Showing posts with label Cottonbloom Novel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cottonbloom Novel. Show all posts

Tuesday, July 31, 2018

Aloha to Laura Trentham and SET THE NIGHT ON FIRE



From award winning author Laura Trentham comes SET THE NIGHT ON FIRE, a novel about starting over, finding your way back home—and falling head over heels. . .

Ella Boudreaux has a lot to prove to her family, friends, and foes—and to herself. So when her marriage ends she decides to invest her energy and money into a place that brings back some of Ella’s happiest memories: the Abbott brothers’ garage. Maybe, if she puts her mind to it, she can teach skeptical, stubborn Mack Abbott how to make the business a true success. Which would be a lot easier if the hunky mechanic didn’t make her motor run quite so fast…and hot.

Mack was furious when his brother, Ford, sold his share of the business. He’s in no rush to team up with a wealthy divorcĂ©e who shows up to the garage in stilettos—and the longest, sexiest legs he’s seen in forever. But Ella’s grit and determination won’t quit…and soon Mack can see that she’s been down a few rough roads herself. Neither Mack nor Ella can deny the fierce attraction that’s revving up between them. Could it be that true love has been in the backseat all along…and they’ve finally found the key?


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An award-winning author, Laura Trentham was born and raised in a small town in Tennessee. Although, she loved English and reading in high school, she was convinced an English degree equated to starvation. She chose the next most logical major—Chemical Engineering—and worked in a hard hat and steel toed boots for several years.

When not lost in a cozy Southern town or Regency England, she's shuttling kids to soccer, helping with homework, and avoiding the Mt. Everest-sized pile of laundry that is almost as big as the to-be-read pile of books on her nightstand. 


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Laura is hosting a giveaway at this link .... and offers an excerpt from SET THE NIGHT ON FIRE:

“How the—” Mack caught the curse in his hand. “You’re not a mechanic, Ms. Boudreaux.”

“Call me Ella.” At his stony stare, she shrugged and continued. “You don’t need another mechanic. You have plenty of mechanics. What you need is someone to market you.”

“And you know enough about cars to do that?” His skepticism hit her like a kid pulling her pigtails behind the monkey bars. Annoying.

She shouldn’t rise to the bait. Unfortunately, her mouth was less mature than her mind, and she reeled off facts her brother had recited with pride.

“That Datsun 240Z you were under? It’s a seventy-three with a 2.4-liter straight-six and side-draft carburetors. It can hit sixty in 8.2 seconds with 151 horsepower. Top speed is a hundred twenty-five miles per hour. Not that anyone should be driving that fast on parish roads.”

He looked . . . stunned. She confined herself to a small self-satisfied smile. She had a feeling nothing much surprised Mack Abbott, or if it did, he made sure the world didn’t realize it.

“How did you . . . How do you know all that?”

“That’s not important. What is important is that I can help you.”

“We don’t need help.” He shook his head and re-chinked the breaks in his wall of grump.

“Yes, you do.”

“No, we don’t.” The playground-level annoyance continued with his childish denials.

“Whatever.” She rolled her eyes, probably not helping to diffuse the situation.

“Name your price.”

“That’s not how this is going to work, Mack.”

“I say how things are run and done in this garage. Not you, Ms. Boudreaux.”

“I have a quarter stake and an equal voice.”

“Except, we handle things democratically around here and my brothers will have my back. Every. Single. Time.”

Dangit. He had her there. Pushing against Mack was like trying to move a mountain. She glanced at the twins. If she couldn’t move Mack, then she’d have to go around him. She wanted to stalk out and slam the door, but forced herself to mosey as if she wasn’t bothered at all by the situation or the man. He followed her to the door. She stopped with one foot out and one in. The breeze caught her hair, and she tossed her head to get it out of her eyes.

“You might vote me down, but at least give me a chance to be heard.”

“Name your price,” he repeated in a growly, grizzly voice that was meant to grind down her dissension.

Where she found the gumption she didn’t know, but she gave his cheek two pats and said, “You can’t afford me, tough guy.”

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Monday, August 1, 2016

Aloha to Laura Trentham and TILL I KISSED YOU (Cottonbloom Book 3) - Book Review

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Reminder - I have a special giveaway for August at this link.

It’s summertime in Cottonbloom, where two lovers find themselves at a crossroads just as things start to heat up. . . 
Regan Lovell grew up on the wealthy Mississippi side of Cottonbloom—and now, as mayor, she’s determined to save it from the fate of so many small towns. Part of her plan to help the local economy is the Labor Day tomato festival. If only she wasn’t being undermined by Sawyer Fournette, who’s planning a crayfish-themed celebration on the Louisiana side of the river on the very same weekend. The pranks and sabotage are getting out of hand, and she’s had it with him—no matter how much she enjoyed those stolen hours in his truck bed, so many years ago…

Sawyer knows that Regan's never forgiven him for breaking her heart—but despite his reputation as a low-class swamp rat, he’d never hurt the woman who still secretly drives him crazy with desire. Someone in Cottonbloom has it out for her, though, and Sawyer intends to watch her back…and the rest of her too, if she can ever let go of her distrust. But will a common enemy be enough to unite them—and finally fulfill the promises they made one passionate night under the stars?



End of summer tomatoes
Creative Commons (link)

And even as I wander
I'm keeping you in sight
You're a candle in the window
On a cold, dark winter's night
And I'm getting closer than I ever thought I might
- REO Speedwagon

TILL I KISSED YOU is a second chance romance in the Deep South. It hints of Romeo and Juliet when high school sweethearts find themselves on opposite sides of the river, promoting their own town's festival.  Once they discover someone is trying to sabotage their efforts, they unite as political allies - and lovers - to realize their dreams.

Trentham delivers a nostalgic look at how a high school sweethearts can mature into responsible adults, balancing their commitments to their families, communities, and ultimately each other.  Kudos to Trentham for giving Regan a backbone to stand up to an unexpected bully and pursue her own dreams.  I kept thinking of the REO Speedwagon's I CAN'T FIGHT THIS FEELING ANYMORE - a favorite tune from my college days - as Regan and Sawyer allowed themselves to love each other, no matter who interferes in their relationship. TILL I KISSED YOU kept my interest throughout the story - I did not want it to end. 

Note I read TILL I KISSED YOU without reading the first two books in the series.  Characters from previous books contribute to the plot but did not distract from the love story between Regan and Sawyer.  

Recommended read for fans of reunited lovers, Southern charm, and food festivals.

I received an ARC from the St. Martin's Press for an honest review.

Crawfish Festival

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

1. Leave a comments about tomatoes and/or crawfish - how do you like them?  I love fresh tomatoes with a little salt.  I also enjoy crawfish although it can be a lot of work to eat 'em!

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 Laura and her books at lauratrentham.com.

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Tuesday, June 28, 2016

Aloha to Laura Trentham and THEN HE KISSED ME (Cottonbloom Novel Book 2)

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Reminder: I have a special giveaway to celebrate June at this link.

Can two hearts come together in one divided town?

As a boy, Nash Hawthorne spent countless afternoons on the Louisiana side of Cottonbloom with Tally Fournette, wading in the river, peeling oranges and catching frogs. When illness stole his mother, Nash yearned to take Tally and run away—for good. Instead, he crossed the state line to live with his aunt. It was a short distance as the crow flies, but it swept him into a whole new world…

After Nash left, Tally managed to struggle through her own losses without him. But now that she’s crossed paths with him again—at Cottonbloom College, where the grown-up, gorgeous Nash teaches history—she is reminded of their cherished youthful connection…and an attraction that has only gotten stronger with age. Between Tally’s possessive ex and Nash’s snobbish aunt, no one thinks they belong together. In a town torn apart by old resentments and rivalries, can they find their way back to the life they once shared—and turn their long-lost dreams into a real and lasting love?


Laura Trentham

I was born and raised in a small town in Northwest Tennessee. Although, I loved English and reading in high school, I was convinced an English degree equated to starvation! So, I chose the next most logical major - Chemical Engineering- and worked in a hard hat and steel toed boots for several years. Now I live in South Carolina with my husband and two children. In between school and homework and soccer practices, I love to get lost in another world, whether its Regency England or small town Alabama.

KISS ME THAT WAY, Book 1 of the first trilogy, released May 31st and has been getting incredible reviews. It's my first paperback that's been widely available at bookstores and Walmarts around the country. It is very cool to see my book between two writing idols, Lisa Kleypas and Debbie Macomber! Book 2, THEN HE KISSED ME releases June 28th, and Book 3, TILL I KISSED YOU, is out Aug 2nd! This is your perfect binge-beach read!

Learn more about Laura and her books, including excepts, at lauratrentham.com.

Natchez–Vidalia Bridge over the Mississippi River
Released to Public Domain (link)

I read an ARC for TILL I KISSED YOU - loved it!  And you will love the Cottonbloom series!  I am giving away a book choice from my convention stash to one randomly selected commenter. To enter the giveaway,

1. Leave a comment about what you know about Mississippi, the Magnolia State, and/or Louisiana, the Pelican State.

2. Comments are open from Saturday, July 2, 10 pm in Baltimore.

3. I'll post the winner on Sunday, July 3.

Mahalo,

Kim in Baltimore
Aloha spirit in Charm City

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