Military Appreciation - Winners

We have winners from May is National Military Appreciation Week:

Five winners, for each branch of service, receive a book choice from my convention stash

- Linda M., Karen C., Mary K., Catslady, and LSUReader 

Grand prize winner receives a box of books and swag from the authors who supported the SOS America Military Tribute

- Debby G 

Melissa Cutler's GAME CHANGER
- Jane and Danielle D. wins a copy from Melissa

Jessica James' MEANT TO BE: Video Trailer 

- Cathy P. wins a book choice from my convention stash

Ella Quinn's A KISS FOR LADY MARY

- Barbara E. wins a book choice from my convention stash.

Winners, please claim your prize by sending your mailing address to sos.aloha@yahoo.com.  

Mahalo,

Kim in Baltimore

Aloha Spirit in Charm City

May is National Military Appreciation Month - Aloha to Julie Ann Walker

Julie Ann Walker co-hosted The Way of the Warrior table at the SOS America Military Tribute.  She also contributed to THE WAY OF THE WARRIOR anthology in support of the Wounded Warrior Project. From her bio,

Julie Ann Walker is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of award-winning romantic suspense. She has won the Book Buyers Best Award, been nominated for the National Readers Choice Award, the Australian Romance Reader Awards, and the Romance Writers of America's prestigious RITA award. Her latest release was named a Top Ten Romance of 2014 by Booklist. Her books have been described as "alpha, edgy, and downright hot." Most days you can find her on her bicycle along the lake shore in Chicago or blasting away at her keyboard, trying to wrangle her capricious imagination into submission.

Learn more about Julie and her books at julieannwalker.com.

Julie welcomes a new series on July 7 with HELL OR HIGH WATER:

In a world on the brink...

Six men. One sunken Spanish galleon. Millions in gold and silver coins lying on the ocean floor. And a past that refuses to let the guys of Deep Six Salvage forget the Navy SEAL motto: the only easy day was yesterday...

There's more than one kind of treasure...

The nation's security has always been CIA agent Olivia Mortier's top priority. But a mission-gone-wrong has begun to make her wonder if there's more to life than risking hers.

And more than one secret at the bottom of the sea...

Only two things could make Leo Anderson abandon his hunt for the legendary lost ship, La Santa Christina, and return to the world of weapons and warfare he swore to leave behind: a capsule of enriched uranium, lost on the ocean floor, and a plea for assistance from the one woman he can't seem to forget...

Verbeeck's painting of a Spanish galleon (left) 

firing on a Dutch warship (right)

Public Domain (link)

Mahalo, Julie, for writing military heroes and supporting military families!  May is National Military Appreciation Month. For the month of May, I am giving away one grand prize of books and swag from the authors featured this month (link).  Plus five more commenters - one for each branch of service - wins a book choice from my convention stash. To enter the giveaway,

1.  Let's chat about Chicago - have you visited the Windy City? I have only visited the outskirts for RT/12 ... but I would like to explore Chicago's Navy Pier.  

2. Comments are open through Sunday, May 31, 10 pm in Baltimore.

3. I'll post the winners on Monday, June 1.

Mahalo,

Kim in Baltimore
Aloha Spirit in Charm City

Navy Pier - Public Domain (link) 

May is National Military Appreciation Month - Aloha to Lea Griffith

Lea Griffith co-hosted the Way of the Warrior table at the SOS America Military Tribute.  From her bio,

Lea Griffith began sneaking to read her mother’s romance novels at a very young age. She cut her teeth on the greats: McNaught, Woodiwiss and Garwood. As she got older, her need to devour all genres of romance–including contemporary, paranormal and sci/fi–grew. Any romance novels she couldn’t buy were borrowed or traded in her quest to read about that elemental emotion that keeps us strong: love. She still has most of those books; dog-eared, their pages yellowed with age, they still bring her joy.

Lea lives with her husband and three teenage daughters in rural Georgia and she writes her own stories now. With two dogs, a cat and a beta fish named Coddy George, there is never a dull moment. When she’s not working her day job you can usually find Lea at her keyboard, using every spare second to write. Shifters, artificial intelligence, and gene splicing, oh my! Nothing is off-limits when it comes to her writing.

You can visit Lea via:
Facebook Profile
Facebook page
Twitter
Pinterest
Tumblr
Goodreads

Hawaiian Warrior at Turtle Bay on the North Shore

Lea contributed to the Way of the Warrior anthology:

Eight passionate love stories about amazing military heroes by bestselling authors:  Suzanne Brockmann, Julie Ann Walker, Catherine Mann, Tina Wainscott, Anne Elizabeth, M.L. Buchman, Kate SeRine, Lea Griffith

To honor and empower those who've served, all author and publisher proceeds go to the Wounded Warrior Project.

The Wounded Warrior Project was founded in 2002 and provides a wide range of programs and services to veterans and service members who have survived physical or mental injury during their brave service to our nation. Get involved or register for programs and benefits for yourself and your family online at woundedwarriorproject.org.

"It is a proud privilege to be a soldier." —George S. Patton Jr.
"We sleep safely at night because rough men stand ready to visit violence on those who would harm us." —Winston Churchill

Oahu warrior reaches for the stars ...

Mahalo, Lea, for supporting military personnel and their families!  May is National Military Appreciation Month. For the month of May, I am giving away one grand prize of books and swag from the authors featured this month (link). Plus five more commenters - one for each branch of service - wins a book choice from my convention stash. To enter the giveaway,

1. Leave a comment about the oldest romance book you have on your keeper shelf - mine is Johanna Lindsay's UNTIL FOREVER from 1995.

2. Comments are open through Sunday, May 31, 10 pm in Baltimore.

3. I'll post the winners on Monday, June 1.

Mahalo,

Kim in Baltimore
Aloha Spirit in Charm City

May is National Military Appreciation Month - Aloha to Angel Payne

Breaking News!  I am now posting pictures from the RT Booklovers' Convention on my travel blog, Aloha On My Mind, at this link. 

Angel Payne is amazing.  She has boundless energy to chat with readers and appreciate the military.  Angel hosted the Joint Base Lewis McChord table in honor of  her WILD Boys of Special Forces series.  From her bio,

Bestselling romance author Angel Payne has been reading and writing her entire life, though her love for romances began in junior high, when writing with friends on “swap stories” they’d trade between classes. Needless to say, those stories involved lots of angst, groping, drama, and French kissing.

She began getting a paycheck for her writing in her twenties, writing record reviews for a Beverly Hills-based dance music magazine. Some years, various entertainment industry gigs, and a number of years in the hospitality industry later, Angel returned to the thing she loves the most: creating character-based romantic fiction. Along the way, she also graduated with two degrees from Chapman University in Southern California, taking departmental honors for English, before writing five historical romances for Kensington and Bantam/Doubleday/Dell.

Angel found a true home in writing contemporary-based romances that feature high heat and high concepts, focusing on memorable alpha men and the women who tame them. She has numerous book series to her credit, including the Kinky Truth series, the Secrets of Stone series (with Victoria Blue), and the popular W.I.L.D. Boys of Special Forces series, as well as several stand-alone titles. The Cimarron series and the Once Upon a Sin series both launch in 2015.

Angel still lives in Southern California, where she is married to her soul mate and lives on a street that looks like Brigadoon, with their awesome daughter and Lady Claire, the dog with impeccable manners. When not writing, she enjoys reading, pop culture, alt rock, cute shoes, and hanging at the beach with family and friends.

Angel is ready to celebrate the release of A WILDER KIND OF LOVE, Book 7 in her WILD Boys of Special Forces, available June 16, 2015, which happens to be Flag Day:

The WILD Boys are back! USA Today Bestseller Angel Payne continues the hotter-than-hot series with this A scarred hero... 

Dan Colton was once the CIA's golden boy, a get-things-done cowboy who believed forgiveness was better to ask for than permission. But performing the devil's work was always easy with his angel's face, a damn good asset to have whether he was charming agency superiors...or training submissives in his darkest dungeon role plays.

Until his face was taken away.

An act of ultimate bravery spit Colton back out as a bitter, half-burned shell of the person he used to be, unsure of how to relate to the world without his physical calling card. His only condolence is dreaming of revenge on the bastard responsible for the fire that disfigured him, but when even that plan backfires, he is a beast without any prey--tormented by a beauty he cannot touch.

A willing submissive...

Tess Lesange, known around the CIA's Vegas office as "The Laser", has only one Achilles heel--in the form of the brooding agent who once wouldn't give her the time of day. Since Dan Colton's accident, they've become friends, even trusting each other with some of their kinkier secrets. What are friends for, right?

May is National Military Appreciation Month. For the month of May, I am giving away one grand prize of books and swag from the authors featured this month (link). Plus five more commenters - one for each branch of service - wins a book choice from my convention stash. To enter the giveaway,

1. Let's chat about cute shoes ... which are your favorite?  I used to love shoes ... then I moved to Hawaii.  So my favorite shoes now are slippahs.

2. Comments are open through Sunday, May 31, 10 pm in Baltimore.

3. I'll post the winner on Monday, June 1.

Mahalo,

Kim in Baltimore
Aloha Spirit in Charm City

Learn more about Angel and her books at angelpayne.com.

May is National Military Appreciation Month - Aloha to Siera London

The SOS America Military Tribute featured authors connected to the military, including debut author Siera London.  From her bio,

Contemporary romance and women's fiction is my therapy of choice. I served 22 years in the United States Navy as a registered nurse before I decided to focus on my writing career. It's never too late, to follow your heart's desire.

I live in the Washington DC area with my husband and a color patch tabby kitten named Frie. I am a pet lover at heart. I would gladly welcome more furry friends into the household; however, I had to guilt my husband into the kitten. As a native Floridian, the DC weather makes me long for the sun rays on my face most days.

When I'm not writing, I love getting lost between the pages of a great book. I get a thrill searching through recipe books with my sister in-law. I enjoy cooking huge meals to share with friends and family. I would like to think I'm a pretty good cook since folks keep showing up at the front door to eat my food.

When I can whisk my husband away from his job we enjoy warm, sunny places anywhere in the world. We have plans to visit Peru this summer!

Siera is still basking in the glow of her debut novel, CHASING AVA:

She’s chasing her dream.
He’s chasing the woman of his dreams.
Together they're Chasing Ava.

Ava Walters is a pediatric nurse who doesn’t do relationships. An abusive past has left her wounded, but determined to pursue her dream of becoming as a Navy Nurse. Ava is in the midst of rebuilding her life, when she is targeted by a sexual harasser who wields the power to destroy her dream before it sets sail.

Logan Masters, is an ambitious specialty surgeon whose past is riddled with betrayal. His trust in women is conditional- no secrets and no boundaries. When he comes to Ava’s rescue, there is no denying the spark of attraction. Things get complicated when Logan pursues Ava, rather than the arranged relationship that holds his business alliance together.

After years of being alone Ava starts to believe that love is possible under Logan’s skillful touch. But Ava is harboring a secret she doesn’t want exposed. Determined to guard her heart, Ava soon discovers Logan is as focused on winning her heart as she is at shielding it away.

When secrets and broken alliances threaten to torpedo both their futures, how will they chart a course to lasting love?

Navy Nurses in  San Diego

Public Domain (link)

May is National Military Appreciation Month. For the month of May, I am giving away one grand prize of books and swag from the authors featured this month (link). Plus five more commenters - one for each branch of service - wins a book choice from my convention stash. To enter the giveaway,

1. Do you have a recipe book?  I have two cookbooks from my roommates and fellow Lieutenants from my first assignment.

2. Comments are open through Sunday, May 31, 10 pm in Baltimore.

3. I'll post the winner on Monday, June 1.

Mahalo,

Kim in Baltimore
Aloha Spirit in Charm City

Learn more about sieralondon.com.

Navy nurses aboard the USS Solace in the Pacific, 1945

Public Domain (link)

May is National Military Appreciation Month - Aloha to Sabrina Jeffries

Sabrina Jeffries is hosting the  "U-Tapao" table for the SOS America Military Tribute at the Booklovers Convention.   Tickets are still available at this link.   Sabrina's table is named for the Thai Air Base where her missionary family interacted with American serviceman deployed to support Operation Cobra Gold.  From Sabrina's bio,

Raised amidst the rubber plantations in Thailand by missionary parents, Sabrina Jeffries has earned numerous placements on the New York Times and USA Today lists with Regency historicals that readers savor for her trademark sexy blend of witty dialogue and enterprising characters. It’s no accident she has been dubbed “The Queen of the Sexy Regency Romance.”

About that plantation business—living in the boonies of Thailand afforded Sabrina endless hours to read Jane Austen novels and other classics voraciously. Not surprisingly, back in the States, she went on to earn a doctorate in English literature from Tulane University—and a craving for Cajun food.

While Sabrina treks through remote locales in the name of research and rubs elbows in the big cities with other industry professionals, she says her favorite destination is home. She lives in Cary, North Carolina, with her two best guys—husband, Rene, and adult son, Nick, who has inspired her to actively champion the cause of autistic children.

B52 on approach to U-Tapao in October 1972

Public Domain (link)

Sabrina is looking forward to her new series, Sinful Suitors, and Book 1, THE ART OF SINNING, available July 21, from Pocket Books:

American artist Jeremy Keane refuses to return home and take over his father’s business. He’d much rather sample bevvies of beauties abroad, in search of a model for the provocative masterpiece he’s driven to paint. When he meets Lady Yvette Barlow at a London wedding, he realizes she’s perfect for his work—and determines to capture the young heiress’s defiant spirit and breathtaking sensuality on canvas.

No stranger to scandal, Yvette agrees to be Keane’s subject—in exchange for his help gaining entry to the city’s brothels he knows intimately, so she can track a missing woman and solve a family mystery. But when their practical partnership leads to lessons in the art of sinning, can they find a bold and lasting love?

Mahalo, Sabrina, for supporting military personnel in Thailand back then .. and saluting military families now!   May is National Military Appreciation Month. For the month of May, I am giving away one grand prize of books and swag from the authors featured this month (link). Plus five more commenters - one for each branch of service - wins a book choice from my convention stash. To enter the giveaway,

1.  I'm not surprised Sabrina enjoys Cajun food, considering she grew up in Thailand - both cuisines are spicy.  Do you like spicy food?  I enjoy Shrimp Étouffée and Pad Thai.

2. Comments are open through Sunday, May 31, 10 pm in Baltimore.

3. I'll post the winner on Monday, June 1.

Mahalo,

Kim in Baltimore
Aloha Spirit in Charm City

Learn more about Sabrina and her books at sabrinajeffries.com.

May is National Military Appreciation Month - Aloha to Elle James

Elle James is one of the original sponsors of the SOS America Military Tribute each year at the RT Booklovers Convention. Tickets are still available for this year's event at this link. From her bio,

Elle was born on Fairchild Air Force Base, Spokane, Washington to parents who taught her the value of hard work. She grew up as a military brat moving from place to place, alas, only stateside in lovely places like Glasgow, Montana, Abilene, Texas and various places in California and Washington. Elle got her creative streak from her talented artist mother, her tenacity from her wonderful father and her inspiration from her writing buddy and delightful sister, Delilah Devlin.

As a former member of the Army and Air Force Reserves, Elle's traveled across the United States and to Germany, managed a full-time job, and raised three wonderful children, Courtney, Adam and Megan. She and her husband, Cleve, have even tried raising exotic birds in the Texas Hill Country. Ask her and she'll tell you what it's like to go toe-to-toe with an angry 350-pound bird!

Mahalo, Elle, for your service!  Elle has been busy at the keyboard, including SEAL'S SEDUCTION:

Home on emergency leave, Navy SEAL Dusty Ford didn't expect to run into his high school sweetheart, local news reporter Jenna Turner, figuring she'd have shaken off the dust of their hometown a long time ago. A woman as addicted to action and adventure as he was, he thought she'd have moved on. But she was still there, and every bit as distracting as she'd been when they were teens.

Jenna Turner never got over Dusty, but moved on with her life, establishing herself as a news reporter for the local station. In an effort to take on more than reporting social events and weddings, with the help of a cousin and an inside connection on the police force, she chases the hotter news items, determined to make her break into the national news scene.

Now that he's older and wiser and his father is on the mend, Dusty tests the heat with his old flame and finds it's sizzling. When Jenna is caught in the crossfire and taken hostage during an ATF raid, Dusty and his brothers stage a rescue operation to bring her and others out alive.

May is National Military Appreciation Month. For the month of May, I am giving away one grand prize of books and swag from the authors featured this month (link). Plus five more commenters - one for each branch of service - wins a book choice from my convention stash. To enter the giveaway,

1. Let's chat about birds ... do you have a favorite?  I miss the wide variety of birds from Hawaii, including the Oahu Amakih. 

2. Comments are open through Sunday, May 31, 10 pm in Baltimore.

3. I'll post the winner on Monday, June 1.

Mahalo,

Kim in Baltimore
Aloha Spirit in Charm City

Learn more about Elle and her books at ellejames.com.

Also new releases from Elle ...

May is National Military Appreciation Month - Aloha to Elizabeth Boyle

I invited Elizabeth Boyle to serve as a table hostess for the SOS America Military Tribute on May 14, 2015, in Dallas (link).   From her bio,

According to her family, Elizabeth Boyle has always been a storyteller. That is if you count the far-fetched tales she used to make up about her imaginary cow, John Clapper, or the fictitious accounts she’d conjure as to who exactly broke the cookie jar. So it was no surprise to them when Elizabeth’s first novel, Brazen Angel arrived on the scene with a great splash, snagging the Dell Diamond Debut Award (snapshot of the winning moment at left) and went on to win the Romance Writers of America RITA for Best First Book.

In addition to writing, Elizabeth loves gardening, knitting, reading, traveling, exploring tea shops and trying to find low-fat recipes that taste like something her grandmothers would have made. When not writing, Elizabeth chases after her two active sons, or as she likes to call them, her “heroes-in-training.” She lives in Seattle with her husband Terry, and considers her hectic life the best slice of heaven one could ever wish for.

I invited Elizabeth based on the acknowledgement in her latest release, THE VISCOUNT WHO LIVED DOWN THE LANE:

To the Skyway VFW Post 9530 and to Chad Hassesberoek.  For all your kindness and dedication to the special needs Boy Scout Troop 419.  They are blessed to have your example and leadership in their lives.  For your generosity of time and sponsorship, as well as the brave service you have given to our country, I thank you.

I was touched by Elizabeth's words ... and reminded that military families continue to serve long after they hang up their dog tags.  THE VISCOUNT WHO LIVED DOWN THE LANE features a Regency hero with PTSD.  It is the best book I have read this year - link to my review:

She has no desire for love...

As she arrives in Mayfair, Louisa Tempest is horrified when her incorrigible cat bolts from the carriage and dashes into a neighbor's house, where she comes face-to-face with the reclusive Viscount Wakefield. But even more dismaying than his foul temper is the disarray in which she finds his home. Convinced his demeanor would improve if his household were in order, Louisa resolves to put everything to rights.

...until she meets the viscount who lives down the lane.

Much to his chagrin, Wakefield finds it impossible to keep the meddling Louisa out of his home, invading his daily life with her "improvements," and his nights with the tempting desires she sparks inside him. Wounded in the war, he's scorned society ever since his return . . . until Louisa opens the door to his heart and convinces him to give love a second chance.

Congratulations to Elizabeth - THE VISCOUNT WHO LIVED DOWN THE LANE will receive the RT Bookreviews Reviewer's Choice Award for Love & Laughter Historical Romance in Dallas. 

I am excited for Elizabeth's next release, MAD ABOUT THE MAJOR, available June 2 from Avon Impulse:  

The pampered daughter of a duke…

Lady Arabella Tremont has spent her entire life protected and overshadowed by her restrictive father. But she is a Tremont, after all, and the morning after she is nearly ruined at a ball by a handsome stranger, Arabella’s father demands she make an arranged match with the heir to a dukedom. In desperation, Arabella takes matters into her own hands.

Takes a London holiday with the most unsuitable of chaperones…

Major Kingsley is in London to avoid his parents’ dreadful house party. To his surprise he runs into the enticing—and unforgettable—minx he met at a ball the previous night. Arabella, or Birdie, as he knows her, insists he owes her three favors—for he’s put her in a terrible pinch. Kingsley agrees, if only to delay his trip home and because the notion of spending the day with this enchanting bit of muslin is too tempting to resist. But all too quickly he discovers Arabella’s requests are hardly what he expected…

Mahalo, Elizabeth, for your support of military families!  

Sailor in period uniform from
USS Constitution - Old Ironsides

For the month of May, I am giving away one grand prize with books and swag from the authors featured this month (link). Plus five more commenters - one for each branch of service - wins a book choice from my convention stash. To enter the giveaway,

1.  What makes you laugh?

2.  Comments are open through Sunday, May 31, 10 pm in Baltimore.

3.  I'll post the winner on Monday, June 1.

Mahalo,

Kim in Baltimore

Aloha Spirit in Charm City

Learn more about Elizabeth Boyle and her books at elizabethboyle.com.

Also check out my interview on her website at this link.

May is National Military Appreciation Month - Aloha to Leah Marie Brown and FAKING IT

In 1999, Congress designated May as National Military Appreciation Month to recognize the service and sacrifice of those in uniform.  I have dedicated May to spotlighting authors connected to the military.  Today we welcome Air Force veteran and Kensington author Leah Marie Brown.  From her bio,

I am an American writer with a penchant for Paris and all things pink!

Before writing novels, I worked as a print journalist for a Pulitzer prize winning newspaper and served in the United States Air Force as a Radio and Television Broadcaster.

An avid traveler, I have had adventures and mishaps from London to Tokyo, which I write about on my blog, On Life, Love & Accidental Adventures, and in my contemporary romantic series, The It Girls.

I was once a collector of truly useless bric-a-brac and cheesy tee-shirts. My cheesiest? A tee with a cartoon Jesus riding a surf board and the words, "And on the eighth day, Jesus went surfing in Greece."

Today, I prefer to gather friendships and memories as travel souvenirs. 

Kim:  Thank you for your service in the USAF! What did you learn from active duty that you can apply to your writing career?

LMB:  Wow! That's a good question. I learned a lot of during my tour in the United States Air Force, like the true meaning of sacrifice, patriotism, and respect. I also learned:

If you slip the base tailor twenty bucks, she will nip your Blues in at the waist a little to give you something resembling a female figure.  Singing I'm Henry the Eighth, I Am to yourself in a Cockney accent while standing in formation might not keep you from passing out, but helps makes the time pass quicker.

In a pinch, two packs of the earplugs issued on Space A flights can be fashioned into a temporary cork for a half-consumed bottle of champagne.  Birth Control Glasses are not an effective means of contraception.  Those might seem like ridiculous lessons, but it's really about finding the humor in any situation. Having a sense of humor has been vitally important in my writing career - to keep me buoyed during the difficult times and to help me savor the good times. Have a good sense of humor is important in developing resilience, and resilience is a necessary characteristic for being a writer.

Kim:  Paris, London, and Tokyo - you are a travel name dropper!  Can you share a funny moment from your international travels?

LMB:  Am I? A travel name dropper? Yikes. I met another travel name dropper when I was in Ireland earlier this year. We spent a lovely hour in a pub in Kenmare talking about our experiences in Italy, Scotland and Panama. (Did you see how I dropped five more place names in two sentences? Clearly it's a problem I need to address.) 

At the risk of being called a travel anecdote dropper, I must confess to having many ridiculous stories. I am a bit of an accidental tourist - bumping along, pushing the boundaries, taking risks in the spirit of joie de vivre - which means I come home with a lot of outrageous tales (all of them true, though some of the embellished a wee bit for affect because I am Irish.)

I was detained by Buckingham Palace Guards on suspicion of being a terrorist. It was really quite ridiculous. I am a five-foot-four, overly chatty, super-conspicuous blonde who dresses in bright "NOTICE ME" pink. I don't skulk in darkened corners or try to blend in. To make matters worse, when the guards burst through our hotel room door (I was traveling with my best friend, fellow writer, Cindy Miles), I began blathering like an idiot - making poorly timed, nervous jokes about Prince William and telling the lead guard he looked like Basil Rathbone (the British actor who played Sherlock Holmes in the old black and white movies). He was not amused. How we escaped being thrown into a cell just for my nervous prattling is still a mystery. I write about this episode in Finding It, book two in the It Girls series.

Kim:  Tell us about FAKING IT - what inspired it? 

LMB:  Faking It is a contemporary romance. I like to refer to it as a chick lit book, but I know that is not a popular name for the genre anymore. Nevertheless, it is a humorous novel about female empowerment and growth. Vivia Perpetua Grant was a fun character to create because she is young, always-in-her-head, wears rose-colored-glasses, and suffers from a bit of verbal incontinence when she is nervous (sound like anyone else we know?). A lot of the book comes from my travels with my two best friends.

The line, "I've told more than one man I was a virgin" came to me one day while I was running (okay, fast walking) on the treadmill. I was intrigued by the idea of a character who lied about her virginity, her motivation for the lie, the consequences of the lie, and what happened after she was exposed. I wrote the first two chapters of Vivia's story and then went back to writing historical romances. Vivia, the Perpetual Virgin, was stuck on a file on my computer for six years before I dug her out and fleshed her out. I was in a bit of a slump, bummed because editors didn't want French Revolution set romance novels, when my best friend said, "You're funny, Girl. Write funny. What about that perpetual virgin story? Write that." So, I took her advice and tried to write funny. Hopefully, I succeeded.

Kim:  What's next for Leah Marie Brown? 

LMB:  Another trip (I won't drop the name). Another mishap. Another book. Repeat.  Thank you for the interview.

Mahalo, Leah, for kicking off National Military Appreciation Month!   Leah is celebrating the release of FAKING IT, Book 1 in the It Girls series):

Vivia Grant couldn’t be happier. She has her dream job and is about to marry her dream man. Does it really matter that she’s led him to believe she’s a virgin? After all, being in love makes every experience feel like the first time anyway! But an unexpected encounter with an ex-lover is about to expose her embarrassing lie…

When Vivia’s fiancé discovers the truth, he ends their engagement—via text—and uses his connections to get her fired. Unemployed and heartbroken, Vivia begins planning her new future—as a homeless spinster. But her best friend has a better idea. They’ll skip the Ben & Jerry’s binge and go on Vivia’s honeymoon instead. Two weeks cycling through Provence and Tuscany, with Luc de Caumont, a sexy French bike guide. Too bad Vivia’s not a big fan of biking. And she’s abysmal at languages. Will she fib her way through the adventure, or finally learn to love herself—and Luc—flaws and all?

For the month of May, I am giving away one grand prize of books and swag from the authors featured this month (link). Plus five more commenters - one for each branch  of service - wins a book choice from my convention stash.  To enter the giveaway,

1.  Do you like biking?   I like biking on flat surfaces, such as the Netherlands!

2.  Comments are open through Sunday, May 31, 10 pm in Baltimore.

3.  I'll post the winners on Monday, June 1.

Mahalo,

Kim in Baltimore

Aloha Spirit in Charm City

Learn more about Leah and her books at leahmariebrown.com.

Coming in September 2015