Wednesday, June 4, 2014

GRAND FINALE BLITZ: Destiny Bay Sweet Romances by Helen Conrad

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email us at PrismBookTours(at)gmail.com with "Destiny Bay Grand Finale" in the subject line.


On tour with Prism Book Tours

It's the Grand Finale of the REVIEW & EXCERPT TOUR for
Destiny Bay Romances: Sweet Editions
by Helen Conrad

Special Price!
Run Run Runaway (book one in the series) is FREE for Kindle from today through June 4th!!!


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Run Run Runaway

Letters from Annie Douglass Lima - excerpt
“Jennifer Thornton, when are you going to grow up?”
Her head shot up at the familiar voice, but the late afternoon sun was behind him, wrapping him in a mantle of light spears. All that stood out was a set of very wide shoulders and the vague outline of dark glasses hiding his eyes.

Christy's Cozy Corners - Excerpt
She smiled at him, and his face softened, eyes hooded but not unfriendly.
“I’ll be waiting for your call,” he teased back.

Kelly P's Blog - Excerpt
He turned and looked at her.  “No pictures of boyfriends?” he asked softly.
“No one special in your life?”

My Ereader and Me - Excerpt
He hesitated for a moment, watching her. The tumbling chestnut curls invited an affectionate hand to rake through and put them in order. When she looked up at him, her eyes barely visible beneath the windblown hair, she looked so forlorn and vulnerable he had the urge to sweep her up in his arms . . .

I Am A Reader - Excerpt
Ah, if she only dared tell him! “Let’s race,” she challenged. “Down to the pier and back. The winner gets … a kiss,” she said wildly, dropping his arm.

Astrid laughed softly. “Don’t worry about it, dear.” She dabbed powder on her nose from a golden compact. “Reid is obviously fascinated with you for the moment.”

deal sharing aunt  - Review
Who doesn't argue with their parents? I was proud that Jennifer went home and tried to reconnect with her parents. She definitely got her stubbornness from her dad. I enjoyed reading about Destiny Bay and I am reading A Little Blackmail next! 

The Wonderings of One Person - Excerpt
She didn’t really panic. A strange, white blankness came over her. Her mouth opened in a silent scream, and she tried to think carefully, logically, all the while the earth was rushing toward her as though she were in a jet plane aimed into the side of a mountain.
Jennifer is quite the wild child. It remains a mystery why she chooses to throw herself out of airplanes, among other dangerous things, until later on in the book.

The Reading Diaries - Review
The book is a quick read that I finished in one afternoon it was hard to put down I had to see how Jennifer’s story would play out. I love a good clean romance that has a great story that is well written that teens as well as adults will enjoy. This is my first book by the author but I’m excited to read the next installment in the Destiny Bay Series.

Mythical Books - Excerpt
It occurred to Jennifer that the more she ate, the less time she’d have for talking. “You know what, this dessert list looks awfully good. Could you add a hot fudge sundae to my order?” She smiled at the waitress. 

Tressa's Wishful Endings - Review
 I liked how carefree, but responsible (because she really is regardless of what others think) Jennifer is. I loved her teasing and fun nature. She definitely had her insecurities and they were her downfall on more than one occasion, but they fit her character. 

i blog 4 books - Review
 I enjoyed the beach town where the book was set. It was fun to imagine what it would be like to live in a beach community.

Getting Your Read On - Review
I liked the interactions between Jennifer and Reid.  You feel the history and connection between them. 

My Love for Reading Keeps Growing - Excerpt
“We can’t talk in here,” Reid yelled, his lips almost pressed against Jennifer’s ear.
“You’re not supposed to talk in here,” she yelled back.

The Written Adventure - Excerpt
His smile grew slowly and he reached for her again. “Jenny, Jenny, how could I ever have doubted you? I think maybe you’re an angel sent to comfort us all.”

LibriAmoriMiei - Review
It 's a novel sweet, soft and clean, talks about love, friendship and family. 


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A Little Blackmail

Kelly P's Blog - Excerpt
"Vanessa, Vanessa," he murmured, grinning. "How you've changed from the passionate woman of my dreams."
"I'm not Vanessa," she hissed.
"Sit," he ordered, and she sat. "What would you like to eat?"
"I'm not hungry," she said, though a sudden rumbling in her stomach reminded her that she hadn't eaten a thing since breakfast...

My Love for Reading Keeps Growing - Excerpt
"Look at her. After she travels, she goes into some sort of a time warp. She can hardly remember her name ..."
"I can remember yours," she said sweetly, pretending to smile, but glaring at him from beneath lowered lashes. "‘Mud,' wasn't it?"

Tressa's Wishful Endings - Review
Matt was also a fun male protagonist with all the usual charming personality (when he wanted to be charming) and good looks. There was definitely plenty of romantic tension between him and Janet.

All That's Written ... - Excerpt
“What?” His outrage echoed in her head. “Where are you?” She hesitated. What in the world was she going to tell him? If she told him the truth, he and Howie would be over here in no time, ready to rescue her. She couldn’t have that.

I Am A Reader - Excerpt
“Do I look like her?” she asked.
“Like Vanessa?” He wasn’t sure, actually. He’d seen Vanessa’s picture in the magazine article about Matt and his enormously successful oil operations in Brazil and Argentina.  He knew Vanessa was attractive, with long black hair — so that fit fine.  That article was what had given him the idea to try this elaborate hoax.
“You’re much prettier,” he admitted.

My Ereader and Me - Excerpt
She frowned at him...  “She was pretty surprised to hear she’d already been replaced by another phony Vanessa.”
He considered what she said for a moment, then shrugged, as though the whole affair hardly concerned him at all. “Never mind,” he said lightly. “You make a much better Vanessa than she did.”

The Wonderings of One Person - Excerpt
Maybe it was her sweet red mouth or the way her black hair brushed against her cheek. Maybe it was the way her smile seemed to light up the sky, sending a wave of intoxicating warmth through him. Whatever it was, for the moment at least, he was hooked.

Mythical Books - Intro from Author
Janet’s life has been academic and protected until now. Mistakes are made and her cat ends up being taken by Matt Carrington as a prop in a con he’s running against a sweet old lady. Janet takes the plunge into the dark side when she tries to steal her Alexander back and gets caught up in Matt’s plot, blackmailed into pretending to be his wife. Con men are usually charmers, and Matt is no exception. Soon Janet is torn between what she knows is right—and what her heart begins to feel. 

Katie's Clean Book Collection - Review
 I thought it was funny that the opening scene showed Janet as a cat burglar trying to steal a cat. She isn't that type of person at all. She values honestly above all else and hates to be caught in a lie, but that's exactly where she finds herself when she is discovered by the one who "stole" her cat--Matt. 

The Reading Diaries - Review
 I like that Janet is a character that feels real, she’s had loss in her life but she’s learned to move on. I knew right off the bat that Matt was perfect for Janet he just has to win her over and not scare her away

LibriAmoriMiei - Review
It 's a story written really well, is smooth and addictive, once you start it is hard to quit. It 's a novel sweet and funny , even a little  mysterious .

i blog 4 books - Review
A Little Blackmail picks up with Matt Carrington (brother of Reid Carrington from Run Run Runaway). Matt is obviously hiding something, so Janet's unexpected arrival (behind the curtains of his second story bedroom!) definitely has the potential to complicate things. I was delighted by the "marriage" of convenience aspect—another favorite storyline of mine.

Letters from Annie Douglass Lima - Excerpt
He looked over at Janet on the bed, her dark hair spilled out in a midnight cloud. She looked like an angel against the white sheets. It had been a long time since a woman had captured his natural male inclinations like this one had. He tried to hide it with jokes and lighthearted banter, but it was there. It never left him.

Getting Your Read On - Review
Matt comes off as the bad guy at first but as bits of the story come out, we learn right along with Janet what Matt is really up to.  Maybe he isn’t quite as bad as he first appeared to be.

The Written Adventure - Excerpt
She waited, heart pounding, in case anything inside was going to react, if any alarm was going to go off. There wasn't a sound. Holding her breath, she pushed a little more. The door glided smoothly, leaving a six-inch opening. Janet stared at it, waiting, her heart beating furiously.

Christy's Cozy Corners - Excerpt
He grinned. "Right after we're married."
"Oh." She hardly knew which way was up any longer. "Are we getting married?"
“Am I getting ahead of things?” he asked, looking alarmed. “I don’t want to scare you. Forget I said that.” He kissed her softly...


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Moving Too Fast
Book Intro

Kelly P's Blog - Excerpt
Reaching out lazily, he pretended to brush a curl from her cheek and tuck it behind her ear.  He gave her another wink and turned to go, making his way back across the lawn.

Carrie watched him go, breathing hard in a way that was pure embarrassment...
“Do you know him?”

Carrie shook her head. “I’m not sure. Who is he?”

“Grant Carrington. The race-car driver.”

deal sharing aunt - Review
The author has created a great series with characters that could be my neighbors. The Carringtons are definitely sought after men. 

My Ereader and Me - Excerpt
“To chance encounters,” he said, his eyes making the statement provocative.
“To miraculous escapes,” she countered, her chin rising with the challenge.
There was a charged tension between them as their gazes locked, and then the low rumble of his laugh spilled out, the rich, textured sound of it rubbing against her in a way that did nothing to soothe her jangled nerves.

All That's Written ... - Highlight

Mythical Books - Excerpt
Grant’s cool gaze took in exactly what was going on. He looked at Carrie and immediately saw the anger in her eyes. They’d been baiting her and she was furious. A deep feeling of pure satisfaction filled him. Their loss just might be his gain after all.

I Am A Reader - Excerpt
“You came back,” he answered shortly. “I wasn’t sure you would.”
She gestured toward the padded table. “Of course I came back. You can’t scare me off that easily.”

The Wonderings of One Person - Excerpt
The ocean breeze blew her hair across her face, and Grant reached to brush it back. Emotion welled up inside her, and she grabbed his hand, pressing it to her face, pressing the palm to her lips.
“Oh, Carrie,” he said, groaning as though in pain, pulling her into his embrace. “What am I going to do with you?”
Katie's Clean Book Collection - Review
Carrie is a very naive and inexperienced woman and feels that Grant is a danger to be around, just like a Big Bad Wolf (I loved that part!). She's also pretty stubborn and quick to assume. Yet, she sure is willing to give her heart away faster than she wanted to. 

My Love for Reading Keeps Growing - Excerpt
“Do you always get what you want?” she prodded, gazing up from beneath her dark lashes.
He touched her chin with one lone finger. “Always,” he said, and it was as much a warning as a promise.


Tressa's Wishful Endings - Review
By far Moving Too Fast was my favorite from this series! It had a dark and brooding bad boy for the male protagonist and a sweet and lovable female protagonist. There was plenty of romantic tension with just a few intense kisses...

The Reading Diaries - Review
Grant has issues but maybe that’s why I like him so much he’s very much a broken guy who needs a girl to heal his heart.

i blog 4 books - Review
Carrie's determination to help Grant recover from his injury—despite the fact that he thinks he can recover on his own—was a great match for Grant's stubbornness. I enjoyed seeing how Carrie grew throughout the book, to the point where she was a strong character rather than someone who has trouble standing up for herself.

Letters from Annie Douglass Lima - Excerpt
Carrie shuddered, averting her gaze. She was deeply troubled by what he’d told her. She was beginning more and more to understand why he was so hard on himself, so hard on her.


Getting Your Read On - Review
The attraction, chemistry and emotion in this book are on high at all times.

The Written Adventure  - Excerpt
“You’ll have to accept it, Carrie.” His voice was rough, but gentle. “I don’t know who I am when I’m not racing. I need it. I have to go. And I may never be back.”
She was living her own worst nightmare. “I can’t accept that,” she repeated.



Christy's Cozy Corners - Excerpt
He sighed, shaking his head. “It’s different for me now.” Reaching across the gulf that separated them, he touched her cheek with his fingertips. “I . . . I’ve got you.”

LibriAmoriMiei
This is the funniest novel in the series, but is also very sweet and romantic. 
The author has also created for this story  characters realistic, fun and very different from each other.
A must read for those who love romance .........


Run Run Runaway
Destiny Bay Romances - Forever Yours
(Sweet Edition #1)
by Helen Conrad
Adult Romance
Paperback & Ebook, 169 pages
March 28th 2014 by Doorknock Publishing

Run Run Runaway is the Sweet Edition of My Little Runaway, the story of Reid Carrington and Jennifer Thornton.

It seemed like a good idea at the time. 

The trouble is, when you run from your problems, you often find out your biggest obstacle is along for the tripit's you! Reid Carrington realizes that when he finds Jennifer and recognizes the quiet desperation in her eyes. Can he save someone who doesn't want to be saved? Or like a lifeguard rescuing a swimmer, will she pull him down into the undertow in the end?

Recipes for Jennifer's Mango Salsa and Tilly's Bruschetta included. 

Purchase from Amazon.


A Little Blackmail

Destiny Bay Romances - Forever Yours
(Sweet Edition #2)
by Helen Conrad
Adult Romance
Paperback & Ebook, 172 pages
March 28th 2014 by Doorknock Publishing

A Little Blackmail is the Sweet Edition of Wife For A Night, the story of Janet Cardona and Matt Carrington.

Sometimes you have to break the rules to right a wrong.

Janet Cardona is usually a by-the-book good girlbut when Matt Carrington won't give her cat back, she sees red. Rules mean nothing when there's an animal to be saved. So when she's caught in a burglary and blackmailed for it, she finds she can't refuse. Matt only needs her to pretend to be his wife for a day or two so that he can run a scam he's involved in. But once the pretense gets going, he begins to yearn for the real thing. Now Janet has to decide if she can let herself fall for a con man.

Recipes for Crab Open-faced Sandwiches and Basic Asian Soup included.

Purchase from Amazon.


Moving Too Fast

Destiny Bay Romances - Forever Yours
(Sweet Edition #3)
by Helen Conrad
Adult Romance
Paperback & Ebook, 165 pages
March 28th 2014 by Doorknock Publishing

Moving Too Fast is the Sweet Edition of Too Scared To Breathe, the story of Grant Carrington and Carrie Harlow.

A sweet old-fashioned girl

isn’t what Grant Carrington is looking for. A man who lives for speed and danger, he’s only slowed down because he’s been forced to by an injury. Carrie Harlow isn’t his type, but he needs her in order to heal. She knows she’s playing with fire, but she feels she can help him and she goes for it—even though she knows she’s endangering her own heart as she fixes his.

Recipe for Carrie's Chicken Picatta included.

Purchase from Amazon.

Image of Helen Conrad

Helen Conrad is an award-winning, bestselling author of more than 90 romances (over 15 million copies sold) published under various pseudonyms with Harlequin, Silhouette, Loveswept, and others. She is currently revamping and rewriting much of her backlist--some available in the US for the first time--to present on Kindle.



A Little About the Destiny Bay Romances: Sweet Editions
From Author Helen Conrad

"The Destiny Bay Romances take place in the sort of beach town I've always loved--and now I live in one! But writing about beach towns came first and this series is centered on the rich, influential Carrington family living along the California Coast, and in Hawaii. These are good-looking, fast-driving, hard-hitting men and women whose impulses lead them into trouble every time--and inevitably to fall in love.

The original series includes language and love scenes that aren't, for the most part, especially harsh and explicit--but some of my readers from my years writing sweets for Harlequin as Raye Morgan have asked if we couldn't have sweet and clean versions--and I thought--what a good idea! 

These are basically the same stories...but with the conflicts softened a bit, the language cleaned up, and no explicit love scenes. There are still a few adult situations, but they're muted. Consider these the PG versions. 

I hope you enjoy them!"


Tour-Wide Giveaway

- US Grand Prize: $20 Amazon gift card and paperbacks of Run Run RunawayA Little Blackmail, and Moving Too Fast

- INT Grand Prize: $20 Amazon gift card and ebooks of Run Run RunawayA Little Blackmail, and Moving Too Fast
- 2 sets of ebooks of Run Run RunawayA Little Blackmail, and Moving Too Fast (INT)

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Prism Book Tours






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Tuesday, June 3, 2014

Gimme Some Sugar by Kimberly Kincaid Blog Tour {Review + Giveaway}










Book Blurb:

Out of the frying pan. . .and into the fire!

Desperate to escape the spotlight of her failed marriage to a fellow celebrity-chef, Carly di Matisse left New York City for a tiny town in the Blue Ridge Mountains. The restaurant she's running these days may not be chic, but in Pine Mountain she can pretend to be the tough cookie everybody knows and loves. Until she finds herself spending too much time with a way-too-hot contractor whose rugged good looks melt her like butter...

Jackson Carter wasn't looking for love. But he's not the kind of man to walk away from a worksite—or from a fiery beauty whose passionate nature provides some irresistible on-the-job benefits...

It's the perfect temporary arrangement for two ravenous commitment-phobes, except that Jackson and Carly keep coming back for seconds... and thirds... and fourths...


 

My Review





Carly thought she was living the dream until she walked in on her husband cheating on her. Now she is in Blue Ridge Mountains trying to get her life back on track while going through a divorce. While there she meets a lot of wonderful people and one of those people is Jackson. Welll she only met him because a tree crashed her porch. At first she is a little annoyed at the racket from the rebuilding of the porch and then she gets flustered from watching him work. She knows that it would never work between them, but when a man looks like Jackson how can she resist.

Jackson is a man haunted by a past he rather forget, but ends up popping into his mind every time he gets involved with a woman. He has never been in a serious relationship and he wants to keep it that why. He will never marry because is he does all he is going to do is hurt the person he ends up with. Carly has him thinking differently though. She is like no other woman he met and she is one hell of a cook. :D

What’s a chef and a contractor to do when they both are interested in each other? Make bad food jokes of course. Lol and maybe make and build a little romance. ;)

Gimme Some Sugar was a sugary sweet book that had some light and dark moments. The book alternates between Carly and Jackson’s POV. We get to know what their feelings really are and what is really going on. I like that it just wasn’t a romance book, but also a discovery of what you really want in life. Carly loves to cook, but she doesn’t realize that she wants to be loved as well, same goes for Jackson, except he is a contractor. Lol it also shows how nasty a divorce can get and the emotion turmoil of Carly as she goes through it. She fortunately has family and friend to help her throughout it. Maybe not her mom so much because she is Catholic, but she just wants what she thinks is best for her daughter. I loved how there was no insta love as well, they are in their thirties so I’m glad they have some sense lol Nothing was rushed and it was all very genuine. They were very sweet to each other and Jackson was very supportive of Carly’s obsession with cooking.

All in All Gimme Some Sugar was sugary sweet and made me quite hungry lol If you are a fan of cooking and some tender loving this book is for you. :D

3.8 STARS










Author Bio:

Kimberly Kincaid writes contemporary romance novels that split the difference between sexy and sweet, taking the traditional idea of boy-meets-girl and infusing it with a sassy magic all her own. She believes in fiery yet flawed characters destined for a crash-course in falling in love-- usually the hard way-- and injects her trademark humor as well as poignant touches into her writing to create her stories.

Kimberly's writing journey has led down some bumpy roads (that first manuscript is under the bed, where it is very likely to stay), but there has been some fresh pavement too (her second manuscript earned her very first contest final, and landed the fantastic Maureen Walters at the Curtis Brown Literary Agency). One thing is certain -- the wild ride of being a writer is a lot richer in both its ups and downs because of friends and readers along the path.

When Kimberly's not sitting cross-legged in an ancient desk chair known as "The Pleather Bomber", she can be found practicing obscene amounts of yoga, whipping up anything from enchiladas to eclairs in her kitchen, or curled up with her nose in a book. She resides in northern Virginia with her wildly patient husband and their three daughters.

Places to find Kimberly Kincaid:







GIVEAWAY TIME!!!!!!! 
 Giveaway Info: $20 Gift Card (Amazon or Barnes & Noble) + Swag Pack


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Monday, June 2, 2014

[Review] Here's Looking at You

Goodreads | Amazon |Indie Bound | B&N

What if the last person you wanted to see was the person you needed?
Here's Looking At You is, in essence, an ugly duckling tale. Our heroine Anna returns to school after fifteen years for a reunion. School doesn't hold happy memories for her, as being a roly poly Italian (known as the Italian Galleon), and always armed with a Tupperware full of pungent Mediterranean food, she was bullied incessantly throughout her years there.

Now in her 30s, Anna wants to put the past behind her once and for all and face up to the bullies who made her life hell. But she is much-changed from the girl she once was - all curves and because I'm worth it hair - and no one recognizes her when she arrives. Losing her cool, she backs out on her plan for revenge and slinks off, hoping never to be reminded of her years at school again.

But fate gets in the way, and after the reunion her path keeps crossing with James - major hunk and Anna's major crush back at school. But alas, as a crony to the bullies, Anna to this day believes that his beautiful exterior hides an ugly interior. As they continue to cross paths a love/hate relationship ensues until eventually something shifts, and they both start to discover what the person underneath is really like…

Full of laugh out loud humor, Here's Looking At You is a novel about facing your demons and being happy with who you really are







Mhairi McFarlane


Mhairi McFarlane was born in Scotland in 1976, and has been explaining how to pronounce her name ever since (MH=V sound!). She is the author of You Had Me At Hello, and is based in Nottingham where she’s a freelance writer and blogger. You can follow her on Twitter: @MhairiMcF. Goodreads.








Review
Here's Looking at you follows the two main characters from the third person point of view.

I really liked the main characters in general... but at the same time I sort of hated them. (don't pull any punches there, Snyder. lol) The characters are so real and they tackle some real life prejudices and choices that everyone has to make- whether in high school dealing with horrible situations and people or in the adult world dealing with jobs and relationships. 

I could relate a lot to the deeper insecurities of both of the characters- especially Anna. I will say that at some points, I really wanted to punch James in the throat, however. He could be a pain.. but seeing as how I was able to see things from his point of view (literally) I can see that some of the nasty things said by either of the two characters were said defensively or under duress- so for the most part I can forgive a lot of the nastiness. (disclaimer. This does not mean the book is full of hate. I am just saying.. I can forgive. lol)

One of the best parts was watching their rocky friendship develop into a lovely sort of camaraderie between two equally clever characters. The way the relationships unfolded and changed with certain events in the characters lives rang true to me. 

I can say that the book was very cute and funny. The banter between Anna and James was very endearing- when they weren't fighting. I also enjoyed the brief internet dating fiascos throughout the novel- whenever the book would get especially serious, those parts were always there to lend a sort of lightheartedness to the story. They were sort of the comic relief for the harder parts of the book.

The book is a stand- alone. Which I love. I was very satisfied with the ending.

All in all, I enjoyed the book and would recommend to fans of adult books (although it can be read by a younger crowd) with a little romance, tough situations, and endearing characters fighting to find themselves in the adult world. Oh, and it was cute and funny! ;)


3.9/5








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Sunday, June 1, 2014

Benton: A Zombie Novel [Book Blitz + Giveaway!]





Benton: A Zombie Novel


Amazon (ebook) | Goodreads
(Available in print after June 1)

Zombies have killed everyone in the Benton household--all except twenty-something Jennifer. She's escaped her bedroom, but what now? Waterbank, Illinois is overrun. Where can she go?

A chance encounter with seven other young survivors points her toward Texas. A charismatic, handsome young man named Mark says he can lead them all to his family's ranch. He's sure they'll be safe there. Jennifer wants to trust him, with her life and possibly her heart.

There's no place else to go, there's no way to escape the zombies but through, and there's no telling if Jennifer and Mark will live long enough to act on the emotion building between them.






Jolie DuPre



Goodreads| Website | Facebook | Twitter | Blog
Mailing list | Google+ | YouTube

Jolie du Pre is a full-time, published author, editor, article writer and blogger. She has short stories in over 15 books; she's the author of a novella, and she’s the editor of three anthologies. Today, Jolie's focus is on her new adult/romance/zombie apocalypse series - BENTON. Jolie is a married mother of two who loves writing, reading, traveling, cooking, running, pole dance and fitness, and monsters, especially zombies.




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Giveaway (US)

*Print copy of Benton
*ebook copy of Benton
*Dashboard Zombie (pictured below)












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