"Nothing Personal (The Kincaids, Book Two)" by Rosalind James

EXCERPT

Nothing Personal
(The Kincaids, Book Two)

by Rosalind James

Nothing Personal is Book 2 in The Kincaids series by Rosalind James. Also available: Welcome to Paradise. The third book in the series, Asking for Trouble, will be released February 2014.

  

Nothing Personal is currently on tour with Reading Addiction Book Tours. The tour stops here today for an excerpt. Be sure to visit the other tour stops as well.

Description

When you wish upon a star ...

Alec Kincaid has never met the obstacle he couldn’t overcome - or the woman who could resist him. And it’s not going to happen now, not with his star shining more brightly than ever in the high-stakes arena of San Francisco’s software industry.

Desiree Harlin doesn’t believe in fairy tales, and she doesn’t waste time wishing. She’s learned the hard way that dreams don’t come true. And with her reputation and hard-won security on the line, succumbing to temptation isn’t an option.

But things aren’t always what they seem. And even stars sometimes fall.

Note: Despite the fog, San Francisco does get hot at times. If you prefer your romance without steam, you may want to visit a different city ... er, book.

Excerpt

She’d spooned up every bit of the rich broth, the chunks of beef and vegetables, had dipped a second and then a third piece of bread in olive oil. Alec had watched it all without comment, while dispatching his own dinner with an alacrity that confirmed to Desiree that he really hadn’t had dinner yet tonight.

And when they’d finished, he’d insisted, together with Giuseppe - of course the waiter’s name was Giuseppe, because this wasn’t romantic enough, the white tablecloth and the single red rose and the candle and the worn brick against her shoulder - he’d insisted that she order cannoli for dessert.

“Just one,” he coaxed. “If you don’t want it, you don’t have to eat a single bite. But I think you need to taste whipped cream tonight.”

“Don’t you think she needs some whipped cream?” he demanded of the waiter, who smiled back at him, sensing, Desiree thought through a satisfied haze of red wine, succulent beef, and way too much potent testosterone, a truly magnificent tip.

“Definitely, the signorina needs whipped cream,” Giuseppe agreed. “And we have the best.”

She wasn’t sure how you had better whipped cream than anyone else, but when the dessert arrived, she had to concede that this was the best.

Amaretto, one still-sane corner of her practical brain suggested, but that sensible voice was drowned out, oh so rapidly, by the sensation on her tongue, the silky smoothness of cream, the almond sweetness of the liqueur, the delicate drift of pastry and the deep dark pleasure of chocolate. And Alec, watching her as she allowed the rich concoction to drift between her lips, over her tongue, down her throat. Watching her, enjoying the sight of her enjoying herself, as if it were his tongue. His throat.

By the time he’d slapped a hand against the door of the cab that had again been waiting when they’d stepped out of the restaurant’s front door, leaped back onto the sidewalk and raised that same hand in farewell, she’d been so lost in fatigue, wine, and lust that she could only sit back against the scarred leather and thank heaven that she hadn’t actually kissed him. Or begged him.

Review

By Ilovebooks

Thoroughly enjoyed this novel! It was nice to follow Rae and Alec's journey and have flash backs to their teen years. It also had a "whodunit" too, which added to the attraction of this book for me too. I enjoyed the mention of the characters from the first Kincaids book too!! Love this author have not read a book by her that I didn't like and I have read them all and will continue to read them.

About the Author

Rosalind James is the author of the Kindle-bestselling Escape to New Zealand series (currently five titles strong), as well as the new U.S.-based The Kincaids series. Her first book, Just This Once, has sold tens of thousands of copies in the year since it was published, eventually reaching #85 in the Amazon store. A marketing professional and publishing industry veteran, Rosalind has lived all over the United States and in a number of other countries, traveling with her civil engineer husband. Most recently, she spent several years in Australia and New Zealand, where she fell in love with the people, the landscape, and the culture of both countries. She loves trying new things in her writing, most recently the mystery and suspense in Nothing Personal.

Rosalind credits her rapid success to the fact that “lots of people would like to escape to New Zealand! I know I did!”

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"When Shall We Meet Again?" by Abhimanyu Rajarajan

When Shall We Meet Again?

by Abhimanyu Rajarajan

Description

What happens when ...

·      a software billionaire finds his company’s attrition rate scaling new heights?

·      a programming de-bugger meets his ‘break-up” girl after 5 years?

·      a revered Swamiji is asked to become a corporate trainer of an IT company?

·      a cheerful flirt proposes to a girl who is yet to recover from a relationship shattered by infidelity?

·      a college couple gets into a tent in an inebriated state during picnic?

·      a software Team leader is physically assaulted by her lover in front of her colleagues?

·      a drunkard father meets his estranged daughters after a decade?

·      a pervert manager cajoles a new recruit to his private cottage?

·      a doting couple’s aborted child enters the body of a Sadhu?

·      a lonely girl is lying in bed fully intoxicated and at the mercy of a famished lecher?

What happens? Passion, love, philosophy, perversion, thrill, drama, and wit.

Meet the characters:

·      Naren: A brilliant programming debugger; loved Aarthi at college. As he steps into a new relationship with Lisa at office, he finds his break up love Aarthi coming back again. And he is in a dilemma.

·      Aarthi: A young petite girl just out of college. Joins an IT company to find her past lover there. Caught up in a quandary between the cheerful Prem and the moody Naren. Whom should she love?

·      Lisa: A software executive. Loves her colleague Naren and will do anything for her love. Hides her sensitive feelings of love and tries to wear a dominant mask. Maybe she may have to shed it some time.

·      Prem: A happy-go-lucky guy who falls for the wrong girl and gets it right the second time. Or almost right. Prem has an uncanny way of winning hearts and breaking his own heart.

·      Narayan: A pervert manager who is out to seduce the girls. And when the girls cross his way, he lines up bigger dangers for them. Even rape is not beyond his scheme of things.

·      Aathmananda: A revered Swamiji who becomes a corporate trainer. Expert at transforming lives and making people come out with their deep secrets.

When Shall We Meet Again? has a bit of everything. An IT industry romance thriller with lots of life's philosophy thrown in.

Excerpt

The human life is akin to a river. None can foretell its direction. Rivers are born small. They get bigger as they advance. Same with humans too, both spiritually and physically. The rivers collect sand, stones, leaves, sludge and whatever they tread in their paths. Humans too carry with them their upbringings, their education, the habits and style of people around them, the culture of their places and most importantly the memories of life events and their influences upon them. Rivers go through lean patches. Humans too. Rivers are sometimes very calm. They sometimes flood. Same, with the humans. Some rivers are ruthless. They cause floods and destroy lives. Some humans are ruthless too. They get charged up and try to harm others around them. Some rivers irrigate and help in a positive way. Some humans serve and help the people around them. And let me add that clichéd sentence to this list: All rivers join the sea. And all humans merge with Him. Therefore, rivers symbolize us. They are like the human shaped deity in which we see our Gods. After all, identification is required to create oneness. And oneness is the essence of Gita. So in rivers, we see ourselves. What’s wrong in worshiping them?

Review

By bujju

When I started reading when shall we meet again , I had my fingers crossed. But in the end, I loved it . Great book . Brilliantly plotted . First Indian fiction about romance in software industry with real people. That's the best part. Everything looks real. The characters, their problems. And the final solutions. The office setting is very realistic. Swamiji's philosophy gems that are interspersed across the book are worth a read. The author keeps us guessing what will happen to the lovers who broke up, till the end. The villain Narayan is absolutely despicable and there is an eeriness whenever he comes in the story. I loved Lisa. Lisa symbolizes the young executive in today's world and her tender feelings are very well brought out. Loved the debate scene between Aarthi and Naren. I recommend if you love Indian romance fiction.

About the Author

Abhimanyu Rajarajan works for Indian Oil Corporation. When Shall We Meet Again?, the best selling romance thriller of this year, is his debut novel. Abhimanyu has not let his Engineering and Management degrees come in the way of understanding what raw life is. His writings depict an avid interest in life and how people react to it. Apart from writing, his pastime includes reading and music.

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"The Accidental Witch" by Jessica Penot

INTERVIEW and GIVEAWAY

The Accidental Witch

by Jessica Penot

The Accidental Witch is currently on tour with Bewitching Book Tours. The tour stops here today for my interview with the author. You can also enter the giveaway to win an Amazon gift card. Be sure to visit the other tour stops as well.

Description

Phaedra Michaels is a small town psychologist who is beginning to lose hope. Two of her patients at the local hospital in Dismal, Alabama have just killed themselves, she’s still reeling from her divorce and what turned out to be a disastrous marriage, and her father has died, leaving her without any notion of who her real mother is. 

Just as Phaedra decides to commit herself to a serious drinking problem and an eating disorder, or two, a mysterious spell book arrives in the mail. Feeling desperate, Phaedra uses it to cast spells to save her fading patients. Suddenly, good things start happening.  Phaedra’s patients begin to get better and she even starts dating the sexy doctor from the hospital.

Phaedra is so happy she doesn't notice the small things that start to go wrong in Dismal, or the dark creatures slithering out of the shadows near her house. When Phaedra finally realizes her spells have attracted every card-carrying demon from hell, she has no choice but to accept help from a slightly nerdy, 500 year-old warlock with a penchant for wearing super hero T-shirts and a knack for getting under Phaedra’s skin. Now, if only she could get the hang of this witch thing, she might be able to save her town.

Excerpt

It is amazing how the most world-changing days can seem entirely mundane to begin with. Friday the 13th seemed no different than any other day to me. I woke up late, as always, and rushed to get dressed and make it to the car with my usual box of animal crackers and diet cola. I pulled my shoes on as I backed out of the driveway and ate while I drove to work.

I was late to work, but just early enough to not be noticed as late. The small hospital where I worked was a blip in a vast nowhere and the small psychiatric floor I worked on was a blip in a blip. I was a blip within a blip within a blip, making me practically nothing. I could’ve died in my sleep and the world would barely belch. I liked to think that I was good at what I did. I liked to think that even though I was a nothing, I made a difference in the patients’ lives. I was one of those deluded people that believed in saving the world one person at a time. I guess I still am. Certainly, I was one of the few people that actually cared about the patients. The management didn’t care that I cared. Management was too busy trying to balance the books and keep the floor profitable to care what the staff did with the patients. I could take all the patients outside and have them moo like cows and management wouldn’t care as long as I billed it as a recreational therapy group and got the proper reimbursement.

Review

By Christine D Hamilton

I enjoyed this dark tale about a cynical psychologist living in small-town Alabama. Her own life is a mess but she has a good heart. Once she "accidentally" gets exposed to the power of witchcraft, things look great at first but soon the sh!t really hits the fan. She has to figure out how to make things right, with her town, her past and current lovers, her patients, and with herself. The story weaves in alternative explanations of historical figures and events that were influenced by witchcraft, which was a bonus for me. It was a fun read.

Interview with the Author

Hi Jessica, thanks for joining me today to discuss your new book, The Accidental Witch.

Which writers have influenced you the most? Some of my favorite authors are A. Lee Martinez, Anne Rice, Christopher Moore, Simone St. James, Frank Herbert, and Joan D. Vinge.

What age group do you recommend your book for? This is definitely an adult book.

What sparked the idea for this book? My job inspired me. Mental health can be a stressful field to work in and most of my clients were suicidal. I often wished there was some kind of magic that could bring my patients the peace they deserved. In The Accidental Witch, the psychologist finds that magic.

Which comes first? The character's story or the idea for the novel? In this case, the story for the novel, but I’m sure that isn’t always the case.

What was the hardest part to write in this book? I always struggle with the beginning. It is usually the slowest paced and I always can’t wait until I get to the meat of the novel.

How do you hope this book affects its readers? I hope they love it!

How long did it take you to write this book? It took my about seven or eight months.

What is your writing routine? I have three children so I don’t really have a routine. I work wherever and whenever I can. Sometimes I work late at night other times I work while I’m waiting for my children to finish violin or guitar. It just depends on when I can find the time.

How did you get your book published? I have a wonderful agent, Sharon Belcastro. She sold my first book to Lachesis and has sold every book I’ve written since.

What advice do you have for someone who would like to become a published writer? I would suggest they spend as much time as possible writing and then find a good agent.

What do you like to do when you're not writing? I don’t have much spare time, but when I have free time I love spending time with my family, reading, watching movies, and sleeping.

What does your family think of your writing? I have a big family and they all support e to varying degrees. My husband and my sister, Janice, are the most supportive.

Please tell us a bit about your childhood. My childhood was complicated. It wasn’t particularly happy. I used to tell stories to myself to get through the hard times. Reading books and making up stories in my head got me through even in the hardest times.

Did you enjoy school? I love school. I keep going back. I’m working on my second Master’s Degree now.

Did you like reading when you were a child? I never liked children’s books so I didn’t start reading passionately until I was nine. I started sneaking adult books at that time. My mother would have killed me if she knew that I was reading all her Anne Rice books.

What was your favorite book as a child? I loved Interview with the Vampire and Dune.

Who were your favorite authors as a child? Anne Rice, Philippa Gregory, and Barbara Michaels. I loved vampires when I was a girl so Anne Rice was always my favorite author.

When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer? I have an old diary I wrote from when I was six. In it I said I wanted to be a writer.

Did your childhood experiences influence your writing? Of course. My love of ghost stories and scary stories come from my childhood.

Do you hear from your readers much? What kinds of things do they say? They usually have lovely things to say. They are the ones that keep me writing. My readers are all wonderful.

What can we look forward to from you in the future? I am currently working on the second book in The Dark Arts series. It is called Waking the Witch. I also have a middle grade book called The Monster Hunter’s Manual due out this spring.

Thanks so much for stopping by today, Jessica. Best of luck with your new books.

About the Author

Jessica Penot is a therapist who lives in Alabama with her two corgis, cat, sons, husband and other strange creatures. She is the author of Haunted North Alabama, Haunted Chattanooga, Circe, and The Accidental Witch. She is also the editor of Insatiable: The Magazine of Paranormal Desires.

Giveaway

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