It’s Music Monday… a day late in honour of Christmas!!!
PLUS: an AWESOME Sapphire Star Publishing
festive sale and give-away!!
Well… it’s definitely the season to be jolly, so I’m offering today one of my all-time favourite festive tunes. It’s got the word ‘rocking’ in the title… It’s got to be a good one, right? I hope you get into the spirit but wait… before you get dancing, I just wanted to say a big Thank You for all your support across 2012; for your comments and tweets and shares, for your time and interest in my ramblings on this very blog, and for your patience.
Blogging wouldn’t be any fun without you ~ And I look forward to many more fabulous posts with your input during 2013!
And now it’s time to dance… but don’t forget to read on for the SALE and GIVEAWAY news!
If this video clip won’t play in your country… try this link instead. 🙂
SSP’sMerryJubilee
From Christmas to New Year’s, we’re celebrating YOU with $0.99 books and a chance to win an iPad 2!
Stuff your stocking with some of Sapphire Star’s hottest books for just $0.99… Plus, DON’T miss your chance at winning an iPad 2, details below (Rafflecopter)
Wishing you all a very merry Christmas and a safe, happy and prosperous 2013 ~ Rock on!
Official Giveaway Rules:
Giveaway Prize: One (1) Apple® – iPad® 2 with Wi-Fi – 16 GB – White. No purchase necessary. This contest is void where prohibited by law. Entrants must follow Rafflecopter instructions. One (1) winner will be picked via Rafflecopter and will be notified by email within three days of end of contest. If a winner is unreachable after seven (7) days, or if that winner is unavailable for prize fulfillment, an alternate winner will be selected. Odds of winning depend on the number of eligible entries received. Contest entrants agree to abide by the terms of these Official Rules and by the decisions of the contest commissioners, which are final on all matters pertaining to the contest. Entrants grant to Sapphire Star Publishing the right to use and publish their name online. All results posted are unofficial until winner responds to e-mail notification. Contest ends on January 2, 2013 at 12:00 a.m. PST.
The new Bond film, Skyfall launches tomorrow – but why wait until then for a military intelligence hottie? Let me introduce you to the lead male in Mandy Baggot’s new romantic thriller, Security, and reveal the eye-catching 007-style book cover!
First of all… here’s Nathan Regan. Hello, handsome!
And here’s the gorgeous book cover… are you ready?
Security
Lies hurt, but the truth can get you killed
Autumn Raine is a pop vocalist at the very top of her game. She’s a style icon, the paparazzi’s darling and everyone wants to be her friend. But when her safety is threatened, her whole life starts to unravel.
Enter Nathan Regan, an ex-elite soldier who is assigned to protect her. He’s a good man doing bad things but what drives him? Passion? Madness? Or grief? Demons from his past are threatening to consume him. Can he win the fight alone or will he have to admit he needs help?
As the threat deepens, Autumn starts to find out who she really needs in her life. Is there still room for personal assistant Janey or rapper boyfriend Rockweiler? When everyone around her is feeding her lies, how does she work out the truth? Does her record producer know more than he’s letting on? What is her mother, the British Foreign Secretary’s involvement in the situation? And can Autumn put her faith in a forty-something Jamaican woman who handles an automatic weapon as expertly as she cooks?
Eluding kidnap and trying to stay alive, can Autumn find the strength to be the person she longs to be? And can two people, poles apart, forge something strong enough to survive anything?
Security is coming from Sapphire Star Publishing on 4 April 2013! If you can’t wait until then to find out more here is the teasing trailer!
And to up the fun a bit more, Mandy is offering a great competition right here, right now.
FIVE paperback copies of Mandy’s novel Strings Attached are up for grabs! All you have to do is collect the Bond films. On each of the websites featuring the Security cover reveal, there will be Bond film mentioned (NOT Skyfall).
Once you have all the titles, drop Mandy an email mandybaggot@sapphirestarpublishing.com and you will go into the draw for one of the books! Easy ~ you have until November 1st! Here are the website links you need:
Roll out the red carpet! Open the champagne! It’s time to enter the Hall of Fame!
Huge congratulations to my Sapphire Star Publishing sister and hugely talented author, Nancy S. Thompson, as she celebrates her first book birthday with the launch of The Mistaken!
Can I just say upfront that I absolutely adore the title of Nancy’s novel. It is so clever and intriguing, and perfectly perfect, and I’ve adored it ever since it was announced. Awesome!
Introducing: The Mistaken
Tyler Karras is an honest man, a transplanted Brit living the American dream, but his charmed life takes an unexpected turn when his brother, Nick, is coerced into joining ranks with San Francisco’s Russian mafia. Ty intervenes to secure Nick’s freedom, yet only succeeds in incurring their wrath. With no choice but to accept Nick’s new life, Ty returns to his own, but his dreams are dashed when his wife—pregnant with their first child—is killed, the victim of a reckless crime.
Despondent and bitter, Ty macerates his grief in alcohol. From the depths of the bottle screams a voice, howling for vengeance. His target is a stranger, the woman who drew his wife toward her death. He doesn’t know her, but he’ll find her, and when he does, he will make her pay, for a deal has been struck with Nick’s Russian associates, enslaving her into a life of sexual bondage. But as Ty moves forward in a cloud of alcohol, he mistakes the wrong woman for his intended victim, and now all his plans have gone straight to hell.
With his eyes made clear by the stark reality of his mistake, Ty is driven, compelled by remorse and a relentless sense of guilt to make amends and protect Hannah Maguire, the innocent woman whose life he has derailed. He vows to keep her safe and out of the Russians’ hands, but they’re holding Nick as leverage to force Ty to complete their deal. Once again, he must fight to free his brother, miring all three lives in further jeopardy. But Ty can’t do it all: save the girl, his brother and his own soul. One of them must make the ultimate sacrifice.
Nicky says: I am hooked. Tell me more…
Sit back and enjoy: Excerpt of The Mistaken!
Tyler dropped my hand and turned away from me, sitting straight along the edge of the sofa. With his elbows resting on his knees and his fingers steepled between his nose and upper lip, he struggled to find the right words. Unable to sit still, he stood and paced the floor.
“Hannah, I’ve explained that you—by proxy, of course—have a price on your head, that you’d been sold already. I’ve been trying to get you out of this deal, but these people Nick and I are mixed up with are reluctant to renegotiate. They’ve already received payment from their client and are just waiting for me to deliver you to them. I’ve explained to Nick’s boss, Alexi, that I’d made a mistake, that I had misidentified you, that I had the wrong girl.”
Ty shook his head and kept his eyes pinned to the floor.
“From the beginning, Alexi knew I was intending retribution against Erin, and since he would directly benefit from it, he was only too willing to accommodate me, but essentially, he doesn’t care about the reasoning behind the plan. All he cares about is that I owe him his, uh…merchandise. Merchandise he’s already sold and been paid for. He only cares about closing the deal. I told him I would repay the price his boss, Dmitri, had accepted, with interest, and he could refund the money to his client. But he’s not willing to do that. Nick said it’s not about the money for Dmitri, it’s about power. They can’t allow themselves to be screwed with, to look weak.”
He stopped pacing, stuffed his hands in his pockets, and stared out the window.
“I told Alexi I would never turn you over—an innocent girl—to be used that way. At this point, I couldn’t even do that to Erin.”
Tyler’s focus wavered and he choked up. He looked down at his feet and continued, his brow knitted tightly together.
“We argued over this point for some time without coming to an agreement, so Alexi felt… He felt it…necessary to secure some kind of…insurance policy—leverage, you might say—to compel me to complete the deal by our prearranged deadline.”
Tyler dropped his hands to his sides and tightened them into fists. He glanced over his shoulder and looked me in the eye.
“Hannah, Alexi has my brother, and he will kill him if I don’t comply.”
Nicky says: Fantastic! I can’t wait ~ I’ve got my Kindle copy right here and am dying to get reading. As no doubt you feel the same, dear friends and readers, here’s the vital info:
Nancy is an interior designer with her own business since 1997. A California transplant, she currently lives with her husband of 21 years near Seattle, WA. They have one son together, a college freshman at ArizonaStateUniversity. She was recently contracted as a freelance editor for Sapphire Star Publishing.
Visit Nancy’s blog, follow, and leave a comment during her book tour between October 18th & November 1st for a chance to win an ARC of The Mistaken. Plus, 5 runner-up winners will each receive an ebook copy.
Last but not least ~ Praise for TheMistaken and a fabulous trailer
“A deliciously slow burn that builds to a ferocious crescendo, Nancy S. Thompson’s THE MISTAKEN kept me riveted until the very last page. Tyler Karras is a complex and flawed protagonist, and his redemptive journey makes him the perfect anti-hero. This psychological suspense is a standout, and I can’t wait for Thompson’s next book.” ~ Jennifer Hillier, author of CREEP and FREAK
“Nancy S. Thompson’s debut novel, The Mistaken, is a first-rate thriller full of hair-raising twists and turns. Pursued by the police and the Russian mafia in San Francisco, brothers Tyler and Nick Karras are fascinating, fully-drawn, desperate characters. The action is non-stop. Thompson’s taut, intriguing tale of revenge, mistaken identity, kidnapping and murder will keep you enthralled and entertained.” ~Kevin O’Brien, New York Times Bestselling Author of DISTURBED and TERRIFIED
“Fast-paced and emotionally gripping – once the ride begins, you won’t stop reading until it ends.” ~Alex J. Cavanaugh, author of CASSAFIRE and CASSASTAR
Huge congratulations on your launch day, Nancy. Wishing you every success and a huge amount of sales!!! Rock on… 🙂
This is it! Give it up for the glorious cover of Sophie’s Run
Part 2 in the Rock Star Romance Trilogy
Coming from Sapphire Star Publishing on 7 February 2013.
Ready?
Wow. I am in love. A huge Thank You goes to Amy Lichtenhan and Chad Lichtenhan for their patience, good humour, great ideas and endless cheer as I changed my mind time and time again. You see, I had various conflicting visions for this cover and Amy patiently looked at all of them, gently but firmly guiding me onto the right path. And Chad is a hero for making all the little tweaks and changes that I kept heaping upon him. I’ve said it before but I’ll say it again, the team over at Sapphire Star Publishingtotally rocks.
Thank you for this amazing cover!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sophie’s Run
Her famous star remains her rock while life takes her on a little detour…
Who says that the road toward true love is straight and even? Sophie is certainly discovering that it is anything but.
So she has finally found the man of her dreams. Well…she knows who he is, even though she hasn’t actually quite met him yet. When she misses her opportunity, her life goes crazy. Rock star and ex-fiancé, Dan, keeps getting in the way of her new romance—even if he is just trying to be helpful. A fire, an impromptu mini-trip with Dan, and a dreaded wedding later, Sophie is still struggling to meet the love of her life. Just as she is getting it together with her perfect man, best friend Rachel commits an act of unspeakable betrayal. And to top it all, her new boyfriend leaves her lying in the mud.
Sophie has had enough. Confused and distraught, she decides that it is time for radical change. Surprising herself and shocking her friends, she embarks on a secret journey that eventually gets her life back on track.
Coming from Sapphire Star Publishing on 7 February 2013!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thank you very much to my lovely, amazing author and blogger friends who are taking part in my cover reveal today!
I’d like to dispense big hugs to:
Roll out the red carpet! Open the champagne! It’s time to enter the Hall of Fame!
Today, we’re partying in honour of my Sapphire Star Publishing sister, the one and only Dana Mason! Dana launches her debut novel, Dangerous Embrace today and I am really excited to be part of the launch day extravaganza.
Dana shares her road to publication…
When I started writing Dangerous Embrace, I had no idea it would lead me here. I didn’t even think I could get my best friend to read the story. Until Dangerous Embrace was sent out for editing, Amy and Katie from Sapphire Star Publishing were the only two people, besides myself, who had read the novel from beginning to end.
When Sapphire Star posted the Month of Romance contest on their website, I decided to take the leap and submit. It was my very first submission for Dangerous Embrace, and the novel wasn’t even finished. I was still in the process of revising and editing. Fortunately they didn’t require completed manuscripts for the contest.
I couldn’t believe it when on the morning of March 10, 2012, I received the email from Amy offering me a publishing contract. I remember getting out of bed in the wee early hours of the morning and creeping into my office to check my email. While I didn’t think I had a chance of getting a positive response, I still hoped.
The rest is history…
…indeed! In fact, this is where it all begins. HUGE congratulations on your launch day, Dana, I am so excited for you. This is a tremendous moment and I hope you’re having the best time… ever! Here’s an excerpt of your masterpiece, let’s take a look…
Dangerous Embrace: the excerpt
Sarah pried open her heavy eyelids and turned, trying to focus on the clock. “Ow, dammit!” She clenched her teeth and looked down at the sling tied to her arm. The smothering realization pressed on her chest. When the nausea hit, she flung the covers off and rushed to the bathroom, fighting to get to the toilet before her stomach heaved.
When the painful dry heaving stopped, she lay back on the cold tile floor, exhausted, and waited for the room to stop spinning. Her ragged breaths roared in her ears and seemed to echo in the quiet room. When her breathing slowed, the silence ebbed around her in waves, but when footsteps approached the bathroom door, she tensed again.
A bead of sweat dripped down her scalp and at the same time someone tapped at the door. Her pulse spiked and she fought like hell to remember who brought her home from the hospital.
She closed her eyes. “Who’s there?” The waver in her voice pissed her off. Gawd-please don’t let me be pathetic in front of whoever this is.
A hesitant and completely unfamiliar man’s voice said, “Are you all right? Do you need something?”
Sarah sucked in a hard breath. “Um…” She exhaled slowly. “Who are you?”
“Mark Summors.”
She stiffened and tried to sit up. “Do I know you?” she asked her voice pitching.
“I can explain if you open the door.”
She steadied herself against the bathtub. The sling had slipped up her arm, exposing the trail of bruises. She swallowed another wave of nausea and tried to put the pieces together. Mark Summors? She glanced around for something to use as a weapon just in case, then she wanted to laugh-and cry. Who the hell was she kidding? She rolled her eyes. Good plan, Sarah, take on a strange guy with a toilet brush.
“Can I come in?” His voice was muffled as if he was resting his face against the door.
“Go ahead.” She clamped her mouth closed to suppress a shiver, then said, “It’s unlocked.”
The door eased open and a cup of water shot out at her.
“Oh, thank you,” she cried out, relieved to wash the disgusting film out of her mouth. She snatched the cup out of his hand and gulped it, letting her eyes lift above the rim to see his face.
“Ah.” Sarah choked and inhaled the water. She set the cup down, almost upending it as she dropped it. “Oh my God!” She would never forget those intense blue eyes, just like she would never forget the smell of her attacker’s breath. They were all thrown together in the same horrifying memory.
Wow! You have totally got me hooked. I can’t wait to read the whole book, it’s all ready and waiting for me on my Kindle!
And for all of those out there duly intrigued, as me, you can get your very own copy of Dangerous Embrace on Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com.
Last thing… let’s hear about you, Dana Mason, the author! 🙂
About Dana Mason
Dana Mason started writing to prove to her computer geek husband and her math & science geek kids that she actually has a brain; it’s just a right functioning brain instead of a left. She’s lived all over the country and uses that experience in her writing and character studies. Her debut novel, Dangerous Embrace, is the first in a contemporary romance series about a group of friends from Northern California who learn just how short life can be when you don’t hold on to what’s important. Second chances don’t come easy…but sometimes love is worth the risk.
When not writing, Dana specializes in professional development and training. She’s also a board member on the local Art’s Council and does what she can to support the art community.
As an avid reader and movie watcher, she always requires a happily ever after ending.
Once again, words seem hardly adequate to convey what I wish to say to you all today, but a humble “Thank you” will have to do for the amazing party that was the launch of Sophie’s Turnright here on this blog yesterday.
Thank you to everyone who visited, commented, and partied along. You are amazing.
We had the launch party of all launch parties for Sophie’s Turn!
Everywhere I looked yesterday during the launch day celebrations, there were tweets flying around, comments posted on Facebooks, visitors to the first blogstops of my massive launch blogtour. You created a buzz that was tangible and audible all over the place and all the way down to my little office in this small village in Lincolnshire.
For that, I am truly grateful. This launch went on stage rocking and rolling and I personally will certainly never forget the day. All thanks to you. So stand up proud and take a bow for my roll call of honour!
An extra special thank you has to go to my special guests, the THE HUSH BAND. I was terribly excited when they announced they were coming to the party, ready to play a song. I was not prepared for the Twitter storm and Facebook fest that followed! Moreover, THE HUSH also supplied us with generous amounts of bubbly. A box of champagne to begin with, a special edition Coppola called Sofia, and then Bellinis, too. I am completely bowled over by your support. You seriously rock!
Post-Script
My head is somewhat heavy this morning, and my brain is not functioning terribly well. If, by any terrible happenstance, I have forgotten to thank you, please don’t take the omission personally; rest assured, I didn’t mean to! And please don’t sit there quietly in a sulk and a grumble: let me know, and I’ll fix the situation post haste. Promise!
Happy Reading of Sophie’s Turn! Did you enjoy the launch party?
Taking a deep breath. And another one. Trying to calm my nerves, contain the excitement that is threatening to spill over and engulf me.
Tomorrow is launch day for Sophie’s Turn.Tomorrow, I will party. And I’ll post a party piece with all the joys and thank yous and everything. But today, I’m sharing with you the itinerary for the promotion journey that Sophie, Dan, Sapphire Star Publishing and I will undertake with sixty-three outstanding bloggers and reviewers. Yes, you read that right. Sixty-three! Hence my question… are you ready?
How did this come about? I don’t rightly now. Sapphire Star Publishing organised a fabulous blog tour on my behalf with Reading Addiction Blog Tours. And I got in touch with the bloggers I had come to know and love from a previous release of Sophie’s Turn. The response has been overwhelming, the support is staggering and I am just totally over the moon. The result is the blog tour of all blog tours.
Don’t panic. I won’t be asking you to visit every stop. I won’t be asking you to tweet yourself to death (that’s my job, wish me luck). I won’t even stalk you with continuous updates, although hopefully you’ll see the odd tweet or three… 🙂 I’m simply posting the schedule here, in a safe, obvious space on my blog, so that if you DO want to stop by and say hello on any given day, you can find me. That’s all.
Lastly, I want to give due credit and say Thank You to all these amazing bloggers and fellow authors who are giving up their time and making space on their blogs to help me shout about Sophie’s Turn. I couldn’t do it without you. So without furhter ado, take a look at this schedule and stand in awe, as I do, at the amazing support for my baby.
See?
SOPHIE’S TURN:
THE LAUNCH TOUR 2012
Stops and features are subject to change. Links may not function until the date a post is scheduled. *Asterisked stops have been scheduled by Reading Addiction Blog Tours on behalf of Sapphire Star Publishing: Thank You!
Photos and images used on this blog stem from one of two sources. Either they are Nicky Wells' own images or photos, or photos and images supplied by, and used with permission of, the author(s) featured in a given post. Logos and blog award images are used with permission of the originating organisation(s). Occasionally, the blog will feature images used under a Creative Commons license, which will be clearly indicated and credited. Copying, sharing or distribution of these photos and images is not authorized unless prior written permission is given.
Copyright by Nicky Wells
Copyright of Nicky Wells, 2017. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of the material on this blog without express and written permission from Nicky Wells is strictly prohibited. Nicky Wells does not authorise any copying or distributing of any content of her blog except through the intended channels of sharing (Twitter, Facebook, Press This, etc.). Excerpts and links may be used if direct and full credit is given to Nicky Wells with a direct link to the original content. Nicky Wells reserves the right to delete any inappropriate or offensive comments.
