Guest Post: Introducing Theresa Oles

Today's post features Theresa Oles, a new author, and her debut novel, 

October Night.

From the blurb:

One early October evening a young woman comes across an enigmatic man, Marius Millet. Her name is Jolene Munroe, twenty-years-old and a college student, who has traveled to Geneva, Switzerland to study for a year. The two develop a relationship that soon intensifies, despite a secret that Marius keeps from her, which he desperately tries to conceal from her in an effort to cling to their relationship. He is married with two teenage daughters, and it’s a choice Jolene must make as she struggles with her own desires and the incessant pull from her own conscience. Then there’s Anna, Jolene’s eccentric roommate, who finds another troubling way to cope with her own sense of inadequacy and vulnerability.

An excerpt from chapter 12:

When I pulled to the side of the road, I saw that only a couple of lights were on in the house. Though it was early afternoon, somehow the grey

Blog Tour Stop: Turning Point by Tiffany A. Snow

  

From the blurb:

After her promotion from law firm Runner to Investigator, Kathleen Turner is learning the ropes of her new job from none other than assassin-for-hire Kade Dennon, a situation her boyfriend Blane Kirk is none too happy about. But the lessons with Kathleen take a back seat when Kade becomes a target. Previously untouchable, his enemies now know of the chink in his armor – his brother’s girlfriend. And Kade’s not the only thing coming between Kathleen and Blane. From Blane’s inexplicable defense of a man guilty of a horrible crime, to a mysterious stranger from Kathleen’s past, to Kathleen’ risky investigation into human traffickers, the obstacles mount against a relationship that’s just begun to find trust again. While Blane considers a job offer that would take him back to the front lines in the war on terror, Kathleen is determined to pursue her new career, with or without his approval. Unfortunately, her current case is far more dangerous than anyone knows. Someone close to Blane will go to extreme lengths to split them up, lengths that may prove worse than death for Kathleen. Kathleen, Blane and Kade must atone for the sins of the past and the present. The fallout will force Kathleen to a turning point…in her career, and her life.

I asked Tiffany about her writing process.

Tiffany:

It’s definitely different for everyone and I don’t think there’s a “wrong” or “right” way to write. I know some authors that write their manuscript’s dialogue first, then go back and fill in the story. Others draft with pen and paper before moving to computer. Some start with the ending and go backward. As for me, I write a book in its entirety the first time through. I begin with an idea in my head of where I want the characters to be when the book is finished and plan things accordingly. Since I’m writing a series, the characters grow and change with each book, so I try to have in my head the journey each character will take for that particular book in the series. My particular writing style is long chapters with cliffhangers. I just love a good cliffhanger that makes you groan and turn the page, ignoring the clock on your bedside table that says you’re going to have a reading hangover in the morning. As with any story, the question constantly in my mind is “What happens next?” What’s going to keep the reader engaged and keep those pages turning? Sometimes it’s more difficult than others to come up with the answer to that question. When that happens, I need a little inspiration. Usually when I have “writer’s block,” I’ll go in search of a song to help me get inside my characters’ heads. If I can find the right one, just listening to it a couple times will get me back in the mindset of the story and I can continue. Other times when I hit a dead-end, I try to think of what would totally turn the story on its head. What “grenade” can I drop right in the middle of the narrative and blow my character’s day all to hell? Thinking of the absolute worst thing that can happen to them will often get me thinking outside the box and provide the reader with something completely unexpected.

Buy links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Author's Website

Author's Goodreads Page

Add this book to your Goodreads shelves

Win a Kindle copy or print copy of one of her KATHLEEN TURNER books, winner's choice (Print copy is available to continental US only). Enter here for your chance! Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tiffany is giving away, a grand prize of the winner's choice, KINDLE Paperwhite or HD. Winner will be selected by Rafflecopter. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway 

Additional Blog stops:

February 19

SnifferWalk Books
The Muse Unleashed
Guilty Pleasures


February 20

Momma's Books
Lori's Book Blog


February 21

My Fiction Nook
Hesperia Loves Books
Romancing the Book


February 22

Melinda Dozier
Reading Romances
Simply Ali


February 23

Musings of a Bookworm
Storm Goddess Reviews
Mrs. Condit & Friends Read Books


February 24

Reading, Eating & Dreaming
Reading Between The Wines
Heart Breaking Reviews
Cocktails and Books


February 25

Little Fiction of Every Flavour
Scorching Book Reviews
Journey With Books


February 26

Tattooed Book Reviews
Sugar & Spice
Read Your Writes


February 27

Romance Book Craze
My Life Beyond Labels
Ali's Bookshelf


February 28

Jessy's Book Club
Harlie's Books
Queen of the Night Reviews


Thanks for stopping by. Until next time,







Buy links are provided as a courtesy to the reader and do not constitute an endorsement by this blog.

Blog Tour Stop: Fender Bender Blues by Niecey Roy

Today we welcome Niecey Roy and her book, Fender Bender Blues.

From the blurb:

Her life took a wrong turn. He's driven by success. They didn't count on crashing into love... 

Rachel Bennett loved her job until the day she finds herself doubting her choices. Now she's hunting for a new career, but starting over isn't easy. Her plan is simple—no distractions until she finds her dream job. She didn't plan on fate throwing her a curveball in the form of a fender bender with a sexy guy in an expensive suit. Craig Larsen is a wealthy, successful business owner with a plan of his own: survive his current PR nightmare and stay away from his overly determined ex-girlfriend. His need for control and personal success is turned upside down when he meets Rach, a sassy redhead who can't drive. Soon they find themselves battling with Rach's grumpy old neighbor, toilet-papering the trees of a high school nemesis, and fighting over the last slice of pizza. Can two very different people plus one fender bender equal a chance at forever?

An excerpt:

“Now what?”
“Nothing.”
Rach sniffed. Craig shifted to eye her warily.
“Since when do you answer me with single words?”
“Since I decided I’m not talking to you,” she answered with a shrug, crumpling up the white paper wrapper from her sub. Craig leaned his face in close to her neck and enjoyed the startled jerk of her shoulders. Her eyes opened wide in surprise.
His breath shifted a few strands of hair at the nape of her neck as he whispered, “Why, because you want me?”
“You’re incorrigible,” she said, breathless, her cheeks flushed.
She’s enjoying this.
The thought pleased him. Rach was on her back beside him now, her eyes closed. He glanced around the park to see if anyone was watching. No one was. He could swoop in for a kiss and no one would catch him. No one would care, he told himself. She won’t mind…
“I can feel you staring.” Craig smiled down at her.
“So what.” She peeked at him with one green eye.
“So stop it.”
“And if I don’t?” Maybe she’d tackle him, push him down on the blanket and… She didn’t. She promptly closed her eye and went back to pretending indifference. “I’ll hit you, that’s what.”
“Not if I do this, you won’t.” He’d only meant it to be a short kiss, but the pleasure of touching his lips to hers kept him there longer. Her tongue was velvet soft and warm against his and the slow mating of their mouths quickened his heartbeat even as he told himself, It’s no big deal, just a kiss. She nipped his bottom lip and sent heat sliding through his body. The woman could kiss.
She whispered soft against his lips, “Now why don’t you admit that it’s you who wants me.”

Available at Amazon

Add this book to your Goodreads shelves

Author's Goodreads Page

Author's Website

Enter the giveaway for your chance at winning a digital copy

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Grand Prize Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Additional Tour stops:

2/18/2013
Harlie's Books
SnifferWalk Books 
Flirting With Romance 

2/19/2013
Sunset Reader Reviews 
My Fiction Nook  
Blackraven's Erotic
Bookworm Brandee 
Musings From An Addicted Reader

2/20/2013
Italian Brat's Obsessions  
Way Too Hot Books
Lebooksquirrel

2/21/2013
My Life Beyond Labels

2/22/2013
Reality Bites! Let's Get Lost!!

2/25/2013
First Class Books

2/26/2013
Storm Goddess Book Reviews & More

2/27/2013
Simply Ali
Sugar and Spice Book Reviews

2/28/2013
Guilty Pleasures

3/1/2013
Manic Readers Guest Author Blog
Flirty and Dirty Book Blog

Thanks for stopping by. Until next time,





Buy links are provided as a courtesy to the reader and do not constitute an endorsement by this blogger. There exists no financial relationship between this blogger, the booksellers linked and/or the author referenced in this post. No monies are exchanging hands as part of this post. 

ARC Review: The End of all Things by Lissa Bryan

From the blurb:

After a terrible virus ravages the planet, Carly Daniels, one of the few survivors, hides in her apartment in Juneau trying to survive the best she can with only occasional forays to gather food. With her is Sam, a wolf puppy she found starving on the streets. He becomes her companion and a reason to continue when giving up sometimes seems like the more attractive option. Still dazed with shock and grief, she hopes for the world to go back to normal soon. She is discovered by Justin, an ex-soldier who is intent on making his way to Florida before the winter sets in. Justin coaxes her out of her hiding place and convinces her to join him on his journey, because a warmer climate will be their best chance against the extremes of Mother Nature.[...]


My rating:




Not only does Lissa Bryan tell a convincing end of the world as we know it story, but also a wonderfully emotional romance.

Meet Carly Daniels, 22, living in Juneau, Alaska, on her own, one of the very few survivors of a pandemic that wiped out most of the world's population. There is no electricity, no food, no police, no order, and nobody to help her make it from day to day. Her parents have succumbed to the disease, and Carly is all alone, with only her little puppy, Sam, for company.

It is Sam and his need for food that prompts Carly to make the trip to the nearby grocery store again, to scavenge for dog food and anything else she might still find. If only it weren't for Biker Dude who's been standing outside of her apartment building for the last few days.

Biker Dude turns out to be Justin, 34, a fellow survivor. He, with a bit of 'tricksy hobbit' attitude, convinces Carly that their best bet for survival is to make the long trip south, through Canada, into the US and eventually to Florida, where the climate is better for farming. Justin is ex-Special Ops, and while he already has quite a few survival skills, Carly learns to stand her own along the way.

ARC Review: The Shadow Society by Marie Rutkoski

From the blurb:

Darcy Jones doesn’t remember anything before the day she was abandoned as a child outside a Chicago firehouse. She has never really belonged anywhere—but she couldn’t have guessed that she comes from an alternate world where the Great Chicago Fire didn’t happen and deadly creatures called Shades terrorize the human population. Memories begin to haunt Darcy when a new boy arrives at her high school, and he makes her feel both desire and desired in a way she hadn’t thought possible. But Conn’s interest in her is confusing. It doesn’t line up with the way he first looked at her. As if she were his enemy. When Conn betrays Darcy, she realizes that she can’t rely on anything—not herself, not the laws of nature, and certainly not him. Darcy decides to infiltrate the Shadow Society and uncover the Shades’ latest terrorist plot. What she finds out will change her world forever . . .

My rating:



I was pleasantly surprised at how well this book is written. The author avoids falling into the well-known tropes that permeate YA.

Mary Hughes - Edie and the CEO - Blogtour stop

Welcome! 

Today's feature is Mary Hughes and her latest book Edie and the CEO. 

From the blurb:

Edie Rowan is passionate about workers’ rights, wanting her Sixties protester grandparents to be proud of her. But championing the little guy gets her in trouble with sexy CEO Everett Kirk. Kirk is Mr. Ultra-Executive with his expensive hand-tailored suits and his eyes the steel blue of a finely tempered sword—but for the intriguing contradictions of his neat ponytail and square workman’s hands.

Edie’s latest disaster, a teambuilding exercise gone facepalm wrong, leads to a knockdown drag-out with rival manager Bethany “The B”—or add the “Itch”—Blondelle. The incident is the last straw for Kirk. He sends Edie to management camp and to her shock, announces he will drive her there himself. She wonders why he would want eighteen hours of enforced intimacy with her, even as she’s dazzled by his sparkling white smile and killer dimple.

Everett walks away from the confrontation with a headache. For years he has protected Edie from the fallout of her righteous crusading, but this may be the last time. A corporate backstabber is trying to eject Everett from his job. Even so, he’s looking forward to spending time on the drive with Edie, attracted to her sunny red curls, fiery personality and fine dark eyes.

Traci L. Slatton - The Love of my (other) Life - Blog Tour Stop

Today, we welcome Traci L. Slatton and her novel

The Love Of My (Other) Life.

From the blurb:

The latest offering from critically acclaimed author and Yale and Columbia graduate Traci L. Slatton, The Love Of My (Other) Life follows the beguiling and uncompromising Tessa Barnum, a 30-something would-be painter struggling to find her rightful place in the city that never sleeps: the ever-bustling, always-magical backdrop of New York City.

Frustrated by a world that champions meaningless post-modernism and money over truth, beauty and transcendence, Tessa is about to be evicted, too insecure in her own talent to let her Turner-esque landscapes leave her closet, and emotionally exhausted by a recent divorce. When she is suddenly faced with Brian Tennyson behind every corner – a disheveled yet devilishly handsome man who, out of virtually nowhere, claims to not only be a Yale physics professor who has uncovered a gap in the time-space continuum, but also her husband in an alternate universe (!) – Tessa finds herself on a rollercoaster ride the likes of which she never in her wildest dreams imagined she would have to be prepared for.

Heather Huffman - Roses In Ecuador - Blog Tour Stop

Heather Huffman is back on My Fiction Nook!! 

Some of you may remember the tour stop we did last year for Jailbird, and now Heather has returned with her latest novel, Roses In Ecuador. And even though I haven't had a chance to read it yet, I already know it's going to be just as fantastic as her previous books. 

It's available at Barnes & Noble and Amazon TODAY!

From the blurb:

Jane Russell is certain she’s had enough heartbreak for one lifetime, and love is the last thing on her mind when she arrives in Ecuador. Focused and determined, she settles in to write a book on the local jaguar preservation. Devon McAllister, the wealthy and handsome son of a corporate mogul in the U.S., has broken his share of hearts despite his best intentions. He moved to Ecuador to escape his father’s destructive greed and pursue his passion to do good in the world, opening a fair trade rose plantation. 

When the jaguar preservation comes under attack by what appears to be a group of angry locals, Devon jumps in to help Jane fight for the animals they love. As the danger grows, the motives of the attackers are revealed to be much more sinister than either could have ever imagined. Unsure of whether they’re more frightened by the prospect of love or the danger to the jaguars, they must decide whether they can open their minds–and their hearts–to trust again.

An Excerpt:

 Devon McAlister watched the pretty blonde from across the open-air bar in the heart of the little Ecuadorian village in the center of the Amazon Basin. He tried in vain to remember what color her eyes were, then wondered why he cared. Maybe it was something about the way wisps of curls escaped their binding to frame her delicate face. More than likely, he was forced to admit, it was the complete apathy she showed him. That wasn’t a sentiment he was used to garnering from anyone.

Even now, she seemed completely oblivious to his presence as she chatted with her friends. Occasionally, her eyes would flit about the room as if she were looking for something or someone. Maybe she could feel the weight of his gaze, and it was him she sought.

From what the locals said about her, there was no way she was looking for a man. Some rumored that she hailed from a convent and likened her to Mother Theresa. Others swore she simply had ice in her veins, though the latter sentiment often came from poachers who’d made the mistake of wandering onto the stretch of Amazon Basin in her care.

He watched her cheeks flush as the table around her erupted in laughter and knew neither rumor was true. Still, why had the pretty young teacher from Arkansas moved to a jaguar preserve in Ecuador, especially one that was under constant threat from local farmers?

He wanted to approach her but was rooted to his spot by an unusual feeling: uncertainty. Devon was only vaguely aware of the conversations floating around him. His mind was too busy trying to solve the puzzle of Jane Russell.

She rose from her chair, waving off those who would follow. He knew if he wanted to approach her without an audience, this was his moment. As he wound his way through the crush of people on the dance floor, he wondered what he would say to her. There was no way to make this look like a casual encounter.

“Jane,” he called out when it looked like she was going to slip away.