Author Guest Post
Hello Beloved Readers!
I am Christina Hoffman.
I was born in England and later hop-scotched across the globe (or, rather, I was exposed to multiple wonderful cultures and adventures!) with my family until we finally settled in the United States.
I have put my suitcase down, for now at least, in blissful San Francisco.
If that wasn't good fortune enough, I am finally making my dream of writing meaningful romances come true. I love sexy stories with heart, relationships that are sweet and insanely erotic. Enough with the chains and the degradation. I need some romance in my Romance!
I have known so many intelligent and driven men and women who have felt they could be smart OR sexy. Seriously, my when my best girlfriend, who is gorgeous, was in medical school, the women were beautiful. But they didn't know it. Or they suspected they might be, and worked extra hard to cover it up. They had to take on the role of serious grown-up, and acting like sensual beings was practically a career ender.
Okay, well, we can't change the world overnight! But after-hours, we can do what we like with our minds AND our bodies. Why not have some amazing adventures? That's what I write about in my books, and I hope you'll see yourselves in my heroines or my heroes, and know that you, too, are allowed to feel amazing.
Welcome to the world of smart and sexy. I'm so glad you're here!!
About The Author
She believes that everyone has the right to feel both smart and sexy. We don't have to be one or the other! She writes stories about characters who live in the real world and who, somehow, still believe in love.
She's starting a mini-revolution. She writes sexy stories, but hasn't lost the romance from her Romances. Enough with whips -- back to lips!
She hopes you enjoy her stories and see yourself in her characters. After all, they are based on smart and sexy people, just like you.
Christina’s latest book is the contemporary romance, Invitation.
AUTHOR WEBSITE
GOOGLE+
GOODREADS
Book Review
Invitation by Christina Hoffman
Publisher: Independent Self Publishing
Publication Date: March 31, 2014
Format: Paperback - 190 pages
Kindle - 214 pages / 491 KB
ISBN: 0996096701
ASIN: B00JDZ63YK
Genre: Contemporary Romance
BUY THE BOOK: Invitation
Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the author in exchange for my honest review and participation in a virtual book tour event hosted by Pump Up Your Book! Virtual Book Tours.
Book Description:
But when heart-stoppingly gorgeous Dr. Liam Mason walks into her world, she knows she's in trouble. After finding out about her devastating past, Liam offers to bring her back to life with physical passion. Madison thinks she should be repelled, but she's intrigued and can't turn him away. Together they explore days and nights of pleasure, and slowly develop into something more than bedmates.
Deep inside they each wonder if they've found their perfect match. But with Liam's fear of being dragged down by commitment, and Madison's fear of being hurt by another man threatening to destroy the world they’ve built together, will they each be strong enough and brave enough to risk their hearts to have it all?
Book Excerpt:
I can't even blame it on the booze. There wasn't any, or at least there wasn't any for me. I was with Chloe, my bodyguard. Okay, actually she was my friend, but a really overprotective friend who knew all about what I’d been through and wanted to make sure it never happened again. So, no alcohol.
But, what she and I hadn't counted on was him being there. There I was, minding my own business, putting in my time at the Med School Social, more than ready to head home for some studying, then Chinese food and a movie. And suddenly, him.
I was inhaling when I caught sight of him, but my breath just stopped. It felt like being punched in the chest. I kept telling myself, look away, look away! But it was impossible. I was paralyzed. His beautiful face and magnificent body were magnets, and my eyes were locked on them.
I hadn't felt this kind of physical attraction since, well, ever. I had never felt like that. I had stayed away from men for two years. I was pretty much terrified of them, to tell the truth. But there he was. Unavoidable and irresistible.
I saw him in profile. Oh, that hair. Thick, almost curly, falling into his eyes. The kind of hair you need to gently push off of his face right before you kiss him. Or, the kind of hair you grab really hard right before you're about to...
But, I'm getting ahead of myself. The point I'm trying to make is that my mind very clearly recognized all the dangers ahead and was saying, “Turn around, go, get out of here! Before it's too late.” But then he turned around to look right at me. It was already too late.
We held each other's gaze a second longer than politeness required. Something inside me went click, and for the first time in almost two years, I felt young and alive, and really, really turned on. Every part of me suddenly woke up, and all the best parts started to tingle. I was breathing harder. My lips parted slightly, already begging to be kissed.
It was a little overwhelming. I was out of practice. No, actually, I had never had the kind of practice you would need to stay controlled in a situation like that. I think maybe you can have a soul mate for your mind, and also one for your body. And my body was saying “Get me over there right now!”
But I was still too afraid. I smiled a little and turned away.
I had to stay for a while, to look sociable, so I went over to the food table and stared at the snacks, which were already stale. Nothing looked very good, and my throat was too tight to eat anyway.
I was starting to formulate a plan for escaping without the other students or the teachers noticing when I felt the air move behind me, the softest caress against my bare shoulders. Then, a hand on my back, an electric shock to my body, wildly pleasurable. I gasped and spun around. Right into the arms of...
“I'm Liam.”
Liam. Right into the arms of Liam. Oh, he was even more beautiful up close. My hand rose all on its own to push that wonderful floppy hair from his face. I stopped suddenly, embarrassed, but he caught my wrist, and held my palm gently to his face. We looked at each other and knew.
“Wanna get out of here?” he asked, and of course, foolish, foolish woman that I am, I said, “Yes.”
I saw him my first day at the new hospital. I'm a medical student and had just finished the lecture part of things where we sit around learning about chemical reactions and body parts. That was over, at last, and we were moving on to seeing real live patients in the hospital.
The orientation was step one in getting us ready for our new roles. We each got a short lab coat and a tour of the locker rooms. We received our ID tag photos.
I'm not sure why I first noticed Liam.
Since the bad thing happened, I keep my head down and make eye contact with pretty much nobody. I wear my hair in a tight bun at the nape of my neck and my clothes are dull and loose. On that particular day, I was trying very hard to concentrate. I was excited to be starting work in the hospital, but I was mostly terrified. There was so much to take in and remember. My head was reeling after only two hours. The last thing on my mind was men. So, who knows why I took that second look as he walked by our group.
Well, actually I do know why. He was gorgeous. Ridiculously gorgeous. Dark wavy hair, just slightly overgrown so he looked like a happy surfer who'd tumbled out of bed. Smiling eyes. Sparkling, mischievous, movie star eyes. A little bit of stubble, likely because he had been on call all night. The rest of him looked pretty much immaculate. He wore light wool pants and a sky blue shirt. No tie, but the white lab coat made him look professional enough.
I was dedicated to maintaining my nun-like lifestyle, but, seriously, it was impossible not to look at him. Even Chloe noticed him. She looked at him, then at me. She shook her head lightly and whispered, “No”. I laughed a little because she sounded like a mom telling a toddler that she couldn't have any candy. Well, that was pretty much what was happening, so I guess Chloe nailed that.
She was absolutely right. I didn't want any trouble. Certainly not that awful, frightening feeling of falling in love. No time-consuming romance. And certainly not all the time I had lost trying to recover from the trauma of what had happened before. Even a plain old tiny heartbreak could set me back, and put me way off course in my career.
No, I didn't have the time or energy for any distractions. Nothing. Just work and school.
So I ignored the stunning resident with the black hair, and tried to focus on the tall blond giving us the orientation spiel. This was much easier because I felt no attraction to him at all. He was really handsome, too. But something about him seemed mean. Or maybe arrogant. It's hard to remember what I thought of him that first time, because the memory is so clouded with all that came after. I'll just say he was a tall, slim blond who should have caught my eye, but didn’t.
But, what she and I hadn't counted on was him being there. There I was, minding my own business, putting in my time at the Med School Social, more than ready to head home for some studying, then Chinese food and a movie. And suddenly, him.
I was inhaling when I caught sight of him, but my breath just stopped. It felt like being punched in the chest. I kept telling myself, look away, look away! But it was impossible. I was paralyzed. His beautiful face and magnificent body were magnets, and my eyes were locked on them.
I hadn't felt this kind of physical attraction since, well, ever. I had never felt like that. I had stayed away from men for two years. I was pretty much terrified of them, to tell the truth. But there he was. Unavoidable and irresistible.
I saw him in profile. Oh, that hair. Thick, almost curly, falling into his eyes. The kind of hair you need to gently push off of his face right before you kiss him. Or, the kind of hair you grab really hard right before you're about to...
But, I'm getting ahead of myself. The point I'm trying to make is that my mind very clearly recognized all the dangers ahead and was saying, “Turn around, go, get out of here! Before it's too late.” But then he turned around to look right at me. It was already too late.
We held each other's gaze a second longer than politeness required. Something inside me went click, and for the first time in almost two years, I felt young and alive, and really, really turned on. Every part of me suddenly woke up, and all the best parts started to tingle. I was breathing harder. My lips parted slightly, already begging to be kissed.
It was a little overwhelming. I was out of practice. No, actually, I had never had the kind of practice you would need to stay controlled in a situation like that. I think maybe you can have a soul mate for your mind, and also one for your body. And my body was saying “Get me over there right now!”
But I was still too afraid. I smiled a little and turned away.
I had to stay for a while, to look sociable, so I went over to the food table and stared at the snacks, which were already stale. Nothing looked very good, and my throat was too tight to eat anyway.
I was starting to formulate a plan for escaping without the other students or the teachers noticing when I felt the air move behind me, the softest caress against my bare shoulders. Then, a hand on my back, an electric shock to my body, wildly pleasurable. I gasped and spun around. Right into the arms of...
“I'm Liam.”
Liam. Right into the arms of Liam. Oh, he was even more beautiful up close. My hand rose all on its own to push that wonderful floppy hair from his face. I stopped suddenly, embarrassed, but he caught my wrist, and held my palm gently to his face. We looked at each other and knew.
“Wanna get out of here?” he asked, and of course, foolish, foolish woman that I am, I said, “Yes.”
I saw him my first day at the new hospital. I'm a medical student and had just finished the lecture part of things where we sit around learning about chemical reactions and body parts. That was over, at last, and we were moving on to seeing real live patients in the hospital.
The orientation was step one in getting us ready for our new roles. We each got a short lab coat and a tour of the locker rooms. We received our ID tag photos.
I'm not sure why I first noticed Liam.
Since the bad thing happened, I keep my head down and make eye contact with pretty much nobody. I wear my hair in a tight bun at the nape of my neck and my clothes are dull and loose. On that particular day, I was trying very hard to concentrate. I was excited to be starting work in the hospital, but I was mostly terrified. There was so much to take in and remember. My head was reeling after only two hours. The last thing on my mind was men. So, who knows why I took that second look as he walked by our group.
Well, actually I do know why. He was gorgeous. Ridiculously gorgeous. Dark wavy hair, just slightly overgrown so he looked like a happy surfer who'd tumbled out of bed. Smiling eyes. Sparkling, mischievous, movie star eyes. A little bit of stubble, likely because he had been on call all night. The rest of him looked pretty much immaculate. He wore light wool pants and a sky blue shirt. No tie, but the white lab coat made him look professional enough.
I was dedicated to maintaining my nun-like lifestyle, but, seriously, it was impossible not to look at him. Even Chloe noticed him. She looked at him, then at me. She shook her head lightly and whispered, “No”. I laughed a little because she sounded like a mom telling a toddler that she couldn't have any candy. Well, that was pretty much what was happening, so I guess Chloe nailed that.
She was absolutely right. I didn't want any trouble. Certainly not that awful, frightening feeling of falling in love. No time-consuming romance. And certainly not all the time I had lost trying to recover from the trauma of what had happened before. Even a plain old tiny heartbreak could set me back, and put me way off course in my career.
No, I didn't have the time or energy for any distractions. Nothing. Just work and school.
So I ignored the stunning resident with the black hair, and tried to focus on the tall blond giving us the orientation spiel. This was much easier because I felt no attraction to him at all. He was really handsome, too. But something about him seemed mean. Or maybe arrogant. It's hard to remember what I thought of him that first time, because the memory is so clouded with all that came after. I'll just say he was a tall, slim blond who should have caught my eye, but didn’t.
My Book Review:
In her debut novel, Invitation, author Christina Hoffman weaves a sweet and sassy love story about two ordinary people dealing with real life issues, who meet and are attracted to each other. What starts out as a lighthearted relationship based on fun and no commitments, slowly becomes something more. But painful past baggage, fear of commitment, and lack of trust stands in the way ... can they be strong enough to risk their hearts and take a chance on love?
Madison Spencer is a medical student with a painful past that took away her passion and spirit, causing her to live a lonely life behind the facade of a plain Jane, solely focused only on her medical career.
Dr. Liam Mason is dedicated to his medical career, he isn't looking for love, he prefers lighthearted fun relationships without commitments.
When Madison and Liam meet there is instant attraction .. can a lighthearted, fun, and carefree relationship full of passion and pleasure turn into something more for two hesitant and relationship-commitment wary lovers?
Invitation is a wonderful love story full of romance, passion, fun, angst, pain, fear, and self-doubt. The reader is easy drawn into Madison and Liam's story. There is an emotional pull and depth to the storyline that the reader can easily relate to and embrace. What more could a reader ask for then to have two realistic and flawed characters on an emotional journey filled with passion and drama? The romance and real life issues are cleverly interwoven throughout the story, add in some very steamy but not overly done sex scenes that will make you blush and sigh, and what you get is a thoroughly enjoyable and classic love story.
Invitation is a beautifully written contemporary romance novel that is sure to leave a smile on your face.
RATING: 4 STARS
Contest Giveaway
Author Christina Hoffman is giving away 2 $50 Amazon gift cards!
By entering the giveaway, you are confirming you are at least 18 years old.
2 winners will be chosen via Rafflecopter to receive either one $50 Amazon Gift Card.
This giveaway begins May 5 and ends July 31. Open only in the U.S.
Winner will be contacted via email on Monday, August 4.
Winner has 48 hours to reply. Good luck everyone!
ENTER TO WIN!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Virtual Book Tour Schedule
Tour Schedule:
Tuesday, May 6 First Chapter Reveal at Pump Up Your Book
Wednesday, May 7 Interview at PUYB Virtual Book Club
Friday, May 9 Interview at As the Page Turns
Monday, May 12 Interview at Mia Downing’s Blog
Tuesday, May 13 First Chapter Reveal at Sapphyria’s Steamy Books
Thursday, May 15 First Chapter Reveal at Bewitching Bibliophile
Monday, May 19 Interview at Authors to Watch
Tuesday, May 20 Book Featured at Bound 2 Escape
Wednesday, May 21 Interview at Sexy Between the Covers
Thursday, May 22 Book Review & Guest Blogging at Jersey Girl Sizzling Book Reviews
Monday, May 26 Book Featured at Cherry Mischievous
Tuesday, May 27 Interview at The Book Connection
Friday, May 30 First Chapter Reveal at Literarily Speaking
Monday, June 2 Guest Blogging at Babbling About Books and More
Tuesday, June 3 Guest Blogging at Lori’s Reading Corner
Wednesday, June 4 Book Review at Deal Sharing Aunt
Thursday, June 5 Guest Blogging at Passionate Encounters
Friday, June 6 Guest Blogging at A Little Bit of Spice
Monday, June 9 Book Feature at Confessions of a Reader
Tuesday, June 10 Interview at The Writer’s Life
Wednesday, June 11 Book Review at Musings From An Addicted Reader
Thursday, June 12 Book Featured at Margay Leah Justice’s Blog
Monday, June 16 Guest Blogging at I Heart Reading
Tuesday, June 17 Book Review at Bewitching Bibliophile
Wednesday, June 18 First Chapter Reveal at The Opinionated Me
Monday, June 23 Book Review at Doing Some Reading
Tuesday, June 24 Book Review at My Daily Romance
Friday, June 27 Interview at Beyond the Books
Monday, July 7 Character Guest Post at As the Page Turns
Tuesday, July 8 Book Review at Laurie Here – Contemporary Fiction and More – Book Reviews Wednesday, July 9 Guest Blogging at Literal Exposure
Thursday, July 10 Character Interview at The Literary Nook
Monday, July 14 Book Review at Sara’s Organized Chaos
Tuesday, July 15 Book Review at Booklover Sue
Thursday, July 17 Book Review at Words I Write Crazy
Monday, July 21 Interview at You Gotta Read Reviews
Tuesday, July 22 Interview at As the Pages Turn
Wednesday, July 23 Interview at Fantasy Pages
Thursday, July 24 Guest Blogging at Bewitching Bibliophile
Monday, July 28 Book Review at Not Everyone’s Mama
Tuesday, July 29 Book Review at Svetlana’s Reads and Views
Wednesday, July 30 Interview at I’m Shelf-ish
Thursday, July 31 Book Tour Highlights at PUYB Virtual Book Club
Dear Jersey Girl,
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for being part of my book blog tour. Your site is wonderful, and the posting you did for me looks amazing. Your review was thoughtful and kind, and I really appreciate the time you took, both to read the story and then to review it.
Sorry for the delay in writing my thank you -- my sister is unwell, and my Auntie status has been upgraded to full-time work!
Hope you have a wonderful weekend,
Christina
Hi Christina! Thank you for the kind comments and the opportunity to host your virtual book tour event for Invitation. :)
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