Feature & Follow Friday......

Hello all, it's that day of the week where we learn new things about each other and discover new blogs along the way.  We also help each other by becoming followers of one another.  Normally that following would be through GFC (which would be great if you'd still take a few seconds to do), but with that being eliminated for certain blogs (a big boo-hiss to that) I now ask that you follow through a RSS Feed (or Twitter, FB, or email) which you can find to the right.  I want to thank all of you ahead of time who choose to become a follower and make sure to let me know in the comments if you're new so I doubly make sure to follow you back.  And now for this weeks get to know me question....

Q: What is the first thing you would do if you woke up to find yourself in your favorite book?

A:  One of my favorite books is Dark Lover by JR Ward.  The first thing I'd do after buying some stylin' going out clothes would be to visit the club Zero Sum where I'd be able to gaze (and drool) adoringly at various super sexy BDB Brothers.  Of course I'll make sure to avoid any Lessers as baby powder makes me sneeze!

Book Tour for United by Vanessa North (Review & GIVEAWAY)

To end the month on a high note Vanessa North is visiting today to let us in on her new release, United, the second book in her Ushers series. Today you get my review of this book, as well as a give away for five eBook copies of the book.  So keep reading to learn all sorts of juicy details about United.....

She's willing to fight like hell for her man, but in return, she wants all of him.

Irresponsible is the only way to describe the last twenty years of Fionn Murphy's life. Now the fate of Were society depends upon him getting his act together. After all those years of bad behavior, he doesn't believe himself worthy of happiness

Monica is the one woman who can give Fionn the happiness he doesn't believe he deserves. She's been preparing for their mutual destiny for decades, never expecting her mate to be so...careless. She's willing to fight like hell for her man, but in return, she wants all of him.
When Fionn's enemies exploit his past to discover his weaknesses, the two must stand together to unite the packs as one and save Fionn's family. 

EXCERPT:

He laid his head in her lap, and she savored the feel of it, the weight of him against her as he relaxed onto her legs. Her hand stole into his dyed-blond hair, ruffling though it, the texture like silk under her fingers. She felt his wolf within him, reaching for her touch and knew that he denied himself as much as her. She stroked from his hair down into his beard and she watched as his lips parted and he drew a ragged breath.
Annie stood quietly, then tiptoed from the room, closing the door behind her.
“Fionn,” Monica whispered. “Why are you doing this to us?”
“I don’t know, dammit.” His eyes clenched shut as he sat back on his heels, burying both hands in his hair. Finally, he looked up and his eyes met hers, agony hovering just under the surface. “I’m falling apart, just being close to you.”
“Kiss me,” she demanded. He looked at her, startled.
“C’mon, Finny, kiss me,” she repeated.
“Mo…”
“No, Fionn Murphy.” She stood up, tugging him to his feet with her. “You need to know something. I’m your mate. I know what that is, how it feels. You’ve never been mated before. You’ve played around, but you don’t know what it feels like to kiss your mate. Don’t you want to know? Aren’t you even the littlest bit curious?” She stood up on the tips of her toes, pressing her face to the skin of his throat and inhaling his scent.
Oh Goddess, up close he smelled even more intense and amazing.
“Mo,” he pleaded. She met his eyes and saw in them a hunger that sent echoes of need into her. Feeling the heady power of seduction, she leaned forward and licked from the hollow between his collarbones up to his ear, and she bit, scissoring the lobe between her teeth. She felt the rumble of a growl run through him, and he pushed her away. Her eyes closed, tears forming with a sting behind her nose.
Then his hands were bracketing her face and his lips crushed down hard on hers. This was no gentle kiss. Nothing like Angelo’s caring caresses, intended for comfort. This kiss wasn’t about caring. It was full of anger, lust, regret. But as his tongue swept through her mouth and his elemental male taste tingled all the way to her toes, she felt her teeth lengthen and she smiled against his lips. Her mate.
His assault on her mouth lost some of its fervor, replacing the urgency with languor as he swept his tongue through her mouth again and again as if he wanted to memorize her taste. Her hands fisted in the cotton of his tank top, pinching the nipple ring underneath. His hands sank into her hair, tugging. She felt with her tongue and realized his teeth had shifted too. The knowledge sent a victorious thrill through her.
He knew. He knew, dammit.
He pulled away, leaving her bereft. She watched as he dragged the back of his hand across his mouth in horror. “I’m sorry Mo. I should never—ever—have kissed you in anger.”
“If that’s the only way I can ever have you, I would take it,” she confessed. It broke her to admit it, but she knew the pull of mate to mate.
His eyes closed and a spasm of pain crossed his face.
“You deserve so much better,” he whispered. He ran a gentle hand down the side of her face and grimaced. “I have to go. We can talk, after I get back?”
She nodded. Of course they could talk. All they ever did was talk.

MY IMPRESSIONS OF THIS BOOK:

United picks up right where we left off from the first book in this series....Unification of all wolves is becoming more difficult just as unexpected relationships unfold and danger comes close to home. Fionn has been holding back from claiming his mate Monica because he feels unworthy of her.  After many years of wild living he still feels like that lost boy even though he has a power necessary in the Unification. Monica's tired of his holding back though.  She's had a Mate before and knows the intense feelings associated with the joining and, along with others in their inner circle, push him to stop wallowing in old feelings and finally make his claim.

And make it he does in numerous sexual interludes that are super steamy.  Even though they seem like an odd couple due to an age difference and her serious and his playful personalities, they're perfect together.  There's a definite give and take to their relationship and a strong support of one another that's heartwarming to see.

Unification is dangerous as they discover when they head to the South and find a wolf pack with a completely different, and bloody, agenda. Their powers are unexpected and it brings in an unexpected alliance with humans that leads to even more bloodshed.  This part of the storyline is action-packed and makes traitors out of surprising characters and leads to a quickly wrapped up conclusion that sets the stage for the next book in the series as we literally await the arrival of the final lynchpin in the plan for Unification.

The secondary characters in the story are memorable and leave a lasting impression, both heroes and villains.  Among my favorites being Angelo who has been Monica's friend/sometimes lover who realizes his time with Monica has come to an end and decides to set off on his own. I felt sad for him as it's like he's lost another loved one.  Here's hoping he finds a HEA soon!

This was another satisfying installment in the Ushers series!  The story moved along at a brisk pace and created a sense of urgency towards the next series installment.  With its likable characters and life or death circumstances I highly recommend this book to fans of the paranormal.

My rating for this is a B+

*I received this book from the author in exchange for my honest opinion.

BUY AT:  MUSA PUBLISHING  |  AMAZON  |  ARe  |  BOOKSTRAND  |  SMASHWORDS

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Vanessa North was born in New England but moved to the South as a teenager, where she learned to appreciate biscuits and gravy, bluegrass, and that most welcome of greetings: “Hey y’all!” She has a degree in Mass Communication but has long since abandoned journalism in favor of writing romance. Instead of telling the news, V would rather tell stories.

Vanessa has a voracious appetite for books and loves all kinds. She writes obsessively: every day brings new ideas and stories to tell. When she’s not buried in a book—hers or someone else’s—you can find her taking thousands of photographs of the people she loves.

She lives in Northwest Georgia with her handsome husband, not-quite-civilized twin boy-children, and a very, very large dog.

Website: http://www.vanessanorth.com
Blog: http://vanessanorthwrites.wordpress.com
Facebook: http://facebook.com/authorvanessanorth
Twitter: https://twitter.com/VanessaNWrites
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6436063.Vanessa_North

**********GIVEAWAY**********

WIN 1 OF 5 eBOOK COPIES OF UNITED BY VANESSA NORTH

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Tour for Boots on the Ground by Angela S. Stone (Review & GIVEAWAY)

Angela S. Stone is fast becoming one of my favorite authors in the m/m genre and her latest release, Boots on the Ground, is proof why. She's here today to give us in-depth look into this new book as well as having the chance to win a gift card just for commenting.  So please welcome Angela and keep reading.....

Ash Cooper and Jason McCarty know they need to do one thing, and one thing alone: stay alive.

An IED attack destroyed their convoy and left them both injured in the high desert of Afghanistan and running from insurgents. They take refuge with a group of Afghan civilians, and their only hope of rescue is two satellite phones that might be damaged beyond repair.

Ash and Jason join forces with a British army nurse to survive the harsh living conditions. As days to turn to weeks, they think of home, the husbands they left behind, and the lives they want to return to.

But with food rations running short, the elders angry at them, and the hope of rescue lost, Ash and Jason start to give up, and in the end turn to each other in their struggle for survival.

EXCERPT:

The doorbell rang, and David told her, “Yeah, I’m awake.” He flipped the covers off and grabbed a housecoat. Why in the heck would Monica, his sergeant, be here? She wasn’t even scheduled to work today.
Ryan, his oldest, beat David to the door. “Hi, Aunt Monica!” Ryan chirped at her.
“Monica?” David asked when he saw her. She wore her red serge and was accompanied by Father Callaghan, the local pastor. David immediately had a sinking feeling.
“Ryan, why don’t you go downstairs to the rec room? Take Mandy and Kevin with you,” Monica told David’s oldest.
The boy glanced from his pseudo-aunt to his father and then dashed away calling for his younger siblings.
“Can we come in, David?”
“Yeah sure, sorry. I worked last night,” David said by way of explanation for his attire as he led them into the living room. He sat down in the chair. Monica and Father Callaghan took the sofa. “What’s this about, Monica?”
“Last night Jason was in a convoy travelling to a remote outpost in the northern district of the Balkh province.”
David felt his heart plunge. No, please God, no, not his Jason.  
“The convoy hit an IED. Most of the vehicles in the convoy were completely destroyed.  Jason wasn’t killed in the blast; however he is missing in action along with another Civilian Police Officer, Ashley Cooper.”

MY IMPRESSIONS OF THE BOOK:

In Boots on the Ground we get to revisit friends to lovers David and Jason as their relationship is put to the ultimate test as Jason goes MIA while in Afghanistan. As the second book in the Canada's Finest series, things pick up soon after the ending of the previous book as David has just found out about Jason deploying to Afghanistan and isn't happy about it.  Along with dealing with David and Jason's newly found relationship we also get to see the relationship between longtime lovers Ashley and Matthew as Ash too goes MIA along with Jason. Told in flashbacks and real time we see the life they left behind as well as the traumatic events they're currently going through while hiding out and trying to stay alive amongst insurgents.  While some readers might find the flashback scenes annoying, I like this storyline technique as it showed the juxtaposition between their loving and secure relationships before and the danger and uncertainty they face now.  It leant a more emotional intensity to their precarious situation and made their reactions to their fears more understandable.

The majority of the book is spent in Afghanistan where the inequalities amongst the sexes is vividly demonstrated as woman and young girls are treated as objects.  The arid and gritty environment of Afghanistan, along with the claustrophobia the darkness of the caves creates, keeps the characters and readers on edge as danger seems to be lurking around every corner.  The scenes of war are bloody with the fear of death rampant which leads to a particularly heartpounding opening sequence.  Along with vivid descriptions of war come the steamy and sometimes gritty sexual interludes that are nicely spaced throughout the story.  These scenes can sometimes take over a story but that's not the case here.  I greatly anticipated each and every one.  The two couples in this story are truly loving and seem to have rock solid relationships until fate intervenes and then we really see whose relationship is strongest. 

Even once they arrive home the emotional drama isn't over as each couple has to live with the ramifications of Ash and Jason clinging together at their lowest emotional point.  This act of infidelity, as well as another later on, are going to polarize readers and it does me as well.  I could forgive the first incident as they truly thought they were going to die but the second is less forgivable as they're already home. I do applaud that both Jason and Ash came clean to their husbands and the ensuing responses were realistic and gutwrenching and have left Jason and David's relationship on the abyss.  With Jason's psyche in further turmoil the future is bleak as we fade to black......and wait for the next book in this immensely satisfying series.

With so many positive aspects it was glaringly disappointing how Karen's storyline was handled.  She's a British nurse who's been amongst the insurgents for a year and forced to marry one of them and be physically and sexually abused repeatedly.  This storyline came out of nowhere and didn't really seem to serve much purpose and ultimately ends just as abruptly.  I'm not sure if the author will revisit this character, but if not then this part could easily have been cut and not missed at all.

From start to finish I found myself deeply immersed in this story and the outcome of these two couples.  There are moments of intense joy amongst the gutwrenching life or death circumstances that keep you on the edge of your seat.  These are likable characters with believable emotions that I look forward to seeing more of courtesy of the talented writing skills of Angela S. Stone.

My rating for this is a B+

*I received this book from the author in exchange for my honest opinion.

AUTHOR INFO:

Angela S Stone is a twenty something Registered Nurse living, and working in Ottawa Canada. Her first novel, Sometimes It’s Fate, was published by Phaze books in 2011. Angela finds inspiration in real life personal events for her books, often writing about issues and she is a proud Canadian and an even prouder girl from back east. She thoroughly enjoys writing novels featuring character that live in or are from the Maritimes. She’s recently met Mr. Right and when she’s not occupied with him she can be found hanging out at her local starbucks writing. She spends her free time advocating for minorities and persons with disabilities.
Angela has a severe learning disability called Dysgraphia. Despite this she has written several novels, graduated from university will be starting her Master’s degree in nursing. All things she was told she would never be able to do.
Angela has never met a challenge that she couldn’t overcome. She believes strongly in the philosophy of saying “I can’t” means “I won’t” and advocating for yourself. She has spoken about these topics on provincial, regional and national levels. As well has published several articles in related disability orientated magazines.

Email: angela@angelastone.ca
Website: http://angelastone.ca
Twitter: @angelasstone
Facebook: facebook.com/AngelaStone.Writer

**********GIVEAWAY**********

Angela will be awarding a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble gift card to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour.

-To be entered, leave a comment, along with your email addy.

-A winner will be chosen randomly from all comments made throughout the tour, so the more you comment the greater your chances of winning.  A list of all participating blogs can be found here.

-Giveaway ends at 11:59 PM CST on 2/1.

Book Tour for Fallen Angel by Amanda McIntyre (Interview & GIVEAWAY)

Today is a great day at my blog as one of my favorite historical authors, Amanda McIntyre, is here talking about her writing life and new release, Fallen Angel.  I thoroughly enjoyed our interview and adore Amanda even more as she's giving away one of her previous releases, Wild & Unruly, to a random commenter leaving a comment answering the giveaway question. So let's welcome Amanda and get the conversation flowing.....

TSP:  Knowing what you do now, would you have done anything differently in the early years of your writing career?

AM:  I have a saying that I love from Pablo Picasso that goes, “I am always doing that which I don’t how to do, in order that I may learn to do it.”

Whether the time is eleven years ago when I stepped over the threshold from a newspaper column to fiction writing, to this very moment as I consider what is to come next in my writing. I can’t think of anything specific. I do feel I’ve watched the industry evolve and change since I started. I can remember a time when eBooks were considered a passing trend, that there would never be the technology to make it possible, affordable—people wouldn’t like not having a book to hold in their hand. In a way, my experiences with those early days of e-books and small press publishing houses were part of a new pioneering spirit in the publishing industry.  It’s mind-boggling to see how fast, how far the technology has brought us-how nearly every publishing house, large and small has an area devoted to eBooks. I love a print book as much as the next person. I love  the smell when you walk into a library or bookstore—though anymore it’s harder to detect that wonderful ”book” smell over the coffee grinder. But I digress…the only thing that is certain is change. I’m waiting for the technology that allows the option of a “book” smell as you read an eBook, or an eBook that allows you to interact with the story through all your senses.

TSP:  What does your writing space look like and do you have any inspirational items surrounding you while writing?

AM:  Oh dear. Right at the moment, it’s a bit of a disaster. Only in that, I’ve had my head in the edit dungeon this past week and prior to that involved in the holidays. I am an artist first, so yes; I’m very inspired by visual means. I have a wall of “inspiration” based on the pictures I’ve found of my characters, settings or seasons. Generally, I create a smaller version for each book as a reference guide as I write.

I’ve been told that I love ‘whimsy’—guilty! I love art in many forms—hats, paintings, statutes, music, research books. For example, I have a miniature replica of Stonehenge and a desktop Labyrinth that I’ve used to de-clutter my mind. I also use scent when I write; candles and men’s cologne are my favorite choices. Some days I write to music, others times I need earplugs or silencer head phones to block the sound. To my way of thinking, my office is my playground, the place where my creativity runs free.

TSP:  You've written in many different genres, do any hold a particular place in your heart, and if so why?

AM:  That’s an interesting question. As far as setting, I’ve loved all the places for the reasons of what they meant to the characters in my stories at the time. That’s the beauty however of my time-travel romance. I am able to take my characters into two different eras in the same book! Victorian London, the American Westward expansion, the Druids of ancient Ireland, and many, many modern day places have inspired me with their beauty and history.

TSP:  Which of your books do you think has had the most profound impact on readers, and yourself, and why is that?

AM:  I would say that always for any author, it’s the last book. Simply because it’s what is freshest in the minds of my readers and in my mind as well.

TSP:  Beyond its blurb, what do you want us to know about Fallen Angel and the Sweet Magnolia series in general?

AM:  That imagination is a wonderful thing. This is not your standard time-travel romance in that it really delves into the possibility of the “what if.” While doing research on this, I read that time-travel has not been disproven which in truth makes it possible then to yet be proven or disproven! That concept amazed me. Think about that!

In addition to that, I wanted a bit of the unknown, whimsy-if you will added into the story. What if time-travel was more than just an object, more than a person alone acting as a conduit from one place to another. What if that which is inside you (IE: your deepest desire, the thing that makes you whole) could take you on a wondrous  journey to come face to face with that desire, even if it means being transported to another time or place to find it?

TSP:  Which actor/actress do you picture playing the lead characters of Fallen Angel?

AM:  Hum...in the role of Shado Jackson, Channing Tatum, in the role of Angel Marie Sutter-probably Amanda Seyfried.

TSP:  Of all the characters you've written, which one do you wish you could be and why?

AM:  Oh, I’m not sure I’d want to be any of my characters mainly because I send them on such twisted journeys to get to the HEA But I think like most authors there are teensy bits of me already in all my characters, or bits of people I know and/or admire.  Probably the closest to this however is my own bar I set for myself in terms of the heroine falling in love with the hero—I believe that if I haven’t fallen in love with my hero by the end of the story, then how are the readers supposed to? That of course leaves preferences wide open, but for me, if I fall in love with him, then I feel I’ve written the best story for them that I could.

TSP:  How has the digital revolution affected your career and how you market yourself and do you have an eReader of some sort?

AM:  See answer to question #1. I think most authors no matter where they are in their career have had to learn to utilize the Internet and its social media in order to market themselves. Blogs, Goodreads, Facebook, Twitter, Linked In, online author promotion sites, authors banning together in small groups to market and support one another and of course self-publishing. The world is your oyster if you learn the craft and keep learning, while not losing sight of the whimsy—the storytelling part of this whole sloppy enchilada.;) I have an iPad which I share with my husband, but I’m looking at getting a Kindle Fire or in a perfect world, a surface.;)

TSP:  What do you have coming up next bookwise?

AM:  I’m plotting out the third book in the Sweet Magnolia series called One Knight at the Sweet Magnolia. It’s going to be sexy, but funny, and not without its wicked witch!

TSP:  My blog is all about favorite things, so what are your favorite things/the things you can't live without?

AM:  Wow, that’s a tough question! Not people, things, right? I’m not sure if I could live without these or not, but here are my favorite things; (why do I feel like Julie Andrews about to break into song?  1)  Coffee. Nectar of the Gods, 2) My Classic Black Bic pens and yellow mini legal pads that I use for plotting 3) Sunsets. Amazing, Inspiring. Comforting. 4) My Vintage radio/CD/vinyl record player and my eclectic music collection.

This has been an amazing interview, thank you for having me! I’d like to invite your followers to check out my website at www.amandamcintyresbooks.com There you can sign up for more on my monthly newsletter, ‘friend’ me at Facebook, or Follow me at Twitter and Goodreads!

**********GIVEAWAY**********

One of the questions above asked if there was a particular place that I enjoyed writing about. Since I’m celebrating my new Time-Travel, FALLEN ANGEL in my TALES OF THE SWEET MAGNOLIA series, I’d like to ask you...

If you could go anywhere in time, what place or era would you like to go? Would you want to stay or have the option of returning?

-One winner will be chosen to receive a signed copy of the first book in this TT romance series, Wild & Unruly!  Make sure to leave your email addy along withGiveaway ENDS AT 11:59 PM CST ON 2/1!

Book Tour for Smitten at First Sight by Marie Astor (Promo & GIVEAWAY)

Tragic love stories can sometimes be the best kind of love stories as Marie Astor proves in her newest release, Smitten at First Sight.  Today you'll get a taste of this heartwrenching story along with the chance to win some gorgeous jewelry just for commenting.  So keep reading and comment to win.......

Maggie Robin has been dating the irresistibly good-looking, successful Jeffrey Preston for two years. But when Jeffrey proposes marriage a week after Maggie’s college graduation, she is no longer sure if she wants to marry a workaholic TV producer.

Maggie’s doubts culminate when during a ski trip to British Columbia, she meets Taylor Denton, a handsome, free-spirited big mountain skier who is the complete opposite of Jeffrey. It does not take Maggie long to realize that she has fallen in love with Taylor and she decides to break off her engagement with Jeffrey. But just when she thinks she has found the love of her life, an ill-fated misunderstanding tears Maggie and Taylor apart.
A week later, Maggie is told that Taylor has died in a tragic ski accident; yet, her heart refuses to believe in Taylor’s death. When Maggie returns to Taylor’s native town, she learns that Taylor is indeed alive, but has been seriously injured. Resolved to bring her lover back to life Maggie stands by Taylor’s side, convincing him to embrace life again.

EXCERPT:

Jeffrey got out of the shower - he was feeling much better now. His earlier anger abated, and all he could think of was his powerful desire to kiss Maggie’s lips and run his hands over her body. He wrapped the towel around his waist and headed into the living room where he could see Maggie fussing with her computer. Whatever was she doing? As he approached her, he got his answer – the girl was messing around with her damn photos again. Well, as long as she understood that this nonsense should never go beyond a hobby, he was fine with it. Then Jeffrey saw something on the laptop screen that made him stop dead in his tracks. He had twenty / twenty vision, but he squinted just to make sure as he leaned over Maggie’s shoulder.

“Jeffrey! You scared me…”

“Why would that be?” Jeffrey kept his voice calm. “Is that Taylor’s picture?” He pointed to the image of a skier flying down an almost vertical cliff. The question was rhetorical since Jeffrey already knew the answer, but he liked to play a game of cat and mouse.

“Yes. I took it during our first day here when you went to ski with Charlie. I was on the lift and I saw a skier go down this really steep run, so I thought it’d be a great shot and took the photos. Imagine my surprise when I learned that he was the star of your documentary.”

“It’s a really good shot.” Jeffrey studied Maggie’s face for clues - her expression was that of perfect innocence. However, he still was not convinced, but he’d deal with that later. Right now all he wanted was to erase all thought of that roughneck Taylor from her mind. Jeffrey ran his hands through Maggie’s hair, nuzzling her neck. “How about a little break from photography?” he murmured.

“Jeffrey?”

“Mmm…”

“I was wondering… Do you think I could do some of the photos for the documentary? I could shoot the proofs for the DVD cover - I am not asking for any special treatment – just a fair chance to have my work considered.”

There it was again – the damn nonsense about photography. One compliment from a know-it-all ski bum and his fiancée now thought that she had what it took to do a DVD cover. It did not matter to Jeffrey how good Maggie’s photographs were – he did not want her involved in his work projects. Work and pleasure did not mix - more often than not the combination led to disaster. But he could not just tell that to her outright – he had to be nice about it, come up with some suave sugar coating. “Maggie, I am sorry, but a photographer has already been selected for the cover and for all the promotional photos. I thought you were happy to just keep doing this as a hobby,” Jeffrey added.

“Why? You don’t think I’m good enough to ever become a professional?”

Jeffrey swore he could see her eyes welling up. Jeez, he’d had no idea the girl was this crazy about the whole thing; it was high time to turn on Mr. Sensitive. “Maggie, no, why would you think that? Did I ever say anything like that to you?”

“No, but it’s the only reasonable assumption.”

“Well don’t assume things that aren’t there! I think your photos are great – I just didn’t think you’d want to deal with all the hassle and politics involved. Photography is a highly competitive field, and things often get cutthroat – it’s no walk in the park.” Jeffrey hoped to God his speech was working – he was running out of clichés.

“And you don’t think I have what it takes to make it?”

“Did I ever say anything like that?” Jeffrey willed his facial muscles into what he hoped would pass as a look of sympathy – the conversation was starting to run in circles, and he was close to losing his temper.

“No, you didn’t.”

“So why would you assume something like that? Look, if it makes you feel better, I’ll see if I can get you in on the next project.”

“Okay.” Maggie’s face brightened. “But in the meantime, I’ll try submitting to magazines. I’ve had some publications before – they were all local newspapers, but that’s a start, right?”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Marie Astor is the author of contemporary romance novels Lucky Charm, Smitten at First Sight, This Tangled Thing Called Love, romantic suspense novel, To Catch a Bad Guy, and a short story collection, A Dress in a Window.

If you would like to find out more about Marie’s books, please visit Marie at her website:www.marieastor.com.

Amazon author page: http://www.amazon.com/Marie-Astor/e/B004EBDX9Q/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1

Website: www.marieastor.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/marieastorcollection

Good Reads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4665230.Marie_Astor

**********GIVEAWAY**********

Marie will be awarding to five randomly drawn commenters at the end of the tour, one of the following five custom-designed jewelry prizes:

Prize 1: Blue quartz three strand necklace with sterling silver clasp

Prize 2: Jade and prehnite necklace

Prize 3: Green aventurine sterling silver earrings

Prize 4: Smoky quartz sterling silver earrings

Prize 5: Rose quartz sterling silver earrings

-To be entered, leave a comment, along with your email addy.

-A winner will be chosen randomly from all comments made throughout the tour, so the more you comment the greater your chances of winning.  A list of all participating blogs can be found here.

-Giveaway ends at 11:59 PM CST on 2/8.