Winners of Blame It On Texas by Christi Craig

I was delighted to be giving away a book by one of my favorite authors. 

The Winners of 'Blame It On Texas' by Christie Craig are:

1)  Di

2)  Sarah S.

3)   Joanne

I hope you enjoy the book as much as I did.

Thank you to everyone who entered and to Forever Romance for sponsoring the giveaway.

Giveaway and Q & A - Blame It On Texas by Christie Craig

Meet Christie Craig

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New York Times bestselling author Christie Craig grew up in Alabama where she caught lightning bugs, ran barefoot, and regularly rescued potential princes, in the form of bullfrogs, from her brothers. Today, she's still fascinated with lightning bugs and mostly wears shoes, but focuses on rescuing mammals and hasn't kissed a frog in years. She now lives in Texas with her four rescued cats, one dog--who has a bad habit of eating furniture--a son, and a prince of a husband who swears he's not, and never was a frog.

If Christie isn't writing, she's reading or just enjoying laughter with her friends and family. As a freelance writer, Christie also writes nonfiction books, including the humorous self-help/book Wild, Wicked & Wanton: 101 Ways to Love Like You're in a Romance Novel, as well as paranormal young adult romances under the pen name C.C. Hunter.

 Q&A with Christie Craig

Lisarenee:   Thank you so much for joining us today, Christie. I love the humor in your books. Do you enjoy writing all those fun and hilarious scenes as much as we do reading them?

CC: First, thanks so much for having me here at your Seduced by a Book blog. Bloggers are the greatest. Now to answer your question . . .

Honestly, if I had a dollar for every time I’m busy in my office and my hubby calls out from the kitchen, “What’s so funny?” I’d be a rich woman. Here's the thing, though. I love to laugh. Laughter is a constant in the Craig household. I come from a family of jokesters and storytellers. We laughed when things were good, and we laughed even harder when times were stressful. And I’ve carried on that tradition in my own family. What's more, I’ve given this trait to all my characters. Laughter is healthy, it’s my coping mechanism. And I personally believe that falling in love should be fun. Yes, I might keep a reader on the edge of their seat, toss in a little murder, and all my characters have a ton of baggage to deal with, but they all know how to laugh through the tough times.

Lisarenee: I imagine writing a story is a little like baring your soul to others. It's like giving your readers a front row seat to yourself--your humor, your wit, etc. Have you ever second guessed something you've put in a novel or been nervous about how something will be received?

CC: I’ve often compared writing to standing naked in front of a crowd. Maybe it's not this way with all writers, but for me, all my best kept secrets are exposed in my books. From what I find seductive in a man to my morals. To the food I love, to the kind of off-colored jokes I find funny, and to how I might kill someone if I really decide to go there. Sure, it’s fiction, but when something is pulled from a person’s imagination, you can bet there are some elements of truth in it. And yes, for some authors those truths are not so evident in their personality. I was once told by an Australian bookseller that she is often disappointed with she meets authors, because, by reading an author’s work, she begins to picture that author’s personality. Then when she meets them, some don’t fit the bookseller’s personal image of them. However, she told me I didn’t disappoint her. I was just exactly what she thought I was. And considering the crazy things I write about—like dead guys in porta potties, dogs that pass gas, characters playing strip scrabble—I thought that was pretty darn scary. LOL.

Lisarenee: What is your favorite part of writing a book? Is it completing it and letting it go, coming up with the idea and seeing it make its way to print, or something else entirely?

CC: My favorite part of writing is getting that first draft down on paper, not worrying about spelling or grammar. When the story seems to flow from my fingertips and I’m in that creative zone where the ideas, the funny dialogue just start spilling out of me, it's like magic. It's the greatest feeling in the world, too. I guess you say that my favorite part is the storytelling.

Lisarenee: What is the hardest thing about being a writer? Is it deadlines, negative reviews, keeping your stories 'fresh' and fun, etc or does it come easily to you?

CC: Now, deadlines can be stressful. But I can usually deal with those. Negative reviews? I can’t lie; in the beginning of my career, they stung. But I have since learned that reading is selective. It’s sort of like ice cream. Some people only love vanilla, and wouldn’t think about touching a banana sundae flavor. Not everyone will enjoy my flavor of books and that’s okay. But, the hardest part about being a writer, for me? Well, if storytelling is my favorite part, the hardest thing would be polishing the story. Getting those words perfect is like pulling teeth without the laughing gas. I’m dyslexic, and writing perfect copy is hard. I leave out words, get words backwards. I know how to spell for the most part, but when I write, I sometimes use the wrong word, like "right" for "write." Or I will leave out one letter in the word and I just can’t see those mistakes when I proofread my work. I have critique partners who help me. But sometimes I’ll tweak a manuscript and send it in without having them look at my last minute tweaks. And I have gotten in trouble. Before I was published, I entered contest and in one of those I had written a perfectly good sentence. He looked down at his bloody shirt. My hero, a cop on the run, had been shot and beat up and was hiding behind a shed at my heroine’s house. And he’d been there for several hours. The mistake I made was to leave out one letter. The "r" out of shirt. Let’s just say the comments were very interesting from the judges. i.e. So he had internal injuries, too, huh? LOL.

Lisarenee: One of the things I noticed on your website that surprised me was to learn you have dyslexia. I tried to access the link to the video on your website, but it didn't work. What would your advice be to anyone who would like to attempt a career as an author who might be dyslexic or have a similar condition that might hamper their writing? My daughter has an auditory processing disorder and I am always trying to find new ways of encouraging her that she can overcome anything associated with it. I usually tell her that she may never be a spelling bee champion, but she shouldn't let that keep her from writing.

CC: Sorry the link isn’t working. I need to take that off. It was supposed to be up forever and the paper changed their mind and I can’t get them to respond to me about getting a copy. Please tell your daughter and anyone out there to not let their disabilities hinder them from doing whatever they want. Does it mean it will be harder? Probably. But it didn’t stop me and it shouldn’t stop anyone. I seriously believe that I didn’t achieve my success in spite of the dyslexia, but in large part, I achieved success because of it. Most dyslexics are very intuitive and I believe this helped me write emotional characters. I think a person with disabilities can sometimes have gifts. She might be very creative, or have a real knack at writing emotions. She doesn’t have to spell to be a writer!!! Storytelling is so much more important. She can get help proofing her stories. If she’s a gifted storyteller, she can help other writers with the art of storytelling and plotting and they can help her with her typos and misspellings. Never, ever give up. It was my motto, it wasn’t always easy, but it was so worth it. I recently hit the New York Times and the USA Today best-sellers lists—not bad for girl who can’t spell "shirt." LOL.

Thanks again for inviting me here to your blog. If your readers want to know more about me and my books, they can find information at my website, www.Christie-Craig.com. For a little taste of my Hotter in Texas series, watch the video below. I hope you enjoy!

CC

Lisarenee: Thank you so much for taking the time out of your busy schedule to join us. 

Blame It On Texas
by Christie Craig

Book Synopsis:
Zoe Adams has always been content with her quiet nights at home, watching TV alone-until her life turns into a real-life episode of Unsolved Mystery Hunters. The story of a kidnapped girl triggers unexplained memories, and Zoe is dead-set on figuring out why. Her search leads her to one of the Lone Star State's richest families-and to sexy PI Tyler Lopez.

Tyler has sworn off women, especially redheads with killer curves who poke their noses into his clients' private lives. Still, he can't deny the attraction any more than he can deny that some of Zoe's crazy story makes sense. But when she becomes a hit man's target, this cold case starts heating up. Suddenly, Tyler will do anything to protect Zoe-even risk his heart.

Giveaway

I am giving away 3 copies of 'Blame It On Texas' by Christie Craig (One per winner/per household)

Rules to be eligible for giveaway:

1. Only residents of the US who are 18 years of age or older are eligible. 

2. Please leave either your email address or a link to your Goodreads profile so I may get in contact with you to get your mailing address. No P.O. Boxes, please. 
3. You must be a follower of my blog, if you aren't already.

Winners will be randomly chosen. Books will be sent directly from publisher. Giveaway ends August 30th,  midnight Eastern time. Winners will be posted on my blog and notified by email or message posted to them via Goodreads. Winners will have 48 hours to respond before another winner will be selected. Good Luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blame It On Texas (Hotter In Texas #2) by Christie Craig

• Title: Blame It on Texas (Hotter in Texas)
• Classification: Adult Fiction
• Genre: Contemporary Romance
• Format: Paperback, 464 pages
• Publisher: Forever (August 28, 2012)
• ISBN-10: 0446582832
• ISBN-13: 978-0446582834

Author's Website: http://www.christie-craig.com/

Nearly two decades ago a kidnapping took place. A little girl, Caroline Bradford, was taken from her wealthy family and later murdered. Her burnt body was recovered, but the killers were never found.

We've all seen the stories of someone recognizing themselves or someone else on a milk carton, but for Zoe Adams it was an airing of an episode of Unsolved Mystery Hunters that had her come face to face with a suspicion she'd held for years, but had never voiced. She was certain the little girl whose picture she'd seen on her TV screen was her, and she was determined to find out if she was right. She wanted the truth. Luckily, she had the good fortune to get a referral to the Only in Texas detective agency.

Tyler Lopez and his colleagues had once been cops. Someone framed them for a crime they didn't commit and they spent several years in prison before being exonerated. They weren't allowed back of the force, so they opened up their own detective agency called Only in Texas. When Zoe came to them looking for help and answers, she was hesitant to tell any of them her suspicions. As she expected, Tyler first thought she was either a fortune hunter looking for some easy prey or just plain crazy, but when someone starts threatening and shooting at her, he finally starts to take her seriously.

Both Tyler and Zoe have their own emotional baggage. Neither was looking for love or a relationship. Sometimes, however, fate has other plans...

     Zoe held out the tray with the fortune cookies on them. "You choose."
     "That's okay," he said.
     "You have to, it has your fortune in it." 
     He smiled, "You believe in that?"
     "A little bit," she said...
     "Never let the past stop you from making a future." He dropped the the paper on the table and pretended as if it held no significance to him. "Your turn."
     She opened it, put a piece of cookie in her mouth, and then read it...silently.
     "And?"
     She looked down at the slip of paper. "It's profound."
     "So read it". He leaned closer.
     She focused on the tiny print. "Be leery of men who cross-dressed in their youth."
     He laughed. "And I thought I could trust you."
     She grinned and stood up. "Ladies' room."
     He watched her walk away, then he noticed her fortune beside the half-eaten cookie  He reached for it.
     'Love is always a risk. But it's a risk worth taking.'

______________

This was a very fun story. Ms. Craig has a wonderful sense of humor that carries over into her books. I always know I'm going to do a lot of chuckling when I open one of her books. In this book, we get an additional romance between two of the secondary characters which wraps up neatly by the end. 

I liked how Zoe is sweet, strong, smart, loyal and a tell it like it is type of person. She realizes how crazy her suspicions sound, yet she doesn't waver from her mission--to uncover the truth. Her feelings for Tyler are complicated by the fact she will be leaving Texas to step back into the life she left behind when she came to Texas. In her 'real life' she's a kindergarten teacher, but has been working as a waitress to make ends meat while living in Texas because she's paying for two apartments, the one she rents in Texas while trying to find out the truth and the one she calls home. Her plan was always to go back to her old life whether she turned out to be Caroline Bradford or just plane old Zoe Adams.

Tyler is another strong, smart, and loyal character. He also bears the emotional scars of a boy who witnessed the abusive relationship his parents had. While his father never abused Tyler or his siblings, his mother was another story entirely. Despite the abuse his mother endured, he has a great relationship with his siblings who can't seem to stop poking their noses into his business, but truth be told, he reciprocates in kind. Additionally, Tyler was deeply hurt when his former fiance married someone else and that caused him to be relationship shy. He is convinced he needs to date a different type of woman than he has in the past. One that doesn't want a commitment. That makes his attraction to Zoe extremely disturbing to him because she doesn't fit into his new self appointed type.

I loved the sexual tension which builds up between Tyler and Zoe that becomes so combustible each starts looking for an excuse to ease it. I loved how every time Tyler took off his shirt Zoe would get a little tongue tied and start bumping into things. I enjoyed seeing Tyler try to keep himself in check around Zoe because he was having a hard time keeping his hands off her.

One of my favorite funny moments was:
Realizing she'd have to ask Tyler for a hand, she looked back. "Do you want to get Lucky?"
His eyes widened, "Now?"
"Yeah" Hadn't he said she could bring her cat?
They stood staring at each other.
Finally he said, "I'm not sure now is the right time."...
"No, I mean...my cat, Lucky."

I gave this one 4 out of 5 roses. I enjoyed watching everyone piece together what happened all those years ago and seeing how everything fit together. The book had a nice blend of humor, drama, and romance. On the Lisarenee Romance Rating scale, I gave it a STEAM rating--too hot for a fan, but you still have a handle on things. You should use extreme caution when reading a book with this rating in public. People may inquire as to why you looked flustered and flushed.

Order of series:

FYI, Only in Texas was formerly titled 'Don't Mess with Texas'