The synopsis:

Anna has landed her dream job as an Assistant Professor of English literature at a prestigious college in the South. Instead of charging ahead with her career, however, she is confronted by hurdles, pitfalls and mysteries. Why does no one restrain the demented hoarder who secretly uses her office as his private storeroom? Who is responsible for her sudden loss in salary? What is behind the vandalism in her department? Is it a personal attack against her irreverent and somewhat unconventional teaching style?

Professor Giles Cleveland is supposed to mentor her in all this, but he’s arrogant, sardonic, condescending, disconcertingly attractive and – Anna keeps reminding herself as the temptation to start a kamikaze affair with him becomes overwhelming – absolutely out of bounds. Anna and Giles grow increasingly reckless and it is only a matter of time before they will be caught and Anna’s career will crash and burn. But when the crash comes, it’s worse than Anna imagined. And far better than she could have dreamed.

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What I liked about this book is that it not only features a slowbuilding romance, but there’s intrigue and drama too. I have to admit that even though I have a pretty strong vocabulary, I had to pull out the dictionary and google a few times, so be prepared. I didn’t love either of the main characters immediately, but the more I read…the more captivated I became with both Giles and Anna. The same would be true of the storyline. For me the story really took off about halfway through. That’s when I really began rooting for this couple to get together, and then find a way to be together.

The heat level increases dramatically after the halfway point…just an added bonus.

The backdrop of a university is a plus for me….a good hotbed for all kinds of things to happen, and there’s more than one side story going on. If you don’t think that a university has all kinds of politics going on under the surface?!? You’re very much mistaken.

The Englishman by Nina Lewis gets a recommendation from me. I think you’ll enjoy the story and by the end of the book you’ll be team Giles+Anna as well.

*This book was provided to me by the publisher in exchange for my honest thoughts*

Tamie Xo

Hi peeps, hoping that you’re having a great day. Here’s a sneak peek to some of my picquotes this week.

Tangled
Emma Chase

Fifty Shades Darker
E. L. James

The Redhead Revealed
Alice Clayton

Teaser from
Return to Poughkeepsie
Debra Anastasia

Down London Road
Samantha Young

White Trash Beautiful
Teresa Mummert

REAL
Katy Evans

I hope you like them.

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Terrie Taylor, Pamela Christine and Megan! Congratulations!

The winners have been notified by email.

Thanks to Kahlen Aymes for offering this great giveaway and to everybody who entered!

**Winners were chosen by Random.org**

Oh and stay tuned, because in the upcoming weeks we’ll have more contests and giveaways for A Love Like This

-Elena

How is writing a novel different from writing your fan fiction?

Which do you prefer, and why?

I guess with fan fiction, the characters are already there, and you’re just putting your own spin on things. In my FF stories I didn’t need to set up and explain the history of the characters because the readers already knew their story, so I could leap into a plot without having to provide back story or lead up. With an original fiction that’s not the case. You have to build the story from scratch.

I enjoy writing FF. I like looking at the already existing characters and thinking “mm, but what if he did this?” and then see what happens. But I do prefer creating and writing my own characters. I have lots of different story ideas, many from long before my FF days, so it’s good to have a chance for those to come to life and have a voice. And with original fiction I’m not limited by what my characters can or would do, and that’s fun. I really enjoy starting from scratch, creating something brand new, and building my story and my characters and learning who they are.

Thanks so much to stopping by today!!

So The Writer’s Coffee Shop Publishing House and Suzanne are giving away one copy of Over The Edge.

All you need to do is comment below. The drawing will run through Thursday the 23rd. Winner will be chosen by Random.org.

Good Luck everyone!!

katiebird

Can you really tell this guy is fo’real?! He looks so divine.

He is definitely Lucas from Easy by Tammara Webber. What do you think?

Okay this photo tells me he’s for real.LOL

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The synopsis:

Drew Evans is a winner. Handsome and arrogant, he makes multimillion dollar business deals and seduces New York’s most beautiful women with just a smile. He has loyal friends and an indulgent family. So why has he been shuttered in his apartment for seven days, miserable and depressed?

He’ll tell you he has the flu.

But we all know that’s not really true.

Katherine Brooks is brilliant, beautiful and ambitious. She refuses to let anything – or anyone – derail her path to success. When Kate is hired as the new associate at Drew’s father’s investment banking firm, every aspect of the dashing playboy’s life is thrown into a tailspin. The professional competition she brings is unnerving, his attraction to her is distracting, his failure to entice her into his bed is exasperating.

Then, just when Drew is on the cusp of having everything he wants, his overblown confidence threatens to ruin it all. Will he be able untangle his feelings of lust and tenderness, frustration and fulfillment? Will he rise to the most important challenge of his life?

Can Drew Evans win at love?

Tangled is not your mother’s romance novel. It is an outrageous, passionate, witty narrative about a man who knows a lot about women…just not as much as he thinks he knows. As he tells his story, Drew learns the one thing he never wanted in life, is the only thing he can’t live without.

Our review:

Tamie: 5 hearts of book perfection!

Oops! I did it again…I gave you my rating first. See…that right there tells you how strongly I FLOVE this book…another thing…I’ve seen peeps say on twitter and Goodreads that they loved a book so much that they wanted to marry it…I’ve had some books that I feel that way about…Tangled by Emma Chase is one of those.

If you just happen to love a story that combines romance with the sexy in a very well written way + you also love it when the writer adds just the perfect amount of funny to all that…and then…can you stand it… it’s also written from the male POV?!? Well…you’d probably feel like you’ve been given a great, big, huge slice of book heaven right?!? THAT, is exactly what you’ll get with Tangled my fellow book lovers!

Drew will own you completely…even when he’s being an absolute ass…which is rather often…he admits it. How can you not love a guy who’s willing to own up to it? He’s also gorgeous, smart, snarky as all get out, ambitous, erm…sexually gifted…need I go on?!?

But…he’s met his match when Katherine Brooks joins the family business…yup…she can dish it out just as good as Drew can. She’s fierce and feisty and just as smart as Drew is, and when these two go toe to toe? It’s just fabulous to read the sparks that fly. The attraction and passion between the two of them even before they hook up is SOOOOOOOOO good. You’ll be rooting for this couple to become a couple long before it happens.

Are there issues? Of course there are…what good would it be without a little angst thrown in to keep us frantically reading? It’s not too much and it’s not too little…

Like I said at the beginning…this book gets 5 hearts from me. I cannot wait for you to read it, and whatever Emma Chase writes next?!? I’m already there.

Elena:

I’ll begin this review by saying that I loved everything about this book. And I do mean everything. This pretty much sums up how I feel about Tangled, but let’s see why I believe this story is absolutely awesome, shall we?

First off, Drew Evans. He’s sexy, smart, confident and ambitious. He has everything one could hope for, but one thing lacks in his life — true love. He’s never experienced it and he doesn’t really want to, until Kate Brooks enters his life.

Kate is an amazing female character — she’s determined, strong, and she knows what she wants. She’s not that kind of woman who can be won easily and she challenges Drew in ways he’d never thought possible.

The passion between them is palpable from the very first moment they meet, and it’s always there, in every scene. There is some angst, of course, but would you believe me if I told you that I loved those scenes even more than the romantic ones? Yes, because in those moments Drew really shines — he shows how passionate a man he is and how he’d do anything in his power to win the trust and the heart of the woman he loves…

The book is written in Drew’s POV and let me tell you that Emma Chase did an outstanding job. We finally get to read a man’s musings and it’s quite the enjoyable ride (no pun intended ) Drew is not just sexy, but he’s pretty damn funny. There are so many lines that made me laugh out loud and believe me, you’ll love Drew’s sense of humor! There’s amazing dialogue, with a capital A.

Tangled is a book that has everything — gripping romance, sizzling and well written love scenes, great humor…Seriously, read it NOW.

Oh and the real heroine of the story? Mackenzie, Drew’s little niece…You’ll see…

I give Tangled 5 stars. Emma, you have a new fan

**Elena and I received a copy of Tangled from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. DOOD! We honestly floved it so hard!**

Tamie and Elena

 Reading challenges: Do you host or join in any? What is your success rate on completing them? Do they keep your reading goals on track, put too many restrictions/pressure on you?  What do you think makes for a successful reading challenge?

I don’t host any, and the only one I’ve ever done is the one on Goodreads where you really just challenge yourself to read a certain number of books within the year. Since it’s self-imposed it isn’t stressful at all, and I think it does keep me focused. My biggest problem is that I always forget to add in some of the books I read, and then I forget to go back and add them later. Arrrgh. I know quite a few bloggers that participate in a ton of challenges and if it’s fun then I think you should do as many as you can keep up with.

If I had more time to keep up with them…I’d probably join a few more…

How about you? Any reading challenges that you’re involved with?

Tamie Xo

Take a look at the holy hot cover for: Private Message by Danielle Torella…

Title: Private Message

Author: Danielle Torella

Release date is to be announced soon.

Genre: New Adult

Age Group: Adult

Cover Designed by Randy Potvin and Model Joseph Marvullo did the hot cover just for this book.

Synopsis:

Tess has never had sex. Believe it or not, she’s never had a decent kiss.

The aspiring Seattle painter and photographer is still recovering from the trauma of being beaten and nearly raped at a rock show nearly three years before. So she keeps life simple: she goes to school, goes to work in a coffee shop, goes home, goes on living.

But then Ben’s naked body crashes—almost literally—through Tess’s wall against the world.

Ben is doing his dad’s art-teacher girlfriend a favor when he agrees to pose nude for her drawing class. But what he draws is the interest of the irresistible punk-looking girl—and it’s interest he reciprocates, with interest.

Their sexual chemistry is too much to resist. But it’s when they have their clothes on that their heat quickly slips on ice. Ben’s womanizing history is one thing, but it’s history of another kind—related to that fateful night at the rock show—that threatens to tear the young lovers apart forever.

About the Author:

Hi! My name is Danielle Torella and I am about to release my very first book! It is titled Private Message and I hope to release in the next couple of weeks! I became obsessed with the Twilight series, then had a bad book hangover and stopped reading. Then I met Fifty Shades and I can’t stop reading now! I never intentionally planned to write a book, but one night I had a dream and the characters and scenario got me thinking. I couldn’t get it out of my head so, I started writing. I have found so much joy in this whole experience and I can’t wait to finish book two!

You can find information and updates about Danielle over here:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Author-Danielle-Torella/396408743800429?ref=hl

http://authordanielletorella.blogspot.com/

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7059361.Danielle_Torella

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I drooled over the cover! Truly awesomesauce! Danielle Torella is one of my favorite girlfriends in Instagram where we share and discuss about our endless list of TBR. And now I am finally adding hers on my list.

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I’m so happy to have had the chance to interview Lauren Jameson, author of Blush. It’s a book I really enjoyed. You can read my review here, and then read the interview…

What genres do you love reading? Who are your favorite authors?

I have so many genres that I love, and sadly, not nearly enough time to read anymore. My favorites: erotic romance (Cherise Sinclair, Megan Hart, Lauren Dane, Beth Kery, Eden Bradley), new adult romance (Monica Murphy, Tammara Webber, Emily Snow), urban fantasy (Keri Arthur, Leigh Evans, Ann Aguirre), paranormal young adult (P.T. Michelle, Cassandra Clare, Kelley Armstrong) and paranormal romance (Nalini Singh, Gena Showalter).

 What inspires you in life? As an author? Specifically what inspired you to write Blush and the future books in the In Vino Veritas series?

When the Fifty Shades craze hit, my agent was asked by a publisher if she had any authors who could write something that would appeal to the same readers. I already wrote erotica, but had never touched on BDSM—and I was pretty sure that it wasn’t going to work. I was scared of not getting it right. I hadn’t even really read anything with BDSM elements.

So I read Fifty Shades, and, as for so many people, it acted as my gateway drug. I started devouring every book I could find in the genre, and soon I was itching to write it. That’s how Blush was born.

 Who is your favorite book boyfriend of all time and why?

Hands down, Alex from Tempted by Megan Hart. I heart him so much. I remember her asking me once “you realize he’s not a real person, right?” LOL. I realize (sad face), but I still love him. He is the sexiest thing ever. And I may or may not have named my Alex in Blush after him.

 What kind of research did you do when writing Blush, and is Alex based on a real life person(s) or is he completely fictional?

I did a lot of reading for Blush. I asked a lot of people a lot of questions. BDSM is a very real lifestyle, and I wanted to portray it as accurately and sympathetically as possible. Yes, real people are interested in it. Yes, real people do it. Yes, your kink may not be my kink, but that’s okay. These thoughts were always at the forefront of my mind while writing Blush and its sequel, Breathe.

As for Alex… no, he’s not based on anyway in particular. He’s entirely fictional, a compilation of a lot of the book boyfriends I’ve had over the years.

 What role, if any, do the social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook play in helping your books become successful?

Social media is an amazing way to connect with readers, other writers, publishers… you name it. I was a social media idiot until I met Deidre Knight, my agent. She showed me the magic of Twitter. Since I’m still a little sketchy at posting an would never take the time to update more than one site, I have my Twitter and Facebook accounts linked. It saves a lot of time.

 Do your readers ever suggest storylines or characters they wish you’d use?

Not as of yet!

What’s the best and the worst thing about being an author?

The best thing is the ability to stay home with my son. I love not being in a 9-5 situation anymore. I love that I  can run to the grocery store at 10 am if I have to. The flexibility is awesome. Of course, some days I work for eighteen hours straight… but some days I don’t work at all.

The worst thing—hmm. Well, it’s part of the job, so I can’t complain too much, but I’m still getting used to being “out” as a published author. People I meet, even people I’ve known for years, want to talk about my jobs when I see them. I get that it’s an interesting career choice, but I’m not entirely comfortable (yet) with so much focus.

Do you find it easy or difficult to write the erotica, and to keep the romance and the erotica well-balanced?

Contemporary erotic romance is my happy zone. For the most part, it comes easily to me. There are always difficult parts in a story, but in this genre they’re easier for me to fight through than when I’m writing paranormal or historical. And I tend to write stories where the romance is so tightly entwined with the erotic element that I don’t have to think too much about keeping them balanced—I can’t have one without the other.

Is there a specific thing you do or place you go when you need a break from writing?

I like to curl up in front of the TV and knit—I have more yarn than I could ever knit in my lifetime. It’s a problem. I also like to go out for long walks with the husband, the toddler, and the dog. I also take time out from work to go to spin class or to personal training, but I’m not sure I’d say that I like doing that.

Can you tell us anything about the next book in the series?

Breathe is the next book in the series, and it features Elijah Masterson, one of the three owners of In Vino Veritas. He and Samantha, his heroine, both think they know what they want, but they have a few surprises in store for one another.

Rapid Fire questions

Mac or PC?

PC.

Salty or sweet?

Both together! Though sweet would edge out salty in a fight.

Favorite: Number, curse word, color, sound?

3, penis (used as a curse word), green, the ocean.

Music or silence when you write?

I have a two year old, so I take what I can get.

Kisses…Long, slow, and deep or Fast, hard, and quick?

Fast and hard!

Boxers, briefs, or commando?

On a dude? Boxer briefs.

Dream vacation destination?

Italy or the south of France.

Favorite book character ever?

Laura Ingalls Wilder, followed closely by Anne Shirley.

Top or bottom?

That’s a loaded question

Pens, pencils, or crayons?

A very specific type of pen only available at Dollarama.

Thanks so much for letting us get to know you better. I look forward to your next book with great anticipation.

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Lauren Jameson is a writer who lives in the shadows of the great Rocky Mountains of Alberta, Canada. She also writes erotic romance as Lauren Hawkeye.

Follow Lauren on twitter 

Tamie Xo

Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

From Atria I received Eyes Wide Open by Raine Miller

The third part in The Blackstone Affair series: A love on the brink of being destroyed. The fight of a lifetime to keep it alive.

Big surprises are on the horizon for Ethan and Brynne as they struggle to adjust to what life has thrown at them. Demons from the past are threatening to destroy the passionate bond they’ve forged despite their vow that nothing will ever keep them apart. A truly devastating loss coupled with the promise of a new hope opens their eyes to what is most important, but is it possible for the lovers to move on from the painful histories that continue to haunt them? A stalker is still lurking in the shadows, plotting evil amidst the distraction of the 2012 Olympic games in London. Brynne and Ethan are on the cusp of losing everything as the stakes rise. Will they yield to circumstances beyond their control or will they give every ounce of fight they have left to save each other and win the ultimate prize of a life together?

Eyes Wide Open is a passion-wrought story that shows us what pure love can achieve when tested and what the heart can accomplish despite danger and adversity.

From Penguin I received: Connected by Kim Karr

What if a ‘Once in a Lifetime’ could happen twice? Suffering from a past full of tragedy, Dahlia London’s soul has been left completely shattered. Happily ever after is a far cry from reality in her world. But, when she is reconnected with her past, the bonds that form are irrefutable. When River Wilde, lead singer of The Wilde Ones, comes back into Dahlia’s life, the intensity that fires their relationship combined with underlying feelings that have never died lead her to believe she has met her soul mate. Struggling with confusion as old connections fade and new ones begin, Dahlia’s grief begins to lift—but guilt remains. River wants to be the one to mend all that is torn within her. But with a past that is never really gone, can their future survive?

From Omnific I received: The Englishman by Nina Lewis

Anna has landed her dream job as an Assistant Professor of English literature at a prestigious college in the South. Instead of charging ahead with her career, however, she is confronted by hurdles, pitfalls and mysteries. Why does no one restrain the demented hoarder who secretly uses her office as his private storeroom? Who is responsible for her sudden loss in salary? What is behind the vandalism in her department? Is it a personal attack against her irreverent and somewhat unconventional teaching style?

Professor Giles Cleveland is supposed to mentor her in all this, but he’s arrogant, sardonic, condescending, disconcertingly attractive and – Anna keeps reminding herself as the temptation to start a kamikaze affair with him becomes overwhelming – absolutely out of bounds. Anna and Giles grow increasingly reckless and it is only a matter of time before they will be caught and Anna’s career will crash and burn. But when the crash comes, it’s worse than Anna imagined. And far better than she could have dreamed.

E-books I purchased:

Until I Break by Michelle Leighton

*This book has been pulled by the author. You can read why here. I support the author’s right to do whatever the hell she wants with her book btw…without judgement or criticism*

“I’m intrigued. Tempted beyond what I’ve ever been before. To know her, to open her up. To break her.”
In love, sometimes what you fear most is exactly what you need.
Laura Drake is an author. She writes bestselling paranormal romances that continue to top the charts. She is sharp. She is confident. She is in control.
And she doesn’t exist.
Samantha Jansen is the woman behind the wig, the woman most of the world doesn’t know exists. She is shy. She is insecure. She is nothing like her main character or her alter ego. She is scarred—deeply scarred—by a past she can’t let go of and a present she can’t make peace with.
Samantha’s dreams are consumed by one man, the broken hero from her books. Mason Strait is both her wildest fantasy and her most terrifying nightmare.
When Samantha meets Alec Brand, a corporate consultant, it is as though Mason has come to life. Alec is handsome to a fault, as elegant as he is arrogant, and more intense than any man has a right to be.
Samantha is soon sucked into a world that mirrors the fiction she writes. Just like her main character, Daire Kirby, Samantha finds herself unable to resist the forbidden lure of Alec. And just like Daire, she also finds that she is faced with taking a chance on a man who could either set her free or destroy her.
The scale tilts toward destruction when Samantha finds out that Alec is as much a work of fiction as Mason. And he has scars of his own, scars that could ruin them both.

**This book may be read as a stand-alone, as the story of Alec and Samantha comes to a conclusion in this book**

Geoducks Are for Lovers by Daisy Prescott

*This book was free on Amazon the day I got it*

Food writer Maggie Marrion is just getting back on her feet after a horrible year, or two, or three. With their twentieth reunion approaching, she invites four of her closest friends from college for a weekend at her beach cabin on Whidbey Island. What she doesn’t expect is her best friends, artist Quinn Dayton and part-time erotica novelist, Selah Elmore, to play matchmaker. The two plot a surprise that will make the weekend, and her life, a lot more interesting.

Gil Morrow, a former grunge musician turned history professor, joins them as Selah’s date for the weekend. Facing his own ghosts, Gil decides he’s waited long enough to get the girl. With the support of college sweethearts, a hot lumberjack, a few wishing rocks, and the world’s largest burrowing clam, Gil reminds Maggie that forty-something isn’t too old for second chances.

Can we learn to love the life we have and let go of who we expected to be? What happens when the generation from The Breakfast Club and Reality Bites meets The Big Chill? Come spend a weekend with these Generation X-ers as they share laughter, tears, life’s ups and downs, old stories, and new beginnings.

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What did you get this week to stack your shelves with?

Tamie Xo