This morning we welcome Ally Broadfield as she shares some secrets about her writing and gives us a look at her newest book,ย Just aย Kiss. ย I was lucky to get an advance copy of JaKย and found it to be a ton of fun … check out all of the book details, along with my review, below!
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Hi, Julie! Thanks so much for having me on Romantic Reads and Such. Iโm excited to be here.
Iโm going to make a confession. Iโve always been jealous of writers who have playlists for each of their books and are able to listen to music that motivates them and helps them write. I guess Iโm too easily distracted, because I canโt write and listen to music at the same time.
I usually write during the day when my husband is at work and the kids are at school, but a few weeks ago I was facing a looming deadline that forced me to write in the evenings and on the weekends. In order to be productive, I had to do something to block out the noise and interruptions from my family, so in desperation, I grabbed my headphones and found an eighties channel to listen to on my computer. For the first time, listening to music worked for me, probably because I am a child of the eighties and know all of the songs so well I was able to stay focused on the writing.
Then something even more extraordinary happened. The song Almost Paradise from the movie Footloose came on, immediately thrusting me back to my seventh grade spring dance and the boy I had been crushing on all year โ along with the other 150 girls in my class. All of a sudden, I had all the feels. The rush of adrenaline as he approached, the excitement and fear when he asked me(!) to dance, the delicious heat of his hand on my back and his arms around my waist. And the words began to flow as the hero and heroine of the story engaged in their own dance.
Iโm still easily distracted by music when I write, but now Iโve discovered the secret to evoke the feelings and emotions that add depth to my writing.
How about you? Are there certain songs that can transport you to another time and place?
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Just A Kiss
by Ally Broadfield
Blurb:
His proposal could only lead to temptation…
Charlotte Lightwood has one season to find a husband or sheโll be forced to marry her guardianโs loathsome cousin. With no title or dowry, she doesnโt have much hope of making a good match. Sebastian Wilkinson, the Earl of Marley, has been the most eligible bachelor on the marriage mart for more years than he cares to count and is very aware of his duty to marry a woman who will add to the wealth and stature of his title. Sebastian makes Charlotte an offer she canโt refuse: he will pretend to court her to help her attract more suitors in exchange for her advice about which ladies he should pursue. As they work together, their mutual attraction grows. When they realize they just might be perfect for one another, they must decide whether to bow to the dictates of society or follow their hearts.
Goodreads:ย Amazon: ย Barnes & Noble:ย Entangled
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Authorย Info:
Ally lives in Texas and is convinced her house is shrinking, possibly because she shares it with three kids, five dogs, a cat, a rabbit, and several reptiles. Oh, and her husband.ย She likes to curse in Russian and spends most of her time letting dogs in and out of the house and shuttling kids around. She writes historical romance set in Regency England and Imperial Russia.
She loves to hear from readers and you can find her on herย website,ย Facebook, andย Twitter, though she makes no claims of using any of them properly.
Website:Blog:Twitter:Facebook:Goodreads:
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Review:
Just a Kiss is a novella in the Itโs in His Kiss series and looks like a fantastic start. At just over 100 pages, the two do fall in love pretty quickly but thatโs what you expect in a novella but, an important thing for me, I didnโt feel cheated by the length of the story. Broadfield gives her readers a complete, and amazingly sweet, story in just about 100 pages.ย
Marley is your typical lord โ concerned about his title, his position in society and the future of his line. But he also loves his grandmother dearly, is dedicated to his friends, and is willing to help out those he feels arenโt being treated fairly. And that includes Charlotte.ย
Charlotte is the poor relation and itโs obvious, plus sheโs a little out of her depth in London society. But sheโs also caring and kind. When she catches Marleyโs eye, as well as his grandmotherโs, her season is starting to look up. Only the more time she spends with Marley the more attracted she is to him and sheโs definitely not his social equal.ย
The struggle between what Marley should do and what he wants to do is handled deftly. Again, this is a novella so it all happens quickly โ we know that a happy ending is in their future but Broadfield makes it fun getting there. She also introduces us Marleyโs friend Lord Ashdown and Princes Tarasova, a possible bride for him and quick friend to Charlotte. Both are very appealing and hopefully will play a starring role in the next installment in the series.ย
Just a Kiss is the perfect choice for readers who are looking for a quick read on a beautiful spring day. It may go fast but youโll devour every page and finish with a little happy sigh.ย
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Giveaway:
$25 gift card and other small surprises from Ally Broadfield
http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/1cb554338/
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