Carly Fall's Blog, page 25

Red Hot Blog Hop Winners

 

I know I'm late on this, and I apologize.  I received the final edits from my editor on the sequel to The Light Within Me titled  Finding My Faith, today.  I've been knee deeps in commas and semi-colons 

So here's the winners from this fantastic Blog Hop hosted by the wonderfully talented Ranae Rose:

The Light Within Me

Anastasia K

Barbara

Shackled to the Night

Kaylyn Davis

Julianne

Hidden in the Night

Gabrielle J

Cathy M

And the Grand Prize Winner for the hop is….

Tammy Ramey

All winners will be contacted via private email.

Thank you again for stopping by, and if you didn't win one of my books, please sign up for my monthly newsletter (the big yellow box that way ==>)

or give me a thumbs up on Facebook to get news on the next Blog Hop I'm going to participate in!

With Love,

Carly

With Love Blog Hop Winners!

I hope you all had a wonderful Valentine's Day!

Here are the winners for the With Love Blog Hop:

Shackled to the Night:

Jean P

Shadow

Hidden in the Night:

Lisa

Shannon

The Light Within Me:

Ashley

All winners will be contacted privately via email.

Thanks again for stopping by for the Blog Hop, and we will see you again soon! 

An actual conversation in my house…

An actual conversation that took place in my house just a few hours ago:

Husband:  Are you going to watch the Grammy's?

Me:  No.

Husband to 7 year old Son:  What about you?

Son:  No.

Husband leaves room to go watch Grammys.

7 year old son:  What happens at the Grammys?

Me:  People get awards for singing really well.

7 year old son:  So what is it?  A bunch of old lady Grannies singing?  And then they get prizes?  And why do they call them Grammies instead of Grannies?

You can't make this stuff up.

Six Sentence Sunday 2/12/12

Thanks  for stopping by!  I'm sticking with Finding My Faith, which will be out in March.  Our friend Rayner has just taken a tongue lashing (and not the good kind) from Faith.  In a nutshell, she's told him that he's an ass.  After many words were exchanged…

 

Holy Christ, he wanted her even more when she yelled at him, and when she had come at him with him with that little fist, oblivious to their size difference, that had sent him right to the edge.  He would have to explore the psychiatry of that later.  Right now, he was busy teetering on a very dangerous slope.  He just wanted Faith.  He didn't care about consequences, what would happen later, or what would happen in three minutes.  He was only in the moment, and the moment consisted of Faith's hand on his raging erection.

Don't forget to check out the two blog hops this weekend.  GREAT prizes on each – gift cards, jewelry, books…buttons are on the sidebear that way ==>

Make sure to check out the other authors by clicking the graphic above, and thank you again for stopping by!

With Love Blog Hop

 

With Love, thank you for stopping by!  I am giving away two PDFs of each of my titles.  To get the skinny and excerpt on each, please click on the pictures below.  When you decide what you want, please leave a comment letting me know what book you would prefer.  It is so much easier to pick winners for each book that way 

When you're ready to return to the author list, click the pretty picture above.

While you're here, sign up for my newsletter (the big yellow box to the right), give me a thumbs up on Facebook, and hit the new widget I just put up, "Join this Site."  Everything is located that way ==>>

With Valentine's Day right around the corner and everyone lookin' for love, I leave you with the worst pick-up lines I could find:

Is your father a terrorist? Because you're the bomb.

Are you a parking ticket? Because you got fine written all over you.

Baby, you must be a broom, cause you just swept me off my feet.

And the worst:

Yo Baby, you be my Dairy Queen, I'll be your Burger King, you treat me right, and I'll do it your way right away.

I do this as a public service to YOU.  You're WELCOME.  Got anything worse?  Leave it in the comments along with what book you want.

Now, onward…

 

 

Red-Hot Romance Valentine's Day Blog Hop

Thank you for stopping by on the Red-Hot Romance Valentine's Day Blog Hop!

Valentine's Day, a day to celebrate love.  I believe love should be celebrated every day of the year!  That, my friend, is what romance is about!  Well, that and escaping reality through books with  hot men, but I digress.  As I usually do.

THE GRAND PRIZE:  Ranae has said that anyone who comments on the author blogs is entered into winning the Grand Prize Drawing for a $60 from All Romance E-books.  That, my friend, is a LOT of ebooks! (One comment per author post, please!)

So here's the scoop:  I'm giving away two ebooks of each of my titles.  Click on the pictures below to read about each of them as well as an excerpt.  When you decide which one you want, leave a comment.  Please note which title you want.  Winners will be announced here on February 16th and also contacted via private email.

To go back to to the other amazingly fantastic authors, click on the picture above.  But while you're here, don't forget to sign up for my monthly newsletter, which you can do at the big, yellow box on the right, give me a thumbs up on Facebook, and also hit the new "Join this Site" I just put up.

And now for a little extra excerpt from The Light Within Me

Noah was pretty certain he had found heaven on Earth when Abby pulled him down on top of her.  He loved the feeling of the skin-on-skin contact, the way her soft curves met his hard body as they kissed.  She tried to undo his belt, but he pulled away.  He slid her jeans off, gaping at her naked body, silently thanking whoever was responsible for the design of the human female form for the absolute perfection.

He heard himself breathing heavily, and he wondered what he looked like.  He had to be glowing so hard he probably looked like he was spitting fire.  But Abby stared up at him as if nothing was wrong, and he reminded himself that humans could not see his skin glow.

He moved his hands over her breasts, down her ribcage, and circled her belly button.  He was surprised to see a small amount of brown curls at the top of her sex.  In every movie involving sex he had ever watched, the woman had been bare.

He let his finger travel into her secret flesh and felt like his balls had been jacked with a bolt of lightening, but in a really good way.  She was hot and slick.  He gently traced up the folds, and she began moving against his fingers.  He lay down next to her, letting her rub against his hand.  He knew his eyes should probably be closed, but he loved watching as he kissed her.  Her cheeks were turning pink, and she had a look pure enjoyment on her face. She repositioned herself a little, and suddenly his fingers were sliding deeper into her sex, and she continued moving.

He didn't really know what to do, so he just kept kissing her, watching her move, trying to give her what she wanted as she gyrated against his hand.

He looked down at her breast, the hard pink tip beckoning him.  And who would he be to deny such an invitation?  He moved slightly so that he could suckle it again.  Seconds later, she grabbed his hair and pulled his face to her chest as her hips bowed off the couch.  He felt her sex go tight around his fingers, contracting and loosening and doing it all over again.  And again and again.  At first, he was terrified that he had hurt her, but then he looked at her face.  She didn't look hurt in the least bit.  She looked like she was thoroughly enjoying herself.

This must be a human female orgasm, he thought.

 

Six Sentence Sunday 2/5/12

Thanks for stopping by this week!  I appreciate your comments!

I'm going back to my WIP, Finding My Faith, which will be released in March.

Of course, this is Faith and Rayner…

 

"Don't say another word, Faith," he whispered.  "Just don't."

He closed his eyes and brought a lock of her hair up to his nose, smelling the fresh mountain breeze scent he had come to associate with Faith.  His chest grew tight, his breathing became more labored as the silky strands whispered across his skin.  He wanted her with a ferocity that bordered on insanity.  What beat within him now was nothing but raw male need, all pretenses of manners and gentlemanly etiquette long gone.

This weekend I'm hosting author Camelia Miron Skiba.  She's giving away an ebook of her newest release, A World Apart (a romance),  and has a fascinating post about growing up in Communist Romania.  To check out the book, the post, and to sign up to win, please go here

And I now return you to Six Sentence Sunday

CBLS – A World Apart by Camelia Miron Skiba

I'm very excited to  have Camelia Miron Skiba as my guest today.  She's a very interesting woman, and today she's written about growing up under communism, and talking about her new book, A World Apart.  And she's giving away one free ebook – my type of gal!

So without further ado…

Growing up under communism stripped us of many things—pride to be a Romanian, loyalty to a government that was busy fattening up their accounts rather than protecting its citizens, belonging to a nation older than most nations in Europe—but what it didn't take away from us was the freedom to dream and be creative.

Without electricity and food we learned to entertain ourselves making up games and toys. My sisters and I had one doll each. Summer vacations were spent in remote villages where we weren't allowed to take our dolls for fear they might be destroyed. Empty boxes and sticks then became our toy dishes. Corn replaced our dolls, sometimes taking us hours walking between rows of corn to pick the perfect doll. Blond or redhead, the longer the hair (meaning the silk on the corn) the better. Twigs formed the limbs. My mom's aunt used to be a seamstress and her leftover fabrics made for awesome clothing. Dirt and water was the best dessert our dolls had ever tasted. Leaves made for perfect beds where princesses slept until knights came to rescue them…

In looking back, they might've resembled anything, but dolls. But to us they meant as much as to a girl playing with her first Barbie.

I might not have had an abounding childhood, but I definitely grew up creating heavenly worlds, and dreaming that anything is possible as long as you want it badly enough. I should know that—I now live the American dream.

 

And now about the book:

BLURB :

In a war that's not hers, she loses everything. Everything she loses is because of him. Forgiveness is not an option.

Or maybe…

Lieutenant Cassandra Toma, trauma surgeon in the Romanian National Army starts her deployment at a joint-unit air base on a wrong foot, clashing on her first day with her new commander, Major David Hunt. Her rebellious nature and sassiness rival her excellent performance in the operating room—the only reason why she's not reprimanded, or maybe not the only reason.

They meet. They clash. A forbidden passion consumes them with the intensity of an erupting volcano, leaving her heartbroken and him with tarnished honor and pride as an officer. The only way out for David is disappearing into the dangerous warzone in Iraq. Their flame was supposed to be over when destiny brings them back under the same roof, this time with a common goal—to find Cassandra's brother, Maj. Robert Toma, kidnapped by insurgents while on patrol.

To rescue Robert, Cassandra and David put aside their resentments, uniting forces against a common enemy. Trying to forget the painful past, Cassandra opens up to give David—and their love—another chance. What she doesn't realize is that her anguish is the result of David's impetuous action—one reckless choice he made for which she may never forgive him.

His mistake, his secret, could cost them both the love they've finally found.

Excerpt #1:

"You need to calm down," David inched closer to Cassandra, fixing her with such intensity her face caught fire.

"Calm down? You want me to calm down?" she snorted, jutting her chin up, hands on her hips.

"Yes. You need to calm down. What was that all about? Why are you so furious?"

 "You want to know why I am so furious?" Cassandra grounded her feet apart and pushed her chin forward.  "You really want to know? I'll tell you why. I'm so sick of your bigheaded attitude, of your 'I'm an American—I do whatever I want' arrogance!" She shoved a finger at David's chest, poking it and leaning forward. Her gaze locked on his, their faces close. "You act like some god on our grounds, like you're doing us a big favor, honoring us with your royal presence as if we are a bunch of idiots you cannot stand. Anything that comes your way that is Romanian, you dismiss with such vehemence one might think it's poisonous. Nothing we do or have is good enough for your nose.

"But let me tell you something, my friend. My people might not have everything so technical and so advanced, but they are good and hard-working people. They have good hearts and above all, they have dignity. When you live for generations under communism and are treated the way we were, maybe only then you can understand what it means to be so 'primitive'. To be given nothing and be expected to work wonders. Your standards and ours obviously don't match, but who are you to judge us? What do you know about us that gives you the right to treat us this way? Huh?

"And for your information, in case nobody had the courage to tell you, this is not our war." She made a large circle with her arms. "We haven't asked for it and we are doing you a favor allowing all of you to be on our soil. And not vice versa." Cassandra straightened her back, pushed away a curl that fell on her face and held her arms up. "Here you have it, I said it."

She walked around David, opened the door and before leaving, said without looking back, "And don't forget to write me up."

 

Excerpt #2

David shook his head, scrunching his eyebrows. "Have you looked around, Cassandra? Do you have the smallest idea where we are?"

"Yes," she jutted her chin up, her voice a rasp, "in a rat's hole I don't give a damn about. I could care less about the people here, nor want anything to do with them. This is not my war. I said it before, I'll say it again. The only reason I'm here is for Robert, and Robert only." She inhaled deeply, squeezing dreadful tears between her eyelids. "If you don't want to help, that's fine. But don't try to stop me." She turned to walk away, but David caught her wrist. "What—"

"Look around you. I get it you don't care about being here, or about the people, but you have a choice—the choice of staying alive and safe, here on the base. They," he pointed at the beds, "didn't."

Three soldiers occupied the room, one without an arm, another without a leg. The third one had bandages around his head, half of his face disfigured with burns.

Her stomach twisted, a strong taste of bile rising in her throat.

"And what am I supposed to do, David? Just sit around and wait?" She glanced at Laura who, standing in the doorway, waved a nurse not to enter. Grateful that Laura spared her the embarrassment of being heard by others, she turned to David and said, "I have to at least try to find him, I have to." Her eyes burned with tears, her voice choked up. "He is somewhere out there, and must be found, alive…" Her stomach turned to a fire pit, pain forcing her to bend forward.

David grabbed her by the shoulders and for a moment, Cassandra thought he'd embrace her. Instead, he blinked quickly, pushed her slightly away and rubbed her upper arms, shaking his head, his voice heavy. "Cass … You won't be allowed to go anywhere. If your assignment is here on the base, in the hospital, then you'll follow orders. This is not Romania."

She opened her mouth to speak, but David raised a hand. "There's no point in arguing, trust me." He limped around the first bed, put gloves and a mask on and added, "Come, let's finish the rounds."

About the author:

I WRITE. I LOVE. I DREAM. I WRITE.

I'm Chris' wife, Patrick's mom and Bella's owner. During the day, I'm the assistant to the Director at SESE at Arizona State University, and romance's slave at night.

I moved to the U.S eight years ago, following my heart and the man who stole it. I love comedies, historical dramas and happily-ever-after stories. English is not my native, not my second, but my third language.

Some fun facts about me:

Each year I participate in one big event that requires me to physically train. My biggest sportive accomplishment was the 3-day 60-mile Susan G. Komen Walk.

Annually I pick a color I decree my favorite (this year it's salmon).

I refused to text until 2010, always preferring to hear voices rather than sending emotionless messages. Politic bores me to death and I have no tolerance for arrogance.

"A World Apart" is my second book. My debut novel "Hidden Heart" came out March 2011.

To connect with Camelia:

Blog   http://cameliamironskiba.wordpress.com/

Facebook     http://www.facebook.com/Camelia.M.Skiba

GoodReads http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4864495.Camelia_Miron_Skiba

 

To Buy the Book:

Amazon (Kindle Edition):  http://www.amazon.com/A-WORLD-APART-ebook/dp/B006NZWHF2

Amazon (Paperback):  http://www.amazon.com/World-Apart-Camelia-Miron-Skiba/dp/1466226676

Barnes & Noble (Nook Book):  http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-world-apart-camelia-miron-skiba/1108016741

Smashwords (All Formats):  http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/115952

 

Character interview – Alexander Gordon from Highland Storm by Ranae Rose

   If you haven't read anything by Ranae Rose, you have been seriously missing out.  Ranae        Rose writes Red Hot Romance.

I had the pleasure of interviewing Alexander Gordon, the very sexy man from her book Highland Storm.   Here is a brief blurb of the story:

  A Gordon man ruined Isla Forbes' life. Blamed for her brother's death and desperate for escape from her father's abuse, she journeys to a saint's spring to plead for help. A fierce storm that sweeps across the highlands drives her into the arms of the striking Alexander Gordon, heir of Benstrath and half-brother to her own brother's murderer. It's obvious he's the answer to her prayers…but should she redeem herself by killing him to avenge her brother, or let him save her by loving him?

   When I met Alexander, I felt myself blush like a school girl  just looking at him.  He was tall and muscular, terribly charming, with long black hair and blue eyes.

I'm such a sucker for black hair and blue eyes!

Being from the Highland, he also had on a nice little kilt, and I wondered if he had anything on underneath. But my mind tends to head to the gutter like that

I met him at his family's Highland estate, Benstrath.  After a huge feast, Alexander and I sat down together and had a little chat.  And no, I didn't get a peek under his kilt!

Carly:  Thank you for your hospitality, Alexander.  I appreciate your time.  Can you give a brief synopsis of your story Ranae has written?

Alexander:  The story is about how I met my wife, Isla, and how we were merrit, and all the trouble that caused. It wasna exactly what ye'd call a proper marriage – I was ridin' home when I found a lass stranded near the edge of Gordon land, and she was a Forbes – our clans were feuding, and still are. She didnae think much of me at all, nor my offer of assistance, but it was a wretched day, and I couldna leave her there alone with her nag to weather a storm. So I helped her get to where she was goin', and it wasna long before I found out that she'd been wronged by one of my kinsmen, and had endured a great deal of suffering for it. As far as I could determine, there were only two ways to restore her honor: to let her take my life in recompense, or to marry her. I reckon ye know which she chose, for I wouldna be here to tell ye about it if she'd chosen the former.

Neither of our families were content with our decision to marry, save for my father. T'was his opinion that truly mattered, if ye ask me, but damned if my half-brother and step-mother didn't try to bring our union to ruin – and that's not even mentioning Isla's own father.

Carly:  Is there a part of your story you wish Ranae hadn't told?

Alexander:  Well, I dinna see why she had to go into such great detail when it came to my wife and I lying together. I dinna think Isla knows all that's been written down in a book, and I willna tell her, for Icanna imagine that any woman would be pleased over it.

Carly:  Did she leave anything out you wish she would have told?

Alexander:  Aye, there's a part in the book where she mentions the scars I bear from the many times my half-brother Alpin tried to do away wi' me. I wish she would hae made it known that I repaid the wee bastard with a few of his own, when we were lads.

Carly:  Will your story go on in a sequel?

Alexander:  I amna the one writing the books, but I dinna think so. Life has settled down at Benstrath, and we have a family now, Isla and I.

Carly:  Well, it was a pleasure to meet you, Alexander.  I wish you much happiness with Isla, and thank you again for having me into your home.

 About Author Ranae Rose

Ranae Rose is an avid reader and writer who can't resist a good love story, and the hotter the better. She lives on the US East Coast with her family and animals, and when she's not writing she prefers to be in the saddle or lost in a good book with a cup of tea. You can find out more about Ranae and her books at: www.ranaerose.com

Connect with Ranae on Twitter: Ranae_Rose

Friend her on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=100002037020587

Six Sentence Sunday 1/29/12

Hey Sixers,

Thanks for stopping by today!

My last posts from my still untitled and unedited WIP have been about my hero, Hudson, who has been determined to commit suicide. To see my other posts, please go to Six Sentence Sunday above.

Today we meet Beverly.

Her lifestyle was more than comfortable— some would describe her uptown Manhattan apartment as plush, her way of life as privileged. And she supposed from the outside looking in, it was. There were parties with politicians,  dinners with famous people, the nice clothes, exotic vacations, expensive jewelry. Yet, if she ever took the time to think about it, she would describe her life as empty. The parties, dinners and her nice wardrobe weren't what stood out in her mind. No, what took center stage in her frontal lobe was the lonely nights at home where she tried not to think about her solitary existence or her longing for what she wanted, for what she would trade all of it for…a family.

Thanks again for stopping by, and I now return you to the awesomeness of Six Sentence Sunday