Spotlight – Flight Risk

12 Monday Sep 2016

Posted by romanticreadsandsuch in Blog Tour, Contest, Sneak Peek

Tags

Assignment: Romance Series, Barbara Valentin, Flight Risk

We’ve seen a couple of the books in this series already (with False Start and Key Change). And this one looks to be just as much fun as the others 🙂

*****

Flight Risk

An Assignment: Romance Novel, Book 4

by Barbara Valentin

Romantic Comedy / Chick Lit

Gemma Halliday Publishing / 233 pages

Blurb:

When Aubrey Thomas, a phobic travel writer, must choose between jumping to what she considers certain death from a skydiving static line or sinking even deeper into debt in the unemployment line, she scrambles to find someone—anyone!—who can help her overcome her debilitating fear of heights. Enter John Trelawney, a charming window washer who thinks nothing of dangling by a cable fifty stories up and claims he can cure her. Everything about John makes Aubrey nervous… including the way her heart kicks into overdrive whenever he’s around. But, at the end of her rope, she takes him up on his offer. Can he really help her get over her fear of heights? Or will Aubrey find herself free falling…possibly even in love with him?

Buy Links: Amazon B&N Smashwords Kobo iBooks

*****

Excerpt:

John smirked. “You’re not afraid of heights.”

Her defenses on high alert, Aubrey shot back, “Oh yes I am,” well aware that she sounded like a fifth grader picking a fight on the playground.

With a quick shake of his head and that same teasing smile, he murmured, “You’re just afraid of falling.”

The thought had never occurred to Aubrey, but it made perfect sense, especially after seeing her first husband fall headfirst to his death.

As if reading her mind, he added, “And I can totally help you get over that.”

Ah, here we go.

“Heh. Yeah. I’ll be you can.” She attempted to stand, but he sprang up first.

“Easy does it.” Taking her clammy hand in his, he pulled her to a standing position. “You sure you’re OK?”

When she nodded, he reached into his back pocket and produced a pen. Next, he uncurled her hand and started writing something on her open palm.

But the ink wouldn’t stick. Her skin was still too damp.

Which might explain what he did next.

Aubrey watched, mesmerized, as he held her open palm to his mouth and blew on it.

While part of her brain knew he was just trying to dry her skin, when he locked his eyes on hers, the rest of her was all in for him doing more of the same on the rest of her clammy self.

*****

Author Info:

Author of the bestselling Assignment: Romance series, Barbara was named “Indie Star of 2015” by Publishers Weekly when her first book, False Start, earned a coveted starred review. A member of Romance Writers of America, she looks forward to the day when her to-do list includes “Send Oprah a thank you note” and “Accept Godiva’s request to be a taste-tester.”

Website: http://www.barbaravalentin.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Platespinner/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpinningInBurbs

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Barbara-Valentin/e/B00OPWO5NM/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1469732686&sr=1-2-ent

GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8551312.Barbara_Valentin

Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/100161712753019104174/posts

*****

Giveaway:

$25 Amazon Gift Card

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/c7458f4386/

*****

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Spotlight – KEY Change

22 Tuesday Dec 2015

Posted by romanticreadsandsuch in Blog Tour, Contest, Sneak Peek

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Assignment: Romance Series, Barbara Valentin, KEY Change

I don’t know why the idea of this one appeals to me so much but I am really looking forward to getting my hands on it. And I think that a little humor is what all of us need around this time of year 🙂

*****

KEY Change

Assignment: Romance #3

Barbara Valentin

Romantic Comedy, 236 pgs

Gemma Halliday Publishing

Blurb:

The first thing Sara Cleff, a hard-edged, shower-singing rock music critic, wants to do after following a band on tour is crawl into her nice comfy bed in her well-appointed, optimally located vintage apartment. But before making it home, she learns her roommate-slash-boyfriend has apparently broken up with her while she was away on assignment and sublet their apartment out from underneath her. Ouch! When her key no longer fits in the lock, the last person she expects to find on the other side of the door is Andrew Benet, a wickedly gorgeous music director from a nearby church.

Something about the brash music critic strikes a chord with Andrew, and he offers her the chance to stay on one condition—she has to join the choir at his church. While Andrew may hold the lease on Sara’s apartment, does he have the key to unlock her heart?

*****

Excerpt:

Up as usual at the crack of dawn, Andrew trudged to the bathroom, almost forgetting to close the door behind him before he spotted Sara’s bangles on the counter next to the sink. Reaching over, he shut the door and locked it.

Fifteen minutes later, he was showered, clean-shaven, and ready to go, except he didn’t have to be at the church until four-thirty that afternoon. Unplugging his phone from an outlet in his room, he brought it with him into the kitchen, transferred Sara’s clothes that she had washed the night before into the dryer and poured himself some coffee. He sat on a barstool, debated throwing a sweatshirt on over his plain, blue, short-sleeved T- shirt to ward off the chill, but started scrolling through his email instead.

His eyes, however, kept drifting over to Sara, out like a light on the sofa sleeper.

While most of her was wrapped in the blankets like a human burrito, with the sun starting to break through the bare branches of the ancient oak tree blocking the expansive bay window, he could see her face quite plainly.

Without all that the heavy dark makeup, he noted, she looked younger.

And kinda sweet, actually.

But then again, she wasn’t talking.

Still, he was glad he invited her to stay the night before.

But what about tonight? And tomorrow night? And the night after that?

While he mulled the possibilities, she rolled over and stretched, arching her back and groaning as she did. Resuming her curled-up burrito pose, she opened her eyes and mumbled, “How long have you been sitting there?”

Looking at his watch, he admitted, “About a minute. Or five. Maybe ten.” His cheeks suddenly felt a lot warmer.

With a loud yawn, she sat up. “I slept so good.” Patting the thin mattress with her hand, she added, “So comfy.”

The words hung in the air between them.

Sarcasm before coffee. Great.

Still, the sight of her in his pajama top seemed to lobotomize him. All he could do by way of a reply was nod.

With a shrug, she added, “Seriously, on a sleeper sofa—who knew?”

Snap out of it.

With no small amount of effort, he turned and glanced at the dryer. “Your clothes should be ready in about twenty minutes.”

At that, Sara took a deep breath and yanked the covers back, revealing two impossibly long bare legs as she flung her feet to the floor.

Knowing full well that the sudden blast of heat he felt was not delivered by way of the gilded vents along the floorboards, Andrew got up to check the thermostat on the wall next to the upright piano anyway, mumbling, “Gotta love old buildings.”

*****

Author Info:

Barbara is an award-winning novelist and second-generation journalist. After spending a decade in maternity clothes, she has five boys to show for it and much fodder for her column, The Plate Spinner Chronicles, a long-running feature in the Chicago Tribune. A member of RWA’s Windy City chapter, she still dreams of the day when her to-do list includes “Send NY Times book critic thank you note” and “Accept Godiva’s request to be a taste-tester.”

Contact email: spinninginburbs@gmail.com

Website | Facebook | Amazon | Goodreads | Twitter

*****

Giveaway:

$25 Amazon gift card

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/c7458f4379/

*****

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Spotlight – False Start

05 Wednesday Nov 2014

Posted by romanticreadsandsuch in Blog Tour, Sneak Peek

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Tags

Assignment: Romance Series, Barbara Valentin, False Start

Another busy day! I hope you find something that tickles your fancy …

False Start looks like a great choice – I’m ready to get my hands on a copy.

*****

False Start

An Assignment:
Romance Novel

Barbara Valentin

Gemma Halliday Publishing

Contemporary Romantic Comedy,65,555k

Mattie Ross is probably the last person who should be doling out good counsel to anyone on anything. Still smarting after being left at the altar two years earlier, she is strapped with debt, has sworn off men and, despite her well-proportioned figure, remains haunted by childhood taunts of “Fatty Mattie.” But to her publisher at the Chicago Gazette and readers, she is their latest advice columnist, The Plate Spinner, a self-assured working parent to adorable fake children and is a multi-tasking savant.

Enter Nick
Derosa, the twin brother of Mattie’s cold-footed fiancé who is trying to get back on his feet after his brother steals his identity and implicates him in an illegal investment scheme. But thanks to Nick’s legendary running career, the publisher of the Chicago Gazette proposes a wager: If Nick can train an out-of-shape working parent to compete in the Chicago Marathon, he will contribute enough to help Nick launch his own non-profit running club for homeless kids.

Suddenly “Fatty” Mattie and Nick are thrust together as the most unlikely of pairs and under a deadline to put their trust issues aside and avoid another false start in their lives.

Buy Links: Amazon B&N Smashwords iTunes

Kobo Gemma
Halliday Publishing

Excerpt:

Nick DeRosa. Why Eddie chose his estranged twin brother to be his best man over any of his esteemed colleagues at his LaSalle Street investment firm, she had no idea. The awkwardness of their greeting the night before was matched only by its impropriety. Mistaking him for Eddie, Mattie had pulled his face down to hers and, with all of the exuberance of a jubilant bride-to-be, planted a passionate kiss on his surprised lips.

That he had the same chiseled Mediterranean features and wore his chestnut-colored locks in the same style as his brother’s was hardly her fault.

That he kissed her back was his.

Hours later, as she was leaving the rehearsal dinner, Nick managed to confirm, if not worsen, the bride-to-be’s opinion of him when she overheard him ask Eddie, “Why do you want to marry somebody like Mattie?”

Somebody like Mattie.

Taken out of context, that question could be twisted any number of malicious ways and twist it Mattie did. But, given that she was less than a day away from becoming Mrs. Eduardo DeRosa, co-owner of a custom-built Gold Coast penthouse and a cherry red Ferrari, she simply added the insult to the already long list of offenses Nick had incurred against her over the years and filed it away for future reference.

Author Bio:

Barb is a freelance writer, over-scheduled parent, and connoisseur of fine chocolate. A second-generation journalist, her work has appeared in the Chicago Tribune and its affiliates. The exploits of her five boys provided fodder for her column, The Plate Spinner Chronicles, a long-running feature in the Chicago Tribune, which snagged her a runner-up spot in an Erma Bombeck Humor Contest. A member of RWA’s Windy City chapter, she still dreams of the day when her to-do list includes “Send NY Times book critic thank you note” and “Accept Godiva’s request to be a taste-tester.”

Contact links:

email: spinninginburbs@gmail.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Platespinner

Twitter: https://www.facebook.com/Platespinner

*****

Giveaway:

$10 Amazon GC and an eCopy of False Start

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/c7458f4351/