Flashback Friday- reliving the awesomeness that was #HIFortnight

When I first approached Charlotte Ledger of Harper Impulse about the possibility of organising a week devoted to reading and reviewing Harper Impulse books and spotlighting authors on Books with Bunny, she was enthusiastic about the idea.  She put out the feelers for me and fed back saying the authors thought it sounded a fun way to showcase the imprint and share the love for romantic fiction.  It was going to happen!

Before long I had so many authors willing to write guest posts, offer prizes for giveaways and answer all kinds of questions that I knew this was going to be big, too big to happen in one week, and too big for me to run on my own!  I mentioned the idea of a fortnight devoted to Harper Impulse on twitter and the wonderful blogging community rose to the challenge and offered their support of the event- I blooming love blogging!

So, a small idea about a feature on my blog became a big event within the romance/women's fiction blogging community!  Woohoo!

What followed was a celebration of romantic fiction of all subgenres, and as a result my reading list has grown immensely and I feel I know the deepest darkest crushes of pretty much all the authors ;)

Altogether there were over 140 blog posts linked to the #HIFortnight hashtag, and quite possibly more posts besides that I've not stumbled across.  How amazing is that?

Many thanks to all the authors and staff at Harper Impulse and to the bloggers who took part (takes a deep breath before listing them all!)- Star Crossed Reviews, The Book Trail, Little Northern Soul, Alba in Bookland, Rachel's Random Reads, Chick Lit Chloe, Comet Babe's Books, Bookaholic Confessions, Reviewed The Book, Sincerely Book Angels, Librarian Lavender- Suze Likes, Loves, Finds and Dreams, Afternoon Bookery, Sky's Book Corner, A Page of Fictional Love, Paris Baker's Book Nook, Chick Lit Love, Ailish's Book Reviews, The Perks of Being a Bookseller, Chris Hill Author,Zili in the Sky , I Heart Chicklit, Becca's Books, French Village Diaries,  and the blogs of Harper Impulse authors Eve Devon, Teresa Morgan, Georgia Hill, Lori Connelly, Wendy Lou Jones, Carmel Harrington and Angela Campbell.

Phew!

I am so pleased to have played a small part in spreading the word about Harper Impulse, who really are one of the most diverse romance imprints around.  Find out more on their website, http://www.harperimpulseromance.com/

And if you love romance and fancy getting involved in the next Harper Impulse event,  keep an eye on the #HIReadathon hashtag for details of the Summer Lovin' Harper Impulse Readathon, coming your way this summer!

 

Giveaway of Secrets in the Shadows by Hannah Emery HARPER IMPULSE FORTNIGHT

 

Harper Impulse fortnight is coming to an end.  BOOOOOOOOO!

 

But...here at Books with Bunny we're ending with a fabulous giveaway! YAAAAAAAY!

 

Enter the rafflecopter giveaway below to win a paperback copy of Hannah Emery's Secrets in the Shadows. 

 

The Blurb



A must-read for fans of Kate Morton!

In 1920s Blackpool, eleven year old Rose wanders away from her parents and has a unique gift bestowed upon her. This gift will leave a haunting legacy, seeping down through the generations...

Decades later, Louisa has a vision of her mother walking into the sea. This isn't the first time it happens and it won't be the last, but what she sees isn't always what she wants. The rest of her life is spent trying to change the future that haunts her.

In present day Blackpool, Grace is going to be married someday. She knows this because she's seen it; a vision of a white dress, daisies embroidered on the sleeves, the groom by her side, vowing to love her forever. Except the man in her premonition doesn't belong to her- he belongs to her twin sister, Elsie.

Haunted by what they know and what they are afraid to find out, all three women must make a choice: in the face of certain destiny should you chase the outcome that's "meant to be", or throw away fate and choose your own future?

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Hannah also has some exciting news to share!

 

"My next new book has a working title of The Castle of Dreams and will be released by Harper Impulse later this year…

 

In 1939, Evelyn du Reve lives in a Castle that stands at the top of Silenshore, a small English seaside town. Evelyn is rich and beautiful, but she wants more than is offered inside the castle gates. When an exotic stranger gives her a beautiful mirror encrusted with sapphires, the gems of new love, she falls in love with him. But once she is married, Evelyn realizes the love that sparkled in the beginning was perhaps not all it seemed.

In 1964, Victoria Lace sits in her father’s antique shop and stares into the same sapphire mirror. When Victoria looks up from her reflection and sees a stranger standing in front of her, she knows that her life as she knew it is gone. In its place is one where all she thinks of, and dreams of, is the man in front of her.

In 2010, Isobel Blythe is faced with a sudden change when she becomes pregnant after only three months of dating Tom, who seems like the man of her dreams. As she adapts to her strange new life, she struggles to ignore the secrets that linger around her.

Bound by the legacy of the sapphire mirror, the three women try to discover who they really are, who they can trust, and what true love really means.

 

Bio:

Hannah has written stories for as long as she can remember.  She loves writing about how fragile the present is and how so much of it depends on chance events that took place years ago. She studied English at the University of Chester and now mentors degree students in a University Centre, although she is currently enjoying the first few months of maternity leave. The most important things in Hannah's life are her family, her friends, books, baking on a Saturday afternoon, getting glammed up to go out for champagne and dinner and having cosy weekends away. Hannah lives in Blackpool with her husband and their two daughters.

 

 

 

 

 

No One Wants to Be Miss Havisham- Brigid Coady

You may remember that Books with Bunny was the first place in the world that you could see the gorgeous cover for Brigid Coady's first full length release No One Wants to Be Miss Havisham. 

 

Well today I'm delighted to go one better by sharing the first review of this gem of a book!

 

 

 

The Blurb

 



What the Dickens is going on?

Edie Dickens is a shark of a divorce lawyer. She doesn’t believe in love and she scoffs at happily ever afters, however she’s agreed to be maid of honour for her oldest friend, Mel in two weeks and she still has the hen night to endure. But she has even more to endure when she’s visited by Jessica Marley’s ghost and finds out she must change her ways or end up being damned to an eternity watching other people’s happiness. Edie is visited by the Ghosts of Weddings Past, Present and Future, every Friday night until the day of the wedding. Can she learn from her mistakes in time? And did the ghosts send the hunky new lawyer, Jack Twist, to distract her?

The Review

When I first read the blurb for No One Wants to Be Miss Havisham I wasn't sure what to think.  I'd loved Brigid's 'Kiss' short stories and this sounded like something way out of leftfield in comparison.  Romance stories with ghosts are a bit hit and miss for me, and anything paranormal is out of my comfort zone.  This, however, is a work of genius.  The ghostly elements are humorous (leaving trails of pink glitter in their wake) as well as giving the reader an opportunity to find out about Edie's background by visiting weddings of the past, present and future.

I really liked Edie's dry and cynical outlook, especially when compared to the romantic viewpoint of everyone else in the book and it was highly believable that she'd feel that way when her own experience of relationships is less than perfect.  She's somehow both bright and ditzy, and although she has a reputation for being hard nosed, her personality changes as the book progresses.  She's unlike most romantic heroines, that's for sure.

Now onto Jack.  Jack Twist was a great character.  Rugby player and local hero, he works with Edie at a law firm.  He's strong in every sense and a no-nonsense kind of guy.  However, he's warm-hearted and always seems to be the one helping Edie out of all the messes she gets herself into.  There's one scene where Edie longs for her feet to be on solid ground and Jack's there beside her, offering support.  My heart was all aflutter right then and I could have done with the smelling salts. I was full on swooning, I'm telling you now.

If laughs are your thing, then Coady's observations will have you chuckling- there are some hilarious portrayals of characters (Edie's boss in particular!), cringeworthy weddings and alcohol induced embarrassments. I think I'm going to be looking closely at suit linings for the foreseeable future as a result of this book...

Overall, it's a well written and touching debut which strikes the balance between humour and heart.  If you're looking for an original romance with a quirky twist, look no further- Brigid Coady has stepped up to the helm. 

No One Wants to Be Miss Havisham may appeal to fans of Marian Keyes, Sophie Kinsella and Carmen Reid.

 

Enormous thanks to Brigid Coady for allowing me to be one of the first people to read No One Wants to Be Miss Havisham.

It is available to preorder now, prior to ebook release on May 28th 2015 and paperback release on August 13th 2015. 

The Love List-Eve Devon REVIEW AND GIVEAWAY FOR HARPER IMPULSE FORTNIGHT

The Blurb

Falling in love is just not on Nora King’s To Do List…

Neither is accidentally super-gluing her shoe to her hand right before the biggest presentation of her life!

With all the hard work she’d put into securing the family business after her father’s death, Nora has no choice but to accept help from a knight in shining armour.

Disaster relief worker Ethan Love is still haunted by his last deployment, and desperate for distraction. He’s in town to ask Nora for a major favour, and swooping in to save her presentation is a sure way to get her on side.

As Ethan sticks around and helps Nora through her grief, her barriers tumble down…but will she dare to swap her To Do lists for a How to Fall in Love list?

The Review

The Love List is one of the contemporary romance releases in Harper Impulse's back catalogue.  As mentioned in the blurb above it's a 'will they/won't they' struggle between Nora and Ethan, and although it took me a couple of chapters to get hooked, I was well and truly reeled in by the half way point and there was no way I was putting that book down until I found out if they were going to get together!

Being honest, Nora wasn't the kind of heroine I immediately warm to- although I admire a strong, career-minded woman I find them harder to relate to (because my life doesn't revolve around business deals and number crunching).  However, as the plot developed I began to appreciate Nora's character more and why she sometimes came across in a less than endearing light. 

Ethan Love on the other hand...he was wonderful right from the start!  I think I'm still swooning.  A kind hearted, charitable hunk of a man who cares about his family and runs his own business to boot- there's not a lot that doesn't appeal about that!  The tension between him and Nora is sizzling, and I especially love the bike scenes- phew!  Is it getting hot in here?!

Their story is complicated, partly because they are wary of getting too emotionally involved after previous set-backs in life.  Add in family complications, where a shared relative who needs a stable influence could be affected by their actions and their love story appears to be one that is over before it begins...

The love list of the title, which I'd assumed the plot would be built around, isn't revealed until right near the end, but when it is it shows that maybe Nora has always been a girl who deep down knows exactly what she wants.  It certainly gave me pause to wonder what I would have been looking for as a ten year old and whether the adult me would have been looking for the same.

The Love List is an entertaining read with some red-hot scenes and touching moments, and I'm left wanting more of Ethan! I'm looking forward to reading Her Best Laid Plans next, which is actually the first in the series (although the books can be read and enjoyed as stand alones- which this review is testament to!).

With thanks to Harper Impulse for providing me with a review copy of this book in return for my honest opinion.

The Love List is available to buy now, in both ebook and paperback format.

 

 

Enter the rafflecopter giveaway below for the chance to win an ecopy of The Love List and this beautiful bookmark courtesy of Eve Devon!

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Author Bio:

 

Growing up in locations like Botswana and Venezuela gave me quite the taste for adventure and my love for romances began when my mother shoved one into my hands in a desperate attempt to keep me quiet during TV coverage of the Wimbledon tennis finals!

 

When I wasn’t consuming books by the bucket-load, I could be found pretending to be a damsel in distress or running around solving mysteries and writing down my adventures. As a teenager, I wrote countless episodes of TV detective dramas so the hero and heroine would end up together every week. As an adult, I worked in a library to conveniently continue consuming books by the bucket-load, until realising I was destined to write contemporary romance and romantic suspense myself. I live in leafy Surrey in the UK, a book-devouring, slightly melodramatic, romance-writing sassy heroine with my very own sexy hero husband!

Website: www.EveDevon.com

 

Jane Linfoot talks about casting heroes *plus giveaway* HARPER IMPULSE FORTNIGHT

Jane Linfoot is my guest today, talking about casting heroes (complete with pictures of Aiden Turner!)

Many thanks to Jane for providing an entertaining and eyecatching post ;)

I'll leave you in her very capable hands...

To celebrate Harper Impulse Fortnight, I’d like to share a few thoughts on how I choose the hot guys in my stories.

There are so many fab parts to being a chicklit writer, but one of them has to be dreaming up the male leads. Although most of my heroes have an unnerving habit of marching onto the page fully formed, I still find it useful to find a real life equivalent. Pictures of a flesh and blood guy come in handy, because if I get stuck on a scene, a quick drool over the pic of the man in question will usually get the creative juices flowing again. It’s also a great excuse to adorn my desk top and inspiration boards with decorative pictures, and yes, I can spend hours trawling the internet to find them, all in the name of work.  

With my last book, High Heels and Bicycle Wheels, I was pouring over a set of arty Dolce and Gabbana shots of David Gandy, when I came across the perfect shot of Jackson Gale, the lead guy in that story. I say “arty”, meaning very beautiful. In fact, the collection hit facebook with the caption “David Gandy naked!!!!”, although possibly the pictures didn’t warrant quite that many exclamation marks. In some of the shots he was smoldering in a suit, but admittedly in others he was wearing considerably less. Later, I sent the file of pictures through to Katie at Harper Impulse, so she could select a suitably chaste picture, to add to the Harper Impulse blog, as a Jackson teaser. This was to go at the end of a guest post I’d written about Bryony, the heroine, and her fab chocolate brownies. Poor Katie opened the picture file, expecting to see cake, and instead got an unscheduled eyeful of David Gandy in the buff – she almost had to start her maternity leave early.

The dream guy in my latest book, The Vintage Cinema Club, is called Xander Blackman. He’s a film producer and property developer, whose life is spectacularly dysfunctional and sad. Can you tell I’m terminally in love with him? I first started work on this book back in 2010, and as Xander strolled onto the page of that first draft, I spotted he was a dead ringer for Mitchell from the cult BBC3 hit, Being Human – a.k.a. Aidan Turner. (Although please note, Xander definitely doesn’t have vampire tendencies in The Vintage Cinema Club.) Since I cast him to play Xander all that time ago, Aidan Turner’s acting career has taken off, so I wasn’t the only one to notice his qualities. He has gone on to star in The Hobbit films, and as Poldark he’s recently been giving Colin Firth a run for his money, as hottest guy in a wet shirt to grace our screens, in the world ever. Even if Aidan’s much more famous now, that bone structure, his stubble covered jaw, the choppy hair, and dark eyes, mean he’s still a perfect fit to play Xander, especially when he’s looking mean, or serious.

Here are a couple of pics to wet your appetite.

 

 

 

The Vintage Cinema Club.

 

ebook release on 21st May, paperback release 30th July.

"A witty, warm-hearted romp through the lives and loves of three friends – with a cool retro vibe, and a sense of fun that will never go out of fashion." – Debbie Johnson, author of the best-selling ‘Cold Feet At Christmas’.

Meet The Vintage Cinema Club….

Izzy is a wow at making unwanted things pretty, but with three brothers and her shabby chic furniture business to run she doesn’t have time to date. Could a fabulous French proposal change her mind?

Single mum Luce’s vintage bridal dresses are exquisite, but there’s no way she’s ever going to wear one or walk down the aisle for that matter. She’s a strictly no romance, one night kind of woman – or so she thinks…

Dida seems to have it all – a chocolate and banana cake recipe to die for, lovely kids (most of the time!) and a great lifestyle. But what good is a fabulous home, when your marriage has more cracks than a pavlova and your husband is having it off with half of Lithuania?

Three retro fabulous friends, in love with all things vintage, run their dream business from the faded grandeur of a rescued cinema. When that dream comes under threat, they’ll do whatever it takes to save it.

Fans of Lucy Diamond, Michele Gorman and Milly Johnson are going to love this heartfelt, funny story.

Buy Link: amzn.to/1Gciy5n

Facebook Author Page

Facebook Page 

Twitter

Author Bio

I write fun chicklit, with strong heroines, and lots of heart.

Writing is fab, because I get to wear pretty shoes instead of wellies. I live in a cottage up a mountain road in Derbyshire, where my family and pets are kind enough to ignore the domestic chaos. Happily, we're in walking distance of a supermarket. I love hearts, flowers, happy endings, all things vintage, most things french. When I'm not on facebook, and can't find an excuse for shopping, I'll be walking, or gardening. On days when I want to be really scared, I ride a tandem.

 

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Judge a book by its cover? - A Guest Post by Rae Rivers HARPER IMPULSE FORTNIGHT

I'm thrilled to have Rae Rivers guesting on Books with Bunny today, and talking about book covers- one of my favourite subjects!

Author Rae Rivers

Over to Rae...

Judge A Book By Its Cover?

Do you?  I know you shouldn’t but to be honest, as an avid reader, I do.  Really.  A cover is my first impression of a book and in an overcrowded market where choosing my next book can sometimes be overwhelming, I rely heavily on covers.  An icky cover or a cover that looks rushed or unprofessional ... um, pass.  (And no, I don’t use this approach to people!) 

So what makes a really good cover for me?

Images

An intriguing image is a must.  It has to be eye catching, interesting and enticing.  The image alone can determine whether or not I pick up a book.  It also helps me determine the gist of the plot or the genre of the book at a first glance.  Think romance novels!  (And by the way, have you seen how gorgeous HarperImpulse’s covers are?)  

Consistency

One of my pet peeves about covers is when the cover on the front doesn’t match the story.  If the heroine has red hair on the cover but turns out blonde in the story or there’s a symbol on the cover that seems to have relevance but doesn’t appear in the book, I’m disappointed.  (Because I was waiting for the meaning behind that symbol, you know!)  As for a series, if a book is part of one, I like to see a vague resemblance on the covers that carries through all the books.

Colour

Although the use of colours is subjective as everyone reacts differently, colour has a huge impact on emotions and is a great way to reveal the tone of a story.  Colours like green and blue are calming and can be used to express sadness or feelings of trust and security.  Red, orange and yellow evoke feelings of passion, warmth and energy.  (Ah, so that’s why my publishers opted for those colours for the covers of my Keepers series! J) 

Tag line

This is the brief line that sums up the plot in a nutshell and hooks me to want to read more.  I’ve been enticed to explore books further and buy them based on their clever tag lines.  A great example is Paula Hawkin’s, The Girl on the Train:  “You don’t know her but she knows you.” 

Professional polish

If a book meets all the above, has an interesting blurb and looks professional, usually the chances are good that the writing will be too!   

When I signed my Paranormal Romance book deal with HarperImpulse, I was very flexible regarding the covers they designed but insisted they had to be eye-catching, colourful and well ... perfect.  My Keepers are three warrior brothers who protect a powerful, modern day witch.  They fight to protect the balance of nature and innocent people.  They all have magical elemental powers.  Initially, I expected covers with half naked chests and glorious muscles. Warriors.  I completed a cover sheet giving more information on the story and what I had in mind and this was passed on to Alex, HarperImpulse’s fab cover designer. 

The final product?  No warriors but lots of colour - and the right ones too!  Red, orange and yellow – energy and passion that conveys the plot so well.  And pentagrams which forms such a vital part of the story as it illustrates the magical bond between my Keepers and their witch.  A pentagram is a symbol of goodness and depicts the five elements of nature – water, earth, fire, air and the spirit that binds them together.  My Keepers and their witch are magically bound, strong as individuals but unbeatable as one.  As it’s a series, I also loved the fact that there’s continuity between all the covers. 

So no, the covers weren’t anything close to what I had in mind but in the end, I think they’re everything a cover should be.  Love them!

Thanks for reading.

Rae Rivers

 

 

RAE RIVERS BIO

I’m an avid reader and writer with a passion for writing romance novels. I live in Cape

Town, South Africa, with my gorgeous husband, two beautiful children and a zoo of house pets.

Besides writing, I love family time, the outdoors, travelling, watching TV series, reading and

chocolate. For more information about my books, or me, please visit www.raerivers.com

I can also be found here:

Wattpad

Facebook

Goodreads

Pinterest

Twitter: @raerivers1

 

 

The Keepers series is published by Harper Impulse, the digital first romance imprint at Harper Collins.

 

 

 

Many thanks to Rae for such a fabulous post as part of the #HIFortnight celebrations!

 

 

 

Author Jill Knapp reflects on turning thirty HARPER IMPULSE FORTNIGHT

Today Jill Knapp reflects on her recent birthday, and what she has actually learnt since turning the big three-oh.

When I was fifteen I had an idealistic mind. I imagined myself married by the age of twenty four and two children on the way before I turned thirty. As I got older, those ideals changed. When I was twenty, I didn’t want to have children anymore and I didn’t want to be married anytime soon. Now I’m thirty and of course, my ideas about love and my future life have changed once more.

            I’ve learned a lot since I was fifteen. I have been fortunate enough to be able to travel, to attend college, and graduate school. I have moved five times in the past four years, getting a taste of three out of the five boroughs New York City has to offer. Now I am living in North Carolina. For my British friends, North Carolina is about nine hundred and nine kilometers from New York. Needless to say, life down here is much different.

            After separating from my husband of a year and a half, I was left alone to figure out life in this new part of the country. A part of the country that I have always wanted to live in. And a part of the country that has, more times than not, made me feel like an outcast with a giant scarlet letter adhered to my chest.

            New Yorkers wear the old Frank Sinatra line (if you can make it here, you can make it anywhere) like a badge of honor. And I’ll be the first to admit that I was one of those people. I used to believe people who lived anywhere else outside of New York City had it easier. They wouldn’t understand how hard it was to deal with constantly being broke. Or not being able to find a new job. Even small things like dating, or being able to spend time with your friends all seemed to be easier from the outside view.

            Having said that I still believe it’s okay to dream about living a town, or a city, or even another country. You should always want more out of life. Not in an impulsive way (I need to move every few years to see everything). But in a way that keeps you motivated. Keeps you hoping that things can be better, or keeps you thirsty for new cultures.

Author Jill Knapp, who celebrated turning 30 recently

Keeps you open minded.

And to make things clear, I don’t regret where I live now. I actually love it here. But the hard lesson I learnt is that there is no utopian town. There is no perfect city where everyone will like you and you’ll be offered a job as soon as you arrive. There is no perfect relationship; whether that means with your partner, your friends, or your family.

There is no perfect love- but if you look hard enough, you’ll find someone who is perfect for you.

            So after living for 30 years, here are the three important realizations I’ve had-

-          Relationships require work on both ends, just showing up isn’t enough.

-          Your friends are not the exact same people you knew in High School anymore.  They have careers and families and will often be busy. So if you want to keep your friendships alive, you have to stay in contact with one another. One of my friends and I used to exchange weekly Sunday e-mails when we went off to different colleges. Anything helps!

-          And lastly, you are not the exact same person you were fifteen, ten, or maybe even five years ago. So cut yourself some slack. You did things you shouldn’t have done but eventually you have to forgive yourself before those demons prevent you from being the person you are supposed to become. Don’t miss out on something potentially wonderful out of fear of it falling apart.

To quote A Cinderella Story, “Never let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game.”

 

 

 

Jill is the author of What Happens to Men When They Move to Manhattan?  and We've Always Got New York, both available now and published by Harper Impulse.

 

 

               

Spotlight on Katherine Garbera- and an except from her forthcoming novel Eye Candy! HARPER IMPULSE FORTNIGHT

Katherine Garbera is one of Harper Impulse's most recent signings.  Her novel Eye Candy is to be released this summer. 

Find out more about Katherine, and read an excerpt of Eye Candy below.   And there's a giveaway too!  I know you guys love a giveaway...

But to start with, Katherine talks about why she loves to read and write romance...

I’m often asked why I write romance.  And the answer is simple really, I love reading complicated relationship stories that are about the ups and downs of falling in love.  I like seeing two people meet at the wrong time in both of their lives and then start on the journey to falling love.

The truth is few of us (I don’t know of anyone, but just in case!) will find love when we want it.  Love comes unexpectedly into our lives.  And in fiction that makes for some good conflict.  In my upcoming title for Harper Impulse EYE CANDY (July 30) Hayley wants change.  But that change can’t come from the outside it really has to come from something inside of her.  And Hayley’s not afraid to go after what she wants.  She’s never taken the easy path.

I’m one of those people who believes that both people have to work at a successful relationship so in my novels I try to ensure both the hero and the heroine are complicated people.  Men and women who don’t need another person to ‘complete’ them or make them happy. But who aren’t opposed to have someone along with them on the journey.

My favorite romances are the ones that have two strong protagonists.  I don’t think I’d be very good at writing someone who needed to be rescued since I’m usually the one who will just do whatever needs doing.  Standing around and waiting for rescue doesn’t appeal to me.  But I do like a man who can see past all that I-can-do-it attitude and can pamper his woman. 

 

Here’s a little excerpt from Eye Candy:

 

She glanced up at him because even in the ridiculous heels he was still much taller than she was.  She saw he was watching her with that steady, even gaze he'd had on the street but also a little bit of amusement.

He thought she was frivolous.

For a moment the shy girl inside of her withered a little and wanted to retreat but she wasn't hiding any more.  She leaned up and let her breasts brush against his chest as she wrapped one hand around his shoulder for balance before she canted her body forward.

"Is something funny, officer?" she asked in a deep husky voice, making sure her words were spoken right into his ear.

She felt him shudder and his hands came to waist and he drew her off her feet more firmly into the cradle of his body but then everything shifted and she felt them starting to fall.

He cursed and held her tight as he ensured she landed on him with her half on top of his chest and half on the floor.  Hayley started laughing as she realized that maybe jumping from mousy to sexy was too much for her to accomplish in one night.

She glanced down at Garrett to find he was scowling.

"Are you hurt?"

"Just my pride," he said with a wry grin.

"Pride goeth before the fall?" she quipped.

"Definitely," he said.  He grabbed her waist and pulled her more fully on top of him.  She felt his jean-clad legs part and her silk-encased ones slid between them.

There was something almost erotic about the feel of the denim against her thighs and she shivered a little inside.  She put her hands on his chest but his hand on her waist moved up her back and he pushed his fingers into her newly cut hair, his hand shaping her head and drawing her down.

"What are you doing?" she asked on a breathless sort of sigh.

"Regaining the ground I lost," he said, moments before his lips met hers. 

Hayley closed her eyes and then the timbre of the kiss changed as he angled his head and parted her lips with his.  The warmth of his breath as it entered her mouth sent shivers of awareness down her spine.  The smooth glide of his tongue over hers short-circuited her thoughts.

She stopped breathing.

Every nerve in her body was at attention.  As his mouth moved over hers she felt the caresses of his thighs over hers.  The movement of his hands over the back of her head as he massaged the muscles in her neck and she turned to putty.

She melted against him and over him.  The kiss transformed her the same way the clothing had.  He was awakening something inside of her that she'd thought only existed in epic romance books and movies, but not in real life.  Something she'd always longed for, but thought she'd never find.  Something dangerous because though she was ready to change inside she hadn't yet.

She pulled back and looked down at him.  His eyes were half-closed and a subtle flush had spread under his beard-stubbled cheeks.  His lips were moist and swollen from kissing her.  She lifted one hand and rubbed her finger over the stubble on his jaw enjoying the slight abrasion against her skin.

He opened his eyes and she saw how beautiful they were up close.  She would have said they were gray before but at this angle she could see they were flecked with green and blue.  She moved her hand from his jaw and traced the line of one eyebrow and then found a tiny scar at his hairline.  She rubbed her finger over it.

"Ah, bad girl, you are killing me," he said, his voice was deep and sort of husky now.  The words brushed over her senses like a blast of heat from a fireplace on a cold night.  And this was a cold January night.

~

You can pre-order it here

Price $4.99 / £2.48

ISBN 9780008142520

 

Amazon.com

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00W0TVK7Q/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00W0TVK7Q&linkCode=as2&tag=kathegarbe-20&linkId=GO43OPLMAKMNYUR2

Amazon.co.uk

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Eye-Candy-HarperImpulse-Contemporary-Romance-ebook/dp/B00W0TVK7Q/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1430304408&sr=8-1&keywords=Eye+Candy+Katherine+Garbera

ibooks

https://itunes.apple.com/mt/book/eye-candy/id985259342?mt=11

bn.com

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/eye-candy-katherine-garbera/1121725719?ean=9780008142520

Sainsburys.co.uk

http://www.sainsburysebooks.co.uk/book/Eye-Candy-HarperImpulse-Contemporary-Romance-Katherine-Garbera/8140150

Google play

https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Katherine_Garbera_Eye_Candy_HarperImpulse_Contempo?id=TMwWCAAAQBAJ
 

Author Bio- USA Today bestselling author Katherine Garbera is a two-time Maggie winner who has written more than 60 books. A Florida native who grew up to travel the globe, Katherine now makes her home in the Midlands of the UK with her husband, two children and a very spoiled miniature dachshund. Visit her on the web at http://www.katherinegarbera.com, connect with her on Facebook and follow her on Twitter @katheringarbera.

 

 

Enter to win a signed copy of Katherine's novel Seduce Me Tonight (UK only).

 

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Zara Stoneley- Welcome to Tippermere! HARPER IMPULSE FORTNIGHT

Zara Stoneley visits Books with Bunny today as part of Harper Impulse Fortnight.  She's talking about the inspiration behind the fictional town of Tippermere, setting for her novels Stable Mates and the forthcoming Country Affairs.

I love it when readers get in touch to chat about my books, and one thing that’s been special about ‘Stable Mates’ is the huge number of people who’ve wanted to know more about Tippermere – and live there!

Tippermere is special, and I absolutely it. Sadly it’s a fictional place, but it is a mix of some very real villages and small towns I know in Cheshire, so I thought I’d give you a brief run down. If you want more pictures then I’ve finally given in to temptation and set up a Pinterest account -  https://www.pinterest.com/zarastoneley/country-affairs/, I feel incredibly lucky to live in such a beautiful place with inspiration on the doorstep. Please pop over and let me know what you think – and if you’ve already read Stable Mates, I’d love to know if my images match the ones in your head.

Tippermere is set in the heart of Cheshire, and is a small English village. The glorious Tipping House Estate bears more than a passing resemblance to Lyme Park (remember Pride and Prejudice?), and the wonderful village pubs, with open log fires and hop adorned beams, were inspired by two pubs I regularly visit! This description, found in the front of Stable Mates tells you more –

Welcome to tranquil Tippermere, set deep in the Cheshire countryside. Home to Lords and Ladies, horsemen and farmers.

Set on the highest hill, keeping a close eye on the village and its inhabitants, lies Tipping House Estate. In pride of place is the grand Elizabethan style mansion, sweeping down in front of her are immaculate gardens, well-kept parkland and rolling acres that spread as far as the eye can see.

Follow the stream down to the flat below, and nestling between copses and lakes, you find Folly Lake Manor and the sprawling grounds of the bustling Equestrian Centre. The country lane in front wends its way between high hedges to the village green, the church and two village pubs. Then fans out into tributaries, follow them further and you find a small eventing yard, a scattering of country cottages and rambling working farms.

Take the road north eastwards, travel on a few short miles and soon the elegant village of Kitterly Heath unfolds before you - a village whose origins were recorded in the Domesday Book. At one end of the ancient high street a solid 14^th Century church stands sentry, with an imposing school at the other, and all around sprawl the mansions old and new that house the rich and famous.

 

The neighbouring village of Kitterly Heath is a complete contrast to Tippermere and was inspired by Alderley Edge and Hale. Its single main street is cram packed with wine bars, restaurants, designer shops, beauty salons, plus wonderful delicatessens and butchers which stock local produce. Money is no object in Kitterly Heath, the majority of the cars are Bentley, Ferraris and Jaguars, with the occasional luxury 4X4, and the houses are incredible, some restored mansions and others newly designed architectural masterpieces – the one thing they all have in common is they’re impressive! The village is old, but most of the money is new with footballers, rock stars and bankers hidden down long private driveways, behind impressive security systems.

If you’d like to find out more, then keep an eye on the posts about Tippermere on my blog http://www.zarastoneley.com/tippermere/welcome-to-tippermere. New posts will be added soon! And of course, read Stable Mates and Country Affairs if you’d like to meet the residents J

About Zara -

Bestselling author Zara Stoneley lives in deepest Cheshire surrounded by horses, dogs, cats and amazing countryside. When she's not visiting wine bars, artisan markets or admiring the scenery in her sexy high heels or green wellies, she can be found in flip flops on the beach in Barcelona, or more likely sampling the tapas!

Zara writes hot romance and bonkbusters. Her latest novels, 'Stable Mates' and ‘Country Affairs’, are fun romps through the Cheshire countryside and combine some of her greatest loves - horses, dogs, hot men and strong women (and not forgetting champagne and fast cars)! 

She writes for Harper Collins and Accent Press.

Latest release – Country Affairs

'A great treat for readers who love their books jam-packed with sexy men and horses.' Bestselling author Fiona Walker

Welcome back to Tippermere for the wedding of the year…

Scatty but loveable Lottie Brinkley is famous throughout the village for her disorganised personality so when she steps up to plan the perfect wedding the only likely outcome is disaster.

And when her globetrotting, love cheat of an ex, Todd, literally crashes the wedding on a not-so-noble steed things definitely look set to take a turn for the scandalous! As rumours of why he’s back spread through the village quicker than the stable girl can drop her knickers, is Lottie's future with sexy eventer Rory Steel about to fall at the next fence?

With a wave of unexpected pregnancies, steamy shenanigans in the hay and a farrier with more than shoeing horses on his mind, will Lottie ever be ready to take on the coveted title of Lady of the Manor and restore the Estate to its former glory?

As the heart of the village, Tipping House Estate, makes its move into the 21st Century, pulses start to race in a novel packed full of charm, hunky stallions (the guys that is), and a daring plan that just has to succeed...

Buy links:
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