Today I am celebrating Valentines'day on the blog by participating in Spread Some Indie Love Blog Hop organized by b00k r3vi3ws. I've chosen to spotlight my favourite indie author, Penny Reid, who also happens to write fabulous quirky contemporary romances. I discovered her first book, last year, shortly after it was published, completely by chance following a recommendation in GR group on Kristen Ashley. The book was suggested as romantic comedy and I love these, so I decided to try it and I ended up loving it. Even though it was recommended in the KA group, Ms Reid's book isn't anything like Kristen Ashley's work (which I also love by the way). 

So, I read Neanderthal Seeks Human, reviewed on GR and my blog (one the first reviews here), then Penny liked and commented on my review and I was over the moon. When she offered me an ARC of her next book, I jumped on board immediately. As can be expected I loved Friends Without Benefits as well. Recently I read an ARC of her third book, Love Hacked, which is due to be released on 11 March and I can honestly say it's the best one for me so far. 

Ms Reids writes contemporary romance of its own kind, with special/a bit awkward heroes and heroines, spiced  up with a quirky sense of humour. I enjoy both her unique writing style and her heart-felt romantic stories. All her books can be read as standalones, though I recommend to read them all starting from the beginning :)

I'm originally from California but now live in the Southeast US with my family after going to college in the area. I work full time at a large University in the field of biomedical research (e.g. clinical research studies conducted under the auspices of the FDA). I work a lot. I also love to knit and crochet; sew bags, blankets, and clothes; carve lino blocks for fabric printing; make homemade soap, jam, marmalade; and- most recently- I'm learning to garden.

I don't like to sit still unless I'm writing, reading, or knitting and I usually only knit in my knitting group... or at red lights while stuck in traffic. I only read on planes (where I'm trapped). Luckily, I travel a lot for work. 

The voices in my head (characters) became so loud over the summer of 2012- specifically, Janie Morris- that I was forced to write Neanderthal Seeks Human, my first attempt at a full length novel. It took me 7 months while working full time, crafting, and raising my people-children (boy-5, girl-3). 

If I could have any job in the world it would be my job because I feel like what I do makes a tangible difference in the lives of every living person. If I could have any life in the world it would be my life. Happiness is the seed of good fortune and success. Do what it takes to be happy and be a source of happiness for others.

Author's links:

Website / Twitter / Facebook / Goodreads / 

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Enjoy an exclusive excerpt from Ms Reid's upcoming book, Love Hacked, kindly provided by the author: 

His hands gripped my waist—not my arms, which my pickled brain thought was noteworthy—and duly steadied and unsettled me with his nearness. His proximity and touch caused a zing—yes, a zing—from the back of my neck to my fingertips and heretofore neglected womanly pelvic region. The heat of his hands bled through the thin material of my dress, settled just above my hips, and this sensation paired with the zing sobered me slightly.

I hadn’t experienced a zing with a man—or a boy—or a man-boy—in a very, very long time.

“Well, h-hello.” I stuttered, lifted my eyes and found his, once again, singularly focused on my mouth. A new zing sailed southward, past my female equipment to my tiptoes. 

Ah, how I missed the zing!

We stood silent, inches from each other, sharing the same breath.

“Three years is a long time.” He said, his voice achingly seductive.

I frowned because I was confused, but whispered, “Yes. And fettuccini noodles are too thick.” 

He frowned, but his attention didn’t waver from my lips. “What does that have to do with anything?”

“I don’t know. You said three years is a long time. I thought we were sharing random opinions.”

Alex laughed—it sounded a bit nervous, but I couldn’t be sure, and shook his head. “Sandra, what do you say? I think it’s well past time you had a kiss.” His eyes flickered to mine. I noted they were still guarded, wizened; but they were also heated and every shade of licentious lapis imaginable. 

In a word, delightful.

I licked my lips, gathered a deep breath through my nose, considered the offer. 

He was maybe twenty-three; more likely he was twenty-two. That was six years younger than my twenty-eight. The six years between twenty-two and twenty-eight was a vast minefield of life experience and a thick forest of emotional maturity. 

We were on different emotion planets. 

I was looking for the guy. I was looking for my life partner. I wasn’t looking for a dangerous yet delicious looking youngster waiter with a chip on his shoulder. 

Then again…

Alex was manlicious in a way that I rarely encountered. And he wanted to kiss me. And he wasn’t crying. Triple bonus.

Okay, I thought, psyching myself up, yes, let’s do this. Let’s go wild, just this once. Kiss the boy. Kiss the boy and round the bases. Look for your life partner tomorrow.

Before I lost my nerve, I kissed him.

Zing.

It was brief, sudden; a drive by kiss and I savored his stunned soft mouth. Then I leaned just my head away and glanced at him. He had such a great mouth and he’d parted it slightly in surprise. 

I nodded. “Okay, just one more.” I kissed him again, fast but with more pressure this time, planted my lips to his and breathed in through my nose

Zing! 

Then, reluctantly, I leaned away again and immediately said, “Just one more kiss after this-”

He interrupted my assertion by mouthlesting me; meaning, he affixed his lips to mine and kissed me good and thorough. 

ZING! 

Thick, urgent tongue invasion; biting; sucking and stroking. As he assaulted me in the best way possible, I was vaguely aware that he’d backed me into and against the corner of the small alcove, just under the stairs. His feet braced apart and his body towered over mine, filled every inch of available space; his fingers dug into my side and back in a way that felt aggressive. 

I approved.

Then, abruptly, he pulled just a centimeter away. Breathing hard he said, “One more meaning that kiss?” 

I hazily blinked my eyes and opened my abused lips to respond; however, before I could, he pressed me against the wall with his imposing frame, rocked against me—center to center—and growled, “Or, this kiss?”

ZING ZING ZING!

His every day voice was a thing of beauty; but his growly voice made me want to lick his face. 

The mouthlesting moved from misdemeanor to a felony crime against all women other than me. He employed tongue, teeth, lips in a way that drove all thought beyond this kiss from my mind. We existed, just the two of us, in our kiss cocoon. In that moment, strangers though we were, I allowed him to take in a way I hadn’t known I was capable of giving. 

I’d lit the fuse and, God bless him, he’d provided the fireworks. Life was good.

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