Giveaway

Mistletoe Mansion

November 16, 2014 Leave a Comment

“Mistletoe Mansion” by Samantha Tonge

Blurb:

Kimmy Jones has three loves: cupcakes, gossip magazines and dreaming of getting fit just by owning celeb workouts.

When Kimmy’s Sensible Boyfriend told her he didn’t approve of her longing for the high life or her dream of starting a cupcake company Kimmy thought she could compromise – after all, she did return those five-inch Paris Hilton heels! But asking her to trade in cake-making for a job sorting potatoes is a step too far.

So, newly single – and newly homeless – Kimmy needs a dusting of Christmas luck. And, masquerading as a professional house sitter, her new temporary home is the stunning Mistletoe Mansion. Soon she’s best buds with glamorous next door golf WAG Melissa, and orders are pouring in for her fabulous Merry Berry cupcakes! The only thorn in her side is handsome handyman Luke, a distraction she definitely doesn’t need. And talking of distractions, something very odd is going on at night…

Kimmy is finally living the life she’s always wanted. But will her glimpse into the glittering lifestyle of the rich and famous be as glamorous as she’s always imagined…?

**Buy links: Amazon UK Amazon US

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Author, Samantha Tonge

Bio: Samantha Tonge lives in Cheshire with her lovely family, and two cats who think they are dogs. When not writing, she spends her days cycling and willing cakes to rise. She has sold over 80 short stories to women’s magazines. Her bestselling debut novel, Doubting Abbey, was shortlisted for the Festival of Romantic Fiction best Ebook award in 2014. Its fun standalone sequel is From Paris with Love. Mistletoe Mansion stars a new set of characters and is for fans of cupcakes and Christmas!

Contact: Website Blog Facebook Twitter

INTERVIEW

What motivated you to write “Mistletoe Mansion”? Society’s obsession with celebrity – how we all love reading the gossip magazines; how some youngsters aspire simply to “be famous”. I wondered what a wannabe celebrity would really think of the dream lifestyle, if she got to live it for a short time. Would it meet her expectations? So my main character cake-making, celebrity-loving Kimmy Jones, finds herself housesitting a mansion, next door to a very famous golfing couple…

Do you have any holiday traditions? We always eat out on Boxing Day which is wonderful – after cooking your heart out on the 25^th, it’s great knowing you can kick back you heels the next day, then enjoy the cold cuts in the evening.

Also , we open ALL our presents as soon as we get up on Christmas day!

What was your writing process like for this book? After deciding on the initial idea, I cannot move forward until I have a title! Then I plan the plot, next I look at the characters in depth. Next, a first draft usually takes 4 to 5 months. Then I will rewrite/edit it several times. All of this is broken up with very regular visits to Facebook and Twitter – am, um, lots of snacks!

What is your favorite Christmas song? Ooh, it has to be White Christmas, which features regularly in Mistletoe Mansion, every time a supposed ghost wants to make his presence felt! It is such a cosy, nostalgic-feeling song.

What do you want for Christmas? It’s corny, but happiness and good health – and I wouldn’t say no to some good books and chocolate either!

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**WIN A NEW PARTY DRESS**

The Position

November 4, 2014 1 Comment

“The Position” by Dahlia Salvatore

Blurb:

Dylan Farrow puts on his pants every morning one leg at a time, just like everyone else at the Kerrigan Advertising Agency. He handles high-pressure projects with a fast turnaround. He’s prized for his keen intellect and admirable performance. But how did he get where he is today—to the level of Junior Executive of Design Production?

Well, that involves how he takes his pants off…
and for whom…

Hoping to break through the glass ceiling under which she’s been trapped for years, Valerie Caplan picks up her life and moves to Seattle. After hearing about the position of Senior Executive of Design Production from an art director at Kerrigan, she decides to apply. When she lands the big interview, she never thinks for a minute that she’ll have any serious competition. She assumes that she has the job in the bag…until she discovers that the only competition has something she doesn’t have—the willingness to go outside the office to impress Danica Stewart, their uptight female boss.

Excerpt:

Chapter 1

(Valerie)

THE WIND RUSHED around me as I stood on the balcony and looked out at downtown Seattle. From my apartment on the sixteenth floor, I could see the space needle and the lights glittering on as the sun set over the Puget Sound. I’d always wanted to live by water. I took in a lungful of air. It was different than the mountain air I was used to in Denver. In this breath, I could taste the sea.

I smiled. I’d never set foot in the city before today, but I could already tell I was going to love it. The opportunities seemed endless and I felt freer than ever before to pursue them. That was especially true because I wasn’t working and had a ton of time on my hands. Unfortunately, I’d given up on most of my hobbies and extra-curricular activities in order to climb the ladder. I was a self-professed workaholic, and, so far, I liked it that way.

Being that I’d given up most social obligations, I didn’t have many friends. There were maybe two or three in Denver, but they had families and their own lives, so we didn’t see each other often. In Seattle, I had one friend—one—and I’d only known him for two months, and only because of my job connections.

In Denver, I’d worked for Trinity Advertising Corp. They were a medium-sized company, but slowly gaining popularity and clout. My problem had been that I wasn’t gaining enough ground for comfort. I was too ambitious to enjoy a stagnant life. This move was about climbing further and becoming more than I’d been before. At Trinity, I’d hit the dreaded glass ceiling and moving on became my top priority. That’s why I had gone to Seattle, on the recommendation of a man who barely knew me.

Chuck had recommended me to his boss for a position as Senior Executive of Design Production. That meant I was going to be overseeing several Art Directors, who in turn oversaw the teams which produced the company’s biggest projects. I badly wanted the job and I damned sure deserved it. Because I’d put so much of myself into making every line on my resume count, I was confident. Maybe overly so, since I’d moved to Seattle before I even landed the position. My plan-b was to apply at the other ad agencies if that job fell through. Anything was better than Trinity, right?

I turned back into the apartment and slid the glass door closed. The emptiness seemed bigger than any sound I could possibly make, but nevertheless, I found the box labeled “sound system” and unpacked my iPod docking station and set it up on the floor. I looked up my eighties mix and suddenly the apartment was filled with Billy Idol’s voice, from the hardwoods to the beams of the vaulted ceiling.

I smiled, dropped onto my butt in the middle of the boxes and began making the empty rooms into a home. After just a few hours, the kitchen and bathroom were completely unpacked. I estimated that if I kept going through the night, I’d be done by morning.

Break time, I thought, wandering into the kitchen. I rinsed out a dusty wineglass and uncorked a year-old bottle of Prosecco. While I leaned on the high granite-top breakfast bar, I felt the evil stab of loneliness convict me of sucking at life. I wished I had someone who I could share this experience with. It would be fun to listen to Madonna and drink with a friend.

It could have been the wine hitting my empty stomach, but I was called to action by a voice in my head saying ‘That’s enough!’ The voice was right. It was time to branch out, meet new people, form relationships—and maybe even find a man. God, I need to get laid, I thought, refilling my glass. I clutched the drink with both hands, bringing it to my lips—Oh, yes, my friend wine. … Reveal to me what I should do with my life.

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About author Dahlia Salvatore: Dahlia Salvatore 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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**Click HERE to see other stops on Dahlia’s Chick Lit Plus Blog Tour!

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GIVEAWAY

Click HERE to win prizes!

Chick Lit Plus Turns 5

October 7, 2014 Leave a Comment

I’m a little late in the game, but it’s not too late to celebrate the 5th birthday of Chick Lit Plus!

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Popular book/women’s lifestyle blog ChickLitPlus.com is celebrating five years during the month of October! Started in 2009 by owner Samantha March, Samantha has since gone on to start CLP Blog Tours (virtual tours specializing in indie authors) and Marching Ink, her own independent publishing company that currently has six published titles, three of her own, and two more to be published in 2014. Samantha works heavily in the book community with her own endeavors, and also offers freelance editing and marketing services, plus works as a book marketing manager with Booktrope Publishing. In addition to her book duties, she is half of the duo The Cheeky Chicks, creating an Instagram page that quickly took off and features Samantha and friend Holly, as the explore Yoga, create fitness videos, and talk health and beauty.

**GIVEAWAY: Chick Lit Plus is celebrating the milestone with a month-long giveaway. With twelve sponsors and eight prize packs up for grabs, please head over to Chick Lit Plus for more information and enter via the Raffelcopter. Winners will be announced the first week of November…(PS: Along with other great prizes, you could win a copy of “The Right Design!”)

C.C. Solomon

September 1, 2014 1 Comment

“The Mission” by C.C. Solomon

Rule #6: Be mysterious, but always approachable…keep him wanting more!

Rule #11: Always remember, no sex in the beginning. Make him wait!

Rule #19: You’ve got to give a little to get a little. Be giving of yourself, and it will make a lasting impression to keep your Mr. Right.

Sheila and Denise are successful, funny and attractive, but very single women. Not that being single is horrible; but when Denise is hassled to have a date to an old friend’s wedding-of-the-century, and Shelia needs an escort to an industry banquet where everyone who’s anyone will be in attendance, being single loses its perks. To add to the dilemma, Sheila tells a little white lie to her workplace nemesis about dating a successful music producer, which explodes into a career-threatening rumor. Under extreme pressure from family, friends and coworkers, they resort to making a pact. Their Mission: Get A Man in Three Months. They will use “proven” rules to finding their Mr. Rights. Rules that worked for a friend of a friend …how hard could it be?

Join them in their hilarious, and sometimes heartbreaking adventures as chapter by chapter they follow a new rule, and delve into the treacherous world of Washington, D.C. dating. The gal pals suffer through speed dating (Sam Needs-a-Bath). They allow themselves to be set up on blind dates (Bitter Crying Kevin). They try a dating service (Apron-Strings Adrian). They try the bar scene (Smoky the Bear who smokes more than cigars). They even meet men in the beauty salon (Javier Not Quite Straight). And there’s more, much more. Surrounded by family drama, workplace stressors and their own hang-ups about love, will the rules actually help them find their Mr. Rights in time for their events?

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GUEST POST

My Inspiration to Write the Mission

You know that part in Sex and the City where the girls are at breakfast and Charlotte says (through a hangover) that she’s been dating since she was 15 and wants to know where he (the proverbial “One”) is? Yeah, well after one too many conversations like that I decided to write The Mission. Not an endless gripe about wondering when Mr. Right would show up but based on conversations with gal pals about our dating adventures (and I say adventures on purpose).

Crazy enough I first started this book several years ago when I was younger than the characters now I’m slightly older and can still relate. And I do mean relate. I’ve been in many a scenario in dating, some of it so crazy that instead of getting upset about yet another mishap, I decided to write about it. I mean when a date rear ends your car when you’re leaving the restaurant you can’t help but think, this has gotta be good for something (either that or cry).

So I took to writing. No, I’m not throwing guys I’ve dated under the bus. The tales in The Mission are simply inspired by actual events but not real play by plays. Kind of the way The Exorcist was inspired by actual events. We don’t really believe a kid was spitting up pea soup do we? Well actually yeah, I could see a kid doing that (I still hate peas).

But I digress. I not only wrote The Mission as a cathartic way to vent about dating and serve as a creative outlet for my dating experiences but also as an ode to the ever growing genre of chick lit. And boy am I a chick lit (and chick flick) gal. From popular ones like Confessions of a Shopaholic to lesser known ones like His Insignificant Other, I eat up a good chick lit novel.

These are not your sappy romance novels. Sure romance is always in there in some way but what defines chick lit is a story of a woman doing any of the following: finding herself, struggling with family and friendships or overcoming an obstacle to reach a better self. And it’s always done with a little (or a lot) of humor. It’s about female empowerment. Yes the fairy tale ending is cute but I love a story that takes me somewhere emotionally or one I can truly relate to. So yes, I was inspired by other chick lit novels.

I was also inspired to fill a gap that I hadn’t found too many authors to fill. That of the minority chick lit novel. Truly it wouldn’t be vastly different from your regular style of chick lit but once in a while it’s nice to have a character that looks like yourself around. Not only that, there are some differences to acknowledge from the point of view of a woman of color when it comes to romantic comedy. Especially in a town like D.C. Sure we all have our dating war stories and rules for love but try being a single, successful brown gal in a political, transitory and predominantly female town like D.C. What stories could come from that perspective? Could The Rules, Think(ing) Like a Man and Tough Love really work in this town? Well those questions inspired me to write the Mission.

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About the author, C.C. Solomon: C.C. is originally from Baltimore, Maryland and has actively written fiction since the age of eleven. She is an avid “chick lit” reader and urban fantasy fan. In 2012, she participated as a writer and actress in the 48 hour film project. In her other life, she works in Equal Employment and Civil Rights for the Federal Government. Before becoming a public servant, C.C. briefly practiced law after graduating from the University of Maryland School of Law. C.C. currently resides in the Washington D.C. area and is an active blogger. The Mission is C.C.’s first novel and she is working on her next novel in the genre of urban fantasy.

**Contact C.C.: Website Facebook Twitter

**Book links: Amazon Barnes & Noble

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

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**GIVEAWAY**

**Everyone who leaves a comment on the tour page will be entered to win a $20 Amazon gift card! Anyone who purchases a copy of The Mission by September 8 and sends their receipt to Samantha (at)ChickLitPlus.com will receive 10 bonus entries!**

GIVEAWAY: You Could Be A Winner…

August 21, 2014 1 Comment

Hello, family, friends, and followers!

I’m hard at work on my upcoming release, CARDS FROM KHLOE’S FLOWER SHOP, but I’m writing to tell you about an exciting giveaway. From now, until September 9th, you can enter to win a signed paperback copy of my book, THE RIGHT DESIGN, along with two bookmarks! To enter to win, click HERE to go to my author website, and then click on the Rafflecopter link. Yes, it’s that easy!

**U.S. residents only, please**

Also, click HERE to check out all the great reviews I’m getting on Amazon!

Karyn Rae

August 20, 2014 1 Comment

About author, Karyn Rae: Karyn Rae is an emerging Romantic-Suspense author. Her debut novel, The Achilles Heel was released in May 2014. She is a member of the Romance Writers of America, and the Columbia Chapter of the Missouri Writers Guild. Karyn resides in Missouri with her husband, son, daughter, and chocolate lab- Augusta Mae.

The first part of Karyn’s life was spent in the South, and the last fifteen years have played out in the Midwest, but she’s still holding on to a shred of her Southern roots. She is a wife, mother, daughter, and sister who has made it her mission in life to carve out a career for herself, while keeping the husband and the children happy.

**Contact: Website

INTERVIEW

Describe your writing style in five words: I write from the heart.

Hard/paperbacks or eBooks? Paperback or eBook. Hardback books seem too grown up for me, but I love holding an actual book in my hands. EBooks are helpful because of the lit screen, and I have a child that likes to sneak into my bed at night. At that point, turning on a lamp is out of the question; never wake a sleeping kid!

Tell us about your writing/editing publishing process: In one word- long! I’m working on my second book (the sequel to The Achilles Heel) and I’ve already found a process that feels right. Every time I sit down to write, I go back three chapters and begin reading from there. It helps to put me back into the story, and by the time I get to my last stopping point, I’m ready to move forward with the writing. After I finished my first book, one of the best pieces of advice I got was to step away from the story. I took a month off before I went back to do my first round of edits, and I felt like a reader not just the author. I’ll definitely keep that as part of my process.

When writing, what is your favorite snack or drink to have beside you? I don’t like to eat when I write because I hate sticky fingers. I usually have a glass of water on my side table, but I get so engrossed into the story, I forget to drink any of it.

In your writing, what are some of your strengths and weaknesses? Strengths- writing about real and relatable people, even if the situation isn’t. Romantic suspense is my genera, so I want the readers to be in the story, feeling the highs and lows with the characters.

Weaknesses- punctuation and run-on sentences. I wasn’t a journalism or English major, so I have a lot of work to do in the mechanics department of writing.

Do you have any writing ritual? I used to need everything perfectly in place to be able to write, but then summer hit. I have two kids that are out of school for summer break and perfection was thrown out the window. It’s good though. I’m glad I’ve been able to adapt to my environment. Life is always changing, and you either need to get on board or you’ll get left behind.

Which author inspires you? There are so many answers to this question. On a world-wide level- Gillian Flynn. Gillian is a Midwest girl who has conquered the world. She continues to raise the bar higher, and I love that. On a local level- Liz Schulte. Liz has self-published numerous novels and makes a comfortable living as a full-time author. She writes what she wants and keeps her own schedule.

What is your favorite word? Baby. I grew up in the south and the word baby has so many different meanings. It’s an all-encompassing term of endearment that makes my heart smile when I call my daughter, baby, but also makes me swoon when I hear it from a man. I love that one word can make me feel so many emotions.

Is the social media a help or a hinder? For me social media is a God send. I’m a no-name, first time author, trying to break into a billion dollar business. I’ll take all the help I can get.

What is your favorite topic to write about? I love a good mystery. As a reader, I love to figure out the mystery as soon as possible. I’m uber competitive, so I feel a sense of accomplishment if I can guess the ending. As a writer, my agenda is the complete opposite. When I wrote a five year plan for myself, I specifically wrote that I would have no less than five twists in each book. I love leading readers on, stroking their confidence, and making them think they have the ending of the book figured out. Then, I sweep the legs at the end, blindsiding them with another twist.

What do you want your readers to take away from your books? I’m a mom who lives an ordinary life. I want to be taken away from fighting, cleaning, bills, cooking and basically working for other people (mostly small people). When someone chooses my book, I feel as though I have a responsibility to take them away from their life. My books probably won’t make you smarter or change your life, but they will certainly help you escape it.

What are you working on right now? Right now, I’m halfway through the sequel to The Achilles Heel. I have seven notebooks, each filled with the details for another story. I have the material; I just need to find the time to write them all.

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“The Achilles Hell” by Karyn Rae: Annie Whitman’s ordinary Midwest life is shattered with the sudden death of her husband Jack. Thirty-five and failing at life as a widow, she turns to the comforts of vodka in an attempt to camouflage the cold sheets of an empty bed. The necessary inebriation helps her to cope with Jack’s death, but proves to be a deterrent in recovering any sense of normalcy. After spending several months at the bottom of a bottle, Annie stumbles upon a lockbox in the crawl space of her basement. Opening this box also opens her eyes to the likelihood that Jack Whitman might not have been the honest and doting man she married.

Annie embarks on a mission to the Virgin Islands to uncover the truth about her husband’s past and seek safety from her brother-in-law, who seems to be the captain of his own sinking ship. While settling into paradise, she meets the wickedly handsome, but surprisingly reserved Kessler Carlisle, who is struggling with his retirement from country music superstardom. With Kessler’s help, Annie discovers the heart’s uncanny ability to heal, and the possibility that dead men don’t always keep their secrets-even if they’re buried in the Caribbean waters of St. Croix.

The Achilles Heel delves into the formidable fact that everyone harbors darkness, and some will go to the depths of the ocean to keep their secrets hidden.

**Buy “The Achilles Heel”: Amazon

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

(Also, everyone who leaves a comment on the tour page will be entered to win a $20 Amazon gift card! Anyone who purchases a copy of The Achilles Heel by September 1 and sends their receipt to Samantha (at)ChickLitPlus.com will receive 10 bonus entries!**

A Questionable Friendship

April 10, 2014 2 Comments

AQuestionableFriendshipCoverPic

“A Questionable Friendship” by Samantha March

Blurb: Brynne Ropert and Portland Dolish have been best friends since being paired as roommates in college. Seven years later they are now twenty-five, married, and living in Maine–– but the two women couldn’t be more different. Brynne finds fulfillment in her life as a wife, mother and owner of a small café and bookshop, but is struggling to expand her family. Portland is still coping with her mother’s death during her childhood, and her marriage is unraveling before her eyes. Portland envies her friend’s seemingly stable and easy life while Brynne doesn’t understand the growing distance between them and cannot begin to guess what secret Portland is hiding about her husband and crumbling marriage. While one woman feels shut out, the other enters into a web of lies to protect herself.

A Questionable Friendship explores what really makes someone a true friend, a support system, a sister. How much trust goes into a friendship and when is being a friend not enough? Brynne and Portland’s story will attempt to answer those questions, and show that happily ever after isn’t in the cards for everyone.

Excerpt:

I lay in bed by myself that night, as Trent said he still had some reports to look at. I flipped onto my stomach, my favorite sleeping position, and tried to will myself to sleep. But my mind wouldn’t shut off. I flashed to the papers I found in Trent’s desk last night, purely on accident. I had never thought to snoop on my husband of two years. I was trying to find our tax returns from last year to give to the accountant, as we were severely behind and the April deadline was just around the corner. I had tried calling Trent to see where they were, but his phone was going to straight to voicemail. I knew he was driving home and sometimes his service cut in and out, so I didn’t think anything of it. I decided to find the papers myself, mostly out of boredom and the need to do something.

Trent’s office in our 2200 square foot ranch home was on the first floor, all the way to the east. I rarely ventured in there as I had no reason too, only popping in when Trent was working. It felt a little foreign being there, but I sat at his desk chair and looked around me. His desk wasn’t just some shoddy little thing tucked into the corner, no, the desk ran almost the full length of the wall, big enough for three people to easily fit at. He had one desktop computer set up and a laptop as well, and he carried yet another laptop with him on business trips. A printer that doubled as a scanner sat on one corner, and a fax machine on another. He had multiple calendars hung up with agendas scribbled on the majority of the dates, and another smaller calendar that sat to the right of the desktop. It was opened to that date, March 14, and scribbled on there was “Petosi.” He had been in that town for the past two nights, and was due home late in the night.

After some searching, I finally found the drawer that seemed to hold important records. Our passports were in there, our wedding license, birth certificates, and deed to the house. I found the titles to both our vehicles, but no tax information. I frowned, trying to think of another spot he would have them. I slipped all the papers back in the appropriate files and shut the drawer, and when I did, a single piece of paper had floated down to me, from somewhere at the top of the desk. I grabbed the sheet and read over the words, my eyes growing wide, then squinting as I read and re-read. My body turned cold as I sat in shock, trying to process what I had read. When I realized I’d been sitting there for probably thirty minutes doing absolutely nothing I jumped, understanding that Trent could walk through the door at any minute and find me. Then what would I say?

Carefully, I pushed myself up and climbed onto the office chair, putting the piece of paper back where I thought it had come from. From my new vantage point, I saw the top of his desk was riddled with other papers and…a calendar. I swallowed hard as I peered closer and saw what was written in under March 13. My stomach heaving, I quickly left the office after righting the chair to its original spot, and fled to the bathroom.

I blinked back tears in bed as I forced myself to calm my mind. Trent had some explaining to do sure, but how did I tell him what I had found? Did that really even matter in the grand scheme of things? But knowing the Trent as of lately, he would try to turn this around on me and make me look like the bad person. I squeezed my eyes shut and prayed for sleep. I just wanted to sleep, to forget about what I had found. The day had been torturous enough, trying to make everything seem like it was hunky dory and nothing out of place. And what would tomorrow bring? More questions. And next week – Trent would be gone for two weeks. Would he be going where he said he was? What was he actually doing on his trips away?

The bedroom door opened and I saw Trent enter the room, already in just his boxers. I let my breathing become even so he would think I was asleep.

He plugged his cell phone in and set it on the nightstand, then pulled the covers back and crawled in. I felt his cold feet touch mine and jerked involuntarily. “Are you awake?” he whispered. I could feel his erection pressing into my back, and knew what he wanted. He probably touched me on purchase.

“Mmmph,” I mumbled, not opening my eyes.

“Port. You awake?” he asked again, clearly not getting the hint as his hand wandered to my breast.

I rolled away and made more sleeping noises, begging in my mind for him to leave me alone. He stayed quiet for another moment, then finally rolled the other way.

I was off the hook – at least for one night.

SamanthaMarchPic **About author, Samantha March:

Samantha March is an author, editor, publisher, blogger, and all around book lover. She runs the popular book/women’s lifestyle blog ChickLitPlus, which keeps her bookshelf stocked with the latest reads and up to date on all things health, fitness, fashion, and celebrity related. In 2011 she launched her independent publishing company Marching Ink and has three published novels – Destined to Fail, The Green Ticket and A Questionable Friendship. When she isn’t reading, writing, or blogging, you can find her cheering for the Green Bay Packers. Samantha lives in Iowa with her husband and Vizsla puppy.

**Contact Samantha: Website Facebook GoodReads Twitter

**Buy “A Questionable Friendship”: Amazon Barnes & Noble Kobo – eBook

**GIVEAWAY**

Click HERE to enter to win a $25 Amazon Gift card!

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

The Great Chick Lit Ebook Giveaway

March 9, 2014 Leave a Comment

**PROPER CONTEST RULES APPLY, (see below)**

After Wimbledon by Jennifer Gilby Roberts

After 12 years on the pro. tennis tour and four years with her sort-of boyfriend, Lucy Bennett has had enough. She wants real life… and real love.

Her life, her decision. Right? Well, no one else seems to think so. With opinions on all sides, Lucy’s head is spinning. And she’s stumbling right into the arms of long-term crush and fellow player Sam. Shame her boyfriend – his arch-rival – would sooner smash a racquet over their heads than agree to a simple change of partners.

As the Wimbledon Championships play out, Lucy fights for her life on and off the courts. The question is: what will she be left with after Wimbledon?

**Purchase links: Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk, other Amazon sites, Barnes & Noble

Thirty-Two Going on Spinster by Becky Monson

Julia Dorning is a spinster, or at least on the road to becoming one. She has no social life, hates her career, and lives in her parent’s basement with her cat, Charlie.

With the arrival of Jared Moody, the new hire at work, Julia’s mundane life is suddenly turned upside down. Her instant (and totally ridiculous) crush on the new guy causes Julia to finally make some long-overdue changes, in hopes to find a life that includes more than baking and hanging out with Charlie.

But when the biggest and most unexpected change comes, will the new and improved Julia be able to overcome it? Or will she go back to her spinster ways?

**Purchase links: Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk, other Amazon sites, Barnes & Noble, Kobo

Dangled Carat by Hilary Grossman

Hilary had gotten used to dating the commitment-phobic Marc, thirteen years her senior. They had a great relationship–why rush into things? She saw no need to pressure him for marriage, believing that when the time was right, he would propose.

But after they had been together for four years, their friends decided to take matters into their own hands, pushing Marc to propose and making Hilary realize how much she really did want to marry the man that she loved. Unfortunately, Marc still wasn’t ready–and their friends’ meddling in the form of a faux engagement party led to a disastrous New Year’s Eve that brought their relationship to an inevitable turning point.

In this relatable, light-hearted, and playful memoir, Hilary reminisces about her life before Marc—from the insecure and awkward teenage years she spent in a back brace and dealing with the loss of her father, to her early relationships and, finally, to the day she met Marc and realized that she really wanted to see him again. Through their first date—even though Hilary was technically seeing someone else at the time—and the ease of their early time together until Marc first decided that they were moving too quickly, up until that fateful New Year’s Eve, Hilary shares the details of their relationship and how Marc’s inability to commit led her to find an inner strength and confidence she didn’t know she possessed.

**Purchase links: Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk, other Amazon sites, Barnes & Noble

Conditional Love by Cathy Bramley

Meet Sophie Stone, a thirty-something serial procrastinator. Tesco knickers, Take That and tea with two sugars is about as exciting as it gets. Sophie’s life is safe and predictable, which is just the way she likes it, thank you very much. But when her boyfriend dumps her on Valentine’s Day and a mysterious benefactor leaves her an inheritance, even Sophie has to accept that change is afoot. There is a catch: in order to inherit, Sophie must agree to meet the father she has never seen.

Not a fan of surprises, Sophie would rather not; why not let sleeping dads lie? Besides, her mother would kill her. With interference from an evil boss, bickering flat mates, warring parents and a sexy ex-boyfriend, Sophie has plenty to contend with without an architect who puts his foot in it every time he opens his mouth.

But it soon becomes clear that she will have to face the past and learn some uncomfortable home truths before she can finally build a future on her own terms.

**Purchase links: Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk, other Amazon sites, Barnes & Noble

The Shopping Swap by Erin Brady

Maggie Andrew has a problem. She needs to convince Richard, her attorney boyfriend of five years, that he’s finally ready for a commitment. How? By planning an unforgettable night starting with a romantic dinner for two and ending in the bedroom. And to help things along, Maggie has spent half of her salary on sexy black lingerie from Crandall’s Department Store that Richard won’t be able to resist.

Except, once home, Maggie realizes she has someone else’s shopping bag and instead of her very expensive lingerie, she’s stuck with a housecoat that wouldn’t turn anyone’s head, least of all Richards. When Maggie goes back to the scene of the swap, she runs into Benjamin Saunders, a tall, dark and handsome stranger, who not only has what she wants but may also turn out to have what she needs.

Suddenly what Maggie thinks she has with Richard is called into question and she’s not sure of anything.

**Purchase links: Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.ca, Amazon.com.au, Amazon.in

Zoey and the Moment of Zen by Cat Lavoie

When coffee shop owner Zoey Everwood takes her obsession with ex-boyfriend Braden too far, everyone—except Zoey—is convinced a bit of fun in the sun at the Moment of Zen Wellness Resort will help her get over him once and for all.

But Zoey’s relaxing vacation turns out to be anything but peaceful when she meets Shane Lawson, a resort guest who bears a striking resemblance to Braden. And things get even more complicated when the resort’s owner starts spilling secrets about Zoey’s aunt Nessa, the woman who raised her. Add a snarky Wellness Coordinator and Nate Holmes—Shane’s grumpy friend—to the mix, and you’ve got the recipe for a perfect tropical storm.

When Zoey comes back home with a new husband instead of tacky souvenirs, she must convince everyone she hasn’t completely lost her mind. As Zoey and Shane struggle to keep the magic alive outside the resort, Zoey discovers that she isn’t the only one having trouble letting go of the past. And when Nate drops a bombshell that changes everything, Zoey must decide if the old saying is true—what happens at the Moment of Zen stays at the Moment of Zen.

**Purchase links: Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk, other Amazon sites, Barnes & Noble, Kobo

Saving Saffron Sweeting by Pauline Wiles

Grace Palmer’s British friends all think she’s living the American Dream. But her design business is floundering and when she discovers her husband is cheating with her best client, she panics and flees home to England.

The tranquil village of Saffron Sweeting appears to be a good place for Grace to lick her wounds, but the community is battling its own changes. Reluctantly, Grace finds herself helping her new neighbours as they struggle to adjust and save their businesses. However, not everyone has the same opinion on what’s good for the village. The charismatic new man in her life may have one speculative eye on Grace, but the other is firmly on profit. How will she navigate the tricky path between her home and her happiness?

With gentle humour and generous helpings of British tea and cake, Saving Saffron Sweeting explores one woman’s need to define herself through her career and community, before she can figure out who should be by her side.

**Purchase links: Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk, other Amazon sites, Barnes & Noble

Super Natalie by Caitlin McKenna

Natalie Dalton can’t hold down a job. It’s not because she is constantly late, has a terrible work ethic or doesn’t try. It’s because she is plagued with a gift she’d rather give back. Natalie can communicate with ghosts—annoying, persistent ghosts who choose to have a word with her at the most inconvenient times, often at work with bosses and colleagues around.

Fired from her umpteenth job and nearly out of cash, Natalie accepts an offer to appear on the low-brow, sensationalist TV talk show, World’s Weirdest Hobbies, to discuss her unusual ability, but more importantly to collect a paycheck. Unfortunately, a spirit appears as she’s being interviewed and ends up embarrassing the host of the show by revealing a juicy secret. The host goes ballistic and the clip of his attack goes viral, which catapults Natalie into the limelight and lands her a reality series as a paranormal investigator.

With her financial future secure, it looks like Natalie’s life is finally going to run smoothly for a change. Then she meets Ryan Emery, a gorgeous, sweet, funny guy who is working on her new series. Natalie could really fall for him except for the fact that Ryan is a major skeptic. He doesn’t believe in ghosts and never will. This presents a problem when a persistent spirit wants Natalie to give Ryan a message—one that will dramatically change his life. Now Natalie must somehow get Ryan to believe. Can she do it without ruining a potentially great relationship?

As Natalie carefully navigates her precarious situation, she suffers a loss which makes her question her own beliefs. With both of their lives turned upside down, Natalie and Ryan lean on each other and soon learn that what they truly need cannot always be explained with logic and reason.

**Purchase links: Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.ca, Amazon.com.au, Amazon.in, Barnes & Noble

Hard Hats and Doormats by Laura Chapman

Lexi Burke has always been a stickler for following rules and procedures. As a human resources manager for a leading Gulf Coast chemical company, it’s her job to make sure everyone else falls in line, too.

But after losing out on a big promotion–-because her boss sees her as too much of a yes-woman––Lexi adopts a new policy of following her heart instead of the fine print. And her heart knows what it wants: Jason Beaumont, a workplace crush who is off limits based on her previous protocol.

While navigating a new romance and interoffice politics, Lexi must find the confidence to stand on her own or face a lifetime of following someone else’s orders.

Who says nice girls have to finish last?

**Purchase links: Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk, other Amazon sites, Barnes & Noble, Kobo

The Great British Date Off by Sheila Brady

Londoner Maggie Sullivan hadn’t exactly spent her teenage years beating off hordes of panting admirers with a stick. In fact, most of it was spent alone in her bedroom either working on her Spice Girls, Union Jack dress or trying out her dead mother’s heated rollers.

All that had changed in her final year at school. As the object of her all-consuming school girl crush, Steve, had remarked at the time; who would have thought losing a little puppy fat, discovering hair product and investing in a Wonderbra would make such a difference? More than ten years on, he still has ‘plans’ for Maggie … but not until he’s got one or two things out of his system.

Only now Maggie has announced her intention to move to the country and he is not happy; especially since he’s noticed a ‘country toff’ rival ‘sniffing around’. He is more than delighted that Maggie’s move is turning out to be somewhat of a disaster. While she had been expecting village fetes, cricket teas and to be able to finally unleash her inner baker; in reality her cake-making efforts are being described as ‘lacklustre’, her godfather and boss is being referred to in very derogatory terms and somehow an extremely embarrassing photo has appeared in the local paper.

An overheard conversation and a chance late night encounter lead Maggie to conclude that widower and local ‘catch’, Will is responsible and there is a price to be paid, right? How can she know that her day (or rather, intimate evening) of reckoning will set in motion a roller coaster ride of high points and humiliations that will put to the test some of her most long standing relationships and lead her to question everything she thinks she knows about her capacity for love…

**Purchase links: Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk, other Amazon sites

* * * * *

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End Date: Midnight 14 March 2014 EST

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BOOK BLITZ: Jessica Gordon

March 1, 2014 Leave a Comment

About author, Jessica Gordon: Jessica Gordon is a Johns Hopkins University alumna for both her undergraduate and graduate degrees. She received her bachelor’s degree in liberal arts from the Writing Seminars program and her master’s degree in communications.

After working in the corporate world for several years, Jessica decided to return to her first love: creative writing. Jessica takes her readers to the prominent Washington, D.C. area where her characters navigate through the complex world of family, in-laws, and love.

INTERVIEW

Describe your writing style in five sentences: Characters that are relatable. Stories that move at a fast pace. Clear, concise writing to convey a story. Dialogue that is engaging. Intriguing plots with vivid scenes and characters.

How did you come up with the idea for writing “Becoming Mrs. Walsh”? At the heart of Becoming Mrs. Walsh is a tale about love, life, and family. I am fascinated by how these topics are related and I love looking at the dynamics within family and extended family. Seeing the story through Shoshana, a young, newly engaged girl, was intriguing to me. When you are engaged and enter into a new family you are introduced and exposed to a whole new world. This notion was in the back of my mind. My husband is the youngest of three boys so I have older brothers and sisters-in-law. When I first met them I was really taken with what it meant to join a family and have older siblings. To be introduced to so many people at once and to enter a family where they have already been together for many years is kind of like starting a movie halfway through. That learning curve combined with my love of exploring relationship dynamics led me to start thinking about a few things. Where do your loyalties lie when there is conflict: to your soon-to-be new family, or to your current family? I also think people have different takes on in-laws. I know some people that are closer with their in-laws than with their own family and I hear stories of extended family not getting along. You get to see all different dynamics play out in Becoming Mrs. Walsh. I wanted to take relatable, everyday feelings but put my characters in the most extraordinary of situations.

Have you always wanted to be a writer? Yes, definitely! I love to write, all of the time. Many scenes from Becoming Mrs. Walsh were originally written on napkins when I was sitting in a coffeeshop. It is cheesy but when you love something enough and are passionate about it, you never want to do anything else. I’ve gone back and reread very detailed diary entries from my past and they read like small stories. I went to school specifically for the writing program. I was very fortunate to graduate from the Writing Seminars at Johns Hopkins University. I will always be writing simply because I love it. 🙂

What is your writing/editing/publishing process like? My writing process can be unpredictable, but I generally know where I want to go with a story. From there I am constantly thinking of ideas and writing out scenes as soon as I can get my hands on a piece of paper or laptop. I take a general pass at editing and then I leave it in the hands of my trusted editor. The e-book publishing process is one that can be relatively easy once you’ve gone through it. Since I published Becoming Mrs. Walsh, I’ve enjoyed watching its growth and progression. Once your e-book is online and available for the world to see it is both a very exciting and overwhelming feeling. Overall, while my writing process is very creative and can take many twists and turns, the publishing part is much more straight forward and process driven.

At what time of day do you find the most productive to write? This is a good question. It is hard to say. Sometimes I am most productive simply when inspiration strikes. There is a scene early in the book that takes place on the Metro (readers that have read the book, will know exactly which one I mean). The entire scene came to me in the middle of the night. I completely jumped out of bed at three in the morning grabbed the nearest pad and wrote out the entire scene. In general, I usually keep a small pad in my bag because you never know when you will be waiting in line and have a minute to write down a thought. I would say overall throughout the day I am generally jotting down ideas and thoughts, but most of the sitting and really working tends to be in the evenings.

How did you celebrate your first book being published? I was very happy to have it published, but I think the first official celebration was when I received my first fan letter. It was the most amazing feeling to know that I wrote something that really touched someone enough to compel them to reach out to me. I read the fan letter out loud to myself and then smiled really big, the smile pretty much continued hours after the fact. A simple celebration, but a very meaningful one. Of course, anyone who reads the book and reviews it or writes to me directly, I always celebrate. I also love the very intimate experience authors have with their readers. Even though there are many readers that I’ve never had contact with, we all know the story of Becoming Mrs. Walsh, and we are bonded through our enjoyment of the book. Knowing someone may have been up late reading my book somewhere in the world is an extraordinary feeling and one I am grateful for each day.

At the end of “Becoming Mrs. Walsh,” you left us with quite a bit of a cliffhanger, was that planned? I’ve been asked about the ending a lot. For me the ending organically made sense. I didn’t want anything to feel forced; it had to be something that felt authentic to each character. Often times when I write I basically know where I am going, but sometimes I take a different path than I had originally planned. I strived to make the characters in Becoming Mrs. Walsh well drawn because creating interesting characters is so important to me. I think an ending needs to feel right for the characters more than the story sequence if that makes sense. In Becoming Mrs. Walsh the actions each character takes feels like what the character would have done in that moment based on what you glean from them throughout the book. I love hearing from readers and I have received a lot of feedback about the end. If you are reading this now and want to talk more about it, please e-mail me. I’m happy to discuss more! Just don’t want to give anything away. 🙂

If “Becoming Mrs. Walsh” were turned into a movie, who would you like to play the leading roles? This is a great question and one I’ve gotten before. I generally don’t like to assign actors because I love when readers have their own vision of who each character is. I think certain actors and actresses evoke specific emotions and reactions from people. But, it is a good question and I love hearing readers’ thoughts on that. I’ve had lots of readers tell me who they saw in a movie version, and let’s just say there has not been one suggestion yet that I’ve disagreed with! People really seem to get exactly where I was going with these characters.

What is your favorite word? Belly because it conveys so many different emotions. It could mean a warm, full belly after a delicious meal. Laughing a real belly laugh, you are so hysterical and tickled with glee. Belly dancing is very sexy and interesting. A pregnant belly makes one thinks of life and the beauty of the belly.

Can you tell us about any of your upcoming projects? I am working on a sequel to Becoming Mrs.Walsh. 🙂 I haven’t officially announced a date yet or anything like that because I really want to make sure the sequel is the best course of action for the characters. Whenever people ask about the sequel I have been saying TBD, but I would like to publish one. And when I know more, my readers and favorite bloggers like yourself will certainly know!

GUEST POST

Five Tips on Writing Chick Lit

1) Chick lit by definition can be light, breezy, and fun. However, in order to be light, breezy, and fun you need to make sure you don’t bog readers down in overly ornate prose and uninteresting details. If you are going to write Chick Lit you must deliver on a premise that it will read quickly and entertain. You can not be boring when you write Chick Lit!

2) Tell a great story. At the heart of every good book is an even better story. Be an amazing story teller. Is this a tale you would want to chat about with friends over drinks or coffee? You want readers to fall in love with your story because it is captivating. It is the type of story that is at the tip of your tongue. You want to tell anyone and everyone how juicy this plot is and what happens. You want readers to still be thinking about the characters long after they have put the book down. I had a reader tell me that it was almost painful to stop reading Becoming Mrs. Walsh. That meant so much to me because I knew the book meant as much to her as it did to me. Entertain readers and be passionate about your story, the point of chick lit is to entertain. So make sure you set out to entertain and deliver on it.

3) Create well drawn characters. While Chick Lit is breezy as I mentioned in point 1, do not fall into the trap of overly light and fluffy. You can have a “beach read” with great characters and engaging plots. The “beach read” part is that it is entertaining and satisfying like candy. You can devour it and love the sweetness of it, but it is not meant to be a heavy meal. You need to have a book that does not take itself too seriously, but just seriously enough.

4) Love what you are writing about. If you, as the author, are not compelled to write or think about the story every single day, go back to the drawing board. Chick lit needs to draw you in and encompass you, you want to crave more of it and have characters that keep you turning pages. They are meant to be super engaging quick reads. If you want to write heavier prose or topics that deal with very serious situations that may not be a mood lifter or take a reader out of his/her world, you may want to re-consider genre. Even women’s fiction can have more of a serious tone. Chick lit can have topics beyond high heels and martinis but it is not meant to be depressing or dark, just interesting and entertaining.

5) Love what you do. If you love writing chick lit do it, but really love it. Love creating characters in interesting situations with vivid scenes, love letting your imagination run wild, and really allow yourself to create something different. If you truly love reading it and writing it then it is the right genre for you. If you feel mediocre about it, it is going to be hard to do. Don’t write a chick lit book because you are a good writer and you think it will be ‘easy,’ that type of forced writing will be apparent.

BecomingMrsWalshCover **”Becoming Mrs. Walsh” by Jessica Gordon:

Shoshana Thompson is 26 years old, miles from home, and engaged to Andrew Walsh, the last single Walsh brother of one of Washington, D.C.’s wealthiest families. Throughout her engagement she becomes enamored with the Walsh lifestyle.

Life in the fast lane comes to a screeching halt when Shoshana develops feelings for another man. When she discovers the feelings may not be one-sided, things are about to get a lot more complicated. This man is not only part of her fancy new world, he is also completely off-limits.

**Contact Jessica: Website Twitter

**Click HERE to buy “Becoming Mrs. Walsh” on Amazon!

**GIVEAWAY**

Click HERE to enter to win a $50.00 SpaFinder Gift Card!

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