For the Love of Our Furry Friends Blog Tour

 The holiday season is just around the corner--and next week we'll all be braving the grocery stores to buy ingredients for Thanksgiving dinner. I'm making our traditional feast: butternut squash-chestnut risotto, Grand Marnier cranberry sauce, steamed green beans and almond cake for dessert. Talking about food is a great way to get in the holiday mood, but another great way is to start reading some good stories set during the holidays. Today I'm hosting Sharon Kleve and Jennifer Connor on their rounds of For the Love of Our Furry Friends Christmas Blog Tour. Of course, there's raffle with great prizes (scroll to the end for the details).

Book Title: Brenda’s Christmas Desire (Book two in the Dreams Come True Series)
Author: Sharon Kleve
Publisher: Books to Go Now
Genre: Contemporary Christmas Romance
Release Date: 11.20.2013
Length: 50 pages
Heat Rating: Sweet

Like any child Brenda Howser loved Christmas until her parents were killed by a drunk driver during their annual shopping trip. Brenda went to live with her aunt, who blamed their death on everything that represented Christmas; the gifts, the tree, and all the decorations. The festivities' Brenda once cherished became something she dreaded under the shadow of her parents death. She lived in fear of something happening to the people she loved during Christmas. Christmas approaches and Brenda has to decide if she’s going to let the past hold her prisoner for another year or if she can finally enjoy what Christmas used to mean to her—love.

DEA agent, John Smith knows the significance of December fifteenth to Brenda, but when the head of the Nuevo Cartel escapes federal prison he's forced to let her face the day without him, but not quite alone. Can Daisy, a golden Labrador puppy, a huge sale on decorations at the hardware store, and a gift from her aunt restore her love of Christmas?

Excerpt:

December 2013

The weather forecast for the Western Washington area, specifically North Seattle, predicted a good five-to-six inches of snow. Brenda Houser watched the flakes float like cotton balls from the sky as she dipped a tortilla chip into a bowl of thick and chunky salsa and popped the morsel into her mouth. 

Her boss, Corny Myers, tapped her pencil on Brenda's reception desk to the beat of The Little Drummer Boy, which streamed from the Green Hornet Investigations Bose speakers.

"Hey, Brenda. I have bad eating habits but I've never started the day with chips and salsa. What's up?" Corny asked.

"You know how I feel about all the holiday hoopla. I'd rather stick my head in the sand and pull it back out in January."

"Do you really think Mexican food is going to make you feel better?"

"Probably not, but a couple margaritas might help."


Author Bio:

Sharon Kleve was born and raised in Washington and currently lives on the Olympic Peninsula with her husband. Sharon is a writer of paranormal and contemporary romance. She loves romance. She loves reading romance, living romance, and especially loves writing about romance. She gets no greater feeling than watching her characters come alive in each other's arms. Most of all, she loves giving her characters the happily ever after they deserve—with a few bumps and bruises along the way. One of her favorite things to do is picking up a new book and sinking into the story, immersing herself in the emotions between the characters. She hopes to inspire her readers the same way her favorite authors have inspired her. When not writing, she can usually be found either curled up in her recliner with her cat and a good book, or in the kitchen baking sourdough bread or bagels.

Book Title: Central Bark At Christmas (Book one in the Dog Tails Series)
Author: Jennifer Conner
Publisher: Books to Go Now
Genre: Sweet Contemporary Christmas Romance
Release Date: 11.09.2013
Length: 50 pages
Heat Rating: Sweet

When Tennyson’s boyfriend left her for her best friend from high-school, all Tennyson received in the break up was her dog. She’s sworn off men and now is rebuilding her life. The only thing Par does is work. He barely has time to do anything he wants for himself other than take his dog to the dog park. When Par and Tennyson find an abandoned dog at the park named Duke. Will they find room in their hearts to take him in? And can this Christmas season weave some special magic for the two of them?

Book Excerpt:

 “I’m happy this wasn’t your worst date ever, because I had a great time.” He lifted her chin with the tips of his finger. Slowly he lowered his head until she thought she would die of anticipation. He clamped his hands to her waist and gazed into her eyes. “You’re so beautiful…” There was depth and sincerity in the tone of his voice. She felt special. Desired. He dropped his head and kissed her.

Gentle at first and then deep. She couldn’t breathe. He’d sucked all the air from her lungs, but there was no way she wanted him to stop. As she brushed his firm lips to hers, she relished the feel of her blood simmering in her veins. Par slid his fingers through her long hair to cradle and position her head to kiss her even more thoroughly.

His lips pulled away from hers and he stepped back. She reached for the roof of the car to steady herself. Oh. My. God… could this man kiss.

“Not bad for a first date,” he whispered and then kissed her gently again.

Okay… so it was a date. After that kiss it turned into an ‘official date’ and she had no regrets at all.

--> Book Title: Christmas Gift That Keeps Wagging (Book two in the Dog Tails Series)
Author: Jennifer Conner
Publisher: Books to Go Now
Genre: Sweet Contemporary Christmas Romance
Release Date: 11.06.2013
Length: 50 pages
Heat Rating: Sweet

Julian Barrows has his hands full working full time and being a single dad to his kindergarten, special needs son, Gabe. Gabe’s teacher convinces Julian he doesn’t need to do everything on his own and introduces him to a seizure dog trainer, Hanna Acker. Hanna and her sister grew up without any ‘Christmas Cheer’. She’s trying to get her sister through college and doesn’t have time to let anyone too close, especially the handsome single dad with a kid. But, Christmas has a way of changing what we thought we wanted… especially when Santa and an adorable four-legged ‘elf’ are involved.

Book Excerpt:

“What’s this?” Hanna asked, as she ran a hand over the grocery bag wrapping paper.

Julian took her coat and hung it by the door so she could follow Gabe into the living room.

“Daddy saw this in a store window and said that we had to get it for you. Open it!” Gabe said. “I wrapped it myself,” he added proudly.

“But it’s not Christmas.”

“No. This is a before Christmas gift. You have to open it now.”

She pulled off a half-pound of scotch tape and finally the paper fell away. Hanna stared at the gift in disbelief. “A Christmas sock… with my name on it.”

Julian came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. “You told me that you’d never had a Christmas stocking of your own when you were growing up. Gabe knew Santa wouldn’t know where you were if you didn’t have you sock hung somewhere.” He winked. “So you needed it.”

“You can take it to your home or you can hang it here!” Gabe shouted almost tripping over Cody.

Author Bio:

Jennifer Conner is a best-selling Northwest author who has over thirty short stories on ebook and three full-length books in print. She writes in Contemporary Romance, Paranormal Romance, Historical Romance, and Erotica.   Shot in the Dark hit Amazon at #1 in Romantic Suspense and Christmas Chaos was #2 in the Romance category.  Her novel Shot in the Dark was a finalist in the Emerald City Opener, Cleveland, and Toronto RWA contests.   Jennifer is an Associate Publisher for the indie e-book company Books to Go Now that resides in the Seattle area. Books to Go Now offers professional editing, cover design, multiple book format file creation, and most important--publicity. Their staff works to help make our author books a success one book at a time.  She lives in a hundred year old house that she grew up in. Her semi- small town holds an interesting mix of resident hillbillies, yuppies and Navy Seals. And of course Seattle, only a few miles away, is the birthplace of Starbucks so coffee is always on the check list. She blows glass beads with a blow torch, (which relieves a lot of stress and people don't bother you).

Rafflecopter Giveaway Prizes:

•    One (1) Winner will receive a $25 gift card to a book seller of their choice
•    One (1) Winner will receive Sharon Kleve’s Book one and two of the Dreams Come True Series.
•    One (1) Winner will receive Jennifer Conner’s Book one and two of the Dog Tails Series.

Click here to enter. And a happy furry holidays to you all!

Sweet 'n' Steamy Reasons to Blog--And Win Great Blog Tour Prizes!

I'm honored to kick off the fall season by hosting Sharon Kleve and Kara Leigh Miller as they stroll around the blog-o-sphere on their Sweet 'n' Steamy Blog Tour. Kara and Sharon have shared a great article below on the benefits of blogging to authors in the Internet age. And once you've been inspired to get out there and blog (I'm already working on my next ERWA column), sign up to enter the generous giveaway, including a $25 gift card to the online bookseller of your choice and lots of great books.

But first, I'd like to introduce these authors' latest books, both of which have the most gorgeous eye-candy covers.

Sharon's latest release Halo's Wish, is Christmas story--I love Christmas stories!--about a pet detective who discovers something more than she bargained for. (Hint: this very sweet holiday tale involves a very handsome veterinarian).

Get yourself a copy of Halo's Wish at Amazon US, Amazon UK, Smashwords, and Barnes and Noble

Kara's new novel has an irresistible hook--should you "ruin" a close friendship with a sexy guy or give in to the overwhelming attraction between you? Hmm, I know what I'm hoping happens....

You can purchase Jilted at Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

And now, Sharon and Kara on blogging for authors....

It's all the rage nowadays. Everyone is doing it. Are you?

Authors are encouraged, sometimes required by their publishers to have a blog. But, have you ever stopped and wondered, what's the point? If you have a website, Facebook page, Twitter account, Goodreads profile, Pinterest Account, Google+, Tumblr, and all those other time sucking social media outlets, why add another, right?

Why? Because it's fun!

Okay, seriously, it is fun, but it's more than that. For an author, it means exposure—which in today's publishing world can make or break you. A blog is a place for you to express yourself creatively about things you might not write about in your books. It's a place for you to share your knowledge and experiences and to promote your books. And it's a place for you to connect with other authors and readers in a more in-depth, personal way than Facebook or Twitter allows.

So, have I convinced you yet? If not, check out the article below by Andrew Grant published on July 1, 2013 on why you should have a blog.

Why You Should Have a Blog – 10 Great Reasons

1. Everybody is interested in something

And doing that favorite something is the quickest path to happiness and fulfillment that I know of. Therefore, it’s logical to conclude that writing a blog about that something is probably the most accessible way to make money around your favorite way of spending time.

2. A blog will make you friends

The very essence of a blog is that it will attract people who like the same things as you. They may see them very differently and they may well not agree with everything you say, but they will definitely share your interests. Isn’t that the very definition of friendships?

3. Blogging encourages your creativity

Even if you don’t think of yourself as creative, I am willing to bet that if you set yourself the challenge of writing three short blog posts about something you love, you will be amazed at how creative you can be.

4. Owning a blog gives you motivation

Once you begin to see the fruits of your efforts and especially when you start to get positive feedback from people you have never met, you will find that what looked like an onerous task at the outset is suddenly a pleasure to do – you can’t wait to see what your loyal readers will think of your latest post.

5. Blogging gives you self-discipline

Once you set yourself a schedule to regularly blog, you feel a responsibility to your readers to deliver on your commitment, but it’s a pleasure not a stress, because you know they are enthusiastically waiting for what you give them.

6. Blogging keeps you sharp

If you write a how-to blog, like mine, then you will be honing your skills of research and summation. If your blog is more opinion based, then you need to keep abreast of other views and the latest developments in your field so that you can comment on them with authority. You’ll find your thinking skills get keener and your ability to filter good information from bad gets a lot more efficient.

7. Blogging is rewarding

I guarantee that the best thing you will get from blogging is the satisfaction of making a difference to someone else’s life no matter how minor that difference might be. From a grateful reader telling you how much they enjoyed following one of your patterns to the person making their first few dollars online. The moment when you read their heartfelt email will be one of the high-points of your week.

8. A blog is a test-bed

Once you start to build an audience, your blog will become the place where you can try stuff out. You can ask their opinion on your plans and projects, test different offers with them and best of all you can get them to tell you what they need so you can make a product that suits, safe in the knowledge that as soon as you do, they are going to be the first ones to buy it.

9. You don’t need to be a good writer

No matter how poor you think your writing skills are, I absolutely encourage you to just get stuck in and start writing immediately. There are some great blogs out there written by people who are nowhere near polished, but they write with an intensity that makes that meaningless. In fact if they improved their writing, their blogs probably wouldn’t be as good. Their passion shines through.

10. Google loves bloggers

Every post you write, every picture you link and every comment you receive is another little building brick in the great structure of your credibility. The great bloggers out there have built their authority, their popularity and their credibility, by doing one thing well and doing it regularly. Creating stuff that people want to read, watch, listen to and act upon. Ike the movie said, “If you build it they will come,” and that was never more appropriate than when applied to blogging.

Quite simply, a blog is the best and most long-term profitable way to spend your time on the internet, bar none.

This YouTube video is a simple step-by-step instruction on how to set-up a Blog on Blogger.

Don't forget to sign up for the Sweet 'n' Steamy Blog Tour Giveaway at Rafflecopter.

Cookies and Margaritas with Sharon Kleve

The holiday celebration of food and fiction continues with a delightful cocktail hour with Sharon Kleve, another fellow Passionate Cook, who has just released a new Christmas novella at the perfect time.  Help yourself to a blackberry margarita and join us for a chat about writing and good food!

Tell us about your new publication.

I've written a series of books called, 'The Corny Myers Series.'  Josey's Christmas Cookie is my second Christmas story but it's my first stand alone book.

Was there a special inspiration behind it?

All I can say is; I love animals. I know for certain they'll be in all my books. A sad, homeless dog seemed perfect for a lonely, workaholic girl.

Do you have a favorite passage you’d like to share?

It's where Josey meets the dog of her dreams.. ha ha!

A glob of drool hit the top of my shoe. He let go of my pant leg and licked the goo off my shoe. I wanted to say, "gross," but instead I said, "thank you."

I was hooked. His fur was a reddish brown and soft as silk. Not caring about drool or dog hair, I sat down on the floor next to Cookie, wrapped my arms around his neck and finally felt at peace.

I know exactly what you mean!  When I got my sweet puppy (although this is quite some time ago), we knew we were right for each other from the start.  I’ve never felt that kind of love at first sight with a person.  What’s next for you in your writing?

The fourth book in The Corny Myers Series, "A Bunch of Blarney' is with my publisher and I'm working on the fifth book in the series. I've started a Valentine’s story, yet to be named.

I hope there’s chocolate in it!  Could you tell us the name of a writer you’d like to invite to dinner and what would you serve her/him?

I would love to have, the one and only, Janet Evanovich over for dinner. I'd serve her my Lip Smacking Pork Roulade. It just so happens this particular recipe was chosen to be in the Passionate Cooks, All Romance Cookbook. My recipe, pictured below, is on page 110 and is available here.

Describe a favorite drink that makes life a true pleasure. 

I'm a true connoisseur of margaritas, so I'd also serve Janet Evanovich a couple of Mouth-Watering Blackberry Margaritas. One's never enough…

12 oz. Agave Tequila
6 oz. fresh squeezed lime juice
3 oz Agave nectar
3 oz water
¼ cup blackberries, frozen will work if they're not in season.
A pinch of rock salt

Shake vigorously and pour over crushed ice.

Makes about 6 servings, depending on the glass size

Janet is one lucky writer, but I think we can all enjoy a luscious fruity cocktail at week’s end.  I will definitely be trying this recipe.  Thanks so much for sharing, Sharon, and best of luck with your series.

Sharon Kleve was born and raised in Washington and currently lives on the Olympic Peninsula with her husband.  She loves romance. She loves reading romance, living romance, and especially loves writing about romance. She gets no greater feeling than watching her characters come alive in each other's arms. Most of all, she loves giving her characters the happily ever after they deserve—with a few bumps and bruises along the way. One of her favorite things to do is picking up a new book and sinking into the story, immersing herself in the emotions between the characters. She hopes to inspire her readers the same way her favorite authors have inspired her. When not writing, she can usually be found either curled up in her recliner with her cat and a good book, or in the kitchen baking sourdough bread or bagels.

You can buy Sharon’s books here:

Amazon US
Amazon UK
Barnes and Noble
Smashwords

Find out more at Sharon’s website, blog, Facebook, Twitter and Goodreads