Friday, January 30, 2015

Bon Appetit with Abby Green, Author of Fonseca's Fury

Bon Appetit with Abby Green
author of
FONSECA 'S FURY
 
A fiery romance novel deserves a flaming cocktail to accompany it and USA Today bestselling author Abby Green’s new tale, FONSECA’S FURY, is no exception. The book has the perfect ingredients for a steamy love story—a Brazilian stud who happens to be a billionaire, a sweet and charitable heroine and a passionate anger that ignites them both. This cocktail is FONSECA’S FURY in liquid form.


The Flaming Fonseca


1 oz. Dark Rum
2 oz. Pineapple Juice
2 oz. Apple Juice
½ oz. Bacardi 151
Gold Cocktail Rim Sugar
Lime




Run a lime along the rim of a highball glass and dip into gold cocktail rim sugar to coat. Pour dark rum, pineapple juice and apple juice into the glass and float Bacardi 151 on top and carefully light the top layer using a long match.
 
 
FONSECA’S FURY
By USA Today Bestselling Author
Abby Green
 


 
The last time Luca Fonseca saw Serena DePiero, he ended up in a jail cell. The Brazilian billionaire has since clawed back his reputation, but he's never forgotten her. So when Luca discovers Serena's working for his charity, his anger reignites.

Serena has changed. Finally in control of her life, she refuses to let Luca intimidate her. She'll deal with whatever her new boss throws at her—from a rain-forest trek to the social jungle of Rio. But she can't handle the passion that flares hotter than Luca's fury—especially when it threatens to consume them both.
 
 
Praise for Abby Green

 
“Green writes an entrancing romance, where vulnerable characters transform as their love grows.”
Sabrina Madan, Romantic Times


 
“Abby Green reads have always been about deep emotion…and blazing hot heat.”
Desere Steenberg, Romance Book Haven


 
“Abby Green has got a marvelous ability of making exotic locations come splendidly to life…”
CataRomance


 
“Green’s captivating love story is full of intense emotions and a dynamic pair that share an electric passion.”
Sandra Garcia-Myers, Romantic Times


 
ABBY GREEN spent her teens reading Mills & Boon romances. She then spent many years working in the film and TV industry as an assistant director. One day while standing outside an actor's trailer in the rain, she thought: there has to be more than this. So she sent off a partial to Harlequin Mills & Boon. After many rewrites, they accepted her first book and an author was born. She lives in Dublin, Ireland and you can find out more here.


 
 
 


 
 
 


Love Lessons Learned with Andrea Laurence, Author of Snowed In With Her Ex

Love Lessons Learned
with Andrea Laurence
author of
SNOWED IN WITH HER EX


Ian and Bree’s story is a classic second chance romance that plays on all our youthful dreams and expectations, and what happens when life doesn’t turn out the way you plan. They broke up not because they weren’t in love or were incompatible, but because they let their relationship suffer when life’s dramas interfered. When Ian loses his dream of being a musician, he scrambles to find a new dream, and in throwing himself into that, he alienates Bree and becomes the one kind of man she never wanted to date – one just like her workaholic father.


When brought back together nine years later, they have to come to terms with the fact that they didn’t handle any of it well and let those past fears and expectations go. Just because he works a lot doesn’t mean he’ll become just like her father. Just because she encouraged his music doesn’t mean she wouldn’t love him if he stopped playing. They also have to find the balance in their relationship and in their lives. He can play music without being a rock star and she can love a man who is passionate about everything in his life, not just his music. In finding that balance, they can find a future together that may not be what they’d envisioned back when they were eighteen, but will be far more sustainable and healthy for them.


I think a lot of couples experience these growing pains, especially when they start dating at a young age. People change, ideals get crushed, dreams fall apart... all that affects who we are as people. If you’re not willing to allow your relationship to evolve and grow as each of you evolve and grow, you’ll end up growing apart. You have to work hard and growing together, and that’s what Ian and Bree learn to do.


—Andrea



SNOWED IN WITH HER EX
By Andrea Laurence



Wedding photographer Briana Harper never expected to run into her ex at an engagement shoot and when a blizzard strands them alone in a remote mountain cabin, she knows she's in trouble. She's never forgotten Ian Lawson, but none of the reasons they broke up have changed. He's still a workaholic—and now he's an engaged workaholic.  But Ian is also still a man who knows what he wants and what he wants is Briana. Untangling the lies of his current engagement leaves him free to indulge, but proving he's changed may be this music mogul's toughest negotiation yet.

Praise for Andrea Laurence


“Charming, fun stories and nicely drawn characters make for a great read.”  –RT Magazine

“Her writing style is witty and keeps you in your toes, while weaving a tale with the perfect amount of sweet romance.”
Two Moms Reading Blog

“The romance is the perfect combination of emotions and passion. The amazing chemistry between the characters also helps.”
Harlequin Junkie

“I fell in love from the first line of the book, and my joy continued throughout the entire story.”
–Barbara Vey, Reviewer


ANDREA LAURENCE has been devouring books since she learned to read at the age of 3. An old portable typewriter got her started writing in her room at 8 and she's been writing ever since. Her practical nature led her to pursue a master's degree and a career that would pay the bills, but the writing bug continued to bite. She started working ferociously in her spare time to become a published author and has become an active member of her local RWA chapter, Heart of Dixie. After eight years and 11 completed manuscripts, she finally made the leap and got "the call" from Harlequin Desire on May 31, 2011.
A dedicated West Coast girl transplanted into the Deep South, Andrea is working on her real-life "happily ever after" with her boyfriend of 10 years and their collection of animals including two cats, two mutts and a Siberian husky that sheds like nobody's business.





SNOWED IN WITH HER EX
By Andrea Laurence
Harlequin Desire; January 15, 2015
$5.25 US; 192 pages
ISBN-13: 9780373733620

Wednesday, January 28, 2015

Bon Appétit with Kathleen Eagle, Author of Never Trust A Cowboy


Bon Appétit and a Book with Kathleen Eagle
author of
NEVER TRUST A COWBOY


Chicken Diable


I discovered this recipe when I was in high school, and I’ve been making it for family and friends ever since.  It’s always a hit. This is from my original recipe card:


Preheat oven to 375º
Makes 4 servings


1 broiler-fryer (about 3 lbs) cut up
4 tbsp butter
½ cup honey
¼ cup prepared mustard
1 tsp salt
1 tsp curry powder


Wash chicken pieces; pat dry; remove skin if you wish.


Melt butter in shallow baking pan.  Stir in remaining ingredients.  Roll chicken in mixture to coat both sides.  Arrange meaty side up.


Bake 1 hour, spooning sauce over chicken occasionally, until chicken is tender and richly glazed. If skin has been removed, baste more often.


NEVER TRUST A COWBOY
By New York Times Bestselling Author
Kathleen Eagle


The last thing harried Lila Flynn needed was another cowboy to deal with, but new hire Del Fox was different than most sweet-talking wranglers. The hard worker had a gentle touch and eyes that spoke of a past he didn't share. Lila soon found her hardened heart softening, frightening her more than any other hurdles she was facing.
Del's assignment in Short Straw, South Dakota, was meant to be fast and simple. Falling for Lila Flynn, however, had complicated everything. If he did his job right it would mean destroying everything Lila had worked for. He'd given her every reason never to trust him with her heart, but when all was said and done, would she trust their love enough to give them a second chance?
 
 
Praise for Kathleen Eagle

"A good man is hard to find, but a romance by Eagle is a good place to start." –Kirkus Reviews

"Kathleen Eagle is an author without peer."
Tami Hoag, #1 New York Times
bestselling author, The 9th Girl

"Kathleen Eagle is a national treasure."
–Susan Elizabeth Phillips,
New York Times bestselling author

“You always can tell that a Kathleen Eagle book is going to be an enjoyable, intelligent read.”
–The Romance Reader

 
KATHLEEN EAGLE published her first book, a Romance Writers of America Golden Heart Award winner, with Silhouette Books in 1984. Since then she has published more than 40 books, including historical and contemporary, series and single title, earning her nearly every award in the industry.  Her books have consistently appeared on regional and national bestseller lists, including the USA Today list and the New York Times extended bestseller list.
 
 
Born in Virginia and raised "on the road" as an Air Force brat, Eagle earned degrees from Mount Holyoke College and Northern State University.  She taught at Standing Rock High School in North Dakota for 17 years.  She continues to teach writing at the Loft Literary Center in Minneapolis.

NEVER TRUST A COWBOY
By Kathleen Eagle
Harlequin Special Edition; December 16, 2014
$5.50 US; 224 pages
ISBN-13: 9780373658596 

 
 
 


 



 


 
 
 

Saturday, January 24, 2015

And the winner is...


I'm delighted to announce the name of this week's giveaway winner...1 copy of DEATH OF A DISHONORABLE GENTLEMAN by Tessa Arlen goes to

petit
 
 
 
Petit, look for my notification in your email! Congratulations to the lucky winner and many thanks to all the contestants for entering the giveaway. Stay tuned and happy reading!

Thursday, January 15, 2015

P.O.W.ER by Lisa A. Kramer: A Review





P.O.W.ER

by
Lisa A. Kremer

 


Word Hermit Press; December 1, 2014
Paperback, Kindle, 291 pages
YA Speculative Feminist Fiction
AMAZON

What would happen if women and girls joined their unique abilities together to change the world? In a world where access to the written word is reserved to men, Andra BetScrivener has been able to read and write ever since she was a little girl without anyone teaching her. She must keep her abilities a secret in the country of New North, or she could lose her hands, her eyes or her life. In fact, the only paths offered to her–and all young women–are to either marry or enter the government-run Women’s Training Program, where she’ll be taught “feminine” arts like drawing, painting, and homemaking.
On her seventeenth birthday, Andra discovers that her abilities extend beyond reading. She can write events to life. As she begins to explore her new ability, she must take care not to jeopardize her father’s job as head scrivener at the Ministry. Despite her efforts to keep her powers hidden, she comes to the attention of both the government and a rebel group, who each desire to use Andra for their own goals. At the same time, she begins to meet other gifted women who have never dared use their unique powers. With the help of her friends Brian and Lauren—who has the ability to read minds—Andra must find a way to unite the power of women to create change.
When one side manipulates Andra’s words into killing someone, and the other threatens her father’s life and her own freedom, Andra decides to use her writing to empower others to stop governmental oppression. But in a society ruled by lies, cruelty, and inequality her journey will not be easy or safe.
For each book sold, a portion of the proceeds will be donated to causes that support women and children around the world.

My Review
Blending  on the imaginative canvas of speculative fiction the dark tints of a dystopian novel and the refreshing perspective of a YA first person narrative, P.O.W.ER echoes The Hunger Games political setting of a totalitarian regime and class division, but addresses, with grace and intelligence, issues that are more tragically anchored in reality.
"It is acknowledged by the leading scientists of our time  that female brains are weaker and frailer than their male counterparts.  Studies conducted by the New North's  premier scientists have shown the danger to women's brains if they are introduced to inappropriate knowledge."
 
In Andra BetScrivener’s dystopian world (the Territories of New North), the Supreme Prime Minister has every citizen believe that given the smaller size and structure of women’s brain, as well as the electrical activity marked when certain forms of information are acquired, the input of knowledge through the process of reading causes a massive surge of brain electricity that supposedly  has an adverse effect on women’s ability to function normally in the world. Continuous exposure may lead to death. This effect is less noticeable  when women are engaged in feminine arts (art, music, nurturing children, housekeeping). The Lord did not intend  women to read, write, or do anything beyond basic addition and subtraction. For their own sake, they must be protected from absorbing dangerous  information through literacy and mathematics. So it happens that our heroine, daughter of the government Head Scrivener, grew up among books she wasn’t allowed to read and with mental powers she wasn't allowed to use.
 
The idea of a society where women's rights to literacy, education, and freedom to choose a profession or a husband are brutally and uncaringly violated, in the name of prejudices and false beliefs, carries a tragic resonance that belongs to the current newsfeeds of the international press rather than an alternate universe portrayed in the pages of a fictional work.

Lisa Kramer's social commentary and not-so-veiled criticism of all corporatist and fascist ideologies that obstruct women's empowerment across social strata, religious groups, and racial enclaves, are the strongest feature of this speculative novel: handled with the fluidity and simplicity of a first person POV that engages the reader and deftly establishes an emotional connection with  the young narrator, P.O.W.ER's political subtext hums with feminist pleas of gender equality, social justice, and ethnic tolerance. An approachable and thematically vigorous read. 4.5 stars
 
***Review copy generously offered by the author in exchange for an unbiased and honest review.

 

 
About the Author


Lisa A. Kramer has spent her life learning, creating, and exploring the world through theatre, writing, traveling and collaborating as an educator. She has lived in nine states and two countries (including Japan). She holds a PhD in Theatre for Youth, an MFA in Theatre Directing, and a BA in English Language & Literature and Theatre. She has published non-fiction articles in journals specializing on Theatre for Young Audiences, as well articles aimed at young people for Listen Magazine. In addition to young adult novels, she has ventured into the world of short stories, and has stories for adults in several of the Theme-Thology series published by HDWPBooks.com and available on Kindle, Nook, and Kobo. When not writing, Lisa shares her love of the arts and the power of story as co-founder of heArtful Theatre Company and as adjunct faculty at various colleges and universities. She also spends time enjoying New England with her husband, daughter, and two dogs from her home base in central Massachusetts.

Her latest book is the YA speculative feminist fiction, P.O.W.ER.
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