Saturday, November 30, 2013

Win 29 Autographed Chick Lit Books!

29 Talented Chick Lit Authors have banded together to offer you a spectacular Christmas Giveaway! One lucky reader will win all 29 of these AUTOGRAPHED CHICK LIT TITLES*!


Can you stand it?



Darn the luck, there's a few rules:

*Open to US residents only

*One lucky winner of 29 books will be selected

*VOID WHERE PROHIBITED! 


*The more you like the author pages, the greater your chances to win! 



GOOD LUCK!  And may the books be ever in your favor!

XOXO
Jen  

Monday, November 11, 2013

Hard Hats and Doormats Cover Reveal


Hard Hats and Doormats Cover Reveal

I love a good tease...


Pop open the champs, put on your party hats, and let's whoop it up with Laura Chapman!  May I present to you, the cover of her debut novel... *imagine Jen playing an awesome drumroll* 




LOVE!




Synopsis
Lexi Burke has always been a stickler for following rules and procedures. As a human resources manager for a leading Gulf Coast chemical company, it’s her job to make sure everyone else falls in line, too.

But after losing out on a big promotion––because her boss sees her as too much of a yes-woman––Lexi adopts a new policy of following her heart instead of the fine print. And her heart knows what it wants: Jason Beaumont, a workplace crush who is off limits based on her previous protocol.

While navigating a new romance and interoffice politics, Lexi must find the confidence to stand on her own or face a lifetime of following someone else’s orders.

Who says nice girls have to finish last?

To celebrate the cover reveal for her debut novel, author Laura Chapman is sharing behind-the-scenes tidbits about the making of Hard Hats and Doormats here and on other blogs with her “Hard Hat Confessions.”

Here’s # 18:






Congratulations, Laura!  I'm so excited for you! 

XOXO

Jen 




About the Author
Laura Chapman found a way to mix her love of romance and humor as a women’s fiction author and blogger. A 2008 graduate of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Laura studied journalism, English and history. She traveled across the United States as a writer/photographer before settling into a career in communications. She also maintains Change the Word, a blog devoted to promoting women’s fiction and documenting her experiences as a writer. Born and raised in Nebraska – in a city, not on a farm – she is a devoted fan of football, British period drama, writing in bars and her cats, Jane and Bingley. Hard Hats and Doormats is her debut novel.

Connect with Laura
Website (http://www.laurachapmanbooks.com/)
Blog (http://change-the-word.blogspot.com/)
Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/laurachapmanbooks)
Twitter (https://twitter.com/lmchap)


Wednesday, September 4, 2013

Cover Reveal for Cat Lavoie!


Get excited, people!  It's Cat Lavoie's cover for her new novel!




When coffee shop owner Zoey Everwood takes her obsession with ex-boyfriend Braden too far, everyone—except Zoey—is convinced a bit of fun in the sun at the Moment of Zen Wellness Resort will help her get over him once and for all.

But Zoey's relaxing vacation turns out to be anything but peaceful when she meets Shane Lawson, a resort guest who bears a striking resemblance to Braden. And things get even more complicated when the resort's owner starts spilling secrets about Zoey’s aunt Nessa, the woman who raised her. Add a snarky Wellness Coordinator and Nate Holmes—Shane's grumpy friend—to the mix, and you've got the recipe for a perfect tropical storm.
When Zoey comes back home with a new husband instead of tacky souvenirs, she must convince everyone she hasn't completely lost her mind. As Zoey and Shane struggle to keep the magic alive outside the resort, Zoey discovers that she isn't the only one having trouble letting go of the past. And when Nate drops a bombshell that changes everything, Zoey must decide if the old saying is true—what happens at the Moment of Zen stays at the Moment of Zen.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Cat Lavoie lives in Montreal, Canada with her tempestuous cat, Abbie. Her debut novel, Breaking the Rules, was published in August 2012 by Marching Ink. If Cat isn't reading or writing, she's most likely watching too much TV or daydreaming about her next trip to London.




CONNECT WITH CAT 




Congratulations, Cat! 

XOXO
Jen 

Monday, August 12, 2013

Blogger Girl Cover Reveal!


I'm over the crescent moon excited to present to you the cover reveal for my sassy NYC sister's new novel, Blogger Girl.  I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of Meredith Schorr's latest book and I'm swooning over the characters and story.  I cannot wait for you to get your hands on a copy.  Coming soon, I give you (drum roll please) Blogger Girl





What happens when your high school nemesis becomes the shining star in a universe you pretty much saved? Book blogger Kimberly Long is about to find out.
A chick lit enthusiast since the first time she read Bridget Jones’s Diary, Kim, with her blog, "Pastel is the New Black," has worked tirelessly by night to keep the genre alive, and help squash the claim that "chick lit is dead" once and for all. Not bad for a woman who by day ekes out a meager living as a pretty, and pretty-much-nameless, legal secretary in a Manhattan law firm.
While Kim's day job holds no passion for her, the handsome (and shaving challenged) associate down the hall is another story. Yet another story is that Hannah Marshak, one of her most hated high school classmates, has now popped onto the chick lit scene with a hot new book that's turning heads--and pages--across the land. It's also popped into Kim's inbox--for review. With their ten-year high school reunion drawing near, Kim's coming close to combustion over the hype about Hannah’s book. And as everyone around her seems to be moving on and up, she begins to question whether being a “blogger girl” makes the grade in her off-line life.




A born and bred New Yorker, Meredith Schorr discovered her passion for writing when she began to enjoy drafting work-related emails way more than she was probably supposed to, and was famous among her friends for writing witty birthday cards. After trying her hand writing children’s stories and blogging her personal experiences, Meredith found her calling writing “real” chick lit for real women.  When Meredith is not hard at work on her current work in progress, she spends her days as a trademark paralegal.  Meredith is a loyal New York Yankees fan and an avid runner.  Blogger Girl is her third novel.  You can find Meredith on Facebook and Twitter.  





XOXO
Jen

Friday, August 2, 2013

Elizabeth Marx's cover reveal!

It's like Christmas for me every time I lay my eyes on a new cover for one of my books.  I'm always equally excited when I see covers for friends' works as well.  So here today at Princess with a Pen, I proudly present to you the cover of my gal Elizabeth Marx new novel, Stained...



Ta-dah!

Here's the deets: 



Isn't it beautiful?  Keep your eyes pealed for the August 20th release day!  Congratulations, Elizabeth! 

XOXO
Jen




Windy City writer, Elizabeth Marx, brings cosmopolitan life alive in her fiction—a blend of romance, fast-paced Chicago living, and a sprinkle of magical realism. Elizabeth resides with her husband, girls, and two cats who’ve spelled everyone into believing they’re really dogs. She grew up in the city, has traveled extensively, and still says there’s no town like Chi-Town. 

You can find Elizabeth on Facebook and Twitter.  

Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Finding Value in the Valuable


Yes, I've been under a rock!  I'm so sorry I've been away from my blog for so long.  Honestly, this isn't the piece I thought I'd write as my return, yet when you read it, I think you'll understand why I couldn't go on another minute without telling you what's on my heart and mind. 

It takes a lot to get my dander up.  I’d like to think I’m pretty reasonable and even tempered.  Unless you degrade or hurt a friend or my family, then we have a problem.

My sister-in-law, Kimmie, is the sweetest thing on two feet.  Huggable, kind, and funny she’s overcome great obstacles in her years on the planet to carve out a niche as a woman living with Asperger’s.  Her life with high functioning autism has been difficult, yet she wouldn’t want you to know that about her.  She’d want you to know she adores her cat, is excited about being a first time aunt to twins, and is a hard, dependable worker.  Sorry, my mistake.  She was a hard, dependable worker until she was fired on Monday.

The owner of a chain of stores Kimmie worked for hired a new manager at her location.  For some reason we cannot seem to dissect, this manager, who had not been on the job very long, decided Kimmie was not a valuable employee.  You see, that’s difficult to grapple with because she was always on time, completed tasks required and extras requested, ran the cash register, and did I mention she had worked at this location for ten years?  A decade full of managers saw her worth and not a girl with autism.  They found her to be a treasured employee.  Funny how the only thing that changed in ten years was the man wearing the manager nametag, not Kimmie. 

Although I’d LOVE to spill the beans and tell you the name of the chain of independently owned stores you shouldn’t patronize, its street address, and so many other details of Kimmie being treated poorly that leave me livid, I won’t.  I promised my mother-in-law I’d keep my trap shut.  Gosh, that was a hard thing to swear.  Quiet is not in my DNA.  What is in my bones is my inability to tolerate a person with special needs being discarded.  A woman who excelled at her job, yet—gosh, I don’t know—was special and that was the problem? Can you tell I’m still trying to wrap my brain around it? 

As my family rallies around my sister, I ask you take a moment to notice employees in the businesses you frequent.  You will find many with challenges obvious to the eye, and perhaps not so evident.  Thank them for their hard work.  Compliment them to managers if you experience wonderful service.  Kimmie would want you to do that.  Not for her sake, but to honor the many people that rise above their challenges each and every day to make something positive happen for themselves and others.  

XOXO
Jen 

Thursday, April 4, 2013

Come dine with Sophie and Dan: Today’s treat is… Extra Hot Rocking Pizza! Sophie’s Run Blogtour 2013 with Nicky Wells


Come dine with Sophie and Dan: Today’s treat is… Extra Hot Rocking Pizza!
Sophie’s Run Blogtour 2013

I love Nicky Wells.  No, seriously—adore her.  She’s a wonderful mum, fiercely loyal friend, makes me laugh when I need it most, and she’s convinced Sophie, from her smashing Rock Star Romance series, to make you my all-time favorite dish today.  No matter the language you speak, the word “pizza” is globally understood.  Grab your hot pepper flakes, and join us for the party! 

Sophie’s Run

You can purchase Sophie's Run here.
Her famous star remains her rock while life takes her on a little detour…

Who says that the road towards true love is straight and even?  Sophie is certainly discovering that it is anything but.

So she has finally found the man of her dreams! Well… she knows who he is, even though she hasn’t actually quite met him yet.  But she misses her opportunity, and then her life goes crazy.  Rock star and ex-fiancé, Dan, keeps getting in the way of her new romance—even if he is just trying to be helpful.  A fire, an impromptu mini-trip with Dan, and a dreaded wedding later, Sophie is still struggling to meet the love of her life. Then, just as she is getting it together with her perfect man, best friend Rachel commits an act of unspeakable betrayal.

Sophie has had enough. Confused and distraught, she decides that it is time for radical change.  Surprising herself and shocking her friends, she embarks on a secret journey and eventually gets her life back on track.



Hey, you! Yes, you, Jen Tucker! And friends! *waves*

It’s me, Sophie! Remember me? *blushes* You do? Aw, thank you! Yeah, well, I’m back again. My romance with Dan is continuing, in a roundabout way, and he very definitely remains my rock even while life takes me a on a little detour. It’s all in the second book, Sophie’s Run, and that’s why Jen’s invited me here today.

*blushes some more* Well, actually, I kinda invited myself. After Dan had such a great time on Princess with a Pen, I wanted to come by too. Plus I know Jen and I have a lot in common, not least a love of rock stars (albeit different ones, TG!) and of hot pepperoni pizza.

See, this latest book tour of my author, the lovely Nicky Wells, is all about taking YOU on tour with us to share some of the lovely food that we enjoy throughout the books. Pizza is very high on both mine and Nicky’s lists… Did you know there are twenty-two mentions of pizza in Sophie’s Run alone? I think it’s fair to say it’s my staple food, LOL. And I celebrate with pizza, too. Always. Even really big things!

We were greeted by the amazing smell of pizza, loud voices, and cheerful music. Balloons and banners had been strung criss-crossing the room, and there was a great centerpiece made up of pink and white heart-shaped balloons.
Ãœberraschung,” Greetje shouted when she spotted us and hastened across the room to say hello. “Surprise! We thought for a moment you weren’t coming.” She hugged me briefly and whispered in my ear, “I am so pleased for you, congratulations.”
She turned to Dan and Rachel. “Hi, good to see you again. Did you forget about all this?” She gestured loosely at the balloons and the party. Rachel had the grace to blush.
(Excerpt from Sophie’s Run)

Now this post wouldn’t be terribly interesting if I simply said, ‘go and buy a pizza from your local takeaway.’ (Although I’ll never say no to a Domino’s, Papa John’s or Pizza Hut delivery!). Instead, I have gone to the trouble of making pizza from scratch, just for you. It’s actually surprisingly easy, and I can pull this off, so can you. The biggest challenge is simply getting organized because both the dough and the sauce need some time to cook/stand/rise/simmer. Here goes!

To make your own extra-hot rocking pepperoni pizza, you need…

For the base:
~300 grams of good strong flour (this is really important; ordinary flour won’t do, it has to be flour for breadmaking!)
~½ teaspoon of dried yeast
~1 tablespoon of olive oil
~1 teaspoon of salt
~170 ml of water

For the sauce:
~two tins or cartons of chopped tomatoes
~two tablespoonfuls of tomato puree/concentrate
~one or two cloves of garlic, crushed or chopped
~herbs and seasoning to taste: parsley, thyme, chives, oregano, basil, a bay leaf, salt, pepper
~a dash of olive oil

Toppings
Anything you fancy really! I’m using today:
~pepperoni slices
~pickled chili
~sliced raw mushrooms
~heaps of mozzarella cheese

And here’s what you do…

First of all, get your tomato sauce going. Place all the ingredients in a medium size pot. For the herbs, use a good sprinkling of each, there are no hard and fast rules and you can always add more later if you think it needs more oomph. Bring to the boil, then turn the heat down, cover the pot with a lid but take care to let some steam escape, otherwise the sauce won’t boil down; and leave to simmer for one to two hours. When it tastes good, turn off the heat and leave to cool. You can even make this the day before, and any leftovers you can freeze for next time!

 




 
My mouth is watering...


Next, you need to make the base. If you have a breadmaker, throw the ingredients in and follow your manufacturer’s instructions for making pizza dough. If you don’t have a breakmaker, pour the flour in a heap onto a smooth and cool work surface. Make a dent in the middle and add the yeast, olive oil and water. Combine by kneading inwards until you have a soft, smooth, springy dough. Place in a bowl, cover and leave to rise for at least an hour; the dough should double in size. (If you have a boiler cupboard or somewhere where it’s nice and warm, put the dough-in-bowl there). After an hour, knead again and then leave to prove again for another half hour or so.

Turn the oven on NOW! Turn it up as hot as it will go. Domestic ovens are nowhere near as hot as a pizza oven (my friend the pizza baker told me that your average pizza oven bakes at 260 centigrade/500 Fahrenheit plus, whereas your domestic oven stops at 220 centigrade/430 Fahrenheit), so crank it up and make it’s properly preheated when you put your pizza in!

To make the pizza base, divide your lump of dough into four equal balls. Roll out onto a tray using the heels of your hand. The dough will be quite bouncy and obstinate, but you’re in charge so keep going until you have a nice pizza shaped base. Be sure to make it quite thin ~ it will rise in the oven. But then again, don’t make it too thin. If you can see the tray through it, you’ve probably stretched it a bit too far!

Leave your pizza base to rest for about 20 mins. (I know, it takes time! But it’s worth it. You can prep your toppings while the bases rest).

The pizza ‘before’ it goes in the oven…





 Ladle on the sauce, add your toppings, cover with cheese and shove your pizza in the oven. It’ll probably take about five minutes, depending on the heat in your appliance, so keep an eye on it — you don’t want it to burn!

….and ‘after’ it comes out! YUM!
 



Happy eating! I hope my post today inspired you to try making your own pizza sometime and while you eat… well, why not perhaps join me, Dan and twenty-two mentions of pizza in Sophie’s Run? Rock on!

Thanks again to Jen for hosting me and… hang on, wait, there’s more!

Nicky Wells is giving away one delicious chocolate gift to a lucky winner in the UK or North America!
 










The small print: This Gift prize is a product of Unique Chocolate. The Gift prize is subject to availability in your country. If the Gift prize is not available in your country, Nicky Wells reserves the right to offer a substitute gift prize of a similar nature at her discretion. Nicky Wells will require the winner’s postal address for shipping purposes.


Click HERE for the Rafflecopter Link



2. Bonus Giveaway

Nicky Wells offers a giveaway of one Amazon gift voucher worth $20/£15 for one lucky winner. To enter, simply share your thoughts on Sophie’s Run with Nicky. Email your comment to nickywells@sapphirestarpublishing.com and your name will be entered into the draw. Competition closes 1 May 2013.


     Isn’t Nicky the best?  Good luck to you all!  If you win the chocolate, I think that’s up there with winning the lottery.  And you know what happens when a sudden windfall comes your way, right?  The people come out of the woodwork to share in your good fortune.  I will be one of them.

Thank you, as always, for stopping by.  Nicky and I appreciate you very much!
XOXO
Jen


About Nicky Wells: Romance that Rocks Your World!

Rock On! Nicky Wells writes fun and glamorous contemporary romance featuring a rock star and the girl next door.  A signed author with U.S. publisher, Sapphire Star Publishing, Nicky is in the throes of publishing her Rock Star Romance Trilogy. Nicky loves rock music, dancing, and eating lobsters.  When she’s not writing, Nicky is a wife, mother, and occasional teaching assistant.

Originally born in Germany, Nicky moved to the United Kingdom in 1993, and currently lives in Lincoln with her husband and their two boys. In a previous professional life, Nicky worked as a researcher and project manager for an international Human Resources research firm based in London and Washington, D.C.


Visit Nicky on her blog where you can find articles, interviews, radio interviews and, of course, an ongoing update on her work in progress. You can also follow Nicky on Twitter and find her on Facebook. Nicky is a featured author on the innovative reader/author project, loveahappyending.com and has joined the Romantic Novelists’ Association. Nicky also has author pages at Sapphire Star Publishing, Amazon and, of course, Goodreads.