Showing posts with label Romantic Comedy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Romantic Comedy. Show all posts

Monday, August 15, 2011

Special Guest Erin Nicholas

This week our special guest over on our Tiki Hut Blog, is Samhain Publishing author Erin Nicholas. 

Erin has been reading romance since her mom first let her into her book cupboard when Erin was about fourteen. LaVyrle Spencer, Julie Garwood, Debbie Macomber... they took Erin's 'happily ever after' ideas from animated princesses to real people in the real world.

She's been writing romance almost as long. Many a family car trip was spent with her head bent over a spiral notebook in the back seat. She'll confess that her very first attempts at fiction were fantasy and paranormals, influenced by her father's love of the Lord of the Rings, The Chronicles of Narnia, and the original Alice in Wonderland. If Harry Potter had been around, Erin's sure he would have been on the bedtime story shelf as well.

But it wasn't long until Erin started writing about true love and that's where she's been ever since.

She's so thrilled to be able to share these stories with you and hopes that they make you smile, sigh, maybe even choke up a little. Most of all, She hopes that they help you believe in magical things like first kisses, the spark of passion, and the power of true love.

Erin loves to hear from readers! Please write her at Erin@ErinNicholas.com

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The End

I’ve made no secret of the fact that the Dark Moment (the moment when all seems lost) is my least favorite part of a book to write. It takes me forever and I’m usually way too nice the first time (and the 2nd. At least.) My second least favorite part to write is the end. It’s hard because I want it to be good, to linger in the reader’s mind, to be true to the characters. But it’s bittersweet. The End means the book is done, in my books it means they’re together and starting their happily ever after. But it also means the book is done. The characters don’t need me anymore. They’ve figured it out. We say goodbye.

Especially Sara and Mac’s book, Just My Type. This is the third book in the Bradford series. There are three Bradford siblings. So I knew going in that it was the last book of the series.

Needless to say, it took me forever to write that ending. And I never was totally happy with it. I think because I didn’t want it to end. I’m like that as a reader too. I love when the couple gets together but I also hate that it’s all over with. As an author it’s almost worse. Usually I have my next project ready to go. It helps with the pain of the end of my relationship with these characters to start getting someone else together. But I still miss them.

Especially at times like this. It’s been well over a year since I typed that The End but now I get to revisit those characters with blurbs and interviews and blog posts for the print release (August 2). Sigh. I really think I need to write some more of these guys…

Until then, though, here’s how the whole thing starts (I like beginnings… not endings ). And I’d love to give an e-copy of any of the Bradford books to one lucky commenter this week!


JUST MY TYPE - Book 3 in The Bradfords Series by Erin Nicholas

Secretly wanting her—no problem. Her not-so-secretly wanting him—big trouble.

There's only one problem with the woman Jason "Mac" Gordon wants: his best friend's little sister is off limits. Way off limits, and too young and innocent for the likes of him. From past experience, he's learned to hide his not-so-nice preferences from the nice girls he seems to attract. That definitely includes the woman he's always thought of as a sister. At least until recently.

Sara Bradford always gets what she wants - which is partly Mac's fault. After all, he helped spoil her. So she has no intention of taking his no for an answer on anything - least of all his refusal to sleep with her. He thinks she's too innocent? Fine. She'll simply get un-innocent and show Mac that she wants him - the good, the bad and the nipple clamps.

When Mac's plan to drive her away works too well, he's forced to follow her to a tropical paradise, determined to make sure she doesn't find her wild side with anyone but him. Once she gets a real taste of what he likes, he's sure everything will go back to normal.

That's until he discovers a slight kink, er, flaw in his logic...

Warning: Contains hot sex at the beach, kinky online shopping - and yes, cotton-candy-flavored body powder does exist.

BUY THE BOOK   ***   BUY THE eBOOK ***   BUY IN KINDLE   ***  READ THE EXCERPT


Excerpt:

Mac settled down into his chair and pushed the chair next to him out for her. “Want me to stay over and answer the phone until Tuesday?”

She swiveled on her chair seat to look at him, gauging the motivation behind the offer. She knew he didn’t mean it like that. He’d slept on her couch before.

“Yes,” she said simply.

“I will,” he told her lifting his glass. “But you have to buy Twinkies.”

Mac’s favorite food. Normally, she would roll her eyes and joke about his propensity for junk food. But she was in a mood tonight. She leaned over and put her hand on his hard, flat stomach.

“How do you keep these so tight with all those Twinkies?” She rubbed her hand back and forth over the warm, white linen of his shirt.

Mac seemed to freeze. And stop breathing. His eyes were locked on hers and she felt a current zing between them. She’d never touched him like that. They’d held hands, even hugged before and she’d touched his arms, back, shoulder, even face once, but never his chest, or stomach, or lower.

“Sara?” His voice was definitely hoarse.

“Mac.”

“Move your hand.”

She slid it downward and Mac shot back, tipping his chair onto its back legs and throwing him off balance enough that he stumbled to his feet, knocking the chair over.

“Hell, Sara!” he swore. Straightening to his full height and glaring down at her he demanded. “What the hell was that?”

She blinked at him, trying for innocence. “You said…”

“I didn’t mean that!” he snapped.

“Well, why not? I certainly wouldn’t mind doing it.”

He gaped at her and she almost laughed. She’d never seen Mac flabbergasted like this.

“You wouldn’t mind doing what exactly?”

Maybe he thought—or hoped—she was talking about something else. She had to make this clear.

“Putting my hand on your…”

“Okay,” he interrupted, throwing up his hands. “Enough. You’re obviously drunk.”

Instead of looking up and arguing his statement, Sara’s eyes found the object of conversation almost right in front of her. And he looked interested in what she was proposing.

Mac had an erection. Right there. Front and center. Unmistakable.

“You sure you’re not interested?” She looked directly at the tent in his pants.

He quickly righted the chair, sat and dropped his napkin in his lap. “Knock it off.”

“What? You’re telling me you’ve never thought of it? Ever?”

“Of having your hand down my pants at your brother’s wedding? No, I can honestly say I haven’t.” He wouldn’t look at her.

“So when have you thought about having my hand down your pants?”

He opened his mouth, shut it again, shifted in his chair, frowned. “Stop it.”

She scooted her chair closer. “Mac, honestly. Have you ever thought of us together?”

“Sure. We’re together all the time at Sam’s, at the Center and the hospital.” He still wasn’t making eye contact.

Sara touched his knee and he nearly jumped out of his chair again. She smiled. She was no dummy. She had a Master’s degree in psychology and was a licensed Social Worker in Nebraska. She studied people. She’d watched the two people she knew best—her sister Jessica and her brother Sam— fall in love with their spouses. She’d seen the effect that intense attraction had on people and how they acted until they admitted the attraction and did something about it.

“I’m talking about naked, you and me.”

“Of course not,” he answered quickly. Too quickly. He was scowling again. “You’re a kid, like a sister to me.”

He was lying. He had to be lying. Before she could think it out any further and potentially chicken out, Sara slid from her chair to Mac’s lap, cupped the back of his head in both hands and kissed him with all she had.

Monday, November 15, 2010

This Week's Special Guest Erin Nicholas

This week's special guest at the AuthorIsland Tiki Hut is Erin Nicholas. We're a stop on your blog tour to celebrate the anniversary of her first published novel NO MATTER WHAT, which btw, is a finalist for an EPPIE, along with her novel JUST RIGHT!

Erin has been reading romance since her mom first let her into her book cupboard when Erin was about fourteen. LaVyrle Spencer, Julie Garwood, Debbie Macomber... they took Erin's 'happily ever after' ideas from animated princesses to real people in the real world.

She's been writing romance almost as long. Many a family car trip was spent with her head bent over a spiral notebook in the back seat. She'll confess that her very first attempts at fiction were fantasy and paranormals, influenced by her father's love of the Lord of the Rings, The Chronicles of Narnia, and the original Alice in Wonderland. If Harry Potter had been around, Erin's sure he would have been on the bedtime story shelf as well.

But it wasn't long until Erin started writing about true love and that's where she's been ever since.

She's so thrilled to be able to share these stories with you and hopes that they make you smile, sigh, maybe even choke up a little. Most of all, She hopes that they help you believe in magical things like first kisses, the spark of passion, and the power of true love.

Erin loves to hear from readers! Please write her at Erin@ErinNicholas.com

Visit Erin at her Cyber Home

Welcome Erin!


Since November is the anniversary month of my first published book, I decided to go on a tour and chat and give stuff away!

The “theme” (I use the term loosely) is Writing Romance Is Like…
And every blog stop has a different comparison that will give you some insight into who I am, how I write and my slightly weird sense of humor. Oh, and you can win stuff! Every commenter gets entered for a chance at a book from my backlist. And if you really want to have some fun: follow me around to all the stops on the schedule (on my website) get the answers to the questions (on the form on my site) and then e-mail them to me by December 15th to get entered into a drawing for a $50 gift certificate to Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com or MyBookstoreandMore.com. Come join the fun!!

And now, the 6th stop on the tour:
Writing Romance is Like… Dieting

Dieting. Yuck. I’m actually one of those people who have been convinced that terms like “lifestyle change” or “food intake moderation” are better. “Diet” conjures all kinds of bad images for me (and makes me want to run, not walk, to the nearest Twinkie!)

I’m dieting right now for the umpteenth time in my life (seriously, umpteen is the number I’m up to). Losing weight isn’t really the problem. Though I have noticed that as I get older it definitely gets harder (not to mention that I pretty much despise exercise. I like walking, playing with my kids, shooting hoops, even a rec game of volleyball. And dancing! But I hate exercise—so I never call it that g). Anyway, I’ve lost weight. A number of times.

The problem is—all together now—keeping it off.

That’s right. Keeping the weight off is the challenge. Because initially it’s super fun to see the numbers going down, discovering new lighter recipes that actually don’t suck, and buying new clothes. Oh, and seeing someone you haven’t seen in awhile—“Wow, you look amazing!” are four words I’ll never tire of hearing, how about you? ;)

But then a plateau. You’re doing everything the same but the scale isn’t moving. You’re tired of yogurt. If you have to walk one more minute on the treadmill you’re going to die of boredom. While you feel so much better and buying that smaller size jeans is really always fun, it’s hard to get back to that “this is gonna be great” phase.

Writing is like that for me sometimes. Finishing a book is wonderful, getting an acceptance from an editor is awesome, talking about the new book, getting reader comments, seeing the cover… all of these things are fun! Exciting! Easy to get up about!

Then, inevitably, I once again have to face the computer screen. And it always starts out blank. It’s not always easy to be up knowing I have 250-some pages to go. Knowing that my characters need depth and my plot can’t be contrived and making it fresh and entertaining and maybe even a little meaningful can be daunting.

But I have to just start typing. There’s no other way for the story to get there. You can’t end if you don’t begin. You can’t expect the scales to go down if you don’t start paying attention to what goes into your mouth. And you can’t expect words and characters and chapters to just magically appear—you have to push the keys on your keyboard.

It’s always about choices: fruit or candy bar? Sofa or treadmill? Writing or checking Twitter?

It’s tough to keep up sometimes. It’s tough to think “this is gonna be great” every minute. But it’s also about goals. It’s about knowing where you’re trying to get to—just like dieting. And it’s about appreciating where you are and the fact that writing is as important to my health (my mental and spiritual health for sure) as eating well and being at a healthy weight. Steady. Every day. Focus. Commitment. Those are things that make dieting and writing work.

Join me at the next stop on my blog tour: Samantha Sommersby’s blog: http://immortalitybites.blogspot.com/ on November 18th!

And now a little blurb, from Just Like That, (the brownie discussion -- perfect for a dieting post, yes?

Danika frowned at that. “They have not been duds.” They’d all been nice, sweet guys. Unassuming, undemanding…un-lots of things. Just the way she liked them.

“Maybe not duds,” Abi said, gently. “But they’re…vanilla cupcakes.”
“What?” Maybe it was the tequila. The conversation just kept getting crazier.

“You love fudge brownies,” Abi said. “But you’re dating vanilla cupcakes. They’re not bad, but you don’t crave cupcakes.”

Carmen’s grin was huge and Danika groaned.

“That’s a perfect analogy, Dani,” she said. “You’ve got to find a fudge brownie.”

The thing was, it was a good analogy. It was scary how close her sisters had just come to the truth. It wasn’t like she was picking cupcakes on accident. She knew her weakness was fudge brownies. And therefore trouble. A great brownie could make her throw all her discipline away, forget her goals and plans. Even a not-so-great brownie—because, after all, even a bad brownie was still a brownie—could make her lose control, decide the pleasure was worth the consequences.

“So I’m supposed to only date men who make me think of food?”

Abi grinned. “Men who make you think about indulgence and devouring and…licking all over.”
“Exactly,” Carmen said, her eyes twinkling. “It’s like your life is a bakery and you have everything to choose from. But you go for the vanilla cupcakes, even though you could have a brownie and that’s what you’d really like and what would completely satisfy you.”

Her life was a bakery. Terrific.

“I like cupcakes.” Danika knew she sounded grumpy, but she was feeling grumpy. And judged. And criticized.

She hated when her sisters were right. Her boyfriends were no more exciting than cupcakes. They were good, just not…worth not fitting into her favorite jeans for.

“Cupcakes are fine,” Carmen agreed. “And for some people that’s it. Their favorite thing. The thing they go crazy for. But not for you.”

“You have to find a fudge brownie,” Abi agreed. “A big one.”

LIKED THE EXCERPT??? CLICK HERE TO BUY THE BOOK

More on Erin
www.ErinNicholas.com
NineNaughtyNovelists.blogspot.com
ErinNicholas.blogspot.com
http://samhainpublishing.com/authors/erin-nicholas

Monday, February 15, 2010

Getting Knocked for a Loop with Heidi Betts

This week's guest blogger at the AuthorIsland Tiki Hut is bestselling author Heidi Betts!

Bestselling, award-winning author Heidi Betts began her love affair with the romance genre in junior high school, where she used to sneak romance novels into study hall when she should have been doing her homework. It didn't take long to decide she wanted to write a few romances of her own, so she set out to do just that.

Her first book was released by Dorchester Publishing in 2000, with five more to follow. From there, Heidi moved into the contemporary arena by writing numerous category titles for Silhouette Desire, and recently she signed with St. Martin's Press to begin writing funny, sexy single titles.

With each new book, Heidi asks herself how she can bring to life endearing heroes and heroines whom readers will believe are meant for each other. And with each new novel to hit the stands, readers and reviewers alike declare she knows how to create a story that sizzles, charms, and delights from the first page to the last. Her first title for Silhouette Desire landed at #1 on the Waldenbooks/Borders Series Romance Bestseller List, where her books have continued to make an appearance ever since.

Heidi loves to read, write, watch movies (and just a little too much television), and surround herself with furry, four-legged friends in her home in the beautiful hills of Central Pennsylvania.

WEBSITE *** BLOG *** MYSPACE *** FACEBOOK *** NEWSLETTER


Getting Knocked for a Loop with Heidi Betts

Good morning, everyone! Thank you so much for joining me today at AuthorIsland.

After a very long, not-so-patient wait (at least on my part *g*), I am happy to report that the third book in my sexy, funny “Chicks with Sticks” knitting trilogy is finally be here! And although it wasn’t easy to get the hero and heroine of KNOCK ME FOR A LOOP into the same room together—those of you who have read TANGLED UP IN LOVE and LOVES ME, LOVES ME KNOT know what I’m talking about ;)—I managed to arrange a short interview with the stars of our story.

First, a little background information:

Grace Fisher is the lovely and talented host of one of Cleveland's most popular daytime talk shows, Amazing Grace. And judging by her accomplishments both on and off the air, she truly is amazing. From (allegedly) knitting her own wedding gown to changing the spark plugs in her former fiance's Hummer, Grace can do it all...and wants to show you how to do it all, too.

Zack "Hot Legs" Hoolihan is one of the NHL's most popular hockey stars. As goalie for the Cleveland Rockets, Zack has let his team to the Playoffs and helped to bring home the Stanley Cup for the past three years in a row, proving beyond a doubt that legs are not the only thing about this guy that are hot, hot, hot!

Bruiser Hoolihan is Zack's beloved Saint Bernard. Rescued from a local animal shelter, he's been living the good life ever since. He's got his own corner in Zack's spacious apartment, complete with a blue and red Rockets blanket, and more chew toys than he can find the time to...well, chew. (Of course, he kind of prefers his daddy's big, leather couch, but he pretends to like the blanket best.) And he can eat whatever he wants...pizza, spaghetti, Cheetos, even the occasional beer.

Yes, life was good. Until daddy got in trouble with Bruiser's almost-mommy, and she took him from his daddy's big, messy apartment with its basketball hoop on the door and foosball table in the middle of the room to her own much neater apartment with its white carpeting and furniture he wasn't allowed to sleep on. Then she took him to the vet. And put him on a diet. And started dressing him in fuzzy pink sweaters she knit just for him. And, yes, painting his nails. Now, Bruiser just kind of wishes his daddy and almost-mommy would patch things up so he could get back to lying around on that leather sofa and snitching pizza straight from the box.

Together, Grace Fisher and Zack Hoolihan are one of the East Coast's most talked-about couples.

Apart... Well, you'll have to read the book to find out about that. ;)

And now for the interview:

What's your favorite pastime?

Grace: Knitting.

Zack: Hockey, of course.

Grace: [with a snort] Yeah, because you're obviously so very good at it.

Zack: [scowling] Hey, I am good at it. Star goalie, remember? Stanley Cup three years in a row, thankyouverymuch.

Grace: Well, now that you've messed up your knee, the only cup you'll be scoring this season is a Big Gulp from the local Seven-Eleven.

Favorite sport?

Zack: [still scowling] Hockey.

Grace: [smirking] Baseball.

Favorite song?

Grace: "He Had it Comin'" from the Broadway musical Chicago. "The Thunder Rolls" by Garth Brooks—the long version, of course. "My Lovin' (You're Never Gonna Get It)" by Funky Divas. Oh, and "Before He Cheats" by Carrie Underwood.

Zack: [crossing his arms over his chest and slumping in his seat, muttering] “Complicated” by Avril Lavigne.

Tell us about Bruiser, the adorable Saint Bernard you rescued from a local animal shelter.

Grace: Actually, it's Muffin now.

Zack: Oh, no, it's not. His name is Bruiser.

Grace: [with a smile] It's Muffin. Really.

Zack: His name is Bruiser, not Muffin. No male dog of mine is going to walk around with a name like Muffin, for God's sake.

Grace: Good thing he's not your dog anymore, then, hm?

Okay, okay, I see that's a touchy subject. Let's move on.

Grace, you mentioned that you like to knit. When did you learn, and what are you working on at the moment?

Grace: My grandmother taught me after I came to live with her. I was probably eleven or twelve. And I'm not working on much of anything at the moment. More like... [shifts uncomfortably] unraveling a project I started a while back.

Zack, we hear a couple of your male friends have recently learned to knit. Have you ever given the yarn and needles a shot?

Zack: No.

Really? Not even—

Zack: No. Next question.

I know this is another sensitive topic, but after a very public and longstanding romance, the two of you recently broke up. Can you tell us why?

Zack: It's kind of personal and complicated, but—

Grace: It's not complicated. It's actually quite simple. He's a cheating bastard who couldn't keep it in his pants, but did think I'd never find out as long as he stuck to screwing puck bunnies while the Rockets were on the road.

Zack: [grinding his teeth] I've told you a million times, I did not sleep with that woman.

Grace: Right. She was naked in your bed because that's what hotels leave on the pillows these days instead of mints.

Um... Is there any chance you'll be getting back together?

Zack and Grace: [together, emphatically] No.

All right. Well. That was very...enlightening. Will you stick around for a while to answer some questions from readers?

Grace: Of course.

Zack: [with a shrug] Whatever.

All right, guys! Now that we’ve got them on the ice, so to speak, slap shot a few questions our way. We’re all happy to chat about KNOCK ME FOR A LOOP, the other two books/couples in the “Chicks with Sticks” series, or…well, just about anything. :D

Oh, and I’ll happily give away copies TANGLED UP IN LOVE and LOVES ME, LOVES ME KNOT at the end of the week---one each to two different commentors!

Happy chatting!
Heidi
*~*~*
HeidiBetts.com HeidiBetts.com/WIPSandChains HeidiBetts.com/MustLoveYarn