Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Christi Barth's Cover Reveal and Release Day: Planning for Love

The wait it over! Christi Barth’s newest release is now available. PLANNING FOR LOVE, the first book in The Aisle Bound Trilogy, is a must read if you like sweet and sassy romance with a dash of humor.

Hopeless romantic Ivy Rhodes
and
anti-Cupid Bennett Westcott
request the pleasure of your company
for their disaster of a courtship.

Wedding planner Ivy Rhodes is the best in the business, and she’s not about to let a personal problem stop her from getting ahead. So when she gets an offer to star in the reality TV show Planning for Love,it doesn’t matter that the show’s videographer happens to be a recent—and heartbreaking—one-night stand.

Bennett Westcott can admit that he didn’t handle his encounter with Ivy very well. But looking at her beautiful smile—and, okay, greatbody—through the lens of a camera every day? He can’t be faulted for suggesting they have a little no-strings fun.

The more time Bennett and Ivy spend together, the more he realizes that Ivy isn’t the wedding-crazed bridezilla he’d imagined. But if he doesn’t trust himself to make a relationship last, how can he convince Ivy to give him another chance?


Christi is my good friend and critique partner, and after reading her book, I’m sure you’ll agree she’s an author who will leave you coming back for more.

Check out this excerpt:
“I want to taste you, Ivy.” The scrape of his feet against the stones came to a halt. A gentle nudge with his forehead tipped her head back. Their eyes locked. “Why don’t we get a jump on the inevitable? Because I don’t want to wait another moment.”

Ivy had a split second to decide. Stick to her guns—and her professional ethics—and slip out of his arms? Or stay and lock lips with a super sexy man in the moonlight? Really, it was easiest to not decide at all. Her eyelids drifted shut as she waited for Ben to make his move. And waited. Nothing happened. She peeked out from beneath her lashes to see the merest hint of a smirk lifting the edges of Ben’s mouth. Her eyes flew open the rest of the way.

“What? What happened to the tasting and the moment?
“The moment’s not right until you decide to commit to it. I promised earlier I wouldn’t steal any more kisses from you. Kissing is interactive. A two-way street. You’ve got to choose to slide behind the wheel and turn the key.”

Why did men turn everything in life into a car metaphor? Well, she could play along. Despite showing every sign of being something of a player, Ben had shown her, with that one little pause, that he also had bucket loads of integrity. No sane, single woman could turn down an honest to goodness gentleman. They were a rare breed, and she didn’t intend to waste this particular chance sighting. Time to seize the day...or at least what was left of the night.
“Oh, my motor’s fully revved. You’d better buckle your seatbelt, Mr. Westcott.”
Ivy tightened her grip around his neck and went up on her tiptoes to reach his mouth. The mouth she’d stared at off and on all day, remembering the firm albeit brief feel of his lips against hers. He wasn’t the only one who wanted a taste. She puckered up and planted a soft kiss. And then Ben quite expertly elbowed his way back into the driver’s seat.
His lips slanted hard across hers, instantly ratcheting the level of heat up from tender to full on sizzle. This was no getting-to-know-you smooch. Ben claimed her mouth with possessive pressure. His teeth nibbled open her lips, allowing his tongue to sweep inside. Her moan of pleasure was all the urging he needed to slide his hands down to not only cup her ass, but lift her off the ground.

Ivy’s world spun. Under the spell of the spring night, she’d yearned for nothing more than a touch, a quiet kiss. She’d wanted a sip of water to slake her lustful thirst. Instead, Ben’s kisses drowned her in a downpour of passion and heat. The arch of her foot curved around his calf, looking for something to ground her. Each stroke of his tongue ignited an array of sparks behind her closed eyes. He tore his mouth away but hovered his lips a breath away from hers. Eyes heavy lidded, he moved not at all, aside from the pounding of his heart thumping through his tuxedo shirt. Suddenly, she realized what he waited to hear.

“Okay, Ben. You’ve convinced me to have a drink with you.”
A hum of approval sounded low in his throat. He buried his face in the curve of her neck. And then from somewhere behind them, a short high gasp, and the unmistakable crash of glass breaking on the stone floor. Ben’s grip bobbled, but he didn’t drop her.

“Get your hands off my friend’s ass right now, or I’ll call in someone a lot bigger than me to make you.”
Christi Barth earned a Masters degree in vocal performance and embarked upon a career on the stage. A love of romance then drew her to wedding planning. Ultimately she succumbed to her lifelong love of books and now writes contemporary romance. Christi lives in Maryland with her husband. 

Find Christi:
On Twitter: @Christi_barth
Website: www.christibarth.com
Pinterest:  http://pinterest.com/christibarth/

Find PLANNING FOR LOVE at   Amazon  Barnes and Noble  Carina Press

Saturday, July 28, 2012

It's a Fact...Couples Fight #SixSunday

{Note: If you're looking for A Hero's Blog Hop July 27-31,  please scroll down to the previous blog or click this link: Joya's Link, A Hero's Blog Hop} Thanks!


Welcome to Six Sentence Sunday: Where writers share six sentences from their published or unpublished books.

Couples fight, right? It’s part of figuring out who they are together. I’d love to hear your view : are disagreements a necessary part of relationships?

In this snippet from my debut novel BENEATH THE SURFACE, Brooke offers to flush out the villain by using herself as a decoy. But there’s no way Garrett, a police officer, is going to let her endanger herself.

  “You’d be the bait?” Garrett practically spat the question at Brooke.
   She looked into his fiery eyes. “You want to find your cousin and I want to find out who hurt Linda and Jeff. Why would it be a problem?”
   “Uh-uh,” he said.



Purchase links for BENEATH THE SURFACE:

Amazon    Barnes and Noble   The Wild Rose Press

Thanks very much for stopping by today!

Please check out other  Six Sentence Sunday  posts and follow #sixsunday on Twitter, @6_Sunday.

Thursday, July 26, 2012

A Hero's BlogHop, July 27-31 W I N a Kindle!




Heroes come in all shapes and sizes. Who's your hero?



     Are you ready to hear what your favorite romance heroes have to say? Well, we authors are ready to share our hunky heroes! Starting on Friday and ending on July 31st, over 100 Authors and Bloggers will share their favorite things about romance heroes, a character post from them, and what we love about romance and men in general.
     And while we do that, we are EACH doing a giveaway. Yep. There will be over 100 giveaways on each blog hosted by that Author or Blogger.
     But that's not all....
     We have THREE grand prizes. You as a reader can go to EACH blog and comment with your email address and be entered to win. Yep, you can enter over 100 times!
     What makes a hero? In romance, it's often the drop-dead gorgeous guy with ripped abs, bulging muscles, and a weakness for the heroine. In BENEATH THE SURFACE, my debut romantic suspense, Garrett is a big, strong alpha male cop. He doesn't want to fall in love, but of course he can't resist Brooke, the heroine.
     So how about real-life heroes? As much as I like to keep my handsome hubby all to myself, there's a part of him in every hero I write. I also tend to write police heroes because you just gotta love a guy who fights to keep everyone else safe, don't you?
Four ways to win from July 27-31:
Joya's contest: win a $5 Amazon gift card! Comment on this blog to qualify.
A Hero's Blog Hop Grand Prize Contest! Each comment on this blog, and all of the other blogs in A Hero's Hop, qualifies you for an entry to win:


1st Grand Prize: Kindle Fire or Nook Tablet
2nd Grand Prize: $50 Amazon or B&N Gift Card
3rd Grand Prize: The following Swag Pack!
(Gift card contest is open to international/swag is US only)

 Check out all the particpants in A Hero's Blog Hop HERE The more blogs you comment on, the more chances you have to win a Kindle Fire/Nook Color Grand Prize and  gift card, and large swag pack.  PLEASE COMMENT WITH YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS so we know how to contact you.

And now…an excerpt starring Garrett Ciavello, a true hero.
     For the first time since the accident, Brooke forgot about her leg. Forgot about all she’d lost and focused on the way Garrett made her feel.
      She knew she needed to stop him. She should find a way to resist the temptation to be with him. But for a few minutes, she could enjoy the taste of him, the feel of him, couldn’t she?
      He dropped his hands to her waist and softened the kiss before trailing a line of kisses down her neck. A weak cry slipped from her mouth. “Garrett,” she whispered.
      She should stop this now before it got any more intense.
      He lifted her chin and forced her to meet his brown eyes, smoky with desire. Heat spiraled to her middle and she caught a whiff of his sawdust scent.
      “I…I can walk you back to your own room before I head to mine.” His voice broke as he whispered.
       She swallowed hard. She couldn’t do this right now with him. Too many obstacles stood in their way. But as she looked in his somber eyes, she realized none of those complications were bigger than her need for Garrett.
       “Let’s go to your room,” she said, her voice shaking. She moved her hands inside his shirt and ran them over his tight abs and chest. Heat soared through her body at the feel of him. “Together…”
Beneath the Surface is available now!
Joya's Amazon Author Page       Joya's Barnes and Noble Page

Click HERE for a complete list of A Hero's Blog Hop participants. Thanks for stopping by!!

Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Sizzling Summer Romance-Time to Chat It Up!



Summer Reading at its best! What's a better combination than books and summertime? How about books, summertime and reading!! Books, swag, and a grand prize of $100 gift card.

I'm honored be guesting on the Author Chat at TRR today. Stop by to say *hi* and hopefully win a bunch of cool prizes. Click this link: Sizzling Summer Reads Author Chat with Joya Fields


Birthday Blog Blitz for #BeneathTheSurface and YOU Get the Presents!!

Book Blitz! Happy half-year birthday to BENEATH THE SURFACE, my debut romance, on July 18th.
Innovative Online Book Tours is helping me celebrate this b-day by  hosting me on fourteen blog sites today. We're giving away an ecopy of the book, along with Beneath the Surface Romance Trading Cards and a signed bookmark to one commenter at each blog.
Additionally, a grand prize drawing of a Beneath the Surface tote bag filled with goodies for one commenter, drawn randomly, from comments on all blogs that day: $25 Amazon gift card, autographed paperback copy of Beneath the Surface, Beneath the Surface apron, notepad and pen, Romance Trading Cards, and bookmark.

Stop by these awesome blogs today, July 18th, to win prizes!






 
 
Thanks very much for helping me celebrate today!
Find out more about Joya's books here: Joya's Amazon Page

Sunday, July 15, 2012

Are Movies Ever Better Than Books?




Have you ever seen a movie that’s better than the book? I’m the guest author at Romance Junkies today. Hope you’ll stop by to discuss this fun topic!

Click Here to visit the Romance Junkies site and thanks for stopping by!

Saturday, July 14, 2012

Overprotective Cop Strikes Again #SixSunday

 Welcome to Six Sentence Sunday: Where writers share six sentences from their published or unpublished books.

In this snippet from BENEATH THE SURFACE, Brooke tries to shrug off an attack. But Garrett, an overprotective policeman, hovers.

   “Damn kids,” Garrett said. His strong arms started a slow caress from her side to her ribs as if to comfort her. “You okay?”

   She wished he’d stop asking her that. She straightened in the seat and tried to right herself on the cushion. She nodded, not sure if she wanted him to hold her tight or let her go.




         Thanks for stopping by!
Beneath the Surface is available now

Please visit Six Sentence Sunday posts and follow #sixsunday on Twitter, @6_Sunday.

Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Sizzling Summer Reads! Beneath The Surface featured on TRR today!

BENEATH THE SURFACE is featured on today's Q&A as part of The Romance Reviews Sizzling Summer Reads contest. Win great prizes, including the chance to win a $100 gift card!

Stop by today!



Click here to visit the site: Sizzling Summer Reads

Wednesday, July 4, 2012

Photos! Small Town July 4th parade inspired a scene in a book.

Hope you enjoy these photos from the real life version of the small town July 4th parade  that inspired a scene in my story, LOVE DELIVERED.

The band plays on the front lawn! In LOVE DELIVERED, it's a high
school band. In real life, it's the awesome Baltimore Marching Ravens band!!
Walking on stilts through the parade


Front yard...just like Pete's yard in LOVE DELIVERED.

Men in Kilts!!

Captain Dee Fense and two parade friends.


Parade spectators dancing to the beat on the huge Victorian porch.



A romance reader!!!


Thanks very much for stopping by today, and thanks for sharing in the fun of a small town parade these past two weeks.

Tuesday, July 3, 2012

Celebrating Independence BlogHop: Happy July 4th!

Welcome to DAY 3 of the fun!!

Enter to win a BENEATH THE SURFACE eBook. It’s easy! Your name will be entered once in the drawing for each of the following that you do:
1. Follow this blog and then leave a comment telling me you’ve followed. (1 entry)


2. Follow me on Twitter and then leave a comment here telling me you’ve followed me. (1 entry)
3. Follow my Joya Fields, Author Facebook Fan page and leave a comment here telling me you've followed. (1 entry)
Note: You don’t have to comment three times. You can simply tell me in one comment that you followed my blog, my twitter account, and Facebook fan page, and you’ll receive three entries. If you already follow all three, leave a comment and you get entered three times! Thanks!
Click here to visit the other participating sites and win other terrific prizes in the blog hop: Celebrating Independence Blog Hop
Thanks so much for stopping by. Please enjoy an excerpt from BENEATH THE SURFACE:
For the first time since the accident, Brooke forgot about her leg. Forgot about all she’d lost and focused on the way Garrett made her feel.
She knew she needed to stop him. She should find a way to resist the temptation to be with him. But for a few minutes, she could enjoy the taste of him, the feel of him, couldn’t she?
He dropped his hands to her waist and softened the kiss before trailing a line of kisses down her neck. A weak cry slipped from her mouth. “Garrett,” she whispered.
She should stop this now before it got any more intense.
He lifted her chin and forced her to meet his brown eyes, smoky with desire. Heat spiraled to her middle and she caught a whiff of his sawdust scent.
“I…I can walk you back to your own room before I head to mine.” His voice broke as he whispered.
She swallowed hard. She couldn’t do this right now with him. Too many obstacles stood in their way. But as she looked in his somber eyes, she realized none of those complications were bigger than her need for Garrett.
“Let’s go to your room,” she said, her voice shaking. She moved her hands inside his shirt and ran them over his tight abs and chest. Heat soared through her body at the feel of him. “Together…”
Purchase Joya's Books Here: Amazon Barnes and Noble The Wild Rose Press

It's Almost Time For The Parade! Small Town Celebrates in Style!

    Some more July 4th fun!  Here are more photos (compliments of my wonderful daughter who went out in 99 degree weather) of how things look along the parade route.
     This small-town tradition of staking a spot weeks in advance of the parade inspired a scene in my story, LOVE DELIVERED.
She's such a *doll* for saving a parade spot
for everyone!

Double duty parade seat?

Sometimes you need more than a lawn chair to save
your parade spot.

Uh oh...if you haven't saved your spot for this small
town July 4th parade yet, you might be out of luck.
Thanks for stopping by. Come back tomorrow for some live shots of the July 4th fun in the small town that inspired a scene in LOVE DELIVERED!
Joya's Books...