Happily ever after isn’t just a pie in the sky idea. Everyone deserves to find theirs. Sappy?  Sure.  But I believe it, 100%.
Aw, I love it! Which romance book or series (or other genre, if you don’t write romance) do you wish you had written?
Nora Roberts’ Chesapeake Bay trilogy.  Not only is every book in it wonderful, but it is what made me want to move to Maryland. Of course, when I told her that, she looked at me like I was a lunatic.  My husband and I did follow up the whim by actually researching Baltimore, I swear!
Ha! That’s a great Nora story! *grins* Of all the characters you’ve ever written, who is your favorite and why?
Ooh, that would be my hero Luke Powell from my 2ndbook, Act Like We’re in Love .  He was a skirtchasing, bigtime Hollywood star.  So much fun to write him in the first half of the book (before he falls in love, of course), when he said such outrageous things to snare the heroine.  Well, he expected to do little more than flash her a smile and have every woman within 5 miles come running.  Loved his cocksure attitude!
I’ll have to check him out! Okay, now, just for fun:
Milk chocolate or dark chocolate? Dark.  Always. Not only yummy, but has health benefits. Why pass that up for a pale imitation?
Salty or sweet? SALTY!!!! I’d far rather have appetizers than dessert.  Cheesy, fried, salty goodness.
Bed or kitchen table? I’ll take a mountain of pillows and blankets any day.
Beach or mountains? Beach. Something about the water just calls to me.
Give or receive? Give. Because when you give, you receive as well.
Blurb:

Hopeless romantic Ivy Rhodes
and
anti-Cupid Bennett Westcott
request the pleasure of your company for
their disaster of a courtship
Wedding planner Ivy Rhodes is the best in the business, and she's not about to let a personal problem stop her from getting ahead. So when she's asked to star in the reality TV show Planning for Love,it doesn't matter that the show's videographer happens to be a recent—and heartbreaking—one-night stand.

Bennett Westcott admits he didn't handle his encounter with Ivy very well. But looking at her beautiful smile—and great body—through a camera lens every day? He can't be faulted for suggesting they have some no-strings fun.

The more time they spend together, the more Ben realizes Ivy isn't the wedding-crazed bridezilla he'd imagined. But if he doesn't trust himself to make a relationship last, how can he convince Ivy to give him another chance?

Excerpt:   “I want to taste you, Ivy.” The scrape of his feet against the stones came to a halt. A gentle nudge with his forehead tipped her head back. Their eyes locked. “Why don’t we get a jump on the inevitable? Because I don’t want to wait another moment.”
Ivy had a split second to decide. Stick to her guns—and her professional ethics—and slip out of his arms? Or stay and lock lips with a super sexy man in the moonlight? Really, it was easiest to not decide at all. Her eyelids drifted shut as she waited for Ben to make his move. And waited. Nothing happened. She peeked out from beneath her lashes to see the merest hint of a smirk lifting the edges of Ben’s mouth. Her eyes flew open the rest of the way.
“What? What happened to the tasting and the moment?”
“The moment’s not right until you decide to commit to it. I promised earlier I wouldn’t steal any more kisses from you. Kissing is interactive. A two way street. You’ve got to choose to slide behind the wheel and turn the key.”
Why did men turn everything in life into a car metaphor? Well, she could play along. Despite showing every sign of being something of a player, Ben had shown her, with that one little pause, that he also had bucket loads of integrity. No sane, single woman could turn down an honest to goodness gentleman. They were a rare breed, and she didn’t intend to waste this particular chance sighting. Time to seize the day...or at least what was left of the night.
“Oh, my motor’s fully revved. You’d better buckle your seatbelt, Mr. Westcott.”
Ivy tightened her grip around his neck and went up on her tiptoes to reach his mouth. The mouth she’d stared at off and on all day, remembering the firm albeit brief feel of his lips against hers. He wasn’t the only one who wanted a taste. She puckered up and planted a soft kiss. And then Ben quite expertly elbowed his way back into the driver’s seat.
His lips slanted hard across hers, instantly ratcheting the level of heat up from tender to full on sizzle. This was no getting-to-know-you smooch. Ben claimed her mouth with possessive pressure. His teeth nibbled open her lips, allowing his tongue to sweep inside. Her moan of pleasure was all the urging he needed to slide his hands down to not only cup her ass, but lift her off the ground.
Ivy’s world spun. Under the spell of the spring night, she’d yearned for nothing more than a touch, a quiet kiss. She’d wanted a sip of water to slake her lustful thirst. Instead, Ben’s kisses drowned her in a downpour of passion and heat. The arch of her foot curved around his calf, looking for something to ground her. Each stroke of his tongue ignited an array of sparks behind her closed eyes. He tore his mouth away but hovered his lips a breath away from hers. Eyes heavy lidded, he moved not at all, aside from the pounding of his heart thumping through his tuxedo shirt. Suddenly, she realized what he waited to hear.
“Okay, Ben. You’ve convinced me to have a drink with you.”
A hum of approval sounded low in his throat. He buried his face in the curve of her neck. And then from somewhere behind them, a short high gasp, and the unmistakable crash of glass breaking on the stone floor. Ben’s grip bobbled, but he didn’t drop her.
“Get your hands off my friend’s ass right now, or I’ll call in someone a lot bigger than me to make you.”

Where can we find you on the web?
Website | Blog | Pinterest | Twitter | Goodreads | Amazon Author Page

Thanks so much for stopping by, Christi! Now, everyone, please show Christi some new release love! Did you have a favorite line from the excerpt? Thanks for reading!

Laura[image error]

Killian McRae is in New Cover Love! #PNR #PureandSinful

I'm thrilled to be taking part in my friend Killian McRae's cover reveal for her paranormal romance releasing 9/19. Without further ado, here it is:

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)Add to your Goodreads TBR pile!
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.”
Killian's Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter
And don't miss Killian's Goodreads Giveaway of Pure & Sinful!
Thanks for reading! Now leave Killian some new cover love!
Laura

Welcome Rachel Brimble on her Release Day! #Victorian #TWRP

Welcome Guest AuthorRachel Brimbleon her Love's Debt RELEASE DAY!
Welcome back, Rachel!  Please share a little about yourself, your genres, any other pen names you use.
Hi Laura! Thanks for having me here today – I am a Brit living in South West England with my husband, our two young daughters and beloved black Lab, Max. I have been writing for publication for about seven years now and happy to say I am published in straight contemporary romance, romantic comedy, romantic suspense and Victorian romance. Although over the last twelve months, I’ve decided to focus purely on romantic suspense and Victorian because the ideas were beginning to take over my life, lol!
That’s awesome! Okay, now, tell us a little about your latest or upcoming release.
My latest release is out today (yay!) and is a Victorian romance novella with The Wild Rose Press. Here’s the blurb:

To keep herself from the depths of poverty, Milly Shepherd needs to be appointed manager of the Red Lion Tavern.  The elderly owner is in failing health and has promised her the job permanently if no one more suitable applies.  Milly will fight with her entire being to make the job her own.

Joseph Jacobs needs to supplement his income to pay off his father’s creditors and save him from debtor’s prison.  Though the job as manager of the local tavern looks promising, Milly is favored by both the owner and customers.  Instead, Joseph swallows his pride and agrees to tend bar.

As they work together, their attraction grows, their goals cross, and both Millie and Joseph find they must face their fears …the question is whether they face them alone or together?

Sounds great! Which character is your favorite and why?
It’s hard to choose between Joseph and Milly but if I have to, I would say Joseph. For me, he is a real man. Caring, strong, resilient, loving and hard-working – his is a story of riches to rags but still he carries on and with a real air of self-worth. I love him! He might even be my favorite hero so far…
Will there be any sequels or other books in the same series?
No – I told this story and I knew it was finished. Sometimes when I write a story, it turns out a secondary character that I want to spend more time with and then I’ll write a follow up. That didn’t happen with Love’s Debt unfortunately.
I totally understand what you’re saying there… What are you working on right now?
I have so many projects going on right now, life is crazy! I am finishing the line edits for my first book with Harlequin Superromance (yippee!), as well as revising a contemporary romance I recently sold to Omnific Publishing and when I have time I am working on an outline for my second contracted Victorian romance with Kensington (yippee again!). I am super, super busy but in such a fantastic way, I am not complaining AT ALL!! J
Wow! You are super, super busy! Congrats on the new sales! What happened to the first book you ever wrote?
It was published! Searching for Sophie was release by The Wild Rose Press in January 2007.
Awesome! Is there a theme or message that runs through your work?
The more books I write, the more I realize that the theme of ‘trust’ or ‘forgiveness’ seems to run through my books. Usually one of my main characters is learning to trust again after being badly hurt by a parent, a sibling, a past lover…I think this is an emotion that runs through my own life and I tend to work things out through the life of my characters. I think that is true of most writers – we have something to say.
Very interesting. Which romance book or series (or other genre, if you don’t write romance) do you wish you had written?
I adore the Chesapeake quartet by Nora Roberts, also Montana Sky by Nora Roberts, and The Three Sisters Island trilogy by Nora Roberts…basically anything by Nora Roberts, lol!
LOL! Of all the characters you’ve ever written, who is your favorite and why?
I think my favorite at the moment is Detective Inspector Cat Forrester who is the heroine in my upcoming Harlequin Superromance (Feb 2013) – she is fabulous!
Okay, now, just for fun:
Milk chocolate or dark chocolate? Milk chocolate
Salty or sweet? Sweet
Bed or kitchen table? Kitchen table
Beach or mountains? Beach
Give or receive? Give
Excerpt:
“No, I take it from here.” His jaw tightened. “I mean it, Milly. I don’t want you in there.”
“Why are we arguing about this? I thought we’d built a trust between us.”

His gaze darted over her face, lingered at her lips. “This has nothing to do with trust.”
“Then what?”

“Pride. If I haven’t got that…if I’ve stooped so low as to put a woman at risk, then there’s no point in going on at all. I won’t do it, Milly. I won’t expose you to whatever is behind that door. If you can’t stay here, then go back to the tavern. I’ll see you there shortly.”
His face was set, his shoulders stiff and Milly’s irritation grew. She poked a finger into his chest. It was like iron. She swallowed. “Have you heard the saying, pride before a fall?” He nodded. “Good, because if people don’t reach out to other people, Joseph Jacobs, they fall further than ever with nobody there to catch them.”
“Milly--”
She raised her hand. “Go. Do what you want. I’ve got more important things to worry about that a man full of so much pride, he looks fit to burst.”
Turning, Milly gripped her bag tightly in her hand and strode away. She did not look back, and she didn’t stop walking. Her stupid heart had let her down. Made her get involved in a man’s life and begin to care about him. Well, the buck stopped there. No more. If Joseph Jacobs ever needed her help again, he could take a long walk off the dock.
Blinking against the rare sting of tears, she tilted her chin and retraced her steps across town. Her shift at the tavern started in an hour’s time, but that didn’t matter; there was always plenty to be done and at least there, she was appreciated. Joseph certainly didn’t see what was right in front of his damn face.Where can we find you on the web?Website | Blog | Facebook| Twitter | Goodreads
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING MY GUEST! Please leave Rachel some new release love! Did you have a favorite line from her excerpt?
Laura

Join Me at this Authors' Luncheon Event! #Annapolis #Baltimore #DC

Mark your calendars for September 15th everyone! I'm one of seven featured local authors helping raise money for a great cause - breast cancer research and patient support. For just $40, you get a fun afternoon with a lunch, author Q&A panel, author book signings, silent auction, and more! I'll be moderating the panel, and I'll be joined by authors Stacey Bolin, Charles Heller, Janie Suss, Sharon Solomon, Stephanie Verni, and Martha Fawcett.

The event is Saturday 9/15 from 11-2:30 pm at the Doubletree Hilton in Annapolis, MD. Go here for registration and payment information and note the 9/8 registration deadline!

I'll have all five of my print books for sale! Plus fun swag!

Hope to see some of you there! Thanks for reading!
Laura

#SixSunday ~ As his flesh joined with hers... #WestofWant

Happy Sunday everyone! And Happy Labor Day weekend! This week, another six from my Greek-mythology-inspired West of Want, which recently received a wonderful 4-star review from Romantic Times Magazine! Read on...

As his flesh joined with hers, Zeph's soul sung, his psyche eased. When he was seated all the way in her, he paused, savored. He’d had his share of partners, but this felt different, full of some unnamed promise. Perhaps it was his healing energy within her, or Ella's own special calming aura surrounding him. Perhaps it was her honesty and forthrightness—so different from the way his divine brethren behaved. Good gods, he wasn’t sure who was claiming who here.

Buy at Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Please be sure to check out the Other Sixers' Posts and follow the #sixsunday hashtag on Twitter. Thanks for reading and hopefully commenting, too!
Laura

Mark your calendars! The Baltimore Book Festival is coming!

Save the date!

It's just one month until the Baltimore Book Festival, September 28-30, 2012! The Maryland Romance Writers are an annual co-sponsor of the event and we have three full days of super fun panels, discussions, readings, signings, games, and other goodies planned just for you!


Need more motivation to attend??? Just look at our list of participating authors and industry professionals:
Debra Anastasia Ann Arbaugh Jennifer L. Armentrout Catherine Asaro Christi BarthSharon Buchbinder Robin Covington Natalie Damschroder Kate DolanStephanie Dray/Draven Patricia EimerElaine English Joya Fields Claudia Gabel Megan Hart/Em Garner Leanna Renee Hieber Lisa Verge Higgins Laura Kaye Christie Kelley Cheryl KlamEliza Knight Alethea Kontis Loni Lynne Jamie Michele Janet Mullany Miranda NevilleLea Nolan/Lillie FinnSophie PerinotElissa PetruzziCaridad PineiroKate PooleKate QuinnNicole RescinitiPam Rosenthal/Molly WeatherfieldMary Sue SeymourJeri Smith-ReadyHope TarrAmy VillalbaLaura WellingDiane WylieRebecca York
See the full Maryland Romance Writers schedule here! And plan to come visit us at the BBF!
Thanks for reading!
Laura

Happy Release Day Q&A w/ Marie Treanor! #Vampires

Happy Release Day toMarie TreanorAnd Welcome Back to the Blog!

See below for her giveaway!

Welcome back to my place, Marie!  Please share a little about yourself, your genres, any other pen names you use.
Thank you, Laura! Lovely to be on your blog again – thanks for having me back J.So, I’m Marie Treanor, from Scotland, and I write mostly paranormal romance, of the spicy variety. I now have well over twenty books out (of varying sizes from short stories to full length novels) with e-publishers and traditional publishers and now also self-published.
That’s awesome! So, tell us a little about your latest or upcoming release.
My latest book (released today!) is SERAFINA AND THE SILENT VAMPIRE, the start of a completely new paranormal romance series centering on a unique psychic investigation agency in Edinburgh – Serafina’s.
The first book is about the agency’s owner, psychic Serafina MacBride, and her discovery that spirits are not the only dead things that haunt the earth! While setting up a hilarious fake vampire attack, she encounters a real vampire - along with the corpse of her client’s son. Her life is turned on its head and she has to rethink everything she knows and believes in – while keeping her sanity, tracking down a murderer, saving the world… J.
That sounds like so much fun! Which character is your favorite and why?
I think probably Serafina herself. She’s strong and feisty and afraid of nothing. She likes a laugh and she’s quite prepared to commit the odd scam. But although she likes to pretend she’s hard as nails - and in some ways she is - she’s also completely loyal to her few friends, never forgets a favour, and has a much softer, kinder side she reveals to very few. She’s had a tragic childhood, and although she’s risen above it, she’s quite a lonely, isolated figure: her psychic gifts have set her apart, and increased the hardship of an already difficult life, but she never lets it stop her, just makes the best of things.
Mind you, I do also have a soft spot for the vampire Blair – heading for three hundred years old, arrogant, amoral and powerful as he is, in his own way he’s even more lonely and isolated than Serafina. After all, he can’t even speak except to fellow telepaths. But he still keeps his sense of humour, and the responsibility which was thrust upon him by his maker. He thinks he doesn’t need anyone except for biting purposes, until Serafina begins to fascinate him.
Both characters sounds great! Can’t wait to meet them! As the author, what surprised you about this story?
Blair. He kept going his own way and forcing me to veer off-plot J
Love when that happens! Will there be any sequels or other books in the same series?
Yes, there will – hopefully at least two more books…
Yay! What was the hardest thing for you about writing this story?
I think keeping track of who could “hear” Blair! Telepathic humans like Sera hear his thoughts, as do the older vampires, but the new vampires who’re causing all the bother aren’t telepathic and they have all sorts of difficulty communicating! But it was always great fun writing the scenes where Sera talks to Blair, in the company of other humans who worry that she’s talking to herself J.
What are you working on right now?
Funnily enough, the second Serafina book! Focusing on Sera’s friend and ally, Jilly Kerr.
Awesome! Okay, now, just for fun:
Milk chocolate or dark chocolate? Both!
Salty or sweet? Sweet
Bed or kitchen table? Has to be bed – our kitchen’s too small for a table, which is probably a blessing!
Beach or mountains? Both!
Give or receive? Both! (Is this cheating? [Maybe! *winks*] )

Silence has never been so sinful…

Welcome to Edinburgh's unique psychic investigation agency, Serafina's. Serafina MacBride is psychic - but not strictly honest. While staging a hilarious vampire attack at a client's party, Sera is stunned to encounter a real vampire - annoying, gorgeous and inaudible to everyone but her. When her client's son is found dead with puncture wounds in his neck, she tracks the silent vampire to his lair.

But the amoral and seductive  Blair is also on a mission - to find and kill a nest of young vampires who've invaded his territory. Soon Sera is drawn into the bizarre world of the undead, where danger lurks in the shadows along with forbidden sensual delights - and a murderous conspiracy to flood the world with financially astute vampires who talk. 

Supported and hindered by Blair's eccentric, undead friends, and by her own motley crew from Serafina's, Sera and Blair uncover surprising truths about each other and about the mysterious Founder from whom all vampires are descended.

In the end, Sera draws on powers she never knew she had in a frantic fight to defeat the forces of evil and preserve the strange, complicated being  she's trying so hard not to love.

Where can we find you on the web?
Website| Blog | Facebook| Twitter | Goodreads| Amazon Author Page
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING MY GUEST, MARIE!
All right everyone, share with Marie your favorite thing about vampires!
And thanks for reading!Laura
a Rafflecopter giveaway

5 #NorthofNeed Paperbacks Up for Grabs Today! Don't miss!

It's my birthday! And I have gifts for YOU!

That's right! Visit my one-day contest at Fresh Fiction where you have a chance at one of three paperback copies of North of Need, or enter my Goodreads Giveaway where you have a chance at one of two paperbacks!

Fresh Fiction Post on Bromances & Giveaway

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Goodreads Book Giveaway North of Need by Laura Kaye Giveaway ends September 21, 2012.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads. Enter to win
So enter early, enter often! Just don't miss this chance to win!

Thanks for reading!
Laura

#SixSunday ~ Zeph doesn't need to be asked twice... #WestofWant

Happy Sunday everyone! So, a milestone of sorts...this is my 71st Six Sentence Sunday, but the first time I decided to drop the number from my title! LOL! I have six sentences from West of Want today filled with tons of heart and heat. I hope you enjoy!

"Don't tease me, Zeph, I want you."

Zephyros didn't need to be asked twice. He pushed in, inch by hot, tight inch. Ella gasped and pressed back, encouraging him to go deeper. Wrapping her in his arms, Zeph moved his hips in a slow, steady rhythm. He thought to tell her how exquisite she felt, how much her generosity of spirit meant to him, how scared he was that he was falling so hard, so fast, but the incredible pleasure of physical connection stole his words, and nearly his breath.

Buy at Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Don't forget to check out the Other Sixers' Posts and follow the #sixsunday hashtag on Twitter! Thanks so much for reading and hopefully commenting, too!

Laura

Welcome Guest Author Christine Bell! #IndulgenceBooks

Welcome Guest AuthorChristine Bellto the Blog!

See below for her giveaway!

Welcome, Christine!  Please share a little about yourself, your genres, any other pen names you use.

My name is Christine Bell, I’m still in my 30’s (barely, but I’ll take it), and am happily married with four boys. I write a bit of everything, contemporary romance, steampunk romance, paranormal. You name it, I write it. I also write erotic romance under the pen name Chloe Cole.
Awesome, so tell us a little about your latest release.
Wife for Hire is about Belfast billionaire Owen Phipps and his quirky accomplice, Belinda Knight. After some ill-advised small business ideas go bad, Lindy is hard up for some cash, so when she comes across a cryptic ad on Craigslist looking for an actress to do a three-week gig, she responds (in spite of her concern that it might end up getting her serial-murdered). What she gets is gorgeous Owen on her doorstep needing a fake wife to help him infiltrate a couple's retreat so that he can catch the conman who broke his sister's heart (and bank account). Hilarity, sexy times and a wee bit of intrigue ensue.
How fun! Which character is your favorite and why?
I LOVE my heroine. The thing about Lindy is that she is probably the nicest heroine I’ve ever written but under the fluffy exterior, she actually the toughest. Her parents died when she was young and she is sort of the family caretaker now. She’s funny and flawed and neurotic, but also very brave and has such a great outlook on life. I feel like I could hang out with her and have a beer. Don’t get me wrong, Owen (he pronounces it “Ooh-un” cuz he’s Irish. And hunky) is fabulous. I just have a special place in my heart for Lindy. She throws herself into everything she does and I admire that heart so much.
Aw, she sounds great! Will there be any sequels or other books in the same series?
Yes, which I’m very excited about! This is slated to be a four-book series titled UK Billionaires and each features -you guessed it- a billionaire from a different country in the UK. Owen is from Belfast, and in this book we also meet Gavin who is from Edinburgh and will be our next hero.
That’s cool! I want them on audio books read by men from the corresponding countries! LOL! What are you working on right now?
I’m working on book three in the UK Billionaires series, as well as book two in the Dare Me series for Entangled’s Brazen line. Book one will be out next month and that series is slated for three books.
Busy bee! Good luck! What happened to the first book you ever wrote?
I sold it! It’s a novella called Pray about wolf-shifters in Pray, Montana. Very steamy and a lot of fun to write.
Cool! Have you incorporated actual events or people from your own life into your books?
All the time. Usually, little things. Quirks that I see in people that make them interesting and I think will make my characters seem layered and real so that readers can connect. The kids are an endless supply of material, and my husband is very funny so the tone of our banter definitely flavors my work.
Is there a theme or message that runs through your work?
No message that runs through them all, but I think humor ties them together in a way that, if you read one of my books, you would likely recognize my voice in another. I also have a penchant for mouthy heroines. As a reader, I can’t stand a milk-toast heroine so I don’t write them. Brassy women are more fun.
Love that! What would your readers be surprised to learn about you?
Hmm, maybe that, although I write romance, I’m very much a tomboy at heart? I love to play poker, shoot pool, and play laser tag. I never liked dolls and preferred superheroes to shows about ponies. Although the tomboyish-ness stops at shoes. I loves me some sexy shoes.
Who doesn’t??? Which romance book or series (or other genre, if you don’t write romance) do you wish you had written?
Oooh…wow. There are DOZENS. I’ll narrow it down to a few though, is that okay? I’ll say A Week to be Wicked by Tessa Dare, because it’s just so frigging smart and funny. I was alternately cursing and praising her with every line I read because I was both envious and in awe. Another is an oldie but goody by Loretta Chase called Lord of Scoundrels. The woman can create smog-thick tension with the unbuttoning of a glove. It’s the perfect romance novel. Then I love everything by Cari Quinn. Her voice is so sparkly and fun, her characters are so relatable and she writes the best love scenes. The last one isn’t a romance, it’s a thriller, but the writing is so good that, every time I read it, everything else is crap for a month until I forget how amazing the writing is. And then I read it again. It’s called Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn. Her current NYT Bestseller Gone Girl is just as well written. Love her.
Okay, now, just for fun:
Milk chocolate or dark chocolate? Milk. But I won’t kick dark outta bed either. The only think I don’t like is white chocolate. Because, well, that’s just not even chocolate.
Salty or sweet? Both. Salty, then sweet.
Bed or kitchen table? Bed. Wait, for eating crackers or? Meh, you know what, doesn’t matter. Still bed.
Beach or mountains? Beach.
Give or receive? Give.

He needs a wife for three weeks…

Owen Phipps is out for revenge. His mission? To expose the man who stole his sister’s money and dignity. All he needs is a “wife” who can play along. Too bad his last best hope is an actress who tries to mace him with perfume when he offers her the role of a lifetime.

Lindy Knight is a real sap. She loves too hard, feels too deep, and often finds herself saying yes when she should be saying “Let me think about it.” She can’t believe her good fortune when Owen offers her more than enough money to hold off foreclosure until she can find a job. Three weeks at a resort, money she desperately needs, and she gets to help bring a criminal to justice? Score.

It seems easy enough until the first time a couples bonding game turns intimate, and they realize how dangerous their mutual attraction could be. Can they keep their hands to themselves long enough to find the evidence Owen needs? Or are the close quarters more temptation than they can handle?

Where can we find you on the web?
Website | Twitter | Goodreads| Amazon Author Page
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING MY GUEST!
Thanks for having me! 

Giveaway!

Please check out the Entangled website here for an extended excerpt of Wife for Hire, and readers, stick around to comment, because, to celebrate the release of my new Entangled Indulgence, I’m offering to indulge YOU! One commenter on this post will win a $10 Barnes & Noble or Amazon gift card, so she (or he!) can buy a couple (or, if you buy from the Entangled Indulgence line, a few because they’re only $2.99!) new books. Must leave email address to be eligible. Gift card giveaway ends at midnight EST August 31!  
AND I’m also running a Let Me Indulge You contest. If Wife for Hire gets onto the Amazon OR Barnes & Noble top 500 list by September 18th, I will be giving away a $250 gift card to the salon or spa of one lucky winner’s choice. Sign into Rafflecopter below and every comment from my blog tour will be counted as an entry. Follow my whole blog tour? EACH comment = another entry! Extra entries will also be given for tweeting or posting the link to the book on Facebook:
So now to you, blog readers! Do tell. What’s your favorite indulgence? 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thanks so much for reading!
Laura