Tag: Shelter Bay

Book Watch: Home for Christmas by JoAnn Ross and Jessica Scott

Posted November 11, 2014 by Holly in Promotions | 0 Comments

HomeForChristmas_ebook_smallIn honor of Veteran’s day, I just wanted to post a quick reminder that Home for Christmas, the anthology featuring novellas from JoAnn Ross‘s Shelter Bay series and Jessica Scott‘s Coming Home series, is on sale today. Both series’ feature men and woman of the military (current and former).

An all new holiday duet featuring brand new works from New York Times Bestselling author JoAnn Ross and USA Today Bestselling author Jessica Scott featuring brand new Shelter Bay & Coming Home novellas. 

You Again – A Shelter Bay Novella
A book nerd, a brainiac science guy, and a misplaced killer whale…

Meghann Quinn wasn’t always a hugely successful author. Adam Wayne wasn’t always a marine biologist studying whales. Back in high school in Shelter Bay, Oregon, she was the shy book nerd helping the brainiac science guy pass English. Meghann had no idea Adam would turn into such a hottie. Adam has no idea their once-upon-a-time sweet summer romance inspired Meghann’s popular teen novels.

Two shy geeks didn’t have the courage to share their true feelings back then. But now that Meghann’s back in town, they’re pondering life’s important questions. Such as, will Adam ask her to the Snow Ball? And what are they going to do about the lost Orca who shows up on Christmas Eve? And can two nerds get past their initial insecurity to take a second chance on a once-in-a-lifetime love?

All I Want For Christmas Is You – A Coming Home Novella 

From USA Today Bestselling author Jessica Scott comes an all new novella about a woman who came back from war changed and the man who loves her enough not to let her go.

All Major Patrick MacLean wanted was Christmas with the woman and child who were his family in everything but name. But Captain Samantha Egan has come back from the war a different woman than the one who left – and she doesn’t know if she can love him anymore.

But neither of them counted on the determination of a little girl they both call daughter and if Natalie has her wish, her parents may have no idea what’s coming for them. It’s going to take Christmas miracle to bring these two wounded warriors back from the edge of a broken heart.

Home for Christmas is self-published. You can buy it from one of the e-tailers below.
iBooks  | Amazon | BN  | Kobo | Play 


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Lightning Review: On Lavender Lane by JoAnn Ross

Posted June 25, 2013 by Holly in Reviews | 0 Comments

Lightning Review: On Lavender Lane by JoAnn RossReviewer: Holly
On Lavender Lane (Shelter Bay, #3) by JoAnn Ross
Series: Shelter Bay #3
Publisher: Berkley
Publication Date: January 3, 2012
Genres: Contemporary Romance
Pages: 378
Add It: Goodreads
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Ripped Bodice | Google Play Books
four-stars
Series Rating: four-stars

Sometimes the second time is the charm....

After seeing enough of war, former Navy SEAL Lucas Chafee is settling back into civilian life when he accepts a job refurbishing a farmhouse for an old friend, who plans to turn it into a culinary school.

Celebrity TV chef Madeline Durand was badly shaken when her husband's illicit video went viral, so she jumps at the chance to reevaluate her life in Shelter Bay while helping her grandmother turn the family farm into a new business. Little does she know that the man who broke her heart years ago is already on the job.

Having let Maddy leave Shelter Bay once, Lucas isn't about to let her get away this time. But rekindling their romance won't be easy, as she still hasn't forgiven him for a fateful night ten years ago. But Lucas is a man on a mission, and with the help of some Shelter Bay matchmakers, he plans to come up with a very special recipe of passion, patience, and perseverance to win her over....

On Lavender Lane (Shelter Bay, Book 3) by JoAnn Ross

After seeing enough of war, former Navy SEAL Lucas Chafee is settling back into civilian life when he accepts a job refurbishing a farmhouse for an old friend, who plans to turn it into a culinary school.

Celebrity TV chef Madeline Durand was badly shaken when her husband’s illicit video went viral, so she jumps at the chance to reevaluate her life in Shelter Bay while helping her grandmother turn the family farm into a new business. Little does she know that the man who broke her heart years ago is already on the job.

Having let Maddy leave Shelter Bay once, Lucas isn’t about to let her get away this time. But rekindling their romance won’t be easy, as she still hasn’t forgiven him for a fateful night ten years ago. But Lucas is a man on a mission, and with the help of some Shelter Bay matchmakers, he plans to come up with a very special recipe of passion, patience, and perseverance to win her over….

This was a sweet reunited lovers story (one of my favorite romance tropes). I especially liked that it was Lucas who wanted a permanent relationship. I don’t think that happens often enough in novels. It seems like the men are always commitment shy, but that isn’t realistic. This was refreshing in that respect.

I do think the romance came about rather quickly. Hardly any time at all passed between Maddy seeing a video of her fiance cheating and rekindling her high school romance with Lucas. I really wish more time had passed before she jumped into something else.

As a food lover, that aspect of the novel was really great. The way the food was described, along with the production aspects of the show, really drew me in. I also loved Maddy’s grandmother.

This was a sweet story. A must-read for food lovers and fans of contemporary romance.

3.75 out of 5

The Series

Book Cover Book Cover Book Cover Book Cover Book Cover Book Cover

This book is available from Signet. You can buy it here or here in e-format.

four-stars


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Guest Review: One Summer by JoAnn Ross

Posted July 14, 2011 by Book Binge Guest Blogger in Reviews | 1 Comment

Lori’s review of One Summer (Shelter Bay, Book 2) by JoAnn Ross

When former U.S. Marine photojournalist Gabriel St. James arrives in Shelter Bay to help out a fellow Marine, the last thing he expects is to meet a woman like Charity. A veterinarian with a past that would have defeated a less resilient woman, Charity still possesses a heart as generous as her name. She’s known men like Gabe before-but with a shared attraction impossible to deny, Charity and Gabe agree to a simple affair with no expectations. But as summer unfolds, and Gabe finds reasons to extend his stay in Shelter Bay, he and Charity realize that there’s nothing simple about falling in love, and nothing easy about the choices of the heart.

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I’m such a ho for JoAnn Ross. She’s one who can go from the sweet, small town romance to the alpha military hero without blinking an eye. I know that a lot of people didn’t absolutely love her High Risk series, but I admit to lapping them up like a slobbering drunk.

I have to say, though, I do love the way Ross writes small town. Smart people, just a teeny tiny bit of the crazy in them, and lots of friendship and love to go around. The secondary characters were terrific, adding all the support to the hero and heroine. I adored that Charity and Gabe both were so supportive of the foster care camp, and that Charity felt so strongly for the kids and fell in love with a pair of siblings and chose to adopt them.

Gabe is a Marine photographer, and acts every inch of the hard Marine when he’s facing off in an uncomfortable situation. As he got to know Charity, he softened until he was a ball of goo. I loved watching him fall for her. He loosened and opened up like a flower in bloom. I loved watching Charity manipulate him into keeping the rescued dog and helping out at the camp, and pretty much anything else that she wanted. He was so easily maneuvered.

Charity was already much more open to a relationship, although she had her own baggage. I enjoyed watching her relationship with her mother grow and come to a place of understanding. I really liked how both these characters evolved, which was why when Gabe still denied that he was in it permanently I wanted to smack him upside the head.

Ross, however, doesn’t make us or Charity suffer too much, as Gabe only makes it 2 hours before he comes groveling back. Full of awesome.

A crusty hero with a squishy marshmallow center, and a competent, smart, sexy heroine. What more can you ask for?

Rating: 4.25 out of 5.

The Series:
The Homecoming: A Shelter Bay NovelOne Summer: A Shelter Bay Novel

You can read more from Lori at I Just Finished Reading…

This book is available from Signet. You can buy it here or here in e-format.


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Excerpt: The Homecoming by JoAnn Ross

Posted July 7, 2010 by Holly in Promotions, Reviews | 10 Comments

The Homecoming: A Shelter Bay NovelCheck out this awesome excerpt from The Homecoming by JoAnn Ross

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Chapter 14
 

Oh, my God!”  Kara put her hand above her eyes, as if blocking out the morning’s bright early June sun. “I think I’ve just been blinded for life by the dazzle that would be a Navy SEAL in dress whites.” 
“Very funny,” Sax drawled as he sauntered into her office on a sexy, easy-hipped stride that would have any woman with blood still running in her veins wanting to scoop him up with a chip. “And putting on these choker whites I never intended to wear again wasn’t exactly my idea.” 
Kara reached into her top drawer and took out her shades—partly to play along with the blinding metaphor, but also to keep him from seeing the out-and-out lust that had to be flashing in her eyes like the light bar at the top of her patrol car. 
“Funny. I have a problem envisioning anyone forcing you to do anything you don’t want to.” 
“It was the parade committee’s idea.” He threw his body into a wooden chair on the visitor’s side of the desk. “When I reluctantly agreed to go along with this cockamamie parade, I’d planned to wear my cammies. But then the whole thing escalated into a big deal and the damn committee and, God help me, my mother started pushing for the whites.” 
“The town wants a hero.” 
“I’m no hero.” 
“So you keep saying. But nevertheless, to paraphrase a certain politician, you’ve got to hold a parade with the hero you’ve got. Who would be you. So you’ve got to expect them to go full-out. Besides, during tough times, something like this celebration gives everyone something to smile about.” 
“Everyone but the guy stuck in the damn convertible waving to the crowd and feeling like a fool.” He ran his finger around the high, tight collar, which, perversely, had her wanting to lick his tanned neck. “I even tried to get the guys down at the VFW hall to back me up.” 
“I take it from your scowl and the fact that you’re not wearing cammies, they backed the parade committee instead.” 
“Got it in one.” 
He looked surly and hot. Kara reminded herself that she’d never been attracted to bad boys. But that didn’t prevent the flutter behind her sternum. 
“You’re still the grand marshal,” she reminded him. “The reason for the parade in the first place. So I’d imagine that if you decided to show up in a Hawaiian shirt and flip-flops, looking like an escapee from Margaritaville, no one would do anything about it.” 
“That’s probably true enough.”  He sighed heavily.  
“So?  If you’ve already got an excuse not to wear it, why, then, are you decked out in that Harm Rabb JAG uniform?” 
“Did you not hear me when I said my mother wanted me to look like the Good Humor man?” 
“Oh.” The flutter behind her sternum warmed dangerously. “You’re making the grand sacrifice for your mom. That’s sweet.” 
He dragged both hands down his face. “It is what it is,” he muttered. Then he sighed again in a way that lifted his chest, which bore an impressive display of ribbons and medals. 
“You’ve been busy since you left town,” she said.  
Sax glanced down at the colorful military fruit salad. “Yeah. I even won best of show.” Humor burst like sunshine through the stormy irritation in his eyes. 
Kara laughed, grateful for the change in mood while at the same time unsettled that she found him even more dangerous when he was smiling. 
“They say,” she said, feeling at ease with him again, in much the same way she had when Jared had essentially handed her over to him for safekeeping, “that a woman can always tell how a man’s going to treat his wife by watching how he treats his mother.” 
A dark brow arched as he looked at her, the intensity in his eyes not just due to their color, but frankly sexual interest. “You thinking about asking me to marry you?” 
“Of course not.” She felt the color burning in her cheeks. Which was ridiculous. The one thing she’d inherited from her mother was her absolute inability to blush. “It was merely a statement.” 
Channeling her cool-as-a-cucumber mother, she took off the dark glasses, leaned back in her chair, and crossed her legs. Even though he couldn’t see them behind the desk, for some insane reason she was wishing she were wearing something other than these ugly khaki pants. 
“Since apparently you didn’t come here this morning to bring me a Fudgsicle, I take it you’re here about the discovery on your beach.” 
“It’s a public beach,” he reminded her. “But yeah.” He reached into a pocket and pulled out a piece of paper. “Cait McKade’s interested. And she figured that, rather than talk to me, then have me talk to you, then go back around again, it would be more efficient if you just called her directly. So here’s her number.” 
He leaned forward, invading her space to hand it to her. When she took the paper, their fingers brushed, causing a spark of electricity that had her nearly pulling her hand away. 
“Thanks. I really appreciate this.” Had he noticed? Or had the reaction been solely on her part? 
Sax had noticed. And damned if it hadn’t felt like someone had touched a bare, hot wire to his fingers. The way her eyes had widened—just for a brief second, but long enough to give her away—Sax realized she felt it, too. 
“No problem,” he said. “I hear you’re looking at some cold cases.” 
She angled her chin. Narrowed those expressive eyes. He wouldn’t have guessed a cop would allow her feelings to show so easily. Then again, maybe he’d just gotten around her shields. 
Sax liked that idea. A lot.

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Isn’t that an awesome excerpt? If you’re interested, we’re have 3 copies to giveaway! Check here and here for details!

This book is available from Signet. You can buy it here or here in e-format.


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Guest Author: JoAnn Ross – Shelter Bay

Posted July 7, 2010 by Holly in Giveaways, Promotions, Reviews | 32 Comments

The Homecoming: A Shelter Bay NovelToday Bestselling author JoAnn Ross is here to talk about her upcoming release, The Homecoming, and the small town it’s set in, Shelter Bay, Oregon.

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Once upon a time, in a small town in Oregon, a boy and girl fell in love.  It was not, as their parents insisted, “puppy love,” but the real thing.  Time passed and one day the boy took the girl to the coast, where he bought her a bag of salt-water taffy.  Then proposed.  The girl, of course, said yes.  And years later, I’m still so happy I did. 

This is one reason my new SHELTER BAY series is so close to my heart. A spin-off of my New York Times best-selling High Risk series, the books bring those sexy military heroes back home in stories of community, family, love, and the universal choice between what is. . . . and what could be.   

One of the things I enjoyed exploring in my High Risk series was life after war. Yet since those books were romantic suspense, the heroes had to deal with a lot of murder and mayhem.  Which can be exciting, but as a writer, living with killers 24/7 tends to get more than a little depressing.  Which is why I decided I wanted to return to my roots of writing more emotional, family-centric stories where good things happen to good, but flawed people.

As more and more of our troops begin returning home (including, hopefully this year, our own nephew Kyle, who’s currently a medevac in Afghanistan, and my own personal hero), there are some wonderful stories just waiting to be told, and I, for one, can’t wait to write some.

There’s been lot of talk these days about the “sudden” appeal of small town romances, but having grown up in a remote timber/ranching community on the Oregon/California border, I’ve always preferred to set my stories in more closely knit communities such as Blue Bayou, Louisiana; Coldwater Cove, Washington; Whiskey River, Arizona (where our mountain cabin was located); and now Shelter Bay, Oregon.

Although I’m hugely grateful to all those readers who’ve made it possible for me to live my life’s dream for twenty-eight years, I also understand that reading is subjective.  If I tried to foresee what’s going to be hot, or what’s not, I’d still be stuck on my first book. So, all I can do is write what I personally want to read and hope my stories find a home. 

During these difficult days of wars, the largest ever oil spill, and worldwide financial problems, I suspect I’m not alone in fantasizing about being swept away to a quieter, easier place.  A place where everyone knows your name, there are no exhausting commutes to work every day, the biggest traffic tie-up might involve waiting for the bridge to lower after a ship’s passed through and you can always find a parking place.  Needless to say, parking is always free, without a meter in sight. 

In Shelter Bay, life moves at a slower pace. People stroll on the beach, exchange greetings, watch colorful fishing boats chugging out to sea, and share conversation at outdoor cafes while enjoying the sight of the town’s pod of local whales. Residents have pride in their town and a genuine interest in one another. Which is why they’ve decided to celebrate the return of a local hero.

Former Navy SEAL Sax Douchett has returned to Shelter Bay determined to put war behind him and get on with his life.  Which is easier said than done when nearly everyone in town is hailing the former bad boy as a hero.  Suffering from survivor guilt after a failed mission that killed his SEAL teammates, the last thing Sax feels like is a hero.  Adjusting to a new beginning becomes even more difficult when he unearths a long-buried secret that in turn reunites him with a cherished part of his past that he’s never forgotten.

Drawn back into his life is Sheriff Kara Conway, the girl who has held a special place in his heart.  But as Sax cautiously reconnects with Kara and bonds with her young son, Trey, another long-held secret in Shelter Bay threatens their second chance at a forever-after love.

In The Homecoming, Sax and Kara, each in need of emotional healing and closure, have returned to their hometown.  As my husband and I plan our own eventual move back to Oregon, writing their story was, in a sense, an emotional homecoming for me.

So, my question for readers today is, do you have some special place, perhaps where you grew up, or found later in life, which makes you feel sheltered and comfortable? As if you’ve come home?   

When New York Times bestselling author JoAnn Ross was seven-years-old, she had no doubt whatsoever that she’d grow up to play center field for the New York Yankees. Writing would be her backup occupation, something she planned to do after retiring from baseball. Those were, in her mind, her only options. While waiting for the Yankees management to call, she wrote her first novella — a tragic romance about two star-crossed mallard ducks — for a second grade writing assignment. The paper earned a gold star. And JoAnn kept writing.

She’s now written ninety-nine novels and has been published in twenty-six countries. Two of her titles have been excerpted in Cosmopolitan magazine and her books have also been published by the Doubleday, Rhapsody, Literary  Guild, and Mystery Guild book clubs.  A member of the Romance Writers of America’s Honor Roll of best-selling authors, she’s won several awards, including Romantic Times’s Career Achievement Awards in both category and contemporary single title.  In addition, she received RWA’s national service award and was named RWA Pro-Mentor of the Year. 

Although the Yankees have yet to call her to New York to platoon center field, JoAnn figures making one out of two life goals isn’t bad.

Currently writing for NAL Signet, JoAnn lives with her husband and three rescued dogs (who pretty much rule the house) in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains.
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I grew up in a small town. Reading books like these is always a bittersweet experience for me. They transport me back home, which is wonderful, but also leave me a little homesick when all is said and done.

Thanks for visiting today, JoAnn!

Interested in reading The Homecoming? We have two copies to giveaway! Leave a comment on this post answering JoAnn’s questions from above, and you’ll be entered to win. Contest ends Wednesday, July 14.


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