Posts tagged blog hop

New Adult Scavenger Hunt ~ Team Purple

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Welcome to New Adult Scavenger Hunt! This bi-annual event was inspired as a way to give readers a chance to gain access to exclusive bonus material from their favorite authors…and a chance to win some awesome prizes! At this hunt, you not only get access to exclusive content from each author, you also get a clue for the hunt. Add up the clues, and you can enter for our prize–one lucky winner will receive one book from each author on the hunt in my team! But play fast: this contest (and all the exclusive bonus material) will only be online for 72 hours!

Go to the New Adult Scavenger Hunt page to find out all about the hunt. There are THREE contests going on simultaneously, and you can enter one or all! I am a part of the TEAM PURPLE –but there are other chances to win a whole different set of books!

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If you’d like to find out more about the hunt, see links to all the authors participating, and see the full list of prizes up for grabs, go to the New Adult Scavenger Hunt page

***THE SCAVENGER HUNT***

Directions: Below, you’ll notice that I’ve listed my lucky book number. Collect the lucky book numbers of all the authors on Team Purple, and then add them up.
Entry Form: Once you’ve added up all the numbers, make sure you fill out the form here to officially qualify for the grand prize:

CLICK FOR ENTRY FORM

Only entries that have the correct number will qualify.
Rules: Open internationally, anyone below the age of 18 should have a parent or guardian’s permission to enter.

To be eligible for the grand prize, you must submit the completed entry form by Sunday, May 1st at NOON. US EST Eastern Time. Entries sent without the correct number or without contact information will not be considered.

LET THE HUNT BEGIN!
***MEET NICKI ELSON***

avitar3Nicki Elson writes spicy fiction with a sweet and dreamy center. She does other stuff, too…like obsess over Survivor and The Bachelor (and she’s not ashamed to admit it).

Writing wasn’t something Nicki set out to do; it just sort of happened when she realized writing reports was by far her favorite part of her investment consulting position. She traded stock allocation and diversification for story arcs and dialogue and now weaves her creative writing time in with the other activities of her busy life with her family in the Chicago suburbs.

Nicki writes with two goals in mind: #1 to keep the characters realistic, even when their circumstances are anything but, and #2 to make the reader feel.

For more information, please visit her at http://nickielson.com/

Introducing her Book…

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Three Daves: DAVID – SOPHOMORE YEAR

Jennifer Whitney always expected to save her virginity for that special someone. But the nineteen year old college sophomore is tired of waiting for the universe to bring him to her—especially while everyone around her is gaining valuable experience in the bedroom…and in the library stacks and in conversion vans…

Afraid of falling behind, she decides to lose her virginity to her friend David, someone she’d never ever risk a romantic relationship with after what he did to her. Trouble is, she’s been crushing on David since freshman year. Can she really take that step with him and not fall into the trap of hoping things will turn real?

This is part one of a reboot of the novel Three Daves.

“I asked my interior designer to give me something appropriate for defiling virgins.” ~David

PURCHASE LINK:
AMAZON


Also in the series:

Part 2: DAVE – JUNIOR YEAR
With solid sexual experience under her belt, Jennifer Whitney is determined to return to her good girl status until she meets the right guy. Sexy super-senior Dave is not the right guy.

“Come on, good girl. Be bad.” ~Dave

Part 3: BIG D – SENIOR YEAR
Big D is wonderful. Big D is perfect. Big D is taking way too long to make a freaking move.

“Of all the fraternity houses on campus, you had to walk into mine.” ~Big D

 

Excerpt from DAVID: SOPHOMORE YEAR (Three Daves part 1)

 

“Hey” David said, grabbing papers off her side of the table to clear a space.

“Don’t worry. I’m not staying. I just have a question for you.” Jen sat, trying to appear casual.

His dark eyes surveyed her as he leaned back in his chair, nodding for her to continue.

“Do you still want to be friends again?” she asked.

“Yeah, of course.”

“You understand there would be absolutely no chance whatsoever of us ever dating again. Never, never, ever.”

“Sure, yeah.”

Jen sat silent, deciding on her next words. She had to phrase this just the right way. Glancing from side to side, she made sure no one was close enough to overhear.

Before she could speak, David jumped in. “Jen, I’ll do whatever I can to make things up to you.”

“Anything?”

“Yes. Anything. Just ask.”

A small smile crept onto Jen’s face. “Okay, so I’ve already forgiven you, but I was thinking maybe you could do something for me in return.”

David nodded in agreement and Jen launched into an explanation of her epiphany in Daytona Beach. David listened with his brow furrowed, probably wondering what any of this had to do with him.

“My plan is this: I need to sleep with someone. Soon,” Jen told him.

David shrugged. “Should be easy enough to accomplish. Lots of young, virile men on campus.”

“Not just anyone. I mean, I don’t want it to be like a casual sex kind of thing. I want it to be focused lessons on intercourse with someone I’ll absolutely never date.”

David still looked confused.

“Never, never, ever.” Jen gave David a significant look.

His dark brows unfurrowed, and a devilish grin crept onto his face. He’d caught her meaning.

“Are you dating anyone right now?” Jen asked.

“Nope.”

“Good. Can you commit to not dating anyone during a five week period?”

“Not a problem. But why five weeks?”

“I think five sessions, each spaced about a week apart, ought to be enough to cover the basics and give me a strong foundation on which to build in the future.”

“You make it sound like a formal program,” he teased. “Do I need to fill out an application?”

“First requirement: a working penis.” Jen cast a questioning glance at David to which he responded with a confirming nod. “Check. Second requirement: no girlfriend. Check. And third: you owe me. Check. See, you’re totally qualified. So…you in?”

“Of course I’m in.”

“Good. Great,” Jen was relieved, but it had all come about more easily than she’d expected. She wasn’t sure what to do next. Fortunately, she’d been proactive and had already started on her birth control prescription from the university health clinic. She had condoms tucked away in a hidden pocket of her book bag. “Okay, so, um, give me a call when you’ve finished studying and we can set something up. Make it soon, though. Before I change my mind.”

“I can study later.” David snatched at his papers and books, gathering them.

“Oh, uh, okay…I guess now’s good, then.” Things were going way more quickly than she’d expected. At least she wouldn’t have time to obsess about it anymore. She was nervous, but she was also confident in her plan and with her choice of David. She didn’t have to worry about “what if” with him. She’d already seen it, and a repeat wasn’t the least bit tempting.

David crammed a mass of papers into one of his books and dropped his calculator three times before managing to secure it in his backpack. When they started walking and David’s back was to her, Jen smiled. It gave her great pleasure to see him so agitated, especially knowing that she was the one who’d caused the agitation. On the walk to Pemberley Hall, he asked, “Did you honestly think there was any chance I’d turn you down?”

“Well, it’s a rather odd request, don’t you think?”

“Odd doesn’t equal unpleasant.”

Once in his small dorm room, David assured Jen that his roommate wouldn’t be back for hours. He was off hunting turtles or something for his zoology class. Jen had never been in David’s room before. Painting wasn’t allowed, so David had taped black sheets of construction paper over every surface of the wall on his side of the room, giving it a creepy ambiance. His roommate had posters of planets and other outer space scenes on his side. Over his desk by the window was tacked a large map of a mythical kingdom.

David’s wall held only the black paper. No posters or maps or anything at all. From the ceiling he’d hung shoes by their laces—Jen recognized his old high tops—and a large sculpture made entirely of paperclips. It was bizarre but had a certain elegance.

“This is charming,” she said. “Real cheerful.”

“Thanks,” David replied with a grin. “I recently redecorated. I asked my interior designer to give me something appropriate for defiling virgins.”

Jen laughed. “Good timing, I guess.”

The banter was light, but Jen’s heart thundered in her chest. This was really going to happen. David walked up to her and tilted her chin. He touched his lips to hers in a tentative kiss. Jen’s eyes stayed wide open, watching him and keeping her lips stiff. After a moment, she jerked her head back. “David, you don’t have to kiss me.”

“You’re about to be lying naked in my bed. I actually do have to kiss you. I want to kiss you,” he quickly rephrased.

“All right. But I think for this first time, let’s keep it simple. No fancy stuff. Just straight to business. We can work on technique later.”

“Okay.” David gently drew his fingers down the side of her face and locked his dark eyes on hers. His lips twisted into a soft smile. “You’re a very strange girl, but I’m glad you’re talking to me again.”

Jen smiled at the affection in his tone. His voice rolled over her like a warm blanket and put her more at ease. He pressed his mouth to hers again, and her lips were softer, but the kiss still felt awkward. They moved on to undressing, which Jen did as swiftly as possible and then dove under David’s blanket to avoid the embarrassment of standing naked in front of him.

David soon joined her and was persistent in his kisses, covering her mouth in a series of tender pecks until it all felt very natural. Jen closed her eyes and lifted her face to his. David pressed her head down into the pillow, and their mouths opened in a real kiss. Jen tried not to think about the last time they’d kissed. She tried not to think about the first time, either.

Soon, she was only thinking about David’s hands as they began to wander.

NOTE FROM NICKI: Hope you enjoyed that excerpt! Just want to clarify that my book included in the Team Purple giveaway is a paper copy of the original version of this story—the retro version when Jen and her boys were back in the 80s. In the new version, they’ve been transported to the new millennium and each Dave’s been given his own novella along with a host of other updates (including sexy new covers. ;)).

Awesome!! I’m adding to my TBR, now. How about you? And don’t forget to enter the contest for a chance to win a ton of signed books by me, Nicki, and more!

To enter, you need to know that my lucky book number is 17
Add up all the favorite numbers of the authors on Team Purple and you’ll have the secret code to enter for the grand prize!

***CONTINUE THE HUNT***

To keep going on your quest for the hunt, you need to check out the next author:

Tawdra Kindle at http://tawdrakandle.com

Interview with Blue Phoenix

My recent release, Summer Sky, is the first book in the contemporary rock romance series ‘Blue Phoenix’. This is an interview with two of the band members that I wrote for the 2014 Romance Blogfest hosted by My Crazy Corner and omitted to send  *sigh*. Check out all the posts about talented romance authors over at the blog:

http://mycrazzycorner.blogspot.com/2014/04/meet-author-lisa-swallow.html

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Interview with Dylan Morgan and Jem Jones from the band Blue Phoenix

Dylan Morgan sits in the chair opposite, clearly not wanting to be here. Once over, interviewing Dylan would have led to a mix of nerves and excitement, his reputation back then suggested the possibility of more than an interview for anyone who caught his eye. This Dylan is guarded, and I’ve been instructed not to ask too much about the last few months. Guitarist Jem Jones is with us too, hidden behind dark sunglasses, glass of whiskey in his hand. The tension between the two is thick in the room. Wish me luck…

Me – Thanks for agreeing to the interview. How are things going with the new album? Should we expect more of the same from Blue Phoenix or is this a different direction?

Jem – We’ve had a delay (looks at Dylan) but we’re on track to release around August. Yeah, some more of the same but some new sounds too. We had some guest vocals from Danni-K and a new producer so I don’t think anyone will be disappointed.

Me – So kicking off another tour next month? It’s been over a year since you last toured. Excited?

Dylan – Big tours are tough. We spent three years solid touring and yeah, I don’t enjoy it as much as I did. But necessary evil I guess *laughs*

Jem – I see it as why we’re musicians – to perform and connect with as many fans as we can.

Dylan – Yeah, I get that Jem but we don’t all get the same things out of touring as you do.

Jem – Hope you can make it this time…Not planning any more vacations?

Me – I sense a bit of the famous Dylan and Jem tension around. Having issues around the musical direction of the album?

Jem – We just got issues *laughs* but what fun would we be without them?

Me – So, Dylan. A new look with the short hair. What made you go for an image change? A lot of your fans were shocked!

Dylan – I’ve had long hair since I was sixteen and didn’t recognise myself anymore. I figured a change might help.

Me – We all worried about you last month when you disappeared. Everything okay now?

Dylan – I needed time out.

Jem – According to Twitter you died about ten times in that week *laughs*

Me – And the world still wants to know about the girl who stole your heart while you were away.

Jem – *snorts*

Dylan – Didn’t you get told I’m not talking about my personal life? She’s nothing to do with the band or the music.

Me – We saw you talking about her on Twitter and we’ve seen the pictures. The world wants to know if she’s still in your life?

Dylan stands and walks to the window, back to me and I realise I’ve pushed things too far. But I had to ask, I’d be in trouble if I didn’t! The whole world wants to know who captured the unattainable Dylan Morgan and where she is now.

Me – My apologies, I think the fans just want to know if Dylan Morgan is still on the market. We already lost Liam to Honey.

Jem – I’m still around if you’re looking, sweetheart. For now. I don’t think this Sky chick wants anything to do with him. Why would she once she realises who the real Dylan Morgan is?

Dylan swears at Jem under his breath, glances at me then storms from the room bringing the interview to an abrupt end.

More details about the band can be found at:

http://lisaswallow.net/blue-phoenix-series/

****

Summer Sky buy links (currently on sale at 99c):

http://amzn.to/1mJX9br (US)

http://amzn.to/1fqS8jF (UK)

http://bit.ly/1fqSNSh (AU)

From Australia With Love Blog Hop: Katie Teller

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As part of the From Australia With Love Blog Hop, I’d like to welcome to Katie Teller. Check out her guest post and find out more about Katie and her books below.

What I Miss Most About Australia

I am Australian, 110%. I love sports, especially football… men in short shorts, yeah. Sold. I love Milo, Tim Tams, Pavlova and Lamingtons. I grew up in “the bush,” playing capture the flag and laughing at my sister for falling into a creek bed. I love the beach, the sand the tingling sensation of sunburn coming on, how my hair turns blonder over summer because of too much swimming…

As you can tell I can go on and on. Living in the USA, there are times when I find people just don’t get it. Which is ironic to me considering how patriotic people here can be. I get, “How did you survive the snakes and spiders?” I shrug and say, “The same way you do, except with a little less screaming.”

But I miss home terribly. Australia will always be my home. There are times when I get so home sick I just close myself off from the world and pretend I’m back, smelling the eucalyptus fresh scent in the air, listening to the cicadas drone. My heart lies in my country, my home.

I think that’s why my novel end up being set in Australia. While I write I’m back, living in the place I love. Where there are trees. Humidity. (I live in Arizona) Where there are faces I’ve always known, places I’ll never forget.

About Katie

katie-teller-author-photo-2-3Born and raised in Australia, Katie’s early years of day dreaming in the “bush”, and having her father tell her wild bedtime stories, inspired her passion for writing.
After graduating High School, she became a foreign exchange student where she met a young man who several years later she married. Now she lives in Arizona with her husband, daughter and their dog.
She has a diploma in travel and tourism which helps inspire her writing. She is currently at school studying English and Creative Writing.
Katie loves to out sing her friends and family, play sports and be a good wife and mother. She now works as a Clerk with a lien company in Arizona to help support her family and her schooling. She loves to write, and takes the few spare moments in her day to work on her novels.

Blog: http://kjhstories.blogspot.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Katie-Hamsteads-Stories/247238178656484

Twitter: https://twitter.com/KatieTeller1

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6585259.Katie_Hamstead

**GIVEAWAY**

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From Australia With Love Blog Hop ~ Jan 26 – Feb 14

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Australian writers rock. We know it, and we love them. But it’s not always easy to discover the Australian talent that is right under our noses.

From Australia With Love Blog Hop introduces you to 18 Aussie authors across a variety of categories and genres. Each author is hosting three of their fellow blog hop participants between now and Valentine’s Day to let you find out more about them. So follow them on twitter, like their Facebook page and visit their blogs during the blog hop period to discover more great Australian writers.

Author & Facebook Page Twitter Blog/Website
Adult
Ronnie Strong @RonnieFStrong Ronnie Strong
Becca Lee @authorbeccalee Becca Lee
Nina Levine @NinaLWriter Books By Nina Levine
Nicole R Taylor @Nicole_Noir Nicole R Taylor
Cameron Trost @BlackBeacons Cameron Trost
L.L. Hunter @llhunterbooks Angels on Earth
New Adult and Young Adult
S.M.Johnston @S_M_Johnston Down Under Wonderings
Lisa Swallow @Lisa_Swallow_Au Lisa Swallow
Katie Hamstead @katieteller1  Katie Teller’s Stories
Nicole Hayes @nichmelbourne Nicole Hayes
K.A. Last @KALastbooks K.A.Last
Laura Katherine @lauracatherinep The Quill Weilder
Cassandra Page @CassandraPage01 Cassandra Page
Stacey Nash @staceynash Stacey Nash
Lauren K McKellar @LaurenKMcKellar Lauren K McKellar
MG & Chapter Books*
LJ Clarkson @Ind1cated Mastermind Academy
Melissa Gijsbers @MissieK Melissa Writes
Jacqueline Harvey @JacquelineHarve Jacqueline Harvey

*Also visit YAtopia for additional MG posts.

And to show how much these Aussie authors love their readers, they’ve donated some great prizes for you to win!

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