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, July 25, 2014

Happy Summer from the Hostesses at the Roast

The hostesses are having a break his week and are happy...happy...happy just to be chilling out!
 
We'll be back in our usual party form next week, when our special guest will be 

BRENT PURVIS  (As you can guess, we're getting all giggly and excited at the idea of having a real live guy on the Roast!

Friday, July 18, 2014

Rachel Brimble celebrates on the beach with - 'What Belongs To Her '-



“Dibs on the unicorn!”
Dodging through the maze of partiers crowding the beach at the seaside park, Mac sprints across the rocky sand toward the gleaming carousel. The hostesses give chase with AJ in the lead.
She shoots Mac a wry grin. “Excuse me, but Dibs is mine!” She waggles her brows and leaps onto the merry-go-round’s wooden floor at Mac’s side.

Lilly rolls her eyes as the two laugh and tussle over the wooden horse with a golden horn. “There’s another right beside you, ladies.”
Mary chooses an elegant swan while Lyn swings her leg over a dancing stallion. Melissa scowls at a brightly colored, squat bird.  “Really?”

Mac climbs aboard the second unicorn as AJ holds up her phone to snap a picture. “We’re in England, sweetie. They do things differently here.”
 
Slipping onto the bird’s back, Melissa strikes a pose then blinks at the flash. “You’re not kidding. I’ve never seen a carousel with a chicken before.”

The hostesses laugh as tinkling music fills the air and the ride begins to move.Templeton Cove spins around them. Lounge chairs line the shoreline fronting the quaint seaside town. Small fishing vessels bob on the water beyond a large party tent. Children race over the sand, squealing their delight over the flight of a kite.

Lilly sighs and sniffs the air. The tang of roasting hot dogs mingles with the sweet scent of cotton candy, candy apples, ice cream and sunblock. “What a perfect setting for a roast.”

https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRjT6sKo54JQESecnyTRAqlmB8w3wAOdnZxLP4VZ-VVoSyaDBFt_w

Mary cranes her neck to eye a group of shirtless men kicking a soccer ball near the water’s edge. “It’s a perfect setting, period.”

Mac grins as the carousel slows to a stop.

 
“There’ll be plenty of time for that, chickie. For now, I’m sure Oliver’s got some goodies
prepared for us.”
 
She leaps from the unicorn and the hostesses head for the tent.

“I need a beer. It’s time to toast Rachel Brimble and celebrate her book, WHAT BELONGS TO HER.”
BLURB
She's ready to take back what's hers 
Since the moment a local crime boss claimed ownership of her family's fairground, Sasha Todd has dreamed of righting the wrong. Now it's time to act, and backing down from the man's estranged son is definitely not an option. After all, giving up her legacy to hot-blooded John Jordon means losing the chance to finally heal the wounds in her past. 
Stopping John in his tracks—and resisting the sizzle between them—is Sasha's best defense. But there's more to him than she thought, which changes everything. With what matters most at stake, she'll have to risk a brand-new future with John, or walk away from the man whose heart belongs to her.

PURCHASE LINKS:



EXCERPT
He turned and his dark blue eyes, aflame with anger, pinned Sasha to the spot. She forced herself to stand still as his gaze languidly glided over her face, lingering for a moment at her lips. No smile lifted the corners of his mouth. No softness seeped into his hardened study.

She smiled even as her stomach knotted. “Hi.”

He continued to stare.

Okay, so he’s got that sexy, broody thing going on, but since when does a guy––any guy––leave me speechless? Say something…

“Well, you’re all sorts of angry, aren’t you?” Great, Sasha. Just poetic.

He lifted an eyebrow and turned his focus back to the ride.

She frowned and glared at his profile, feeling like an idiot. The guy needed to take a serious chill pill. Did he think he had a monopoly on being pissed off? Wakey, wakey, Mister, the entire human race holds a grudge of one kind or another.

“I was only trying to make conversation. If you don’t want to talk to me, that’s fine.” She shrugged. “I haven’t seen you before and, as I’m the person running things around here, I thought you might appreciate a friendly word, a kind welcome. My name’s Sasha­­––”

“I know who you are.”

She stiffened. The deep, smooth lilt of his upper English class voice filled her with equal measure of attraction and warning. “Pardon me?”

He faced her and crossed his arms across his broad chest. “You’re Sasha Todd, exceptionally pretty and svelte manageress of this fairground, known so lovingly as Funland. You work for Kyle Jordon. Although, while Kyle’s currently boarding at Her Majesty’s pleasure in prison, you are undoubtedly forced to answer to his bull mastiff of a lapdog, the wonderfully charming and partially toothed Freddy Campton. Am I right?”

Sasha crossed her arms, mimicking his stance as irritation simmered inside her. “Yes, but who––”

“How do you feel about that, Miss Todd?”

“What?”

“Moreover, how are you going to feel knowing from tomorrow, you’ll be answering to me and not him?”

Sasha froze as his words filtered through her mind. Her heart pounded and hot heat seared her cheeks. What the hell did he just say? She uncrossed her arms and splayed her hands on her hips. “Is this some kind of joke?”

A flicker of amusement lit his eyes before he blinked and they turned cold once more. “No joke. From tomorrow you’ll be reporting to me.

Panic and disbelief hurtled through her. Who the hell does this guy think he is? She huffed out a laugh. “I don’t think so. Who are you?”

“Your new boss.”

She grinned, hoping it would coerce some semblance of a smile to his lips and make him tell her he was kidding. “Very funny. You’re a funny guy, Mr…”

“You don’t believe me?” His face remained unnervingly impassive.

Okay, enough was enough. Sasha glared. “I asked you who you are. If you want to toss a revelation like that at me, the least you can do is tell me your name. Not that I’m likely to believe a word you say after this little, slightly creepy, performance.”

He uncrossed his arms and offered his hand, which she took without thinking. His hand enveloped hers. Warm, smooth and unnervingly large. Why did she have the sudden and unwelcome suspicion nothing about this guy was small or weak?

“John Jordon.” He shook her hand. “Nice to meet you.”



Rachel lives with her husband and two young daughters in a small town near Bath in the UK.  After having several novels published by small US presses, she secured agent representation in 2011. In 2012, she sold two books to Harlequin Superromance and a further three in 2013. She also writes Victorian romance for Kensington--her debut was released in April 2013 and she has since signed for three more.
Rachel is a member of the Romantic Novelists Association and Romance Writers of America. When she isn’t writing, you’ll find Rachel with her head in a book or walking the beautiful English countryside with her family and beloved black Lab, Max. Her dream place to live is Bourton-on-the-Water in South West England.


She likes nothing more than connecting and chatting with her readers and fellow romance writers. Rachel would love to hear from you!
Links:



***GIVEAWAY***
To win a copy of Rachel'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)

Monday, July 14, 2014

Diana's winner is...

Rebecca Booth

Congratulations, Rebecca your prize should soon be with you.

Thanks to Diana Rubino for being such a wonderful a guest of honour, and to everyone who commented and made this Roast such fun.

The hostesses appear on-stage, holding hands, to take a bow

They hug each other and wave before leaving the stage.

"Just another Author Roast and Toast!"


Join us again on 18th July when  RACHEL BRIMBLE will be our guest.    


Friday, July 11, 2014

A Bloody Good Cruise with Diana Rubino and the Author Roast hostesses


“This place is amazing!” Melissa swings around and drops her luggage on the foot of her bed.

“Holey Moly,” Lilly exclaims. “A balcony too.”
“We are gonna have so much fun.” AJ uses her 'Precious' to click picture after picture. Her present object of intention, a bird shaped bath towel.

Mary grunts. “That life jacket weighed a ton; it would probably drown me faster than without it. But, those Italian cabin guys sure know how to charm a girl.” She sighs.
                                                       
“That’s cause you like your butt pinched, I personally did not care for the pinching stuff.” Mac slides out of her sweater. “We were lucky to get rooms so close to one another.


“Says you. You don’t have to room with a snorer.” Lyn walks through the adjoining room door.

Mary sticks her tongue out at Lyn. “I don’t snore, I breathe heavy.”

 A loud blast of the boats horn signals the boat underway. The girls rush to the balcony waving and smiling to the people on shore. There are just a couple of people outside to celebrate getting underway; which they find rather odd. An Italian cruise ship on a beautiful day with no one out here sharing it. It seemed a bit odd to the girls. That and the large hats and heavy clothing, even gloves, that most of the people she’s seen wore. Lyn wonders if the Italians never heard of sun screen?

A bit later they sit in the posh dining area. “Wonder why there are so few people here?” Mac glances around the room. The normally blustering room is nearly empty save for a few tables.

“Yeah, kinda strange.” Melissa puts her fork down and mumbles. “This food tastes wonderful. spinach ravioli with marinara sauce, Risotto with green apple and champagne and to wash it down, Moscato Rubino red wine. That isn’t the problem."
“Pssssst.” Lilly looks around and shakes her head.

 “Pssssssst.” Mary notices the noise too and sees a spiffy dressed waiter behind a pillar near their table.

“Can I help you?” Mary asks.

Speaking so softly he can barely be heard he whispers. “This is a Vampire Cruise. They never eat here. If you want more lobster tails I got tons of them. Just let me know.” He disappears into the shadows.

 “That doesn’t surprise me.” Melissa grins. “Our author has written a vampire story after all. And this is the celebration cruise. No problem she promised me that they brought the best blood available with them. We should be safe.”

“Should be? You knew about this and didn’t tell us.” Lilly gasps.

“It’s okay ladies Diana is mortal too. If she feels safe so should we.” AJ shivers. “Besides, I brought garlic.”

Melissa, Lilly, Mac, and Lyn, all laugh nervously as they look around the room. At that moment Diana Rubino author of A Bloody Good Cruise walks in and approaches the girls.

“Any problems ladies?” She asks. “Let me assure you, you are perfectly safe here. Most of those on this trip are vampires. But, they live every day amongst us and you would never know. You have nothing to fear. Is there anything you want to ask, that might make you feel more comfortable, and less afraid here? Diana nods to each of them, with a huge smile and warm reassurance. “Any questions?”

“Can I  have a couple more lobsters please?” Mary asks…

Without more ado, let's find out more about Diana Rubino and her book 'A Bloody Good Cruise'.

A BLOODY GOOD CRUISE is a fun-filled blend of the vampire world and luxury cruises.

Romance author Mona is human. Ship’s doctor Fausto is a vampire. He can never be one of her kind, and she’s afraid to become one of his. As they sail the Mediterranean on a writers’ cruise, the couple is stalked by vampire hunters, and by Fausto’s notorious ex-wife, Lucrezia Borgia. Events force Mona and Fausto to team up with the hunters to capture Lucrezia, but where can they go from there?
With Fausto’s friend and Mona’s editor vamping it up and hunters on the loose, can this bloody good cruise have a happy ending?
Kindle link: www.amzn.com/B00ILXYAI6
Amazon Paperback link:
WRP  Paperback Link: Bit.ly/1k8Vlrs




Excerpt:

 Mona forced a dose of cheer through her jangly nerves. Vampire hunters wouldn’t have the balls to attack Fausto and his friends on this ship. Security was tight. “Well, you’re here, so does that mean you’ve been going out, and aren’t confined to your house any more?”

Fausto shrugged. “Almost. I couldn’t wallow in self-pity forever. And I knew seeing you would make it worthwhile.”

She smiled and gave him a genuine Italian cheek pinch. “I’ll cheer you up, faccia bella, you can count on that. You must feel safe.” She gestured at the tacky duds. “I mean, relatively speaking.”

“Don’t let this scare you, but –” He glanced around over the rims of his shades. Uh-oh. Whenever he said “don’t let this scare you,” it scared her. “I got an ominous message at the doctor's office earlier.”

“What B” She swallowed a lump.

“What kind of ominous message?”

He looked away, shaking his head. “Nothing to get alarmed about. The hunters just want me to know they’re here. After the initial jolt wore off, I said, ‘okay, I’m being stalked again.’ But I’m used to it. It doesn’t make me constantly look over my shoulder like in the old days. My family’s murder gave me a reality check. If they want me, they’ll get me. I can’t let it interfere with my work, or what little leisure time I have here. And you shouldn’t either.” He gazed at her adoringly and cupped her cheek. His hand was surprisingly warm. “But you’re still scared. All the blood’s drained out of your face, and not in a good way.”

Reviews:

Romantic Times

http://www.romantictimes.com

Rating: 4 Stars

Don’t expect typical fang-sprouting bloodsuckers on this cruise. These vampires are Roman Catholic and they love garlic. An animated cast of characters populates a story that’s seductive and comical. It’s fun, frantic and fabulous. Board The Romanza and set sail on a high-seas adventure that promises a bloody good time.


Coffee Time Romance

http://www.coffeetimeromance.com

Rating: 4 Cups

 From a hot tub of fun to a displeased ex-wife and a serial killer bent on revenge, A Bloody Good Cruise is a high seas adventure with twists and turns around every corner. The lively cast spins non-stop excitement with thrills and enough snags to keep the pages turning. Mona and Fausto are immersed in many complications, yet will do whatever it takes to make a go of their relationship. Diana Rubino crafts a good read with interesting players that never have a dull moment. Tessie is a wonderful secondary character that adds her own personality to this enchanting tale. --Cherokee, Reviewer for Coffee Time Romance & More

Reviewed by Patricia of Patricia's Vampire Notes

Mona Rossi is a romance writer whose recent books haven't been selling like they used to. What to do? Perhaps a luxury cruise for romance writers. Mona knows she can easily put something like this together, and she does.

Being with so many talented writers is certain to give her ideas for a new dynamite series. Also a cruise will
be a way to have some fun time with Fausto, the special, gorgeous vampire guy in her life. It just so happens Fausto works as a ship's doctor for the cruise line. With this perfect setup what could go wrong? Plenty of course.

Vincent Irizarri
Alias Fausto
A band of vampire hunters have Fausto on their radar. This particularly nasty group, referred to by the vamps as Vampire Ball Busters, believe all such beings are the essence of evil and should be eradicated. To further complicate matters Fausto's former wife, the infamous Lucrezia Borgia, is onboard. She insists that their divorce was never legal therefore he should leave that human, Mona, and return to Italy to live with her, Lucrezia.










Many more complications arise in this lively, comic adventure-cum-romance. A fun treat for a lazy afternoon.


BIO
I'm a self-confessed history nut, my favorite eras being Medieval and Renaissance England, and all American history. I've written several novels set in England and the U.S., two time travel romances, a vampire romance, and a fantasy romance, FAKIN’ IT which received a Top Pick award from Romantic Times. I'm a longtime member of Romance Writers of America and the Richard III Society. In my spare time, I bicycle, golf, play my piano and devour books of any genre.


***GIVEAWAY***
To win a copy of Diana'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.)