Tag Archives: Birthday Month

Birthday Bash Guest: Author Christine Ashworth + A Giveaway

Hi friends! Yes! We’re in to June! Summer is almost here up North, and … O_O winter is approaching in the South. [Way north, way south.] As you see we have another first time guest to ALBTALBS, Christine Ashworth!!!  She, like Nicole, was kind enough to volunteer to host a giveaway for all of you! (Thank you Christine!) She’s even got the question and everything, so I’ll leave her to it! <3

Birthday Thoughts – Past, Present, and Future Continue reading

Guest: Jenn LeBlanc

Hi friends! Sooo my birthday has come and gone, but June is juuuust at the edge of leaving us, so Jenn LeBlanc has decided to stretch things out. Whee!! Everyone give her a warm welcome. Jenn is a lot of fun, so I hope you go a little crazy with her. Us. >.>

I hear it’s YOUR birthday! And we’re all here to celebrate, because why on earth wouldn’t we?!!? The day Lime was brought to the world was a great day.
For your birthday, I give you images from my newest illustrated romance novel, because WHY WOULDN’T I? They do make the best gift.
Like this one of my hero Warrick and his love, Lulu:

Continue reading

Ask Some Bloggers ~Anything

Hi friends!

First things first – I got to see this yesterday (and a picture) and it was so cool.

White House 6/26

So it’s birthday month and all that jazz and I figured I hadn’t been doing as much – like me saying stuff in a long time. I meant to write distinctive posts for each Saturday in June but you know how life never turns out as planned. Continue reading

Guest: Amie Stuart <3

Hey y’all! Zomggg I can’t believe June is almost over. This month has been crazy. Nothing like I planned, but hey sometimes that works right? I’m super excited to welcome Amie Stuart to ALBTALBS today – so everyone give her a warm welcome! Honestly nothing else is needed – she can take it from here. 😀

First off and most importantly HAPPY BIRTHDAY LIME!!!!

For those of you new to Amie Stuart Books, Hittin’ It is actually a reissue. It was originally released from Kensington as a 2-story anthology in 2009. I got the rights back and I’ve decided to re-release the entire series (Nailed, Hittin’ It and then Screwed in early 2016). Continue reading

Guest Author (& A Giveaway?): Dorothy F. Shaw

Hi friends! So we’re well into June [GAH!] – and this birthday month hasn’t felt very celebratory or anything, so I’m hoping that comes about soon. This is another good contribution though – as you see we’ve got Dorothy F. Shaw visiting with us today! She’s a first time guest so everyone give her a warm welcome!! Dorothy opted for an author interview – a style which was unique to ALBTALS when I started asking these zany questions, and it should be good – she’s a lot of fun. 😀 Continue reading

Teaser Tuesday Exclusive Excerpt: Dare to Rock by Carly Phillips

Hi friends!!! Today I’m so excited to share an excerpt from Carly Phillips with you! Not only is this an exclusive from Dare to Rock, it’s still a WIP, so it’s rough – but that means you’re getting a first look at it! Raw! Rawr! 😉 I have to say I’m excited about this book as well because I quite enjoy rockstar romances. What I like about the “Dare to Love” series is that each book can be read as a standalone. Continue reading

Guest Author: Laura K. Curtis on HEA vs. HFN

Hi friends! As you see we’ve got the totally awesome and wonderful Laura K. Curtis visiting with us today! Not only is she great in general she also stepped in at the last minute with not only a great post, but also a giveaway! Whee! So without further ado …

HEA vs. HFN

TwistedHow do you like your happy endings? And get your mind out of the gutter, I’m talking about the ends of your romance novels, not your massages. For as long as I can remember, the two major tenets defining a novel as a “romance” were:
1. Central love story between two (or more) characters
2. The relationship is successful, culminating in a “happily ever after.”
But a few years ago, the genre stretched as it became more realistic to include “happy for now” as well as “happily ever after.” That is, the couple (or however many—I’m just going to use “couple” as shorthand) is in a relationship at the end of the book, but without the promise of forever together. Continue reading

Birthday Month of Random

So … if you’ve been around ALBTALBS for any amount of time you know I always LIKE to and TRY to do it up big.

No idea how that’s going to pan out, or if scheduled things are going to happen in 2015 as planned… and I kinda can’t find it in myself to care at this very moment. I tried last night, and it just resulted in me wanting to set things on fire … so you know what? Why would I want to do stuff that will only make me suffer, in an attempt to celebrate? Not only was I sick for about a month, the first time I think “hey – I can almost breathe normally again and only wheezing when I laugh!” …  I’m relapsing.

As such, my gift to ME this month, is the freedom to fuck up as much and as often as I like. And to feel – at least less guilty than I normally do. If authors I arranged to guest send their posts in, then awesome. I’ll do my best to have it go live when it should. If not … well, we’re all adults. Sometimes shit happens like death or other tragedy, and sometimes we don’t know how to use calendars. I don’t care to figure out which happens when right now.

My prize to you … um, random snarkery and posts like this that I’ll probably regret in the morning? Continue reading

Special Guest: Birthday Girl Sonoma Lass!

Hello my friends! It’s birthday month, and a Saturday, which must mean it’s time for a reader post. Beyond that, today is Sonoma Lass’s actual birthday – so everyone please wish her the happiest and best of birthdays! I also hope you’ll answer her question, because I’m curious as to what you have to say as well. <3

In looking over the list of books I’ve finished on my Kindle lately, I see less genre romance than I expect. I’ve started and then abandoned more than I care to admit, and I’ve put my head down to finish a couple because I wanted to review them. And I realized, somewhat belatedly, that the problem I’m having is one that I almost never mention in the reviews I write. So here it is: I am tired of beautiful people.

I know that one aspect of romance is the fantasy – two people overcoming obstacles and finding true love, in a way that many people in real life never manage. Depending on the sub-genre, a lot of those obstacles may be ones that most readers will never face. And I have heard reader after reader say that they want to read fantasy characters in their romances – beautiful, talented, extraordinary people falling in love.

BUT I have also heard readers say that they wish for more variety in the genre – including older main characters, fat main characters, and others who aren’t beautiful in the conventional way. And I do see some of those books, but mostly I see beautiful people. And that’s getting dull.

Now, some of these beautiful people don’t realize that they are beautiful – we get ugly duckling storylines, or books where the heroine has low self-esteem and doesn’t know that she’s gorgeous. But in the end, these are still books about beautiful people. Not what I want.

I myself am not beautiful. I’m not “ugly,” and when I was younger I had a conventionally “good” body, facility with make-up, and reasonable fashion sense. So while I’ve never been “the pretty girl,” I’ve never felt repulsive either. The key thing is, I have never felt that a man was interested in me based on first on my looks. But the men who have loved me have found me beautiful TO THEM; they love me, and they love my face and my body because they are the package in which the woman they love is wrapped. The handful of times in my life that I’ve felt really “in love,” that’s been part of it, and certainly is in my current long-term relationship.

My partner is a good-looking guy. He’s not a “hottie,” a hunk, or matinee-idol handsome, and he’s put on a few pounds since turning 50, but his is the dearest face in the world to me. I can appreciate conventionally attractive men, but they don’t make my heart flip over the way he does. Because I’m in love with him, and so however he looks is how the man I love looks, if that makes any sense.

In my mind, that’s a much greater thing: loving someone so much that whatever package they come in is dear to you. That means that if they gain weight, go bald, get sick, have surgery, or just plain get old, they don’t have to worry that you’ll stop loving them, because conventional, external beauty wasn’t a big part of the picture in the first place. I want to read about that kind of love, because that’s the kind of love that I can believe will really last.

It’s not that I never see these stories; just not enough of them lately. So what do you think – do you prefer beautiful main characters? Are there particular books that you think are relevant here? Do you have recommendations for me???

[Fabulous post, thank you! And happy birthday SL!!!]

Teaser “Tuesday” Exclusive Excerpt: Avenge Me by Maisey Yates

Hello my ducklings! (I mean who doesn’t love ducklings?! I love them…) You may know, June is my birthday month. If not, I’m telling you now 😛 June is my birthday month! So the idea is for me to superload it with fun fun fun! Also, because every week there’s a Guest Author & A Giveaway post. And … it almost seems like Maisey Yates is a June TT staple – just check out the archives ;). I got her to agree to provide an exclusive excerpt for us – and who knows, I might be lucky enough to get the other authors in this [series] too! Whee!

So without further ado, Avenge Me!

Avenge MeTEN YEARS AGO ONE DEVASTATING NIGHT CHANGED EVERYTHING FOR AUSTIN, HUNTER AND ALEX. NOW THEY MUST EACH PLAY THEIR PART IN THE REVENGE AGAINST THE ONE MAN WHO RUINED IT ALL.

Austin Treffen was born into a world of privilege, but behind its gilded doors lies a corruption so sordid New York’s elite would never believe it—especially as his infamous philanthropic father is at its core! With everything he believed in shattered, how can Austin take down his father—risking his family name and those he loves—without any proof?

Until one earth-shattering night with Katy Michaels unlocks not only their deepest, most passionate desires but also the key to bringing Jason Treffen’s reign to an end. But with an intense sexual attraction that combines a heady mix of exquisite pleasure and sublime pain, will they satiate their thirst for revenge and each other…or lose themselves forever in the darkness?

He had no right to be lusting after her like this. Not now. Not when he’d walked in on her like that without an announcement.

Of course, she’d been the one in his shower. His shower, when there was one right near her bedroom that she could have used. And all her girly shit was spread out all over his counter. As though she had every right to come in and take over his space, her things landing everywhere like a cloud of frilly locusts.

That was her fault.

She appeared a moment later, looking fresh scrubbed and wary, wearing a pair of gray sweatpants and a long-sleeved pink top, her hair wet and hanging loose.

“Didn’t anyone ever tell you knocking is polite?”

“You were in my shower, baby. I didn’t expect to find you there.”

“The music and running water weren’t a clue?”

“They were a trail of bread crumbs I felt obliged to follow. I honestly didn’t expect to find you naked and dripping wet in my shower when you have your own.”

“Well, you told me to make myself at home.”

“So you decided that meant going into my bedroom?”

He’d never had a woman in his personal space before. Ever. He’d had girlfriends, yes. But he spent the night at their places typically. Or he took them out and they spent the night in hotels. He wasn’t a hugger. He didn’t talk about his feelings. He didn’t let women leave their trappings all over his room.

There was room for one toothbrush in his bathroom, and that was his.

“Well, yeah. You railroaded me into moving in with you. You’re a Treffen therefore my trust in you is…eh. And so I decided to snoop around in your stuff. Then I saw your shower.”

“You went through my things.”

“Yes. And I’m not going to apologize. Anyway, no whips, chains or invoices for sexual favors. On that score you check out.”

“Disappointed?”

“About?”

He crossed his arms. “The lack of whips and chains. You like that sort of thing.”

She arched a brow. “You got your rocks off that night too, so don’t go putting it on me.”

“You were out of line going through my things.”

“Are you really all up on my butt for being intrusive?”

“Excuse me?”

“Are you really getting on my case for being intrusive?” she repeated, her hands on her hips. “Because the last I checked, you got me fired from my job. You effectively got me evicted from my apartment. You forced me to move here by default and then you said, make yourself at home. And so I have. And now you’re mad at me? You’ve interfered in every corner of my life and you’re pissed because I used your shower?”

“And left your girl crap all over everything.”

“My girl crap? What are you fourteen?”

“No, but I don’t share my space.”

“Yeah, well, newsflash, Austin, I haven’t done anything but share space my entire life. I’ve had had to make sure my schedule was conducive to taking care of my younger brother. I had to make sure my emotions never made a blip on the radar, because I had to keep things smooth and stable for Trey. Then I moved to New York and moved in with a roommate who had her name on the lease and who I had to tread softly with so that I wouldn’t find myself out on my ass. Then, guess what? Because of you I did find myself out on my ass. And now? Now I’m sick of treading lightly. You said make myself at home, I’m going to make myself at home. I’m not here because I want to be, buddy, I’m here because you stuck your all-powerful Treffen hand in my life and screwed with things.”

“So that means my punishment is…leg wax on my bathroom counter and music that…was it talking about…?”

“Yes,” she said, her cheeks turning pink. “Yes it was. I like that song. Sorry if it bothered you. Or maybe I’m not sorry if it bothered you. Grow up.”

“Did you just tell me to grow up?”

“Yeah. I did. Like you can’t handle song lyrics about sex. Again I ask: are you fourteen?”

“It didn’t bother me.”

“Well then why are you complaining?”

“You have a bathroom. You could use that one.”

She arched a brow. “It doesn’t have three shower heads in the shower.”

“So? You don’t need three shower heads,” he said.

“Says the man who has three shower heads,” she said, putting her hands on her hips. “Personally, I value the ability to cleanse myself with the ‘rainforest mist’ setting on. It makes this whole ordeal feel less traumatic.”

“I think you’re milking it,” he said, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning back against the wall.

“Do you?” she asked.

“Yes. I do.”

“I don’t know if you know my pain and suffering. I was fired and thrown out of my house on the same day.”

“All right. If you want to use my bathroom, that’s up to you, but I’m not knocking on my own bedroom door and I will use my bathroom when I feel like it. If you’re so married to the shower heads, that’s your business, but you may end up with a guest.”

Her eyes widened. “I thought I told you I wasn’t sleeping with you.”

“And I thought I told you not to trust me.” The air thickened between them, her lips parting, her eyes darkening. “And you definitely shouldn’t look at me like that,” he said.

“Like what?”

“Like you’re considering letting the horse out of the gate again.”

She blinked. “I’m not. I just wanted your shower, not your body. Calm the hell down.”

“Have you eaten?” he asked, deciding it was best to change the subject. And to take the conversation into neutral territory. And to move them to neutral territory. Territory that didn’t have a bed with a very useful looking headboard…

“No,” she said. “I was going to order something.”

“Anything in particular?”

“I was sort of craving Thai.”

“I’m very good at ordering takeout,” he said. “Cooking not so much.”

“I can cook,” she said, following his lead and leaving the bedroom, heading down the hall a couple of paces behind him. “Really gourmet stuff. Ramen noodles, with some vegetables for added nutrition. Mac and cheese. In the blue box, I don’t screw around. Also, beanie weenies. A can of pork n’ beans and some cut up hotdogs. My skills cannot be beat.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever had any of that.”

“Not even in college?”

He tossed a look over his shoulder. “No. I had a meal plan.”

“Oh, yes, of course. How could I forget? You’re all steeped in privilege. Which I guess I should remember since I just used your shower. Three shower heads.” She held up a matching number of fingers. “Three.”

He shrugged. “Yes. Yes I’m privileged. Lucky, lucky me. My dad is a pimp.” He headed down the stairs and he could hear her behind him.

“There are different kinds of privilege. I mean, sure, that’s a sucky reality you have to face. But I grew up in terrible circumstances and I didn’t get to eat good food. So you know…”

“Yes. Life was easy for me then. I won’t lie to you and pretend I had any great struggle. But looking back and realizing just how little I saw outside of my bubble? That’s hard. I’m not stupid. More than that, in my line of work, I’m trained to read people. I have to know how to read between the lines, how to re-interpret what they’re saying I have to know how to manipulate. But even with that, my world was so insulated, so damned perfect, that I just couldn’t imagine the kind of thing my father was doing. I couldn’t have imagined Sarah’s pain. I’ve seen more since then. I know more about human nature. About how truly horrible life can be. I look back…I hate that idiot that couldn’t see past the glitter all around him. Who thought bad things happened to other people. To other classes of people.”

“And since then you’ve learned…?”

“Life is shit for everyone. It’s just that for some people it’s shit with three shower heads. Pad Thai sound good to you?”

~*~*~*~*~

I also cajoled Maisey into a giveaway – cuz you know – birthday month! She’s willing to give one lucky commenter her (or his) choice of Avenge Me in print or e! Whee! So what’d you think of the excerpt? Also, there’s a free prequel right now – Take Me and you should get that [too]! 😀