Being Thankful - Sharing Romance with Walter Reed National Military Medical Center

During the RWA Annual Conference back in July, I attended several publishers' signings.  I asked the authors to sign books as "Thanks for your service."  I have donated these books (plus books from other conferences) to the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center to distribute to the staff, patients, and families. 

 Avon Romance

Berkley Romance

Forever Romance

Harlequin Romance

Kensington Romance

Pocket Books

St. Martin's Press 

Sourcebooks

Mahalo, authors and publishers, for your donations!

For November, I continue to giveaway RWA swag to four randomly selected winners from all the comments posted. Plus a bonus prize - a leather bookmark for each winner from one of Scotland's castles in honor of St. Andrew's Day on November 30.  To enter the giveaway,

1. Do you have any family or friends who are veterans? I know I have asked this question several times, but we can never thank them enough times. 

2. Comments are open through Thursday, November 30, 10 pm in Baltimore.

3. I'll post the winner on Friday, December 1.

Mahalo,

Kim in Baltimore

Aloha Spirit in Charm City

Aloha to KC Dyer and FINDING FRASER - Book Review

Sometimes searching for true love can be a little...Outlandish.

I met Jamie Fraser when I was nineteen years old. He was tall, red-headed, and at our first meeting at least, a virgin. I fell in love hard, fast and completely. He knew how to ride a horse, wield a sword and stitch a wound. He was, in fact, the perfect man.

That he was fictional hardly entered into it.

At 29, Emma Sheridan's life is a disaster and she's tired of waiting for the perfect boyfriend to step from the pages of her favorite book. There's only one place to look, and it means selling everything and leaving her world behind. With an unexpected collection of allies along the way, can Emma face down a naked fishmonger, a randy gnome, a perfidious thief, and even her own abdominal muscles on the journey to find her Fraser?

I'm William Wallace, and the rest of you will be spared. Go back to England and tell them ... Scotland is free! - William Wallace

Dear KC,

I met you at the Berkley signing during the RWA Annual Conference. You signed FINDING FRASER and commented that it is a romantic comedy.  You asked me to let you know how I liked the book.  

I liked the book.

Note that I have not read OUTLANDER (gasp!) but I adore Scotland. I have toured Alba twice and felt its spirit in Hawaii. Check out this post, Spam to Scotland, at this link. Hubby and I also enjoy the Scottish "pipes and drum" band Albannach at this link.  

FINDING FRASER is spot on with its vivid descriptions of the Scottish landscapes, the endearing soul of Alba's people, and the mystique of the standing stones dotting the countryside which become the portal for Claire to travel back in time in OUTLANDER.

I enjoyed following Emma's quest to find her own Jamie Fraser, especially the blog she created to share her adventures with an unknown public. As she travels by bus to Philadelphia, the hop across the pond, and then by bus to Nairn in the Highlands, Emma attracts an online following of fellow OUTLANDER fans, including readers in Japan.

However, Emma seems to fall into a personality trap - confident online but naive in reality. Although she clearly researched her travel itinerary to follow Claire in OUTLANDER, Emma tends to get off course, both emotionally and physically, when she encounters road bumps. Granted, a few of the road bumps were significant issues, but Emma never seemed to rise to the level of emotional maternity I would expect from six months on her own in Scotland. That being said, Emma cherished the Scots ... and learned to cherish herself.  

I also found some of Emma's adventures over the top ala Monty Python. But you clearly captured the wide appeal of OUTLANDER. You also gave readers a glimpse of Alba outside the burly men wearing kilts.  You gave Alba a heart.

I recommend FINDING FRASER to those who enjoy reading about Alba - past or present, fact or fiction.   

I am giving away a book choice from my convention stash. To enter the giveaway,

1. In FINDING FRASER, Emma is an expert barista - do you drink coffee?  How do you like it?  I don't drink coffee but I certainly enjoy hot chocolate from coffee shops.

2. Comments are open through Saturday, August 6, 10 pm in Baltimore.

3. I'll post the winner on Sunday, August 7.

Mahalo,

Kim in Baltimore

Aloha Spirit in Charm City

Learn more about KC Dyer and her books at kcdyer.com.

Aloha to Tracy Solheim and SLEEPING WITH THE ENEMY - Book Review

The author of Risky Game returns with a football team owner who’s a real player, and the woman who’s ready to call him out on everything...

Dot-com millionaire Jay McManus is discovering that owning a pro football team like the Baltimore Blaze isn’t easy. An anonymous blogger is out to destroy his reputation, and now his team is being sued by its own cheerleaders. If Jay’s not careful, he could lose big—and not just financially.

Bridgett Janik’s brother may play for the Baltimore Blaze, but she’s not thrilled to be defending Jay McManus, the man who broke her heart. It’s bad enough she has to mingle with Jay during games, but working beside her former lover may be too much for her body—and her heart—to resist.

Jay’s determined not to let Bridgett slip away from him a second time. But, as the two follow the mysterious blogger’s trail, secrets—both past and present—are revealed, and Jay and Bridgett must decide if their relationship can be something more than just sleeping with the enemy.

Pro Bowl at Aloha Stadium

If you want to make peace with your enemy, you have to work with your enemy. Then he becomes your partner. - Nelson Mandela

An honorable businessman.  A determined lawyer.  A troublesome blogger.  And football!  Tracy builds upon her successful franchise, the Out of Bounds series, with romance and drama on and off the field.  Jay and Bridget work together despite their painful estrangement only to realize the spark still exists between them.  They soon realize there is no "I" (or regrets) in team as they battle the blogger and realize their connection.

Thank you, Tracy, for this heartfelt second chance story mixed with football frenzy that we've been anticipating as summer winds down.  I especially appreciate how Tracy makes both characters vulnerable and therefore believable.  I also enjoyed the references to pop culture, including the trend hide behind online anonymity to create trouble in real life. The sizzling cover perfectly depicts the romance and passion in the story line.

Recommended read for fans of sports romance, strong female character, "good guy" hero, and second chances. 

I received an ARC from another blogger.

Local fans at the Pro Bowl

I am giving away a book choice from my convention stash to one randomly selected commenter.  To enter the giveaway,

1.  Do you have a favorite tailgate food - at the stadium or even at home?  Mine is loaded nachos!

2. Comments are open through Saturday, September 12, 10 pm in Baltimore.

3. I'll post the winner on Sunday, September 13.

Mahalo,

Kim in Baltimore

Aloha Spirit in Charm City

Learn more about Tracy and her books at tracysolheim.com.

Aloha to Jeanette Murray and BELOW THE BELT

There's more than one way to win in the debut of the First to Fight series…

Athletic trainer Marianne Cook is ready to do whatever it takes to turn the men of the Marine Corps boxing team into fighting machines. After all, her ultimate goal is to land a job training professional athletes. But when she notices a certain hard-bodied marine trying to hide an injury, Marianne realizes that she’ll have to use covert tactics to get him talking.

First Lieutenant Brad Costa has waited years for the chance to fight for a spot on the Marine Corps boxing team, knowing he has to push twice as hard to get half as far as his younger counterparts. Brad tries to downplay his injuries to the attractive trainer who has his dreams in her hands, but Marianne isn’t buying it. Maybe it’s time to deploy some targeted flattery.

As Brad and Marianne’s attraction turns red-hot, there’s more than one person having a hard time keeping their eyes on the prize…

Marines in my backyard ... at the Strawberry Festival

Jeanette lives just outside St. Louis with her husband, daughter and their lovable-but-stupid Goldendoodle. When she's not writing her next romance, she's found hanging out with the new friends she's made here, catching up with old friends from past duty stations on Facebook, or surfing Pinterest pretending she can cook. Catch up with her on Facebook or Twitter for contests, sneak peeks of what she's working on, and updates about her life in general.

jeanettemurray.com
Facebook.com/JeanetteMurrayBooks
@KJMurrayBooks 

I am giving away a print copy of BELOW THE BELT to one randomly selected commenter.  To enter the giveaway,

1.  Leave a comment about Marines ... do you have a favorite movie and/or TV show that features Marines?   I recently enjoyed A FEW GOOD MEN on Cable ... excellent cast with Tom Cruise and Demi Moore.

2.  Comments are open through Saturday, April 11, 10 pm in Baltimore.

3.  I'll post the winner on Sunday, April 12.

Mahalo,

Kim in Baltimore

Aloha Spirit in Charm City

 

Coming in October 2015