Tag Archives: Giveaway

Guest Post: HelenKay Dimon + giveaway

Posted on May 15, 2012 by TBRG| 4 Comments

Today we have HelenKay Dimon on talking about writing a HQN Intrigue book.

Thanks for having me here today and letting me talk a little about my newest release, WHEN SHE WASN’T LOOKING.

The book is a Harlequin Intrigue. Intrigues are different from the other books I write because the suspense element is so integral to the storyline that you can’t really separate it from the romance. People talk a lot about Intrigues being 50 percent suspense and 50 percent romance. I have to be honest and say I never think in terms of percentages. I’m betting if I did I’d be paralyzed while writing. Just imagine me sitting at my computer and deleting paragraphs because I think a scene is 58 percent romance instead of the “required” 50 percent. Yeah, I’m that much of a knucklehead.

Instead of breaking out the math, I think of Intrigues are as a mix of genres where each scene has to move both parts of the story forward. Some aspects don’t change no matter what I’m writing. I want a strong heroine who doesn’t need a man to be happy but is smart enough to grab a good one when he comes into her life. A sexy and in-control hero who knows true love when he finally finds it. Flawed and imperfect people who find each other. Maybe a super alpha dude. Maybe a survivor heroine. So long as they grow with each other until I can’t imagine them apart, I’m good. Add in some shooting, a car chase and an explosion or two and I’m a very happy reader.

I’m thinking this comes from me early love of mysteries and thrillers. I read those for years before I ever tried a romance. When I started reading romance, I followed some of my favorites authors as they wrote increasingly romantic suspense – emphasis on the suspense – books. Authors like Sandra Brown, Linda Howard, Karen Robards and Tami Hoag. They missed romance and suspense so well in those early books. In fact, I’ve read Hoag’s LUCKY’s LADY and Robards’ ONE SUMMER often enough to have them nearly memorized.

I’m always on the lookout for newer romantic suspense authors, like Allison Brennan and Cynthia Eden. If someone has a recommendation, please pass it on!

***We are giving away either a copy of When She Wasn’t Looking or a book off her backlist. Simply leave a recommendation for romantic suspense books for HelenKay.***

No woman could deny the appeal of the sexy deputy sheriff Jonas Porter. But to Courtney Allen, Jonas has one major flaw—his badge. Years ago, Courtney’s father was wrongfully convicted of a crime and she vowed to never trust a cop again. But when Jonas becomes the only man to believe in her father’s innocence, Courtney begins seeing the brooding lawman in a whole new way.

Jonas knows in his gut that the real killer is still out there and determined to finish what he started long ago. To protect Courtney and bring the criminal to justice will require all the skills he can muster. And that means focusing on the job. Not the woman who makes him forget his troublesome past and arouses in him a passion that is anything but professional.

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Interview with Dare Barrons from Carly Phillips Karma +giveaway

Posted on May 10, 2012 by TBRG| 14 Comments

We have a fun treat for you today. Not only do we have Dare Barrons on today talking about himself but we have his brother’s Ethan and Nash. Dare wasn’t really excited about them joining him but they figured it’s their job as his older brothers to torment him.

 TBRG: Who has been the biggest influence in your life?

DB: Definitely my brother, Nash.  He’s always been there for me, even when we went to separate foster homes.  He brought me old clothes and food.  He looked out for me in every way he could.

TBRG: What is the one thing your family would be the most surprised to know about you?

DB: You really want me to go there? I was responsible for someone’s death.

NB: No, you were in the wrong place at the wrong time.

DB: I should have done something.

EB: Get over yourself.  I had to.  You can’t live with regrets, they’ll eat you alive.

TBRG: Where is the one place you have always wanted to go, a place on your bucket list?

DB: What’s a bucket list?  Kidding.  I don’t know.  I’d say Vegas but I’m not much of a partier anymore.  Learned my lesson there.  Maybe some place with a beach.

NB: He’d bring Liza so he could watch her in a bikini.

EB: In that case make it a nude beach.

DB: Do you want me to regret forgiving you?

TBRG: Who’s your favorite author to read?

DB:  I’m not much of a reader.

NB: John Grisham.

DB: You’re such a lawyer.

TBRG: What book are you reading now?

DB: Not reading.

EB: Snickers.

TBRG: If you weren’t a cop what would you be?

DB: Lost.  Being a cop saved me.

TBRG: What is your guilty pleasure?

DB: Sex.

EB: Sex.

NB: Sex.

DB: And nothing guilty about it.

TBRG: Movies or tv and which movie or tv show is your favorite?

DB: Ocean’s Eleven

NB: Doesn’t that go against you being a cop and all?

DB: Shut up.

TBRG: If you had a day to do whatever you wanted what would you do?

DB: Sex.

EB: He has a one track mind.

NB: He means sex with Liza.

TBRG: How’s your relationship with your brothers now?

DB: They’re still pains in the ass as you can tell from this interview.  But they’re my brothers.  Ethan and I have come a long way.  Nash and I have some things to work out – as I learned throughout the book – but we’ll get there.  I have faith.

NB: So does Ethan.

EB: Very funny.  Seriously I’m grateful for this second chance.  We’re all doing pretty good.

NB: Definitely getting there.

TBRG: How did you feel about Carly telling your story?

DB:  She liked telling my story best.

TBRG: What do you want us to know about you?

DB: Looks can be deceiving.  I’m not the easy going brother everyone thinks I am.  I have a lot of baggage and I’m still working through it.  Nobody knows that though.

TBRG: Using 3-5 adjectives how would you describe yourself?

DB: Focused, determined, loyal (to those who’ve earned it), and Repentant.

NB: Like a puppy dog.

TBRG: Using 3-5 adjectives how would you describe your siblings?

DB: Ethan’s a miracle worker.

EB: That’s not an adjective.

DB: You turned your life around, you turned Tess around, I’m in awe.

NB: I may be sick.

DB: You’re not so bad either, when you stop taking yourself and everyone else so seriously.

TBRG: Using 5 adjectives how would you describe Liza?

DB: Beautiful, Independent, Brave, Feisty, Loving.

TBRG: What do you love most about Liza?

DB: Her ability to see the best in people, even her no good brother.

EB: Don’t let her hear you talking about him like that.

DB: I saved his ass and she knows it.

NB: Because you love her.

DB: Yeah.  I do.

TBRG: Can you tell us which of your co-workers has agreed to let Carly tell their story first?

DB: You want that secret? The book is called PERFECT FIT and the first two up are Cara Hartley, a damn good cop and Sam Marsden’s brother, Mike.  You haven’t met Mike yet but Cara has … turns out they share a past – make that a night – OK that’s it.  I can’t talk about this anymore.  You know, Blue Wall of Silence and all that.

TBRG: Ok this is a question for all three of you, if you each had to plan a romantic night out what would it be?

DB: Liza loves a night in doing nothing but drinking wine and making love.  Works for me.

NB: Kelly would love it if we went back to the London Hotel in New York City where I proposed.  Champagne on ice, room service, and just us.  Perfect.

EB: I’d take Faith back to our honeymoon spot – a private villa in Turks and Caicos – complete privacy, skinny dipping, our own butler.

DB: Rub it in, why don’t you?

EB: Hey I offered to send both of you there – is it my fault you’ve all got too much pride to take me up on it?

DB: I can plan a romantic trip for my woman all on my own.  But thanks, man.

Thank you to Ethan, Nash and Dare for joining us today. We have a fun treat as well. We are giving away a copy of either Ethan or Nash’s book plus some of Carly’s goodies, just tell leave a message for Carly. Contest is open to US only. 

Police Officer Dare Barron has had a crush on Liza McKnight ever since he was a teenager. But despite his lifelong attraction, the closest he’s ever come to interacting with her is watching Liza regularly bail out her brother at the station.
 
Dare’s dark past with Liza’s brother, Brian, has always kept him from pursuing her. But suddenly Liza finds herself in need of protection and Dare appoints himself as the man for the job.  And while the sizzling attraction between Dare and Liza draws them together, the past that Dare and Brian share threatens to keep the two apart forever.

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Guest Post: Reality Show Inspirations by Joely Sue Burkhart + giveawaay

Posted on May 4, 2012 by TBRG| 8 Comments

Today we have Joely Sue Burkhart on talking about where she got the inspiration for her latest book Yours to Take.

Reality Show Inspirations

I admit it – I love a really good reality show. I’ve been a fan of
Survivor since the very first season, but I came later to shows
like Project Runway and America’s Next Top Model . I’m
fascinated by the fashion world, the glitz and glamor, lights and
fabulous clothes. Things I would never wear or see in my ordinary
life. I guess it was inevitable that my favorite shows would slowly
work their way into my writing.

America’s Next Top Model came into play with Victor’s Hurt
Me So Good. They held a “mock” reality show called America’s
Next Top sub, where subs competed to win the Master’s collar. I
didn’t really know much about Vicki until the very end of that book,
when she designed a gown for Shiloh.

Ack! I thought. A clothes designer! Where did that come
from? I guess I’d better watch more Project Runway for
inspiration.

What I found was definitely inspiration – above and beyond Vicki’s
research. My favorite designer on Project Runway so far has
been Mondo Guerra from season 8 and the recent all-stars series. I
love the way he mixes patterns – things that are shockingly different.
Black and white graphic prints mixed with brilliant colors that
shouldn’t look good together at all, but they do. It’s incredible.

I can’t really sew more than very basic things, so I wondered how I
could take that kind of inspiration into my writing. I wanted to mix
patterns and colors of characters together in an unusual way. I
needed surprise. An accent color. Something different.

That’s when Jesse walked into the story and the book took off.

Here’s an excerpt from Yours To Take that I love because it mixes up the ideas of colors and characters.

~ * ~

“I need an evening gown, definitely, and it needs to be the
showstopper.” Her stomach churned and a stress headache threatened.
“I don’t have much time to pull this off, because now I need two new
pieces, not one. I don’t even have the design yet, or the fabric, and
Miriam still has to hem…”

Stepping up behind her, he closed his palms on her arms, which stilled
her frantic thoughts. He didn’t press against her, but his closeness
made the nerves hum up and down her spine. “First, color. Something
unexpected, but you can still mix with the others.”

“It has to be a color that I’ll look decent in.”

He let out a low, husky laugh against her ear that sent the southern
half of her body on full alert. Oh God, now it was her turn to feel
ashamed at her ravenous hunger. She was lucky her stomach didn’t
rumble as loudly as his had at breakfast. Starved and so damned needy,
it took all her willpower not to turn around and haul his mouth down
to hers.

“You’ll look gorgeous in any color. Do you have a favorite color,
something that’s meaningful to you?”

She had to clear her throat. “No.”

“Any color will go with black, white and gray. How about green to
complement the red?”

Closing her eyes, she fought not to lean back and rub her entire body
against him. She hadn’t been held, touched, in months. That’s all this
is. A night with Elias, and I’ll forget this insane need. “Too
Christmassy.”

“The colors you’ve chosen so far are hard and dramatic, a bit like you
and Reyes.” Jesse mused aloud. “He’s harsh and grim. As a cop,
everything is black and white. Right or wrong, law and order or utter
chaos. I bet he despises the gray. Gray is where people begin to tell
lies. All too soon, gray leads to black. There can be no middle
ground, no compromise, or black wins every time. Everything has to be
in its proper place, right or wrong, and he’s always right.”

His analysis was spot-on, but then again, Elias wasn’t that hard to
read. She wasn’t too concerned, until Jesse began analyzing her.

“You’re definitely red: passionate, uncontrolled wildfire. You clash
with black all the time and you never give up without a fight.”

His gentle voice didn’t sound aggressive or inflammatory, but he dared
a soft brush of his lips against her ear that damned near made her
knees buckle.

“Maybe you need a buffer between you and him. Someone softer, gentler,
who can absorb all the dramatics without falling apart, who would
never try to set one against the other, and will always do exactly as
you say, when you say, how you say, no questions asked. Someone who’d
love getting burned by your sparks, and isn’t afraid of the harder
black, either. In fact, you just might like someone who can take it
hard, real hard, as hard as you want.”

She knew, then, that she was in serious trouble. Street-smart and
worldly in ways she couldn’t even comprehend, Jesse had voiced the
crux of her relationship problems with Elias. In the great war of
passion between them, Jesse offered himself as Switzerland.

What he didn’t get at all was that Elias would go all shock-and-awe on
them both if she even thought about it.

So why am I thinking about it?

~ * ~

Joely always has her nose buried in abook, especially one with
mythology, fairy tales, and romance. Find her on her website, Twitter, and Facebook.. Be sure to check out her http://joelysueburkhart.com/free-reads/”>freereads!

***We are giving away a download of Joely’s book to a commenter. Simply tell us your favorite Reality TV show and why. Open to everyone.***

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Guest Post: The Making of a Hero by Erin Kellison + giveaway

Posted on April 26, 2012 by TBRG| 10 Comments

Today we have one of our favorite authors on talking about heroes and her new book, Erin Kellison.

First of all, thank you to Heather for having me here today to celebrate the release of Shadow Play, the second in my Shadow Touch enovella series. For readers today, I’d like to offer a $25 gift certificate to the bookstore of their choice for telling me a quality that a romance superhero has to have. Sense of right/wrong? Humility? Great abs? I want to hear it!

I love the origin stories of heroes—how they got to be that way in the first place. Sometimes there’s an event, the wrongful death of a loved one comes to mind, that enrages them and motivates an all-for-nothing transformation. Some heroes are suddenly invested with super powers and must wrestle with them to find their way and purpose. Some are born with power and an innate goodness (I never really liked Superman).

Cameron Kalamos is a good man who really isn’t interested in heroism at all—he likes his lab work and he likes World of Warcraft and he likes this girl named Ellie, who has the singular problem that her shadow runs around separately from her flesh-and-blood body, making mayhem at every turn. Because Cam is good man, maybe even like guys we know, he tries to do the right thing. He’s the kind of guy who “has greatness thrust upon him” because he certainly didn’t choose it for himself. In Shadow Touch, part one of the series, this is the moment he makes that (very desperate) choice at the insistence of an angel:

             “…Say it. What will you do, if and when it becomes necessary?”

Cam put his hands over his face for the privacy of dark to make a promise. He would do everything else first before taking this too-easy way out. Absolutely everything else first, but this.

“It’s hard, I know. But say it.”

Son of a bitch angel. This was not what he signed up for. Not what he came to Segue for. What the hell was wrong with the world that he, of all people, would be asked this?

“Now, please.”

Fine. Only if absolutely necessary. “I’ll kill her.”

In Shadow Play, which released this week, Cam and his girl Ellie confront their first mission, to save a child from the fae of Twilight. Once again Cam is called upon to be more than he anticipates, fight harder than he could have imagined. His motivation? You guessed it: Love.

Here’s the blurb:

 Shadow

The world is growing dark with it as mysteries from antiquity and legend creep into our time, bringing a new world of danger, beauty and…

Magic

Dr. Cam Kalamos has dedicated his life to studying its strange properties, but nothing is more intriguing than a woman whose soul is split in half, one part under her control, one part bent on…

Seduction

How can he resist the lure of a lover with no inhibitions and an insatiable desire to possess him? Both Ellie and her shadow want Cam, but there is an innocent child to be rescued from the forest and the strange fae creatures of…

Twilight

Love, loyalty, betrayal – which will rule? As Ellie sends her other self into the darkness, there is only one certainty: Trusting in shadows is a dangerous game.

Thanks so much for having me! This was a blast. Stop by my website for more info on my upcoming releases, and to read excerpts from all the books in my Shadow series. You can also find me on Twitter and Facebook – links are below:

My website: www.erinkellison.com

Twitter (@ekellison): www.twitter.com/ekellison

Facebook: www.facebook.com/erinkellisonauthor

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Nora Roberts Celebration Day 2: Favorite Nora Stand Alone + giveaway

Posted on April 17, 2012 by TBRG| 18 Comments

Today we are talking about our favorite Nora stand alone book. There have been so many that some of us had a hard time choosing.

Heather (TBRG) This was a hard one for me as I have read every single book she has written, I finally narrowed it down however to three and then couldn’t decide between them so I have 3 favorite stand alone books. Unfinished Business which is one of her HQN books and one of the first ones I read as a teenager. The next is Carolina Moon, I can’t tell you why I love this book only that I do, it has everything I love in a book great characters a love story that was years in the making and bad guy that fools everyone. The last book is Three Fates, I love this book because at it’s core is family. Malachi, Gideon and Rebecca and their loves who they meet as a result of searching for the Fates are a family and that comes first and always.

Shana Galen (author) My favorite NR stand-alone is Midnight Bayou. No, Northern Lights. No, Blue Smoke. It’s so hard to choose! I guess if I was forced to choose I’d have to pick Montana Sky. The mystery in that novel kept me up all night and the characters have stayed with me all of these years later. I don’t often read books more than once, but this is a book I find myself pulling off the shelf time and again.

Elisabeth Naughton (author) Divine Evil. Super dark. Awesome characters. Couldn’t wait to see what happened next.

Jessa Slade (author) The Search is a particular favorite of mine because of the dogs and the Pacific Northwest setting.

Melissa B ( Mimmi’s Musings )  Carnal Innocence.  Tucker Longstreet ~ wow.  I love how Nora did the darker titles back in the day, and this one has always remained a fav ~ she fooled me up ‘til the very end, and filled the pages with so many suspects and town full of people who were just flat a trip to read about I can’t help but still love to reread it!

Kim (reader) My favorite stand alone is Chasing Fire. It was a really well written story that made you feel like wanted to hang out with fire jumpers. You wanted to be with those guys. I can always figure out who the bad guy was by chapter 3 however in this book I had no clue and was surprised.

Kati (reader/blogger) My favorite stand alone is High Noon. I love High Noon because Duncan Swift is my favorite kind of hero, sucking you into his “beta-vibe” until he goes all alpha on your ass. I love her more laid back heroes. And Phoebe, the heroine, is self-sufficient, silly smart, and totally a girl I’d like to share a glass of wine with. There’s also a dandy suspense plot that left me guessing and Phoebe’s fascinating family and career as a police negotiator. It truly is Nora at her finest!

Lisa B (reader/blogger) When i first started reading again a few years ago after a 20 year hiatus for kids/military time and well life i was Nora i first started to read. She has so many great books i have yet to read all of her books. I have a bookshelf ok maybe 3 bookshelve’s full of her books that i reach for if i need a comfort read.  If i think recent book i would have to say Chasing Fire and The Search. Both tell a great story but educate you also.  If i think older books i have to say High Noon and maybe Northern Lights. It’s a hard decision no doubt.

Liza (reader/blogger) My favorite stand alone is Montana Sky…no make that True Betrayals. Guess if I’m hard pressed to pick only one it would be Montana Sky. I love watching the 3 women become true sisters.

Jennifer Porter (blogger from Romance Novel News – http://www.romancenovelnews.com ) Again, I have to go back to Nora Roberts’ early days. I absolutely adore the reunited-lovers trope of Once More with Feeling, a Silhouette Intimate Moments book from 1983. I have vivid memories of Raven and Brand reuniting, making music, and finally finding love. This was one of the first books that I hunted for in used books stores (and later eBay) when I was building my collection of romance novels. This one is a classic.

Sasha H (reader) Favourite stand-alone novel? Hard to pick just one but in the end, I have to go with Sweet Revenge. Princess Adrianne and Philip Chamberlain wear figurative masks as they move through a world of jewelry thefts, Arab royalty and Western high-society. Nora Roberts has written a couple books about jewelry/art heists but nothing compares to the high-stakes drama and intrigue of Sweet Revenge. I also hold Montana Sky close to my heart, for very similar reasons to Shana Galen and Liza. :D

Megan (reader and blogger at Riverina Romantics) This is an easy question. My favorite Nora Roberts book is Honest Illusions. It was the first Book by Nora Roberts that I ever read. A close friend of mine in high school gave it to me and I instantly became enamoured of Nora Rober’s writing.

Mad (reader & blogger at RR@H Novel Thoughts) I would have to say the newest one, THE WITNESS. I was lucky enough to get an ARC of this to read and enjoyed it immensely. I still have lots of her others still in the TBR and reading over the other comments here have me wanting to go and pull them out of the TBR to get started on them.

Rowena (reader/blogger Book Binge)  This one is a lot harder for me because there are a lot of her standalones that I absolutely adore. Top 3? Sea Swept, The Villa and Hidden Riches. I liked all of those books for different reasons. I adored Cam and his struggles to be that stay at home brother for Seth and his family in Sea Swept and I adored the romance between Ty and Sophia in The Villa and I really enjoyed the romance between Jed and Dora but also the coming together of the mystery part of the story. Nora Roberts excels at writing stories about things that I would have never been interested in before and making them shine. I’m not a fan of antiques, I have no desire to learn about the everyday dealings of an antiques dealer but that didn’t deter me from enjoying the hell out of Dora’s story. I don’t drink wine and I don’t really care how the wine goes from the vine to the bottle but I ate up all of the wine talk in Ty and Sophia’s story. She writes stories that I love and these are the stories that I’ve loved the most over the years.

Shannon Stacey (Author): The first title that comes to mind when asked
my favorite of Nora’s standalone novels is Carnal Innocence. Hello,
Tucker Longstreet! But the book I’ve reread most often, and the one
I’d put at the top of my very-favorite list, is Montana Sky. It has
the strong, emotional core of a Nora Roberts romance, with a striking
and unique setting, a nail biting suspense plot, and the engrossing
relationship between Willa, Tess and Lily. And who could resist three
of her incomparable heroes in one book?

*** We are giving away one of Nora’s books today, just tell us your favorite stand alone book and why. Open to US and Canada only)***

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RomCon Reading Challenge giveaway

Posted on April 12, 2012 by TBRG| Leave a comment

For those of you who have been reading along with us for the RomCon reading challenge it is now time to give away our ticket to RomCon 2012 to the person who has read the most amount of books in the challenge.

To be entered in the challenge you need to submit the spreadsheet where you kept track of all the books you read by the authors attending. Submit your spreadsheet to thebookreadinggals@gmail.com by Sunday April 15th 2012. The winner will be announced on April 21st 2012. The winner will have 2 days to reply.

Thank you all so much for reading with us and we hope that you discovered a new to you author and had as much fun as we did.

Posted in fun, Giveaway, RomCon Reading Challenge

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Guest Post Louisa Edwards

Posted on April 2, 2012 by TBRG| 2 Comments

One of the questions I’m asked the most often is “How did you learn to cook?” I guess when you write culinary-themed romance novels featuring hot chefs as the heroes (and often the heroines!) it’s natural that readers are curious about my history in the kitchen.

And the truth is, I’ve never worked in a restaurant kitchen. I didn’t go to culinary school. But I grew up with two parents who both love to cook, to experiment with new techniques, and explore the world through ethnic cuisines. My mom and dad taught me a lot about food—not just how deliciously satisfying it is to take raw ingredients and turn them into a nourishing meal, but also about the deep connections forged between people who sit down to that meal together.

The recipe I’m sharing below is from Hot Under Pressure, my most recent release. It’s the conclusion of the Rising Star Chef trilogy, which has followed a team of chefs through a high-stakes culinary competition to the final challenge, where strong, silent, ex-Navy chef Henry Beck must go head to head with his estranged wife, hippie chef Skye Gladwell.

So here’s Beck’s Paella, which is one of the recipes you’ll see him use in the Rising Star Chef competition—but you’ll be the savvy readers who know that this is actually my wonderful father’s recipe, honed and developed over years and happily tested by my family. Enjoy it with your families! And let me know how you like it. You can email me your thoughts on the recipe, or on Hot Under Pressure, at Louisa@louisaedwards.com. Or you can connect with me on Facebook, or follow me on Twitter!

Beck’s Paella (Serves 6-8)

Paella is a generous, informal dish that is perfect for parties and large family gatherings! It’s very forgiving when it comes to proportions and ingredients—basically, it’s all about making it the way you like it. There are a few steps to go through, but I promise, it will be worth it when you wow your guests with the finished dish.

Stock Preparation

½ cup dry white wine

1 tablespoon lemon juice

½ teaspoon saffron

5 ½ cups stock, fish or chicken

¼ teaspoon ground coriander

1 bay leaf

Mix white wine, lemon juice and crushed saffron in a small bowl and let stand to allow the saffron to bloom.

Bring stock to a simmer in a 3 quart saucepan. Add wine, lemon juice, the saffron mixture, coriander, and the bay leaf to the hot stock. Hold at simmer while preparing vegetables and seafood.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Meat Preparation

¼ – ½ pound diced ham or bacon

1 pound spicy sausage, such as linguiça or Spanish chorizo

2 tablespoons olive oil

8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into chunks

Remove the sausage casing and sauté the sausage in olive oil in a skillet until lightly browned. Break into bite-sized pieces while cooking. Remove browned sausage to a platter.

Sauté ham or bacon and remove to platter with the sausage.

Add chicken pieces to the skillet, brown on all sides in the pork fat and remove to platter. Reserve the pork fat.

Seafood Preparation

2-4 small lobster tails (1/2 tail per person)

1 pound large shrimp

1 pound squid (tubes)

½ pound mussels

1 pound clams

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Salt and pepper

½ teaspoon dried thyme

½ teaspoon dried oregano

Cut lobster tails in half lengthwise; you can use kitchen shears to cut through shell.

Peel and devein shrimp.

Toss shrimp and lobster tails in a bowl with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, and the lemon juice and seasonings.

Clean and wash squid. Slice squid tubes into ½ inch rings and add to bowl with shrimp and lobster tails.

Place paella pan or large, oven-proof skillet, on stovetop over medium high heat. Add remaining tablespoon of olive oil and 2 tablespoons of reserved pork fat.

Once the oil and fat are hot but not smoking, add lobster tails and sauté for 2 minutes. Remove to platter.

Add shrimp and squid and sauté for two minutes. Remove to platter, then discard fat from paella pan and wipe with a clean towel.

Clean and wash mussels and clams.

Vegetable and Garnish Preparation

1 onion, sliced into ½-inch strips from pole to pole

1 red bell pepper, sliced

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 medium tomatoes (in season) or one can diced tomatoes, drained

1 teaspoon smoked Spanish paprika, hot or sweet

8 garlic cloves

1 teaspoon sea salt

3 cups Spanish Arborio rice, or other medium-grain rice

1 cup frozen green peas, thawed

1 cup Italian flat leaf parsley, chopped

lemon wedges

Mince garlic and mash to paste with 1 teaspoon sea salt in a small bowl.

Peel tomatoes and remove seeds. Dice and place in a bowl. Stir in smoked paprika.

Heat oil in paella pan over high heat, then add onions and peppers. Stir fry the vegetables for two minutes, until they begin to soften.

Stir garlic and salt paste into paella pan and stir fry for 1 minute, until the mixture becomes fragrant.

Add tomatoes and paprika to paella pan and stir fry for 1 minute.

Add uncooked rice to paella pan and stir with tomatoes, onions and peppers to coat.

Final preparation

Measure hot stock and add stock or water as needed to make 5 ½ cups. Stir hot stock into rice, tomatoes, onions and pepper mixture and bring to rapid boil on stove. Stir gently and cook about six minutes until liquid thickens and rice appears on surface. You know it’s thickening when your spoon starts to make tracks exposing the bottom of pan.

Turn off heat and add sautéed meats from the platter, then stir in shrimp, squid and peas.

Add lobster tails and push them partly into the rice. Push mussels and clams partway into rice, hinge end down, then drizzle juices accumulated on the platter over the top.

Bake 10 – 15 minutes uncovered on center rack of oven until liquid is absorbed and a crust forms. Rice should be slightly too al dente.

Remove paella pan from oven, cover with aluminum foil or kitchen towel and let stand for 10 minutes. Rice will continue cooking and firm up.

Sprinkle paella with parsley and decorate with lemon wedges. Serve with a simple green salad and a nice, crusty bread to soak up the juices!

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Interview with Julie James

Posted on March 28, 2012 by TBRG| 12 Comments

On a random trip to the bookstore I picked up a book Something about You by Julie James, when I got home I read that book in 2 hours and was officially hooked on her. I then had to get to know her, which meant I followed her on FB and twitter and then I got to meet her at RomCon and it was settled she is one of my top contemporary authors, joining Nora Roberts, Carly Phillips and Shannon Stacey as auto-buys for me.

I’m super excited to have her on today to talk about her next book About that Night which is Kyle’s story from A Lot Like Love.

TBRG: Who has been the biggest influence on your writing?

JJ:  I don’t know that there’s been any one influence.  I began my writing career by writing screenplays—I had a good idea for a romantic comedy film and just decided to sit down and write it one day.  (That script then went on to become the basis for my debut novel, Just the Sexiest Man Alive.)  So in some senses, movies have probably had the greatest influence on my writing.

TBRG: What is one thing your readers would be surprised to know about you?

JJ:  Maybe that I’m addicted to reality television, like The Bachelor and The Voice.  Oh, and I’m a huge fan of Glee.  We play the Glee soundtracks a lot in my house—which means my kids (who are four and sixteen months) sing songs like “Moves Like Jagger” and “Safety Dance.”

TBRG: For those that follow Julie on twitter she is the best way to watch the Bachelor as she tweets her thoughts about the show while watching.

TBRG: Where is the one place you have always wanted to go, a place on your bucket list?

JJ:  A few years ago, before we had kids, my husband and I went on safari in South Africa and it was absolutely amazing—a “life-impacting” trip, if you will.  I would love to go back someday.

TBRG: What was the first romance book that you read?

JJ:   When we submitted the manuscript for my first book, Just the Sexiest Man Alive, to my editor, I called the book a “romantic comedy.”  My editor told me that, in the literary world, they don’t use the term “romantic comedy” and that the book was a contemporary romance.  I said, “But I’ve never read a romance.” To which my editor responded, “Well, you’ve written one.”  So I guess you could say that the first romance I read was my own. : )

TBRG: What is your guilty pleasure?

JJ:  Shoes and chocolate.

TBRG: Who is on your playlist when you are writing?

JJ:  I don’t listen to music while actually writing because I find it distracting.  But when I’m not at the computer working on the book, we play a lot of music in my house.  The playlist changes from book-to-book.  About That Night was a very Top 40 book: John Mayer’s “Say” and “Your Body is a Wonderland,” Maroon 5’s “Moves Like Jagger” and  “Misery,” “Falling For You” by Colbie Caillat, “Come Away With Me” by Norah Jones, “Just a Kiss” by Lady Antebellum, “Somebody Like You” by Keith Urban—and of course, “Billionaire” by Travie McCoy in honor of Kyle, the billionaire-heir hero of the book. : )

TBRG: How did you come up with this series?

JJ:  It happened rather organically.  When I wrote Something About You (the first book in the FBI/US Attorney series), I assumed it would be a stand-alone novel, like my first two books.  But when I was plotting the following book (A Lot Like Love), I decided that the hero would be an FBI agent, just like the hero in Something About You.  I figured there was no reason to reinvent the wheel—I’d already created Chicago-based FBI and U.S. Attorney’s offices in Something About You and decided to simply return to that world.

One thing I want to mention: I use the term “series” in the sense that these books are set in a shared world and some characters make appearances in later books. They can, however, easily be standalones. So readers should feel free to jump in wherever they like.

Readers who want to know more about the series should check out the FBI/US Attorney page at my website: http://juliejames.com/books/series/

TBRG: Tell us about the book.

JJ: My upcoming release, About That Night, is a contemporary romance that hits bookstores on April 3rd.  It’s about an ex-con, Kyle Rhodes, (who also happens to be a billionaire heir) who has just been released from prison after being convicted for hacking into Twitter.  After being dubbed the “Twitter Terrorist,’” he wants to put the past–and his mistakes–behind him.  He’s therefore quite irked when the U.S. Attorney’s office, the very prosecutors who threw him in prison, want his help in a high-profile homicide investigation involving a corrupt prison guard.  But the Assistant U.S. Attorney assigned to the case just so happens to be a woman from Kyle’s past, and may be the one person Kyle can’t say no to…

TBRG: What do you want us to know about Kyle and Rylann?

JJ:  About That Night is a reunion story, of sorts.  It’s about missed opportunity and second chances.  Kyle and Rylann originally meet when they’re both in grad school, and have an instant connection.  But fate intervenes and separates them, and nine years later when they meet again they are in completely different places in their lives:  Rylann is federal prosecutor, and Kyle is a famous convicted felon who’s just been released from prison.  By all accounts, these are two people who probably shouldn’t get together.  But that connection between them still exists, and despite a lot of quips and back-and-forth banter between them, they find that attraction hard to resist that . . .

TBRG: What are you working on now?

JJ:  I’m working on the next book in the FBI/US Attorneys series.  I haven’t said too much about the book, but here’s a hint: the hero is someone in About That Night. : )

TBRG: I want to thank Julie for coming on today and sharing with us. Tomorrow Mandi from Smexy Books and I will be talking about Julie’s new book About that Night. 

***We are giving away a copy of A lot Like Love and About that Night to one commenter. Just comment on one of the three Julie James posts we have this week, this one, the book chat tomorrow or the review of About that Night on Friday. Open to Everyone***

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Guest Post: Getting THE CALL by Andrea Laurence

Posted on March 26, 2012 by TBRG| 9 Comments

When I first started reading romance books more than 20 years ago it was the Harlequin Category stories that I devoured. Every month since then I have hit the Harlequin section of the bookstore to discover what new gems were out. So when I was contacted about a brand new HQN author and her debut book I of course said I would love to have her on. So today we have Andrea Laurence on sharing how she got The Call and a bit about her book.

Thanks to the Book Reading Gals for allowing me to stop by here today on my blog tour. I love reading call stories. It’s always exciting to hear about how someone found out that they had finally fulfilled their dream of publication. I, of course, had fantasized about how mine would go. How I’d act cool, not scream in my new editor’s ear… I had it all worked out. I even had a list ready of smart questions and a standby bottle of champagne. But life has a funny way of catching you off guard.
Last summer, I had been working with Shana Smith at Desire on some requested revisions. Things were going well. I’d turned in my revisions, then got ready for a vacation. I figured it would be a while until I heard back, so I tried to forget it was even out there.

By the time we got to the airport, our flight was four hours delayed. Joy. We were killing time in the terminal when a number I didn’t recognize called my phone. I answered because I had time to kill, even if it was just a telemarketer. It never registered, even when she introduced herself as Shana Smith, that I was getting THE CALL.

She wanted to buy my book. I was totally unprepared. I think my first words were “oh my god, I’m in the airport.” That was followed by a lot of ‘wow’ and ‘that’s great’ while she talked about the details. I wrote things down on the back of my boarding pass and tried to think of intelligent questions. I was a mess. But the message came across – my first book was coming out in spring 2012.

After I hung up, I spent the rest of my afternoon calling every person I’d ever met. Thank goodness the flight was delayed or I would’ve missed the call and had to wait until the next day to call her back. I would’ve spent the night completely miserable wondering what she was calling about.

Of course, my call story had to be weird! It all went down in an airport. To quote While You Were Sleeping – “Life doesn’t always turn out the way you plan.” What about you? Have you had one of those unexpected moments? Be sure to comment today to get an entry into my blog tour contest!

Andrea
WHAT LIES BENEATH, April 2012
She’s Awake. So Why Can’t She Remember?

They say she’s Cynthia Dempsey, fiancée of media mogul Will Taylor. But try as she might, she can’t recall their high-society life or the man sitting by her hospital bed. Though her body certainly remembers him. Even as she senses the distance between them, the electricity when they touch is undeniable.

Will can hardly believe Cynthia’s transformation. Gone is the ice queen who betrayed him, and in her place is a woman who seems genuine and warm. But can he risk his heart again, not knowing what might happen when her memory returns?

Blog Tour & Contest! Don’t forget my blog tour contest! Receive an entry for commenting (one per blog) and a second for signing up for my newsletter (http://eepurl.com/e3O5k). The winner will receive a pink sea-glass heart locket pendant and a personalized autographed copy of What Lies Beneath. Small Print: The winner will be chosen at random after the conclusion of the blog tour – Friday, April 27th and announced on the Writing Playground blog (http://www.writingplayground.blogspot.com/). The winner will have 7 days to contact the author at author@andrealaurence.com with her mailing information or the prize will be forfeited and re-awarded.

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Guest Author Post: Character Naming Quirks by Cassi Carver

Posted on March 14, 2012 by TBRG| 14 Comments

One of the things I love about social media is discovering new authors, or at least new to me authors. When I started following and talking with Cassi Carver on twitter I had no clue she was an author, till she made a comment one day that had me wondering about her. So I went to her website and saw she had this new book coming out called Slayer’s Kiss. I was immediately intrigued and wanted more. I have to say I LOVED the book (review coming soon I promise). With the release of this really good and intense (in a good way book) I had to have her on here so you all could learn about her.

Character-naming Quirks

 Hi, I’m Cassi Carver, author of the erotic urban fantasy, Slayer’s Kiss, and I’m thrilled to be visiting with you today! I have a problem, and I’m hoping you can help me. I wasn’t aware of this problem until I’d written my third novel, Slayer’s Kiss, and my critique partner pointed out, “Umm…do you know that every male character you’ve written has a name ending in ‘n’?”

“What?” I gasped. What was she talking about? This couldn’t be true. All my books? Even the early novels? Let’s see… Brayden, Quinn, Ian, Ryen, Ailexon, Julian, Gavin, Jaxon, Aiden, Brakken. Even my bad guys? Yep.

I was concerned. What did that say about me on a deep psychological level? I had no idea. But to combat this quirk, I started plugging in different names when I could—mostly to secondary characters. Admittedly, these new names sound wrong to me, but with any luck, future readers won’t throw my books across the room and exclaim, “Every name of every man in this book ends with ‘n’!”

So rest assured, I’m working through this naming issue…but in truth, it kills me to withhold an “n” name from a handsome hero, and it may even affect the hero’s future. “How?” you ask…

Well, currently I’m writing full length Shadow Slayers novels and leaving the novellas to tell the story of people who didn’t get their HEA in the main series. If I’m writing a novella for a secondary character from the world of The Shadow Slayers, I’m much more likely to give Flynn his time in the sun, rather than Liel or Steve. There’s nothing wrong with Liel and Steve…except their names. If Liel and Flynn are vying for the same woman—Flynn is likely going to come out on top. (And in case you’re reading Slayer’s Kiss, wondering who Flynn is…he isn’t in there. A double “nn” name like that clearly deserves its own series.)

What about you? How much thought do you give to names in the books you read? Does it even matter? I need your help, guys, so I’m going to give out a digital copy of Slayer’s Kiss to one person who comments today—and I promise not to look at the last letter of your name!

Slayer’s Kiss
Kara Reed is a supernatural failure. But where her magic falls short, her fists get the job done. The criminal element doesn’t stand a chance once she hits San Diego’s dark streets.

When two smoking-hot tenants move in next door, she thinks her love life might finally be heating up. Just being near Gavin and Julian is enough to make her want to offer her body on a platter.

Gavin and Julian know it’s only a matter of time before the truth comes out. They’re fallen angels sent to watch over the king’s daughter, one of the last females of her kind. Trouble is, she doesn’t seem to think she needs watching—unless they’re watching her shimmy out of her clothes.

No matter how tempting her guardians, Kara’s not about to let anything stop her from tracking down a sadistic killer who carves into his victims and leaves them for dead. Even when she realizes her target may be the very scourge of heaven from which her angels swore to protect her…

Posted in FF&P, Giveaway

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