About the Novella: Finding love should be easy, but wedding photographer Pheobe Ward knows better. When Cupid shows up on a crazy mission to help her—and save the world in the process—Phoebe realizes love might be even more complicated than she thought. Even with Cupid showing her Mr. Right, she can’t stop thinking about his best friend, Mr. Wrong.

Cal Crawford has never had time for love, but now he’s falling for Phoebe. Which means it’s got to be just plain wrong to set her up with his best friend, right? But even though seeing Phoebe with someone else will break his heart, he can’t walk away from her.

Phoebe can’t afford to choose the wrong guy with the fate of the world at stake. But maybe Cupid has it wrong. Maybe she has to rely just a little bit on Cupid, and a whole lot more on her heart.

Purchase Links

~Amazon~

My thoughts: This was a really cute story and you should be able to read it in under an hour. Even with the short format, you could still feel the attraction and the tension between Cal and Phoebe, and the forced attraction between Phoebe and Adam. Story left me thinking about all the things that would be missing in my life if love didn't exist in the world. Great little novella.

Other books reviewed from this author: Kissing Kendall

~I received a complimentary ecopy of A Little Bit Cupid from Entangled Publishing in exchange for my unbiased review.~

About the author: Jennifer Shirk has a bachelor degree in pharmacy--which has in NO WAY at all helped her with her writing career. But she likes to point it out, since it shows romantic-at-hearts come in all shapes, sizes, and mind-numbing educations.

She writes sweet (and sometimes even funny) romances for Samhain Publishing, Avalon Books/Montlake Romance and now Entangled Publishing. She won third place in the RWA 2006 NYC's Kathryn Hayes Love and Laughter Contest with her first book, The Role of a Lifetime.
Lately she's been on a serious exercise kick. But don't hold that against her.
Feel free to follow her on Twitter or become a friend on Facebook.
Social Media Links:Twitter: https://twitter.com/JenniferShirk
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/authorjennifershirk
Website: http://www.jennifershirk.com/
Blog: http://www.jennifershirk.blogspot.com/
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3112488.Jennifer_Shirk

Hi, all! Jennifer here!

Thanks so much to Books and Needlepoint for having me today!

Some of you may or may not know that I have romantic comedy out now called A Little Bit Cupid. It's set in Boston, MA. Boston is not exactly what you would call "paradise" but it does happen to be one of my favorite cities in the U.S.

Want to know what places I DO consider paradise?

Oh, good! Because I have a list. And as of yet, I have never set a book in one of these places. Maybe it's time I change that!

Ten Places I Consider Paradise

10) Napa Valley Wine Country in CA --rolling hills, vineyards, and wine. So lovely that I've vacationed there FOUR times!

9) Charleston, SC--the lush plantations, the palm trees--and the food! The hubby and I totally ate our way through this city.

8) Bonita Springs, FL --where I go and visit the in-laws when they're in FL.

7) Marblehead, MA--true New England feel along the water, quaint shops, and the birthplace of the Navy.

6) Glacier National Park, MT-- the mountains, the views, the clean air!

5) Puerto Rico-- the aqua-colored water, the great food--and no need for passports. :)

4) The Atlantis, in Nassau, Bahamas-- true heaven, all the amenities you could ever want and more. Vacationed there four times too!

3)Newport, RI all the yachts, the lovely New England coast, and the mansions. So pretty!

2) Ocean City, NJ Yes, little NJ has a piece of paradise in the south. BEST BEACH in the east coast, in my humble opinion.

1) Home Ha! Sorry, but I do tend to me a bit of a homebody. I love stay vacations the best!

And there's my list. Have you to been to any of these places?

Well, you should check them out. And you should also check out my romance A Little Bit Cupid--not paradise, but very sweet and fun!

Thanks for having me today!

What place do you consider paradise?

Thursday, February 14, 2013

Happy Valentine's Day! Giveaway of A Little Bit Cupid!

Shared by Kristi

It's Valentine's Day! And you know what that means -- love is in the air! And nowhere is that more apparent that at Entangled Publishing. We're sharing A LITTLE BIT CUPID with you today, and wish you a day filled with romance and of course, CUPID.

A LITTLE BIT CUPID, by Jennifer Shirk: Finding love should be easy, but wedding photographer Pheobe Ward knows better. When Cupid shows up on a crazy mission to help her —and save the world in the process—Phoebe realizes love might be even more complicated than she thought. Even with Cupid showing her Mr. Right , she can’t stop thinking about his best friend, Mr. Wrong.

Cal Crawford has never had time for love, but now he’s falling for Phoebe. Which means it’s got to be just plain wrong to set her up with his best friend, right? But even though seeing Phoebe with someone else will break his heart, he can’t walk away from her.

Phoebe can’t afford to choose the wrong guy with the fate of the world at stake. But maybe Cupid has it wrong. Maybe she has to rely just a little bit on Cupid, and a whole lot more on her heart.

Get your copy today for only 99 cents!

To get you in the Valentine's Day mood, download A LITTLE BIT CUPID and then enter to win our CUPID inspired giveaway! One lucky winner will receive a swag bag that includes an eBook of A LITTLE BIT CUPID, an eBook of KISSING KENDALL, and a box of chocolates!

Just enter using the Rafflecopter widget below--today only, so spread the love this Valentine's Day!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Friday, January 18, 2013

Book Review and Interview: Kissing Kendall by Jennifer Shirk

Shared by Kristi

Title: Kissing Kendall
Author: Jennifer Shirk
Publisher: Entangled Publishing (Bliss)

About the Book: Kendall Grisbaum is finally taking charge of her life—pouring her heart into opening a new bakery business and even allowing her best friend Georgie to play matchmaker for her. Trouble is, the one guy she secretly wants is Georgie’s older brother, Brad, who is decidedly off limits.

Brad can’t seem to get his little sister’s best friend out of his mind. He and Kendall used to be close friends, too, and as a local policeman, Brad can’t help but play protector, looking out for Kendall. When he offers to help her renovate her new bakery space on the side, their friendship—and their attraction—flares back to life.

Amid the temptation of doughnut muffins and blueberry cobbler, a new temptation draws them both closer. Can they take a chance on love when it means risking their friendship, even when not doing so risks everything?

My thoughts: This was a fun and quick book to read, and was just what I needed to make me sit for awhile this week. I was attracted to this book first off because of the title. My maiden name is Kendall and I always thought it would be neat to have a daughter named Kendall (that didn't happen, but my daughter says if she ever has a boy she is going to name HIM Kendall - Oh well, close enough!)

I really liked Kendall and while I didn't feel sorry for her (she had lost her husband Jake, a fireman, after just a couple of months of marriage), I did feel sympathy for her. Even though she hadn't really started living again - after two years - she didn't really hit me as the type that would let you feel sorry for her. She has some great friends in Georgie and Dee - but especially Georgie. They want what is best for her and never tire in telling her what they think that is.

On their urging she makes up her mind to go ahead and open up a bakery - something she has always wanted to do. This also brings Brad, Georgie's brother, a reason to spend more time with her. Brad and Kendall had been friends until Kendall married Jake. What Kendall didn't realize was that Brad had more than just "friend" feelings for Kendall.

I loved the chemistry between Brad and Kendall. I am not sure why it works for some authors when they write scenes that take chemistry, but it definitely worked here! You could almost see the sparks sizzling off the page (ok - off the Nook, and No, I hadn't spilled something on it!) I got to the first good part when I was sitting in the dentist chair and had to put it away! I couldn't wait to get home so I could start reading it again.

If you need a quick, pick-me-up romance - especially with Valentine's around the corner - pick up Kissing Kendall!

~I received a complimentary ebook of Kissing Kendall from Entangled Publishing in exchange for my honest review.~

Purchase links:
Amazon
Barnes & Noble

Jennifer was nice enough to take some time out of her busy schedule to answer some questions for me! Please welcome her to Books and Needlepoint!

DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE AUTHOR/BOOK OR ONE YOU ALWAYS RECOMMEND?

Hands down my all-time favorite author is Susan Elizabeth Phillips. Her humor is THE best. Plus she has a great way of taking unlikeable characters in the beginning then making you root for them by the end of the book. My favorites are HONEY MOON and NOBODY’S BABY BUT MINE.

Check them out!

DO YOU HAVE MUCH SAY IN THE TITLE OR COVERS OF YOUR BOOKS?

Well, it really depends on the publishing house. But I can say that with Entangled Books, they’re really great at listening to your suggestions. They manage to nail exactly what I’ve wanted both times.

WHAT IS SOMETHING PEOPLE WOULD BE SURPRISED TO KNOW ABOUT YOU?

Hmm…I don’t know if there is much left to me that I haven’t already purged on my blog. But people may not be aware that I am a HUGE Three Stooges fan.

We just watched the new Three Stooges movie with our son and he loved it. There might be another Three Stooges fan now!

WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO DO IN YOUR SPARE TIME?

First off, what spare time? LOL! But most often than not, I’m either reading or trying out a new recipe. I do love to cook!

HOW DOES YOUR FAMILY FEEL ABOUT HAVING A WRITER IN THE FAMILY? DO THEY READ YOUR BOOKS?

My in-laws tend to be my BIGGEST fans—especially my father-in-law, who is a big Tom Clancy reader and so not a romance fan. Both of them have read everything I’ve written and don’t hesitate to brag to all their friends. I think that’s both hilarious and sweet. J

NIGHT OWL OR EARLY BIRD? Early! Well, fairly early.

FAVORITE SEASON? Summer hands down. I live in a beach resort. Nuff said.

FAVORITE SPORT? I LOVE baseball—especially going to live games. When I first got married, we lived in the Boston area for five years and made it to Fenway Park dozens of times. I’m still a BIG Red Sox fan.

TALK OR TEXT? Texting all the way! (except to my mom and to my in-laws) J

CAT OR DOG? I’m a huge dog person and am looking to adopt one right now. (Just don’t tell my kiddo that yet)

That's so cool! I am hoping to add a new puppy to our mix in March!

This was so much fun! Thanks so much for having me!

I hope you all get to check out my sweet romance KISSING KENDALL and also my upcoming Valentine’s novella A LITTLE BIT CUPID released this month, which is guaranteed to be UBER FUN!

About Jennifer Shirk: : Jennifer Shirk has a bachelor degree in pharmacy--which has in NO WAY at all helped her with her writing career. But she likes to point it out, since it shows romantic-at-hearts come in all shapes, sizes, and mind-numbing educations.

She writes sweet (and sometimes even funny) romances for Samhain Publishing, Avalon Books/Montlake Romance and now Entangled Publishing. She won third place in the RWA 2006 NYC's Kathryn Hayes Love and Laughter Contest with her first book, The Role of a Lifetime.

Lately she's been on a serious exercise kick. But don't hold that against her.

Feel free to follow her on Twitter or become a friend on Facebook.

Social Media Links:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JenniferShirk
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/authorjennifershirk
Website: http://www.jennifershirk.com/
Blog: http://www.jennifershirk.blogspot.com/
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3112488.Jennifer_Shirk

For all my readers - I will be spotlighting A Little Bit Cupid on Valentine's day and reviewing it in February - so come back and check it out!

Kissing Kendall

Publisher/Publication Date: Bliss, December 2012

ISBN: 978-1-62266-813-7

202 pages

Contemporary Romance