"Paging Dr. Hot" by Sophia Knightly

Just in time for Valentine's Day - A chance to win a free e-book of Paging Dr. Hot.

Romeo is lonely and he's holding a contest for a Valentine's date.
Post your pup's picture on his wall for a chance to win an ebook copy of Paging Dr. Hot. Check out Romeo's facebook page for details.

Author Sophia Knightly

From The Author Sophia Knightly:

I wish dogs could live forever. Taffy, our darling Golden Retriever, was the fifth member of our family and a bit of a scamp. She had luxurious auburn fur, a ready smile and dark-rimmed, amber eyes filled with warmth and love. Her happy, wagging tail punctuated all her antics.

Taffy always had an opinion, offered at poignant times, and often in the most surprising ways. She had an uncanny ability to understand our conversations and would respond with comments of her own. At times, she emitted a long-suffering “Are you kidding me?” sigh, an “I want a taste” moan, a weary “We’ve been down this road before” snort, or a happy yelp that said, “Hooray, I’m coming with you!” when she saw me holding my car keys.

During her fifteen years with us, Taffy was also a couch-potato-TV-lover with a passion for westerns, especially John Wayne movies. She was as excited by a horse appearing on screen as she was at the nearby presence of a lingering cat. She’d crack us up when she would run to the TV, bark at the horses and wag her tail wildly as she greeted them.

Taffy was the winning combination of sweet affection and hilarious sassiness. With selective hearing tailored to her tastes, she was not persuaded by the most persistent of hollers to come in from a walk but the click of the cookie jar would send her sprinting across the kitchen floor.

Taffy’s humanity and ability to connect with our family made me want to write a book featuring the inner musings of the heroine’s pet. From that desire, emerged Romeo in Paging Dr. Hot, Francesca’s miniature long-haired dachshund. With Romeo’s blog in each chapter, we get his droll take on his mistress, Francesca’s hypochondriac tendencies and her subsequent quest to marry a doctor. Francesca’s search for her “Dr. Hot” leads her through many romantic misadventures until she finds the right one. Romeo also has a few romance issues of his own…

The lovesick Romeo is currently holding a contest to find a Valentine’s date. One lucky winner will receive an ebook copy of Paging Dr. Hot. To enter the drawing, post a picture of a cute doggy on Romeo’s page.

Book Blurb:

A love prescription so potent only the hottest doctor can fill it.

Miami TV reporter Francesca Lake is on a manhunt…or rather, a doctor hunt. Frankie wasn’t always a hypochondriac. Her motto used to be “Fear is not an option”, but everything changed with her mom’s near-fatal heart attack. Now a day doesn’t go by where she isn’t worried about something.

After a harrowing incident in the hospital ER, she has a life-altering epiphany. She needs to find a marriage-minded doctor ASAP—one who will calm her fears so she can get on with her life.

So begins a series of amorous escapades and startling revelations as she works her way through the list of eligibles: an outrageous Aussie sex therapist, a brilliant neurosurgeon (who’s wired the wrong way), and a handsome Cuban cardiologist.

None of them compares to hunky Dr. Harrison Taylor…but there’s a problem. Much as Harrison’s rugged physique, forest-green eyes and warm smile make her senses wobbly, she needs a people doctor, not the vet for her miniature dachshund Romeo. Besides, Harrison’s propensity for crazy stunts would only make her worry more.

Frankie is trying to be sensible, but her heart and her outspoken dog are conspiring against her…

Warning: Contains juicy secrets and romantic misadventures between a loveable hypochondriac and three hot doctors. Side effects may include intense yearnings for a strong doctor, an adorable miniature dachshund, and an impromptu trip to sultry Miami.

Bio:

Bestselling author Sophia Knightly loves to cook up hot romance and delicious humor in her feel-good stories. Whether it's romantic suspense or romantic comedy, her books are fun and sexy contemporary romances. Her popular Tropical Heat Series has been on several Amazon bestseller lists.

A two-time Maggie award finalist and a P&E Reader’s Poll finalist, she believes in love-at-first sight and happy endings, and she always enjoys a good laugh. When not writing or reading, she finds pleasure in walking the beach, exploring museums, going to the theatre, enjoying good food, and watching movies. One of her favorite pastimes remains simply watching people, especially those in love!

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Romeo's Facebook Page

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Laurie Bellesheim "Surviving Emily"

About the book:

Abigail Hooper and Stephen Sparks had never heard of Sudden Unexplained Death in Epilepsy until one fatal morning in November when it crushed their hopes and dreams. Twelve years after the devastating loss of their dearest friend Emily, they find themselves still affected by the trauma. Abigail, married and newly pregnant, helps others through her work for the Department of Children and Families. When a new client with epilepsy unexpectedly forces her to re-examine the past, Abigail realizes she's the one who needs saving. Stephen has struggled emotionally, physically and spiritually after losing the love of his life, and the long-term effects of his grief have kept him from truly living and finding love again. As the two search for redemption and the power to heal, their paths cross once again. Emily's presence so long ago still has meaning in their own lives, teaching them the meaning of true friendship and what's really important. Drawing on her own experience with a close friend with epilepsy who died, author Laurie Bellesheim raises awareness about the disease in this compelling tale told partially through flashbacks.

 

"Full of heartbreak and loss but ultimately hope, Surviving Emily is a compelling story that explores the meaning of everlasting friendship and the healing power of love." - Written by Dog Ear Publishing in a 2011 Press Release for Surviving Emily.

 

"Surviving Emily by Laurie Bellesheim, is more than a heartwarming story--it is an event. I cried with the characters, feared along with them, applauded their milestones, identified with their setbacks, and learned from the book. " - Susan Anderson, reviewer on Amazon

 

 

About the author:

Laurie Bellesheim, a published poet, belongs to several writers' organizations including Writer's Digest, Authors Den and Goodreads.com. Bellesheim was inspired to write Surviving Emily because she lost a close friend to Sudden Unexplained Death in Epilepsy when she was 18. Bellesheim also hopes to help raise awareness about this deadly condition. Before writing Surviving Emily, her first novel, Bellesheim was a social worker for six years, including working with the Department of Children and Families. She graduated from Southern Connecticut State University with a bachelor's degree in social work. She lives in Connecticut with her husband and three children.

 

In Laurie's own words:

 

I started writing in my elementary years. From as young as I can remember, I dreamt of being a great writer someday and 'making it" as an author. When other kids were asked what they wanted to be when they grew up, my answer was usually quite different. I wanted to be a 'mommy' and an 'author'. Back then, my awful grammar and childish stories about my pets did not give my family much faith in my future of writing, but that did not stop me from trying. I perfected those short stories year after year and in high school I covered every napkin and book cover I could find with my poems. I wrote on and off through-out most of my youth, but it took many more years to realize what writing really meant to me.

After the tragic loss of a close friend during my first year in college, I began to use writing as a tool for healing and expression. I used my words as a way to express my grief and what I couldn't communicate vocally, I spilled out onto paper. Writing became my outlet, a way to channel all my thoughts, dreams, and creativity. It was during that desperate time that I discovered what writing truly meant to me and it's been a bigger part of my life ever since. But it wasn't just my passion for writing that bloomed; it was something much more. I found that I had an important story to tell, one that would not only honor my friend who passed, but also help others, and help raise awareness about epilepsy and the condition of SUDEP (Sudden Unexplained Death in Epilepsy).

I achieved what I had always dreamt of doing, when my first novel, Surviving Emily, was published in September, 2011. I also learned that I am someone who writes from the heart, and that I enjoy writing stories that have great meaning and purpose. For me, Surviving Emily is just the beginning, and I have have much more left inside me to write!

Visit the author's website.

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Barbara Conelli "Chique Secrets of Dolce Amore" Book Review

A Gem Of A Travel Book For Your Soul

Buy On Amazon Paperback and Kindle 

Follow Barbara's tour on Women On Writing

The magic of Italy came to me twice within a few weeks. The first time through WOW! Women On Writing with a copy of Barbara Conelli's delightful book on Milan, Chique Secrets of Dolce Amore, to read and review on my Book Talk Blog today.  A few days later I became a host mother to a foreign exchange student from a small town outside of Milan. I find this coincidence lovely and a sign from the universe a trip to Italy may be in my future! If I can only find a sitter for my six dogs!

Barbara Conelli's book is a charming love story to Milan. It is a travel book for the soul. While sharing her vision of her beloved city with the reader, she pulls you in with sweet vignettes. Each chapter is a small gem, like a portrait painted on canvas. Barbara's canvas is her book and she uses words, instead of brushes, to paint her scenes.

At only 158 pages, the book is a delicious feast for the reader. The illustrations are simple sketches drawn by Nella Vadlejchova and compliment the charm of Barbara's writing. This is an intimate book full of passion and life.

The author shares her knowledge of the history of many aspects of Milan, from secret courtyards, to the fashion district Quadrilatero d'Oro - or Golden Quadrangle, to buying panettone at Marchesi's.

The best panettone can be bought only at Marchesi's, the author shares this secret with us. There are three legends and a blessing attached to this pastry. We can choose which to believe. You can buy it by weight on any day of the year, but Barbara suggests you first taste it on February 3rd, on the feast of St. Biagio. On this day it has magic powers. Read further and find out why. Marchesi's has been in the same location since 1824.

Dinner at Chandelier in Via Broggi 17, brings more than a meal. The restaurant opened in 2003 and the setting changes right before your eyes. Once a year, in September, all the furniture and decorations are up for sale. The restaurant is full of the finest and most exotic antiques, but its owner changes everything annually, so the space can evolve and grow and life energy can flow through the restaurant continuously.

The chapter on Pizza was one of my favorites, because it connected me to my new exchange student from Italy in an unexpected way. Barbara writes, Modern pizza, the way we know it, was created in 1889 by Neapolitan cook Raffaele Esposito in honor of Queen Margherita of Savory. He garnished it with tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil so that his pizza glared with the colors of the Italian flag, and called it Pizza Margherita. When I asked my student if she liked pizza, she grabbed her hands and the words rolled off her tongue, Pizza Margherita. I knew what she meant! We hugged each other in excitement.

It is little tidbits as those above that make this book a treasure to read. There are a few recipes you might like to try. This is a book to read again and again when you feel the need for a journey and have to stay close to home.  "Chique Secrets of Dolce Amore" is a perfect place to stop and breath in the delights of a Milan written by an author who shares her heart with us.

Author Bio:

Barbara Conelli is an internationally published author, seasoned travel writer specializing in Italy, and Chiquenist on the mission to bring Fantastic Fearless Feminine Fun into women's lives. In her charming, delightful and humorous Chique Books filled with Italian passion, Barb invites women to explore Italy from the comfort of their home with elegance, grace and style, encouraging them to live their own Dolce Vita no matter where they are in the world. Read more about Barbara on her Author Amazon Page.

For free book excerpts and weekly Italian gifts visit Barbara’s website at http://barbaraconelli.com/. Sign up to follow her blog and you won’t miss any scrumptious travel stops!

I was given a copy of this book to review by WOW! I loved this book, as you can tell, and look forward to buying a copy of Barbara Conelli's companion book on Amazon, Chique Secrets of Dolce Vita.

Francine LaSala "Rita Hayworth’s Shoes"

 Available on Amazon

Rita Hayworth’s Shoes is about finding yourself and knowing you’re worth it, and how your whole world can open up for you when you finally “get it.”

In my story, Amy Miller is a graduate assistant about to turn thirty. Her life is in shambles. Her fiance just jilted her at the altar (or, rather dive deli counter where they were set to get married) and her career is in the toilet. Her appearance has gone to hell even long before the breakup. She has great friends and a loving freakshow of a makeshift family. But she doesn’t believe in herself.

Then one say she comes across a pair of shoes that pretty much put a spell on her. (“It was like falling in love...but better somehow...”) She struggles with being obsessed with them and being outraged by the price of them because they are used (advertised as once having belonged to none other than Rita Hayworth), but when she finally resolves to buy them for herself, her whole life changes. She re-focuses on her career and falls in love with an unlikely soulmate. Which is not to say that everything is all wine and roses once she buys the shoes, but they definitely set her on the path of rediscovering her own worth.

I started writing Rita Hayworth’s Shoes ten years ago after a string of heartbreaks, which, in part, inspired a lot of what goes on in the story. But the big push for me to start writing the book was that I did actually have the encounter with the shoes. They were called “Hayworth” and they were adorable and expensive as hell. I decided to buy them and thought, “Wouldn’t this make a fun premise for a story? Woman treats herself to pricey shoes and transforms life!”

After that, the story started coming together. And while there are certainly some highly imagined elements in Rita Hayworth’s Shoes (I never killed my boss, my parents were never abducted by pygmies, my husband is quite the opposite of bald, and the guy who wanted to get married at Katz’s Deli wasn’t really a bad guy--we just weren’t good for each other), the core of the story is as true as anything in my life: When you believe that you are worth good things, good things will come to you!

Learn more about this author. Visit her website and blog . Like on Facebook!