Excerpt

BOOK FEATURE: “First Sight”

August 4, 2015 1 Comment

“First Sight” by Laura Donohue

Blurb: Maddy Smith writes for a trendy website in Washington DC, has two fabulous best friends, and her own apartment. When a girl’s night out ends with her locking eyes with the handsome stranger across the room, the last thing she expects is for him to show up at her office on Monday morning.

Travis Emerson, her attractive and single new colleague, just moved to town. Although an immediate friendship between Maddy and Travis forms, she soon finds herself wishing for something more. After a misunderstanding between them occurs, not only is her hope for a relationship ruined, but their friendship is in jeopardy as well. Is any chance that Maddy had with Travis over? Or could he possibly be what she’s been looking for all along?

Follow Maddy and Travis on a series of adventures that will quickly have you cheering them on. First date jitters? Not when you’ve been in love since First Sight!

EXCERPT

We chatted easily throughout dinner and after we’d finished eating, walked outside into the night. Travis held the door open for me, and I thought to myself at how chivalrous he always was. It had started to snow again, and tiny flakes were falling softly down, dancing in the light from the lampposts. As they swirled around in the air, they were landing on both of us. “Wow, it got cold,” Travis said, the fog from his breath filling the air between us. He zipped up his jacket as he stood facing me.

“I know,” I said, brushing a few snowflakes out of my hair. I noticed that he watched me as I did so.

“Should we head for the metro?” Travis asked.

“Yeah, definitely,” I said. “It’s freezing out here.”

“I don’t know this part of DC, so you lead the way.”

“There’s a station right around the corner.” I started walking down the block with Travis at my side.

“What line are you?” he asked.

“Orange line. How about you?”

“Same thing.” Travis walked along beside me, and I felt content next to him. It was a comfortable silence. He slowed his long stride to keep pace with mine, and it actually took me a few minutes to notice that neither of us had said anything in a while. “Are you okay to get home?” Travis suddenly asked. “I can drive you back to your apartment after we get to my metro stop if you’d like.”

I looked up at him, surprised. He was gazing down at me, his brown eyes intense, but I couldn’t read the expression on his face. Still, as I watched him, I felt a tiny surge of pleasure at his concern, at the idea of Travis driving me home. “Oh, uh, yeah; I’ll be fine,” I stammered.

“Are you sure? I don’t mind.”

“Really, I’ll be fine. It’s not late. Thanks for the offer, though.” I smiled up at him, telling myself that he was just being polite. He probably would’ve offered anyone a ride if he thought they needed one.

We arrived at the metro station and rode the escalator down beneath the city streets. A train had just pulled into the station, and we strode right on. I selected a seat next to the window, and Travis sat down beside me. The train was not very full, and he stretched his long legs out in the aisle. As we pulled away from the platform, the walls were soon whizzing by us, and then we were in the dark tunnel. A young couple was sitting near us, and I wondered if they thought that we were a couple, too. The guy had his arm casually draped around his girlfriend’s shoulders, and he was whispering in her ear. Although Travis and I were seated side by side, I was quite aware that no parts of our bodies were touching.

The conductor announced the next stop, which came out sounding completely garbled over the intercom. “This is me,” Travis said, glancing over.

“Okay. So I guess I’ll see you Monday?” I asked. We’d had such a fun afternoon and dinner together, I was kind of sad that he was leaving. Maybe I should have taken him up on the offer for a ride. Did he want to spend more time with me, too? I could have always invited him up to my apartment for a drink after he’d driven me home. There was no time to analyze the situation now, though, because the train was coming to a stop.

“Yep,” Travis replied. “I’ll see you on Monday. Goodnight, Maddy.” He slowly stood up, and I watched as he walked toward the doors. His broad shoulders filled out his black leather jacket, and he had an easy saunter to his step. He pulled his black wool cap back over his head, covering his dark brown hair. As he turned to leave, he looked back at me. My breath caught as my eyes met his. Neither of us said anything, but as his dark eyes bore into mine, I knew in that moment that I was starting to fall for him.

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**About author, Laura Donohue: Laura Donohue is a graduate of George Mason University. She spent ten years working as a technical writer and editor before publishing her first novel. She lives in Washington DC with her husband and daughter.

**Contact Laura: Website Facebook Goodreads Twitter

EXCERPT: “Absolutely True Lies”

August 4, 2015 1 Comment

“Absolutely True Lies” by Rachel Stuhler

Blurb: A fledgling entertainment writer stumbles into the gig of a lifetime writing a teenage pop star’s memoir and soon realizes that the young celebrity’s squeaky-clean image is purely a work of fiction.

Struggling writer Holly Gracin is on the verge of moving back home to upstate New York when she gets hired to write the memoirs of eighteen-year-old Daisy Mae Dixson, a former Nickelodeon child star who has moved seamlessly into both blockbuster movies and pop music.

Holly quickly realizes that Daisy’s wholesome public image is purely a work of fiction, as Holly finds herself trailing the star as she travels around the world on yachts, gets stalked by paparazzi, and sneaks out of five-star hotels in the dead of night.

As Holly struggles to write a flattering portrait of a teenage millionaire who only eats “nightshades” and treats her employees like slaves, Daisy has a public meltdown—and suddenly, her book is the cornerstone of resurrecting her image. But working at all hours trailing a pop star has taken its toll, and Holly must decide if becoming the ultimate insider is worth losing a starring role in her own life.

Fun, juicy, and inspired by Rachel Stuhler’s own stranger-than-fiction experiences as a celebrity ghost writer, Absolutely True Lies is an entertaining look at how the lifestyles of the rich and famous aren’t always what they seem.

EXCERPT

By 1:00 a.m., Camille and I were staggering out of the bar at the Chateau Marmont, where, if I hadn’t been drunk off my ass, I might have sworn that we were standing about twenty feet away from Adele. I could have just walked up and talked to her if I’d really wanted to be sure, but you learn quickly to ignore the celebrities in their natural habitats. That, and I’m just too chicken. It’s probably why, after four years, I didn’t have a single really juicy celebrity story.

Cam and I stumbled out onto Sunset Boulevard and got all the way to the curb before it occurred to either of us that we hadn’t called a cab. She pulled out her phone and loaded Uber, squinting at the swirling cars in the area. It’s one of the perks of living in a big city that you can find a local cab in the middle of the night just by pressing a few buttons. At least, you can on a smartphone. Mine only makes phone calls and you have to press the two halves together tightly to get that to happen.

“Do we pay more for a taxi or use UberX? I’m sure there are lots of people out tonight looking for a few extra bucks.”

“Taxi. I’m not getting in some rando’s car.” I couldn’t help but think how many torture porn movies start just this way, two girls alone on dark street, climbing into an anonymous car. Not that Sunset is ever particularly dark or empty, even in the middle of the night.

“Shit,” Camille said, rubbing her eye tiredly and smearing eyeliner down her face. “I told Donovan I’d be home by midnight at the latest.”

Donovan is Camille’s fake producer/poser/live-in boyfriend. He’s forty-two, his real name is Donnie, and the only thing he’s produced in the last ten years is a tuna fish sandwich. But like most people in L.A., he’s always got some “big project” in the works and wants toattach me as the writer. Every few months, he corners me in their apartment and tells me about what he’s supposedly working on, and each time, the roster of producers and so-called investors changes. I’m never sure if these are guys he met down at the Laundromat or if he’s just randomly picking names off the Internet. And though Cam refuses to believe it, Donovan’s been trying to knock her up for the last year, just so he knows he’ll never be alone. The guy’s a real winner.

“Oh, what does he care? He’s just on the couch watching infomercials and eating Hershey’s miniatures.” The man has an unnatural obsession with child-size bars of chocolate.

“He doesn’t like to be alone at night,” Camille whined, sympathy creeping into her tone. “And you know Donovan’s had a lot of trouble with his weight the last couple years. He says he feels more in control of his snacking with the miniatures.”

“He’s not in control if he’s eating the whole bag,” I replied, leaning on a streetlamp to keep from falling off the curb.

“I know, I know,” she said, shaking her head with a level of empathy I couldn’t understand. “It’s just that the financing on his latest project fell apart and he’s very depressed. He says we can’t afford to get engaged this year because he just doesn’t have the money for a ring. Like I care about a stupid diamond.”

They’ve been together for five years. Every year he tells her they can’t afford to get engaged, even though Camille makes well over a hundred grand. Usually I can keep my opinion of that bottom-feeder to myself, but on this night, I was too far into Jäger country to keep my mouth shut.

“What is it with you and that loser? There are, like, four million eligible men in Los Angeles and you can’t get away from a guy who thinks leather pants are appropriate funeral attire.” Understandably, this riled her up a bit. “Four million eligible men? This from the woman who hasn’t gotten laid since Obama’s first term? Where are all these eligible men? Huh?”

She had me there. I paused for a moment and put on my most serious, contemplative expression. “Well… I’m sure they must be around here somewhere.” I turned my head to the right and left, but all I saw were similarly inebriated Angelenos leaving the bars and clubs, most of them laughing or shouting obnoxiously. It wasn’t doing much for my cause. “If you’ll just give me a minute, I’ll find one for you.”

I spun around just in time to see a forty-year-old guy with slicked back, thinning hair pull up in a Bimmer. He lowered the passenger window and leaned over to talk to us. “Marmont’s played out for the night. Get in and I’ll take you to this after-hours in Silver Lake.”

“Is that the guy you were looking for?” Camille asked.

“Clock’s ticking, ladies.” No lie, the guy even held his wrist out and tapped the face of his watch. I think it was a Rolex, but for all I know, it was a fake—either good or bad. Fifty bucks or fifty thousand, they all look the same to me.

“No one’s getting in your car, asshole,” I told him.

Camille took things one step further, moving to kick the guy’s passenger door. As drunk as I was, I had the presence of mind top pull her back, lest she put us both on the receiving end of an arrest warrant. “And come on, loser, you’re forty! What are you doing at after-hours clubs?”

“Screw you,” Bimmer Man said. “There are plenty of hotter girls than you out tonight.” He gave us the middle finger before swerving back out into traffic.

There was a long moment as we watched him go before Camille gave me the annoyingly smug look I knew was coming. “Please, go on, Holly. You were telling me about these four million eligible men?”

“Shut up and pick a taxi.”

**Buy “Absolutely True Lies” now!: Amazon Barnes & Noble

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**About author, Rachel Stuhler: Rachel Stuhler grew up in Rochester, NY, so obsessed with movies and books that she spent as little time as possible in the real world. In her late teens, this obsession led her first to New York as a terrible production assistant and then to Los Angeles, where she spent four years working as a script supervisor (and pining after writing jobs) until one day an actor told her, “If you think you can do it better yourself, just do it.”

Within a year, Rachel had sold TV movies to Lifetime and Hallmark and because she doesn’t know when to quit, began dreaming of writing a novel. After forcing countless crew members, family, and friends to read manuscripts, Rachel came to write Absolutely True Lies. She continues to work on TV movies and plot her next move in world domination, or writing about world domination, which is more fun and a lot less work.

**Contact Rachel: Website Facebook Twitter

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**Click HERE to see other stops on Rachel’s Chick Lit Plus Blog Tours!

EXCERPT & BOOK REVIEW: “Walk on the Wild Side”

July 21, 2015 2 Comments

“Walk on the Wild Side” by Suzie Jay

Blurb: Violet Monte believed her love and marriage would last a lifetime–until she catches her husband in bed with a younger woman.

When she realizes she was nothing more than a trophy wife, Violet decides to chase her own dreams. The only problem is, she has no idea what they are. Violet begins to pursue her own interests which sometime include spying on her mysterious neighbor, who might actually be a lady of the night.

Just as Violet is finding stability–– and the possibility of opening her heart again–– her husband returns not with an apology, but with a signed pre-nuptial agreement, claiming he’ll keep everything and leave her with nothing.

Violet is far from the compliant woman he once knew but she doubts she has the strength to fight and win, until her intriguing neighbor unlocks what Violet has been looking for all along.

Can Violet fight back from a lost love and reinvent herself into the person she always wanted to be or will she forever be just an ex-trophy wife?

**Buy “Walk on the Wild Side” now!: Amazon Barnes & Noble Goodreads

EXCERPT

“Once upon a time, in a land meant only for the young and good looking, there lived an unemployable, unlovable, wretched old hag. How she survived to the ripe old age of forty-one remains a mystery. All the beautiful girls in the village used to stare at Violet, the old hag, and laugh at her attempts to find love and success. The beauties sat back, stroking their long blonde locks, while the handsome princes drooled like rabid dogs and obeyed their every command.

“One sunny summer’s day, Violet was out walking when she happened upon the most stunning, tanned goddess she had ever seen. Her attention was captured immediately, and she couldn’t take her eyes off of this mesmerising beauty. Unfortunately, the one man in the village who claimed to love Violet appeared to be equally smitten by this glamorous woman, and was pawing all over her. Violet was angry and heartbroken.

“She couldn’t stand to watch the man she loved turn his attention elsewhere, so she picked up a frying pan—one of the good, solid type that you see on the late night infomercials— and she swung it back with all her might and smashed it hard against the dirty, cheating, scumbag’s—”

“Violet!” Her sister’s angry voice broke her train of thought. Damn, just as she was getting to the good part.

“I would appreciate it if you didn’t let your cynical and somewhat psychotic attitude influence my children,” her sister snapped.

Violet glanced down to see her twin nieces looking up at her with wide eyes and huge smiles.

“Oh, they’re fine, they love Auntie Violet’s fairy tales.” Violet laughed and ruffled the girls’ hair.

“We all know you are heartbroken, and you have no job and nowhere to live—yada, yada, yada—but filling my children’s heads with your daydreams of revenge is helping no one. You need to stop feeling sorry for yourself and get back out there. It’s been months, Violet.”

What the hell does that even mean? Get back out where exactly? Get back to my home so I can witness my husband flaunt his new love in front of me?

The way he looked at Magen or Meagan or whatever her stupid name was, broke her heart. He hadn’t looked at Violet like that for, well, ever. She had never seen such passion in his eyes until that day, and now that she had, she was beginning to think Jim never really loved her. Yet, he had been her one great love, her knight in shining armour, her dream guy. That dream had turned into a nightmare the day she got fired and came home early.

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My Review: I was looking for a light romantic comedy, so I decided to take part of the author’s Chick Lit Plus Blog Tours, where I would read and review this book, and I’m so glad I did. At first, Violet seemed kind of weak, but hey, if I were in her situation, I would be, too. However, I love how she changes her way of thinking and goes to see her son, though, they seemed like more friend/son, rather than mother/son. As far as Violet’s curiosity about what it’s like to do her son’s job, I found that to be quite comical, and am glad it led her to be able to open her heart again. I loved how it ended, too.

Suzie Jay’s writing was delightful, and she managed to keep me quickly turning the pages, leading me to wander my way through Violet’s adventures.

My only issue with the book was that Violet’s sister’s children seem way younger than her son, which made me wonder about a possible significant age difference between the sisters.

“Walk on the Wild Side” was a very cute and fun read. If you’re looking for a laugh-out-loud and charming read, I highly recommend this book, and I give it 4.5 stars!

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**About author, Suzie Jay:

Suzie Jay is a mum of six who lives in Adelaide, Australia with her husband and children. She has a Diploma in Child Psychology and owned her own baking and cake decorating business. She is also a former school teacher, but escaped and now intends on torturing the world by sharing what’s inside her head. This is Suzie’s debut novel. Other published work includes an April fools day anthology titled ‘Fools Rush In.’

**Contact Suzie: Blog Facebook Twitter

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**GIVEAWAY**

**Click HERE to enter to win a $25 Amazon Gift Card!

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**Click HERE to see other stops on Suzie’s Chick Lit Blog Tours!

AUTHOR & BOOK FEATURE: Cathryn Chapman, author of “Sex, Lies, & Cruising”

July 21, 2015 2 Comments

About author, Cathryn Chapman: Cathryn nearly gave up her writing career when her eighth grade English teacher refused to believe her sensual poem could have been written by somebody so young. Two years later, when Cathryn was fourteen, that same English teacher declared she should start writing for Mills & Boon, and a women s fiction writer was born. Cathryn graduated from university with a Business Degree and spent seven years travelling the world working on cruise ships, and living in London, New York, Paris and South America. In her thirties, she left a successful marketing and public relations career to pursue her dream of gracing the stages in London s West End. When this failed dismally, Cathryn settled down with a husband and baby boy, and stayed in one country long enough to finally write her first novel, SEX, LIES, AND CRUISING.

**Contact Cathryn: Website Facebook Twitter

GUEST POST

My Fears as a Writer

Those of you who are also writers will probably understand this. People think I’m a really confident person, so it feels strange to admit it, but I have so, so many fears. Especially as a writer. It took me three years to finish ‘Sex, Lies, and Cruising’, admittedly with a few long breaks — but it took its toll on me, my finances, and my family… so while finishing it and putting it out into the world makes me feel proud, it also fills me with fear.

I read an interview with a successful author who said of publishing your first book – “Be prepared for reviews of people who do not know you. They don’t owe you anything.” Geez, that really scared me, because I had always feared that. I had seven amazing beta readers for this book, and all of them were either friends or family. A couple of them were very open and honest about what they didn’t like in the first draft (the published version is about the tenth draft!), but there is always that worry that the people who offer to help you with beta reading (or similar) are also the people who want to see you succeed. So waiting for the reviews to come in has been like waiting for the other shoe to drop.

I started seeing a life coach this month about it. She asked me to describe what I was feeling, and it all tumbled out…

“I fear that the book is no good and people won’t like it. I fear that the years of time, effort, and tears I’ve put into this will prove to be a big, embarrassing waste. I fear that the beta readers loved it because they love me, and that everybody else will think it’s a terribly bad joke. I fear that anybody who does like it, won’t like the sequel. I fear that people will think the lead character is me, and will judge me for it. I fear that I won’t sell many copies and will spend years paying off the loans I have taken out to pay for editing and promotion…” I said, very emotional. Yep, it turns out I fear a lot of things.

Doesn’t sound much like a romantic comedy writer, does it?!!

The counsellor summed it up pretty well. “Well, you’re pretty much stuffed no matter what happens, aren’t you?” she said, smiling kindly. “You’ve got a life script which says you’re not good enough, and nothing you do or achieve is going to make you feel like you are. You’ve seen to that.”

I suppose it’s strange that somebody with so many fears of judgement would choose to write a book and self-publish it. Not only that, but I took out loans to promote it, which means that even more people have had a chance to judge me and my work. I also allowed my publicist to tell people that I worked on cruise ships and allow everybody to think the book must be a thinly veiled autobiography, which causes a whole host of new problems for a new fiction author… Is it total lunacy? Or do I have some confidence mixed in with the fear, which dares to believe people will like what they read…?

It also makes me want to ask you, the readers of this blog: “What are your fears?” and “How do you overcome them?”

Having said all that, at the time of writing this blog, I’ve seen a few reviews of ‘Sex, Lies, and Cruising’… and they’re good! It makes me so, so proud and happy to have written something which people like, and I get the warm and fuzzies big-time when I read these reviews! As someone who has been a voracious reader since about the age of seven, I always took for granted that books just ‘appeared’ in the bookshop, and now I know that a whole bunch of those authors are probably as fearful as I am, having sweated for months, or even years, over their precious babies!

The book is basically a comedy, even though Ellie learns some difficult lessons. I hope you find her relatable, even if you think you wouldn’t make the same decisions she does. I hope you have a lovely few days or weeks getting lost in the crazy world of cruise ships, with a fair bit of sex, more lies than we’d like, and a little bit of cruising.

And at the risk of facing my fears, I can’t wait to hear your feedback!

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“Sex, Lies, & Cruising”

Blurb: Exotic locations, sexy men, and crazy crew parties… Ellie has her dream job… or does she?

When Ellie’s fiancé cheats on her with a younger, slimmer, blonde from the office, she boots him out of her life and finds solace in a fabulous photography job aboard a Caribbean cruise ship. Twenty-four hours on board and she’s already shagged her sexy Texan colleague, who happens to love her muffin-top. Unfortunately he’s leaving in a week, and his ex-girlfriend, a hot-headed Brazilian with stripper moves right out of the 90s and a talent for stealing boyfriends, is still on board and out for revenge.

Ellie must work out how to deal with the loco ex, sort the lying scumbags from the good guys, and figure out how many crew members in a cabin it takes before officially becoming group sex. Who the hell knows? (It’s five, actually.) It’s a world completely unlike the one she left behind, but as she tries to find her place on board, Ellie discovers laughter and tears in equal measure. And in the midst of the craziness, she realises the greatest thing this lifestyle change has given her is the chance to rediscover herself.

**Buy “Sex, Lies, & Cruising” now!: Amazon Barnes & Noble iBooks

EXCERPT

“Should we keep this secret?” I asked abruptly. “It’s a bit weird, right, that I only got here and yesterday and we’ve already…you know…”

“I wouldn’t worry about it,” he said with a shrug. “This is a cruise ship, little lady, not a convent.”

Our night of passion had been one of my exotic cruise fantasies, and he was being refreshingly nonchalant about it, but I still felt awkward as arse. It had been a long time since I’d had to deal with the walk of shame. But before I could skulk back to my own cabin, there was something I needed. I felt around under the covers and quickly scanned the floor. Damn, they were about three feet away, curled up in a little ball right near Seth’s left foot. Bollocks.

“Can you, um, please pass me my pants?” I felt my cheeks go hot. This was embarrassing.

He looked around in confusion. “I thought you were wearing a skirt?”

I suddenly remembered the difference in vocabulary across the pond. Cringing, I said, “My…underpants.” Excruciating.

He looked down and spotted them. As he handed over my pants, uniform, and thankfully, my bra, our hands met and I felt a little jolt of electricity. His hand lingered…then he leaned over and kissed me quickly on the lips. “Thanks for last night, Miss Ellie. I had a jolly ol’ good time,” he said, mocking my accent embarrassingly badly.

“Oh, no problem at all. I’m not normally so…forward…but it was fun.” I reached under the sheet, trying to struggle into my pants. Where was last night’s carefree Ellie when I needed her?

“Well, we should do this again,” he said over his shoulder as he disappeared into the bathroom. I heard the toilet flush, followed by the shower being turned on full blast. I swung my feet onto the floor, straightened myself out, and looked for a mirror to check how scary my hair and makeup looked after last night. I couldn’t find one, so I rubbed a finger under my eye and groaned when it came away black. I gingerly patted my hair and quickly discovered it was sticking up at the back. “Ugh.” Not the best look. Then again, if someone like Seth wanted to spend the night with me, again, I must have been doing something right…

I looked around Seth’s cabin as I squeezed myself back into my wrinkled uniform. It was the same size as mine, obviously, but surprisingly neat for a guy’s room. The desk held a laptop, iPod docking station, and a few books. At the back of the room were a couple of little chairs and a small, round table, where Seth’s crumpled uniform lay in a little heap.

I really couldn’t believe I’d slept with him. I hadn’t been with anyone other than Dan for years, and while I was looking for fun, I hadn’t intended to play ‘How’s Your Father’ with someone quite so soon. Mind you, I wasn’t complaining. Seth had the accent, face, and body of most girls’ secret (and not-so-secret) fantasies.

A knock at the door interrupted my thoughts. “Seth? Please hurry up!” It was a woman with an unidentifiable accent. “We were supposed to be on gangway five minutes ago. Justin is going to kill us!” Knock, knock, knock. “Seth!”

The door flew open and a short girl with wavy black hair burst into the cabin. “Oh, it’s unlocked. I hope—” She saw me and stopped short, staring. “Oh. You must be that new girl.”

Damn. So much for getting out of there before anyone discovered me and started labelling me as some wanton whorebag. I’d thought these doors automatically locked from the inside…

Naturally, I had to play cool. “Oh, hello, I’m Ellie. Really lovely to meet you.” I stuck my hand out.

She just looked at my hand without shaking it, and then looked back up at me. “You seem to have settled in.” There was no trace of a smile on her heart-shaped face. I figured she was South American, or maybe Spanish; either way, she was astonishingly beautiful, and I suspected I might hate her already.

The sound of the shower stopped. “Hey, Maria, how many times have I told ya not to come into my cabin without being invited?” Seth called from the bathroom. “I really need to get that lock fixed,” he added, almost, but not quite, under his breath.

“Sorry, Mr Big Shot,” she said sarcastically, watching me with narrowed eyes.

“What was that?” He stuck his head out the bathroom door.

“I said sorry, I forgot,” she said, smiling with total insincerity. “I see you have a guest.”

“Ellie, this is Maria. Maria’s a fellow photographer, from Brazil. Maria, Ellie is our new Pic Stop girl from England.” Seth came out of the bathroom, drying his hair, a towel casually slung around his waist.

Maria and I caught each other eyeing his toned torso. “We’ve met,” she mumbled, and swung around so that her back was to me. Her curvaceous figure was barely contained by her tight work skirt. I’d inherited my mum’s flat bum and cursed the fact I’d never look that good in mine. I was hoping eventually I’d fit into my uniform and look stunning, but right now I just felt like a cow in a skirt too tight for me. Far cry from Maria’s glamourous figure.

The tension in the room was very uncomfortable. I wondered if Maria was not the type to have fallen into a fling so quickly. According to Seth we didn’t have anything to hide, but I didn’t want to get a colleague offside so quickly, either.

“I just popped over to find out from Seth if, um, I could come and help today.” I stumbled over the lie and felt my cheeks going red.

“Oh yes, obviously that is what you were doing.” Already halfway out the door, she said over her shoulder, “Do not bother. We do not need help.” Then she was gone.

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**GIVEAWAY**

Click HERE to enter to win a $50 Amazon Gift Card!

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**Click HERE to see other stops on Cathryn’s Chick Lit Plus Blog Tours!

BOOK FEATURE: “The Morning After Memoirs”

July 9, 2015 Leave a Comment

“The Morning After Memoirs” by Kate Michaels

Blurb: A smart, candid slant on the world of dating, Kate Michaels’ sexy, laugh-out-loud debut novel reimagines the world of Sex And The City with the biting realism of Lena Dunham’s Girls.

Twenty-nine-year-old Jess wakes up on New Year’s Day a touch hungover and a whole lot confused. The man in bed next to her is not her boyfriend, Ben. In fact, she doesn’t even remember Not-Ben’s name. It won’t be the first time she finds herself in a questionable situation in a year that proves her new single-in-the-city lifestyle is far from the glamorous, Sex And The City world she’s been promised on TV. Between hacking through last year’s leg hair, accidentally snogging someone who may well be her cousin, getting hit over the head with a sex toy that isn’t even hers, and ending the night with a walk of shame into her parent’s garage, Jess’s single life is turning out more cockroaches than cocktails.

The Morning After Memoirs is the story of one woman’s search for love, meaning, and a low-calorie alternative to wine.

EXCERPT

By the time my Set Menu For 2 (don’t judge me) arrived, I’d already started feeling the food guilt. I was about to rack up an extreme diet fail and I wasn’t sure if my self-esteem could cope with the Kung-pow comedown. I discarded it heartlessly on the sideboard and headed to the lounge to find something more productive to do. Rifling through my (mostly unwanted) Christmas presents I discovered a retro-style step aerobics set – it was the latest in a long line of gifts I’d requested in anticipation of a fabulous new me. Last year it had been a Piloxing (yes, Pilates mixed with boxing) DVD and the year before that an exercise ball, which had actually stopped me exercising for two months with a sprained ankle after I tried to walk on it like I was in the circus. The step came ready assembled, so I manoeuvred it onto the floor in front of the TV and sat on its (surprisingly comfortable) top while I forced the DVD into the player. Within ten minutes I was hooked, watching a crazed blonde jump around like Energizer bunny’s bubbly second wife – all the while sitting comfortably on my new step, devouring my second main course…

Exercise has never really been my thing. Well, not since turning 13 at any rate. Until then I’d been the perfect little athlete, joining every team on offer and wowing the parents (OK, my parents) on sports day by being what I would be described on my report cards for years to come as ‘a good all-rounder’. While my folks were encouraged by their daughter’s ability to turn her hand to any subject thrown her way, I was aware from an early age the dark truth behind that backhanded compliment. I was destined to be ‘good’ at most things, but I had a sneaking suspicion I was ‘great’ at absolutely nothing. Still, I rushed around in an obscenely short gym skirt, like a slightly dumpy version of a Japanese businessman’s fantasy, full of energy and the joys of life. From the ages of 13 to 29 I had moved very little.

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**About author, Kate Michaels: Kate Michaels was born in Birmingham. After studying English, drama and film, she moved to London where she currently lives with her boyfriend and two cats. As a journalist and copywriter she writes about everything from bars and theatre to luxury property. The Morning After Memoirs is Kate’s debut novel.

**Contact Katie: Twitter

EXCERPT: “Unexpected Chances”

June 17, 2015 1 Comment

“Unexpected Chances” by A.M. Willard

Blurb: Tabitha Michaelson: the fun loving, sassy girl who loves anything that sparkles. What you might not know is, she took an oath years ago with her brother Seth, vowing to lock their hearts and throw away the key. She has spent years keeping up the happy façade and not letting anyone get close.

It’s not until a chance meeting that Tabitha meets her match in Carter Northwood.

Here’s a man whose life has been filled with lies, threats, and tangled webs of disaster. Carter knows that if he takes this chance at true love, the world around him will tumble down like a spiral staircase.

Two hearts meld to form a single beat from the start. A test of trust, infinite love, and a longing for each other’s passion.

EXCERPT

I take a gulp of my water and hear Cory say, “Who was that? Don’t play stupid with me. You better be happy I saw that and not Seth.”

“Cory, back off. I’m not your property or anyone else’s. It was a misunderstanding. Nothing more, okay,” I say, my voice laced with venom.

“No, you sure the hell aren’t my property. If you were, you know what I would do,” he says as he steps closer to me. He places his finger under my chin and lifts my head up to look at him.

“Tabitha, you know you mean the world to me. I’ll never allow someone to hurt you. Why can’t you see how much you mean to me? Hell, I think I’m in love with you.”

It’s like someone has ripped my heart out. “Cory, you know I love you, but not like that.”

“I know, Firecracker. But a guy can have hopes and dreams, can’t he?”

**Find “Unexpected Chances”: Amazon Goodreads

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**About author, A.M. Willard:

A.M. Willard is a true believer of soul mates, and happy ever after’s. She enjoys reading, sailing, and of course writing contemporary romance with some saucy scenes. Releasing her first novella of the One Night Series on April 12, 2014 has sent her on a new journey in life. A.M.’s passion for writing started at a young age, but with the love and support from her husband of eighteen years pushed her to follow her dreams. Once she hit that first publish button, she hasn’t looked back.

Publications available from A.M. Willard include the Chances Series, Love on the Screen, and everyone’s favorite the One Night Series. She’s also had an article published in the Writer’s Monthly Review Magazine.

A.M. Willard was born and raised in the Panhandle of Florida, but resides in Savannah Ga with her husband, son, two cats, one rotten dog, and her six chickens. Yes, we said chickens…

You can connect with A.M. Willard on her website, www.amwillard.com, or subscribe to her newsletter for the latest releases, teasers and sale alerts; http://eepurl.com/bb-Cd1.

**Contact A.M. Willard:

Amazon Facebook Twitter Goodreads Google + Pinterest TSU Tumbler LinkedIn Etsy Newsletter

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**Click HERE to see other stops on A.M.’s Chick Lit Plus Blog Tour!

EXCERPT: “Leaving Eva”

June 16, 2015 1 Comment

“Leaving Eva” by Jennifer Sivec

Blurb:

There is a secret pain lurking within all of us, waiting to consume us if we allow it.

On the outside, Brynn Michael seems to be living the perfect life. She’s a successful businesswoman married to a handsome and devoted husband. But nobody, not even her husband and childhood sweetheart, Adam, knows the true depth of Brynn’s horror. Abandoned on the side of the road by her young drug addicted mother, then abused by her adoptive father, teenage Brynn turns to the only solace she can find in the sharp end of a razor. She spends her lifetime hiding the scars, both physical and emotional, until she has no choice but to face what she has been running from her entire life.

Brynn must figure out a way to confront her past or risk losing Adam, the only true love she’s ever known, forever. But in spite of it all, Brynn may not have the ultimate choice, as the past eventually seeks her out.

Leaving Eva is the heartrending story of one woman’s battle to overcome her tragic childhood and the abandonment and abuse that haunt her. Caution: Eva’s story is contains graphic violence, strong language, drug abuse, domestic abuse, and child abuse.

In this dramatically dark novel, Jennifer Sivec, author of women’s fiction, delves into the selfishness and depravity of human nature, and begs you to question whether happiness can ever truly be attained once you have been deeply scarred.

EXCERPT

Happy Anniversary

Adam just knew that he needed to make her happy. He surprised even himself at times, with what he was capable of doing just for that smile. It was as though he could reach into himself and pull out something completely unexpected, just to make her laugh.

Adam was as inventive and creative as he needed to be, and his reward was when she smiled at him, her big brown eyes sparkling, her beautiful white teeth shining. He swore at one point that was all he needed in life. He could never explain why, he just knew that’s how it was for him.

But making her smile and laugh became increasing more difficult, and she stopped appreciating his efforts. So he stopped trying. She was still so beautiful to him, but he was angry with her.

“Where have you been?” he said stiffly when she got to the table.

“I’m sorry. I had a problem to deal with.” She was afraid to meet his glance so she looked down as she always did. I should have texted him or called.

There is always a problem! He thought bitterly. “Let’s just order. I’m starving.”

She eyed his scotch in disapproval, but he didn’t care. He knew how much she hated alcohol, but he needed it. He took a big swig of it, making his enjoyment obvious as he did so.

After they ordered, they sat in an uncomfortable silence, neither of them willing or able to break the ice.

This isn’t how it’s supposed to be. He thought angrily. It’s supposed to be easier than this. Better than this. She doesn’t even care about me. Happy Fucking Anniversary.

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**About author, Jennifer Sivec:

Women’s fiction writer, Jennifer Sivec, has always found an escape in books and beautiful stories. In writing, she has discovered refuge and sanctity her entire life, which quiets the chaos while giving her perspective and peace of mind. She finds inspiration in the balance of beauty and tragedy, which is something she has experienced personally.

Jennifer was born in Seoul, Korea and then abandoned at a very young age. At the age of three, she was adopted and has lived in Ohio for most of her life. She is married to her best friend, Jeff, and together they share two incredible, funny boys.

Jennifer is the author of The Eva Series and the standalone novel, I Run to You. Leaving Eva is her first complete work and was originally released in April of 2013. Losing Eva is the sequel and continuation of Eva’s heartbreakingly beautiful story. The Eva series is an intense journey into abandonment, abuse, alcoholism, and cutting, with numerous twists and turns that will keep the reader holding their breath until the very end.

You can stay up to date with Jennifer by visiting and signing into her website, http://www.jennifersivec.com/apps/guestbook/.

**Contact Jennifer: Website Blog Facebook Author Page Facebook Profile Street team group Twitter Instagram Amazon Author Page Goodreads Linkedin Google TSU Pinterest Spotify

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**GIVEAWAY**

Click HERE to enter the Rafflecopter giveaway!

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**Click HERE to see all of Jennifer’s Chick Lit Plus Blog Tours stops!

BOOK FEATURE: “The Opposite of Love”

June 9, 2015 1 Comment

“The Opposite of Love” by Dahlia Salvatore

Blurb:

What do you do when fate doesn’t offer you a happily ever after?

Everyone must choose his or her own path.

I chose to play pretend.

I lived every day with guilt, frustration, and dissatisfaction. Despite the fact that we loved each other, my husband didn’t want me. Counselors and doctors had no answers for us. For a long time, I longed for something I couldn’t have. For love, I sacrificed pleasure. I struggled against desires … until I got stuck in a cabin during a raging blizzard with Luc Partridge.

And I simply couldn’t ignore the truth anymore…

EXCERPT

CHAPTER FOUR

If you’ve made it this far without scoffing, putting down the book, and browser window to write an ugly review of my memoir, I applaud you. Like I said, I’m not perfect. I made a choice, to play pretend, to allow Luc Partridge to soil my chastity. But damn was it good. I wish you could know how good it was. Luckily for you readers, you probably don’t know the pain of a sexless marriage. Or maybe you do, but your morality is stored in some proverbial, unscalable, tungsten-carbide fortress.

I’m happy there are women out there who have the ability to resist the urge. I am. Honestly. I know it’s hard to tell by reading the words on the page, but I’m not being facetious.

But, as you can plainly see, I couldn’t resist. I was weak. It wasn’t that I didn’t love my husband. It was that I hadn’t been able to find a suitable replacement for sex. To this day, I still believe there isn’t one. You can drink all the wine and eat all the chocolate and pasta in the world, but nothing beats being physically loved by another person. And that’s part of my personal truth.

That’s what this book is about, my personal truth, my life, and my mistakes.

You have yours and I have mine. There’s not a single one of you who hasn’t made mistakes. Even if they taste different in your mouth when you chew them, or present themselves in a different shade of wrong than mine do… they are still mistakes.

I love people for their errors and imperfections, and even if you don’t love me for mine, you certainly shouldn’t hate me for them.

You see, taking a lover for myself was the first real selfish thing I’d ever done. I’d always been self-sacrificing, had always taken the burden of the work for every problem on myself. I had given Dan every day of my life since our relationship began, and hadn’t received what I thought was my equal due: to be loved as a woman should, as a soul inside a body that needed passion.

Luc was all passion, which is something I will elaborate on as my story continues.

Where was I before? Ah, yes, the owner’s cabin.

If we fast-forward to the end of the trip, we find ourselves looking down on a diminished blizzard. The snow had cleared and the sky had turned a pale shade of blue. I was sore, but that renewal I’d expected had definitely come. I hoped it was there to stay.

**Find “The Opposite of Love”: Amazon Barnes & Noble Goodreads

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**About author Dahlia Salvatore: Dahlia is a thirty-two-year-old female author living in Seattle, Washington with her husband. She comes from Coos Bay, Oregon and moved to Seattle six years ago. She loves the west coast and doesn’t see herself anywhere else.

Her influences include contemporary writers J.K. Rowling, Mary Balogh, Christina Dodd, Stephanie Laurens, Laurell K. Hamilton, Anne Rice, Stephen King, and many many others.

**Contact Dahlia: Website Facebook Twitter

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**GIVEAWAY**

Click HERE to enter the Rafflecopter giveaway!

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**Click HERE to see other stops on Dahlia’s Chick Lit Plus Blog tour!

BOOK FEATURE: “How to Bake the Perfect Apple Pie”

June 4, 2015 Leave a Comment

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“How to Bake the Perfect Apple Pie” by Gina Henning

Blurb:

A scrumptious pie. A long distance guy. 4th of July fireworks guaranteed.

Lauren Hauser has it all…nearly. With a shiny new job and sparkly new engagement ring on her finger, the only thing she’s missing is her gorgeous new fiancé by her side. Should she be worried? Jack’s kisses are as sizzling as always and, sure, long distance is hard but, she and Jack are solid, right?

Of course the stress of planning a wedding—or not—is nothing compared to the stress of baking an apple pie. Because it’s not just any apple pie that Lauren must bake for the 4th of July contest; it’s her grandmother’s famous, award-winning apple pie! Yet Lauren is determined to make this pie her own and a little apple pie should be no problem for the Hauser clan dessert queen…!

But with her new job taking up so much time, a prize pie to perfect and the growing distance between her and Jack, Lauren begins to wonder if she can really have it all… Only one things for sure, there’ll be fireworks this 4th of July!

EXCERPT

The timer buzzes on my oven. I pop open the door and a delicious apple pie is staring back at me. I inhale. Wow, apple pie has got be one of the best scents ever. I take in another long whiff. Yum. I pull the pie out of the oven and set it on my countertop. I’m supposed to FaceTime with Jack at any minute. Tingles of excitement dance along my arms. I was hoping my pie would turn out and now I can show Jack that it has. He’ll probably want to hop on the next plane and feed it to me. Mmm…Jack and apple pie, the perfect dessert.

My phone vibrates from the counter. A text message from Jack flashes.

“Something came up at work. I’ll call you when I get home.”

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**Buy “How to Bake the Perfect Apple Pie” now!: Amazon – US Amazon – UK Nook Google Play Kobo iBooks

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**About author, Gina Henning:

Gina Henning currently resides where bluebonnets line the highways in the spring, but she prefers the rock flower anemone from under the sea. Above the ocean’s surface Gina likes to dance with her three boys and travel to exotic places like the grocery store with her husband. Her pooch Schatzi is a mix between German Shepherd and possibly pig. One of Gina’s favorite pastimes is running. She recently completed her one-and-done marathon. At the end of the day her glass of wine is always half-full.

**Contact Gina: Website Facebook Twitter

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**GIVEAWAY**

Click HERE to be entered in Gina’s giveaway!

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