Love Songs for the Road

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Happy Wednesday! Here's a book I promised to review. Don't you love it when it turns out to be a sweet read? Please continue on to learn more about this story from debut author Farrah Taylor.

Blurb:

A rock star. The nanny. A love that could rock their world.

The only thing rock star Marcus Troy loves more than making music is his kids. So finding just the right nanny to take on tour with them is important—as is proving to his ex he deserves joint custody. Falling for his employee wouldn’t just be fodder for the paparazzi: it could ruin everything.

Too bad the perfect nanny turns out to be beautiful, vibrant Ryan Evans. Ryan’s never left her small Montana town before, so she jumps at the chance to see the country. And as much as accidental fame doesn’t gel with shy Ryan, what does is her relationship with her capricious, smoking-hot, shockingly good dad of a boss. Marcus is nothing like what she expected. But when the whole world’s watching them, will life in the spotlight be too hot to handle?

My review:

A lovely debut story! Farrah Taylor has done a fabulous job of turning an old cliché into a touching and entertaining read. Her characters are far deeper than meets the eye, and it won’t be long before you’re pulled in and traveling down the road with them.

Marcus is a bad boy rock star, and it isn’t long before we realize it’s what he does, not who he is. And sometimes life just sticks you between a rock and a hard place. How he works to handle some tough situations really made me cheer for him not only as a man, but as a dad.

Ryan is a down-home girl with roots and a plan for her life. When she gets thrown for a loop by her new boss, she handles it in such a frank and realistic way, and quickly comes to understand sometimes things just spin out of control. But that doesn’t deter from doing what she must, and I really loved that about this character. She was sweet and yet very strong.

Once I started reading this book, I really had a hard time putting it down! Well done, Ms. Taylor, well done.


I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Ten Quickies with Becca Sanders of Love Him or Leave Him

Greetings! Today we're thrilled to do the Fox Tales Ten Quickies with Becca Sanders, the heroine of Sara Daniel's new release, Love Him or Leave Him. Read on, because I've posted my review at the end!
 
Now, without further adieu, here's Becca.

1. Mountains or Beaches? Beach, preferably along the Mediterranean with a Greek tycoon whose physique outshines a certain too-sexy small-town police officer. What? It’s possible, and I’m not obsessing over that glimpse of Connor’s naked chest. Not. At. All.

2. Early Morning or Late Night? Early morning, definitely. 5 AM exercise class at my house!

3. High Heels or Sneakers?  Sneakers. Who can walk in high heels? More to the point, who would want to?

4. Summer or Winter? Summer. It’s so much easier to stay in shape when you can get outside. Plus, the beach is much nicer in the summer.

5. Wine or Chocolate? Both have good antioxidants, but considering how early I have to get up in the morning, I’ll go with chocolate.

6. Pen or Laptop? Laptop to write my exercise blog posts

7. Sports Car or Motorcycle? Sports car

8. Tea or Coffee? Hot cocoa, please!
 
9. Appetizer or Dessert? Dessert, preferably a caramel pecan cocoa made by Connor.

10. Kindle or Paperback? Kindle. It’s easier to turn the pages when I’m on the treadmill.

Let me tell you, after reading this story, these are so, Becca. Thanks for taking the time to be with us today. You are one terrific heroine. I'm so glad things worked out for you.

 

Here's the blurb:

Sometimes dreams are where you least expect them.

Connor O’Malley and Becca Sanders were once high school sweethearts, ripped apart by rumors in the small town of Kortville, Illinois. Connor left to join the military, and Becca stayed, waiting for her younger brother to graduate so she could live her dreams of traveling the world. But now that Connor's back as the town sheriff, Becca finds herself struggling to resist the too-handsome man who once broke her heart.

Connor loves Kortville—its quaintness keeps at bay the painful memories of Afghanistan he’s sure make him unworthy of any woman, particularly the beautiful brunette he’s always secretly dreamed of a future with. But when a scandal rocks the town, suddenly Connor and Becca must trust in each other if they want to weather this storm…and come out on the other side of it together.

 

Buy links:

Amazon | B&N | iBookstore | Kobo

 

About Sara:

I write what I love—irresistible romance, from sweet to erotic and everything in between. On the personal side, I'm a frazzled maid, chauffeur, and slave to my children. I was once a landlord of two uninvited squirrels. (The children's book The Bravest Squirrel Ever by my alter-ego Sara Shafer is the squirrel's fictionalized version of that experience!) I'm crazy about country music and the drama of NASCAR. And I have my very own happily-ever-after romance with my hero husband.

Follow my blog, like me on Facebook or email me for the latest updates on my books and writing projects or to debate the best race car drivers!

Sara online:

Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

 

Those of you who know me, know I'll be following Sara's blog now, because I can't resist a good debate about race car drivers!

 

And here's my review:

Kortville is a beautifully crafted small town with a full cast of diverse characters who’ll keep you entertained. This story features Becca and Connor who are former high school sweethearts drawn back together by circumstance. Ms. Daniel does a fantastic job of crafting believable mature characters that have dreams and goals of their own yet are responsible enough to do what they have to do, and open-minded enough to realize that things change, people change, and they can too.

There are several creative, yet realistic twists and turns in the plot, and some great laugh-out-loud moments, all woven together seamlessly to create a very entertaining read.

This story was hard for me to put down because I’m a city girl who’s moved to a small town, and the author made the story so believable that I could see some of these things possibly happening in my own town!

It’s by far one of the sweetest romances I’ve read this summer. So good in fact, that the first book in the series is now on my ereader.

There's also a $25 Amazon gift up for grabs, on this tour. Here's the link to the rafflecopter!

 

Entry for Amazon Gift Card

 

Thanks for taking the time to be here at Fox Tales. Wishing you much success with your book!

Disclaimer: I received an ARC from the publisher for the purpose of an honest review.



Playing the Maestro with Aubrie Dionne

Today it's my pleasure to host author Aubrie Dionne and review her new release, Playing the Maestro. Welcome, Aubrie! It's great to have you here today.

How Practicing an Instrument is Like Writing.

There’s a quote in music: “The more you practice, the more you want to practice. The less you practice the less you want to practice.” That is so true about writing as well.

A beginner flutist starts by practicing 10-15 minutes a day, which might be like 200-500 words a day. As you improve, you build your muscles to be able to blow longer, hold the flute longer, and play longer pieces of music. You move up to 20-30 minutes a day. Writing is the same way. Your brain is your muscle, and you have to exercise it regularly to increase your word count.

I started with just a few hundred words a day. I remember how hard it was to keep going, and how I’d just keep rereading what I previously wrote instead of coming up with new words. My first book took over 2 and a half years to write. That was over 6 years ago. I slowly increased my word count each year, so now I can sit for an hour and write a thousand words no problem. Last year my goal was 365k or 1k a day all year. I managed to get to 316. This year I’m trying for 2k a day, or as close as I can get. I can write a short novel in two months, and a long one in three. Playing the Maestro took me two.

But, I still have a long way to go if I want to be a professional author and have 4-5 releases a year. Some people can sit down and write 10k in one day! After about 3k my brain goes fuzzy and all that comes out is mush- which means I’m not quite ready for that yet. But, I’m working my way up.

What are you at with your writing? What do you want to expand your writing muscle to?

That's fantastic, Aubrie. You are very inspiring. I'd love to be able to write 2k a day. You've given me something to shoot for. What about the rest of you out there? What are you working toward?

Don't miss this opportunity to win a beautiful necklace from Aubrie. You can enter below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Now without further ado, let's get a peek at this book's gorgeous cover and the blurb.

Melody Mires has sworn off dating musicians, but when the sexy European conductor Wolf Braun takes over her struggling symphony, her hesitation almost flies out the window with the notes of her flute—until he opens his mouth. Wolf is arrogant, haughty, and seems to have a personal vendetta against Melody. Oh, and he’s her boss. If she wants to keep her job as principal flutist, she’ll have to impress Wolf while simultaneously keeping her undeniable attraction to herself.

Wolf came to America to get as far away from his past as possible, and to recover some of the swagger he had as one of the world’s best maestros. He never imagined being forced to reassess the entire orchestra’s talent—and potentially fire anyone who doesn’t make his cut. Dating the attractive flutist is out of the question, but as their feelings reach a fever pitch, can they risk both their careers for a chance at love?

Here's my review:

Playing the Maestro is a charming love story that captured my attention immediately. My initial engagement came from Ms. Dionne’s choice of setting. I found it refreshing to get a glimpse into the inner workings of an orchestra. The pressure of not only having a seat, but the constant struggle to maintain it, while the characters deal with real life challenges kept the tension high, and me turning the pages.

The chemistry between Melody and Wolf is evident from their first meeting. As they each struggle with trying to overcome personal obstacles as well as those thrown into their path by a crafty set of secondary characters, their relationship deftly builds into an uplifting story that will have you cheering for them to be together. 

If you’re tired of reading the same old sweet romance, I suggest you give this one a try. Its distinctive storyline and engaging cast will keep you thoroughly entertained from the first page to the last.

You can purchase your very own copy here:

http://www.amazon.com/Playing-the-Maestro-ebook/dp/B00BFQDEPG/

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/playing-the-maestro-aubrie-dionne/1114502925

I did receive a copy of this book from Entangled Publishing in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you very much for being here with us today, Aubrie. Wishing you much success with this fabulous story!!