Flirting Under A Full Moon by Ashlyn Chase

Looking for a romantic comedy with a paranormal twists? Then look to FLIRTING UNDER A FULL MOON by Ashlyn Chase for a fun read.

In this day and time of electronic communication, Brandee Hanson gets dumped via a text message. Moments later a psychic tells her she’s about to meet the man of her dreams. To top it off, she’s barely making a living as a waitress at the local bar.

Brandee really wants to be a top photographer and she knows to get ahead she’s got to capture that once-in-a-lifetime photo. But when that prize photo is the gorgeous private investigator Nick Wolfensen transforming into a werewolf, Brandee may have captured more than she bargained for. Now she has to deal with shapeshifters, vampires and other paranormal misfits.

Meanwhile, Nick needs to convince Brandee not to release the photo. If she does, his secret will be revealed, the supernatural council will be upset and his private investigation business will probably be destroyed. To make matters worse, he has to also convince her his life isn’t so bad since he’s just realized she’s his soul mate. Things get serious and heat up fast when one of Nick’s cases involves Brandee’s niece. 

Author Ashlyn Chase has created characters that you’ll love, as well as those you’ll love to hate for their actions. The characters are zany and well-developed. The hero and heroine are an intriguing couple that will have you reaching to turn up the fan during some of their steamy encounters. Chase does an excellent job of creating a world where humans and various inhabitants of the paranormal world live together. 

FLIRTING UNDER A FULL MOON is an entertaining romance with eccentric characters and lots of humor blended with a paranormal twists and steamy trysts. A fun start to a delightful new series. This lighthearted read is a great way to relax and escape from your daily worries.

Ashlyn Chase’s website is http://www.ashlynchase.com
 
Flirting Under A Full Moon by Ashlyn Chase, A Flirting With Fangs Trilogy Book #1, Sourcebooks Casablanca, @2013, ISBN: 978-1402275692, Paperback, 352 Pages

FTC Full Disclosure - I requested this book as part of the author’s virtual blog tour. A digital download of the book was sent to me by the publisher in hopes I would review it. However, receiving the complimentary copy did not influence my review.
 
Author Ashlyn Chase visited here earlier this week. Stop by to see her post and find out how to win a copy of FLIRTING UNDER A FULL MOON.

Thanks so much for stopping by today. Hope everyone is well and finally enjoying spring-like weather. Our thoughts and prayers go out to those affected by the recent tragedies in Boston, MA, and West, TX.

Author Ashlyn Chase Talks About Flirting Under a Full Moon

 

It’s my pleasure to welcome author Ashlyn Chase back to Thoughts in Progress as she tours blogdom with her newest release, FLIRTING UNDER A FULL MOON, a romantic comedy with a paranormal twist.

A multi-published eBook author, Ashlyn specializes in characters who reinvent themselves, having reinvented herself numerous times. She has worked as a psychiatric nurse, and for the Red Cross, and has a degree in behavioral sciences. 

Thanks to Ashlyn and the lovely Danielle at Sourcebooks, I have a copy of FLIRTING UNDER A FULL MOON to giveaway. Please see the end of the post for the guidelines.

Here’s a brief synopsis of the book:

Never Cry Werewolf…
     Brandee has been dumped in every way possible, but by text is the last straw. That's it—she's officially done with men. Unfortunately, she's just been told her "soul mate" is the drool-worthy hottie all her friends call One-Night Nick.

     Nick has been searching for true love for one hundred years. After all, werewolves mate for life, and he does not want to mess this up. As soon as he kisses Brandee, he knows she's the one. But how will he convince a woman who knows nothing of paranormals that she's about to be bound to a werewolf forever?

Here’s what one reviewer has to say about FLIRTING UNDER A FULL MOON:
    “A wonderful start to a very lighthearted series...” — Night Owl Reviews, 4.5 Stars, Reviewer Top Pick

Ashlyn has graciously answered some questions for me about her book and her writing.

Mason - If you had to write this book over, would you do anything differently - content in the book, your writing schedule, the way you researched it, etc.?

Ashlyn:
Interesting question. I can’t think of anything I’d change. There have been times with other books that I had feedback from a reviewer and thought, “I’ll have to file that away, just in case I rewrite that book.” But that hasn’t happened with this one, yet. (Not that my contract would allow it anyway.) I did improve something that bothered a reviewer when I republished Death by Delilah. I was glad to have the suggestion.  

Mason - With the book’s release, as you look back what was the biggest surprise that occurred in writing the story?

Ashlyn:
My characters frequently surprise me. My heroes are often in dangerous professions, but they rarely get shot…in the ass…while they’re in non-human form. Then they have to show up at the hospital naked as they day they were born—or hatched—or whatever. Nick was running from the NY Mob in wolf form, but wasn’t quite fast enough to escape a bullet. As an RN, I’ve worked in many hospitals, but a naked guy showing up with his hands over his junk and a bullet in the ass would have been a surprise for the most jaded of us.
 
Mason - Have you always wanted to write or was there an event that lead you to writing?

Ashlyn:
Unlike writers who wrote their first books with a crayon at the age of two, I’d never thought about it…even when I got an A+ in high school creative writing class from one of the toughest teachers there. Some of us are thicker than others. LOL

Mason - Of all the authors (past and present) you enjoy reading, has any one (or more) been an influence in your writing?

Ashlyn:
Mary Janice Davidson and Katie McAlister. In fact, I’ve said that if MJ and Katie had a baby, that would be me.

Mason - How would you encourage someone who has never read your genre to give it a try?

Ashlyn:
Absolutely! I’ve received letters from fans who had never read a light paranormal romance and now they’re hooked! Hey, the same thing happened to me when I read my first one.
 
Mason - What can readers look forward to next from you?

Ashlyn:
How to Date a Dragon is coming out in September (and it is already up for pre-order at major retailers), with Kissing with Fangs in 2014.
 
Ashlyn, thanks for joining us today and giving us a look at your writing. With your writing style and flare, it’s hard to believe you didn’t want to be a writer since kindergarten.

Ashlyn lives with her true-life hero husband in beautiful New Hampshire. For more about Ashlyn and her writing, be sure to visit website, check out her Facebook Page and find her on Twitter.

FLIRTING UNDER A FULL MOON is available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-a-Million, IndieBound, Chapters/Indigo, Discover a New Love, and Sourcebooks.

Now for the giveaway guidelines. To enter, send me an e-mail (mcbookshelf@gmail.com) with the subject line, “Win Flirting Under a Full Moon.” Your message should include your name and mailing address. The contest is open to residents of the U.S. and Canada only and no post office box addresses can be accepted. And, just so you know, I don’t share this information with anyone other than the publisher nor use it for any other purpose. The deadline to enter this giveaway for a copy of FLIRTING UNDER A FULL MOON is 8 p.m. (EST) on Saturday, April 27.

Thanks for dropping by today. Do you enjoy books that blend romance and comedy with a bit of paranormal?

Guest Blogger, Ashlyn Chase

It’s my pleasure to welcome award-winning author Ashlyn Chase as the special guest blogger here today at Thoughts in Progress.

Ashlyn’s latest book, STRANGE NEIGHBORS, was just released earlier this month. Thanks to Ashlyn and Danielle at Sourcebooks, I have two copies of this book to giveaway to 2 lucky visitors who comment on this post between today and 8 p.m. (EST) on Tuesday, June 22. Be sure to include your e-mail address with your comment if it’s not included in your profile.

Ashlyn joins us today to talk about her writing and why she select to write the genre she does.

I was asked why, with my background as a psychiatric nurse, I decided to write light paranormal romances instead of something grittier, like murder mysteries…

Well, the easy answer is—because writers like to escape as much as readers do. I worked in the psychiatric field for fifteen years. When I left, I was jaded and burned out. It took a while to get back to my old self, but I finally did. Sure, I have stories to tell, but I don’t want to. Simple as that.

I’m not sure it wouldn’t violate the confidentiality aspect. I heard intimate secrets that would make your skin crawl…and I was told those things because my patients knew they could trust me. Sure, they might never read one of my books, but can you imagine doing so and recognizing your story? Patients want to forget about grim reality too—especially theirs!

However, all that experience contributed to my writing in one important way. With a degree in behavioral studies (a psychiatry-sociology combo) and having observed people for most of my life, I “just know” how my characters are going to behave. I can skip the exhaustive character sketches that some writers have to begin with.

Writing paranormal characters can be a challenge, because you have to put yourself in someone else’s paws, never mind shoes! Or you need to think like a vampire who’s technically dead, only comes out at night, and needs blood to survive. And ghosts! You don’t realize how much writers require body language and facial expressions to communicate until you can’t use it. But, I like a challenge.   

Fantasy can be great fun to write. You’re only limited by your imagination. If you need a motorcycle to fly, you simply have your motorcycle-riding witch cast a spell, and voila, the motorcycle leaves the ground and soars over traffic (like in Wonder Witch.) If you need a hero to disappear before the heroine’s eyes, you simply send a Greek God to zap him out of her life (as in Oh My God.)

And I love a good laugh—more than anything. I think this world needs more laughter and love. I’m fortunate. I have a wonderful marriage. My man makes me laugh regularly, challenges me intellectually, and still—even after sixteen years of marriage (twenty years of togetherness) turns me on. Who wouldn’t want that?

Sometimes I think of my writing as a public service. Seriously. I’ve worked hard to hone my craft and put a smile on your face. Since reading works for me when I need a lift, I imagine it works for others.

When both of my parents were terminally ill at the same time, the stress showed. A friend and fellow nurse shoved a book in my hands and said, “Here. Read this.” She didn’t tell me anything about it, and I didn’t recognize it as a romance novel from the cover. It’s a good thing or I might not have read it.

The book was the first in Diana Gabeldon’s Outlander time travel series. I ate it up. During those hours, I was transported to another world. I forgot my sorrows for a time and experienced a mini mental vacation. A desperately needed, healthy escape. 

When I turned to writing I realized that for me, it was more than a job. It was a privilege. And it still is. I’m grateful to have an audience with whom I can share my creative outlet. I hope my series Strange Neighbors transports readers into my wild imagination and allows them to have some fun there—whether they need it or not.

Ashlyn, thanks so much for stopping by and guest blogging. STRANGE NEIGHBORS does provide great laughs for the reader.

Here’s a brief blurb about STRANGE NEIGBORS: “He’s looking for peace, quiet, and a little romance…
There’s never a dull moment when hunky all-star pitcher and shapeshifter Jason Falco invests in an old Boston brownstone apartment building full of supernatural creatures. But when Merry MacKenzie moves into the ground floor apartment, the playboy pitcher decides he might just be done playing the field…

A girl just wants to have fun…
Sexy Jason seems like the perfect fling, but newly independent nurse Merry’s not sure she’s ready to trust him with her heart…especially when the tabloids start trumpeting his playboy lifestyle.

Then pandemonium breaks loose and Merry and Jason will never get it together without a little help from the vampire who lives in the basement and the werewolf from upstairs…

For a bit of background on Ashlyn, who is a multi-published author, she specializes in characters who reinvent themselves, having reinvented herself numerous times. Among her many day jobs, she has worked as a psychiatric nurse, run blood drives for the Red Cross, and now uses her degree in behavioral sciences to avoid writing exhaustive character sketches. Ashlyn lives with her true-life hero husband in beautiful New Hampshire. For more information, please visit her website at http://ashlynchase.com/.

Sunday Salon: Strange Neighbors by Ashlyn Chase

All Merry MacKenzie wanted was to move to the city and be independent after caring for her father and younger brother since her mother’s death.

What Merry got was more than she ever imaged. Moving into her new apartment, Merry learns her landlord is hunky baseball superstar Jason Falco. The two seem to hit it off immediately.

Merry meets her neighbors and discovers each one of them has their own dark secrets they are hiding.

STRANGE NEIGHBORS has new meaning when it brings together a couple of witches who work from home as phone sex operators, a number of shape shifters, a ghost that haunts his old apartment, and a vampire that lives in the basement. Throw in a nosey alcoholic reporter looking for a juicy story, Jason’s busy-body aunt, and Jason’s own deep, dark secret and the mix gets zanier.

Author Ashlyn Chase puts a spin on all the craziness that will have you laughing from beginning to end. Along the way she peppers it was a little mystery (the ghost is looking for who murdered him), a good dose of romance, and a barrel of high jinx.

A bit of warning to those who are fainthearted when it comes to sex scenes. The intimacy between Merry and Jason is quite detailed at time, but tastefully done. Sparks fly between the couple and sizzle on the page.

With Jason in the limelight, Merry soon realizes she has to control the green-eyed monster of jealousy. She feels her self-doubt and self-confidence being tested. Searching to uncover the truth behind a newspaper article of Jason‘s misdeeds, Merry stumbles across a secret that could alter her life completely.

STRANGE NEIGHBORS combines romance, suspense, intrigue, and a lot of laughter to keep you spellbound from beginning to end. With each turn of the page, you’ll be drawn in a little more until you won’t be able to leave.

For more on Author Ashlyn Chase and her writing, check out her website and she also blogs occasionally at Casablanca Authors.

Strange Neighbors by Ashlyn Chase, Sourcebooks Casablanca, @2010, ISBN: 978-1-4022-3661-7, Paperback, 384 pages

FTC Full Disclosure - This book was sent to me by the publisher in hopes I would review it. However, receiving the complimentary copy did not influence my review.