D

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As many of you may know, our beloved sister hostess SHARON DONOVAN, tragically passed away on 11th April 2012. We who knew her, loved her, and were inspired by her courage and determination to face head on whatever life threw at her. When she could no longer see to paint she turned to writing and showed her amazing talent in the Inspirational Romance and Romantic Suspense genres, and her story 'Charade Of Hearts' was awarded the coveted Predators and Editors Award in January 2011.

This Blog was a source of great delight to her, she was one of the founder hostesses and she contributed to the fun and silliness in her own original way, and was kind enough to let her unique creation, the hunky butler 'Oliver' join us for our Friday romp and prepare 'virtual breakfast' for the guests on the following morning. It's beyond hard to have to go on without her, but we know that she would have been the first to insist that 'the show must go on.' She is, and will always be with us in spirit.
Sharon, dear friend, we will never forget you.
The Author Roast and Toast is part of the legacy you left us. Let's raise a Toast to you as well as all our guests.
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Friday, December 20, 2013

A Christmas celebration and Giveaway at Thornton Hall with Lynn Marie Hulsman




“This is such a lovely way to drive to a party!” Mac is more than excited
about this party.

“Christmas is my favorite time of year. “Lyn exclaims with a huge grin. “The only part that bothers me is these glass slippers. They sure are stiff and if I trip and break one…” 

“As for me I love my dress. It’s just beautiful. I must say I have never looked so good. This purple is just the perfect color for me.” AJ fluffs the skit of her gown. Grinning like a Cheshire cat. 
 
“Look at the size of that manor house!” Lilly shrieks with delight. 

“Woo Hoo.” Melissa grins from ear to ear.


“Let’s go in and see.” Lyn almost steps on the others in her excitement. The girls with the help of Oliver, who looks mighty fine today, exit the beautiful carriage that the lovely Lyn Marie has arranged for them. With eyes glowing in wonder the girls toss their wraps to the coat guy and rush into the large room filled with Christmas partiers. 
 Lyn Marie eyes them with question as she guides them to a special table arranged for them. “Aren’t there supposed to be six of you?” She wonders.

Five jaws drop as they look at each other. “Where’s Mary?” 

Meanwhile, back on the road to the English Manor a furious Mary grumbles as she makes her way to
the party. “How could you.” She hollers. “One bump and out I fly. They never even noticed. And who picked out this dress for me? Everyone else is dressed to the nines. Me I get a Shirley Temple dress and a long walk in the cold. Merry Christmas…” She continues to walk so even with the freezing weather and short coat she is sweating and annoyed. “Why me!” Echoes through the woods on the long road to the festive party.

Back at the party:

“Oliver is already on his way to find her. She must be just furious.” Lyn grins. “I have her real dress, I can see her face now.” The girls chuckle.
“That’s what she gets for hiding Precious.” AJ hold her cell phone to her chest in affection.

“That relationship you have with that phone is really not normal.” Mac snickers.

“At least Foster, Cuddles, TT, Morena and Nibbie are having fun. I hope Nibbie stops sniffing behinds. We were lucky that Lyn Marie allowed them to come at all.” Lilly shakes her head.

“I just want to see the food.” She strolls to the sideboards surrounding the place where tables glitter in beautiful Christmas decorations. 

Yummy creations cover them and tantalizing scents fill the air.
 


Lancashire hotpot, blueberry muffins, waffles on an ancient stove-top griddle, strawberry butter, pheasant pie, roasted brussel sprouts, Hungarian paprikash stew, and mushroom omelets, Large crisp goose, turkeys, beef, vessels filled with vegetables covered in rich sauce,
Christmas puddings with brandy butter, decorated cookies, the tables overflow with traditional holiday foods.



Lilly drools and Lyn hands her a cloth to wipe her face.  

Mary finally arrives on Oliver’s arm. Head held high she enters the room as all conversation hushes. Her eyes settle on Lyn like lasers. 

 “I’ll get you my pretty.”  The look on her face reminiscent of the wicked witch of the west.

“Never mind all that.” Melissa takes her hand. “We have a dress for you. Don’t be shocked. You play so many jokes on us.  Now we’re even.”


 
Mary eyes aglow, looks around at the beautiful decorations and

inhales the scent of balsam and pine. “Let’s welcome our author Lyn Marie Hulsman. We are here to celebrate the release of her new book Christmas At Thornton Hall. Let’s party!”

The room breaks out with cheers and Christmas music fills the air. 

“Congratulations Lyn Marie. And Merry Christmas to all!”

Suddenly sleigh bells fill the air! “Ho Ho Ho,” can be heard from a deep cheery voice. 

“It’s Santa,” Melissa yells. 

“Look his bag is full of Lyn Marie’s books, there is one for everyone.” Mary grins and grabs her copy as books overflow from Santa’s bag of gifts. 

And the people cheer when Santa exclaims in his jolly voice. 

“Merry Christmas to all, let’s party!”



website: http://www.lynnmariehulsman.com

My Next Project
My next book for HarperImpulse is a chick lit involving fine food, Irish farm life, and New York City. It features an Irish chef who is far too myopic about work for his own good. My heroine, a writer, needs something from him. Little does she know in the beginning, she needs more from him than she ever imagined.


 BACK COVER FOR MY BOOK FROM MY EDITOR CHARLOTTE LEDGER
Need a fun, festive treat to warm you up on cold winter nights? Don't miss this terrific debut from a witty new voice in romantic comedy!

When Juliet Hill unwittingly discovers a most-definitely-not-hers-rhinestone-studded lace thong in her high-flying lawyer boyfriend's apartment, this usually feisty chef is suddenly single and facing a very blue Christmas - with only a ready meal for one to keep her company!

So when she's personally requested to cater for the family at Thornton Hall three days before Christmas, it's not long before Juliet's standing at the (back) door of the impossibly grand ancestral pile.

 The halls are decked, the guests are titled, those below the stairs are delightfully catty, and all-American Juliet sets to work cooking up a glorious British Christmas with all the trimmings.

But other flames are burning besides those on the stove... Sparks fly with Edward, the gorgeous ex-soldier turned resident chef, and are those sidelong looks Juliet's getting from her boss, the American tycoon Jasper Roth?

As the snow starts to fall on the idyllic Cotswolds countryside, so does the veneer of genteel high society and there are more than a few ancient skeletons rattling out of the Hall's numerous dark cupboards!

CHRISTMAS AT THORNTON HALL is a country house romance for the modern age, a must-read for fans of the scandals and drama of Downton Abbey and the charm and wit of Helen Fielding.


ALTERNATE BLURB

At 28, Juliet Hill is finally ready to be a grown-up. Her New Year's plan of leaving behind a career as chef to the rich and famous in order and go back for her Ph. D in psychology is sure to satisfy both her ultra-logical psychiatrist mom and her buttoned-up lawyer boyfriend. She'll be on the right road to stability right after one last Christmas stint in private service at Thornton Hall, arguably one of the grandest estates in the swanky Cotswalds region of England (think The Hamptons, but with thatched roofs).

Unfortunately, true to her nature, she can't convince her brain to override her heart when sticky situations arise involving lies, paternity, a one-night stand and poison mushrooms! Is a sane and predictable life in the cards for our passionate pastry prepper? Can this creative girl toe the line, leaving her secret spice blends and unpredictable men behind? On the road to womanhood, sometimes decisions are made for us, and other times we have to cook up our own destiny. Join Juliet's journey as she straddles the line between romance and reason. 
 

Christmas at Thornton Hall
Need a fun, festive treat to warm you up on cold winter nights? Don't miss this terrific debut from a witty new voice in romantic comedy!
When Juliet Hill unwittingly discovers a most-definitely-not-hers-rhinestone-studded lace thong in her high-flying lawyer boyfriend's apartment, this usually feisty chef is suddenly single and facing a very blue Christmas - with only a ready meal for one to keep her company!
So when she's personally requested to cater for the family at Thornton Hall three days before Christmas, it's not long before Juliet's standing at the (back) door of the impossibly grand ancestral pile.
The halls are decked, the guests are titled, those below the stairs are delightfully catty, and all-American Juliet sets to work cooking up a glorious British Christmas with all the trimmings.
But other flames are burning besides those on the stove... Sparks fly with Edward, the gorgeous ex-soldier turned resident chef, and are those sidelong looks Juliet's getting from her boss, the American tycoon Jasper Roth?
As the snow starts to fall on the idyllic Cotswolds countryside, so does the veneer of genteel high society and there are more than a few ancient skeletons rattling out of the Hall's numerous dark cupboards!



EXCERPT
I reached around him grabbing the hot handle of the iron pot without a potholder.

“Damn!” I cried, letting go immediately.

“Slow down, Jubes. There’s no rush.” He took my hand in his, and eased my clenched fist open. He kissed my injured palm, very lightly.  “Let me wrap that hand up with some aloe gel,” he said.
The tenderness set off a longing in me that I didn’t want him to see. 

“That curry’s going to be too spicy,” I said, pulling my hand away, pretending it didn’t hurt.  “The tastes in this house are particular, you know. That combo will be too much for them, they’re not The Rolling Stones.”

“There’s a saying in India, ‘Spice wakes the sleeping.’” He looked directly at me, his emerald green eyes with the gold flecks holding me in his steady gaze. Then he took my hand again, pulling against my resistance. “Open up for me,” he said. “You must be in pain. Let me look after you."

My hand did hurt, and I did need looking after. I imagined leaning forward and kissing his full lips. He always smelled like cinnamon to me, and I could almost taste it in my mouth. After a moment I said, “I’m here to do things by the book,” and I turned away.

“That’s a shame,” he’d told me, letting me go.  He waited a long time to speak, not saying anything until I checked in, looking at his face. “You know, Jubes,” he said., “I don’t chase after women. They usually come to me.” I opened my mouth to call him arrogant and he put up a hand to stop me. “I’m not building myself up, it’s just that most women I can take or leave, so I don’t make the effort. If they show up, I say yes.” A quick, hot jealousy flared up in my sternum, and I involuntarily imagined him in bed with a faceless woman. Stop that, I told myself. He’s not yours.

“I’m not a monk, you know,” he said. “If you’d respond to what I think have been my considerable efforts,” he said softly, “I would gladly turn a blind eye to the various offers around me."
I wondered what offers he meant… he rarely left the grounds. “Who…?” I began to ask, then thought better of it. Stop the drama, I told myself. If I was going to be with Ben, I was going to be with Ben. I’d invested so much, the ship had sailed... It was the sensible thing to do. And you love Ben, I reminded myself. 

“Sorry…” I whispered and I genuinely meant it. “If it weren’t for Ben…”
“I get it. You can’t blame a man for trying,” he said, twisting his mouth into a wistful smile. He stirred his curry.

“Edward,” I began.

“Let’s just change the subject,” he said, cutting me off. “You should always try for what you want, and if that falls through, readjust. Learned that in the military. Let’s stick with the cooking.”

Lynn Marie Hulsman

 Long Author Bio: Harper Impulse novelist Lynn Marie Hulsman's varied employment background includes stints as a copywriter for a direct marketing agency specializing in casino advertising (Free buffets! Loose slots!), ushering at Manhattan Theatre Club where she ran smack into Steve Martins' chest, irritated Jeremy Irons's agent, and saw John Slattery naked over 50 times, editing materials for major pharmaceutical companies (Ask her anything about the prostate: She knows.), creatively ideating to re-brand major household products for huge corporations, and passing out cheese cube samples (a decided low point). As a performer she's been seen onstage at Caroline's, Stand Up New York, and headlining with her sketch group Hits Like a Girl at The Big Stinkin' Comedy Festival in Austin,TX. She can't tell you what she's ghost written (obv!) but she's co-written two books on cookery, and is sole author of the forthcoming cookbook The Kentucky Bourbon Dessert Cookbook. She does not believe in white chocolate.



LYNN MARIE HULSMAN FACTS

-Book title Christmas at Thornton Hall

-Pub date December 12, 2013

-Digital first, POD program in operation TBA soon

-Publisher: HarperImpulse

-Editor: Charlotte Ledger

-Member of the RNA, the RWA (Romance Writers of America), RWA-NYC (New York Chapter), and RWA Contemporary Romance Chapter


Christmas at Thornton Hall
On sale now!

Twitter: @LynnMarieSays

Facebook Author Page:


Amazon Link to Novel 



website: http://www.lynnmariehulsman.com




***GIVEAWAY***
To win a copy of Lynn 's book, all you have to do is just leave a comment and your e-mail address.
Contest ends on Sunday and everyone who comments is eligible.
(We reserve the right to waive the prize in any week when there are not enough contestants for a draw to be deemed fair and unbiased)

Friday, December 13, 2013

Candra's Freedom, Book Two in the Golden Key Chronicles is HERE!


http://www.amazon.com/Candras-Freedom-HarperImpulse-Fantasy-Chronicles-ebook/dp/B00FVE4RP4/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1386783604&sr=8-2&keywords=the+golden+key+chronicles
Click to purchase!
RELEASE ANNOUNCEMENT!

Candra's Freedom, Book II
The Golden Key Chronicles
Available NOW on Amazon
The key would unlock his future,
and the safety of his kingdom,
but he never imagined the sorceress
would unlock his heart...
Lost in a world she doesn't recognize, Rowena struggles to find her place. Yet her abilities with a blade and the loyalty of a fierce falcon don't discourage the heated advances of the handsome Prince Caedmon, and the connection between them seems much deeper than her troubled heart can recall.

If you are still in love with the Disney princes of your youth, and wish one would show up in your bedroom late at night, then you will love this breathtaking fantasy romance series from AJ Nuest!

~ * ~
 
Water rained down his body. His sodden shirt clung to each sharply defined muscle in his chest, his leather pants glued to the contours of his rigid thighs. Her heart tripped a beat at the magnitude of sheer, gritty determination forged in the scowl on his brow.

Prince Caedmon was a man on a mission. That was a nice idea for a change.

He finally made landfall, fisted his hands and increased his pace. A few trumpeters blew a half-hearted attempt at announcing his arrival, but their notes blurted like a fat man’s flatulence and faded listlessly in the air. Some people knelt, others remained standing, and several bobbed like apples in a rain barrel, unsure which action to take.
 Another victory at denouncing their absurd rituals. Rowena chuckled under her breath. Bravo, sir. Well done.

 He locked onto her and she grinned, even when his penetrating stare pierced her like an arrow and he clenched his scruffy jaw. The real icing on the cake would be if he ignored his father. But no, that would never happen. Even as the thought occurred, Prince Caedmon strode straight for King Austiere’s open arms.

Except…wait a second. He wasn’t heading for his father. He marched straight for her.

Oh no…

All the amusement fled her body. She glanced left, then right before meeting his formidable gaze a second time. Of course. Distracted by his gallant swim to shore, she’d forgotten. His dismissal of the pageantry didn’t have anything to do with defiance. He thought them still engaged.

She withdrew a step, but her shoulder blades bounced off the front of Marcelene's ample bosom. Dammit! Pressed inside the crowd, no other escape route was available. And time was quickly running out. Her pulse leapt and her fingertips tingled as if she'd touched Fandorn's lightning catcher. She couldn't seem to draw any air. Great tits above, what was the man planning to do?

~ * ~
Praise for Rowena's Key,
Book I in The Golden Key Chronicles
Love Reading Romance calls Rowena's Key "an enchanting fairy tale for adults!"
Cosmochicklitan says Rowena's Key is a "must read!"


The author slowly leads Rowena and Caedmon into love, so slowly and sweetly it's romantic and classic...and breathtaking. I cannot wait for the second installment of this series. 5 Stars

It was like watching a Cinderella story come to life. Or living one. 5 Stars

Like the best fairy tales, Rowena’s Key captures the imagination and the heart with a bonus undercurrent of spicy romance. 5 Stars

With all the components of a star crossed lovers story, Rowena's Key is a genuine Romance. A.J. Nuest pulls the reader into fantasy alongside Rowena with a realness that will have you hopeful, teary eyed and longing for the next installment. 5 Stars

You need to realize this is a novella, because you will get to the end of this story and be desperate for more. Thankfully, HarperImpulse is releasing each novella in this series in month by month installments, so we don’t have long to wait for the next development of Rowena and Caedmon’s fantasy romance. 5 Stars

The Golden Key Chronicles Release Schedule:
Rowena’s Key:  November 7, 2013
Candra’s Freedom: December 12, 2013
Caedmon’s Curse: January 9, 2014
Braedric’s Bane: February 13, 2014

AJ is a multi-published, award-winning author who lives in the middle of a cornfield in NW Indiana. Her loving husband, two beautiful children and a bevy of spoiled pets have agreed to stay and, in exchange for three rations per day and laundry service, tolerate her lunacy. While she spends most days happily ensconced in crafting romance across a multitude of genres, an underground coup has been percolating. The dogs just informed her the cat is secretly vying for dictatorship.

Website:  http://ajnuest.com
Blog:  http://ajbooks.blogspot.com
Email:  ajnuest@yahoo.com
FaceBook Page:  https://www.facebook.com/amyjo.nuest
Author FB Page:  https://www.facebook.com/amyjo.nuest#!/pages/Tattered-Pages/259835887466
Twitter:  @AJNuest


***GIVEAWAY***
To win a copy of AJ's book, all you have to do is just leave a comment and your e-mail address.
Contest ends on Sunday and everyone who comments is eligible.
(We reserve the right to waive the prize in any week when there are not enough contestants for a draw to be deemed fair and unbiased)

AUTHOR ROAST AND TOAST

AUTHOR ROAST AND TOAST
authorroast@btinternet.com
WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE OUR GUEST? DO YOU WANT TO PROMOTE YOUR NEW RELEASE OR EVEN AN OLDER ONE?IF YOU FANCY BEING GUEST OF HONOUR AT ONE OF OUR PARTIES JUST EMAIL US AT THE ADDRESS in 'OLIVER'S RULES'!(PLEASE NOTE THIS IS A 'G' RATED BLOG SO NOTHING HIGHER THAN THIS RATING, PLEASE.)