Category Archives: Contemporary Romance

Happy Book Birthday to Finding Freedom and Lynn Burke #NewRelease #Erotic #Menage

FindingFreedom_Slideshow
Finding Freedom
Found by Fate 2
Genre: Contemporary Erotic Romance
Release Date: February 1, 2016
Publisher: Roane Publishing
Keywords: Erotic, Romance, Contemporary, Menage, Novella, Series
 
Description: Tessa’s life beneath the strict rules of her parents’ cultish church leaves her longing for independence. Her boring, small-town checkout lane job barely covers the bills, let alone fulfill her wants and desires.
 
Until the weekly visits of god-like Trent and Brody have her dreaming of a Tessa sandwich with both sensual men as her bread.

Fantasies may be a pastime of the wicked, but when Trent asks her on a date—with both him and Brody—Tessa decides to take a chance, knowing the purity of her soul is at stake. Will these two men be her ticket to freedom – or her one way trip to eternal damnation?
PURCHASE LINKS

Roane Publishing:  http://www.roanepublishing.com/finding-freedom.html

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01BA0PRBA

Amaon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01BA0PRBA

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/finding-freedom-lynn-burke/1123339904?ean=2940157967253

Bookstrand: http://www.bookstrand.com/finding-freedom

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/611578

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Roane_Publishing_Finding_Freedom?id=oEN8CwAAQBAJ

All Romance eBooks: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-findingfreedom-1974432-149.html

 * * * *

THE GIVEAWAY

Lynn Burke and Roane Publishing are hosting a giveaway to celebrate the release. Stop by the Rafflecopter link below to enter.

GIVEAWAY

About Lynn Burke:

Lynn Burke is a full time mother, voracious gardener, and scribbler of spicy romance stories. A country bumpkin turned Bay Stater, she enjoys her chowdah and Dunkin Donuts when not trying to escape the reality of city life.

Her current work, the Risso Familly Novellas, revolves around four siblings from Boston’s North End.

Lynn Burke’s Links:
Website: http://www.authorlynnburke.com/index.html
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Author-Lynn-Burke-555282497937461/?ref=hl
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AuthorLynnBurke

eARC #Giveaway Event for ACCIDENTAL VALENTINE: Get your #Romance on!

Roane Publishing is giving away 3 eARCs of  their latest romance anthology, Accidental Valentine!

Accidental Valentine
a Romance Anthology
by Various Authors
Publisher: Roane Publishing
Release Date: February 13, 2015


Guiding Hearts by Claire Gillian

Description: Is a lonely woman’s GPS sentient or is her subconscious taking her by the hand to help heal a scarred heart?

When Jemma Ernst’s GPS malfunctions and sends her to the home of handsome and engaging Gabriel Nash, she writes it off as a fluke. But she can’t seem to reprogram him out of her thoughts nor her GPS.

Better Latte Than Never by Katrina Sizemore

Description: Single and cold on Valentine’s Day, Hailey Merritt is not looking forward to working all day at the coffee shop while everyone around her is cheery with romance and she’s stuck trying to figure out her next step in life.

But, when a special bouquet arrives for her from a secret admirer, she decides to reserve judgment on this holiday and find whomever sent the flowers.

Maybe Cupid has a plan to make this her favorite Valentine’s Day ever.

Dream Architect by S.L. Hughson

Description: Taylor and Sons Custom Design keeps ASHLIN TAYLOR at arm’s length from her dream job. If only she were a son, she could follow her architectural dream. In the Taylor creed, girls get married and boys have careers. DYLAN CUTRIGHT focuses on finishing college and landing an architectural engineering job in a large firm. Minus emotional ties.
After their accidental encounter, their attraction is amplified during their work interaction. 

Unlike her family, Dylan encourages Ashlin to pursue her dream by enrolling in college. He even argues her case with Uncle Mike. All of this support confuses Ashlin because when she moves closer to him, he rebuffs her for reasons she can only speculate about.

Valentine’s Day might be the perfect opportunity for Ashlin to make him notice her. They are working together – alone – on the most romantic day of the year. Dylan builds her dream of career, but will he ever lower his walls and become more than just the man IN her dreams?

One Hot Angel by Jaylee Austin

Description: Oblivious to Tiffany Jenkins in three short weeks her life will end—unless she makes the perfect choice. Will she chose revenge and expose her ex-husband? Or chose love and surrender her heart to the only man who can save her?

Rock My Bones by Wendy Sparrow

Description: Jared has been eyeing the sexy mural painter from inside the museum’s paleontology lab, but she’s way out of his league. He can’t let her paint that obviously misplaced fern, though…even if it means initiating contact.
You could call her a paleontology groupie, but Shay Meyers is interested in a more modern specimen. An adult male Homo Sapien to be exact—one who needs to be dragged out of his lab for a practical course in mating rituals. If she’s lucky, this will be the Valentine’s Day she rocks his bones.

~~~oOo~~~

Roane Publishing is giving away THREE ARC copies to three lucky winners!
You don’t even have to be a blogger.
If you are willing to leave an honest review between the dates of February 13th and February 27th, you are eligible to enter. How? Simply fill out the form!
You have until Midnight of January 24th when three winners will be chosen by random drawing.

Happy Book Birthday to For the Love of Murphy (and me :P) #Romance #NewRelease #Sweet

RebeccaBrenna

Yes!! It’s finally release day for the sweet romance anthology, FOR THE LOVE OF MURPHY, and the debut of my tale, A Slippery Slope.

So excited to be sharing space with some fantastic authors for this one. Let me share the details, and you will see why…

Murphy_Cover

FOR THE LOVE OF MURPHY
A Sweet Romance Anthology

Author: Lisa A. Adams, Michelle Ziegler, Annabelle Blume, Rebecca Hart, London Saint James

Publisher: Roane Publishing

Release Date: TODAY!!

Description:They say love conquers all, but whoever “they” are, must not have heard of Murphy’s Law — whatever can go wrong, will go wrong.

These five tales of sweet, accidental romance prove Cupid’s arrows are a lot tougher than they seem, and sometimes it pays to be unlucky.

  • No Wrong Turns – Lisa A. Adams
  • Falling for You – Michelle Ziegler
  • Coffee and Cufflinks – Annabelle Blume
  • A Slippery Slope – Rebecca Hart
  • The Shamrock Incident – London Saint James

No Wrong Turns by Lisa A. Adams

Jessica Brannah is escaping from her last heartbreak with a loaded car and a new address. But, when Murphy’s Law finds her stranded in a back country town, she realizes there’s no outrunning love.

Falling For You by Michelle Ziegler

Darci’s ready to move on. Too bad the dating pool stinks. Until, a ghost from her past resurfaces—the man she missed out on in college.

Andrew was the one man she’d always loved, but neither of them ever made a move. But, old feelings aren’t the only thing resurfacing of late. Darci’s ex comes crawling back at the most inappropriate time, and with all the testosterone flying, she might not end up with either man.
Coffee and Cufflinks by Annabelle Blume

Fresh out of a failed relationship and exhausted by a constant barrage of fiascos at work, Olivia Johnson doesn’t see the man of her dreams standing right in front of her. She tells herself the morning coffee meet-ups with Daren are nothing but coincidence, but even she can’t deny his unequivocal attractiveness. When a night entertaining clients takes a turn for the worst, and Daren shows up where she least expects him, failure starts to look more like fate.

A Slippery Slope by Rebecca Hart

Anne Montgomery is psyched for her girl’s only weekend, despite her friends’ choice of vacation locale—the snowy slopes of Harris Peak Ski Resort—where someone as notoriously accident prone as she has no business being. When Murphy’s Law finally catches up with her, Anne is forced to consider there may be times when it pays to be unlucky.

The Shamrock Incident by London Saint James

Florist, Marissa Carmichael isn’t usually a klutz, but she’s in a hurry and having a bad day. In her haste, she loses her balance and tumbles from the back room of her shop, arms flailing. Her less than graceful entrance halted by a headfirst crash into a display case chock full of silk flowers.

Trey Cleary didn’t think his day could get any worse, until he finds. himself picking the side view mirror of his BMW up from the ground. On a mission to do something about it, he locates the flower shop matching the name on the back of the van that mangled his ‘baby’. But, his car is forgotten when a beautiful woman bursts into the room like an out of control whirling dervish, and takes one mother of a wipeout into the shop’s counter. Coming to her aid brings out the hero in him like no one he’s ever encountered, and leaves him with a need to know more.

For Marissa and Trey, this just might be the one time it pays to be unlucky.

~~~oOo~~~
Purchase Links:

 

Also Available at These Fine Retailers:

Print
Createspace
Amazon

eBook
Amazon
Amazon UK
Barnes and Noble
KOBO
Smashwords

Tour Schedule
Book Blitz and Tour-wide Giveaway
$10 Amazon Gift card & paperback copy of
For the Love of Murphy
Ends 4/11/2014

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code. No purchase necessary, but you must be 18 or older to enter. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter, and announced on the widget. Winner well be notified by emailed and have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. The number of entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Roane Publishing’s marketing department. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

Happy Release Day to “Old Flame” by Annabelle Blume (@annabelleblume) #Romance #NewAdult

For a good friend of mine, the day all writers love– release day–has come.

*cue fanfare and confetti*

A big fat congratulations to Annabelle Blume for her latest release, OLD FLAME–a New Adult Contemporary Romance with Roane Publishing.

As part of the release day festivities, I have wrangled Ms. Blume into stopping by the blog for a visit. (Go me.)

In her novella, the main character, Hannah, has a bit of an unhealthy obsession with her ex, James — so I thought it would be fun to pick the authors brain a bit about that aspect of Hannah’s personality.

Here’s what she had to say:

I was in college before the advent of social media. The internet had just started to take hold in mainstream American life. I was actually annoyed freshman year because  professor demanded we sign up and use our free university-hosted email accounts to contact him. I’m pretty sure I muttered something to the effect of, “Like I’m ever going to use that.” Only rich old dudes had cellular phones. They were the size of Rhode Island and could only make and receive calls, usually for the hefty sum of $2 per minute. Chat rooms existed online, but not a lot of people I knew were participating. Oh, and you had to plug your computer modem into a phone jack to access the internet. Yes, really. Imagine how that went when you shared one phone line in a house with 5 other people. 

It was a simpler time. (I’m not old, shut up!) There were a few instances where I made a mix tape for a guy I had a crush on, or what have you, but nothing extreme. We cried, we lamented, we mourned when our relationships went bust. Pints of ice cream were devoured and Sarah McLaughlin sold millions of albums. But without modern technology at our fingertips, no way to see where your ex was “checking in” or profiles to follow, it took a very, um, special, kind of person to keep tabs on their ex. I was not one of those kinds of ex-girlfriends. When we were done, we were DONE. I never got back together with a single ex, not that there were many, but you get my point. 

That’s why it was so much fun, and slightly scary, to write Hannah. Imagining what it would be like to date today, with Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, and so on… is mind-boggling. Frankly, it’s a miracle more young people don’t get lost in obsessive behavior when it comes to their ex. Or do they? 
Sounds like the idea for another story to me 😛

Here are all the details on Old Flame, the first in Annabelle’s Hearts Aflame Files series.

OldFlame_Cover_LayersOld Flame
by Annabelle Blume

Genre: New Adult Romance (Contemporary)

Publisher: Roane Publishing

Keywords: Romance, New Adult, Contemporary, Novella, Series

Blurb: Hannah Sullivan has spent the past three months stalking her ex-boyfriend, lurking in the bushes and hiding behind fake social media personas, convinced she can eventually rekindle the love they once shared. But when she meets Marc, who is everything James never wanted to be and more, she begins to wonder if she’s got it all wrong.

Hannah must come to terms with her own demons before she can decipher between her delusional mission the man of her dreams.

Buy Links:

Amazon
Amazon (UK)
Barnes and Noble
KOBO
All Romance eBooks
Smashwords

goodreads-badge-add-plus

_MG_5498-003About the Author: Annabelle is a best-selling Romance and New Adult author, that is, when she’s not checking homework or begrudgingly cooking dinner. Wife, mother, and creator of alternate worlds, Annabelle has a penchant for that which is outside the norm.

Her degree in Sociology has given her the ability to construct worlds that exist only in her head and translate them passionately to the page. The time spent studying individuals, interpersonal relationships, and particularly, women, within the constraints of our society led to Annabelle’s unabashed ability to talk about sex as it fits into our modern lives.

She’s also the author/personality of The Bombshell Mommy at Vitacost.com where she helps modern Bombshells and their families live “green”.

Website    Twitter    Facebook 

Winter’s Sweet Kiss Blog Tour: The WSK Authors Kiss and Tell #Giveaway #Romance @roanepublishing

Hello again readers, and thanks, as always, for stopping in to the blog today.

As part of the ongoing Winter’s Sweet Kiss blog tour, I have managed to score a short interview with each of the participating authors. I asked each of them one question… a good one, of course.

Tell us about your first kiss.

Here’s what they had to say 🙂

Michelle Ziegler:

Hmm – will my husband be reading this? Let’s put it this way. It wasn’t good. It was awkward, he bit me, and I was left trying to figure out if I’d been kissed or mauled.

Shaya Roy:

Well, this is embarrassing 😉 My first kiss was like first kisses usually are. Quick, awkward and bewildering, because neither of us quite knew what we were doing. I still felt so wonderful after, and roamed around in a proud daze the whole day!

Lily Carlyle:

To be perfectly honest, I wish I had a better story to tell—more romance, genuine affection, true love. My first kiss was unfortunately tinged by revenge.

I’d had a crush on a boy for years. My best friend liked him and asked me to convey that information to him, which I gleefully did. He had no interest in her and my friendship with her ended for other reasons, but he and I became friends.

And we were friends for years. He must have realized I had a crush on him, but he never acted on it. Silly boy.

Through him, I got to know his best friend—a cocky, good-looking soccer player who had a way with the girls. I realized he was dumb as a box of rocks, but he was cute. One afternoon, after school, when no parents were around, he kissed me. It never really led to a relationship, though we had an off and on thing that went on for years.

As for Boy #1? He married his high school sweetheart and they divorced a few years later. 

Terri Rochenski:

Does kissing my kindergarten boyfriend in the back of the bus count??

I was 15, playing Monopoly with my then-boyfriend and he just leaned across the board and stole my ‘first’ kiss – along with a handful of $100s from the bank. Jerk.

Annabelle Blume:

 The details of my first kiss are boring. Instead, I will tell you about my almost-first kiss. In my early teen years, I was pretty lame; A scrawny thirteen year old who happened to hang out with kids that were reasonably well liked. We were an eclectic group of popular and not-so-popular eighth graders who forged some kind of strange connection in the horribly mixed up hormonal world of middle school. 

The cutest guy in school, Joe, happened to be part of our group. Blond, tan, surfer guy with a brilliant smile and charm to boot. Not my type, but undeniably good looking. One day we were goofing off in the cafeteria, and as he lounged across a bench I leaned over him to ask a question. His response was not an answer me, but to look directly in my eyes and whisper, “I could have kissed you just then.” I giggled and pulled away, unsure of how the geeky, skinny girl is supposed to respond when a guy of his social standing says such a thing. Four years later, after being separated by different high schools and a variety of young love affairs, we reunited, and you can bet I didn’t make that mistake a second time *wink*! 

Love it!

Let’s hope the some of the kissing in Winter’s Sweet Kiss turns out better *chuckles*

Speaking of which, here are the juicy details on their release from Roane Publishing.

WSK_Cover200x300Winter’s Sweet Kiss
by Annabelle Blume, Lily Carlyle, Shaya Roy, Michelle Ziegler, and Terri Rochenski

Genre: Romance (Sweet)

Publisher: Roane Publishing

Release Date: December 15, 2013

Keywords: Adult, Romance, Sweet, Contemporary, Historical, Anthology

Description: Fight the winter chill with these heartwarming romantic tales.

What better time than winter to find someone to cuddle up with? These sweet tales of winter romance are sure to warm your heart.

Stories:

AN UNEXPECTED WREATH  By Annabelle Blume

Blurb: Stella’s got everything she needs in life: a great job, a beautiful house, and her independence. But on last minute trip to the local Christmas tree lot she finds something, or rather someone, she desperately wants – Grayson. An emergency trip to Target, an unexpected wreath, and a little Christmas magic make the season much brighter.

SANTA BEBE  By Lily Carlyle

Blurb: Disillusioned by men and her belief that they see her only as an object, Bebe is determined to find a man with money. Her geeky, but unfailingly kind, next-door neighbor James tries to convince her of the possibility of real love, even as she reveals to him the troubled childhood that made her so cynical about relationships. When her mother dashes her hopes for a perfect Christmas, Bebe finds herself turning to James once again, and in the process, learning a lot about herself and the promise their relationship holds.

MELT  By Shaya Roy

Blurb: Newlyweds in an arranged marriage, Naina and Dev go to the mountains of Shimla, India in search of snow. Unfortunately, they find fifteen inches more than they expected.

Being snowed in with her husband is not necessarily a bad thing. It gives Naina an excellent excuse to snuggle up to her deep, quiet man, but every time Dev spurns her, a little more of her heart drips away. Melting the ice around her husband’s heart before the snow outside does might take more pride than Naina’s ready to surrender.

ONE IN A MILLION SNOWFLAKES  By Michelle Ziegler

Blurb: Angela is in love with someone she can never have–her best friend, Rebecca’s older brother.

Stranded in the bitter cold after a disastrous blind date with yet another company Christmas party looming, a standing offer from the boss’ nephew gets a little more appealing. Desperation. Not a good sign. Surely when Rebecca rescues her from the blinding snow, she can also convince Angela to just go to the party alone. She can always count on her best friend.

That is, as long as she never finds out about Angela’s secret crush.

BEGINNING OF FOREVER  By Terri Rochenski

Blurb: When Wayne Edwards moves to town, Lillian Douglas experiences stirrings she thought were long dead. Guilt ridden over betraying her deceased husband and the feelings Wayne inspires, Lillian reluctantly lets him in. Secrets of the past – an old promise emerges, but will it threaten their forever?

Goodreads Link:  https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18844487-winter-s-sweet-kiss

BUY LINKS:

Print Copies
Createspace (Print – Best Option)
Amazon (Print)

eBook Copies

Amazon
Amazon (UK)
Barnes and Noble

Kobo
Smashwords
All Romance eBooks

Group Giveaway:  $10 Amazon Gift Card & paperback copy of Winter’s Sweet Kiss 

 a Rafflecopter giveaway

Harper’s Wish Blog Tour: A Christmas Visit from Krista Ames #Giveaway #Romance

Merry Christmas, folks. So glad to have you all here. Sorry this post is a bit late — not sure what happened with my amazing scheduling skills, but better late than never, right?

Today, I have a special treat for you all. I have fenagled a visit from the author of Roane Publishing’s latest release, Harper’s Wish, Krista Ames. She has gracefully agreed to come by and share her favorite Christmas gift with us all.

Take it away, Krista!

Well, there’s one Christmas and one gift that stands out above all others for me and it’s been years ago now. 

It was Christmas Morning and my boyfriend and I went to my mom & dad’s house at the lake for Christmas with my family.  Everyone was there, step family, my sisters, all the nieces and nephews.  We had gone through a whole room full of presents and cleaned up every stitch of wrapping paper when my boyfriend came into the room while I was on the floor playing with the kids.  He sat a huge wrapped giftbox on the floor in front of me.  Of course that got everyone’s attention. 🙂

I got nervous right away.  Confused too because it was a huge box and of course, what girl doesn’t want a ring at Christmas so I guess I was a little disappointed too.  He urged me to unwrap so I unwrapped the box and opened it to find another big box inside, wrapped as well.  He was quite the joker so it shouldn’t have surprised me lol.

I bet I got through five boxes, all wrapped and varying sizes before I got to a tiny box.  The kind of box a ring does come in.  I started to get nervous again and fought a little at the tears.  I unwrapped the box with shaky hands to find a velvet jewelry box inside.  I looked up at my boyfriend and he was just smiling at me.  So focusing again,  I opened the velvet box and where a ring SHOULD have been tucked, was a note instead.

I seriously had a range of emotions all in about ten minutes so I played along and opened the note.  He had written me a long letter talking about the 4 years we had dated and all the ups and downs we’d gone through and how much he loved me and at the very end he’d asked me to marry him.  When I looked up at him, he was holding the ring that had been missing from the box.  Of course, I said yes. 🙂

Pretty hard to top a Christmas like that !

Nice! Sounds like a great guy — certainly a romantic one!

Since we are all here talking romantic men — let’s have a look at Krista’s story, Harper’s Wish. I hear her leading man, Fin, is quite a cowboy romantic, himself.

HarpersWish_Cover5_WebHarper’s Wish
by Krista Ames

Publisher: Roane Publishing

Release Date: December 20, 2013

Key Words: Adult, Romance, Contemporary, Sweet, Novella

Blurb: Christmas is supposed to be a joyous time of year, but for Harper Donaldson it’s just another day. Orphaned at an early age, she doesn’t have a single good memory of Christmas.

But, when a Santa’s Mailbox mysteriously appears in the lobby of the post office where she works as postmistress, Harper wonders what it could hurt to send her own letter to Santa.

Could he bring her the family she’d always wanted?

BUY LINKS:

Amazon  |  Amazon (UK)  |  Barnes and Noble
Kobo  |  
Smashwords  |  All Romance eBooks

Now, in the spirit of Christmas giving, and of, course, to promote the release, Roane Publishing is offering a giveaway to celebrate the release. To get in on that, just hit the link below and enter for your chance at a free copy of Harper’s Wish or a $10 Amazon gift card.

 a Rafflecopter giveaway

About Krista Ames:

Born and raised in Northern Indiana, Krista now resides in Northern Lower Michigan.  She is married to a very supportive man who allows her to follow her true passion of writing and never complains when she is pirated away on her computer for hours.  He is excellent at bouncing ideas around with and even helps the occasional writers block.  He’s also a terrific “in house” editor.  Krista is also a mother of 4 ornery children who keep her plenty busy.  With an addition of 2 beautiful chocolate lab sisters and a playful kitty, there is never a dull or spare moment in her household.

Krista has always loved to read and would often sit up for hours into the night not able to put down a book until she was finished.  She still reads when she can but her main focus is creating her own stories to share with the world.

She loves to communicate with her readers so please feel free to drop her a line anytime.

Krista Ames’ Links:

Website    Blog   Facebook   Twitter   Goodreads

Happy Release Day to Harper’s Wish and Krista Ames #romance #Novella #Christmas

HarpersWish_Cover5_WebHarper’s Wish
A Montana Series Christmas Novella

by Krista Ames

Genre:  Contemporary Romance (Western)

Publisher: Roane Publishing

Release Date:  Today!!

Description:

Christmas is supposed to be a joyous time of year, but for Harper Donaldson it’s just another day. Orphaned at an early age, she doesn’t have a single good memory of Christmas.

But, when a Santa’s Mailbox mysteriously appears in the lobby of the post office where she works as postmistress, Harper wonders what it could hurt to send her own letter to Santa.

Could he bring her the family she’d always wanted?


Buy Links:

Amazon
Amazon (UK)
Barnes and Noble
Kobo

Smashwords
All Romance eBooks

Roane Publishing is hosting a rafflecopter giveaway to celebrate — so swing by there to enter for your chance to win an eCopy of Harper’s Wish and a $10 Amazon gift card.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good Luck!!

Cover Reveal: Harper’s Wish by Krista Ames #Romance #Western @RoanePublishing

Today I have the opportunity to share a lovely new cover with you all. This one is for an upcoming Christmas novella being released by Krista Ames and Roane Publishing. I have to say I am quite partial to this cover… really like it 😛

(Of course, that may be in part because I am the one who made it)

But, I will let you all decide. Feel free to share your thoughts in the commments section at the end of the post. But, of course, you can’t judge if you don’t see the cover, right?

Well, here it is…

HarpersWish_Cover5_WebHARPER’S WISH
by Krista Ames

Genre: Contemporary Romance (Western)

Publisher: Roane Publishing

Release Date: December 20, 2013

Blurb: Christmas is supposed to be a joyous time of year, but for Harper Donaldson it’s just another day. Orphaned at an early age, she doesn’t have a single good memory of Christmas.

But, when a Santa’s Mailbox mysteriously appears in the lobby of the post office where she works as postmistress, Harper wonders what it could hurt to send her own letter to Santa.

Could he bring her the family she’d always wanted?

Add it to your Goodreads TBR list today!

goodreads-badge-add-plus

IMAG2373About the Author: Born and raised in Northern Indiana, Krista now resides in Northern Lower Michigan.  She is married to a very supportive man who allows her to follow her true passion of writing and never complains when she is pirated away on her computer for hours.  He is excellent at bouncing ideas around with and even helps the occasional writers block.  He’s also a terrific “in house” editor.  Krista is also a mother of 4 ornery children who keep her plenty busy.  With an addition of 2 beautiful chocolate lab sisters and a playful kitty, there is never a dull or spare moment in her household.

Krista has always loved to read and would often sit up for hours into the night not able to put down a book until she was finished.  She still reads when she can but her main focus is creating her own stories to share with the world.

She loves to communicate with her readers so please feel free to drop her a line anytime.

Email: krista@kristaames.com

Website: http://www.kristaames.com

Blog: http://www.apassionforromance.blogspot.com

Book #Review: Need by Stephanie Lawton (@Steph_Lawton) @InkspellPublish #New Adult

blog button
Need
Need by Stephanie Lawton

Blurb: Isaac Laroche is cursed. All he wants to do is hide out and feel sorry for himself. Never mind that he got caught sleeping with his seventeen-year-old piano student, or that he abandoned her when the truth was exposed.

Isaac’s feisty high school sweetheart has different plans. Heather Swann has returned to their hometown of Mobile, Alabama, to regroup after breaking up with her troll of a fiancé. She’s restless and looking for a diversion, but she bites off more than she can chew when she sets her sights on rehabilitating Isaac with her unorthodox sexual, mental, and physical plans.

The two quickly reconnect, but their happiness is threatened by family secrets, old vendettas and the death of a beloved father-figure.

Can Heather handle Isaac’s baggage, or will her own come back to haunt them both?

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars for this decidedly grown-up sequel.

My Review: After reading and enjoying the first book in this series, WANT, I wasn’t entirely sure how I would feel about a sequel featuring Issac after the events that closed the first novel. As someone who really rooted for Dave when it came to Julianne (yes, I like nice guys), I was concerned I wouldn’t be able to really relate to or sympathize with Issac as a main character.

I need not have worried. Ms. Lawton was able to draw me into Issac’s angst and really feel for him, despite what a cad I thought he had been. By the time he’d run into Heather again, the author had me squarely on his side and feeling badly enough for him to want to root for him to find happiness.

I don’t do spoilers in my reviews, so I will keep the plot points talk to a minimum, but I will say that this book is definitely more maturely written than WANT. There are some interesting “adult” oriented themes here that would appeal to a more mature audience. Saying that, I did feel the shift to an NA genre from the original’s YA stamp was warranted, and made sense for the story when you consider Issac was a great deal older than Julianne in the original story.

I really enjoyed getting another glimpse into Stephanie Lawton’s skewed deep south society. Being born and bred in Upstate New York, I’ve often wondered if life in the south is really that interestingly dysfunctional.

NEED earned 4.5 stars from me. Shy of five, mostly because despite my general “like” of Heather, I never really felt connected to her the way I was to Julianne in the first novel. I am, however, willing to concede that some of that is my own bias — having enjoyed WANT so much.

I would not hesitate to recommend this one, and if you read the first novel, it is a MUST READ.

View all my reviews (Goodreads)

Cover Reveal: NEED by Stephanie Lawton (@Steph_Lawton) #IwantNEED

I’m quite excited to bring this particular cover reveal to you, as it is for the Sequel to the fantastic New Adult title, WANT, written by my friend, and fellow Inkspell author, Stephanie Lawton.

If you read WANT, or have seen the cover, you will see why the cover for NEED is just perfect.

Here it is…

Need.v4-final

Need

By Stephanie Lawton

Published by Inkspell Publishing

http://www.inkspellpublishing.com

Release date: May 17, 2013

Blurb:

Isaac Laroche is cursed. All he wants to do is hide out and feel sorry for himself. Never mind that he got caught sleeping with his seventeen-year-old piano student, or that he abandoned her when the truth was exposed.

Isaac’s feisty high school sweetheart has different plans. Heather Swann has returned to their hometown of Mobile, Alabama, to regroup after breaking up with her troll of a fiancé. She’s restless and looking for a diversion, but she bites off more than she can chew when she sets her sights on rehabilitating Isaac with her unorthodox sexual, mental, and physical plans.

The two quickly reconnect, but their happiness is threatened by family secrets, old vendettas and the death of a beloved father-figure.

Can Heather handle Isaac’s baggage, or will her own come back to haunt them both?

NEED Goodreads button:

Need

Steph

Author Bio:

After collecting a couple English degrees in the Midwest, Stephanie Lawton suddenly awoke in the deepest reaches of the Deep South. Culture shock inspired her to write about Mobile, Alabama, her adopted city, and all the ways Southern culture, history and attitudes seduce the unsuspecting.

A lover of all things gothic, she can often be spotted photographing old cemeteries, historic buildings and, ironically, the beautiful beaches of the Gulf Coast. She also has a tendency to psychoanalyze people, which comes in handy when creating character profiles.

Links:

Author website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads