Trish is having a Launch Party!!

First, thanks to Tawny for giving up her normal blogging day so I could have a launch party here in the Lair to celebrate the publication of my first women's fiction novel, Living in Color. This is a bit of a departure from my normal romance and young adult novels, but it's a story I really thought deserved to be out there in the world. That's why I decided to hop on the self-publishing wave and give it a whirl to see what happened.

It's a different type of experience being in charge of every aspect of the writing, editing, marketing and distribution of one's book. So far the only thing I've not done myself is design the cover. I knew I had no talent in that arena, so I enlisted the talented Kimberly Killion at Hot Damn Designs, and I think she did a lovely job. I firmly believe covers are important because they're the face of your book, the first impression. I have no doubt that there are really good books out there that don't get read as many times as they should because they've had the misfortune of having bad covers, though I've been very fortunate with all of my covers to date (thank you, Harlequin and Penguin!). I also believe that the book beyond the cover has to live up to good packaging. I hope readers believe Living in Color does that.

Living in Color is a mother-daughter road trip story, one that leads to healing and some unexpected discoveries. Here's the blurb:

After the death of her father, Sabrina Bishop feels a sense of relief that he's gone. No longer will he be able to abuse her mother mentally or physically, and just maybe her mother might grow to see what he'd done to her was wrong. But with the death of Jim Bishop, Sabrina is now responsible for her mother's well being since Ruby can't read or write and has lived a sheltered life. But Ruby has a very small comfort zone in rural West Tennessee, and that means she can't come live with Sabrina in Atlanta. Besides, Sabrina's job as an award-winning news photographer keeps her traveling around the globe most of the time. As she tries to make suitable plans for her mother's future, Sabrina offers to take Ruby on a road trip to expose her to a world she's never seen. As they travel to sites such as Mount Rushmore, Yellowstone National Park and the Gulf Coast of Florida, the trip becomes a journey of unexpected healing and self-discovery not only for Ruby, but for Sabrina as well.
~~~
As someone who doesn't like to fly, I take a good amount of road trips. I actually enjoy driving long distances and being able to stop wherever I want whenever I want. So I thought I'd share my top five favorite road trip destinations I've been to.

1. Yellowstone National Park -- My sister worked at the park for a year, so I visited once while she was there and a couple more times since then. It's absolutely gorgeous, and I always want to spend more time there.

2. San Antonio and the Hill Country of Texas -- My good friend Mary lives in San Antonio, so I've driven there several times. Last month, we also took a trip up to Fredericksburg in the Hill Country so I could do some research for the trilogy I'm writing for Harlequin American. Some of my favorite stops on this trip are the missions along the Mission Trail in San Antonio -- the Alamo and four others (San Jose, Espada, San Juan and Concepcion).

3. Destin/Ft. Walton Beach, Florida (in the sunset photo) -- I love the Gulf Coast. It's so relaxing there. I love driving along the roads that follow the beach, listening to the waves.

4. Outer Banks, N.C. -- Home to Cape Hatteras and several other lighthouses, Cape Hatteras National Seashore (wonderful because it's undeveloped like so many stretches of beach), and Kitty Hawk, site of the Wright Brothers' famous flight.

5. Great Smoky Mountains National Park, TN and N.C. -- The roads that crisscross this park pass by waterfalls, beautiful mountain streams, lush green mountains, stunning wildflowers, historic structures of past mountain communities, and even the occasional black bear. It is one of the most richly bio-diverse places it the world and is thus designated an International Biosphere Reserve. And it has the benefit of only being about four hours from my house. :)

What I'd like to know from you all is:

a. Do you like road trips?

b. What are some of your favorite road trips and destinations?

c. Any fun (or horrible) road trip stories to share?

I'll pick a winner from today's comments to receive a road map of the United States and a $5 Starbucks gift card to get you started off right on your very own road trip.

If you'd like to read Living in Color (it's a great Mother's Day gift -- hint, hint), you can download it at:

Amazon.com for Kindle

Barnesandnoble.com for Nook

Smashwords.com for Sony e-reader, iPad and various other formats, including for your desktop computer

Okay, break out the freshly made cookies (I hope Joanie made them, and I'd like to request they be just like the ones she made for one of our Bandita get-togethers -- yum!), your favorite non-alcoholic beverage (we are driving, after all), and road map and hit the road!Source URL: https://itistheforkhead.blogspot.com/search/label/Launch%20Party
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Breaking the Rules Launch and Delicious Desserts

by Tawny

We’re coming up on Valentine’s Day and I’m celebrating the launch of my 10^th (OMGOMGOMG – TEN!!!) book release. So I do think it’s party time!
BREAKING THE RULES:
What do you get when you mix a military hero on a mission with an independent artist hell-bent on proving something? A battle that can only be won between the sheets.
Sophia Castillo is finally calling the shots in her life, and she’s determined to stay in charge. The last thing she needs is a babysitter. Not even a babysitter as sexy as US Army Sergeant First Class and EOD Squad Leader, Maximillian St. James. But when someone is sabotaging her art gallery, she turns to Max for help. When he proves to be a challenge to her independence, she lays down their relationship rules. Hot sex, good times and a lot of laughs are all good. Anything involving their hearts is strictly off limits. Before they catch the vandal, Max and Sophia both have to decide just which rules they are willing to break, and how high a price they are willing to pay.
So it’s time to party here in the Lair. And what better way to party than to have Sven man the bar, offering champagne, margaritas and chocolatinis. The cabana boys will be coming around with some special, romantic Valentines inspired desserts – because what better way to celebrate a February release than to tie it into the most romantic holiday of the year.
As our hunky boys make their rounds, here’s what they’ll be offering…
Tawny’s Top Ten Sexy Valentines Desserts
1. Four Layer chocolate mousse cake with ganache
2. Whipped cream. Just, you know, all fluffy and inviting there in a bowl.
3. Strawberries dipped in chocolate. They can visit the whipped cream bowl if you’d like.
4. Éclairs. I imagine eating an éclair like Lady and the Tramp ate spaghetti *g* Nibbling toward the middle together!
5. Tiramisu. Rich, decadent, delicious!
6. Brownie ala mode. Hot chocolate and cold ice cream. Oh my!
7. Flambe Cherries Jubilee. Ohhh, talk about inspiring flaming passion!
8. Caramel Rum Fondue. Dippable, lickable, pourable. So many possibilities.
9. Crème Brulee. Simply delicious, with its crispy sugary crust.
10. Gourmet Chocolate Truffles. Bite sized bits of sexy deliciousness.
Is your mouth watering yet? Mine is! I love dessert anytime, but sexy romantic desserts just have an extra layer of irresistibility.
Which dessert will you be indulging in (remember, all desserts served in the Lair are calorie free!) Is there a dessert you consider romantic, or think of for Valentine’s Day, that isn’t included here? Just mention it and one of our sexy servers will make it happen for you!!!
To celebrate the release of BREAKING THE RULES, I’m giving away some Valentine’s treats to one lucky commenter today! A hand-crafted (by me) heart-shaped tin filled with candy, and a book of the winner’s choice from my backlist!
Be sure and check out my upcoming party!
Valentines Party!
I’m so excited that my tenth release, BREAKING THE RULES, is on shelves now! I loved writing this story, because it focuses on something near and dear to my heart – a Military Hero (my own hero-hubby was in the Army). Even more fun was making this a Valentine’s story, complete with hearts and flowers.
To celebrate, I’m having an invitation-only Valentine’s Day Party! Including:
* A downloadable short story written just for this party as a door prize for everyone who attends
* A sexy Top Ten to wind up my Top Ten tour: Ten Tips for a Hot Valentine’s Night
* One lucky person will win a Valentine’s Basket!
All you have to do to join the fun is go to the Breaking the Rules Valentines Party page on my website, and let me know you’d like an invitation!
Source URL: https://itistheforkhead.blogspot.com/search/label/Launch%20Party
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Launch Party! Kate Carlisle's SWEET SURRENDER!

By Kate

Hurray! The big day has finally arrived! It's SWEET SURRENDER, BABY SURPRISE release day.

This calls for a cake! No, make that cupcakes, in honor of Julia Parrish, my heroine, who has taken the West Coast by storm with her world-class cupcake creations. We’ll decorate our Cupcake Party with pictures of fabulous, colorful cupcakes.

Julia is sexy and she knows how to bake almost anything. How can Cameron Duke possibly resist her? Not to mention, she’s the mother of the son he didn’t know he had.

Seriously, what man can resist a woman who travels with her own ingredients for hot chocolate and whipped cream? Certainly not Cameron Duke! See for yourself in this excerpt ...

She reached into a drawer and pulled out her own hand mixer, poured cream into a bowl, threw in a heaping spoonful of sugar, and began to mix it up. Less than four minutes later, she had a bowl of thick, pillowy whipped cream. She poured the thick, creamy chocolate into two small coffee cups, added a dollop of whipped cream on top, and handed one to Cameron.

“Sip the chocolate through the cream,” she instructed. “That way, you get the hot with the cold, but you don’t dilute either.”

She stood inches away, watching him as he tried the concoction. He watched her, too, as he sipped the hot, creamy chocolate through the cool, soft whipped cream. It was possibly the most sweetly decadent thing he’d ever eaten.

“Well?” she said.

He stared at her and wondered what the chocolate and whipped cream might taste like when licked off her breasts.

“It’s almost immoral, it’s so good,” he said, his voice husky.

Her cheeks began to turn pink again and he found he enjoyed making her blush. He also savored watching her realize the direction his thoughts were traveling.

She coughed to clear her throat. “So, you like it?”

“Like it?” He took another long sip and emptied the cup. “Yeah. I’d suggest you package it, but I’m afraid it might be banned in thirty or forty states.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment,” she said demurely, and placed her cup on the counter. “Thank you.”

“No, thank you. It was delicious.” He put down his cup and reached for her. “I want to taste it on your tongue.”

Before she could utter a word of protest, his mouth consumed hers.

Consumed. Isn’t that a great word? Devoured. Another good one. He hungered for her. Passion and food are closely intertwined, and poor Cameron is besieged on both counts. His deepest, darkest fear is that his father’s abusive anger lives inside of him, so he’s determined never to fall in love. If he keeps his flings frothy and casual, then he’ll never hurt a woman the way his father hurt his mother. But although Julia’s cupcakes are whimsical, she clearly isn’t made for “casual.” She’s a forever kind of girl, and Cameron doesn’t do forever.

Thank you for celebrating with me! Let's get the party going! What’s your favorite flavor of cake or cupcake? What was the last occasion on which you had it? What is your go-to treat when you want to celebrate a big event in your life? How do you feel about whipped cream?

I’ll give a random commenter a $25 Amazon e-gift card, which you can use to buy SWEET SURRENDER, BABY SURPRISE, naturally, or any of these cupcake books -- or whatever strikes your fantasy. The contest is open to anyone in the world who can use an Amazon e-gift card.

And don’t forget to sign up for my mailing list at www.katecarlisle.com! Source URL: https://itistheforkhead.blogspot.com/search/label/Launch%20Party
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A Marine For Christmas Launch Party!

by Beth

I'm so happy to be celebrating the release of my 5th book for Harlequin Superromance, A MARINE FOR CHRISTMAS!

I have to admit, writing this story wasn't easy but with the help of my fabulous editor, Victoria Curran, and Tawny, the most fantastic critique partner ever, I was able to muddle through and get to the heart of the story. Here's the back cover:

Growing up in her perfect sister's shadow wasn't easy. Especially because J. C. Montgomery had been in love with Liz's boyfriend for as long as she could remember. Brady Sheppard, a guy who thought of her as only the kid sister. But that all changed when Liz married somebody else and Brady ended up in bed with J.C.! It was like a dream come true.



Except now J.C.'s pregnant. And Brady's a wounded marine, so it's going to be difficult for him to get down on one knee and tell her she's his reason for living…. But he will.Because she still believes in Santa Claus.


Instead of an excerpt (though, if you'd like to read an excerpt you can find one on eHarlequin and a different one on my website) I thought I'd give you all a taste of A MARINE FOR CHRISTMAS' beginning, middle and end.



Beginning - It might have been the numerous shots of whiskey and the goading of his fellow drinkers down at The Empire Bar, but Brady Sheppard thought crashing his ex-fiancé’s wedding was the best idea he’d had in years.



Middle - “That’s it?” He’d figured it’d be something…bigger. Stop drinking. Or go back to physical therapy. Bare his soul to some shrink.



End - And then—disheveled, contented and, if she wasn’t mistaken, mended—Brady Sheppard smiled. At her.



As you might be able to see, Brady does some growing and changing throughout the story *g*



It wasn't until I actually wrote these out that I realized how much you can tell about the story just from these few lines. Now I'm wondering if that will hold true for other stories as well. Shall we find out?



Just give us a line or two from the beginning, middle and end of the book you're currently reading. We'll call this a Launch Party Experiment *g* And don't forget to pull up a comfy spot, pour yourself a drink and enjoy the party!




I'll give away THREE copies of A MARINE FOR CHRISTMAS so leave a comment for your chance to win!
Source URL: https://itistheforkhead.blogspot.com/search/label/Launch%20Party
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Launch Party: The Lies that Bind by Kate Carlise

Today, we’re celebrating the November 2 release of THE LIES THAT BIND! Can I hear a “Woo hoo?” Yeah!

I have to confess I LOVE this book! My protagonist is back in San Francisco, teaching a class on bookbinding—and investigating murder, naturally! All my favorite characters are back, too, and some fascinating facts will be revealed about several of them. I hope y’all love the book as much as I do!

Now for the par-tay! Bring your PJs because this is a good, old-fashioned slumber party! We’re going to play games, eat way too much sugar, and in honor of Halloween, we’re going to read a spooky story.

But not too spooky.

(Yes, the story we’ll read is THE LIES THAT BIND. Hey, it’s my party! THE LIES THAT BIND is a cozy mystery, so the emphasis is on the mystery, not the blood. No nightmares.)

Here’s a new game we’re going to play—and it makes for a fun ice breaker. Just go to your favorite search engine and search for the following phrases, with quotation marks. Then come back and tell us what you learned about yourself.

1. “[Your name] loves to”

I searched for “Kate loves to.” The first two things I love to do (apparently) are X-rated, so we’ll just skip right past those as I pretend I’m not blushing. Some of the other phrases that appear are:

“A tall blonde bombshell, Kate loves to have fun!” – Okay, I can go for that.

“Kate loves to read.” – That’s certainly true.

“Kate loves to say, ‘I don’t look like a Rodriguez.’” – This was apparently from Kate Hudson but holds equally true for me.

2. “[Your name] hates to”

“Kate hates to be without a man in her life.” – Also from Kate Hudson, and also somewhat true for me. I do love my husband.

“Kate hates to sweat, and this was just another opportunity for her to be difficult.” – It’s like they can read my mind.

“Kate hates to leave the kitchen when a customer wants to compliment her on one of her special dishes.” – So not true. I am always happy to leave the kitchen. In fact, I’m happy to avoid going into the kitchen.

3. “When I met [your name] she”

“When I met Kate she had to ask somebody to check the ladies toilets before she'd go in to see if any spiders were lurking…” – What can I say? Spiders have it in for me.

“When I met Kate, she was working as an art director for a top agency in San Francisco.” – This could be me! Except it’s not. But it could be!

“As a sailor, I had had a few sexual encounters, but they all ended when I met Kate. She had told me on our wedding night she was a virgin…” – Wow. I have led an exceedingly interesting life.

Okay, now it’s your turn. Do your google searches (I’ll wait here!) and let us know what you found out about yourself. And if you have ideas for other fun phrases to search, share them. It’s fun to be a girl! (I’m pretty sure men don’t do things like this.)

What’s your favorite slumber party snack? Cheetos? Candy Corn? Pizza? (I’m leaning toward Kit Kat bars and Bailey’s on the Rocks. :D)

I’m giving away a signed copy of THE LIES THAT BIND today! Just leave a comment for a chance to win!Source URL: https://itistheforkhead.blogspot.com/search/label/Launch%20Party
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