Thanksgiving Grand Finale!

On tour with†Prism Book Tours.

Grand Finale for
A Heartwarming Thanksgiving

Harlequin released 13 FREE short stories by beloved Harlequin Heartwarming authors during November via their site. You can still read these short stories through December 31st. The sale for 30% off Heartwarming titles also continues through November 30th. Grab the ones you want now!

A Heartwarming Thanksgiving Facebook Party

Join us for a grand ending to this month of wonderful Harlequin Heartwarming short stories with a Facebook party! All thirteen authors are stopping by and giving away more books!! Come join us on Monday, November 30th, from 12 pm to 2 pm EST HERE. If you can’t make it, feel free to stop by later and check out the party.

If you missed any of the extra guest posts or excerpts for stories you might have missed, go back and check them out…

11/2: Snow Day Baby by Amy Vastine

Katie’s Clean Book Collection– Short Story Guest Post

. . . when Harlequin came to me about this Thanksgiving short, I had to give Scott the ending he deserved. SNOW DAY BABY was born.

The Power of Words – Excerpt

Sheridan pulled her hair over one shoulder. She had been a pretty girl who turned into an absolutely beautiful woman. Pregnancy looked good on her. Her skin was flawless and those green eyes had always been capable of taking his breath away.

Singing Librarian Books – Heartwarming Guest Post

You always know you’re going to get an emotional-satisfying read with a guaranteed happy ever after. Another great thing about this line ñ you can share these books with your friends, your mother, your sister, your daughter and not be embarrassed to say you’ve read them.

11/4: Wedding at Turkey Run by Liz Flaherty

Babs Book Bistro – Short Story Guest Post

. . . the Writer’s Lot in Life which is nothing more than thinking “what if” every time you turn around took over, resulting in Wedding at Turkey Run.

“Sorry.” Although she wasn’t. Even taking into account the gorgeousness of his eyes, hair and smile, there was something about Zeke McNeil that set her teeth on edge.

Heidi Reads… – Heartwarming Guest Post

I was in Northwest Florida avoiding a terrible winter in the Midwest, but my heart was in the Northeast Kingdom. I made a discovery then, that not only were these books heartwarming to read, they were heartwarming to write, too.

11/6: Her Thanksgiving Soldier by Leigh Riker

Letters from Annie (Douglass) Lima – Short Story Guest Post

From the start, Caleb seemed to need his own story and now he has it. I hope you enjoy reading ìHer Thanksgiving Soldier. I loved writing it.

Mel’s Shelves – Excerpt

She tried to focus on her list, but it seemed his image was imprinted on her mind. Sleepy eyes and tousled hair. He looked good enough to love? Even after yesterday when she’d cried in the car, and he’d kissed her, she wasn’t going there.

Brooke Blogs – Heartwarming Guest Post

Whether each author’s stories are funny or sad or both, they all contain lots of emotion. Heartwarming gives me the chance to explore some deeper issues with fully-realized characters to love.

11/9: Mr. Right All Along by Jen Snow

Katie’s Clean Book Collection – Short Story Guest Post

Ah well, she gets her happily ever after in this Heartwarming Thanksgiving short Mr. Right All Along. Of course, not without a few bumps in the road;)

Love thy Shelf – Excerpt

Her eyes lit up and immediately he knew where her thoughts were heading. “Cooking isn’t hard for you.” She grabbed his hands in her small soft ones, making his heart pick up speed. “Teach me,” she said.

Min Reads and Reviews – Heartwarming Guest Post

I’ve made a lovely home at Harlequin’s Heartwarming line. When my agent and I were looking for a place for my small town, contemporary, sweet series, it was the perfect fit.

11/11: Falling for the Cowboy by Sophia Sasson

Kindle and Me – Short Story Guest Post

I wrote this story because for me, thanksgiving is about home. It’s a holiday where we get together with our loved ones and are grateful we have each other.

The Power of Words – Excerpt

He’d grabbed a cowboy hat off a rack, placed it on his head, and gave her a broad smile, looking a lot like the star of a country western film.

Colorimetry – Heartwarming Guest Post

I read books because I want to feel; I want to laugh, cry, yell at no one in particular. I want the freedom to experience a range of emotions that aren’t of my doing. That’s also why I write for Harlequin Heartwarming. This is a line where the stories are driven by an emotional payoff; that moment when you clutch your heart and feel the words in your soul.

11/13: The Marriage Gift by Tara Taylor Quinn

Babs Book Bistro – Short Story Guest Post

The Marriage Gift is a lot shorter than any of my other work, but it’s classic ttq. Emotionally compelling. A little dark. And ultimately joyful.

deal sharing aunt – Excerpt

Shrugging, prosecuting attorney, Corrine Armstrong, pulled the offensive piece of material off the small, but nice wooden dinette she’d purchased two months before but had yet to host a meal on. She used to host a lot of meals. All the time. She used to have a large, impressive dining room table, too.

Brooke Blogs – Heartwarming Guest Post

I’m thrilled to be spending time in this new Heartwarming world as well. Where my heart can spill forth freely! I hope you find the result a blessing in your life.

11/16: Heart of a Hero by Pamela Tracy

Writing Pearls – Short Story Guest Post

Heart of a Hero is Nathan’s story. Imagine finding out your whole history is not the one you were supposed to have? That the parents who raised you weren’t your parents and that the mother who gave birth to you never stopped loving, never stopped searching, never stopped praying.

Wishful Endings– Excerpt

Nathan nodded. He knew Agatha. Back when he was a cop in nearby Adobe Hills, Arizona, he’d occasionally called her needing information. She knew everyone.

Waiting For Wentworth – Heartwarming Guest Post

I love Harlequin Heartwarming. Within the pages of the books, I can go places I’ve never been, meet heroes and heroes having adventures, and always walk away knowing that Happily Ever After is the perfect ending.

11/18: Thankful for You by Karen Rock

Christian Chick’s Thoughts – Short Story Guest Post

I’m absolutely thrilled with the second chance love story I wrote for a secondary character in another romance I’d set in the Adirondacks, RAISING THE STAKES. In that book, two best friends co-own a diner. I wanted to give Maggie James, a woman who admires the gutsy gals she grew-up watching in black and white films with her grandmother, the happily-ever-after she deserved.

Beams whined overhead and plunged. One careened into the opposite wall in a shower of sparks. Eric doggedly kept his focus. They would make it out. Alive.

Getting Your Read On – Heartwarming Guest Post

I love writing Heartwarming novels because they are deeply emotional and extremely romantic. As they are “clean reads” the author has lots of page room to devote to developing the love between two compelling characters and their journey to find it.

11/20: Autumn at Jasper Lake by Carol Ross

I Am A Reader – Short Story Guest Post

I thought the story would be something light-hearted and not-too-serious with a hero returning or moving to Rankins to escape a difficult past. He’d want to be left alone. I intended for the folks of Rankins to make my broody hero’s alone-time impossible. . . . Some of that happens. But, as is usually the case when I start writing, my characters began to take on lives of their own. And they had other plans. Plans that surprised me.

Ryder could feel two sets of eyes on his back as he and Tag started toward the cabin. Something in him itched to turn around and see if he was right. What could it hurt to take one more glance at the lovely Jessie and her dog Fife? Cool it, Ryder, he told himself, women and dogs were both off limits.

Colorimetry – Heartwarming Guest Post

The emphasis on feelings like affection, respect, admiration and like reflects the necessities (in my opinion) that make up a strong and lasting relationship. True love, in other words, is the hallmark of Heartwarming.

11/23: The Firefighterís Promise by Kate James

Mel’s Shelves – Short Story Guest Post

[T]he precipitating event in The Firefighter’s Promise is based on a very personal experience. . . . It was an interesting process for me to try to put myself inside my husband’s head while writing this story to understand what he must have been feeling and thinking.

Canadian Book Addict – Excerpt

Amidst the scorching bursts of light, she saw him. Dark hair. Strong features. Blue eyes. There was a prick on her forearm and an odd taste in her mouth.

She trusted those eyes and believed the voice that assured her heíd take care of her before everything went black.

Beck Valley Books – Heartwarming Guest Post

The Heartwarming series is for readers who enjoy well-written, deeply-nuanced stories that are clean and wholesome.

11/24: Wedding of His Dreams by Cari Lynn Webb

Bookworm Lisa – Short Story Guest Post

I had so much fun writing this story and watching Matt push Ruthie outside of her comfort zone. Of course Ruthie didn’t budge easily from her by the book life, but Matt was more than up for the challenge. And Ruthie discovered the best happy-ever-after was the one she never planned for.

Kindle and Me – Excerpt

Matt squatted down and rubbed the golden coat of Lady, Steve and Becca’s eight-month old Great Dane rescue puppy. But his focus remained on Ruthie as she circled around the tables toward him. He took in everything from her thick, loose braid that hung over her left shoulder to her scarf wilted against her belted jacket to her ease with the pony-sized dog that easily outweighed her by a good twenty-some pounds.

Zerina Blossom’s Books – Heartwarming Guest Post

I love strong emotional stories with characters defining what it means to be a part of a community, learning the value of family and discovering the power of their own happily-ever-afters. These are the types of stories I like to read and write.

11/25: The Sweetheart Tree by Rula Sinara

Reading Is My SuperPower – Short Story Guest Post

In my Harlequin Heartwarming Thanksgiving short story, The Sweetheart Tree, environmental activist Serena Myss doesn’t only take a short walk in the woods when her family suffers a tragedy unable to cope with her emotions or loss, she leaves home for several years. In doing so, she leaves behind the very people who love her, including the man she once thought sheíd spend forever with. . .

The Written Adventure – Excerpt

Officer Austin Shale had slapped handcuffs on plenty of wrists most of them hairy but never in his wildest dreams had he imagined locking them on the soft, slender wrists of Serena Myss. Well, maybe he had imagined it once or twice, but not with her shooting daggers at him with those piercing, hazel eyes of hers. She glared at the handcuffs heíd taken off his belt.

Writing Pearls – Heartwarming Guest Post

What I love about writing for Harlequin Heartwarming is that, although the stories in the line are fiction, they’re so true to real life that the pain, struggles and loss so many experience are as much a part of the characters’ journeys as they are ours.

11/26: Married by Thanksgiving by Melinda Curtis

Heidi Reads… – Short Story Guest Post

I love marriage of convenience stories, but if you aren’t writing historicals or paranormals, it’s hard to come up with a plausible plot for one. When I was asked to write a short for Thanksgiving, a marriage of convenience idea came to mind: one NFL quarterback – Clinton Hadley – desperate to get out of jail and play Thanksgiving weekend.

She glanced up at Clinton. He looked like the poster boy for the NFL. Finely chiseled features, crisply cut black hair, dark brown eyes that could dissect a defense in less than ten seconds. He was known for his ability to adjust a play on the fly, to take risks, to think outside the box. What line had he crossed?†

Love, Laughter, Friendship – Heartwarming Guest Post

There is physical attraction between the hero and heroine (and kissing!), but the love between them is more likely built on the foundation of one soul recognizing another than one perfect body being attracted to another.

We hope you found something to warm your heart and help you get into the holiday spirit! Don’t forget to enter the giveaways, if you haven’t already…

GIVEAWAYS

Goodreads Giveaway

13 Harlequin Heartwarming Books
Enter on Goodreads HERE.

Pinterest Giveaway

Pin one or both of these images to spread the word and enter to win this adorably festive Thanksgiving Table Set:

Pinterest Prize includes:†four reversible, quilted placemats, four matching napkins, hand-painted matching napkin rings, matching table runner, matching quilted hot pad/trivet, floral centerpiece in pot, and hand-crafted pilgrim pair.
– Enter via the Rafflecopter below
– Open to US only
– Ends December 4th

Tour Giveaway

Grand Prize:†Harlequin Heartwarming Year Subscription†(Provided by Harlequin and to US/CAN only)
$40 VISA card†(US only)
13-Book Heartwarming Prize Pack: The Best Laid Plans, Back to McGuffy’s, If I Loved You, Love, Lies & Mistletoe, First Comes Marriage, Once Upon A Marriage, Small Town Secrets, Winter Wedding Bells, If Not For A Bee, When The Right One Comes Along, Wedding of His Dreams, After The Silence, and A Memory Away (print copies if US, ebooks if international)
9-Book Prize Pack: The Best Laid Plans, If I Loved You, Love, Lies & Mistletoe, First Comes Marriage, Once Upon A Marriage, Winter Wedding Bells, If Not For A Bee, When The Right One Comes Along,†and After The Silence (print copies if US, ebooks if international)
Ends December 4th

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Heartwarming Thanksgiving Promotion!

AmyVastine_Facebook

Today is the day! My Thanksgiving short is live! Come read about Dr. Scott Spencer (you might remember him as the doctor Emma Everhart from THE BEST LAID PLANS thought she was supposed to fall in love with!) Scott gets his own happily ever after in this little story and I couldn’t be happier to give it to him. He’s such a good guy! You can get to the story by clicking on the banner up above!

Heartwarming is thrilled to bring you not only my story but 13 stories throughout the month! Are you ready for some free reads and some AWESOME prizes? Here’s a schedule:

Instagram&Pinterest_Calendar_A Heartwarming Thanksgiving
I could not be more excited to present the Heartwarming Thanksgiving promotion we’ve got going on November 2-26. Like I said, we have 13 free reads this month and tons of prizes to give away.

What kind of prizes you might ask? Well, how about a year’s subscription to Heartwarming? Or a $40 Amazon gift card? We’ve got books, a handmade crafts, chocolate, and more gift cards! How can you win? Well, we’re going to have ways for you to win all month long.

First up, we have a blog tour in full motion – check it our here. This is your chance to win those big prizes like the year’s subscription! Don’t miss out!

We are also setting up some challenges in the Harlequin online community. Each week there will be three activities and three weekly prizes awarded for best entry in each activity.  Members can write an epilogue to one of the week’s stories, or they might be asked to list five things they like about the hero in one of the stories, or they might have to choose their favorite line in a particular story.  All members are eligible for all activities all weeks. Starting today, you can write the epilogue to my story for a chance to win the fall wreath I made! Click here to check it out!

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We also have a Goodreads giveaway that you can enter here. That runs until November 26th as well. Lots of awesome books to win.

Love Pinterest? We have a fun giveaway over there as well! Readers must PIN one of our two HQ provided PINs.  You can enter twice a day, by pinning both pins and you can enter every day by visiting the story releasing that day. 

Lastly, we have a HUGE Facebook party planned for you guys on Monday, November 30th. Tons of prizes and lots of fun. You can check that out here. You won’t be sorry you stopped in anytime during the party, I promise!

All of this is because we are so thankful for our readers and wanted to do something to really show it!! Now go and read, enter, write the epilogue. go, go, go!

xoxo,
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Cover Reveal for THE HARDEST FIGHT!

9780373367313

There’s no backing down this time

Lucy Everhart expected her opposing counsel to be a slick, soulless corporate lawyer. Who else would represent developers intent on turning Chicago’s Safe Haven women’s shelter into condos? But she never imagined it would be Dylan Hunt. Clearly, he’s no longer the idealistic young man she fell for in law school. This is Dylan 2.0. The man who let her go without a fight five years ago—along with his passion for social justice, apparently. He may have compromised what he believed in, but Lucy hasn’t. Dylan has no idea what kind of fight he’s in for. But then again, neither does she.


I am SO excited to share the new cover for my upcoming Harlequin Heartwarming book – THE HARDEST FIGHT. This is Lucy’s story, the oldest of the Everhart sisters, and anyone who has read the other two books in the series knows that Lucy is one tough woman. She is a fighter for sure, but what someone shows on the outside is not always what is going on in the inside. I can’t wait for everyone to hear Lucy’s thoughts and find out what’s really going on with her.

This is the third book in the Chicago Sisters Series and the one I am most proud of so far. The city plays a big part in this story, so I was really happy to see Chicago make an appearance on the cover. I’ve gone downtown a couple times since writing this book and have stood right where certain scenes took place, making me feel even more connected to these characters.  I can’t wait for you all to read it. Is it July yet?

 It’s bittersweet to see the Chicago Sisters Series come to an end. All three sisters hold a special place in my heart (as do their heroes!)

Chicago Series Collage

If you need to catch up before The Hardest Fight comes out in July, here are the links to all of the books in the series!

The Better Man:
HARLEQUIN
AMAZON
B&N

The Best Laid Plans:
HARLEQUIN
AMAZON
B&N

The Hardest Fight:
HARLEQUIN
AMAZON – available for preorder!
B&N – available for preorder!

xoxo,
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A Case for Forgiveness by Carol Ross

I am so excited today is April Fool’s Day and not because I get to pull some hilarious pranks on my kids but because it means it’s the first day A Case for Forgiveness is available for purchase! This is the second book my awesome friend Carol Ross has written for Harlequin Heartwarming.

I was lucky enough to be roomies with Carol at last years RWA Conference and am pretty sure she is my soulmate. We laughed, we cried (from laughing so hard), and then we laughed some more. I should have known we’d get along when I read her first book in the Seasons of Alaska series, Mountains Apart. Her heroine accidentally took too many painkillers and ended up stripping down to her underwear before passing out in front of the hero. And that was only chapter one. Carol has an amazing sense of humor and knows how to weave a wonderfully emotional tale.

I try not to get too jealous of her completely gorgeous covers. Seriously, she might have the two best covers in all of Heartwarming. But it’s what’s inside that makes Carol’s books special. And because she is generous and fabulous all at the same time, she is offering a giveaway! Books and an Amazon gift card are up for grabs. The link to her Facebook page is at the very bottom of this post. Go there, like her page, and comment on her giveaway post for a chance to win. If you don’t want to wait, click on the links to buy her book TODAY! You won’t be sorry 🙂


A Case for Forgiveness (Seasons of Alaska #2)A Case for Forgiveness
(Seasons of Alaska #2)
by Carol Ross
Adult Contemporary Romance
April 1st 2015 by Harlequin Heartwarming

The past has its place…in the past!

Innkeeper Shay James has been telling herself for a decade that she’s over her ex-fiancé, Jonah Cedar. But now the Chicago attorney’s come home to care for his ailing grandfather, reawakening powerful feelings—along with painful memories. Shay can’t afford to repeat history.

At twenty-two, Jonah couldn’t wait to trade his secluded Alaska hometown for big-city success. Shay was supposed to share that dream. Yet even with unresolved issues between them, their connection is stronger than ever. Jonah’s visit was only going to be temporary…until a threat to Shay’s beloved Faraway Inn gives him a reason to stay and fight for that second chance.


 A CASE FOR FORGIVENESS EXCERPT:

“Shay, why do you always seem so shocked when I bring up a happy memory from our relationship? Am I not allowed to talk about the good times we had? We were friends forever, until we started dating and then we were together for five years. That’s a lot of memories for me–all my best ones in fact.” 

His voice was gentle now. “And you can’t just wish them away because of what happened…after.”

She stared at him, thinking…  She did do that. Why did she do that? Because the memories hurt, that’s why. But she realized that she needed to get a handle on that pain if she was ever going to truly get over him. 

So she dredged up a smile and said, “Remember how those stupid heels I wore were killing my feet? You finally plucked them off my feet and threw them into the bay because you wanted to dance? At first I felt weird but then other women starting taking their shoes off, too. But then you had to carry me all the way to your house where we’d left your pickup.” She laughed at the memory and it felt good–genuine.

Jonah winced. “I remember, my back remembers. You’re not exactly a feather, Shay. And I never should have let you have that second piece of cake.”

“Jonah.” She scowled playfully.

“I’m kidding, and you know it.” He lifted his hands in a gesture of surrender and the sound of his laughter nearly stopped her heart. “I could carry you to Anchorage and back. Seriously Gary and Ingrid’s reception was hands down one of the best nights of my entire life. That whole day was.”

“Mine, too,” she said, but barely heard the words come out of her mouth because they seemed to have such precious little air to propel them.

“Can we talk about some things, Shay?  About what happened with us? About what went wrong?”


Carol Ross was born and raised in Washington, where she lives with her husband and one perfectly lovable miscreant of a dachshund.  She truly adores the Pacific Northwest because it offers so many opportunities to do what she loves–hiking, skiing, running, and spending time outdoors.  Although she enjoys reading in many genres, she writes what she loves the most–romance, especially light-hearted stories about the fun, flirty, and often-tumultuous path toward a happily ever after.

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THE BEST LAID PLANS Book Tour Grand Finale

A themed tour through Prism Book Tours.

We’re blitzing the GRAND FINALE for
The Best Laid Plans
By Amy Vastine

Did you get to know the youngest of the Everheart sisters, Emma, in this sweet Harlequin Heartwarming book? If not, go back and check out the tour stops now!
Launch – Intro to The Best Laid Plans

The Best Laid Plans features Emma as she sets her sights on meeting Dr. Right. Everything about her plan seems to be working except for one glitch – she’s falling in love with a handsome, spontaneous paramedic instead.

JoJo’s Corner – Review

“This story was a wonderful reminder that life doesn’t always turn out the way we planned or expected, but sometimes that can be a good thing…a very good thing. . . . If you love soul-stirring romance with a sprinkle of humor and fun- don’t miss this one!”

J.R. Richardson Fics – Excerpt & Review

Charlie and his extra-wide smile came over to congratulate the happy couple. He was Max’s only friend in the city besides Kendall. Emma knew him from the hospital. He was the paramedic all the triage nurses flirted with when he brought someone into the ER. Emma could admit there was something attractive about his dark brown hair and green eyes that were always smiling.

“It’s no secret, I adore Amy’s writing. This series is so much fun. Her personality shines through every page and her characters make me want to call my family up and tell them how much I love them despite our differences.”

Deal Sharing Aunt – Songs that Inspired The Best Laid Plans
I love to take a song and imagine what the rest of the story might be. Sometimes I only need one line to catch my attention. That was how The Best Laid Plans came to be. It was inspired by two songs. . . . The first one is Justin Timberlake’s “Not a Bad Thing”.

Southern Chelle – Review & Excerpt

“I loved Charlie in “The Better Man” and was quite surprised to find him falling hard for The Nightingale. I love Amy Vastine’s writing, style, and characters so far. I can’t wait for Chicago Sisters #3 and learn more about Lucy and her life.”

The closer she got, the warmer he felt. He practiced greeting her in his head, trying to sound cool. Then she smiled and he lost the ability to speak.

Letters From Annie (Douglas) Lima – Luck of the Irish

Charlie doesn’t need luck, though. Luck doesn’t win you love. Charlie gets the girl because of who he chooses to be each and every day. Sometimes we have a little bit more control over our destiny than we think. Don’t chase the rainbow, looking for the pot of gold. BE the rainbow and the pot will come to you!

Wishful Endings – Interview

1. What is your favorite thing about the Chicago Sisters Series?

I am the only girl in a family of three. I have always wondered what it would be like to grow up with two sisters instead of two brothers. These stories allowed me to pretend. I am envious of sisters who have built-in friends in each other. The Everhart sisters are friends as well as family and even though the stories focus is on the romance, the sisters are special to me!

i blog 4 books – Review

I absolutely adored The Best Laid Plans! I was immediately drawn into the story and couldn’t get enough! After reading The Better Man, I enjoyed picking up with Emma and seeing her fall in love.

Plans 2“It’s fine, just cold.” Charlie reached over and pressed her hand and the ice pack back against his face. She was so close that it made his heart beat faster. Thank goodness he wasn’t hooked up to any machines that would’ve given him away.

“The romance is so sweet and the story has a lot of action and humor as well. The characters are very well-developed…too bad they aren’t real! You’ll totally fall in love with this book! It is definitely one you need to add to your TBR piles. Put it on the top!”

The Written Adventure – Excerpt

“You know the cute paramedic?” Tessa’s interest in Charlie was bothersome, and that in and of itself was even more bothersome. Charlie could date whomever he wanted. It shouldn’t matter to Emma one bit.

“I was immediately drawn into the story and fell in love with all of the characters. . . . I enjoyed the family-oriented feel to the story and camaraderie that Charlie has with his co-workers. I loved the chemistry and the realizations that are made. This is recommended to all those readers who love a good, clean, fun romance.”

Getting Your Read On – Review & Excerpt

“I fell in love with Charlie long before Emma did. Haha. He is awesome and so, so, so incredibly patient.”

Charlie faced her, that easy smile on his face. “I love the new look, Nightingale,” he said without hesitation. “You look gorgeous.”

I Am A Reader – Meet Emma Everhart
plans

Emma is the youngest of the Everhart sisters, who all star in the Chicago Sisters series. Emma is a nurse, like her mother before her. She works in the ER of St. Joseph’s Hospital in Chicago. Emma is bright and determined. She knows what she wants and always gets it.

Colorimetry – Meet Charlie Fletcher

Charlie Fletcher is my favorite hero so far. He’s a six foot four, green-eyed, fun-loving paramedic who wears his heart on his sleeve. There really isn’t anything not to love about him.

The Best Laid Plans (Chicago Sisters, #2)The Best Laid Plans

(Chicago Sisters #2)
Amy Vastine
Adult Contemporary Romance
Paperback, 368 Pages

March 1st 2015 by Harlequin Heartwarming

She planned on falling in love. Just not with him!

Emma Everhart’s life is going according to plan. Finish nursing school with flying colours… Check. Get a great job in the ER… Check. Marry a handsome doctor and have two babies, three years apart… Not quite yet. But with a dreamy new doctor joining the hospital staff, she’s so close she can almost taste the wedding cake. Now is not the time to let the tall, dark and flirtatious paramedic Charlie Fletcher distract her! He may be the best date and best kiss she’s ever had, but he’s definitely not part of her plan. No matter how he makes her feel…


The Better Man (Chicago Sisters)The Better Man
(Chicago Sisters #1)
by Amy Vastine

Adult Romance 

Harlequin Heartwarming

January 1st 2014

Kendall Montgomery’s six-year-old son has barely spoken in the past year, locked in his world of silent grief. Then one day, he spots his dead father across a crowded street.
Max Jordan moved to Chicago to be closer to his own son and prove he can be a better father than his deadbeat dad. His striking resemblance to Kendall’s husband and his track record with fatherhood make her determined to keep her distance…until Max helps her little boy come out of his shell. But can she trust him with their future? How can she be sure he won’t take off just when they need him most?


Author picAmy Vastine has been plotting stories in her head for as long as she can remember. An eternal optimist, she studied social work, hoping to teach others how to find their silver lining. Now, she enjoys creating happily ever afters for all to read.

In September of 2012, she saw a tweet about Harlequin’s So You Think You Can Write contest. She entered, hoping for nothing more than a little feedback from some people in the business. Amazingly, The Weather Girl made it into the semi-finals, thanks to the many wonderful voters out there! The manuscript didn’t make t to the finals, but the editors over Harlequin were still interested. A few revisions later and The Weather Girl was contacted for publication with Harlequin Heartwarming – a dream come true!
Amy lives outside Chicago with her high school sweetheart-turned-husband, three fun-loving children, and their sweet but mischievous puppy dog.

Tour-Wide Giveaway

– $50 Amazon gift card & signed paperback of The Best Laid Plans (ebook if international winner)
– 5 copies of The Best Laid Plans (paperback to US winners and ebooks to international winners) and Chicago swag and Sweet and Heartwarming Bracelet for (US winners only)
Ends March 29th

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THE BEST LAID PLANS Release Day

It’s been a pretty amazing weekend so far. My daughter’s middle school dance team took home the title of Grand Champions last night at Chicago’s JamFest (forgive me for the Proud Mama moment!) The girls were incredible and it was nice to see all their hard work pay off. I know a thing or two about reaping the benefits of some hard work. There’s nothing quite like holding a book that I wrote in my hands. I’m pretty sure it will never, ever get old. I certainly hope I never take it for granted.

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Today, I’m celebrating the release of my third book, the second in the Chicago Sisters series. The Best Laid Plans took a good three months to write, much of my summer was spent typing away. It originally was going to be a little tragic. I opted not to make people bawl their eyes out and switch up the storyline. My editor and I went back and forth about there being a love triangle and I watched several episodes of Chicago Fire to get a feel for what it’s like in a Chicago firehouse (or at least what people will believe goes on).

If you read The Better Man, then you have already met Emma and Charlie. Charlie is a paramedic who lives below Max Jordan, the hero in the first novel. He’s a fun-loving, easy-going, nice guy. He’s the kind of guy who knows how to make everyone around him smile. He’s a charmer who hasn’t been very lucky when it comes to love, however. He hopes all that will change when he decides to pursue Emma Everhart.

Emma is the younger sister of Kendall from The Better Man. Emma is an ER nurse who believes she has figured out how to have the perfect life. She carefully plans out what should happen and, as long as she sticks to the plan, everything turns out exactly the way she wants it to. If she tries to change the plans, however, her world tends to fall apart. Emma does not like changing her plans. So, when the plan is to marry a doctor and a handsome new intern comes to work in the ER, Emma is certain everything will turn out as it should. Until Charlie makes her feel something she thought she’d only feel for the man in her plan.

The Best Laid Plans has a huge cast of characters. I hope you enjoy getting to know the doctors and nurses in the ER as well as the men and women at the Lincoln Park firehouse. You also meet Charlie’s crazy family and catch up with Kendall and Max and the rest of the Everhart gang.  

Most of all, you get to read about how love is the only thing that can override the best laid plans.

Here’s a little excerpt:


Standing out like a sore thumb amongst all the servers dressed in black stood Max’s neighbor, Charlie. He was a giant, probably six foot four, and had on jeans and a Chicago Cubs T-shirt. Charlie taking the boys was not part of the plan.
“I thought Lucy and I were going to take them back to Kendall’s?”

“Charlie offered to watch them at my place,” Max said as if it was no big deal.

Charlie and his extra-wide smile came over to congratulate the happy couple. He was Max’s only friend in the city besides Kendall. Emma knew him from the hospital. He was the paramedic all the triage nurses flirted with when he brought someone into the ER. Emma could admit there was something attractive about his dark brown hair and green eyes that were always smiling.

“But that wasn’t the plan,” she said, unable to let it go.

“The plans changed, Nightingale. Is that okay?” Charlie asked. The way he looked at her made her stomach feel weird.

“Someone could have texted,” she said to Max, who was oblivious to her frustration.

“Let’s not make a big deal about this,” Lucy said, bumping Emma with her hip and glaring.

This was Kendall’s night. Emma needed to pull it together. Plans changed. Not her plans, but other people changed their plans all the time. Roll with it, she told herself.

“You can come over and help me get them to bed if you want. Floor Three has the good cable. All the movies we want at the touch of a button.” Floor Three was Charlie’s nickname for Max because he lived on the third floor of their three-flat. Charlie had a thing for nicknaming everyone he met. It was weird but oddly cute at the same time.

His invitation threw her off for a second. His eyes were locked on hers, still smiling but so intense. He had this way of making her feel as if there was no one else in this world he wanted to be looking at other than her.

Her face warmed. “I have to work tomorrow. Maybe it’s best you’ve got them.”

“Another time, maybe.”

“Maybe.” Maybe not. There was only one thing Emma knew for sure—Charlie Fletcher was not part of any of her plans. No matter how those eyes made her feel.


Ready to give it a go?

Buy the paperback: 
HARLEQUIN

Ebook available:
HARLEQUIN
AMAZON
BARNES AND NOBLE

Thanks for stopping by!

xoxo,
Signature

Huge Valentine Giveaway

Heartwarming giveaway
I am so excited to announce this amazing giveaway that the Heartwarming authors have put together! We have five prize packs to give away and hope you’ll enter over and over until Valentine’s Day. The ladies of Harlequin Heartwarming are fantastic storytellers and I am so happy to be a part of this group of writers.

Check out the incredible list of books in this giveaway:
Back to McGuffey’s by Liz Flaherty
Once a Marine by Loree Lough
After the Silence by Rula Sinara
Return to Pelican Inn by Dana Mentink
Christmas, Actually by Anna Adams, Anna J. Stewart, and Melinda Curtis
An Act of Love by Marion Ekholm
Mountains Apart by Carol Ross
A League of Her Own by Karen Rock
If I Loved You by Leigh Riker
In My Dreams by Muriel Jensen
Honeysuckle Bride by Tara Randel
Matthew’s Choice by Patricia Bradley
The Parent Trap by Lee McKenzie
Eva’s Deadline by Linda Hope Lee
An Unlikely Rancher by Rox Denny Fox
Melinda Curtis is offering up any one of her novels in the Harmony Valley series including her upcoming March release, One Perfect Year
A Child’s Christmas
by Kate James
The Better Man by Amy Vastine

Each winner gets four books and some Valentine chocolate. The grand prize winner will also receive a gorgeous bouquet of roses from us! Did I mention we’re also giving away chocolate?

To sweeten the deal, if you comment here and enter the Rafflecopter, I’ll send one lucky commenter a signed copy of my new Heartwarming title The Best Laid Plans coming out in March!

The rafflecopter won’t post on WordPress so head HERE to enter over at the Heartwarming blog!

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She planned on falling in love. Just not with him!

Emma Everhart’s life is going according to plan. Finish nursing school with flying colours… Check. Get a great job in the ER… Check. Marry a handsome doctor and have two babies, three years apart… Not quite yet. But with a dreamy new doctor joining the hospital staff, she’s so close she can almost taste the wedding cake. Now is not the time to let the tall, dark and flirtatious paramedic Charlie Fletcher distract her! He may be the best date and best kiss she’s ever had, but he’s definitely not part of her plan. No matter how he makes her feel…

 

 

 

THE BETTER MAN Blog Tour Launch!

A Themed Tour through Prism Book Tours.
We’re excited to be launching the BOOK TOUR for
The Better Man by Amy Vastine!
The Better Man, which is the beginning of the new Chicago Sisters Series, is set in the busy city of Chicago, but is full of family, friendship, and love. It’s also from the clean romance Heartwarming line of books from Harlequin. Scroll on down to read a little about this book and series and to read an exclusive excerpt! We hope you enjoy the tour!
September Tour Schedule
 
28 – Grand Finale
The Better Man (Chicago Sisters)The Better Man
by Amy Vastine
Adult Romance
Harlequin Heartwarming

January 1st 2014

Kendall Montgomery’s six-year-old son has barely spoken in the past year, locked in his world of silent grief. Then one day, he spots his dead father across a crowded street.Max Jordan moved to Chicago to be closer to his own son and prove he can be a better father than his deadbeat dad. His striking resemblance to Kendall’s husband and his track record with fatherhood make her determined to keep her distanceÖuntil Max helps her little boy come out of his shell. But can she trust him with their future? How can she be sure he won’t take off just when they need him most?

An Intro to The Better Man and an Exclusive Excerpt

The Better Man is the first book in the Chicago Sisters Series, which introduces us to the three Everhart sisters, Lucy, Kendall, and Emma. All three sisters live in the Lincoln Park area, and even though the story has a big city backdrop, the focus is still on family and community. These sisters always have one another’s backs, even though they couldn’t be any different. Funny how siblings can be raised in the same family but develop such separate identities! Lucy is the strong-willed, fanatical health-nut who takes up any cause she deems worthy. Middle-child Kendall is the shy artist, whose loyalty knows no bounds. Emma is the confident baby of the family who believes she has her entire life mapped out. The Better Man features Kendall and her son, Simon. Book Two, The Best Laid Plans, is Emma’s story and scheduled to come out in March 2015. Lucy’s story is told in the third book, with the working title, The Better Fight, and should be out at the end of 2015.

Here’s a little excerpt of the three sisters in action:

“And I am now, officially, the meanest mommy. Ever.”

Lucy put a hand on her sister’s head. “Oh boy. Just remember every mom has felt like that at one point in time. I know I crowned Mom the meanest when I was little. She was a repeat winner of the title for years.”

Kendall let out a breathy laugh. “I remember you being much meaner to her than she ever was to you.”

“Of course I was. I’m meaner than everyone,” Lucy said, unashamed.

“I still love you, though.” Kendall got up and grabbed a large bowl off the top of the refrigerator. From the pantry, she pulled out three bags of Halloween candy and tossed them on the kitchen table.

“You really shouldn’t give out candy. I could have brought over a whole bushel of organic apples.”

“We are not going to be that house.”

The two sisters opened and emptied the bags into the bowl. Lucy offered to help with dinner. Kendall had bought the ingredients for chili and no one chopped vegetables better than Lucy. Kendall set her up on the cutting board with an onion and some peppers.

“It’s better that you rip the Max Band-Aid off now rather than later,” Lucy said while they cooked. “Simon will get over it. So will you. It’s always better to be the one who walked away instead of the one left behind.”

“Which one were you again?” Kendall asked, recognizing that Lucy’s guard was down.

“Ha-ha. Iíve been both. At the same time,” she added. “Now, stop making this about me.”

“You love when things are about you,” Emma said, joining the conversation. Dressed in her nursing scrubs and a purple witch’s hat on her head, she sat down at the table next to Lucy with a bag of cheese puffs.

Kendall held a hand over her heart. “Maybe knock next time and give a girl some warning. Isn’t it against your nurse’s training to give people heart attacks?”

“And isn’t it against your nurse’s training to put processed poison into your body?” Lucy added. She snatched the cheese puffs out of her sister’s hands and walked them over to the garbage.

“Hey!” Emma sprung to her feet. “I was eating those! I haven’t eaten all day.”

“Another reason you shouldn’t eat them. Your body needs fuel, not intestine-destroying acids.”

“Uh-oh, who’s eating junk food in front of Lucy?” Kendall’s mom popped her head into the kitchen. “Girls, don’t fight over food.” She took the bag away from Lucy and handed it back to Emma, who scrunched up her face and pursed her lips at her sister.

“It’s your body,” Lucy relented. “Sorry for trying to protect it.”

Their dad followed behind their mom and gave Lucy a hug. “You’re a good big sister, but never throw away someone’s cheese puffs.”

“I’m coming over tomorrow and helping Mom throw away all your junk food. We’re putting you on a diet.”

“What?” He looked at his wife for confirmation.

 Maureen’s shoulders slumped and she glared at Lucy. “I wasn’t going to tell him what we were doing. If you don’t tell him, he doesn’t miss it. When you tell him, he gets all worked up.”
Amy Vastine has been plotting stories in her head for as long as she can remember. An eternal optimist, she studied social work, hoping to teach others how to find their silver lining. Now, she enjoys creating happily ever afters for all to read.
Amy lives outside Chicago with her high school sweetheart-turned-husband, three fun-loving children, and their sweet but mischievous puppy dog.

Website * Goodreads * Facebook * Twitter

Tour-Wide Giveaway

– Gift Card Grand Prize: $25 Amazon Gift Card and a signed paperback (US) or ebook (INT) of The Better Man

– US Grand Prize: Signed paperback of The Better Man plus swag (shown above)

– 5 copies of The Better Man (paperback for US and ebooks for INT)
– Ends October 5th

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

 

Prism Book Tours

  

Cover Reveal – THE BETTER MAN

I am so excited for my next novel to come out. The Better Man is the first in a three-book series that introduces us to the Everhart sisters, Kendall, Emma, and Lucy. Kendall is the heart of The Better Man. But it’s Max, the hero, who takes center stage here.  Without further ado, here’s my September Heartwarming cover!

The Better Man Final Cover

 

Back of the book blurb:

Kendall Montgomery’s six-year-old son has barely spoken in the past year, locked in his world of silent grief. Then one day, he spots his dead father across a crowded street.

Max Jordan moved to Chicago to be closer to his own son and prove he can be a better father than his deadbeat dad. His striking resemblance to Kendall’s husband and his track record with fatherhood make her determined to keep her distance…until Max helps her little boy come out of his shell. But can she trust him with their future? How can she be sure he won’t take off just when they need him most?

I’m in love with this cover. Max looks great and the little boy is precious. If your interested, I have a Pinterest board full of inspiration for this story. You can see what I think Max and Simon look like by clicking HERE.

Best of all, The Better Man is available for preorder on Amazon – HERE!

Lastly, the Heartwarming team is gearing up to attend the RWA National Conference in San Antonio at the end of the month.

As part of our celebration, we’re giving away bracelets to readers, reviewers, and other authors who tell us they love Sweet and Heartwarming Romance!

bracelet

You have two ways to win:

1. Tell us via social media how much you love Sweet and Heartwarming Romance! Post a comment here. Post a comment on our Facebook page under our Sweet and Heartwarming Posts (and like us!). Share our post on Facebook with the #GoHeartwarming hashtag. Tweet about our giveaway: I love Sweet and Heartwarming Romance! #GoHeartwarming. Spread the word on Goodreads. Every comment/post/share/like/tweet/hashtag is an entry. We’ll track entries each week! We’re giving away 50 bracelets to our social media supporters during the month of July!

2. To our sweet romance fans and our writing sisters who’ll be attending either the RWA Literacy Booksigning July 23rd in San Antonio at the San Antonio Marriott Rivercenter OR attending the RWA conference July 23-26, if you come across a Harlequin Heartwarming Author wearing a pin like the one shown below (green beads and the distinctive “H”), all you have to do is say: I love Sweet and Heartwarming Romance! And you’re an instant winner!

I will be wearing these lovely pins made by fellow author Anna J Stewart. I love the sun for The Weather Girl, and yes, those are tiny little books with actual pages! So, come say hello if you are at the conference. I would love to hand out bracelets to everyone!photo (12)

 

 

The Release

This is pretty much how I’ve spent the last nine days. 

My book is out there for the world to read and I still cannot believe this is happening. It helped when my box of books showed up a few days after Christmas. I may have stared at them for an inappropriate amount of time that first day, but can you blame me?  This is totally crazy. I signed my first autograph!

I so appreciate all the positive feedback and support I have received over the last couple days. My family, my friends, and my readers are the most awesome people in the world. It has been an amazing journey, one that promises to just keep getting better. 


I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday. My family has been more than generous and supportive.  My parents got me a storm cloud necklace and a framed Weather Girl picture. And for my upcoming birthday, my husband framed a copy of my cover. I did have to remind him that I am writing more books and we are going to run out of wall space if we poster-size all my covers! He says the first one needed to be big because this is BIG. And I couldn’t disagree. 


So now what? Now, I get busy writing the next three stories in my head. I am looking forward to promoting this book. The Heartwarming authors have lots of fun stuff planned all over social media. Giveaways galore! If you haven’t checked out our Goodreads group HERE, don’t wait. There are lots of fun discussions about who and what you love to read. 

Which reminds me, my Goodreads giveaway ended on publication day and The Weather Girl has now gone worldwide. I had a winner from Canada, Malaysia, and Belgium (thanks to my brother-in-law and sister-in-law, who live over there and took it back with them to save me some postage!)

Lastly, I hope to have some news about a book blog tour soon. It’s going to be fun, fun, fun. Thank you again for your support and I hope The Weather Girl provides a little bit of entertainment to those who have picked up a copy!

xoxo,
Amy