The HBS Author's Spotlight SHOWCASES Christine Warner New Novel: Bachelor's Special.
Tour: August 19 to September 30, 2013
Today's Featured Book is
Bachelor's Special
Entangled Indulgence
Author: Christine Warner
AVAILABLE
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
iTunes
KOBO Books
All Romance Books
Saute, simmer, and flambé…
Jill Adgate wants three things from life: a successful catering business, the devoted love of an exceptional man, and a family. What she has is no job, a mounting pile of bills, and her outspoken best friend—who sets her up on a blind date with the man who inadvertently ruined Jill’s life.
Chet Castle is a prosperous businessman who has everything, except the ability to trust. Burned by a money-hungry fiancée, he refuses to get involved with any relationship that has a shelf life longer than a head of lettuce.
Intrigued by her ambition—and determined to get her in bed—Chet offers Jill the chance of a lifetime: Work for him for the next eight weeks as his live-in chef and he’ll help her get her catering business off the ground. When sparks fly in the kitchen, Jill realizes what’s cooking with her commitment-phobic employer is a recipe for disaster…but it’s just too tasty to not take a bite.
The Excerpt
Her body hummed as his smile wavered. Although he wore sunglasses, she’d bet her last dollar his gaze swept across her chest, lingering on the betrayal of her pert nipples pushing against the fabric of her suit.
Until this moment, shyness had never been a trait she possessed. Air stalled in her lungs, her palms grew sweaty, and she itched to cover herself with a towel. Even though her replica vintage swimsuit hid more than most sets of women’s underwear, she felt too exposed. She turned to the side slightly and folded her legs up. Not that it helped, but it made her feel a bit less exposed. Chet slid his feet from his sandals, brushing a hand through his hair. The heat from the sun wasn’t the only thing scorching her skin. She trickled several droplets of water over her arms, but she couldn’t drag her focus from his toned flesh.
Jill soaked in his ripped abs and the obvious package of goodies covered by his brown swimsuit—the same sexy brown as his hair. Damn, did a man have a right to fill out a pair of swimming trunks like that? Flecks of hair, just enough to give him a manly appeal, covered the etched muscles of his long, tan legs. She licked her lips, hoping she could still speak.
“Do you want some privacy?” Yes, say yes. She needed an excuse to make an escape without coming off like someone desperate to be making an exit.
* * * * *
Hell no, he didn’t want privacy. Through the shield of his sunglasses, he inspected her body from the tips of her pink-painted toenails to the top of her brightly flowered swimming cap. Did people still actually wear those things?
“No, you look comfortable. Stay and enjoy the day.”
“Oh…are you sure?”
“Sure.”
Amazed at his own ability to talk without his tongue hitting the cement, Chet turned to throw his towel and sunglasses on a nearby lounge chair. Damn.
The red and white polka-dot halter-style suit featured a tight bodice, but her slender hips and shapely thighs hiding beneath a matching skirt grabbed his attention until all oxygen left his blood. Even showing less skin than the average girl on the beach, she far exceeded sexy and alluring.
Get a grip, Castle. She’s off limits, no matter how delectable. He turned and stepped onto the diving board. He bounced along the surface as he made his way over the water. When he looked at Jill’s bathing cap covering her head, he held back his grin. The neon rubber flowers reminded him of something his grandmother would’ve worn, but there the similarity ended. Everything beneath that cap was far from making him think of Grandma.
Author Genre: Contemporary Romance
Website: Christine's Words
Blog: HBS Author's Spotlight with Q/A session
Twitter: @ChristinesWords
E-Mail: Christine.warner@yahoo.com
Goodreads: Check Out Goodreads
LinkedIn: Check Out LinkedIn
Facebook: Check Out Facebook
Author Description: Christine Warner is living her dream in rural Michigan along with her husband, three children, one laptop and a much loved assortment of furry friends. Besides laughing and a good round of humor, she enjoys spending time with her family, cooking, reading, writing but no arithmetic. A confessed people watcher, she finds inspiration for her stories in everyday activities. She loves to read and write about strong heroes and determined, sometimes sassy, heroines. A girl gone wild, at least where social media is concerned, she enjoys meeting other avid readers and writers on facebook, twitter and her website at christine-warner.com.
SHOWCASE Questions and Answers with the Author
What do you have on the drawing board next?
Hi James! Thank you so much for having me back on your wonderful blog.
I always have lots of pans in the fire and tend to jump around according to the day and my mood. I’m currently working on three category romances and I have one that is completed that I’m considering self-publishing. I’ve been reading up on self-publishing and would love to give it a try. I am doing a little tweaking on this story and hope to hire an editor within the next couple of months. Fingers crossed.
Can you tell us the timeline for its release and give us a little tease?
If all goes well I hope to have the self-published book out by the end of 2013 or the very beginning of 2014. I also have another book under consideration with my publishing that is a very sexy romance that takes place between two rival high end realtors. It’s a fun story. The other stories I’m working on are still in the very beginning stages and I’m also considering writing a story for the New Adult genre. I think it’d be fun to try something new, and after I do a little more research I hope to plot out a story. Lots going on and all very exciting. I just never seem to have enough hours in the day J.
You have a good following of twitter. How important have your social media relationships been? Do you see a carry over to your writing success?
I’ve made some wonderful friends on Twitter, as well as Goodreads and Facebook.
The wonderful thing about all the social media sites is that everyone is supportive of one another—authors and readers alike—and I know without their encouragement and retweets and shares I wouldn’t have been able to get word of my books out there to everyone. I’m definitely thankful that I’m an author in a time where there are so many options for writers to share their work.
Do you do book signing, interviews, speaking and personal appearances? If so, when and where is the next place where your readers can see you? Where can they keep up with your personal contacts online?
At the moment I haven’t done any book signings or personal appearances, but I hope to work on that this coming year. It’s all coming along with baby steps. I’m an avid blogger and love to have authors on my personal blog as well as appear on others. To keep up on where I am and what I’m doing—and to have a little fun—please feel free to like my Facebook page this is first place I’ll post an appearance J. Hope to see you there!
You have great covers. How does your book cover creation process work? Do you hand over the basic theme or do you have more of a hands-on approach? Do you get your readers involved in its development?
I wish I had more to do with my covers than I have. I’m anxiously awaiting the cover for Bachelor’s Special and am sure I’ll love it because Entangled releases some amazing ones J As for Two-Timing the Boss and Some Like it in Handcuffs, both covers were provided by my publisher, The Wild Rose Press. As an author there they have you fill out a cover art form with things you’d like to see on your cover as well as things you’d like left off. They do take that into consideration when the cover artist is developing your cover. So it’s always a nail biting moment when you get that email with your cover art attached.
Have you created a book trailer for any of your books to promote them online?
I haven’t yet, but would like to give it a try in the future. The reason I haven’t is because I’d like to attempt making one on my own and at the moment time issues haven’t allowed me to do that.
What kinds of writer support groups do you belong too? Do they help with the writing, marketing and the publishing process?
I belong to a several groups on Facebook that allow authors to post excerpts and buy links to their books, as well as promote a new release or when they appear on a blog. I also have a wonderful one on one critique partner, a small critique group, and some wonderful yahoo groups who support each other with advice and more. Writers are a very supportive and giving group.
Between your book writing, blogging, marketing and the Buy The Book Tour and all the other things that can get in your way, how do you manage your time? Do you have a set schedule or do your sort of play it by ear?
Life can certainly get busy and I wish I could say I had a set schedule, but at this point I go by my list and priorities. There are some things I have to take care of daily, a few that can be pushed to a couple times a week, and some that have set hours that they need to be done. It’s all a juggling act…lol. There are days I look back and wonder how I did it all, and then there are days that I haven’t managed my time quite so well and missed the mark on a few things. But, you can’t stress over them. You move forward and try and get it all done the next day J.
Has the advent of ebooks changed anything in your writing, your marketing and the relationship with your readers and fans?
Since I’m a fairly new author, I’ve never known a time when there wasn’t ebooks. So, I’d have to say nothing has changed in the way I market or my writing. I do believe one of the biggest advantages to being an author now is that there are more opportunities to become published. I also like the fact that with all the social media sites out there I’ve been able to interact with a lot of my readers, and I love that.
What has been your experience in giving your books away free? Have you been involved in any other type of giveaways and how did that work out? What was your main goal in doing this? Did you run into any obstacles?
I’ve given away an ebook copy of each of my books on some blogs that I’ve appeared on and I’ve received a couple of reviews in return and that’s been wonderful. I’ve also given away some gift cards and have been involved with group blog hops where each author has offered a gift of their choosing. Those are fun for readers and authors alike. I mainly look at offering a gift as another way of getting your name out there. You never know who might win your book and enjoy it and then return to buy another title. And as for running into obstacles, so far I can’t think of anything…it’s all been good J.
I think the Buy The Book Tour is a great opportunity for authors to get exposure. Do you see any carryover to your own book success? Do you see an uptick in your social media traffic because of the tour?
Buy the Book Tours is an awesome partner in helping an author promote their works.
You just can’t go wrong if you are being exposed to blogs and other websites who have readers you might not otherwise connect with. Whenever I’ve participated in a blog tour I’ve always noticed an uptick in social media traffic and sales. Booking a blog tour with one of the many tour companies out there is a great way—and only one of many ways—to help build up your readers. But remember, as an author, there are many book tour companies and you need to do your research and find the one who offers a package that works best for your needs and budget.
Thanks so much for featuring me today, I had a wonderful time!
Author's Book List
Two-Timing the Boss
Farah Smith is on a mission: secure the funds for her twin sister’s surgery. She’ll do whatever it takes to succeed. Even if that means putting her values aside to work for a man she finds morally bankrupt. But when the real Farah meets her new boss, she wonders if she’ll be able to resist his sexy advances long enough to help her sister.
From the blonde wig, to the stilettos strapped around her ankles, Farah’s a clone of Keller Donovan’s harem of past assistants. She can’t believe she’s let herself be talked into the disguise, let alone working for the man planning to demolish the hospital her sister so desperately needs, but the salary he offers is the only way she’ll be able to afford her sister’s surgery. The moment Farah meets Keller she realizes her most daunting task isn’t typing, spreadsheets or organizing travel arrangements, but fighting the growing attraction toward a man whose ruthlessness is legendary in the boardroom as well as the bedroom.
Determined not to end up in a disastrous marriage like his divorced parents, Keller believes all relationships should have a shelf life of sixth months or less. But when he meets Farah, all bets are off. He not only wants her to continue as his personal assistant, but his own private bed warmer. Unfortunately, his offer of an affair doesn’t sit well with her fairytale dreams or the strangled hold gripping his heart.
Order the Book From: Amazon
- Barnes and Noble
- The Wild Rose Press
Some Like It in Handcuffs
Sunny Kennedy, the only female in a family of blue blood male detectives, is determined to prove testosterone isn’t the only qualification required to solve a cold case. Handcuffed while undercover then taken to the precinct by an attractive detective, her domineering family demands she work with Detective Judson Blackwolf, or she’s off the case.
Judson Blackwolf thinks women in law enforcement should work behind the scenes. The prospect of working with his Captain’s sexy daughter doesn’t thrill him. He only agrees in hopes of solving the murder of his one time mentor’s daughter. Once the case is over, he’s moving to Montana to heal his wounds from the loss of his last partner.
Order the Book From: Amazon
- Barnes and Noble
- The Wild Rose Press
Check Christine's Media Page. a Rafflecopter giveaway
Author Recommended by: Buy The Book Tours
This blog is sponsored by the Buy The Book Tours created by Christine Warner and Florence Price. They specialize in tours for a varied mix of genres with packages and prices just right for any author's budget.
