Coming up in September

For the first time since the blog launched, we will not have a monthly pax release at Amber Allure. That does not mean we won't have fun here, though! Instead of specific pax promotion, we'll have author interviews, behind the scenes information, as well as cover reveals and reviews.

Know what else? There's also a giveaway! One lucky reader/commenter will be getting a $25 gift certificate to Amber Quill Press. There will be ample opportunity to comment, from the interviews to our reader polls that will be going up next Tuesday. We want to hear what you have to say.

See you in September!

New reviews

New reviews for recent pax releases!

At Top 2 Bottom Reviews, Susan gave Truth or Lie by Lynn Lorenz 5 kisses, calling it a "great little story with believable characters, snappy dialogue, and a few plot twists."

The Crimson Cat by A.J. Llewellyn & D.J. Manly got 3 1/2 hearts from Pixie at MM Good Book Reviews, who calls it a "great little thriller that has an interesting twist."

Crissy at Joyfully Jay gave Family Obligations by Vivien Dean and Rick R. Reed 4 stars, calling it a "beautiful, wonderfully written story."

Deirdre O'Dare's Dark and Stormy received 3 hearts from Vivian at Hearts on Fire Reviews, who said it was "amusing" and "a fun read."

If you liked the Dream Man collection...

One of the best parts about the AmberPax collections is the wide variety of stories that can arise from a single theme. If you liked the Dream Man collection, there's even more at Amber Allure that might interest you.

Rich Man, Poor Man is a collection of five contemporary m/m stories, all centered around men from different classes who fall in love. Stories include:

Between the Moon and the Deep Blue Sea by KC Kendricks

Class Distinctions by Rick R. Reed

Crossing the Line by Christiane France

Homeless in Heaven by Deirdre O'Dare

Kissed by God by T.A. Chase

The collection is currently 25% off, which means you can get all five stories for only $16.50. What a deal!

Dream Man giveaway winner

What a great week from everyone! Since it's Saturday, that can only mean one thing. Time to pick the winner for the Dream Man pax!

And the winner is...

Anne!

If you could please email me at vivien_dean@yahoo.com, we'll get that to you as soon as possible!

Baby, You Can Drive My Car by A.J. Llewellyn

Early last year I visited the Paramount Studios lot to visit a friend of mine who was working as a script supervisor on a TV series. The first person I happened to see down on the backlot furtively smoking cigarettes with a couple of crew guys was actor Daniel Craig. I've loved this guy ever since I saw him in an obscure British movie, The Mother, ten years ago.

It was no surprise to me that he became James Bond and has more than capably filled the super-spy's custom-made slip-ons. He smiled and nodded to me. And then he said hello. I fell down. 

Boy, was I embarrassed. My friend came running, and it only got worse. Of course, I was tongue-tied and grinned like a simpleton at Daniel Craig. He had the grace to look away and puff on his smoke.

If I could do it all over again, I would. And if I could really make this scene work to my romance writer's heart, I'd turn it into a book. And I did!

Snow Drive!

To be honest, I wasn't quite sure exactly what to do with this nugget of an idea until I had coffee with my friend Dan, an unusual man who adores traveling the world by train. It's his passion. He recently returned from Switzerland, where he showed me some photos from a vacation package I never knew existed. He flew to Zurich and from there, traveled by train to St. Moritz for a luxury two-day vacation driving Aston Martins in the snow.

Oh, baby! My character for Snow Drive began to take shape. He'd take the trip, drive the spy's car...and get his own man too.

When Amber Allure's team of talented authors began tossing out ideas for PAX anthology stories, I signed up for the Man of My Dreams one. I am not afraid to laugh at myself...as long as a happy ending is involved.

And in my world, they always are.

Here's the blurb for Snow Drive... 

Hollywood script supervisor Pippo Baker has always been unlucky in love, therefore, he enjoys his fantasies. His idea of a dream man is James Bond. So when the opportunity arises to test out Aston Martins in a snow drive in St. Moritz, Switzerland, it doesn't take much for his roommate, Michael, to persuade him to throw caution to the winter winds and go. Pippo is excited about accompanying Michael on the luxury two-day extravaganza promoted by the European car company. The only drawback is that Pippo realizes too late that his holiday on ice has labeled him a "spectator only." It's the story of his life.

But then something happens, something magical and quite fitting with his dreams. He meets Scottish race car driver, Kethin Teague, on the flight to Zürich and their mutual attraction is instant. Now Pippo discovers that sometimes real men are better than the dream ones. And he's about to find out just how much better they really are in the snow-kissed mountains on his very first snow drive. 

For an excerpt and/or purchase, please click this link: 

http://www.amberquill.com/AmberAllure/SnowDrive.html

Aloha oe,

AJ

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Snow Drive by A.J. Llewellyn is now available at Amber Allure.

If you'd like the chance to win the entire pax collection, just leave a comment on today's post. On Saturday, a winner will be picked at random from all the comments made this week on the blog. Comment on all, and that's multiple chances to win!

London Calling Series by Christiane France

I started this series with RAINDROPS AND ROSES:

A few hours before his flight home, Drew meets Englishman, Michael Dawson. There’s chemistry between them and lots of it. But is it real or not? With no time to find out, Drew decides to enjoy the moment. After all, they’re just ships passing in the night, right?

On August 18 the next book, SIMPLY IRRESISTIBLE, was released:

Cal and Rob met as teenagers, hoping to make it in Hollywood. Rob became a major star; Cal a reporter for an entertainment magazine. When Cal caught Rob with another man, he threw Rob out. Now, after two years’ silence, Rob calls, wanting Cal to interview him for his magazine. Breaking up is hard, but making up can be even harder. Is it even possible?

ONE PERFECT NIGHT

This is my favorite of the four stories and will probably be released late November 2013. No cover as yet, but here’s the blurb:

Paul knew Nico was special the moment they exchanged that first glance at Termini station in Rome late one hot summer afternoon. And when it was announced their train had been cancelled and travel suspended until further notice, they explored their feelings over dinner and a night of passion in a nearby hotel. 

Early next morning, when Nico found a flight cancellation and took off, all Paul knew about him was his first name. 

Two years later, Paul hasn’t forgotten Nico and when they meet again at another train station in London the chemistry is still there. Nico believes Fate brought them together. He’s ready to close his eyes and jump. Paul believes they need to be sensible. Check the water first and then take it one step at a time.

A HAPPY CHRISTMAS ENDING is the fourth and final book and the second half of the story that started with RAINDROPS AND ROSES. It will likely be released early December 2013. Drew and Michael are still together, but only just. Michael has a couple of major problems to deal with, but rather than allow Drew to help he puts pride first and insists on doing everything his way. There are cameo appearances from Paul and Nico (One Perfect Night) who assist in solving one of the problems.

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Simply Irresistible by Christiane France is now available at Amber Allure.

If you'd like the chance to win the entire pax collection, just leave a comment on today's post. On Saturday, a winner will be picked at random from all the comments made this week on the blog. Comment on all, and that's multiple chances to win!

Behind the Scenes with Carolina Valdez

Dark blue wool uniforms and white caps during the winter were a common sight on the streets of the Navy town I grew up in. Once I was the only female dining  aboard a destroyer with young officers in their summer dress whites.

My high school boyfriend was the son of a Naval commander, and I had other friends who were sailors. One football season, another senior girl and I were hired as a cheerleaders for the Marine Corps Recruit Depot team. That only lasted one season because, unlike high schoolers, they didn't cheer when we led the yells.

When I was in college, a group of friends, including sailors, drove several hours to hear me the day our concert choir performed. It was a sailor who took me on base to the Navy Exchange to purchase my first watch for nursing school. It no longer works, and these days there are better timepieces out there, but it's still in my drawer of treasured momentos.

Later, when I was in nursing school in northern California, a sailor who'd been transferred from my home town to the duty station there came to visit me.

I may have married Air Force, but perhaps you can understand why the Marines and the Navy hold a special place in my memories. And why the exploits of the Navy's SEAL teams have captured my romantic fantasies. They make the perfect heroes, don't they?

In preparing to write Make Mine A Bad Boy, I read and listened to non-fiction books written by men of SEAL Team Six, watched two SEAL interviews on TV, researched weapons and customs, and turned to the official Navy SEAL website. There I found their mottoes, which I've used in my story because they reflect the Navy's beliefs and attitudes toward these modern day warriors. These heroes among heroes.

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Make Mine A Bad Boy by Carolina Valdez is now available at Amber Allure.

If you'd like the chance to win the entire pax collection, just leave a comment on today's post. On Saturday, a winner will be picked at random from all the comments made this week on the blog. Comment on all, and that's multiple chances to win!