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Guest review: The Troublemaker Next Door by Marie Harte

The Troublemaker Next Door
Book 1 in The McCauley Brothers series
Author:  Marie Harte
Publisher:  Sourcebooks Casablanca
Genre:  Contemporary Romance
Release date:  6/3/14
Author's website:  Link

He can fix her sink, but can he wrench his way into her heart?

Flynn McCauley never thought he’d be so cliché as to fall for the girl next door. But when Maddie calls him over to help fix her faulty sink, he’s a goner. Too bad the fiercely independent interior designer wants nothing to do with him. Even worse, he’s forced to rely on the advice of his nosy brothers—and his five-year-old nephew!—to figure out how to make her give him a shot.

Okay seriously... Who would think a plumber can be hot? I had no idea!!! Now, I don't have a leaking sink but I am wondering how can I get it to leak? *smirks*

This new series by Marie Harte was not only cute and entertaining but HOT!!! Harte brings just the right amount of humor, steam and romance any romance reader would enjoy and totally swoon over. I loved the town, the brothers and the girls next door. All the characters are likeable and enjoyable enough to not want to put this hot read down!!

Flynn is the guy next door who can be a tad wild and he just wants to have fun (who can blame him). Maddie, who doesn’t want to fall into anything after things went a little south. You wonder if they can actually make it or just cut their losses. All the characters are likeable. They were very well written I must say.

This new series is fun and super hot!!! Throughout the book you will find yourself laughing out loud and grabbing a glass of ice water. It is the perfect start to a series I don't think I could have ever lived without.

I have seriously added this WHOLE series to my must read list. Well done Ms. Harte!! Keep the boys next door coming because I just cant get enough!!


Reviewed by Danielle:

Guest Post: Author Marie Harte

Brotherly Love

There’s nothing quite like family. I’m fascinated by family dynamics, and I confess, envious of larger, close-knit families. I wanted to write about people tied together by love and friendship as they set out to find—or in the guys’ case, get caught—by romance.

Enter four rough and tough brothers. There’s the oldest, Mike, who lost his soulmate years ago but managed to soldier on. Flynn, the charmer, who everyone likes. Brody, the troublemaker, and the unofficially adopted member of the clan. And Cameron, the youngest, and the white collar professional having a hard time fitting into his blue collar family. Then there are James and Beth, two people who love each other and raised four strong, strapping sons.

I love how each brother is different. Of course, they’re all quite good looking. *grin* But there’s more to each than bright eyes and a square jaw.

In The Troublemaker Next Door, Flynn meets his match. He’s the easygoing McCauley, thirty years old and the middle child. He’s confident, funny, and sure of what he doesn’t want in a relationship—something permanent. He wants what his parents have, a happily ever after. But the women he’s been dating never measure up, so he keeps his heart safe by not taking any woman seriously as more than a sexy friend.

That’s until Maddie Gardner throws him one serious curve.

What adds to the romance is the relationship the brothers share. Cam has recently moved back to the West Coast, and now all the McCauleys can gather for poker night and family picnics. With their parents also living so close, the love and laughter is always there.

Brody’s a card cheat, but he never gets caught. Cam can select the best wines for you while investing your money to make you rich. Mike makes everything better, the big brother with the heart of gold. But he’s not afraid to put a guy in a headlock to make his point. Flynn has a smile and a joke for everyone, but he goes down hard when he falls for a redhead who only wants to keep it casual.

Oh, and did I mention Colin McCauley? The youngest of the lot, he’s Mike’s six year-old son. The boy can cry on command, has been known to do magic making money disappear, and has three devoted uncles and one huge father protecting and loving him. The chemistry between brothers (and nephew) resonates, because how wonderful would it be to know that no matter what, someone always has your back? Support when you need it, and a never-ending source of camaraderie.

The poker night scenes in this story are some of my favorite, because the guys like to razz one another, and you get a better insight into who they are.

Sexy brothers. What’s better in the world of romance? Especially when each brother gets his own happily ever after?

Thanks for having me!

Marie

website | blog | facebook
follow me on twitter @MHarte_Author
USA Today Bestselling Author

Fool For Love Blog Tour - Guest Post: Author Merry Farmer

When Worlds Collide

Okay, I confess.  I’ve been reading romance novels since I was in high school.  I know, I know, I was probably far too young to be reading “those books” back then, but I fell in love with them from day one.  (I also learned about the birds and the bees from a romance novel, but that’s another story!)  I was always a big fan of anything historical, but particularly novels set in the Victorian world.  You know, lords and ladies, London and the season.  It was all so wonderful!

Ah, but the thing is, I was also a huge fan of the tv show Dr. Quinn: Medicine Woman at about this same time in my life.  That and I went to see Dances With Wolves four times in the theater!  Anything western had me captivated.  The energy and excitement of the Old West and those people brave enough to tame it thrilled me.

It was only natural that at some point in my wild, overactive imagination I would bring those two magnificent genres together.  I thought to myself, what if London society met Old West adventure?  What if a British lady fell in love with a Montana cowboy?

That, my friends, is how Fool For Love was born.

Sometimes we tend to forget that these two exciting worlds existed at the same time in history.  The bright, sparkling world of titled society with their social rules and mores existed on one side of the Atlantic, while far across the waters and half a continent the rough and rugged world of the frontier was going strong.  It is highly likely that these two ways of living actually did come into contact with each other.

The world that my heroine, Amelia Elphick, comes from is one that my hero, Eric Quinlan, doesn’t understand.  He looks at the way people behave and the way they treat one another and thinks it’s ridiculous.  At the same time, London is busy looking down its collective nose at him, thinking he’s the one acting strange.  But when Eric offers to help Amelia out of the ruinous situation she finds herself in, it doesn’t matter how odd his ways are.  She accepts his help.

I have tried my best with Fool For Love to show the vast spectrum of life that existed at the end of the 19th century.  It was a dynamic time, when electricity was becoming commonplace, distances were shortened by technology, and both sides of the world were on the verge of a sparkling new century.  It was more than just Amelia and Eric’s worlds that were about to collide.  Life as everyone knew it was about to change.  That is the world that I have tried to share.

Blurb:
Eric Quinlan was born a cowboy and a rancher and intends to die a cowboy and a rancher. But when his ranch is in danger of failing, he travels to the wilds of London looking for a business deal to save it. What he finds there are stuffed shirts, odd manners, and a damsel in distress.

Amelia Elphick’s life is over. She may have been born a lady, but when she finds herself jilted by a lover who leaves her pregnant and refuses to marry her, she seems destined for a life on the streets. When her employer’s rough but handsome houseguest, Eric, offers to rescue her from ruin, she has no choice but to say yes, even if it means moving halfway around the world.

But Amelia finds herself saying yes to more than a ticket west. What starts with a harmless lie tangles Amelia and Eric in a web of desire and deceit that exposes passions and turns their worlds upside-down. Eric believes Amelia holds the key to saving his beloved ranch and giving him the family he always wanted, but can he save her from the demons of her past without losing himself in the process?

People do foolish things when they’re in love…


Author Bio:

Merry Farmer lives in suburban Philadelphia with her two cats, Butterfly and Torpedo. She has been writing since she was ten years old and realized one day that she didn’t have to wait for the teacher to assign a creative writing project to write something. It was the best day of her life. She then went on to earn not one but two degrees in History so that she would always having something to write about. Today she walks along the cutting edge of Indie Publishing, writing Historical Romance and Women's Sci-Fi. She is also passionate about blogging, knitting, and cricket and is working towards becoming an internationally certified cricket scorer.


Social Networking links:

Website: http://merryfarmer.net

Twitter: @merryfarmer20

Facebook: www.facebook.com/merryfarmerauthor

Amazon Page: http://www.amazon.com/Merry-Farmer/e/B006RATLFC/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1366067537&sr=8-2-ent


Book links:


The Loyal Heart

Amazon - http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005R4K75W

Amazon UK - https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B005R4K75W

B&N - http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-loyal-heart-merry-farmer/1106051739?ean=2940011541537

Smashwords - https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/92993

iBooks - https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/the-loyal-heart/id472904237?mt=11



The Faithful Heart

Amazon - http://www.amazon.com/dp/B006PUDD44

Amazon UK - https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B006PUDD44

B&N - http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-faithful-heart-merry-farmer/1108068341?ean=2940032960553

Smashwords - https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/117240

iBooks - https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/the-faithful-heart/id495033672?mt=11



The Courageous Heart

Amazon - http://www.amazon.com/dp/B009Z1AATQ

Amazon UK - https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B009Z1AATQ

B&N – http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-courageous-heart-merry-farmer/1113712615?ean=2940015912661

Smashwords - https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/250038

iBooks - https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/the-courageous-heart/id576153919?mt=11



Our Little Secrets

Amazon - http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0087KI4T4

Amazon UK - https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0087KI4T4

Smashwords - https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/167282

B&N - http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/our-little-secrets-merry-farmer/1111649170?ean=2940033267514

iBooks - https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/our-little-secrets/id541823235?mt=11



Fool for Love

Amazon – http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CFO4G5O

Amazon UK – https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00CFO4G5O

Smashwords - https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/307979

B&N – http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/fool-for-love-merry-farmer/1115182519?ean=2940044482340

iBooks – https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/fool-for-love/id639402935?mt=11



Sarah Sunshine

Amazon – http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EJXITES

Amazon UK – https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00EJXITES

Smashwords – https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/346234

B&N – http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sarah-sunshine-merry-farmer/1116481828?ean=2940045213356

iBooks - https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/sarah-sunshine/id688602623?mt=11

Find out more about this blog tour by clicking on the pic below!

Guest Post: Author Gina Danna - Her Eternal Rogue

     One of the fun things about writing romance novels is the hero. I love my hero. And frankly, I see him the most clearly in my head as I’m writing. Mr. Tall Dark&-Handsome is sexy, muscular, humorous and a great kisser! After all, he’s my hero!

    Back in the day, twenty-something years ago, when historical romance novels were referred to as ‘bodice-ripping’ tales, we read hot, steamy sex scenes and on the cover, Fabian was our role-model for the hero. My, things have changed.

    First, covers have evolved I think. We have moved beyond Fabian and his flowing blond mane to man-chests and these naked torsos are rippling with muscles, a well-defined six-pact, enough to make any woman swoon. The many covers that have the hero and heroine on it, they are often entwined in sexy, slightly erotic poses that display gorgeous appeal and tension – the type of involvement we want to read. Ooo la la!

    With such beautiful covers out, how could you not make your hero sexy yet totally masculine? When I wrote Her Eternal Rogue, my mind conjured up an image of my vampire/pirate, Alexander, and that picture was of Ian Somerhalder – Damon on Vampire Diaries. The man is hot, sexy with those bluish-grey eyes and his sexy grin that could easily convince me to tilt my head, begging him to bite me. Granted, the cover model isn’t Ian but he too is so handsome, how could I say no?

    As to the sex in today’s stories, a great many sex scenes are hot. Writers now, I think have more advantage to be more revealing, more in depth and what doesn’t help an author more than a sinfully gorgeous man? Once more, Ian as Alexander was a go for me. And with the pictures of him, both on the show and online, you can feel yourself melting in his arms. Oh my…

    There’s nothing more appealing than a hot man – don’t you agree? Yum!

Title: Her Eternal Rogue
Author: Gina Danna
Genre: Historical Paranormal Romance
Number of Pages: 284
Publisher: To The Bitter End Publishing


Alexander Barrington flees his tyrannical uncle for the open seas where he becomes a ruthless pirate who turns vampire.

Captured and sentence to hang, a fate he must avoid to keep his vampire self hidden, a reprieve comes if he rescues Lady Lavinia Sinclair from the French pirates and returns her to her betrothed in England.

Alexander falls for the woman who makes him feel human and alive, but can he really have her without exposing what he is – a thief, the undead? The damned? Refusing to taint her innocence any further, he erases her memory of him and vanquishes into the night but can he really exist without her?

Author Bio:

Gina has spent the better part of her life reading. History has been her love and she spent numerous hours devouring historical romance stories, dreaming of writing one of her own. Years later, after receiving undergraduate and graduate degrees in History, writing academic research papers and writing for museum programs and events, she finally found the time to write her own stories of historical romantic fiction.

Now, under the supervision of her three dogs and three cats, she writes amid a library of research books, with her only true break away is to spend time with her other life long dream – her Arabian horse – with him, her muse can play.

Buy Links:

Barnes And Noble | Amazon |


Where to find Gina:

Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter 

Guest Post: Author Jennifer Burrows

Have my Comfort Reads Influenced my Writing?

YES!  My comfort reads make me feel so passionate about the characters and what they are going through that I sometimes feel like I’m right there with them.  I tried really hard with A Shot in the Dark to have my readers develop a connection to my characters.  I love Josh and Laney’s story.  I can feel Josh’s need to control his life and I can feel Laney’s struggle to maintain independence.   It may be different from other stories I read, but the emotions are there, and that is what I strived for.

I think the sex scenes were what were most influenced by my comfort reads.  I had never written a sex scene before A Shot in the Dark.  I was scared and intimidated to write one.  I read several different sex scenes and figured out what I liked and didn’t like from each one to create my own.  I must have rewritten the sex scene twenty or thirty times.  It’s funny because some say it’s too steamy while others who’ve read it say it’s boring.  My dad was the one who gave me the most grief about it.  I felt awkward knowing he was going to read it, and I think he was just as shocked to know I could put something like that down on paper for millions to read.

Most of my comfort reads are quick reads.  I tried to make A Shot in the Dark the same.  From the feedback I’ve gotten, I’ve been successful.   People’s lives are generally too busy to delve into a long drawn out book.  We are a society of instant gratification.  And while there is a sequel, it’s still a quick read leaving the reader wanting more.

Some of my favorite books are not because of the story, but because of how the story was written.  Some writers are so eloquent with their words.  They use flowery words which you wouldn’t normally use in your everyday vocabulary.  They provide just enough detail that you can develop a vivid picture in your mind of what’s going on without going overboard.  A good writer will make me feel smart.  A Shot in the Dark has a lot of medical jargon.  This is important to the story since its set in primarily in a hospital.  I really worked hard to describe to the reader what everything was and not make the reader feel stupid.  I believe the reader will learn a thing or two and not feel overwhelmed with all of the details.  I believe that is a sign of a well written book.

My comfort reads help me to be creative and come up with ideas for future books and how I want to develop my characters.  When I’m not writing, I read as many books as I can to learn various writing styles that I can incorporate into my own writing.  I love this journey, and I love the comfort books that have helped me to get there.

Title: A Shot In The Dark
Author: Jennifer Burrows
Publisher: Black Rose Writing
Number of Pages: 253
Genre: Romantic Suspense


Most of the patients that are brought to the trauma bay in the ER remain nameless, and for the most part, faceless. For Laney Pearson and the rest of the staff, this makes it easier to move past the senseless death and destruction that they see on an almost daily basis. But all of that changes for Laney when she finds herself trying to pump the life back into a young motorcycle rider who arrives by helicopter more dead than alive.

Skyler Smith has all the makings of the next great motocross rider, right up until he crashes while trying to perform the trick that will secure his future. From the time his motionless body is lifted off the track, the question becomes not when his next race takes place, but whether he will live to see another day. And now there is mounting evidence that the tragedy was no accident

Laney can never envision this boy’s crash and the ensuing investigation will have such an impact on her own life, but in the days that follow, she discovers a life within her she never knew existed. While the police sort through the mounting evidence from the crash, Laney has to sort through her own feelings for the handsome trauma surgeon that she previously never gave a second thought. Is he really as charming as he seems, or is there another reality hiding beneath the surface? And just how long has he been watching her?

Buy Links:
Smashwords | Amazon | Barnes And Noble 

Author Bio:

Jennifer Burrows is a Registered Nurse who holds a Master's degree in Nursing Administration. Emergency room nursing is her passion. "A Shot in the Dark" is her first novel. She is currently working on the sequel "Into the Light."
Jennifer currently resides in Southern California with her husband and their three amazing boys, two dogs, too many fish to count, and a desert tortoise.

Where to find Jennifer:
Website | Twitter | Facebook

Find out more about the blog tour for A Shot in the Dark 

by clicking on the pic below!

Guest Post: Author of Lichgates, S.M. Boyce

We are not alone…

No, this isn’t a post about aliens. I’m talking about gratitude.

I wanted to take a moment to step back from the marketing ideas, plot developments, writing advice, blogs, Google Analytics, SEO…*takes a deep breath* You get what I’m saying.

So often, we lose ourselves to the busy, busy, business of life and forget that we can’t make it alone.

We all need someone, whether it’s the book blogger who reviewed your book, the reader who tweeted you to tell you they loved it, the friend who let you vent about a bad review (in private), or the spouse/significant other/family member who is just always there, always encouraging. No matter how hard you work, life isn’t something you can go alone. Well, I guess it can be, but it’s a lonely place.

Sure, I wrote Lichgates (Grimoire Saga #1). I designed and outlined the saga. The world of Ourea is my original idea, and the characters are quite often drawn from bits and piece of the people I know in my life. But my husband could have complained when I preferred writing to watching TV with him. Instead, he asked me how much further I got each night. He read my book. He brainstormed with me. Hell, the man knows the plots for every single one of my novels and helped me work through the rougher, more complicated kinks when I had trouble. He’s honest when something sucks. That’s huge! He’s amazing. I don’t think I could have made it here without him.

And then there are my beta readers: my parents, of course, and my writing friends. Darling authors like Nikki Jefford, Robert Zimmermann, Stacey Marie Brown, Jen McConnel, and too many more to name. My editor, Chase Nottingham. My readers made a longtime dream come true: I am an internationally read author.

Thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

If you want to make a difference, go thank someone today. Give someone a hug, or tell them how much they helped you.

It only takes a second, but it’ll make their day.

About S. M. Boyce

International Amazon Bestseller. Fantasy Author. Twitter addict. Book Blogger. Geek. Sarcastic. Gooey. Odd. Author of the action-packed Grimoire Saga.

S.M. Boyce is a novelist who loves ghosts, magic, and spooky things. She prefers loose-leaf tea, reads far too many books, and is always cold. She’s married to her soul mate and couldn’t be happier. Her B.A. in Creative Writing qualifies her to serve you french fries.

Boyce likes to update her blog a few times each week so that you have something to wake you up in the morning.

Contact:

Blog | Website | Facebook | Twitter| Google+ | Pinterest | Youtube
Goodreads Page | Amazon Page

Lichgates
(Grimoire Saga #1)
Title: Lichgates
Author: S.M. Boyce
Genre: New Adult/Young Adult Fantasy
Publisher: Caffeinated Books Publishing
Number of Pages:336

Kara Magari is about to discover a beautiful world full of terrifying things—Ourea.

Kara, a college student still reeling from her mother’s recent death, has no idea the hidden world of Ourea even exists until a freak storm traps her in a sunken library. With no way out, she opens an ancient book of magic called the Grimoire and unwittingly becomes its master, which means Kara now wields the cursed book’s untamed power. Discovered by Ourea’s royalty, she becomes an unwilling pawn in a generations-old conflict—a war intensified by her arrival. In this world of chilling creatures and betrayal, Kara shouldn’t trust anyone… but she’s being hunted and can’t survive on her own. She drops her guard when Braeden, a native soldier with a dark secret, vows to keep her safe. And though she doesn’t know it, her growing attraction to him may just be her undoing.

For twelve years, Braeden Drakonin has lived a lie. The Grimoire is his one chance at redemption, and it lands in his lap when Kara Magari comes into his life. Though he begins to care for this human girl, there is something he wants more. He wants the Grimoire.

Welcome to Ourea, where only the cunning survive.

Grab your FREE eBook copy

Boyce’s Store: ePub | Mobi | Autographed Paperback
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Kobo | Apple | Barnes & Noble | Smashwords
Add to Goodreads | Watch the Trailer

Find out more about this tour by clicking on the pic below!