Books

Announcing the Sizzlin’ Summer of Contemporary Romance Giveaway

July 1, 2013 by ReeseRyan

I’m thrilled to announce that I’ve teamed with fellow Carina Press authors: Kat Latham, Tamara Morgan, Alison Packards, and Kelsey Browning to celebrate our sizzling summer contemporary romance releases! The Sizzlin’ Summer of Contemporary Romance event runs July 15 – September 6.

As part of the Sizzlin’ Summer of Contemporary Romance I will be doing a Grand Prize giveaway in conjunction with my Making the First Move Blog Tour running Monday, July 22nd to Sunday, August 4th. I’m giving away a $25 Amazon Gift Card and ALL FIVE of our contemporary romance titles listed below. Want to enter the giveaway or add your blog to the tour? For more information and scheduled tour stops, visit the tour page here.

Each author is running a separate giveaway. To learn more about the giveaway the others will be offering, visit the individual author websites listed below.

The Winning Season by Alison Packard

Publication date: July 15, 2013

Kelly Maxwell has finally landed her dream job, publicist for the San Francisco Blaze. But the team’s newest member, handsome bad boy catcher Matt Scanlon, is refusing every interview. She’s got to get him to open up before the season ends, or she may not be back next year. And after everything she overcame to achieve her dream, Kelly’s not about to let that happen.

Matt Scanlon just wants to be left alone to rebuild his life and his career. After a year of masking the pain of a recent loss with hard partying and fast women, he finally hit rock bottom and was traded to a team he’s loathed his entire life—a team with little or no chance at the post-season.

Butting heads is getting Kelly and Matt nowhere but annoyed, and with the team’s schedule on the road, they can’t avoid close quarters—or their surprising attraction to one another. As the season winds down, Matt finds his growing feelings for Kelly have brought his numbed emotions back to life. But when betrayal shatters their fragile trust, winning it all seems more impossible than ever.

Read an excerpt

Buy it at Amazon.com | Barnes & Noble | Carina Press | Books-A-Million

Follow Alison on Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Website

Making the First Move by Reese Ryan

Publication date: July 22, 2013

Melanie Gordon has spent the past five years obsessing over her career to dull the pain of a devastating breakup and the loss of her father. Her effort pays off when she receives the promotion that could be her big break. Only it means returning to her hometown to face her past while leaving behind the man who could be her future.

Selfless (and insanely sexy) philanthropist, Raine Mason, is committed to his cause. But his passion for rescuing high-risk young males from the road to disaster is fueled by his own dark and tragic past.

When Raine is ready to take his casual friendship with Melanie to sizzling new heights, her one-way ticket to Cleveland is already booked. A steamy night of passion leaves them both wanting more. But just when she thinks she is finally ready to give her heart to him she discovers startling news that causes her to question everything she knows about him. Worse, he is harboring a dark secret that threatens to shatter any hope of a future for them unless he can convince her that their love is worth the risk.

Read an excerpt.

Buy it at Amazon.com | Barnes & Noble | Carina Press | Books-A-Million

Follow Reese on Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Website

Knowing the Score by Kat Latham

Publication date: August 5, 2013

Book one of the London Legends

Rugby player Spencer Bailey is determined to win a spot on England’s World Cup team. But with a month break before the selectors start watching him, he’s eager to have fun with a woman who knows the score: the relationship will end when rugby season begins. The lovely American Caitlyn Sweeney seems perfect for the role of temporary lover, since her visa will run out soon anyway.

Caitlyn works for an international disaster relief organization and can handle the world’s worst crises, but she flinches from her own. Her past has left her with a fear of intimacy so deep that she has trouble getting close to anyone—until she meets sexy Spencer. His hot body and easygoing nature are too much for even her to resist.

Neither Caitlyn nor Spencer expects to fall hard for each other. But with their relationship deadline approaching, the old rules of the game seem less important than before…until past secrets surface, challenging everything they thought they knew about each other.

Read an excerpt

Buy it at Amazon.com | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Carina Press | Books-A-Million

Follow Kat at Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | katlatham.com

Personal Assets by Kelsey Browning

Publication date: August 26, 2013

Book one of the Texas Nights series

Sex therapist Allie Shelby has the professional credentials, but she could use a bit more practical experience. Finding the right man to bring out her inner bad girl is tough in a population-challenged Texas town. So when sinfully sexy Cameron Wright rolls back into Shelbyville, Allie wastes no time inviting him to join her in some hands-on research.

Cameron has come home to fulfill his dream of restoring classic cars. Back in high school, he knew the town princess, Allie Shelby, was way out of his league. Today he has even less in common with Allie, so he’s shocked as hell when she propositions him. Still, he’s only human, so he accepts her offer—and with each encounter, she shows him another, wilder side. Before long, he’s thinking about more than just sex.

But while her personal life heats up, Allie’s business is about to crash and burn. And she has to convince Cameron that she’s one princess who’s not looking for a prince to ride to her rescue.

Read an excerpt

Buy it at Amazon.com | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Carina Press | Books-A-Million

Follow Kelsey at Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | KelseyBrowning.com

The Derby Girl by Tamara Morgan

Publication Date: August 26, 2013

Book Two of the Getting Physical Series

Roller derby girl Gretchen “Honey Badger” Badgerton lives in the moment, no apologies. Like every woman in Pleasant Park with a pulse, she finds Dr. Jared Fine irresistible, but she’s taken by surprise when her unattainable new neighbor asks her out.

On paper, Jared is the perfect man: gorgeous, wealthy and charitable. But his golden image is just that, and opening an upstate practice is a welcome chance to start a new life. When Gretchen stops to help him with a flat tire, he’s intrigued by her feisty attitude—and her sexy body art. There’s something refreshing about being with a take-charge woman who doesn’t expect him to be anything but himself.

Though Gretchen is hesitant to shatter Jared’s “bad girl” illusion of her, she has to face facts: she’s fallen for the good doctor. She’s used to putting everyone else’s needs before hers, but as their relationship heats up, can she handle having someone take care of her for a change?

Buy it at Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books-A-Million

Find Tamara at Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Website

Who Would You Be for a Day and a Making the First Move Excerpt

June 19, 2013 by ReeseRyan

Today I’m over at Caribbean Accent Book Reviews (CABR) chatting with my gracious host, Sasha. I’ve interviewed lots of authors (actors, musicians, artists, etc.) over the years–most of them over on All Things Girl. It is strange, yet exciting, to be on the other end of the questions. Sasha’s questions were a great way to ease into this whole new world of being the interviewee.

We discuss what prompted me to tell Melanie and Raine’s story, a scene I found challenging to write, and who I would be if I could be anybody for a day. (That last one is probably my favorite.)

I’m also sharing a funny Making the First Move excerpt which features one of my favorite secondary characters from this story–Melanie’s mom, Ellie Gordon. I love Ellie’s character. She’s the matriarch of the Gordon Family and she isn’t afraid to say what’s on her mind. She loves her girls fiercely, but she also seems to have a gift for embarrassing poor Melanie. This scene is essentially a meet cute between Melanie’s love interest–Raine–and her mother who is immediately smitten with him–on behalf of her daughter, of course. The story takes place in my hometown and this scene occurs at one of my favorite spots in town–the Cleveland Museum of Art.

I’d love it if you’d stop by CABR to say hello. While you’re there, be sure to enter into a drawing for an e-copy of Making the First Move.

Cover Reveal: Making the First Move by Reese Ryan

June 11, 2013 by ReeseRyan

One of the first things that draws us to a book is its cover. So as a debut author (who may or may not be a teensy bit of a control freak) I was plenty nervous about whether or not I’d like the cover of my debut novel, Making the First Move.

Making the First Move by Reese Ryan — *Making the First Move* by Reese Ryan is available for pre-order at these fine booksellers:
Amazon | B & N | B-A-M | iBooks | Amazon United Kingdom

So I’d been sitting on pins and needles for months. Hands were wrung. Floors were paced. And I was seriously stressed about how my cover would turn out.

I’d finally resigned myself to the idea that no amount of worrying (or panicky emails exchanged) would get the cover completed any faster. I would have to wait patiently (not very good at that) and hope for the best (much better at this). So whenever I started to worry about my cover again, I’d repeat the following mantra: “My cover will be done any day now, and I’m going to absolutely love it.”

So you can imagine my joy when the final concept for the cover showed up in my inbox a two weeks ago. I held my breath, clicked on the attachment and completely fell in love. The cover is everything I hoped it would be and more.

I expected to have a minor suggestion for changes, but I had absolutely zero. It’s perfect. I love everything about it. The hero. The heroine. The pink. The font. The entire package.

My plans for doing an exciting, rip-the-white-tarp-off cover reveal got derailed when I discovered the cover was already on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and the Carina Press website. Yet I didn’t have time to be disappointed. I was too busy kermit-flailing over the fact my Amazon, B&N, and Goodreads book page now felt official. Maybe I felt a little more official, too.

So, I present to you Melanie Gordon and Raine Mason of Making the First Move. To read the summary and excerpt, visit the book page here.

Making the First Move by Reese Ryan is available for pre-order at these fine booksellers:
Amazon | B & N | B-A-M | iBooks | Amazon United Kingdom

M is for Making the First Move

April 15, 2013 by ReeseRyan

So today, as Mike Meyers’ character, Linda Richman, would say in his old SNL Coffee Talk skits, “I’m feeling a little verklempt.”

Anyone who has ever dreamed of seeing their words–and the characters that came to life in their heads–available to be read by others can understand what an emotional rollercoaster the road to publishing is. Each accomplishment is met with a sense of utter joy. But that feeling of euphoria can be dashed just as quickly, leaving you a broken, thumb-sucking, blankie-cuddling mess.

Today I got to see something I’ve long imagined, my debut novel, Making the First Move, is currently listed on Amazon for pre-order. There’s no cover image yet, just the basic facts and the back cover copy (BCC). Still, it’s a big moment and I’m pretty excited. I didn’t waste a second putting together my Amazon author page, and Goodreads page.

So, does this mean I’ve arrived? Seriously, I’m not that delusional. However, it means that I’m moving forward, making a little more progress toward those goals every day. That is something I am quite proud of.

So while I don’t have a book cover to show you today, I thought I’d give a brief synopsis of the story, and a small excerpt. Both are below.

Synopsis

Best. Day. Ever.

In less than 24 hours, headhunter, Melanie Gordon’s life turns completely upside down. Her dream promotion, and the man of her dreams, fall at her feet, and in her bed, unexpectedly. Only neither is exactly what it seems. Mel must decide whether she will fall apart, as she did five years ago, or let go of her misguided expectations and go for what she really wants.

Excerpt

Chapter One

Damien Jasper is brilliant and asshole in equal amounts, wrapped in one stunningly handsome, well-dressed package. And he’s headed directly toward me.

This cannot be good.

There are only two reasons Damien Jasper visits the peons this early in the morning. He’s in hot pursuit of a new female employee, or the building is on fire. We haven’t hired anyone new, and the building isn’t on fire. So I’m pretty sure I’m screwed.

His intense eye contact is unnerving. Especially since Damien’s idea of eye contact usually lands somewhere in the vicinity of my boobs.

“Good morning, Ms. Gordon.”

I force a smile. You’d think shoving your tongue down a woman’s throat would give you the right to call her by her first name in perpetuity. But the rules in Damien Jasper’s world are pretty hard to follow. “Good morning, Damien.”

“When you’re done with your phone call, please come to my office.” The muscles in his face barely stir. His voice is a deep, low rumble.

My shoulders tense and a hard knot forms in my gut. I nod and force a smile so stiff it’s more of a grimace.

Damien turns on the heels of chestnut-colored loafers that cost more than my rent.

My heart is beating a mile a minute. I’ve completely forgotten I’m on the phone.

“Melanie? You still there?”

I take a deep breath and nod. “Sorry. Yes, I’m here. I’ve got, like, three minutes.” I look at my watch. “What’s up?”

Raine clears his throat then attempts to speak. His words come out too fast and at least two octaves higher than his normal speaking voice, like an old vinyl record that’s been sped up.

“What was that?”

“Sorry, I just…I wanted to talk to you about…” He sighs. “You know what, you’re busy. We should do this later.”

“Why don’t I give you a call later tonight or over the weekend?” I watch as the elevator door closes behind Damien.

“Okay—”

“Great. I really have to go. Talk to you later.”

As I return the phone to its cradle, my glass of water topples over. Thank God only my copy of the San Francisco Gazette gets wet. I toss the paper in the trash and take a deep breath. My hands shake like crumpled, brown leaves barely clinging to the trees at the end of fall.

Damien Jasper’s late-night trysts with overeager female employees are legendary here at Jasper & Graevel. A fact I wasn’t privy to that late night two years ago, when I was invited to accompany him to a client dinner.

We nailed our pitch over dinner and snagged the new client. Damien, in turn, tried to nail me. I’d had a drink or two more than I should have, at his urging, but I wasn’t drunk enough to believe that screwing the company CEO wouldn’t end badly. I politely extracted his tongue from my mouth, inserted my knee into his crotch and excused myself from the elevator we’d been sharing.

Jasper & Graevel is a major player in my industry. So rather than raising hell over the incident, I chose to ignore it and hoped Damien would do the same. For the past two years we’ve nodded politely and exchanged pleasantries whenever the situation required it. Still I’ve always had this nagging feeling that one day Damien would exact his revenge. That day, I fear, is today.

My throat is parched. Wish I had that damned glass of water. I survey my cubicle. Maybe I should box up my things now, rather than suffer the humiliation of stuffing my things in a box while two impatient rent-a-cops hover over me. Legs wobbling, I climb to my feet and take small, wooden steps toward the elevator.

“You’ve done it this time, Gordon.” Priscilla Cohen, Miss Prissy when she isn’t in earshot, leans against the outside of her cubicle, one hand on her waist. She arches her back to provide us all with a proper view of the size-D cups acquired during her last “vacation.” Her walking-stick-thin frame strains to hold them up.

I pretend not to hear her, but Priscilla is part pit bull, part crazed stalker. She will not be ignored. She steps into the center of the aisle, her arms folded over her chest.

“I told you not to hire that fat guy. He could barely talk for all that damn wheezing.” Priscilla hunches her shoulders and imitates Edmond Bennett, the man to whom she’s referring. She draws snickers from a few occupants of nearby cubicles. I garner looks of pity from a few others.

My cheeks sting, but I’m compelled to defend my candidate. My eyes lock with hers. “Mr. Bennett was a solid candidate with impressive credentials. I haven’t had a single complaint about him or any of my other placements.”

A menacing smile spreads across Priscilla’s face. “Until today.”

I sneer and push my way past her. Priscilla teeters on her four-inch heels and grabs the cubicle wall to steady herself. I conceal a wicked smile and nod to acknowledge mental high-fives doled out by a few of my coworkers. If this is going to be my last day at Jasper & Graevel, I’m going out with a bang.

I punch the Up arrow. The elevator doors creak open. I step inside, half expecting the floor to give way and send me careening down a tube into the basement—where J&G rejects belong.

I press my back against the wall to steady my legs. Forget wispy-winged butterflies. I’ve got a frickin’ Cirque du Soleil performance happening in my belly and I’m afraid I might lose the raspberry Danish I had for breakfast.

The elevator jolts to a stop and does a little bounce. Marilyn, Damien’s assistant, buzzes his office and whispers into the receiver as I approach.

“Hi, Marilyn.” I press my lips into a feeble smile. “I’m here to see Damien.”

“Yes, I know, dear.”

I fight the urge to fling myself at her feet and plead for information.

“Have a seat. He’ll be out when he’s ready for you.” She gestures to an arrangement of chairs covered in buttery leather.

“So this is where they keep the good chairs.” A high-pitched hyena laugh escapes my lips. I clear my throat. “Thanks, Marilyn.”

She tells me he won’t be long then hurries down the hall.

I squeeze my eyes shut, take a deep breath and think of things that make me happy. Things like keeping my job.

Pre-order a copy of Making the First Move on Amazon here.