Monday, March 31, 2014

Meet Dakota Madison, Author of Community Service


One World Singles Magazine Blog is delighted to welcome Dakota Madison, author of Community Service, a contemporary romance novel. Dakota has made our Blog one of her stops on her Virtual Book Tour.

Blur:

As Maggie Mitchell enters her final semester of college, the last thing she wants is a guy in her life, let alone two of them.

Her new lab partner, Sawyer Reed, is still the overconfident and sexy jock that made fun of her in high school. The only thing that has changed is that he now uses a wheelchair, the result of a skiing accident.
Jude Marino is a hot actor who all the girls want and would do anything to get. He works at a local theater where Maggie has been assigned to complete community services hours after rear-ending a police car.

Both Sawyer and Jude want Maggie but only one of them will be able to capture her heart.

Book Excerpt:

 “Looking for a lab partner?” I heard a voice say from behind. The voice sounded familiar but I couldn’t quite place it.

When I turned around, I was surprised to see Sawyer Reed staring at me. I hadn’t seen him since high school. He was a year older than me but I still knew who he was. Everyone in school knew Sawyer Reed. He was a popular jock who all the kids adored. He still had the same boyish good looks that I remembered so well. And the same sexy little grin that could light up any room. And the same killer green eyes that would drive girls wild. The only thing that was different, and it was really different, was that he was in a wheelchair.

It completely floored me.

I had the biggest crush on Sawyer Reed. I think every girl in our school did. It was hard not to. He could charm the pants off of any girl in a matter of minutes, and usually did, or so I heard. I wasn’t a girl that guys wanted to charm the pants off when I was in high school. I was awkward bordering on geeky. My mom called me a late bloomer.
 
And I definitely wasn’t on Sawyer’s radar…

Except when we were on the school bus. Every day when he passed by me on his way to the back of the bus, he’d call me Freaky Four Eyes. Not that I didn’t deserve the moniker. For some reason, when I was a teenager, I thought it was a good idea to wear Marilyn Monroe Cat Eye glasses. Not that I looked anything like Marilyn Monroe. In high school, I had frizzy brown hair and the body of a 12-year-old boy. I could have been called the antithesis of Marilyn Monroe, if there was such a thing. But I sure loved those glasses.

I didn’t think there was any way that Sawyer would remember me. I looked a lot different than I did in high school. I found product, so my long brown hair now fell into controlled waves and I wore contacts. I’d also filled out a little. I was still no Marilyn Monroe in the curves department but I had a decent 
figure.

And why would he remember some younger girl he teased on the bus anyway?

Author Bio - Dakota Madison has been writing since she learned to read and fell in love with books. When she's not at her computer creating spicy new romances, Dakota is traveling to exotic locales or spending time with her husband and their bloodhounds.

Giveaway - During this tour, there will be a tour-wide giveaway for a $10 Amazon Gift Card.  

A Rafflecopter Giveaway

Connect with Dakota Madison on her Facebook Fan Page or on her Blog

Links - Get your copy of Community Service at Amazon and Smashwords

Monday, March 24, 2014

Special Announcement

Hello friends, family, and supporters! I need your help! I have just entered my book into UBAWA’S Best Book Cover Contest. Please help me take home the prize by “liking” my photo after clicking on the following link:
I appreciate your support!

VOTING BEGINS TODAY AT 6 PM EST. The author whose book cover receives the most "likes" will receive $100, a free book review, and homepage feature. VOTING ENDS March 30th. Grand Prize Winner will be announced on Monday March 31st.

Monday, March 17, 2014

Questions You Should Never Ask On Your First Date by Miss Know It All


Dating can be defined as a social engagement between two people, which often has a romantic character. When you go out on a date, you would most likely know something about the person, but if you meet someone online, you really know nothing about this individual, except for what you read in their personal profile.  If you decide to go out with that unfamiliar person, there are certain questions you should avoid asking until you have dated that individual for a while, have gotten to know that man or woman and believe your rapport with this person will develop into something special.

If you are seeking a lifetime partner, think before you start to bombard the person with personal inquiries. Unless you want to scare your date away, never ask the following questions or engage in certain conversations, which may result in an uncomfortable outcome:

How much money do you make?
Tell me something about your family.
How many children would you like to have?
Are your parents still married?
Don’t ask anything about past relationships.
Avoid talking about politics, religion.

Try to listen and direct the dialogue in a comfortable manner, so that the person talks about him or herself. People enjoy those who listen. By paying attention, you may not have to ask a horde of inquiries. You could ask what type of movies the person enjoys, the music they love to listen to or what hobbies he or she enjoy doing in their spare time.

Dating does not necessarily mean you are going to marry that person or become romantically involved after your first, second or third get-together. It just means you are going through a getting to know you stage, which may or may not lead to a happily ever after ending.

Monday, March 10, 2014

Meet Demelza Carlton, Author of Water and Fire

We are delighted to introduce you to Demelza Carlton who has made us one of her stops during her Virtual Book Tour. She is the author of Water and Fire, a steamy contemporary medical romance involving a sexy doctor, a naughty nurse, a midwife on a mission and a mysterious predator in Albany, Western Australia.

Working as a student midwife in an Australian country hospital is never easy, but Belinda finds more trouble than most.

There's the intern doctor who follows her around like an overgrown puppy, the dangerous local wildlife and her own secrets she must keep.
When she finds herself without a place to live, what else can possibly go wrong?

Or is it time for something to go right?

Following are two excerpts from Water and Fire:

Excerpt No. 1

I touched my fingers to his shoulder to steady myself before reaching for my drink.
His face split in a wide grin beneath his ocean-deep eyes. "I think you've had enough. What'll you give me for it?"
I shrugged. "What do you want for it?"
His smile shrank, becoming more thoughtful. "You could start with a kiss."
I looked into those yearning, deep-water eyes of a man who seemed all fire. It's been a long time, but I think I still remember how.
I cautiously touched my lips to his. His mouth was open, so the draught of his breath cooled my lips for the briefest moment before I pulled away.
"Fuck that!" He strode to the coffee table and clunked the glasses down. His hands were empty for barely a moment before they were splayed warmly on my back. "Belinda. That's not a kiss."
I moved with him as he pulled me closer, one of his hands travelling up to the back of my neck as the other drifted down to the small of my back. I leaned in closer still.
He bowed his head as I tilted mine up. I wet my lips and parted them, feeling fear for the first time. Perhaps I have forgotten how to do this. This is a stupid idea.
He pressed his mouth to mine, layering our lips as we shared a breath. His smiling blue eyes drooped to show blue-veined lids as his tongue stroked mine.
I haven't forgotten. This is new and I'm going to…I'm going to…
His shoulders were smooth beneath my questing fingers, his lips warm and responsive as I deepened my kiss. I felt his chuckle rumble through both of us, though I couldn't see him with my eyes closed. He tasted of whiskey with a hint of chocolate and I wanted more…
"Now that's a kiss."

Excerpt No. 2

His coffee clunked loudly to the table, the contents of the cup slopping around like the storm swell in the port that morning.
"I swear it's some kind of crazy conspiracy. Now the Nannup Tiger's broken a man's leg – or someone's pulling mine."
I looked up in surprise as Aidan slumped into the seat across from me. His hair was tufted and on end again. He took a slurp of coffee. For the first time, he looked annoyed.
"How can an extinct creature break a man's leg?" I asked calmly.
"Murray Piesse, a dairy farmer from over Elleker way. Swore he saw a thylacine on his lawn, drinking from the bird bath. So he grabbed a camera and went out into the dark after it. The beast disappeared, if it ever existed at all. Murray stumbled over a tree stump or something in the dark and broke his leg. He managed to crawl back up to the house by morning to call for help. The ambulance brought him in." Aidan's brows met over his nose as he gulped down more coffee.
"I wonder if he got a photo of it…" I mused.
Aidan snorted, then choked as he got coffee up his nose. It took him a few minutes before he could do anything but splutter, so I waited without speaking. "Do you honestly believe him? Or are you making fun of me, too?"
I wet my lips. "I believe it's possible – he might have seen a thylacine," I replied carefully. "But I'd want to see pictures or the beast itself before I'd believe it for sure."
He looked hard at me, as if he was trying to decide if I was telling the truth. Finally, he spoke again. "Thing is, if Murray really did see the Nannup Tiger, it was headed toward my place. I live next door to him in Elleker and it's all bush except where the house is. If the beast's out there, it could be hunting my place at night, and it's just me out there."
"If you're so scared of the Tiger, don't go out at night then," I replied lightly. "Besides, it doesn't sound like the Tiger was the real danger for Mr Piesse, but the tree stump he tripped over. Take a torch if you go outside at night and you should be fine."
"I do that already," Aidan grumbled. His expression cleared. "You could come up any night you're free and watch for the Tiger, if you like. A proper stakeout. Maybe we could discover an extinct species in my backyard." He looked hopeful.
I forced a smile. "No, thank you. We'd probably just see a lot of darkness and no Tiger, or freeze if it's a clear, cold night."
"I wouldn't let you get cold. I'd keep you warm, Belinda," he replied instantly, the sound of longing in his voice.

About the Author

Demelza Carlton has always loved the ocean, but on her first snorkelling trip she found she was afraid of fish.

She has since swum with sea lions, sharks and sea cucumbers and stood on spray-drenched cliffs over a seething sea as a seven-metre cyclonic swell surged in, shattering a shipwreck below.

Sensationalist spin? No - Demelza tends to take a camera with her so she can capture and share the moment later; shipwrecks, sharks and all.

Demelza now lives in Perth, Western Australia, the shark attack capital of the world.

The Ocean's Gift series was her first foray into fiction, followed by the Nightmares trilogy.


Purchase links

Diesel 

Contact links


Additional Information on Water and Fire



& & & &

Monday, March 03, 2014

National Park Foundation Releases “I Heart Parks,” Free Online Guide to Romantic Getaways in Your National Parks

Photo Credit: Everglades National Park: Jesse Kunerth/Shutterstock 

The National Park Foundation, the official charity of America's national parks, released the fourth special edition in its popular Owner's Guide series, "I Heart Parks." Park lovers, romantics, and trip planners alike will all enjoy the 15 great suggestions for spending quality time with your one-and-only in America's national parks. Each park profiled provides tips ranging from planning an engagement or wedding to simply indulging in a night away together.

"From sunsets and sunrises, to jazz concerts and bike rides, the unique trip suggestions in their latest Owner's Guide, ‘I Heart Parks,' reflect the incredibly diverse experiences America's national parks can offer no matter the occasion," said Neil Mulholland, President and CEO of the National Park Foundation.

Photo Credit: Joshua Tree National Park: Sierralara/Shutterstock

The "I Heart Parks" guide helps park lovers find the solitude and space to reconnect with each other and with their favorite parks. Suggestions include a walk down Lovers' Lane in Golden Gate National Recreation Area, a picnic lunch on the National Mall, a relaxing boat ride along the mangrove coast of Everglades National Park, an intimate wedding in Acadia National Park, and much more.

Visit www.nationalparks.org/iheartparks to download a free copy of “I Heart Parks.” There, visitors will also have access to other great free resources from the National Park Foundation including the original Owner's Guide - a comprehensive guidebook to America's more than 400 national parks.

For more information on the National Park Foundation and how you can support and protect America's national parks, please visit www.nationalparks.org.

About The National Park Foundation

The National Park Foundation, the official charity of
America's national parks, raises private funds that directly aid, support, and enrich America's more than 400 national parks and their programs. Chartered by Congress as the nonprofit partner of the National Park Service, the National Park Foundation plays a critical role in conservation and preservation efforts, establishing national parks as powerful learning environments, and giving all audiences an equal and abundant opportunity to experience, enjoy, and support America's treasured places.

Join them


&&&


Media Contact: Alanna Sobel, National Park Foundation, 202.354.6486, asobel@nationalparks.org