Interview + Givaway: Jill Shalvis

Hi, Jill! Thank you so much for stopping by, and congrats on the release of One in a Million!

 In honor of Callie, What is your favorite part/thing about weddings, and why?  

Definitely the romance of it all!  Seeing the excitement – and nerves – between the bride and groom (which I initially typed as hero and heroine lol!)

I've always been fascinated by the research that goes into writing a book. Did you come across anything challenging/funny/interesting while researching for One in a Million?

Lots!!!  Here’s a few: 

1. Hey, brides, tuck a sugar cube into your glove -- according to Greek culture, the sugar will sweeten your union.

2. The English believe a spider found in a wedding dress means good luck. Yikes!

3. In English tradition, Wednesday is considered the "best day" to marry, although Monday is for wealth and Tuesday is for health.

4. The groom carries the bride across the threshold to bravely protect her from evil spirits lurking below.

5. Saturday is the unluckiest wedding day, according to English folklore. Funny -- it's the most popular day of the week to marry!  -- (from wedding.theknot.com)

Now that you're finished with the Lucky Harbor series (insert pout here), do you have plans for another series? If so, can you give us a couple hints as to what it will be about?

it will have hot heroes.  J  I’m sorry, I’m on strict gag order here.  I’ll be announcing the new series shortly after the holidays, I promise!

Continuing on with talk about series, I love the small town, middle of nowhere feel of Animal Magnetism. From what I understand book 6 will be coming out within the next year, can tell us a bit about Darcy and AJ? Also, how many more books can we look out for in the AM series? 

Darcy and AJ’s story is called STILL THE ONE and let’s just say that neither Darcy nor AJ saw it coming. J

Okay, one last super important question, what's the last song you listened to on repeat? 

Ed Sheeran’s Don’t.  I heart him.

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About Jill:

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Jill Shalvis lives in a small town in the Sierras full of quirky characters. Any resemblance to the quirky characters in her books is, um, mostly coincidental. Look for Jill’s sexy contemporary and award-winning books wherever romances are sold and click on the blog button above for a complete book list and daily blog detailing her city-girl-living-in-the-mountains adventures.

                                        Website        Blog       Twitter       Facebook       Goodreads

Review + Giveaway: Covering Kendall by Julie Brannagh

*Check out my interview with Julie Brannagh HERE!*

Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release: October 21, 2014

Blurb:
Love & Football #4
Kendall Tracy, General Manager of the San Francisco Miners, is not one for rash decisions or one-night stands. But when she finds herself alone in a hotel room with a heart-stoppingly gorgeous man-who looks oddly familiar-Kendall throws her own rules out the window…and they blow right back into her face.


Drew McCoy should look familiar, he's a star player for her team's archrival the Seattle Sharks. Which would basically make Drew and Kendall the Romeo and Juliet of professional football…well, without all the dying. Not that it's an issue. They agree to pretend their encounter never happened. Nothing good can come from it anyway, right? Drew's not so sure.


Kendall may be all wrong, but he can't stop thinking about her and he finds that some risks are worth taking. Because the stakes are always highest when you're playing for keeps.


Review:
Covering Kendall was my first Julie Brannagh book and I definitely plan on reading more… I’m just bummed it took me till her 4^th book to discover her and that I didn’t start sooner!

There were a couple of things that drew me to this book: It’s based in the state I live in (and y’all know how much I love that), I luuuuuurve football (GO HAWKS!), and I really wanted to read a story that had a strong, successful female lead—Covering Kendall delivered on every level. In a world of 50 Shades-esque books (which, again, y’all know I LOVE), it was really refreshing to read such a sweet and heartfelt book.

Drew is an extremely compassionate and humble guy—great head on his shoulders. Kendall is a driven, headstrong woman who handles herself well in a world dominated by men, and she does it with such poise. It’s easy to see why they connected so well, so fast… and the heat between the sheets didn’t hurt either. Their struggle though comes in the form of being on opposite sides of rival teams and living in different states. Julie could ultimately lose her job if word gets out about them and the fans probably won’t take the news of Drew being with a San Fran Miners GM very well either.

Throughout the book Drew and Kendall battle the issues that surround their secret relationship with mini subplots thrown in for fun: the power struggle of finding a new San Fran GM, dealing with a player’s bad PR, a sweet boy named Nolan, and Drew’s parents—who are adorable. Towards the end there’s a curve ball thrown their way and I’m so glad that Julie added the epilogue to tie up the loose ends; it rounds out the book so nicely.

Written Revelry gives Covering Kendall a 4 out of 5!

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Happy Reading,
A
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Interview + Giveaway: Christina Lee

Hello, my lovelies! In honor of the release of Promise Me This, we have author Christina Lee joining us for a quick interview and giveaway! Enjoy! : ))


Many of my favorite scenes in Promise Me This feature Jessie's tattoos. Each one carries such meaning and significance for both her and Nate, I could easily relate--and also because those scenes are hot! What is your favorite quote/scene from Promise Me This and why?

Aw, thank you! I think my favorite scene is the one between Nate and Jessie in her apartment because it's very tender and steamy and they both come to certain realizations by expressing that intimacy. One of my favorite quotes is probably the one that goes along with the title of the book—the wisdom Jessie's father imparted to her about exploring both the light and the dark inside yourself.  It's a lesson I feel is important as well.


Again with the tattoos (I just can't help myself!), Jessie has a lot and on the flip-side, Nate has none. Do you see Nate ever getting a tattoo? If he were to get inked, what could you see him getting?


You never know, Nate might be inspired by Jessie to get one someday. ;-) I think the tattoo would probably be some type of "structure" since he loves buildings so much.


Now about the writing process. Do you have any strange writing habits/traditions (like favorite writing pants, songs that inspire you, etc.)?


Ha!! Not really, though I do have to wear comfortable clothes and have all my necessities nearby: my phone, Chapstick and Diet Coke.


I've always wondered about how authors choose names for their characters. How important are names to you in your books? Do you choose names based on liking the way they sound or perhaps the meaning behind them? Do you have any go-to sources you turn to for help?


They're pretty important! Probably just like every other author, I do a search on-line, using various baby name sites. It becomes more difficult with each book I write to choose something unique. Sound is more important to me than meaning. The name just has to feel right and fit the character. Even the secondary characters need to be chosen carefully, because they just might get their own book someday!


At the end of Promise Me This, readers get a glimpse into your next book Two of Hearts. From what I understand this next book is not part of the Between Breaths Series, flashes forward

a few years, and is an adult contemporary romance. Is this a new direction/genre for you? Is Promise Me This the end of the BB series, and Two of Hearts the start of a new series? If so, can you tell us a little bit about it, or what you're working on next if this is not a new series?


Two of Hearts is my first foray into Adult Contemporary Romance. I'm as nervous as I am excited about it! But it was fun to write my first true alpha male in Shane and to see Dakota come into herself as a woman.


You'll have to stay tuned to see if there are any more books in the Between Breaths series or any more in the adult series as well. ;-)

Thanks again! I can't wait to dive into Dakota's story in Two of Hearts!

Thanks so very much for having me!

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Christina Lee is a mother, wife, reader, dreamer. Christina lives in the Midwest with her husband and son--her two favorite guys. She's addicted to lip gloss, salted caramel everything, and believes in true love and kissing, so writing romance novels has become a dream job. Her most recent release, Promise Me This, was reviewed by Written Revelry, but here is a little run down of the book:

A new love will test the boundaries of passion between a privileged boy next door and the tattooed, blue-haired girl who helps him embrace his wild side...

Nate has developed quite a playboy reputation around campus. It's not that he doesn't respect or trust women; he doesn't trust himself. The men in Nate's family are prone to abusive behavior—a dirty secret that Nate's been running from his entire life—so Nate doesn't do relationships. But he can't help himself around one girl…

Jessie is strong, independent, and works at a tattoo parlor. Nate can't resist getting close to her, even if it's strictly a friendship. But it doesn't take long for Nate to admit that what he wants with Jessie is more than just friendly.

With Jessie, he can be himself and explore what he's always felt was a terrifying darkness inside him. Even when Nate begins to crave her in a way that both shocks and horrifies him, Jessie still wants to know every part of him. Testing their boundaries together will take a trust that could render them inseparable… or tear them apart.

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