Holiday Review, Interview, & Giveaway: Mistletoe in the City by Amber Daulton!

Title: Mistletoe in the City
Publisher: Books to Go Now
Release Date: November 7th, 2014
ASIN: B00PE54JEE
Genre: New Adult/Contemporary Romance
Length: 20k
Sexual Rating: Spicy

About the Book

Krista Hartley never expected the unrequited love of her life, the irresistible Derek Weston, to work as the groundskeeper at the apartment building she just moved into. They barely spoke in high school but now, three years after graduation, they tore at each other’s clothes and jumped into bed together at every opportunity. After all, how could a hot-blooded woman say no to a sexy man with an eyebrow ring, a dragon tattoo and a deadly swagger?

A Christmas miracle drew Krista back into Derek’s life. He kissed her for the first time under mistletoe, pampered her with romantic candlelight dinners and memorized every inch of her delectable body with his tongue. He refused to let his dream girl slip through his fingers again but then another woman threatened their whirlwind romance. Hurt once before, Krista broke off their relationship and then Derek made a drunken mistake that could destroy their love forever. With just days to Christmas, he vowed to win back her heart and trust, and prove his innocence once and for all.

Excerpt:

She scooted closer to him and rubbed her hand down his tense back. “Now I understand why you act so cocky. You’re afraid you’ll mess up and embarrass yourself.” Krista tugged on his shoulder until he lifted his head to look at her. Derek’s face flushed and she wanted to kiss away his shame. “Don’t hide behind this confident guard. I like you for you. You’re a sweet person, clumsy or not, and you have nothing to be ashamed of.” She stroked her hand through his tousled hair. “I want a simple, sexy, understanding man who cooks delicious, romantic meals and who goes out of his way to help me move. Is that too much to ask for?”

Derek kissed her and her heart skipped a beat. She wrapped her arms around his neck as he held her close to his side. Need throbbed in her loins and she wanted him inside her again. He pulled back first and she dragged a mouthful of air deep into her lungs to replace what he’d stolen with that delirious kiss.

He moistened his lips with his tongue. “It’s not too much, Krista.” Derek cupped her cheek in his palm. “Not at all.” And then he kissed her again.

Buy it here:
Amazon

Interview:

Thanks so much for joining me today, Amber! Let's get started. Krista, the main character in Mistletoe in the City, makes her holiday living in part by baking tempting treats and selling homemade jewelry. Does she share these crafty traits with you?

I’m definitely crafty but not with food. My husband, Greg, loves to cook and the fudge recipe in the back for the book is his recipe, not mine. Homemade jewelry is my cup of tea. I love beading necklaces, earrings and bracelets and I wear a lot of my own designs.

What's your favorite sweet treat to make for the Christmas season?

Greg’s fudge is to die for! He changes the recipe up every now and then but it’s always delicious.

The man who has always caught her eye, Derek, is deliciously pierced and tattooed. Who did you have in mind as a model/inspiration when you wrote this character? Did you have anyone in mind for Krista as well?

I really didn’t have anyone in mind for either of my characters but I do share a few similarities with Derek. Like that naughty bad boy, I’m tattooed and pierced with a bit of an attitude but I’m also overly responsible and I grew up faster than a lot of twenty-something year old friends due to family problems.

I know that feeling, and I truly sympathize with that. Family issues are a bitch. So let me ask you, are you more like Krista in that you go all out for Christmas decorations for the season, or more of a Derek who doesn't really care much about it?

Again, I’m more like Derek. I love Christmas and spending time with my family but decorating is too much trouble. I have five crazy cats and, in the past, they’ve played with the ornaments, climbed the tree and ripped garland off the tree to drag around the house. So, to keep a clean and organized home, I just don’t decorate anymore.

Oh god, that sounds like my girlfriend's house. They have three cats and no tree for similar reasons. Now, did you always know that you wanted to be a writer? What led you to this path?

I snuck my first romance novel out of my mom’s bedroom when I was 12 and I loved it. I’ve wanted to do nothing but write since then. I have a wild imagination and writing is the perfect outlet.

It's -12 and snowing out. You have a comfy cozy blanket, a big ole mug of hot cocoa, and a book- what book is it?

Not sure. Probably something so hot and toasty that I’ll need to cool off in a snow bank by the end of the book.

A girl after my own heart. Do you have any other writing projects in the works that you'd like to tell us about?

I’ve spent the last year and half writing a super hot romantic-suspense trilogy about drugs, the mob and the feds, parolees and computer hackers. I’m almost done with book 3 but all the books need more proofreading and editing before I submit them to a publisher.

I'll be sure to keep an eye out for those. Is there a specific place or room where you feel the most inspired to do your writings?

I have to change my writing environment every few months. I wish I could stay in my office year around but I get so bored staring at the same wall all the time. I usually alternate between my office, the bedroom and the living room.

Favorites

Candy: Snickers
Movie: Indiana Jones Trilogy
Place: Greece (my dream vacation)
Dressy/Casual: Dressy
Beach/Mountain: Beach
Website: Rejected Princesses

Thank you, Amber, for taking the time to answer a few of my questions and for letting me read Mistletoe in the City!

Thank You so much, Jill, for hosting me on your awesome blog and thank you to all the wonderful readers who came by today. You guys ROCK!

About the Author:

Writing is the fruit to happiness.
Amber Daulton lives her life by that one belief even though she normally isn't so Zen.

Author of four novellas—Forever Winter, A Hero's Heart, Lightning over Bennett Ranch and Mistletoe in the City—she published her first book in 2012 and hopes to publish countless more in the future.

She lives in the beautiful foothills of North Carolina with her punk-rocker husband and their five crazy kitties. Writing takes up most of her time, aside from her day job in the retail industry. As a fan of contemporary, paranormal and historical novels alike, she can't get enough of feisty heroines and alpha heroes. Her mind is a wonderland of romance and adventure, laughter and awesome ways of kicking a guy when he's down. She probably wouldn't be too sane without her computer and notebooks. After all, what's a girl to do when there are people jabbering away in her head and it's hard to shut them up? Write! Nothing else works.

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Review:

★★★★

This short novella is a great little dash of hot holiday romance. It manages to squeeze in a whole buncha (professional term) emotions into its small bundle, and works perfectly in the short story format.

I really liked both of the main characters, Krista and Derek, but I'd be lying if I didn't say that Derek was largely the reason why I enjoyed this story. He is just how I like my men: tattooed, pierced, and a bit rough around the edges. I don't blame Krista for crushing on him in school, nor for wanting to move into an apartment building in his vicinity? Yum. Definite yum.

It's well written, with a good flow and a well-progressing story that has just the right amount of a Christmassy feel to it to make it great to read this holiday season.

Another thing I really liked this book is the little bonus treats after the story was over. This story is book three in the Handmade for Christmas series, which is well represented by the fact that Krista sells handmade jewelry and sweet treats at a craft show for the season. I was pleasantly surprised to find both a recipe for Easy Chocolate Fudge and instructions on how to make Snowflake Earrings. It was a nice touch to the "handmade" feel of the book.

I recommend this to anyone who enjoys contemporary romances featuring deliciously inked and pierced men, or who wants just a little nibble of steamy holiday cheer. Thanks to the author who provided me with a copy in exchange for my honest review.

Giveaway:

Amber has been awesome enough to offer up two ebook copies to readers of this post! Anyone can enter, as long as you're over 18 and can accept ebooks. Here's more rule mumbo jumbo:

-This giveaway will run from December 8th to December 15th, 2014
-This giveaway is INTL AS LONG AS YOU CAN ACCEPT EBOOKS!
-This giveaway is open to those 18+
-It is open to anyone over that age who can legally enter, receive, and use their prize.
-Two (2) winners will win a copy.
-This giveaway is sponsored wholly by the author. I am not responsible.
-This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity.
-Winner will have 48 hours to reply, or a new winner will be chosen. Winner will be chosen using random.org.
-Invalid entries will be removed, so please don't cheat.
-Void where prohibited. Odds will vary. No purchase necessary.
-My opinions are my own. Information will not be stored or sold, and will be used only to contact the winners.

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