Kaira Rouda Holiday Giveaway
Are you feeling Naughty or Nice? Doesn’t matter, with this giveaway, you could win a prize to make both sides happy! To have a little…
Author Profile: EL Sarnoff
Author Name: EL Sarnoff
Website: http://www.elsarnoff.com/
Bio: Ellen Levy-Sarnoff, writing under the name E. L. Sarnoff, has enjoyed a prolific career in the entertainment industry, creating, writing, and producing television series, including the original Power Rangers. She lives in Los Angeles with her Prince Charming-ish husband, twin princesses, and a bevy of pets. She’s also a not-too-evil stepmother. When she’s not writing in her PJ’s, she likes to dress up and pretend she’s Hollywood royalty.
See my 5 star review for Dewitched!
Visit EL’s tour page!
Connect with EL Sarnoff!
http://www.elsarnoff.com/
http://www.facebook.com/ElSarnoff
https://twitter.com/elsarnoff
elsarnoff@gmail.com
In My Mailbox: Week of December 16
In Samantha’s Mailbox:
Title: Work For Hire
Author: Margo Karasek
Received: Via CLP Blog Tours
Synopsis: Tekla’s law school career couldn’t be any better. She has top grades. She’s on Law Review. She’s a frontrunner in a mock oral argument with a sweet prize: a judicial clerkship. One problem, though: Tekla has no more money to pay for school. She needs a part-time job. Fast.
Luckily, her roommate has just the solution: help two uber-wealthy prep school teens, the twin son and daughter of a billionaire Wall Street short-seller and a world-renowned model turned fashion photographer, with their schoolwork, and earn $150 an hour. Plus, enjoy an additional perk on the job, in the form of a gorgeous photo assistant who happens to have his eye on Tekla.
Easy money.
Well, not so much. Within days, Tekla’s job begins to unravel. In a world of super-wealth and high fashion, Tekla finds herself surrounded by a peculiar cast of players: two teens whose self-destructive behavior becomes ever more erratic, a father whose ambitions for his son constantly test Tekla’s notions of what is fair and ethical and what is cheating, a mother whose emotional negligence borders on abuse, and a gorgeous man who may or may not be what he appears.
As Tekla struggles to hold onto a job that takes more time and energy than she ever anticipated, her own school life begins to suffer. She makes an enemy of a professor who seems to want nothing more than to bring her down. And he’s succeeding. Soon Tekla’s life is a paradox: without her high paying part-time job, she can’t afford law school; but with it, she’ll surely flunk out of school.
Title: Next Year I’ll Be Perfect
Author: Laura Kilmartin
Received: Via CLP Blog Tours
Synopsis: Sarah always thought her life was on track, that is until her 29th birthday party. The discovery of a list her younger self put together outlining what she wanted to achieve by the age of 30 turns Sarah’s world upside down. Suddenly her seemingly happy life and career look lackluster and Sarah sets off on a journey to transform her life. On her quest to achieve perfection one month at a time – a happy marriage, partnership in a law firm and being able to fit in a size six purple suede miniskirt – Sarah learns to challenge society’s ideals of achievement.
Filled with harsh reality, humor, and romance, Next Year I’ll Be Perfect explores what true happiness and success is all about.
Title: The Wisdom of Hair
Author: Kim Boykin
Received: Via CLP Blog Tours
Synopsis: “The problem with cutting your own hair is that once you start, you just keep cutting, trying to fix it, and the truth is, some things can never be fixed. The day of my daddy’s funeral, I cut my bangs until they were the length of those little paintbrushes that come with dime-store watercolor sets. I was nine years old. People asked me why I did it, but I was too young then to know I was changing my hair because I wanted to change my life.”
In 1983, on her nineteenth birthday, Zora Adams finally says goodbye to her alcoholic mother and their tiny town in the mountains of South Carolina. Living with a woman who dresses like Judy Garland and brings home a different man each night is not a pretty existence, and Zora is ready for life to be beautiful.
With the help of a beloved teacher, she moves to a coastal town and enrolls in the Davenport School of Beauty. Under the tutelage of Mrs. Cathcart, she learns the art of fixing hair, and becomes fast friends with the lively Sara Jane Farquhar, a natural hair stylist. She also falls hard for handsome young widower Winston Sawyer, who is drowning his grief in bourbon. She couldn’t save Mama, but maybe she can save him.
As Zora practices finger waves, updos, and spit curls, she also comes to learn that few things are permanent in this life–except real love, lasting friendship, and, ultimately… forgiveness.
Title: The Pollyanna Plan
Author: Talli Roland
Received: From Talli Roland
Synopsis: Is finding true love as easy as an attitude change?
Thirty-something Emma Beckett has always looked down on ‘the glass is half full’ optimists, believing it’s better to be realistic than delusional. But when she loses her high-powered job and fiancé in the same week, even Emma has difficulty keeping calm and carrying on.
With her world spinning out of control and bolstered by a challenge from her best friend, Emma makes a radical decision. From here on in, she’ll behave like Pollyanna: attempting to always see the upside, no matter how dire the situation.
Can adopting a positive attitude give Emma the courage to build a new life, or is finding the good in everything a very bad idea?
In Sara’s Mailbox:
Title: My Bluegrass Baby
Author: Molly Harper
Received: Jillian @ Simon and Schuster
Synopsis: Sadie Hutchins loves her job at the Kentucky Tourism Commission. Not only could her co-workers double as the cast of Parks & Recreation, but she loves finding the unusual sites, hidden gems, and just-plain-odd tourist attractions of her home state. She’s a shoo-in for the director’s job when her boss retires at the end of the year…until hotshot Josh Vaughn shows up to challenge her for the position.
Josh is all sophisticated polish while Sadie’s country comfort, and the two have very different ideas of what makes a good campaign. So when their boss pits them against each other in a winner-takes-all contest, they’re both willing to fight dirty if it means getting what they want. But it turns out, what Josh and Sadie want could be each other—and Josh’s kisses are the best Kentucky attraction Sadie’s found yet!
GIVEAWAY: The Pollyanna Plan by Talli Roland
Thirty-something Emma Beckett has always looked down on ‘the glass is half full’ optimists, believing it’s better to be realistic than delusional. But when she…
Beauty Review: Moroccan Oil
After having my first baby in May, my hair has definitely gone through quite a transformation. The days of lush and full locks are long gone and now I have frail and thin hair. I know I know, all of these things are typical after pregnancy, but I still wasn’t prepared and I had the HARDEST time when my hair started to fall out. And boy, did it ever. When I couldn’t take it any longer, I went online and looked up products and read countless reviews. I tried a few products here and there but nothing really seemed to help. That is, until I had a friend recommend Moroccan Oil and I gave it a whirl. This stuff literally changed my life. I feel like it restored the shine and softness and helped strengthen every strand. A miracle worker to the fullest, I highly recommend this product. Now, be careful though because you only need a tiny drop or else you will look like you haven’t showered in days. Other than that, it will heal your hair and restore life back into your roots. I will continue to use this product every day.
New Wedding Post – Finally!
I am finally getting another video post up regarding my wedding plans – sorry that took so long 🙂 I shared a picture at the…
Benefits of a Morning Workout
A few months back, I started to switch up my workout schedule. Instead of hitting the gym after work, around 6:00 or so, I started waking up a bit earlier so I could get it out of the way first thing in the morning. I was doing this for a few different reasons. One was to simply get it out of the way. Sometimes my afternoons and nights can get a bit hectic, and even though I would have full intentions of making it to the gym, it just wouldn’t happen. It’s nice to have that done first thing in the morning so I don’t have to be thinking about when I can squeeze time in throughout the day. Another reason was because I was told by our health specialist at work that working on in the morning can boost your metabolism so you burn more calories throughout the day. I’ve also found that AM workouts leave me feeling more energized right off the bat. And the last reason – vanity. I don’t mean losing weight or being toned, I’m talking about my skin. My face was beginning to break out regularly, and my usual facial products weren’t seeming to help the problem. I started asking around, and my friend who works esthetics mentioned working out and washing my face after being at the gym. I did some research of my own, and found that working out with makeup on is bad for your skin, and that you should wash your face after you sweat it up. Both of those things now seem pretty obvious to me, but I still wanted to share! Now, I work out in the mornings with a bare face (sometimes I might scare other gym-goers but they just have to deal with it) and be sure to wash my face right away once I get home. It’s pretty amazing how fast my skin cleared up with that small change!
Book Excerpt: On the Rim of Love by Marie Astor
Marie Astor is now on tour with On the Rim of Love. Please visit her tour page on CLP Blog Tours for more information and…
In My Mailbox: Week of December 9
In Samantha’s Mailbox:
Title: Confessions of an Alli Cat
Author: Courtney Cole
Received: Via CLP Blog Tours
Synopsis: “You know what they say…a happy vagina is a happy woman. Well, they might not say that, but they should.” -Alli
Thirty-five year-old Allison “Alli” Lancaster has it all–a fabulous job, a beautiful 15 year-old daughter, a hilarious BFF and a gorgeous house with a pool and Jacuzzi in an exclusive Las Vegas neighborhood. What she doesn’t have is a husband, because she kicked her lousy, cheating ex to the curb nine months ago. Since then, Alli has paid her dues with seemingly endless self-improvement and seemingly endless mourning. Now she’s ready to move on and try new things.
Alli’s idea of “trying new things” is nothing like that devil-of-a-best-friend of hers. Somehow, Sara, the devil of a best friend, talks Alli into trying out a sex toy, sleeping with a younger man and letting a stranger in a lab jacket put hot wax on a place that should never, ever, ever see wax. And that’s only the beginning.
Alli never saw her life going quite like this. She also never thought she’d meet someone else who had the very real potential to change her life forever.
But she did.
Enter the new guy. He’s gorgeous, refined and mature. He’s also marriage material. But that poses a problem for Alli, who renounced the institution of marriage when she renounced her ex. What’s a girl to do?
They say that what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas. But what the heck happens when you can’t leave Vegas? Well, you spin the wheel, of course. You play the game and let the chips fall where they may.
Alli just hopes she can find them all.
Title: Totlandia, Book 2
Author: Josie Brown
Received: From Aimee @ Coliloquy
Synopsis: In this second book of the Totlandia series, five mommies are just one misstep away from entry into the elite Pacific Heights Moms & Tots Club. Everyone has a scandalous secret to hide, but who will be the next to fall?
As the club’s founder, Bettina, ratchets up the stress level with a series of holiday-themed challenges, the cracks begin to show. Jade’s past catches up to her in the most unlikely of settings. Jillian’s struggles to make ends meet are complicated by Bettina’s demands. Ally’s work and home lives collide, threatening to expose all of her secrets. And Lorna’s already fraying family ties are torn to shreds by a series of devastating events.
With just four spots remaining, will the five remaining ladies turn cutthroat? Or will their newfound friendships be strong enough to help them band together?
Title: Cliffhanger
Author: Amy Saunders
Received: From Amy Saunders
Synopsis: Making her grand re-entry into Portside, Rhode Island, Belinda Kittridge expected fun, sun, and sugar cookies.
Instead, she gets one jilted lover braced for round two, an old rival on the hunt, and the murder of a former classmate and friend. Even worse, Belinda must return to the events surrounding a tragic sailing accident to set things right.
But new possibilities emerge in the form of security expert Bennett Tate. Between her connections and his know-how, they’re bound to catch the killer – and kick the skeletons out of the closet for good.
Title: Nobody’s Damsel
Author: EM Tippetts
Received: From EM Tippetts
Synopsis: Chloe and Jason are back in Albuquerque for her new job as a forensic scientist with the Albuquerque Police Department, only, her first case is a crime against a child.
Back when she was a childhood crime survivor, it never occurred to her how difficult it was for the adults working against the clock, fighting for control of the outcome. Add to this a tabloid scandal that claims Jason is having an affair with his costar, and Chloe’s struggle to come to terms with a heartbreaking case gets splashed all across the internet.
In Sara’s Mailbox:
Title: Afterwife
Author: Polly Williams
Received: Jessica @ Penguin Group
Synopsis: Sophie Brady is a force of nature—funny, beautiful, and devoted to all the people in her life—even in death. After a traffic accident cuts her life tragically short, Sophie finds herself attending her own funeral (on time, no less) and watching the reactions of those she holds most dear.
Sophie’s darling, gorgeous husband Ollie is heartbroken, trying to father their young son while working out how to use the washing machine. Furthermore, he’s absolutely clueless about his new status as most eligible bachelor in the neighborhood. Sophie is determined to help her husband find love again, with the right sort of woman, of course.
Luckily, she’s not the only one looking out for Ollie. Her best friend Jenny is ignoring her own pain by helping him navigate the murky waters of widower-hood. But as she grows closer to Sophie’s husband, Jenny unearths secrets that make her question how well she knew her friend, and where the line between loyalty and love ends…
