Sugarbeat's Books

The Home of the Romance Novel

books

His First Noelle by Rhonda Nelson

By 1 Comment

Welcome to Sugarbeat’s Books – The Home of the Romance Novel

sugarbeats books romance books romance book reviews steamy saturdays

Welcome also to Steamy Saturday!

This is the day of the week where we talk about a book that is on the steamier side of romance. Today’s selection is by one of my favorite authors, Rhonda Nelson. She keeps producing books for Harlequin’s Blaze line which I’m very fond of!. I enjoyed this book, and I hope that you pick up a copy and enjoy it as well.

 

15801601His First Noelle by Rhonda Nelson

ISBN: 978-0-373-79728-8

Publisher: Harlequin Blaze

Release: December 2012

Source: I purchased a copy of this book to read and review

 

Blurb:

Ranger Security Employee Files

Employee #13: “The Protector”

Name: Judd Anderson

Trademark characteristics: Tall, dark and deliciously handsome, this former sniper has wicked aim.

Weaknesses: Saving girls who are trying to save the world.

Joining his twin at Ranger Security is Judd Anderson’s first step toward a new life. But when he’s assigned to protect a key witness in a murder case, the last thing he expects is a rather sexy Christmas angel to land in his lap….

Humanitarian Noelle Montgomery dedicates herself to helping others, so having someone take care of her is completely different. And now that she’s in hiding with her hot bodyguard, Noelle is finding her niceness taking a decidedly naughtier turn.

But when the line between protection and seduction is crossed, Judd is compromised. Will he be able to save Noelle…in time for Christmas?

For those of you who follow this blog, you will realize that not only do I get a subscription to Blaze every month, but I’m quite addicted to these little red books! One of the best books in December’s set was His First Noelle – another book in the Ranger Security set of books. I’ve enjoyed following this group of men as they increase in number! Judd Anderson is the newest recruit at Ranger Security, following his twin brother into the group. His first assignment is to protect Noelle Montgomery, who is the key witness in a murder case.

 

This is a great little book that combines humor with a scorching hot read. The connection between the twins was entertaining as well! I appreciate the various bits and pieces that come up about the group of characters that populate Ranger security, and  being reminded of past stories.

 

This is a great little read, well worth picking up!

His First Noelle is available on Amazon

Interview & Giveaway – Kristan Higgins, author of Somebody to Love

By

Welcome to Sugarbeat’s Books – The Home of the Romance Novel!

Today is an exciting day!  We are welcoming Kristan Higgins to the blog!  She is the author of Somebody to Love and is here to giveaway a copy of her book as well as tell us a bit about herself and her book. Although I haven’t read Someone to Love, I have read several other books that Kristan has written and they were all excellent!  I imagine this one will be great as well!  If you are interested in winning a copy of this book, fill out the form below, and Kristan will be dropping by to say hi, so leave any questions you might have in the comments!

Barb – Tell us a bit about yourself and your writing.

Kristan – Let’s see…I once told Stephen King to get a life when he mocked my Yankees shirt at Fenway Park during a Boston/New York ball game. That may be the most interesting thing sugarbeat's books romance books romance novel reviews historical contemporary eroticaabout me. Oh, and I can whip up a batch of chocolate chip cookies in under six minutes. Land-speed record, I think.

I’m a happily normal person who has a very fun job. I backed into writing when my kids were little (they’re teenagers now). I was a stay-at-home mommy looking for a way to stretch that out, and since my expertise in life seemed to be ironing, imitating bird song and reading romance novels, I figured I’d give romance writing a try. I picked contemporary because I wanted to write love stories about regular folks, you know? People like my friends, siblings, self—not spectacularly gifted or beautiful or wealthy…just regular people who got to have wonderfully romantic love stories.

Barb – Tell us about your latest release, Somebody to Love?

Kristan – Now see, you’ve already caught me in a lie, because when the book starts out, Parker is fabulously wealthy. Well, actually, she’s broke, but she doesn’t know it yet. Though she had a very privileged life growing up, she’s just learned that her daddy has emptied the family coffers, including her trust fund, and she’s got to move and find a job that’ll pay the bills, just like the rest of us. All she has left is a decrepit house on the northern coast of Maine and about six weeks to flip it so that she can have a little starting-over money for her and her son.

James Cahill is the son Parker’s dad never had. He’s Harry’s personal attorney, and he’s nursed a crush on Parker for years. When Harry heads off to prison for insider trading, James figures he owes Parker some help whether she wants it or not. Maybe he can change her mind about him. He’s certainly going to try.

Barb – Do you create an outline before you start writing, or do you let the characters take the story away?

Kristan – A little of both, actually! I do like to have an outline to keep me grounded in the story, because otherwise, I tend to lose my place a bit. But the characters definitely drive the car, as it were. Sometimes I’m surprised at what I learn about them while writing the book; we authors think we know what our people will do, and then bam, they surprise us by veering off the road. It’s always worth it.

Barb –  What is it you love most about writing? What’s the hardest part of writing for you?

Kristan – I love coming up with a new idea; I love falling for a character, whether it’s the hero or a secondary character or a kid in the story. I also love the reaction from readers, which has been overwhelming. I still remember my first fan letter (Alana in Montana, I’m talking to you!) and how stunning it was that someone would write to me.

The hardest part for me is the first draft, which I view as necessary drudgery. The outline is fun because the story is completely fluid at that point. Revisions make the manuscript turn into a book. But the first draft is…well, it’s like soil preparation in the garden. The fun part is designing the garden and planting the flowers. The hard part—and the most important—is preparing the soil, fertilizing it, getting rid of the rocks, digging it up. It’s not as glam as the other parts, but without that, your garden won’t grow.

Barb – Do you have a favorite character from your stories or are they like your children and you can’t choose between them?

Kristan – The latter. It really depends on the day. A few favorites are Liam from UNTIL THERE WAS YOU; BeverLee from MY ONE AND ONLY; Angus from TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE. I love Callie and Malone, Crazy Dave, Danny and Chantal…it’s tough to choose just one. Or even one dozen!

Barb –  What book is currently on your nightstand?

Kristan – I’m reading PARIS IN LOVE by Eloisa James.

Barb –  Where can your fans find you ?

Kristan – www.kristanhiggins.com and www.Facebook.com/KristanHigginsBooks.

Barb –  What project are you working on now?

Kristan – I’m currently working on the first book in a series set around a family-run vineyard in the Finger Lakes region of New York. Readers can expect gorgeous scenery, a dopey and wonderful Golden Retriever, and a hero to swoon over. Well. At least I’ve been swooning over him. It’s a little embarrassing, how much I love this guy.

Barb –  Anything else you’d like to add?

Kristan – Thank you so much for having me today! It’s a pleasure.

sugarbeat's books romance books romance novel reviews historical contemporary eroticaSOMEBODY TO LOVE is a timely story about a rich girl who discovers that a little hard work may be just the thing she needs. After her father loses the family fortune in an insider-trading scheme, single mom Parker Welles is faced with some hard decisions. First order of business: go to Gideon’s Cove, Maine, to sell the only thing she now owns – a decrepit house in need of some serious flipping. When her father’s wingman, James Cahill, asks to go with her, she’s not thrilled, even if he is fairly gorgeous and knows his way around the toolbox.

Having to fend for herself financially for the first time in her life, Parker signs on as a florist’s assistant and starts to find out who she really is. Maybe James isn’t the glib lawyer she always thought he was. And maybe the house isn’t he only thing that needs a little TLC… In addition to the great chemistry between Parker and James, SOMEBODY TO LOVE is sure to make readers fall in love all over again with Gideon’s Cove (the charming town from Kristan’s bestseller Catch Of The Day).

I’d like to thank Kristen for dropping by and sharing!  If this sounds like a book you are interested in winning, fill out the form below!

Related articles
Enhanced by Zemanta

Guestpost & Giveway with Nancy Lee Badger – Author of Love to the Rescue

By

Welcome to Sugarbeat’s Book – The Home of the Romance Novel!

Today we are welcoming Nancy Lee Badger to the blog!  Nancy is the author of several books, but is here to talk about her latest release – Love To The Rescue.  She is also giving away a cool prize to one lucky commenter! The details for the giveaway are at the end of this post.   Just have a look at the cover of the book!  It must be a good book 🙂 Without further ado, here’s Nancy:

sugarbeats books romance novels romance book reviews

Women can be Firefighters, too

Thanks for having me today. I would like to share exciting moments in my life that manifested into a plot for my latest romantic suspense, LOVE TO THE RESCUE released by Red Rose Publishing. This book follows two people I introduced in DESTINY’S MOUNTAIN. Josie and Pete are firefighters in a small New England college town. Their main responsibility is running the town’s ambulance. They respond to medical emergencies, motor vehicle accidents, and all fires…just like I did after volunteering with my small town’s emergency services.

Once my youngest son turned ten years old, old enough to be left home alone, I took a course and became a First Responder, then sweated through a more difficult course to become an Emergency Medical Technician, or EMT. I joined the Rumney New Hampshire F.A.S.T. Squad. There were two other female members, and they quickly took me under their wings.

My first multi-car accident on a blustery, snowy day was a heart-stopper. I arrived quickly in my personal vehicle, and a senior firefighter pointed me toward a familiar black Jeep. The sole occupant was one of these women! I found myself in a role reversal, keeping her calm while firefighters used a HURST cutting tool to remove the steering wheel. She was gingerly placed on a backboard then removed from her totaled vehicle. During all this, I sat in the passenger seat beside her, heart pounding, with a forced smile and calming voice. After all the patients left on the ambulances and their vehicles had been towed away, the responders congregated back at the firehouse. I nearly wept.

I found myself, a year later, as the only woman on both the F.A.S.T. Squad and Fire Department. Yes, I wore bunker gear and carried a pack filled with gloves, bandages, and an oxygen tank. The large size of our rural community meant that many of us drove our personal vehicle, red light flashing, to the scene. Once in a while, my youngest son rode in the car with me when my pager blared. He has fond memories of arriving at accident scenes with me, riding in the rescue vehicle, and not-so-fond memories of when I said “Get out. Walk home.” Yes, that happened more than once, but he understood.sugarbeats books romance novels romance novel reviews book reviews

In my story, LOVE TO THE RESCUE, I wrote a particularly grueling scene where a small car tangled with a moose. I’d never responded to such a call even though moose hits were common, but I did respond to a call where a motorcyclist hit a deer. Believe me, the injuries were just as gruesome.

I also based Josie Miller on a female firefighter in a nearby town. Josie is more of a Tomboy and grew up with four older brothers (I have two younger sisters, so I had to make up that dynamic.) The woman who inspired my character was one of only a few women in the profession. She fought fires and responded to our small town in the area’s ambulance. I hope my competence working accident scenes, helping my neighbors with medical emergencies, and learning skills during training sessions were due to her influence.

House fires, chimney fires, and forest fires are some of the calls that stuck with me. These experiences have found their way into my book. My perspective gives the action and suspense a true-to-life feel that moves the underlying romance forward. No, I did not base the romance between my main characters on myself. I was already happily married to a man who often drove me to emergencies, especially late at night or during inclement weather (Trust me…northern New Hampshire has plenty of that!) The firefighters invited him to join our ranks since he was usually on the scene, and I felt better knowing from then on that he would wear his own set of flame-resistant and reflective protective clothing.

The forest fire that nearly takes the lives of my characters is also more or less a composite of calls that I have been a part of. Although I was never in real danger, the forest is a tricky place to work. Lightning strikes and careless campers kept us busy. Many times, we were required to wear hardhats and bright yellow fire-resistant shirts (the better to be seen) while we hiked up the side of a mountain to the fire site. Fun!

After my family moved to another town, I continued helping during emergencies by becoming a State of New Hampshire 9-1-1 Emergency Medical Dispatcher. Every call for help in the state came to our one room, and we handled the weirdest calls on the planet with professionalism and a bit of laughter (after we hung up, of course) It was different handling an emergency over the phone, but at least I did not have to respond during snowstorms any more.

I think back on those years as a volunteer EMT and firefighter and I am proud to say I gave my all to my neighbors in the only way I could, and I would do all over again if I was younger.  LOL! Instead, I will keep my readers entertained by allowing them to live life through the eyes and hearts of my characters.

BOOK BLURB

sugarbeats books romance novel romance book reviewsThe clashing relationship between tomboy Josie Miller and fellow paramedic-firefighter, Pete Thayer, escalates after he realizes Joe is not just one-of-the-boys. Pete has a sketchy history and has earned a reputation for one-night stands in the small town of Parmenter, New Hampshire nestled between the Mercy River, the mountains, and the state college. Since he arrived a year ago, Josie suspects he is hiding something. Something too horrible to share, even with her. Working side by side, Joe loves her job, and Pete.

They respond to accident calls, medical emergencies, and fast-moving forest fires amid sparks of another kind. Joe’s clumsiness and baggy uniform work against her when she yearns to be the kind of woman Pete wants like the pretty blonde they must rescue after her car hits a moose.

Outside influences come to play when the sister of Pete’s alleged victim shows up and accuses him of something even worse…her sister’s recent death. Once on track to be a doctor, the sister’s betrayal and lies caused Pete to run far away and keep women at a distance unless they agreed to share his bed…and nothing more.

 

Pete plans to skip town while Josie worries she has given her heart to a monster. His boss and the local police back off and he professes his innocence to Joe. After kissing her senseless, she lets him into her bed until her bothers intervene. Both keep an eye on Pete. A suicide note, some well-landed fists, stolen moments of love, and a desire to listen to their hearts lead these two heroes toward a climax filled with tension, pain, bloodshed, and atonement.

EXCERPT

“Isn’t the bachelor party still going on?” Josie said. A ghostly image of the Pete she knew filled the space. A muscled shoulder pitched toward the doorjamb. His usually golden hair fell across his face in dirty, unruly waves. He stood hunched over and one arm grasped his ribs. Her sharp inhale brought his swollen eyes up.

With slow steps, she drew closer. Her fingertips ached to caress his cheek and shake the dirt from his hair. Her heart thumped and her skin prickled. Even filthy, her desire for this man rose up, stealing the breath from her lungs. Inhaling, the odor of cigarettes wafted up. Odd. Pete doesn’t smoke.

When she lifted a hand to brush wayward strands of hair off his face, she stared at the damage. His ragged breath broke the silence.

“Pete, are you okay?”

He still didn’t speak. She wanted to return to the bright interior of the firehouse kitchen. His head lowered and she avoided his mouth. He sniffed her skin then ran gentle kisses down her check to below her left ear. Hairs at the back of her neck prickled. Ill at ease, fearing he only came on to her while drunk, she wiggled out of his grip and resumed her chores. If she let him treat her like his last one–night–stand, she’d be a fool.

Now, if I can stop staring at his tight tank top and faded jeans before I melt into a puddle on the floor…

Even covered in filth, the man exuded a sexuality she fought to ignore. She felt like she stood at a buffet only to be told “Off limits.” Damn conscience. When a hand clasped her right shoulder, she squeaked.

“Joe, you are…”

Gazing expectantly at his face, she asked, “I’m what?” Don‘t clam up now, damn it. An irresistible urge to kiss him made her swallow. His fingers tightened, spurring new waves of molten heat to spread down her chest to between her thighs. A hot surge of something wicked formed deep inside her belly. She yearned for him to touch more than her shoulder.

“You’ve been in a fight.”

He stared as if he‘d never seen her before. His disheveled appearance shocked her, even though she’d heard the rumors. He shouldn’t drink to excess. That’s a given. But, fighting? Her insides flip–flopped under his steely gaze. He didn’t answer. Instead, he pulled her to him in the doorway’s shadows.

“Hey!”

More About the Author

Nancy grew up on New York’s Long Island then earned a Bachelor of Science degree at a small state college amid the mountains of New Hampshire. She met and married the man of her dreams then settled in a tiny rural town. Nancy served as an EMT and both she and her husband volunteered as firefighters while raising two sons. She now lives in North Carolina. She is a member of Romance Writers of America, Heart of Carolina Romance Writers, Celtic Heart Romance Writers, and the Fantasy-Futuristic & Paranormal Romance Writers. Nancy writes under her own name, Nancy Lee Badger, and she also writes under the name of Nancy Lennea. Check out her latest release, DRAGON IN THE MIST   ( Buy link: http://amzn.to/uEggj1 )

Title: LOVE TO THE RESCUE

Author: Nancy Lee Badger

Genre: Romantic Suspense

Length: 78,844 words e-book

Publisher: Red Rose Publishing

ISBN-978-1-4543-0079-3

Red Rose Publishing Buy Link: http://bit.ly/nfz4Ma

Amazon Buy Link: http://amzn.to/uowdvE

ARe Buy Link: http://bit.ly/xObxso

Nancy’s Website: http://www.nancylennea.com

Nancy’s Blog: http://www.nancylennea-inlove.blogspot.com

Twitter:  @NLBadger

Facebook: http://on.fb.me/v12gxG

CONTEST!sugarbeat's books romance novels book reviews Nancy Lennea

Nancy is giving away an assortment of goodies to celebrate the 2012 London Olympics. The package includes a bumper sticker, two static-cling window decals, and a warm hat sporting the Olympic rings. She invites you to also download her e-book SECRET LOVE MATCH, and read about her heroine who tries out for the American tennis team while a hot, sexy television star pursues a romance with her. Be sure to include your e-mail in the comment box, and check back soon. Good luck!
Buy links for Nancy’s other books

Secret Love Match http://amzn.to/AE07jW

Dragon’s Curse http://amzn.to/y3Ipw0

Destiny’s Mountain http://amzn.to/y38iMY

Unwrapping Chris http://amzn.to/zjmtXx

Dragon In The Mist http://amzn.to/s2taDb

I’d like to thank Nancy for dropping by and sharing about her books!  Don’t forget to leave a comment with your email address to be included in the giveaway!