Welcome Harlequin and Samhain Publishing author, Tina Leonard...




 Hi, Tina and welcome back to my site! Great to have you here and to be a part of your ongoing tour - LOVING the new cover. YUM!!

On with the questions…

1)         Did you set any goals for 2014?

I do set goals!  I’m a total believer in setting goals, both writing and otherwise. 

2)         Who or what has been your biggest influence as a writer?

My biggest influence as a writer is a layered question!  My grandmother encouraged me to write a romance, so I agreed to give it a try.  I love to read just about anything, and consider myself a student of the written.  I believe that we can learn a lot from those who are writers, whether published or not. 


3)         How long does it take you to write a 50,000-60,000 word manuscript?

Sometimes I can write a book of that size in a couple of weeks; sometimes it may take me a couple of months.  When I’m sketching out a book, the plotting may take a couple of years or more, depending on the project.  I don’t submit it until I feel the project is “ready” for me to give it my utmost support and enthusiasm.
  
4)         Tell us about a new author you’ve recently discovered

I have a couple of new-to-me authors! RaeAnne Thayne and Amanda Renee!

5)         Name two romances you’ve read more than once

Anything by Jennifer Crusie, Jane Austen, and Katie Macalister!

6)         Tell us about your first car

My first car was a yellow Pontiac with a white top that got 6-8 miles to the gallon.  It broke down every thirty miles, but I loved that car.  My grandfather gave it to me, and it was one of the proudest moments of my life!  I named it Spooky, and I think I still have the card somewhere where my grandmother “drew” a picture of the little car zooming around, in which they gave me the car.

7)         Where can we find you?

Usually on my sofa writing!

Hotter Than Texas
by Tina Leonard

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BLURB:

Perfection takes time, but desire waits for no man. Or woman…

Pecan Creek, Book 1

With more than one skeleton rattling in her closet, Sugar Cassavechia hopes “The Most Honest Town in Texas” will be the perfect place to start an online business. As soon as her mother remembers the family recipe that’ll get hotterthanhellnuts.com off the ground.

In the meantime, no way is Sugar letting their new landlord get away with renting them a run-down house that’s decorated like a rich widow’s orgasm. Even if he’s the biggest hunk of hot she’s ever laid eyes on.

Jake Bentley would love to do nothing but sit back and be amused as the Cassavechia women unwittingly stir up trouble in his uptight town. But something about them thaws out his frozen rescue complex. Especially Sugar’s long, chestnut hair and sassy mouth.

Right about the time Sugar figures one steamy night in Jake’s bed won’t hurt, another skeleton joins the party in the form of a dead body in the “Belle Watling” room. And Sugar must decide if her family’s reputation—and her own heart—are safe with Jake.

Product Warnings

No sex in this book. Nope. None. Nada. Honest. Now, if you believe that, the author has an iceberg in Texas to sell you. Better hurry before there’s none left to cool the fevered dreams generated by this book.
EXCERPT

Twenty minutes later, Jake had driven by his house, grabbed a six pack of beer and a bag of chocolate chip cookies—comfort food—and headed down the road to the creek. He had to think, and the only place he could think in peace and quiet without Kel’s issues or his mother’s fixation with the Hot Nuts, or Averie wanting to relive their relationship, was his private hideaway.

He passed Sugar and Paris walking down the road, looking like she might be heading into town. “Don’t do this,” he told himself and backed up his truck.

“Hey,” he said, and she smiled at him.“Hi.”Just her smile made his muscles relax. He hadn’t realized how tense he was until he breathed out at the sight of her. “Where are you two ladies off to?” “We’re heading into town. We’re going to get a new dog bowl and a bag of dog treats.”He looked at Paris, the world’s most spoiled dog now, and her beautiful red-haired mother. Paris had on an autumn-leaf-themed kerchief around her neck. Sugar wore capri jeans and a green top that showed just a bit of her waist, and he wanted to sit and stare at her all afternoon.

“Where are you going?” Sugar asked.

“Just going to head off for a bit.”

“Oh.” Sugar smiled. “Have fun.” She started walking again, and he watched her fanny move from side to side in the tight jeans, and groaned.

She was dynamite in his world, capable of blowing his heart to bits. He knew that now, but he wasn’t entirely sure it mattered.


AUTHOR Bio and Links:

USA Today Bestselling and award-winning author Tina Leonard has sold over 2.6 million copies of her titles. She has made the USA Today Bestseller, Waldenbooks, Bookscan, and Ingrambook lists, and has written and contracted seventy-one books and special projects. Her work has been published by Harlequin, Samhain Publishing, Robinson Scarlet, and most recently Random House Loveswept contracted for a single title trilogy project, Hell’s Outlaws. Leonard was chosen to be among the first authors published for Robinson’s Scarlet line, writing four single title novels for that imprint. Not long after, she sold on proposal to Harlequin American, where she has since written several popular series, most notably the Cowboys By The Dozen, Morgan Men, and Callahan Cowboys series. Her newest single title project, HOTTER THAN TEXAS, was published in March 2013. Leonard is known for her fun sense of humor, endearing communities, snappy dialogue, and memorable characters.

Join Tina at www.tinaleonard.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/tinaleonardbooks


 

Tina will be awarding a $50 Amazon GC to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour.


Follow the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better your chances of winning. The tour dates can be found here: 
 Comments??

13 comments

  1. This sounds like such a fun book to read.

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    1. Thank you, MomJane! It was fun to write! :)

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  2. Hi, Rachel! Thank you so much for hosting me!

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  3. Hi, Rita! *waves* I really enjoyed Sugar and Jake's romance, and the madcap little matchmakers! Thanks for stopping by! :)

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  4. hi tina. as usual your books are excellent in writing and style. I have introduced some friends to your books. They stated that they would get or located the next Tina Leonard book in the series. Your books are well writen, witty' and has characters which are easy to relate to and are human with flaws.Your characters come to life from the pages of your books. As a reader you begin to relate to them and can't wait for the next twist and turn in the dialogue and you root for the good characters and dispise the bad ones. While reading one of your books' the reader takes on the lives of people that you are reading about and can't wiait to see what the next twist and turns that are thrown at the characters. Keep writng and I'll keep reading.

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  5. Thanks for sharing the interview and excerpt! Sounds like a hot book. evamillien at gmail dot com

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  6. The Product Warning just cracked me up. Another reason to read on.

    marypres(AT)gmail(DOT)com

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  7. Sounds like a good read. I'm looking forward to reading the book.

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  8. Sounds like a great read!!
    Thanks for the chance to win!
    natasha_donohoo_8 at hotmail dot com

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  9. Lovely interview, thx for sharing.

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  10. Enjoyed reading the excerpt and your interview

    kareninnc at gmail dot com

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