Monday, April 4, 2011

THE SWEETEST THING BLOG TOUR: GUEST POST/DEAR READER, AND GIVEAWAY

 GIVEAWAY ENDED
THE SWEETEST THING
A Lucky Harbor Novel
BY JILL SHALVIS

ABOUT THE BOOK:
Two Men Are One Too Many . . .

Tara has a thousand good reasons not to return to the little coastal town of Lucky Harbor, Washington. Yet with her life doing a major crash-and-burn, anywhere away from her unfulfilled dreams and sexy ex-husband will do. As Tara helps her two sisters get their newly renovated inn up and running, she finally has a chance to get things under control and come up with a new plan for her life.

But a certain tanned, green-eyed sailor has his own ideas, such as keeping Tara hot, bothered . . . and in his bed. And when her ex wants Tara back, three is a crowd she can't control-especially when her deepest secret reappears out of the blue. Now Tara must confront her past and discover what she really wants. If she's lucky, she might just find that everything her heart desires is right here in Lucky Harbor.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
USA Today bestselling author JILL SHALVIS lives in a small town in the Sierras also run by quirky characters. Any resemblance to the quirky characters in her books are, um, mostly coincidental. Look for Jill's bestselling, award-winning books wherever romances are sold and visit her website at JillShalvis.com for a complete book list and daily blog detailing her city-girl-living-in-the-mountain adventures.
AUTHOR "GUEST POST" AND "DEAR READER" LETTER:
I was able to ask Jill a question about THE SWEETEST THING and so I asked her, "Is Lucky Harbor a real place and how important a part does setting play in your books?". 

Jill answered by writing back, "Lucky Harbor is a figment of my imagination, but the Washington State beach town feels very real to me. I wish I could go visit and stay awhile."

AND NOW, HERE IS THE "DEAR READER" LETTER FROM JILL TO YOU!
For The Sweetest Thing (released 3/28/11)
By Jill Shalvis

Writing a romance called The Sweetest Thing, which centers around a decidedly NOT sweet heroine, amused me.  Tara Daniels is wound a little tight and likes things her way.  She’s also a former southern belle who appreciates the fact that she’s right.  A lot.
 

The Sweetest Thing?  Not exactly.
 

But her heart’s in the right place, always.  And, as it turns out, there’s a man who melts her like butter on a hot roll.  Not only that, he can soften her in a way that she isn’t sure she likes.  See, Tara thinks she has it all together, but it turns out she doesn’t.  She doesn’t know a lot about herself.  About all she has is the fact that she can cook like nobody’s business.  Oh, how she loves to cook. 
 

Tara was a challenge for me.  Because here’s where I admit, I got a lot of her recipes from my husband.  True story.  I’m married to a big guy who works with his hands and is the ultimate Alpha Man -- and yet he can cook.  Don’t try to figure him out, it’ll hurt your brain, trust me.
 

The recipe Good Morning Sunshine Casserole that Tara cooks in the book is all his.  Just don’t tell him I “borrowed” it and am telling the world that it’s my heroine’s.  It’d just go to his head.
 

P.S. For an ebook of Tara’s recipes, look for Heating Up The Kitchen wherever ebooks are sold.
*************************
I have wonderful news! Jill is coming out with a cookbook which will be available only as an eBook.  It ties in to The Sweetest Thing, whose heroine is a cook. It will be on sale April 15th for only $.99.  The best part? The FREE HEATING UP THE KITCHEN  link is now available! It includes Jill’s favorite recipes and Chapter 1 of her book.

Widget link: click here
For more from Jill be sure and visit her website, blog, and social networks listed here: 
Website: http://jillshalvis.com
Blog: http://jillshalvis.com/blog
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/JillShalvis
Twitter: http://twitter.com/JillShalvis
 
GIVEAWAY

THANKS TO BRIANNE AND THE FOLKS AT
HACHETTE BOOK GROUP, I HAVE 3 COPIES
OF THE SWEETEST THING TO GIVE AWAY


--U.S. AND CANADIAN RESIDENTS ONLY
--NO P. O. BOXES, PLEASE
--INCLUDE EMAIL ADDRESS IN COMMENT
 --ALL ENTRIES/COMMENTS MUST BE
SEPARATE IN ORDER TO COUNT
AS MORE THAN ONE ENTRY

HOW TO ENTER:
+1 ENTRY: COMMENT ABOUT WHAT YOU READ ABOVE AND WHY YOU WOULD LIKE TO WIN THIS BOOK
 
+1 MORE ENTRY: COMMENT ON SOMETHING YOU FIND INTERESTING ON AUTHOR JILL SHALVIS'S WEBSITE HERE


+1 MORE ENTRY: COMMENT ON A FAVORITE BEACH, OR BEACH TOWN, THAT YOU LIKE TO VISIT, OR WOULD LIKE TO VISIT...OF IF YOU DON'T CARE FOR THE BEACH, JUST SAY SO BUT MAYBE TELL WHY?

+1 MORE ENTRY: BLOG OR TWEET ABOUT THIS GIVEAWAY AND LEAVE A LINK I CAN FOLLOW IN THE ENTRY

GIVEAWAY ENDS AT
6 PM, EST, APRIL 13
GOOD LUCK!

78 comments:

Shannon said...

I enjoyed the first book in the series. Can't wait to read about Tara.
tiredwkids at live dot com

Shannon said...

The author had a recent encounter with bears. =)
tiredwkids at live dot com

Shannon said...

I would love to visit San Diego again. I went to college down there. =)
tiredwkids at live dot com

debbie said...

I would like to see who she chooses.
twoofakind12@yahoo.com

debbie said...

I would like to visit key west.
twoofakind12@yahoo.com

Unknown said...

I have been to Key West. It is very beautiful. Please enter me in contest. I would love to read the book. Tore923@aol.com

mamabunny13 said...

I like that the heroine is NOT sweet!
mamabunny13 at gmail dot com

mamabunny13 said...

tweet
http://twitter.com/#!/mamabunny13/status/54895669235826688
mamabunny13 at gmail dot com

mamabunny13 said...

I like to visit Key West, Florida
mamabunny13 at gmail dot com

Karen B said...

Anything by Jill is a must read - and her blog is a hoot!
kpbarnett1941[at]aol[dot]com

mamabunny13 said...

I thought Jill's Very Bear-y blog post was interesting!
mamabunny13 at gmail dot com

Karen B said...

ANOTHER bear encounter! I know that I would move!
kpbarnett1941[at]aol[dot]com

Karen B said...

Pompano Beach, FL. Good memories from when my folks lived there.
kpbarnett1941[at]aol[dot]com

Karen B said...

+ April Bonus - I LIKE BINGO ON FB.
kpbarnett1941[at]aol[dot]com

Sue Farrell said...

I like a couple of lines of description of the heroine---she's wound a little tight ---and here heart is in the right place. It makes her seem like a real person to me.

suefarrell.farrell@gmail.com

Sue Farrell said...

I loved the bears and garbage store on the author's website. Good pictures of the bears, too.

suefarrell.farrell@gmail.com

Sue Farrell said...

I would love to visit Myrtle Beach--so I could golf and lay in the sun on a vacation.

suefarrell.farrell@gmail.com

PoCoKat said...

The Lucky Harbor series looks good so I would like to read it.

pocokat AT gmail DOT com

PoCoKat said...

Cannon Beach in Oregon is always wonderful.

littleone AT shaw DOT ca

chey said...

I want to see who she chooses. I always enjoy Jill's books.

chey127 at hotmail dot com

Lisa said...

I love that the author said she got a lot of Tara's recipes from her husband. You got to love a guy that can cook.

Lisa, bell198(at)aol(dot)con

Lisa said...

+1
I love that the author gives us a breakdown of her "glamorous" day on her website.

Lisa, bell198(at)aol(dot)com

Lisa said...

+1
My favorite beach would have to be Sanibel Island. It's gorgeous and I love all the shells.

Lisa, bell198(at)aol(dot)com

traveler said...

An interesting book which appeals to me. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com

traveler said...

My favorite beach town is Wildwood. Wonderful. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com

traveler said...

Interesting photos on the author's site. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com

petite said...

Would like to read about Tara. rojosho(at)hotmail(dot)com

Lisa Richards/alterlisa said...

http://twitter.com/#!/alterlisa/status/54999933136289793
(\___/)
(='.'=)
(")_(")

alterlisa AT yahoo DOT com
http://lisaslovesbooksofcourse.blogspot.com/

petite said...

I enjoy the beach town Aptos. rojosho(at)hotmail(dot)com

petite said...

Her encounter with bears considering where she lives is normal. rojosho(at)hotmail(dot)com

Lisa Richards/alterlisa said...

As I live only about 5 hours from Myrtle Beach, SC and in 30+ years have made more than 300 trips there, I'll have to pick it as my fav. Did all my single lady parting here with my friends. Oh, the tales I could tell.

(\___/)
(='.'=)
(")_(")

alterlisa AT yahoo DOT com
http://lisaslovesbooksofcourse.blogspot.com/

lag123 said...

I love books set in beach towns and would love to read this one. I live in a beach town myself.

lag110 at mchsi dot com

lag123 said...

I love Jill's story about the encounter with the bear.

lag110 at mchsi dot com

lag123 said...

I LOVE the beach, and my fave is my local Pensacola Beach! The prettiest sugar white sand anywhere.

lag110 at mchsi dot com

Connie said...

I think the heroine is interesting and one of the men she likes is a sailor.
Haven't read a book by this author but would love to! Thanks for doing this! :)

aliasgirl1976@yahoo.com

Connie said...

I would like to go to any beach town since I haven't seen the ocean. I would really like to go to South Carolina...I heard it is beautiful there. :)

aliasgirl1976@yahoo.com

Nise' said...

Since this is A Lucky Harbor Novel is it book one?

Nise' said...

I love the beach town I live in! It is a great place to visit.

Pat L. said...

I like the fact that Alpha Man can cook.

I love Jill's books, so I would love to win this one.

patoct at yahoo dot com

Pat L. said...

Would love to visit any beach in Hawaii.

patoct at yahoo dot com

Pat L. said...

It is amazing how there are some dangerous animals sharing space with Jill; I cannot imagine going outside with my garbage and meeting a bear.

patoct at yahoo dot com

~Enamored Soul~ said...

Okay, I know this may sound incredibly cliched, but, I am Tara Daniels. Well, I was - until I met my "Alpha Man" while I was in school. This book sound like such an incredible read -- and just recently NYT Bestselling author Susan Mallery featured the recipe for Good Morning Sunshine Casserole from "The Sweetest Thing" on her website, and that got me to check out the book - and now you've featured it on your website, which just seals the fact that it is going to be an excellent read for me! :)

Thank you for this amazing giveaway opportunity!

Email: Enamoredsoul(at)gmail(dot)com
Twitter: @inluvwithbookz

~Enamored Soul~ said...

I absolutely adore reading author Jill Shalvis's blog - since I follow her on Twitter, as well. She was recently in the hospital, but she's recovering, for which we (all of her readers) are very relieved & thankful.

I also love how in the "About Jill" section, she highlights her usual day, just to showcase to her reader how darn unglamorous the life of a writer is. But even in writing about the must mundane things - author Shalvis uses wit and humor to make it funny and relatable. I love it! :)

Email: Enamoredsoul(at)gmail(dot)com
Twitter: @inluvwithbookz

~Enamored Soul~ said...

I was really surprised to read about this "Lucky Harbor" series by Jill Shalvis, and it was such a pleasant coincidence to me since I recently read a novel called "Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor" by Lisa Kleypas (nice book - sounds awful lot like "Christmas at Lucky Harbor" by Jill Shalvis, no!??!) Anyhow, that book got me thinking about visiting "Friday Harbor" which is a real place in the Pacific Northwest, off the coast of the state of Washington. So now, I imagine "Lucky Harbor" to be just like Friday Harbor as well, which makes me want to visit it so badly!

And my personal favorite beach would have to be "Johnson's Beach" by the Russian River in the city of Guerneville, CA. It's not a beach by the sea, but for me it's the 'real deal' anyway - with its kayaks, canoes and paddle boats...its an incredibly beautiful place, with lots of fun for the family! :)

Email: Enamoredsoul(at)gmail(dot)com
Twitter: @inluvwithbookz

~Enamored Soul~ said...

I tweeted about the giveaway:

http://twitter.com/#!/inluvwithbookz/status/55187923263430657

Email: Enamoredsoul(at)gmail(dot)com
Twitter: @inluvwithbookz

scottsgal said...

I like the cooking aspect of the book and food references
msboatgal at aol.com

scottsgal said...

I like her schedule - cute
msboatgal at aol.com

scottsgal said...

LOVE the beach - especially anywhere in the Caribbean - Trunks Bay is a favorite
msboatgal at aol.com

BRN2SHOP9 said...

sound's like a good book!

Pamela Keener said...

My favorite setting for a book is the beach. I have never read Jill's books but this one sounds like a great read.
Love & Hugs,
Pam
pk4290(at)comcast(dot)net

Pamela Keener said...

There are so many beaches I have yet to discover. I'd love to go to Hilton Head, Myrtle Beach, Daytona. The prettiest beach I have been to was Ewa Beach in Hawaii. It could have been that we spent umpteen hours on the flight to Hawaii and when we landed in Honolulu I was so dissapointed in all the mayhem of the city. My brother took us to Ewa Beach that night and this was the Hawaii I wanted to see.
Love & Hugs,
Pam
pk4290(at)comcast(dot)net

M. said...

Never read this author, but I'm a sucker for umbrellas on covers and this title is getting good buzz over at Goodreads.

mayamissani AT yahoo DOT ca

+1 how multitalented can one person be, to succeed in writing fiction and nonfiction both????

Laura H. said...

Jill was a new author for me when I read "Simply Irresistible" which is the first book in the Lucky Harbor series and I've been a fan ever since! This series reminds me a lot of Debbie Macomber's Cedar Cove series (which I absolutely love!) only a little hotter!!

BornajhawkATaolDOTcom

Laura H. said...

I enjoyed reading "The Making of" which provides insight into her book ideas. Unfortunately, she didn't have one up yet for "The Sweetest Thing" but I'm sure it will be just as entertaining as the other "makings of".

BornajhawkATaolDOTcom

Laura H. said...

My favorite beach is Hither Hills on Long Island. There's something about standing on the shore and looking out over the water and wondering at the vastness of the ocean. I also love the soothing sound of waves crashing on the beach. It's the ultimate relaxation spot for me.

BornajhawkATaolDOTcom

Laura H. said...

Tweeted giveaway: http://twitter.com/#!/MamaHendo3/status/56148602673840128

BornajhawkATaolDOTcom

Laura H. said...

"I like Bingo on FB!" (Laura G. Henderson)

BornajhawkATaolDOTcom

Linda Kish said...

It sounds like a nice romantic book.

lkish77123 at gmail dot com

Linda Kish said...

I love Malibu.

lkish77123 at gmail dot com

Linda Kish said...

I loved her "A glamorous day in the life of a romance writer". Sounded more like a comedy writer.

lkish77123 at gmail dot com

holdenj said...

I would love to read about these sisters and Lucky Harbor! Thanks!
JHolden955(at)gmail(dot)com

holdenj said...

I think a beach area I've never been to and would love to visit would be down in the Florida Keys.
JHolden955(at)gmail(dot)com

holdenj said...

I enjoyed Jill's shell-packed site and chuckled at her Glamorous Day in the Life of a Romance Writer.
JHolden955(at)gmail(dot)com

donnas said...

Sounds like a fun book. Thanks for the chance!

bacchus76 at myself dot com

donnas said...

tweet - http://twitter.com/#!/DonnaS1/status/56596581138440192

bacchus76 at myself dot com

Anonymous said...

I'd like to read this book because I need a romance even if it isn't mine lol


pattifritz2000 at yahoo dot com
thanks a lot!!

Anita Yancey said...

As always I love books that have a soldier in the story. Even better if there is a secret or secrets. Please enter me. Thanks!

ayancey(at)dishmail(dot)net

Anita Yancey said...

Visited Jill's site, and find it interesting that she has written over four dozen romance novels.

ayancey(at)dishmail(dot)net

Anita Yancey said...

My favorite beach is Ft. Walton Beach,FL. My family loved it.

ayancey(at)dishmail(dot)net

Anonymous said...

lovesthemets at yahoo dot com

Interesting to hear about the bear incident and that Jill's hubby is a good cook. The cookbook sounds great as well at new books as well.

Natalie's Mama

Anonymous said...

That bear thing sounds creepy.

gmapeony@yahoo.com

Anonymous said...

I love Jill's books, so would like to win the 2nd in the series.

gmapeony@yahoo.com

Anonymous said...

I bet the beaches in Hawaii or Calif. are awesome.

gmapeony at yahood dot com

Nancye said...

I would love to win a copy of this book! It sounds great! I would love to find out about the past that has to be confronted. What happened? Sounds intriguing.........

nancyecdavis AT bellsouth DOT net

Nancye said...

I checked out Jill's website and linked over to her blog....I love it! Jill has such a sarcastic sense of humor when describing what a typical day is like! A girl after my own heart! (I'm just a wee bit sarcastic........LOL!)

nancyecdavis AT bellsouth DOT net

Nancye said...

Tweet! Tweet!
@NancyeDavis

http://twitter.com/#!/NancyeDavis/status/58283480550879232

nancyecdavis AT bellsouth DOT net

Nancye said...

+5 Swag Bucks

nancyecdavis AT bellsouth DOT net

Nancye said...

The beaches I love are:
1. Myrtle Beach
2. Naples, Florida
3. Ft. Walton Beach, Florida
4. Destin, Florida

I could be packed up and ready to leave for any of these beaches in about 20 minutes! I love all of these beaches because they are beautiful, family friendly, and relaxing.

nancyecdavis AT bellsouth DOT net

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