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Friday, February 10, 2017
African American History Month | Blog Tour, Spreading the Word & Kindle E-Reader #Giveaway
Thursday, October 13, 2016
Blog Tour - One More Taste by Melissa Cutler | Interview & Spreading the Word
Today I'm showing off Melissa Cutler's "One More Taste," which is her recently released novel, the SECOND novel in her One and Only Texas Series, and the novel I recently interviewed her about!
My Q&A with Melissa Cutler :
Jess : Please describe "One More Taste" in one sentence.
Melissa : When a brazen chef tries to prove her chops to her sexy new boss, they heat up a lot more than the kitchen.
Jess : What can readers expect from "One More Taste?"
Melissa : Readers can expect my signature combination of a book full of both humor and emotional resonance…with one seriously spicy romance woven throughout it.
Jess : Which of your characters would you most & least like to invite to dinner, from which book and why?
Melissa : The characters from this series that I’d most like to invite to dinner are all those hot, sexy cowboy heroes (surprise, surprise!). Decker, Micah, Knox, and (from upcoming books) Paul and Gentry. Mmm….sexy cowboy heroes at my dinner table…now there’s a dream come true!
The character from the series that I’d least like to have over for dinner, and which readers of the series would probably agree with me, is Ty Briscoe, the villain of the first three stories.
Jess : Are there any differences and/or similarities between Emily from "One More Taste" and Carina from "The Mistletoe Effect?"
Melissa : While Emily and Carina are best friends, they have very different personalities. Carina is all about becoming a mom and not working too hard, which is a shift because she used to be a work-a-holic, which Emily still is. On the other hand, Carina is a rule follower, while Emily is more of a rebel. What they do have in common is that they love each other and their home of Briscoe Ranch Resort very much.
Jess : Out of all of the secondary characters within One and Only Texas Series, do you have one or two favorites so far? If so, who are they and can you tell us why?
Melissa : What a fun question. I tend to write books that have huge casts of characters, so there are lots of secondary characters to choose from. My current favorite is from next year’s release, "ONE WILD NIGHT," and it’s the heroine’s grandmother, Mama Lita, who clashes with Granny June at every turn because, while Granny June is the consummate matchmaker of the series, Mama Lita is a wild spirit who doesn’t believe a woman needs a man in her life.
Jess : June Briscoe is one of my favorite characters. She's appeared in all the books. How did you come up with her and her amazing personality (sneakiness, quirks and all)?
Melissa : She’s one of my favorite characters in the series, too. When I wrote her character’s first ever scene, in scene one of "THE MISTLETOE EFFECT," she seemed like an old, strict Italian mafia grandma with old world superstitions at first, which probably would have been fine, but I then wrote a draft that lightened her up and turned her into the scene’s comic relief…and I instantly fell in love with her! Hence, the Granny June we all know and love was born.
Jess : Where did your love of books/storytelling/reading/writing/etc. come from?
Melissa : Growing up, my house wasn’t a pleasant one, and so I kept to myself in my bedroom as much as possible. In a huge way I’m grateful for the way my childhood played out, because my imagination flourished. The earliest I can remember writing stories and poems is age four. Writing them and reading books took me away to other times and places and let me live, for a little while, in magical places. Even then, I knew I was a writer, an identity that stayed with me in all the years since.
Jess : What do you think most characterizes your writing?
Melissa : What most characterizes my writing is a combination of humor and emotion weight. I’m really interested in real issues and the struggles that everyday people face in their lives, not just romantically, but with family and friends and their careers. My heroines tend to be quirky, smart, career-focused women and my heroes tend to be blue collar workers. In that way, Knox Briscoe, the hero of "ONE MORE TASTE," is unusual. I rarely write about wealthy men because they don’t tend to hold my interest, but what I love about Knox is how he rose to wealth from blue collar roots, which makes his relationship to his wealth and his family really complicated in the best, juiciest possible way for an author to explore.
Jess : What question(s) do you wish that someone would ask about "One More Taste," but no one has? Please write it out here, then answer it.
Melissa :
Melissa : I can’t decide between these two: 1) controlling the weather, or 2) having the power to heal people with a touch. Either one would make the world a better place in significant ways.
Jess : What literary character is most like you?
Melissa : Depends on the day. You know how it goes—some days you’re George, while other days you’re Lenny. Captain Ahab pops up every so often. And Jack Reacher, sometimes. And then there are those days that we all have when we’re Frankenstein’s monster. Mostly, I aspire to be Olivia, the pig from the children’s picture book. Oh, if we could all be more like Olivia.
"One More Taste"
[One and Only Texas Series, Book 2] by Melissa Cutler
Author's Book Description :
This book is available to order on :
Amazon (e-Book) USD | Amazon (Paperback) USD | Barnes & Noble (NOOK Book) USD | Barnes & Noble (Paperback) USD | Shop Your Local Bookstores (IndieBound - Paperback) USD | Kobo (e-Book) USD
** Be sure to add it to your TBR pile on Goodreads & LibraryThing! **
About the Author :
Melissa Cutler knows she has the best job in the world writing sexy contemporary romances and romantic suspense. She was struck at an early age by an unrelenting travel bug and is probably planning her next vacation as you read this. When she's not globetrotting, she's enjoying Southern California's flip-flop wearing weather and wrangling two rambunctious kids.
My Previous Review(s) for this Author : The Mistletoe Effect
My Previous Mention(s) of this Author's Books/Characters : Best Book Couples -- Happy Valentine's Day 2015
Book Excerpt/Teaser(s) :
Book Preview(s) :
Find Melissa Cutler :
This was put together by myself (From Me to You ... Video, Photography & Book Reviews), please contact me if you'd like your own Author Interview post, while the tour is through St. Martin's Press and they supplied some of the info/questions.
My Q&A with Melissa Cutler :
Jess : Please describe "One More Taste" in one sentence.
Melissa : When a brazen chef tries to prove her chops to her sexy new boss, they heat up a lot more than the kitchen.
Jess : What can readers expect from "One More Taste?"Melissa : Readers can expect my signature combination of a book full of both humor and emotional resonance…with one seriously spicy romance woven throughout it.
Jess : Which of your characters would you most & least like to invite to dinner, from which book and why?
Melissa : The characters from this series that I’d most like to invite to dinner are all those hot, sexy cowboy heroes (surprise, surprise!). Decker, Micah, Knox, and (from upcoming books) Paul and Gentry. Mmm….sexy cowboy heroes at my dinner table…now there’s a dream come true!
The character from the series that I’d least like to have over for dinner, and which readers of the series would probably agree with me, is Ty Briscoe, the villain of the first three stories.
Jess : Are there any differences and/or similarities between Emily from "One More Taste" and Carina from "The Mistletoe Effect?"Melissa : While Emily and Carina are best friends, they have very different personalities. Carina is all about becoming a mom and not working too hard, which is a shift because she used to be a work-a-holic, which Emily still is. On the other hand, Carina is a rule follower, while Emily is more of a rebel. What they do have in common is that they love each other and their home of Briscoe Ranch Resort very much.
Jess : Out of all of the secondary characters within One and Only Texas Series, do you have one or two favorites so far? If so, who are they and can you tell us why?
Melissa : What a fun question. I tend to write books that have huge casts of characters, so there are lots of secondary characters to choose from. My current favorite is from next year’s release, "ONE WILD NIGHT," and it’s the heroine’s grandmother, Mama Lita, who clashes with Granny June at every turn because, while Granny June is the consummate matchmaker of the series, Mama Lita is a wild spirit who doesn’t believe a woman needs a man in her life.
Jess : June Briscoe is one of my favorite characters. She's appeared in all the books. How did you come up with her and her amazing personality (sneakiness, quirks and all)?Melissa : She’s one of my favorite characters in the series, too. When I wrote her character’s first ever scene, in scene one of "THE MISTLETOE EFFECT," she seemed like an old, strict Italian mafia grandma with old world superstitions at first, which probably would have been fine, but I then wrote a draft that lightened her up and turned her into the scene’s comic relief…and I instantly fell in love with her! Hence, the Granny June we all know and love was born.
Jess : Where did your love of books/storytelling/reading/writing/etc. come from?
Melissa : Growing up, my house wasn’t a pleasant one, and so I kept to myself in my bedroom as much as possible. In a huge way I’m grateful for the way my childhood played out, because my imagination flourished. The earliest I can remember writing stories and poems is age four. Writing them and reading books took me away to other times and places and let me live, for a little while, in magical places. Even then, I knew I was a writer, an identity that stayed with me in all the years since.Jess : What do you think most characterizes your writing?
Melissa : What most characterizes my writing is a combination of humor and emotion weight. I’m really interested in real issues and the struggles that everyday people face in their lives, not just romantically, but with family and friends and their careers. My heroines tend to be quirky, smart, career-focused women and my heroes tend to be blue collar workers. In that way, Knox Briscoe, the hero of "ONE MORE TASTE," is unusual. I rarely write about wealthy men because they don’t tend to hold my interest, but what I love about Knox is how he rose to wealth from blue collar roots, which makes his relationship to his wealth and his family really complicated in the best, juiciest possible way for an author to explore.
Jess : What question(s) do you wish that someone would ask about "One More Taste," but no one has? Please write it out here, then answer it.Melissa :
- Have you ever executed a revenge plot (like Knox does in the story)?
- Mwahahaha! I’ll never tell! 😃
- Has your car or house ever been haunted by a dead relative?
- No, but I fully plan on returning to my high school to haunt it after I pass away like the ghosts at Hogwarts do in the Harry Potter series. [kids whispering to each other] “They say she never recovered from getting that C in Spanish her freshman year, and now she walks the halls begging for extra credit to raise her grade. Poor, tortured soul.”
Melissa : I can’t decide between these two: 1) controlling the weather, or 2) having the power to heal people with a touch. Either one would make the world a better place in significant ways.
Jess : What literary character is most like you?Melissa : Depends on the day. You know how it goes—some days you’re George, while other days you’re Lenny. Captain Ahab pops up every so often. And Jack Reacher, sometimes. And then there are those days that we all have when we’re Frankenstein’s monster. Mostly, I aspire to be Olivia, the pig from the children’s picture book. Oh, if we could all be more like Olivia.
[One and Only Texas Series, Book 2] by Melissa Cutler
Author's Book Description :
- If you can’t take the heat...
Chef Emily Ford has the talent and ambition to make it in the cutthroat culinary world—which is why she refuses to accept her demotion at the hands of Knox Briscoe, the new CEO of Briscoe Ranch Resort. He has grand plans that include bringing in a celebrity chef to helm an exciting new restaurant at the resort, but Emily has plans of her own—to do whatever it takes to change his mind…
ONE MORE TASTE
Cut out of the Briscoe fortune by an old feud that left his family in ruins, Knox grew up dreaming of revenge. Out-maneuvering his uncle for control of Briscoe Ranch is merely the first step in a grand plan that doesn’t include the brazen and beautiful Emily Ford…or the attraction that sizzles between them. With both their futures on the line, can they keep their desires on simmer—or are they headed from the frying pan straight into the fire?
Return to Brisoce Ranch Resort in the second book in Melissa Cutler's One and Only Texas series!
This book is available to order on :
** Be sure to add it to your TBR pile on Goodreads & LibraryThing! **
About the Author :Melissa Cutler knows she has the best job in the world writing sexy contemporary romances and romantic suspense. She was struck at an early age by an unrelenting travel bug and is probably planning her next vacation as you read this. When she's not globetrotting, she's enjoying Southern California's flip-flop wearing weather and wrangling two rambunctious kids.
My Previous Review(s) for this Author : The Mistletoe Effect
My Previous Mention(s) of this Author's Books/Characters : Best Book Couples -- Happy Valentine's Day 2015
Book Excerpt/Teaser(s) :
A knock sounded at the open door. Everyone turned, relieved at the distraction. A woman Knox would recognize anywhere filled the doorway, a folder clutched in her arms and a hard-set look of determination on her face. Chef Emily Ford.
***
“Ty told me about you. You’ve worked at this resort since right out of culinary school a decade ago. No internships, no stints as a sous chef at a celebrated restaurant, nothing remarkable, not even a chef competition show on TV. Your whole career, you’ve been here at Briscoe Ranch, laboring in obscurity. If you’re so talented, then why have you been holding yourself back?”
He watched the shift of her weight from one foot to the other, the extra squeeze she gave the folder in her hand. He’d hit a nerve. Good. Turnabout was fair play.
“I’m not holding myself back. All the years I’ve worked here, laboring in obscurity”—she said with a scoff—“I’ve had the freedom to cook what I want, every dish completely original instead of imitations of more prominent chefs or attempts to pander to critics’ fickle tastes. Over the last decade, I’ve risen from a graveyard-shift line cook in the room service kitchen to the executive catering chef, one of the principal roles at the resort.” She spun the folder onto his desk and speared a finger on it. “A few months ago, Ty agreed to my proposal to open a high-concept, signature restaurant at the resort. Subterranean, I’m going to call it. We were in the process of securing funding when you showed up and ruined everything.”
He took a step nearer to her, then another, stopping just short of arm’s length. This close, those freckles on her cheeks came into focus again, as did a faint, hairline scar along her jaw that curved to her chin. He refocused on her furious green eyes. “I did not take this opportunity away from you. Ty did. He was the one who contacted me, looking for investors. My presence here to execute my vision for the resort, as well as the timing of it, was at his invitation. If he let you believe your restaurant would be possible under this new vision, then he was stringing you along. He’s your enemy, not me.”
Emily blanched, but only for a split second before recovering her wits. “He wasn’t stringing me along. I’m sure he was grooming me for your takeover, knowing you’d want to step up the caliber of the resort’s dining options. He’s not my enemy. He’s the employer who gave me a chance. All I need is an open door and a budget and I will give you the restaurant of your vision.”
She’d been dead on about his sixth sense and the rush he got with each thrill of discovery. He felt that familiar rush right now while sparring with her. He couldn’t wait for her to leave so he could read her proposal. He should have eaten the damn soup. Now he’d never know what he’d missed. “You and I aren’t so different in our ambition, you know.”
She sniffed at that, feigning a nonchalance he saw right through. “You couldn’t be more wrong. I possess a patience that you clearly lack.”
Oh, this woman. She wouldn’t stop pushing his buttons. He felt heat rising on his neck. He had to stuff his hand in his pockets so he wouldn’t give in to the discomfort and tug his tie loose. Emily had no idea how much patience it had taken to wait for the right time to make his move against Ty Briscoe. Years of planning and strategy, years of positioning himself in the right business, with the right connections, silently closing in on his prey, waiting to pounce until the time was right—until the prey thought it was his idea and came to him, on the verge of bankruptcy and begging for a bailout.
“Prove it,” he heard himself say, not knowing exactly what he meant by the dare.
Her gaze was unflinching. “How?”
He had to think fast. “I’ll give you four weeks. If you can prove to me in that time that you’re as gifted a chef as you claim, then I’ll hand you the reins of the restaurant along with whatever budget you require for this . . . Subterranean.”
CREDIT: From ONE MORE TASTE by Melissa Cutler. Copyright © 2016 by the author and reprinted by permission of St. Martin's Paperbacks.
“Ty told me about you. You’ve worked at this resort since right out of culinary school a decade ago. No internships, no stints as a sous chef at a celebrated restaurant, nothing remarkable, not even a chef competition show on TV. Your whole career, you’ve been here at Briscoe Ranch, laboring in obscurity. If you’re so talented, then why have you been holding yourself back?”
He watched the shift of her weight from one foot to the other, the extra squeeze she gave the folder in her hand. He’d hit a nerve. Good. Turnabout was fair play.
“I’m not holding myself back. All the years I’ve worked here, laboring in obscurity”—she said with a scoff—“I’ve had the freedom to cook what I want, every dish completely original instead of imitations of more prominent chefs or attempts to pander to critics’ fickle tastes. Over the last decade, I’ve risen from a graveyard-shift line cook in the room service kitchen to the executive catering chef, one of the principal roles at the resort.” She spun the folder onto his desk and speared a finger on it. “A few months ago, Ty agreed to my proposal to open a high-concept, signature restaurant at the resort. Subterranean, I’m going to call it. We were in the process of securing funding when you showed up and ruined everything.”
He took a step nearer to her, then another, stopping just short of arm’s length. This close, those freckles on her cheeks came into focus again, as did a faint, hairline scar along her jaw that curved to her chin. He refocused on her furious green eyes. “I did not take this opportunity away from you. Ty did. He was the one who contacted me, looking for investors. My presence here to execute my vision for the resort, as well as the timing of it, was at his invitation. If he let you believe your restaurant would be possible under this new vision, then he was stringing you along. He’s your enemy, not me.”
Emily blanched, but only for a split second before recovering her wits. “He wasn’t stringing me along. I’m sure he was grooming me for your takeover, knowing you’d want to step up the caliber of the resort’s dining options. He’s not my enemy. He’s the employer who gave me a chance. All I need is an open door and a budget and I will give you the restaurant of your vision.”
She’d been dead on about his sixth sense and the rush he got with each thrill of discovery. He felt that familiar rush right now while sparring with her. He couldn’t wait for her to leave so he could read her proposal. He should have eaten the damn soup. Now he’d never know what he’d missed. “You and I aren’t so different in our ambition, you know.”
She sniffed at that, feigning a nonchalance he saw right through. “You couldn’t be more wrong. I possess a patience that you clearly lack.”
Oh, this woman. She wouldn’t stop pushing his buttons. He felt heat rising on his neck. He had to stuff his hand in his pockets so he wouldn’t give in to the discomfort and tug his tie loose. Emily had no idea how much patience it had taken to wait for the right time to make his move against Ty Briscoe. Years of planning and strategy, years of positioning himself in the right business, with the right connections, silently closing in on his prey, waiting to pounce until the time was right—until the prey thought it was his idea and came to him, on the verge of bankruptcy and begging for a bailout.
“Prove it,” he heard himself say, not knowing exactly what he meant by the dare.
Her gaze was unflinching. “How?”
He had to think fast. “I’ll give you four weeks. If you can prove to me in that time that you’re as gifted a chef as you claim, then I’ll hand you the reins of the restaurant along with whatever budget you require for this . . . Subterranean.”
CREDIT: From ONE MORE TASTE by Melissa Cutler. Copyright © 2016 by the author and reprinted by permission of St. Martin's Paperbacks.
Book Preview(s) :
Find Melissa Cutler :
Sunday, February 7, 2016
Disappointmentville: Harborside Nights Series, Book 1
- This is an ARC book - Available Formats through Amazon: Paperback - Pages: 280; Kindle Edition - File Size: 3670 KB | Expected Release Date: April 28, 2015 | Publisher: Self-Published / World Literary Press | Obtained: Melissa Foster"Catching Cassidy" [Harborside Nights Series, Book 1] by Melissa Foster
Author's Book Description : “Catching Cassidy was laugh out loud funny, heartwarming, sexy, and hands down one of my favorite reads so far this year!” — #1 NYT Bestselling Author of The Bet – Rachel Van Dyken
5 STARS – Readers Favorites “Melissa Foster has proven again that she is a fantastic storyteller, excelling at making seemingly simple stories complex and heartfelt.”
Wyatt Armstrong never imagined that instead of celebrating his college graduation, he and his twin sister would be dealing with the death of their parents. Then again, Wyatt had never been one to think past tomorrow. He heads to their summer home in Harborside, Massachusetts, with his best friend Cassidy Lowell in tow, to deal with his parents’ death and to try to figure out his next step.
Six foot two, infuriatingly handsome, and flirtatious, Wyatt Armstrong has always been there for Cassidy, helping her pass her classes and fend off unwanted advances, while driving her insane with his one-night stands—but that’s what best friends are for, isn’t it? Having each other’s backs. There was never any doubt that she would accompany him to his family’s summer home—but she never expected to begin seeing Wyatt as more than a friend. Or has she been ignoring her feelings all along?
It’s impossible to ignore the sizzling heat between them as Wyatt and Cassidy get even closer, but Cassidy knows Wyatt’s past, and she has a real job to begin in the fall. Wyatt may be a sure thing for the summer, but Cassidy needs more. For the first time in his life, Wyatt is forced to look toward the future if he doesn’t want to lose the one woman who’s shared his past and owns his heart.
***
HARBORSIDE NIGHTS is a sexy, hot, and evocatively real New Adult Romance series that follows a group of friends who have known one another for years as “summer” friends, and now come together after college to build their lives. They’re tough, edgy, and accepting—most of the time. This series is written in the loving, raw, and emotional voice readers have come to love by New York Times & USA Today bestselling, award-winning author Melissa Foster.
My Book Review : 2.5 out of 5 stars. This novel forces two best friends to grow up very quickly and in the process of doing so they both come to terms with their true feelings for one another.
This is a heart wrenching romance novel. It’s set around Wyatt’s parents tragically dying and leaving him (along with his twin sister) to pick up the pieces of the new life path that is created from the aftermath. It reeled me in and hooked me with its quirky secondary characters and New England setting. I liked how the plot played out. In addition, watching Wyatt struggle to come to terms with his feelings for Cassidy was entertaining. Yet seeing how they finally give themselves over to their hearts and desire was very sweet.
Nevertheless, the last 25% of this novel was a struggle for me to read. I feel like the secondary storyline about Uncle Tim ended a bit flatly. But what was really hard for me to read through was how wishy-washy both Cassidy and Wyatt were when it came to making up their minds. I understood why it took so long for them to come together but when the secondary storyline about where Cassidy would live came into play it just made me upset. While I liked how she finally handles her parents in the end, Cassidy’s indecisiveness annoyed the crud out of me, I’m sorry to say. And her parents, WOW, yeah I totally hate them. Overall, the end of this novel didn’t flow as good as it started for me which is why I pretty much skimmed the rest of it so I could still find out how it ended.
Therefore, while I would not recommend this novel for everyone I would say if you’re a fan of Ms. Foster and/or looking for a NA contemporary romance this might be one for you.
Purchase This Book and/or The Other Books From It's Series Here : IndieBound (Paperback) : Discovering Delilah (Book 2) | Smashwords (e-Book) : Discovering Delilah (Book 2) | Amazon (Kindle) : Discovering Delilah (Book 2) | Amazon (Paperback) : Discovering Delilah (Book 2)
Author's Novel Extras : Catching Cassidy - Overview & More
Author's Series Extras : Harborside Nights Series - Overview | Discovering Delilah - Overview & More
Author's Book Trailer :
Book Teaser(s) :
CATCHING CASSIDY by Melissa Foster -- Read my #bookreview here:...
Posted by From Me to You - Video, Photography, & Book Reviews on Sunday, February 7, 2016
“Remember when we were little and we used to read each other’s palms?” She smiles, and the memory makes me smile, too.
“Yeah.”
She traces the lines on my hand. “I’ve always loved your hands, Wyatt. They’re big and strong.” She lifts her eyes and meets mine. “Like you.” Our eyes linger on each other’s for a minute, maybe more. The bedroom grows ten degrees hotter, and she drops her eyes to my hand again.
“I told you that you were going to live a long life, remember?” She doesn’t wait for me to answer. “And you said that I would live a long life with you.”
I had forgotten about that, and it does something funky to my heart, like it’s squeezing really tight. “Yeah, and I meant it.”
Her finger traces a vein up my wrist to my forearm. “I think I was twelve when you said it, and I think I fell in love with you a little that night, but I didn’t realize it until just now.”
“Cass.” My heart is racing, and every instinct draws me closer to her. ~ within Chapter 16
For more information on this book, series, and/or any other books by Melissa, then please check out her Amazon Acct.
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