Adele Downs's Blog, page 45
February 11, 2015
Cover Reveal! HER IMMORTAL VIKING by Adele Downs
HER IMMORTAL VIKING by Adele Downs
Coming Tuesday, February 24!
A contemporary fantasy romance.
Viking Warrior. Immortal Slave. Freed by Love.
Summary:
Penny pleads for divine intervention from overwork and mountainous debt one desperate, lonely night. She sings songs of praise, chants like a yogi, and rubs her belly like Buddha until the crystal charm on her navel shimmers, hoping to draw the attention of someone up there.
From the place between heaven and earth, in the west beyond the seas, an immortal hears Penny’s cries. Once a fearless Viking warrior, Gunnar has been cast into eternal servitude by an angry god and made a Light Elf. While Penny sleeps, he comes to earth from Alfheim for a single night to complete her tasks. When she awakens and confronts him, the handsome immortal kisses her, sparking a night of forbidden passion. By dawn, the couple has fallen in love.
Dark forces target Penny, seeking revenge for Gunnar’s earthly misdeeds. To protect his mortal lover, Gunnar takes up his sword to defend her. Though his strength and courage are unmatched, it might be the power of Gunnar and Penny’s love that saves them both.
Available February 24, 2015
Filed under: Contemporary Romance, Fantasy Romance, Kindle Book, Lasting Love, Paranormal Romance, Romance Fiction, Romance Novella, Romantic Fiction Tagged: Adele Downs, Contemporary Romance with fantasy elements, Cover Reveal, Her Immortal Viking
February 9, 2015
Hunk of Love John Antorino-Featured Cover Model and GIVEAWAY! #RomanceWeek
To celebrate Valentine’s Day during Goodreads #RomanceWeek, I invited actor and cover model John Antorino to visit my blog and show us some love with his newest, better-than-chocolate photographs. John graciously agreed, and told me, “I am big on passion, love, and romance. Not just on this day of love we call Valentine’s Day, but all year long.”
Please be sure to say hello and make John feel welcome in the comments section. When you do, you’ll be automatically entered to win your choice of contemporary romance novella NATURALLY YOURS by Adele Downs or contemporary cowboy short story KISSING HER COWBOY by Adele Downs. Prizes sent via Amazon Kindle directly to your email address. Extra credit given for tweets, Facebook, and Tsu shares! Bonus credits if you follow this blog, too!
Three winners announced here Saturday, February 14, 2015.
Ready for more?
John Antorino is a fitness model, romance novel cover model, and actor whose upcoming documentary film with Eric Roberts, There Is Many Like Us, will release in 2015. John and Eric play bad guys, but I can assure you that John is one of the nicest, most down to earth guys you’ll meet in real life. He has appeared in Sex and The City, Sex and The City 2, Lipstick Jungle, The Forensic Files, and The Republic, among others. New film projects are in the works for the foreseeable future.
When he’s not working on his career, John volunteers his time in hospitals in his home state of New Jersey and around the country, visiting children with cancer. He calls his volunteer work his “true passion.”
I asked John to describe his ideal Valentine’s Day date:
“My ideal romantic Valentine’s Day date wouldn’t be the typical out to dinner and roses sent to work. Although I’m sure I’ve done that in the past. But that’s too common for me and every couple typically does that to celebrate Valentine’s Day. I’d much rather take the time and effort to make a nice homemade dinner. Candles lit. Greet her at the door with a rose and a big kiss. After dinner some good homemade dessert. A good movie. Hugging and kissing and fall asleep in my arms all night.
“I have to say though, for me, and being the man I am, I am this way all the time. Year round. It’s not just for one day on Valentine’s Day. Hugs, kisses, love, affection, romance and beautiful words should be shared daily!”
I’ve interviewed John for articles published on other romance blogs, but met him for the first time in October 2014 at the New Jersey Romance Writers Put Your Heart in a Book conference, where he represented a publisher for whom he does cover modeling.
Lucky me, John greeted me with a kiss! Book Obsessed Chicks book club president and blogger Kimberly Radicy-Rocha caught the moment on camera. John is gorgeous and likable. No wonder I’m smiling!
John Antorino is the spokesperson for Muscle Wiz and has appeared in several fitness magazines.
Wow! ‘Nuff said about this smokin’ hot pic.
“I’m a selfless, passionate lover. I love kissing and taking care of my lady in every way. When she’s with me she knows what passion, romance, and love is. Happy Valentine’s Day, ladies!” ~ John Antorino
For more information about John Antorino, visit his social media pages.
Friend John Antorino on Facebook: www.facebook.com/johnantorino
Like John Antorino’s Fan Page: www.facebook.com/johnantorinofanpage
John Antorino IMDb page:
Thank you for joining us! I wish you a week filled with romance.
~Best, Adele
(Please remember that all photos on this blog post are copyrighted and the property of John Antorino. They may not be copied, shared, or used for any personal or professional purpose without express permission.)
Filed under: Celebrity Interview, Exercise and Wellness, Health and Fitness Tagged: #RomanceWeek, Adele Downs, Celebrity Feature, Goodreads, Goodreads #RomanceWeek, John Antorino, Romance Cover Model, Valentine's Day feature
February 4, 2015
Easy, Yummy Strawberry Chocolate Tequila Cocktail Recipe for Your Valentine
Perfect for Valentine’s Day or Girls Night In. Looks elegant and is easy to make. (Especially if we practice and sip, practice and sip, practice and sip beforehand!)
STRAWBERRY CHOCOLATE TEQUILA COCKTAIL
An adult beverage for those over age 21.
You’ll Need:
Serves 4
1 part Sauza® Blue Silver 100% Agave Tequila*
1 part strawberry puree or daiquiri mix
3 parts chocolate milk
Chocolate covered strawberry for garnish
*If Sauza® Blue Silver isn’t available, try Sauza® Silver
To Make:
Combine chilled chocolate milk, Sauza® Blue Silver and strawberry puree in a tall glass. Stir vigorously to combine. Pour into a glass and garnish with a chocolate covered strawberry.
Photo and recipe courtesy of Sauza Tequila. Posted with permission.
Filed under: Chocolate, Cocktail Recipes, Family and Home, Party Refreshments, Romance, Seasons of the Year Tagged: chocolate and strawberry, Easy cocktail recipe, Sauza Tequila, tequila, Valentine's Day cocktail recipe
January 29, 2015
Forget Winter, Think Summer–Photographs
Winter is howling around us. Let’s relax, forget about the cold for a few moments, and look ahead to brighter days. Enjoy!
Imagine yourself here… away from the cold.
Warmer days are coming…
~Best, Adele
Filed under: Beach Life, Beach Photographs, Beach Vacation, Environment, Photography, Seasons of the Year Tagged: Beach Photos, Photos by Adele Downs, Winter Blues
January 26, 2015
KISSING HER COWBOY One-Year Anniversary GIVEAWAY!
I’m celebrating the One-Year Anniversary of KISSING HER COWBOY, my first book with Boroughs Publishing Group, with a GIVEAWAY! This short story has received such a warm welcome and such great reviews from readers and book bloggers that I’m holding a giveaway to celebrate. To be automatically entered to win a copy of KISSING HER COWBOY leave a comment on this blog. If enough people respond, I’ll give away additional copies. Prize will be sent as a Kindle gift copy direct from Amazon.
For additional chances to win, please Tweet and Share on Facebook!
Kissing Her Cowboy by @Adele_Downs Anniversary Giveaway! https://adeledowns.wordpress.com @BoroughsPubGrp #giveaway #contest
Winner(s) will be announced Wednesday, January 28.
Thank you for your support!
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Here’s the most recent 5-Star review of KISSING HER COWBOY, posted 1/2015 on Amazon and Goodreads:
“I’ve always been a sucker for a good cowboy story–and this short story had me hooked in the first few pages! There are so many small touches in this story that warmed my heart (sweet tea…sweet lips…). I fell in love with Trey easily, and learning about both his and Daisy’s background stories…gave this book incredible depth that is typically very rare in a story this short. Overall, fantastic and sweet love story!” 5 Stars! ~ Amazon Community Reviewer
Buy The Book on Amazon!
Available wherever ebooks are sold. Only .99!
Buy the standalone sequel HER CHRISTMAS COWBOY on Amazon. Only .99!
Filed under: .99 Kindle Book, .99 short story, Contest, Kindle Book, Lasting Love, Prizes, Romance, Romance Fiction, Romance Novella, Romantic Fiction, Short Story, Western Novels, Western Romance Tagged: Amazon Top 100 Western, Celebration, contest, Giveaway, Kissing Her Cowboy, Kissing Her Cowboy by Adele Downs, One-Year Anniversary
January 21, 2015
NATURALLY YOURS Featured at Choosy Bookworm!
NATURALLY YOURS is the Featured Book at Choosy Bookworm! To qualify for a feature, a book must have overwhelmingly positive reviews, and readers say they love NATURALLY YOURS!
A contemporary romance novella available for $2.99 at Amazon and everywhere ebooks are sold.
Buy The Book on Amazon!
Filed under: Contemporary Romance, Fiction, Food and Fun, Health and Fitness, Kindle Book, Lasting Love, Marriage, Organic Foods and Cooking, Romance, Romance Fiction, Romance Novella, Romantic Fiction, Seasons of the Year, The Harvest Moon Tagged: Adele Downs, Choosy Bookworm, contemporary romance novella, Featured Book, Naturally Yours
January 20, 2015
Cozy Mystery Author Cate Price And CONTEST!
–CONTEST ALERT!!!!–
Do you like to read cozy mysteries? I certainly do, and I love Cate Price’s Berkley Prime Crime mystery series.
I share a special connection to Cate’s books, since I read early drafts of book one, Going Through The Notions, and was a research source for that book, as well as book two in the series, A Dollhouse To Die For. Cate’s new release is Lie of The Needle.
When I discovered Cate had visited a New England carousel museum over the holidays, I invited her to share her beautiful pictures and experience with us. I hope you enjoy her tour.
Please welcome Cate and be sure to leave her a comment. Residents inside the continental USA will be automatically entered to win a copy of her latest cozy mystery Lie of The Needle.
*Winner Announced Saturday, 1/24/15.
Best~Adele
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The New England Carousel Museum by Cate Price
On a recent trip home to Connecticut, I paid a visit to the New England Carousel Museum that’s housed in an old hosiery factory building in Bristol. A friendly and knowledgeable tour guide showed me and my mom around, and we started with how the horses are made.
Interestingly, they’re not carved from a single piece of wood as I’d imagined, but from many small pieces held together with wooden dowels and animal hide glue. A carousel horse is hollow inside to make it lighter in weight. Some are time capsules in a way, because carvers often hid items in the cavity, like their tools or even a lottery ticket! The heads and bodies were made separately from each other, and our guide showed us a quirky example where the head was far too big for the horse’s body.
The museum has a large variety of antique hand-carved, hand-painted carousel horses, in various stages of repair. Some are in their original condition, but most are fully and beautifully restored. They’re not just historic examples of entertainment, but truly works of art, and there are several different styles. The highly expressive “Coney Island” style horses have flared nostrils and “peek-a-boo” looped manes, and are flamboyantly decorated with cabbage roses, feathers, jewels, and even real gold leaf. The “Philadelphia” style is more classic and realistic, with sweet faces, and then there’s the folk-art “Country Fair” horses which are smaller and built in simpler poses, with outstretched legs which made them easier to stack for transport.
My mother loved the white English prancing horse, but I think my favorite was the little one who hadn’t been restored yet, with his distressed wood and multiple layers of peeling paint, showing how many times he had been fixed up over the years, with whatever paint the carousel park owners happened to have on hand.
The horses have a fancy or “romance” side that is highly decorated, but the one that faces the inside of the carousel is plainer. Something else I hadn’t realized is that in America the horses travel counter clockwise. In England the horses go clockwise, so those horses were pointing in the opposite direction to show their best side. I also noticed that some had a decorative feature at the rear of the saddle, like a brace of game birds peeking out, a monkey, flowers, or fruit, to name but a few.
The museum has Menagerie figures, too, like a double-seater rooster, rabbit, cat, duck, giraffe, pig, and magnificent carved lion. The master carver on staff has created new figures, such as a lovely manatee. There are other curiosities, including an old fortune teller machine, a wooden fairy tale carriage, and a Wurlitzer band organ.
The New England Carousel Museum has the contract to manage the historic Bushnell Park Carousel in Hartford that was built in 1914 by Stein and Goldstein and features forty-eight hand-carved wooden horses and two lover’s chariots.
Carousels often included open carriages to accommodate Victorian ladies’ skirts.The museum is dedicated to the acquisition, restoration and preservation of carousels and carousel memorabilia, with a focus on educational programs. Although we didn’t have time on this visit, also housed in the same building is the Museum of Fire History and The Bristol Center for Arts and Culture.
Price of admission is only six dollars for adults (less for seniors and children), which includes a ride on the working carousel. It’s definitely worth a visit!
The New England Carousel Museum is located at 95 Riverside Avenue, Bristol, CT. 860-585-5411. They are closed in January and February, but available for private parties. www.thecarouselmuseum.org
About Cate Price:
Cate Price is the author of the Deadly Notions mystery series from Berkley Prime Crime. The third book in the series, LIE OF THE NEEDLE, was published January 6, 2015.
As the owner of Sometimes a Great Notion, a shop specializing in vintage sewing notions and antique treasures, Daisy Buchanan is a strong advocate of preserving the past. But when a killer strikes, she turns her attention to saving lives…
Talk about a great notion! As a fund-raiser to save a two-hundred-year-old farmhouse and stop an ambitious developer, the ladies of the Historical Society of Millbury, Pennsylvania, are producing a Hunky Men of Millbury calendar. Daisy is delighted to lend her support, and the female population of the village is abuzz with anticipation.
But after Daisy’s close friend Cyril doesn’t show up for his photo shoot and the calendar photographer is found dead, it’s beginning to look like the days may be numbered for the men of Millbury. Can a cryptic verse on an antique sampler help Daisy pin down the killer before another pinup runs out of time?
Buy The Book on Amazon!
Cate Price loves to hear from readers at her website, www.cateprice.com or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/catepriceauthor
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Filed under: Family, Museums, Mystery Novels, Places to Visit in the USA Tagged: Adele Downs, Berkley Prime Crime, Cate Price, Cozy Mystery, Guest Author, New England Carousel Museum
January 14, 2015
SUMMERTIME Photos To Brighten Your Winter
Snow has blanketed Pennsylvania, making me long to see greenery. If you’re like me, you’re not a fan of winter and count the days until spring arrives.
Until the warm weather returns, these original summertime pictures taken with my Fuji digital camera might brighten your winter blues. Enjoy!
Filed under: Flowers and Gardens, Historical Sites in Pennsylvania, Photography, Places in Pennsylvania, Places to Visit in the USA, Seasons of the Year Tagged: Adele Downs, Longwood Gardens, Original Photographs, Summertime Photographs
January 2, 2015
December 31, 2014
Ring In The New Year 2015!
Thanks so much for your wonderful support in 2014 by reading my books and joining 676 other followers of my blog. I can hardly wait to tell you about upcoming releases in 2015 and beyond. New contract news will be coming soon!
In 2015 I’ll also be adding new columns to this blog that will be fun for me to publish and, I hope, fun for you to read. These will include guest spots of publishing industry professionals who will share their hobbies and travels with you.
Please let me know if you enjoy reading my posts by leaving comments. Feedback is always appreciated.
I hope you all have a prosperous, healthy, happy, exciting year in 2015!
Filed under: Places in Pennsylvania, Seasons of the Year Tagged: Adele Downs, Happy New Year, New Year 2015, New Year's Message
