Celebrating One Year!

By Tara Andrews

Wow! It’s the one year anniversary of Long Overdue’s release. Throws confetti!

One year! I’ve been trying to think back and recall exactly what I was doing a year ago and—honestly—I’m coming up blank.  LOL.  Seriously, it’s all a blur.  I had no idea what to expect, or what to do, but I can tell you I’ve never been so excited in my whole life! 

Most authors will tell you they’ve been writing forever—like since they were practically in the womb.  Same holds true for me.  Well, not the womb.  However, by seventh grade, my notebook and I were inseparable.  I can’t tell you how many pages I filled up with really, really bad first person fan-fic.  I wish I were kidding. :)  It had been a real dream come true for me to be published to say the least.

So what has happened this past year?  Well, I published another 1Night Stand, Her Everything!  I am working on (finishing) my first full-length book now.  Though, geez, no one’s added an extra hour to the day so that’s slow going.  And, as always, I have been working on my writing skills and getting stronger by the day (so says the lady herself!).

Now let’s talk about the stars of the hour, Blake and Jill!  (You mean it’s not all about me?  LOL.)  I’ve always imagined Blake waiting until their one year anniversary to ask Jill to marry him.  Last May, I had predicted he whisk Jill off to Hawaii and pop the question there.  But, I’d love to know what you think is the ideal question-popping setting.  At the top of the Eiffel Tower?  Having the question popped on the jumbotron at a ballgame? A candlelit dinner? 

Since I’m in the middle of a New York winter, I still vote for Hawaii!  LOL.

Blurb:

Jill Malone has been looking for love for all the wrong reasons. A reality check has her signing up for a no-strings attached night to simply forget about forever after. The last thing she expected was to know her blind date. 

Blake Anders doesn’t need help finding a date, but he’s tempted by 1Night Stand’s reputation of arranging exactly what a person needs. And he needs more. Though doubtful, he agrees to one night and hopes to discover his perfect match. He didn’t count on Madame Eve reaching deep into his past to give him a night with the woman he never forgot. 

Fearing another broken heart, Jill works to keep herself from becoming attached, but Blake goes all in to convince her that he wants their long-overdue love to be more than a one-night stand…

Excerpt:

“I think there’s been some sort of mistake,” she managed.

“But, we’re here. And I don’t think it’s a mistake.”

Of course, he’d be polite, while wondering what happened to the size zero, with extra-large breasts, he ordered. “I don’t know.” She shook her head and swore disappointment flashed across his face. “I’ll be honest; I am not comfortable.”

“And let me be honest. I’m looking forward to an evening with you.” Ooooh, smooth. Then again, she didn’t expect less, given his tabloid reputation. Still, her legs felt a little less stable.

She faced him. What really went on in his head? “You don’t find it strange that you know me?”

His killer smile set off butterflies in her belly and a warning bell in her mind. “No. In fact, it makes sense.”

“Why is that?”

“Because I used to wonder about you. A lot.”

Jill forgot to breathe. Forgot almost everything. Did he say…?

“Didn’t you ever wonder about me?”

Jill exhaled. “I’m taking the Fifth.” His smile grew. She shook her head, recognizing dangerous territory. “I’m still not sure.” Not sure she’d measured up. Not sure she’d survive with her heart intact.

“Stay for a drink.”

She wavered at his low-voiced offer. Dammit, he’d become even more handsome than she remembered.

Where you can find Long Overdue: 

Decadent Publishing || Amazon || Barnes and Noble || All Romance eBooks || Kobo

Author Bio:

Tara Andrews divides her time between a full-time job as an office manager, an even more full-time job as a wife and mother, and her dream job as a romance author.  An avid reader and writer, Tara continuously seeks to hone her craft in order to provide readers with stories that are provocative yet romantic.

Tara lives in upstate New York with her wonderful husband and two fabulous children.

Author Links: 

Website || Facebook || Twitter: @tara_andrews1 || Pinterest || Goodreads || Sign up for my Newsletter! Newsletter Sign Up

Bring on the Holiday Music!

 by Tara Andrews

While I don’t like to see the stores gearing up for Christmas before Halloween, and I can’t even think of starting my shopping before December 1^st, I can’t wait to hear some of my favorite holiday songs. The ones I had played well past Christmas the year before and eventually had to take out of my playlist just so people stopped looking at me funny.

Now, I happen to celebrate Christmas (if you haven’t guess from the above already – LOL), so I thought I’d be fun to talk about Christmas songs. Of course, my character Rachel, from Her Everything, just had to put in her two cents as well. She needed the little distraction because Mark is still on tour and will be cutting it close to coming home by Christmas this year. So, we started tossing around our favorites….

Me:  Well, I’ll start it off. On the top of my list of must haves is “Let’s Be Naughty and Save Santa the Trip,” by Gary Allan. This laid back, sexy version, encourages all sorts of naughty thoughts, and it’s definitely not your average Christmas song!  You can’t even find this song on iTunes, you have to go to his website around this time of year or find it on YouTube. Oh, and I happen to have it pinned to a board on Pinterest. LOL.

Rachel:  Yes, that one is good, but you don’t need to wait till Christmas to be naughty.

Me: <Blinks in utter shock at my otherwise conservative character.>

Rachel: Hey, I can joke around, too, you know.

Me: Okay. Moving on. Now, I had a hard choosing my next song. Pentatonix has a couple I really like, but I think I’d have to go with “Little Drummer Boy.”

Rachel: They have great harmony. That song gives me chills.

Me:  I agree. There’s also the a cappella group, Straight No Chaser, too. Their version of “O Holy Night” is chill worthy as well. But I have to say I really enjoy their song, “The Christmas Can-Can.”  Pokes fun at all the Christmas Craziness.

Rachel:  They have a nice version of “I’ll Be Home for Christmas”, too.

Me:  Another good one. How about “A New York Christmas,” by Rob Thomas? 

Rachel:  One of Mark’s favorites.

Me: I like it because it’s contemporary and, being from New York, it makes me feel right at home.

Rachel:  Speaking of contemporary, one of the first contemporary pop songs I remember loving was “All I want for Christmas,” by Mariah Carey. Oh, and “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home),” by U2. And “Please Come Home for Christmas,” by Gary Allan, you should love that I picked that one.

Me: Okay, I can see where this is heading, you want Mark home. I get it, and he will be in a few days. Anyway, we hope we’ve introduced you to some new songs that may brighten this holiday season. Happy Holidays to you!

Here’s a little bit about Rachel and Mark’s story:

Blurb:

Rachel Turner made a mistake—a couple, in fact. Ruining a surprise meeting with the front man to her favorite band is just the beginning. But agreeing to switch places with her famous sister may spell the end of both of their careers. With rumors flying and an unexpected invitation from Madame Eve, Rachel hopes she can put the mistakes behind her.

Attending an event to support a charity close to his heart, Mark Travis wasn’t looking for love, or even company—and definitely not with a fan. But when he puts in a hasty bid at a silent auction and wins the services of 1Night Stand, Madame Eve has something different in mind. A single evening with a woman she claims can fulfill his needs. But one night might not be enough.

Come morning, will Mark and Rachel’s unexpected one-night stand give them more than they bargained for?

Book Links:

Decadent Publishing || Amazon || Barnes and Noble || All Romance eBooks || Kobo

Author Bio:

Tara Andrews divides her time between a full-time job as an office manager, an even more full-time job as a wife and mother, and her dream job as a romance author. An avid reader and writer, Tara continuously seeks to hone her craft in order to provide readers with stories that are provocative yet romantic.

Tara lives in upstate New York with her wonderful husband and two fabulous children.

Author Links:

Website || Facebook || Pinterest || Goodreads

Sign up for my newsletter

Twitter: @tara_andrews1

Million Dollar Dreams

Recently I attended the New Jersey "Put Your Heart in a Book Conference." It was awesome. Great information was shared, I had a good time with both old and new friends, and I left with much to think about.  Like, what would I do with a million bucks? LOL.

Susan Mallory gave an incredible keynote speech which was inspiring on many levels. One of the points had to do with setting goals, and hey, if one wanted to set a goal of making a million dollars, why not?

Yes, why not, indeed!

Of course, this wasn’t her main point; she just used it for levity. A girl can daydream, though. I got to thinking, what would I do with that much money? For the sake of fun, I’m not talking about paying bills, or socking it away to pay for the kids’ college tuition (which is probably what I’d really do). Here are five things do, if I could do anything:

Vacation, all I ever wanted. Vacation, had to get away.

Sorry for the earworm some of you are suffering at the moment, but I couldn’t resist :-)  Now, I have a Walt Disney World family vacation planned for next year—this is obviously not what I have in mind. Anyone who’s been to Disney knows it’s not really a vacation, it’s a mission! No, I’m talking about taking a whole month to tour Italy at a nice relaxing pace, as example. I have a whole Pinterest board dedicated to places I’d like to visit, so finding a destination would be no problem.

Write On

I found this in an online WiseBread article by Will Chen:

There's an old joke people tell around here. One farmer asks another, ‘What would you do, if you won a million dollars?’ The other farmer thinks for a moment, then says, ‘I guess keep farming until the money runs out.’

If all writers only wrote for money, there’d be a lot less to read out there.  LOL  But this writer still needs to pay the bills, so I do work full time. Having a cool mil to take the pressure off may change a thing or two about that.

Gary Allan—Find him, go there.

This is probably the one I’d do even if I did decide to pay off bills and put the rest away—a girl’s got to have some fun, you know. Find out where Gary Allan is playing next, buy a ticket, and book the trip. Period. You may have guessed, I’m a HUGE fan (have a whole Pinterest board dedicated to him, too). And if he popped into mind a time our two writing my character, Mark Travis from Her Everything, so be it.

Little Red Corvette?

Another potential earworm, sorry. Hopefully it at least canceled the other one out.

The “Corvette” was my husband’s response—which I have no idea where that came from because he’s never mentioned a desire for sports car before, let alone a Corvette. My car would be a luxury car, for sure, with all the bells and whistles; soft leather upholstery, touchpads, remote start, heated seats, dual DVDs in the back for the kids, plus all the coolest new safety features.  Oh, and it’d be a car that when I have the radio volume set above 15, no one outside my car can listen in as well.

Dream house(s)

I’m not talking about a Barbie Dream House either. First thing, I’d want an office to write in with a nice view. Not that this is a requirement for writing, just for my sanity—I’d refer to it as the Mom Cave. LOL. I’d have a pool and maybe a cool tree house for the kids. For my husband, a workshop that’d make Bob Vila jealous. Then, if there is anything left over, I’d look into a summer house as well.

I’d love to know what you would do with a million dollars. Leave a comment with an item from your wish list and I’ll pick someone to win a copy of my latest 1Night Stand, Her Everything.

In the meantime, Long Overdue is on sale right now for $0.99 through Decadent Publishing and on Amazon!  Here’s a peek:

Blurb:

Jill Malone has been looking for love for all the wrong reasons. A reality check has her signing up for a no-strings attached night to simply forget about forever after. The last thing she expected was to know her blind date. 

Blake Anders doesn’t need help finding a date, but he’s tempted by 1Night Stand’s reputation of arranging exactly what a person needs. And he needs more. Though doubtful, he agrees to one night and hopes to discover his perfect match. He didn’t count on Madame Eve reaching deep into his past to give him a night with the woman he never forgot. 

Fearing another broken heart, Jill works to keep herself from becoming attached, but Blake goes all in to convince her that he wants their long-overdue love to be more than a one-night stand…

Book Links:

Decadent Publishing– On sale $0.99

Amazon– On sale $0.99

Barnes and Noble

All Romance eBooks

Kobo

Author Bio:

Tara Andrews divides her time between a full-time job as an office manager, an even more full-time job as a wife and mother, and her dream job as a romance author.  An avid reader and writer, Tara continuously seeks to hone her craft in order to provide readers with stories that are provocative yet romantic.

Tara lives in upstate New York with her wonderful husband and two fabulous children.

Author Links:

Website

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Rockin’ Daydreams

When I first read about the 1Night Stand series, I wasn’t sure how I’d be able to give two characters who are looking for a single night more than they bargained for—a happily ever after.  But isn’t the notion ever so tantalizing?  The idea simmered and sizzled until had to sit down and write my first contribution to the 1Night Stand series, Long Overdue, and then my sophomore release, Her Everything.  I like saying that—sophomore release. :)

I love this story for so many reasons.  For starters, the characters are awesome.  I know, I’m biased, but they really are.  Mark’s a freakin’ rock star—hello!  Well, he’s more than that.  He’s a widowed, single father who has more confidence than any man should be allowed to have.  And, did I mention he’s hot?  No?  Well, of course he is and he has the tattoos to prove it.

Then there is, of course, Rachel.  Sister to a pop star—a twin, no less.  She’s the responsible one.  Loyal.  The one who’s given herself the task of keeping her sister grounded.  Except she’s got a little bit of a wild side she’d like to deny having, and every once in a while she has to let go.  And when she does… Woo-Hoo!  It pays off.

Mostly I think I love this story because who didn’t daydream, at one point or another, about meeting their favorite celebrity and falling in love.  (I mean, that can’t possibly be just me, right?)  Eh-hem, anyway.  In Her Everything, though Rachel has a famous sister and meets her fair share of celebrities, but there is only one who leaves her truly star-struck.  Lucky for Mark it’s him.

Here’s a little bit about Her Everything…

Blurb:

Rachel Turner made a mistake—a couple, in fact.  Ruining a surprise meeting with the front man to her favorite band is just the beginning.  But agreeing to switch places with her famous sister may spell the end of both of their careers. With rumors flying and an unexpected invitation from Madame Eve, Rachel hopes she can put the mistakes behind her.

Attending an event to support a charity close to his heart, Mark Travis wasn’t looking for love, or even company—and definitely not with a fan.  But when he puts in a hasty bid at a silent auction and wins the services of 1Night Stand, Madame Eve has something different in mind.  A single evening with a woman she claims can fulfill his needs.  But one night might not be enough.

Come morning, will Mark and Rachel’s unexpected one-night stand give them more than they bargained for?

Excerpt:

On the dance floor, Mark tugged her waist to pull her close. With one hand clasped in his and the other resting on his shoulder, she followed his lead. He danced with the same confidence and style as he walked—sure, commanding, and…so incredibly hot.

Thanks to the four-inch Louboutins Rachel had borrowed from her sister, the top of her head barely reached his chin, but high enough, if she dared, to rest her temple against his cheek. Though tempted to find out if the stubble along his jaw was as soft as it looked, she didn’t dare. But, oh, how she wanted to. At least they were close enough that the spicy scent of his cologne surrounded her.

A love song played, its lyrics about longing the perfect fit for her one-and-only dance with the man she’d admired so long from afar.

“You didn’t come back.” His voice, rough and low, vibrated against her cheek.

She tilted her head to meet his gaze. The intimate proximity allowed her an up-close-and-personal view of his brown eyes, their color reminding her of the amaretto she favored.

His hold on her shifted, bringing them closer, the difference slight, but welcome. The nerves at her waist sizzled under the weight of his palm, while his thumb rubbed the exposed skin of her back. She shivered again from the simple touch, and an answering heat flared in his eyes.

“I…I got called away to help my sister.” She stumbled on the near lie. But, truth be told, she never dreamed Mark would give her a second thought after she’d left, his disinterest so plain to see.

“Sasha?”

So he knew who she was then? “Yes, she’s my sister.”

“Your twin.”

Rachel allowed him to spin her before replying. “That’s correct.”

“I didn’t realize at first. The glasses threw me off, as did your hair.” He smiled then. “Even so, you two are not identical.”

Aside from her and Sasha’s obvious style differences and voices, very few people were able to tell them apart. A knot formed in Rachel’s throat. She didn’t like where his comment appeared to be leading or the way his movements slowed and his brow furrowed.

He met her eyes. “Was that you on stage tonight?”

Book Links:

Decadent Publishing || Amazon || Barnes & Noble || Kobo

Author Bio:

Tara Andrews divides her time between a full-time job as an office manager, an even more full-time job as a wife and mother, and her dream job as a romance author.  An avid reader and writer, Tara continuously seeks to hone her craft in order to provide readers with stories that are provocative yet romantic.

As she has learned from her own experiences, dreams do come true and women can live happily ever after. Tara strives to infuse a blend of fantasy and realism in her stories in order to connect with readers’ own experiences, hopes and emotions.

Tara lives in upstate New York with her wonderful husband and two fabulous children.

Author Links:

Website || Facebook || Pinterest || Goodreads  

Twitter: @tara_andrews1 

Ball Games and Delayed Anniversaries

Happy Cinco de Mayo!  Or, as we say in my house, Happy Anniversary!  Yes, it is my 14^th wedding anniversary.  So how are we going to do to celebrate?  By taking my son to his baseball game, of course!  I know, how exciting.  Actually, we’ll celebrate next weekend after we hit my mom up to babysit.  We’ll go out to dinner and have a nice quiet evening together.  And hopefully I’ll get something nice and shiny!  Quick–someone share this with my husband.  LOL.

Given my ultra-glamorous anniversary plans, I started thinking about my characters Blake and Jill in Long Overdue.   What would they be doing on their first anniversary after meeting each other through 1Night Stand?  Would they spend a quiet evening at home, or have dinner at an exclusive restaurant?  Nope!

Blake owns an airline so of course he’d put it to good use to celebrate the day he met Jill.  He’d want to show her the world.  Heck, he’d want to give her the world—before they settle down and have baseball games to taxi their kids to.  So I picture them someplace awesome—and warm since we’re still waiting for spring to hit New York—like Hawaii.

Jill would be excited and want to do all the touristy things tourists do.  He’d have seen it before but enjoy watching Jill take it in for the first time.  And who know, maybe Blake will even pop the big question…  That would be just like him.

If you haven’t read their story yet, here’s an excerpt on how it all started from Long Overdue:

“I think this is some sort of mistake,” she finally managed.

“But, we’re here. And I don’t think it’s a mistake.”

Of course, he’d be polite, while wondering what happened to the size zero, with extra-large breasts, he ordered. “I don’t know.” She shook her head and swore disappointment flashed across his face. “I’ll be honest; I am not comfortable.”

“And let me be honest. I’m looking forward to an evening with you.” Ooooh, smooth. Then again, she didn’t expect less, given his tabloid reputation. Still, her legs felt a little less stable.

She faced him. What really went on in his head? “You don’t find it strange that you know me?”

His killer smile set off butterflies in her belly and a warning bell in her mind. “No. In fact, it makes sense.”

“Why is that?”

“Because I used to wonder about you. A lot.”

Jill forgot to breathe. Forgot almost everything. Did he say…?

“Didn’t you ever wonder about me?”

Jill exhaled. “I’m taking the Fifth.” His smile grew. She shook her head, recognizing dangerous territory. “I’m still not sure.” Not sure she’d measured up. Not sure she’d survive with her heart intact.

“Stay for a drink.”

She wavered at his low-voiced offer. Dammit, he’d become even more handsome than she remembered.

Where you can find Long Overdue:

Decadent Publishing || Amazon ||Barnes and Noble

#tara_andrews1, #decadentpub, #1nightstand, #1NS