Skyla11377

Review Of Heart Ache (Bound By A Touch Book #1) By Morgan Kearns

2012-01-20T08:00:00.103-05:00

Heart Ache (Bound By A Touch Book #1) By Morgan Kearns

Blurb:

One Touch

Gabrielle Ryan felt an electric attraction to her new employer the first time he reached out and shook her hand. She dreams of him, fantasizes about him, but all Nikolai wants is an assistant—and to Gabby’s chagrin, it’s not to assist him with taking off his pants!

One Beat

An ache has inhabited Nikolai Voinea’s chest for the last four hundred years. Yet stubbornly resolute not to repeat his father’s mistakes, Nikolai refuses to take the one female who is his heart’s greatest desire.

Captures His Heart Forever

When murder charges make Gabby second guess everything she knows about him, she’s hurt and angry and determined to walk away. But Nikolai’s just as determined to do everything within his power to keep her.

Morgan has another great book on her hands. I LOVE Vampires and I so LOVE Nikolai. Morgan introduces a new aspect to her Vampire's that I was really intrigued with. Her Vampire's are not part of the usually cookie cutter variety, which gets her high marks for originality.

Heart Ache is about two people Gabrielle Ryan and her boss Nikolai Voinea who are desperately attracted to one another but are too stubborn to tell one another. Gabby doesn't want to be accused of throwing herself at her boss and Niko doesn't want to interfere with Gabby's free will. You would think that would be a big enough situation to deal with but Morgan ALWAYS knows how to keep you on your toes. Enter Gabrielle's fiancée Jayson McDade and Nikolai's ex-girlfriend Natasha. The introduction of these two characters bring about great conflict for all parties involved. And that's what I love about Morgan, she always makes her characters work for their happily ever after. Nothing ever comes easy and the journey always has a price.

There is so much I haven't said but that would give away all the great parts of this story. Heart Ache is one of those stories that touches a part of you and makes you appreciate the little things in life. On a scale from 1-10 I give Heart Ache a big 10. This was a great Vampire love story with a different twist. If you are looking for true love, Vampires, danger, and a story that keeps you on your toes then Heart Ache is the book for you. I eagerly await book 2 in this series. Everyone adult 18+ (there are a few parts that might be a little to intense for some) should pick up a copy of Heart Ache and let Gabrielle and Nikolai's journey bind you to them.

Link:
http://www.morgankearns.com/
Blog: Here
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Review Of The Dirt By Lori Culwell

2012-01-09T08:00:00.008-05:00

The Dirt By Lori Culwell

Paperback: 206 pages
Publisher: Booktrope Editions (November 11, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1935961365
ISBN-13: 978-1935961369
Source: Amazon.Com (link to purchase HERE)
Purchase: Barnes And Noble (link to purchase HERE)

Blurb:

Lucy Whitley cannot wait to get out of Palm Desert. It's not a place for a frizzy-haired science nerd, particularly when her fashion-obsessed older sister Sloane is the head of a clique of pretty girls who rule the school -- and practically the whole town. Fortunately, life is about to change forever. Lucy's dad is getting re-married, and then she can transfer to a boarding school in Connecticut, escaping all the mean girls and the endless whispers about the Whitley family scandal. Everything is going to be perfect -- as long as the wedding goes smoothly.

I highly enjoyed reading The Dirt By Lori Culwell. She wrote a great story about a family of four sister's from the perspective of one of them Luck Whitley. It captured my attention from the very first page which actually consisted of e-mails between the family. I enjoyed that because it made the book somehow more real if that makes sense.

Lucy Whitley is the nerdy sister of the group. She has a low opinion of herself because she feels her sister Sloane it the "pretty" sister. Her sister belongs to a super secret society of girls called the Pretty Girls or PG for short. Therefore her sister is a raging terror in and out of school. Lucy has two best friends Finch and Dylan. They are more like sister's then friends and they vow to never be PG (even if anyone would actually ask them....lol).

At the start of this book they are getting ready to go to the wedding of their father and his girlfriend Lisa. Lisa seems to be the typical soon-to-be stepmother. She would like to erase all signs of a family before she got their and create her new starter family. Although Lucy doesn't really want her dad to marry Lisa she supports him in the hopes of going to a boarding school in Connecticut called Darlington. Lucy feels this is the best way to escape her sister Sloane, being teased at school and the whole "Whitney Family Scandal". But something happens at the wedding that turns Lucy's whole world upside down.

I would really love to tell you more BUT I feel you need to read what happens at the wedding for you to really enjoy what goes on in the rest of the story. This book kind of reminded me of the Lindsay Lohan movie Mean Girls (LOVED that movie). If all Lori's books are as great as this one sign me up to read them all. On a scale from 1-10 I give The Dirt a big 10. If you are looking for a great story with radically different siblings, a fast paced story, "mean girl" type antics, and of course a great guy you MUST READ The Dirt. Everyone needs to go out right now and pick themselves up a copy and learn what it really means to be a Whitney.

Link:
http://www.loriculwell.com/
Facebook: Here
Twitter: Here
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Review Brightest Kind Of Darkness (Brightest Kind Of Darkness Series Book #1) By P.T. Michelle

2012-01-04T08:00:00.002-05:00

Brightest Kind Of Darkness (Brightest Kind Of Darkness Series Book #1) By P.T. Michelle

Format: Kindle Edition
File Size: 507 KB
Print Length: 357 pages
Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
Publisher: Patrice Michelle (June 27, 2011)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services
Language: English
ASIN: B0058J4KSQ
Source: Amazon.Com (link to purchase HERE)
Purchase: Barnes And Noble (link to purchase HERE)

Blurb:

Nara Collins is an average sixteen-year-old, with one exception: every night she dreams the events of the following day. Due to an incident in her past, Nara avoids using her special gift to change fate...until she dreams a future she can't ignore.

After Nara prevents a bombing at Blue Ridge High, her ability to see the future starts to fade, while people at school are suddenly being injured at an unusually high rate.

Grappling with her diminishing powers and the need to prevent another disaster, Nara meets Ethan Harris, a mysterious loner who seems to understand her better than anyone. Ethan and Nara forge an irresistible connection, but as their relationship heats up, so do her questions about his dark past.

Author's note: Brightest Kind of Darkness is a dark paranormal novel length YA full of mystery, adventure, romance, and even a touch of horror. It's best suited for ages 14 and up.

This book was fantastic. I was literally up all night and didn't go to bed til 9AM because I just couldn't put this book down. P.T. did an amazing job with the characters and the whole story line. It had me hook, line, and sinker.

Inara (Nara or Nari) Collins has a rather unusual life which, gets even more stranger the day she prevents a bombing at her school. That one deed starts a chain reaction that even Nara herself couldn't see coming. But in doing so, it also puts her into the path of Ethan, a relatively new kid at her school.

Ethan Harris has his own issues and an air of dark mystery surrounding him. Ethan prefers to be alone and to shut out everyone around him.When he bumps into Nara he realizes she may be the one person who can save him from all the bad things he has going on in his life.

This month I have read a slew of books which simply took my breath away and Brightest Kind Of Darkness was one of them. Whether I went from wanting to scream at Nara to not go against what must be to complete and utter shock at what has just transpired, this book kept me on my toes and at the edge of my seat. In some ways this book reminded me of the movie Final Destination (which I loved by the way) but with new and exciting twists and turns. I don't want to give too much of the story away for fear of ruining it's otherworldly goodness. On a scale from 1-10 I give Brightest Kind Of Darkness an earth shattering 20. December has been the month for books breaking my scale. This book is just such a phenomenally, fantastic thrill ride. If you love people with supernatural gifts, two somewhat tortured souls finding each other, teenage angst, or a good ole' paranormal book than Brightest Kind Of Darkness is a book you need to pick up. The only thing negative I would say is that the book ended too sudden for me. When I started reading this book I had no idea it was book 1 of a series so I was total expecting a resolution BUT with that being said I SO CAN NOT WAIT to read book 2 in this series. EVERYONE needs to run out and pick up this book.

Link:
http://www.ptmichelle.com/
Facebook: Here
Twitter: Here

Review Of Nopeming Shores By Margie Church With J. Andrew Lockhart

2011-12-28T08:00:00.001-05:00

Nopeming Shores By Margie Church With J. Andrew Lockhart

Format: Kindle Edition
File Size: 757 KB
Print Length: 236 pages
Page Numbers Source ISBN: 160592489X
Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
Publisher: Noble Romance Publishing, LLC (October 11, 2011)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services
Language: English
ASIN: B005UUTQMI
Source: Amazon.Com (link to purchase HERE)
Purchase: Barnes And Noble (link to purchase HERE)

Blurb:

An IED snuffed out Gabe Holliway's life, but couldn't destroy his love. Using his unique gift, Gabe struggles to help his young wife, Lily, rebuild her shattered future.

But when Gabe's ghost reaches out to her, Lily fears she's lost her last hold on sanity. Can she trust what she discovers and what her heart says? When she sees Gabe face-to-face, can she believe her eyes?

When love transcends death, the answers are found in Nopeming Shores.

Before I give you my review I must warn you. When reading Nopeming Shores make sure you have a box of tissue's handy. Trust me, you are going to need them. Margie weaves such a heart wrenching tale that you just can't walk away from. I too have lost someone near and dear to my heart and so I could totally relate to Lily's plight (could also be part of the reason I cried so much....^_^).

Lily Holliway is a widow grieving over the lose of her husband. Everywhere she turns she feels like she is drowning in a sea of despair. Her close friends Jana and Alex try all they can to help Lily through her pain but to no avail.

Shane Keefe leaves his large veterinary service in Memphis to start over at his friend Alex's Leigha Acres Veterinary Service in Stevers. Shane has a successful practice but is unlucky in love. He is hoping the move to a new town will turn things around for him.

When Shane bumps into Lily at her job, Love's In Bloom, you can tell there is an unspoken attraction between the two of them but with Lily still grieving over her husband Gabriel, their timing is always off.

There is so much I have to leave out of this review otherwise it might not strike just the right note to tug at your heartstrings and make you cry your eyes out....lol. Not to mention it would give away some things that might ruin the overall story for everyone. Margie knows how to tap into peoples emotions and make you feel her characters pain, as well as, their joy. This story truly amazed me and I am so thankful I got a chance to read it. On a scale from 1-10 I give Nopeming Shores a MIND BLOWING 20. This month I have read two other books that have caused my scale to jump to 20, but I must say, this story of love and loss really called to me. If you have lost a loved one, believe in getting a fresh start, enduring love, or just love a book that can make you cry then Nopeming Shores is a MUST READ. Everyone needs to run out and grab a copy of Margie's book and let Nopeming Shores rejuvenate you.

Link:
http://www.site.romancewithsass.com/
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Riptide Publishing Blog Tour

2011-12-26T09:00:00.094-05:00

Riptide Publishing

Surprises (Romeo Club Series Book #1) By Brita Addams

Welcome to Brita Addams's stop on Riptide Publishing's Blog Tour. I love getting to know the authors from Riptide. Brita Addams has stopped by today to grant me an interview. Brita is so giving today because she is offering one lucky person (18+ or older) who comments with their e-mail address over at Sinfully Tasty Reads their choice from her backlist - excluding A Minute After Midnight, An Evening at the Starlight and Romeo Club. Now, it's time to sit down and let's hear what Brita has to say about her Romeo Club Series.

Brita Addams Interview Questions
Surprises: Romeo Club #1

You have recently released a short story, Surprises, which is the first of the Romeo Club
collection. To start us off, would you like to tell my readers a little bit about the book
from your perspective?

Sure. Romeo Club is ostensibly a dating service for gay men of distinction. It's
upscale and caters to an exclusive clientele. Aaron, the blond cutie who works the
front desk, and a few other things along the way, has an eye for the special guys, and
when he senses that certain quality, he brings the man to the attention of Blake, who
owns the club.

In walks Don, who is sick of the club scene and wants something more and we have
the set up for Surprises.

The Romeo Club collection will be a set of vignettes. Each one will feature a
different client and that person's particular kink. They're short stories, about sixthousand
words each, so by definition, they get to the meat of the vignette rather
quickly. There won't be any romances involved, as these are pure erotica, meant to
get the reader all warm and excited.

Surprises focus on the activities of a private BDSM club. You also have a historical
series that takes place in a similar type of club. As an author, what is it that draws you to
this type of setting?

First, let me say that Romeo's isn't a private BDSM club. It's a private club that
caters to the sexual kinks of its clientele. BDSM is just one of those kinks.
Historically, I don't know for a certainty that such clubs existed, but sex certainly
did. LOL Hence, I created the Sapphire Club and treated the happenings there in
terms of the time in which it existed. The kinks ran the gamut, within the strictures
of technology and invention.

With respect to the Romeo Club, what fascinates me, overall, is the fact that people
really do go to such clubs, motivated by their desires to get the most out of their sex
lives. To explore beyond that which is universally considered the norm, and dig deep
within themselves to find that one element that will satisfy their inner most desires
and needs.

Creating a modern day Sapphire Club seemed a given to me. I often pay tribute in
my writing to that series, which has been very good to me. However, that is where
the two diverge. With each of the Sapphire Club stories, there was an involved story
woven in, with the club as the backdrop.

In the Romeo Club series, we'll explore a different fantasy, a different kink with
each installment. Not all will be BDSM, as a matter of fact, the second in the series,
Rubbed the Right Way, explores erotic massage.

The stories are only five to six thousand words each, and are thoroughly erotica,
which focuses on the fantasy/need/desire rather than delving into the deep reasons
why.

My intention with Romeo Club is to give the reader a hot read either over their
lunch hour or at bedtime, when time is at a premium. Each story is self-contained
and will only have the carry-over characters of Aaron and Blake in most every one,
though not all.

Rubbed The Right Way (Romeo Club Series Book #2) By Brita Addams

A second Romeo Club book, Rubbed the Right Way, is coming out on December 5. Can
you tell us more about this series? Are there more books in store after that? Will they
feature Don, Blake, and Aaron, or will you be introducing new characters?

Blake and Aaron are carry-over characters and the depth of their association will be
revealed slowly as time goes on. Don may or may not appear again, but he definitely
won't be a major player again.

Each story will have a new main character, around which the fantasy or kink will
revolve. It's all about what their desire is and how the Romeo Club can fulfill it.
I have three written, and my intention is to write twelve to fifteen, which if accepted
by the editors at Riptide, will be published over a course of time. I've proposed
several and the editors are receptive, but acceptance is subject to the quality of each
story.

I read on your web site about the process you use for choosing character names and how
you look at things like early census records and your family tree. Did you have any
special inspiration for the character names in this story?

As a matter of fact, the answer is no to that question. I don't know any Aarons,
Blakes or Dons. This story and another recent release, A Minute After Midnight,
are the only two that don't have characters named for someone I either know or
who are in my family tree.

You have quite a big backlist so obviously you spend a lot of time writing. What else do
you like to do to keep you busy?

Ah, well, I, ah, write. That's the truth of it. I spent many years playing at it, raising
my family, and putting creative writing on the back burner. Now, it’s one of my
driving forces. I spend as much as eight hours a day writing, revising, and editing,
but always something to do with the craft.

In the evening, I watch a couple hours of television with my husband and daughter,
then retreat to read for an hour or two before I go to sleep.

I'm never at a loss for something to do and I positively loathe the word "bored." My
children knew never to say that word in my presence because they knew I could
always find something for them do. I often joke that if I'm ever bored, it's by design.
But, alas, I can honestly say, I'm never bored—quite the contrary. There aren't
enough hours in the day to do all I want to do.

Do you find you like to read similar books to what you write? What genre do you most
enjoy reading?

I love historical, het or m/m, though sadly, there aren't a lot of m/m that are worth
reading in that sub-genre. I'm picky, I suppose.

I'm very drawn to m/m these days and have been for quite some time, starting with
my reading of everything in Aleksandr Voinov's bag of tricks. He's damn brilliant
and I simply love his work.

I love biographies and just about anything historical in any genre. I read a little
contemporary romance, but not much. I'm not much for the "Hey, baby, wanna
f**k," bar line and I find that all too often in the contemporaries I've read or shall I
say, attempted to read. The guys don't have to work for it, if you know what I'm
saying, and that doesn't appeal particularly.

Romeo Club, you'll notice, aren't romances. The purpose of the visit to RC is to
satisfy a sexual need. However, in a romance, I want some romance and not just
excuses to get it on.

I am extraordinarily grateful for Riptide and their attention to detail. I'm looking
forward to reading my fellow author's work. If the experience I had is indicative of
what everyone goes through in the editing process, (and I've heard from the other
authors that indeed it is harrowing, but satisfying), Riptide is about to turn the m/m,
gay fiction genre on its ear.

None too soon, from my standpoint. Sad to say, I have more "I Couldn't Finish,"
books in that file on my Kindle than I have in the "Read" one. I crave quality, good
editing, and believable characters.

Here’s the blurb from Romeo Club #1: Surprises:

Are you willing to put yourself in our hands?
Smart, successful, handsome, and thoroughly sick of the club scene, Don ventures
into a popular upscale dating service. Aroused and intrigued by the boldfaced
sexual queries on the Romeo Club’s application, he finds himself embellishing
one answer after the next. Don thinks he’s taking control of his fate, but when
he’s done, he ends up turning over a lot more than just his questionnaire to the
dominant Adonis who runs the service.

In a private back room, beneath the snick of handcuffs, the slide of silk over his
eyes, and not one hot mouth but two upon his skin, Don learns just how much
more than matchmaking the Romeo Club has to offer a guy who doesn’t mind a
few surprises.
This title is #1 of the Romeo Club series.

You can purchase Romeo Club #1: Surprises at Riptide Publishing.

Romeo Club #1: Rubbed the Right Way is available for pre-order. Your order will
gain you an entry in Riptide’s Free Books for a Year contest.

Thanks so much for taking the time to answer all my questions! If folks want to know
more about you or your books, how can they find you?

It seems I'm everywhere. Here's all my haunts:

Email address: britaaddams@gmail.com
Website
Blog
Twitter: @britaaddams
Facebook
Goodreads Page:

Thank you so much for coming! You are welcome back any time!

Wishing Everyone A Very Merry Christmas

2011-12-24T21:01:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas Comment Graphics

I just wanted to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas, Happy Chanukah, Happy Kwanzaa, or any other holiday you might celebrate. I have had a great year with my blog. I have had some really great authors dropping by and giving of their time and their works and to them I want to say Thank You. From my family to yours Happy Holidays....^_^.

Review Of Soul Survivor (Lost World Series Book #1) By Misty Evans

2011-12-21T08:00:00.023-05:00

Soul Survivor (Lost World Series Book #1) By Misty Evans

Format: Kindle Edition
File Size: 316 KB
Print Length: 152 pages
Publisher: Carina Press (June 20, 2011)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services
Language: English
ASIN: B004XVTNGY
Source: Amazon.Com (link to purchase HERE)
Purchase: Barnes And Noble (link to purchase HERE)

Blurb:

Haunted by tragedy, FBI profiler Rife St. Cloud is driven to find the person who brutally attacked six women. Unfortunately the only survivor, Keva Moon Water, has no memory of what happened, and the evidence makes her the prime suspect.

Keva cannot die. She has waited a thousand years to be reunited with the man she loves, whose soul sleeps within Rife. Though he refuses to believe her claims of immortality, there's no denying the passion that burns between them. Keva desperately hopes their sexual connection will be enough to awaken Rife's memories of the love affair that started a war and bound their souls together for all eternity.

But when Keva's own memories come trickling back, she realizes that a future with Rife depends upon confronting the mistakes of the distant past...

I haven't read a lot of time travel stories but this one intrigued me. The fact that there was an FBI agent and people being attacked really drew me into this story. I love a good romance story but I am also a mystery/horror fan.

Rife is a hard working FBI profiler. So hard working in fact that he is sent home by his superiors because they are afraid he will burn himself out. To Rife, Keva is a stranger who seems to know him almost better than he knows himself.

Keva can not die because she abused her powers a thousand years ago. Keva and her true love Kai's soul have been like two ships passing in the night. They have lived in the same places but have never seen each other but now Keva see's her true love in Rife. At the start of this story she has no memory but as time goes on she realizes her past misdeeds and tries to set things to right.

Rife and Keva have a real strong sexual chemistry. Keva knew it would be hard to convince Rife that he is the reincarnation of her love Kai because he is a no non-sense, by the book, matter of fact type of guy.

I liked how everything played out. The way Rife was described made him drool worthy, which is important in a hero....lol. Keva was a strong heroine who finally knew what she did wrong and went about trying to right her wrong. There was a villain in this story that seemed like it would be hard to defeat but actually wasn't so that was kind of a big let down. With that being said, I still really liked the heat between Rife and Keva and their story was enjoyable enough to almost make up for the easily defeated villain. On a scale from 1-10 I give Soul Survivor an 8 simply because of the villain. If you are looking for a time-travel story with great characters with great sexual chemistry then Soul Survivor is the book for you. While you are picking up Soul Survivor keep an out out for book 2 when it comes out.

Link:
http://readmistyevans.com/
Twitter: Here

Review Of Between (Between Series Book #1) By Cyndi Tefft

2011-12-21T03:14:00.000-05:00

Between (Between Series Book #1) By Cyndi Tefft

Format: Kindle Edition
File Size: 315 KB
Print Length: 253 pages
Page Numbers Source ISBN: 1460937104
Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services
Language: English
ASIN: B004XZUMBA
Source: Amazon.Com (link to purchase HERE)
Purchase: Cyndi Tefft's Blog (link to purchase HERE)

Blurb:

It just figures that the love of Lindsey Water's life isn't alive at all, but the grim reaper, complete with a dimpled smile and Scottish accent.

After transporting souls to heaven for the last 300 years, Aiden MacRae has all but given up on finding the one whose love will redeem him and allow him entry through the pearly gates.

Torn between her growing attraction to Aiden and heaven's siren song, Lindsey must learn the hard way whether love really can transcend all boundaries.

When I read the blurb and excerpt of Between I knew this was a book I needed to get my hands on. When I bought this book I had such high hopes. I am so glad I WAS NOT DISAPPOINTED. From the first sentence this story had a hold of me and I so didn't want to let go. The way this story started totally threw me for a loop. I didn't expect what happened to happen so early on in the book. I was virtually at the edge of my seat the whole time.

Lindsey Water is your typical 19 year old who just recently started collage and who didn't have her whole life figured out. Her parents haven't been divorced all that long and her relationship with her boyfriend Ravi wasn't everything she wanted it to be. When she meets Aiden she soon discovers he is everything she ever wanted in life.

Aiden MacRae died over 300 hundreds years ago and he spends his afterlife transporting souls from earth to heaven. He is there to help then transition and accept their death so that they may be ready when God calls them to heaven. Aiden never expected to fall for Lindsey so hard and so fast.

Aiden and Lindsey share a deep connection that transcends all things. They also know that their time together can't last and so they try to make the most of the time that they do have. Aiden shares memories of Scotland and Lindsey shows Aiden all the new things that he has never been privy to while he was being a transporter.

This book had me feeling all kinds of emotions from wanting to fling my book across the room (but since it was an e-book on my Tablet I thought that wouldn't be good....lol) to crying like a little girl. To me that is the sign of an extraordinary book. If a story is able to elicit such emotions in me then that is a testament to the author's ability to tell a great story. Cyndi told a phenomenal story that keeps you wanting to read it even after it is over. On a scale from 1-10 I give Between a VERY BIG, ENTHUSIASTIC 20. I know, I know I am off my scale but you don't understand how AMAZING this story is. If you believe in destiny, true love, love conquers all, and fate you really do NEED to read this book. EVERYONE needs to run out and grab a copy of Between and let Aiden and Lindsey's story restore your faith in love. Be on the look out for Hell Transporter (Between Series Book #2) when it comes out. I know I will be one of the first people to buy it.

Link:
http://ctefft.blogspot.com/
Facebook: Here
Twitter: Here
GoodReads: Here

Review Of ARC Fateful By Claudia Gray

2011-12-16T18:02:00.000-05:00

Fateful By Claudia Gray

Reading level: Ages 14 and up
Hardcover: 336 pages
Publisher: HarperTeen (September 13, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0062006207
ISBN-13: 978-0062006202
Source: Amazon.com (link to purchase HERE)
Purchase: Barnes And Noble (link to purchase HERE)

Blurb:

Eighteen-year-old maid Tess Davies is determined to escape the wealthy, troubled family she serves. It’s 1912, and Tess has been trapped in the employ of the Lisles for years, amid painful memories and twisted secrets. But now the Lisle family is headed to America, with Tess in tow. Once the ship they’re sailing on—the RMS Titanic—reaches its destination, Tess plans to strike out and create a new life for herself.

Her single-minded focus shatters when she meets Alec, a handsome first-class passenger who captivates her instantly. But Alec has secrets of his own. He’s in a hurry to leave Europe, and whispers aboard the ship say it’s because of the tragic end of his last affair with the French actress who died so gruesomely and so mysteriously. . . .

Soon Tess will learn just how dark Alec’s past truly is. The danger they face is no ordinary enemy: werewolves exist and are stalking him—and now her, too. Her growing love for Alec will put Tess in mortal peril, and fate will do the same before their journey on the Titanic is over.

In Fateful, New York Times bestselling author Claudia Gray delivers paranormal adventure, dark suspense, and alluring romance set against the opulent backdrop of the Titanic’s first—and last—voyage.

OMG, this book ROCKED. Ever since I saw the movie Titanic with Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet I was intrigued by what happened to the RMS Titanic. I LOVED how Claudia did the reverse of what the 1997 movie Titanic did, which is by having Alec be rich and Tess be poor. I also enjoyed how she placed real elements along with her imagination and characters.

Tess Davies is a maid in the wealthy household of the Lisle's. Tess longs to get away from her life of servitude. The Lisle's are heading to America aboard the RMS Titanic which gives Tess a way to escape her life and start over.

Alexander Marlowe is the heir to Marlowe Steel and just as trapped in his life as Tess is. Alec is trying to escape his demons and hide himself away back in American. He came to Europe with a personal mission, which by all accounts, he has failed at. He is struggling with what he is and what he wants in life.

When Alec and Tess meet again on the deck of the RMS Titanic they are drawn to each other by an inescapable force. But since this is 1912, and servants and the upper class don't mix EVER, they try to deny the growing attraction between them. But that is easier said then done when werewolves are thrown into the mix. Now it's a race against time to make it to America and escape their enemies and come away with their lives.

There are tons of things I want to say about this book but I don't want to ruin it for anyone. When I was told "If I love Werewolves and the Titanic than I would love this book" I was so determined to get my hands on it. I never wanted this story to end. Claudia is a fantastic storyteller with amazingly gripping characters. The way she tells her story I could almost feel like I was on the deck of the RMS Titanic. This is definitely a MUST READ book. On a scale from 1-10 I give Fateful a GINORMOUS 20. Yes, I know it is off my scale but this is just one of those books that I feel everyone needs to experience for themselves. It makes you believe in love and hope. It also teaches us that love trumps all social classes. If you love history, the Titanic, love, werewolves, danger, intrigue, secrets, and betrayal then Fateful IS THE BOOK FOR YOU. EVERYONE needs to pick up a copy of this book.

Link:
http://claudiagray.com/

Review Of The Texan's Bride (The Hardin Boys Trilogy Book #2) By Linda Warren

2011-12-07T13:48:00.002-05:00

The Texan's Bride (The Hardin Boys Trilogy Book #2) By Linda Warren

Mass Market Paperback: 288 pages
Publisher: Harlequin (October 4, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0373717350
ISBN-13: 978-0373717354
Source: Amazon.Com (link to purchase HERE)
Purchase: Barnes And Noble (link to purchase HERE)

Blurb:

Sheltered her entire life, Jessie Murdock has rarely gotten her way. Until her dying father makes a deal with Cadde Hardin. Cadde will get shares of Shilah Oil on one condition—marry Jessie. In love with him for years, Jessie doesn't hesitate to sign the papers. But she didn't sign up for a completely absent husband.

Now Jessie has a counter offer. She'll give Cadde controlling interest of the business if he'll give her a baby…the natural way. Only he has a few caveats of his own. When life refuses to follow their written plan, Jessie and Cadde have to decide which is more important: their unspoken love or the family business.

This book was recommended to me by a new friend and I have to say I really, really enjoyed it. Although we both didn't realize it at the time, it was actual book two of a three book trilogy....lol.

Cadde Hardin is all about Shilah Oil. He is a true business man that likes to work long hours and give the job his whole undivided attention. Cadde was never in the market for a wife at least not until his boss and mentor R. Murdock offers him a deal he just can't refuse. Seeing this as the opportunity of a life time Cadde takes Murdock up on his offer and marries his daughter Jessie. To Cadde this is a marriage of convenience and nothing more. Just a means to an end to get his hands on Shilah Oil.

Jessie Murdock has loved Cadde since the first time she laid eyes on him. When her father told her she was to marry Cadde, she saw this as her one chance to have the man she loves. Little did she realize her marriage wouldn't be the ideal situation she had envisioned for herself.

For 18 months they both lead a totally separate life living in two different houses except for twice a week when Cadde stays at the Murdock Mansion. During this time Jessie devises a plan to get Cadde right where she wants him. She offers him controlling interest in Shilah Oil if he agrees to one condition of hers. Jessie wants Cadde to give her a baby the old fashion way.

Now this is where the story gets really good (and trust me it was good before this point too....lol). This story had me rooting for Cadde and Jessie the whole time. You might also want to invest in some tissues because this story can be a tear jerker at times. This book really surprised me, in the fact that, I didn't really think I would enjoy this book as much as I did. It is a hidden gem that needs to be discovered by all. On a scale from 1-10 I give The Texan's Bride a 10. It is a great story with a good message that I myself could relate to in some ways. I have already ordered book 1 The Texan's Secret and Book 3 The Texan's Christmas so I can read up on the rest of the Hardin boys. I encourage everyone to pick up this trilogy and see why I love them Hardin boys.

Link:
http://www.lindawarren.net/
Facebook: Here
Twitter: Here

Riptide Publishing Blog Tour

2011-12-02T09:00:00.035-05:00

Riptide Publishing

Grown Men By Damon Suede

Welcome to Damon Suede's stop on Riptide Publishing's Blog Tour. I love getting to know the authors from Riptide. Damon Suede has stopped by today to guest post for all of us. Damon is so giving because he is offering one lucky person (18+ or older) who comments with their e-mail address over at Sinfully Tasty Reads a copy of Hot Head. Now, it's time to sit down and let's hear what Damon has to say.

Action Pact by Damon Suede
(why some “sexy” books just aren’t)

All of us have had the misfortune to read erotic romance that, y’know, isn’t. Ugh. What’s worse?

In theory the characters look hot, the setup seems charged, the intercourse pushes every kind of
blistering sexual boundary but in the end… meh. How does that happen? When does taboo and
carnal become tedious and comical? How can something salacious become a snoozefest? Like
comedy, sexiness that falls flat can actually kill the enjoyment of an entire romance or even
doom a book to the will-not-finish pile… and yet erotic romances need a certain amount of
sexytimes to merit the name, right?

Well, I write erotic romance, so I think about this problem constantly. When I’m reading or
writing, I’m always tracking how stories gets under our skin the right and the wrong ways. After
20 years writing for film and theatre, here’s what I’m learned about hotness on the page:

Actions fascinate people; activities bore them to tears.

That almost sounds like a tautology, but it ain’t.

Readers connect to characters making choices and making change happen in and around their
lives; they always pay attention to specific actions focused on a goal which must overcome
friction. Two naked people rolling around sticking parts of themselves into and onto each other
may be titillating for a couple minutes of rubbernecking, but what engages the reader beyond the
wet spots is the ways that the interaction transform the people involved or the events around
them. Action arouses interest, provokes desire, and sparks empathy. On the other hand, activity
defines tedium: a task or motion repeated without consequence or alteration. The only difference
between the two is the will of the person involved. As Gilda, Rita Hayworth seduces in order to
survive and in order to keep her secrets buried.

Specificity is the source of everything great.

THIS is the reason that Jane Austen can make you hold your breath when hands brush or eyes
meet. Charged by the strictures of Regency Britain, her protagonists risk ruin every time they
speak too candidly or allow intimate improprieties like a lingering glance. The tension allows
actions to occur in maddeningly subtle and seductive ways. Contrariwise, Showgirls will always
be a piece of flaccid sophomoric trash entertaining for all the wrong reasons, no matter how
much groping/grabbing/grinding goes on. Even with the relentless nudity and “kinky”
shenanigans, all of the incessant repetitive activity affects nothing, changes nothing, means
nothing; Wall-to-wall candy-colored sleaze and it cannot even succeed as softcore porn! Yikes.

Readers pick up romance with certain expectations. At the most basic level, they want to
experience the unfolding of a relationship that ends positively. Fair enough. But if the
protagonists hop in the sack on page two then squirm and squirt for 200 pages without sense or
consequence, it will have the emotional and erotic impact of a re-grouting a tub.

Since Hot Head came out, I’ve gotten anywhere from 40 to 50 fan letters focusing entirely on the first kiss between my heroes. That scene is ten pages long and not by accident! I’ll admit, I LOVE kissing and I know that fetish crept into the writing of that scene… but I believe the reason that liplock nails people is because there are about four actions occurring at that exact moment their mouths meet. Those actions infuse the kiss with thermonuclear friction and so it sticks in people’s minds. The readers remember the heat and
charge of that moment because of the actions woven through it.

There’s an old chestnut about Hamlet being this amazing tragic hero who does nothing. This is,
of course, complete bullshit. Hamlet never stops doing things for a moment: he argues with a
ghost, pretends to be insane, stages a play, attacks his friends, insults his family and sullies his
innocent lady love with some very nasty innuendo, murders and betrays and wrestles with cant!
Hamlet’s actions in the play never STOP; in fact the only thing he doesn’t do until the gory
finale is take his justified revenge… but all of those other actions lead inexorably and ineffably
to that perfect bloodthirsty finale.

Okay, so fair enough. Shakespeare knew his shit. Big whoop. How does that translate to the juicy
bone-dance you have planned for your protagonists?

Action or activity? Any activity can be elevated to an action, if the stakes escalate and the
context carries enough charge. And any action can be made into a boring activity if the author
removes the stakes and context. The simplest way to test a love scene? Ask yourself after the
characters climax: what changed because of the intimacy that just occurred? If the answer is
“nothing” then you’ve just wasted time reading (or writing) an activity which fits the story like a
concrete swimsuit.

In essence, readers trust authors to provide action that sustains the story and rewards the time
spent inhabiting its world. The author’s tacit promise to provide action separates pros from hacks
(and prose from pablum). This responsibility to provide action is the basic contract between
entertainment and audience. It’s the root of the overworn “Show don’t tell” criticism from
English 101 classes across the world. It’s a relentless reminder to professional authors that
writing is a job and not a hobby.

My question to you is: how do you plan to keep the sex active rather than an activity. What does
the act of sexual intercourse do, get, or make change in their relationship that drives the story
forward? As an author, you have to move beyond the mechanical porno model (“time for
another cumshot.”) towards character. How is THIS sex scene different than the last or the next
sex scenes? How do the intimacies build upon each other and refract in the characters’ lives? In
life people have sex for any number of reasons, but only some of those offer the kind of drama
needed to sustain a narrative. Having sex for revenge, having sex to heal, having sex to cement a
bond are all clear, playable actions for a character. Activities that will kill the story or cripple it:
having sex to scratch an itch, having sex because you’re bored, having sex because the editor
said, “It’s been 30 pages.”

Of course that’s not just sex; EVERY scene in your story flourishes with action and buckles
under activities. Unfortunately love scenes in particular tend to become literary quicksand if
nothing’s going on but the smoosh. As Hollywood has often observed, any sex scenes on screen
stop your film dead for the three minutes it takes to run a montage of body parts over a song.
Most popular film and television treats love scenes voyeuristically…as boring, static,
inconsequential activities; small wonder that popular fiction does the same.

Bottom line: if you give your readers permission to skim they will. Agatha Christie knew this,
she provided new information on every page. Readers couldn’t skim or they’d be lost. Sex
scenes need that kind of precision and context. No two couples make love the same way; sexual
intimacy is (and should be) as singular as the people involved. Why would any author waste an
opportunity to flesh out these subtle gradations in a character by foisting generic hokey-pokey
onto their readers?

A book is a promise.

When a reader trusts me enough to plunk down hard-earned money to buy something I made, I
believe I owe them something. Labeling a book “erotic romance” establishes a pact with our
audience, and we flout it at our peril. I have a novella called Grown Men coming from Riptide
on October 30 and in many ways it’s raunchier and riskier than my first novel.

In a sci-fi universe which encourages genetic modification and franchised sex
resorts, things were gonna get a little kinky and carnal. An eight-foot giant presents certain…
umm …challenges and opportunities to a normal-sized human lover. My two heroes demanded a
different kind of eroticism, and the vast disparity between their sizes made certain things
possible and other things scary. The eroticism needed to be specific or it would have sucked
asteroids. Discovering the intimacy between them allowed me to map the relationship between
them on their terms. They made the love, I just caught it on paper.

So, the next time you pick up an erotic romance, get specific! Pay attention to the sex. Is
something happening during the scene or does everything stop so they can insert tab A into slot
B enough to punch the meter? Distinguish between actions and activities. Learn to spot activities
when they crop up. Don’t put up with them in your own writing or anyone else’s. Does sexiness
only appear when literal SEX is occurring or do they build sexiness into the characters’
transformations and the world of the book. When and how does it turn you on? If you eliminated
a scene of intimacy how would that affect the story if at all?

Hold all your erotic scenes accountable, those you write and those you read. Are your characters
doing the deed, having sex, or making love? Invest your intimacy with meaning and context to
wring every drop of possible power out of each moment.

Action is a pact all books make. As writers, it’s a promise to our readers, a bargain with our
characters, and an discipline we owe ourselves.

Here’s the blurb from Grown Men:

Every future has dirty roots.

Marooned in the galactic backwaters of the HardCell company, colonist Runt struggles to
eke out an existence on a newly-terraformed tropical planetoid. Since his clone-wife died
on entry, he’s been doing the work of two on his failing protein farm. Overworked and
undersized, Runt’s dwindling hope of earning corporate citizenship has turned to fear of
violent “retirement.”

When an overdue crate of provisions crashes on his beach, Runt searches frantically for a
replacement wife among the tools and food. Instead he gets Ox, a mute hulk who seems
more like a corporate assassin than a simple offworld farmer.

Shackwacky and near-starving, Runt has no choice but to work with his silent partner
despite his mounting paranoia and the unsettling appeal of Ox’s genetically altered
pheromones. Ox plays the part of the gentle giant well, but Runt’s still not convinced he
hasn’t arrived with murder in mind.

Between brutal desire and the seeds of a relationship, Runt’s fears and Ox’s inhuman past
collide on a fertile world where hope and love just might have room to grow.
This title is #1 of the HardCell series.

You can read an excerpt and purchase Grown Men at Riptide Publishing.

BIO

Damon Suede grew up out-n-proud deep in the anus of right-wing America, and escaped as soon
as it was legal. Though new to M/M, Damon has been writing for print, stage, and screen for two
decades. He’s won some awards, but counts his blessings more often: his amazing friends, his
demented family, his beautiful husband, his loyal fans, and his silly, stern, seductive Muse who
keeps whispering in his ear, year after year. Get in touch with him at:

Website
Goodreads
Facebook
FB Fanpage
Google+

Review Of The Wedding Gift By Kathleen McKenna

2011-11-29T08:10:00.000-05:00

The Wedding Gift By Kathleen McKenna

Paperback: 254 pages
Publisher: Bell Bridge Books (October 7, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1611940524
ISBN-13: 978-1611940527
Source: Amazon.Com (link to purchase HERE)
Purchase: Barnes And Noble (link to purchase HERE)
Age: Adult 18+*

*I added the age restriction. The age restriction was not provided by Amazon.Com.

Blurb:

Leann wasn't good enough for her upper-crust in-laws, so they gave her the mansion none of them wanted. Years ago, something or someone in the house killed Leann's brother. Will its violent secrets kill her next?

I so LOVED Kathleen's writing style. They way this story is told is through Leann starting a journal and telling us first hand about her life and all the things that have happened to her through her association with George Willets Junior and his family.

When the story starts Leann is a high school senior. She doesn't have a lick of sense but she is a local beauty. She comes from a poor family but they have made a decent life for themselves. Leann also has a best friend Jessie, who like Leann, is dumber than a box of rocks (these kind of phrases are all through out the book....lol). Did I also mention that Leann is engaged to marry George Willets Junior (whom by the way is 26 years old) when this story starts. One last juicy nugget at the start of this story is that Leann is also pregnant. I know right, what a way to start a book.

When Leann and George Junior marry it is understood that, as a wedding gift, they will be receiving Willets House for their very own. This house has been in the family for many years BUT it is also were a whole family was murdered, as well as, Leann's brother Charlie years later. George Junior's uncle Roger along with this five children are murdered supposedly by Roger's wife Robina (who is also the children's mother) before she kills herself. No one in Dalton, OK (where this story takes place) talk about what happened in that house nor do they discuss what really happened to Charlie Worthier (Leann's brother) and his best friend Donny Readle on that dark night. The only living survivor, Donny, NEVER talks about what happens but remains a close family friend to this day.

What you should also know is that Leann has LOVED Donny since she was about seven years old and her love for him has never died even though he marries someone else just as she has married another man. This added element is just another thorn in Leann's side to deal with along with the murderous ghost of Robina Willets. For all of Leann's faults I found her a very likable character. She may be misguided at times, but she truly doesn't mean anyone any harm with the things that she does.

This story was so compelling it had me hooked from the first sentence. The story was fantastic and it flowed beautifully. The mystery surrounding Robina was gripping and kept me on the edge of my seat wondering just what exactly happened in that house all those years ago and what part does Leann play in it today. I really and truly had a hard time putting this book down. On A scale from 1-10 I give The Wedding Gift a humongous 10. If you are looking for a great thrilling murder mystery, true love, a psychotic ghost, and an all around phenomenally told story than The Wedding Gift is the book for you. I encourage everyone adult 18+ to pick up a copy of this book and find out why Robina is on a murderous rampage.

Link:
http://www.bellebooks.com/shopcontent.asp?type=KathleenMcKenna

Riptide Publishing Blog Tour

2011-11-29T08:05:00.002-05:00

Riptide Publishing

Once A Marine By Cat Grant

Welcome to Cat Grant's stop on Riptide Publishing's Blog Tour. I love getting to know the authors from Riptide. Cat Grant has stopped by today to grant me an interview which comes with a great blurb of her book Once A Marine. Cat is so giving today because she is offering one lucky person (18+ or older) who comments with their e-mail address over at Sinfully Tasty Reads their choice of Allegro Vivace, Sonata Appassionata, The First Real Thing (Icon Men #1), Appearing Nightly (Icon Men #2), A Fool For You (Icon Men #3), or Entangled Trio. So many awesome choices to choose from. Now, it's time to sit down with Cat and get to know her better.

Who are your latest crushes (celebrity, book character, or otherwise)?

Oh, God! Did you see the new X-Men movie last June? I’ve seen it, like, FOUR TIMES. I’ve been obsessed with James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender ever since. I’m also a huge Glee and True Blood fan. Darren Criss is ADORABLE, and Alexander Skarsgard turns me to jelly.

Do you ever keep those people in your mind when writing your own works?

Rachel Haimowitz and I are currently brainstorming a project with McAvoy and Fassbender-shaped characters. It’s gonna be hawwwt!

If you could pick anyone in the world to be the cover model(s) on your latest release, who
would it be?

Actually, I sent my cover artist photos of Darren Criss and Alexander Skarsgard
and asked her to find models that resembled them. She did a pretty damn good job!

What’s your favorite hobby outside of writing?

Listening to music, reading, TV & movies.

Do you own an e-reader?

I have an iPad. Best purchase I’ve ever made!

Do you have a favorite character out of all the ones you've written?

Eric Courtland, from my Courtland Chronicles series.

Why is he your favorite?

Probably because he’s not afraid to be an unrepentant bastard when he needs to be. He’s also fiercely loyal to his partners Nick and Allison, and will go to any lengths to protect them. In other words, your typical alpha male – although I usually hate to use that term.

Where can your readers find you?

Oh, I’m not hard to find! You can catch me on

Facebook: Here
Twitter: Here
Goodreads: Here
My website: Here

What’s your current book list and where can we buy them?

Check out my Amazon author page
Or my book list over on ARe:

Here's the blurb for my new Riptide release, Once a Marine:

Love is a battlefield.

Discharged under Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, former Marine major Cole Hammond is struggling to find a new identity. But PTSD casts a pall on everything, and his hard-nosed, homophobic father can’t even bear to look him in the eye. To top it all off, he’s pretty sure he’s flunking out of law school.

Marc Sullivan is a kind, sensitive romance author-slash-waiter with a thing for men in uniform. Cole’s not wearing his anymore, but there’s no mistaking the warrior Marc meets in the diner one rainy afternoon. Cole’s sexy smile and Carolina drawl prove irresistible, but Marc’s played this game before, and he always loses. Once a Marine, always a Marine, and if there’s one thing Marc knows about such men, it’s that they all leave him in the end. It doesn’t help that Cole’s practically closeted in public, or that he refuses to seek treatment for his PTSD.

But like any good Marine, Cole’s willing to fight for what matters. And like the characters in Marc’s stories, he’s certain that if they try just hard enough, together they can find their own happily ever after.

You can read an excerpt and purchase Once a Marine by clicking here.

Review Of Sweet Ophelia (A Romantic Comedy) By Kenneth Rosenberg

2011-11-24T08:00:00.006-05:00

Sweet Ophelia (A Romantic Comedy) By Kenneth Rosenberg

Format: Kindle Edition
File Size: 385 KB
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services
Language: English
ASIN: B005GRDORI
Source: Amazon.Com (link to purchase HERE)
Purchase: Barnes And Noble (link to purchase HERE)

Blurb:

Warren August is down and out in Hollywood, flat broke and living on the streets. When he stumbles onto a movie set in search of food, he sets in motion a chain of events that could finally turn his life around. He might even have a chance to win back his beloved Ophelia. Sweet, sweet Ophelia, who broke his heart three years before. But can he hold it together long enough to redeem himself? And will she ever take him back?

This novel is an offbeat clean romance about discovering what true love really means.

Formerly titled "Sweet Ophelia and the Tinseltown Blues."

When I received this book for review it was first entitled Sweet Ophelia and the Tinseltown Blues and not what it is now, which is just Sweet Ophelia and it also had a totally different cover, which was amazing by the way, and not the one we see today. With that being said, the changes don't really matter so much as the story, which I might add, was incredible. Upon first inspection I wasn't really sure what to make of this story but once I started I was amazed at how badly I was hooked to it. This isn't my first rodeo with an indie author so I know they can surprise you most of the time but what I got from this story I was so not ready for. I wasn't ready for how strongly I would feel about Warren and Bridget. I 'm sure you thought I was going to say Ophelia didn't you? Ophelia, in my opinion, is just a red herring made to seem more important than the real issue which is, it is never too late to turn your life around and find true happiness and/or bliss. When the story starts Warren is down on his luck and homeless. Never sure if he will be sleeping in a shelter or out on the street. Then shortly thereafter we meet Bridget an actress hoping for the next big break. A girl from a somewhat small town who is being swallowed up by the bright lights of L.A. and just not catching the "big" break she needs to succeed. As the story progresses Warren and Bridget's lives begin to intersect and entwine in an unexpected and amusing way. Warren's luck begins to turn around while Bridget's is at a sort of stand still. Warren goes from being homeless with few friends to a productive member of society trying to re-find his place in the world and having a hard time trying to merge his two different lives he's been leading. While on this new journey Warren and Bridget, at times, get their wires crossed, which in turn, makes them seem to doubt their budding feelings for each other. This story is a sort of comedy of errors which I totally loved. It also had me so rooting for this unlikely couple while hanging on to the edge of my seat. There is so much more I want to say but it would so ruin the end and that is something you really need to uncover for yourself. I was totally invested in the outcome of this story and this couple. I really can't sing the praises of this book enough. It truly was an amazing ride and I am so glad I had a ticket. On a scale from 1-10 I give Sweet Ophelia a 20. Yes, yes I know off the scale and all but Sweet Ophelia is truly one of those stories that everyone really needs to read for themselves and spread the word about. If you believe in true love, redemption, finding oneself, and comedic twists then Sweet Ophelia is the book for you. I really do encourage EVERYONE to pick up a copy and discover how addictive Sweet Ophelia can be.

Link:

http://www.kennethrosenberg.com/

Facebook: Here

Twitter: Here

Blog: Here

GoodReads: Here

Riptide Publishing Blog Tour

2011-11-22T09:00:00.049-05:00

Riptide Publishing

A Chip In His Shoulder By L.A. Witt

Welcome To L.A. Witt's stop on Riptide's Publishing Blog Tour. I love getting to meet the authors from Riptide. I think you are all in for a treat. Today's stop focus' on L.A. Witt, who has stopped by today for me to interview. Along with that you will get a blurb from her book A Chip In His Shoulder. BUT it doesn't stop there L.A. is offering to one lucky person (18+ or older) who comments with their e-mail address over at Sinfully Tasty Reads a backlist book of their choice. I know right, how awesome is that. Now without further ado I present my interview.

What draws you to romance?

Relationships. I just find the dynamics fascinating, not to
mention endless. Some people have these super sweet relationships that just have me
swooning, while others seem to be madly in love in spite of being a walking disaster. It’s fun
to throw two (or three, in some cases) people together and watch the sparks fly.

Do you prefer alpha/omega relationships in stories, or alpha/alpha relationships, and why?

I’m hesitant to say I like alpha relationships simply because of how “alpha” has come to be
portrayed in romance, particularly on the hetero side. A true Dom can make me weak in
the knees, but the “alpha males” often shown in romance just piss me the hell off. I like a
guy who’s strong, dominant if that makes him a good match with the other person, and
doesn’t take crap from anyone, but I don’t want an asshole.

Have you ever written outside the romance genre? If not, do you ever plan to?

I actually started in epic fantasy, but wound up writing romance. I fully intend to branch out as I go
along. Romance is my main genre, but I’ve been dipping into numerous subgenres lately –
steampunk, cyberpunk, vamp/were – so it’s only a matter of time before I go traipsing into
a completely separate genre. In fact, I have a zombie thriller in progress, and at least two
or three fantasy novels. One of these days, I’ll finish them. In short, I write mostly
romance, but I don’t limit myself if a story piques my interest.

What’s the sexiest feature on a man to you? And on a woman? Why?

On a man, shoulders. On a woman, hips/waist. Why? I have no idea. All I know is, a guy with a gorgeous set of shoulders or a woman with that perfect waist-hip curve can make me trip over my own feet.

What’s your earliest childhood memory?

Standing on a ferry dock in Kingston, WA, waiting for the ferry while we ate ice cream that was melting so fast it was dripping on our toes. I think I was two, maybe three. It was vanilla soft serve and I was wearing red flip flops.
Yes, I remember it that clearly.

Who are your latest crushes (celebrity, book character, or otherwise)?

No one who’s ever been to my blog or website will probably be surprised when I say all current members of 30 Seconds to Mars, not to mention Gerard Butler, Robert Downey Jr, Olivia Wilde, James Purefoy, and James McAvoy. My crushes, they are many.

Do you ever keep those people in your mind when writing your own works?

I’ll occasionally use one just to put a face with a character, but I use generic pictures for that too. I just need to have a face as a visual, whether it’s a celebrity crush or not.

If you could pick anyone in the world to be the cover model(s) on your latest release, who would
it be?

I wouldn’t be upset if a Leto ever graced the cover of one of my books.

What’s your favorite hobby outside of writing?

Photography.

Do you own an e-reader?

I have a Sony Touch.

Why?

Because my eyes get tired reading PDFs on my computer. That, and I’m at my
computer 8+ hours a day. Sometimes I just need to move.

Are you a book hoarder?

I suppose I could be accused of that. At last count, I had about 4,000 books (excluding ebooks). Now? I don’t even know how many. And I was heartbroken when I had to leave ¾ of them in storage when I moved to Japan.

What’s the one question you wish people would ask you when you tell them you’re a writer?

The one that isn’t “Oh, my God, you write gay sex? Doesn’t that gross you out?” Sigh.

Here's the blurb from my Ripide release, A Chip in His Shoulder?

“Contract killer” is a fitting job for a vampire, and it suits Liam just fine. Cast down from
the wealth and status of the Sky for taking a human lover, Liam lurks in the poor and
pollution-choked Gutter, killing to survive. Between his natural strengths and his
Cybernetix mods, no mark has ever escaped him.

Liam’s ex-lover Daniel is the heir to Cybernetix—and its greatest threat. Horrified by
people less man than machine and the exploitation of Gutter factory workers, he’d rather
destroy Cybernetix than inherit it . . . if his father doesn’t destroy him first.

Years of anger and a heap of mods have kept Daniel and Liam apart. When Liam is hired
to slaughter a man in his glass Sky tower, he walks right into a Daniel-shaped trap.
Daniel’s father has betrayed them both, and only by working together can Daniel and
Liam survive the coming day. They have no reason to trust each other, but as the dawn
looms, a bargain that began with the simple urge to live soon reminds them of the love
they once shared. Can they find each other again, or will the Cybernetix assassins find
them first?

To read an excerpt and to purchase A Chip in His Shoulder, please click here.

Find me at any of these places:

Email address: thethinker42@gmail.com
Website: Here
Blog: Here
Twitter: Here
Facebook: Here

Destined Blog Tour: Giveaway And Review Of Destined By Jessie Harrell

2011-11-13T08:00:00.055-05:00

Welcome to my stop on the Destined Blog Tour. My stop is a review of Destined but with a giveaway. Jessie will be giving away 1 e-book copy of Destined to 1 lucky person who comments about the review and leaves their e-mail address.

Destined By Jessie Harrell

Paperback
Publisher: Mae Day Publishing (November 17, 2011)
Length: 368 pages
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0615500951
ISBN-13: 978-0615500959
Source And Purchase: Amazon.Com (link to purchase HERE)

Blurb:

"As he approached, I heard the flapping of wings, like an overgrown eagle. The sound dissolved when he landed at the edge of the open window. A rush of wind flew past me and extinguished the flames in the fireplace. Stars glimmered behind him but his body was encircled in black."

***

When Psyche receives a prophecy gone horribly wrong, she learns that even the most beautiful girl in Greece can have a hideous future. Her fate? Fall in love with the one creature even the gods fear.

As she feels herself slipping closer into the arms of the prophecy, Psyche must choose between the terrifyingly tender touch she feels almost powerless to resist and the one constant she's come to expect out of life: you cannot escape what is destined.

Destined is a fresh and heartachingly romantic retelling of the Cupid & Psyche myth from debut novelist, Jessie Harrell.

If you are a fan of Greek Mythology then Jessie Harrell's debut novel is just the book for you. It is a retelling (of sorts) of the love between Psyche and Eros (a.k.a. Cupid). It is a little more modernized in some of the things Psyche may say but not enough to take you out of the ancient Greek setting that is so beautifully set before us. I have always loved Greek Mythology and find this a nice take on a classic tale. Kudos to Jessie for making this version a young adult novel so young readers can appreciate a Greek myth without the coarseness of the original. I also love that love conquers all aspect. Psyche goes to hell, or really in her case Hades, and back to be with the man (God) she loves and that is a very commendable attribute. Now a days not too many people can say they would do that to be with the man that they love. It was also nice to read a story were the main characters don't fall instantly in love. I like that they learn to love each other which is a refreshing change of pace. Don't get me wrong it can be nice to read a book where the characters seem to almost instantly fall in love, I just mean it is nice every one in a while, for a couple to have friction in the beginning. It makes the story more interesting and makes you wonder what is it going to take for these two people to fall in love. On a scale from 1-10 I give Destined an 8. The story over all was good but at times it did take me a bit to get into it. If you are a fan of true love and Greek Mythology you need to pick yourself up a copy of Destined and let their magical story take your breath away. Don't forget if you leave your e-mail address in the comments, you'll be automatically entered to win an e-book copy Of Destined. The contest will stay open for 48 hours after this post goes live, and then Jessie will use random.org to select a winner. Available formats include .mobu, .epub, and .pdf. And please be sure to visit the other stops on Destined's official blog tour for chances to win copies of Destined and other goodies.

Author Jessie Harrell

Link:
http://jessieharrell.com/
Blog: Here
Facebook: Here
Twitter: Here

Next stop on the tour is tomorrow at Dark Readers Review Blog. The FULL list of dates and bloggers participating can be found Here.

Halloween Booktacular Winners

2011-11-04T09:34:00.001-04:00

I extended my giveaway til November 4,2011 so sorry if you feel this post is late....^_^. I had so much fun during this event and I got to hang out with some great authors whom I just go fangirl over....lol. Each author has something different to bring to the table which makes them phenomenal writers. Make sure to check them out further. I can pretty much guarantee you will find a story from them you will just flip for.

The winner of an ebook copy of King Of The Unblessed By Michelle M. Pillow is:

mbreakfield

List Randomizer

There were 4 items in your list. Here they are in random order:

4) mbreakfield
2) elaing8
1) katsrus
3) Eva's Flowers

Timestamp: 2011-11-04 13:06:29 UTC

The winner of an ebook copy of All Bets Are Off (Short Story) By Mahalia Levey is:

BookObsessedChicks

Thanks to everyone who stopped by and entered. Winners e-mails will be passed on to the authors and they will be e-mailing you your ebooks....^_^.

Mind Reader Blog

2011-11-03T14:38:00.000-04:00

Over at Mind Reader Blog Franny is having a nice chat with Demon Trappers author Jana Oliver. To go along with this chat Jana is giving away a really sensational swag bag with a Demon Trappers Guild patch, Demon Trappers Logo sticker, Demon Trappers t-shirt, and a signed copy of either Forsaken or Forbidden. If that isn't enough to make you drool I am not sure what will. To enter this oh so AWESOME giveaway head on over to Mind Reader Blog: Here to enter using Rafflecopter form. I know I entered so make sure you do too....^_^.

Link:
http://www.janaoliver.com/

Halloween Booktacular: How Mahalia Levey Sort Of Celebrates Halloween And A Short Story Giveaway

2011-10-30T08:00:00.003-04:00

Welcome to day 7 of our Halloween Booktacular Event. My blog along with Good Choice Reading Blog, Books With Bite Blog, Once Upon A Twilight Blog, An Avid Readers Musings Blog, AliseOnLife Blog, and Dark Readers Blog have been having some AMAZING authors stop by our blogs and giving away books. Mahalia knows how to write a HOT story. She will be giving away an ebook copy of her short story All Bets Are Off (which comes out on Halloween). Check out my review Here and bottom of this post. Since this is an erotic short story this giveaway is for 18+ and adult and since it's an ebook it is open internationally as long as you can accept ebooks. To enter just leave a comment with your e-mail address. Every story of her's I have ever read I have just loved. I hope after this you become as big a fan as me.

Happy Halloween!

I’m not much of a Halloween Person. We didn’t celebrate it very much, nor did my own kids. I had an issue when they were little with letting them speak to strangers and knock on doors when the rest of the year it wasn’t allowed. Instead we threw parties in our home and invited our friends, people I knew were safe. As they got older they were allowed to go trick or treating with friends in our neighborhood and now they hand out candy. The DH and I go to costume parties once and awhile or I go out with my girlfriends to the club having the best party.

I’m a bit of a sissy and I proclaim it proudly. I do NOT do scary….at all. I will have nightmares from movies for days. I barely could handle Freddie growing up. Sublime freaked me the H out and The Descent with the mutated humans or creatures as cannibals really scared the ish out of me! Instead I like to watch the humorous movies. I love Zombieland and the cheesier movies and Hocus Pocus, Casper, Wendy lol basically anything Teen Disney we watch in my house. Now that mine are into the spooky movies, I still hide out! What is your favorite Halloween Memory and Movie! One random commenter will win a copy of my short Halloween Read All Bets Are Off. Excerpt is below!

All Bets Are Off- A Halloween Tale

Buy Link

Excerpt

Militant bastards! Why did Brendon’s team get the good bids and her team the crap ones? The way the cards fall my ass. Jaynie closed her office door and popped her Bluetooth in her ear, contemplating how to tell her team they were stuck babysitting a team of professional hockey players at a Halloween party. Hockey wasn’t even in season. If she went to her boss and screamed sexual discrimination, it’d only put her team deeper in the crapper. Yes, technically they were still the newbies, but how could her team prove competency without being thrust into the chaos of all things fucked?

Uniformity was the key. She looked around her plain office, sucked her teeth and dialed Afrika’s number to break the news. “We didn’t get our bid, again.”

“You’re the only one who expected a complicated assignment. Damn, girl, you should rest easy. I mean what could be worse than babysitting a team of smoking hot hockey players?”

Afrika made sense but still it rankled. “It’s just—”

“Hot bodies, terrible tempers, and we get to calm them down if things turn to shit. What is wrong with your brain? Foreign dignitaries? Politicians? Boring. Going overseas now that would be fun but we just returned from field training. Why would you want to saddle us with that?”

“Status, to prove we can handle real shit. Ya know. To show when it comes down to it we’re just as prepared, just as good as Bren’s team.” She fiddled with her phone.

“But we’re not. Deep down you know we’re not as experienced as his team. They’ve been together for years. You’ve watched them, they don’t anticipate a thing, it’s like they read each other without thinking, just doing. Those jobs you want, we’re not ready for and why should we ask for those bids knowing we’re not on their level—yet? Give us another year together. We’ll get there, let the men be men. Our job isn’t bad. We’re with the number one personal security company worldwide. Others would salivate to be able to work any gig here, so quit pissing and moaning already.”

“I. Grr. Whose team are you on exactly?”

“Remind me you said that when we practice takedowns on the mats. I got your back always chica, and right now you’ve got that tunnel vision that blocks common sense.”

Without knocking, a body moved into her line of vision and sat on the edge of her desk. God, he smelled good. “Afrika, I’ll call you back.” She punched her Bluetooth, disconnecting the call, sucked in a breath and when she looked up, hoped he didn’t notice her noticing him, not on the level she was at least. Dressed in a tight fitting shirt and black slacks he screamed sheer masculinity. While her brain told her to avoid all contact, she couldn’t help the gravitational pull that happened in close proximity. “Do you ever knock?”

“When a door is closed.” Brendon reached over and plucked the device out of her ear, tossing it onto the desk.

“Hey! What was that for?”

“So our little chat doesn’t get interrupted.”

“We’re not having a chat. You can leave just as you entered.”

“No sweets, not ‘til you tell me what your fuckin’ problem with me is.”

“You’re a sneak and an asshole.” Jaynie pushed her chair from her desk, desperate for some distance between them.

“Meaning?”

“You know damn well I wanted the last two jobs your team got.”

“Your team has to go through every step my team had to go through. There are no shortcuts sweets and if you can’t deal you and your team can leave. The boss, for damn sure, isn’t going to jeopardize the lives of his employees or the targets we’re assigned to because an overzealous member feels slighted.”

“Scared of being beat by a girl?”

“Don’t push too hard, sweets, you might not like what you provoke.”

“Scared of a man like you? You may tower over me, and flash those brown eyes at me, but you don’t scare me. “She edged closer, ready to pull the tiger by the tail. “Let’s bet. The Halloween Party that’s here this weekend. Winner of best costume gets the gig.”

“You’re on, sweet cheeks, but when you lose, and you will, don’t bitch over the shit jobs I’ll sling your way.”

“Shit jobs?”

Brendon shoved off the desk and moved into her personal space. He narrowed his eyes and rasped into her ear. “Never put your ambitions over the lives of your team. That’s why you haven’t received what you want. See you at the party.” He turned and strode out of her office.

My review of All Bets Are Off:
All Bets Are Off is a great short story about two people who work together and have a love/hate relationship. Since this is written by Mahalia, you have to know there is a HOT scene in this story to get you all heated up. On a scale from 1-10 I give All Bets Are Off a 10. Even though it's a quickie (pun intended....lol) you will love every second of it. This Halloween everyone 18+ and Adult should pick up this short story and let the good times roll.

Website: http://mahalialevey.com/

Wordpress: Here

Faccebook: Here

Twitter: Here

GoodReads: Here

Participating Blogs:
Good Choice Reading: Here
Books With Bite: Here
Once Upon A Twilight: Here
An Avid Readers Musings: Here
AliseOnLife: Here
Dark Readers: Here

Review Of All Bets Are Off (Short Story) By Mahalia Levey

2011-10-30T01:47:00.002-04:00

All Bets Are Off By Mahalia Levey

Available: October 31,2011
ISBN: 978-1-61885-086-7
Source And Purchase: Secret Cravings Publishing (link to purchase HERE)
Age: 18+ and Adult

Blurb:

Jaynie Reynolds believes in her team. She promises them top jobs and wants to deliver on her word. The man she fantasizes about blocks her path. Being ambitious comes at a price, locked away behind years of study and hard work a sensual woman lurked wanting to break free. With the company Halloween Party coming up, her main competitor is in for the surprise of his life.

Brendon Marshall enjoys his job. Strategy and tactical surveillance keep his mind alert and his skillset one of the best. One woman crawls under his skin and he burns to give it to her good. Setting an easy trap he sits back and waits for his plan to come to fruition.

All Bets Are Off is a great short story about two people who work together and have a love/hate relationship. Since this is written by Mahalia, you have to know there is a HOT scene in this story to get you all heated up. On a scale from 1-10 I give All Bets Are Off a 10. Even though it's a quickie (pun intended....lol) you will love every second of it. This Halloween everyone 18+ and Adult should pick up this short story and let the good times roll.

Link:
http://www.mahalialevey.com/
Wordpress: Here
Facebook: Here
Twitter: Here
GoodReads: Here

Halloween Booktacular: A True Spooky Story With Laurie Bowler Plus A Giveaway

2011-10-29T08:00:00.005-04:00

Welcome to day 6 of our Halloween Booktacular Event. My blog along with Good Choice Reading Blog, Books With Bite Blog, Once Upon A Twilight Blog, An Avid Readers Musings Blog, AliseOnLife Blog, and Dark Readers Blog have been having some AMAZING authors stop by our blogs and giving away books. Today I have author Laurie Bowler stopping by (whose's stories I am so addicted to). Laurie is giving away Blood Thirsty Gruesome Tales, Hacked-Up, or Chilled To The Bone winners choice (you never know we just might be able to give away all 3 but no promises....^_^). Since Laurie lives in the UK these will have to be e-books. We don't want to have Laurie going broke this close to Halloween....LOL. To enter just leave a comment with your e-mail address. Now I unroll the red carpet and let Laurie takes us into her scary story.

Bloodthirsty Gruesome Tales By Laurie Bowler

Format: Kindle Edition
File Size: 52 KB
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services
Language: English
ASIN: B005HS57JO
Blurb:

Bloodthirsty Gruesome Tales

Bloodthirsty Gruesome Tales is a compilation of short horror stories by Laurie Bowler where readers can find the creepiest, most gruesome happenings and monsters.
Blood will be spilt, bodies will be torn apart, lives will be ruined and a shiver will creep down your spine when reading these stories!

The Sand Monster:
The creature that humans ran away from seeks his revenge after disobeying his mother and hides under the sand to capture his prey. As his hunger begins to spin out of control, he loses his patience. Find out what happens to those he has hunted.

Scared of the Dark:
While Melissa sleeps, her nightmares seem to come alive and beg her to stay and be with them. Waking after they start requires increasing effort. Will Melissa be able to wake up before the monsters drag her further into their dark creepy world?

The Torturous Family:
Sent away to live with her distant family in a remote part of the world, Bridgette becomes aware of strange occurrences involving her odd relatives. Bridgette’s curiosity leads her to follow her cousin to the ever remote and intriguing shed at the bottom of the garden. Find out what happens to Bridgette and the notorious shed.

Wendigo:
Richard begins to notice that the list of missing persons in his village is beginning to get longer with each passing day. Deciding to investigate, he troubles the gossip landlady, Rose, for information. The information will lead Richard to uncover horrible myths and legends that have surrounded the village for some time.

A weird but very true spooky story

Laurie Bowler

When I was growing up, we moved around and lived in so many different places and in new houses all the time, it never bothered me and I cannot remember much about the houses etc except for this one.

I was 12 when we moved in there, a normal average house, a massive garden that was split in half, my mother decided to have one half to use as the ‘posh’ area and the upper half myself and my siblings could use to play in. It had awesomely long grass, and because I was a bit of a tomboy I loved to collect insect, at the time, it was grasshoppers that I would inspect for some strange reason, I cannot think why I wanted to do that. Now, an insect comes near me and I run away screaming, I do not like creepy crawlies.

Anyway, while we were there loads of things started to happen, there was nothing that sparked it off at all. My younger sister woke up screaming one night, when we asked her what was wrong she swore blind that there were a couple of dogs asleep on the end of her bed. Now we did not have any dogs at all, the only animals we had were hamsters and gerbils so this was weird. Of course, I teased my sister intensely about what she saw but I was kid myself lol.

The next time anything spooky happened was to me. I was laid in bed with my eyes closed (pretending to be asleep so I wouldn’t get into trouble) and had this strange feeling that I was being watched, and then the bottom of my bed sunk down as if someone had sat on my bed.

Within minutes, the bed felt normal but my younger sister’s teddy was making a noise, this particular teddy had a pull string to activate the voice and it started talking. When I peeked over to my sisters side of the room the teddy was floating in the air, at first I thought my sister was messing about so I shouted at her and turned over in bed, fuming with her for trying to get her own back for all my teasing.

Then the sinking sensation on my bed started again, I did not want to look but at the time, I was incredibly curious to see what was happening. I pulled the duvet back and stared, one of my books was floating in the air, the pages were being turned on their own and I could this weird laughing that sounded female...

Spooked? Yes definitely. I scrambled out of bed, down the stairs and got into bed with my mother, and boy I did not live that down with my sisters.

It wasn’t until a few days later when my mother was talking to the elderly neighbour that he happened to mention an old woman had died a month before we had moved in, and she had two dogs that had died in the room my sister and me slept in. Coincidently the room we slept in was also the old woman’s bedroom.

So that was it, the house was haunted. My sister constantly made ghost noises at me, her way I suppose of getting me back for all my teasing lol.

The ghost was not dangerous though, at one point we had a trespasser in the back garden, this man jumped over the 6ft fence, whatever he wanted he certainly wouldn’t have got because we didn’t have much growing up. Anyway, he freaked out apparently; when the police arrived, he was standing still in the garden staring at my bedroom window. The police asked my mother if she had our grandmother staying with us, when we replied no, they were like so who is the old woman in the bedroom window. The old lady had manifested herself and scared away the intruder which was awesome, but I can say I didn’t really sleep all that good in that particular house and I wouldn’t go upstairs on my own either, logically there was nothing to be worried about but it was a ghost and I wasn’t taking any chances. Needless to say my sisters, one older and one younger thought me being scared as tomboyish as I was, was the most hilarious thing in the world and I constantly got teased and I never did live it down.

Website: http://laurie-bowler.com/

Faceboook: Here

Twitter: Here

GoodReads: Here

Participating Blogs:

Good Choice Reading: Here

Books With Bite: Here

Once Upon A Twilight: Here

An Avid Readers Musings: Here

AliseOnLife: Here

Dark Readers: Here

Halloween Booktacular: A Haunting Memory With Margeaux Laurent And A Giveaway

2011-10-27T08:00:00.003-04:00

Welcome to day 4 of our Halloween Booktacular Event. My blog along with Good Choice Reading Blog, Books With Bite Blog, Once Upon A Twilight Blog, An Avid Readers Musings Blog, AliseOnLife Blog, and Dark Readers Blog have been having some AMAZING authors stop by our blogs and giving away books. Stopping by today I have the extremely talented writer Margeaux Laurent. Margeaux wrote such an incredible story titled Spellbound: The Awakening Of Aislin Collins (Spellbound Series Book #1) which she will be giving away a paperback copy of today. You can read my review Here. Giveaway is open to U.S. only and the book will be sent by the author. To enter leave a comment with your e-mail address. Trust me when I say this is a must read for anyone who is interested in witches and/or witch craft and learning some history behind witch and slave persecution. Margeaux has stopped by today to tell us all about a haunting memory she had. Sit back, relax, and lets start this haunting story....

Spellbound: The Awakening Of Aislin Collins (Spellbound Series Book #1) By Margeaux Laurent

Paperback: 304 pages
Publisher: iUniverse.com (March 14, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1450296203
ISBN-13: 978-1450296205

Blurb:

"I have many secrets, but the one I must hide at all costs is the one that keeps threatening to surface. I turned from the woman’s screams as the flames licked at her feet. I started to run, but I was stopped by a booming voice, “Witch!” the man roared as he pointed at . . . ME? I was terror-struck, completely powerless against the witch hunter."

The witch hunter’s eyes locked onto mine and time suspended. In that moment, my life was forever changed. As an evil force overtook me, I was carried away, protected by a mysterious stranger who disappeared as quickly as he arrived. Now, the witch hunter haunts my every step, and my protector appears in my every dream. I am undeniably in love, but mother is suspicious. Rumors have spread through town. Something evil has settled here. It lurks in the woods, cloaked by dark magic. Animals have been found mutilated, and men patrol the forest to hunt this unknown malice. They will not find the creature, it is not interested in them. It is after me. I am a witch, and the creature is the servant of the witch hunter. I am their prey.

A Haunting Memory
Margeaux Laurent
I have many wonderful Halloween memories, yet one of the spookiest memories
that stays with me to this day did not happen during Halloween, but three days before
Christmas.
When I was nine years old, my mother and I decided to spend the holiday in historic
Williamsburg, Virginia. We drove in from New Jersey, and arrived around one o’clock in the
morning. It was a bitterly cold December night and the wind was so strong that it chilled to
the bone.
We first went to the main hotel, where they gave my mother a key to the historic
home that we would be residing in for the week. I remember waiting by one of the grand
fireplaces in the main lobby of the hotel while my mother was checking in. I was holding my
frozen hands over the grate of the fireplace and feeling the heat of the flames. Begrudgingly,
I followed my mother back to the car and we set out to in search of our lodging.
The ride didn’t take long, but once again, I found myself shivering as we lugged our
many suitcases into the adorable little house. Much of the house, I do not remember, only
that it was a small Colonial cottage, with a little yard and a white picket fence. We walked
through the main door that led directly into the bedroom. The interior was beautiful,
decorated with a large four-poster bed that was covered in beige linens with soft red floral
accents that gave the room a welcoming air. I happily crawled under the covers while my
mother tried to unpack, and I began to fall asleep. It was a rude awakening when she shook
me hard and told me that we had to leave the house, the heating wasn’t working and she
couldn’t get the room to warm up.
I remember stumbling to the car in my pajamas and waiting with the heat on as my
mother dragged herself back to the main hotel and arranged for us to move into another
house. Within minutes, she came back out, once again we drove down the quiet streets, and
finally, we parked along the side of a two story, white Colonial home. It had a long white
picket fence that ran along the side of the house and a small gate that we pressed through in
order to reach the home. With the snow softly falling around us, my mother took in the
scene, mentioning how she thought that this moment would make a lovely picture if only
her camera wasn’t buried in one of our suitcases. I looked up at the house and cringed. For
some reason, as I looked at it I began to feel threatened. As desperate as I was to get into a
warm bed, I didn’t want to go any further.
My mother ignored my complaints and unlocked the door to the home. Directly in
front of us stood a narrow staircase, sandwiched between two white walls, which led to the
room where we would be staying. I looked up the narrow staircase and felt as though
someone was staring back down at me. I didn’t see anything that would give me alarm, but
yet I felt threatened. I stepped backwards towards the front door and I felt my mother’s
hand press into my back as she pushed me forward to get me up the stairs and into bed.
Upstairs, I was surprised to find an absolutely charming room. A large queen sized
bed covered in soft cream colored linens was on the wall opposite the entrance, and there
was a bathroom directly across from it. On the far end of the room there was a raised area
where a television and two chairs were placed by a small window.
My mother tucked me into bed and explained that she had brought one suitcase up,
but was too tired get the rest of the luggage from our car. She quickly unpacked her small
suitcase, changed into her nightclothes and got into the room’s only bed where she quickly
fell asleep.
I lay on my back, eyes open, staring at the ceiling. It was an old home and prone to
noises. I heard each creak and pop of the house settling with a heightened sense of fear.
Finally, around four in the morning, I gave up trying to sleep and moved to the television
area, where I sat in one of the lounge chairs and flipped through the channels. I wasn’t
interested in watching television, but I was afraid to fall asleep.
Meanwhile, I heard movement all over out little room. The water turned on and off
in the bathroom, the sound of soft footsteps seemed to pace back and forth, floorboards
creaked, murmured voices teased my mind. I thought that it might have been the people
who were staying downstairs and I tried to calm down. I remember continually glancing over
at my mother where she slept. She kept shifting until finally she sat up in bed and screamed,
“Margeaux, stop kicking me!”
“Mom, I’m not in bed!” I said, in an alarmed voice.
She rubbed her eyes and looked over at me in shock. I was sitting on the far end of
the room, nowhere near her. She demanded that I come to bed and turn the television off,
and with great reluctance, I did. With the television on, I could blame any out of place noise
on it…but with the television off, I could hear every single sound in the room as though it
was amplified.
My mother slept through the rest of the night, and we spent a lovely day in historical
sections of the town. We shopped, watched a few live reenactments, and had dinner at
George Washington’s favorite tavern. The day was bright and cheery, but as soon as we
crossed through the gate that led to the home, my stomach tightened and I was again on
edge.
The scenario started out the same as the night before, but this night, my mother
would not be able to escape the spirit in our room through her exhaustion.
After she took her nightly shower, she noticed a large bruise on her outer right thigh.
“I told you that you kicked me,” she complained, as she lifted her robe and pointed to her
dark blue mark.
I tried to explain that I hadn’t, but she didn’t seem to believe me. We both climbed
into bed and she turned off the light. Now, I was the one who was exhausted and could no
longer fight the urge to fall asleep. My dreams were filled with nightmares, of my mother
crying and pleading, and of chaos all around us. Although I can no longer remember the
details of the dream, I do remember the feeling that accompanied them…terror. Around
two in the morning I heard my mother rustling around the room and I felt a cold compress
being placed on my forehead. I stirred and she asked me to sit up as she poured a children’s
pain killer into a dosage cup. When I sat up, I shivered, and realized that I had been sweating
so much that my back was soaked.
“I’m sorry,” she said as she placed the cup in my hand, “I should have believed you.
We’ll leave as soon as the sun rises.”
I blinked hard and looked at my mother. Her eyes were bloodshot and she was very
tense. As I took the medicine she spoke, “You were sleeping on the far end of the bed and I
felt something hit me again. I thought you had done it, but you were nowhere near me.”
As she tucked me back in, she stood up, “I’ll wake you in a little bit, but try to sleep.”
The medicine knocked me out and I slept until I heard a crashing sound. I sat up in
bed to see light shining through the windows and my mother throwing our suitcases down
the stairs.
“You can change at the hotel,” she said over her shoulder, “We need to leave now.”
Her words and her tone frightened me so much that I rushed from the bed and ran
down the steps. We both dragged our luggage to the car and she sped to the hotel.
“I had terrible dreams last night” I said, as I rubbed my eyes.
“Of what?” she asked as we turned into the main hotel’s parking lot.
I thought back and tried to remember, “I dreamt that you were begging for someone
to leave you alone…and that the television kept turning on and off.” I said slowly.
She shook her head, but didn’t look in my direction, “You didn’t dream that.” She
slammed on the brakes as we slid into a spot and she quickly got out of the car.
When we reached the checkout counter, a manager who my mother was familiar
with looked at us with great concern. “Are you two alright?” the young man asked with
alarm.
I could see my mother struggling to admit why we left the room and she just handed
him the key. As he looked down at it, his expression changed, “You weren’t booked in that
home…” he said with confusion.
My mother explained that we had to switch from the room he had placed us in and
he nodded nervously.
“The night clerk didn’t know any better,” he said with caution
“Didn’t know what?” my mother asked with narrowed eyes.
He looked uncomfortable and spoke in a quiet voice as a few employees walked by.
“I will put you in another house that I know isn’t haun…” he stopped as a hotel guest
meandered through the lobby.
My mother shook her head, “No. We’re going home.”
We walked back to the car and began the long drive home. We had planned to stay
for a full week, but left after two nights. Although my mother raced to get us home as
quickly as possible, we could never put that night behind us. To this day, it reminds me that
there is more to nature than what we can see with our own eyes, and even though we cannot
see it, doesn’t mean it can’t see us.

website: http://margeauxlaurent.com/
Facebook: Here
Twitter: Here
GoodReads: Here

Participating Blogs:
Good Choice Reading: Here
Books With Bite: Here
Once Upon A Twilight: Here
An Avid Readers Musings: Here
AliseOnLife: Here
Dark Readers: Here

Halloween Booktacular: A Giveaway With Kiki Howell Plus Her Top 10 List Of Things She Loves About Halloween

2011-10-26T08:20:00.003-04:00

Welcome to day 3 of our Halloween Booktacular Event. My blog along with Good Choice Reading Blog, Books With Bite Blog, Once Upon A Twilight Blog, An Avid Readers Musings Blog, AliseOnLife Blog, and Dark Readers Blog have been having some AMAZING authors stop by our blogs and giving books away. Today on my blog I have author Kiki Howell. I love her work and I was so excited she agreed to come by today and give everyone her top 10 list of things she loves about Halloween. Not only has she addes a fun Halloween recipe everyone can try at home but she is also giving away a copy of one of her stories. Winner can choose one of Kiki's "witchy" stories. Winner can choose an ebook* of:Torn Asunder (my personal favorite, my review Here), Rituals, A Modern Day Witch Hunt, The Healing Spell, or The Witch's Beast or print book copy of: Torn Asunder or Mordern Day Witch Hunt. *Please note that only ebooks are open to international readers and U.S. readers have a choice of either an ebook or print book. Print books come with a Witch's Hat & Broom Book Thing. Most books are for 18+ and older. Information on her stories can be found HERE. Now I turn the blog over to Kiki so she can tell you all what she loves about Halloween.

Torn Asunder By Kiki Howell

Paperback: 224 pages
Publisher: CreateSpace (October 9, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1453816895
ISBN-13: 978-1453816899

Blurb:

Aubrey Griffen is a witch whose true reasons for coming to London soon fall to the wayside when she catches the eye of Edmund Bryant, the Marquess of Dalysbury. He seduces her into a whirlwind romance until the lies and threats of his mother force her to flee to Triaill Brimuir, a secret island of her ancestors off the coast of Ireland. Edmund goes after her only to be hit by Aubrey's confusion and anger when she magically transforms him into an elemental beast of her own creation. However, it is when Edmund's lust mysteriously turns him back into a man that the couple are forced to deal with a family secret and untold of powers. Now, Edmund must learn to shift himself into the beast in order to save her in a battle of black verses white magic. Fraught with scenes of explicit intimacy, romantic spells and mystical shapeshifting, Torn Asunder is a unique blending of the age of manners with sexual magic.

Ten Things I Love About Halloween

1. The Color Black - Getting to paint my fingernails black without my kids telling me I am too old to do that ;)

2. Costumes - Wearing a witch’s hat and witch’s high heeled shoes and getting away with it.

3. Special Food - Making Witch’s Gorp (recipe below) and eating it with hot chocolate topped with Halloween-shaped and decorated Marshmallows that my mother always finds. Also, we have a Fear Factor Cookbook we like to make things from, and I am always on the look-out for the new recipes in magazines that are equally as gross.

4. Candy – I am a junkie! Wow, can’t even list favorites, but I’ll try: Reece’s Nutrageous Bar, York Peppermint Pattie Bats, Hairbo Gummi Bears and Sour Patch Kids, for a start!

5. Special Movies – Watching old favorites like Practical Magic and The Covenant.

6. Scary Movies – I like watching a few new scary movies as well, new ones because I like the special effects ;) Of course, I am pretty much alone in this endeavor in my house!

7. TV Specials - Watching all the Halloween specials on TV with my kids.

8. Decorations – I like to drape the fireplace in torn gray netting hung from black iron candle holders and set up a mini graveyard with bones and pumpkins of all shapes, colors and sizes. We even have a set of bloody handprints for the fireplace doors. Oh, and I toss about a few black roses for the tombstones :)

9. Decorations Part II – No one asks about all of the witchy stuff I have sitting around my writing room all year long for a month *giggles*

10. Books – I am like this with every holiday, I love to read the holiday books to put me in even more of the mood than I already am. This year I am lucky enough to get to be reviewing four! Can’t wait! It is really an inspiring month for a witchy writer like me to write in as well :)

Witch’s Gorp Recipe

Mix one box of Crunch N’ Munch with about half a box of Milk Duds and Candy Corn. Melt a Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Bar and drizzle over mix, stirring only slightly to drizzle not coat. Place in a plastic cauldron decorating with gummy worms on top. Serve with black ladle.

I am telling you that with some hot chocolate and a movie, candles burning all over the room, this is a perfect family evening. We all look forward to it every year, and usually it kicks off the 13 Night of Halloween on ABC Family or whichever special comes on first. Of course, now that I have teen boys, I hope the tradition continues. I promise not to tell anyone! LOL

Link:
Website: http://www.kikihowell.com/
Facebook: Here
Twitter: Here
GoodReads: Here
Google Plus: Here

Participating Blogs:
Good Choice Reading: Here
Books With Bite: Here
Once Upon A Twilight: Here
An Avid Readers Musings: Here
AliseOnLife: Here
Dark Readers: Here

Halloween Booktacular: Interview And Giveaway With Michelle M. Pillow

2011-10-24T08:00:00.104-04:00

Welcome to our Halloween Booktacular Event. My blog along with Good Choice Reading Blog, Books With Bite Blog, Once Upon A Twilight Blog, An Avid Readers Musings Blog, AliseOnLife Blog, and Dark Readers Blog are having some AMAZING authors stop by between today October 24th all the way through October 31st. There will be interviews, guest posts, top 10 lists, and of course GIVEAWAYS. During this event I will have 5 totally FANTASTIC authors stopping by and each will give away 1 incredible story. Today I have Michelle M. Pillow who I have been DYING to have on my blog since I started blogging back in '09. She is such a phenomenal writer, as well as, an avid horror movie fan which fits in well with this Halloween event....^_^. Michelle has stopped by today to let me interview her and to give away an e-book (18+ or older) copy of my all time favorite book by her's King Of The Unblessed (Realm Immortal Series Book #1). You can read my review Here. If you would like to win an e-book copy of King Of The Unblessed just leave a comment with your e-mail address. You don't have to be a blog follower but if you would like to that would be great too....^_^. Giveaway ends 11:59 P.M. EST on October 30,2011. Now just sit back, relax and let's kick off this Halloween Booktacular with a bang....

King Of The Unblessed (Realm Immortal Series Book #1) By Michelle M. Pillow
Paperback: 240 pages
Publisher: Samhain Publishing (January 5, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1605045152
ISBN-13: 978-1605045153

Blurb:

The choice is simple: go with him or die.

Realm Immortal, Book One

Merrick, dark elfin King of Valdis, had once been heir to all that was good—happiness and pleasure his domain. Now, trapped as the ruler of mischief, king of necessary evil, he stands on a precipice of choice. On one side, his estranged brother, now ruler of what should have been Merrick’s, and on the other, King Lucien of the Damned. Both would sway him. Damnation is winning.

Lady Juliana of Bellemare is from a human family, protected by the Blessed, coveted by the Damned. Betrothed to an old friend of her father’s, Juliana is resigned to living out her days close to her childhood home, longing for an adventure, never dreaming she’d get what she wished for. When her fiancé is murdered and the children of Bellemare are stolen, Juliana is sent on a quest in a strange realm where appearances are deceiving.

Merrick brings more adventure and passion than any woman could want. Can she withstand the temptations of the Unblessed king? The spell she weaves over him is more than he can resist and, desperate to be the one to rule her, Merrick offers her a choice; either come with him until he tires of her…or die.

Warning: This book contains hot sex, violence, trickster goblins, overly helpful sprights, a king of necessary evil who lives to get his way and a woman who would dare to deny him.

1) Can you tell us a little bit about your Realm Immortal Series?

The idea sprung from my love of the movie Labyrinth. I always hated the ending. I wanted Sarah to stay with Jareth. I didn’t want to rewrite the movie, but the thought started there and transformed into an immortal realm where magical being existed and where greater and lesser creatures ruled over a complicated world. Three of the main rulers are Lucien of the Damned (Evil), Ean of the Blessed (Good), and Merrick of the Unblessed (Necessary Evil).

2) How much of yourself, if any, did you put into your characters?

I enjoy making up stories, worlds and characters. Part of the fun of writing is research and learning new things—things that I don’t do. I’m sure some of myself slips into them, but usually it’s like Morrigan’s avoidance of cooking and cleaning, or her love of red toe nail polish in Dragon Lords: The Barbarian Prince. Or, like in Bit By The Bug, my experience as a photographer.

3) If you were stuck on a deserted island what 5 things would be a must?

A boat with full crew—cruise ship size would work. A satellite phone. Stockpile of food. Plenty of water. A really cute hero to pass the time with. LOL I’m not much for surviving out in the middle of nowhere. I usually plan my trips.

4) Did you always want to be a writer or did you see yourself taking a different career path?

I started as a photographer. I really thought that is where my career would go, though I did enjoy writing. Now photography has taken a back seat to the writing career, though I’m making efforts to do it more. I love creating stories, whether with pictures or words.

5) What do you find most challenging about writing?

Explaining to people that it’s not just a matter of sitting down and writing. It’s a process that takes a lot of emotional and physical energy, plus time. Three hours at the computer can either be really productive or merely produce a few hundred words.

6) Lady Juliana and Merrick are such wonderful characters. How did you come up with them? Are they based on people you know or are they just completely from your own imagination?

Merrick is one of my favorites. As King of the Unblessed, he is the ruler of necessary evil. Everything he is—his power, his very being—is tied to necessary evils. Unfortunately for him, he was born to be King of the Blessed (good). He can’t escape evil but is tortured by what he once knew. For this reason, he is not sure he can feel love.

Juliana represents everything Merrick is not. She’s from a blessed family. She’s mortal and idealistic, innocent and trusting.

I never base my characters of real people. It’s the fastest way to stop the flow of words because I worry about what the real person would do rather than what the character I made would do. I consider character building as important, if not more so, than world building.

7) Is there any genre you would like to try your hand at writing but just haven't had the chance to write?

I’ve written in several romance fiction genres—fantasy, futuristic, contemporary, historical, paranormal, and about every combination thereof. I love challenges and trying new things, so I’m open to new jobs and ideas. I’d like to work on a nonfiction project, a photography book, and maybe a young adult romance.

8) On average how long does it take you to write one of your novels?

It really depends on the book. Something that takes more research, like a historical where facts need to be accurate, take longer. That said, I work an average of 15-18 hours a day and am very prolific. Most longer novels with a lot of research will take about two months.

9) If you could check off one or two things from your bucket list what would they be and why?

I have a huge bucket lists. I’m actually a list person, so there are a ton of things I still want to do and try. A couple of the top ones are: I want to be either a zombie or the screaming chick that gets killed in the beginning credits of a horror movie. I want to travel to every country in the world.

10) What do you have coming up next?

I’m always working on new books. Currently, I’m working on four brand new Dragon Lords titles. They will start releasing soon from The Raven Books (www.theravenbooks.com). The books focus on the Princes’ noble cousins.

Website –

http://www.michellepillow.com/
Facebook: Here
Twitter: Here
GoodReads: Here
Shelfari: Here

Participating Blogs:
Good Choice Reading: Here
Books With Bite: Here
Once Upon A Twilight: Here
An Avid Readers Musings: Here
AliseOnLife: Here
Dark Readers: Here

Visiting Nopeming Shores With A Guest Post By Margie Church

2011-10-19T08:00:00.001-04:00

Nopeming Shores (such a beautiful cover) is a Noble Publishing Sensual Romance. It came out on October 11,2011 and we have Margie Church stopping by with a wonderful Guest Post. I always enjoy when Margie stops by because she is always such a delight to talk to. Please enjoy Margie's post and I hope you will consider picking up a copy of Nopeming Shores. She is a fantastic writer and you will not be disappointed. Margie I give you the floor.

Location, location, location!

Nopeming (no-paw-ming) is an Ojibwe word, loosely translated meaning place of rest. I'd had this title in my head literally for a year before I actually started writing the book. Given the Native American origination of the title, I had to be choosy about the setting. Once the military element became part of the story, I was on the hunt for the various locations involved. It's always nerve wracking to use actual locations in a book when you've never been there.

Last night, for example, I was squinting at New Orleans city maps, trying to figure out what I'd be able to see looking in a given direction from the twenty-seventh floor of my character's office. Are the streets one-way when I leave the parking garage? You know, a lot of readers have never been to New Orleans and probably don't give a rat's butt whether it's a one-way (and I'm driving the wrong way!!! Yeeps!), but due diligence is a requirement for research.

I usually make up city names to avoid the opportunity to be dead wrong. LOL Nopeming Shores is
dedicated to my father, who served at Fort Leavenworth in World War II. I also wanted this middle-
America feel to the story, so the story is primarily set in a fictitious town named Stevers, Kansas, near Fort Leavenworth. Also included are brief scenes from Fort Leavenworth Combined Arms Center (CAC).

To get actual details, I found a few folks who live in the Fort Leavenworth area and had been to the base recently. Then, I used Google maps to find satellite images of the surrounding area so I'd have a good idea of the topography. I dug into the Fort Leavenworth Chamber of Commerce's and local photographers' website to see "feet on the street" images. Since I'd created this town, I had leeway to make locations and businesses my own, but you still have to be careful not to totally hose it up. And when it came to the military base, I certainly didn't want to get that wrong. People will call you on your bad. Sure you might still get things wrong, but at least you have notes to show what you've done if the error is significant.

I live in a historical city along the Mississippi River, of similar size to Fort Leavenworth. My co-author, Andrew Lockhart, lives in a historical town in Arkansas. This helped both of us "feel" the story. Lily Holliway and the other characters enjoy "walking to shop." We have the old brick buildings with the huge display windows and uneven shop floors where I live. Several scenes take place in a place called Keeper's Eatery, which is patterned after an actual café here. Unfortunately, nothing good ever happens to Lily when she goes to Keeper's! Lily ends up taking a job in town at a local florist called Love's In Bloom. I bet we all know a quaint little shop like that. We walk in, inhale the fresh oxygen, and smile about all the cool gifts. Working at a florist shop gets Lily razzed for her name a few times. I deliberately put her in this situation because the book is very emotional and I needed ways to lighten the story.

Luckily, as I said, I live very near the Mississippi, and Andrew lives very near the Arkansas River. The Missouri River plays a pivotal role in the book, and I used several city and state maps to find parks, landmarks, and connecting freeways. I also investigated the night sounds of indigenous creatures to capture the scent, sounds, and imagery of this river. Youtube is wonderful!

And now the big lake – Nopeming. The lake name is fictitious, but the central Minnesota location isn't. Minnesota is the Land of 10,000 lakes. We have 90,000 miles more shoreline in this state—more than California, Florida, and Hawaii combined. When I set the scenes for Lake Nopeming, I was thinking of Lake Winnibigoshish in the Chippewa National Forest. The drive to this area of the state is quite beautiful and one of the roads Lily takes passes within blocks of my home. I won't say more about this location because I don't want to spoil the story!

We hope you enjoy Nopeming Shores and all its secrets.

Blurb: Nopeming Shores by Margie Church with J. Andrew Lockhart

An IED snuffed out Gabe Holliway's life, but couldn't destroy his love. Using his unique gift,
Gabe struggles to help his young wife, Lily, rebuild her shattered future.

But when Gabe's ghost reaches out to her, Lily fears she's lost her last hold on sanity. Can she
trust what she discovers and what her heart says? When she sees Gabe face-to-face, can she believe her eyes?

When love transcends death, the answers are found in Nopeming Shores.

Buy Nopeming Shores now on Amazon: Here
Margie's website and blog: Here
Visit Andrew Lockhart at Here to read some of his newest writings.

Review And Giveaway Of Monarch By Michelle Davidson Argyle

2011-10-15T00:00:00.092-04:00

Monarch By Michelle Davidson Argyle

Paperback: 341 pages
Publisher: Rhemalda Publishing (September 15, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1936850192
ISBN-13: 978-1936850198
Genre: Contemporary Thriller*
Source: Amazon.Com (link to purchase HERE)
Purchase: Barnes And Noble (link to purchase HERE)

*I got that information from Michelle's Website.

At the end of my review learn how you could win a copy of Monarch for yourself.

Blurb:

Nick's life as a CIA spy should be fulfilling, but it has only given him unhappiness, a wife who committed suicide, and two daughters who resent everything he has become. Now, stuck in the Amazon on the last mission of his career, he must track down Matheus Ferreira, a drug lord and terrorist the United States has tried to bring down for years. If he succeeds, he'll have the chance to start his life over again.

Just when he's on the brink of catching Ferreira, he's framed for a murder that turns his world upside down. His only chance of survival lies in West Virginia, where Lilian Love, a woman from his past, owns the secluded Monarch Inn. He's safe, but not for long...

I must say how surprised I am by just how much I loved Monarch. When I first read about it, I thought it sounded interesting. When I got my hands on it I found it really hard to put down. I mainly read paranormal romance books but I do enjoy other genre's, suspense thrillers being one of them. I must say the added touch of a little romance made it all the more thrilling in my opinion. From the very beginning Nick kept me at the edge of my seat but then you throw in his complicated history with woman and the two women he is drawn to and you have one heck of a thrill ride. I loved the fact that these characters made mistakes but were also able to own up to them and work through them, in turn, making them well rounded characters. I loved Michelle's writing style. I never got lost once when she would go from present day to back when Nick was on a mission 3 years prior. I also loved how even though Nick had done some things for the CIA in the past he was able to show he had a conscience and he wasn't just a spy with no moral compass. Yes, he killed people in the name of our government, but he had a soul yearning for redemption. But like everyone he also had doubts on whether he could change and be that man, or that dad his daughters, Clara and Violet, needed him so desperately to be. Lillian is a woman from Nick's past that he can't seem to forget. He runs to her inn looking for safety until he can figure out his next move. Going to the inn introduces us to Devon, Lillian's son, and Rachel a girl who used to work in Lillian's cake shop where Nick first met Lil. We get to learn about their lives and we get to learn about Nick's life and how they all in some way, shape, or form interconnect with each other. On a scale from 1-10 I give Monarch a 10. I LOVED IT from beginning to end. If you are looking for a contemporary thriller with elements of romance then you really need to pick yourself up a copy of Monarch. I can't wait to read other books by Michelle.

If you would like to win a copy of Monarh (It maybe an ARC or Finished copy) from Rhemalda Publishing all you have to do is just leave a comment with your e-mail address. Rhemalda Publishing will mail out the copy to the winner once I get their information. You don't have to be a follower but it would be nice. Giveaway ends October 22,2011.

Link:
http://www.michelledavidsonargyle.com/

Riptide Publishing Blog Tour

2011-10-13T09:00:00.100-04:00

Riptide Publishing

First Watch By Peter Hansen

Have you enjoyed Riptides First Wave Tour so far? I have been having a blast. Today at Skyla11377 I am bringing you an interview and giveaway with Riptide Publishing author Peter Hansen. He will be giving away any backlist book from Rachel Haimowitz, Aleksandr Voinov, L.A. Witt, Brita Addams, or Cat Grant ("Frontline" books, i.e. Riptide releases and newest non-Riptide release, are excluded, as are the Coourtland Chronicles) over at Sinfully Tasty Reads Blog for readers 18+ and older. Don't forget to keep following the tour and come back to me in November when Riptide Publishing will be back for more fantastic fun!!!!

If you could pick anyone in the world to be the cover model(s) on your latest release, who would it be?

Anyone living? Or anyone ever? Because if we're talking about anyone ever, I had Siegfried Sassoon in mind when I was writing "First Watch."

What’s your favorite hobby outside of writing?

I love to draw, and I'm something of a gym nut.

What would constitute your own personal happily ever after?

Living with my girlfriend in a house that's floor-to-ceiling bookshelves.

Do you own an e-reader?

I've got a Kindle.

Why?

I'm a scholar, and my period of study is a few hundred years before our own. Thus, most of the works that I want to read are a) IMMENSE and b) in the public domain. An e-reader is the only efficient way to carry around the complete works of Shakespeare, The Rover, and Clarissa all at once.

Are you a book hoarder?

You bet your ass I'm a book hoarder.

What’s the one question you wish people would ask you when you tell them you’re a writer?

Gosh, how do you find time to write?

How do you answer it?

I don't sleep. Ever.

If you were doomed to spend the rest of your life on an island with only one book, one person, one food (coconuts and fish aside), and one object from the modern world (computer, deodorant, vibrator, etc.), what would they be?

Complete works of Shakespeare, my girlfriend, avocados, and a computer.

Do you have a favorite character out of all the ones you’ve written?

I haven't written nearly enough characters yet to have a favorite! Andile Harper's pretty splendid, though.

Why is he your favorite?

He's completely against type for me—by which I mean, he's actually half-decent at holding a conversation and he doesn't overreact when things get rough—and he's an excellent foil for my more typical, taciturn warhorses.

Where are your favorite online hangouts? What are your daily must-stop blogs and websites?

Twitter is a must-visit. I also spend ages on the 'sexisnottheenemy' tumblr and Project Gutenberg.

Speaking of online hangouts, where are yours? Where can your readers find you?

Website: http://peterhansenfiction.weebly.com/

Twitter: P_HansenWrites

GoodReads: Peterhansen

E-mail: peter.hansen.writes@gmail.com

Review Of Bloodlines (Bloodlines Series Book #1) By Richelle Mead

2011-10-12T14:24:00.005-04:00

Bloodlines (Bloodlines Series Book #1) By Richelle Mead

Reading level: Young Adult
Hardcover: 432 pages
Publisher: Razorbill (August 23, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1595143173
ISBN-13: 978-1595143174
Source: Amazon.Com (link to purchase HERE)
Purchase: Barnes And Noble (link to purchase HERE)

Blurb:

The first book in Richelle Mead's brand-new teen fiction series - set in the same world as Vampire Academy.

When alchemist Sydney is ordered into hiding to protect the life of Moroi princess Jill Dragomir, the last place she expects to be sent is a human private school in Palm Springs, California. But at their new school, the drama is only just beginning.

Populated with new faces as well as familiar ones, Bloodlines explores all the friendship, romance, battles and betrayals that made the #1 New York Times bestselling Vampire Academy series so addictive - this time in a part-vampire, part-human setting where the stakes are even higher and everyone's out for blood.

When The Vampire Academy series ended I was sad because I really LOVED those books and got really invested in Rose and Dimitri. When I found out there was a spin-off series I was so excited and couldn't wait to get to read it. Now, I am not going to lie, at first, when I found out the series was focused on the Alchemist Sydney Sage I was a bit disappointed because I was hoping for maybe a story about Lissa and Christian or maybe a book about Adrian Ivashkov and his soul mate. Disappointment soon turned to enrapture, not only did I get my wish (in a way) by having Adrian in this new series but we also got to see some familiar faces like Eddie Castile, Jill "jailbait" Dragomir, Abe Mazur, Rose Hathaway, Dimitri Belikov, and Sonya Karp. This book kept me glued from beginning to end. It was actually kool seeing things from Sydney's perspective and getting to know what it is like for her to be an alchemist. I loved how this book had a touch of the Moroi/Dhampir dynamic that I was used to, as well as, a new setting and new situations that kept this book new and familiar all at the same time. Sydney really comes into her own and starts to find her voice in this book. She starts to learn that not everything has to be so regimental and strict. There can be a grey area which can leave her some leeway to be the kind of person she wants to be and not the kind she is expected to be. She always feels she has to walk a fine line between the alchemist way of life and the Vampire world. We also get to see how what Rose did, affects Adrian in this book. The last series all we really saw was the devil may care side of Adrian, but in Bloodlines, we get to see his tortured soul and how he copes with losing his love Rose to another guy. We get some more time with Jill and Eddie which is great too. We get a glimpse into the life of the reluctant princess Jill a.k.a. jailbait (to Adrian). Eddie gets to show us more of his guardian side. So many things happen in this book but I am so afraid to spoil it for anyone who hasn't read this book or The Vampire Academy Series. This book has it all: redemption, danger, death(s), a mystery, first love, unrequited love, enemies, magic, Vampires, mean girls, jocks, etc.... You name it and I bet this book has it....^_^. On a scale from 1-10 I give Bloodlines a 20. Yes, it is off my scale but it is such a great start to this new spin-off series. Richelle really has another runaway hit on her hands, in my opinion. If you are a fan of The Vampire Academy Series you NEED to get this book. If you are new to Richelle Mead you NEED to get to know her Vampires. On your way to picking up Bloodlines you should also pick up Vampire Academy (book #1), Frostbite (book #2), Shadow Kiss (book #3), Blood Promise (book #4), Spirit Bound (book #5), and Last Sacrifice (book #6) in The Vampire Academy Series. Trust me that series and this book will not disappoint.

Link:
http://www.richellemead.com/
Facebook: Here
Twitter: Here
GoodReads: Here
LiveJournal: Here

Riptide Publishing Blog Tour

2011-10-11T09:00:00.079-04:00

Riptide Publishing

Collared By Kari Gregg

Still enjoying Riptide's First Wave Blog Tour? I know I am, and what would a blog tour be without another great author? Today at Skyla11377 I am bringing you an interview and giveaway with Riptide Publishing author Kari Gregg. She will be giving away a book of the winner's choice from her backlist over at Sinfully Tasty Reads Blog for readers 18+ and older. Don't forget to come back on October 13th when author Peter Hansen stops by for more Riptide First Wave Blog Tour fun!!!!

What do you like most about writing?

Creating and exploring new worlds. How does that world work? How doesn't it work? Who's trying to fix what's broken and are they making life better or worse? Who's in charge? No, who's really in charge? How do my heroes fit? I love my worlds and I love discovering how my heroes move inside them.

What genre do you write mostly and what appeals to you most about your genre?

I write contemporaries, fantasy, paranormals, AU, and BDSM (of every flavor). Writerly ADD is obviously an issue. :D Why those stories? Those are the worlds I'm drawn to and revisit again and again.

What is the most interesting thing you have learned from your research?

The Blooming Onion at Outback Steakhouse has 1600 calories. Have I ever used this in a story? No. But I'm weirdly fascinated by this.

Where do you get the names for your characters?

Any- and everywhere. I got a name from a tombstone once. Serious. Connor's name, though, is perfectly non-weird. A casual acquaintance (who is nothing like my character, by the way) is named Connor and the name stuck in my head until my hero took form.

Tell us about your latest release (s)?

Collared features a world in flux. A natural disaster caused when genetically engineered crops mutated and propagated in the wild is producing a biological shift in the aggression centers of the brain and those affects -- as well as civilization's response to them -- are still intensifying. Connor Witt had everything he ever wanted, a promising relationship and a successful career, until the disaster. Instead of becoming bigger and badder like everyone else, Connor is an anomaly. His aggression hasn't been stimulated by the changing environment. He is one of the rare few whose dominant traits have been suppressed. When predatory security consultant Emmett makes a move on Connor, David -- Connor's boss -- collars him to keep Emmett away. One man offers safety; the other is the safer best. Who will Connor choose for his master?

What are you working on next?

In the Red is a m/m BDSM mystery for Loose Id. My forensic accountant was a rising start at TFOS, Terrorism Financing Operations Section in the FBI, until he was abducted and left for dead nine days later. What he endured during those nine days broke him, not so much physically as mentally, but he's fighting his way back. All evidence to the contrary -- his retreat to an isolated rural house in the mountains of western Maryland where he's amassed enough weaponry to hold off the zombie hoard and keeps enough lamps lit in his tiny house to pinpoint the glow from the international space station. Too bad TFOS needs him back so badly. He was on to something with that last case, something big The FBI tasks Special Agent Zachary Murdock with gluing the boy wonder back together and getting him back to work. Zachary isn't sure which presents the biggest complication: the accountant's special brand of crazy, the case they're working or the closeted sub's surprising -- and surprisingly enthralling -- kink.

What fascinates you most about writing m/m?

Two strong guys striking that magical balance with one another and the dance leading up to that balance. Even in BDSM, especially in BDSM, where in spite of appearances, subs are (IMO) stronger than their Doms and subs are the ones who are truly running the show.

What do you enjoy reading the most?

Two heroes for the price of one. Does it get any better? Nope.

What are you reading now?

A historical account of the 1938 Hurricane. Yeah, I know. Sexy, no? LOL. If it helps any, I just finished re-reading Jet Mykles' Heaven Sent series. Loves me some hot rockers.

Who are your favorite authors?

For kink, I'm a Kim Dare fangirl, but I repeat read titles from Jamie Craig, J.C. Owens, and Thom Lane, too. (Although to be fair, the Aramanth series isn't strictly BDSM since slavery is a cultural convention rather than a choice, but nonetheless, WOW.) Non-kink, I love Josh Lanyon, K.A. Mitchell, L.B. Gregg, Joely Skye (for her shifter series)...so many wonderful authors. So much m/m goodness. ;D

What would you advise an aspiring author?

Don't quit. Keep writing. Keep learning and growing your craft.

Is there anything you'd like to tell your readers?

I have over 200 books in my K3's TBR file. Help me. Please.

How can readers connect with you?

If you would like to catch up with Kari, caffeinate yourself and head on over to: http://www.KariGregg.com
Friend Kari on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Kari.M.Gregg
Follow Kari on Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/karigregg
Find Kari at Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4366316.Kari_Gregg

Riptide Publishing Blog Tour

2011-10-06T16:06:00.003-04:00

Riptide Publishing

Blacker Than Black By Rhianon Etzweiler

Here at Skyla11377 I am so honored to help with introducing Riptide Publishing to the world. Riptide will be officially open for business on October 30,2011 BUT pre-orders start October 1,2011. Today I am pleased to bring you an interview with author Brita Addams. She will be giving away a book of the winner's choice from her backlist over at Sinfully Tasty Reads for readers 18+ and older. Riptide Publishing is going to be making a BIG SPLASH so hold on tight for an incredible ride.

What draws you to romance?

I think of romance as a natural progression of a story that incorporates high stress and high emotional engagement from the characters it portrays. From a purely scientific side of the equation, humans are sexual creatures and pheromones are everywhere, right? More than anything, I want my stories and my characters to be ones that engage the reader, that the audience can relate to—more than that, the end result is, optimally, a story that sucks the reader into a vortex and doesn’t let go, whips them around on a roller coaster of emotion that doesn’t relax until the train pulls into the station on the final page.

Sexual attraction and emotional involvement are in my writer-mind two of the larger factors for developing strong reader engagement, and the conflict and tension in a story. An illicit romantic involvement, for instance, is one of the few factors that could influence a given character enough to compromise their impartiality, their professional ethics, and as a result risk the lives and well-being of others, or jeopardize an entire endeavor. The romance plays a crucial role and while I try to give my stories at least a HFN ending, I’m not so kind as to make the journey to getting there an easy one.

Have you ever written outside the romance genre? If not, do you ever plan to?

I’ve come close… but every time I start working on a new and exciting story idea or plot arc, one of my characters goes and gets horny and starts eyeballing one of their comrades. Every time. Without fail. It comes back to that mix of adrenaline and pheromones, of excitement and the edge of danger mixing with lust and arousal. The chemical responses in our brain are very similar, the only difference is the circumstance or situation providing the trigger. Endorphins are addictive. It’s one of the reason why soldiers are often described as adrenaline junkies, or having a death wish.

Ultimately, we’re emotional creatures and romantic entanglements will arise. I write in many different genres, actually—speculative fiction is a broad and sometimes vague umbrella—but all my stories have an element of romance in them somewhere that plays a crucial role in the development of the plot and outcome. I wouldn’t go so far as to say it’s always earth-shattering, mind-blowing, or life-altering, but it’s there—I think that the majority of readers enjoy having that angle present. It makes the characters come alive, that they have that sort of depth and facet present. Like saying, “see, this character is flawed too. They couldn’t help but fall in love with someone they knew they shouldn’t.”

Do you prefer alpha/omega relationships in stories, or alpha/alpha relationships, and why?

I enjoy pitting alpha against alpha – in the end, it isn’t really necessary for one to dominate the other, or for one to clearly ‘come out on top’…not in most of my stories, anyways. The romantic involvements I write about, for the most part, don’t involve D/s. I’ve always thought that the best relationship would be a mutual partnership, a meeting of the minds… finding common ground, not exerting dominance over another. I try to show that in my stories. For me as a reader, there’s little fascinating in an imbalanced relationship—little in the way of tension to play with, you might say. Put both characters on relatively equal footing, and all the sudden the dynamic is totally different. The power play can go either way. Won’t say that I don’t dabble in “omega” situations, but ordinarily I do so with specific intent to f*ck with it.

What’s the sexiest feature on a man to you? And on a woman? Why?

Regardless of gender, the sexiest feature for me is the mind. I’ve known some physically attractive individuals over the years who, the moment they opened their mouth, totally ruined it for me. At any rate, it’s ultimately intellect that attracts me. A lively debate or a controversial discussion that gets the blood flowing and challenges me to think… that’s porn for me. Yes, I’m a geek. Geek is chic. =)

By night you’re a caped crusader, romance writer. What do you do by day?

I have a degree and work in customer service. Hey, it pays the bills. I’m not really a caped crusader, though—I’ve got the geeky “Clark Kent” look all the time!

What’s your earliest childhood memory?

The turquoise oceans and pristine beaches of Bora Bora, my birthplace.

What was the very first romance you ever read? How old were you? Were you being naughty and sneaking it off the shelf before you really even knew what sex was?

It was some Jude Deveraux book, I don’t recall what. I got it from the library at school, and recall being riveted by the story. I really had no inkling that there was anything naughty with what I was reading. It was a story. About relationships, and emotion. All perfectly natural, normal stuff.

How did it make you feel, and is that what hooked you on the genre?

It certainly isn’t what got me hooked on the genre. I don’t quite recall what shifted my focus from speculative fiction to something with a stronger romantic theme. Frustration with trying to write good, authentic female characters led me toward exploring other avenues. Which I’m still doing, and always will be—what led me to writing gay romance, though, were two male characters in an action flick (hot guys and muscle cars, what more could a girl want), and the subculture of slash-fanfic that I stumbled upon not long after.

Who are your latest crushes (celebrity, book character, or otherwise)?

I’ll always have the hots for Vin Diesel. And Paul Walker. Like cinnamon and nutmeg, they’re awesome together, but I’ll take the cinnamon straight if I must. Something about the shaved head and he takes great care of himself, but beyond that, it’s the eyes. His gaze is so expressive, it’s dumbfounding sometimes.

Do you ever keep those people in your mind when writing your own works?

Absolutely. I love the way Vin as an actor uses body language and expressions as much as the lines in the script. Not that other actors and actresses don’t, but there are times when I’d swear he takes it to this whole different level with just a glance. I strive to convey that sort of character aspect to the readers in my prose. That intensity, energy. As though, if you were to reach out and try to touch them, you’d get zapped by static electricity.

If you could pick anyone in the world to be the cover model(s) on your latest release, who would it be?

I would give my gonads to have Andrej Pejic model Black on the cover of “Blacker Than Black.” He is just so startlingly beautiful in the most fascinatingly androgynous way. Also? Camui Gackt would make a very nice Garthelle.

What’s your favorite hobby outside of writing?

Experimenting with different blends of spices in my dark roast coffee brews. Right now, I’m loving the combination of cloves and strangely, pepper.

What would constitute your own personal happily ever after?

A hammock back on Bora Bora, with my laptop. And a wifi signal.

Do you own an e-reader?

Does my laptop count? *laughs*

Why?

Are you a book hoarder?

Yes. They’re everywhere. Half the time I can’t find something when I want it. Shelves are crammed and double-faced. It’s a sin, I know. Everything from Terry Pratchett’s “Monstrous Regiment” to “The Exhaustive Encyclopedia of Guns” and “The Naked Empire” from Terry Goodkind’s Sword of Truth series.

What’s the one question you wish people would ask you when you tell them you’re a writer?

That I wish they’d ask? Wow, that’s a tough one. “Where can I buy a copy of your books?”

How do you answer it?

With my business card. It has my website on it. And that’s got my books, and buy links.

Oh, coconut-battered Mahi-Mahi on the sun-kissed beaches of Bora Bora! I’m so there, point the way! Let’s see, coffee beans, definitely. MacGyver, without a doubt. He could probably make me a computer out of coconut milk and driftwood. And make coconut moonshine. Those are the easy ones. For a book, I’d have to go with Sun Tzu’s “The Art of War.” And one item from the modern world? A coil of paracord. A really long one. If there’s one thing I’ve learned from marinating in military culture over the years, it’s that you can never have too much rope.

Email address:

Fan contact: Rhianon.etzweiler@gmail.com

Business contact: rhianon76@gmail.com

Website URL: http://www.rhianonetzweiler.com

Blog URL: http://rhianonetzweiler.blogspot.com

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/#!musefodder

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/rhianon.etzweiler

Goodreads Page: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4867331.Rhianon_Etzweiler

If you have additional author pages on other sites, please include them below

Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Rhianon-Etzweiler/e/B005E0C7X4/ref=sr_tc_2_rm?qid=1312474013&sr=1-2-ent

Google+ : https://plus.google.com/100899759625591158649

Bookalicio.us

2011-10-05T22:34:00.001-04:00

Bookalicio.us is 1 of 8 blogs participating with Lisa Desrochers for her cover reveal of Last Rite book 3 in her Personal Demons Series. Bookalicio.us is also giving away a galley of Last Rite. Lisa is having a scavenger hunt between all 8 blogs for key words that you must unscramble to form a phrase in order to enter on Lisa's blog. Head on over to all 8 blogs so you can enter to win a galley of Last Rite.

All 8 blogs are:
Mundie Moms
The Naughty Book Kitties
Bookalicio.us
Books Over Boys
Call Me Crazy
Book Chic Club
A Good Addiction
Harmony's Radiant Reads
Bloggers [Heart] Books

And The Winner Of Gabriel's Inferno By Sylvain Reynard Is....

2011-10-05T09:39:00.002-04:00

After double checking and using Random.Org I have my two winners of Gabriel's Inferno By Sylvain Reynard. The lucky winners are Diana and Lori Z. Your e-mail address's have been passed along to the publisher who will be sending you out your e-Books. Thanks to all who stopped by and entered. Stay tuned because later this month I have quite a few author's stopping by who are just dying to give away books....^_^.

Congrats to Diana and Lori Z.

List Randomizer

There were 3 items in your list. Here they are in random order:

3) Diana
2) Lori Z.
1) Na

Timestamp: 2011-10-05 13:16:50 UTC

Riptide Publishing Blog Tour

2011-10-04T09:00:00.023-04:00

Riptide Publishing

Surprises (Romeo Club Series Book #1) By Brita Addams

Here at Skyla11377 I am so honored to help with introducing Riptide Publishing to the world. Riptide will be officially open for business on October 30,2011 BUT pre-orders start as early as October 1,2011. Today I am pleased to bring you an interview with author Brita Addams. She will be giving away a book of the winner's choice from her backlist over at Sinfully Tasty Reads for readers 18+ and older. Riptide Publishing is going to be making a BIG SPLASH so hold on tight for an incredible ride.

How did you start writing erotica?

I enjoy reading erotica – not always, but a good bit. I've writing erotic romance and erotica is just
an extension of erotic romance, really.

What’s your favorite published work of yours and why?

Truly, I love one that will out on October 30th. It's called An Evening at the Starlight and has a
very noir feel. But I also love Lord Decadent's Obsession, Free Me, In His Arms... I love them
all, they're my children, after all.

Where’s your favorite place to write?

I write on one end of the sofa with a laptop. I have plot cards and notes everywhere.

Who is your favorite character from one of your stories and why?

I love Phillip Allard from Chocolate, Tea and the Duchess. He's a very conflicted man, in need
of answer his natural inclination toward me, yet the times (early 1800's) dictate a marriage and
the continuation of the family line.

The thing I love about Phillip the most is that he doesn't wish to compromise, but instead, he
feels the need to stay true to himself. He does have a love for Felicity, though and in that, lies the
rub.

Do your nearest and dearest know what you do, and if so, what was their reaction when
they found out?

My entire family knows what I write, though very few of them read my stuff. My family is
grown and they are happy I'm writing, something they all know I've wanted to do FOREVER.
They're proud. I'm not quite sure what my elderly aunts and uncles would think if they knew
WHAT I wrote.

What was your ideal career when you were a child?

HA! I wanted to be a stewardess more than I wanted to breathe. I had wanderlust even then. In
lieu of that, I wanted to be a nurse. Then I discovered I'd have to give people shots, and that was
the end of that dream. I married young and haven't regretted a moment of it. Lots of "careers" in
the intervening years.

How do you get yourself in the mood to write?

I just do it. It isn't a matter of gearing up to it. If I'm involved in a story, I live it until it's finished.
I want to write it and I see it from start to finish – then I have to account for the characters having
their way with me, and voila, the story is born.

What’s the best writing tip you’ve ever been given?

Recently, I was edited by the editors at Riptide and the advice and lessons I learned from them
will sustain me for years to come. That said, the best bit of advice was "Put your behind in the
chair and write."

If you could bring one of your characters to life, which one would it be and why?

I'd love to meet Prentice Hyde from Lord Decadent's Obsession. I wrote him with Tyrone Power
in mind, and well, 'nuf said.

I'd also love to hear Laurent Kinsdale from Love Immortal. Something really sexy about an
angsty vampire.

Which author, erotic or otherwise would you love to meet and why?

I would very much like to meet Aleksandr Voinov. He is my favorite author and a friend and
admire the hell out of him. I'd love to spend some time picking his brilliant brain and maybe
some of that genius would rub off.

What are you working on at the moment?

At the moment I'm working on a m/m historical that I will submit to Riptide for their Rent Boy
submission call. I'm also about to start on the fourth in my Romeo Club eries.

What’s the biggest writing challenge you’ve ever taken on? Did you succeed?

My first book, one that hasn't been published. It's 120,000 and is probably terribly style-wise. I
haven't looked at it in ages and don't have time for it anytime soon. I say this is my biggest
challenge because just starting to write that first book is fraught with challenges, not the least of
which is author self-doubt.

What’s your biggest writing achievement? Why?

I think I'd have to say Serenity's Dream, because it was the first book I had published. Then,
every one after that. Each acceptance feels really good.

Can you tell us about your latest release?

On October 10, I have an m/m erotic called A Minute After Minute coming out as part of the
Noble Romance Timeless Desire Blog Tour in November. Two men are separated by
circumstance, only to realize that what they have is timeless desire.

On October 30, I have Romeo Club #1: Surprises, a m/m erotica short about a fantasy club, sort
of a modern day Sapphire Club. The Romeo Club series are a series of vignettes, each involving
a client at the club and their particular fantasy.

Surprises involves Donnie, who enters the club, which is also a dating service. What he learns
about himself at the club is more than he ever bargained for.

There isn't any romance involved in this stories, which is different for me in that regard. They are
quick, five-thousand word stories, each seeing the character through their deepest sexual desire.
On October 31, An Evening at the Starlight, another part of the Noble blog tour. This is a
poignant story of a love that never dies.

Thank you for stopping by. Where can your readers find you?

Author Name: Brita Addams
Email address: britaaddams@gmail.com
Website URL: http://www.britaaddams.info/
Blog URL: http://www.britaaddams.com
Twitter: @britaaddams Here
Facebook: Here
Goodreads Page: Here

Review Of How To Flirt With A Naked Werewolf (Naked Werewolf Series Book #1) By Molly Harper

2011-10-02T19:24:00.004-04:00

How To Flirt With A Naked Werewolf (Naked Werewolf Series Book #1) By Molly Harper

Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: Pocket Books (February 22, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1439195862
ISBN-13: 978-1439195864
Source: Amazon.Com (link to purchase HERE)
Purchase: Barnes And Noble (link to purchase HERE)

Blurb:

Northern Exposure

Even in Grundy, Alaska, it’s unusual to find a naked guy with a bear trap clamped to his ankle on your porch. But when said guy turns into a wolf, recent southern transplant Mo Wenstein has no difficulty identifying the problem. Her surly neighbor Cooper Graham—who has been openly critical of Mo’s ability to adapt to life in Alaska—has trouble of his own. Werewolf trouble.

For Cooper, an Alpha in self-imposed exile from his dysfunctional pack, it’s love at first sniff when it comes to Mo. But Cooper has an even more pressing concern on his mind. Several people around Grundy have been the victims of wolf attacks, and since Cooper has no memory of what he gets up to while in werewolf form, he’s worried that he might be the violent canine in question.

If a wolf cries wolf, it makes sense to listen, yet Mo is convinced that Cooper is not the culprit. Except if he’s not responsible, then who is? And when a werewolf falls head over haunches in love with you, what are you supposed to do anyway? The rules of dating just got a whole lot more complicated. . . .

A blogger friend of mine Savannah from Books With Bite Blog was kind enough to get me a book for my birthday (in September) which turned out to be How To Flirt With A Naked Werewolf. I didn't know what to expect but it sounded good and Savannah told me it was good, as well as, funny. I was excited to dive right into this story with the rather funny title. Mo is a spunky character who is very likable while Cooper on the other hand is more standoffish and not easy to get a handle on (at first). Mo goes from living in a very populated state to a very, very small town. She is trying to escape her overbearing parents so she can live her life on her own terms. Cooper leaves his pack behind because he can't handle what he did under a dire circumstance. I loved the fact that once Mo met Cooper she kept trying to tell herself that she had no interest in him whatsoever. I also loved how Cooper always acted like he didn't give a fig about Mo but always managed to growl whenever he saw Mo talking to other guys like Alan. When he shows up at her doorstep naked with a bear trap on his ankle and she didn't freak out I knew Mo was the kind of woman who could handle anything. When they finally come together it starts out funny and ends with a little sizzle....^_^. From that point on they forever take two steps forward and two steps back in their relationship with moments that just made me laugh out loud. This book had it all humor, romance, a mystery, and werewolves. On a scale from 1-10 I give How To Flirt With A Naked Werewolf a 10. I am so looking forward to getting my hands on book 2 in the series The Art Of Seducing A Naked Werewolf. If you are looking for a funny romance novel with some great character's written by a phenomenal writer than this book is so for you.

Link:

http://www.mollyharper.com/

Facebook: Here

Twitter: Here

GoodReads: Here