Stephanie's Birthday Celebration Day Four - Guest Post from Caleigh Hernandez

Hello, hello! Welcome to the final day of my birthday celebration! If you've missed any of the days, be sure to go back and check them out. You can still enter all the contests until tomorrow (Monday) afternoon. Winners will be announced Monday night. Today I welcome Caleigh Hernandez to the blog to help  me celebrate! Welcome Caleigh! 

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First, a big HAPPY FUCKING BIRTHDAY to my dear friend Wheezy aka Stephanie!

 I’m Caleigh Hernandez, author of the novella Love Takes Your Breath Away, the first book in the Truth About Love Series. Don’t mind me as a ramble a bit. It’ll be completely worth it...money back guarantee.*wipes brow* Thank goodness these ladies didn’t pay money to be here. 

 

Amazon US ✦ Amazon UK ✦ Paperbacks (Amazon) ✦ Signed paperbacks ✦ Goodreads

I’m a not-so-perfect mom of 2 beautiful daughters, a terrible housekeeper, and sometimes, a doting wife. A few years ago, I decided to take life by the horns and throw caution to the wind. Went back to school, earned a degree in Web & Multimedia Design where my long-time passion for writing was reignited with a creative writing class. It was during my final term when Love Takes Your Breath Away (not the title then) grabbed a hold of my brain and wouldn’t let go. 

When not buried in the ridiculousness of every day life, you can find me curled up with my Kindle devouring a book, watching crime dramas (I’m obsessed), screaming at the TV while watching my SJ Sharks, Oakland Raiders or Oakland A’s, getting cozy with a good superhero flick, or getting my adrenaline fix on a roller coaster. I hate cleaning and loathe laundry. I am a shoe whore that lives in flip flops and loves to be barefoot. In the immortal words of my husband, “Caleigh Hernandez is a bad ass bitch.” 

 So...here are 16 truths (because Steph's birthday was the 16th) most would not know about me:

1. I met my husband when I was 19 at a birthday party for a mutual friend. What's up ‘Sebastian’? That’s right for those of you that have read #LTYBA, the man that introduced me to my hubby is none other than part of my inspiration for Sebastian. 17 years and 2 kids later, he's still one of my best friends and is, hands down, my biggest supporter.
2. I wanted 5+ kids. Bahahaha...laughable , I know. I was done after my oldest daughter, Raeven, but drunk and in love lead to my sweetest, Kai-Monkey. What the hell was I thinking? That's right I wasn't…
3. I have a fascination with numbers and math...like ALL things numbers...the symbolism, math, sudoku, etc...I geek out over math symbols, including (and/or especially, Excel spreadsheets) #noshameinmynerdgame
4. Banged up, bruised, and broken: I broke my head at 3 years old, broke my toe at 5, busted my lip 2.5 times, have had a handful of black eyes, countless scraped up knees, and I still get bruised up.
5. I have a ridiculous threshold for pain. In a game of mercy, I'll pass out from the pain before I give up.
6. I'm scrappy. Don't count me down until I've stopped getting up. Ask the hubby about a wrestling match where he had me in the Boston crab and how he ended up eating futon...LMAO.
7. I refuse to raise my daughters as anything less than strong and independent females. There will be no damsels in distress where life is concerned. They will never wait for a man to do something for them...until she's married, then it's his job to do whatever he can for her. :D
8. I love to sew. Like FLOVE. I was going to be a fashion designer. Find me a pattern or don't, I can make it. I made every formal dress I wore to the dances in high school.
9. I loved school. I was a cheerleader/song girl, a flag girl (colorguard), swimmer, and wrestling stat girl ( see #10). Every year I helped with the homecoming float for our class (1995!!!). I was a peer tutor.
10. I literally took the idea of eating for two to heart when I was preggo with both girls. I gained 55 pounds with Rae and 75 pounds with Kai. *gasp*
11. I have a ton of tattoos (not random), but each and everyone of them has a strong significance and importance in my life. I don't mark my body for the hell of it. I have plans for A LOT more.
12. Snow White is my favorite princess. Mulan and Belle are close seconds.
13. Favorite movies - Disney: The Lion King, Pixar: Up and Toy Story 3, All time: Empire Records, and Action: The Prince of Persia
14. A little more than 18 months ago, I read a book that changed my life. No naming names 'cause she'd probably kill me. She still hasn't come to terms with her #bookstardom. Never have I been more affected, inspired, and motivated than after I finished her book.
15. I am a graphic artist that designs book covers, teasers, videos, and web pages.
16. One of my most favorite experiences of 2014 was meeting my Wheezy and Who in Las Vegas at the Love N Vegas event. The three of us spent 3 plus days and nights together and there was never a dull moment even when we were laying in bed reading in the middle of the afternoon. Wheezy was my good luck charm. With her by my side, I turned my $100 into $350. I can't wait to do it again.

Thanks for hanging with me today. You can always find me on FB or some of my author social media sites. 

 ✦ Facebook ✦ Caleigh's Beauties, Saints & Sinners ✦ Website ✦ Twitter ✦ Instagram ✦ Goodreads ✦ Amazon ✦ Pinterest ✦

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Ah! Thank you, Caleigh!! Today I am going to give away a Kindle copy of Caleigh's Love Takes Your Breath Away. Just comment below and tell me what nickname your friends have given you? LOL Winner will be announced Monday night. 

Stephanie's Birthday Celebration Day Three - Guest Post from Hadley Quinn

I'm late again, I know! I have awesome friends who have been celebrating my birthday with me all weekend, so I've been on the go. :) Today I have a guest post from Hadley Quinn. She's pretty awesome. If you ever have the opportunity to meet her, you should totally do it. 

Welcome Hadley!

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Facts About a Writer of Fiction 

Well I'm a mystery to many! I know I keep to myself a lot, but I really am personable if you give me a chance =) If you don't know me well, here's an introduction:

About my writing:

I write contemporary romance with a huge helping of sexy. I have a great sense of humor, so I like to add that in a lot of my stories too. I also have some romantic suspense thrown into the mix, which also contains a lot of sexiness and humor. Most of my work consists of full-length novels (100k+ words) because I'm big on character development. I like show what a character is like through both their actions and dialogue. Readers that like to hurry from one book to another have a hard time reading lengthier stories like that, but I'd suggest reading mine anyway because I feel they will hold your attention. I mix a variety of elements into my stories which tend to offer something for everyone. Mainly I'm kind of all over the map myself and have a variety of interests in my own life. I like sharing my experiences this way and add them to my fictional stories when I can!

 About me:

• I live in the Northwest in Washington State
• But I would love to live somewhere sunnier!
• I love to travel but hate flying
• I'm a sports and music junkie
• I do not like feet. Unless they are on a baby. And I like my own. Good thing they are cute because I would probably shun and despise myself.
• I'm a very proud and blessed mommy
• I have a dog, two cats, and a ferret
• I have a very long bucket list
• The Golden Rule is an essential part of my life
• I hate stereotypes and labels
• I like gardening. Yep. Flowers rock! (and I've been known to make a few bridal bouquets and adorn the rest of a wedding party too)
• The world would be a much happier place if people didn't judge or gossip about one another
• I'm addicted to sugar and have to avoid it (but you can bribe me with candy or cherry Pepsi)
• I like intelligent people. Not necessarily book smart peeps, but compassionate-smart people
• I'm kinda tech-savvy
• I'm a pretty good photographer
• Been playing the piano since I was 10 years old. Sheet music makes for a good bribe, too.
• I can strum a few tunes on the guitar =)
• I've danced for most of my life and love to choreograph
• Now and then I design sets for plays and dance productions. Yeah, I'm a bit artsy
• Surfing is fascinating, along with motorcycles and muscle cars :)
• I have an anxiety disorder that is extremely annoying. I'm a very laid back and easy going person, but bam, something will trigger an anxiety attack. 90% of the time I can manage it naturally, but at night it's more difficult.
• I'm a good listener and pretty objective if you want my advice. Years of being a youth and adult counselor have polished me this way, and years of mentoring families of ill children in cancer units.
• I love baseball. It's my favorite sport to watch. My team is the Washington Nationals (and for those of you that are NOT baseball literate, that's in D.C.) Football is a close second. Go Seahawks! Any other sporting event, sure. I like it all. But most of my spectating time is spent on those two!
• I play a lot of indoor co-ed soccer. It's kinda brutal sometimes. Almost like rugby!
• I have a degree in business management but almost went to college on a sports scholarship. I blew my knee out my senior year, though. The offer was still there for me after rehab, but psychologically...I just wasn't ready yet. I turned it down.

And big surprise, I love to write! So that's what I did instead, and I will probably always write. It's an outlet for me, but I've also connected with so many amazing people in the last couple of years. Despite some unfortunate struggles in my life, I am very grateful for so many things right now. And the reader community especially. You guys have made such a difference in my life I just can't even explain how much it has meant to me! Thank you from the bottom of my heart <3

 ~Hadley

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Thank you, Hadley! 

Today I am giving away The McCallans: Special Box Set. This contains books 1-3 in Hadley's The McCallans series. I LOVE these books! Just comment below and tell me what you've been up to this weekend. Winner will be announced on Monday. 

Stephanie's Birthday Celebration Day Two - Stephanie's Favorite Things

Hi everyone! I hope you're having a wonderful Friday. :) Welcome to Day 2 of my birthday celebration. Today I am going to talk about some of my favorite people and give away prizes. There will be nine (9) winners total for today so be sure to enter! 

Kelly Elliott

http://www.kellyelliottauthor.com/

Have you met Kelly Elliott? Not only does she write the yummiest cowboys, she's one of the sweetest people I've met. I had the pleasure of meeting her first in 2013 at the Naughty Mafia event in Vegas and then again in Seattle where she took the time to meet some of her readers while she was in the area. Because she's one of my favorites, I'm going to give away a Kindle copy of the first book in her Wanted series. It's one of my favorite series and the first book I read by Kelly. 

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Molly McAdams

http://www.mollysmcadams.com/

For those of you who have followed me for awhile, it should be no surprise that Molly is on my list today. I am a huge fan and big support of her. When I had the opportunity to meet Molly at the Naughty Mafia event in Vegas in 2013, I told her I had to hug her for making me cry so much. If you've read Taking Chances and Stealing Harper, you should understand. She's also ruined me (in a good way) with Forgiving Lies/Deceiving Lies, but that's a whole other story. LOL #KashIsMine Today I am giving away a KINDLE copy of Letting Go, which is fabulous!

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Cora Carmack

http://coracarmack.blogspot.com/

Cora writes the most fabulous, funny, awkward love stories. If you haven't read them yet, I would start with Losing It. She also just released an NA paranormal romance based around Greek Mythology last month. OMG, it was awesome! Even if you don't read paranormal (I rarely read it), if you like romance, you should give it a try. But I warn you, #WilderIsMine ;) Bahaahaha! Today I am giving away a Kindle Copy of INSPIRE and a signed paperback of All Lined Up, book 1 in Cora's Rusk University series. 

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Jane Porter

http://janeporter.com/

I first met Jane at the Emerald City Writer's Conference Book Fair a few years ago. I had read a few of her Harlequin titles, but I was excited to meet her because she was the first author I was aware of that grew up in the same area of California as I did. It was fun talking to her about it. Since then I've had the pleasure of watching the amazing work she and the fellow founding authors have done with Tule Publishing. Today I am giving away a signed set of Jane's The Brennan Sisters series. Book 2, The Good Daughter, is my favorite, but the entire series is great! 

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Kristen Proby

http://www.booksbykristenproby.com/

I happened upon Kristen's books when I was looking for something new to read. As I am fascinated by all things Seattle, the fact that her series was based there was very appealing to me. So much, in fact, that I bought all the books that were available at the time. I'm so very glad I did because I ended up loving all of them. I've also had the pleasure of meeting Kristen a few times and she's such a sweetheart. :) Today I am giving away a signed copy of Loving Cara, the first in her Love Under The Big Sky series. 

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K. Bromberg

http://www.kbromberg.com/

I was told I just had to read these books about this race car driver named Colton by a friend of mine, so I bought Driven and Fueled, but I didn't read them right away because she also said they had cliffhangers. I normally don't mind cliffhangers, I like to be surprised, but I heard the second one had a pretty wicked one, so I wasn't in a hurry to read them. I finally broke down because I kept reading more and more and then I wondered why I didn't read them sooner. They were amazing. Then I started following and interacting with Kristy and discovered what a great person she was. I finally had the awesome opportunity to meet her a few months ago and she's just as fantastic in person as she is online. She also holds the place of being the first author to make me cry on a plane while reading. LOL Today I am giving away a signed copy of RACED. This is the companion novella to the Driven series that features several different scenes from Colton's point of view. It's amazing and more emotional than you would expect given the fact that it's not a complete story. 

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Mandi Beck

http://www.authormandibeck.com/

Mandi is releasing her debut novel, Love Hurts, on January 23rd. I had the awesome opportunity to read this book early and It.Is.Amazing! She gave me this little sneak peek teaser below to share with you. I can't wait for you to meet Deacon. Keep watch for this hot, dirty-talkin' fighter. You aren't going to want to miss him! Today I am giving away a Kindle copy of Love Hurts, which will be gifted to the winner via Amazon on release day. 

 

 

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Dooodles by Christina

http://www.dooodlesbychristina.com/

So, Christina isn't an author but have you seen her Doodles? They are amazing! I have several of them myself and am looking forward to seeing what she comes up with each time. I'm still trying to talk her into doing my favorite book series. :) Today I am giving away one of her Taken Chances by Molly McAdams doodle. 

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For your chance to win one of these great prizes, I've made it easy. Just enter the Rafflecopter below. There will be 9 winners. Winners will be announced on Monday, January 18th. 

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Stephanie's Birthday Celebration Day One - Guest Post from Audrey Harte

Hi there! Welcome to day one of my birthday celebration! Over the next four days I've got a few of my favorite authors stopping by with guests posts and a bunch of giveaways for you, so be sure to come back every afternoon to check them out. :) 

Today author Audrey Harte stops by to talk about her favorite signings of 2014. Check it out and then enter the giveaway below. 

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My Favorite Signings of 2014

First of all, I want to thank Stephanie Gibson for inviting me to do a guest post on her blog. Stephanie has been one of my greatest supporters, and I’m so thrilled she got to assist me in Las Vegas this past year so we could hang out in person! 2014 was the first full year of signings that I experienced since I started on this journey, and it was great! So here are my top 2 favorite signings of the year and why.

Summer Lovin’ Reader Party in Temecula - July 2014
Hosted by Julie Prestsater & Nyrae Dawn

The two ladies who have hosted this signing for the past two years are two of my favorite people, so whenever I get together with them, I know I’m guaranteed to have a good time! And in 2014 when they returned for their second signing, they did not disappoint. Located at a lovely winery in Temecula, California (SoCal), the signing itself started in the afternoon and was followed by an evening mixer complete with a local band performing, a DJ with dancing, and my model taking his shirt off behind a screen in the ballroom to pose for some pics with some very persistent, lovely ladies. lol :) It was a great event, and I loved getting to visit with all my author, blogger and reader friends, with my new cover model at my side for his very first signing. Tyler White is featured on the cover of my new novel, Say Anything, which is coming out soon. I also brought a new swag item to the signing, and it was a hit! Almost everyone in the room could be seen using one of my paper fans which featured the cover art from The Winner Takes It All, the last book I released on October 13th, 2014.

Dancing with everyone at the after party mixer was so much fun! And of course no signing is complete without a shot of Fireball! Yep, we were discreetly taking shots of Fireball in between enjoying glasses of wine made by the estate we were staying at. Julie taught a bunch of the authors how to do the wobble, and we had a lot of fun trying to remember all the steps at the party.

I always look forward to this signing more than any other every year, and I’m excited that they have just announced the date for this year’s signing, which will be at the South Coast Winery again on June 13th. You can bet your ass that this chick will be there to party it up with some of her favorite peeps again, so keep on eye on my Events page for updates on ticket purchase links and more information on this signing.

Love ’N Vegas - October 2014
Hosted by Ellie of Love N Books & JL Brooks

This was my first time meeting Ellie of Love N Books, but I used to edit for JL Brooks and have done a couple of signings with her before, so it was great getting to see another one of my favorite peeps again! Tyler came with me again for this signing, and for the first time that I can remember, at one point when I looked up from signing some books, there were actually a few people in line waiting to talk to me. Can you imagine it? People waiting in line! To talk to me! That made my day. :) The signing was held at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas, but Tyler and I stayed at the Trump International Hotel, which was really nice.

Of course I got to pre-party it up the night before with my girl Julie and her dirty birdies, my sister from another mister, Gretchen de la O, and Hadley Quinn. And I got to hang with some of my best book friends from all over at the after party on Saturday night. Of course Fireball was involved again, and I ended up dancing the night away with Shay Savage and the Savage Trainer. We even got Toni Mothereffin’ Aleo and RK Lilley on the dance floor with us for a while.

All in all, it was a fantastic weekend, and I thoroughly enjoyed myself. :) And I also got to ogle some fantastic looking cover models like Jase Dean and Stuart Reardon. And I finally got to meet Ilsa Madden Mills (who was also signing) and also Nichele Reese (who I used to edit for) and squeeze the stuffins out of them! And I got to sign next to my girl Katie Ashley and across from two of my other girls, Kimi Flores and Jay Crownover. Not a bad weekend. Not a bad weekend at all! I’m on the waiting list for Love N Vegas 2015, so again, keep an eye on my Events page for updates on signings I’ll be at.

http://audreyharte.com/events

Happy New Year, everyone! :)

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Today I am giving away a signed set set of Audrey's Love In L.A. series. To enter, comment below and tell me how you spent your last birthday. :) Winner will be announced on Monday!

Entangled Is Turning 3!

 

Entangled is turning 3! To celebrate, they've got a lot of great deals and some fun contests going on all month long. Check it out!

 

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Entangled launched in 2011 and we’re celebrating! Two years ago this February, we launched our first category imprint with Indulgence. The Marriage Bargain, one of our first releases in Indulgence, went on to be one of the top selling books of 2012 and catapulted Jennifer Probst to the USA Today and NY Times bestseller lists.  Since then, we’ve grown to have six category romance imprints, as well as single title books for teens and adults in our Select, Edge, and Teen imprints, and have had multiple USA Today and NY Times bestsellers.  We’re in our third year and it’s been a wild ride, and it’s just the beginning.

 

What better month to begin celebrating our third year than February?

We’re celebrating! All month long, our February new releases, as well as select titles on our Steals and Deals page, are just 99 cents!

Yes, you read that right. Every new release will be offered at an introductory price of just 99 cents!

Be sure to join our big Facebook celebration from February 24th scavenger hunts, authors, games, gossip, and lots of fun!

Explore our new website and prepare to find romance, because we have something for everyone and join our “Steals and Deals” newsletter.

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We’re kicking off the month-long celebration with three new Brazens, each with a smoking hot military man front and center and each for just 99 cents!

Marine for Hire, by Tawna Fenske

She thought she’d sworn off military men for good…Sam Kercher is every inch a wickedly hot Marine. Tall. Sexy. Lethal.

When his best friends call in a favor, Sam is forced to face an entirely new line of duty—playing nanny for their newly divorced sister and her squirming seven-month-old twin boys. If Sam can dissemble an M16 in his sleep, diaper duty should be a cakewalk…right?

Unfortunately, Operation Nanny isn’t quite that simple. Sheridan has sworn off overbearing military men, so Sam must protect her from her dirtbag ex without revealing just how much he has in common with her brothers. Or that he’s been ordered not to touch her. Ever.

Problem is, Sheri’s one hell of a gorgeous woman, capable of making this hard-bodied Marine even harder. And Sam wants her bad.

Protect the girl. Care for the babies. Hide his identity. And keep his hands off. But even the most disciplined Marine has weaknesses...and Sheridan is one Sam might not be able to resist.

Amazon

B&N

Staking His Claim, by Tessa Bailey

He wants her. All of her.

NYPD sniper Matt Donovan is in Hell. Instead of driving his best friend’s little sister home from college, he’s stuck with her roommate—a fresh-faced ray-of-sunshine with a body that makes grown men weep. There’s no way he’ll allow himself to taint the little vixen, no
matter how hard she tries to tempt him, so he resigns himself to the longest—and hardest—drive of his life.

Matt’s obvious attraction suits grad student Lucy Mason just fine. She had no idea her brother’s best friend was so deliciously hot. Knowing he’d never have his wicked way with his buddy’s sister, she lies about her identity and seduces him. But Matt’s no fumbling college boy.

His desires run deep—and dark—and he wants to teach Lucy what wicked really means.
Matt’s demanding appetites only make Lucy want more. But when her cover's blown, he’s furious—even as his hunger for her becomes insatiable. Matt can’t trust anyone, least of all himself. And he knows all too well that darkness always destroys the light…

Amazon

B&N

Temporarily Yours, by Jen McLaughlin, writing as Diane Alberts

This soldier’s the perfect hoax…if she doesn’t fall for him first.Stats whiz Kayla Moriarity knows her way around numbers and algorithms. Men, on the other hand, are unsolvable equations. Now Kayla’s en route to her sister’s wedding—without the fictional boyfriend
she invented for her family. Fortunately, her plane comes complete with complimentary cocktails and a ridiculously hot ex-marine in the seat beside her. And that’s all it takes for Kayla’s inhibitions to go sailing out the airlock...

Cooper Shillings has soft spot for people in trouble, but he certainly wasn’t expecting to land in it himself—and definitely not while getting naughty mid-air with a sexy southern belle.

When he hears Kayla’s predicament, however, he offers his services as a stand-in boyfriend.

After all, he’s heading overseas soon...and how could he refuse a little no-strings wickedness?

It’s the perfect plan. And all Kayla has to do is ensure her family falls for the ultimate bluff, without falling for it—and Cooper—in the process...

Amazon

B&N

We appreciate you and want readers to be able to fill up their eReaders all month long with great books at introductory prices. Thank you for an amazing first three years. This is just the beginning.

~The Entangled ‘Love’ Team