Saturday, May 31, 2014

Book Review: Mr. August by Jan Romes


Hi all,

Reading one of Jan Romes novels is always a pleasure. That's why I read them! I know that I will always be entertained. Here is a review of the latest Jan Romes novel that I've read, MR. AUGUST. Also, be sure to check out her "Texas Boys Falling Fast" series including Married to Maggie and Keeping Kylee. You can read more of my reviews of Jan's books below.

 

Mr. August

Jan Romes

Fashion designer Libby Griffin has had the week from hell--terminated from her job and heart-wrenching news from the doctor. Hoping for time alone to regroup, Libby rents a cabin on Grand Lake St. Mary's for five months. Right away she meets the most irritating man on the planet, who also happens to be drop-dead delicious.

Recently divorced author Maxwell August has a book due, and his muse has gone into hiding. With a chip on his shoulder, his writing in stuck-mode, he heads to the lake only to encounter a monumental distraction with blonde hair and hazel eyes.

Will these two right-brainers allow the off-the-charts attraction brewing between them to grow? Or deny it to focus on the things they think are more important and miss a chance at forever?

 
Buy Mr. August:



 

My Five Star Review:

Fashion designer Libby Griffin is hiding out for the winter at a lake cabin to lick her wounds and concentrate on her design career. Not only has her friend and employer fired her, but she's learned some bad news from her doctor. As hard as it is, she's going to try to push away the past and look forward to starting over. Then enters Mr. August from the cabin next door. Maxwell August is a bestselling author who has to finish his latest novel and get it to his publisher on time. He locks himself away in the cabin next door to Libby to work and not be disturbed. Except the sight of Libby disturbs him completely—in a good way. But he's not looking for a romantic encounter any more than Libby is. Unfortunately, they are finding it hard to resist each other.

Once again, Jan Romes has written a witty, heartwarming romance with colorful characters and a fun, fast-paced plot. Libby has her own sense of style while Max is more conservative, yet somehow he finds he cannot keep his mind off of her. Through a series of mishaps, they find themselves both fighting with each other and unable to keep their hands off of each other. I liken Ms. Romes romances to the witty romances written by Janet Evanovich before she became famous for her Stephanie Plum series. Cute, fun, sometimes crazy, and definitely endearing. You can never go wrong with a romance by Jan Romes.

 
My other reviews of Jan's novels:








 

You can never go wrong with a Jan Romes' romance!
 
Cheers,
Deanna

Friday, May 23, 2014

An Excerpt from Destination Wedding

Hi all,

A happy Friday to everyone! I hope you all have a safe and enjoyable Memorial Day weekend. I thought I'd start it off by sharing an excerpt with you from my most recent romance novel DESTINATION WEDDING.

Just to give you a background, James Martin is Clair's ex husband who left her after 20 years of marriage to marry a younger woman, Diane. He's on his way to the Bahamas for his daughter's (Mandy) wedding. He has yet to see his daughter or Claire until he is on the smaller plane that flies from Miami to Marsh Harbour. Enjoy...

Excerpt from Destination Wedding:



From his seat at the back of the plane, Jim could watch everyone in the wedding party. He'd purposely boarded the plane early so he could get on without any questions from Mandy. Soon enough, he'd have to explain why Diane wasn't with him. He just wasn't sure yet what he was going to say.

To admit to his daughter that he'd failed at his second marriage after leaving her mother for Diane left a lump in his throat. What an idiot he'd been. The grass hadn't been greener on the other side. In fact, it had been brown, prickly, and downright nasty. When he'd left Claire to start a new life with Diane, he'd thought it would be a life full of love, laughter, and carefree fun. Boy, had he been wrong. The minute he'd said "I do," Diane ran over him like a steam shovel. She wanted a brand new house, brand new furniture to fill it with, and expensive vacations. She wanted to change the way he dressed, the way he cut his hair, the way he ate, and even the way he walked. What the hell was wrong with the way he walked? Diane became a living nightmare. And the fact that they worked in the same office and that he was her superior didn't help matters. She thought she could reign over him at work like she did at home. But the worst part of all, she'd done everything she could to keep him away from his only child. That had hit Jim hard. When Mandy began planning the wedding, Diane flat-out refused to go on the island vacation and attend the wedding. They fought over it endlessly. He literally had to bribe her to agree to go to the engagement party by giving her a ridiculously expensive diamond necklace. It was all too much for Jim. When Diane refused to go to the wedding during their umpteenth argument six months ago, it was the final straw for Jim. He gave her an ultimatum. Go to the wedding with him, or leave. She chose to leave, thank God. As bad as it sounded, he'd actually been relieved.

Jim looked up in time to see Claire staring back at him. He gave her a small smile and a wave, which made her turn around instantly. Jim sighed. He'd really screwed up his life the day he'd left Claire. True, their marriage had been faltering and it had seemed like their work life had become more important than their relationship. Looking back, however, he realized that it had been his fault completely since he'd let himself become distracted with a younger woman at work while Claire had stayed true.

Jim watched the back of Claire's head as she seemed to be rocking in her seat and chanting something. Then he saw Mandy turn around in her seat and say something to her mother. Jim wondered what Claire had been doing. She seemed nervous. He'd secretly watched her as she'd boarded the plane with the rest of the group and was amazed at how young and vibrant she looked. She'd grown out her sandy blond hair a little and she looked like she'd lost a little weight. Not that Claire had ever been overweight; she'd always looked neat and trim. But today, she looked amazing in a pair of jeans and a T-shirt. Since the day they met in college, Claire had always been a smart, confident woman who knew what direction she was heading. Jim had always envied that about her. But today, she looked nervous, almost vulnerable. He wondered if she was, or if it was just his imagination.

As the plane landed in Marsh Harbour, James decided he'd keep his divorce to himself for as long as he was able. There was no sense dumping that information onto a fun family vacation and Mandy's special day. He'd make up an excuse for Diane's absence. He was pretty sure that no one was going to miss her anyway. He sure as hell knew he wasn't going to.
 
###
 
 
I hope you enjoyed this excerpt from Destination Wedding. DW will be on tour in June, so be sure to check back and follow along.
 
 
Cheers,
 
Deanna 
 

Tuesday, May 6, 2014

Destination Wedding ~ Now in Paperback!

Hi all,

I'm excited to announce that my latest novel, DESTINATION WEDDING, is now available in paperback on Amazon or at CreateSpace. It is also available on Amazon Kindle and Barnes & Noble Nook.




I love the full cover for Destination Wedding, created by Deborah at Tugboat Design. She also did an amazing job formatting the novel for CreateSpace.

DESTINATION WEDDING is a fun romance novel set on a beautiful tropical island. Here is the book description:


Life is full of surprises…

Claire Martin's life is perfect, or at least she tells herself it is. She owns a successful clothing boutique, has a steady, dependable boyfriend, and a beautiful grown daughter who is about to be married. Sure, Claire's husband of twenty years left her for a younger woman four years ago, but that is all in the past. Now, Claire is looking forward to her daughter's Bahama wedding and spending a week in paradise. The only thing Claire dreads is her ex-husband and his wife will also be on the island. Claire is determined to make the best of it, though. What Claire doesn't realize is ignoring her ex-husband for the week is going to be impossible.

James Martin's life is a mess. His wife of less than four years has made him the most miserable man on earth and now they are in the middle of a messy divorce. He's happy that he can forget her for a week as he goes off to the Bahamas to attend his lovely daughter's wedding. Jim is embarrassed to admit to his daughter and his ex-wife, Claire, that he made the biggest mistake of his life when he left her for another woman, so he makes up a story as to why his new wife didn't come along. When he and Claire are unexpectedly forced upon each other, Jim soon realizes what he's lost and he begins to wonder if he can find a way back into Claire's heart.

Buy Destination Wedding at these retailers:

Amazon Paperback $11.99

CreateSpace Paperback $11.99

Amazon Kindle $3.99

B&N Nook $3.99

DESTINATION WEDDING is going on tour soon! Be on the lookout for the tour schedule in June.

Cheers,
Deanna

Sunday, May 4, 2014

May Giveaway ~ Win a Kindle Fire HDX or $229 Gift Card!

Enter to win 1 of 2 great prizes. Winner’s choice of a Kindle Fire HDX or $229 Amazon Gift Card or $229 Paypal Cash!

The first prize is available via the rafflecopter below. The 2nd is available only to bloggers who post about this giveaway. You can find info on how to enter the 2nd giveaway in the rafflecopter.

Kindle Fire May
Win a Kindle Fire HDX, Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash ($229 value)


The winner will have the option of receiving a 7" Kindle Fire HDX (US Only - $229 Value)


Or $229 Amazon.com Gift Card (International)


Or $229 in Paypal Cash (International)


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Giveaway Details

1 winner will receive their choice of an all new Kindle Fire 7" HDX (US Only - $229 value), $229 Amazon Gift Card or $229 in Paypal Cash (International).

There is a second separate giveaway for bloggers who post this giveaway on their blog. See details in the rafflecopter on how to enter to win the 2nd Kindle Fire HDX 7", $229 Amazon Gift Card or $229 in Paypal Cash.

Ends 5/31/14

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the participating authors & bloggers. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

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