BLOG TOUR & AUTHOR INTERVIEW with Josephine Templeton for "The Christmas Mistake"

The Christmas Mistake
by Josephine Templeton
Publication date: December 1st, 2020
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Dressed in nothing but Christmas lingerie, Carina has a bellhop deliver her in a gift box to her fiance’s hotel room, but the last thing she expects when she is unwrapped is to see a sexy stranger in holiday boxers who looks like he just stepped off a magazine cover – definitely NOT her fiancé! How in the silver bells was she delivered to the wrong room?

As the owner of a small flower shop, Carina’s surrounded by romance on a daily basis. Her workaholic fiancé has been distant for the past several months, so she decides to drive from Baton Rouge to New Orleans to surprise him on Christmas Eve. However, that distance between them has brought loneliness, and the mere thought of the sexy stranger plucks at her mistletoe. When she discovers the reason for her fiance’s lack of attention, will she put him on Santa’s naughty list and take the stranger for a sleigh ride?

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~ AUTHOR INTERVIEW with Josephine Templeton ~ 

1) What gave you the inspiration for the storyline?

In 2014, the idea popped in my head … a woman in a gift wrapped box in front of a hotel door. I was working on my Urban Fantasy, so the idea was placed on a back burner.

Every Christmas season would spark more ideas for the story. I wrote a chapter here and there, but it wasn’t until 2017 when I had shoulder surgery did I get the drive to get it done. While recovering, I watched tons of Christmas romances!

2) Are there any hidden (or not so hidden) themes in the book that you hope readers will discover?

Just the flavor and style of Louisiana – from New Orleans to Baton Rouge!

3) Are any of the characters based on real people you know?

Maybe unconsciously but not intentionally.

4) Who has influenced you most as a writer?

Heather Graham!  I spent many years going to Heather’s Writers for New Orleans retreat. She had many famous writers host workshops from David Morrell (author of Rambo) to little ole me. She is so friendly to everyone and shares her knowledge with all!

5) If you could have any three literary characters over to your place for game night, who would you invite, what would you play, what would you serve, and why?

Jo Marsh from Little Women. I’ve loved this character since I first read the story when I was in my teens.  I relate to her on so many levels – name, spirit, writer, etc.

Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter from Laurell K. Hamilton’s book series because she would keep the game players in-line with her kick-butt self.

Lestat from Anne Rice’s novels, Interview With a Vampire, because he would make the game fun and interesting.

We would have to play Phase Ten, eat pizza and drink wine, beer and for Lestat – blood.

6) Do you feel that you can ever have too many books?

Never!  Books are the gateway to other worlds. They allow escapism from your troubles and worries.  They free your mind and clear your head.

Author Bio:

Josephine Templeton has six published novels that range from historical romance to urban fantasy. She has been to numerous conferences, including Heather Graham’s Writers for New Orleans, as well as a former member of Romance Writers of America.

 

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BOOK TOUR for "Shift Out Of Luck (Brimstone Inc, #2)" by Abigail Owen

Shift Out Of Luck 

(Brimstone Inc, #2) 

by Abigail Owen 

Genre: Paranormal Romance 

The Montagues and Capulets have nothing on the Canis and Banes wolf packs. The two have been feuding for ages. The brutal murder of the Banes’ alpha only added fuel to the fire. And now there’s only one way to bring peace — the current alphas of each pack, 
Marrok and Tala, need a mating of convenience. 

Tala has her doubts. A thousand of them. 

Never mind that Marrok drives her body to levels of desire her vibrator has trouble keeping up with. If she can’t get her inner wolf — or her people — on board, forget peace, because she'll lose the tenuous control she has over the Canis pack. Her new mate is just so damn alpha. He’d better learn to play nice or Tala will have to show him who’s boss. 

But Marrok has plans of his own, and nothing and no one, 
not even Tala herself, can resist an alpha... 

(This novella was previously self published as The Worse for Were but has undergone a complete re-edit. Scenes were added, things were changed, but the kissing still remains!)

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****(4) out of 5 Stars

Not having read the prior book in this series (and not even really realizing there was one until afterwards), I did feel a little bit at the first that I was being thrust into the middle of a story already in progress.  But after the first few pages, the tale of this volume took over and was front and center.  

Of course, the book does begin just as Marrok and Tala are to be wed in an arranged marriage, so it really does just dump you in the deep end of things, as it were.  But as we watch them start to navigate the new territory of their personal relationship, as well as their joint role as alphas of a newly combined pack, we really get a feel for these individuals, as well as for them as a couple.  

Marrok is completely smitten with Tala from the beginning, as his wolf.  And he is totally committed to this union, so even though it is one of convenience, he is ready and willing to give it his all.  

Tala, on the other hand, is more reserved and a bit more reluctant.  She's all in favor of joining the packs and trying to make a go of their new life together, but she's not willing to hope that she might have found a true partnership with Marrok.  Especially when he seems to undermine her at every turn after they first get together.  Not to mention the fact that her wolf basically tries to shred him whenever she gets the chance.  

Turns out though, that what Tala considers is Marrok intentionally trying to erode her power in the clans, is really just him being a clueless male.  He thinks they are on the same page more often than is truly the case, and he doesn't realize the optics of him automatically assuming authority even when they are in agreement.  

It takes some serious butt-kicking by Tala to make him understand the he needs to support his new wife and co-leader, without stifling or overshadowing her.  Luckily for Marrok, most of that butt-kicking comes to others who oppose them, rather than to him directly.  While there is some serious doubt at times if these two are going to be able to make a go of all of this, not to mention is Tala is going to keep her position (let alone her life!), it is always apparent that these two truly have the best interests of each other and their packs in mind.

Luckily, they stick it out, and are able to communicate well enough, to see things improve all the way around, and put themselves well on the way to a happily-ever-after.  Which is good news for them, because in the meantime - in addition to the great sex they've been enjoying - they have managed to fall in love with one another!

I should have known this book would be a good read, since the author is quickly becoming one of my new favorites.  Enough so that I am now wanting to go back and read the first volume in the series, not to mention any future ones.  Definitely a story that I recommend for a fairly lighthearted paranormal romance with just enough drama and intrigue to keep things interesting.  

I received a free eBook copy of this title from Silver Dagger Book Tours via NetGalley,

and have willingly provided an honest review.

________

The Demigod Complex 

(Brimstone Inc, #1)

by Abigail Owen 

Genre: Paranormal Romance 

When Lyleia Naiad was head-hunted by Brimstone, Inc., for her job as Executive Assistant to a high-powered billionaire demigod, she was given one directive—do NOT fall in love with Castor Dioskouri. Doesn’t matter if he is the son of Zeus and can electrify a room with a single glance. As an ex-nymph, she possesses a unique ability—a gift from the goddesses to protect nymphs from the randy gods—to resist her boss's charms. 

Or so she thought. 

He insists she accompany him to an alpha wolf shifter mating ceremony, an event where the pheromones fly, and so do clothes...and inhibitions. 

Goddesses save her, because Castor has stolen into Lyleia’s heart, and she’s not so sure she can hold out much longer.. 

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Multi-award-winning paranormal romance author, Abigail Owen, loves plots that move hot and fast, feisty heroines with sass, alpha heroes with heart, a dash of snark, and oodles of sexy shifters! Other titles include wife, mother, Star Wars geek, ex-competitive skydiver, spreadsheet lover, Dr. Seuss quoter, eMBA, organizational guru, Texan, Aggie, and chocoholic. 

Abigail grew up consuming books and exploring the world through her writing. She attempted to find a practical career related to her favorite pastime by earning a degree in English Rhetoric (Technical Writing). However, she swiftly discovered that writing without imagination is not nearly as fun as writing with it. She currently resides in Austin, Texas, with her own personal hero, her husband, and their two children, who are growing up way too fast. 

Abigail also writes award-winning contemporary romance under the name Kadie Scott. 

For the latest news and exclusive excerpts, sign up for her newsletter here: http://eepurl.com/Lw2XH.

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BLOG TOUR & BOOK REVIEW for "Dangerous Desires" by Dawn Altieri

DANGEROUS DESIRES

by Dawn Altieri

Publication Date: January 27, 2020
Genres: Adult, Entangled: Amara, Romantic Suspense

SUMMARY

Three years after Emma Sloane’s wealthy fiance’s mysterious death, she’s finally ready to move on and pursue her own dreams. But her plans are derailed when she’s attacked outside her New York City apartment in what she thinks is a random violent incident. Then other women who look just like her start turning up dead…

Homicide Detective Jake Quinn is haunted by the one case he couldn’t solve. When he’s put in charge of a new high-profile murder case, he interviews a victim who escaped a similar attack — and to his shock it’s Emma, the former fiancée of his unsolved murder victim.

Neither expects the sparks of attraction between them. But the killer escalates, clearly targeting Emma, and Jake’s job is on the line. Can he solve this case before it’s too late for both of them?

~ BOOK REVIEW for Dangerous Desires ~

****(4) out of 5 Stars!

This was a good, solid romantic suspense novel.  Emma and Jake are both enjoyable characters, as are many of the half dozen or so peripheral players.  The mystery evolves at a reasonable pace, but doesn't manage to at all keep up with the relationship developing between these two.  Even with repeated warnings from themselves and others, they pretty much just proceed full-speed ahead into things, both physical and emotional.  It definitely seems to compromise the judgment of both on several key items, not least of which is the investigation itself.  There are some false starts and misdirections, along with several twists and turns to the intrigue.  The ultimate resolution is not what I expected; definitely an intriguing plot twist!  However, while we do get an answer to the puzzle, we do not get a lot of details; and I would have really liked more explanation.  The only other negative for me was that both main characters tended to be a bit too self-deprecating, at least within the confines of their own thoughts, to which the reader is often privy.  They were starting to sound like broken records at some points.  But overall this was a nice romance and a good mystery; one I would certainy recommend, especially for those interested in the genre.

I received a free eBook copy of this title from Indie Sage PR via NetGalley,
and have willingly provided an honest review.

Amazon: https://amzn.to/38BGDoz

iTunes: https://apple.co/36hKFkA

B&N: https://bit.ly/2uyhyMs

KOBO: https://bit.ly/2uuiEcp

Paperback: https://amzn.to/30RU955

Amazon CA: https://amzn.to/2NTtMWP

Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/3aFAlX6

Amazon AU: https://amzn.to/38AE7iw

ABOUT DAWN ALTIERI

A lifelong resident of northern New Jersey, Dawn Altieri has been scribbling stories practically since birth. After reaching a milestone birthday (she won’t say which one), she figured it was about time she took a shot at writing professionally.

With an overactive imagination and a slightly twisted mind, she enjoys reading dark and dangerous tales almost as much as writing them. When she’s not curled up on the sofa with her laptop, her latest story, a box of chocolates and a cup of tea (or a glass of wine, depending on the time of day), she can be found volunteering in the world of animal rescue. To keep a roof over her head, she works in the printing industry as a graphic production artist. She shares her home with her husband and daughter, and a menagerie of rescued fur-babies.

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BOOK TOUR & REVIEW for "Bob the Littlest Dinosaur" & "Bob and the Color Fairy" by Karlie Lucas

Tired of being the smallest dinosaur, Bob sets out on an adventure to change his appearance. After facing many obstacles, Bob decides that being small isn't as bad as he thought it was.

When the wizards steals all the color from Bob's home, the littlest dinosaur goes in search of the color fairies. But when they refuse to help simply because he's different, he has to find another way to restore the colors.

~ The Littlest Dinosaur ~

~ The Color Fairy ~ 

Karlie Lucas is a preschool teacher by day and a writer/artist by night.

A graduate of Southern Utah University, Karlie received a B.A. in Creative Writing, with a minor in art. She is a member of Sigma Tau Delta, The International English Honor Society, as well as ANWA, the American Night Writers Association.

Karlie is interested in all things magical and mysterious, especially elves and dragons. She is an avid fan of J.R.R. Tolkien and J.K. Rowling.

When not writing, Karlie can often be found drawing, baking, watching her favorite old school shows, or just spending time with her family.

She currently resides in Dallas, Texas with her husband and a cat named Kally.

~ Facebook ~ Website ~

~ Amazon ~ Goodreads ~ 

***(4) out of 5 stars!

These picture books are perfect for the preschool set, with lessons for us all!  At just 32 pages each, they are a great length to capture and keep the limited attention span of the younger set.  The drawings are very simple and crude, looking somewhat as though they were drawn by the elementary set.  While too simplistic to really capture the imagination of adults and older kids, they are nonetheless simple and straight-forward enough to appeal to smaller children.  The stories themselves are also very basic, but they impart wonderful ideals.  Through Bob we learn some great lessons about courage, determination, self-esteem, valuing yourself and others, compassion and friendship.  These are definitely worthwhile tales to share with the juveniles (and others) in your life.   

I received free eBook copies of both titles from Loving the Book, 

and have willingly provided an honest review.

To view the blog schedule and follow along with this tour, visit the Official Event page. 

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BOOK TOUR for " Nanna and the 'c' " by Doris Schneider

 Nana and the “c” is a book for all ages and all cultures as it is about family and the ability to support a loved one through the challenges of cancer. It is told from a seven-year-old’s perspective as she gathers the courage to face her grandmother’s illness and learns that her irritating younger sister is perhaps smarter than she seems. Together they also learn how to conquer their biggest fear and replace worry with wonder. 

The story is uplifting and often humorous while symbolizing hope. It will make readers of all ages laugh, cry, and remember their own childhood and the relationships and events that influenced who they have become. The goal of this story is to help children through health crises in their family. The illustrator, editor and designer donated their time to help with the project in order to make possible the donation of copies of the book to waiting rooms of cancer clinics.

~ Buy 1 Gift 1 to Charity ~

Thank you so much for your generosity. We’re donating books to hospitals and children’s centers. Anywhere people might benefit from an uplifting story dealing with cancer.

~ Universal Amazon Link ~ 

****(4) out of 5 Stars!

A story inspired by real events in the life of the author, written from the perspective of her 7-year-old granddaughter.  The primary illustrations are beautiful renderings based on actual photographs that the author took with her family.

A genuine and unique way to address such a serious issue with children, even fairly young ones.  The book describes the basics of cancer and treatment options, without going into too much overwhelming detail.  It acknowledges the scariness of a cancer diagnosis, without giving in to despair over it.  It does skirt around the fact that some people do die from cancer, including the other grandma of cousins to the main characters.  But it emphasizes there are treatment options and much that can be done when cancer is caught early.  Even though there are often adverse side effects - like hair loss - that can be just as scary for kids as everything else. 

I believe this would be a great introduction to children in general about cancer, and an especially good resource for those facing it with a loved one.  The book's ultimate message is mostly we should spend our time on wonder and not worry. 

Doris Schneider is an artist, scene designer, writer, and educator. She taught at William Carey University and was a tenured professor of theatre at North Carolina Central University. She published two novels: Borrowed Things and By Way of Water. 

After her own bout with breast cancer, she wrote this story based on a real event with her granddaughters. While the illustrator, Wenhai Ma, was teaching at Duke University, the two became long term friends—culminating in their collaboration on Nana and the “c”.

Meet the Illustrator:

Wenhai Ma - American-Chinese scene designer, illustrator and educator. He was granted tenured professorship at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He graduated from the Central Academy of Drama, China and Carnegie Mellon University, USA. He has taught at Duke University, University of Nebraska Lincoln, Purdue University and the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, the Central Academy of Drama, China and the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, Singapore. He is the author of Scene Design Rendering and Media (Focus Publishing, USA) and illustrator for 10 children's picture books in the US. He has designed sets and costumes for various dramas, operas and musicals in the United States, China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan and Indonesia. His first novel Such An Enchanted Night was published in Taiwan, 2017.

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~ Writing Group Twitter ~

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BOOK TOUR & AUTHOR INTERVIEW with Karlie Lucas for "Tarragon: Dragon Bane"

The Revenants are coming. 

Only recently woken from their centuries' long slumber, the dragons are unprepared to face them. But when a legend is uncovered, revealing the existence of a lost tribe of mages, hope flickers to life. 

The race is on as Tyler Durand and Anwen Kaida rush to find this missing tribe while the others prepare for their last stand. But time and numbers are against them, and Anwen fears that even if they find the lost mages, it will be too late. 

~ Universal Amazon Link ~ 
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~ Smashwords ~

Karlie Lucas is a preschool teacher by day and a writer/artist by night.

A graduate of Southern Utah University, Karlie received a B.A. in Creative Writing, with a minor in art. She is a member of Sigma Tau Delta, The International English Honor Society, as well as ANWA, the American Night Writers Association.

Karlie is interested in all things magical and mysterious, especially elves and dragons. She is an avid fan of J.R.R. Tolkien and J.K. Rowling.

When not writing, Karlie can often be found drawing, baking, watching her favorite old school shows, or just spending time with her family.

She currently resides in Dallas, Texas with her husband and a cat named Kally

~ Facebook ~ Website ~

~ Amazon ~ Goodreads ~ 

 ~AUTHOR INTERVIEW with Karlie Lucas~

1) What gave you the inspiration for the story line?  

Tarragon: Dragon Bane is the third in a trilogy, and while it sort of can stand on its own from the others, it is part of an overall arc. The original idea came as a dream about my main character seeing a vision of dragons in swirling dust. From there, I just had to write it to see what led up to that and what went past. For Dragon Bane, it was a little harder because I wasn't sure what was going to happen until I'd started writing book two. By that point, I had figured out who the overall villain was and had to find a way for them to defeat them, and that's how Dragon Bane came about. I think, in the back of my mind, I always knew it would come to this point but it just didn't solidify until halfway through book two.

2) Are there any hidden themes in the book that you hope readers will discover?

There are so many hidden themes that even I'm still discovering what they are. (laughs) But, out of the ones I purposely put in there, I hope people will see that expectations from others and what we think they expect from us aren't always the same thing. I also hope readers will see that we are capable of more than we believe we are, and that sometimes we make sacrifices beyond what we can imagine, but, if they're for the right cause, those sacrifices turn into something even better.

3) Are any of the characters based on real people you know?

There are a few characters that are at least loosely based on people I know in real life. Walter is my "number one" fanboy. Leslie is his wife. And Kira, from book two, is their only daughter. Personalities aren't exactly the same but, when borrowing people for your stories, they never really are.

4) Who has influenced you most as a writer?

As a writer, I'd have to say I've been influenced the most by a mix of J.R.R. Tolkien and J.K. Rowling. Tolkien has inspired me to create worlds above and beyond what we know as reality. Rowling inspired me to make them as real as possible. Both have a history of some kind of hardship in their lives, either in getting their stories out there or just in life itself. So if they could do it, surely I can do it too.

5) If you could have any three literary characters over to your place for game night, who would you invite, what would you play, what would you serve, and why? 

Now this one really makes me think. Um... well, I'd love to have Gandalf over. As for the other two, I think it would be amusing to see what he'd think of Dumbledore and my own Emi. They'are all faves of mine. As for games... I think it would be entertaining to play monopoly to see how each would react to it, especially if we play with "house rules", though that might be a bit much for a 3-4 year old.... so maybe Shoots and Ladders would be more entertaining. As for food, I'd serve something easy to eat, like mini sandwiches and sandwich cookies with something like smoothies or chocolate shakes for the drink, because I really think they'd like the chocolate.

6) Do you feel that you can ever have too many books? 

I would personally love to have a copy of every book in the world that has something inspirational to say. The only genres I would exclude would be anything pornographic, violent for the sake of violence, horror, gore, or related. Give me clean and wholesome and life is good. As to a number, there should never be a limit; the more the merrier.

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