Blog Tour & Contest with Eden Summers

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A Day in the life of a romance author

Hi everyone.
A day in my life isn’t overly exciting. I’m not a full-time writer so my days vary a lot. But when I do get a day to dedicate solely to myself, this is what it usually looks like:

5:40am – 6:30am – Wake up for the last time. My three year old is still in the habit of waking a few times a night and usually says “to hell” with sleep at around this time. If I’m lucky he will turn the television on and let me lay in bed for a while. During this time I like to plot story lines. Now if I wasn’t a writer this would simply be called “fantasising about strangers whilst laying in bed with my husband,” but because I’m a writer I can call it “plotting.”

6:30am – 8:50am – This is the mad dash to get the children ready for school. It involves a lot of repetitive shouting, growling and death stares. Very glamorous.

8:50am – I open the door to a silent house with a smile on my face. If I’m in an extra special mood I might giggle a little at how awesome it is to be alone. First stop is the bedroom where I get into my comfy, daggy clothes, then I make a coffee and sit in front of my life support – my fabulous laptop that I can’t live without.

9:00am – 10:00am – This is “start up” time and usually dedicated to PR and emails. I have three email accounts – my author email, a separate email for my RWA loops and another for my review/author promo blog (yes, I really need to consolidate). I action as many emails as I can, while simultaneously updating Twitter and Goodreads.

10:00am – 2:00pm – Writing time!! Or on a bad day – Procrastination time! Apart from taking pee breaks, I sit at the laptop and write or edit for four straight hours. Some days I can write a couple thousand words, on others I will only be able to edit three or four pages, which can be hard to take. I can get to 2pm with a sore back and strained eyes, and only have four pages of polishing done. It’s time consuming, but I’m very critical of my work and could spend years trying to perfect my stories.

2:00pm – 6:30pm – This is mad rush time. I get myself something to eat, tidy the house a little, then go to pick my eldest up from Kindergarten. While waiting in the car I listen to my kindle (text-to-voice) or make plot notes on another story (fantasising about more men). I then get my youngest from pre-school. When we get home I help with homework, cook tea and go over emails all at the same time.

7pm – 7:30pm –If the planets aligned my children will now be in bed and hubby is home from work. If I decide to have a night off I will watch television or a movie with my spunky man while doing more emails, research (looking up sexy men on Pinterest) or promo. Otherwise I put in my earplugs and sit on the couch to do more writing/editing.

9:30pm – 10pm – Aka the best time of the day, when I get to go to bed and “plot”. I go to bed relatively early so I can think about storylines, first kisses, the dramatic peak or a happily ever after. This is when plot issues get resolved and concepts deepen. Most of my ideas come at this time, when I finally stop stressing and let my brain relax.

I hope you’ve enjoyed the outline of my riveting life. If you would like to check out my latest release – Sneaking a Peek, here are the details:

An innocent peek could cause her to fall…Every hot blooded woman loves to drool over a sexy piece of man flesh. But watching from the shadows when the man in question has no idea you’re spying on him? Yeah, that’s totally illegal.

…right into the arms of the hottie next door.Tarney Jensen has been crushing on Ethan Reid, her best friend’s brother, since her sixteenth birthday. She knows acting on her attraction will ruin the friendship, but she can’t fight the temptation of his sweat-slicked skin as he does his weekly workout.
Spying may have been innocent, but the aftermath is anything but…  

Links:
Giveaway
$15 Amazon gift card and 5 swag packs
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Sneaking A Peek by Eden Summers

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Sneaking A Peek
Author: Eden Summers
Genre: Adult Romance
Source: Author Submission
ISBN: B009ZOZKKW
E-Book Edition
Novella/Short Story

SUMMARY
(From Goodreads)

She’s either headed for jail…or for the best sex of her life.

Tarney Jensen has been crushing on sexy firefighter Ethan Reid, her best friend’s brother, since her sixteenth birthday. She knows acting on her attraction will ruin their friendship, but she can’t fight the temptation of his sweat-slicked skin as he works out. Every hot-blooded woman loves to drool over a sexy piece of man flesh, but watching one from the shadows of your porch when he has no idea you’re spying on him? Totally illegal.

For years Ethan has watched men go in and out of Tarney’s life, but how’s a guy supposed to put the moves on his kid sister’s best friend without looking like a perv? But when Tarney lets out an ear-piercing scream from her front yard, Ethan drops everything to rush to her aid. And finds out that the woman of his dreams has been sneaking a peek at his workouts…

MY THOUGHTS

Sometimes you just need a quick fix of smoking hot romance to read.  I have been reading serious themed books for a few weeks now and Sneaking A Peek was just what I needed for a break from those serious novels.

Tarney and Ethan have known each other for a long time.  She is best friends with Ethan’s sister, Jenna.  Jenna warned Ethan a long time ago that her best friend is a line he was not too cross.  She also told Tarney that she didn’t want her hooking up with Ethan.  Out of respect for Jenna, neither one has ever acted on the naughty thoughts.

Tarney also happens to live next door to Ethan.  Like many nights before this one, Tarney relaxes on her porch chair in the dark with a glass of wine.  The show is about to begin.  Ethan starts his workout in a room that just happens to be in perfect view for Tarney.  She secretly watches Ethan workout whenever he comes off a shift at the Fire Department.  Only this time she decides to relieve the buildup in the dark with no one being the wiser.  While trying to do this and trying to get a better look at Ethan, she tips her chair back and gets hurt.  Ethan hears the crash and comes running to the rescue.  One thing leads to another and they end up having some amazing sexy time.  A problem does arrive in the form of Tina, but gets handled and put to rest.

I really liked this book.  It is a short and satisfying read with touches of humor, friendship and all around sexy fun.  Just remember going into this book that it is a short story so the romance is quickly rushed.  You have to remember that they have both known each other for a long time.  This is a book that shows you that turning point from friends to lovers with a finished up ending.

A great new read by an author I have already enjoyed.

MY RATING

Very Good! I would recommend this book!

Undeniable by Madeline Sheehan

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Undeniable
Series: Undeniable #1
Author: Madeline Sheehan
Genre: Adult Romance
Source: Personal Purchase
ISBN: B009N539DS
E-Book Edition

SUMMARY
(From Goodreads)

***Warning*** 
(This book contains several aspects of the uglier side of life; it is not for everyone.)

The story of Deuce and Eva…

An undeniable connection that stands the test of time.

Unforgettable moments.

Love and pain and everything in between.

I was five years old when I met Deuce, he was twenty-three, and it was visiting day at Riker’s Island. My father, Damon Fox or “Preacher”, the President of the infamous “Silver Demon’s” motorcycle club -mother chapter- in East Village, New York City, was doing a five-year stint for aggravated assault and battery with a deadly weapon. It was not the first time my father had been in prison and it wouldn’t be the last. The Silver Demon’s MC was a notorious group of criminals who lived by the code of the road and gave modern society and all it entailed a great big f**k you.

“Never forget the day Eva came bouncin’ into my f**ked up life, shakin’ pigtails, singin’ Janis, wearin’ chucks and sharin’ peanuts and straight up stole any decency I had left which wasn’t a whole lot but she f**kin’ took it and I’ve been hers ever since.”

MY THOUGHTS

This is one of those books where not only am I at a loss for words, but you will either love it or hate it.  I am on the love it side of the fence, but that is not to say that the book didn’t have its flaws.

First I will warn you of two things. This is definitely for the adults. Also, it is like crack for book addicts. (Think Motorcycle Man like Kristen Ashley) Yes folks, Tack of MM must have had a secret brother in the fictional world because Deuce is just as sexy, bad and hot as hell as him.

Some people will be turned off because of one of the main things of this book.  Not only is Deuce 18 years older than Eva, but he meets her while he is 23 and she is 5.  He falls for the little girl, but I felt it was not in the creepy way you might be thinking.  Yes, she steals his heart from that moment, but the way the author has written it, I didn’t get it as a creepy-naughty sex way.

Eva has grown up in the Motorcycle Club life.  Her mother abandoned her with her father, but you can tell that Preacher thinks the world of Eva. Granted, I wasn’t a big fan of Eva but she started to grow on me.  Obviously, Deuce is the star of this book for me.  What can I say, I love my tortured and bad as hell fictional men.

I wasn’t a fan of the cheating as well in this book.  It seems everyone is married and cheating in this book.  Maybe this is what goes on everyday in a motorcycle club, but cheating is just big no-no for me.

The side character of Frankie — who is sort of the adopted brother of Eva — was just plain bad.  Not sexy bad in a want-to-jump-your-bones bad, but as in the psycho-needs-a-straight-jacket sort of way.  He has a huge temper problem and when he basically rapes Eva, I was reading faster just so I could see how badly Deuce was going to torture him.

While I wasn’t a huge fan of the ending — mainly because it was rushed — I still found myself reading until the  last page late into the night.  It was dark, moody, messed up and oh-so-right.  I can’t wait to read the next book in the series and see what will happen to some of my other favorite bikers.  Also, it will be great to see if Deuce will live up to his promises.

MY FAVORITE QUOTES

“If his girl was broken, someone sure as fuck was going to die for that.” 

“There are weak men; men who run and hide when life slaps them in the ass. Then there are men; men who have a backbone yet occasionally, when life slaps them in the ass, will rely on others. And then there are real men; men who don’t cry or complain, who don’t just have a backbone, they are the backbone. Men who make their own decisions and live with the consequences, who accept responsibility for their actions or words. Men who, when life slaps them in the ass, slap back and move on. Men who live hard and die even harder.
Men like my father and my uncles. Men I loved with all my heart.
Men like Deuce.” 

MY RATING

Very Good! I would recommend this book!

Tempting the Best Man by J. Lynn

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Tempting the Best Man
Series:  The Gamble Brothers #1
Author: J. Lynn
(AKA: Jennifer L. Armentrout)
Source: Publisher
Genre: Romance
ISBN: B007WY7T7Y
E-Book Edition

SUMMARY
(From Goodreads)

Madison Daniels has worshipped her brother’s best friend since they were kids. Everyone thinks she and Chase Gamble would make the perfect couple, but there are two major flaws in their logic. 1) Chase has sworn off relationships of any kind, and 2) after blurring the line between friends and lovers for one night four years ago, they can’t stop bickering.

Forced together for her brother’s wedding getaway, Chase and Madison decide to call a truce for the happy couple. Except all bets are off when they’re forced to shack up in a tacky 70’s honeymoon suite and survive a multitude of “accidents” as the family tries to prove their “spark” can be used than for more than fighting. That is, if they don’t strangle each other first…

MY THOUGHTS

Yes, this is by an author well known for writing young adult books.  I was shocked to realize this and didn’t make the connection until after I started reading it. Now granted, I haven’t read her young adult books yet, but I hear she is an amazing writer.  So I decided to take a chance on reading her adult themed book.  This is the first in The Gamble Brothers Series with a new cover as well.

This book started out with promise.  Childhood friends who secretly have pined for each other into adulthood is a common plot within the Romance Genre world.  Who doesn’t like a good romance with a couple who actually start out as friends and have been for a long time.  Even with the great plot though, the story did have its problems.

The main problem is the back story and the characters falling in the “miscommunication” trap.  I wish we could have had read about more of the childhood that Chase had to make him think he wasn’t worthy of Madison.  We get a small piece here and there, but flashbacks would have been welcome in this story.  It would have filled out better and gave the reader a better understanding on how he shaped into the man he is today.

Again, the way writers solve the problem of finding a problem to create a story by using the age old “assuming instead of speaking” route.  This story could have been solved in half the amount of pages if the two would just talk instead of bickering and denying their attraction.  Of course, then we wouldn’t have much of book, but it also wouldn’t start to have our interest wane.  I started to get bored with the story, and if it weren’t for the bickering between the two characters –or hilarious side characters–I would have probably put this book down sooner instead of finishing it.

I am hoping the author gets the groove for the next book in the series because it did have promise.  I am hoping we get a better glimpse into the Gamble Brothers history in the next book as well.

MY RATING

Okay book, but it left me wanting more!

*I received this book free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review*

Truth by Aleatha Romig

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Truth
Series: Consequences #2
Author: Aleatha Romig
Genre: Fiction
Source: Author Submission
ISBN: 978-0988489110
E-Book Edition

SUMMARY
(From Goodreads)

Claire Nichols endured the CONSEQUENCES of Anthony Rawlings’ vendetta. 

When she first arrived to his home, her goal was survival. Through strength and compartmentalization Claire captivated her captor. Her resilience in the face of his rule threatened Anthony’s well developed plan. Domination became desire and power turned to love. 

Their passion and adoration in a world of opulence appeared perfect. Yet, reality was a roller coaster of emotion. Claire’s world teetered on the edge of sanity as Antony monitored her every move. When given the opportunity to flee, Claire drove away. A fateful decision which set a well laid plan into motion. 

However, unbeknownst to either of them, there were others who saw past the perfect facade of Anthony Rawlings. There were others who saw the TRUTH. Conspiracy and unfulfilled promises result in an early prison release for Claire. Not just a release – a pardon. According to the law, her crime never happened! 

Will it be that easy? Faced with freedom from her past… can Claire seize it? Can she build a new life, mend her broken spirit, become the woman she once was, and seek her own revenge? Or is it all a game? And does the game master have different plans?

How does Sophia Burke fit into the puzzle that is Tony and Claire? Will her presence affect the future of this well esteemed man? Can he dominate twice? Is that his goal? 

TRUTH continues the tumultuous saga of CONSEQUENCES, introduces new players, and uncovers more intrigue. Aleatha Romig skillfully weaves past transgressions through current deception to create a fervent world of obsessed desire. In this reality can an all-consuming relationship survive? 

When buried sins are discovered they threaten not only Tony and Claire’s future — but their very lives! Will the TRUTH be revealed in time?

MY THOUGHTS

First, thank you to author Aleatha Romig for allowing me to read and review this book early! Not only was she generous in allowing me to do this, but she is one author who follows along with your status updates just so she can cry, yell and jump for joy at the same time as the reader.

After the first book in the series, I had no idea how the author was going to fix things.  If you haven’t read the first book, I urge you to get on it.  This is not a stand alone book and you will have to have read the first one titled Consequences to really understand what is going on and the personalities of each character.  At the conclusion of Consequences, I sobbed for Claire and had the strong emotion of hate for Tony.  I wanted him to pay.  I wanted him to be filled with the devastation and despair that Claire was filled with.  Most of all, I think I secretly wanted him redeemed.  I don’t know how the author would be able to do it, but if it was going to be an option, I had a small part of me cheering for it.  Call it the romance-lover-at-heart part of me that will not ever go away.

If you didn’t follow along with my status updates on Goodreads, you were missing out. I was all over the emotional board with this book.  Just when you think you have something figured out, the author basically grabs your brain and throws it up against your skull with a new discovery.  Yes, I went through with the morbid description, but how can you not with characters such as Tony?

From the first chapter of the book, the author clues us in on small things we wonder about.  I can’t go into too much detail, but trust me in saying that the author created a masterpiece of a puzzle. At about 6% into the book when that first chapter is brought to light for Tony, all I can say is everyone better watch out!  Tony is NOT a happy camper.

I will say that Claire does get a stronger backbone in this book.  There were times where I was screaming at her not to do what she was doing, but by the end of this book, you will be surprised by the consequences of some of them.

That ending was OUTRAGEOUS!  Did it make the reader feel fulfilled? In a way, but now there are a whole new set of questions for us as well!  Another puzzle to add to the previous one and that is unraveling so wonderfully! Please, Ms. Romig…..give us the third book fast!!! I can’t wait until the end of 2013 for it. I know you have it all figured out and sitting on your hard drive.  Just let me peek. PLEASE!!!

MY RATING

Outstanding book that will stay on my bookshelf for rereading!