Blog Tour and Giveaway: Just For Now by Rosalind James

*********ADULT BOOK *********

Title: Just for Now by Rosalind James (Escape to New Zealand #3)
Published: August 29th, 2012
Source: Provided by author for review
Format: eBook
Challenge(s): 2013 eBook Challenge
Grade rate: C+

There's no place like home . . .For teacher Jenna McKnight, nothing spells "heartbreak" like finding her husband with somebody else--in her bed. It's clearly time to reinvent herself. A new body, a new city, and a new job later, she's done just that. The beautiful Auckland villa isn't really her home, though. Finn Douglas and his kids aren't really her family, however much she wishes they were. And playing house can be a dangerous game.Rugby star Finn Douglas is just looking for a temporary nanny and housekeeper. Not a girlfriend, and definitely not a wife. He can't resist Jenna's cooking, it's true. Who knew he'd have so much trouble resisting her? He wants to do what's right for his kids. But waiting is so hard...

My Review

Just for Now is a fun, steamy read.

What I liked most about the book where its characters.  Jenna is separated from her husband (apparently in New Zealand the couple has to separate and wait two years before getting a divorce) because of something that happened with her ex (don’t want to spoil it for you).  She has undergone both a spiritual and a physical change due to this.  Jenna is very loving, a great teacher, has the patience of a saint and is working on her self-esteem.  On the other hand Finn is a famous Rugby player that needs a nanny for six months.  He is a home-boy, family man that is trying to provide a stable life for his two children. 

The other main characters are, of course, Finn’s children, Harry and Sophie.  They are very different from each other, but they both idolize their father.  I also liked the Sarah, Finn’s meddlesome sister, as she has his best interests (and Jenna’s) at heart.

Overall I liked Just for Now, I think that I didn’t love it because of my own lack of interest in sports.  This made it really hard for me to understand all the talk about rugby.  Also, the book was really geared for the New Zealand and possibly Australian audiences; I found the language a bit confusing at times (I understand now why books are tailored to different audiences!).  I could understand some of the words, for example, referring to a cell phone as a mobile; but others were a little harder for me to figure out, like Weet-Bix, brekkie, cossie and kiwi.  Another thing is that this book has some pretty steamy scenes, so please be aware that it is for adults only.

The plot is simple and a tad cliché, but it is done very well and it kept my interest thought the story.  The writing (other than the use of regionalisms) flows well and it’s very nice. 

Here are some quotes for you:  

                                                                                                

“She looked at him doubtfully.  He was certainly striking, with his height and powerful build, but his features were much too rough-hewn to be called handsome.” – Jenna

“Wow. That was the only word that came to mind. Despite their close quarters, she’d never seen him this closely without his shirt before. There was a lot of chest and shoulder there. A whole lot."  – Jenna

“Bloody hell”, he said, breathing hard now too. “You’re like Disneyland. Everything I like best, all there for me. And I want to go on every ride” – Finn

Where to find it: Amazon | Goodreads

Guest Post

Creating Your Book Cover

By Rosalind James

You can judge a book by its cover—and people do it all the time. Your cover has to convince YOUR target buyer that this is her type of book, and that it’s a good one. The tips below, gleaned from ten years in marketing for the publishing industry, helped me create my own covers. I pass them along in hopes that they help you too.

1.      Hire a professional. It isn’t as expensive as you may think. Three eBook covers cost me less than $100 per book: A small investment that has already paid for itself many times over in book sales.

2.      Choose the right professional. I did a web search to find designers in my genre (Romance), then looked at their websites and portfolios. Who designs covers that appeal to you and make you want to buy the book? When you’ve found somebody whose work you like, ask for a quote.

3.      Know your market. Think about authors whose books resemble yours. Those authors have succeeded in attracting your market. Look at the covers of their books, and you’ll see trends. (Shirtless heroes? Flowers? An ornate font, or a simple one? Big, bold block letters on a red background, for a thriller?) Copy the links to your favorite covers. You’ll want to share them with your designer.

4.      Define the effect you want to achieve. Your cover is your brand. Even if you only have one book out there now, you’ll want a “look” that people identify with your style. A good designer excels in translating “feelings” into art. This is the direction I gave my own designer: “I want a simple, tasteful, intelligent cover (no half-naked heroes!) Something that still says ‘romance,’ but not ‘embarrassing.’ The books are funny, playful, sexy, and occasionally tearjerking. Not completely frothy, a serious story in there too. I want to convey that--plus ‘exotic New Zealand locale.’”

I also had three books, with a fourth to come, so I needed to tie the covers together. The designer achieved that with the use of color and layout.

5.      Research stock art. You’ll get better results and help your designer if you take the time to find stock imagery that conveys the look you’re going for. I used Dreamstime. The designer used the image I found for my first book, Just This Once, but found different (better!) images for the other books, Just Good Friends and Just For Now.

6.      Work the design, and get feedback. After you get the designer’s first pass, ask people who have read your book for their reactions, then evaluate the feedback and give ONE response to the designer. If it isn’t quite right, keep working. (It took me three or four rounds.) Don’t give the designer specific direction (“could you put the title under the picture?”) Instead, try to explain the “feeling” that isn’t quite right (“It doesn’t look playful enough”).

7.      Admire your beautiful book cover! I hope it sells great!

About the Author

Rosalind James is the author of the Kindle bestseller Just This Once and the three subsequent books in the Escape to New Zealand series. She is a former marketing executive who has lived all over the United States and in a number of other countries, traveling with her civil engineer husband. Most recently, she spent several years in Australia and New Zealand, where she fell in love with the people, the landscape, and the culture of both countries.Visit www.rosalindjames.com to listen to the songs from the books, follow the characters on their travels, watch funny and fascinating New Zealand and rugby videos, and learn about what's new!

Find her here: Website | Facebook | Twitter

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*Disclosure of Material Connection: I am a member of Reading Addiction Blog Tours and a copy of this book was provided to me by the author. Although payment may have been received by Reading Addiction Blog Tours, no payment was received by me in exchange for this review. There was no obligation to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are entirely my own and may not necessarily agree with those of the author, publisher, publicist, or readers of this review. This disclosure is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commision’s 16 CFR, Part 255, Guides Concerning Use of Endorcements and Testimonials in Advertising*