Promotional Tour: Here, Home, Hope by Kaira Rouda

TITLE: Here, Home, Hope

AUTHOR: Kaira Rouda

Women's Fiction/Chick Lit

Release: May 1, 2011

Goodreads

Blurb: 

Kelly Mills Johnson becomes restless in her thirty-ninth year. An appetite for more forces her to take stock of her middling middle-American existence and her neighbors' seemingly perfect lives. Her marriage to a successful attorney has settled into a comfortable routine, and being the mother of two adorable sons has been rewarding. But Kelly's own passions lie wasted. She eyes with envy the lives of her two best friends, Kathryn and Charlotte, both beautiful, successful businesswomen who seem to have it all. Kelly takes charge of her life, devising a midlife makeover plan.

*National Indie Excellence Book Award for Chick-Lit (2011), Writer's Digest Self-Published Book Award Nominee for Mainsteam/Literary Fiction (2011), USA Best Book Awards for Fiction: Chick Lit/Women's Lit (2011)

Praise for Here, Home, Hope

"Reading Kaira Rouda is like getting together with one of your best friends - fun, fast, and full of great advice! Here, Home, Hope sparkles with humor and heart." – Claire Cook, bestselling author of Must Love Dogs and Best Staged Plans

“I loved Kaira Rouda's book. I love its irony and its courage and humor. . . . It’s the real thing.” – Jacquelyn Mitchard, bestselling author of Still Summer and The Deep End of the Ocean

“Endearingly honest, consistently upbeat, Here, Home, Hope  is an inspiring read that left me feeling genuinely hopeful.” – Jenna Blum, New York Times bestselling author of Those Who Save Us and The Stormchasers, and one of Oprah's Thirty Favorite Women Writers

“A warm, witty, and engaging debut that had me laughing out loud. Rouda has created a lovable and perceptive heroine who navigates her struggles with honesty and awe-inspiring determination to succeed. A fun and totally satisfying read." – Amy Hatvany, author of Best Kept Secret

“I found Kaira Rouda’s debut novel, Here, Home, Hope, inspiring, empowering  and fun to read. You’ll want to share it with the women you care about in your life.” – Roma Downey, actress/producer

Purchase Here, Home, Hope

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iTunes

About the Author:

Kaira Rouda is an Amazon #1 bestselling, multiple award-winning author of three women's fiction novels including HERE, HOME, HOPE, ALL THE DIFFERENCE and IN THE MIRROR.

Tule Publishing Group's Southern Born imprint is publishing her new contemporary romance series set on INDIGO ISLAND: WEEKEND WITH THE TYCOON, Book 1; LINES IN THE SAND, Book 2; and THE TROUBLE WITH CHRISTMAS, Book 3. Four more books in the series will be out in 2015.

Her nonfiction title, REAL YOU INCORPORATED: 8 Essentials for Women Entrepreneurs, continues to inspire women internationally.

She lives in Southern California with her husband and four almost-grown kids, and is at work on her next novel. Connect with her on Twitter, @KairaRouda, and on Facebook at Kaira Rouda Books. For more about Kaira and her books, please visit wwww.KairaRouda.com.

{Review} Gentleman Prefer Curves (Perfect Fit #3) by Sugar Jamison

Chick Lit/Women's Fiction

Published September 30th 2014

eARC provided by publisher via Netgalley

Stuck. At thirty years old Belinda Gordon felt her life was at a total standstill. With her love life in the dumps, her best friends happily married and her parents smothering her, she decides her life needs a little bit of shaking up.

Just when Belinda is about to make a move, her estranged husband and the last man on earth she ever wants to see, Carter Lancaster, comes storming back into her life. And this time he's not taking no for an answer. Armed with his sweet daughter and a take no prisoners attitude, he's determined to win his wife back.

Can Belinda let go of their rocky past and let love in? Or will she let it prevent her from finding her happily ever after?

Cover Reveal: Chronicles Of A Lincoln Park Fashionista by Aven Ellis

Author: Aven Ellis

Genre: Chick Lit

~ Cover Designer ~

Christy Caughie

~ Release Date ~

September 2014

~ SYNOPSIS ~

Recent college graduate Avery Andrews is ready to begin a new life in the big city. She’s landed an apartment in Chicago’s famed Lincoln Park neighborhood–and has her eye on the cute commodities trader just a floor above.

If Premier Airlines knew about her fear of flying, they never would have hired her to be their marketing assistant—but it’s not like Avery wants a lifelong career. Right now she simply wants a job to pay her bills…and fund a few little shopping excursions, too. 

Her new lifestyle comes with a price tag, as Avery is not only faced with paying a ridiculous rent but finds she’s perceived as one of the vacant, husband-hunting fashionistas who live in the area. Avery resents this stereotype—so she doesn’t want a lifelong career, and she loves fashions she can’t afford, but that doesn’t mean she is empty-headed and spoiled, does it? 

When an opportunity to participate in a documentary at work arises, Avery finds a two-fold solution to her problems. She’ll earn extra money for it, and the documentary will show her as a serious career woman, enabling her to shed that husband-hunting fashionista label for good. 

When the camera is on, Avery attempts to be a motivated professional woman. But when she is challenged by Deacon Ryan, the videographer assigned to cover her story, Avery finds herself wanting things she was never supposed to want—like a lasting career—and Deacon. And Avery might just gain more from the experience than a perfect career image and extra cash to put in her Tory Burch wallet…

Happily Ever After by Elizabeth Maxwell {Review + Giveaway}

Genre: Chick Lit/Women's Fictions

Age Group: Adult

Publication Date: March 18th 2014

Publisher: Touchstone Books

Pages: 336

Format: Paperback

Source: Provided by publisher

In this witty, sexy tale, an erotic novelist meets the fictional hero of her most recent book in real life, and must decide whether she wants to get him back between the pages—or between her sheets.At forty-six, Sadie Fuller’s life isn't exactly romantic. A divorced, overweight, somewhat sexually frustrated mother of an eleven-year-old, she lives in the suburbs, shops the big box stores, makes small talk with her small-minded neighbors, and generally leads a quiet life. But while her daughter is at school, or when Sadie is up late at night, she writes erotic fiction under the name KT Briggs. 

Then, during a routine shopping trip, Sadie runs into someone familiar…too familiar, in fact. She encounters an incredibly handsome man exactly like the one in her imagination—and her latest novel. Is Aidan Hathaway really one of her characters? And if so, what is he doing in Target? As Sadie tries to negotiate this strange new world, her eyes begin to open to romantic possibilities in places she never dreamed of looking... places where Happily Ever After might not be so far-fetched after all.

Tangled Thing Called Love (Love and Life on the Lam #3) by Juliet Rosetti {Review}

Genre: Chick Lit/Contemporary Romance

Age Group: Adult

Expected Publication Date: April 28th 2014
Publisher: Loveswept/Random House

Pages: 280

Series: Love and Life on the Lam #3

Format: eARC

Source: Netgalley provided by publisher

Mazie’s boyfriend—photojournalist and sex god Ben Labeck—might be trouble on two very strong, very sexy legs, but he’s got no idea what he’s signing up for when he invites himself along to the family farm in Quail Hollow to meet the Maguires. Mazie knows that bringing a guy home is a recipe for disaster, especially when she’s not sure whether their relationship is serious or just seriously steamy. That goes double when she finds herself reluctantly squeezing back into a bikini and sash for the anniversary of a supposedly cursed local beauty pageant. All this is wreaking havoc on Mazie’s love life. Suddenly Ben’s too busy playing gentleman farmer on the Maguire estate to indulge in a more discreet kind of play in Mazie’s bed. And when he’s not tilling the soil, he’s digging up dirt on the Curse of Miss Quail Hollow. Maybe that swimsuit competition isn’t such a bad way to get Ben’s attention back where it belongs—and get him to admit that he’s head-over-heels in love with her.

Crazy For You (Love and Life on the Lam #2) by Juliet Rosetti

Genre: Chick Lit/Contemporary Romance

Age Group: Adult

Publication Date: December 9th 2013

Pages: 275

Series: Love and Life on the Lam #2

Format: Kindle

Source: Purchased from Amazon

In the tradition of Janet Evanovich and Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Juliet Rosetti ups the ante in her laugh-out-loud funny Escape Diaries series, as Mazie Maguire must use any means necessary to keep her main squeeze out of the slammer. Once you escape from prison and ride off into the sunset with the gorgeous guy who helped you nail a killer, you live happily ever after, right? Well, not exactly—not if you’re Mazie Maguire, and the flow chart of your life looks like a pinball machine. Mazie has broken up with her guy, Ben Labeck, she can’t pay her rent, her car is infested with mice, and she’s working at a coffee shop where the dress code is teddies, thongs, and toe-cleavage heels. Now Ben is the chief suspect in a murder investigation, and Mazie’s tapping into her fugitive wiles to keep him out of jail. Strictly as friends, she vows. No kissing, no touching, no romance. But how is Mazie supposed to keep her thoughts platonic when her “buddy” is giving her erotic back rubs, and a make-believe-we’re-newlyweds charade puts her in the mood for a wedding night?

After Wimbledon by Jennifer Gilby Roberts {Review + Giveaway}

Genre: Women's Fiction/Chick Lit

Age Group: Adult

Publication Date: November 20th 2013

Series: Stand Alone

Pages: 262

Format: Kindle

Source: Provided by author for review

After 12 years on the pro. tennis tour and four years with her sort-of boyfriend, Lucy Bennett has had enough. She wants real life… and real love. Her life, her decision. Right? Well, no one else seems to think so. With opinions on all sides, Lucy’s head is spinning. And she’s stumbling right into the arms of long-term crush and fellow player Sam. Shame her boyfriend – his arch-rival – would sooner smash a racquet over their heads than agree to a simple change of partners. As the Wimbledon Championships play out, Lucy fights for her life on and off the courts. The question is: what will she be left with after Wimbledon?

Hootie's Review: The Unidentified Redhead (Redhead #1) by Alice Clayton

Genre: Women's Fiction

Age Group: Adult

Publication Date: February 14th 2013

Series: Redhead #1

Publisher: Gallery Books/Simon & Schuster

Format: Paperback Galley

Source: Provided by publisher for review

When Grace Sheridan returns to Los Angeles to become a working actress, it’s a second shot at a life-long dream. With some help from her best-friend agent, will that dream become a reality—or at thirty-three, has Grace missed her chance at the big time? And when an unexpected sizzling romance with Jack Hamilton, the entertainment industry's newest “it” boy, threatens to shine an uncomfortable spotlight on her life, how will that affect her career…and his? Funny, borderline neurotic Grace is perfect in her imperfections, and the sexual chemistry between her and charming yet blissfully unaware Jack is off the charts. With laugh-out-loud dialogue and a super-steamy romance that will get your heart racing, sneaking around in L.A. and dodging the paparazzi has never been so fun.

Cover Redesign + Giveaway: Snake In The Grass (Good Gods #2) by Staci Hart

LOOK! It's finally here! I'm very excited to be showing you the newly revamped and extremely beautiful new cover for Snake In The Grass by Staci Hart!! I loved this book and can't wait for you guys to get hooked on these books like I did! Thank you for stopping by and be sure to enter the giveaway below! -Hootie

The truth changes everything.

It’s round two of high stakes Love Connection on Olympus, and this time, everything has changed.

Ares is on deck, and Aphrodite is nervous, because as much as she loves to hook up with him, she doesn’t trust him as far as she could throw him, which isn’t very far. She never could resist him, not even when every part of her screamed that he was a liar, but after the last game, she’s seeing things in a new light, light that has cast shadows across her entire life.

Ares has a plan to keep Aphrodite, for good this time. He wants to win the game, but he’ll hold back, if that’s what it takes. He’s sitting on a chance that was thousands of years in the making, and he’ll do what he has to do to convince her to stay forever. The only thing that could stop him is the secret that he’s been keeping for eons. If she finds out, it will destroy everything.

Aphrodite picks Kat, a gun toting drag racer, and Ares decides on Dillon, a badass boxer who never loses. Both of their lives revolve around keeping their siblings safe, and they’ve sacrificed everything to make sure things stay that way. They are tough and loyal, fierce and determined, but they become each other’s weakness, even though they fight it, and even though it means danger for Kat and her sister.

Cover Redesign + Giveaway: DEER IN HEADLIGHTS (GOOD GODS #1) by STACI HART

WELCOME TO OUR BLOG!! Today we are excited to be taking part in the Cover RE-Reveal of DEER IN HEADLIGHTS by Staci Hart! Below you will find the newly revamped cover, a wicked graphic teaser made by Staci herself and a big Giveaway! be sure to check back over the coming week for more goodies from Staci! Thanks for stopping by and showing one of our favorite authors some love!

**18+**

Aphrodite never loses, not when it comes to love.

Immortality has its perks and its downsides. Boredom, for one, is unavoidable, but instead of playing parcheesi, the gods devised a game that uses humans as pawns. Remember Shakespeare? That was Apollo. Bonnie and Clyde? Aphrodite versus Ares.

Aphrodite is on deck once again, and she’ll defend her domain of love as she works to get the humans together before the clock runs out, while her opponent tries to keep them apart.

Game one is against Apollo, and Aphrodite knows she has her work cut out for her when he chooses Dean, a brooding rock star man-whore who believes women can’t be trusted. Aphrodite decides on Lex, a perfect match for Dean, even though her heart is guarded, locked away tight. She’d never let anyone in. Not ever. Of course, she hasn’t met Dean. 

But there’s always more at stake than just the game when you’ve lived for thousands of years. The Olympians are the original dysfunctional family, surviving eons of love and lust, betrayal and lies, as friends and enemies, through feuds and wars. From Ares, the douchebag, who’s forever trying to start a fight and get Aphrodite into bed, to Persephone, her best friend, who she can always count on for a healthy helping of bacon on a bad day, the gods will take you on a lighthearted trip as they mess with humans, laugh and fight, lose love and gain power.

All My Restless Life To Live by Dee DeTarsio {Book Blast + Excerpt}

Fans of Marian Keyes and Jennifer Weiner will delight in Dee DeTarsio’s sparkling prose and lively dialogue as she takes readers into the heart of women’s lives. Life is a soap opera, especially for Elle Miller, who writes for one. (Ellen dropped the “n” in her name in hopes of finding a better ending for herself.) When her laptop crashes, she borrows her recently deceased dad’s computer and gets way more than she bargained for. Elle unravels mysterious communications from his computer, while her mom decides to give Internet dating a try. As Elle tries to save her career at I’d Rather Be Loved with a storyline featuring a trip through Atlantis, she takes a trip to the Emmys, and finds herself in the middle of a romance between a real doctor and a hunk who just plays one on TV. Friends, family, and clues from “the other side” all help Elle figure out the difference between living the good life and living a good life. Filled with friendship, love, loss, betrayal, and challenges that force her characters to find their place in the universe, Dee’s novels give us that hopefully-ever-after we're searching for. Dee DeTarsio is a Winner of The 2013 San Diego Book Awards, Romance category, for Haole Wood, as well as a 2013 Next Generation Indie Awards Finalist.

My Own Mr. Darcy by Karey White {Cover Reveal + Excerpt + Giveaway}

After being dragged to the 2005 movie Pride and Prejudice by her mother, sixteen-year-old Elizabeth’s life changes when Matthew Macfadyen’s Mr. Darcy appears on the screen. Lizzie falls hard and makes a promise to herself that she will settle for nothing less than her own Mr. Darcy. This ill-advised pledge threatens to ruin any chance of finding true love. During the six intervening years, she has refused to give any interested suitors a chance. They weren’t Mr. Darcy enough.

Coerced by her roommate, Elizabeth agrees to give the next interested guy ten dates before she dumps him. That guy is Chad, a kind and thoughtful science teacher and swim coach. While she’s dating Chad, her dream comes true in the form of a wealthy bookstore owner named Matt Dawson, who looks and acts like her Mr. Darcy. Of course she has to follow her dream. But as Elizabeth simultaneously dates a regular guy and the dazzling Mr. Dawson, she’s forced to re-evaluate what it was she loved about Mr. Darcy in the first place.

Rebound by Nikki Mathis Thompson {Review + Giveaway}

Adult Contemporary Romance

Kindle format given by author for review

Katrine MacNamara was defined by two roles--wife and mother. When one of those roles is suddenly stripped from her, she is forced to re-evaluate her place in the world. She needs to get her life back on track, a life of her own. What are the next logical steps, as a newly single 35 year old woman? 1. Put the kibosh on crying sessions in the fetal position. 2. Start using maiden name. 3. Jump start her non-existent career. The last item is the tricky one. She is determined to stand on her own two feet without her ex's money. But since she has spent the last decade at home raising her son, her moth eaten resume has been collecting dust. When Katrine lands a high profile assignment for the summer. Although short term, the experience would add some much needed prestige to her anemic resume. She is eager to rise to challenge. Little does she know that part of the challenge would be her new boss. During a night full of laughs and margaritas, her friends urge her to get back out into the dating scene. A rebound fling is just what she needs to get her feet wet. Katrine is leery to say the least and is not sure is she is ready. She wonders if a man even fits into her new life. Not to mention the fact that being naked in front of someone new was beyond petrifying. But when a man from the past enters her life and as she grows closer to her new boss, she is forced to re-evaluate the whole fling concept. Does she go for casual or does she commit? Can she even do casual? She always listens to her heart, maybe it was time to start listening to other parts of her anatomy. As she navigates her new single life she has to decide what defines her. And with help from her nutty sister, hilarious friends and plethora of fermented grapes— she just might find that she is willing to forgo lust and even love, if it means compromising her new found identity.

Happy Release Day to Cherrie Lynn

It's Valentine's Day, but Macy Rodgers isn't feeling the love. Aside from a torrid, one-night fling in a backseat a few months back, her love life has been sorely lacking, but fortunately she has devious friends who feel like playing Cupid. Wouldn't they be shocked to learn that the match they've made for her is the same one that steamed up the back of that '69 GTO...

Seth "Ghost" Warren has just returned to town after an extended absence. Between his grandmother's failing health, his job as a tattoo artist, his band's gigs, and a crazy ex that won't leave him alone, he's stretched thin. Cautious cowgirl Macy is the last thing he needs thrown into the mix.

She's all country, he's all heavy metal—and Macy knows that if anyone can propel her out of her rut, it's Seth. But when their worlds collide, it's anyone guess if they'll survive with their hearts intact.

***Warning***

 Contains explicit sex, graphic language, road trips, troublemaking exes, emotional baggage, and an unconventional but exceptionally hot hero tatted and pierced for your pleasure..

Review: Undercover Professor - December Gephart

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Rule Number One: Must not lie.

Rule Number Two: Must not live with parents.

Rule Number Three: Must have a job.

Rule Number Four: Must not be a friend's ex.

These dating rules shouldn't be hard for Lucy Benoit to follow—after all, she made them. But she didn't plan on falling for Andy Sullivan, a scruffy-yet-attractive man who lives with his mother and is between jobs. These should be deal-breakers, but in other ways Andy is just her type. And there's something intriguing about him…

Andy isn't the geeky gamer he claims to be—not by a long shot. But what seemed like a harmless social experiment has put his chances of a relationship with Lucy at risk. Even if she can get past the silly rules she has set for herself, will she ever forgive him for breaking Rule Number One?

****WARNING FOR MATURE READERS ONLY!****

Hootie Says:

Is it hot in here or is it just me???

This book was hot, steamy, fun and sexy! 

Lucy Benoit has had some really crappy luck in the dating world ( I can totally relate!) and has created a list of guidelines to go by when picking a suitor. when she meets Andy Sullivan, her neighbors son, she is instantly attracted even though his appearance is less than savory. They strike up a conversation while doing laundry and they quickly give in to the attraction and get a little freaky! when Lucy meets her cousin Becca for dinner she finds out Andy has been busy. Lucy thinks Andy and Becca are dating and tries to stay away from him. Andy keeps insisting her cousin is reading more into his intentions than he meant for her to and tries to get Lucy to give him a chance. OMG! Lucy's cousin Becca is straight up bat shit crazy!

Watching Andy try to make Becca understand he doesn't want to date her is hilarious! She won't take no for an answer even when he flat out tells her he doesn't want her! She actually thinks they are meant to be together LOL! Girls like that are scary and I can sorta understand why some guys "bang and bail" or "hit and quit". Once Andy finally manages to shake Becca loose he focuses his attention on Lucy or "Juicy Lucy" as he calls her! She knows he is hiding something but she can't figure out what it is. Andy was such a cool character, he was charming and sexy but also sweet and kind. I loved the chemistry between him and Lucy. I found myself getting into the actual story behind all the erotic, sexy goodness! I love when there is a really cute, fun, emotional story behind the erotica and it's not just about the sexual content. Lucy and Andy face some challenges when she finally discovers what he has been hiding. I felt solidarity with Lucy. She was a strong character and picked herself up from the ashes of her broken life and made it better for herself. That's what made this feel real to me. They had real issues and obstacles to overcome. It's one of those stories you could read again and again because the characters come to life off the pages.  

(HUGE THANKS TO NETGALLEY FOR THE ARC!)

Undercover Professor releases on November 19th 2012 but you can pre-order on amazon

Or add it to your GOODREADS TO. BE. READ. List!

                                                        -HOOTIE