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I'm cheating slightly with this Waiting On Wednesday post it's not about a book but about a literary online event. I followed closely Queer Romance Month last year and it was a wonderful experience. I learned so much about gender, romance, life in general and met some amazing people that I became great online friends with. I loved some of the personal stories told during the month, some of the original art created for the event - fiction, illustrations, ect.

Here is what I wrote as my personal take on QRM shortly after it ended last year - http://elliereadsfiction.blogspot.bg/2014/11/my-take-on-queer-romance-month.html 

After a short break I'm back with my Friday Favourites posts. This week please welcome Ms Sonali Dev, author of the absolutely fabulous A Bollywood Affair (review) - contemporary Indian romance, set in India and the US. Her second novel, The Bollywood Bride, which I already read and loved so much, is releasing on 29 September 2015. Read on the learn more about Ms Dev's love for travelling and 1990s sci-fi miovies, together with old Bollywood claasics.

 Website / Facebook / Twitter / Goodreads 

I loved Ms Dev's debut novel, A Bollywood Affair, which made the list of my favourite books of 2014. I just finished her second book, The Bollywood Bride, and it's even better - an intense, somewhat dark, somewhat hopeful and happy contemporary romance.

Ria Parkar is Bollywood's favorite Ice Princess--beautiful, poised, and scandal-proof--until one impulsive act threatens to expose her destructive past. Traveling home to Chicago for her cousin's wedding offers a chance to diffuse the coming media storm and find solace in family, food, and outsized celebrations that are like one of her vibrant movies come to life. But it also means confronting Vikram Jathar.

Ria and Vikram spent childhood summers together, a world away from Ria's exclusive boarding school in Mumbai. Their friendship grew seamlessly into love--until Ria made a shattering decision. As far as Vikram is concerned, Ria sold her soul for stardom and it's taken him years to rebuild his life. But beneath his pent-up anger, their bond remains unchanged. And now, among those who know her best, Ria may find the courage to face the secrets she's been guarding for everyone else's benefit--and a chance to stop acting and start living.

Rich with details of modern Indian-American life, here is a warm, sexy, and witty story of love, family, and the difficult choices that arise in the name of both.

Waiting on Wednesday is a book meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine and it features books that we are eagerly awaiting to be released.

Synopsis

After losing almost all of her clients in one fell swoop following an accident involving whipped cream, private chef to Hollywood’s elite Roxie Callahan gets a call from her flighty mother, saying she’s needed home in upstate New York to run the family diner. Once she's back in the Hudson Valley, local organic farmer Leo delivers Roxie a lovely bunch of walnuts, and soon sparks—and clothing—begin to fly. Leo believes that everything worth doing is worth doing slowly…and how! But will Roxie stay upstate, or will the lure of West Coast redemption tempt her back to Tinseltown?

Why am I waiting for this? - I haven't read any Alice Clayton before but I love a good romantic comedy from time to time and I have her great thing about her previous series. And the blurb is right up my alley - small-town setting, a chef, some organic farming - sounds too good to pass it up. Finally, look at that COVER!

Waiting on Wednesday is a book meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine and it features books that we are eagerly awaiting to be released.

Connor Graham is a city boy—a celebrated fashion photographer in New York. When his uncle’s death drags him back to the family blueberry farm, all he wants to do is sell it as quickly as he can. Until he meets his uncle’s tenant farmer.

Jed Jones, shy and stammering, devout and dedicated, has always yearned for land of his own and a man to share it with. Kept in the closet by his church, family, and disastrous first love, he longs to be accepted for who he is. But now, with his farm and his future in Connor’s careless hands, he stands to lose even the little he has.

Neither man expects the connection between them. Jed sees Connor—appreciates his art and passion like no one else in this godforsaken town ever has. Connor hears Jed—looks past his stutter to listen to the man inside. The time they share is idyllic, but with the farm sale pending, even their sanctuary is a source of tension. As work, family, and their town’s old-fashioned attitudes pull them apart, they must find a way to reconcile commitments to their careers and to each other.

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Why am I waiting for this? - The blurb sounds sounds so good - tender and cosy, just the type of read I'm in the mood for. I've read two other books by Ms North - Double Up - review (mm sports romance which is quite good) and The Lonely Drop (available for free). Overall I enjoy her writing and I can't wait to read more of her stories. 

Waiting on Wednesday is a book meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine and it features books that we are eagerly awaiting to be released.

Title: Claimed (Outlaws #1)

After a devastating war decimated most of the world, Hudson Lane has only known the oppressive life under her own father’s tyranny. She finally escapes, branding herself an outlaw and hunted by the Enforcers. Her best chance at survival is Connor Mackenzie, an aggressively sensual fugitive who opens her eyes to the wicked possibilities of a world without rules.

As the leader of a band of outlaw fighters, Connor can’t resist the beautiful stranger who asks for his protection. Despite his reservations, he agrees to introduce her to a whole new way of life. But when Connor discovers Hudson’s connection to the enemies of liberty, he wonders how far he can trust the woman who has abandoned all inhibitions to challenge every forbidden desire.

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Why am I waiting for this? - I've only read the Off Campus series by Ms Kennedy which is contemporary NA college sports romances but I liked her writing and would like to try more of it. This is book 1 in new dystopian erotic romance series and I haven't read anything like that before and find the blurb rather intriguing. Plus that cover, who can resist a cover like that? :)

Waiting on Wednesday is a book meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine and it features books that we are eagerly awaiting to be released.

Title: Everything I Left Undsaid
Author: Molly O'Keefe
Genre/Themes: Contemporary romance, abuse
Release Date: 13 Oct 2015
Add on Goodreads

Pre-order links: Amazon / B&N / Kobo

Synopsis

I didn’t think answering someone else’s cellphone would change my life. But the stranger with the low, deep voice on the other end of the line tempted me, awakened my body, set me on fire. He was looking for someone else. Instead he found me.

And I found a hot, secret world where I felt alive for the first time.

His name was Dylan, and, strangely, he made me feel safe. Desired. Compelled. Every dark thing he asked me to do, I did. Without question. I longed to meet him, but we were both keeping secrets. And mine were dangerous. If I took the first step, if I got closer to Dylan—emotionally, physically—then I wouldn’t be hiding anymore. I would be exposed, with nothing left to surrender but the truth. And my truth could hurt us both. 

Why am I waiting for this? - I absolutely loved Boys of Bishop series of contemporary (so raw and gritty) and when I saw that ms O'Keefe is writing a new contemporary series it got on my TBR list right away. I just love the cover and the blurb is the right kind of mysterious to get me hooked up completely.

Today's guest at Friday Favourites is the amazing Ms Laura Florand. She writes sensual romantic stories with complex characters exploring their emotions and desires set in the wolrd of top French chocolatiers. Her new series takes us to French rose valleys, La Vie En Roses, and the romance is just as delightful.

1. Favourite place 
I honestly have far too many to choose one. I love Paris, and many special places in it, the Seine at night, the special chocolate shops, the Luxembourg Gardens. And I love the south of France, where I’m setting the Vie en Roses series. I think you can tell both of those loves from the books! But I really love to travel, so there are also many other places I love—in Spain, in Italy, in Tahiti, in the U.S., in Belgium—that are beautiful and special but don’t make it into the books.

2. Favourite food and drink

That one is easy for me! Chocolate, of course. Very, very good chocolate!

3. Favourite music/genre/artist/song

I’m not entirely sure I have one. My playlists change so much according to mood or what I’m doing. (You want different music for a long plane ride than you do for a run or the gym, for example.) Let’s see—if people are looking for French music, I really like Zaz. That rough voice and jazz-rich music. “Je veux” and “La Fée” would be my suggestions for first songs to listen to from her.

4. Favourite movie/TV series

I usually do poorly with TV series. They drive me crazy. But one very brief series, which I loved and hope will be renewed, is Agent Carter. Very, very well done, much better than Agents of SHIELD, which, alas, I only managed to get 5 episodes into before it started making me too crazy. (I know, I know—everyone loves it. I’m sorry! My tastes are often weird.)

But for favorite movie? I am going to have to admit that it is, of course, Star Wars, like I think many of my generation. That was the second movie I ever saw in an actual theater—our father took us to exactly five movies as children, Snow White, Star Wars, Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi and a French movie which I don’t remember well, but I believe he regretted it, because there was nudity beyond my years. 

For older films—some of the animated films that have come out in the past ten years or so are incredible. One of my standout favorites of those is actually Lilo and Stitch for the relationship between Lilo and her sister, but Big Hero Six won a big place in my heart just a few months ago.

And I love black and white romantic movies with great dialogue, such as Bringing Up Baby.

5. Favourite hobby besides writing, if you consider writing a hobby

I definitely don’t consider writing a hobby. It’s a full-time career, and as I juggle two full-time careers right now, between writing and Duke, and have a small child, I often feel I don’t have any time left for hobbies.

The closest thing might be exercise-related. I used to do a lot of dance (I co-led a semi-professional dance group, in fact) and then triathlons and now weight-lifting. I’m not sure if hobby is quite the right word for any of those, as they’re pretty demanding, but the physical exercise helps me a lot with stress and balance, which is one of my challenges right now.

I do love to travel, though, and travel a lot. And I love food, so one of my hobbies is actually searching out all kinds of new foodie places, particularly chocolate, and trying them. 

Favourite books

It is very hard for me to answer this question. I have so many books that I love. I’m going to just look at my iPad, where my Kindle app is set to organize books by most recent reads, and tell you the last five books I read that I really loved. They’re in all kinds of genres!

1) Dorothy Sayers’ Gaudy Night and Busman’s Holiday. (Strong Poison starts the Lord Peter Wimsey/Harriet Vane arc, so a new reader needs to start there, as it’s the whole arc that interests me, but the last two were the best.) I had never read these, and people had recommended them to me frequently, and it’s true—they’re wonderful books.

2) Laura Kinsale’s Flowers from the Storm. (A re-read for our course we taught on the Romance Novel at Duke. I love Kinsale’s writing so much.)

3) Sage Blackwood’s Jinx and sequels. This is a middle grade fantasy, and it’s just delightful—the main character, the setting, the author’s use of language. I highly recommend it!

4) Ilona Andrews’ On the Edge. Another re-read, also for our course. Ilona Andrews (or Ilona and Gordon together) write such fantastic stories. I recommend anything they write. 

5) Terry Pratchett’s I Shall Wear Midnight. Also a re-read. I went on a re-reading stint of Terry Pratchett’s books after his death—it just consoled me to know I could always read his books—and so the next ten recommended reads after this would be just more of his books. I Shall Wear Midnight is the last book about Tiffany Aching, one of my favorite characters. (I strongly recommend that everyone read Pratchett’s books about Granny Weatherwax and then go on to Tiffany. The books about the witches are works of wit and art.)

Those are my most recent stand-out reads! What about the rest of you? What are you reading right now? What do you recommend?

Thanks so much for inviting me to join you, Elena, and thanks to all of you for reading! I’d love to learn some of your favorites, too.

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About the author

Laura Florand is the international bestselling and award-winning author of fifteen books, including the Paris Hearts series (All for You) and the Amour et Chocolat series (The Chocolate Thief) where sexy Parisian chocolatiers woo the women they love with what they love best – romance you can taste. Her books have appeared in ten languages, been nominated for RT Reviewers’ Choice Best Book of the Year, received the RT Seal of Excellence and starred reviews from Publishers Weekly and Library Journal, and been recommended by USA Today, NPR, and The Wall Street Journal. 

She was born in Georgia, but the travel bug bit her early. After a Fulbright year in Tahiti, a semester in Spain, and backpacking everywhere from New Zealand to Greece, she ended up living in Paris, where she met and married her own handsome Frenchman, a story told in her first book Blame It on Paris. Now a lecturer at Duke University, she is very dedicated to her research into French chocolate. For a glimpse behind the scenes of some of that research as well as recommendations for US chocolate, make sure to check out her website: www.lauraflorand.com.

Website / Twitter / Facebook / Goodreads

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Laura Florand's latest release is A Wish Upon Jasmine, book 2 in her La Vie En Roses series. This time we follow the fates of a family of French perfume makers in the Valley of roses/jasmine near Grasse, France. I'm just finishing the book and will review it shortly. 

Cynical. That was what they said about Jasmin Bianchi. A top perfumer of her generation, Jess had achieved commercial success by growing a protective shell over a tender heart. The one time she cracked it open to let Damien in, he crushed it—after a night of unbelievable passion.

Lovers. That one magical night couldn’t survive the harsh light of dawn. When Jess woke up to discover the man in bed beside her had stolen her company, she fled.

Enemies. Now she’s come to the south of France with a threat to his family heritage. If he wants to reclaim both it and the woman who walked away from him, he’s going to have to fight as dirty as only Damien can.

But Jess knows how to fight dirty, too. And these days, she has nothing left to lose.

Certainly not her heart.

Purchase links: Amazon / B&N / iTunes / Kobo

Waiting on Wednesday is a book meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine and it features books that we are eagerly awaiting to be released.

Synopsis

Today's guest at my Author Spotlight post is Ms K. J. Charles, author of the historical MM romance. I've read and quite enjoyed book 1 in the Magpie series, The Magpie Lord, and will be reviewing it on the blog soon. In the meantime check what she shared about Japan, musicals and Terry Pratchett :)

We are passionate supporters of the Saracens rugby team, so I guess “screaming my lungs out in the rain while watching huge-thighed men collide forcefully”…actually, that’s a pretty good hobby, isn’t it? 

Favourite books - 

Bridge of Birds by Barry Hughart. One of the great fantasy novels ever, set in a magical ancient China. Funny, compelling, scary, incredibly moving, light-handed and superbly written. Everyone should read this book. The ending is magnificent. 

Georgette Heyer: Okay, one isn’t possible. The undisputed queen and indeed inventor of the Regency romance, and a plotter of superlative skill. These Old Shades is a classic alpha hero with lots of period detail and adventure; The Unknown Ajax is a gloriously structured comedy that makes me cry with envy; Cotillion has the most beta hero ever written, a negligible, disregarded fool of his family, and his love affair is outstanding and hilarious. 

Terry Pratchett. I am a massive fan of Pratchett, who flew the flag for genre fiction as few ever have. He wrote brilliantly in an often mocked genre, with passionate moral and political convictions. Again, it is impossible to choose, but Thief of Time and The Truth and Going Postal are three of my favourites. And Reaper Man. And Hogfather. And Wyrd Sisters. Oh, just read them all. 

Queer romance: Ohhh, again with the lists. Glitterland by Alexis Hall is tremendous, real and moving; The Salisbury Key by Harper Fox is a terrific thriller romp; Widdershins by Jordan L Hawk might have been written directly to my specifications. Actually, I glom anything by all three of those authors, along with Ava March’s Regencies and EE Ottoman’s steampunk. 

Author Bio and Links:

KJ Charles is a writer and freelance editor. She lives in London with her husband, two kids, an out-of-control garden and an increasingly murderous cat.

KJ writes mostly romance, gay and straight, frequently historical, and usually with some fantasy or horror in there.

Find her on Twitter @kj_charles or on Facebook, join her Facebook group, or get the very occasional newsletter.

K. J. Charles latest release, A Fashionable Indulgence is coming out this August. 

A Fashionable Indulgence (Society of Gentlemen #1) 

Synopsis

In the first novel of an explosive new series from K. J. Charles, a young gentleman and his elegant mentor fight for love in a world of wealth, power, and manipulation. 

When he learns that he could be the heir to an unexpected fortune, Harry Vane rejects his past as a Radical fighting for government reform and sets about wooing his lovely cousin. But his heart is captured instead by the most beautiful, chic man he’s ever met: the dandy tasked with instructing him in the manners and style of the ton. Harry’s new station demands conformity—and yet the one thing he desires is a taste of the wrong pair of lips. 

After witnessing firsthand the horrors of Waterloo, Julius Norreys sought refuge behind the luxurious facade of the upper crust. Now he concerns himself exclusively with the cut of his coat and the quality of his boots. And yet his protégé is so unblemished by cynicism that he inspires the first flare of genuine desire Julius has felt in years. He cannot protect Harry from the worst excesses of society. But together they can withstand the high price of passion. 

Advance praise for A Fashionable Indulgence

“If one Regency rake isn’t enough for you, check out A Fashionable Indulgence, a rollicking tale from the deft pen of K. J. Charles. I’ll read anything she writes!”—New York Times bestselling author Kate Pearce 

Pre-order links: Amazon.co.uk / Amazon.com / ARe / Publisher

Enjoy an exclusive exceprt of A Fashionable Indulgence.

“Mind your seat.”

“Seat.”

—and a great deal less critical of Harry’s abilities.

Waiting on Wednesday is a book meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine and it features books that we are eagerly awaiting to be released.

Title: Level Hands (Bend or Break #4)
Author: Amy Jo Cousins
Genre/Themes: M/M romance, college, sports
Release Date: 25 Aug 2015

Add on Goodreads


Pre-order links: Amazon / B&N / Kobo / ARe

When it comes to love, there’s no such thing as smooth sailing.

Rafael Castro is so far out of his element he can’t even see it anymore. Carlisle College in Massachusetts is a long way from his Chicago home, even farther from his Dominican Republic roots. 

The only thing keeping him attached to his last nerve is the prospect of seeing Denny Winslow again. The first time they met, Denny taught Rafi to fly across the water, rowing hard in a knife-like boat. Now, two years later, on the wings of a rowing scholarship, Rafi is attending Denny’s elite college. 

Even before the excitement wears off, Rafi is struggling with classes and fending off rumors that Denny’s family, not Rafi’s talent, won him his spot. To quash the gossip, Rafi tries to steer clear of the man he wants. A plan that evaporates in the fire of renewed attraction.

But Carlisle’s academic pressure cooker has Rafi barely treading water. And when a family crisis hits, both Rafi and Denny must pull hard to keep their relationship from capsizing in rough waters.


Why am I waiting for this? - I'm a big fan of Bend or Break series. We met Denny and Rafi in the previous book, The Girl Next Door and there they were just teenagers in high school. Can't wait to see them all grown up. Plus, look at that cover, how can anyone resist it? 

After a short summer break Friday Favourites feature is back. Please welcome to the blog Ms Sandra Schwab, writer of historical romance, lover of cake and tea. Her book recommendations are more than curious to me and I ended adding a ton of books to my TBR pile. 

Gosh, this is a difficult question. The place I have the most visceral reactions to is Waldkirch, a small town in the Black Forest, where my family lived during my primary school years. The town is surrounded by low mountains covered with dark forest, and the sight of them does strange things to me. There is a very strong yearning inside of me to return to that place of my childhood. But I suspect that this yearning is in large parts due to nostalgia.

Apart from that, my most favorite place in all the world is probably Oxford in England. When I was 22, I spent three weeks there and fell in love with this beautiful, old, golden city. The many wonderful bookshops and museums are an added bonus. I could spend years in the Pitt Rivers Museum, an anthropological museum, staring at all the wonderful and weird objects on display. 

I learnt the word "slug" in that museum… 

Now that one is easy! I LOVE cake (I also love baking, which is…useful *g*). One of my family's favorites is red wine cake: it's rich and chocolatey and oh so good! It's not a very good cake for summer, though, so as a summer cake, I really, really like Victoria sponge with a raspberry jam filling or with a filling made of mascarpone and lemon curd (homemade! the stuff you can buy typically tastes like dishwater). Yum!

As for my favorite drink, I love tea. I like a cup of plain black tea in the mornings or when I need a little down time. In addition, I've lately become obsessed with mint infusion, made with fresh mint leaves. It's so refreshing, even when hot, and it also makes a wonderful ice tea. And there are so many different kinds of mint! It's awesome! 

I don't listen to a lot of music these days, but I grew up immersed in classical music: When I was little, I went to music school because my Mum thought this would be a nice way to make new friends when we moved to the Black Forest right at the end of my kindergarten years. As a result, I took piano lessons from about age 6 or 7 to age 19. From the time I was very young and saw a production of a children's version of The Magic Flute, Mozart has been my favorite composer. There is a lightness in much of his music that is simply irresistible.

My piano teacher during my teenage years, when we were living once again in Frankfurt, often had free or cheap tickets to concerts in various venues in the area, which is how I ended up seeing my first classical ballet. I only realized when I arrived at the concert house that I was about to see a production of Swan Lake. Surprise! Not knowing anything about the story, I firmly believed it would have happy ending — after all, it's a fairy tale, right? Well, I was in for a rude awakening! I just couldn't believe it when the curtain fell and that was it. Oh gosh! To make matters worse, I was crying buckets when the lights came on again. Gah!

Despite the weepy parts, Swan Lake has remained my favorite ballet, and my favorite version of it is, hands down, Matthew Bourne's "all male" Swan Lake. His swans are such powerful creatures, and when the Stranger, clad in black leather, struts into the ballroom in Act 3? Oh. My. Gosh. *swoons* 

A few years ago, I also discovered my love for old musicals from the 1940s and 50s. I particularly like Gene Kelly as a performer. His rendition of "Singing in the Rain" is just magical, and his performance with Jerry Mouse in Anchors Away is so charming.

4. Favourite movie/TV series
I adore Studio Ghibli films. Adore, adore, adore them. I love the aesthetic of the films, the lush landscapes, and the story-telling. My favorite is probably My Neighbor Totoro, closely followed by Whisper of the Heart and From Up on Poppy Hill. 

5. Favourite hobby besides writing, if you consider writing a hobby
Since last winter I've been dabbling in 3D art — and I love it so much! I'm a very visual writer, and I've started to use the images I create to develop story ideas. I also like sketching, and I usually take a sketchbook along when I'm visiting a new-to-me place. Sketching is such a great way to explore a new city or new surroundings. It helps you to take note of the little things, and it's a fantastic conversation starter because a lot of people will stop and talk to you.

Waiting on Wednesday is a book meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine and it features books that we are eagerly awaiting to be released.

Title: Burn it Up (Desert Dogs #3)
Author: Cara McKenna
Genre: Contemporary romance, Bikers

Release Date: 3 Nov 2015
Add on Goodreads

Pre-order links: Amazon / Kobo
After a decade spent chasing shadier pursuits, Casey Grossier has come home to the badlands to settle down in Fortuity. Vowing to put his days of dirty money behind him, he’s cleaned up his act and become co-owner of Benji’s Saloon. But despite his efforts to be a better man, he can’t shake his crush on his sweet-faced bartender, even though the woman screams trouble.

Abilene Price hopes she can outrun her mistakes and build a safe, respectable life for herself and her baby. So she’d be wise to keep her distance from her boss, Casey, and the rest of his roughneck motorcycle club, the Desert Dogs. But she just might need their help. The return of a violent figure from Abilene’s past ignites a powder keg—and it’s only the beginning…\


Why am I waiting for this? - I'm a big fan of Cara McKenna's books and I have been following this series from the start and enjoying it very much. I'm looking forward to Miah's story (which will come last) but in the meantime, Casey is so cute and totally lost soul and I'm excited to see things work out for him.


Check my reviews of the previous books in ths series:
Drive It Deep (Desert Dogs #0.5) - 4 Stars
Lay It Down (Desert Dogs #1) - 5 Stars
Give It All (Desert Dogs #2) - 4.5 Stars

Waiting on Wednesday is a book meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine and it features books that we are eagerly awaiting to be released.

Title: Him
Author: Sarina Bowen and Elle Kennedy
Genre/Themes: M/M romance, hockey
Release Date: 28 July 2015
Add on Goodreads

Pre-order links: Amazon / B&N / iBooks / Kobo

They don’t play for the same team. Or do they?

Jamie Canning has never been able to figure out how he lost his closest friend. Four years ago, his tattooed, wise-cracking, rule-breaking roommate cut him off without an explanation. So what if things got a little weird on the last night of hockey camp the summer they were eighteen? It was just a little drunken foolishness. Nobody died.

Ryan Wesley’s biggest regret is coaxing his very straight friend into a bet that pushed the boundaries of their relationship. Now, with their college teams set to face off at the national championship, he’ll finally get a chance to apologize. But all it takes is one look at his longtime crush, and the ache is stronger than ever.

Jamie has waited a long time for answers, but walks away with only more questions—can one night of sex ruin a friendship? If not, how about six more weeks of it? When Wesley turns up to coach alongside Jamie for one more hot summer at camp, Jamie has a few things to discover about his old friend...and a big one to learn about himself.


Why am I waiting for this? - Sarina Bowen's Ivy Years series is my favourite NA romance series and I quite enjoyed Elle Kennedy's The Deal and The Mistake, so I'm prett excited about their collaboration on a M/M hockey novel.

Waiting on Wednesday is a book meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine and it features books that we are eagerly awaiting to be released.

Pre-order links: AMAZON / B&N / iBooks

Today's guest at my Author Spotlight post is Ms Alexi Lawless, author of the romantic suspense series Complicated Creatures. You can read my reivews of Part One and Part Two. If you are curious, you can the first book, Complicaed Creatures: Part I which is currently free on Amazon. 

Favorite Place:

Miami—hands down. It’s humid hot, sensual, gorgeous, a bit deviant and extremely diverse. I feel totally at home there. It’s a tantalizing combination of refuge and retreat. I used to run away there for long weekends back when I was a corporate raider. I still recall those moments of respite fondly. 

Favorite Food & Drink: 

Sushi and bourbon, though never together. I can eat my weight in fish. If you told me I could never eat red meat again, I’d eventually get over it after a lot of pouting and moaning. But if you denied me fish, I’d go apesh*t, I kid you not. 

As for drink… it’s no secret I’m a bourbon girl. This evolution came about after years of consuming more than my fair share of vodka martinis at rowdy bars and chic eateries. But the more I started writing, the more I craved something slow and easy—a lovely, unfurling burn late at night, just me and my pages. Thus the late-in-life love affair with a full-flavored, handmade sour mash. I highly recommend Willett or Four Roses if you’re hankering for a try. 

I’m a big fan of indies and I mean that for musicians, artists and writers. People who are brave enough to go out and make art, music or write books without huge signing packages are incredibly inspiring to me. I’d go to concerts, art shows or download books from indies all day long if I could. That said, I’ll share some of my favorites. I can’t write without music, so you’re listening to some killer bands who have really influenced me while I was writing Goddess Rising: 

https://soundcloud.com/lawlessness-1/sets/complicated-creatures_prequel 

Favorite Hobby:
Wish me luck.

Top 5 Books of All Time:

Samantha’s been living in the shadow of her father all her life. But now she’s got plans of her own… and they don’t involve the university’s resident walking one-night stand. 

When Samantha Wyatt finally gets out from under her father’s thumb, she’s got her mind set on one thing: making a name for herself that’s got absolutely nothing to do with her dad. But when she meets the incredibly distracting and utterly relentless Wesley Elliott, she realizes there may be more to life than good grades.

Wesley’s the undisputed king of easy-come, easy-go—until a beautiful, mysterious girl walks right past his camera… and the photograph he takes of her becomes an obsession.

But Samantha’s no one-night-stand and she’s definitely not a typical college girl. She’s fierce, driven and completely focused on winning the Ranger Challenge, one of the toughest military competitions ever created. Wes finds himself in unfamiliar territory—busting his ass to keep up with her and discovering the extent of his own talents in the process. 

Goddess Rising is a coming of age novel unlike any you've ever read, and it will leave you questioning: Who says you have to do what you’re told?