12 Smart & Savvy Days of Christmas - Day 2

 

Hi! Thanks for stopping by and joining in the celebration!

 

 

On the second day of Christmas, Stephanie gave to me...

 

Featured Author: Elyssa Patrick

Featured Book: Needing Her by Molly McAdams

Giveways: E-books by Elyssa & Molly 

 

 

Today we welcome Elyssa Patrick to our celebration and we are talking about Christmas, book preferences and release day nerves!

Stephanie: What Christmas movies are a must watch?

Elyssa: So many to name but here are a few I particularly love: National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, A Christmas Story, Elf, It's a Wonderful Life, and Love Actually.

Stephanie: What do you prefer e-book, paperback or hardcover?

Elyssa: E-book. I read fast and I like being able to order books I want and have them appear on my Kindle almost right away.

Stephanie: When you have a new book go “live” on release date, how do you feel? Nervous, excited?

Elyssa: I'm a little bit of both actually. Usually I can't sleep the night before because I'm waiting for release day much like a kid waits for Christmas morning and then sometime during release day I crash. :)

Elyssa's All Time Favorites!

 

Song: "Hallelujah" performed by Jeff Buckley

Book: Heart of Obsidian by Nalini Singh

Movie: Gone With the Wind

Television Show: Sleepy Hollow

Color: Blue
 

Elyssa is the author of several books including Stay With Me and While It Was Snowing which is part of the Holiday for Two Duet with Maggie Robinson.




Buy It On Amazon

Felicity Evans and Harry Walsh have been best friends forever, but lately, Felicity has noticed the looks Harry has been giving her. And she’s going to do something about it. Sex solves everything, or so she hopes. But she never knew Harry was a virgin—until now. Being snowbound in a Vermont cabin is the perfect opportunity to take things to the next level . . . and perhaps dare to lay her heart out on the line.




Buy It On Amazon

With one look, I’m his . . .

With one touch, he’s mine . . .

With one kiss, it changes everything between us . . .

I’ve been famous since I can remember. Singing, acting, dancing—I’ve done it all. The tabloids cover my every move, but I don’t want that anymore. I want to be normal, whatever that is.

When I leave Hollywood for college in Vermont, I’m on my own for the first time in my life. This is my chance to figure out who I am and what I want in life.

But it’s a lot harder than I expected. I can’t escape my image. Classes are difficult, and I’m struggling. And then there’s Caleb Fox.

Sexy, intriguing Caleb Fox.

Caleb is the one man who doesn’t want to use me. He breaks down my walls. He challenges me. He wants me. And I just don’t know if I can give him the same—or if he’ll stick around when he finds out my shameful secret that the tabloids haven’t managed to uncover.

Dating him is risky enough, but loving him could break me.

 

 

Today we are featuring Needing Her by Molly McAdams. If you've read From Ashes, then you'll remember Connor Green as the cop who was in love with Cassidy. This is his story and I'm so freakin' excited for it to come out on 12/23!

 

 

Buy It On Amazon



 

She’s the Girl Next Door

Maci Price isn’t really into relationships. Having four very protective older brothers has always made having a boyfriend very difficult, anyway. But her friend is set on finding her the perfect guy – and thinks the mysterious Connor Green is the perfect pick.

He’s Her Brother’s Best Friend

Connor Green is trying to find himself again. He loved then lost and it’s time for him to pick up the pieces. His brooding is making his friends crazy, but, Maci Price, who has grown up into a gorgeous and incredibly sexy woman, is about to break the spell.

They’re Made for Each Other

When Maci starts up old pranks to get Connor out of his slump, an all out war leads to a night that will break all their rules, and a relationship they must keep hidden. Together they’re electric. Apart they’re safe. And soon they’ll find they’re exactly what the other needs.

  

There will be three lucky winners for Day 2!

 

Giveaway #1 - E-book of Stay With Me by Elyssa Patrick




 

Open Internationally (as long as you can receive a gifted e-book from the US)

 

 

Giveaway #2 - E-book of Holiday For Two by Elyssa Patrick & Maggie Robinson

 





 

Open Internationally (as long as you can receive a gifted e-book from the US)

 

 

Giveaway #3 - E-book of Needing Her by Molly McAdams

 









 

Open Internationally (as long as you can receive a gifted e-book from the US)

 

**All winners will be announced on January 1st**

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Robert L. May created Rudolph in 1939 as an assignment for Montgomery Ward. The retailer had been buying and giving away coloring books for Christmas every year and it was decided that creating their own book would save money. May considered naming the reindeer "Rollo" and "Reginald" before deciding upon using the name "Rudolph".[4] In its first year of publication, 2.5 million copies of Rudolph's story were distributed by Montgomery Ward.[5] The story is written as a poem in the meter of "'Twas the Night Before Christmas".

Is Rudolph your favorite reindeer?

 

Be sure to check out all 12 Smart & Savvy Days of Christmas for more great author & book features and giveaways! 

Day 1 ~ Day 2 ~ Days 3 & 4 ~ Day 5 ~ Day 6 ~ Day 7 

~ Day 8 - Day 9, 10 & 11 ~ Day 12

 

 

 

 

Author Spotlight & Review - Stay With Me by Elyssa Patrick

Elyssa Patrick is a former high school English teacher who left the classroom to write sexy, emotional contemporary romances and New Adult.

Elyssa On The Web

elyssapatrick.blogspot.com
Facebook
Twitter
Goodreads

 

Stephanie: Hi Elyssa! Congratulations on the release of Stay With Me. I read it and absolutely loved it. What was your inspiration for writing the story?

Elyssa: Hi, Stephanie! Thanks so much for having me on your blog. I’m so glad you loved Stay With Me. :)

Basically the inspiration for the story was that I really wanted to write a famous heroine who leaves it all behind for a normal life. I would read articles about famous actresses who attend college (like Anne Hathaway, the Olsen twins, Emma Watson, and Brooke Shields), but all of those actresses returned to Hollywood or are still in the public eye, like the Olsen twins. I just kept thinking, well, what if she didn’t want to return and she went to college to get away from it all.

Stephanie: Being that you are a former high school English teacher, which I am sure is a crazy job itself, what made you decide to make the jump from teacher to author? Was it something you've always wanted to do?

Elyssa: Yes, writing and being an author is something I’ve always wanted to do since I was really little. But it seemed like something that other people did, and there was no way I could do that, could I? When I was teaching, it was a really bad experience for me, and I decided to go after my dream, because I don’t want to look back on my life and wonder: what if? I left my first job and had a one-year teaching job at another high school, but at the end of that year, I decided to leave teaching behind for a variety of reasons.

Stephanie: I was excited to discover that Stay With Me is the first in a series. What can we look forward to in the future for the series?

Elyssa: Yay! I’m so glad you’re looking forward to the rest. In December of this year, Christmas With Me, a novella (1.5 in the series), will be released. It takes place in a made up town in Connecticut and Jamie McAlister is the hero in that story. That novella will be a combo of funny and sad—and, of course, sexy. I can’t wait for everyone to meet Zelda (the heroine). Go With Me, Book 2, is Nick Brady’s book and that will come out in Spring 2014. I’ll reveal Nick’s heroine probably in the back of Christmas With Me. And the last book, Dream With Me, is Griff Sinclair’s book and will come out Fall 2014. I’m still debating about doing a novella between books 2 and 3, but I’ll have to see about that after I start writing book Nick’s book, as I think that would push Book 3’s release to early 2015. It all depends if Kai or Dylan want their story told. :)

 

Him: Caleb Fox

Her: Hailey Bloom

The Story:

With one look, I’m his . . .

With one touch, he’s mine . . .

With one kiss, it changes everything between us . . .

I’ve been famous since I can remember. Singing, acting, dancing—I’ve done it all. The tabloids cover my every move, but I don’t want that anymore. I want to be normal, whatever that is.

When I leave Hollywood for college in Vermont, I’m on my own for the first time in my life. This is my chance to figure out who I am and what I want in life.

But it’s a lot harder than I expected. I can’t escape my image. Classes are difficult, and I’m struggling. And then there’s Caleb Fox.

Sexy, intriguing Caleb Fox.

Caleb is the one man who doesn’t want to use me. He breaks down my walls. He challenges me. He wants me. And I just don’t know if I can give him the same—or if he’ll stick around when he finds out my shameful secret that the tabloids haven’t managed to uncover.

Dating him is risky enough, but loving him could break me.

 

Trying to find a new purpose in life after leaving the spotlight, Hailey is wary about trusting anyone. She's never met anyone like Caleb, who seems to be genuinely interested in her and not for what she can do for him. I loved Hailey and Caleb. Hailey is on her own for the first time in her life and is working to creating a life separate from the fame she grew up with. She is determined not to let anyone sidetrack her. Caleb is just as determined to show her that he wants to get to know her and not her celebrity persona. Elyssa Patrick is a new author for me. I came across Stay With Me and I loved the cover. When I read the blurb it sounded interesting so I decided to give it a shot and requested it. I am happy that I did. I loved Caleb and Hailey. The chemistry was between them from the start. Even though Hailey was wary about trusting him, she still took the risk that Caleb wouldn't hurt her. You also meet Daphne, Caleb's sister, who quickly becomes friends with Hailey. Daphne is a hoot and I hope she gets her own book. Stay With Me will make you laugh, it'll make you feel, it'll make you want to punch Hailey's mother. ;) if you haven't read Elyssa yet, I would definitely pick up Stay With Me. I look forward to more books in the series.

Favorite quote:

"I wait a second before texting: You're a good writer.

Caleb: ???

Me: I Googled you.

My cheeks heat at this admission, and I bite my lower lip. Maybe I shouldn't have said anything at all.

Caleb: You Googled me, huh? That sounds kinda dirty. I like that. "

 

Kindle

Paperback

 

I took a shot at an unknown-to-me author and found a book/series that I really enjoyed. I look forward to reading more by Elyssa. Do you like to discover new-to-you authors?