Who Are We?

The NovelFriends are four writers who met through Wisconsin Romance Writers and initially became bonded by our love of books. That connection has expanded, grown, and deepened into true friendship over the years. We look forward to sharing our experiences with you, so follow the blog and join in the fun - we're always happy to have more NovelFriends!

Showing posts with label blog hop. Show all posts
Showing posts with label blog hop. Show all posts

Friday, February 22, 2013

Romancing the West Blog Hop




Why do we enjoy writing and reading about the West? What is it about cowboys that is just plain irresistible? Over thirty authors and bloggers tackle these and other questions by explaining why we love Romancing the West.



But that’s not all, as you enjoy some awesome blogs and find fantastic books, for every post you comment on with your email address, you will be entered for some amazing prizes.

***PLEASE LEAVE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS TO QUALIFY***

Grand Prize: A swag pack which includes books (both ebooks and paper), Amazon gift card, custom made butterfly jewelry, book cards, magnets and much more all tucked away in a keepsake box. (Available to US residents only. Winner will be announced on February 26 at 10 PM EST)





We at NovelFriends are giving away a
*$20 Texas Roadhouse Gift Card!


Why do we love Romancing the West?


Donna: I fell in love with the west thanks to NYT bestselling author Linda Howard. While filling my basket at the local used book store, I came across a copy of A Lady of the West by Linda Howard. I did and BAM! I was in love. Not only with this amazing author (who is still one of my favorites!), but with the beautiful western states: Texas, Wyoming, Montana…Colorado. My love of Colorado deepened thanks to my NovelFriend, Stacey, And I was compelled to set my own story against the backdrop of those majestic Rocky Mountains.



Jamie: It’s hard to resist loving a cowboy. A man who is strong, hard working and has a love of the land. A guy who stays in shape by doing his job everyday, not because he spent hours in a gym. I’ve spent many hours admiring the cowboy heroes of Diana Palmer and Linda Lael Miller. How can you not love a man who is rough, tough, protective and true all in one very fine package?




Delia:What isn’t to love about cowboys? I grew up wanting to be the Cartwright brother’s little sister, it didn’t take long for that fantasy to evolve along less familial fantasies. These are men who spend their lives both working with and fighting against the elements, using their strength and wits to not only stay alive, but to make a living while doing it. The fact that it’s done with a gun strapped to their hip and their butt looking all snug in a saddle just ramps the sexiness up a few levels (yeah, I’m talking about you, Little Joe).


Stacey: I love horses, and I love good-looking, hard-working men in jeans and flannel or a button-up cotton work shirts. Putting the two together is a win-win no-brainer for me. Rolled up sleeves that reveal tanned, muscled forearms is sexier than a guy standing buck-naked—though I’d probably look either way. *grin* In my contemporary western Chasin’ Mason, Tripp is modeled after my all-time favorite cowboy picture: Matthew McConaughey in his Stetson Cologne ad.

* * * * *


So there you have it from the NovelFriends! To enter for our prize of the $20 Texas Roadhouse Gift Card, just use the Rafflecopter below.


ALSO, to enter for the Grand Prize SWAG PACK of the Romancing the West Blog Hop
, you must include your EMAIL address leave acomment along with your EMAIL address.


** To be entered in our raffle, simply tell us who's your favorite cowboy, or what's your favorite western romance novel...or both!

Best of luck from the NovelFriends!

(* If there is no Texas Roadhouse restaurant near you, we will substitute a $20 Gift Card of winner's choice)
Romancing the West Blog Hop







Friday, February 8, 2013

Heartbreaker Blog Hop

Hello! NovelFriends is new to the blog hop world, but we hope you enjoy our stop. 
We are giving away a set of 2 Marcus VIP GOLD movie tickets*. 


How do we define a Heartbreaker?



Stacey: For me, it's the 'wounded warrior'. The guy who is a hard shell on the outside (literally and figuratively *grin*) but inside he's just aching to be loved and love someone else. He fights it, but in the end he always falls.

Trent in Lost In Italy battles a mountain of guilt over his brother's death and now he's got Halli to worry about protecting.

Amazon US UK CA DE IT FR
Donna:What is a Heartbreaker? Such a simple question, yet...is there really a simple answer? My first thought (besides Pat Benatar belting out "You're a...heart-breaker!") is that old saying: "He/She's going to be a heartbreaker someday." So I guess I've always thought of a Heartbreaker as someone who is incredibly attractive. But since beauty is in the ‘eye of the beholder’ (right, Delia?), anyone can be a Heartbreaker.

Take rich playboy Jacob ‘Matt Jacobs’ Spalding from The Perfect Blend, Welcome To Redemption, Book 3. Redemption's new “librarian” breaks hearts on a daily basis, yet he only has eyes for surly Carrie Lowell.

Amazon, BN, SW

Amazon
Jamie: Heartbreaker: a person, event or thing causing great sorrow, grief, or anguish.
Traditionally a heartbreaker is the guy who shatters the girl’s heart because he can’t admit he loves her. But to me, the heartbreaker is the guy with much deeper issues, the emotionally damaged hero who rips out my heartstrings with his sad and painful past. The more damaged he is and the more devastating his story, the more I fall for him. I long to be the heroine who becomes the balm that soothes his scars and makes him realize how much he needs her. Those always end up on my keeper shelf.

Jamie is currently hard at work creating a Heartbreaker of her own, so in the meantime, here's a recent inspiration from Pamela Clare's I-Team series. Gabe Rossiter, the hero of Naked Edge, is a true heartbreaker in every sense of the word.


Delia: Pat Benatar said it best ~
Your love is like a tidal wave, spinning over my head
Drownin' me in your promises, better left unsaid

Listen to the hard-hitting women rockers of the eighties, those chicks knew how to spot a heartbreaker.  Joan Jett, Heart and the aforementioned, Pat Benatar knew all about betrayers, teasers, double dealers and not only lived to tell the tale, but warned the rest of us what to look out for.  What we have to remember is that it’s not the end of the world if we don’t spot a heartbreaker until it’s too late, he can “knock me down, it’s all in vain, I’ll get right back on my feet again.”  You tell’em Pat!

Check out heartbreaker Jake Kelly in Delia's 1920's set Not Looking For Trouble.

The Wild Rose PressAmazon, BN

So there you have it from the NovelFriends! To enter for our prize of the 2 Marcus VIP GOLD movie tickets, just use the Rafflecopter below.




a Rafflecopter giveaway
ALSO, to enter for the GRAND PRIZES of the Heartbreaker Hop, you must leave a comment along with your EMAIL address.


Share with us your favorite Movie Heartbreaker!

Then make sure you visit as MANY other hop stops in the Heartbreaker Hop to get tons more entries for the Grand Prizes! What are they?


1st Grand Prize: A Kindle Fire or Nook Tablet
2nd Grand Prize: A $100 Amazon or B&N Gift Card
3rd Grand Prize: A Swag Pack that contains paperbacks, ebooks, 50+ bookmarks, cover flats, magnets, pens, coffee cozies, and more!






Best of luck from the NovelFriends!

(* If there is no Marcus movie theater near you, we will substitute $10 Gift Card of winner's choice)