Sep 30, 2023 | Authors Dish, Blog, Mariah Ankenman, Samantha Chase, September 2023
Authors Dish will once again be on the blog, a chance to connect with your favorite authors or discover new ones. I’m always so appreciative when they take the time to chat and hang out a bit while writing all the adventures we crave. I’ll be sharing their links and bio so if they are a new author for ya, you’ll have all the info you need to check them out.a
Readers …. the fun is back. The response has been overwhelming, the authors are ready, and we are here for it. If you’re an author and interested in dishin’ comment below or hit me up on any of my social media platforms.
Now, to round out the month we’ve got NYT & USA Today Bestselling Author Samantha Chase and Bestselling Author Mariah Ankenman.
1. You’ve been tasked with naming the next “it” nail polish. What color is it? What’s it called?
Samantha Chase: – No idea! Lol! Nail colors are seriously not my thing. I get a French on my fingers and either red, pink, or coral on my toes.
Mariah: – Red and I’m calling it “Seduction.”
2. What are the top three things on your bucket list?
Samantha:
– To walk the red carpet at a movie premier for one of my books
– To go to London
– To own a beach house
Mariah:
1. Travel outside the US
2. See one of my books in a Barnes and Noble
3. Learn to play the Hurdygurdy
3. What signature dish does everyone ask you to bring?
Samantha: – My chicken parm. It is a favorite of almost everyone I make it for. It used to be my eggplant parm, but somehow it got switched! LOL!
Mariah: My pasta salad. It’s delicious!
4. What song sums up your life?
Samantha: – Living on a Prayer – Bon Jovi
Mariah: Time To Be Awesome from My Little Pony Friendship is Magic
5. In some stores there is Christmas merchandise out, what word would you use to describe what we are seeing?
Samantha: – UGH!! (But seriously, too soon!!)
Mariah: Happiness!
6. It’s back-to-school season, what does that look like in your house? Has your nest grown and flown? (Just happy the kids are back in school. You’re in the cave -don’t care. It’s the best time of year ‘cuz the kids are back in school, or No idea I’m in my bat cave and haven’t seen sunlight for days.)
Samantha: – Our nest has flown ☹
Mariah: FREEEEEEEDOM!!!!!!! LOL, but seriously my kiddos are back in school which means I get 6 hours of uninterrupted writing time! I’m the house manager so I still have work outside of writing (cleaning, groceries, errands, etc), but I usually spend all morning at my desk getting words in and it’s glorious!
Samantha Chase is a New York Times and USA Today bestseller of contemporary romance that’s hotter than sweet, sweeter than hot. She released her debut novel in 2011 and currently has more than eighty titles under her belt – including THE CHRISTMAS COTTAGE which was a Hallmark Christmas movie in 2017! She’s a Disney enthusiast who still happily listens to 80’s rock. When she’s not working on a new story, she spends her time reading romances, playing way too many games of Solitaire on Facebook, wearing a tiara while playing with her sassy pug Maylene…oh, and spending time with her husband of 32 years and their two sons in Wake Forest, North Carolina.
Bestselling author Mariah Ankenman lives in the beautiful Rocky Mountains with her two rambunctious children and loving spouse who is her own personal spell checker when her dyslexia gets the best of her. Mariah loves to lose herself in a world of words. Her favorite thing about writing is when she can make someone’s day a little brighter with one of her books. To learn more about Mariah and her books, visit her website http://mariahankenman.com/ follow her on social media, or sign up for her newsletter.
Click here for a link to ALL of Samantha’s Books on Amazon
Click here for a link to ALL of Mariah’s Books on Amazon
Books I Love A Latte participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchase. If you click on the link and purchase the featured book and/or anything else during that shopping session, Books I Love A Latte will receive a small percentage between 2-6%. Any profit earned from this transaction is given directly back to readers via giveaways (gift cards, books, etc.) Thank you in advance.
Thank you in advance for your continued support.
Sep 29, 2023 | Blog, Coffee With, Dirty Dozen, Regina Kyle, September 2023
R
Rae: Welcome to the blog. With fall just around the corner I’m having a Spiced Almond Milk Latte with a drizzle of caramel in my mug. What is in your cuppa?
Regina: Well, I’m kinda weird in that I love to drink iced coffee year-round. Decaf, with 2% milk and more artificial sweetener than I care to admit LOL.
Rae: I find that reading is best when I have a beverage and a snack, what do you need to have for yourself when you are settling in to read?
Regina: I’ve been on a health kick this past year, walking more and eating healthier. Right now one of my favorite snacks is coconut chunks. Sweet and tasty and easy to snack on without making a mess while I read (or write).
Rae: In a few words, can you describe the type of books you write?
Regina: I think Kristan Higgins said it best when she inadvertently gave me my tag line: fast, sassy, and laugh-out-loud funny.
Rae: When was the moment you knew you wanted to write “steamy romance with heart and humor?”
Regina: I had just gotten an e-reader and was devouring free books on Amazon and from my local library. One of the books I got from Amazon was Leslie Kelly’s Slow Hands, a Harlequin Blaze.I was like wow, this is so not my mother’s Harlequins LOL. I read through her backlist and a lot of other Blaze books by authors like Jo Leigh, Tawny Weber, Samantha Hunter, and Sarah Mayberry. I knew then that those were the kind of books I wanted to write, and I was lucky enough to get a contract writing for the Blaze line two years later.
Rae: What are your writing rituals? Do you prefer pen and paper or type away?
Regina: I’m definitely a typing kind of gal. I write in a program called Scrivener which lets me organize my scenes into chapters and has a corkboard where I can pin inspirational pictures. I’m almost attached to my MacBook Air, which, sadly, is in the shop right now for a few days. Meaning I’m typing this in Word on a PC and it’s killing me!
Rae: The attention to details in your books provides a reader with a story filled with adventure, drama, and yes, a bit of spicy heat. If you could go back and chat with your 2014 self when you released your debut book, what words of wisdom or advice would you offer?
Regina: So much has changed in publishing in the just over ten years that I’ve been writing. I think I’d tell myself to not take anything for granted and celebrate every victory, no matter how small, because some days it seems like they are few and far between.
Rae: When you start writing the first book in a new series do you plot out how many books there will be?
Regina: Sometimes yes, sometimes no. My first series for Blaze was always four books. My Worthington Sisters series for Entangled was originally three books, but we couldn’t agree on the plot for the first book, so we ended up contracting for just two. I have a single title series that I’ve been noodling for a while that started as three books in my head, but then one of the second characters I hadn’t intended writing a book for started screaming for her own story, so now it’s four.
Rae: How extensive is your research before beginning a new story in a series?
Regina: That depends. My first book Triple Threat was set in the world of theater, a world I’m very familiar with having performed on stage since I was ten years old and then being the parent of a professional child actor (my daughter was in the national touring production of Mary Poppins). One of my two current works in progress, Close Quarters, is set in the world of Formula One racing, and I’ve had to do a lot more research for that one than I typically do. I did some before writing, but as I write I always find that more questions pop up in my effort to be as true to the real racing world as possible.
Rae: What is next on the horizon? I hear you might be working on a new series that involves Formula One and is a M/M romance? Perhaps a Mediterranean Millionaire? Can you share more with us?
Regina: Yes and yes. The second book in the Mediterranean Millionaires series has been a long time coming, I know. Truth be told, I had a very difficult couple of years mental health wise, but thankfully am back on track again thanks to a great therapist and supportive family. Side note: if you’re struggling, don’t be afraid to reach out for help. By far one of the best things I have ever done. Anyway, long story short, I turned in Miguel’s story, How Not To Marry A Millionaire, to my editor, and now we are in the process of doing some extensive revisions that are painful but I know is going to make this book better and exactly what I want it to be. Meanwhile, I’m also in the final stages of drafting Close Quarters, a MM romance set in the exciting, fast-paced world of Formula One racing. This one is proving to be a blast to write and has definitely helped me regain my mojo. It’s a grumpy/sunshine age gap romance between a rookie driver and his grizzled crew chief, and it’s part of a shared world with two other amazing authors that I met while writing in Sarina Bowen’s Vino and Veritas world, Victoria Denault and Leslie McAdam. We hope to release in October or November.
Rae: Were there any unplanned events or characters that you did not intend on while crafting these story?
Regina: Well, there are always unplanned events in my stories, as I usually plot out only the major plot points and let a lot of the stuff in between happen organically as I write. For example, in Dirty Work, one of my favorites of the books I have written, the whole Ferris Bueller theme was not originally planned. What I did plan was that they would attend Hudson River Flicks, where they show movies in Hudson River Park in New York City. When I researched what kinds of movies were typically shown, I learned that they show a lot of family-friendly 1980s flicks, and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off was the first movie that came up when I Googled 80s movies. Then when I went to write Jake and Ainsley’s interaction in that scene, I realized that their reaction to the movie would be very different and essentially a reflection of the main conflict in the book: workaholic Jake would view Ferris as a slacker, while reformed workaholic Ainsley would view him as a role model. That wound up leading to an argument that foreshadowed the black moment and even changed what the grand gesture was going to be.
Rae: What was your biggest obstacle while writing these books?
Regina: Well, to be honest, my mental health struggles. As a major extrovert, the pandemic was particularly hard on me. Combine that with day job pressures and family changes (my daughter moved across the country), and I found it hard to write for a time. And what I did produce was not up to the standard I wanted. I’m happy to say that I’ve rediscovered the joy in my writing and am regularly getting words down again, and I have several projects in various stages of development for once Close Quarters and the final two Mediterranean Millionaire books are done, including a super-secret single title series and a gay holiday romcom.
1. What is your must read book? Why? Rachel Reid’s Heated Rivalry. Textbook example of enemies to lovers. And Ilya Rosonov is one of the most well-developed characters I’ve ever read. A complex chaos gremlin who just sticks with you. He and Shane get a second book, too, The Long Game. Both are must reads for me, and I reread them often. No cliffhangers: they get their HFN in one book and their HEA in the second.
2. If I visit your hometown, where are you taking me, and what’s the best place to grab a bite? You’ll definitely have to come in the summertime so we can take you out on our boat, Casting Call, to the Thimble Islands. After a day of relaxing, noshing, drinking, swimming, and gawking at the beautiful island homes, we’d go to our favorite Italian place, Rosso Vino, for a fabulous meal including the best Caesar salad I’ve ever eaten. I swear, I don’t know what they put in their dressing, but it is the best!
3. What is one thing readers would be surprised to know about you? I don’t know about surprised, as I’m pretty much an open book online LOL. Some people are surprised to learn that my day job is as an assistant district attorney. I’ve been an amateur actress since the age of ten, and after a long hiatus have started performing again in the past few years. (Favorite show to be in: Mamma Mia. I played Rosie, one of the Dynamos.)
4. What is your guilty pleasure? I don’t really have a pleasure I feel guilty about. Although I have watched Red, White, and Royal Blue way more times than I want to admit. And it’s entirely possible that all of my heroes in the foreseeable future will bear a striking resemblance to Taylor Zakhar Perez.
5. What are you afraid of? Any and everything creepy and crawly. Bugs. Spiders.
6. Tats or No Tats? If tats, how many and what did you choose for your first one? None, but I’m not ruling out getting one.
7. Binge watcher or weekly viewer? Which show(s)? Binge when I can. Right now hubby and I are working I way through Good Omens and Only Murders In The Building. I also recently binged Heartstopper and Young Royals, and I’m reliving the 1980s and 1990s by rewatching LA Law, which was big when I was in law school.
8. Is there a book you have read that you would love to see made into a movie (besides yours)? Well, since I’ve been reading a lot of MM romance lately, and since I think there needs to be more queer representation in media, I’m going to say Nic DiDomizio’s The Gay Best Friend. Super fun romcom that I can totally picture on the big screen.
9. What is the one thing you cannot live without? My MacBook Air LOL. As I said earlier, I’m dying here without it!
10. What is the one career that gives you the shudders? Teaching. Not because I think badly of it. To the contrary, it’s an honorable and amazingly difficult and challenging profession. My husband is a high school psychics teacher, and honestly I don’t know how he does it. It takes a lot of patience and understanding, especially in today’s environment. I just know I don’t have the temperament for it.
11. If I opened your handbag/bag/briefcase, what item would I be shocked to see? A stash of Royal Caribbean pens and highlighters. I love cruising, and am the queen of cruise trivia, where they give pens and highlighters as prizes. I’m also the proud winner of Dancing With The Stripes on my last cruise, where they paired passengers with crew members. My partner was a lifeguard from the Maldives, and we totally rocked it! I didn’t get a pen for that one, though, but I did get dinner for two at one of the specialty restaurants and a bottle of champagne.
12. What app on your phone/ipad gets the most use? It’s a three-way tie between Kindle, Hoopla, and Libby.
Rae: Thank you so much for hanging out with me today.
Regina: Thanks for having virtual coffee with me!
Regina Kyle knew she was destined to be an author when she won a writing contest at age 10 with a touching tale about a squirrel and a nut pie. By day, she writes dry legal briefs, representing the state in criminal appeals. At night, she writes steamy romance with heart and humor. She is a three-peat winner of the Booksellers’ Best award: in 2016 for Triple Dare, 2018 for The Billionaire in Her Bed, and 2020 for Dirty Work.
A lover of all things theatrical, Regina lives on the Connecticut coast with her husband and a highly destructive cat with an unfortunate (read: profane) nickname. When she’s not writing, she’s most likely singing, reading, cooking, rooting for her beloved Pittsburgh Penguins, or watching bad reality television
For more info on Regina Kyle you can find her:
Website: https://reginakyle.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/ReginaKyleauthor
Instagram: www.instagram.com/romancebyregina
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@romancebyregina
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8144022.Regina_Kyle
Sep 27, 2023 | Blog, Gwyn McNamee, September 2023
Cover Credits:
@teblackdesigns @wanderaguiar_photography
Fabulous Filthy Friend (Book 2 in The Fury Family series) by USA Today Bestselling Author Gwyn McNamee
📷 Best Friends to Lovers
📷 Neighbors
📷 Two person POV
📷 Great build up and tension
📷 Angst
📷 Text dialogue, banter, and sooo much dirty talk!
Flynn McAllister has a side hustle that is fueled by his biggest secret. Will he risk everything to reveal the truth?
Rachel Fury is struggling to find a guy that can fulfill all her desires. Until then, she’ll have to settle for the one guy who she can’t talk about to her best friend. If she only knew ;).
When Rachel and Flynn take matters into their own hands will they discover that their inner desires are the same?
A story about friendships, boundaries, and taking chances when the risks are high and the secrets could destroy everything. With sooo much sexy goodness this is a story you won’t want to miss. While it is part of a series, it can be enjoyed as a standalone read. However, if you loved Bash Fury from Dirty Pucking Player, you’re not going to want to miss his sister Rachel! Oh, and you will never look at a shower the same way again ;).
A scorchin H-O-T hockey romance both off and on the ice. Caution reader, this scorchin’ hot read may lead to unexpected need to turn on the A/C. So steamy the pages ignite. May include a dash of Erotic elements or allude to further exploration of desire and need.
Thank you Gwyn McNamee for the advance reader copy for review consideration. All opinions are my own.
Click here or cover below to get your copy on Amazon
Books I Love A Latte participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchase. If you click on the link and purchase the featured book and/or anything else during that shopping session, Books I Love A Latte will receive a small percentage between 2-6%. Any profit earned from this transaction is given directly back to readers via giveaways (gift cards, books, etc.) Thank you in advance.
Sep 27, 2023 | Blog, Gwyn McNamee, September 2023
Cover Credits:
@teblackdesigns @wanderaguiar_photography
@zack_salaun
Dirty Pucking Player (Book 1 in The Fury Family series) by USA Today Bestselling Author Gwyn McNamee
🏒 Enemies to Lovers
🏒 Forbidden/ Work-Place romance
🏒 Two person POV
🏒 Great build up and tension
🏒 Angst
🏒 Lots of banter
🏒 Plenty of dirty talk
🏒 Delicious Book Cover
Bash Fury has just been traded thanks to yet another suspension, the Scorpions are his last hope. Will he finally find a way to control his rage? Or, will he risk everything he’s worked for?
Coach Greer Waterson has spent her life smashing barriers and crushing stereotypes. The last thing she expected was a wild and cocky player who threatens her dreams both off and on the ice.
Bash and Greer face challenges within the organization as they navigate whatever it is that’s going on between them, the tension is increasing. Hopefully Bash will be able to control himself, the consequences could destroy him. The tension is brewing, the expectations and assumptions make their undeniable attraction a risk that could have devastating consequences. Will they take the risk? The balance of power and control, boundaries, and secrets – so, so, good.
A scorchin H-O-T hockey romance both off and on the ice. Caution reader, this scorchin’ hot read may lead to unexpected need to turn on the A/C. So steamy the pages ignite. May include a dash of Erotic elements or allude to further exploration of desire and need.
Thank you Gwyn McNamee for the advance reader copy for review consideration. All opinions are my own.
Click here or cover below to get your copy on Amazon
Books I Love A Latte participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchase. If you click on the link and purchase the featured book and/or anything else during that shopping session, Books I Love A Latte will receive a small percentage between 2-6%. Any profit earned from this transaction is given directly back to readers via giveaways (gift cards, books, etc.) Thank you in advance.
Sep 26, 2023 | Authors Dish, Blog, Jeanne Adams, September 2023
Authors Dish will once again be on the blog, a chance to connect with your favorite authors or discover new ones. I’m always so appreciative when they take the time to chat and hang out a bit while writing all the adventures we crave. I’ll be sharing their links and bio so if they are a new author for ya, you’ll have all the info you need to check them out.a
Readers …. the fun is back. The response has been overwhelming, the authors are ready, and we are here for it. If you’re an author and interested in dishin’ comment below or hit me up on any of my social media platforms.
Now, to kick it off, today we’ve got Author Jeanne Adams today.
1. You’ve been tasked with naming the next “it” nail polish. What color is it? A shiny Candy Apple Red What’s it called? Apple Spice
2. What are the top three things on your bucket list? Go to the Winter/Christmas Market in Edinburgh; Meet Gerard Butler; Hit the USA Today Bestseller list
3. What signature dish does everyone ask you to bring? Sweet Potato Casserole
4. What song sums up your life? Currently? Nickleback’s Burn it to the Ground
5. In some stores there is Christmas merchandise out, what word would you use to describe what we are seeing? Ridiculous! I’m all for Halloween!
6. It’s back-to-school season, what does that look like in your house? Has your nest grown and flown? (Just happy the kids are back in school. You’re in the cave -don’t care. It’s the best time of year ‘cuz the kids are back in school, or No idea I’m in my bat cave and haven’t seen sunlight for days.) It’s the best time of the year! Hahah! With everyone in school, more time to write!
Jeanne Adams is an award-winning author of more than 20 thrilling suspense, wicked Urban Fantasy, paranormal romantic suspense, and dramatic space adventures which have been compared to the works of Robert Heinlein and Jack McDevitt. Both traditionally and independently published, Jeanne is a sought-after speaker for her Body Disposal for Writers Worldbuilding for Writers, Plotting for Pantzers, and her workshop on Fight Scenes in Fiction.
Jeanne helped create the Nora Roberts Writing Institute at Hagerstown Community College; served on the Board of Directors for Romance Writers of America; was featured in Cosmopolitan Magazine; and is a showrunner on ConTinual, the online Con that Never Ends.She’s currently completing her MFA in Writing Popular Fiction and has won numerous awards for both her fiction and non-fiction work. Jeanne lives in DC with her sports-mad husband and sons, as well as three large, boisterous dogs. Find links to her latest work on her website or through most online purchasing platforms!Find her at:
Blog: www.JeanneAdams.com
Twitter: @JeanneAdams
Facebook: JeanneAdamsAuthor
Instagram: @JPAGryphon
Pinterest: JeanneAdams (Especially her Writerly Things board!)
Sep 22, 2023 | Blog, Livy Hart, September 2023
Some Kind of Blunderful @livyhartromance is a deliciously refreshing sexy #romcom with loveable characters, a plot that kept me turning pages until I realized there were no more to turn. The disappointment that it was over…I need more!
Mia Madden is a pre-school teacher with a crafty, frugal vibe who puts her family first. Despite her best efforts of avoiding a blind date that didn’t exactly start and end well, the universe has different plans.
What will happen when Mia realizes that Alex is her dad’s boss? Will they be balance work and pleasure? It’s time for Mia And Alex to figure out what matters most? The shenanigans and games are non-stop because you can’t win unless you play. Oh, and the rules, some are meant to be bent a wee bit while others, are sometimes meant to be broken 😉
If Mia and Alex can overcome expectations, clear up a few assumptions, and take a leap of faith they will realize the past doesn’t define you. When you find your “true north,” that person who will be there because of who you are, appreciates all of you that is when you know you have found a forever love. Not only is this a story about Mia and Alex but the secondary characters are just as compelling and bring an extra layer of yum to the plot.
This has …
💛 enemies to lovers
💛 “he falls first” with a heavy dose of “she fell but needs to put herself first”
💛 Lots of games 😉
💛 A Dating App
💛 Banter for days
💛 Slow burn that Scorches
💛 “The Office” vibes
💛 Friends and Family that are there no matter what
Livy, you delivered so many memorable laugh-out-loud moments! Who knew shopping for a registry could be so fun, or a relaxing soak in a hot tub 😉. 🔥
Caution, this Scorchin hot read may lead to an unexpected need to turn on the A/C. So steamy the pages ignite. May include a dash of Erotic elements or elude to further exploration of desire and need.
I received an advance copy from Entangled Publishing and Netgalley for an honest and fair review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Available September 25, 2023
Books I Love A Latte participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchase. If you click on the link and purchase the featured book and/or anything else during that shopping session, Books I Love A Latte will receive a small percentage between 2-6%. Any profit earned from this transaction is given directly back to readers via giveaways (gift cards, books, etc.) Thank you in advance.
