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The ONLY Playlist. . .

Tomorrow is release day for The Only One! I’m so excited to share Rilla and Mason with you. Today you get a sneak peek in the form of the book’s playlist.

Of course, this is a country playlist, because it’s part of The One Trilogy. And of course, Brad Paisley is featured more than once, because I <3 him big time. I especially wanted two of his songs on here because they speak to a delicate topic: Christianity. It’s TheOnlyOneEbooksomething that plays a fairly big role in The Only One; Rilla’s been raised in a strict church, and part of her journey is discovering what faith means to her and how much her upbringing should influence the rest of her life. I liked Brad’s songs Those Crazy Christians and Me and Jesus because they deal with that struggle in a real way.

Colin Raye’s On The Verge has always been to me the musical epitome of a man just about to fall in love. I went a little old school with Hal Ketchum’s Stay Forever; I just happened to hear it, and it captured their dance scene perfectly.

There are two Suzy Bogguss songs. One is a little older, her cover of Chicago’s If You Leave Me Now, and the other is from her latest album, a cover of Merle Haggard standards. Both are haunting and beautiful.

It was while listening to Suzy’s musical that I came across another cover, this one by the late Mindy McCready. She’d remade Long, Long Time which had been one of my very favorite bittersweet songs when I was a teenager. I love how Mindy re-did it.

I love this playlist, just as I love this story. Go check out the playlist here and get ready for Rilla and Mason tomorrow!

Preorder Giveaway Rules

Contest Rules

 

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  1. Eligibility

The Only One Preorder Giveaway (the Contest) is open to legal residents of the fifty (50) United States and the District of Columbia who are at least eighteen (18) years old at the time of entry. Employees of Tawdra Kandle and other companies associated with the promotion of the Contest, and their respective parents, subsidiaries, affiliates and advertising and promotion agencies as well as the immediate family (spouse, parents, siblings, and children) and household members of each such employee are not eligible. The Contest is subject to federal, state, and local laws and regulations.

 

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The Sweepstakes is sponsored by Tawdra Kandle, located at PO Box 195631, Winter Springs, Florida 32719.

 

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Participation in the Sweepstakes constitutes entrants full and unconditional agreement to and acceptance of these Official Rules and the decisions of the Sponsor, which are final and binding. Winning a prize is contingent upon being compliant with these Official Rules and fulfilling all other requirements set forth herein.

 

  1. Contest Period

The Contest begins on March 31, 2015 at 2 PM EDT and ends on April 06, 2015 at 11:59 PM EDT EDT (the Contest Period). Entries that are submitted before or after the Contest Period will be disqualified. Submissions will be accepted for the duration of the Contest using any of the following methods: Mail-In Online .

 

  1. How to Enter

Online: This method of entry will be available by visiting our website (http://tawdrakandle.com) and following the directions provided to fill out the entry information, and submit.

Via Mail: This method of entry will be available for the entire Contest Period. On a 3×5 card, handprint your full name, complete address, phone number (including area code) date of birth and email address (optional) and mail in an envelope with proper postage affixed to: PO Box 195631, Winter Springs, Florida, 32719 Mail-in entries must be hand-printed and mailed in separately. All mail-in entries must be postmarked by April 06, 2015 and received by April 14, 2015.

 

Limit one (1) entry per person, per email address, and per household for the duration of the Sweepstakes Period, regardless of method of entry. Entries received from any person, e-mail address, or household in excess of the stated limitation will be void. All entries become the property of Sponsor and will not be acknowledged or returned.

 

  1. Prize Drawing

On or about April 19, 2015, the Sponsor will select potential winners in a random drawing from among all eligible entries received. The odds of being selected depend on the number of entries received. The Sponsor will attempt to notify the potential winner via telephone or email on or about April 20, 2015. If the potential winner cannot be contacted within five (5) days after the date of the first attempt to contact him/her, the Sponsor may select an alternate potential winner in his/her place at random from the remaining non-winning, eligible entries.

 

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The potential winners will be notified by email, mail or phone. Each potential Grand and First Prize winner (parent/legal guardian if a minor in his/her state of residence) will be required to complete, electronically sign and submit a Declaration of Compliance within five (5) days of the date notice or attempted notice is sent, in order to claim his/her prize. If a potential winner cannot be contacted, or fails to submit the Declaration of Compliance within the required time period (if applicable), or prize is returned as undeliverable, potential winner forfeits prize. If the potential winner is at least 18 but still considered a minor in his/her jurisdiction of residence, Sponsor reserves the right to award the prize in the name of his/her parent or legal guardian, who will be required to sign the Declaration of Compliance on the potential winners behalf and fulfill any other requirements imposed on winner set forth herein. Potential winners must continue to comply with all terms and conditions of these Official Rules, and winning is contingent upon fulfilling all requirements. In the event that a potential winner is disqualified for any reason, Sponsor will award the applicable prize to an alternate winner by random drawing from among all remaining eligible entries. Only three (3) alternate drawings will be held, after which the prize will remain un-awarded. Prizes will be fulfilled approximately 8-10 weeks after the conclusion of the Sweepstakes.

 

  1. Prizes

 

Grand Prize: $50 iBooks Gift Card, $25 Amazon Gift Card and signed copies of THE ONE Trilogy (paperbacks)

 

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In the event that the operation, security, or administration of the Contest is impaired in any way for any reason, including, but not limited to fraud, virus, bug, worm, unauthorized human intervention or other technical problem, or in the event the Contest is unable to run as planned for any other reason, as determined by Sponsor in its sole discretion, the Sponsor may, in its sole discretion, either (a) suspend the Contest to address the impairment and then resume the Sweepstakes in a manner that best conforms to the spirit of these Official Rules or (b) terminate the Sweepstakes and, in the event of termination, award the prize at random from among the eligible, non-suspect entries received up to the time of the impairment. The Sponsor reserves the right in its sole discretion to disqualify any individual it finds to be tampering with the entry process or the operation of the Contest or to be acting in violation of these Official Rules or in an unsportsmanlike or disruptive manner. Any attempt by any person to damage the website or undermine the legitimate operation of the Contest may be a violation of criminal and civil law, and, should such an attempt be made, the Sponsor reserves the right to seek damages (including attorneys fees) and any other remedies from any such person to the fullest extent permitted by law. Failure by the Sponsor to enforce any provision of these Official Rules shall not constitute a waiver of that provision.

 

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By participating in the Contest, entrants agree to release and hold harmless the Sponsor, and each of their respective parents, subsidiaries, affiliates, advertising and promotion agencies, other companies associated with the Sweepstakes, and each of their respective officers, directors, employees, shareholders, representatives, and agents (the Released Parties) from and against any claim or cause of action arising out of participation in the Contest or receipt or use of the prize (including any travel or activity related thereto), including, but not limited to: (a) any technical errors associated with the Contest, including lost, interrupted or unavailable Internet Service Provider (ISP), network, server, wireless service provider, or other connections, availability or accessibility or miscommunications or failed computer, satellite, telephone, cellular tower or cable transmissions, lines, or technical failure or jumbled, scrambled, delayed, or misdirected transmissions or computer hardware or software malfunctions, failures or difficulties; (b) unauthorized human intervention in the Contest; (c) mechanical, network, electronic, computer, human, printing or typographical errors; (d)lost, late, incomplete, garbled, illegible, undelivered, stolen, damaged, delayed, postage-due or misdirected mail, entries, application downloads, (e) any other errors or problems in connection with the Contest, including, without limitation, errors that may occur in the administration of the Contest, the announcement of the winner, the cancellation or postponement of the event and/or the flyover, if applicable, the incorrect downloading of the application the processing of entries application downloadsor in any Contest-related materials; or (f) injury, death, losses or damages of any kind, to persons or property which may be caused, directly or indirectly, in whole or in part, from entrants participation in the Sweepstakes or acceptance, receipt or misuse of the prize (including any travel or activity related thereto). Entrant further agrees that in any cause of action, the Released Parties liability will be limited to the cost of entering and participating in the Contest, and in no event shall the entrant be entitled to receive attorneys fees. Released Parties are also not responsible for any incorrect or inaccurate information, whether caused by site users, tampering, hacking, or by any equipment or programming associated with or utilized in the Contest. Entrant waives the right to claim any damages whatsoever, including, but not limited to, punitive, consequential, direct, or indirect damages.

 

  1. Disputes

Except where prohibited, each entrant agrees that any and all disputes, claims and causes of action arising out of, or connected with, the Sweepstakes or any prize awarded shall be resolved individually, without resort to any form of class action, and exclusively by the appropriate court located in Florida. All issues and questions concerning the construction, validity, interpretation and enforceability of these Official Rules, entrants rights and obligations, or the rights and obligations of the Sponsor in connection with the Sweepstakes, shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of Florida, without giving effect to any choice of law or conflict of law rules, which would cause the application of the laws of any jurisdiction other than Florida.

 

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The Only One. . .Teaser #2

One week from today, The Only One goes live on all venues! Are you ready? I know I am!

Today’s sneak peek features Rilla and Mason . . . she’s working for him, taking care of his daughter and his mother, and they’ve just come from dinner out. Something happened that kind of set Rilla off. Watch out for those quiet types.

“You’re crazy. Just flat-out, no-holds-barred insane.”

Rilla didn’t wait for me to open her door this time when I pulled the truck into the driveway. She jumped out and then leaned back to unbuckle Piper. “Come on, sweet pea. Let’s get you ready for a bath and bed.”

TheOnlyOneEbook“Rilla, come on. We need to talk about this.” I followed her into the house. “Just wait a second.”

“No, thanks. I’m going to put Piper to bed, and then I’m going to help Naomi with her medicine and help her get changed for bed. And then I’m going to my room and going to bed myself. I suggest you do the same. Clearly you got too much sun today, and it fried your brain.”

“It didn’t go above seventy-two degrees today, Rilla. I don’t have heat stroke. I just—”

“No.” She stopped and spun on her heel, shooting me a stern, shut-your-mouth look that halted me in my tracks. “Not another word.” She turned around again, pausing only at the doorway to my mother’s room. “Naomi, as soon as I get the little one down, I’ll come help you, okay? You all right ‘til then?”

I heard my mom speak, cautious and curious. “I’m fine, darlin’. The bigger question is, are you okay?”

“I’m peachy. Be right back. Piper, say good-night to Nan.”

Rilla bent to set my daughter on the floor, and Piper scampered to hug her grandmother. She ran back to grab Rilla’s hand and marched up the steps.

I went into Mom’s room and dropped into the easy chair, rubbing the back of my neck.

“I’m nearly afraid to ask, but what happened? Here I was happy, thinking the three of you were off having yourselves a time, and instead Rilla comes home in a snit and you’re trailing her around, begging her to give you a minute of time.”

I sighed. “You’re not going to like it, and I’m not sure I can deal with another pissed female tonight. So let’s just say I said something that made perfect sense to me, but apparently was the last thing Rilla wanted to hear.”

Mom laid her head back against the chair. “Oh, son. ‘Fess up, now. Tell me what you did.”

I steepled my fingers and stared down at them. “I asked Rilla to marry me.”

Want to know what happens next? Preorder The Only One NOW and have it on your ereader in one week.

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The First One: Country Heartbreak

As we discussed last week, The One Trilogy is totally country. Sam was the fan in The Last One, but in The First One, both Ali and Flynn grew up in Burton, and both appreciate country music.

Their story was actually inspired by a country song. Years ago, when I heard Tim McGraw’s Everywhere, I told my daughter that there was a story in that song. In my mind, a young woman lived in a small town, and her high school boyfriend, who had left town without her when she changed her mind about leaving, returns home. I didn’t see all the details, but I knew the feelings.

iphone6greyleft_579x1711While writing The Last One, I knew that Sam had a sister, but I thought she was simply a divorced mother. Imagine my surprise when Ali began telling Meghan her story. . .how she’d been in love, had a last-minute change of heart about leaving town with her lover and then discovered her pregnancy after he’d left. Everything clicked: Ali was the heroine of my Everywhere story, and Flynn was the high school boyfriend.

This playlist has some fun songs, too: Luke Bryan’s All My Friends Say tells about his raucous night at The Road Block when he’s both trying to forget Ali and trying to make sure she knows he’s over her. (He’s not, incidentally.)

Run over and check it out here.

Oh, and don’t forget . . . The Last One is free for a limited time and The Only One is coming in eight days! Preorder now. . .

The Only One. . .Teaser #1

It’s Teaser #Tuesday, and The Only One releases TWO weeks from today. . .on April 7th. . .I thought you might like a tiny teaser taste.

Oh. . .and how about a look at the long-awaited cover??

TheOnlyOne

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mason is the owner of The Road Block, a bar and club just outside Burton, Georgia. If you read The Last One and The First Oneyou’ll remember that Meghan and her friend Laura went to The Road Block for some fun the night Sam ended up rescuing them. And of course Ali and Flynn each tried to out-fun each other there when they were still pretending not to be in love.

In this scene, he’s about to meet Rilla, who’s been working for Sam at the stand, selling vegetables and setting up advertising and promotion. All of their mutual friends want Mason to hire Rilla, too, but at the same time. . .they’re a little worried about how the quiet, sheltered young woman will react to him.

Oh, and Mason’s holding his sleeping daughter Piper as this opens.

Enjoy your teaser!

***

“Speaking of which. . .that’s why I’m here. Sam says I need to meet this publicity guru and see about getting her to work for the bar, too.”

“Yeah, he told me you were coming by.” Meghan hesitated. “Mason, Rilla’s really shy. She’s not like Ali and me, you know?”

“You mean she’s not a ball buster?” I smirked.

“Hey!” She swatted my arm. “And watch your language in front of the little one.”

I shifted a little. “She’s out. I felt her snoring against my shoulder a few minutes ago. And she looks little, but when she’s asleep, she’s dead weight. So can you point me in the direction of this shy little girl both you and Alex seem to think I’m going to overwhelm? I promise, I’ll try to tone down my irresistible charm so she doesn’t faint when she sees me.”

Meghan rolled her eyes. “Yeah, irresistible charm. It’s more that you’re just larger than life, Mase. And sometimes you tend to forget it.” She paused. “Alex said something to you about her, too?”

“Yeah. Actually, he said that exact thing. ‘Larger than life.’ Are y’all trying to say I need to lose weight?”

“God, no.” Meghan’s tone was fervent enough to make me grin again. “But you’re tall, and you’re built. And you just have this air. . .like you’d take someone over and. . .consume her.”

I frowned. “Really? I always thought I was just. . .you know, folksy. Friendly.”

“You are, Mason. Totally. You’re a good guy and a good friend, and I’m glad to know you. I’d happily introduce you to any woman I know, but Rilla’s so different. It’s taken her weeks to open to me even a little, but when guys are around, she kind of freezes. She can handle herself with customers, and she seems to have gotten used to Sam and Flynn. But anyone else and she just stops talking and kind of shrinks.”

“You’re not making a good case for me hiring this chick, Meghan. An advertising expert who doesn’t like people? Yeah, that doesn’t sound like it’s gonna fly.”

“It’s not like that, Mason. First of all, most of the work she does is online, so she’s not even dealing with people. Second, like I said, she pulls it together for work. Rilla’s good at what she does. And you know Sam. Even if he wanted to help her out, he’d never recommend her to you if she wasn’t good.”

“Okay.” I nodded. “But the more important thing right now is letting me meet her, so I can get this kid back to the car and home. She’s drooling, and it’s going down my back.”

Meghan threw back her head and laughed. “Oh, that’s precious. C’mon, big guy. Follow me.”