Most embarrassing moment with your boyfriend? #Romance #TopTwoList #Giveaway

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I'm thrilled to have the 5 authors of For the Love of Murphy, a sweet romance antho, stop by today as part of their tour. I wanted to know their top two embarrassing moments with their boyfriend or spouse. 

Here's what they had to say ...

Michelle Ziegler:

              Oh my poor husband.  I don't think he was prepared for being the husband of an author.  Hehe.  Well, here it goes.

               Our first kiss was pretty embarrassing.  It was the classic, he went in for the kiss and I went in for the hug.  I suddenly realized what happened and let out a better-left-unnamed expletive. I swore it was only in my head and later learned it was not.  Anyway, throwing caution to the wind I fixed the situation and turned the biggest blunder into the best first kiss ever. 

            Second embarrassment I blame on pregnancy.  I was on the phone with our cable provider when they couldn’t, even if their lives had depended on it, find us in their system.  I went to spell our last name and literally forgot.  My husband finished it for me, but his look said it all.  It had only been four years of marriage and two years of dating.  But who’s perfect.

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London Saint James:

Topping the charts at number two is: Preparing my first big holiday meal for him and his family.  I’d been up all night, baking, peeling vegetables, doing all the things you do, etc. He came into the kitchen to help, pulled the ham out of the oven and said, “Baby, I think you forgot something.” I stopped whipping the potatoes and turned around to see the ham that I’d taken out of the plastic shrink-wrap that morning, put into a tinfoil pan and covered with honey and brown sugar still encased in a thin, clear, plastic cover that I somehow overlooked. Oops!

And the number one spot goes to: His old pair of police issue handcuffs latched on my wrists. Him with this “Oh Shit” look on his face. The moment I realize he wasn’t joking, he couldn’t locate the key. Our door bell sounding out the arrival of company…

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Lisa A. Adams:

My husband and I have been married for almost eleven years and we actually knew each other several years before that in college. I would have to say that one of my most embarrassing moments was when we had originally started dating. Let's just say I had a wardrobe malfunction in the middle of a Wal-Mart. Luckily, there were several clothes that I could buy there and fix the problem easily. However, it wasn't before half of Morehead City Wal-Mart had seen "the girls" prominently displayed.

The second top embarrassing moment came a few years later when we were actually getting ready to walk down the aisle. My father decided to have one more talk with his new son-in-law. 

Dad -Son, are you sure you know what you're getting yourself into? 'Cause once, you say "I do", there are no returns or exchanges. 
Ray - Yes, Sir.
Dad - Good, because you know I already had to take her back once...
Me - *crushing embarrassment*
Pastor - Okay, so is everyone clear on the service and what will happen?
Dad- I'm good. I mean how many times do you get to give your daughter away... you know except for the first time. *Laughing*
Me - *Almost in tears* Really, dad?
Ray - *Grabs my hand and kisses it* I love you. Are you ready?
Me- *Miraculously, all better*

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Rebecca Hart:

I’d have to say for the most part, I am hard to embarrass, but I’ve had a few adventures with my bohunk, Pete, who is impossible to embarrass, so I guess, at least by comparison, I can come up with two moments over our ten years together.

The first one to come to mind when I read the question was a time at the very beginning of our relationship. We were working together at a golf event for a previous employer and had stopped for gas during some in the car bickering. Things exploded and we ended up having a shouting match/pseudo-brawl on the side of a crowded  Jersey highway. Things worked out, obviously. *grin*

The second embarrassing moment took some thought, but I’ve settled on getting my lower body piercing. Pete had come with me to the appointment, and all I can say is there is nothing more embarrassing than having the virtues and various piercing potentials of your lower half discussed by a complete stranger and the love of your life…as if you aren’t even there. Beyond embarrassing, but I definitely don’t regret doing it. *wink*

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Annabelle Blume:

I think I’m hard to embarrass because it’s really hard for me to recall any seriously embarrassing moments. I mean, there was the one time my ex’s mom walked in on us, which was totally traumatizing and massively embarrassing, but I think that’s a pretty run of the mill experience. I wish I had more, really, because they make such great material for writing. 

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For the Love of Murphy

Genre: Romance Anthology (Sweet)

Release Date: March 17, 2014
Keywords: Romance, Anthology, Sweet, Murphy's Law, Short Stories

They say love conquers all, but whoever "they" are, must not have heard of Murphy's Law -- whatever can go wrong, will go wrong.

These five tales of sweet, accidental romance prove Cupid's arrows are a lot tougher than they seem, and sometimes it pays to be unlucky.

No Wrong Turns by Lisa A. Adams

Jessica Brannah is escaping from her last heartbreak with a loaded car and a new address. But, when Murphy's Law finds her stranded in a back country town, she realizes there's no outrunning love.

Falling For You by Michelle Ziegler

Darci’s ready to move on. Too bad the dating pool stinks.  Until, a ghost from her past resurfaces—the man she missed out on in college.

Andrew was the one man she’d always loved, but neither of them ever made a move.  But, old feelings aren’t the only thing resurfacing of late.  Darci’s ex comes crawling back at the most inappropriate time, and with all the testosterone flying, she might not end up with either man.

Coffee and Cufflinks by Annabelle Blume

Fresh out of a failed relationship and exhausted by a constant barrage of fiascos at work, Olivia Johnson doesn’t see the man of her dreams standing right in front of her. She tells herself the morning coffee meet-ups with Daren are nothing but coincidence, but even she can’t deny his unequivocal attractiveness. When a night entertaining clients takes a turn for the worst, and Daren shows up where she least expects him, failure starts to look more like fate.

A Slippery Slope by Rebecca Hart

Anne Montgomery is psyched for her girl’s only weekend, despite her friends’ choice of vacation locale—the snowy slopes of Harris Peak Ski Resort—where someone as notoriously accident prone as she has no business being. When Murphy’s Law finally catches up with her, Anne is forced to consider there may be times when it pays to be unlucky.

The Shamrock Incident by London Saint James

Florist, Marissa Carmichael isn’t usually a klutz, but she’s in a hurry and having a bad day. In her haste, she loses her balance and tumbles from the back room of her shop, arms flailing. Her less than graceful entrance halted by a headfirst crash into a display case chock full of silk flowers.

Trey Cleary didn’t think his day could get any worse, until he finds. himself picking the side view mirror of his BMW up from the ground. On a mission to do something about it, he locates the flower shop matching the name on the back of the van that mangled his ‘baby'. But, his car is forgotten when a beautiful woman bursts into the room like an out of control whirling dervish, and takes one mother of a wipeout into the shop’s counter. Coming to her aid brings out the hero in him like no one he’s ever encountered, and leaves him with a need to know more.

For Marissa and Trey, this just might be the one time it pays to be unlucky.

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Snicker much? I know I did!

What's YOUR most embarrassing moment with your boyfriend or spouse?

Old Flame Memories - got any? #Giveaway #Romance #NA

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Have some old flame memories that stick in your memory like stink on ... well, clow flop? hehehe

Yup. I got me a few.

So for part of Ms. Blume's Old Flame tour, I just had to ask ... Wha are your Top Ten old flame memories?

Here's what she had to say. 

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1.    My first almost kiss in 8th grade. The boy was so cute, he was like a little surfer Ken doll. I was clueless that a boy of such social stature might be interested in me, and he chickened out, so the kiss didn’t happen –– until we were 17.

  

2.    The time, my sophomore year, when I went on a date I didn’t know was a date until my mom said, “Did you kiss him?” I replied, “Why would I do that?” And she said, “That’s typically what happens on dates.” Duh.

3.    My first breakup with my first boyfriend that same year, which I thought was how all breakups would go. We agreed we just weren’t into each other anymore and hugged. The next breakup was a rude awakening. He was a good first boyfriend and breakup. We ended up at the same college, but I was with the boy mentioned in #8.

4.    When I ended up dating a guy for a year about whom I initially remarked, “Well, his sister clearly got all the looks in the family.

5.    The boy who tried to be anything for me. I was oblivious. 

6.    The boy who wanted to save me from myself. He liked The Cure but I was the emo one. Our phone conversations went late every night, but I never realized he might like me more than a friend. We’re still friends.

7.    The other boy who wanted to save me from myself. He liked Nine Inch Nails and, looking back, I’m not sure which of us was the more maladjusted. He brought over that NIN snuff film to watch one night. That didn’t last long. I always wondered what happened to him.

8.    The time I dated the guy I wrote in my diary I hoped would stop calling me. For 3 years. And ended up engaged to him.

9.    When I realized I deserved so much more and broke off the engagement. We made each other miserable, one of us had to do it. So I did.

10. But the best memory I have is of the man that isn’t an old flame, but my forever flame. I can still recall the very first moment I saw him. And even now, when he walks in a room, I my heart leaps into my throat and my fingers tingle just like they did that did that day.

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The Hearts Aflame Files
Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance
Keywords: New Adult, Romance, Contemporary, Series, Novella
Release Date: January 15, 2014

Hannah Sullivan has spent the past three months stalking her ex-boyfriend, lurking in the bushes and hiding behind fake social media personas, convinced she can eventually rekindle the love they once shared. But when she meets Marc, who is everything James never wanted to be and more, she begins to wonder if she’s got it all wrong. 

Hannah must come to terms with her own demons before she can decipher between her delusional mission and the man of her dreams.

Purchase Links:

Roane Publishing

Amazon

Amazon (UK)

Barnes and Noble
KOBO

All Romance eBooks

Smashwords

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Annabelle is a best-selling Romance and New Adult author, that is, when she's not checking homework or begrudgingly cooking dinner. Wife, mother, and creator of alternate worlds, Annabelle has a penchant for that which is outside the norm.

Her degree in Sociology has given her the ability to construct worlds that exist only in her head and translate them passionately to the page. The time spent studying individuals, interpersonal relationships, and particularly, women, within the constraints of our society led to Annabelle's unabashed ability to talk about sex as it fits into our modern lives.

She's also the author/personality of The Bombshell Mommy at Vitacost.com where she helps modern Bombshells and their families live “green”. 

Annabelle’s Links:

Website    Twitter    Facebook 

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Sometimes It Pays NOT To Take Revisions Under Consideration! #WritersLife #WriteTip

Welcome to my week-long author spotlight focusing on my fellow 4 authors of the Winter's Sweet Kiss anthology!

Each is going to share a bit about their own scribbling sojourn, and my guest today is Annabelle Blume!

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Everyone has a different idea of what the road to publishing will be like. Some envision rocketing to the top of the New York Times Best Seller list with the Great American Novel. Others prepare for a long, harrowing journey full of hard lessons and ego checks. I fell into the latter group.

When I wrote my first book, Frozen Heart, I did everything I could to prepare the manuscript for submission. My goal was to get picked up by a small to medium size publisher without an agent. I took self-editing classes from top professionals in the industry. I employed several critique partners to rip apart my story so I could piece it back together cleaner, better, and stronger. I fortified my hope within the parameters of what I believed to be a realistic set of expectations. Then, I sent it out to my first round picks: A conservative list of ten publishers, all of which specialized in romance ebooks. I anticipated exactly ten rejection letters to follow in the next few weeks.

At this point, the story played out in an entirely different way from how I expected or even allowed myself to hope.

Of course, within the first 48 hours I received two rejections. Those emails were invigorating. Rejections meant I was a real writer! I had finished a book and mustered the courage to submit it somewhere, anywhere. But then, one afternoon I opened my email to a long, personalized letter from an editor asking me to revise and resubmit. I thanked her and said I’d take the revisions under consideration. I wasn’t ready to change my story yet. My gut told me that those revisions, though sound and completely understandable, would change the entire direction of my story. I wasn’t interested in compromising the character arc I had created at that point. So, I waited to hear back from the remaining seven publishers.

That was when things got crazy. One request for full followed another and, in a fabulous twist of fate, I ended up with three offers as well as the first revise and resubmit. With careful consideration, and a bit of breathing into a paper bag, I eventually chose the house that I felt was right for my book.

I still look back on that time as something of a fairytale. Getting published was supposed to be something I spent years and years striving for, something that made me tear at my hair and gnash my teeth down to nubs. But reality turned out to be far better than my imagination had allowed. 

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An Unexpected Wreath

By Annabelle Blume

Stella’s got everything she needs in life: a great job, a beautiful house, and her independence. But on last minute trip to the local Christmas tree lot she finds something, or rather someone, she desperately wants - Grayson. An emergency trip to Target, an unexpected wreath, and a little Christmas magic make the season much brighter.

Purchase Links:

                                                                            Print Copies

                                                       Createspace (Print - Best Option)

Amazon (Print)

eBook Copies

Amazon

Amazon (UK)

Barnes and Noble

Kobo

Smashwords

All Romance eBooks

Excerpt:

"It's great you paid attention to your Stranger Danger lessons, but I'm not a serial killer."

"How do I know that?"

"Because I'm telling you I'm not."

His lackadaisical drawl infuriated her."Oh, and I suppose Ted Bundy passed out business cards listing his profession as a psychopath?"

"Here.” He handed over his business card. “See, not a psychopath or a killer. Just a guy who owns a Christmas tree lot. Let's get this to your place before it grows roots, and I have to chop it down to sell again next year."

The clean, white rectangle in her hand listed one Grayson Harris, owner and CEO of Harris Enterprises, LTD, as well as all pertinent contact information. She tucked it into her purse and resumed her uptight attitude, for good measure.

"Fine, now if they find me buried under the begonias in the spring, they'll know who did it. I'm just off clemson Road. I drive fast. Keep up."

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 About Annabelle Blume

Annabelle is a best selling Romance and New Adult author, that is, when she's not checking homework or begrudgingly cooking dinner. Wife, mother, and creator of alternate worlds, Annabelle has a penchant for that which is outside the norm.

Her degree in Sociology has given her the ability to construct worlds that exist only in her head and translate them passionately to the page. The time spent studying individuals, interpersonal relationships, and particularly, women, within the constraints of our society led to Annabelle's unabashed ability to talk about sex as it fits into our modern lives.

She's also the author/personality of The Bombshell Mommy at Vitacost.com where she helps modern Bombshells and their families live “green”.

Read about her adventures in writing at www.AnnabelleBlumeBooks.com.

Follow her on Twitter @AnnabelleBlume and like her on Facebook at www.facebook.com/AnnabelleBlumeAuthor

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Check out the purdy!! Old Flame by Annabelle Blume @RoanePublishing

To me, this cover speaks volumes - in a silly kinda way. I must admit that I'm guilty of this very thing (minus the binoculars, that is.)

Old Flame

The Hearts Aflame Files

by Annabelle Blume

Publisher: Roane Publishing

New Adult, Contemporary, Sweet, Romance, Novella

Hannah Sullivan has spent the past three months stalking her ex-boyfriend, lurking in the bushes and hiding behind fake social media personas, convinced she can eventually rekindle the love they once shared. But when she meets Marc, who is everything James never wanted to be and more, she begins to wonder if she’s got it all wrong. Hannah must come to terms with her own demons before she can decipher between her delusional mission the man of her dreams.

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Ever do anything like that? *snicker*

Whatcha think of the purdy?

A little birdie told me Roane Publishing is looking for tour hosts for Ms. Blume blog tour taking place Jan 15-30. If you're interested, click on that image!