Blog Tour/Review/Author Interview/Giveaway: More Than One Night by Nicole Leiren

More Than One Night 
Heroes of the Night book #1

Nicole Leiren

The Few. The Strong. The Brave. 

Melodie Alexander, a children's librarian, prefers to live life between the pages of a book. But when the death of her best friend prompts her to step out of her comfort zone, she finds herself directly in the path of self-proclaimed bad boy, Daniel Bresland.

Daniel knew how to be a solider. Life after war? Not as easy. He served his country in Afghanistan, both in the military and as a private contractor, but fighting the war came at high personal cost. Now he's determined to keep his relationships "casual" in order to protect his heart and prevent anyone from getting too close.

A chance encounter between Melodie and Daniel on a flight to Dallas proves that opposites really do attract. But when scars from the past threaten their new relationship almost before it starts, Daniel must decide if he can risk opening his heart again to convince Melodie he wants more than one night.

* * *

If you love men in uniform and believe the night belongs to lovers, then The Heroes of the Night series is perfect for you! Stories of military heroes, sexy and flawed, and the women they love.

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Excerpt  – First Date

Daniel walked through the doorway promptly at eight. Never early. Never late. Beer, sweat, and women's perfume permeated his senses. My kind of party. He scanned the bar area looking for Melodie. Men in cowboy hats talking up women in high heels occupied most of the seats. Though there were some empty chairs, his date didn't seem to be the "I'll wait for you at the bar" type. Making his way through the hot bodies and large red couches interspersed for the comfort of the patrons who needed a rest from dancing in the lounge area, he searched the faces for a glimpse of her chocolate brown waves. Still no Melodie.

He rolled his neck to ease the growing tension. She didn't strike him as the type to agree to come and then back out. He moved to the center of the lounge area to check out the dancers. Though still early for a Friday night, the dance floor hosted a decent number of people gyrating to the band's rendition of a popular Def Leppard song.

Keen eyes scanned the crowd looking for her dark brown head bobbing in time to the music. Based on what he'd learned about her, it didn't seem likely she'd be hanging out with a bunch of strangers, but he felt compelled to cover all the bases. Still nothing. Where in the hell could she be? His disappointment seemed largely out of place for a woman he'd just met and had only known for a few hours. Time for a drink. Someday soon he'd have to find something besides alcohol and women to mask his pain, but that day was not today.

Moving back to the bar, he ordered a beer and made his way toward the outdoor patio. Maybe he could bum a cigarette off someone. He really didn't smoke, but sometimes he needed to distract himself from his nonstop internal diatribe.

Right before exiting, he caught sight of the brunette beauty, the most beautiful wallflower he'd ever laid eyes on. Melodie. In a denim skirt, white blouse, and red jacket—the picture of patriotism in a curvy, sexy package. He made eye contact and swaggered in her direction. "God bless the USA."

Her innocent look shot arousal through his veins, settling just below his belt. Thirty seconds and already he needed a cold shower. Or a hot time in bed with Miss USA here.

"Do you always make random comments, or do I just bring out the best in you?"

"You definitely bring out the best in me, sweetheart. I was just commenting about how patriotic you look in your red, white, and blue."

"Oh…" her blush matched her jacket.

Wanting to save her from herself, he gulped a few more swigs of his beer before tossing it in the trash can. "Let's dance, eighties girl."

Grabbing her hand, he pulled her away from the wall. His brows creased. She'd looked comfortable essentially fading into the woodwork. His eyes swept over her body. Why wouldn't she be the center of attention no matter what the occasion? Beautiful and smart with a hint of sweetness—a dangerous combination for his heart. Not wanting to delay his body in close proximity with hers one moment longer, he pulled her into the fray of the mosh pit, hoping modesty prompted her to lie about having two left feet. The moment her body started moving in time to the music, he forgot all about her feet as her softer curves begged for attention.

He matched his steps to hers. The crowd of people pressed against them, forcing their bodies closer. This is more like it. Muscles flexed, hips rotating—sharing all his best moves. Her moves were damn good too. Those hips…her breasts…even her legs…moving to Brian Adam's smooth beat. Each subtle sway sky-rocketed his libido to levels for which he couldn't be held responsible for very long.

The guitars strummed while the drums grew louder, feeding off the energy of the crowd. No slow songs from this group. Time to improvise and make his move. Pulling her tighter, he closed his eyes to focus on the warm-blooded woman fate had delivered in the seat next to him. This wallflower possessed curves which, at present, were exactly where he wanted them—pressed against his chest. Lower, the softness led to muscled thighs igniting multiple fantasies about them being wrapped around his hips. Despite his self-proclaimed promise to behave, he lowered his face to the curve of her neck, inhaling softly. Sweet Jesus, not only did she rally every ounce of testosterone in his body to attention, but her sweet smell was capable of bringing any man…this man…to his knees.

Dear God in heaven, he was in trouble.

Rating

5 Stars

Review

I don't really care for insta-love books and I'm happy to say this is not one of them.  Maybe insta-attraction, yes, but you really do have that happen in real life.  Daniel and Melodie meet on a plane:  Melodie trying to escape her nagging family and her sorrow from losing her best friend and fiance.  Daniel trying to escape survivors guilt and a guilty conscience.  There were parts in More Than One Night that were just so romantic and done just right it will make you swoon and make you wish for your own Daniel Bresland.  There was a lot of pushing away, pulling away and running away going on between the two after pasts start to get exposed and both are reluctant to talk about their issues.  After realizing they can't live without one another, can they learn to communicate and share their traumatic pasts with one another so they both can heal each other and love one another for more than one night?

What a sensual, romantic read and true to life book.  The story flowed easily and did not feel forced from the characters mouths.  The supporting characters in the story were an added bonus and fun to read about and really helped to cement the fact of how much the 2 main character grew as individuals as well as a couple.   Great job on a fantastic debut novel.  I highly recommend this book.

I received a complimentary copy of this title for review purposes.

About the Author:

Nicole is a debut author with her contemporary romance series, Heroes of the Night. She has been an avid reader and lover of books from a very young age. Starting with Encyclopedia Brown, Nancy Drew, and The V.I. Warshawski novels, her love for mysteries grew and expanded to include romance and suspense. A Midwest girl, born and raised, her stories capture the love and laughter in her real world heroes and heroines.

Email:  nicoleleiren@yahoo.com

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/NicoleLeirenAuthorPage

Twitter:  @NicoleLeiren

Website:  www.nicoleleiren.com

Street Team:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/Leirens.Lovelies/

Pinterest:  https://www.pinterest.com/LeirensLovelies/

Amazon Author Page:  http://www.amazon.com/Nicole-Leiren/e/B011MKQRMQ/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1


GIVEAWAY

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Interview with Nicole

Q: What are your top 5 favorite books?
A: Whip Hand – Dick Francis
     Burn Marks – Sara Paretsky
     The Killing Floor – Lee Child
     Mortal Allies – Brian Haig
     The Cold Moon – Jeffrey Deaver

Q: Who is your favorite author?
A: Sara Paretsky (she’s a close tie with Lee Child though LOL)

Q: When did you start writing More Than One Night?
A: The inspiration for the hero came about in April of 2013 during a plane ride to New Orleans.
     I started writing it toward the end of 2013. So almost two years between the first words being
     written to publication.

Q: Who or what inspired you to start writing?
A: I would have to say my parents. They instilled a love of reading in me from a very young age.
     That love of reading eventually translated to a desire to share my own thoughts and stories with
     the written word. From school papers, to poetry, to fanfic, to the novels – it’s been a progression
     over a number of years.

Q: What was the hardest thing for you to overcome when trying to publish your first book(Picking a
     cover, writers block, finding the right editor, etc.)?
A: Honestly, the need for patience with the process was the most challenging for me. I had no idea
     how many steps are involved from the time you type “The End” until a book is available for sale.
     It has been a tremendous learning process and I’m incredibly thankful for my author friends,
     agent and publisher who have been so patient in mentoring me along theway.

Q: What is your favorite movie?
A: Oh it is SO hard to narrow it down to only one. I would have to say “Dirty Dancing” is one of my
     all-time favorites. The music, dancing, Patrick Swayze (soo fine!), and the story lines all formed
     together to make a movie I’ve watched over a hundred times at least!

Q: Do you prefer to read on an e-reader or have an actual printed book in front of you?
A: I’ve always enjoyed holding a book in my hand, but because I travel so much for my day job, the
     e-reader provides me with many choices with minimal space in my briefcase.

Q: Do you have a favorite genre to read or will you read just about anything?
A: Romantic suspense or suspense with romantic elements (I’ve learned there is a difference LOL)
     are among my favorites. Anything mystery, suspense and romance related can be found in my
     TBR pile.

Q: What is the most amusing thing that has ever happened to you?

A: One time at a writer’s conference, the hotel had changed one of the men’s rooms into a ladies’ 

      room for the duration of the conference due to the number of women in attendance. There was 

      a sign on the door and I had gone into the restroom. I’d finished up and was washing my hands 

     when a man walked in. He walked past me (I could see him in the mirror). He stopped, backed up 

     and pointed to a urinal and said, “I’m pretty sure I’m in the right place.”

     I smiled, every so sweetly, and replied, “Did you see a sign on the door when you came in?”

     “Yes.”

     “Did you read it?”

      He chuckles, “No.”

     I laughed and explained. “If you had, you would’ve seen that this has been designated a 

    women’s restroom for the weekend. So, for today and tomorrow, actually “I” am in the right place!”

    He turned a nice shade of red and then made his way out to find another men’s restroom!

    I still get a kick out of the look on his face when he realized what had happened.

Q: Is there anything else that you think readers would want to know about you?
A: I’m a fun loving individual who tries to live by the motto: Live, Love, Laugh. I believe a smile is
    one of the simplest gifts we can give to each other in the course of a day and can make a
    difference in someone’s day. So please know that you taking time out of your day to read this
    interview and, perhaps, read my book, warms my heart and puts a smile on my face – so THANK
    YOU!!

    Nicole