GIVEAWAY: Confessions of a Call Center Gal by Lisa Lim

Madison Lee is a fresh college grad, ready to take on the world of print media. But she has zero luck landing a job. Unemployment is at ten percent and on the rise. Desperate and left with no other options, she accepts a position as a service rep at a call center in Pocatello, Idaho. At the Lightning Speed call center in Spudsville, Maddy plunges into the wild and dysfunctional world of customer service where Sales is prided over Service and an eight hour shift is equivalent to eight hours of callers bashing her over the phone. Oh sure, the calls are bad. But Maddy manages to find humor on the phone and off the phone. And with all the salacious drama behind the calls, there is never a dull moment at the Lightning Speed call center.

Lately . . . Maddy has been pining for her smolderingly gorgeous co-worker Mika Harket. Now things are heating up on the phone–and elsewhere. Don’t hang up on this novel. Working at a call center has never been this garish . . . or this delightful.

I have two copies of Confessions of a Call Center Gal by Lisa Lim for giveaway- one paperback and one eCopy. To enter, please leave a comment below letting me know why you want to win, and please include if you would prefer paperback or eBook. Winners will be chosen Thursday, July 7. Thank you to Lisa Lim for sponsoring this giveaway!

Update:

The winners are: Paperback- Tamara Moshier- eBook- Jennifer Yandle. Thanks to everyone who entered!

The D Word by Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke

Jordan Daniels knows her marriage to Kevin is over. Even though they have a young son together, Jordan hasn’t been happy, and knows she wants more. But a year after she files for divorce, Jordan isn’t so sure she made the right choice. Even more frustrating- her career. Jordan makes a living as a spiritual counselor, and relies on her feelings and dreams to help others see their future. But she can’t see hers, and wonders if it’s too late to get Kevin back. Kevin seems to have moved on easily from the divorce, while Jordan can’t put clothes on his side of the closet yet. Can she win him back?

Elle Ryan knew something felt off when she agreed to marry Chase. But it took just weeks before the wedding before Elle got the strength to call it off- hurting her boyfriend and his sister, who happens to be her best friend. Elle never thought she could meet a great guy at the dog park, but when she runs into Kevin Daniels and his dog Georgie, the sparks fly immediately. Though Elle comes with her own baggage, so does Kevin- his ex-wife Jordan and five year old son Max. Elle can clearly see Jordan wants Kevin back, and will try to do anything to get Elle out of his life. Can Elle win the battle?

The D Word, co-authored by Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke (the ladies behind the fabulous blog chicklitisnotdead.com) bring chick lit readers a story full of love and heartache, with twists in the story and enough light-hearted situations to make you smile even when you are reading about a not so happy topic. The story is told from both Jordan and Elle’s point of view, and it’s always interesting to get inside two character’s minds and see how they think- and what they think of each other. I loved that Jordan was jealous of Elle for her red hair and fresh face, and Elle was jealous of Jordan for being blonde and sophisticated. Spot-on for how woman usually think! I was curious throughout the way about how all the characters would end up, because there was no clear path. And I could easily side with both Jordan and Elle, so that made me invested in both characters. The only think I didn’t like was all the flashbacks. Those would yank me out of the story, and some I thought were really unnecessary. But other than that, a lot of fun to read and I think chick lit fans should put this on their to-read list!

[Rating: 4]

Future Tour: Blow Me by Lennie Ross

Lennie Ross is on tour August 1-15 with her novel Blow Me

Blow Me is the story of three single women—Skylar, Dawn, and Chloe—all hovering precariously close to forty, and stuck in a lifestyle that they have long outgrown. Aware that the women’s magazines of their youth sold them a false bill of goods about having it all—the amazing career, the baby, the house, the husband—each woman is desperate in her own way to achieve some sense of stability. Skylar, a hairdresser/executive assistant who lost her job and burned down her apartment after a fondue party, is living out of her car; Chloe, a struggling actress/real estate agent with a heavy French Canadian accent who has never sold a house and doesn’t have her SAG card, is trying to find a way to stay in the United States; and Dawn, an MBA-educated dating service matchmaker who can’t find a decent guy, is hedging her bets against the ticking clock by freezing embryos. Not having achieved any of their goals, their lives are in complete chaos and their only hope now is to be rescued through marriage or by a Hairy Godfather. Situated in the shallow world of Los Angeles, this provocative novel in the style of Sex and the City provides a humorous, edgy look at aging, dating, and being single in the new millennium.

Please visit CLP Blog Tours for the full calendar of tour stops!

Trace of Fever by Lori Foster

Lori Foster is keeping hearts racing and palms sweaty with her latest novel Trace of Fever. This book picks up after When You Dare, and follows Dare’s friend and partner Trace Rivers as he works undercover as a bodyguard for Murray Coburn. Murray runs a human trafficking business, and Trace has a personal interest after the kidnapping of his sister Alani. Just when Trace thinks he has gotten enough information and amo to take down Coburn and his business, Priscilla “Priss” Patterson shows up at the offices claiming to be Coburn’s daughter. Priss is set for revenge against Coburn, who used and abused her mother and eventually led to a terrible and fearful childhood for Priss while her mother had to cope with her nightmares. Now Trace’s plans are foiled while he tries to protect Priss, all without blowing his cover and exposing the real him to Coburn and his associates.

I was really excited to pick up Trace of Fever after I gave When You Dare a 4  1/2 star review, but the book fell a bit flat for me. There is so much odd sexual tension and innuendos between Trace and Priss during the beginning chapters that I started to feel a bit lost. I felt that Dare had a lot more action and kept the story moving with a seat of your pants feel to it, while Trace focused more on the sex. Every character seemed only to care about sex, and it started to get stale for me after so many chapters. Once the end started approaching and I didn’t know if Trace of Priss would get out alive after confronting Coburn, the story started to pick up for me and I became engrossed in the last few chapters. If you are a big romance fan, I would definitely recommend checking out the book, but if you like the action more, you might become a bit bored with the beginning. It was fun to catch up with Dare and Molly and even Chris from the first book, and see how their lives have progressed. There is a third book coming out, Savor the Danger, that follows Jackson and Trace’s sister Alani, and I will be interested in reading that one as well. That will be available June 28^th.

[Rating: 3.5]

In My Mailbox: Week of June 19

In My Mailbox: Week of June 19, 2011

Title: The Dumpster

Author: Becky Due

Received: From Becky Due

Synopsis: Nicole, a cute, chubby, twenty-something woman, is looking for love in all the wrong places. Who would have guessed that a dumpster in the back alley below her bedroom window would hold the key to finding love?

Title: Hotel No Tell

Author: Daphne Uviller

Received: From Crystal @ Book Sparks PR

Synopsis: Now working as a junior detective with the New York City Special Investigations Commission, Zephyr’s gone incognito as a concierge to find out who laundered a hundred grand off the hotel books—and why. But the discovery of a prone, flush-faced guest gasping for air in room 502 only hints at the sinister goings-on inside this funky establishment. While the rapid response of the fire department leads to a sweaty date with a smooth-talking, rock-climbing rescue worker, Zephyr finds herself even more hot and bothered by an attempted murder on her watch. Could the smart-mouthed Japanese yenta across the hall know more than she’s telling? How are cryptic phone calls from a mysterious corporation linked to the victim in 502?

Under pressure and overwhelmed, Zephyr soon finds that a concierge cover is no protection in a place where crime, like the city itself, never sleeps.

Title: Stay

Author: Allie Larkin

Received: From Crystal @ Book Sparks PR

Synopsis: Savannah “Van” Leone has loved Peter since the day they met. The problem is, Peter has loved Van’s best friend, Janie, since the moment they met. And now they’re walking down the aisle, with Van standing nearby in a Halloween orange bridesmaid dress, her smile as hollow as a jack-o-lantern. After the wedding, Van drowns her sorrows in Kool Aid-vodka cocktails and reruns of Rin-Tin-Tin, and does what any woman in her situation would do: She buys a German Shepherd over the internet.

The pocket-sized puppy Van is expecting turns out to be a clumsy, hundred-pound beast that only responds to Slovakian. Van is at the end of her rope—until she realizes that this quirky giant may be the only living being who will always be loyal to her, no matter what. And thus begins a friendship that will alter Van’s life in ways she never imagined.

Joe leads Van to Dr. Alex Brandt, a rugged vet with floppy blond hair and winning smile. But just as things are starting to heat up, the newlyweds return from their honeymoon, forcing Van to decide just how much she’s willing to sacrifice in order to have everything she ever wanted. Warm and witty, poignant and funny, Stay marks the arrival of an irresistible new voice.

Title: Faking It

Author: Elisa Lorello

Received: From a friend

Synopsis: Thirty-four-year old professor Andi Cutrone has broken up with her fiancé in Massachusetts , moved back to her native New York, and wants to be a better lover. So after meeting Devin, a handsome, charming escort, she proposes an unusual arrangement: lessons about writing in exchange for lessons about sex. When Devin accepts Andi’s proposal, he draws up a contract in which the two are forbidden to see each other socially. There’s just one problem: Andi also wants Devin.

Halfway into their arrangement, Devin and Andi break the rules of their contract and begin spending time together outside their weekly tutorials of drafting essays and dancing while stripped down. As they grow closer, Andi struggles to hide her feelings from Devin and accept herself as just another client while Devin attempts to maintain a “business as usual” attitude. Enter Sam, a New England professor with whom Andi begins a long distance relationship.

As their protective layers peel away, Andi and Devin discover each other ‘faking it’ and hiding their true selves from the world. However, once fully uncovered, both must decide how (and with whom) they will honor these truths. Will she give up her New York life for Sam? Will she hold out for Devin? Is it even possible to be in love with two men?

Faking It is a witty, sometimes hilarious, sometimes heart-wrenching story about relationships, writing, and getting real.

Breaking Even by Kathleen Kole

Penelope Whittaker is as sensible as they come. Working as an accountant, soon to be married to another accountant, the loving Ben Miller who she has dated for years. Everything in Penelope’s life is stable and consistent. Until she meets Scott Harrison. After a chance encounter (and locking her keys in her car) Scott comes to Penelope’s rescue. And from there, her predictable life starts to spin out of control. Penelope is taken by Scott’s good looks, his devotion to his son, and his ease when chatting with her. Penelope keeps finding reasons to take her soon to be sister-in-law’s children to school, just to run into Scott. Those meetings turn into a coffee date, then lunch, then dinner. Before she realizes what is happening, Penelope is spending more time thinking about Scott than her fiancé, and fighting with Ben almost every chance she gets. Is Ben really the one for her? Or is life about to give Penelope a chance to break away from her good girl image?

Kathleen Kole is on tour with CLP Blog Tours and her latest novel Breaking Even. I was really intrigued by the story. Penelope’s character is very likeable, even though she is doing something extremely un-likeable- possibly embarking on an affair. But this is life, and that does happen. It was refreshing not to read another story about how horrible the man is and how he cheats, etc, etc. Kole really dives in her heroine’s story and why she feels the pull of another man, with a perfectly respectable fiancé waiting at home for her. I was never quite sure how the story was going to end, or which road Penelope would choose, which kept me invested throughout. And I thought there were some good smaller plot points with Ben’s brothers and their wives and how they deal with their marriages that was interesting to read about. There were times where the writing felt just a bit stiff, but overall I really enjoyed the book and thought it was a quick and interesting read. I will definitely be looking for more from Kathleen Kole.

[Rating: 4]

A Boy for Natalie Portman!

It’s a boy for Natalie Portman! People.com revealed that the Oscar winning actress, 30, and her fiancé, Benjamin Millepied, welcomed a baby boy into their lives. No word on the name or any other details as of yet have been released. This is the first child for the couple, who met on the set of Black Swan.

Photo Credit: John Shearer/ Getty

Hollywood Ending by Lucie Simone

Trina Stewart hates that the famous HOLLYWOOD sign mocks her from her own home. After 10 years in the land of celebrities and out $100,000 to film school debt, Trina has still not found the Hollywood job. Instead, she works as a teacher, teaching English as a Second Language- not her dream job. But she refuses to believe that she won’t reach her dreams. Not only will she conquer Hollywood, she will also find that perfect man. Somehow, someway….

Matiu Wulf, a New Zealander, finds himself in LA only to get some real scene design experience and take a class at UCLA to make his resume look good. With more movies being filmed in his homeland, he needs something to set him apart from the other film wannabees. But when he rents the apartment upstairs from Trina Stewart and begins to fall for her, he knows that is the last thing he can do. He is only in LA to take the class, get the experience and some connections, and head back home to Auckland. But when he watches Trina fall for the wrong guy, he can’t help but intervene…

Hollywood Ending by Lucie Simone is a cute romance novel with a dash of Hollywood sauciness. The story is told in both Trina and Matiu’s view points, so readers get an understanding of both main characters. I actually liked Matiu’s character more than Trina’s, which usually doesn’t happen! But he is such a manly man and delectable in both looks and personality that I really couldn’t help myself. There were times that I thought the plot could benefit from some more action, and it was a bit predictable, but overall I thought it was good story and I will definitely be checking out more of Simone’s titles.

Rating: 3.5/5

The Gin and Chowder Club by Nan Rossiter

The Gin and Chowder Club by Nan Rossiter is an eloquently written story about the dangers of an affair and the deep binds of love. The story is set in Cape Cod, and showcases two very different families. Samuel and Sarah Coleman are a happily married couple with two sons, Isaac and Asa. The family is good friends with Nate Shepherd and his much younger wife, Noelle. What the families don’t know is of a secret affair between Asa and Noelle. The pair doesn’t know what to do about their love for one another. They can’t stand being apart from one another, but understand that if the affair was brought to light, the bond between the families would be forever broken. When Asa decides the best thing for him to do would be to go off to college and leave the families at peace, he and Noelle embark on a summer fling, trying to get in all the time together that they can. But the consequences of the summer play a cruel twist of fate, with an unexpected ending for all.

I really enjoyed The Gin and Chowder Club. Even though it is told from Asa’s perspective, I was able to jump right in and form a bond with all the characters. Rossiter’s writing is beautiful, and the Cape Cod scenery made me feel I was there right along with the cast. The only thing that I had a bit of trouble with was the time frame of the story. I kept thinking something seemed a bit off, but it wasn’t until Asa went to the baseball game that I realized this book is set in the 1960’s. Other than that, I really enjoyed the book, and even shed a few tears at the heart wrenching ending. This is Rossiter’s first adult novel, and I will eagerly wait for more!

[Rating: 4.5]

Crystal Harris Splits from Hugh Hefner

Well who saw this one coming? Just four days before their much anticipated nuptials, the wedding between Hugh Hefner and Crystal Harris has been officially called off. TMZ was the first to break the news. Harris, 25, and a Playboy playmate, through her website, “After much deep reflection and thought I have decided to end my engagement with Hef. I have the utmost respect for Hef and wish him the best going forward. I hope the media will give each of us the privacy we deserve during this time.” The wedding, set for this Saturday the 18^th, was going to be held at the Playboy Mansion, and over 300 guests were expected to attend. Any guesses on why the sudden cancellation? And I wonder how Holly Madison will react to this news…

Photo Credit: David Livingston/Getty

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