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“In the Swim of Things” by Tracie Banister
Blurb:
A sexy, sun-soaked tale about a tail-wearing girl who makes a lot of waves—perfect for fans of Lauren Layne, Meghan Quinn, and Christina Lauren.
Ocean-loving Kyra Goodwin had to give up her dream of becoming the female Jacques Cousteau in order to take care of her father and brother, but being a mermaid at the Cape Cod Aquarium is pretty fintastic as far as alternative careers go.
Of course, life as a half-fish/half-woman isn’t all sunken treasure and Ariel twirls. Kyra has to deal with perpetually pruney fingers, eyes irritated by saltwater, and bratty kids on the daily, plus her glam alter ego can make dating really weird. (So many men have pervy siren-of-the-sea fantasies!) When she meets hunky surfer Cade, and he’s into her without knowing what she does for a living, Kyra thinks she’s finally won the romance lottery.
Unfortunately, Kyra’s plans for a carefree summer of catching waves with her new boyfriend run aground when Sea Star Beach, a place that holds great sentimental value for her, is taken over by a big-city developer who wants to build an exclusive resort. Kyra’s crusade to save her beloved beach threatens both her job and her relationship with Cade as does her growing closeness with her irresistibly broody merwrangler, Declan, whose precocious daughter is intent on playing matchmaker.
When a new family drama arises just as Kyra receives an offer that would turn her greatest desire into reality, she’s torn. Will she do what’s expected of her, or dive in and follow her heart?
**RELEASE BLITZ GIVEAWAY**
Purchase a copy of In the Swim of Things during the Release Blitz (May 15th – May 31st, 2019) and you could win an incredible prize pack inspired by the book’s mermaid heroine and its beachy setting in Cape Cod. People who purchased In the Swim of Things during the pre-order period are also eligible for the giveaway!
This prize pack includes:
You’ve Mermaid My Day Pedestal Candle Holder
3-Wick Salted Ocean Air Candle
Mermaid Squad Gift Set, inc. Travel-Sized At The Beach Ultra Shea Body Cream & Shower Gel & Beautiful Day PocketBac Hand Sanitizer
Mermaid Stemless Wine Glass with Inscription “It’s Okay to Drink
Like a Fish If You’re a Mermaid”
Mermaid Tribe Sea Glass Necklace by Lita Sea Glass Jewelry (seafoam-colored sea glass on 18” sterling silver chain)
Mermaid Key Chain/Purse Charm (antique gold mermaid pendant with stunning beads and a sassy tassel)
Bath & Body Works Shea-Infused Mermaid Socks
Mermaids in Paradise: An Artist’s Coloring Book
Crayola Colored Pencils (36 premium quality pencils)
**To enter this giveaway, e-mail Tracie Banister at traciebanister@gmail.com with your proof of purchase. Entries will be accepted until
About the author: An avid reader and writer, Tracie Banister has been scribbling stories since she was a child, most of them featuring feisty heroines with complicated love lives like her favorite fictional protagonist Scarlett O’Hara. Her work was first seen on the stage of her elementary school, where her 4th grade class performed an original holiday play she penned. (Like all good divas-in-the-making, she also starred in and tried to direct the production.)
Tracie’s dreams of authorial success were put on the backburner when she reached adulthood and discovered that she needed a “real” job in order to pay her bills. Her career as personal assistant to a local entrepreneur lasted for 12 years. When it ended, she decided to follow her bliss and dedicate herself to writing full-time. She is the proud winner of the 2017 Independent Press Award (Romantic Comedy) and a Bronze Medal in the 2017 Readers’ Favorite Awards (Chick Lit).
In the Swim of Things is Tracie’s sixth novel and thanks to this book, she can now check another occupation off her fantasy list. She has no doubt that writing about a mermaid is much easier than actually being one!
**CONNECT WITH TRACIE:
Author Newsletter – The Banister Buzz: http://eepurl.com/by0VAv
Blog: http://traciebanister.blogspot.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/traciebanister
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tracie.banister
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/traciebanister/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5448518.Tracie_Banister
Messing With Matilda by Cat Lavoie
Published by Cat Lavoie on April 4, 2018
Genres: Chick Lit, Romantic Comedy
As a professional organizer in New York City, Matilda Hart wages war against chaos and clutter on a daily basis for her clients—and she vows to never let it invade her own well-ordered world.
But when her boyfriend decides to deviate from the path she’s been planning for them, Matilda’s perfectly structured life begins to crumble. She reluctantly finds herself back in the tiny hometown she fled a lifetime ago—determined to lay low and avoid running into anyone she used to know. So why is she reconnecting with her former best friend and putting up with the bridezilla antics of Amber, her high school nemesis?
When Matilda is tasked with keeping the bride-to-be’s heartbroken ex away from the ceremony, she discovers she has history with the man who’s trying to sabotage the wedding. Matilda quickly realizes that teaming up with cute and quirky—but hopelessly devoted—Silas Flynn could be mutually beneficial. He needs help wooing the woman he considers the love of his life and Matilda can’t pass up the chance to finally get back at the meanest of the mean girls by assisting Silas in his attempts to disrupt her wedding.
Will everything go according to plan for this mismatched pair? Or will working so closely together make uptight Matilda and laid-back Silas lose sight of their common goal?
One thing’s for sure—things are about to get messy.
*****
Excerpt:
I don’t want to go home. Facing an empty apartment—one I now know I’ll be living in for the foreseeable future—is too much to handle right now. But I can’t stand on the sidewalk forever while strangers walk around me giving me annoyed looks. I can’t be mad at them—if the situation were reversed, I’d be one of those strangers wondering why the idiot in the black cocktail dress isn’t moving.
So I start moving.
Since home isn’t an option, I decide to walk to Hart Your Space and partake in one of my favorite activities—ordering office supplies. My newest obsession is colorful paperclips and I feel like ordering two boxes today—look at me being all reckless with money. I also have a few follow-up appointments next week and I should look over my notes again just to make sure I’m adequately prepared. I could schedule a lunch date with Dr. Paxton too, but none of these things are urgent and just thinking of the word “date” makes me want to throw up what little dinner I ate.
I take out my phone and see a new voicemail from my mother and two emoji-filled texts from Evie with a series of hearts, keys, and question marks. It’s like she knows something’s going on. Ignoring my messages, I fish my headphones out of my bag and connect them to my phone. Inserting the tiny white buds into my ears, I open up the podcast app on my phone and find the episode I was listening to earlier. The smooth voice of the narrator blasts into my ears—blocking out most of the traffic noise and the random conversations of the people walking past me—and I sigh with relief.
“It was a gruesome crime scene, and I was the first police officer who responded to the call. Even twenty years later, I can still remember every single detail. They are etched into my memory, and I still become emotional when discussing the events of that day.”
You wouldn’t think that listening to Crime Stalker with Jake Deno—a podcast about an NYPD homicide detective and his most memorable cases—would have a calming effect on anyone, but I’m completely fascinated by it, downloading each episode onto my phone as soon as it’s released. I listen to it at the gym, during my commute when Evie isn’t with me, and when I need to become immersed in someone else’s gory reality to escape my own.
#
Forty-five minutes later, I’m a few steps away from my office, and I’ve already decided that I’m taking a cab home when I’m done here. My feet are killing me, and I can’t wait to collapse on my desk chair and kick off the uncomfortable shoes that are giving me blisters. If I had known I’d be storming out of my date with Arthur, I would have worn the orthopedic shoes he prescribed to me after diagnosing me with flat feet, or pes planusas they say in the foot business. The heel is so chunky, it would have been perfect to throw at Arthur’s head when he started talking about Fiona and Boston. I try to forget about those two idiots as I rip the buds out of my ears.
*****
REVIEW: Being a huge fan of Cat Lavoie, I knew I had to read this book!
Right from the beginning, I could definitely relate to Matilda! Not only is she fun and quirky, the most important thing about her is that she’s real. Through the ups and downs in this laugh out loud romantic comedy, the author had me swiping pages on my iPad as fast as I could, and I was sad when it was over. I won’t give any spoilers, but I can definitely say that this book will stick with me for a long time.
If you’re looking for a book that will make your eyes bug out with surprise and your heart swoon, then “Messing With Matilda” is definitely something you will not want to miss reading!
I give “Messing With Matilda” 5 stars!
*****
INTERVIEW:
Describe your writing style in five words: Quirky chick lit with cattitude!
What is something that would surprise people to know about you? I’m a little bit allergic to cats. (I sometimes get itchy, watery eyes when I’m around a long-haired cat—but I never let that stop me!)
Salty or sweet? Can’t choose–can I have both?
What’s on your nightstand? A notepad and pen. Stuffed hippo given to me by a friend. My Kindle. A few of Paddington and Molly’s cat toys.
What was your writing/editing/publishing process like for “Messing With Matilda”? I write really slowly, so completing the first draft took ages. Thankfully, the finished draft didn’t need too much editing so that part of the process was quicker. Messing with Matilda is the first novel I’ve self-published (my first three novels were released by a small press.) It was a lot of work, but I’m really proud of the finished product!
Have you ever been star struck by anyone? Definitely. I’ve had the chance to meet a few musicians and stand-up comics that I adore. I’d like to say I stay calm, cool, and collected when I meet a famous person, but I freeze and can’t speak.
Where did the idea for “Messing With Matilda” come from? I knew I wanted to set another book in the fictional town of Messina and I loved the idea of writing about someone who grew up there and unwillingly comes back to visit.
Who inspires you to write? The book world inspires me—writers, readers, bloggers. It’s so much fun to be a part of such a vibrant and supportive community!
If “Messing With Matilda” was turned into a movie, who would you want to play the characters? My dream cast would be…
Matilda: Jenna Coleman http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1982510/
Silas: Johnny Flynn https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1926865/
Evie: Krysten Ritter https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1269983/
Amy: Sarah Hyland https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0405103/
Amber: Anna Camp https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2319871/
What are people’s reactions when they know you’re an author? People typically have a lot of questions about how long it takes to write a book and what kind of books I write. They also ask me if I’m going to write a novel in French one day, since French is my native language. (The answer? Maybe!)
What is your favorite quote?I have always loved this quote from Oscar Wilde:“We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.”
What are you working on right now? I’m in the early stages of plotting and researching my next novel. I love getting to know new characters, even though I kind of miss Matilda and Silas.
*****
**GIVEAWAY**
^^^ Click to Enter! ^^^
Cat Lavoie is a chick lit writer from Montreal, Canada. She loves writing fun and quirky romantic comedies and is the author of BREAKING THE RULES, ZOEY & THE MOMENT OF ZEN, PERI IN PROGRESS and MESSING WITH MATILDA.
A fan of all things feline, Cat loves cats and hopes to someday have a house full of them in order to officially become a crazy cat lady. (But one or two cats will do for now.)
If she isn’t reading or writing, Cat enjoys listening to podcasts (mostly comedy and true crime) and watching way too much TV. She fell in love with London many years ago and hopes to go back one day. Cat is currently at work on her next novel.
To connect with Cat and find out more about her books, visit CatLavoie.com and follow @CatLavoieBooks on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
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“Izzy As Is” by Tracie Banister
Blurb: The party is over for bikini model Izzy Alvarez. For six years she’s made a good living by flaunting her God-given assets on runways and in front of cameras, but now as she approaches the big 3-0, the bodacious Latina is shocked to learn she’s aged out of the profession that’s kept her in mojitos, mani/pedis, and designer thongs. What’s a girl with a taste for the finer things in life and no marketable skills to do?
Getting a regular job is too boring to even consider, so Izzy decides to follow in the footsteps of her newly-engaged frenemy and become a trophy wife. Although she’s desperate and too broke to get a chipped nail fixed, Izzy still has standards for her future husband, which means no uggos, no vertically-challenged guys, and no geezers who need to pop a blue pill to perform in the bedroom. Enlisting the aid of her computer whiz nephew and her closest pals, Izzy goes on the prowl for a rich, marriage-minded man, encountering likely candidates in a lot of unlikely places.
The high life she’s dreamed of may be within reach when Izzy meets a charming, successful man who’s not only hotter than a steamy summer night in Miami, but ready to settle down. Now all Izzy has to do is make sure her loud, crazy Cuban family doesn’t scare off el hombre perfecto—oh, yeah, and squelch those pesky, romantic feelings she keeps having for the sweet, cash-strapped guy she’s known forever.
Will Izzy’s hunger for money win out, or will her fiery heart demand to be heard?
My Review: Having “Izzy As Is” be the first book I read for review this year, it’s safe to say that the year started in a high-note. This book was one I’ve been waiting for, ever since I heard the title and saw the cover!
Having read “In Need of Therapy,” Izzy was one of the characters I loved, so I was delighted that the author decided to write a book all about her (some might say it even fit her personality), and Izzy shined. It’s easy to admit, only because I love the author’s books, but I think I love this one the most.
From the beginning when her nephew orchestrated a dating map, to her dating adventures, right up to the end, this was a fun and enjoyable read. Sometimes I would be shaking my head and wondering how Izzy would get out of one fiasco, only to see her jump into another. Other times, I would laugh until I had tears running down my face, and then smile because it was hard not to like her. Yes, at first, she came across as self-centered, but deep down, Izzy does have a good heart.
I won’t give any spoilers, so why not pre-order your copy now on Amazon, (January 24th is the release day!).
If you’re looking for a quick and entertaining read that you can share with your girlfriends, then I would definitely recommend this book!
I give “Izzy As Is” 5 stars!
“The Hollywood Setup” by Isabella Louise Anderson
Blurb: Chelsey Rhodes just landed her dream job in Hollywood working as an assistant to actress, Hattie Marten. Chelsey’s first task is to find someone to accompany the actress to events in the hope of reviving her celebrity social status. When going through the list of potential suitors, one catches her eye and she’s shocked to find he’s someone from her past. As payback for years of torment in high school, and knowing Hattie isn’t the most pleasant person to work for, Chelsey decides to set her up with Bennett Grayson.
What will happen when Chelsey and Bennett come face-to-face again, and will the setup be a success or will Chelsey’s first Hollywood job be her last?
**Click HERE to pre-order your copy now!
**Click HERE to add “The Hollywood Setup” to your Goodreads list!
**About the author: Isabella Louise Anderson grew up with a book in her hand, and to this day nothing has changed. Aside from writing, she focuses her time on featuring other authors on her blog, Chick Lit Goddess, along with sharing book reviews. Isabella Louise is also a member of the Romance Writers of America.
She lives in Dallas with her husband, enjoys spicy Indian and Mexican food, margaritas, and red and white wines. She loves spending time with family and friends, and cheering on the Texas Rangers. When Isabella Louise isn’t working on her next release, her attention is also on her Scentsy business, where she’s a consultant.
**Contact Isabella Louise Anderson:
Email Website Facebook – Isabella Louise Anderson Goodreads
Instagram – Isabella Louise Anderson Instagram – Chick Lit Goddess
Pinterest Twitter – Isabella Louise Anderson Twitter – Chick Lit Goddess Newsletter Sign-up
Not only as an author, but as a lover of books, I love celebrating National Book Lovers Day–and, yep, it’s today! If you follow this blog, you know how much I love sharing book features and authors, but I thought I’d share my books with you.
The Right Design: Interior designer Carrie Newman could not have envisioned a more perfect life for herself. She had a great job doing what she loved, wonderful friends, and a close relationship with her sister and brother-in-law. Add in an amazing man who she’d hoped would soon become her husband, and her life was perfect. Until one devastating decision ruins her relationship and changes the course of her life.
Determined to make a new start, Carrie leaves Texas and heads to Palm Beach to pick up the pieces of her shattered and broken life. The last thing she expects is to find herself attracted to her first client at her new job–Brad Larson, who has proven himself time and time again to be caddish.
But there’s something beneath the surface of Brad’s arrogant exterior that keeps her craving more of him–something almost sweet that Carrie can’t seem to resist.
Is Carrie ready to take another chance on romance? And will this new design of her life prove to be the right one?
Grab your copy now!: Amazon
*****
Cards From Khloe’s Flower Shop: As the owner of a successful florist shop, Khloe Harper trusts her instincts. She has a strong bond with her family and friends, but after being betrayed by her last love, she’s kept herself at arms’ length from romance. When dashing entertainment attorney Derek Thomas walks into her store, Khloe’s interest is piqued. What at first seems like a business relationship quickly turns into romance, and Derek slowly plucks away the petals she’s been hiding behind. Just as Khloe lets down her guard, she discovers that Derek may not be worthy of her love after all.
Frumpy Connie Albright has a faux fascination with an imaginary man named Walt, thinking that by sending herself flowers from him she’ll feel less out-of-place with the “mean girls” she works with. When she comes face to face with her possible prince charming and thinking she might have a happy ending, when a truth is revealed, she wonders if she’ll ever have a Cinderella story.
A recently widowed senior, Gabby Lewis, isn’t ready to give up on love—which means releasing herself from survivor’s guilt and taking a chance on finding happiness and companionship again. After signing up for an online dating site for senior citizens, much to her surprise, she’s matched with Harry, an energetic and loving man, who quickly eases himself into her heart. Will Gabby take the leap of falling in love again, knowing it’s possible to have two loves of her life?
As each woman’s story develops through flowers and cards sent from Khloe’s shop during the Fall months, they begin to learn that love can only truly blossom when you trust your heart.
Grab your copy now!: Amazon
**These books make for great beach-reads, (or so I’m told)! 🙂
“Let’s Be Real” by Brea Brown
Blurb: Nurse Nate Bingham’s life is finally going according to plan, after a few unexpected modifications. He has the wife, the dog, the house, the career… even a start on that brood of booger-munchers he’s always wanted. Everything is great.
Too great.
Then things get real. Changes at work, revelations at family get-togethers, and disappointments at home threaten Nate’s healthy outlook and force him to diagnose and take action.
Unfortunately, nobody’s walking away from this treatment plan with an easy cure and a lollipop.
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**Click HERE to go to the author’s website to read an excerpt!
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**Buy “Let’s Be Real” now!: Amazon CreateSpace (paperback) Kobo iTunes Nook Scribd
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**About author, Brea Brown: Brea Brown lives in Springfield, Missouri, with her husband and three sons, but her international support network stretches as far as Australia. She’s an administrative assistant at an environmental consulting firm for forty hours a week and a writer all the other waking hours of the week not taken up by motherhood, wifedom, reading, and watching cheesy TV shows like Sleepy Hollow. (That leaves a surprisingly large number of hours, believe it or not.) Her published novels are Daydreamer, The Secret Keeper, The Secret Keeper Confined, The Secret Keeper Up All Night, The Secret Keeper Holds On, The Secret Keeper Lets Go, The Secret Keeper Fulfilled, Plain Jayne, Quiet, Please! Let’s Be Frank, and Let’s Be Real. Her twelfth book, Out of My League, is set for a Fall 2015 release.