Happy 241st Birthday, United States Navy!

Stand Navy out to sea, fight our battle cry!
We'll never change our course so vicious foes steer shy-y-y-y!
Roll out the TNT, anchors aweigh!
Sail on to victory, and sink their bones to Davy Jones, hooray!

Anchors Aweigh, my boys, Anchors Aweigh!
Farewell to Foreign Shores, we sail at break of day-ay-ay-ay;
Through our last night ashore, drink to the foam,
Until we meet once more, here's wishing you a happy voyage home!

Blue of the mighty deep, Gold of God's great sun;
Let these our colors be, Till All of time be done-n-n-ne;
On seven seas we learn, Navy's stern call:
Faith, courage, service true, With honor over, honor over all.

Born from the Continental Navy during American Revolution, the US Navy celebrates its birthday this weekend by commissioning its newest ship, the USS Zumwalt, in Baltimore Harbor.  

I am giving away a box of books from authors connected to the Navy:

Diana Cosby, HIS CONQUEST
HelenKay Dimon, CORNERED

Anne Elizabeth, SEAL AT HEART

Kieran Kramer, SWEET TALK ME
Geri Krotow, NAVY JUSTICE

Cathy Maxwell, THE BRIDE SAYS NO

plus the WAY OF THE WARRIOR anthology with Suzanne Brockmann, ML Buchman, Lea Griffith, Catherine Mann, Kate Serine, Tina Wainscott, and Julie Ann Walker.

plus Navy swag!

To enter the giveaway,

1. Leave a comment about the US Navy - do you know any sailors?  Have you toured any ships? 

2. Due to shipping costs, this giveaway is open to US residents only.

3. Comments are open through Sunday, October 16, 10 pm in Baltimore. I'll post the winner on Sunday, October 17 here at SOS Aloha.

Mahalo,

Kim in Baltimore

Aloha Spirit in Charm City

Aloha to Kieran Kramer and SWEET TALK ME - Book Review

HE’S SURE GOT A WAY WITH WORDS…

The last person True Maybank expected to run into while picking up her wedding gown was country music superstar Harrison Gamble. Years ago, when they were small-town teens in Biscuit Creek, South Carolina, they shared a forbidden night of passion. Now that she’s about to settle down, True’s love affair with the handsome crooner is a thing of the past. Or is it? In Sweet Talk Me, from the moment he says hello, she has to fight swooning like an adoring fan.

CAN SHE RESIST HIS CHARMS?

Today he’s rich, famous, and on every woman’s hot list. But back in the day, Harrison wasn’t good enough for debutante True. Since then she’s had her fair share of marital prospects, including the perfect Southern gentleman she’s about to settle down with. Is Harrison the only one to realize the mistake True’s about to make? Can the society girl and the sexy singer make music together—this time around?

“Kieran Kramer’s smart, sassy storytelling charms readers because there is always poignancy mixed with passion, tenderness, and humor.” —RT Book Reviews

Sweet talk me into shave ice!

It is the sweet, simple things of life which are the real ones after all. - Laura Ingalls Wilder

Beloved historical romance author Kieran Kramer takes readers home to her Southern roots in her new contemporary novel, SWEET TALK ME.   Kramer delivers the sweet - a bride preparing for her wedding.   The talk - the bride's former flame is back in town.   And the me - a Hawaiian word for lap.  Will the bride lap up the wedding frenzy ... or lap up her first love's sweet affection?

Kramer brings Biscuit Creek alive with quirky characters, snappy dialogue, and the chance to recapture a lost love. Readers will cheer for True and Harrison while laughing along with the small Southern town that oozes charm.   Perfect read for a lazy summer day ... by the pool  ... on the beach ... with a tall glass of sweet Southern tea!  

Instead of biscuits, Hawaii offers green tea puffs!

I am giving away a print copy of SWEET TALK ME to one randomly selected commenter.  To enter the giveaway,

1.  Leave a comment about what you like sweet - tea? wine? kisses?

2.  Comments are open through Saturday, June 21, 10 pm in Baltimore.  I'll post the winner on Sunday, June 22.

Mahalo,

Kim in Baltimore

Aloha Spirit in Charm City

Learn more about Kieran and her books at kierankramerbooks.com.

Beignet - a sweet Southern treat!

Aloha to Kieran Kramer and SAY YES TO THE DUKE

I have a special place in my heart for Kieran Kramer.  I recall picking up one of her bookmarks at RWA 2011 in Orlando.  I sent her an email to praise the artwork and book title.  Kieran responded back, noting her connection to the Navy.   She has generously supported the SOS Military Tribute at the RT Booklovers' Conventions ... and she writes entertaining historicals!  

Today Kieran is my guest as part of the SAY YES TO THE DUKE blog tour ...

FIVE FUN FACTS ABOUT SAY YES TO THE DUKE

1) There’s a stove house in the story. It’s where the duke’s old servant cultivates orchids. Orchids were not a big cultural trend at the time—that came later, during the Victorian age. But there were definitely stove houses in England in which hobbyists attempted to grow them during the Regency period. It was a very difficult undertaking, attempting to create an environment in which the flowers could flourish. Many times, the orchid ventures failed.

2) There’s a mama dog and her puppies in this book. For accuracy’s sake, I had to find out exactly when puppy eyes open after birth. That was fun, looking into puppy development!

3) The setting is winter in a country setting. The snow kept everyone there for a while. I wanted to make sure my heroine couldn’t escape the uncomfortable circumstances she found herself in at the ducal manor. And I wanted her separated from her family and friends at home.

4) I took the inspiration for the heroine Janice from the character Jan Brady, the middle sister in The Brady Bunch TV series. Like Jan, Janice is also a middle sister, wedged between a stunning older sister and an adorable younger one. She’ll discover herself on her own terms in the story.

5) I found Luke’s inspiration in both Rhett Butler and Indiana Jones. I wanted a hero who had a sense of humor, who didn’t take himself very seriously, but who had a deep streak of romance in him.

About Kieran: 

Double Rita®-finalist and USA Today bestseller Kieran Kramer writes Regency historical romances and now contemporary romance for St. Martin’s Press. THE EARL IS MINE, the second in her House of Brady series, is her latest release. SAY YES TO THE DUKE premiers in August 2013. SWEET TALK ME, set in present-day South Carolina, comes out in March 2014. A former CIA employee, journalist, and English teacher, Kieran’s also a game show veteran, karaoke enthusiast, and general adventurer. She lives where she grew up--in the Lowcountry of South Carolina--with her Naval Reserve commander husband and their three children.

Links:

Author Site: www.kierankramerbooks.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/KieranKramer1
Twitter: www.twitter.com/kierankramer
Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/author/show/3452785.Kieran_Kramer
Pinterest: pinterest.com/kierankramer
Group blog of writer moms: peanutbutteronthekeyboard.wordpress.com 

CAN A SCANDALOUS BEGINNING ....

Janice Sherwood wants to marry for love, but she’s failed to make a match after two Seasons. Her parents, the Marquess and Marchioness of Brady, arrange to send her to the Duke of Halsey’s country estate as a short-term guest of his grandmother, the dowager, in hopes that she might win the duke’s affections. What they never could have imagined is that Janice would fall for the ruggedly handsome servant Luke, who lives in the stables and carries an air of mystery and temptation.

LEAD TO A FAIRY-TALE ENDING?

When Luke Callahan learns that he is the legitimate heir to a dukedom, he will stop at nothing to claim what is his. But first, he must begin a game of disguise to secure his rightful inheritance. Janice isn’t part of his plan. But by engaging her in this dance of deception, might he lose her forever? 

Raves and Reviews for SAY YES TO THE DUKE 

“Kramer’s gift is her innate ability to tell a story with unerring honesty, deep emotion and humor. Readers will laugh, cry and deeply sigh from beginning to end of this beautifully told, enchanting love story.” —4 1/2 stars RT Book Reviews Top Pick!

“The third book in Kramer’s “House of Brady” series offers everything this author’s fans have come to expect including a sinfully sexy romance between two perfectly matched protagonists, a richly amusing cast of unconventional secondary characters, and a lively plot that doesn’t take itself too seriously.” —Booklist

Buy Links:

Amazon: link

B&N: link

Indiebound: link

Book Depository: link

Books-A-Million: link

SAY YES TO THE DUKE Excerpt: link

More about the book: link

Giveaway:

Kieran is giving away the following to one(1) lucky reader (US only)

● A Harlequin tote bag
● A Heroes and Heartbreakers tote bag
● THE EARL IS MINE by Kieran Kramer
● MIDNIGHT SPECIAL and COMING ON STRONG, (two novels in one) by Tawny Weber
● DANGEROUS REFUGE by Elizabeth Lowell (hardcover)
● THE MARRIAGE MERGER by Jennifer Probst
● IT HAD TO BE YOU by Jill Shalvis
● LYON'S BRIDE by Cathy Maxwell
● DON'T CRY FOR ME by Sharon Sala
● THE LAST VICTIM by Karen Robards
● WHAT THE DUKE DESIRES by Sabrina Jeffries
● THE ARRANGEMENT by Mary Balogh 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

  

 Tour Dates:

August 19- Romancing Rakes For The Love of Romance romancingrakes4theluvofromance.blogspot.com August 20- The Romance Dish www.theromancedish.com August 21- Ramblings From This Chick ramblingsfromthischick.blogspot.com August 22- Romance Writer’s Revenge www.romancewritersrevenge.com August 23- Jaunty Quills jauntyquills.com

August 26- Get Lost In A Story getlostinastory.blogspot.com August 27- Herding Cats and Burning Soup www.herdingcats-burningsoup.com August 28- Cocktails and Books www.cocktailsandbooks.com August 29- SOS Aloha sosaloha.blogspot.com August 30- Urban Girl Reader www.urbangirlreader.com

Mahalo,

Kim in Baltimore

Aloha Spirit in Charm City

Kieran (right) with Cathy Maxwell at the SOS Military Mixer
RT 2012 in Chicago

Trooping the Colours with the Regency Rockstars!

regencyrockstars.com

The Diamond Jubilee is first of the trifecta of celebrations in London this summer. The second is the annual Trooping the Colours.  From the Trooping The Colour (at this link),

The custom of Trooping the Colour dates back to the time of Charles II in the 17th. Century when the Colours of a regiment were used as a rallying point in battle and were therefore trooped in front of the soldiers every day to make sure that every man could recognise those of his own regiment. In London, the Foot Guards used to do this as part of their daily Guard Mounting on Horse Guards and the ceremonial of the modern Trooping the Colour parade is along similar lines. 

To celebrate the Trooping the Colours, let's play eight degrees of separation with the Regency Rockstars - Vicky Dreiling and Kieran Kramer:

1. Trooping the Colours dates back to Charles II.

2. Charles II rebuilt Windsor Castle during the Restoration, creating the Baroque interiors that are admired today.

3. From Vicky's website bio, "Triple RITA® finalist Vicky Dreiling is a confirmed historical romance junkie and Anglophile ... She is, however, truly sorry for accidentally setting off a security alarm in Windsor Castle."

4. From Kieran's website bio, "Double Rita®-finalist and USA Today bestseller Kieran Kramer is the author of the lighthearted Regency historical romance ... a former CIA employee ... and game show veteran."

FAMILY FEUD with Loni Anderson and Frank Bonner
from WKRP IN CINCINNATI

5. My favorite game show is Family Feud.

6. Family feuds erupted in the House of Hanover - the Prince of Wales' extravagant lifestyle placed him at odds with his father, George III, his wife, Caroline of Brunswick, and even Parliament.

7. The Prince became the Regent and gave his name to an era that was plagued by Napoleon.  Ultimately, honor, courage, and the stiff upper lip defeated him.  With the Little General exiled, British architecture, literature, fashion, and culture thrived.

8. The Regency Rockstars - Vicky and Kieran - incorporate all that we love about the Regency Era into their passionate romances.

To learn more about the Regency Rockstars, check out their website at www.regencyrockstars.com.  In honor of the the Trooping the Colours, I am giving away a special treat - winner's choice of an autographed book from Vicky or Kieran.  I will see both during RWA's Literacy Signing on July 25 in Anaheim!  To enter the giveaway,

- Leave a comment about the Regency:  what attracts you to it?   

- This giveaway is open to all readers.

- Comments are open through Saturday, June 23, 10 pm in Hawaii.  I'll post the winner on Sunday, June 24.

Mahalo,

Kim in Hawaii