Ramblings From This Chick: Guest Post with Author Christine Warner and Giveaway

Saturday, November 7, 2015

Guest Post with Author Christine Warner and Giveaway

Meet Christine Warner author of A Friendly Arrangement.

Christine Warner is living her dream in Michigan along with her husband, three children, one laptop and a much loved assortment of furry friends.

Besides laughing and a good round of humor, she enjoys spending time with her family, cooking, reading, writing but no arithmitic. A confessed people watcher, she finds inspiration for her stories in everyday activities. She loves to read and write about strong heroes and determined, sometimes sassy, heroines.

A girl gone wild, at least where social media is concerned, she enjoys meeting other avid readers and writers on facebook, twitter and her website.

I’m in celebration mode over my latest release from the Contemporary Select line with Entangled Publishing! A Friendly Arrangement is the second book in the Friends First series. This is a fun, sexy, contemporary romance between two self-employed besties who live across the hall from each. Roth is a hot jewelry designer and Holly is an independent virtual assistant.

I’d like to use the letters from the title of my latest release and give you a little sampling of A FRIENDLY ARRANGEMENT.

Let’s go…

A – Attraction. The attraction between Roth and Holly has always simmered beneath the surface. All it took to awaken it was a little kiss in the moonlight and a deal to be each other’s ‘plus one’.

F – Friendship. Roth and Holly have been best friends and neighbors for years. They might not know everything about each other, but as they peel back the layers they each like what they’re discovering.

R – Romance! There is plenty to go around as the feelings between Roth and Holly develop from attraction, to lust, to something much deeper.

I – Intimacy. Let me just say…role playing as super heroes, dancing up close and personal, fireplace, kitchen table…and—oh, you’ll have to read the book to learn more. Teehee

E – Ending. I love, LOVE the ending to this story. I had so much fun writing it. It made me smile, tear up, laugh, and just go all warm. I hope it does the same for my readers.

N – Normalcy. This is something that Holly rebels against. She doesn’t want to be the clone to her family, but in the end she does want to create her own “normal” with Roth. Will she succeed?

D – Devi. The heroine from book one makes an appearance in A Friendly Arrangement and gives Roth the advice he needs to help him make a huge decision.

L – Love! Oh yes =) This is a romance after all =)

Y – The letter Y. This letter appears in the pages of A Friendly Arrangement 6833 times.

A – Affection. Roth and Holly heat up the pages, but in between all the desire and lust you can’t miss the true affection they feel for each other. They can finish each other’s sentences, and just get each other from the years they’ve spent together hanging out.

R – Roth. He’s one sexy man. He’s tall, sometimes wears his dark hair in a ponytail, wears faded jeans that rest low on his hips, and has a voice that hypnotizes you. He might not have been Holly’s normal “type”, but tastes change and heat flares.

R – Rebel. Holly has always been the rebel in her family. Unlike her twin and two brothers, she’s always walked her own path and did things her way, unwilling to conform. She’s made mistakes, but has learned from them and grown stronger.

A – Arrangement. That’s right, Roth and Holly come up with an arrangement. They’re both tired of well-meaning friends and family trying to pair them up. They agree to act as each other’s “plus one”. There’s nothing better than having a built in date when you need one, especially when they live right across the hall.

N – Neighbors. Yep, Holly and Roth are neighbors. They share condo keys, drink their morning coffee together, work out in the building’s gym, play video games over pizza and beer, and cross the line from neighbors, friends, to something more…

G – Grams. Holly’s grandmother is a bit of an outspoken, free-spirit. But why shouldn’t she say and do what she wants? That should be the main perk of being older. She’s fun and has no filter.

E – Entangled Publishing. A Friendly Arrangement is the third book I’ve had published with Entangled Publishing. My first book is with the Indulgence line and titled Bachelor’s Special. A Friendly Engagement and A Friendly Arrangement are both under the Select Contemporary line—and the third and final book in the series will be out in early 2016.

M – Michigan. This story takes place in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Grand Rapids is a large city that has several aspects of a small town. Family is important, and that’s reflected in the personalities of both Holly and Roth, even though they may show it in odd ways.

E – Emotion. There is a lot of emotions that swirl around the pages of A Friendly Arrangement. Humor, fear, uncertainty, passion, anger, love…and so many more.

N – Novel. This is one of the longest novels I’ve written coming in at about 78,000 words.

T – Tattoos. Roth has a large tattoo that covers his entire back. Holly loves to trace the lines when they make love =)

What happens when your plus one becomes “the one”?

Holly Haggerty and Roth Esterly are two besties with everything in common—they’re neighbors, career-driven, and commitment-phobes. Tired of always being set up on dates by well-meaning friends and family, they take matters into their own hands: they will be the other’s plus one—a little friendly arrangement between friends.

Easy…until a steamy night where they cross the line. But that’s okay, they’ll add an addendum—one that includes a little action between the sheets…on top of the sheets…and without the sheets. But there are rules. Dating and sex are exclusive until one of them decides to terminate the agreement. No slumber parties. And if either party becomes emotionally involved they will break things off with no hard feelings.

When unexpected news changes their plans and turns their fun arrangement into something more serious, Holly and Roth must come to terms with what’s more important—what they thought they wanted, or what they really need.

Purchase: | Amazon | B&N | iTunes |

Check out the Friends First series:

He glanced up, and his gaze instantly connected with Holly across the room. She held two drinks overhead as she nodded to Sonny and Cher and said a short greeting to Martha and George Washington. She’d only managed a few more steps before a bad Elvis impersonator with a white rhinestone-encrusted suit and an even worse black bouffant wig stalled her progress. He leaned to whisper something in her ear, and she tossed back her head as she laughed, revealing the tantalizing column of her throat. Her sound floated across the crowd and settled around him, erasing his foul mood.

God, she was beyond beautiful. He could watch her all night, but if he were smart, he wouldn’t. When had he ever claimed to be smart?

She had the biggest brown eyes, the most luxurious lashes, and when she stared into his eyes—like she did now from across the room—with a little bit of mischief behind the brown flecks, he felt like the center of her world. Even though she had Elvis at her elbow.

Roth flicked his dry tongue over his lips and imagined how the delicate skin on her neck would taste, smell. Sweet, salty, sexy. He felt drained, weakened, as his mind filled with thoughts of Holly. She’d suddenly become his Kryptonite. Hell, she’d been his Kryptonite for a while now. Especially earlier when they’d hugged. He hadn’t been able to retreat to his room fast enough out of fear he’d do something foolish. Which he almost had when he’d practically fallen on his ass.

At least he hadn’t taken the opportunity to turn her innocent kiss into something more meaningful. Something that involved tongues and groping hands. He swiped his hand over the top of his head and sighed. Shit. You’re a fucking mess.

Although she had the complete package—looks, personality, and smarts—and a few other things he couldn’t pinpoint right now because his mind couldn’t stray from the way the material of her costume stretched taut over her perfect breasts, he’d never stepped over the friendship line.

Not that he hadn’t thought about it a few times. Especially when they were curled up on the couch, inches apart, watching a movie or playing video games. So close her body heat warmed his flesh, and her soapy clean scent filled his lungs. He didn’t know how much longer he could fight his attraction. For the last year he’d kept his interest hidden. Clark had been a major deterrent, because Roth would never make a move on another man’s woman.

But now that he was out of the picture…