Sunday, August 19, 2012

Lack of Air Conditioning Turned Me Into a Reader!


I'm the guest author today at Long and Short Reviews! We're celebrating LASR's 5th Anniversary! Hope you'll stop by to find out how the lack of air conditioning turned me into an avid reader. Comment for a chance to win Amazon gift certificates.

Click here:  Joya's Guest Post on LASR

Thursday, August 2, 2012

Michael Phelps and I are Book Title Twins!

Joya's Beneath the Surface Buy Link
Phelps' Beneath the Surface Buy Link



















   Beneath the Surface! A fitting name for Michael Phelps' autobiography since he's spent so much of his life under water. Also a fitting name for my debut romantic suspense because Brooke Richards, the heroine of my debut romantic suspense, is an underwater archaeologist who spends a great deal of time under the water's surface, too.
   To celebrate my *book twin's* Olympic swimming successes, I'm giving away a swag pack (pictured below) for each Olympic medal that Phelps wins at the 2012 Summer Olympics!! Go, Michael, Go! I hope I give away lots of swag packs!

Joya's swag pack includes tote bag, pen, autographed
bookmark, Romance Trading Cards, pens and
sticky notepad.


Rules:
Leave a comment here on my blog telling me about your favorite Olympic moment so far (be sure to leave your email so I can contact you) to enter.  That's it!! Winners will be drawn August 13th. Contest is open to US only.

Thanks so much for stopping by, enjoy the Olympics, and hope you're reading lots of books this summer, including any and all versions of BENEATH THE SURFACE!









Wednesday, August 1, 2012

Cover Reveal: LM Preston's THE PACK






Please welcome my friend and fellow Maryland Writers’ Association member LM Preston to the blog today for her cover reveal of the new edition of THE PACK.
LM Preston is a YA Science Fiction Author. She loves to blog about books, movies, writing, teen topics and more. Check out this awesome release information:


The Pack (Book 1) Cover Reveal for New Edition. The Pack-Retribution (Book 2) available for review via netgalley.com, comes out in print this September, 2012 and the publisher updated the cover of The Pack to match.


The Pack

Description:

Shamira is considered an outcast by most, but little do they know that she is on a mission. Kids on Mars are disappearing, but Shamira decides to use the criminals most unlikely weapons against them the very kids of which they have captured. In order to succeed, she is forced to trust another, something she is afraid to do. However, Valens, her connection to the underworld of her enemy, proves to be a useful ally. Time is slipping, and so is her control on the power that resides within her. But in order to save her brother's life, she is willing to risk it all.


Praise for THE PACK

- I was most impressed by the author's world building abilities. Mars felt real right from the beginning. I gave it to one of my sons to read. lHe did tell me that "the fighting moves were interesting" and he thought "her sword and weapons were cool.".~By Kristien Howell

- A treasure for scifi readers ~ Midwest Reviews

-This sci-fi for YA jets along, full of action and humor and pathos and even a bit of romance. ~Darby Karchut


Excerpt:

She decided then and there that she would give the Security Force just two days before she would attempt to find him herself. Kids of various Security Force Elite members and the Mars Planet Police were sporadically kidnapped over the years, never to turn up again. Shamira swore she would find them and bring pain to those that took them. As she sat there daydreaming of what she would do to those who hurt the missing kids and Officer McCann, she heard a crack. Without realizing she was doing it, she’d pressed her fork so hard onto her plate that the plate snapped in two.

Purchase your copy here:

 

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