Showing posts with label The Writers Coffee Shop. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The Writers Coffee Shop. Show all posts

Wednesday, April 15, 2015

Blind Date With A Book Giveaway presented by TWCS

Four weeks of GiveAways!!!
Enter this week to win one of the following titles in eBook.
Week 3
Lies In-side, Lindsey Gray, Romance
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How do you say goodbye to the love of your life when you are only twelve years old? Finn O’Malley and Lucy Butler had to figure out how to do just that as Finn left his home in Clarkstown, New York for Two Roads School of Music in California. Being a young talented musician, Finn thought it best for his future but wasn’t sure about leaving Lucy be-hind.
Now, just one semester short of graduation and a promising future at UCLA, he throws it all away to return home. This leaves his family and friends questioning why.
The Finn that has returned home is not the same boy who left. He’s broken and withdrawn. Lucy and his sister Rylan want nothing more than to bring back the Finn they know and love.
From the moment Finn reconnects with Lucy, he feels the one thing he hasn’t felt in years—hope. As Lucy starts to bring him out of his shell, Finn begins to realize what real love really is.
When his past collides with his future, how will Finn deal with the love he needs and the love he despises? Can Lucy help heal what lies inside?
Pieces of Broken Time, Lorenz Font, Romance
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When Blake Connor returns from Afghanistan, he wants nothing more than to hide from the world. He’s plagued by the memory of his best friend’s death and the pain of his own injuries. That same friend’s dying wish is just one more burden he must carry.
Jennifer Owens had expected to get married the mo-ment her fiancĂ© returned from the war, but the news of his death changed everything. When an unexpected letter arrives a year later, it raises new questions and opens old wounds. Her search for answers leads her to Blake’s doorstep.
Although Blake seems determined to keep her at arms’ length, Jennifer recognizes the beauty that lies beneath his scars and confronts him with the truth. Nothing will ever be the same for this broken ex-Army Ranger, but he must overcome his warped self-image and emotional scars if he’s going to be the man Jennifer deserves.
Unwritten Rules, M.A. Stacie, Ro-mance
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Elle is an energetic, independent woman with a successful business and new start in the big city. The bustling streets of New York are not what she expected, yet she finds the freedom exhilarating. One interaction at the mailboxes with her shy, strikingly handsome neighbor is all it takes to turn the strong- willed young woman into a bumbling mess.
Jonah Quinn is withdrawn for good reason; he harbors a dark secret. He lives his life in the shadows, playing his music in late night bars and hiding himself from everyone but Elle's cat. His tattoos bear his pain while his music is his outlet, but it is his silence that keeps his shame at bay.
Can one night of passion between the two of them lead to more than casual glances exchanged at their mailboxes? Will Elle be strong enough to help Jonah with his personal demons. And will Jonah break his silence regarding a past that haunts him?
The Rules for this relationship are Unwritten. A story of longing, love, and forgiveness.
Hidden Threat, Sherri Hayes, Romance
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Cali Stanton has one goal in life, being a doctor. She does not intend to run the family business. But when her father gets injured and tells her that she’s the only one he trusts, Cali finds herself behind his desk at Stanton Enterprises.
Matthew Andersen and his brother Jason have spent the last two years managing security at Stanton Enterprises. But when someone threatens the company and its CEO, challenging Matthew’s abilities, what seems like an easy task, becomes a big problem.
Cali and Matthew must fight their growing attraction for each other to avoid a potentially damaging office romance. As the threats continue, they must work together to keep the company running and discover who is behind the threats.
But when things escalate to violence and Cali becomes the latest target, things get personal. Can Matthew find the Hidden Threat before it’s too late?
Eight Days a Week, Amber L. Johnson, Romance/Contemporary
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Andrew Lyons has been running from responsibility his entire life. Returning home after a couple of years abroad, he finds himself jobless and living in close quarters with a sister he can barely tolerate. At her request, he searches for a job on Craigslist, but finds a room for rent instead. Or so he thinks.
Gwen Stone is in a lurch. With a new promotion at work and two young children at home, she’s in dire need of a caretaker. When Andrew shows up on her doorstep, she thinks he may be exactly what she’s looking for. When she offers him the job, he’s more than interested and she’s confident she’s made the right choice.
It shouldn’t be awkward at all.
But Andrew isn’t exactly forthcoming about his inten-tions, and Gwen has some secrets she’s unwilling to share. When the mom and the “manny” don’t have a clue what they’re doing, things are bound to get messy.
What do you get with two kids who don’t know how to be kids, a man who never grew up, Beatles Rock Band, and hundreds of hours of kids’ TV? A very interesting job, indeed. But when emotions get in the way, there's more at stake than just an occupa-tion.
Because life doesn't have clock-out button. And neither does love.
Maybe, Amber L. Johnson, Romance/Contemporary
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Emily Portman loves her job. A writer for Breakout! Magazine, she showcases up-and-coming bands. When her next assignment takes her to Austin, Texas, she can’t wait to add the city to her map of places she’s loved and left without looking back.
Tyler Macy is stuck in a rut. Despite his exceptional talent as a musician, he has chosen to take a backseat with his band and let others grab the limelight. Wounded and mistrustful, he doesn’t appreciate his friends’ efforts to bring him back to center stage, and that includes Emily.
For Tyler to find his music again, he must accept that Emily holds the key, like she’s stolen both his heart and peace of mind. In order for them to be together, they both must learn to let go.
Behind the Scandal, M.A. Stacie, Romance/Contemporary

Sent to the family ranch to overcome his addiction, Taylor Reese is angry and hurt. Feeling rejected by his father and brother, Taylor throws himself into ranch life to help him forget. He struggles with his addiction, though he refuses help. But it isn’t long before it hits him hard how much his life has spiraled out of control. He begins to question every aspect of his life, and the confusion leaves him floundering and looking for something, or someone, to cling to.
Libby Karlin is cautious, wary of Taylor’s presence. His brutal honesty and lack of respect claw at her composure. Her dark past makes her reluctant to let anyone near her family, but when Taylor strikes up a friendship with her son, Libby finds herself drawn to the sadness within him. His experiences are no secret to her. She sees where his world turned upside down and offers him a helping hand. But her own secrets stay buried, locked away until a knock on her door has her gasping for breath.
Libby’s fear paralyzes her as she comes face to face with her demons and, determined to stay strong, she battles for a way out.
Could dealing with their pasts really give them a fu-ture?
An Unexpected Woman, Sandi Layne, Historical Fiction
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“Put a bow around the woman you want for me, so I’ll know.”
Associate Pastor Dr. Mark Countryman is a recent transplant to North Fort Myers, Florida. Although it’s a paradise for some, Dr. Countryman has never felt more alone. As his fortieth birthday approaches, he reevaluates his past relationships and prays that God will guard his heart so it will not be broken again. If only there was a way he could be sure of God’s will.
“God says that a man is not meant to live alone always.”
As a child, Shelley watched her mother lose the battle against breast cancer. In her late teens, she survived a major hurricane with her father while living in Southwest Florida. Now twenty-five, Shelley Roberts is a furniture repairwoman who believes in being prepared for every contingency while enjoying life and seizing the moment.
A random encounter throws these two people into each other’s lives. Soon after, Shelley is assigned to do some work at Mark’s church. As they spend more time together, a relationship slowly begins to blossom, though whether they’re “friends” or “more” is something neither of them is certain of.
While growing closer to Mark, Shelley encourages him to prepare for the upcoming hurricane season—something she had to learn to do some years before. Though a woman of faith, her life’s experiences have taught her that preparation is necessary. She is enthusiastic in this belief, even when Mark tries to get her to relax and have faith in God’s protec-tion.
Their beliefs will be tested when hurricane season begins in earnest and a storm grows in strength as it nears the Florida Peninsula.
Crossing the Line, Sherri Hayes, Romance/Contemporary
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Detective Paul Daniels has spent four and a half years mourning the loss of his wife. He’s been doing his best to raise their daughter, Chloe, with the help of his in-laws. When they inform him right before Thanksgiving that they’re going to be moving over two hours away, Paul finds himself without anyone to watch Chloe—especially when he’s called out to a crime scene in the middle of the night. Little does he know that meeting his baby brother’s girlfriend and her sister, Megan, will change everything.
Megan Carson has taken a few wrong turns in her life, but she’s doing her best to get back on track. When she meets Chloe, the little girl swiftly worms her way into Megan’s heart. The opportunity to help Paul out and watch his daughter appears to be a blessing in disguise. She quickly volunteers to be Chloe’s live-in nanny.
Everything is working well until the three of them head back to Ohio for Chris and Elizabeth’s wedding. Paul has a little too much to drink during the reception, and he and Megan end up sharing a heated kiss. When he wakes up the next day, he has a pounding headache but remembers nothing.
Megan, however, isn’t willing to forget. Over the past few months since she’s been playing nanny, her feelings for Paul have changed. He is everything she never knew she wanted, and now that she knows there might be something there, she’s going after what she wants—Paul.
Red Zone, Sherri Hayes, Romance/Contemporary
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After a case ended badly for Rebecca Carson, she’s losing her mind sitting around her apartment waiting on her superiors to allow her to return to work. Since she was a teenager, the only thing she’d ever wanted was to join the FBI. Now that dream was in danger.
Gage Daniels has made a pretty good life for himself. A nice house. A career he loves. As a professional football player, he’s used to getting almost everything he’d ever want with just the snap of his fingers. This includes women. A well-timed smile is usually all it takes to attract the opposite sex, especially in Nashville.
When a stalker threatens Gage, the team owner calls an old friend, Rebecca’s ex-partner Travis Hansen, to help protect his star quarterback and find the person responsible. Hansen offers Rebecca the job, and she jumps at the chance. It’s work, and it will get her out of her apartment. How bad can it be?
Posing as Gage’s girlfriend, however, isn’t as easy as it seems. The man is relentless. Rebecca must work to protect Gage while staving off his advances. She’s there to do a job, nothing more. The last thing she wants is to be another notch on a hotshot athlete’s belt.
As the stalker continues to up the ante, Rebecca finds it harder and harder to keep her distance from Nashville’s star quarterback. He isn’t what she expected in one of the city’s most notorious playboys. Now all she has to do is keep him safe until they can find his stalker, and hope she doesn’t lose her heart in the process.
Behind Closed Doors, Sherri Hayes, Romance/Contemporary
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Elizabeth Marshall spent the last nine years doing all the things she was supposed to do. She went to a good college. Married a man with a promising future. Elizabeth even had a nice house in a respectable part of town. There was even the promise of 2.4 kids in her future. From the outside everything looked picture perfect.
Then one night, the world she lived in came crashing down. Six months later with her husband dead and her friends gone, Elizabeth moves to the small town of Springfield, Ohio to start a new life where no one knows who she is or about her past.
Christopher Daniels enjoys the simplicity of his bachelor life. After his divorce three years ago, he swore off women. He has no desire to change that philosophy.
When Elizabeth Marshall moves into the apartment below his in the small Victorian house, she makes him reconsider the motto he’s lived by for the last three years: women are trouble. She is everything his ex-wife is not, and it doesn’t help that she is his fantasy come to life.
He is determined to resist her charms; however, when someone sends threatening messages to Elizabeth, he finds himself in the role of protector. Can he protect Elizabeth and still resist the pull she has on his body and his heart?

Thursday, June 12, 2014

How To Get Ainsley Bishop To Fall In Love With You Blog Tour, Contest & Review



Ainsley Blog Tour



Today, we're excited to be part of the blog tour for T.M. Franklin's fun, new YA release How to Get Ainsley Bishop to Fall in Love With You.  She shares a little with us about what inspired the book, her own high school crush, and there's also a giveaway for a signed copy of Ainsley and some other fun prizes!


1.     How did you get the idea for this novel?
The original inspiration came from my son, actually. He’s one of those kids who’s incredibly smart, with very particular interests, and he’s fine with having a few close friends, or even being alone. He doesn’t worry too much about what others think of him – or if they make fun of him. I wanted to write a story about a hero like that – someone a little different, quirky maybe, but okay with that. I wanted that hero to realize that he didn’t have to change who he is to reach his goals, or to get the girl.

2.       Oliver is quirky and has that typical teenage social awkwardness.  On the flip side, he’s also very confident. How did his character evolve as you wrote him? 
Oliver’s personality is key to the plot. He’s not popular. He’s a little awkward and different, and others sometimes make fun of him – but he’s also comfortable in his  own skin. One of the core elements of Oliver’s character is that he feels good about who he is, and he doesn’t really put a lot of value in the opinions of those who might be critical of him.

I knew that confidence had to come from somewhere, and to me, it was logical that it grew from his strong support system – his loving family, his older friend and mentor, Hank at the Senior Center, and his best friend, Viney. It became imperative that these characters really provide Oliver with the kind of guidance and support that would help him to become the strong person I think he is.

3.       What was the best part of writing this book? 
This book was so much fun to write. I’ve been deep in writing and editing the MORE Trilogy for more than three years now, and although I love it, it is pretty complex. There are a lot of characters and plot points to keep track of. The three-book arc is very detailed and demanding. When I decided to write Ainsley I knew I would just be writing the one book – one story from beginning to end – so that was a lot less pressure. And there’s quite a bit of humor in the book, which I really enjoy writing.

4.       Can you describe your first high school crush?
Well, I wouldn’t say it was my first, but it was definitely the most memorable. I had a crush on a boy a year older than me for most of junior high and high school. I wouldn’t say he didn’t know that I was alive, because that would have been impossible – I was constantly staring at him, saying hello in the halls. I even sent him a dozen flowers from a “secret admirer” on Valentine’s Day. It’s pretty pathetic, looking back. Lots of swooning. Lots of tears when he got a girlfriend. He was SO nice, though. Although it never went anywhere, he was always kind to me. Eventually, he graduated and I moved on. Cest la vie. J

5.       The BiblioJunkies motto is “books, boys and pie”. Imagine this scenario:  someone shows up at your door with your favourite book and dessert.  So which crush (fictional or celebrity) would that be and what book and dessert would they bring?
Hmmm… I’m a huge Beatles fan, so I’d have to say it’s Paul McCartney. I’d LOVE to meet him! And if he’s going to read to me, I’d want to take advantage of that accent, so something historical - maybe some Jane Austen or Bronte? That would be lovely… with a nice crème brulee. Mmmm… yes, please!





Ainsley



Seventeen-year-old Oliver Wendell Holmes (Yes, his parents are just that peculiar, but his brother's name is Sherlock, so it could have been worse) knows that he's different. He's quirky, awkward, and he's okay with that. Oliver also likes making lists-meticulous procedures for achieving his goals, step-by-step. Whether it's "How to Get an A in Chemistry" or "How to Get Accepted to MIT," he has a process, and it's worked for him so far. He doesn't even care that the popular kids mock him. Oliver's got his eye on the prize.
So when he decides it's time to declare his feelings for Ainsley Bishop, the girl of his dreams, it's only natural for him to make a list-a point-by-point strategy to win her heart. He knows it will take a grand gesture for her to see all he has to offer, and her approaching birthday provides the ideal opportunity for Oliver to put his plan into action.
Finding the perfect gift is a challenge Oliver meets with his usual dogged determination. He'll need to watch her carefully for clues to pinpoint exactly what he should give her. And along the way, he might just learn that what Ainsley really needs is not quite what he expected.





Ainsley is available now!





Giveaway


T.M. Franklin started out her career writing non-fiction in a television newsroom. Graduating with a B.A. in Communications specializing in broadcast journalism and production, she worked for nine years as a major market television news producer, and garnered two regional Emmy Awards, before she resigned to be a full-time mom and part-time freelance writer. Her first published novel, MORE, was born during National Novel Writing month, a challenge to write a novel in thirty days. MORE was well-received, being selected as a finalist in the 2013 Kindle Book Review Best Indie Book Awards, as well as winning the Suspense/Thriller division of the Blogger Book Fair Reader’s Choice Awards.

In addition to MORE and its sequel, The Guardians, Franklin penned the Amazon best-selling short stories A Piece of Cake andWindow, which also won a Blogger Book Fair Reader’s Choice Award for Short Story/Fantasy. Her new YA romance, How to Get Ainsley Bishop to Fall in Love with You, is Franklin’s first love story without a paranormal or fantasy element, although she believes love is the best kind of magic.
TWELVE, the final installment in the MORE Trilogy will be released in the fall of 2014.

Connect with T.M. Franklin




Reviews


Review:

* * * *

If you’re in the mood for something quirky then pick this! Ainsley Bishop is a witty, funny, engaging and cleverly written story about a very geeky and slightly awkward guy who’s in love with a girl who he doesn’t think notices him. He devises a plan to get closer to her and ropes in his best friend Viney to assist him. And as these things go, some things go according to plan while a few surprises lay ahead.

Oliver is one of my favourite protagonists. He has a clear head on his shoulders and is incredibly self-assured for his age. He has no qualms about who he is and couldn’t care less what other people think of him. His habit of making lists to direct every aspect of his life may seem obsessive but I choose to see him as focused. He joins the drama club with Ainsley and soon learns that there’s more to her than this idea of her that he has built in his head.  She may seem all cozy and content with her boyfriend to everyone else but Oliver reads her differently.  

When he offers to help her fix her play, he discovers a different Ainsley, one who’s not quite as put together as she appears to be and someone who’s bogged down by other people’s expectations of her. Oliver knows that her loyalty to her boyfriend and father are holding her back from discovering her own potential. He takes it upon himself to oh so delicately encourage her to take care of herself and remind her that her dreams should be equally as important.

Here's what makes Ainsley Bishop spectacular. We have this kid who’s put his dream girl up on a pedestal, and rather than being disappointed by her, he sees all that she can be and stands by her side. He doesn’t tell her what to do but works diligently at bolstering her confidence in herself. In the process, Oliver also begins to stand up for what he wants.

This book is just pure brilliance. I was at the beach when I read this and many times I was laughing out loud! Thankfully not too many people were around me to see me during my laughing fits. But there were lots of them especially during Oliver and Viney’s banter. They have such typical teenage boy moments then  they also show remarkable maturity in parts. Viney is a treat and a true friend. Not to be outdone is Oliver's brother, Sherlock. The kid is hysterical!

How To Get Ainsley Bishop To Fall In Love With You is more than just about high school crushes and school plays. This time the guy loves everything about the girl and wants her to see just how freaking amazing she already is!

Can I just say that I love T.M. Franklin even more now, you know, fellow Beatles fan and all. Thank you everyone for stopping by the blog tour. Don't forget to enter the giveaway if you haven't already. A special thanks to T.M. Franklin for her time and The Writer's Coffee Shop for arranging the tour and giveaway. Now go read this book!

~ Bel