AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT (Part 2): Interview with Syndra K. Shaw

LET’S GET TO KNOW SYNDRA!!!

1. Can you tell us something we don’t know about Syndra?

         I’m slightly allergic to lemons (or any citrus), but still have it in my tea. Go figure. 🙂 

2. When did you first realize that you wanted to become a writer? 

         I had a nanny who read to me when I was very small and I keenly remember being impressed with all  the letters on those pages. There were so many! And I found them all so pretty and fascinating and thought it would be just so wonderful to be that person putting those letters, those words, in that book.

3. So let’s talk about Mikalo’s Grace and Flame. Why do you feel you had to tell this story? Is there something in these books that is based on real life experience? 

        It might sound odd, but the story is really telling itself through me. It’s as if I sit back and just write, allowing them to take me where they want to go. But finding my courage and getting me to the keyboard took a couple years. And it was really through the constant, consistent pestering of a dear friend of mine, an American writer, that it happened at all. He really helped me find the strength to do this and still, to this day, urges me to continue even when I doubt myself. And, no, the story isn’t based on a real life experience. But how wonderful would it be if it was! 

4. What was your inspiration in creating the characters? Was it hard to create the complicated love story of Mikalo and Ronan?

        I saw them so clearly and heard them so strongly in my head that it wasn’t difficult at all to create them. I mean, the process isn’t easy. Any writer will tell you it’s a road filled with frustration and doubt. But the creation of Ronan and Mikalo is one of trust for me, i.e., trusting them to tell me who they are and what they’re doing and why. The difficulty comes in deciding what’ll go into what I’m writing now and what can wait and go into the next book. Mikalo and Ronan have such a story to tell and there’s a lot there!

5. Do you write to music? Any songs that inspired the story of the two?

        I do write to music, but it’s stuff that relies more on a driving beat and less on lyrics that could hook me in. It all becomes white noise to silence my very vocal, very loud inner critic, anyway. 🙂

6. Among all the books that you have read, which of these have significantly contributed to your writing style?

        In all honesty — and I’ve decided this is the best way to answer this question –, I love the historical biography writings of Allison Weir. The way she brings people to life and places them in an exciting, fully embraceable historical context is simply fascinating to me. I don’t know if I could ever do what she does. But the fact that she does do it and does it so well constantly inspires me in my own work.

7. Name 3 authors you would love to collaborate with.

         I love the kindness and spirit of Kelli Maine and the emotional bravery of Abbi Glines. But writing a book with my friend Jonathan Winn would be simply amazing. I don’t know how he does what he does, but I suspect working with him would give me a front row seat into finding the answer. But he writes in a different genre, so I doubt it’ll happen. 🙂 

8. Excluding your own, name 3 books you would recommend to your friends. 

         Oh my goodness, there really are so many to choose from. Seriously. I personally enjoyed Katie Ashley’s newest book “Music of the Heart” and Kelli Maine’s “Taken” was a great read. Such a great read. I also liked a debut novel by a new author, “Connected” by Kim Karr. Very good stuff.
9. If you could date any fictional character, who would it be and why?

         I’ve spent a ridiculous amount of time on this question. Actually left the house, went to a cafe with a small notebook and, espresso in hand, made a list, wrote the Whys of each choice, and then narrowed it down. And, as infuriating as it is, I’m left with my own Mikalo. There’s just so much about him that I adore and there’s so much that still frustrates me. He’s perfectly imperfect. Or imperfectly perfect. Something like that. I love how he doesn’t come as a complete package who just loves you, no questions asked. And I know that’s rare in this genre. You have to earn his love, but he’s there every step of the way loving you and encouraging you and wanting you to succeed because he loves you even more! And that accent. Oh my goodness, if you could hear that deep baritone whispering in my head, well, you’d be as distracted as I am sometimes. 😉

Let’s do our fast talk:

1. Coffee or tea? Both!

2. Lights on / lights off? Off.

3. Boxers or briefs? (For your guy) Neither, thank you. 🙂

4. Favorite male body part? Neck.

5. Do you believe in love at first sight? Oh yes.

6. 3 things you never leave home without? (apart from keys, phone and money) Wedding ring, lip moisturizer, small umbrella (it’s Paris where the weather changes on a dime)

7. Sleep in or get up early? Up early. Habit from boarding school.

8. Ever slapped a guy? Yes.

9. 3 celebrity crushes? Jean Dujardin, Gilles Lelouche, Ryan Gosling (those eyes of his make me want to do very bad things to him)

10. Sex on the first date? Yes, and I always blame the wine.

Any advice to give to aspiring writers?

          Don’t be an aspiring writer. Sit down, write, and be a writer. Embrace that title. Earn it. Good, bad, great, horrible, just write. Only way to move forward is to do it.
Any message to us, your fans?

          What can I say that completely encapsulates what I feel for my readers? There simply aren’t words. When life is tough, I think of you guys and that’s what gets me out of bed and to the keyboard. When I doubt myself, I think of you guys waiting to see what happens next with Mikalo and Ronan and that drives me to my keyboard. And when I just want to stop and give up because I forget people care and have an interest in what I do and what I write, I remember there are those who DO care and that gets me to my keyboard. I feel a strong sense of responsibility to do better than I did before and the support of my readers feed me and give me strength. Truly and sincerely, I write for you. All of you.

And lastly, if I put my magic mirror in front of you, what would you tell yourself right at this very moment?

           You are better than you think.


Thank you Syndra for doing this with us. 
Watch out for the Part Three of our Special Author Spotlight tomorrow. For the mean time, if you haven’t picked her books yet, here are the links…

         

WATCH OUT FOR THE LAST PART TOMORROW
WE’VE GOT A SNIP OF HER LATEST BOOK, MIKALO’S FATE
AND SOME GIVEAWAYS!


AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT (Part 1): Syndra K. Shaw Excerpt from Mikalo’s Flame


Burying her wounded heart in a successful career, Ronan Grace had all but given up on romance. Then, over coffee, she glances up to discover a Greek god in grey wool. Mikalo Delis. Young, handsome, charming, hot. And rich. Very rich. Over passionate kisses and blistering sex, they battle the past. Struggling to forget, learning to forgive, eager for the future. Together. But when Mikalo considers returning to Greece, his soul yearning for the sun and sand and blue skies of home, Ronan wonders if their new love will be strong enough to endure. And how much will she give up to be with the man who awakened her heart, taught her to trust, and showed her true love?





Ronan Grace and her Greek god in grey wool Mikalo Delis. Still happy, still in love, and now living together in New York. Despite it all. Despite the lingering secrets of Mikalo’s past and his complicated life. Despite Ronan’s own doubts and worries, the strength of her love for him both shocking and frightening. Despite the jealousy and spite threatening her once successful career. And despite the unexpected emergence of a drunk, drug-addled viciously vindictive blast from Mikalo’s past. Will Ronan and Mikalo stumble under the weight of all these challenges and doubts and confusion as they move toward creating a life together? Or will they fight, giving their love what it needs to survive. Despite it all.






He was not insideme.
Pressing himselfagainst me, his hardness gripped in his fist, he teased me, refusing to enter,to plunge deep, aware that his thickness pressing against my heat, my wetness,my thump-thump-thumping desire, would drive me crazy.
He was right.
“Ohgod,” I said again as I lifted my hips, desperate for him.
Another smallsmile as he watched me.
“This isgood, no?” he asked, completely aware that it was good, very, very good,but that it wasn’t enough.
He could be acruel bastard sometimes.
“Yes,” Igasped, his hardness repeatedly rubbing, grinding against me, the fleshbecoming slick with my wetness. “Yes, it’s good.  So good.
“But –“I continued.
“Yes?”he asked.
“I wantyou.”
“But you haveme.”
“No,” Isaid, my hips rising, hungry for him. “I want you inside me.”
“But this,this is not a bad thing,” he said.
And then heslapped his hardness against my heat.
Oh fuck.
I gasped andsnapped my head back, my fingers immediately clutching my breast, the nipplespinched, my teeth nearly biting through my lip as I whimpered.
“It’s notbad,” I finally managed to say. “No, no, it’s not bad.  Don’tstop.”
The hips roseagain as he rubbed against me.
“Don’tstop,” I said again.
He stopped.
I almost cried.
His fingers dippedlow, tracing me, slipping in the warmth, the wetness, but not sliding deep, thetips just lightly, almost barely, moving over the surface, over that insanelysensitive nub of delicate flesh.  Almosta whisper of a touch.
I’m going to die,I thought.  Here in my library on the floor,a cold night outside, a fireplace glowing, the Perfect Man edging me towardorgasmic oblivion.
I’m going to die.
He’s going to killme.
His lips were onmy stomach, moving low and slow as he drifted, licking and tasting, biting andsucking.
I opened my legs,eager for him, desperate for him. Excited over what was to come. The feeling of his lips on me, his tongue worming its way deep.  His licks echoing the thump-thump-thump nowracking my legs, my stomach, my heart.
I was ready.
So ready.

TOMORROW WE’LL HAVE THE PART TWO OF OUR AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT 
WATCH OUT FOR OUR SPECIAL ONE ON ONE INTERVIEW WITH SYNDRA 

Author Spotlight: Nicole Brightman

Room to Breathe

Cora Allen moved to the English countryside from America to take care of her dying aunt. She never thought she would still be in the same sleepy town two years later. Cora has dreams for her life that far exceed bartending at her cousin’s pub. She is lost and searching for a new path when her current one collides with Lord Eric Ashcroft. He is so handsome and charming that she is easily swept up in him. She wants to let down her walls and trust him but his world is full of so much that is strange to her. Should she set her dreams aside for his?

Lord Eric Ashcroft loved his life. It was one filled with excess and women. Lately it had started to feel empty and he looked for a change. On a night where he almost made the biggest mistake of his life he meets Cora Allen. He is drawn to the young American right away. From the first time he saw her he has wanted to touch her, to possess her. She is unlike any other woman in his life. She makes him laugh and surprises him constantly. She has breathed lightness into him he thought he lost forever. But what will she say when she learns the truth about his life?

Can these two overcome the pain and loss in their pasts and let each other in? Can they look beyond the differences in their lives? Can they tear down each other’s walls and create a space where they both have room to breathe?

About Nicole
Nicole Brightman is a busy mother of two year old triplets. She enjoys spending her time doing various activities with them. Especially taking them to the local zoo where her husband works as an animal keeper. Nicole is  passionate about reading and writing. She loves to read just about anything she can get her hands on, but her favorites are erotic romance and paranormal romance. She also enjoys baking and gardening. She has lived all around the country and is currently residing outside of Seattle. She adores the Pacific Northwest with its varied terrain and mellow disposition. Her current home is also in close proximity to her favorite shoe store making it ideal.


Author Fast Five


1. Can you describe your write style in one sentence?

I love books that give you a fun escape from real life. Mostly, romantic stories with moderate drama, hot sex, strong women, and yummy men.

2. What are your top 5 books

Wow! That is a hard one for me! I have to be honest and my all-time favorite is Harry Potter. I am a complete Harry Potter geek and I have read them all several times. If You Stay by Courtney Cole and Seduction and Snacks by Tara Sivec the two most recent books I have read that I am in love with. One of my long time favorites is the Sookie Stackhouse Vampire series by Charlaine Harris.
I also really like the With Me series by Kristen Proby. I can’t wait for Rock With Me


3. If you were not writing what would you be doing?

I have 2 year old triplets that take up most of the hours in the day. I also love throwing parties and I have always thought being a part planner would be a lot of fun.


4. If you had to give up all but one of the following what would you keep. Facebook, Twitter, your phone or your laptop?

My phone hands down! I don’t know how I lived before texting!

5. Lastly, if you had to recommend one author other than yourself who
would it be and why?


Kristen Proby. She is just fantastic. I love her books! Any writer that is taking on a seven book series with a different main character and POV in each one is a rock star in my opinion. Not to mention she is humble, real, and makes the best potato soup I have ever had.

Find Nicole

Goodreads

AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT (Part 2): Interview with R.K. Lilley and Mr. James Cavendish

PAM SITS DOWN WITH R.K. LILLEY 
AND JAMES CAVENDISH

Where: Las Vegas home of one of the MANY James Cavendish lavish properties.

What: Spending some quality time with the remarkably gifted R.K. Lilley and Mr. Beautiful while having lunch.

When: On the heels of her book three, Grounded, in the Up in the Air series and Lana we are all waiting with baited breath for Bad Things! What better way to spend the afternoon then with the creator and her muse.

_____________________________________________________________________________

TBA: Thank you so much for taking the time to chat with me today! I have to say that I love it here but *leans in so only the three of them can hear* I would have performed a far better interview on a private jet on the way to a certain ranch. *blushes while looking away*

We order lunch and now it is time to jump in!

TBA: Ok well first I would like to thank you for an amazing series! *looking at R.K.* I couldn’t put the books down! I must say that James had me at first class seat 1A! Sorry James but you have to know that you are the dream…a total package! *sighs*

TBA: R.K. can you tell a little about how the series came to be and how *looking at James* we were lucky enough to have this man come into our lives?

R.K.: I wrote a story that had elements of everything that I absolutely adore about erotic romance. I would definitely say that it’s a guilty pleasure. It was sure as hell a guilty pleasure for me to write it. It’s angsty, dark, dramatic, passionate, and tells a heart-wrenching love story through some pretty spectacular, over the top, kinky sex. The setting was a fun little extra, and a sort of homage to my days as a first class flight attendant. James, unfortunately, is a figment of my imagination, but a very well-developed figment, and pieces of him do come from real life.

TBA: James, you really put yourself out there when it came to Bianca. What was it about her? You are powerful man and could have you pick of anyone. I know she is one hell of a Flight Attendant but what was it about her pre flight checks that sent you over the edge?

James: It isn’t any one thing that sent me over the edge…Is it trite to say that she’s perfect, and I knew it from the start? If you made me pick one single thing, though, I’d say it was her eyes. They’re ageless. They told me so much about her that she never had to say.

TBA: She is pretty special and so talented! That art work! I am going to have to pick up a piece before I leave this paradise! So where is the lovely Bianca today?

James: She and Stephan are having a besties day.

TBA: R.K. both James and Bianca are characters with dark pasts. They both have dealt with life events that no one should ever be subject to. At times did you find it hard to write their journey with such a heavy back story?

R.K.: I wouldn’t say it was hard for me. It’s a little therapeutic, to be honest. Getting that sort of thing out on paper is sort of a relief. Some of the events, though, did have some basis in reality, and having to get some of it okayed was awkward.

TBA: I loved that fact that the story wasn’t wrapped in a pretty bow. Real life is not pretty 100% of the time. It is the ugly that shows us who we really. James and Bianca showed up just how beautiful ugly can be!

R.K.: I like flawed characters. You’ll never see me writing about people without serious issues. I don’t relate to that. I don’t think many people do.

Lunch arrives and after a few moments of silence I have to ask the question that every single living breathing woman in the world wants to know!

TBA: James! *sitting my drink down I decide to go all in* The ranch, the horseback ride…where did you even come up with that idea! It was H.O.T! You gave new meaning to the sport of equestrian! *cheeks getting bright red*

James: Is that not normal? Perhaps I have a one-track mind, but the two things just seemed to go together for me…

TBA: Ok now that we have that out of the way James what’s next for you and Bianca? I must say that we love the way you love her!

James glances at R.K. It is not a particularly friendly look. “I guess you’ll have to ask this sadistic one over here. She has plans for us, and she’s been threatening to tell all of my secrets.”

R.K. smiles, unfazed. “I thought their story was done, but I was wrong. Currently I’m working on the first book in my series about Danika and Tristan. You’ll be seeing more of James and Bianca over the course of that series, and in ways you may not expect. And, down the road, you can expect a book told from the POV of James and Stephan. It will run parallel with the Up In The Air series, but also go beyond it, giving you a look into the after of Bianca, James, Stephan, and Javier. I can’t wait to write it!

TBA: Things get a little hot and heavy in the playroom, *laughing* ok well let me correct myself, its a lot of hot and heavy! James, would you care to share any of your secrets? *shaking head…did I just ask that*

James displays a rather sinister smile. “It takes time, a seriously filthy mind, and training to learn my secrets. Suffice it to say, don’t try these things at home, without the proper training.

TBA: Well I guess we could all take a page from your book Mr. Cavendish *winks* Can you blame a girl for asking? I mean Bianca is one lucky girl!!

Time for a change of topic…

TBA: I love the relationship between Bianca and Stephan! Friends are truly soul mates! The relationship between Bianca and Stephan proves that. Where do you find the inspiration for their friendship?

R.K: Stephan is my favorite. I don’t know if I’m supposed have favorites, but he’s it, and that’s because he does come from a lot of real life inspiration for me. He’s a combination of my own personal bestie, and the men I’ve known and adored who’ve been through some very similar struggles.

TBA: James you and Stephan are close now did you find it had to have another man in Bianca’s life? How did you deal with it?

James: I’ll admit that my first reaction was purely pragmatic. Being on Stephan’s good side meant getting closer to Bianca, and so I made sure to stay on his good side. However, Stephan is one of those people that it’s impossible not to love. And the way he’s been there for Bianca… Quite simply, I would do anything for him. He’s the best guy in the world.

TBA: I so love me some Stephan!! I must say that each and every character in your books is worthy of their own story. What do we have to look forward to after Bad Things? Who else will we have the pleasure of getting to know better?

R.K.: I will definitely be focusing on the novel from James and Stephan’s POV after I finish up the Bad Things series. And I will be releasing the second book in my urban fantasy series, hopefully sometime in September. After that, it’s up in the air:) I’d love to hear which characters you’d like to see more of!

After we finish our lunch I know our time is coming to an end. I could sit here forever! This is what happens when you fall in love with a book series! There is never enough! I thank both R.K. and James. Not wanting the day to end I make one last effort…

TBA: Thank you for taking this time with me and The Book Avenue! We truly love the books and are looking forward to many more! R.K. you rank at least 30,000 miles high in my book! So James…the day is still young how about some of that 5 star treatment? I am thinking spa day? *blushing as he flashes his million dollar smile*

COMING SOON… BAD THINGS

R.K. Lilley is the erotic romance author of the UP IN THE AIR series.

Book One: In Flight, Book Two: Mile High, Book Three: Grounded, and Lana, a novella, are all available now on Amazon. 
R.K. is currently working on her next series, Bad Things.

R.K. Lilley lives in Colorado with her husband and their two beautiful sons. She’s had a lot of interesting jobs, from being a first class flight attendant, to being a stablehand, but swears she never knew what hard work was until she had children. She’s been addicted to both reading and writing fiction since she can remember. She loves to travel, read, hike, paint, game, watch anime, and make the most of every single day. She is the author of the erotic romance novels In Flight, Mile High, and coming February 12, 2013, the conclusion to the Up In The Air trilogy, Grounded.

AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT (Part 1): R.K. LILLEY Up in the Air Series Book Links and Trailer


When reserved flight attendant Bianca gets one look at billionaire hotel owner James Cavendish, she loses all of her hard-won composure. For a girl who can easily juggle a tray of champagne flutes at 35,000 feet in three inch heels, she finds herself shockingly weak-kneed from their encounter. The normally unruffled Bianca can’t seem to look away from his electrifying turquoise gaze. They hold a challenge, and a promise, that she finds impossible to resist, and she is a girl who is used to saying no and meaning it.
Bianca is accustomed to dealing with supermodels and movie starts in her job as a first class flight attendant, but James Cavendish puts them all to shame in the looks department. If only it were just his looks that she found so irresistible about the intimidating man, Bianca could have ignored his attentions. But what tempts her like never before is the dominant pull he seems to have over from the moment they meet, and the promise of pleasure, and pain, that she reads in his eyes.

James and Bianca’s tumultuous story continues in the sequel to In Flight. James has initiated Bianca into a dark and drugging world of passion and pain. He taught her about her own submissive, masochistic nature, and she fell swiftly and deeply in love with the undeniably charming and impossibly beautiful Mr. Cavendish, but a painful misunderstanding and the return of the brutally violent demon of her past have combined to overwhelm Bianca, and, confused and hurt, she pushes him away.
It’s been over a month since the shocking attack that hospitalized her, and since she needed space, but her feelings haven’t gone away. Even she knew that it was only a matter of time before he would cast his spell on her again…

James and Bianca’s story draws to a close in the explosive conclusion to the Up In The Air Trilogy. After a short but earnest courtship, Bianca can no longer deny her feelings for James, and though she’s tried her hardest, she can’t help but see that he cares deeply for her, as well. In a completely uncharacteristic move, she has put aside her misgivings and agreed to live with the enigmatic billionaire. Is her leap of faith the beginning of something wonderful, or is it too much, too fast?As James and Bianca feel a growing need for each other that neither can deny, circumstances beyond their control intervene, trying to tear them apart. Amidst the ever mounting threat of a monster who wants Bianca dead, and the constant pitfalls of an indiscreet past that James can’t seem to escape, can these two passionate lovers manage to find their happily ever after?

Lana can’t remember a tie when she wasn’t hopelessly in love with Akira. Even knowing that he viewed her as a kid sister had never helped to dampen her feelings. One night together only made it worse. After seducing Akira, it became apparent that their love affair was hopelessly one-sided, and heartbroken, Lana fled her beloved island paradise.
Eight years later, Lana finally returns home, planning to stay briefly, and only for business, but her plans go quickly awry when she runs into the man she could never get over.

WATCH OUT FOR THE PART TWO OF 
R.K. LILLEY’S AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT TOMORROW

BLOG TOUR: Lost in Distraction by BJ Harvey Interview with Shay, Trailer and Giveaways

BLURB:

In the three years after a horrible crime claimed her family, Elise Halliwell has been alone, shut off from the world in a self-imposed emotional exile. She goes through the motions, finishes high school and moves across country to start college and begin the next step in her pre-destined life.

But her exile is dramatically cut short by the entrance of a dark haired, blue-eyed, smirking man who shakes her to the core, achieving what everyone else before him has failed to do, he makes her feel again.

As much as he wishes it were different, fate has not brought Braxton James into Elise’s life, or has it. Brax has to keep her safe from people in her life who have ulterior motives and may want to hurt her.

Elise has no idea the threat she faces, and Brax wants to make sure it stays that way. But as Brax struggles with getting close to her, he begins to live a lie. Unable to resist the pull that is Elise’s bright green eyes, infectious giggle, and loving heart, he finds it impossible to stay away, so the double life of being Elise’s boyfriend and keeping her safe begins.

Full of twists and turns, danger and revelations that no-one could predict, you won’t be the only one lost in distraction.


NIKKI SITS DOWN WITH SHAY

*Shay’s walking in looking utterly delicious. He’s wearing a grey short sleeved top that could almost be painted on, and a pair of dirty denim jeans with strategically placed rips in all the right places. His hair has that “just got out of bed after being up all night” look and his eyes are dancing with amusement as he notices me checking him out.*

Welcome Shay. Thank you for taking time out of your hectic schedule to sit down and talk with me this evening. I know I’m not the only woman who wants to get to know you a little better.

*chuckles* Thanks for having me, where are all these lovely ladies that want to know about me?

They are the ones reading this interview. Anything you would like to say to your admirers? Hey ladies, I’m starting a line for the photo booth, who’s up first *Cracks up laughing* Sorry, couldn’t resist that one, I’m a bit of a smart ass sometimes, Brax has me up about it all the time.

Well don’t be surprised if there is a huge line of women waiting for their turn!

So let’s gets started!

Tell us a little bit about yourself. About your family. Any brothers or sisters?

Hey gorgeous. Well I have a twin sister Sophie who lives in New Orleans with her husband and my mother lives in Atlanta, Georgia.

How did you meet Brax? We met during basic training in the army. We were both 17 and looking to escape our lives and maybe, make something of ourselves. The army seemed like the best place to do that.
Do you have any hobbies or activities you like to do in your spare time? Why do you ask sweet thing? You got some suggestions for me?

*Blushes* Shay you are such a flirt!

Hey, I can’t help it when a gorgeous woman like yourself is flirting with me.

Well I am finding you a bit irresistible. I better start behaving myself then *smirks*

You can’t hide that nice, lean and toned body. So how do you stay in shape? Do you play sports? Is there a favorite? Well now, you don’t beat around the bush do you Nikki *smirks* I work out at the gym, do a lot of free weights to keep my strength up. Doing long stretches of surveillance can wreak havoc on your muscle mass if you let it. I used to play lacrosse in high school, but that is about it. There are certainly lots of other ways to get your heart rate up Nikki, don’t you think?

Oh I have a few ideas *winks*

I bet you do darlin’

What would be your dream job? Running my own agency with Brax, maybe Elle can be our business manager.

If you could go anywhere in the world with anybody, dead or alive, where and with who? I can’t really talk about it because the dragon lady (BJ Harvey) says I’m going to get my own story about my past, but there is a girl that touched my soul that is no longer with us, so if I could, I’d go wherever I could to be with her again.

Awww! That is so sweet! *swoons*

How about music? Favorite musician or band? I’m easy when it comes to music, Ha! I bet you were getting your hopes up there weren’t you Nikki! Damn darlin’ you’re a bit naughty aren’t ya, I like that in a woman. But I hear you’re recently engaged so I might have to keep my distance.

Yes I am recently engaged. Word travels fast I see. 🙂 I may have had a wee talking to by your man, seems he thinks you might have a soft spot for me *winks*

He knows me all to well! Well he might have mentioned that you called my name out in your sleep that one time…

*blushes* I really hope I didn’t! That would be awkward. Ha ha, not what would really be awkward would be if you called out my name during… actually, I’ll stop there.

Ok I’ve been curious about something since your birthday party. The photo booth. Where did you get the idea for it? What made you decide to have one? I’ve been to a few parties that had them and they’re such a great laugh. I thought it would be a great idea to have at my birthday party. I mean, alcohol, music, drunken photos! What could be better. Well actually, seeing the look on Brax’s face when him and Elle came out of the booth, THAT would be the only thing better in my book.

It’s not something you see very often but I thought it was a fun idea and I have to admit, I’m a little jealous. Now I want one! And I would have loved to have seen both of their faces! It would have been priceless!I think you just wanna take your fiancé in the booth Nikki, c’mon, admit it, I won’t tell anyone *laughs*

Ok you may or may not be right about that *winks*

Maybe I could sweet talk you into taking a pic with me. Strictly as friends. *smiles sweetly* Friends with benefits? Ha ha! That got you didn’t it!

*I may have just fainted*

Shay I have to admit. I’m a sucker for tattoo’s. How many do you have? Are there any special meaning behind them? I have a dragon chasing a heart around my bicep *lifts shirt sleeve to show Nikki* which has very special meaning behind it but I can’t talk about it because the dragon lady would have my balls. But I will tell you that the heart represents that special girl in my past that I would give anything to see again.

You are just a sweetheart!

So you’ve made quite the impression on more than a few women. So we want to know, what do you look for in a woman? First thing you notice? Favorite asset on a woman?*shakes head and grins at Nikki* You’re a little firecracker aren’t you, I can tell. I like that in a woman. I like a bit of spunk and sass, I like a woman who can give as good as they get. The first thing I notice is a woman’s silhouette, the curves, the shape of the hips, the nape of their neck. As for favourite assets, eyes and attitude will win me over every time.

Hmmm you’re lucky I’m already happily engaged or I may have snatched you up. *chuckles*

Darlin, I may have let you snatch me too.

Tease! 😉

Ok some Rapid Fire questions:

Boxers or briefs? Commando
Blonde, brunette, or redhead? All three at once?
Vanilla, chocolate, or strawberry? I’m not a vanilla kind of guy
One night stand or relationship? Ouch! Lets just say I was in a relationship, now I’m strictly no strings.
Car, Truck, or SUV? For a one night stand? *laughs* Nah, I’m all for a truck.
Favorite car? Brax’s Mustang
Favorite color? Red


Having always loved reading, and having been befriended and inspired by some awesome self published authors and book lovers alike, I decided to start writing my first novel, Lost in Distraction in December 2012. It was a conscious decision that started with a song, then the prologue and then catapulted from there. I love music too, like REALLY love music, if there isn’t music playing, something is wrong. Out and Proud Vampire Diaries fan as well. 

I’m also a wife, mother, full-time university student and I do contract work for myself from home.

Author Website | Goodreads Page | FB Page


BLOG TOUR RECAP: Music of the Heart by Katie Ashley April 1st -10th





Blog Tour Recap

April 1st
April 2nd
April 5th

Promo Blitz: LOST IN DISTRACTION by BJ Harvey

BLURB:

In the three years after a horrible crime claimed her family, Elise Halliwell has been alone, shut off from the world in a self-imposed emotional exile. She goes through the motions, finishes high school and moves across country to start college and begin the next step in her pre-destined life.

But her exile is dramatically cut short by the entrance of a dark haired, blue-eyed, smirking man who shakes her to the core, achieving what everyone else before him has failed to do, he makes her feel again.

As much as he wishes it were different, fate has not brought Braxton James into Elise’s life, or has it. Brax has to keep her safe from people in her life who have ulterior motives and may want to hurt her.

Elise has no idea the threat she faces, and Brax wants to make sure it stays that way. But as Brax struggles with getting close to her, he begins to live a lie. Unable to resist the pull that is Elise’s bright green eyes, infectious giggle, and loving heart, he finds it impossible to stay away, so the double life of being Elise’s boyfriend and keeping her safe begins.

Full of twists and turns, danger and revelations that no-one could predict, you won’t be the only one lost in distraction.


EXCERPT:

While I’m waiting, I receive a text message from Elle. I open it up and soon see a photo of Elle wearing the hottest corset top I’ve ever seen, stopping me in my tracks. One photo and I’m instantly turned on—that is what she does to me. Damn, I’m a lucky man. I text her back to let her know that.

Brax: Damn, woman, what are you trying to do to me? 
Elle: Just reminding you what you left behind at home this afternoon. 
Brax: Believe me, babe, I’m painfully aware of what I walked away from. 
Elle: Are you sure about that, baby? Maybe I need to show you… 
Brax: Grrrr, you are such a tease. I’m definitely taking care of this when I get home. 
Elle: Don’t make promises you can’t keep, young man 😉 
Brax: Oh, don’t worry. This is a promise I’m planning to make good on, over and over again…. 
Elle: Dammit! Now I have to buy these panties, too. 

My smile is huge when I read that last text. I love this little game of ours. Shit, that girl can drive me crazy. Now I have to think about something totally unsexy to calm my body down. What doesn’t help is that I can’t get that image of Elle in a corset out of my damn mind.

That photo is definitely being saved on my phone.

Author Profile:

Having always loved reading, and having been befriended and inspired by some awesome self published authors and book lovers alike, I decided to start writing my first novel, Lost in Distraction in December 2012. It was a conscious decision that started with a song, then the prologue and then catapulted from there. I love music too, like REALLY love music, if there isn’t music playing, something is wrong. Out and Proud Vampire Diaries fan as well. 
I’m also a wife, mother, full-time university student and I do contract work for myself from home.

Author Links:

Blog: http://bjharveyauthor.blogspot.co.nz/

GR link: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17232691-lost-in-distraction

GR Author Profile: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6886702.B_J_Harvey

FB Page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/BJ-Harvey/471226826268697?fref=ts

Come To Me Quietly Special Announcement from A.L. Jackson

Come To Me Quietly
Blog Bonus
Hi Everyone! I’m so very excited to have the opportunity to give you a first peek at Come To Me Quietly, the first in my upcoming series, Closer.


I received some really incredible news that I want to share with you all – Come To Me Quietly will be published with New American Library/Penguin as part of a two-book deal and should come out no later than early 2014—just a little bit longer than first anticipated, but I do hope it will be worth the wait. This will be the first time any of my books have been widely distributed in print to bookstores, and I can’t wait for the chance for more readers to have access to Come To Me Quietly.

AND the good news is since Come To Me Quietly will be pushed back, you all are going to get more of Christian Davidson sooner rather than later. Christian and Elizabeth’s story from Lost to Youand Take This Regret will be coming late summer. Stay tuned J  

But first let’s take a closer look at my latest working manuscript, Come To Me Quietly. I can’t even wait to get Jared and Aleena into your hands. Jared Holt has absolutely taken over my heart and mind, and I hope you fall in love with him just as hard as I have. Come To Me Quietly will be packed with all the emotion you’ve come to expect from my novels, but it’s also a whole lot sexier and much Closer. So here you go—the complete synopsis for Come To Me Quietly.
                                               
Aleena Moore is content with her life. She has goals and dreams and an easy smile. She also has a secret she holds locked inside.

Jared Holt believes he doesn’t deserve to love or be loved. He destroys everything he touches. Haunted by the mistake that shattered his life, he’s fled from the memory of that pain.
Jared doesn’t know why he’s compelled to return, but finds himself drawn back to the place where it all began. The exact place where it ended. When he runs into his childhood best friend, Aleena’s older brother Christopher, he agrees to share Christopher and Aleena’s apartment while he looks for a place of his own.

Aleena is no longer the little girl Jared remembers from his past and evokes feelings in him he never wanted to feel again. Terrified of destroying her, he fights to keep her away. But her touch is something he can’t resist—the touch that sealed his fate.

Their pasts are intertwined and their futures uncertain. The only truths they know are the secrets they whisper in the night.
A taste of what I’ve been tossing around as I delve into Jared and Aleena’s World:
Dashed lines blur until they become a solid line. My bones vibrate from the thousands of miles I’ve spent straddling this leather seat, the muscles in my right arm screaming from the hours my hand has been locked on the throttle.

But I don’t stop. I can’t, and I don’t know why. Something in my gut spurs me forward. I plough ahead.

Hot air blasts my face and my hair thrashes in uncontrolled chaos.
I bite back a bitter laugh.

Uncontrolled chaos. That’s exactly how they described me.

The desert sky goes on forever, an ocean of the deepest blue. The city rises like a beacon in the distance. Because I am drawn.

What am I doing?

There is nothing here for me. I know it. I’ve already destroyed it all. I destroy everything I touch.
Still I can do nothing but press on.
I hope you’re all as excited to meet Jared Holt and Aleena Moore as I am to bring them to you! I want to thank you so much for all the support! You all have rocked this year and made this 100% possible!! Be sure to check out the drawing below – we are giving away some FUN FUN stuff!!!

Xoxo
Amy
Come To Me Quietly Giveaway


 A.L. Jackson is the New York Times bestselling author of Take This Regret and Lost to You, as well as other contemporary romance titles, including Pulledand When We Collide.
She first found a love for writing during her days as a young mother and college student.  She filled the journals she carried with short stories and poems used as an emotional outlet for the difficulties and joys she found in day-to-day life.
Years later, she shared a short story she’d been working on with her two closest friends and, with their encouragement, this story became her first full length novel. A.L. now spends her days writing in Southern Arizona where she lives with her husband and three beautiful children. Her favorite pastime is spending time with the ones she loves.
Connect with A.L. Jackson online:

BLOG TOUR: Light in the Shadows by A. Meredith Walters Excerpt, Playlist and Giveaways



Blurb:

How do you keep going when you feel like your life is over?

Maggie never thought she’d see Clay again. So, she attempts to put her life back together after her heart has been shattered to pieces. Moving on and moving forward, just as Clay wanted her to.

Clay never stopped thinking of Maggie. Even after ripping their lives apart and leaving her behind to get the help he so desperately needed. He is healing…slowly. But his heart still belongs to the girl who tried to save him.

When a sudden tragedy brings Maggie and Clay face to face again, nothing is the same. Yet some things never change. Can the darkness that threatened to consume them be transformed into something else and finally give them what they always wanted? And can two people who fought so hard to be together, finally find their happiness? Or will their demons and fear drive them apart for good?

The thing about love, is even when it destroys you, it has a way of mending what is broken. And in the shadows, you can still see the light.

“I’m not going anywhere. Because no on is abandoning you. People can move on and live their lives but that doesn’t mean you’re not apart of it anymore. I love you, Clay. Ruby loves you. Because you, Clay, are worthy of that love. You deserve it. All of it. And Ruby and I just want you to find the place where you’ll be okay and healthy. You can get angry with me, tell me to leave. But not once have I ever turned my back on you and I won’t start now,” she told me, putting her hands on me for the first time.

Her fingers gripped my chin and pulled my face around to her. The sight of her in my confused state of mind was like striking a match. And I lost it. I just fucking lost it. I started to sob and I couldn’t stop. I don’t know exactly what I was crying for, except that everything that had been dammed up inside of me was pouring out.

I had always believed I was irredeembable. That I couldn’t expect others to love me when I didn’t even love myself. But Maggie’s words hit me at a moment when I so desperately needed to hear them. I needed to believe that she was right, that I was worthy.

Bleed- Hot Chelle RaeYou Tube | Itunes | Amazon

After Clay writes Maggie the letter. His struggles with his love for her while in treatment.

In the Sun- Joseph ArthurYou Tube | Itunes | Amazon

After the phone call to Maggie on Clay’s birthday. He thinks of all the things he’d say to her.

Walking Dream- Natalie Walker: You Tube | Amazon

The aftermath of Lisa’s death for Clay. His conflicted emotions about seeing Maggie again intertwined with his grief.

Shattered-Trading Yesterday: You Tube | Itunes | Amazon

This is Maggie after seeing Clay again. The words are so perfect.

Begin Again-Measure: You Tube | Itunes | Amazon

After Clay decides to stay in Davidson and to try and live his life by his terms.

All About Us: You TubeItunes | Amazon

He is We- a sweet love song that perfectly describes the way Maggie and Clay are together. This fits wonderfully as a song when they decide to be together again.

Holes Inside- Joe Brooks: You Tube | Itunes | Amazon

Clay’s fears that he will fall apart again, that he isn’t ready to have the future he wants. His final realization that he can’t hold it all together.

Holding on or Letting Go-Ross Copperman: You Tube | Itunes | Amazon

When Clay decides to go back to treatment and asks Maggie to wait for him.

Near or Far- Carissa Rae: You Tube | Itunes | Amazon

Maggie and Clay’s long distance relationship. They are separated by distance but not emotion.

Perfect for Me- Ron Pope: You Tube | Itunes | Amazon

This has always been Clay and Maggie’s Happily Ever After song.

The New York Times bestselling author of Contemporary and Paranormal romance including Find You in the Dark, Cloud Walking and Bad Rep.

A. Meredith spent ten years as a counselor for at risk teens and children. First working at a Domestic Violence/Sexual Assault program and then later a program for children with severe emotional and mental health issues. Her former clients and their stories continue to influence every aspect of her writing.

A. Meredith recently moved to England and is trying to get used to driving on the other side of the road, eating fish and chips and all things British.