Tag Archives: Magnolia Beach

More Than Anything by Kimberly Lang- Review, Interview & Giveaway

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More Than Anything by Kimberly Lang – Review, Interview & Giveaway

 

Amazon / B&N / Kobo / BAM / Book Depository

Description:
The small, waterfront town of Magnolia Beach, Alabama, gets its fair share of tourists breezing in and out, but one handsome visitor might just be tempted to stay…
 
Running the Bay Breeze marina means Shelby Tanner is used to fielding strange requests from vacationers, but she is still less than amused when she gets a call in the middle of the night to rescue a boat stranded nearby. The clueless sailor is infuriatingly inexperienced—yet also frustratingly attractive.
 
Architect Declan Hyde only planned on stopping in Alabama briefly on his move from Chicago to Miami, but Magnolia Beach is proving to be more captivating than he imagined. For one thing, there’s the sweet, Southern charm. For another, there’s the stunning tomboy who rescued him from the bay and keeps invading his thoughts.
 
As the time draws near for Declan to weigh anchor, he begins to realize that Shelby may have saved more than his boat that night—and leaving Magnolia Beach might set his lonely heart permanently adrift…

 

Review:

More Than Anything by Kimberly Lang is the 3rd book in her Magnolia Beach series.  Shelby Tanner is our heroine in this book, and we met her in the first book of this series.   Shelby runs the Bay Breeze marina for her family, and she loves her job, even if she is always on call.   In the middle of the night, she gets an emergency call for help from a vacationer stranded on a boat.  Declan Hyde, our hero, is the stranger who needs to be rescued by Shelby.  Declan comes across as a loner, since people in Magnolia Beach never see him, including Shelby.  Declan is an architect, who is starting a new job in Miami in a couple of months.  His friend loaned him the boat to stay on, and Declan keeps to himself, reading and watching tv. 

Shelby finds him strange, but is determined to teach Declan how to use the controls on the boat in an emergency.  What follows is a friendship that will blossom into a scorching romance.  Both Declan and Shelby know this is short term only, but they are enjoying the benefits.  Declan, with Shelby’s persuasion, gets himself out into the town and meets all the townsfolk, including the overprotective Tanner family.  It was fun to watch Shelby’s family; especially her brother and cousins who put pressure on Declan.  In time, Declan learns more about Shelby, her life as the only Tanner girl, and her secret plans to upgrade the marina.  Of course, Shelby never thinks anyone will pay attention to her, but Declan pushes and helps her to explore the possibilities for the future of Bay Breeze marina.

As things continue to get hotter between Shelby and Declan, their feelings for each other become stronger, thereby creating problems when Declan’s job sends him away from Shelby and Magnolia Beach. Will Shelby be able to forget Declan?  Will Declan miss Shelby and Magnolia Beach?

I really loved their romance, and Lang did a fantastic job creating such a sweet storyline.  More Than Anything was a fun, sweet, enjoyable romance, and the town of Magnolia Beach remains a fun place to visit.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

Interview 1

Hi Kimberly.  Thank you for taking the time today, to answer some questions for our members at The Reading Café.  We are always looking forward to reading about the author behind the book.

 

 

Kimberly:  Hi there! I’m so happy to be here and will endeavor to be interesting (or at least entertaining!).

 

 

 

TRC:  Would you please tell us something about yourself?

Kimberly:   I’m a Sagittarius. I have a close, personal relationship with tea. I humor my dog’s neuroses a little too much sometimes. The Nerd Wars rage in my home (Liberal Arts Nerd vs. Science/Tech Nerd), and I think I am losing.  I love the soundtrack to The Little Mermaid.

TRC:  Did you always have an interest in writing?  When and how did you first start writing?

Kimberly:  Like many English majors, I always threatened to write a book, and I always said that book would be a romance. Although I’ve been telling myself stories for years, I didn’t start writing those stories until I was in my 30s. I guess it took a while for me to work up the courage. I have a background in dance, so I was already familiar with the idea of being “good, but not good enough,” and I think that worry held me back for a while. I finally submitted my first manuscript in 2004 and sold (a completely revised version of it) in 2008.

TRC:  More Than Anything, the 3rd book in your Magnolia Beach series, was released on Tuesday.   For our members who have not read this series, can you tell us the premise of the Magnolia Beach?

Kimberly:  It’s the lives and times of the good people of Magnolia Beach, a small town on the Alabama coast, where the men are all ridiculously good-looking — and single — Alpha males.  

TRC:  How did you come up with the idea of Magnolia Beach, and how many books are you planning for this series?

Kimberly:  The Magnolia Beach books give me the chance to celebrate everything I love about the South and poke fun at it, too. It’s all rooted in truth, so there’s both freedom and joy in writing what I know. As for how many books… Well, there are more stories to tell, so if the readers are willing to read them, I’ll be happy to write them.

TRC:  Can you please give us a brief description of More Than Anything?

Kimberly:  This is Shelby Tanner’s story, the one girl in a generation of Tanner boys, who meets a handsome recluse who’s only in town for a short while. He needs something to believe in, and she needs someone to believe in her.

TRC:  You write Contemporary Romance. Have you thought about writing in other genres?

Kimberly:  I read in many genres, especially historical, and while I toy with the idea occasionally, I don’t think I’ll try.  I love contemporary too much and have too much fun writing it to do anything else.

TRC:  What is your writing process?  Do you like to outline your story before you start? Do you have a specific place you like to write?  Is there a special time of day that works best for you?

Kimberly:  I am learning to outline. I’m not great at it yet, but I’m trying. For the most part, I write in the mornings, either at my desk (with Cupid snoring behind me under the printer) or curled up in the recliner. Wherever I am, I have to have my tea. 🙂

TRC:  What books, authors or people in your life have influenced your writing? 

Kimberly:  Professionally, I’m fortunate to have a supportive group of writer friends who offer both great advice and support and are definitely an influence. Creatively, Jenny Crusie, Julia Quinn, Julie Garwood, Linda Howard, and Linda Winstead Jones — that’s the kind of writer I want to be.

TRC:  When you are not writing, what other interests or hobbies do you have?

Kimberly:   I teach a combination yoga-Pilates class (it’s fun and it combats the time I spend — and the snacking I do —  in my chair). I love crossword puzzles, and one day, I am determined to learn to knit.

TRC:  Would you like to add anything else?

Kimberly:  I borrowed a song from Chapman James, a songwriter friend of mine, to use in the book because it’s perfect for Declan and Shelby’s story. “My Soul’s in Alabama” speaks to Declan because it helps him see what he’s leaving behind. It’s a beautiful song, and you can get a listen here: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/chapmanjames2

 

LIGHTNING ROUND

Favorite Food: Anything Mexican (please add extra guacamole).

Favorite Dessert:  Lemon things — lemon icebox pie, lemon bars, lemon cake with glaze…

Favorite TV Show:  Right now, Jane the Virgin and Reign. I’m binging Reign on my own — it’s got royals and drama and romance and intrigue — and Jane the Virgin is something I’m watching with my daughter. It’s both campy and sweet, and we’re addicted.

Favorite Movie or TV Celebrity: Dame Maggie Smith.  She’s a genius in everything.

Favorite Fictional Character (not your own):  I’m loving Matthew from Jane the Virgin right now. He’s a sweet beta in an Alpha job and role. He screws up, but he owns it and his love for Jane is never in question.

Milk or Dark Chocolate:  Milk. I feel that dark requires a maturity I don’t have.

Dog or Cat:  It would break my Cupid’s heart for me to say anything other than dog.

TRC:  Thank you Kimberly, for taking the time to answer our questions.  We wish you the best of luck with More Than Anything. 

Kimberly:  My pleasure! Thanks for having me!

If you want to learn more about Kimberly Lang, you can check out the following links:
Website / Facebook / Twitter / Goodreads

giveaway

Kimberly’s publisher is offering a paper copy of MORE THAN ANYTHING to ONE (1) lucky commenter at The Reading Cafe.

1. If you have not previously registered at The Reading Cafe, please register by using the log-in at the top of the page (side bar) or by using one of the social log-ins.

2. If you are using a social log-in, please post your email address with your comment.

3. Please LIKE us on FACEBOOK and click GET NOTIFICATIONS

4. Please FOLLOW us on Twitter for an additional entry.

5. Please FOLLOW us on GOODREADS for an additional entry.

6. Follow Kimberly Lang   on Facebook.

7. Giveaway is open to USA only

9. Giveaway runs from December 8 –12, 2016

 

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Everything At Last by Kimberly Lang – Review & Giveaway

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Everything At Last by Kimberly Lang – Review, Guest Post & Giveaway

 

Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / BAM / The Book Depository

Description:
At first sight, Molly Richards knew Magnolia Beach, Alabama, was the perfect place to escape her unhappy life. And though she’s proud of the small coffee shop she’s opened, something is missing. But she won’t let herself be burned by love—again.

Veterinarian Tate Harris finds the local dating scene awkward, since he’s known most of the eligible ladies his whole life. But he’s finding it hard to resist the unassuming charm of the sweet-faced owner of Latte Dah. And when a late-night pet emergency finds Tate at Molly’s house, that fascination turns into a potent mutual attraction.

But just as their relationship begins to take off, Molly’s haunted past returns. Fortunately, Tate is determined to help Molly fight for the life she’s been wishing for…

 

 

Review:

Everything at Last by Kimberly Lang is the 2nd book in her Magnolia Beach series. Our hero is Tate Harris, whom we met in the first book, Something to Prove. Tate is the town veterinarian, a far cry from the young wild boy who ran the town ragged with Helena as teenagers. Helena was our first book heroine, and remains best friends with Tate, as well as with Molly Richards, our heroine.

Molly runs the local coffee shop, and is happy that she found Magnolia Beach three years before. What people don’t know is that Molly ran away from an unhappy and abusive relationship, and is always on guard that her ex will find her.

Helena tries to push her best friends to get together, only to create some unintended bad feelings. Because Molly is forced to take over running the annual charity event, her and Tate begin working together. This is a slow build romance, with them both starting off as only friends. Tate is busy in his life, and always worrying about his sisters, he doesn’t have or want to be involved in a relationship. In this case, neither does Molly, who has a past that haunts her. But despite their determination to stay only as friends, best laid plans do not always work out.

I do not want to give spoilers, but this was a sweet romance between two people whose hearts are buried deep. It is Molly’s past that will come forth to possibly destroy this budding romance. Magnolia Beach is a small town, and secrets do tend to be not private anymore. But what are small towns for, other than helping one of their own, which is always fun. Helena and others will play a big part to fight to bring Tate and Molly together.   But first Molly must reveal her past, get help to move forward and Tate must also open his heart.

Everything at Last was a very good story, though I did feel the first book was better, but that could be due to the wonderful Helena. Kimberly Lang does a good job in making us part of Magnolia Beach. I suggest you start with the first book, though this could be read very well as a standalone.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

Guest Post

One of the questions I get asked a lot is “Are your characters based on real people?” The short answer is “no.” The slightly longer answer is “Not in any specific way, because everything is inspired by something, somewhere, and it all gets mixed together.” Friends and family are the worst about finding themselves in a character. I’ve gotten emails from people insisting that some event is totally about them or wondering why I put cousin Joe in the book but not them.

But it’s always a surprise to me that they see it that way. Sure, there might be a nod here or there, but as the disclaimer in the front of the book says, it’s all the product of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to them is simply the byproduct of their own guilty consciences.

For the first time, though, I have to say yes, I do have a character inspired by and named after someone in my past. It’s Nigel, the feline companion to Molly, the heroine of Everything at Last.

Fictional Nigel is a grumpy, possessive kitty, very in tune with Molly’s emotions and the center of her universe. He also doesn’t like the hero, Tate, very much. He’s fluffy and soft and gray. And did I mention he’s grumpy?

Real Nigel was also fluffy, soft, gray, and pretty darn grumpy. His human, Rebecca, let me move in for a couple of months, and Real Nigel only tolerated me slightly better than Fictional Nigel tolerates Tate. Rebecca had a table with a long tablecloth in the hallway that I called Nigel’s Lair, and I learned very quickly to veer widely around it if I liked my ankles unattacked. But Nigel loved Rebecca, and Rebecca loved Nigel. He’d lay in her lap, legs akimbo, for belly rubs while we watched TV, and he would shoot me dirty looks if I got too close to Rebecca. One night, Nigel was giving me the hairy eyeball from across the room, so I intentionally cuddled up close to Rebecca on the couch. His reaction was quite amusing, and we had a good laugh — as soon as I finished bandaging the scratch marks on my arms.

In a way, his grumpiness was part of his charm, and I fell a little in love with him, too. About the time I moved out — probably because he knew I was about to move out — Nigel finally warmed up to me a little and would let me pet him if Rebecca wasn’t around.

The first mention of Molly’s cat is in the first Magnolia Beach book, Something to Prove. He had a different name because I hadn’t thought that much about him. As I started writing Everything at Last, and Molly’s cat was developing a personality, I realized I’d been basing him on Nigel. I decided I might as well go all the way and name him Nigel, too. Thankfully, I was able to change the cat’s name in the final set of revisions of Something to Prove, a move which had to have confused the copyeditors but was really important to me. (Thanks, copyeditors!)

So, yes, y’all, there was a real Nigel. A beautiful fluffy gray cat with a bad attitude but great loyalty and pretty decent aim when going for your ankles. Sadly, I don’t have any pictures of Nigel — cell phones were brand-new back then and didn’t have cameras — but just know that he was beautiful (and he knew it), and that he was simply awesome.

And now everyone knows that.

excerpt

An excerpt starring Nigel:

Nigel, bored now with the laser pointer, jumped into her lap and swatted at her hand until she put the pointer down and scratched him under the chin instead. His loud purr rumbled against her thighs as he rolled to his back.

As she rubbed the soft hair on his belly, she gave herself one full minute to hate Mark David Lane with every fiber of her being, but she only allowed only five seconds of self-recrimination for marrying him in the first place. She used the next couple of minutes as she always did any time she dealt with anyone in her family: breathing deeply and searching for calm acceptance and strength.

She never quite managed to find it, but at least she searched.

Her phone chimed to let her know that Hannah had left a voice mail that she had zero intention of listening to, ever. Her therapist had told her to limit contact with her family and to only accept only on her terms, if she decided to accept at all. She’d been bad about setting that boundary in the past, but now . . . “I think the new terms should go into effect immediately. Right, Nigel?”

Nigel purred, so she took that as a yes.

Anything important she really needed to know—and she had yet to decide what that might actually be—would get to her through the few friends she had left.

Mark’s numbers were simply blocked from her phone and all his email was sorted directly to trash and deleted unread by the miracle of modern technology.

Anything he needed to tell her could go through her lawyer.

“Maybe I am spiteful and petty,” she told Nigel. “But I’m happier this way.”

She had the music she liked playing, a decent buzz going, and a kitty in her lap. Overall, life didn’t suck.

So, of course, someone had to knock on her door.

Leaving her wine glass balanced on the arm of the couch, she scooped Nigel into her arms and took him with her to the door.

Tate Harris was the last person she expected to find on her porch, but there he was. She blinked, wondering if whether she’d had more wine than she’d thought.

“Hi, Molly. Sorry to bother you, but—”

Nigel hissed and leapt from her arms, leaving a scratch on the back of her hand from his claws. The force of his leap caused her to sway in her slightly legless state, and she reached for the door frame to steady herself.

Within seconds, she could hear ominous noises coming from under the couch. Molly was speechless. Granted, Nigel wasn’t the most friendly of cats to begin with, and he actively disliked trips to the vet’s office, but he wasn’t usually like this at home, even when people came by. She rubbed the scratch on her hand. He’d drawn blood. “I don’t know what’s gotten into that cat.”

Tate merely laughed. “Occupational hazard. Dude,” he said in the general direction of the couch, “you can only be neutered once, you know.”

 

Giveaway

Kimberly Lang’s publisher is offering a paper copy of EVERYTHING AT LAST to ONE (1) lucky commenter at The Reading Cafe.

1. If you have not previously registered at The Reading Cafe, please register by using the log-in at the top of the page (side bar) or by using one of the social log-ins.

2. If you are using a social log-in, please post your email address with your comment.

3. Please LIKE us on FACEBOOK and click GET NOTIFICATIONS

4. Please FOLLOW us on Twitter for an additional entry.

5. Please FOLLOW us on GOODREADS for an additional entry.

6. Please LIKE us on TSU for an additional entry.

7. Follow Kimberly Lang   on Facebook.

8. Giveaway is open to USA only

9. Giveaway runs from January 6 –10, 2016

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One Little Thing by Kimberly Lang – a Review

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One Little Thing by Kimberly Lang – a Review

 

One Little ThingAmazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo

Description:

Even though her family moved away in disgrace after her father’s affair, Sophie Cooper knows that her childhood home in Magnolia Beach is the right place to open her bed and breakfast on the water—especially if it means she can watch the handsome local walk his dog on the beach every morning…

Quinn Haslett’s greatest regret has always been exposing the affair between Sophie Cooper’s father and their high school physics teacher—not that she ever knew who spilled the beans. When he sees Sophie again, the guilt comes rushing back, but it doesn’t stop him from wanting to see if the sparks flying between them could lead to something more.

But with a such a big secret lying in wait, it’s only a matter of time before their newly ignited relationship goes up in smoke…

 

 

Review:

One Little Thing by Kimberly Lang is a novella in her Magnolia Beach series. Sophie Cooper is our heroine, having just returned home to Magnolia Beach after a 10 year absence. She returns home to face many of her friends and neighbors, after her family’s abrupt departure due to a scandal involving her father having a gay affair. Coming off a divorce, Sophie wants to come back home to where she was happy in Magnolia Beach, and decides to open and B&B Inn.   While in the midst of working around the clock to fix up the place, she has not had time to revisit old friends. But every morning, Sophie sits on her deck drinking her coffee and admiring a hot guy, whom she nicknames Studly, walking and playing with his dog on the beach in front of the Inn.

Quinn Haslett, our hero, has been secretly enjoying the girl hiding on the deck watching him each morning. Quinn remembers Sophie, and knows she does not recognize him; since he was a skinny nerd with glasses back in his high school days. Quinn is now the owner of the local newspaper, and a respectable member of the town. He secretly had a crush on the teen age Sophie, who never looked his way, but now that she is back, Quinn plans on reintroducing himself.

Sophie knows she must become more visible in town, in order to promote her Inn, and forces herself to meet all those in town, who have not forgotten the terrible scandal that forced the family to leave. Sophie’s strength will overcome those obstacles, but will she be able to get past Quinn’s secret.

What follows is a sweet romance, that builds quickly, but the past has a way of rearing its ugly head, which will threaten the budding relationship between Quinn and Sophie. I really liked Quinn and Sophie together, as their chemistry was hot. One Little Thing is a fast quick fun read, and well written by Kimberly Lang. I look forward to the next book in this series.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

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Something to Prove by Kimberly Lang – a Review

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Something to Prove by Kimberly Lang – a Review

 

Something to ProveAmazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / The Book Depository / BAM

Description:
In the small waterfront town of Magnolia Beach, Alabama, people may forgive, but they never forget—especially when it comes to scandalous reputations, juicy gossip, and a sexy new flame.
 
Former wild child Helena Wheeler was happy to leave behind her hometown—and her sordid past—for Atlanta twelve years ago. But when her grandmother suffers an injury, Helena has no choice but to return, even if it means facing down all the people who have shunned her.
 
Ryan Tanner went from being a football legend in high school to Magnolia Beach’s young, hot bachelor mayor. As a teenager, he never wanted anything to do with a girl like Helena. But when she hires Ryan to do some construction in her grandmother’s house, he finds that she’s grown up into a different person—one he quite likes.
 
For Helena, confronting her past has its share of surprises—and falling for the resident golden boy was definitely not on her to-do list. But will her reformed ways be enough to get her back in the town’s good graces, or will her reputation keep Helena and Ryan apart for good?

 

 

Review:

Something to Prove by Kimberly Lang is the 1st book in her new Magnolia Beach series. This was a nice sweet romance with a wonderful heroine, who returns home after many years, and tries to live down her wild past that still remains in the minds of the Magnolia Beach residents. Helena Wagner is our heroine, and I really liked her from the start. Having left Magnolia Beach after graduation, Helena returns home after 12 years to help her grandmother, who suffered a major injury. She dreads coming face to face with most of the residents, as she was always the wild girl they never forgot.

While her grandmother is in rehab, Helena decides to fix up the house to be safer for her grandmother, when she comes home. Helena asks Ryan Tanner for help with the fixtures, and is shocked to find the former football legend golden boy is now the Mayor of Magnolia Beach.

Ryan is our hero, and has always been Mr. Popularity, which has not changed. In their school days, neither of them hung around each other. Ryan stayed clear of the wild Helena, and she hung around a different and equally wild crowd. Helena’s grandmother has always been well liked in town, and everyone looks out for her, and Ryan accepts the job to make changes in the house.

Ryan, as he spends more time with Helena, begins to see a different side of her, that slowly changes his opinion of the girl he avoided during their teenage years. Helena finds herself coming face to face with many townsfolk, and senses their continued dislike of her. But she holds her head high, and goes about doing everything she can to help her grandmother. Her friend Tate, who was her co-conspirator during those crazy days, is now the town Vet, and his past shenanigans were forgiven. He tries to get Helena to go out with him, which she does as a friend. She isn’t interested in anything more, as she plans to leave when her grandmother is better. But that is not all. She finds herself attracted to one person who can never be right for her, Ryan. Helena knows the town and his family would never allow him to become involved with her. Even some members of his family go to extremes to make sure this does not happen.

What follows is a heartwarming story that shows Helena proving herself to many of the residents, especially with all the hard work she does when her grandmother comes home. She forces herself to ask for help, and in doing so, opens the eyes of others to her being a different girl. It was really nice to see some of those that hated Helena and how they treated her when she came back, to slowly change their opinions.

Ryan sees the real Helena, and knows that the wild girl in the past was a façade to hide her own sorry life. He begins to fall hard for her, despite everyone trying to stop it. Helena herself does not want to ruin his career, since she feels the sins of the past will always come back to haunt them. Will Helena forgo her feelings for Ryan and leave town? Will Ryan allow the town’s hatred of the girl he is falling for effect his relationship with Helena?

Something to Prove is a wonderful romance, with a storyline that had our interest from start to finish. Kimberly Lang has written a wonderful story that pulls on your emotions and never let’s go until the end. I look forward to reading the next book in this series, and suggest you read Something to Prove.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

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