Tuesday, April 16, 2013

RACING TO LOVE #3 Cover reveal - Eli's Honor !!!!

Drum roll.......  IT'S TIME!  COVER REVEAL FOR: 

Racing to Love - Eli's Honor  (book #3 in RTL series)

I fell in love with Eli through this story...I have been sitting at the edge of my seat to get him to you!  And even though it seems like a long way off... Eli will hit the shelves 7/11/13!!!!  


OMG ... Isn't it freaking HOT!  

Here's a little insider info:  

Carter Sterling is my sweetheart, so gentle and caring.  And he has to be for Molly's sake, her past couldn't tolerate anything else.

Jesse Frost is my laid-back cowboy from Texas.  He's the most conservative of the gang but when he feels the love of his life, Emery needs him, the alpha in him roars to life.

BUT..... Eli Hunter is well....wow oh wow is all I can say!  The friends he loves so much he adopted as his family and is deeply loyal to them all.  He's got a quiet steel lurking underneath that defined exterior of his.  The single mother that Eli has fallen for has a grace and presence about her that pulls him to her.  However, she has a totally guarded heart, bringing his dominate side rushing to the surface. 


Synopsis:

How can you miss something you never had?

Retired pro motocross racer Eli Hunter had it all.  That’s how he chose to look at things.  A sport he loved, one that his entire world revolved around.  He had been catapulted to rock star status and Eli drank in every minute of it.  He loved the bikes, the tracks, the practices, sweat, hard work, training, dirt, rain, hundred degree heat, Eli loved it all.  Even…when it almost killed him.

Coming full circle, Eli now was part owner and trainer at The Noland SFH Racing Academy.  Spending his time teaching future racers about a sport he adored, helping to form them into what he once was.  The academy saved him from himself, saved him from a depression that could have sent him on a freefall.   For the last three years Eli focused on two things, the academy and his broken body.  Spending all day, every day building both up, and thinking of nothing else.  The end result, the school had taken off, and he could walk. 

It wasn’t until he sat across from a prospective student and his young widowed mother that Eli realized exactly what had been missing in his otherwise complete life.  Eli had been witness to his best friends Carter and Jesse, watching as they found women that made them whole.  He hadn’t had time to miss that for himself, not when walking again had been so important.  Not when proving the doctors wrong by putting his butt back in the seat of a bike had been monumental.

But now?  Those long auburn curls and shy violet eyes were the answer to his unspoken prayers.  

  

Friday, April 12, 2013

Congratulations to my SSP Pub Sister - DANA MASON.....


Yesterday, she revealed the cover for her upcoming release: Precious Embrace 7/11/13




Cover Designer: Okay Creations http://www.okaycreations.com/
Precious Embrace Tagline:  “A new love, a missing child, a family found.”
Precious Embrace Synopsis: (Precious Embrace is Book Two in the Embrace Series)
A second divorce and a new baby wasn’t the vision Alison Hayes had for her future. Now a single mother with two young boys, she wants to focus on her kids and what’s left of her stagnant career.
When Detective Johnny Rhay Bennett breezes into her life with his country-boy accent, she wants to run. She doesn’t need another man in her life, or another reason to make people talk. But when her worst nightmare becomes a reality, Johnny is the only person who can pull Ali out of her despair, forcing her to stay strong and not give up hope of finding her missing child.
~~~
Who falls in love after a one-night stand? Johnny Rhay doesn’t believe it’s possible until it happens to him. With Nashville in his rear-view mirror, he’s determined to convince Alison she loves him too, even if it means moving to the West Coast.
Ali’s not easy, and she’s living on just this side of bitter after her divorce, but Johnny doesn’t care. He’s up for the challenge. At least, he believes he’s up for it until baby Micah is stolen right out from under his nose. Now Johnny has to keep it together and get that sweet little boy home safe before his dreams of having a family vanish too.
Links for Book One: Dangerous Embrace (if you want to post them)
Amazon.com http://www.amazon.com/Dangerous-Embrace-The-Series-ebook/dp/B009KVHBQG/ref=pd_rhf_gw_p_t_1_FA0Q

Amazon UK
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dangerous-Embrace-The-Series-ebook/dp/B009KVHBQG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1360097146&sr=8-1

Barnes and Noble
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dangerous-embrace-dana-mason/1113029974?ean=2940015543834

Kobo
http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/Dangerous-Embrace/book-jeum4whWsUC6ztBJnc6uSg/page1.html?s=nQxAYtDIO0at2UW7h6k7kg&r=1
iBooks: http://www.ibookstore.com/products.php?i=B009KVHBQG
Author info:
Dana Mason starting writing to prove to her computer geek husband and her math & science geek kids that she actually has a brain; it’s just a right functioning brain instead of a left. She’s lived all over the country and uses that experience in her writing and character studies. Her debut novel, Dangerous Embrace is the first in a contemporary romance series about a group of friends from Northern California who learn just how short life can be when you don’t hold on to what’s important.
When not writing, Dana specializes in professional development and training. She’s also a board member on the local Art’s Council and does what she can to support the art community.
Author Links:



Wednesday, April 10, 2013



Come dine with Sophie and Dan: Today’s treat is… Mouth-Melting, Tummy-Tingling Lasagna!
Sophie’s Run Blogtour 2013



Hello there! My name is Sophie, and I am the main character in the Rock Star Romance Trilogy by Nicky Wells. It’s very nice to meet you, and a huge thank to my fabulous Sapphire Star Publishing sister, Amy Gregory, for hosting me here today.

Nicky, my author, is doing a blog tour for her second book, Sophie’s Run. No surprise there, I guess, it’s the done thing, right? Ah, but not this one. You see, Nicky was so blog-toured out from the first book only a few short months ago that she figured you wouldn’t want to read any more about her, her and her. Instead, she’s decided to take you on tour with me and Dan. It’s a journey of geographic and culinary exploration and it involves an awful lot of cooking on my part. Yes, cooking. The woman has me shackled in the kitchen, trying out all these recipes. “I write what I know,” she told me. “I know how to cook, I make you cook in the book, therefore you must learn to cook.”

True. Except slightly unfair, because today’s offering is Dan’s domain, Dan being the lead singer of legendary rock band Tuscq, and my main love interest throughout the course of the Trilogy. He cooks, and my, he’s great at it too. I was just as shocked as you no doubt are! Take a look at this excerpt from Sophie’s Run:

“I told you I could cook,” he announced, and opened the oven door with a flourish. I could just make out a dish filled to the brim with what looked like hot cheesy sauce. It smelled delicious. I took a closer peek but he shooed me away, telling me to sit down at the table, which he had already laid for two.
“What is this?” I managed, totally taken aback.
“Just a little treat,” Dan announced cheerfully, pulling the rack out of the oven and revealing a perfectly cooked, mouth-watering lasagna. “To apologize for my very bad behavior and my long sulk.” He set the steaming dish on the table, narrowly avoiding knocking over an open bottle of red wine.
“I got garlic bread, too…” he continued, deftly retrieving it from the oven. “Oh, and salad.” He scurried to the fridge.

It was delicious, I can tell you. And wonderful amazing things happened afterwards; I did wonder if he put something strange in there but… nah, he wouldn’t. That’s all in the book though. Not the bit about me wondering, that just occurred to me right now. But the wonderful, amazing things. Anyway, I digress. I’m here to tell you how to make Dan’s Mouth-Melting, Tummy-Tingling Lasagna!

Here’s what you need to serve you and three of your best friends…

~Eight to ten fresh Lasagne sheets, whether home-made or shop-bought. Really, fresh makes ALL the difference.

For the filling:
~500 grams of lean mince (I like steak mince, personally)
~1 onion, finely chopped
~two tins of chopped tomatoes
~two generous tablespoonfuls of tomato puree/concentrate
~two garlic cloves, crushed or slices
~one stick of celery, finely chopped
~one carrot, diced
~two good quality beef stock cubes (I know, I sound like a snob, but the quality of the stock really makes the Lasagna great!)
~herbs: parsley, basil, oregano, dried or fresh; use generously to taste
~salt and pepper
~a small teaspoon of ground cinnamon
~a dash of maple syrup (yes, you read that right!)
~a dash of heat, whether from a small diced chilli, dried chilli powder or hot smoky paprika powder (my favorite); if you haven’t got any of those in the house, a few drops of Tabasco sauce will do
~oh, and I nearly forgot: a generous glass of lovely red wine, yes, yes, yes!

To assemble the lasagna:
~a medium size pot of half-fat crème fraiche
~as much cheese as you like in your Lasagne, grated or sliced (Cheddar, Mozzarella, Gouda, Monterey Jack or any other good melting cheese will be great; you can always use a combination of several)
~a small helping of grated Parmesan cheese for the very top of your Lasagna
~Milk


…and here’s what you do:

In a large pan, fry the onion in some olive oil until they’re turning glassy, then add the celery, garlic and carrots. Add the mince in small helpings, allowing to brown. Some people like their mince really quite crispy; sometimes I go there, but most often I just make sure it’s all browned all over. Then pour on the tinned tomatoes; if you feel two lots isn’t enough, add another tin. This is all about your taste and your preferences!

Mix well, then stir in the tomato puree and add the stock cubes. (I use the gellified variety and they’re great!!). Add the herbs and spices, the bay leaf and the red wine and bring to a boil. Immediately turn down the heat, cover and leave to simmer for at least an hour, stirring occasionally


About twenty minutes before you want to start cooking, turn on your oven to about 180 centigrade/350 Fahrenheit.

Then you’re ready to assemble your Lasagna. Choose a suitably-sized, oven-proofed dish. By suitably sized I mean a dish big enough to accommodate your Lasagna sheets, but not so big that all the liquid runs out from your Lasagna and pools in the bottom of the dish away from the pasta. It also needs to be reasonably deep…  You know what I mean! J  If using shop-bought fresh Lasagna sheets, follow the instructions on the packet; some need soaking in boiling water for a few minutes, others are ready to go. And here’s what you do next.

Put a small glob of olive oil in the bottom of your dish. Put in the first Lasagna sheet. Pour on a tiny bit of milk, then put the next sheet on top. Now ladle on a generous helping of your mince-sauce-filling. Top with a few spoonfuls of crème fraiche and a handful of cheese. Place the next Lasagna sheet on top, pour on a bit of milk, place another sheet on top, and then add more meat filling. Repeat until you run out of sheets and/or your dish is full! When you’ve used the last sheet, put a bit more of your meat filling on top (be sure to save some for this purpose!) then add generous amounts of crème fraiche, lots and lots of cheese and a sprinkling of parmesan. Awesome!

Put in the oven and bake for about 20 to 30 minutes. There’s no hard and fast rule here, everything depends on your pasta as the sauce is already cooked and hot. After 20 minutes, try poking a knife in the middle; if it goes through easily, everything is bubbling merrily even in the middle, and you get the sense the pasta is cooked, you can probably eat. If you meet crunchy resistance, cook for another few minutes. Lovely!

I hope you enjoy! And spare a thought for me and Dan and everything that happens after he makes me that lasagna. See you in Sophie’s Run~ Rock on!





About Nicky Wells: Romance that Rocks Your World!

Rock On! Nicky Wells writes fun and glamorous contemporary romance featuring a rock star and the girl next door.  A signed author with U.S. publisher, Sapphire Star Publishing, Nicky is in the throes of publishing her Rock Star Romance Trilogy. Nicky loves rock music, dancing, and eating lobsters.  When she’s not writing, Nicky is a wife, mother, and occasional teaching assistant.

Originally born in Germany, Nicky moved to the United Kingdom in 1993, and currently lives in Lincoln with her husband and their two boys. In a previous professional life, Nicky worked as a researcher and project manager for an international Human Resources research firm based in London and Washington, D.C.

Visit Nicky on her blog where you can find articles, interviews, radio interviews and, of course, an ongoing update on her work in progress. You can also follow Nicky on Twitter and find her on Facebook. Nicky is a featured author on the innovative reader/author project, loveahappyending.com and has joined the Romantic Novelists’ Association. Nicky also has author pages at Sapphire Star Publishing, Amazon and, of course, Goodreads.


                                                                         


Sophie’s Run

Her famous star remains her rock while life takes her on a little detour…

Who says that the road towards true love is straight and even?  Sophie is certainly discovering that it is anything but.

So she has finally found the man of her dreams! Well… she knows who he is, even though she hasn’t actually quite met him yet.  But she misses her opportunity, and then her life goes crazy.  Rock star and ex-fiancé, Dan, keeps getting in the way of her new romance—even if he is just trying to be helpful.  A fire, an impromptu mini-trip with Dan, and a dreaded wedding later, Sophie is still struggling to meet the love of her life. Then, just as she is getting it together with her perfect man, best friend Rachel commits an act of unspeakable betrayal.

Sophie has had enough. Confused and distraught, she decides that it is time for radical change.  Surprising herself and shocking her friends, she embarks on a secret journey and eventually gets her life back on track.







Sophie’s Run GIVEAWAYS 1) Standard Giveaway Nicky Wells is giving away one delicious chocolate gift to a lucky winner in the UK or North America! The small print: This Gift prize is a product of Unique Chocolate. The Gift prize is subject to availability in your country. If the Gift prize is not available in your country, Nicky Wells reserves the right to offer a substitute gift prize of a similar nature at her discretion. Nicky Wells will require the winner’s postal address for shipping purposes. Rafflecopter Links: a Rafflecopter giveaway http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/share-code/OTI2ZmY2ZjlkMzQ0YzMxZGFhOTJkMzFjZjBhY2Q2OjI=/ 2. Bonus Giveaway Nicky Wells offers a giveaway of one Amazon gift voucher worth $20/£15 for one lucky winner. To enter, simply share your thoughts on Sophie’s Run with Nicky. Email your comment to nickywells@sapphirestarpublishing.com and your name will be entered into the draw. Competition closes 1 May 2013.

Thursday, March 14, 2013

Lucky In Love Blog Hop!!!!



Thanks to Carrie Ann's Blog Hops for sponsoring such a huge and fun hop filled with great prizes!  We love you Carrie Ann Ryan <3


Lucky in Love? Well, are you? It's a time of luck and wealth...or not. With each romance we find ourselves in a new world of love and memories. Are these just by chance? Is it luck? Welcome to your second annual Lucky in Love Blog Hop where we want to hear about your love, your romance, and how much you love St. Patrick's Day!!! Are you wearing green? Ready to get pinched...or wait...do you like that?

I have to say, I am very lucky - I married my high school sweetheart and um..well, I won't say how many years (cough cough) later we are still happily married.  I am the epitome of a hopeless romantic, a total chick flick girl and I devour happy endings when it comes to books.  (Add in hot sex scenes and well ding ding ding--we have a winner!)  

Shhh...don't tell my husband, but I have a boyfriend.  Actually (biting my lip--I'm so bad!) I have three!  Carter , Jesse & (fanning myself) Eli (ahhhh Eli) ...which btw..I just found out, he's going to be in town on July 11, so get ready ladies!  These men have become a huge part of my life, and my husband allows it since they're good guys.  They're all funny, charming and well, I will admit, ornery as all hell - makes you want to dive in and hang out with them huh!?!?!  I promise you'll fall just as hard as I have!

So back to the hop..... I want you to let me know about your luck in love.  Here's the twist, look for the silver linings!  If you're single right now, look at your life.  You may have a neighbor, a friend, co-worker...hell it could be your grandpa.  It's not always a romantic type of love that makes us lucky. Sometimes, it's those other people that we may take for granted because we know they're always going to be there.  Now, if it's your husband, boyfriend, fiancee, girlfriend...that's awesome!  But,,,I can guarantee, everyone has at least one person in their life that makes them lucky in love!

Almost 300 bloggers have giveaways and posts about those men we love! 

But that's not all....


We have TWO 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 200 times!


Now what are those prizes?


1st Grand Prize: A $100 Amazon or B&N Gift Card
2nd Grand Prize: A Swag Pack that contains paperbacks, ebooks, 50+ bookmarks, cover flats, magnets, pens, coffee cozies, and more!
Everything BUT the SWAG gift is International - You must leave a comment WITH your email address to enter!


MY PRIZE:  #1-- 1 ebook copy of Jesse's Soul & Swag (US & Int'l)
PRIZE #2:  1 ebook copy of Jesse's Soul

Good luck to you all, have fun and get hopping!!!!! Muwah!






The Boys of RTL on pick up lines!

"Hmmm...so boys.  What were you up to yesterday?"

(chuckling and turning various shades of red) "Eh, nothing."  (Eli winks back at me)

"Nice try Hunter.  You all are brats, you know that?  Well, just because I don't get angry--I get even!  You now have to answer a question that came in." 

(Carter's eyes go wide and my enjoyment level raises.  He's so damn embarrassed-which btw, happens easily.)  "What type of question?"

"Jen went straight to the dirt.  She wants to know the best and worst pickup line a woman ever used on you. I know you and Jesse are both married, and since you're retired from racing now, Carter I would assume life is a little more 'normal', but surely you've got something you can share."

(Carter and Eli both turn to Jesse, both smirking like Cheshire cats and Jesse is now about 30 shades of red--this must be good)

"Spill it Cowboy." (I demand, snickering as Emery walks up.  If possible, he looks like he'd prefer to be swallowed up by the floor.)

"Hi honey."

"Hey guys, what's going on?"

"Oh we're just waiting for your boy here to reminisce about his past a little bit."  (Eli says with an evil laugh, and a smack to Jesse's stomach.)

"Oh, you mean about the time when he was signing autographs when he was a baby?" (Emery says with an ornery glimmer in her eye.

"He told you about that?"  (Carter turns to her astonished).

"Carter...he tells me everything.  And I do mean-everything!" 

(Carter goes red - AGAIN) "Damn you're easy, Sterling."  (Emery grins--gorgeous, but definitely can hang with the guys, her and Molly both.)

"Anyway, so I want to hear about what happened to Jess."  (I raise my eyebrows and wait.  Honestly, with these three, I'm a bit scared of what's going to come out of his mouth!)

"He was signing after an outdoor race one time and this woman flashed her boobs at him and told him to sign them."  (Eli supplies the outlandish details and my jaw drops.  I mean, seriously, there are tons of people around when riders are signing, I just can't in my right mind believe that's a true story...especially with Jesse.  I mean, Carter is easily embarrassed, but Jesse is from a tiny, little bitty town and shit like that does not happen there. I can't imagine him out on the road as a teenager with stuff like that.)

"So...ugh, I can't believe I'm even opening this up, but I have to know--what did you do?"

"You mean after he quit staring?" (Eli cackles)

(If you haven't figured out, he's the ringleader of the three and always up for a prank, a joke, or ready to have fun.  Well, that is until Molly's father came into the picture--now they have even more testosterone igniting these three.  Like they needed ANY help! For a man who is the epitome of respectable and mild-mannered, when he's around these three and Brody, James is just as ornery as they are and I feel damn sorry for Karen when they're all home.  She's got her hands full.)

"Dude, I was 17!  And they were huge!" (Turns to Emery) "Um...sorry honey."

"Oh my God!" (me...shocked at Jesse!  He's normally so 'roll with it' & QUIET!. We all know that Jesse is the most reserved of the three and I can only imagine what was running through his head at the time!) 

(She rolls her eyes and shakes her head.  She's used to it and nothing fazes her.  She is really cool and loves these boys, especially her husband.  He's as spoiled now as Carter is---I've seen it for myself!)

"Well, she shoved them in my face practically and well, it wasn't like I was, you know--used to that sort of thing."

"I'm surprised you didn't run the other direction!" (Eli snorts, quite proud of his retort apparently since he's laughing the loudest)

(I shake my head.  I know this wasn't exactly what Jen asked, but well, you see what I have to deal with.  This is why dinners at James & Karen's last for hours...they go off on tangents in a 100 directions and well, it is pretty funny to hear their stories.)

"Never mind guys." (curling my lip, scared for more info!) "I think I'm sorry I asked.  Sorry Jen, we're going to have to leave it at that.  Emery good luck with these boys, I don't know how you do it girl!"

"Trust me...there's never a dull moment.  That's for damn sure!"

"I will say, Jess, you still look a little ah, shell-shocked and embarrassed all these years later!"

(Emery pats his cheek)  "He's just an innocent little thing, that woman scared him to death--didn't she honey." 

"You're a smartass!" (He grins, but pulls her tight to him)

"Yep, and you picked me.  And we ALL know just how bad you chased me."  

"Oh lord.  Well you all have fun, I've gotta get and I can see this is going to turn into a conversation that will take hours to pull myself away if don't do it now. 

  




Wednesday, March 13, 2013

The Boys of RTL Take Over!

"We did it!"  (Carter high-fives Eli and Jesse)

"No shit, I can't believe she isn't sitting at her laptop.  We better hurry."  (Jesse looks over his shoulder)

"Okay, so here's the deal guys, we wanted to stop by Amy's site and introduce ourselves.  This is Jesse Frost and on my other side here is Carter Sterling.  I'm Eli Hunter, but you all knew that because (coughs)--I'm the good-looking one."  

"Oh good lord.  Where's my shovel?  It's getting deep in here."  (Jesse says laughing as Carter flips off Eli)

"Any way...(Carter rolls his eyes) we wanted to come by and say hi and thanks for all your support.  It's so nice to meet our fans.  If you have any questions you want to ask us, feel free.  We'd love to get to know you all better."

(Eli smacks Carter's upper arm) "You know what?  We should get our own Facebook page!  Then they could visit us any time they wanted to.  Maybe Emery or Molly would help us with it?  You suppose?"

"That's a great idea.  Let's go talk to them and Amy, see what we can do."  (Jesse nods)

"Well, we just wanted to introduce ourselves, say hi and have a great week."  (Carter waves)

"Yep, you all have a great Wednesday, don't forget to watch the race.  It'll be live Saturday night."  (Jesse winks)

"Later."  (Eli grins turning with the guys --) "Hey, did you see that one gal.  She was smokin' hot."

(Jesse shakes his head as they are leaving.)  "Dude, we gotta find you a woman."

"Shit.  What are you talking about?  I have to race.  There's no time for that."  (Eli smirks)

(Jesse raises his eyebrow skeptical.) "Bud, we've been friends for way too many years for your bullshit to work on us.  We know you too well.  You're ready to find a woman.  You never know, you might be able to be me if you were getting laid."

"Screw you, Frost."  (Eli flips him off.)  "You only beat me because you're sleeping with your mechanic."

(Jesse wiggles his eyebrows) "The perks of being a married man my friend."

"You sound like Sterling."  (Eli chuckles.)

"Hey, you'll never hear Molly complaining."  (Carter high-fives Jesse)

"Oh my God.  Let's get out of here.  I'm hungry for lunch."  (Eli says trying not to laugh, then shuts the door behind them all.)




To get to know the guys more, feel free to leave comments or questions.  To find their books in the Racing to Love series:  Carter's Treasure ...  Jesse's Soul & Eli's Honor will release this July.  Also, you can get to know Molly's brother better here in Brody's Love






 

Saturday, March 9, 2013

Writing help from an unlikely source!

Writing help from an unlikely source!


Sorry it's been awhile since I've posted.  I still need to get some shots up from the SuperCross race last weekend in St. Louis!  It'll show you some of what I've described in the RTL series.  Speaking of...I'm so excited with Eli's Honor.  The edits are flowing freaking awesome!  But get this, guess who I had to turn to for help! 

My very own 8 year old racer - and "PROFESSIONAL" Xbox MX vs ATV Live video game --'player'? I guess you'd say lol.  He's seriously made it to level 50 AND beat Bubba Stewart! LOL  

Funny since he's not a video game kid.  He's normally outside, only coming in long enough to eat.  But did I mention the name of the game?  It is MOTOCROSS after all!  

So I needed info on this particular game, I was trying to do a writing sprint with Jayne Rylon last night and I hit a wall - because my source that I was desperate to get info from - was in bed!  Well this morning I nabbed him and he's answering my questions one after the other, finally he says - "Mom, just come down stairs and let me show you!"  (eye roll - who's smartass kid is this anyway?) Oh yeah... mine!  

Funny son, being that Mom is still on crutches!  But I hobbled to the basement and let him show me all about the game.  Way more than I wanted to know, but needed desperately (did I mention desperate!) to know for my scene I was stuck in the middle of writing!  

Well, I'll be damned, with my 8yo son's help, it turned out to be a hell of a scene!!!  Not bragging on myself, I just grinning about who I had to turn to LMAO.  You just never know when you're going to have sit still and listen to a child tell you what to do!!!!

I can't wait for Eli to hit the town in July!!!  In the meantime, CarterJesse and Brody are around to entertain you all!
Have a great weekend,
Hugs,
A