Pucker Up for a Bliss Kiss Off!

Posted on May 20, 2013 by Robin Bielman

Hey everyone! Happy Monday!

I am super excited to kick off a special buddy week today with my Entangled Publishing sister, Jennifer Shirk. We’re hosting a “Bliss Kiss Off” plus a giveaway and are so happy you’ve joined us!

Jennifer has a Bliss romance out called Kissing Kendall and since my new Bliss romance is called Kissing the Maid of Honor, well, we decided to combine KISSING forces—romance author style.

All week we’re hosting a rafflecopter giveaway for a $20 Amazon GC. The giveaway ends Sunday, May 26, at 11:59 PM EST and a winner will be announced on Monday, May 27th.
Enter below and GOOD LUCK!

So, to kick off this KISSING week, I thought I’d talk about a few methods that I think can lead to a lip lock.

5 Ways to Score A Kiss

1) Whisper sweet nothings. Lean in close so that your lips graze that delicate spot just under the earlobe. With a soft voice share how much you want to kiss the other person: “Your mouth drives me wild and I can’t wait to kiss you.” Or maybe “I want to kiss you so bad, I can barely breathe.” A compliment works, too: “Your smile drives me crazy with want.” One of my favorite lines in Kissing the Maid of Honor is from Luke… “Damn you’ve got an irresistible mouth. You should hold it against me more often.” And here’s the lead up to Brad and Kendall’s first kiss in Kissing Kendall…

His lips were so close; they grazed her earlobes and were brushing along her jawbone in light wispy movements. “And I definitely know the right man for you is not the kind of man who’s going to settle for a mere goodnight peck on the cheek from you at the end of your first date.”

“He’s not?” she whispered suddenly at a loss for breath.

2) Get caught looking at the other person’s mouth. It starts with eye contact. You can’t keep your eyes off each other. You’re eye flirting—interest and tease twinkling between you. Then one of you dips a glance to the other person’s mouth and yowza! Your body is flooded with flutters and your brain is signaling for contact – like now!

3) Ditch the lipstick and stick with Chapstick or light lipgloss. Okay, so maybe this is how I score kisses with my hubby. He’s not a lipstick fan. But I wonder—does any guy really like the taste of lipcolor? Maybelline might have sensational colors and shine, but I’m thinking maybe a guy would much prefer the taste of you.

4) Start small. Little kisses to the back of the hand, the knuckles, the inside of the wrist, signal interest in breaking the kiss barrier. A gentle 2-second kiss to the forehead or eyelid takes it a step further. And a soft, eyes-closed kiss to the cheek or spot just to the side of the lips means you’re angling for a kiss on the mouth. Where you plan to linger for some time.

5) Sing a song. Something romantic. Maybe something suggestive. Something that gets you both in the mood and conveys how badly you want to kiss the person. Don’t worry if you can’t carry a tune. Seduce the person with a tender, gentle rendition close to their ear. Let your lips hover just out of reach while your breath teases their neck and the words wash over them like a caress.

So what do you think? Have something to add to my list?
What’s your favorite type of build-up to a kiss?

Jennifer’s got an awesome post on the 7 KISS types to recognize in romance on her blog HERE that you totally need to check out. And since this is a “Kiss Off,” Jennifer and I thought it would be fun to pit our favorite “kissing” video clips against each other. I think Luke and Lorelai from The Gilmore Girls have got it going on while Jennifer thinks Jim and Pam from The Office have the best kiss. Help us decide and cast your vote for Favorite On-Screen KISS…

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Thanks for stopping by!

*Just wanted to quickly mention, too, that today kicks of my blog tour! See below for where I’m at today. I’ve got a fun tour-wide giveaway going on that I think you’ll want to check out.

Kissing the Maid of Honor Blog Tour!

Posted on May 15, 2013 by Robin Bielman

My official Kissing the Maid of Honor blog tour kicks off on Monday with interviews, guest posts, top ten lists, giveaways and more, but there are two stops this week that I wanted to share with you, too. See below for the wonderful list of blogs I’ll be visiting. And in keeping with the wedding vibe I’ve got going on, there’s a tour-wide giveaway! Five lucky readers will be chosen to be KTMOH blog tour bridesmaids and will receive a bridal party gift box full of girlie swag! (limited to US and Canada) One lucky international winner will be selected to receive the coveted position of KTMOH Blog Tour Maid of Honor which includes the bridal party gift box and a $25 gift card to the on-line store of her (or his) choice! You can enter at each blog, so I hope you’ll keep me company on my tour.

Here’s where I’ll be…

Wednesday, May 15th Through Heart-shaped Glasses
Friday, May 17th So Many Reads
Monday, May 20th Mamma’s Reading Break
Monday, May 20th GraveTells
Tuesday, May 21st Fade into Fantasy
Thursday, May 23rd Literary Etc.
Thursday, May 23rd Magical Musings
Tuesday, May 28th All Things Romance
Wednesday, May 29th The Book Cellar
Thursday, May 30th Harlequin Junkie
Thursday, May 30th The Fictionators
Friday, May 31st Reading Between the Wines
Tuesday, June 4th The Book Pushers
Wednesday, June 5th Ramblings From This Chick
Thursday, June 6th What I’m Reading
Friday, June 7th Feeling Fictional
Tuesday, June 11th Cocktails and Books
Thursday, June 13th Ex Libris
Friday, June 14th Manga Maniac Café

Plus, next week I’ll be having some fun with my Entangled pal, Jennifer Shirk, so please keep an eye out on Facebook for what we’re up to!

Happy reading!
Robin

Release Day for Kissing the Maid of Honor!

Posted on May 13, 2013 by Robin Bielman

Happy Book Birthday to KISSING THE MAID OF HONOR, the first book in my Secret Wishes series from the Bliss line at Entangled Publishing! I am so excited about this book for so many reasons!

The first reason is I have a total crush on Luke. I just love him. Have from the moment he stepped on the page. The second is Sela. She’s fiesty and passionate and someone I think all readers can identify with. There’s also the small beach town setting and the numerous secondary characters. Oh, and there’s lots of wedding talk. And cake talk. There’s talk of bacon (Luke demanded it) and wishes. Kissing plays a big role, too. Friendship. Siblings. Love. There may be some skinny dipping. And heartache. Did I mention the kissing?

I’m also honored and delighted to join an amazing group of Bliss authors… My release day pal, Paula Altenburg, Karen Erickson, Roxanne Snopek, Jennifer Shirk, Ophelia London, Cindi Madsen, Kelly Vitollo, Jenna Rutland, Tracy March, Coleen Kwan, Aubrie Dionne, Sara Daniel, Rachel Astor, and Natale Stenzel. You can find their books here.

You can find KISSING THE MAID OF HONOR here:

Amazon Barnes & Noble iTunes Kobo

Kissing her best friend’s brother never felt so right…

Sela Sullivan is resolved to be the best maid of honor ever, even if it means tolerating the best man. Insufferable, too-handsome Luke Watters is not only the guy who humiliated her at a kissing booth in high school, but he also happens to be her best friend’s older brother. Positive he’s the same arrogant jock, Sela vows to focus on her duties and steer clear of the frustrating—and frustratingly tempting—Luke.

As a world-renowned extreme-sports photographer, Luke is used to undertaking life-risking adventures. But risking his heart for the beautiful Sela Sullivan, who clearly still hates him for his rejection all those years ago? He didn’t see that coming. Sela inspires a passion he’s never known, and the more time they spend together, the more he craves her. But can he prove to the maid of honor he’s become a man of honor?

Next week I start a blog tour and have something really fun planned with my fellow Entangled author and friend, Jennifer Shirk. I’ll be posting all the deets later this week! I will be at Through Heart Shaped Glasses this Wednesday, though, if you want to stop by and say hello. It’s a new blog and I’m their first guest! I’d love to see you there.

Okay, I’m off to celebrate now…

hugs and heartfelt thanks,
Robin

7 Dresses

Posted on May 8, 2013 by Robin Bielman

One of my favorite movies is 27 Dresses. Did you see it? Basically, it’s about a girl – Tess – whose been a bridesmaid in twenty-seven weddings. Her sister is getting married next and Tess struggles with that for lots of reasons I’m not going to get into (but it’s romantic and funny and you should definitely check it out if you haven’t already), because what I really want to talk about is the dresses.

I’ve had the honor and privilege of being in seven weddings. In two of them I was the maid of honor and in five I was a bridesmaid. Lucky for me, all the dresses were beautiful. I do have a funny story, though. When I was pregnant with my first son, one of my best friend’s got married. She picked out lovely short midnight blue dresses from a department store rather than a bridal shop, and so our sizing options were limited. Well, I was soon to become as big as a house, but at the time of the wedding I guess I was condo-size, and guess what? I couldn’t fit into any of the available sizes comfortably. So… I bought two dresses in order to have the right material, and I had a seamstress make me one big dress. Can you say muumuu? Ha! I was happy to do it, though. Just not so happy to look like a blueberry.

In my next book, KISSING THE MAID OF HONOR, my bridesmaids wear pale pink strapless chiffon gowns with a sweetheart neckline. I can totally picture them and they’re beautiful.

What about you? Have you been a bridesmaid or maid of honor? If you have, I’d love for you to send me a picture and tell me your story! (Email me at robinbielman AT gmail DOT com.) I’ll post them here on my blog and/or on Facebook (if that’s okay with you). If you’re not comfortable doing that, that’s okay. Leave me a comment and tell me about the dress.

First Kiss: Bliss or Miss?

Posted on May 1, 2013 by Robin Bielman

Let’s talk kisses. But not just any kiss. Your first kiss. That moment when you lean in, ready to lock lips with that someone special for the very first time. Your heart is racing, your stomach is quivering, your head is spinning. You make contact and then one of two things happens: you don’t ever want to stop or you can’t stop quick enough.

My first kiss was a miss. It happened on my front door step with a boy I’d been crushing on forever. When he finally asked me out I thought I’d die! We went to the movies and then he brought me home, walked me to the door, and proceeded to shove his tongue down my throat. It was wet and sloppy and yucky.

We never went out again.

In my May 13th release, KISSING THE MAID OF HONOR, a first kiss plays an important role in the story. A fun role because it stirs up conflict. And desire. Wishes, too. Do I wish my first kiss had been bliss? Hmm… I’m not sure. I mean everything happens for a reason, right? I will say future kisses were much, much better.

What about you? Was your first kiss Bliss or Miss?

Cover Reveal!

Posted on April 28, 2013 by Robin Bielman

I am beyond thrilled to share the cover of my next book, KISSING THE MAID OF HONOR! I am so in love with the couple, the colors, the everything!, that I can’t stop staring at it!

And guess what else? It’s available for preorder. I totally just pinched myself. I am so in love with this story and am so excited to be a part of Entangled’s Bliss family! It’s going to get a little crazy around here with talk of weddings and maid of honor/bridesmaid stuff so I hope you’ll check back often. (There may also be some giveaways, too!)

Kissing her best friend’s brother never felt so right…

BUY LINKS:

Amazon
Barnes & Noble
iTunes/iBookstore

It’s my book birthday!

Posted on April 26, 2013 by Robin Bielman

Crazy to think that one year ago today I became a published author. It’s been a pretty darn wonderful year. I had another book published. And next month, I’ll have another – the first in a three book series! *pinches self* Thank you so much to everyone who has supported me and cheered for me, and made me smile with their kind words. Thank you to my publisher, Entangled Publishing. You’re the best. Thank you to my amazing editors. I am so lucky and grateful to have you. And most of all thank you to everyone who has read my books and/or added them to their to-read pile. You’ve helped make this dream of mine so very special.

It was awesome “meeting” so many new people in my last post – thank you for visiting and commenting! I hope you’ll come back again. I’ve got lots of fun stuff planned for my next release. In honor of my book birthday, I did promise to give away 5 digital copies of my debut novella, WORTH THE RISK, and the five randomly chosen winners are:

Yadira
Sarah
Desere
Poison Rose
Sharlene Wegner

Congratulations!! Please contact me at robinbielman AT gmail DOT com so I can send the eBook to you!

Happy Friday! I’m going to do a little celebrating! *launches cupcakes to share*

Hugs,
Robin

Book Birthday & Giveaway!

Posted on April 22, 2013 by Robin Bielman

This week is a very special week for me. On Friday, it’s the one-year book birthday for my debut novella, WORTH THE RISK.

I love this story so much. Samantha and Dean are characters who want what we all do: to find the one person to make our life complete. They stumbled the first time around, but when they reconnect, they discover they can have the forever kind of love.

So, April 26th is a date I’ll always remember and I thought I’d celebrate this first birthday by giving away 5 digital copies! Yep, 5 copies. All you have to do is leave me a comment. Easy peasy, right? I’ll post the winners names this Friday, the 26th, so please be sure to check back. (Already read it? I’d be happy to gift it to someone on your behalf.)

Speaking of reading, I’d again like to thank everyone who has read WORTH THE RISK. Your support means the world to me! Thank you so much!

hugs,
Robin

Blissed Out!

Posted on March 26, 2013 by Robin Bielman

Happy spring! Today I’m over at one of my favorite blog spots, Ex Libris, sharing how I get started on a new book. But more importantly, I’m sharing some book news! I hope you’ll pop over there to check it out and say hello – there’s a giveaway! – but I’ve been bursting at the seams to share my news here on my blog, so I’m going to do that today, too.

I’m thrilled to share that I have a new book coming out in May with Entangled’s Bliss line! It’s titled KISSING THE MAID OF HONOR and I am so freaking excited about it! It’s the first book in a series that takes place in the fictional small coastal town of Cascade, Oregon.

It’s about a wedding and friendships and crushes and family. It centers around Sela Sullivan and Luke Watters, and I had the absolute best time writing their story. Sela wants to be the best maid of honor ever, but when Luke, her older brother’s best friend (and her best friend’s older brother) comes home for his sister’s wedding and takes over best man duties, well, things get complicated. Deliciously complicated. And fun. And romantic.

I’ll be sharing more leading up to my release day, so I hope you’ll pop back in for updates. In the meantime, tell me what you’re reading. I’ve been on a huge NA kick lately. If you haven’t read One Week Girlfriend by Monica Murphy, it’s a must read! And the sequel (coming out in a couple of weeks, but I was very lucky and scored an ARC), Second Chance Boyfriend, is equally awesome. Seriously two of the best books ever!

So yeah, this is me right now:

hugs,
Robin

A Special Release: Poison by Bridget Zinn

Posted on March 21, 2013 by Robin Bielman

I am honored to be part of the blog tour for Bridget Zinn and her debut release, POISON. Bridget passed away in May, 2011, and while I didn’t know her, I’ve been blessed to read about her and the wonderful, optimistic person she was.

For Bridget’s blog tour we’re talking about our first…anything. I thought I’d talk about my first love. Not all those crushes, or infatuations, but real love.

He talked to me on the phone for three weeks before our first date because he’d gotten mono. He wrote romantic notes to me. When not going to school or working two jobs, he wanted to spend all his free time with me. My mom and dad adored him. He wore a button that said I <3 Robin and got teased mercilessly, but didn’t care. He made me laugh. He sometimes made me cry. When distance separated us, he’d drive 300 miles in one day just to spend a few hours with me. He snuck in and out of my bedroom window. (Mom, if you’re reading this, pretend I didn’t say that.) His smile slayed me. He was proud of me and my biggest champion. He got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. I said yes.

Now, I hope you’ll join me in celebrating Bridget and making her release one of the best firsts ever!

Sixteen-year-old Kyra, a highly-skilled potions master, is the only one who knows her kingdom is on the verge of destruction—which means she’s the only one who can save it. Faced with no other choice, Kyra decides to do what she does best: poison the kingdom’s future ruler, who also happens to be her former best friend.

But, for the first time ever, her poisoned dart…misses.

Now a fugitive instead of a hero, Kyra is caught in a game of hide-and-seek with the king’s army and her potioner ex-boyfriend, Hal. At least she’s not alone. She’s armed with her vital potions, a too-cute pig, and Fred, the charming adventurer she can’t stop thinking about. Kyra is determined to get herself a second chance (at murder), but will she be able to find and defeat the princess before Hal and the army find her? Kyra is not your typical murderer, and she’s certainly no damsel-in-distress—she’s the lovable and quick-witted hero of this romantic novel that has all the right ingredients to make teen girls swoon.

Purchase your copy:

Amazon
Barnes & Noble
IndieBound
iTunes Bookstore
Powell’s Books
Add Poison to your Goodreads pile!

About Bridget Zinn

Bridget grew up in Wisconsin. She went to the county fair where she met the love of her life, Barrett Dowell. They got married right before she went in for exploratory surgery which revealed she had colon cancer. They christened that summer the “summer of love” and the two celebrated with several more weddings. Bridget continued to read and write until the day she died. Her last tweet was “Sunshine and a brand new book. Perfect.”

Bridget wanted to make people laugh and hoped readers would enjoy spending time with the characters she created. As a librarian/writer she loved books with strong young women with aspirations. She also felt teens needed more humorous reads. She really wanted to write a book with pockets of warmth and happiness and hoped that her readers’ copies would show the watermarks of many bath time reads.

Dates and Places for Bridget’s Blog Tour:

MARCH 12
April Henry
E.M. Kokie
Nyrae Dawn
Julie “Manga Maniac Cafe”
Abby Niles
Pam “Bookalicious” van Hylckama
Jennifer McAndrews “Honestly YA”

MARCH 13
Kate Treadway “Verb Vixen”
Martha Brockenbrough
Cameron Y. – What the Cat Read
Bobbie Gould
Molly “Wrapped Up in Books”
Eileen Li

MARCH 14
Ashley Walsh “The Quiet Concert”
Jennifer Rummel “YA Book Nerd”
Tammy Hall
Laura Kaye
Melissa Simmons
Shelley Bunnell
Kate Bourne “The Book Monsters”
Taneesha “A Diary of a Book Addict”