9.30.2014

Book Blitz + Giveaway: Scratch by Rhonda Helms




Scratch by Rhonda Helms
Publisher: Kensington
Publication Date: September 30th 2014
Genres: New Adult, Romance
Add to Goodreads
Buy: Amazon / BN / Kobo / iTunes
Synopsis:
The most painful scars are the ones you never see.
In her DJ booth at a Cleveland dance club, Casey feels a sense of connection that’s the closest she ever gets to normal. On her college campus, she’s reserved, practical–all too aware of the disaster that can result when you trust the wrong person. But inexplicably, Daniel refuses to pay attention to the walls she’s put up. Like Casey, he’s a senior. In every other way, he’s her opposite.
Sexy, open, effortlessly charming, Daniel is willing to take chances and show his feelings. For some reason Casey can’t fathom, he’s intent on drawing her out of her bubble and back into a world that’s messy and unpredictable. He doesn’t know about the deep scars that pucker her stomach–or the deeper secret behind them. Since the violent night when everything changed, Casey has never let anyone get close enough to hurt her again. Now, she might be tempted to try.
AUTHOR BIO
Rhonda Helms started writing several years ago and loves writing teen and New Adult romance. She has a Master's degree in English and a Bachelor's degree in Creative Writing. She also freelance edits manuscripts.
When she isn't writing, she likes to do amateur photography, dig her toes into the sand, read for hours at a time, and eat scads of cheese. WAY too much cheese.
Rhonda lives in Northeast Ohio with her husband, two kids, a dog and a really loud cat. Visit her website at http://www.rhondahelmsbooks.comfor more information about her and her releases.
Author links
Web / Twitter / FB / GR
**GIVEAWAY**
Blitz-wide giveaway click here to enter

  • A $25 iTunes gift card (INTL)
  • An e-copy of ALL I EVER WANTED (INTL)
  • A paperback copy of Scratch (US/Can)

Excerpt...
He looked down at my mouth again, then back in my eyes, and his eyelids grew hooded. He leaned a fraction closer. “I have a confession.”
My pulse kicked up just a notch. “Why?”

“Why . . . what?”

I swallowed, fought every instinct to stare at his mouth. His full lips, now only six inches from mine. My body began to respond to his nearness, and I dragged in a ragged breath of his cologne. He smelled fresh, like a soft breeze on a spring day at the lake. I wanted to inch closer. No, stop it, I ordered myself. This was dangerous, to let myself even be this close to him.
“Um, why are you confessing something to me?” I finally asked him.
“You ask me the most unusual questions.” He gave a ghost of a smile. “Honestly, I don’t know. But I feel like I want to talk to you all night. Which is why I wanted to confess that I haven’t been able to get you off my mind.”
I swallowed, let his words sink in, then swallowed again. His honesty was disarming me, chipping piece by piece at the careful shield I had around myself.
“Casey,” he said on a soft breath. “You intrigue me.”
He opened his mouth to speak again, but before he could get out another word, I pushed my head forward, past the last few inches separating us, and pressed my lips to his. Daniel froze in surprise for just a moment, then slipped a hand to my forearm, stroking down until his fingers met mine.
With his other hand he cupped the back of my head and teased my mouth open with his tongue, tilting so he could deepen the kiss. He tasted like chocolate and Coke and something purely male, a combination that intoxicated me more than the beer.
My heart thrummed in a wild, erratic beat as he drank from my mouth. I opened wider, our tongues slipping and sliding, my breaths falling into his mouth in little pants. I moved closer, breasts brushing his lean and firm chest. His hand tangled deeper in my hair, and his body heat flooded through my thin shirt into my torso.
I was dizzy, drunk on him, aching with a surge of something intangible coursing through my veins. My core tightened; my belly fluttered.
He pulled back for a moment with a small gasp of air, eyes nearly black as he peered down at me. Then he gave me a crooked smile and kissed me again. Took my mouth in a sensual move that fluttered my lower belly.
I cupped his shoulders with both hands. His muscles bunched and flexed beneath my fingers. Heat poured off him, thickened the air around us.
His fingers stroked my scalp as he tasted me. The thumb on his right hand brushed against my thigh then moved up my leg, to the crease between my thigh and torso. The sensation of him so close to my stomach gave me a brief pause.
When his hand moved aside the bottom of my shirt and the very tip of his fingers brushed my bare stomach, I jerked away, pulling back to the other side of the car. It was like a bucket of ice water had been poured over my head. I tugged my shirt down as low as it could go, heart jackhammering against my rib cage.
God, please tell me he didn’t feel it, I prayed. I wasn’t ready. I wasn’t ready.
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9.29.2014

Book Blitz: The Last One by Tawdra Kandle



The Last One by Tawdra Kandle
Published: September 28th 2014
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance
Add to Goodreads
Buy: Amazon / BN
Synopsis:
Meghan Hawthorne is restless. The last year has been a roller coaster: her widowed mother just married a long-time family friend. Her younger brother unexpectedly became a father and a husband. Everyone’s life is changing. . .except for hers. As she begins her final summer of college, Meghan’s looking for excitement and maybe a little romance. Nothing serious; this girl just wants to have fun.
But the only man for Meghan turns out to be the last one she expects.
Sam Reynolds doesn’t need excitement, and he doesn’t want romance. Fun is out of the question. He’s been the steady, responsible one since his parents were killed, and serious is his way of life.
When Sam rescues Meghan alongside a dark Georgia backroad, she falls hard for his deep brown eyes and slow drawl. But making him see her as more than just a party girl won’t be easy. Sam’s tempted by the fiery young artist, even as he realizes that giving into his feelings will mean radical change. . .maybe more than he can handle.
Nobody ever said love was simple.
AUTHOR BIO
Tawdra Kandle writes romance, in just about all its forms. She loves unlikely pairings, strong women, sexy guys, hot love scenes and just enough conflict to make it interesting. Her books run from YA paranormal romance (THE KING SERIES), through NA paranormal and contemporary romance (THE SERENDIPITY DUET, PERFECT DISH DUO, THE ONE TRILOGY) to adult contemporary and paramystery romance (CRYSTAL COVE BOOKS and RECIPE FOR DEATH SERIES). She lives in central Florida with a husband, kids, sweet pup and too many cats. And yeah, she rocks purple hair.


Author links:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5385538.Tawdra_Kandle

Interview:
Q: Tell us a little about Meghan and Sam, the couple in THE LAST ONE.
A: Meghan just finished her junior year at art college in Savannah. She’s dealing with a lot of family turmoil: her father died over a year ago, her brother found out he was a father (and shortly thereafter became a husband), and her mother remarried a long-time family friend. Meghan feels like she’s the only one without a plan for her life, which leads to her volunteering as an art teacher in a small town where the art program has been cut.


She met Sam under less-than-ideal circumstances, and when they’re thrown together over the summer, neither of them is particularly happy. Sam is a totally serious, responsible guy. . .some might even call him a little uptight. He lost his parents when he was eighteen, and he had to carry a heavy load of responsibility. Sam sees Meghan as a flighty party girl, and he’s not shy about letting her know how he feels. Or. . .is that really how he feels?
Q: How did you choose the names for your characters?


A: Most of the time, characters’ names simply come with them. Meghan was already named from her appearance in THE POSSE. Sam’s name came from a Civil War general, Samuel Cooper, who was the highest ranking Confederate general. Although our Sam’s name is Samuel Pierce Reynolds, after his fictional great-great-great-grandfather, I thought of General Cooper as I wrote Sam.


Another little note on names: I almost always include some nod to friends or family or readers in my books. In THE LAST ONE, Meghan’s best friend and roommate is Laura, and her boyfriend, a Marine, is Brian. Brian is named after the husband of my very dear friend who retired from the Corps a few years ago. I would have used my friend’s name, too, but I know she doesn’t love her name. . .and she does love Laura Ingalls Wilder. . .so I gave her Laura’s name instead. Got that?
Q: Do you set a certain number of hours to write each day?
A: Up until recently, I have not. My life has been a little haphazard the last few years. I have four children, and although they’re mostly grown, they still require attention and time. My youngest is still being homeschooled. And until this past summer, we also cared for a sweet four-year old little boy several days a week. So writing came whenever I could spare a few minutes to sit down.


Now, however, I am in a routine. I write every day from 8-12, and then after lunch, I work on social media, promotion, answering email, checking on my son’s school work and I even try to get a work-out in. I will often write more in the afternoon and after dinner, too, if I can.
Q: There are two more books in The One Trilogy. Will we see more of Sam and Meghan?
A: Sam and Meghan will definitely be around, but they won’t be the main characters or the persons whose POV we follow. THE FIRST ONE, which is the next book, is about Ali, Sam’s sister, and Flynn, her high school boyfriend. Sparks are going to fly when Flynn comes back to town eight years after he left Ali there. But since Ali lives in the same house with Sam, and Meghan is spending a good deal of time there now, too, we’ll definitely keep our eye on that relationship, too.

THE ONLY ONE is about Rilla and Mason. We haven’t met Rilla yet, and we haven’t met Mason by name, though we have seen him. And something special will be happening for Meghan and Sam in that book. Stay tuned.


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9.25.2014

Read Pink 2014

Read Pink® in Honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month and Support the Next Chapter in Innovative Research
Penguin Random House Marks Five-Year Partnership Milestone and $125,000
in Donations to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation®
What’s black and white and pink all over?  The initiative by Penguin Random House called Read Pink® in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month (October)!
Today the scientific community has left behind the “one-size-fits-all” breast cancer treatment to emerge with targeted, more effective therapies. As a result, after remaining stagnant for more than 50 years, the death rate from breast cancer has decreased by 30 percent. The Read Pink® initiative by Penguin Random House is proud to be part of this exciting new chapter in the fight against breast cancer, supporting the bold research of The Breast Cancer Foundation® (BCRF), while leveraging its passionate readers to help increase awareness and education about the disease. This literary embrace of a life-saving cause has resulted in nearly 1.5 million best-selling novels shipped with Read Pink seals and information about BCRF across all five years of the promotion.
Penguin Random House is thrilled to partner once again this year with BCRF, as 91 cents of every dollar spent by BCRF is directed towards breast cancer research and awareness programs.
The $25,000 donation that Penguin Random House contributes, regardless of sales, provides vital funds to support the mission of BCRF.
In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month and Penguin Random House’s Read Pink® editions, we are featuring a few participating authors and what Read Pink® means to them…
Beatriz Williams (2014 Read Pink® Spokesperson), A Hundred Summers
“Every life lost to breast cancer leaves behind a hole that can never be filled again: a wife, a mother, a sister, a friend, an aunt, a grandmother. I’m so grateful for organizations like The Breast Cancer Research Foundation for their efforts to find a cure for this devastating disease, and honored to support breast cancer awareness, detection, and research through Penguin’s READ PINK program in 2014. With your help, we can move closer to the day when breast cancer leaves behind only survivors.”
Karen White, The Time Between
“Since 1989, death rates from breast cancer have been decreasing due to earlier detection and improved treatment because of the efforts of organizations like The Breast Cancer Research Foundation. Books have always been an important part of my life, and I am honored that my book will be part of Penguin’s Read Pink program that supports breast cancer awareness and research through reading. It is my greatest hope that through efforts like this we might find a cure within my lifetime.”
Nora Roberts, Sea Swept and The Witness
“To all the moms and daughters, wives and sisters, lovers and friends, Read Pink is here for you and yours. Help support breast cancer awareness and the strong, brave women who fight or will fight this disease and Read Pink in October.”
Catherine Anderson, Perfect Timing
“I am so delighted to be included in the Read Pink campaign again this year with Perfect Timing being featured, along with so many other great books, to raise funds for breast cancer research. I can remember when a diagnosis of breast cancer was often equivalent to a death sentence. Nowadays, the survival rates have increased greatly, and I personally know women who have prevailed over this terrible disease. Sadly, I’ve also known a few women who lost the battle. So I call upon all of you to join ranks with me and countless other women in a war to defeat breast cancer. ‘Read Pink! Buy books bearing the Read Pink logo as gifts for the women you love.’ By standing together as sisters, we have it within our power to make a huge difference!”
Jayne Ann Krentz, Dream Eyes
“This is the time of year when we celebrate the progress that has been made in the battle against breast cancer and acknowledge the work that lies ahead. No, we aren't there yet. There's a long way to go. The greatest weapon we have to fight this disease is research and research costs money. That is why this breast cancer awareness campaign is so important and why I am proud to participate.”
Marie Force, I Want to Hold Your Hand
“I’m so thrilled to be part of the Read Pink effort to help raise awareness and funding for breast cancer research. I hear frequently from romance readers who tell me my books and those of other romance authors have helped them get through breast cancer treatment. I want to hear from fewer of them in the future. I want to hear they took our books on fabulous vacations rather than treatments. Please Read Pink in October to support all the courageous women fighting this disease and to fund critical research. Thank you for Reading Pink!”

Full List of 2014 Participating Authors:
 
  
Jojo Moyes, The Last Letter from your Lover
Karen White, The Time Between
Nora Roberts, Sea Swept and The Witness
Jennifer Chiaverini, Mrs. Lincoln’s Dressmaker
Beatriz Williams, A Hundred Summers
Wendy Wax, While We Were Watching Downton Abbey
Catherine Anderson, Perfect Timing
Marie Force, I Want to Hold Your Hand
Janet Chapman, The Heart of a Hero
Lisa Gardner, MacNamara’s Woman
Jayne Ann Krentz, Dream Eyes

Mark your calendars and remember to join in the conversation with @BerkleyRomance and @PenguinGroupUSA on Twitter in October.  Make sure to use the hashtag #ReadPink!
For more information about the Read Pink initiative and to view a complete list of the participating retail outlets, please visit penguin.com/readpink.


Read Pink® Blog Tour Schedule
Please support the blogs taking part in this special, Read Pink® Spotlight Tour!
October 1 – Exclusive guest post with spokesperson Beatriz Williams on LizandLisa.com
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