Blog Tour: One Night with a Hero by Laura Kaye & Giveaway!

Today I have a special treat for you all! Laura Kaye, the author of One Night with a Hero is here to share some goodies with you all :-)

Huge thanks to Valia for hosting me here today to celebrate the recent release of my new contemporary romance, One Night with a Hero. I’ve got a fun excerpt to share and a giveaway—see down below!

Here’s more about One Night with a Hero:

He wants just one night…

After growing up with an abusive, alcoholic father, Army Special Forces Sgt. Brady Scott vowed never to marry or have kids. Sent stateside to get his head on straight—and his anger in check—Brady’s looking for a distraction. He finds it in his beautiful new neighbor’s one-night-only offer for hot sex, but her ability to make him forget is addictive. Suddenly, Brady’s not so sure he can stay away.

…what they need is each other.

Orphaned as a child, community center director Joss Daniels swore she’d never put herself in a position to be left behind again, but she can’t deny herself one sizzling night with the sexy soldier who makes her laugh and kisses her senseless. When Joss discovers she’s pregnant, Brady’s rejection leaves her feeling abandoned. Now, they must overcome their fears before they lose the love and security they’ve found in each other, but can they let go of the past to create a future together?

Excerpt:

Brady glanced over and caught her looking. Joss dropped her gaze and hoped the cover of night hid the heat blooming on her face. When she peeked from under her lashes, he was still watching her.

Her stomach flopped and her hand fisted the soft cotton of the blanket. A tingle ran through her center that made her catch her breath against the sudden urge to push him back, crawl on top of him, and kiss him until all that tension melted out of his body. Right here. Right now. No matter the spectators, or the fact he was nearly a stranger.

A very hot, damn sexy, purportedly non-serial-killer stranger.

She saw her own desire mirrored back at her. Brady’s mouth dropped open and his dark eyes narrowed and blazed in the night.

It took everything she had to return her attention to the fireworks. Or at least pretend to. Because her body jangled with awareness of his until her muscles ached from the strain of holding herself in place. This is crazy. Maybe. Probably. But the dampness between her legs wasn’t the result of the early September heat.

His breath ghosted over her ear, erupting ticklish chills on her neck and arms. “I’m going to kiss you here, Joss.” The tip of his finger skimmed her cheek.

Heart in her throat, she nodded.

Brady pressed a lingering kiss to her cheekbone.

Her hands fisted as she struggled not to turn her head and offer her lips. She was already throwing her no touching admonition out the window.

“Here,” he said, touching her jaw.

She nodded and his lips dragged along the line of her jaw.

“Here, too.” His finger pressed against the soft spot right in front of her ear.

She tilted her head and gave him more space to nuzzle her. Surely he could hear her heartbeat over the fireworks, because she could feel her pulse pound under every inch of her skin.

What the hell was she doing? She should really put a stop to this.

He drew an imaginary line beginning at the indent behind her ear and running down her neck. She nodded without him even asking the question. He chuckled in her ear but then his lips were kissing with the lightest suction down her neck.

Applause erupted around them. Joss snapped out of her haze of lust. Brady pulled back and gave her a look that promised a whole helluva lot more where that came from.

Holy crap. She’d never survive it.

GIVEAWAY: One commenter who leaves their email address will win a One Night with a Hero ebook. What to comment? Share a favorite line from the excerpt! (Open to international!)

Thanks for reading!

Laura Kaye

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See the whole One Night with a Hero Tour here and enter Laura’s Pandora Bracelet Giveaway here!

“Laura Kaye is synonymous with great, sexy romance.”

~NYT Bestselling Author Jennifer Probst

About Laura Kaye:

Laura is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of over a half-dozen books in contemporary and paranormal romance. Growing up, Laura’s large extended family believed in the supernatural, and family lore involving angels, ghosts, and evil-eye curses cemented in Laura a life-long fascination with storytelling and all things paranormal. A published non-fiction author, Laura’s work as an historian and training as an archaeologist help her create vivid and accurate portrayals of other times and places. She lives in Maryland with her husband, two daughters, and cute-but-bad dog, and appreciates her view of the Chesapeake Bay every day.

Road Trip Wednesday: NaNoWriMo Inspiration

Hello lovelies,
So how you doing there? Freaking out yet? It's day 14 of NaNo and let me tell you, I'm still having a blast! YA Highway has been such an awesome picker-upper during my morning routines with their Carpool emails, I don't even know how to thank them!
Life has been rocky for me with a death in the family, but NaNo has really helped me find a way to focus on something other than grief and I'm kind of thankful for that. And today's topic is kind of perfect:

Topic: Tons of writers are in the midst of NaNoWriMo, trying to stay inspired as we reach the dreaded middle. Share your most inspiring and/or motivational video, book, or quote on writing.

Road Trip Song of the Week: Some Nights by Fun.

So here are some inspiration for you Nanoers:

There is all the goodness on Tumblr:

 

Then there is Youtube:




Or you know, this is always helpful :)

 

I'm kidding. I love Nick! :-)

Basically, anything that's not writing my NaNo words inspires me to write. Is that weird? It's just taking that step away from trying to figure out my character's lives recharges me. How about you?

How's NaNoWriMo treating you?

Happy writing, 
Valia

Book Spotlight: Lullaby (Watersong #2) by Amanda Hocking

Harper only wanted a safe, normal life. But when her younger sister Gemma runs off with a dangerous clique of beautiful girls, Penn, Thea, and Lexi, everything changes. Vowing to get her sister back no matter what the cost, Harper must face dangers unlike any she's ever experienced. Fortunately, she has Daniel by her side, a gorgeous guy who's devoted to helping her find her sister—and who's immune to the girls' dark powers. 

While Harper searches for her sister, Gemma struggles to adjust to her new life. Gemma's powers are growing by the day, and the longer she lives with her new "sisters," the harder it is to resist entering their magical world. It's a realm both dark and beautiful, and where she's plagued by strange hungers and unspeakable needs. Just as she's drifting far away from her old life, Harper and Daniel find her...but no one can deny how much she's changed. All she wants is to return to her family and the mortal world, but how can she do that when she's become something else entirely—and will they still love her once they learn the truth?
from goodreads.com

Mild spoilers for book one ahead!!!

This book picks up right where book one left us. Gemma is gone with the shapeshifting monsters and Harper will do anything to bring her back. She and Alex word hard at trying to figure out what those girls are and how to get their Gemma back. With the help of the ever gorgeous Daniel, they must do everything in their power to find Gemma. While the three do their best to find her, Gemma struggles with her housemates and her new found abilities. She discovers things about herself and those around her that make her that much more cautious. Will they be reunited?

I’m really not sure how I feel about this series. I guess I’m just getting super picky with my reads lately or something. This book just wasn’t anything exciting for me. Harper is a fine character, a good sister with a world on her shoulders complex. Alex is a charming boy next door trying to save his girlfriend. Gemma is a newly supernatural being. Daniel is my favorite. 

That’s pretty much how I sum up this book for you. I know this series is going to be four books, but I have no idea why. I really felt like nothing really happened in Lullaby. I mean, sure stuff happened, but it’s like New Moon and all those months when Bella just sits there. Maybe I just expected more, or maybe my reading slump is affecting me. I guess I just wanted more out of this book. I actually enjoyed book one, thinking this series will be fun, but now I don’t know. 

While I say all this, the next person who reads the book may think it’s the best thing since sliced cheese, so don’t take my opinion too seriously. Especially if you love Amanda’s writing. I do. I really do enjoy her stories and after all of this I’m still going to say I’m reading the next two books in the series. I’m just hoping the next book gives us more character development and story. Also, more Daniel. 

Lullaby hits shelves November 27th. Let me know what you think!

Happy reading, 

Valia 

NaNoWriMo Shenanigans Week One

Hey guys, 
     Can you believe it? It's already been a week in the madness that is NaNo. Anyone else close their eyes at night and see words doing little dances? No? Oh then it's just me. 

     Anyway, I have to say I'm pretty happy with the way my NaNo is treating me. The idea I started with is the type of a story that you carry with you a while, letting it marinate, develop, before you actually pen it to paper. I've been thinking about my characters journey even before I knew I was writing this book. Now that I am, I'm having a blast. 
For example, I was writing this whole scene and I was thinking to myself, "Man, there's this character and he really needs to make an appearance already because I really like him." (but I had no idea what part he'll play in the story, just that he needed to be there). And then BAAM! He literally came out of nowhere and now he's definitely here to stay. 

     I laughed about that one, for a while. But in all honestly, aren't the characters that write themselves the best characters? 
It is challenging to sit down and write that 1667 a day just because my life is a bit stressful right now. However, when is life not stressful right? You just have to push through and reach for those goals and dreams. Which is exactly what NaNo is for me, just another step in the universe of writer things. 

     Now that week one has passed, it's time to dive into the "meat" of my characters and I can't wait. Most of what I've written so far sets up the story, but now is where the fun is. And I'm off!

Word Count: 17,729

How did you do? 

Much love, 
Valia

Road Trip Wednesday: Best Book of October

Hello lovelies, 
So I wasn't going to be participating in blogging as much in the month of November, but for some reason I decided I really wanted to today. I'm out of my NaNo cave for a few and here we are. 

This Week's Topic is: What was the best book you read in October?

Road Trip Song of the Week: I Knew You Were Trouble by Taylor Swift 

She won’t rest until she’s sent every walking corpse back to its grave. Forever.

Had anyone told Alice Bell that her entire life would change course between one heartbeat and the next, she would have laughed. From blissful to tragic, innocent to ruined? Please. But that’s all it took. One heartbeat. A blink, a breath, a second, and everything she knew and loved was gone.

Her father was right. The monsters are real….

To avenge her family, Ali must learn to fight the undead. To survive, she must learn to trust the baddest of the bad boys, Cole Holland. But Cole has secrets of his own, and if Ali isn’t careful, those secrets might just prove to be more dangerous than the zombies….




You guys have already read my raving review of this book, but I really felt like sharing it again. I don't know, I just had so much fun reading this book and I haven't had a lot of fun reading books lately. I'm not sure if I was in a slump or what, but this book definitely got me out of it so I wanted to give it some attention. 

Have you read it? What did you think?

And now, I'm heading back to my NaNo cave to get some words on paper. Anyone else participating? How is it going? 

Much love, 
Valia 

That Time I Went to a Book Signing

I love the writing community for many reason. 

       Seriously, if I start naming all the reasons I'll probably never stop. The support, the encouragement, the sheer awesomeness of the authors and bloggers is too overwhelming. 

Last night I got to experience a bit of that awesome with the Get Real tour put on by Sourcebooks Fire for their wonderful authors. If you guys haven’t read anything by Miranda Kenneally, Lisa and Laura Roecker, and Janet Gutler, you should (no, seriously, you should). 

Here are their books and here are their summaries. 

Since when do the dead send emails?

Kate Lowry's best friend Grace died a year ago. So when she gets an email from her, Kate's more than a little confused.

To: KateLowry@pemberlybrown.edu
From: GraceLee@pemberlybrown.edu
Subject: (no subject)
Kate,
I'm here... sort of.
Find Cameron. He knows.
I shouldn't be writing.
Don't tell. They'll hurt you.

Now Kate has no choice but to prove once and for all that Grace's death was more than just a tragic accident. She teams up with a couple of knights-in-(not-so)-shining armor-the dangerously hot bad boy, Liam, and her lovestruck neighbor, Seth. But at their elite private school, there are secrets so big people will do anything to protect them-even if it means getting rid of anyone trying to solve a murder..

Parker Shelton pretty much has the perfect life. She’s on her way to becoming valedictorian at Hundred Oaks High, she’s made the all-star softball team, and she has plenty of friends. Then her mother’s scandal rocks their small town and suddenly no one will talk to her.

Now Parker wants a new life.

So she quits softball. Drops twenty pounds. And she figures why kiss one guy when she can kiss three? Or four. Why limit herself to high school boys when the majorly cute new baseball coach seems especially flirty?

But how far is too far before she loses herself completely?

She Never Thought A Kiss Could Kill. . .

Samantha is new at school and just recently joined the swim team. She’s been flirting with one of her teammates, Zee, who invites her to a party and just as quickly dumps her for another girl. Hurt, but pretending not to care, she turns to his best friend, Alex, and gives him a kiss. And he dies—right in her arms. Alex was allergic to peanuts, and Samantha had eaten a peanut butter sandwich right before the party. She didn’t know. Overnight, Samantha turns into the school pariah and a media sensation explodes. Consumed with guilt, abandoned by her friends, and in jeopardy of losing her swimming scholarship, she will have to find the inner-strength to forgive herself for the tragedy.

        Awesome right?

Guys, I can’t even tell you how much fun I had with these awesome ladies. Miranda and Janet are so sweet, and Lisa and Laura are by far too fun for words. By far, my favorite advice from the night came from Miranda. She said, 

“Find one person you’re writing to and keep writing.” - on how to keep writing after rejection. 

Honestly, that’s amazing advice. Not everyone is going to love your books, but there’s going to be that one person who reads it and it changes that life and I love that. After the signing, we went out to Baskin Robins and basked in some robins (Ha, that makes no sense but I'm kind of tired so roll with it). 

We laughed so hard I think my cheeks are perpetually indented (not that I’m complaining). The encouragement from the evening is something I’ll always cherish. I'm beyond pumped to keep working on my NaNo project, you guys have no idea! 

Author friends are the best! You guys should check these fabulous ladies and their books and keep up with NaNoWriMo if you’re participating. 

Much love, 

Valia 

Book Spotlight: The Friday Society by Adrienne Kress

An action-packed tale of gowns, guys, guns –and the heroines who use them all 

Set in turn of the century London, The Friday Society follows the stories of three very intelligent and talented young women, all of whom are assistants to powerful men: Cora, lab assistant; Michiko, Japanese fight assistant; and Nellie, magician's assistant. The three young women's lives become inexorably intertwined after a chance meeting at a ball that ends with the discovery of a murdered mystery man.

It's up to these three, in their own charming but bold way, to solve the murder–and the crimes they believe may be connected to it–without calling too much attention to themselves.

Set in the past but with a modern irreverent flare, this Steampunk whodunit introduces three unforgettable and very ladylike–well, relatively ladylike–heroines poised for more dangerous adventures.
from goodreads.com

This story follows three very different girls. Cora is a lab assistant, smart and capable, with lots of personality. Nellie is a magician’s assistant, quirky and fun, but with a heart of gold. Michiko is a Japanese fighter assistant, a little quiet, but with a heart of a warrior. The three girls meet at a chance encounter and soon as the city is plunged into panic, the three determine to do something about it. The plan leads them into the heart of danger, but together they do what girls do best, conquer. 

The Friday Society was a very interesting read for me. I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect going in considering the story revolved around three different characters. I’ve read multiple characters before, but they were usually stories alternating first person chapters between the three (or five). This book wasn’t the case which I found interesting. 

I loved getting to know the characters. The girls are all very different, so to see how Ms Kress written them was a bit fascinating. It’s always great to see how authors tackle unusual points of view or ways of writing and I had fun reading about these three. 

However, I wanted a little bit more of their personalities to stand out. I wanted to know a bit more about all three, but I guess that’ll come in later books. Can’t have it all in book one right? Also, more romance! I’d love to see all three of these girls develop relationships. The one that did, oh that was too cute! Also, the world Ms Kress created was believable and up front. I loved that I could picture what she was talking about. 

Overall, this was a great read. I’ve fallen in love with the steampunk genre and want to read all things steampunk, so this was a good one for me! I’m not sure if there will be more books featuring The Friday Society, but I’m definitely up for me! 

The Friday Society comes out December 6th, 2012. Let me know what you think! 

Happy reading, 

Valia