The Couple
by Harlie Williams
Contemporary Romance
Published by MuseitUp Publishing
Release Date: December 28, 2012
Heat Level: Steamy
Word Count: 3,200

Buy Links
MuseitUp Publishing: http://museituppublishing.com/bookstore2/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=636&category_id=64&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=1
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/The-Couple-ebook/dp/B00ATHPGJO/
ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-thecouple-1025984-172.html
BookStrand: http://www.bookstrand.com/the-couple
Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/268920

Blurb




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About the Author

Connect with Harlie Williams
Website: www.harliewilliams.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/marika67
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Harlie-Williams-Writer/224885394212458
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/marikaweber25
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/BriansMom
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/marika-weber/36/a20/a63


Connect with Harlie Williams
Website: www.harliewilliams.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/marika67
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Harlie-Williams-Writer/224885394212458
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/marikaweber25
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/BriansMom
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/marika-weber/36/a20/a63

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Mar 1: Kristy Centeno (Guest Post/Review)

GUESTPOST:

What makes you buy a book?  The blurb, cover, excerpt, reviews?  I know that readers get asked that a lot but I will have to say that I’m a cover person.  If the cover is appealing, I will think about it.  If the cover matches the blurb, then yes, I will buy it.  The reason I ask this is because Amazon has done away with the “tags” for books.  I have been told that the reason they did that is because the tags were confusing readers.  Confusing readers?  WTH?  I depended on those tags if the cover and blurb were confusing.  Trust me; I’ve bought books that I have deleted because I didn’t get to see the tags.
I really relied on those tags when buying from Amazon.  I like ménage but with only three.  If there is more than three, I’m out; I can’t keep up.  I don’t read m/m either.  Those tags told me what I was buying to read.  Covers and blurbs don’t always tell you what you are buying to read anymore.  Authors and publishers are getting a little tricky with this now and as a reader, I’m pissed.  I’m tired of being duped into buying a book that I thought would be good but ended up deleting it off the Kindle because it wasn’t my cuppa.  There isn’t a whole lot that shocks me anymore but I do have my “won’t read” subjects.  
As an author, this completely frustrates me.  I’m having a tough enough of time getting my short noticed and to take away the “tags” on Amazon?  For me, that’s suicide.  Yes, I wrote a borderline erotic book.  There is sex in it.  Shocking, I know.  LOL!  But readers rely on seeing those tags to decide if they are going to buy my book or not.  
Here are what my “tags” would have been:
Contemporary, Cowboy, Spicy, Borderline erotic, short story, debut author, one night stand, light bondage, bar
See what I mean?   Some readers would skip it and some won’t.  Without those tags, people are passing up my book because they don’t know what is “in” the book.  Ugh!!!
So what do you think about Amazon losing the “tags” portion?  Is it important to you to find books to read?  Let me know what your thoughts are.

Crimson Romance: http://www.crimsonromance.com/upcoming-releases-romance-ebook/her-knight-in-black-leather/
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Knight-Leather-Crimson-Romance-ebook/dp/B00AWWZVBE/
ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-herknightinblackleather-1042884-237.html
B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/her-knight-in-black-leather-j-m-stewart/1114145161

                         Hello! Today I wanted to share with everyone an interview with author, Lisa April Smith.  Lisa is the author of Exceeding Expectations. You can find more info on that below.  Please leave some love <3

                                                                  
                     About Today’s Guest Author
                           Lisa April Smith
Lisa April Smith lives with her husband, He-who-wishes-to-remain-anonymous, in Eternal Playland, Florida, a delightful spot just off I-95. Ms. Smith describes Eternal Playland as: "a little piece of level heaven with occasional dampness, where the bugs are plentiful but respectful, and even the smallest strip mall contains at least one pizza place and a nail salon."

Before discovering a passion for writing, Ms. Smith sold plumbing and heating and antiques, taught ballroom dancing, tutored, modeled, designed software and managed projects for IBM and returned to college multiple times to study anthropology, sociology and computer science, in which she holds degrees, as well as psychology, archeology, literature, history and art. Combine those widely diverse interests with a love of travel and a gift for writing page-turners and it’s easy to understand one reviewer’s unbridled praise for Exceeding Expectations, “She (Ms. Smith) has a brilliance for conveying characters, and the intellectual capacity to place them in historical settings that sparkle with glamorous detail . . . that make it fun to read . . . ”

Amanda: Thank you for stopping by, Lisa. I’m excited to learn a little about you. First question: How do get past writers’ block?
LAS: I’m so pleased to be here and thank you for inviting me. As for writers’ block, I am delighted to say that I’ve never experienced writer’s block. I think the reason for that has to do with my concept of work. When I was at IBM we didn’t ask ourselves if we were in the mood to do something. We looked at the tasks at hand, prioritized them and got to it.

Whether I’m just starting with a blank first page, or well into a book, there are a variety of ways to be productive. Editing. Plotting. Incorporating my latest epiphany into the story. Creating a calendar so that I know how old characters are during the time frame of the story. I maintain a separate file that has the physical appearance, ethnicity and traits of every significant character.

Except when we’re traveling, five to six days a week, I’m at my desk about 7:00 am and quit between 1:00 and 2:00. But whether I’m at my desk or not, I’m never entirely off. If I’m on a plane, or driving, or watching Project Runway or shopping for groceries, my brain involuntarily is churning out ideas. Some people call it drive, discipline or dedication. Personally, I think it’s a sign of a compulsive disorder.

Amanda: I see that you call your genre “Suspense with Sizzle.” I understand the sizzle but why suspense and not another genre?
LAS: I chose suspense because it was important to me to keep my readers turning the pages. Try to estimate the number of book, movie and television plots that average American adults have encountered by the time they’re thirty or forty. It has to number in the tens of thousands. That makes for a jaded audience. That’s why I work so hard at avoiding clichés: phrases, characters and plots. While my readers are busy looking for clues and guessing what surprises await them, they are being alternately charmed, dazzled, entranced, amused, aroused, outraged and entertained by my characters. And that’s both a challenge and fun for me.  
Given my choice of genres, it might surprise people to learn that I start with characters and then develop my plot – one that will test my protagonists in fresh ways, while remaining true to their personalities.

                                                               
Amanda: What can you tell us about Exceeding Expectations?
LAS:  It was inspired by a crime that took place in Palm Beach, which enabled me to incorporate additional lush settings, like an expansive estate in Virginia, an entire 5 story Manhattan townhouse, and Paris.
But frankly, I adore the characters: There’s the irresistible rascal Jack Morgan – lackluster artist, gifted lover who prefers women older than himself and utterly devoted father. His daughter Charlotte (Charlie), a quirky 23 year old who is aware that she’s pampered, over-protected and unprepared to do anything besides marrying a member of her elite social class. Raul Francesco, the flirtatious young lawyer, Cuban expatriate, who enjoys teasing Charlie, when he’s not helping her deal with the fallout of her father’s devastating suicide. But I also provide supporting characters with interesting personalities.

Amanda: Do your books require much research?  
LAS: Absolutely! Some books more than others. I’m a stickler for accuracy. When I find the 2nd or 3rd critical error in a book or movie, that’s it for me. I’m done. Fortunately, I love history and find research fascinating. I estimate that for every researched detail I use, thirty are waiting to be plucked from my Word files or taking up needed space in my brain. Is it any wonder I have problems remembering names?  

Amanda: When you’re away from your desk, what you enjoy doing to relax?
A. I love travelling outside the US – which we do from time to time, when I can convince my husband to cooperate. However, if you’re talking about everyday activities, I read, watch reruns of “30 Rock,” play golf, tend to my cactus and orchids, visit museums, talk on the phone with my kids, volunteer tutor at an afterschool program and do laundry. While most people consider laundry a tedious chore, I find filling and emptying the washer/drier an excellent mindless break. Ironing? Not so much.    

Amanda:  Can you tell us about some of the places you’ve visited,? And where would most like  to return to?
LAS: We’ve been to Aruba, Guadalupe, St. Martin, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Canada, Italy, France, England, China – loved them all. And if I had to pick only one, I would go back to China – in a heartbeat. We spent three weeks touring and there’s still so much we haven’t seen. It’s a huge, very diversified country with deserts and snow-capped mountains, sophisticated business-centric cities and rural farmland. And because many parts of China haven’t been affected by industrialization you can still find examples of things being done the same way they were done hundreds of years ago. That’s fascinating!      

Amanda: What is your favorite ethnic food?
LAS: I have two favorite ethnic foods: Chinese and Italian.

AMANDA: Have you ever fantasized about living in a foreign country and where would that be?
LAS: When we were in Stesa, a town in northern Italy on the shore of Lake Maggiore it was hard not to fantasize about living there. The view of the snow-capped Alps across the broad water is breathtaking. The weather is so mild throughout the year that palm trees flourish there. Summers are cooled by its proximity to the largest lake in Italy. The people I met were warm and gracious. And when I got the urge to travel, getting around Europe doesn’t require seven hours in a plane. The only negative is the distance to my family, which is the reason my daydream will always remain a daydream.  

Amanda: What particularly pleases you about writing fiction?  
LAS: The creative experience. I’ve always envied painters, sculptors, composers. Imagine applying oil to canvas and fashioning a masterpiece. Imagine hearing wonderful music in your head that hasn’t been heard before. Imagine turning a shapeless lump of clay, or block of stone, into an object that produces emotions in viewers. Writing is an art too. With words as their sole tool, authors weave them into stories and place invented people into invented problematic situations. If the author is truly skillful, she not only entertains, she touches, transports and meaningfully moves readers. That’s a powerful and addicting drug.  

Amanda: I understand that Exceeding Expectations has a sequel. What is its name and when  will it be out?
LAS: It just came out and the title is Paradise Misplaced.  Expect all the twists and suspense, danger and crime, romance and sizzle, that kept readers of Exceeding Expectations turning the pages long into the night. Early reviews have been amazing.     


Back of Exceeding Expectations’ Cover
It’s 1961 and Palm Beach socialite, irresistible rascal and devoted father Jack Morgan encounters genuine danger while staging his suicide to shield his beloved daughters from disgrace. Next, meet his daughter Charlotte (Charlie), an over-indulged 23 year-old struggling to cope with the traumatizing loss of her beloved father, her sister’s resulting mental breakdown and the discovery that she’s suddenly penniless. Fortunately Raul, an admiring young attorney, appears to offer assistance. As terrified as she is about daily survival, Charlie soon realizes that she has to learn what drove her father to kill himself. With Raul’s much needed ego-bolstering, the drive of necessity and unforeseen determination, Charlie finds a practical use for her annoyingly lean 5’ 11” frame. In time, this career finances her hard-wrought independence, her sister’s costly treatment and an emotional eye-opening journey to Paris.

Jumping back in time to romantic pre-WWII Paris, readers meet young Alan Fitzpatrick – aka Jack Morgan – lack-luster artist and expert lover and the bewitching girl who will become the mother of his children. Not even Charlie’s relentless detective work will uncover all Jack’s secrets, but in a fireworks of surprise endings, she discovers all that she needs to know and more:  disturbing truths about her father, her own unique talent, crimes great and small and a diabolical villain.  

For more about Lisa, her books, upcoming projects, and free first chapters of her books visit her website: http://www.LisaAprilSmith.com.

And if you don’t want to wait to get your copy of Exceeding Expectations, it’s s available in both paperback ($12.99) and as an e-book ($2.99).

For your iPad, Tablet, Kindle, Android device, etc. go to Buy Exceeding Expectations on Amazon.com .

For Nooks go to Buy Exceeding Expectations on BarnesandNoble.com .

Product Details

• File Size: 428 KB
• Print Length: 275 pages
• Publisher: Terpsichore (December 15, 2011)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B006MWKDM0

5 Star!!
Double Mocha, Heavy on Your Phone Number is one of those great romantic stories that make a snowy day more enjoyable.  
Ellie is a tough cookie and not looking for any attachments.  She rides on a motorcycle, works in a coffee shop, and puts strange men in their place if they so happen to be hitting on her alongside the road.  Bix is new in town after a unfortunate layoff in his old job. Now, he is spending time with his gramps and trying to get used to life away from the city.
One blizzard sends Ellie into a situation that leaves her spending time in a forgotten farmhouse that also happens to be hosting flirty Bix.
Can these two stay away from each other? It seems fate is playing a little game with them.
The story progresses rather quickly and is really enjoyable.  I could understand Ellie's pain and laugh at all of Bix's flirty persistence.
I do wish that there was a little bit more development in the book as a whole.  That's really just a selfish request of me wanting to have more to read, I guess.  All in all it was written in a way that I wanted to rush over to Amazon and download more of the author's work.

Double Mocha, Heavy on Your Phone Number
by June Kramin
Contemporary Romantic Suspense
Published by Musa Publishing
Released on December 16, 2011
Heat Level: Sensual
Word Count: 79,000

Buy Links
Musa Publishing: http://musapublishing.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=2&products_id=93#.UPBYoOREFsI
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Double-Mocha-Heavy-Number-ebook/dp/B006MWKDM0/
ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-doublemochaheavyonyourphonenumber-660731-148.html
B&N: http://www.bookstrand.com/double-mocha-heavy-on-your-phone-number
Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/search?query=double+mocha

Blurb





Excerpt