Ultimate Kiss Day # 1 ~ Never Say Never

I just couldn't resist posting a kiss from Mrs. Clause.
Remember the Ultimate Kiss contest is on get details here.


Kiss Scene taken from:
Lisa Wingate's Never say Never, p. 216, 217

His eyes were the most gorgeous shade of golden brown now, like caramel with a small, silvery pool of mint melting toward the centers. "You're doing it again, you know, " he said.

"What?" The word was throaty, inviting.

"Changing the subject. It makes you hard to figure out."

"Sorry." I knew I was leaning closer to him, or he was leaning closer to me.

"Don't be," he whispered, and I felt the room spin.

"What..." I swallowed hard, blinked, tried to gather a coherent thought, but I couldn't. "What did you want to know?"

"Everything." His lips met mine and I was lost. Any coherent thought flew from my mind, and there was only the scent, the touch, the fell of him. I felt his fingers slip into my hair, felt his body turn, lean into mine, felt my body mold against his, strangely familiar, as if I'd been imagining this before it happened.

Either the washer changed cycles or the earth moved, but everything shifted at once.

The end of the kiss was like waking from some alternate state of reality. I leaned against the washer, hot and dizzy, my head floaty and light. I felt his and trail along my skin, his fingers toying with mine, then letting go.

I stood staring into his eyes, truing to remember why I was there....

Get details on a giveaway for this book here.

Get a link to the first chapter of this book here.



Enter the Ultimate Kiss Contest here.

The Ultimate Kiss contest

The Ultimate Kiss Contest Rules:

1. Either post a kiss scene that you have read in a book on your blog and leave me a comment with the link to it OR post the scene in your comment here.

Here is an example of a kiss scene:
It was just a little kiss, more like a brush. At least it started that way. It started as the tiniest nothing, but Levi wrapped his arm around my shoulder and the kiss deepened. I responded; he tasted like cookies and cream and smelled like cedar. My hands dug into his hair.
~p. 109; Plain Jayne by Hillary Manton Lodge~

2. Make sure the book title, author's name and page # where the scene is located is posted.
3. Make sure your e-mail contact is on your post
4. Post anytime between Feb. 7th - 12th. Winner will be drawn from all those that post on Feb. 13th.
Bonuses:
5. If you post your scene at your site and tell others about this contest with a link to this contest in the post you'll get an extra bonus point.
6. If you use my cute angel picture at the top of this post we'll get an extra bonus point.
7. You may post a different scene from a different book each day to get extra bonus points; however, only one scene per day per person.

that is a Total of 4 possible points per day.
You only need to leave me one comment per day
Now, for the prize...


Sweet By and By by Sara Evans with Rachel Hauck
(read my review here)
Mary Engelbreit magnetic list pad
(saying on pad: Make the most of yourself ... for that is all there is of you.)
a bag of milk chocolate Kisses




Please let's make this clean fun. I have the right to deny any scene I deem unacceptable. I don't want vulgar things posted. I have the right to post on my blog what I want posted. That is why I check all comments before they appear. I don't want vulgar associated with my blog. I want clean fun.

Never Say Never by Lisa Wingate

Click here to go to a giveaway for this book.

This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing

Never Say Never

Bethany House (February 1, 2010)

by

Lisa Wingate





ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Lisa lives in central Texas were she is a popular inspriational speaker, magazine columnist, and national bestselling author of several books. Her novel, Tending Roses, received dozens of five-star reviews, sold out thirteen printings for New York publisher, Penguin Putnam, and went on to become a national bestselling book. Tending Roses was a selection of the Readers Club of America, and is currently in its fourteenth printing.



The Tending Roses series continued with Good Hope Road, the Language of Sycamores, Drenched in Light, and A Thousand Voices. In 2003, Lisa's Texas Hill Country series began with Texas Cooking, and continued with Lone Star Cafe', which was awarded a gold metal by RT Bookclub magazine and was hailed by Publisher's Weekly as "A charmingly nostalgic treat." The series concluded with Over the Moon at the Big Lizard Diner.



Lisa is now working on a new set of small-town Texas novels for Bethany House Publishers. The series debuted with Talk of the Town and continued with Word Gets Around and Never Say Never. A new series is also underway for Peguin Group NAL, beginning with A Month of Summer (July 2008), and continuing with The Summer Kitchen (July 2009) and Beyond Summer (July 2010). Lisa's works have been featured by the National Reader's Club of America, AOL Book Pics, Doubleday Book Club, the Literary Guild, American Profiles and have been chosen for the LORIES best Published Fiction Award. In 2009, A Month of Summer was nomiated for the American Christian Fiction Writers Book of the Year award.





ABOUT THE BOOK

Kai Miller floats through life like driftwood tossed by waves. She's never put down roots in any one place--and she doesn't plan to. But when a chaotic hurricane evacuation lands her in Daily, Texas, she begins to think twice about her wayfaring existence.



And when she meets hometown-boy Kemp Eldridge, she can almost picture settling down in Daily--until she discovers he may be promised to someone else. Daily has always been a place of refuge for those the winds blows in, but for Kai, it looks like it will be just another place to leave behind. Then again, Daily always has a few surprises in store--especially when Aunt Donetta has cooked up a scheme.





If you would like to read the first chapter of Never Say Never, go HERE

Graham Garrison interviewed

Today we have an interview with Graham Garrison author of the novel Hero's Tribute. Welcome to 4 the LOVE of BOOKS.

Where did you originally come up with the idea for a story about what defines a hero?
I just wanted to know what made them tick. You hear stories of World War II veterans who did heroic things but never mentioned them to their families, and then their families would find a silver star hidden in a trunk in the attic. Most heroes are like that – the medals and ribbons are significant, but they don’t define them.

Our family is watching the TV series Combat. Is there a particular reason why the families of soldiers are near and dear to your heart?
I was born in Fayetteville, N.C. while my dad was a captain in the 82nd Airborne stationed at Fort Bragg. I’ve always held soldiers and their families in the highest regard.

Well, all military hold a place in my heart. Just because they sacrifice so much for theirs as well as our freedom. They say freedom comes with a price and our military personal are the ones that pay that price. In your opinion, do actions or character ultimately define a hero?
I think character comes through in the actions, ultimately. If there is failure, you can still see where a person tried their best to do the right thing. We don’t always get to choose the battles we fight or the hardships we’ll endure, but we can choose how we react to them, and I wanted that to resonate in “Hero’s Tribute,” especially with Michael Gavin.

Well, you did a good job at it. What made you decide to write a novel?
Always wanted to do it. I’ve got a pretty active imagination and spent a lot of time in school daydreaming stories. That’s sort of what led me to writing/editing as a career.

What are you reading right now?
I just finished Donald Miller’s A Million Miles in a Thousand Years. My sister gave me a copy of Blue Like Jazz a few years ago and I read it in one night.

Who is your favorite author? Why?
Probably Philip Yancey. He digs deep into spiritual topics and biblical figures but doesn’t tell you what to think about them. More like he presents the information and allows you to decide for yourself, or sets you off on your own investigation.

Do you have any advice for other aspiring authors out there?
You’ve got to write every day. When you’re not writing, turn off the TV and read. It’s like exercising – you get what you put in. You can’t wait for the epiphany moments of a story to come to you, but rather have to go out and work for them.

You may read my review of Hero's Tribute here.

Short Synopsis of Book:

Michael Gavin was a local hero, admired for his skill as a quarterback, his service in the military, and his work in the community. Stricken with cancer and on his death bed, Michael takes a leap of faith and entrusts his legacy to Wes Watkins, a reporter he’d never met, by asking him to deliver his eulogy.

Wes accepts this unconventional offer, hoping to at least get a good story out of the situation. A good story will draw the attention of big-city newspapers and get him out of his small-town sports beat. But as Wes digs deeper into Michael’s background, everything changes. Secrets come to light, and soon Wes sees the hometown hero as he really is. As Wes tries to find the words to describe Michael, he is also forced to examine his own life and decide what will define him.

I Wish you Enough by Bob Perks

If you know of someone that needs encouragement then I think this book would be a delight. Hope, inspiration, encouragement mixed with valuable lessons for all to learn. We can learn lessons from many things ~ the sun, rain, flowers (what some think are weeds)-it's all in one's perspective. We can learn from the happy times as well as the times of pain. In the end you'll find that it is God that will help you get through. There is something He wants you to learn.

There are 8 topic chapters with short inspirational stories based on themes from the poem below:

I wish you enough sun, to keep your attitude bright.
I wish you enough rain, to appreciate the sun more.
I wish you enough happiness, to keep your spirit alive.
I wish you enough pain, so that the smallest joys in life appear much bigger.
I wish you enough gain, to satisfy your wanting.
I wish you enough loss, to appreciate all that you possess.
I wish you enough "Hellos", to get you through the final "Good-bye."

If you don't know exactly what a person needs this book should meet it in one way or another. I highly recommend it. I was very impressed with the stories, the layout and pictures. A nice gift book for anyone who just needs a pick me up.

For more information about this book click here.

A copy of this book was provided by Thomas Nelson for this review

Hero's Tribute by Graham Garrison

My review:
What does it take to be a hero, to be a legend? Reporter Wes Watkins of the North Georgia News is on a special quest; one of which was different in many ways. He was requested by Michael Gavin of Talking Creek, GA to deliver his eulogy at his funeral. How can a reporter, that knows nothing about this former community star and military war hero, give a proper eulogy for someone he doesn't even know. That was exactly what Michael wanted someone that would tell the truth at about him at his funeral not give a sugar coated eulogy. He wanted a fresh, critical look into his life. He wanted a genuine up front eulogy and Michael liked Wes' prose. Michael even supplied Wes a list of names to talk to. What good will it bring out? Wes is soon to find out. Coming into contact with a dead man's ghosts can change a man in more than one way. He's about to learn what it really means and takes to be a hero and a legend.

I did enjoy this book; however, it was not my normal genre which is good to step out of comfort zone once in awhile and broaden your horizons. I would place on one a scale from 1-5 at about 3.5, but others may like this genre and love this book immensely. There are on occasion curse words used in this book that I must mention as is my policy. I'm a romance, historical lover so this one didn't fit that genre; however, not a lot of action either. I guess it is definitely a general read.

Read author interview here.

For more information about this book click here.

A copy of this book was provided by DDPR for this review.

Teaser Tuesday ~ Plain Jayne

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along, so I thought I would play for fun! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

"Then why did you kiss Levi?"
"I was emotional. He bought me ice cream..."
Right. That makes complete sense. I always kiss men after they buy me ice cream."

~ p. 110, Plain Jayne by Hillary Manton Lodge

Beguiled by Deeanne Gist & J. Mark Bertrand

This week, the



Christian Fiction Blog Alliance



is introducing



Beguiled



(Bethany House March 1, 2007)



by



Deeanne Gist



andJ. Mark Bertrand





ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Deeanne Gist, the bestselling author of A Bride Most Begrudging and The Measure of a Lady, has a background in education and journalism. Her credits include People magazine, Parents, and Parenting. With a line of parenting products called "I Did It!® Productions" and a degree from Texas A&M, she continues her writing and speaking. She and her family live in Houston, Texas.

J. Mark Bertrand has an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Houston. After one hurricane too many, he left Houston and relocated with his wife Laurie to the plains of South Dakota.

ABOUT THE BOOK

In the shadows of Charleston, someone is watching her... Rylee Monroe, a dogwalker in Charleston's wealthiest neighborhood, never feared the streets at night. But now a thief is terrorizing the area and worse, someone seems to be targeting her.



Reporter Logan Woods is covering the break-ins with the hope of publishing them as a true-crime book. The more he digs, the more he realizes this beguiling dogwalker seems to be at the center of everything. As danger draws ever closer, Logan must choose: Chase the girl, the story, or plunge into the shadows after the villain who threatens everything?



If you'd like to read the first chapter of , go HERE





Check out their video:

Third Time's a Charm by Virginia Smith

Read to end of post as there is a giveaway with this tour. Find out how you could be the winner.

About the Book:

(Dual Residency: UT & KY) – There’s not too much in this world that a little retail therapy can’t fix—except maybe the empty hole in your heart from lost and undiscovered love. Tori Sanderson is no exception. Facing abandonment issues with her father, Tori sets out to find the real reason he left her. Along the way she discovers even deeper truths. Add in two matchmaking sisters plus a couple of attractive men vying for Tori’s attention, as well as a tempting job promotion possibility, and you’ve got one confused sister. Through it all, Tori searches for the love she’s been missing all these years.

Author Virginia Smith, presents Third Time’s a Charm, the third installment of the Sister-to-Sister Series. Page-turning humor surrounding the lives of three sisters will once again engage readers, while somber self-discovery will unveil Tori’s struggles, and perhaps a few of your own. In a world with more than a few dysfunctional families, this story will ring true for many.

Virginia Smith recently contracted her twelfth book in four years. Previous books in the Sister-to-Sister series include: Stuck in the Middle and Age before Beauty. In 2008 she was named Writer-of-the-Year at Mount Hermon Christian Writers Conference. Stuck in the Middle was a finalist for American Christian Fiction Writers’ 2009 Book of the Year Award. A Taste of Murder was a finalist for the 2009 Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense. Ginny and husband, Ted, divide their time between Lexington, Kentucky, and Salt Lake City, Utah, escaping as often as possible for diving trips to the Caribbean. Admittedly, her adventurous outings are often as much fun as they are “book research.”

Interview Questions:

1. This book is the third and final book in your Sister-to-Sister Series. How did you feel when you completed this last book?

I felt a little sad, because I have lived with the characters for three years, and they’re very real to me. I’ll miss them. Plus, I wanted to leave readers with a good impression, so I was anxious for the last scene to be strong. I prayed over that last line for a long time, and when the words finally came, I got chills. They were absolutely the perfect wrap-up for the whole series. I still get tears whenever I read them.

2. Which of the sisters in this trilogy do you relate to the most? Why?

That’s a hard question to answer, because there is a piece of me in each of the Sanderson sisters. But I’d have to say I relate most closely with Tori, because she is professionally ambitious, and she struggles to balance her career and her personal life. I did that for over twenty years, so much of her conflict comes from my experiences.

3. You've been contracted to write 12 times in the last 4 years. To what do you attribute this success and how would you encourage others who are doing everything possible to get published?

Perseverance. I wrote for over twenty years before my first book, Just As I Am, was published. But I believed that the Lord gave me the desire to write, and even when my pile of rejections was growing (to an astounding 143 before my first publication!), I knew if He wanted me to write, I was going to keep writing. Even now – or maybe especially now – I trust Him for every story, every contract. Sometimes I still receive rejections, but I keep writing because He keeps giving me stories.

4. How is your relationship with your own sisters similar to Tori and her sisters? Did you pull from these sibling experiences when writing Third Time's a Charm? How?

I sure did! Actually, my sisters were the inspiration behind the whole Sister-to-Sister Series. They are the most incredible women in the world, and I wanted readers to glimpse the relationship we have. And they were excited to have starring roles in my stories. It was funny watching them try to identify themselves in the books, because I took characteristics from each of us and mixed them up to create each of the Sanderson sisters. Tori, for instance, is a career-minded person, like me. She’s creative, like one of my sisters. And she’s a big flirt, like the other sister. Uh… I’d better not identify who that is, or I’ll start a family feud!

5. What's next for Virginia Smith?

In May of this year I have a new book coming out from Steeple Hill. Researching A Daughter’s Legacy was a lot of fun, because it is set in a zoo! It’s my first straight romance, and was something of an experiment for me to see if I liked writing the genre. I loved it, and have a few ideas germinating in my mind for future romance novels.

Then later in the year, Into the Deep will hit bookstores. That’s a romantic suspense novel with a scuba diving theme. It takes place partly in Key West, and partly in Cozumel, Mexico. Can you tell I have a lot of fun researching my books?

For a more indepth look into the life of Virginia Smith visit the KCWC blog

The Inspiration Behind the Main Characters:

I was watching a DVD when I first envisioned Tori Sanderson. In Sweet Home Alabama, Reese Witherspoon is chic, petite, and more than a little headstrong. Plus, she’s ashamed of her upbringing, and therefore insecure even though she enjoys a successful career. That’s exactly how I pictured Tori as I wrote the first two books in the Sister-to-Sister Series. But Tori is several years younger than Reese, so as I wrote the opening chapter of Third Time’s a Charm, I was struggling to come up with the perfect visual image. One evening I saw an advertisement for “Samantha Who,” starring Christina Applegate. I jumped out of my chair and shouted, “That’s her! That’s Tori!” So I gave my character a curly perm to match Christina’s. I Googled the show’s cast and found Barry Watson, who became my model for the handsome handyman, Ryan Adams. And Mitch Jackson is modeled after Michael Weatherly, the gorgeous but suggestively inappropriate Tony DinNozzo on “NCIS.” Sounds like I’m a television junkie, doesn’t it? Not really, but I do like to have a visual image for characters as I write. It helps them come alive in my mind, and hopefully in the minds of my readers, too.

Read Guest Article by Virginia Smith: The Awesome Bond of Sisters PLUS 8 tips for Maintaining a Relationship with your sister HERE.

The Grand Prize will be awarded to one fortunate person who leaves a comment at one of the blog tours participating in the KCWC Third Time's a Charm blog tour. It includes:

The complete collection of Virginia Smith books, TEN in all (listed below), with a personal behind-the-scenes commentary written by the author - especially for this tour!

Sister-to-Sister Series, including: Stuck in the Middle, Age Before Beauty, and Third Time's A Charm.

Unforgettable Mayla Strong Books: Just As I Am and Sincerely Mayla.

Classical Trio Series from Love Inspired Suspense: A Taste of Murder, Murder at Eagle Summit, and Scent of Murder.

Murder By Mushroom

Bluegrass Peril


How to enter: Leave me a comment telling me if you have a sister (or a friend that might as well be your sister). Tell me at least one thing you like about her? The drawing for this grand prize will be Feb. 11th. Please US residents only. Be sure to leave an e-mail address for contact.






A copy of this book was provided for review by KCWC