✆ AFTER I DO by Taylor Jenkins Reid ✆ Cove Podcast: Episode 53

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⋰ ⋮ ⋱  Hi Listeners!

This month Cove members Millenia and Roberta are excited to have bestselling author Taylor Jenkins Reid join in on the podcast discussion of her amazing novel—and our 173rd group pick—AFTER I DO! 

We had a wonderful discussion
 with Taylor about what inspired her to write Lauren and Ryan's story, whether or not it's autobiographical + lots of awesome details about her new book—and much more!!

If you've read AFTER I DO or are a fan of Taylor Jenkins Reid, we'd love to hear from you! Comment below and let us know your thoughts!

On YouTube:




Recorded 4/25/15






★ Taylor's latest work is MAYBE IN ANOTHER LIFE — out Tuesday, July 7th!



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THE GIRL WHO WENT MISSING by Ace Varkey ★ Release Day Blitz ★ Excerpt + Giveaway!

The Girl Who Went Missing Release Day

Release Day Blitz

Ace Original Cover

Book Title: The Girl Who Went Missing 
Author: Ace Varkey 
Genre: Mystery 
Release Date: April 23, 2015 
Hosted by: Book Enthusiast Promotions

Goodreads Button with Shadow

Synopsis:

When June Warner arrives in India to visit her sister Thalia, a trip to take her mind off her jilted engagement, she is greeted by the bright hot chaos of Mumbai but not her sister. She goes to the YMCA where Thalia is staying, only to find that she is not there.

Convinced that Thalia is in danger, June begins a desperate search for her younger sister.

Police Commissioner Oscar D'Costa, scarred by the tragedies of his past, swears he will never again ignore his gut instinct when it comes to a missing girl. And with more and more dead foreign women being found in his precinct, he becomes convinced a conspiracy is at play.

Through the 2 worlds (chaos and beauty) of India, they must find the girl who went missing.

excerpt

He slipped his fingers inside the envelope and grimaced at the cold skin.
     Could this be all that was left of her? The last time he touched her she had been warm, wet and very responsive. She had brought this on herself, the stupid girl. But he, too, had been careless. He had allowed himself to take a chance. She had been so sweet and docile—except in bed. Then she had been ardent and insatiable, a woman who truly enjoyed sex.
     Until he met her, he had been content with his usual method of seeking out foreign women looking for a bit of fun. He trolled the swimming pools of the fancier hotels, where it was easy to spot the single women stretched out on chaise longues. He knew he was good looking, knew, too, that many were eager to have a holiday romance with an Indian man. He could converse with them as equals, because unlike so many of his countrymen, he wasn’t uncomfortable around women. He had traveled, he spoke perfect English, which meant that all he had to do was make eye contact, say something witty or quaint, and proceed from there.
     She had approached him, and perhaps that was why he had departed from his usual practice of being in charge from the beginning. He liked to pick the girl, liked to choose the pace at which to proceed. He had been drinking a cup of tea at a café near the University of Mumbai, when she had walked over and spoken to him.
     “May I share your table?”
     He had looked up to see smiling green eyes, and red hair framing a beautiful face. The café was crowded, but she told him afterwards that she could have gone to another table. She had liked him, she said. But even so, he had assumed she would keep to her original plans, travel, then return to Mumbai where they could meet up again. But she got carried away with their romance, insisting that she did not want to be away from him. At first his vanity had been flattered. Then, as they continued to meet, she grew demanding. She wanted to have dinner every night, wanted to see his flat. “I haven’t seen what Indians live in,” she had smiled at him. When he deliberately kept away from her for a few days, she arrived unannounced at his door. No woman had gotten this close to him before.
     He knew he had to kill her when she told him she was sure he was up to no good, that she was going to call the police on him.

Meet the Author

I adore travel and adventure and have lived, for years at a time, in both India and America, as well as other countries. I always wanted to be a writer, and was inspired by Helen MacInnes, who wrote spy thrillers set in various European countries. It sounded like such a marvelous life; travel during the summer to a new country, then spend the year writing about an adventure set in that country. I decided to use my knowledge of India to create stories filled with the colors and sounds of that magical country. But I also wanted my writing to have meaning, and so I decided to write a mystery series featuring Commissioner Oscar D’Costa, with each novel highlighting a pressing social issue. I want my readers to enjoy the read, but I also want them to learn something new.

FOOLS RUSH by Ciara Knight ★ Book Blitz ★ Guest Post + Giveaway!



Publication Date: April 15, 2015 
Genres: Adult, Historical

Synopsis:

To avert an impending life of servitude, Bethany Cook seeks freedom on a wagon train bound for gold country. Disguised as a young boy she secures work as a travel companion with Thomas Nolan, a rich New Yorker who is on his own quest to distance himself from the nightmare of a fraudulent marriage.

A cross-country journey by Thomas’ side proves more difficult than Bethany anticipated when he becomes obsessed with her true identity—the golden haired beauty he shared one night of passion with. Bethany attempts to confess the truth, but a bounty hunter exposes her as a devious woman that lied to Thomas for months for her own evil gain. Her life and her heart now rest in the hands of Thomas, who must decide if he can forgive and marry her or leave her to the fate she’s brought upon herself.



Guest Post: Fools Rush Dream Cast! 

by Ciara Knight

Oh, I love to picture actors in my head as I’m writing my stories. I know some day they’ll bring my books to life on the big screen, right? ☺

When I was writing Fools Rush, I actually didn’t have a certain actor in mind. I knew Jason Akles would do him justice, but it wasn’t exactly him, but I saw Thomas Nolan clearly in my head. It wasn’t until we did casting for the movie that I met him. ;)

First, let’s look at Thomas Nolan. He’s a tough, yet damaged guy who needs some lovin’. He’s gotta be built well, but not over the top body-builder frame. Most of all, he needs that cowboy swagger, charming smile, and eyes that’d melt a woman’s resolve.

There was a long line outside casting, but since Jensen Akles didn’t show for the audition, we had to choose another leading man. The minute this young man said his name, I knew it had to be him. Meet our readers’ choice for Thomas Nolan: Scott Eastwood!

Next up, Bethany Cook. She’s a woman any man would sell their only horse to marry. A beauty, full lips, well-proportioned, soft voice, but a fire inside her that keeps men guessing. No woman of her time compares to Bethany’s will to be her own person. She’ll yield to no man.

There was so much drama during casting. I knew Angelina Jolie wanted the part, but we couldn’t hold production for her to finish her twelve other projects. I knew I wanted a fresh, young woman who possessed that mysterious mixture of innocence and sensuality.

The actress cast in the role of Bethany Cook is: Liz Solari.

What do you think of our leading couple? I think they’ll make magic on the big screen together. I tried to play the part of Bethany, but the casting director said I was too old. Ugh, when did that happen?

I hope you enjoy Fools Rush!




AUTHOR BIO:

Ciara Knight writes to 'Defy the Dark' with her young adult speculative fiction and sweet romance books. Her most recent international best-seller, Pendulum, scored 4 stars from RT Book Reviews, accolades from InD’Tale Magazine and Night Owl Top Pick. Her young adult paranormal series, Battle for Souls, received 5 stars from Paranormal Romance Guild and Night Owl’s Top Pick, among other praises.

When not writing, she enjoys reading all types of fiction. Some great literary influences in her life include Edgar Allen Poe, Shakespeare, Francine Rivers and JK Rowling.

Her first love, besides her family, reading, and writing, is travel. She's backpacked through Europe, visited orphanages in China, and landed in a helicopter on a glacier in Alaska.

Ciara is extremely sociable and can be found at Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, Pinterest, and her website.

GIVEAWAY Comment below and let us know your thoughts on Ciara Knight's dream cast to be entered to win an e-book copy of FOOLS RUSH! Open internationally.

Drawing and winner will be announced by May 10th!





LOVE AT FIRST FLIGHT by Tess Woods ★ Book Blitz ★ Author Interview + Giveaway!



Publisher: HarperCollins
Publication Date: April 1, 2015
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Synopsis:

Looking back on it now, I can see it was instant. The second we locked eyes. Boom. Just like that. The me I had spent a lifetime perfecting began its disintegration from that moment. And despite the carnage it brought to all our lives, I still don’t regret it.

What would you risk to be with the love of your life? And what if your soul mate is the one who will destroy you?

Mel is living the dream. She’s a successful GP, married to a charming anaesthetist and raising a beautiful family in their plush home in Perth. But when she boards a flight to Melbourne, she meets Matt and her picture perfect Stepford life unravels as she falls in love for the first time ever. What begins as a flirty conversation between strangers quickly develops into a hot and obsessive affair with disastrous consequences neither Mel nor Matt could have ever seen coming. Mel’s dream life turns into her worst nightmare.

Love at First Flight will take everything you believe about what true love is and spin it on its head.


Q&A with Tess Woods!

Q: What inspired you to write Love at First Flight? 
A: I've always been inspired by the tragic love story, the story of great love that just can't be. My favourite book The Bridges of Madison County stayed with me years after reading it and played on my mind. Then I read Twilight and out of nowhere I had to write my own book. Before this I had never entertained the idea of writing. But the longing in Twilight and the knowing that the one you love is the one that is dangerous for you resonated with me and I just had to write about that. So with the themes of desire and danger, I wrote a book about a married mother, because I wanted to write of what I know. I wanted to bring the great love story into the world of the typical suburban mum who is chasing after kids, working and running a home. I wanted her to have that Romeo and Juliet moment. So I wrote 'Love at First Flight'.

Q: Did you use real events/people from your own life as inspiration when writing Love at First Flight? 
A: Hell yes! I really do believe you write what you know. Of course the novel is a novel, not a biography, and I credit my imagination for it, but I have definitely taken inspiration from events and people in my life. 
It is no coincidence that Mel has long black hair and is a health professional who falls for a tall, dark, handsome and broody, moody physio. That’s me and my husband! But the great thing about writing is that I get to make Mel as hot as I like and morph her into someone as sexy as Angelina Jolie - hey, it’s my prerogative isn’t it? Matt’s parents are very much inspired by own mother and father in-law who lived out in the country on a sprawling property where we used to go to wind down from the city with them. Matt’s sister is a powerful human rights lawyer, just like two of my world-beating cousins. I even used my children’s names for characters - Tom, Lara and Lachlan. (Lara has a blink and you miss it part because I am saving her. I have big things planned for Lara in book two!) 
And I incorporated many real life events into this fictional story. My husband and I tragically lost our third child Lachy at birth, my darling friend Jess committed suicide, my darling friend Julie fought a fierce battle with cancer and those stories and a few more events that shaped my life made it into the book. Writing was my counseling! 
Also, I am inherently lazy so the fact that the story unfolds in Perth and Melbourne, the two cities I’ve lived in most of my life, is not by accident. The more you know, the less you research. Some writers thrive on research, me – not so much! 
Q: How long did Love at First Flight take to write? 
A: The story was written start to finish in six days. For real. But it was a mashed up piece of drivel! It took eighteen months and five complete re-writes with the help of two manuscript assessors who kept suggesting changes and sending it back to me before I felt confident enough to send it to literary agents.
Q: What do you hope readers will take from your book? 
A: More than anything I want my readers to be entertained. I want them to escape whatever they are doing and join Mel and Matt in their story. I want readers to be thinking about Mel and what direction her life will take when they have to leave her to get on with their real lives, and I want them to be happy to re-unite with her again when they pick up the book. I’m not out to challenge anybody and I don’t have a world-changing message for anybody. I simply want to entertain. When readers finish Love at First Flight, I would hope they are satisfied and that it captured their imagination.  
Q: How do you come up with character names?
A: The main characters, Mel, Matt, Adam and Lydia all came up with their own names. There was no conscious thought process, I would find myself introducing them into the story with their names pre-determined. The first draft only had these characters named. When I started writing the second draft, I began to name characters after my children and my friends or names that I liked.
Q: Which Hollywood stars would you like to see play the lead roles in the movie version of your book? 
A: Hugh Jackman is the ultimate Adam, Orlando Bloom (with an Aussie accent) would make a convincing Matt, Rose Byrne (with dyed black hair) has Mel written all over her. Nobody gets to make a movie though unless my daughter Lara gets to be Lily. 
Q: What is your favorite movie that was based on a book? 
A: Renee Zellweger made me fall in love with Bridget Jones even more so than when I read the book. Watching her squeeze into nanna sized knickers and make blue food was cinematic gold.
Q: Name two of your favorite authors. 
A: That’s easy Maeve Binchy and Marian Keyes. I love these two Irish ladies so much! 
Q: Name one of your all-time favorite books?
A: The Bridges of Madison County by Robert James Waller is my all-time favorite. The intense connection between Francesca and Robert Kincaid took my breath away and still does.

AUTHOR BIO:

Tess Woods is a health professional who lives in Perth, Australia with one husband, two children, one dog and one cat who rules over all of them. Love at First Flight is her first novel. When she isn’t working or being a personal assistant to her kids, Tess enjoys reading and all kinds of grannyish pleasures like knitting, baking, drinking tea, watching Downton Abbey and tending to the veggie patch.

Author Links: Official Website | Goodreads | Facebook 




Giveaway!

Comment below and share some of your favorite romance novels to be entered to win an e-book copy of LOVE AT FIRST FLIGHT! Open internationally. Winner will be drawn and announced by May 7!



★ Book Review ★ TWO TRUTHS AND A LIE by Ashley Stoyanoff!

by Ashley Stoyanoff 
Publication Date: February 28, 2015
Genres: New Adult, Romance

Synopsis

One year ago, I became a missing person. I left everything behind—family, friends, school. It seemed like a good idea at the time. My only option, really, until I realized running from a police officer isn’t as easy as I thought it would be.

It’s been exactly three-hundred and sixty-five days since I left home, but I’m finally ready to take the step I should have taken a year ago. I’m done hiding. I’m done running. I’m going to take my life back.

It was supposed to be easy. A meeting with Jason Pierce, a private investigator, was set up for me. All I had to do was go to him, let him do his thing, and then I could go home, or so I thought.


That is, until I met Jason and things got…complicated.

Cove Member Faith Reviews!

My rating: 7/10 stars (enjoyable) 
A well written romantic suspense manages to have it all and more.... 
1) A sexy, strong, alpha male lead who gets to be the hero.
2) A storyline that has mystery, intrigue and danger.
3) complex characters with troubled pasts
4) A great supporting cast
5) A good woman who needs saving
6) Sexual tension that you can cut with a knife 
...To name a few. 
When you find a good one, there really is nothing better for me. 
Two Truths and a Lie by Ashley Stoyanoff has all of this. Elena is on the run from her "fiancé" cop boyfriend.  In hiding, She has been missing for a year now and ready to stop running. She wants her life in New York back and her family back, but she needs help. A helpful friend she met along the way has lead her to Jason, a man with a team, who can help anyone in a jam. Their first meeting doesn't go so well, but soon Jason and his team prove their worth and are dead set on getting Elena her life back.
At first I felt the relationship between Elena and Jason moved way too fast in the beginning, for a woman who is on the run from a bad relationship. However, Jason quickly grew on me and so did their connection. The story held my attention and kept me wanting to read on.
I really enjoyed this book, and want to read more of this series....Immediately.


THE KILL LIST and THE KILL SHOT by Nichole Christoff ★ Book Blast ★ 99¢ Sale + $25 Gift Card!


Enter to Win a $25.00 eGift Card + 
e-book copies of THE KILL LIST & THE KILL SHOT as part the Book Blast organized by Tasty Book Tours!


The Kill List: Jamie Sinclair # 1
Released: December 2, 2014

In this taut debut thriller, Nichole Christoff introduces a savvy private investigator with nerves of steel—and a shattered heart.

As a top private eye turned security specialist, Jamie Sinclair has worked hard to put her broken marriage behind her. But when her lying, cheating ex-husband, army colonel Tim Thorp, calls with the news that his three-year-old daughter has been kidnapped, he begs Jamie to come find her. For the sake of the child, Jamie knows she can’t refuse. Now, despite the past, she’ll do everything in her power to bring little Brooke Thorp home alive.

Soon Jamie is back at Fort Leeds—the army base in New Jersey’s Pine Barrens where she grew up, the only child of a two-star general—chasing down leads and forging an uneasy alliance with the stern military police commander and the exacting FBI agent working Brooke’s case. But because Jamie’s father is now a U.S. senator, her recent run-in with a disturbed stalker is all over the news, and when she starts receiving gruesome threats echoing the stalker’s last words, she can’t shake the feeling that her investigation may be about more than a missing girl—and that someone very powerful is hiding something very significant . . . and very sinister.




BUY NOW

The Kill Shot: Jamie Sinclair # 2
Released: March 17th, 2015

In an explosive thriller for readers of Lee Child, Alex Berenson, and Brad Taylor, P.I. and security specialist Jamie Sinclair finds herself caught in a dangerous game of international cat-and-mouse.

Jamie Sinclair’s father has never asked her for a favor in her life. The former two-star general turned senator is more in the habit of giving his only child orders. So when he requests Jamie’s expertise as a security specialist, she can’t refuse—even though it means slamming the brakes on her burgeoning relationship with military police officer Adam Barrett. Just like that, Jamie hops aboard a flight to London with a U.S. State Department courier carrying a diplomatic pouch in an iron grip.

Jamie doesn’t have to wait long to put her unique skills to good use. When she and the courier are jumped by goons outside the Heathrow terminal, Jamie fights them off—but the incident puts her on high alert. Someone’s willing to kill for the contents of the bag. Then a would-be assassin opens fire in crowded Covent Garden, and Jamie is stunned to spot a familiar face: Adam Barrett, who saves her life with a single shot and calmly slips away. Jamie’s head—and her heart—tell her that something is very wrong. But she’s come way too far to turn back now.




BUY NOW




Nichole Christoff is a writer, broadcaster, and military spouse who has worked on air and behind the scenes producing and promoting content for radio, television news, and the public relations industry across the United States and Canada. Christoff is a lifetime member of Sisters in Crime and the Jane Austen Society of North America. She also belongs to Private Eye Writers of America, International Thriller Writers, Mystery Writers of America, Romance Writers of America, and three of RWA’s local chapters where she’s served as an officer and a member of the board. 

In Christoff’s first year as a member of RWA, her first manuscript won the Golden Heart for Best Novel with Strong Romantic Elements. Her second manuscript won a Helen McCloy Scholarship from Mystery Writers of America. Her last manuscript was a finalist for the Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense. Her latest novel, The Kill Shot, is a 2014 Killer Nashville Claymore Dagger finalist.



FOR ALL TO SEE by Megan Mitcham ★ Book Blitz ★ Guest Post + Giveaway!


We're excited to share a guest post from Megan Mitcham, author of FOR ALL TO SEE as part of her book blitz organized by Xpresso Book Tours. Check out the book and be sure to enter the giveaway to win a $10 Amazon Gift Card!


For All to See by Megan Mitcham 
(Bureau #1) 
Publication Date: April 1, 2015
Genres: Adult, Romance, Suspense

Synopsis:

Pristine waters and purified evil.

Two by two, dark-haired beauties vanish only to reappear as hanging, plundered corpses. The Virgin Islands boast diamond-white beaches, lush green mountains, a rich cultural heritage—and a brutal killer.

Three years on the “Field-Dresser” case and Special Agent Nathan Brewer is days away from catching the bastard—if he can convince a certain brunette to trust him. Only the woman is more likely to take a casual stroll on the surface of the sun.

After fleeing her troubles in the United States for the quiet life of a school teacher on the island of Tortola, Madelyn Garrett never imagined she’d be fixated upon by pure evil.

In a fight for her life—with a dwindling number of friends—she must rely on her cunning and Nathan’s skills for survival.


 Guest Post by Megan Mitcham 

Secrets

Can you keep a secret? I can. The first novel I wrote, For All to See, I kept secret from everyone—except my husband, mom, and grandmother—until I typed THE END. So, maybe I can’t keep a secret. Darn it
And here I am again, sharing my secret. You see, I never though this book would see the light of day. Not because the story wasn’t great, but because—even though I’d written one—I knew zilch about writing a novel. 
I discovered I had to share my secrets to learn and grow as a writer and person. You know the old adage, “Nothing ventured, nothing gained?” We still use it for a reason. It’s true. 
Five years, two writing groups, five classes, hours of research, six novels, eight short stories, one novella, and two re-writes later Madelyn’s story of tribulation and triumph is ready for readers. 
“Nothing ventured, nothing gained.” You don’t have to tell me your secrets, but tell someone who can help you on the path to your dreams!

AUTHOR BIO:

Megan was born and raised among the live oaks and shrimp boats of the Mississippi Gulf Coast, where her enormous family still calls home. She attended college at the University of Southern Mississippi where she received a bachelor’s degree in curriculum, instruction, and special education. For several years Megan worked as a teacher in Mississippi. She married and moved to South Carolina and worked for an international non-profit organization as an instructor and co-director.

In 2009 Megan fell in love with books. Until then, books had been a source for research or the topic of tests. But one day she read Mercy by Julie Garwood. And Oh Mercy, she was hooked!

Megan lives in Southern Arkansas where she pens sizzling suspense novels.











HARD RIDE #1 by Opal Carew ★ Book Blitz ★ + Giveaway!



Hard Ride #1: A Novel in Three Parts by Opal Carew 
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Publication Date: April 7th 2015
Genres: Adult, Romance

Synopsis:

Liv never expected to find herself trapped in a dark alley facing a band of rough bikers. And she certainly never expected to see him again.

Back in college when they dated, he was heir to his family’s business empire–and their fortune. She expected him to become a billionaire. Instead, he’s the heavily muscled, tattooed member of a rough biker gang…and just as sinfully sexy as ever.

When Shock sees Liv again, he’s ready to pay any price to have her in his bed and on his bike. Shock has his own scars to deal with, but he soon learns that Liv is in desperate need of financial help, though she won’t tell him why. So he offers her a sensual deal: his help for her complete submission. Can Liv entrust Shock with her secret…and how can she stop herself from falling for the hard rider?

This is part one of HARD RIDE, a three part novel.


Purchase: Amazon | B&N


AUTHOR BIO:

Hi. I'm Opal Carew, a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author. I write erotic romance for St. Martin's Press and Samhain Publishing, and I self-publish stories. I also write romance as Amber Carew.

So why do I like writing erotic romance? I like being able to push beyond traditional boundaries. I like dealing with a female character who is growing and evolving - questioning her sexual boundaries and pushing past them. My stories usually include menage a trois. It is great fun to write a heroine choosing between two equally appealing heroes... or more.

These aren't women who just jump into bed with anyone. They find themselves in an unusual situation - something exciting and erotic - but a situation where they have to push themselves beyond their comfort level. As a result, they grow as a person. So often fear holds us back - of what others will think of us, of what we will think about ourselves - and we don't follow our hearts. These women push past that fear.

To learn more about me and my books: Official Website | Facebook | Goodreads | Twitter