Oct 1, 2015 | 2015, Blog, Lara Avery, Megan Crane, September 2015, YA
Make You Burn by Megan Crane is a bad boy biker book that sizzles and is smoking hot! The Deacons of Bourbon Street are a force to be reckoned with, or at least were in it’s day.
When a trusted leader is involved in a motorcycle accident, questions arise and members are reunited. What will happen when secrets are revealed and discoveries are made?
For Sean and Sophie a reunion is anything but sweet and simple. Will she finally find out what drove him away all those years ago?
This sizzling three pepper book is for mature readers, 18+ and has detailed intimate scenes that may offend some readers. 
An intense and steamy series comprised of four books by four different authors. All authors have other books in their backlist so if you find yourself wanting more don’t worry there’s a lot more from these ladies to choose from.
I received this ARC for a fair and honest review from the publisher.
Author Info:
USA Today bestselling, RITA-nominated, and critically-acclaimed author Megan Crane has written more than fifty books since her debut in 2004. She has been published by a variety of publishers, including each of New York’s Big Five. She’s won fans with her women’s fiction, chick lit, and work-for-hire young adult novels as well as with the Harlequin Presents she writes as Caitlin Crews. These days her focus is on contemporary romance from small town to international glamor, cowboys to bikers, and beyond. She sometimes teaches creative writing classes both online at mediabistro.com and at UCLA Extension’s prestigious Writers’ Program, where she finally utilizes the MA and PhD in English Literature she received from the University of York in York, England. She currently lives on the glorious west coast with a husband who draws comics and animation storyboards and their menagerie of ridiculous animals.
Check out her website at www.megancrane.com
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A Million Miles Away by Lara Avery will tug at your heart as it forces you to question how far would you go for someone you loved? What would you do if you lost the one person you needed the most?
When Kelsey’s twin sister Michelle dies in a tragic accident her world spirals and nothing can ease the pain. Realizing that Michelle’s boyfriend doesn’t know, Kelsey attempts to locate him and relay the very sad news.
Sometimes, a little white lie isn’t such a bad thing that is until the line between truth and fiction becomes blurred. Would you handle it any differently? Could you do the things that Kelsey did to heal?
This Young Adult books is a great choice for those who want to discover someone like themselves, figuring out which direction to take, which path to start that journey. It’s emotional and heartbreaking to suffer a loss of a loved one. The way that Lara Avery handles this is touching and definitely will spark lots of conversations with young readers and fans of YA.
I received this ARC from the publisher for an honest and fair review.
Author Info:
Lara Avery is the author of Anything But Ordinary (Hyperion 2012), A Million Miles Away (Little, Brown 2015), and The Memory Book (Little, Brown 2016) as well as the Director of Community Events at Revolver. Her work has also appeared in Bennington College’s anthology plain china: Best Undergraduate Writing of 2009, The Onion AV Club, ARTNews, and Women In Clothes (Blue Rider Press 2014).
Born in Topeka, Kansas, Lara studied film, cultural studies, and creative writing at Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota. She now lives in Minneapolis where she is at work a fourth novel.
Lara likes painting the town gray with her Revolver crew, shooting hoops, and making playlists.
“A bug in amber” is a reference to Lara’s favorite novel, Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut. Her writing claims no likeness
Sep 30, 2015 | Blog, Kate Meader, September 2015
The winners of the TWO signed print copies of Flirting With Fire by Kate Meader are:
Keri B & Leslie S
Congratulations – you are going to love this book! Please e-mail me your contact info and I’ll forward it to Kate!
Sep 29, 2015 | Blog, Coffee With, Kate Meader, September 2015
First, if we were meeting at a coffee shop I’d be drinking a Latte 🙂
What would you order?
I was born and raised in Ireland where we are tea people, through and through. So I would order an Earl Grey tea, hot.
Thanks so much for taking the time to answer a few questions. Your Hot In Chicago series is a steamy must read! I love how each book in this series updates the reader on where past characters are, as well as introducing us to another fabulous Dempsey sibling. I love a great firefighter series and the foster family is a great spin. Each sibling has his/her own challenges and I’m thrilled that you never leave the reader wondering what happened as the story progresses into the next chapter. Yet, each book can be read as a stand alone – it’s brilliant!
Thanks so much for having me! And thank you for your love of the Hot in Chicago books. It’s definitely a series that’s close to my heart. I love the dynamics and how it’s about the family you make rather than the one you’re born into.
As a reader who loves a great book cover I must give a shout out to whoever designed your covers. They are fabulous. I have to say that the model on Flirting with Fire reminds me of a young Jon Hensley from As the World Turns. There are details on the cover that the reader will enjoy after reading the story, appreciating the cover even more.
Yes, I’ve been blessed with great covers for this series. Luke’s cover is so apt, a dirt-streaked, muscled bruiser for whom family comes first. Though I have to say that Playing with Fire’s cover is my favorite of them all. I love that pose and how vulnerable she looks in his arms. Eli and Alex are such a great couple and I think the cover captures their dynamic perfectly.
Congrats on your newest release, Playing With Fire. My review of Playing with Fire was posted yesterday and I absolutely loved it!
As release day is always filled with lots of reviews and visits across the web, I’m thrilled that you are hanging out with me today! I was super excited to read Eli and Alex’s story. This is one that doesn’t disappoint and in fact will keep readers guessing till the end – well done 😉
Thanks so much! Eli and Alex are my favorite couple, and Playing with Fire is probably the best book I’ve written to date. I love the enemies-to-lovers theme and these two go at it hammer and tongs, both in and out of the bedroom 😉
The Hot in Chicago Series takes place at one Engine Company in Chicago how did you prepared for this series? Were you able to hang out with any firefighters to gather research?
Well, to prepare I watched A LOT of Chicago Fire TV episodes! Actually, that’s not far off, but I also did some web research about the Chicago Fire Department and watched videos about rescues, firefighter gear, and how to don a mask, for example. But that kind of research is no replacement for talking with someone in the business. I’m so lucky to know a fire captain who invited me to spend a day with him and his crew at a Chicago firehouse. I couldn’t go out on any runs (most of which are paramedic calls these days) but I listened in on dispatch calls, got a tour of the house including the hose drying tower (insert filthy joke here), and talked with guys about the job. I brought cake to bribe them into honesty and they cooked for me, too. CFD firefighters are amazing chefs (as Gage Simpson, one of the Firefightin’ Dempseys will no doubt tell you!)
Can you tell us how many books and/or novellas we can expect in this series?
As for how many novels/novellas are planned, it’s five – one for each sibling. By the time Playing with Fire releases, four of the stories will be out in the wild, leaving one—Wyatt’s tale, which will be out in Spring 2016. There are no plans now to expand, as the series was always intended to focus on the Dempsey family rather than the firehouse. But you never know what the future will hold, especially if some more foster siblings crawl out of the Dempsey woodwork, soap opera-style.
By now in the Hot in Chicago Blitz I’ve posted my reviews for each book in the Hot in Chicago Series. For those readers who missed any or all of my reviews, I’ve included the links below.
Thanks again for hanging out – I had a blast! Happy Writing!
Thanks so much for having me!
9 Tantalizing Tidbits
1. A Must read book and why?
The last book I read that blew my mind was Everything I Left Unsaid by Molly O’Keefe. This is a darker romance, very atmospheric, suspenseful, and sexy. I was lucky to score an ARC and I highly recommend it.
2. What is one place that I should see if I visit your hometown?
My original hometown is Dublin, so if you go there, I’d say you have to walk around my alma mater, Trinity College. Now that I live in Chicago, I’d say no visit to Chi-town is complete without a visit to the Bean in Millennium Park.
3 . Castles or Beaches?
Living in Ireland, you can’t spit without hitting a castle, so I’ll go with that.
4. What is one thing readers would be surprised to know about you?
I have a masters in medieval history. My concentration was twelfth century nuns and how they used their connection to God to forge new paths to female empowerment. The first feminists, yo!
5. What are you afraid of?
Creepy crawlies. I know, cliché, but that’s my biggest fear.
6. Organized or Free Floating?
Free-floating. I wish I could be more organized as it would make my writing easier but it can’t be helped.
7. What’s your favorite movie of all time and why?
So, so many, and often times, it’s a decade thing. So my favorite from the 60s is North by Northwest, from the 70s The Godfather, Part 2, from the 80s, Back to the Future, and from the 90s The Shawshank Redemption.
8. What is one thing you can’t live without?
My Kindle!
9. Do you love to cook or go out to eat?
Eat out. I used to cook more but I don’t have much time these days with my writing schedule. Eating out is probably my favorite thing to do.
**********GIVEAWAY***********
Kate Meader is giving away TWO signed print copies of Flirting With Fire.
Tell us…what’s in your mug right now?
Contest ends 9/30 at 12 noon. Winner will be randomly selected. Prizes are provided and sent by the author. If winner can’t be reached BILA has the right to draw a new winner.
In Case You Missed It:
Day 1 – Rekindle the Flame
Day 2 – Flirting With Fire
Day 3 – Melting Point
Day 4 – Playing With Fire
Author Info:
Originally from Ireland, Kate cut her romance reader teeth on Maeve Binchy and Jilly Cooper novels, with some Mills & Boon thrown in for variety. Give her tales about brooding mill owners, oversexed equestrians, and men who can rock an apron or a fire hose, and she’s there. Now based in Chicago, she writes sexy contemporary romance with alpha heroes and strong heroines who can match their men quip for quip.
Sep 28, 2015 | Blog, Kate Meader, September 2015
Playing with Fire (Hot in Chicago Book 2) by Kate Meaders continues with this smokin’ hot firefighter story.
Alex Dempsey, the only female firefighter at Engine Co. 6 is the proud sister of those roudy Dempsey brothers who have gained attention in the media recently and work there too.
One of the many reasons why I love Alex is that she is a bold, strong woman who knows what she wants. But just can’t seem to find it, at least when it comes to men.
For years, Alexandra has had a flirtatious and hightly kinetic attraction with Eli Cooper, the mayor of Chicago. There’s just one problem. Alex is a firefighter and Eli has been a staunch advocate for a male only profession. Not to mention that her brothers would never accept her relationship with Eli, or would they?
Eli Cooper is conflicted, he absolutely lusts after Alex but will his feelings about her being a firefighter get in the way? Will he change his mind when he finds himself needing to be rescued?
Convinced he’s up to something Alex is hesitant to pursue and act on her feelings. When a secret from Eli’s past resurfaces will she be able to accept it or will it push them apart for good?
The attraction between these two is super intense. I love how this story, like the others, keeps moving forward with all of the Dempsey family. Not to mention that Alexandra is a fabulous heroine and her sexy brothers have a few interesting stories to read as well! I love how she’s confident with who she is in every way! It adds for a lot of excitement in the way she responds to situations. Everyone should have an Alex in their lives 🙂
I received this ARC from the publisher for a fair and honest review. Pre-order your copy now and find out what all the buzz is about. You have less than 24 hours before it downloads into your e-reader. Now. Go! Then let Kate know how much you love this book and the others in this series!
Tomorrow my five day blitz concludes when Kate swings by to have coffee with me. I hope you’ll mark your calendars and join us. I will be giving away a few prizes and she will be here to say hi too!
This 2 1/2 pepper spicy latte read may offend some readers and has mature content for those 18+. 
In Case You Missed It:
Day 1 – Rekindle the Flame
Day 2 – Flirting With Fire
Day 3 – Melting Point
Author Info:
Originally from Ireland, Kate cut her romance reader teeth on Maeve Binchy and Jilly Cooper novels, with some Mills & Boon thrown in for variety. Give her tales about brooding mill owners, oversexed equestrians, and men who can rock an apron or a fire hose, and she’s there. Now based in Chicago, she writes sexy contemporary romance with alpha heroes and strong heroines who can match their men quip for quip.
Sep 27, 2015 | Blog, Kate Meader, September 2015
Melting Point by Kate Meader is full of sexy firefighters, naughty drinks and intense heat in this M/M novella in the Hot in Chicago series.
Gage Simpson is a firefighter at Engine Co. 6 and lusts for Brady Smith, a chef with secrets and an military past. Is it possible for these men with two different ideas of commitment be perfect for each other?
Sometimes Brady can be moody and temperamental, can he come to terms with his past? Will it scare Gage away or will he love him despite it? The connection between these two men is intense and you are drawn in by their intense chemistry and passion for good food. Kate Meader does a great job with this story and the romance between two men who need a bit of a nudge towards finding love.
This spicy latte read is four peppers hot for full on, no holds barred sensuality and situations. It’s for mature readers 18+.
I received this ARC from the publisher for a fair and honest review. What I really like about this series is that each book continues with the characters from the previous story. It’s absolutely seamless and can be read as a stand alone for those worried they may be missing out on something.
Incase you missed It:
Day 1 – Rekindle the Flame
Day 2- Flirting With Fire
Author Info:
Originally from Ireland, Kate cut her romance reader teeth on Maeve Binchy and Jilly Cooper novels, with some Mills & Boon thrown in for variety. Give her tales about brooding mill owners, oversexed equestrians, and men who can rock an apron or a fire hose, and she’s there. Now based in Chicago, she writes sexy contemporary romance with alpha heroes and strong heroines who can match their men quip for quip.
Sep 26, 2015 | Blog, Kate Meader, September 2015
Flirting With Fire (Hot in Chicago Book 1) by Kate Meader is absolutely smokin’ hot. Once again Kate has delivered a story that draws you in from the very first page with characters that you will simply love.
Kinsey Taylor works with the Chicago mayor and needs to be ready for any situation that might arise. If only those Dempsey firefighters would stop getting into trouble it would make both of their lives easier. For a PR girl she’s challenged with keeping all the men around her out of trouble!
Leaving San Francisco for her fiancé and having it end horribly it forced her to reevaluate her priorities and qualities in a relationship. It would bupon he arrival in Chicago it was the last time she would allow a man to make her feel bad for being smart, strong and competitive.
Luke Almeida is part of a foster family that have dedicated their lives to Engine Co.6. Unfortunately, Luke has a quick temper and an even shorter fuse. While this sexy bad boy may have power in the firehouse nothing screams job security for the city like a good old fashioned bar room brawl with some of Chicago’s finest. The last thing the mayor wants is a city scandal. A fight between a police officer and a firefighter is one situation that needs to be smoothed out fast.
Kinsey, the mayors PR girl, must clean up the mess. In order to do that she needs to keep this sexy bad boy out of the spotlight unless it happens to involve saving a citizen or putting out a fire. Will her idea to turn this bad boy into a model citizen help his career or cause another fire?
When the connection between Kinsey and Luke ignites, will Luke be able to contain this fire or will it burn out of control? Both are used to winning, can they handle being second if it’s with someone they respect and love?
This steamy story sizzles at Engine Co. 6 with multiple story lines and loveable characters packed with family conflict, honor, trust and secrets. Discover another must read story that will satisfy that firefighter craving starting from the cover!
I received this ARC from the publisher for a fair and honest review. At a reduced price of $1.99 you should download this today. From what I hear the sale price won’t last long. Thank you Simon and Schuster, we dear readers love a book sale!
This three pepper spicy latte read is smokin’ hot so proceed with caution. It might offend. For mature readers, 18+.
ICYMI:
Hot in Chicago Blitz
Day 1 – Rekindle the Flame
Author Info:
Originally from Ireland, Kate cut her romance reader teeth on Maeve Binchy and Jilly Cooper novels, with some Mills & Boon thrown in for variety. Give her tales about brooding mill owners, oversexed equestrians, and men who can rock an apron or a fire hose, and she’s there. Now based in Chicago, she writes sexy contemporary romance with alpha heroes and strong heroines who can match their men quip for quip.
