Guest Author JILL SHALVIS showcase & giveaway ENDED

Hi everyone!  Did you have a fun filled Memorial Day weekend?  Now that the summer has officially started, I have the perfect book to add to your summer reading.  Jill Shalvis is stopping by today to tell us about her newest book.  So please help me in welcoming Ms. Jill Shalvis!!

JILL SHALVIS

New York Times and USA Today bestseller Jill Shalvis is the award winning author of over four dozen romance novels, including her sexy contemporary and award winning Lucky Harbor series (FOREVER AND A DAY was one of Amazon’s Top Romances for 2012). She won a Rita for SIMPLY IRRESISTIBLE and is a 3-time National Readers Choice winner as well. Make sure to click on the blog button above for her daily blog where she recounts her Misplaced City Girl adventures.

Connect with Jill at these sites:

http://jillshalvis.com/ https://www.facebook.com/JillShalvis https://twitter.com/JillShalvis/

ABOUT THE BOOK

Ali Winters is accused of being a thief and is about to be kicked out of her home. Her only shot at keeping a roof over her head and clearing her name is to beg for help from a police detective who’s as sexy as he is stern. As Luke Hanover helps Ali put her world back together, his own life finally seems to fall into place. Is this the start of a sizzling fling—or are Luke and Ali on the brink of something big in a little town called Lucky Harbor?

BOOK DETAILS:

Mass Market Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing (May 28, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1455521124
ISBN-13: 978-1455521128

PURCHASE LINKS:

           

Read an excerpt
Ali appeared. She’d showered and changed faster than any woman Luke had ever known. She was in sweats and makeup-free, wet hair piled up on top of her head, with wavy tendrils framing her face. She headed straight to the kitchen and headed back with a carton of ice cream from[1] Lance’s shop.Luke felt a small smile play around his mouth as she ate right out of the container with a wooden spoon. Ali Winters might be down, but she wasn’t out for the count.
She scooped another big bite, and her expression finally relaxed. Until she saw the mess of the house. That wiped the smile right off her face. “Oh no. Oh Luke, I’m so sorry.”“Don’t worry about it,” he said. “It’s seen worse.”“This is true.” Jack rose off the couch. “Way worse. We were what you might call wayward teenagers.”Jack had the same height as Luke, but more bulk to his muscle tone. Of the two of them, Jack also possessed the charm, which had gotten him out of more trouble than Luke had ever managed to get into. Jack flashed all one thousand watts of that charm at Ali now.“Jack Harper. I’ve seen you around, but we’ve never been introduced,” he said, holding out his hand to Ali, smiling his “reassuring” smile. It was number three in his arsenal, behind his “you can’t resist me” and “I want you” smiles. “I’m the best friend, by the way. The better-looking, far more fascinating one, I should add.”“Ali Winters,” she said, looking a little dazzled, which made Luke roll his eyes. “Nice to meet you.” She glanced at the mess again, but Luke stepped in her way.

“I’ve heard a lot about you,” Jack said.

“I’m sorry,” she said, glancing at Luke. “I can’t say the same.”

“Not surprised,” Jack said. “Luke’s not exactly a big talker.”

“No,” Ali said faintly, a slight blush coming to her cheeks. “He’s not.”

There was nothing in Ali’s tone to suggest that they’d spent some time in Luke’s truck kissing like their lives had depended on it, but Jack knew him better than anyone else on the planet. Proving it, his gaze shifted from Ali to Luke. “Also, he can never find his keys and he snores,” Jack said.

“Thanks, man,” Luke said.

Jack smiled at Ali. “Hope you’re hungry; I brought Chinese. Ben, my cousin and the third musketeer, would’ve brought a loaded pizza. He’s on government assignment right now, and I’m just superstitious enough that I won’t eat a pizza until he’s home. You need anything else?”

Clearly surprised to be asked, Ali blinked. “No, thank you.” Her voice sounded funny and gave Luke a very bad feeling.
Jack didn’t miss it either. Jack didn’t miss much. “All right, I’ll get plates,” he said very gently, waiting until he was behind her and out of her peripheral vision to send Luke a steely look.

One thing the two of them had always shared was a hatred of seeing anyone mistreated or taken advantage of. Jack loved Luke, but the message was clear—don’t hurt her more than she’s already been hurt.

When Jack vanished into the kitchen, Ali moved to the couch, head averted. There might even have been a muffled sniffle.

Oh, Christ. Luke had faced down countless gangbangers, armed felons, and drugged-up perps. He’d faced the worst humanity had to offer, but he’d never gotten the hang of dealing with a woman’s tears. Sucking it up, he sat next to her.

She stiffened.

Ignoring that, he reached for her ice cream, thinking to set it down for her, but she surprised him with an elbow to the gut.

“What the hell?”

She hugged the ice cream to her chest. “I told you not to be nice to me right now!”

“I’m not nice. I’m never nice. And Jesus, remind me to never try to separate you from your ice cream again.”

Jack reappeared, paper plates and napkins in hand as he took in the scene. “Bad time?”

“Yes,” Luke said.

“No,” Ali said, and glared at Luke.

Jack nodded in approval. “Keeping him in line. That’s good. He needs that.”

Luke shot Jack a look, which Jack ignored as he plopped down on the couch right between them. The big oaf actually bounced Ali nearly to the floor and half sat on Luke as he settled in. He took the ice cream from Ali—and didn’t get elbowed, Luke couldn’t help but notice—and then handed out plates. They divided up the food, with Jack taking the last eggroll.

“Hey,” Luke said.

“It’d go straight to your ass,” Jack said, and popped the eggroll into his mouth. “No one wants to see that.”

THANKS TO JESSICA AT GCP/FOREVER,
I
HAVE ONE (1) COPY TO GIVE AWAY.
OPEN TO U.S. RESIDENTS
FILL OUT RAFFLECOPTER ENTRY FORM BELOW
GIVEAWAY ENDS JUNE11th AT 6PM EST

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WINNER WILL BE CHOSEN BY RAFFLECOPTER AND NOTIFIED
VIA EMAIL AND WILL HAVE 48 HOURS TO RESPOND
OR ANOTHER NAME WILL BE CHOSEN

a Rafflecopter giveaway

YOUR JAVA SCRIPT MAY NEED TO BE UPDATED
IF YOU AR EXPERIENCING DIFFICULTY
USING THE RAFFLECOPTER ENTRY FORM

DISCLAIMER
I received a copy of this book, at no charge to me, in exchange for my honest review. No items that I receive are ever sold…they are kept by me, or given to family and/or friends.
ADDENDUM
I do not have any affiliation with Amazon.com or Barnes & Noble. I am an IndieBound affiliate. I am providing link(s) solely for visitors that may be interested in purchasing this Book/EBook.

 

And the winners are……..

…….of The Abbey and The Outsider by Chris Culver

1 anne Leave a Blog Post Comment

12 Sheila Korman Leave a Blog Post Comment

19 Tony L Smoaks Tweet about the Giveaway

An email has been sent to the winners and they have 48 hours to respond or another winner will be chosen.  Thank you to all that entered.

Holiday & Monday Memes

 

 

May is being hosted by Abi @ 4 the LOVE of BOOKS

Mailbox Monday was created by Marcia of A girl and her books and is now on tour.

According to Marcia, “Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week. Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists.
Click on title for synopsis via IndieBound (I am an IndieBound affiliate).

           

Saturday:

How Not To Murder Your Grumpy by Carol E. Wyer from Author, and blogger, for PBP tour.
The Rockin’ Chair by Steven Manchester, TPB/ARC  from The Story Plant for PBP tour.

And the winner is……

…of From Mama’s Kitchen by Johnny Tan

3 Maureen Carol Leave a Blog Post Comment

An email has been sent to the winner and she has 48 hours to respond or another winner will be chosen.  Thank you to all that entered.

And the winner is……

….of Mama’s Child by Joan Steinau Lester

9 Tony L Smoaks Follow @CherylMash on Twitter

An email has been sent and the winner has 48 hours to respond or another winner will be chosen.  Thank you to all that entered.

Guest Author SHARON SIMONS showcase & giveaway ENDED

We have met some incredible female authors through WOW!.  And Jodi is back today to introduce us to another awesome writer.  Welcome Ms. Sharon Simons!!

SHARON SIMONS

Sharon had a dream to become a mother which she was determined to follow. Her path was difficult but ultimately successful. Born in New Jersey and living in Delaware, she is married to her soul mate Rick and the very proud Mom to her two sons Dylan and Hunter.

Sharon struggled to become a Mom, dealing with the uncertain world of infertility including three In Vitro Fertilizations, Tubal Pregnancy, and the Loss of a Pregnancy with twin boys at 19 weeks. That loss only made her more determined to become a Mom. Thankfully that dream became a reality through the use of International Adoption.

Sharon Simons took her experiences and created Mom at Last, a community of women who struggled through their journey towards becoming a Mom, at Last! She also also written Mom at Last: How I Never Gave Up On Becoming a Mother, to inspire other women who are having a difficult time becoming a Mother. In addition to creating the Mom at Last Community & writing her Memoir, Sharon Simons has created theAdoptionApp, a Domestic and International Adoption Process Mobile App for iPhone and Android, and TheAdoptionKit, an Adoption Survival Kit to help you through the Adoption Process.

Connect with Sharon at these sites:

http://www.momatlast.com/ https://www.facebook.com/momatlast https://twitter.com/momatlast

GUEST POST

My Proudest Moment

It took me quite a while to become one, through many trials, tribulations, and heartaches, but motherhood happened. My husband and I adopted two beautiful little boys. My proudest moment. I decided to share my story to give “mom’s to be” hope and strength to persevere.

The “Mom at Last” website is both a celebration of the various journeys leading to and through motherhood. I want to help other women with their struggles to understand that many women share the same struggles, emotion, pain and joy through the formation of a community and documentation of individual stories — as well as a resource for those starting on their path.

Through most of my life career came first, being a mom on the back burner, but eventually the urge grew to be irresistible. My husband and I met later in life when he was unable to conceive naturally. After agreeing to have children we went through the “in vitro” process several times, only to be met with tragedy. Our first attempt resulted in a twin pregnancy with two boys. The pregnancy went well for 19 weeks when I unexpectedly contracted amniocentesis. I became extremely ill with sepsis and lost both boys. After recovering as best I could both physically and emotionally, we decided to try again. Much to our surprise our next attempt also seemed successful, with a positive pregnancy test one week after embryo implantation. Unfortunately, to our chagrin the pregnancy was ectopic and had to be terminated. We again had to deal with pain and loss. After a short break, despite the cost and uncertainty we went ahead with our third try. Unfortunately, the third time was not a charm, no luck.

We then faced a major decision, a turning point in our journey. We decided to adopt. With time in short supply considering my husband’s age and the restrictions many country’s have regarding adoption, I plunged headfirst into the process. Fortunately my adoption process went quickly. I contacted the agency right before Memorial Day 2007 and was on my first trip to Russia July 4th, 2007 to meet the boys. I pushed full steam ahead with all the paperwork and was given a court date of Labor Day 2007.  My husband and I made our second trip to Russia and thankfully the judge approved us and we were awarded our children.  We are now the proud parents of the most beautiful and brightest boys in the world.

Along the journey I did not understand why we had so many disappointments.  I do now…if I did not follow my exact path I would not have my wonderful boys.

Adoption was my destination. These boys were not born to me physically but they were born in my heart.  They are my everything!!

 

ABOUT THE BOOK

From Amazon:
Her biological clock ticking louder each day, Sharon Simon felt her heart sink as yet another “Mr. Wonderful” turned out to be a frog—not the prince she was waiting for. But when the right man did come along, their journey toward parenthood seemed more like a machete trail through a jungle than the smooth path of her dreams. Enduring multiple failed IVFs and the loss of their unborn twins, Sharon and her husband decided to adopt—taking a whirlwind trip to Russia and navigating the rough waters of international adoption red tape. Their journey ended, or rather began, when two baby boys were placed in their arms for the long trip home.
Part love story, part adoption memoir, and all heart, Mom at Last is the story of one woman’s fierce determination to become a mother. Full of setbacks and emotionally devastating pitfalls, ultimately the journey leads her to true love and pure joy. Mom at Last will inspire women who find themselves on that sometimes difficult journey to motherhood, giving hope that motherhood is possible and encouraging women to never give up on their dreams. While every journey to motherhood is different, Mom at Last lets women know they are not alone in the struggle toward motherhood.

WATCH THE VIDEO

BOOK DETAILS:

Paperback: 250 pages
Publisher: Morgan James Publishing (August 1, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1614484422
ISBN-13: 978-1614484424

PURCHASE LINKS:

           

THANKS TO JODI AT WOW!,
I
HAVE ONE (1) COPY TO GIVE AWAY.
PRINT OPEN TO U.S. and CANADA RESIDENTS or EBOOK OPEN TO ALL
FILL OUT RAFFLECOPTER ENTRY FORM BELOW
GIVEAWAY ENDS JUNE 7th AT 6PM EST

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WINNER WILL BE CHOSEN BY RAFFLECOPTER AND NOTIFIED
VIA EMAIL AND WILL HAVE 48 HOURS TO RESPOND
OR ANOTHER NAME WILL BE CHOSEN

a Rafflecopter giveaway

YOUR JAVA SCRIPT MAY NEED TO BE UPDATED
IF YOU AR EXPERIENCING DIFFICULTY
USING THE RAFFLECOPTER ENTRY FORM

DISCLAIMER
I received a copy of this book, at no charge to me, in exchange for my honest review. No items that I receive are ever sold…they are kept by me, or given to family and/or friends.
ADDENDUM
I do not have any affiliation with Amazon.com or Barnes & Noble. I am an IndieBound affiliate. I am providing link(s) solely for visitors that may be interested in purchasing this Book/EBook.

 

And the winner is…..

…..of Americashire by Jennifer Richardson

6 anne Be a Public Follower of ‘CMASH Loves to Read’

An email has been sent to the winner and she has 48 hours to respond or another winner will be chosen.  Thank you to all that entered.

BELLA ANDRE-Summer of Love showcase & giveaways ENDED

From Liz at Media Muscle:  Summertime is right around the corner and we are so excited to soak up some sun, especially because Summer 2013 is the Bella Andre Summer of Love!  Help us celebrate this spectacular summer of hot reads and the release of the first three books in Bella Andre’s sizzling Sullivans series with the Bella Andre Summer of Love Beach Bag Contest!

BELLA ANDRE

Bella Andre is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, and has sold more than 1.5 million books.  Her books have appeared on Top 5 lists at Amazon, Apple, Barnes & Noble and Kobo. After signing a groundbreaking seven-figure print only deal with Harlequin MIRA, Bella’s Sullivan series will be released in paperback in a major global English language launch in the US, Canada, the UK, and Australia in continuous back-to-back releases from June 2013 through April 2014.

Known for “sensual, empowered stories enveloped in heady romance” (Publishers Weekly), her books have been Cosmopolitan Magazine “Red Hot Reads” twice and have been translated into nine languages, and her Sullivan books are already Top 20 sellers in Brazil. Winner of the Award of Excellence, The Washington Post has called her “One of the top digital writers in America” and she has been featured by NPR, USA Today, Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, and most recently in TIME Magazine. She has given keynote speeches at publishing conferences from Copenhagen to Berlin to San Francisco.

If not behind her computer, you can find her reading her favorite authors, hiking, swimming or laughing. Married with two children, Bella splits her time between the Northern California wine country and a 100-year-old log cabin in the Adirondacks.

Connect with Bella at these sites:

http://bellaandre.com/collections https://www.facebook.com/bellaandrefans https://twitter.com/bellaandre

ABOUT THE BOOK

Chloe Peterson is having a bad night. A really bad night. The large bruise on her cheek can attest to that. When her car skids off the side of a wet country road and into a ditch, she’s convinced even the gorgeous guy who rescues her in the middle of the rain storm must be too good to be true. Or is he?

A successful photographer who frequently travels around the world, Chase Sullivan has his pick of beautiful women. Chase thinks his life is great just as it is—until the night he finds Chloe and her totaled car on the side of the road in Napa Valley. Not only has Chase never met anyone so lovely, both inside and out, he realizes Chloe has much bigger problems than her damaged car. Soon, Chase is willing to move mountains to love—and protect—her, but will she let him?

Chloe vows never to make the mistake of trusting a man again. Only she can’t help but wonder if she’s met the only exception with every loving look Chase gives her, the attraction between them sparks and sizzles.

Chase didn’t realize his life was going to change forever in an instant, and he isn’t the least bit interested in fighting that change. Instead, he’s gearing up for a different fight altogether—for Chloe’s heart.

BOOK DETAILS:

THE LOOK OF LOVE
Bella Andre
Harlequin/MIRA
$5.99 U.S./$5.99 CAN.
ISBN-13: 978-0-7783-1556-8

PURCHASE LINKS:

            

Don’t miss THE LOOK OF LOVE (JUNE 2013), FROM THIS MOMENT ON (JULY 2013) and CAN’T HELP FALLING IN LOVE (AUGUST 2013).

THANKS TO LIZ AT MEDIA MUSCLE,
I
HAVE ONE (1) BEACH BAG TO GIVE AWAY.
You will receive one of our fabulous beach bags filled with summertime essentials from hot brands such as O.P.I., Evian, Not Your Mother’s Hair Care, and Unisun Eyewear.
OPEN TO U.S.  RESIDENTS
FILL OUT RAFFLECOPTER ENTRY FORM BELOW
GIVEAWAY ENDS MAY 31st AT 6PM EST

You can also win a trip to Las Vegas!!!!:

It’s the Bella Andre Summer of Love Mixtape Contest!

Visit Facebook.com/HarlequinBooks from May 22nd – May 31st and create your SUMMER OF LOVE Mixtape for a chance to win a trip for YOU and THREE friends to Las Vegas.

*No purchase necessary. Ends May 31, 2013.

media muscleMLMLOGO

WINNER WILL BE CHOSEN BY RAFFLECOPTER AND NOTIFIED
VIA EMAIL AND WILL HAVE 48 HOURS TO RESPOND
OR ANOTHER NAME WILL BE CHOSEN

a Rafflecopter giveaway

YOUR JAVA SCRIPT MAY NEED TO BE UPDATED
IF YOU AR EXPERIENCING DIFFICULTY
USING THE RAFFLECOPTER ENTRY FORM

DISCLAIMER
I received a copy of this book, at no charge to me, in exchange for my honest review. No items that I receive are ever sold…they are kept by me, or given to family and/or friends.
ADDENDUM
I do not have any affiliation with Amazon.com or Barnes & Noble. I am an IndieBound affiliate. I am providing link(s) solely for visitors that may be interested in purchasing this Book/EBook.