Book Girl of Mur-y-Castell

Monday, 4 November 2013

Casa for the Holidays Blog Tour and Giveaway

November 4, 2013 Book Girl of Mur-Y-Castell Guest Blog: Sourcebooks Holiday Authors

For today’s Casa for the Holidays blog post, our authors are chatting about their favorite holiday traditions!

Juliana Stone, author of The Christmas He Loved Her:

There are several holidays throughout the year that I absolutely love but for me, the one I look forward to the most is Christmas. Thanksgiving is wonderful and ours falls in early to mid October, so that means all the fall fairs, apple cider, turkey, and pumpkin pie. But Christmas is the one holiday that always takes me back to when I was a kid and still BELIEVED.

Now, my kids are teens and they’re not up at the crack of dawn anymore, but that’s okay since Christmas Eve is where it’s at. A couple of our friends always have open houses Christmas Eve and we drop in for some visiting, laughs and drinks. Once we get home, I always settle in with a bottle of wine and while I wrap the stocking stuffers (yes I’m a mom who loves to wrap every single thing) I watch It’s A Wonderful Life with my mom (who comes with my dad and spends the night). We relax, chat, and have a great night.

Every. Single. Christmas Eve. And I hope it never changes.

Terry Spear, author of A SEAL Wolf Christmas:

We always decorate the day after Thanksgiving so from that day until after New Year's, the house is cheery with sparkly lights and evergreen boughs, red bows, and decorations we've picked up over the years that meant something special. We also pass around our Christmas wish lists at Thanksgiving, and the night before Christmas, we open one gift. The next morning, someone passes out presents and while we're drinking eggnog or tea, we make a mess with gift wrappings everywhere. Every year, someone knows they bought a present that can't be located and we find it when the decorations are put away. We also love to share all the funnies of shopping for the gifts, because something always happens that we're dying to tell about but can't until we give out the gifts.

Carolyn Brown, author of The Cowboy’s Christmas Baby:

These days since the family has grown so much Husband and I have Easter, complete with a huge Easter egg hunt in our back yard, and Thanksgiving, complete with Husband getting out the guitar and the whole family two-stepping all over the house or out on the yard if the weather is good. But on Christmas, the kids all stay at home so Santa can visit. Even the grandkids who are old enough to vote and buy their own beer know that Santa doesn’t come down the chimney unless they believe and everyone in our family believes.

Husband and I call them all sometime on Christmas Day to say Merry Christmas from the beach in Florida where we go for a two week vacation every year. We dig our toes into the sand, feed the sea gulls cheese puffs, give a saucer of milk to the black and white cat that belongs to the motel and love being together on Christmas Day.

Grace Burrowes, author of Lady Jenny’s Christmas Portrait:

Growing up, the best part of Christmas, from my perspective, was ten days home from school. Ten days to sleep in, play in the snow, read, bake cookies, take long walks in the winter-bare woods, make more cookies, wrap presents, decorate the house… ten days to NOT WORRY about this or that homework assignment, test, or quiz.

It’s still my favorite aspect of the winter holidays. Because I was one of seven children, and the entire family could barely fit in one station wagon, we weren’t much for traveling in the winter. The occasional cousin might pass through before Christmas on the way to visit parents, grandparents sometimes popped in for a day or two, but mostly, we stayed put and had Christmas at home.

I loved that. I loved having time to myself at home, though Christmas break was by no means entirely consumed with hibernation. I have siblings thirteen years my senior, which meant from the time I was quite small, those siblings might grab a few of us “little guys” and head out for a skating expedition to Tait’s pond, a day of skiing at Oregon Hill, a winter hike up to the fire tower if it wasn’t too awfully cold. It didn’t hurt that our front yard was the best sledding hill in the neighborhood, either.

Then too, I grew up in a college town, and that meant the university skating rink was a possible destination. If Mom really needed the house to herself for an afternoon, she might send a group of us off to the movies, and that was lovely—my grandmother’s candy store was right next door to the theatre, and Nana ALWAYS allowed us to sample the inventory.

Christmas then, was about spending time at home and in the company of family. The big meals, the presents, the religious rituals for me were all secondary, and to this day, unstructured time in the place I call home is my greatest treasure.

Giveaway

To enter to win a prize pack of all 4 of these Christmas authors’ novels, tell us about your own favorite holiday tradition in the comments! This contest is open internationally.

1. Open internationally

2. Answer the question

3. Ends November 28th

To find out more about these authors, please visit their websites!

Carolyn Brown Website: http://carolynlbrown.com/

Grace Burrowes Website: http://graceburrowes.com/

Terry Spear Website: http://www.terryspear.com/

Juliana Stone Website: http://www.julianastone.com/

FOLLOW ALONG WITH THE “CASA FOR THE HOLIDAYS” VIRTUAL TOUR!

October-December 2013

Fun Holiday-Themed Posts from Carolyn, Grace, Terry and Juliana,

And Chances to WIN Books at Each Stop!

October
Oct. 8	Booked and Loaded	http://bookedandloaded.com/
Oct. 16	Ramblings From This Chick	http://ramblingsfromthischick.blogspot.com/
Oct. 23	Debbie's Book Bag	http://debsbookbag.blogspot.com/
Oct. 29	The Reading Café	http://www.thereadingcafe.com/
November
Nov. 4	Book Girl of Mur-y-Castell	http://books-forlife.blogspot.com/
Nov. 6	Smexy Books	http://smexybooks.com/
Nov. 12	Cocktails and Books	http://www.cocktailsandbooks.com/
Nov. 14	The Bookish Babe	http://thebookishbabes.blogspot.com/
Nov. 20	Night Owl Reviews	http://www.nightowlreviews.com/V5/Blog
Nov. 22	Fresh Fiction	http://freshfiction.com/pages.php?id=blog
December
Dec. 4	USA Today HEA	http://www.usatoday.com/blog/happyeverafter/
Dec. 5	Under the Covers	http://www.underthecoversbookblog.com/
Dec. 10	Romancing the Book	http://romancing-the-book.com/
Dec. 11	Anna's Book Blog	http://annavivian.blogspot.com/
Dec. 16	What's on the Bookshelf	http://whatsonthebookshelf-jen.blogspot.com/
Dec. 17	That's What I'm Talking About	http://twimom227.com/

Wednesday, 14 August 2013

Author Interview and Giveaway: Terry Spear - Heart of the Jaguar series

Today on my blog I interview author Terry Spear.

1. Could you tell me a bit about yourself?

Terry: Once upon a time I was known as the Bear Lady—I make award-winning teddy bears that have found homes all over the world. I'm also a retired officer from the US Army Reserves, which has given me all kinds of great fodder for my stories as far as rappelling, mountain climbing, shooting weapsons, leadership reaction, obstacle, confidence courses, and water survival training. And now I'm known as the Wolf Goddess. It's in the genes.

2. You new book is called Jaguar Fever, now what's it about?

Terry: Jaguar Fever is the second book in the Heart of the Jaguar series, and so I'm becoming a Jaguar Goddess of sorts. You see, in old Mayan culture and several other South American cultures, jaguars were reverred. Like werewolves, jaguar shifters live among us, although the jaguars believe the werewolves are one of those myths. And likewise, the werewolves think they are the only shifters on earth.

In Jaguar Fever, we have Wade Patterson, the elusive shifter who helped out Maya Anderson and her brother and her sister-in-law in the jungle. Finding a prospective mate among jaguar shifters isn't really easy to do. They normally don't run in packs and are more elusive. But when Wade sees Maya alone in a jaguar shifter club, he goes all Special Forces protective over her. She is so thrilled to meet others of her kind, she wants to get to know others, but Wade is as bad as her brother and ...well, she's a wild cat—as in visits the jungle in South America on a regular basis and that means trouble.

3. Are there more books planned in the Heart of the Jaguar series?

Terry: Yes! I just finished writing Jaguar Hunt about Wade's brother David, who is a real character and just as loveable. He and Maya's cousin, Tammy, are given a job to do—locate a missing jaguar from a zoo, only she's first tasked to get David out of jail. He's a Special Forces Golden Claw JAG agent also, and she is not happy.

Then in the next book, we'll see one of Tammy's brothers, also Special Forces, who has a delicate mission south of the border in the hot steamy jungle, tasked to work with a female Special Forces agent, and he finds two jag cubs –shifter types, left on his sleeping bag. What's a hot, sexy, alpha male jag to do? Hand them over to the female agent. She's not playing that game.

4. You have written a lot of books, but are there any that you feel a truly special connection to?

Terry: All of them. When I write a book, I put my heart and soul into it. The characters come alive. They're real and striving to get through all their conflicts both romantically and to do with their suspense-filled plots. I have so much fun creating each story, that I really have a special connection to all of them.

Scenes that made the characters memorable to me include: In To Tempt the Wolf, I loved the scene where Tessa finds the naked werewolf/SEAL, Hunter, on the beach.

In Savage Hunger, when Connor washes Kat under the waterfall.

In Heart of the Wolf, when Devlyn goes to the meal naked because Bella asks if he's going to go half-dressed.

When Darien rescues Lelandi in the cave in Destiny of the Wolf.

When Finn checks over Meara to see if she's got any listening bugs in her clothes in A SEAL in Wolf's Clothing.

When Bjornolf and Anna have their sparring match in A SEAL Wolf Christmas.

The visit to the Highland creek in Heart of the Highland Wolf.

In A Howl for a Highlander, the scene where the she-wolf gets the best of Duncan MacNeill, great Highland warrior, at her cabana.

In A Highland Werewolf Wedding, the scene where Cearnach makes the she-wolf sit in his pew at the wedding. She's in seventh heaven, by the way, as all these Highland wolves are dressed in kilts for the wedding.

The kiss scene at the ski lift between Tom and Elizabeth in Silence of theWolf.

The hot tub in the snow with the Arctic wolves in Legend of the White Wolf.

In Seduced by the Wolf, when Leidolf meets the professed wolf biologist expert and realizes she's a werewolf and becomes more than interested.

In Wolf Fever, when Ryan comes to see Carol and Darien and his brothers are all protective of her.

In Dreaming of the Wolf, the ice skating with Jake and a human woman interested in photography but not as a hobby.

As you can see, in each case, the characters are so much fun, having their own personalities and totally loveable!

5. Give me a few reason why readers will adore Maya and Wade as a couple?

Terry: Wade is ready to fight any battle to keep Maya safe, though he can be a bit overprotective at times. Maya's used to her brother being that way, so she knows how to deal with it. Wade is close to his brother, just as Maya is to her brother and sister-in-law, so unlike jaguars in the wild, they do have a love of family. Wade may think it's only his duty to rescue the she-cat, but she rescues him also when he is the cat in distress. And when it comes to showers... did I mention that the big cats love the water?

6. What's coming next from you?

Terry: A SEAL Wolf Christmas comes out in October, an early Christmas present of more hot SEALs. Anna, who works with Hunter's SEAL team, and Bjornolf who ghosts the team providing backup, ends up getting too close to the mission, but mostly he's totally fascinated with the kick-ass (with heart) Anna, who makes him forget just what his mission is.

After that, the much awaited Silver brothers' story, Tom gets the girl in Silence of the Wolf in Feb. She's not all wolf either. He's given the task to watch over her until she leaves their ski resort, but then there's the kiss on the slopes, and well... who knows where that will lead?

Then Jaguar Hunt in the spring, Tammy and David's story. And another with her poor brother who is stuck jaguar cub sitting on a mission, coming 2015.

Guthrie's story in Mayhem, Misteltoe and the Highland Wolf, featuring Calla and Guthrie for October 2014. She's a party planner and is planning the Christmas event of the season for the MacNeill clan, he's got the purse strings, and the battle begins.

A Hero of a Highland Wolf, that I'm working on now, with a whole new Highland pack—friends of the MacNeills where a Amercian she-wolf must stay at her castle in Scotland for a year and a day, but the Highland wolf and his clan who manage it want to cut her visit short before she makes too many changes in the way they've always done things. Until... Well, that will also come out next year.

And (you see, lots more!) another hot SEAL Wolf story, this time featuring Paul and Allan, who are off to visit Allan's family, and what a mistake that is! The next thing Paul knows, he and his SEAL team member, Allan, are up for auction in a Bachelor Auction, coming 2015. So lots and lots more reading fun!

Thanks so much for having me here today! So if you went to a jaguar shifter club and saw all these hot shifters, what would you do?

Giveaway

1 copy of Savage Hunger (book 1)

1. US and Canada only

2. Ends Aug 25

3. Just go ahead and enter, and if you want take time to answer Terry's question.

JAGUAR FEVER BY TERRY SPEAR – IN STORES AUGUST 2013

She's being pursued by everyone, in more ways than one.

Even in an exotic world of humans, jaguars, and tantalizing creatures who shift between the two, Maya Anderson stands out from the crowd. Interest from human suitors is bad enough, but when male shifters give chase, the real trouble starts.

Who's the hunter and who's the prey?

Investigating the black marketing trade of exotic animals keeps Wade Patterson more than busy. When he and Maya both get entangled in a steamy jungle mission, it becomes impossible to tell who is being hunted or who the hunters are. Wade is desperate to survive this deadly game of cat and mouse. But it's Maya's piercing eyes that keep him awake at night.

Praise for Savage Hunger:

"Dark, sultry, and primal romance...will leave readers breathless."

—Fresh Fiction

"Humor, tenderness, and pure hot loving...an awesome and exciting new world."

—Long and Short Reviews, 5 stars

"A sizzling page-turner, Terry Spear is wickedly talented."

—Night Owl Reviews Reviewer Top Pick, 5 Stars

"Spear paints a colorful, vivid portrait of the lush jungle and deadly beauty...of jaguars."

—Publishers Weekly

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

USA Today bestselling author Terry Spear has written over fifty paranormal romance novels and medieval Highland historical romances. In 2008 Heart of the Wolf was named a Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year. A retired officer of the U.S. Army Reserves, Terry also creates award-winning teddy bears that have found homes all over the world. She lives in Crawford, Texas. For more information, please visit www.TerrySpear.com, follow her on Twitter, @TerrySpear, and like her on Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/terry.spear.

To Purchase Jaguar Fever: