Words of Wisdom....from The Scarf Princess

Book Tour for Jaded by Kenya Carlton (Promo & Review)

2012-02-26T02:00:00.002-06:00

For those romance readers who enjoy a bit of suspense with their sexiness, Kenya Carlton has created just the book for you. Courtesy of Bewitching Book Tours I can give you a taste of this mix of romance, mystery, and a visitor from beyond the grave. So read on and introduce yourself to this satisfying read.

Jaded by Kenya Carlton

War correspondent Mia James is back on US soil and ready to tackle a juicy political story that could make national headlines. A politician’s aid goes missing, and the son of the wealthiest family is the only suspect.

Determined to take down the mayor of the small seaside town, Mia comes up against an angry ghost with her own agenda.

Afraid she may be suffering from post traumatic stress Mia figures that she’s way over her head and enlists the help of resident black sheep Gabe Montgomery. Now, she must solve the mystery of her not so friendly ghost, stop herself from falling in love with the mysterious winery owner, all while making it out alive.

EXCERPT:

Martin Conway didn’t know what to expect. He idled in his police cruiser on the curb in anticipation of a few ominous clouds or some menacing lightening to strike down on the house. He wasn’t quite sure since he avoided this place as much as possible.

The manor that sat above Vine was a picture of Victorian splendor. Or at least that’s what the welcome brochure to all new tourists had professed.

No one had occupied the oldest standing mansion in town permanently for years and the historical society made sure no one probably ever would. Restrictions had been placed on the home that most modern families weren’t willing to contend with and older homeowners would be too overwhelmed to be bothered. The most that could be hoped for was the occasional renter. So the mansion that encompassed every viable asset that a haunted house possibly ever could, sat empty.

It didn’t matter that the lawn was cut and the bushes were trimmed. Nor did it matter whether fresh paint was applied every other year or so. Right now all that mattered was that he, Martin Conway, had to get his butt in gear to welcome the new residence of Holloway Manor to Vine.

As Sheriff he took his job seriously. Crime was virtually nonexistent. A few run-ins with the local teenagers now and again were the worse offenses he imagined but that was expected in any small town.

Martin turned the ignition off and grabbed his hat. Vibes of intense displeasure seemed to waft his way from the house, with a deep breath he pushed his apprehension to the side and sorted through his thoughts of what to say to the new neighbors of Vine.

"Good Afternoon, Ma'am." Martin tipped his head to the cute little number at the door. Pleasantly surprised he greeted the woman with all smiles.

"Good afternoon, Officer-"

"Conway, Sheriff Conway," he introduced himself.

The look on her adorable face made him forget the regular spiel he had prepared for all the newbie’s that entered town. She was this tiny little thing with big boobs and a nice ass which was a win-win combination in his estimation. Her smooth cocoa skin made his mouth water not to mention her face was kewpie doll cute but her expression told him she was all about being bad. The pool of her brown eyes seemed to suck him into her.

"Where are my manners? Please come in Sheriff. My name is Tracy and this tired piece of trash over here is my cousin, Mia." He followed the woman into the Holloway home to find it was exactly as he had imagined.

Big and creepy!

The structure was the only house that could be seen from the Carlisle hilltop that looked down on Vine. From the door the stained glass windows cast a colorful dance of colors around the front room. A bright and cheery effect that should have appeared fun and joyful, but came across eerie and haunting instead.

White dust cloths covered what he could only imagine was antique furniture. The unlived look probably lent a helping hand to the spooky factor of the estate.

Entranced with the infamous inside interior of the Holloway mansion, he almost stumbled over this woman. Simply stunned into stupidity by her perfect face he missed the hand that she held out to him.

"Mia James, what can I do for you?" His tongue twisted around his mouth. Ordinarily he would be considered a man of authority but this woman made him babble like a fool.

"I uh, I wanted to welcome you to Vine. I saw your truck and thought I would be first to welcome you to our fine city."

"I appreciate that," she replied.

"We have a little picnic scheduled this evening at The Grove and we would be delighted if you could join us." He flashed his pearly smile in hopes it would be enough to persuade them to come.

"Who is we, Sheriff?"

"The Mayor is sponsoring this little shindig to extend his hand of thanks to the people of Vine."

"Special thanks for what?" Mia asked.

"Uh.” Both women stared at him with something crossed between humor and confusion.

"He wants to thank everyone for their support in Vine and continued support when he runs for Congress."

"Well Conway,” Mia began, “that's a mighty fine invitation but I think I'll pass." she touched his elbow, with the sweetest smile. He was so enchanted with the Egyptian shape of her brown eyes that he found himself outside of the front door without the faintest idea how he got there. "Thank you for keeping us in mind."

"But there's barbecue and fireworks," he stupidly stammered.

"Sounds like a true hootenanny of a good time. We will definitely give it some thought." He understood a polite brush off when he saw one. Mia was so gracious he almost didn't mind how she had just kicked him out of the house.

“Oh well.” He stepped off the wraparound porch. Most likely he would see her again around town. Of course, the lack of information about these women would leave room for the Mayor to be unhappy with his fact finding duties.

Martin headed to his cruiser and figured he would go check across town for those vandals that kept spray painting something as silly as ‘Water’ in the quarry. It was the perfect excuse that he was too busy to be nosey if the Mayor asked.

**********REVIEW**********

Jaded is another nice addition to Kenya Carlton's resume with its perfect mix of romance and suspense. From the first page to the last the reader is drawn into the present world and the past that the author beautifully weaves together. You'll be on the edge of your seat waiting for justice to be served and for the sexual tension between Mia and Gabe to be fulfilled.

The present day heroine of Mia may look like a pushover with her supermodel looks but she can kick butt with the best of them. She's smart and not willing to let the bad guy win no matter how much influence they have. Gabe is a great match for her and their sexual chemistry is off the charts. The banter between them was witty, entertaining, and showed off their sexual chemistry even more. Not only did I enjoy Gabe in his interactions with Mia, I enjoyed him on his own. He's sexy and rugged and everything a hero should be.

The mystery in this story is well-handled and the flashbacks related to it are perfectly woven throughout the story. The ghost of Jade is an intriguing character on her own and added an exciting dimension to the story. Adding even more interest to the story are the villains. The Mayor and his son are manipulative and overbearing and I felt like hissing whenever they came on the scene and that's the kind of satisfying reaction you want towards the villain.

This story sucked me in from the start and moved at a pleasant pace mixing the past and present perfectly. Kenya Carlton has created an entertaining story with memorable characters, both alive and dead. Not only romance fans but fans of mystery and the paranormal will find something to make them happy in this satisfying story and I look forward to what the author gives us in the future.

My rating for this is a B+

*I was given this book by the author in exchange for my honest opinion.

Winner for With This Kiss by Victoria Lynne

2012-02-25T21:07:00.000-06:00

Recently author Victoria Lynne was on my site discussing her entertaining historical romance. She kindly let me offer a digital copy of With This Kiss to all of you and I'm excited to announce that the winner is......

....Rachel Rooney!!!!!!!

Congratulations!!!!! I'm emailing you now and you have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. Thanks to everyone for entering and keep your eyes open for even more giveaways!

Book Tour for A Journey in Time by Chris Karlsen (Guest Post & GIVEAWAY)

2012-02-25T03:00:00.082-06:00

Fans of time travel romance have a reason to be excited with this highly emotional book that is the sequel to an equally entertaining time travel story. In Journey in Time two lovers are swept back to Medieval times and a deadly war on the horizon. For the hero this is nothing new but the heroine has a difficult time of it as the story progresses and the reader becomes more involved in the story. Courtesy of Bewitching Book Tours you can get a glimpse of this roller coaster read and enter a giveaway for a chance to win one of ten digital copies of the book. So enjoy learning about this book as Chris Karlsen is first up to talk about drawing a reader into the written world.

Transporting a Reader:

One of the best compliments a writer can get from a reader is: “I felt so close to the characters, I could hear their voices in my head,” or “I didn’t want the story to end.” When you’ve touched someone in that way with your words, you feel on top of the world. It makes all the rejection letters you received, all the hours spent struggling through a scene and the days where you can’t seem to string two sentences together worthwhile.

As story tellers, we strive to take the reader on a journey with us, to let us transport them to a different world. For me, my first novel, Heroes Live Forever, was a love story involving a mortal and a ghost. Does the reader have to believe in ghosts when they open the book to the first page? No. But as a writer, I would ask to let me weave this romance in a way that while you read those three-hundred plus pages, you start to believe. You want to believe.

In Heroes Live Forever, there’s a scene that made me choke up a little when I wrote it. A long, well-established author friend read the scene. This was before I belonged to a critique group and I needed feedback. My friend smiled at me when she finished and said, “You made me cry and I never cry reading books.” That made my day. Later, I joined a critique group who read the entire manuscript. They loved the humorous scenes and character’s lines. And every smiley emoticon they added gave me another shot of encouragement.

Excerpt:

A man stood a few feet away. At least what was visible looked like a man. He appeared to be a knight, similar to the one in her favorite painting, except semi-transparent. He wore mail and a dark blue surcoat with a leopard embroidered on it in bronze silk. Tall, with shoulder length hair, in the soft lamplight, his eyes were as black as his hair.

“Milady...”

*************

In the sequel, Journey in Time, the hero and heroine are caught in a time portal while horseback riding and sent back to the 14th century. Does the reader need to believe in time-travel? Again, no. Is time-travel possible? Well, no one has done it yet—that we know of. But who’s to say it isn’t going to be possible someday?

Even if the reader doesn’t truly believe in time-travel, most have fun speculating whether they’d like to go back in time or forward in time. I get to elaborate on what might happen if they found themselves in England in the year 1355. I like to recreate the world through the senses. What the characters see, hear, smell, touch and taste becomes this different world for the reader. How the characters react makes you want to turn the page. Through the written word, I can put the question in the reader’s mind: What would I do?

It’s great to take a question you’ve given the reader and then keep throwing in twists and turns. It’s not simply a matter of what would I do without: running water, electricity, modern medicine, the list goes on and on. The medieval period, as times are now, was fraught with dangers, made far worse through superstition and political intrigue. To be fair to the time and place, memorable characters and beautiful settings can color those twists and turns.

Excerpt:

“Alex, what is going on?” she asked in a frenzied whisper.

“Shh.” After they mounted, Alex sidled over, so close their boots touched. “We’re riding into a very perilous situation. I’ll explain everything when we’re alone. Your life, my life,” he stressed, “depends on you being quiet until then.”

Confused, it took Shakira a few seconds before she nodded yes.

“Remember what I told you,” he warned and trotted ahead to chat with a knight he called Simon.

*************

There’s a scene in Journey in Time, where Shakira is fighting off an attacker. A reviewer for Romance Radio Network, Desmond Haas, told me when he got to that scene he didn’t want to read more (it’s a fairly graphic scene) “but couldn’t stop reading.” What wonderful words to hear for an author. I was able to transport at least one person that day to a world I created. As a story teller, what more can I ask?

JOURNEY IN TIME by Chris Karlsen

TRAPPED IN TIME

London attorney, Shakira Constantine, finally agrees to spend the day with her handsome client, Alex Lancaster. While riding in the countryside, the couple finds themselves caught in a time warp and transported back to the 14th Century, and an England preparing for war. Everyone believes Alex is the Baron Guy Guiscard...a baron who died in the upcoming battle.

If they can’t find a way to return to the 21st Century, Alex will have to sail with the army to certain death. Shakira will be left alone to survive in the alien and terrifying medieval world.

EXCERPT:

“Alex, what is going on?” she asked in a frenzied whisper.

Confused it took Shakira a few seconds before she nodded yes.

“Remember what I told you,” he warned and trotted ahead to chat with the knight he called Simon.

-Get it for your Kindle here.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Chris Karlsen is a retired police detective who spent twenty-five years in law enforcement with two different agencies. Her father was a history professor and her mother an avid reader. She grew up with a love of history and books.

She has always loved traveling and has traveled extensively throughout Europe, the Near East (especially Turkey and the Greek Islands), the Caribbean, and North Africa.

Born and raised in Chicago, Chris has also lived in Paris, Los Angeles, and currently resides in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and four rescue dogs.

You can contact her via: Books to Go Now, P.O. Box 1283, Poulsbo, WA 98370

Or on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/chriskarlsenwriter

**********GIVEAWAY**********

You have the chance to win 1 of 10 digital sets of Journey in Time (along with its prequel Heroes Live Forever) by entering here. Giveaway is OPEN TO ALL. Ends 3/5.

Review for Journey in Time by Chris Karlsen

2012-02-25T01:00:00.003-06:00

London attorney, Shakira Constantine finally agrees to spend the day with her handsome client, Alex Lancaster. While riding in the countryside, the couple finds themselves caught in a time warp and transported back to the 14th century- and an England preparing for war. Everyone believes Alex is the Baron Guy Guisard, a baron who died in the upcoming battle.

If they can't find a way to return to the 21st Century, Alex will have to sail with the army to certain death. Shakira will be left alone to survive in the alien and terrifying medieval world.

*******************

This is an intriguing time-travel romance full of emotional angst and vividly depicted scenery. I found myself drawn to many of the characters and rooted for their happiness every step of the way, particularly amongst the male characters. Alex/Guy, whose story was touched on in the previous book, is one of the male characters that I'm particularly drawn to. He's charming and protective of those he cares for and easily navigated between the past and present. He always tried to do the honorable thing even when the course was not an easy one and I admit to a bit of a crush on him. His fellow knights Simon and Stephen were also appealing with vivid and immensely likable qualities. I would love to see more of these characters and with a word of warning given to Stephen late in the story I have high hopes of his storyline continuing.

While the males in this story are a highlight, I was a bit disappointed in the heroine. Shakira is an outspoken woman in the world of law and a musician. In the present those qualities are admirable and likable. Once in the past though a more unpleasant side of her comes out. She's only concerned with her well-being and angered that Alex adjusts so easily. She wants modern things immediately and to be treated in a modern way regardless of how it appears. During her time in the past I found her shrewish and overbearing. I'm sure that the circumstances of being thrown into the unexpected caused her unappealing nature and ultimately, once back in the present, she became more likable and worthy of the hero.

In most time-travel stories the cause of it is left unexplained for the most part. This story takes a different course and spends a bit of time debating the cause which felt out of place and was a bit too scientific. Time spent on debate could've been used better elsewhere. With it being a romance, I wish the mysteriousness of the situation had been left open-ended.

All-in-all I found this story intriguing and well worth the read. Even though this is a sequel I never really felt lost but I think reading the previous book would've added to the enjoyment and fleshed-out some of the lesser characters. Fans of time-travel will not be disappointed and will find this a worthy addition to the genre.

My rating for this is a B-/C+

*I received this book from the author in exchange for my honest opinion.

Book Tour for A World Apart by Camelia Miron Skiba (GIVEAWAY)

2012-02-24T03:00:00.004-06:00

After discovering this emotionally intense and sensual book I knew I had to share it with all of my wonderful followers. Courtesy of CBLS Promotions I'm able to give you a glimpse into what this exciting and romantic story is all about and I'm even going to be giving away an eBook copy of A World Apart. So read on and discover what's great about this book and how to win it.

A WORLD APART by Camelia Miron Skiba

In a war that’s not hers, she loses everything.

Everything she loses is because of him.

Forgiveness is not an option.

Or maybe...

Lieutenant Cassandra Toma, trauma surgeon in the Romanian National Army starts her deployment at a joint-unit air base on a wrong foot, clashing on her first day with her new commander, Major David Hunt. Her rebellious nature and sassiness rival her excellent performance in the operating room—the only reason why she's not reprimanded, or maybe not the only reason.

They meet. They clash. A forbidden passion consumes them with the intensity of an erupting volcano, leaving her heartbroken and him with tarnished honor and pride as an officer. The only way out for David is disappearing into the dangerous warzone in Iraq. Their flame was supposed to be over when destiny brings them back under the same roof, this time with a common goal—to find Cassandra's brother, Maj. Robert Toma, kidnapped by insurgents while on patrol.

To rescue Robert, Cassandra and David put aside their resentments, uniting forces against a common enemy. Trying to forget the painful past, Cassandra opens up to give David—and their love—another chance. What she doesn’t realize is that her anguish is the result of David’s impetuous action—one reckless choice he made for which she may never forgive him.

His mistake, his secret, could cost them both the love they've finally found.

EXCERPT #1:

“You need to calm down,” David inched closer to Cassandra, fixing her with such intensity her face caught fire.

“Calm down? You want me to calm down?” she snorted, jutting her chin up, hands on her hips.

“Yes. You need to calm down. What was that all about? Why are you so furious?”

“You want to know why I am so furious?” Cassandra grounded her feet apart and pushed her chin forward. “You really want to know? I’ll tell you why. I’m so sick of your bigheaded attitude, of your ‘I’m an American—I do whatever I want’ arrogance!” She shoved a finger at David’s chest, poking it and leaning forward. Her gaze locked on his, their faces close. “You act like some god on our grounds, like you’re doing us a big favor, honoring us with your royal presence as if we are a bunch of idiots you cannot stand. Anything that comes your way that is Romanian, you dismiss with such vehemence one might think it’s poisonous. Nothing we do or have is good enough for your nose.

“But let me tell you something, my friend. My people might not have everything so technical and so advanced, but they are good and hard-working people. They have good hearts and above all, they have dignity. When you live for generations under communism and are treated the way we were, maybe only then you can understand what it means to be so ‘primitive’. To be given nothing and be expected to work wonders. Your standards and ours obviously don’t match, but who are you to judge us? What do you know about us that gives you the right to treat us this way? Huh?

“And for your information, in case nobody had the courage to tell you, this is not our war.” She made a large circle with her arms. “We haven’t asked for it and we are doing you a favor allowing all of you to be on our soil. And not vice versa.” Cassandra straightened her back, pushed away a curl that fell on her face and held her arms up. “Here you have it, I said it.”

She walked around David, opened the door and before leaving, said without looking back, “And don’t forget to write me up.”

EXCERPT #2:

David shook his head, scrunching his eyebrows. “Have you looked around, Cassandra? Do you have the smallest idea where we are?”

“Yes,” she jutted her chin up, her voice a rasp, “in a rat’s hole I don’t give a damn about. I could care less about the people here, nor want anything to do with them. This is not my war. I said it before, I’ll say it again. The only reason I’m here is for Robert, and Robert only.” She inhaled deeply, squeezing dreadful tears between her eyelids. “If you don’t want to help, that’s fine. But don’t try to stop me.” She turned to walk away, but David caught her wrist. “What—”

“Look around you. I get it you don't care about being here, or about the people, but you have a choice—the choice of staying alive and safe, here on the base. They,” he pointed at the beds, “didn't.”

Three soldiers occupied the room, one without an arm, another without a leg. The third one had bandages around his head, half of his face disfigured with burns.

Her stomach twisted, a strong taste of bile rising in her throat.

“And what am I supposed to do, David? Just sit around and wait?” She glanced at Laura who, standing in the doorway, waved a nurse not to enter. Grateful that Laura spared her the embarrassment of being heard by others, she turned to David and said, “I have to at least try to find him, I have to.” Her eyes burned with tears, her voice choked up. “He is somewhere out there, and must be found, alive...” Her stomach turned to a fire pit, pain forcing her to bend forward.

David grabbed her by the shoulders and for a moment, Cassandra thought he’d embrace her. Instead, he blinked quickly, pushed her slightly away and rubbed her upper arms, shaking his head, his voice heavy. “Cass ... You won’t be allowed to go anywhere. If your assignment is here on the base, in the hospital, then you'll follow orders. This is not Romania.”

She opened her mouth to speak, but David raised a hand. “There's no point in arguing, trust me.” He limped around the first bed, put gloves and a mask on and added, “Come, let's finish the rounds.”

BUY LINKS:

-Amazon Kindle edition

-Amazon Paperback edition

-B&N Nook Book edition

-Smashwords all digital formats

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

I WRITE. I LOVE. I DREAM. I WRITE.

I’m Chris’ wife, Patrick’s mom and Bella’s owner. During the day, I’m the assistant to the Director at SESE at Arizona State University, and romance’s slave at night.

I moved to the U.S eight years ago, following my heart and the man who stole it. I love comedies, historical dramas and happily-ever-after stories. English is not my native, not my second, but my third language.

Some fun facts about me:

Each year I participate in one big event that requires me to physically train. My biggest sportive accomplishment was the 3-day 60-mile Susan G. Komen Walk.

Annually I pick a color I decree my favorite (this year it’s salmon).

I refused to text until 2010, always preferring to hear voices rather than sending emotionless messages. Politic bores me to death and I have no tolerance for arrogance.

A World Apart is my second book. My debut novel Hidden Heart came out March 2011.

Email: cami.skiba@gmail.com
Blog: http://cameliamironskiba.wordpress.com

**********GIVEAWAY**********

An eBook copy of A World Apart

-Giveaway is OPEN TO EVERYONE.

-To be entered, just leave a comment along with your email addy.

-Winner will be chosen using random.org and will have 48 hours to respond to my winner's confirmation email or a new winner will have to be chosen.

-Giveaway ends at 11:59 PM CST on 3/11.

*For even more chances to learn about this book and other opportunities to win a copy of it, go to a list of other blogs participating in this tour here.

Feature & Follow Friday.........

2012-02-23T21:42:00.000-06:00

Hello all, it's that day of the week where we learn new things about each other and discover new blogs along the way. We also help each other by becoming followers of one another. Normally that following would be through GFC (which would be great if you'd still take a few seconds to do), but with that being eliminated (a big boo-hiss to that) I now ask that you follow through a RSS Feed which you can find to the right under "subscribe to..." and choose posts and then the reader of your choice. I want to thank all of you ahead of time who choose to become a follower and make sure to let me know in the comments if you're new so I doubly make sure to follow you back. And now for this weeks get to know me question......

Q: Activity!!! Take a picture or describe where you love to read the most...

A: My favorite place is my office desk where there's good lighting, it's in front of my fireplace and by a window so the sun can shine on me and warm me up in winter. It's also the perfect heigth for my wheelchair. I'd take a picture but it's a bit messy at the moment.

Review for Callum: The Cursed Clan by Melissa Schroeder

2012-02-23T01:00:00.003-06:00

Will desire be the answer or the ruin of an entire clan?

As Laird, Callum Lennon feels he has always failed to protect his cousins. Callum’s impulsiveness caused the death of his father and the experience has scarred not only his body, but his soul. From that point on, he made sure to always go with the more logical choice in every matter. When his younger cousin Angus finds clues that might help break the curse, Callum begrudgingly hires Phoebe Chilton to investigate. Callum doesn’t like bringing outsiders into their family affairs. Their life would become fodder for the tabloids if anyone were to find out about the curse. It doesn’t help that the instant he meets Dr. Chilton he’s attracted. But, he doesn’t really have a choice because she might be their last hope.

An expert in archeology, Phoebe has always been dwarfed by her parents’ shadow. Their high standards had her in college by thirteen and earning a second PhD by twenty-two. But her career and her broken marriage have left her needing something more than just diplomas and degrees. She wants to prove that her interest in legends, especially Celtic legends, is as important as her parents’ work. When the Lennon family contacts her, she sees the opportunity to win a massive research grant. With a long-time rival breathing down her back, she jumps at the Lennons’ offer her, hoping it will ensure her the grant. But uncovering the Lennon family secrets, and her attraction to Callum, could prove more than she can handle.

Forces outside the family are determined to ensure that they fail. When an old enemy threatens both the well being of the clan and the fragile new love, Callum will have to choose between believing his mind or his heart.

*******************

Fans of sexy Scotsmen rejoice! Melissa Schroeder has created a brand new paranormal series where a clan cursed with immortality desperately tries to find an end to their curse and must rely on outsiders to find the answers. With this first book in the series we get not only a slew of drool-worthy heroes but a nice bit of high action and a ton of sexual tension with a few steamy sexual interludes.

Callum has been the head of the clan since he was a boy and felt a great weight on him to protect his family, never doing anything to jeopardize their safety. It's led him to be overly cautious, never letting anyone fully into his life. Of all of them, he's the most serious and obsessed with business. At least until Dr. Phoebe Chilton enters his life.

Phoebe was a child prodigy with an off the charts IQ who attended college as a teenager. She always did as her parents wanted, even when it came to who she married. After being made to feel like a failure in the marriage bed by her dying husband she decides she's had enough and takes on a project that will forever change her life. Upon meeting the rather obnoxious Callum, the sparks soon start flying. There's a silent war going on between the two of them while the attraction between them gets harder to fight. Once they finally give in their sexual encounters are extremely satisfying and well worth the wait. Seeing Callum relaxed was also well worth the wait and he just oozed charm. I definitely started falling in love with him at that point.

Phoebe and Callum were a great match. They both had hard childhoods with the weight of the world on their shoulders. Only by finding each other could they find their happy ending even with the small bumps along the way.

This was a story that started slowly, almost too slowly. Once it hit the mid-point though things really picked up to a fast-paced and exciting conclusion. The villain in this story was very stereotypical and didn't really have much of an impact until the latter half of the story. But once he made his presence known he added a good dose of excitement. What really made this story for me were the other members of the clan with their distinct looks and personalities. Among them was the studious Angus, the flirty Fletcher, and the poetic Logan. I loved each and every one of them and can't wait until they get their own stories and have to sacrifice for love.

This was an entertaining story that started slow but gained momentum to a rip-roaring conclusion. There's a bit of intrigue to keep you waiting with bated breath for the next release and if the idea of a super sexy Scotsman with his sensual brogue doesn't tantalize you, I don't know what will. So all you lords and lassies should definitely put this on your reading list.

My rating for this is a B.

*I received this book from the author in exchange for my honest opinion.

Book Tour for Love Beyond Loyalty by Rebecca Royce (Guest Post & GIVEAWAY)

2012-02-22T02:00:00.002-06:00

Rebecca Royce is paying us a return visit to tell us about her new book Love Beyond Loyalty. Courtesy of Goddess Fish promotions and Rebecca there's a great giveaway going on too. So be sure to read the entire post so you you can learn all about this great new read and get in the running for an Amazon gift card. First off let's welcome Rebecca......

How do you keep a story relatable to everyone when characters have magical abilities?

Alright, I’ll be honest. I’ve never considered this question before, which made me pause and think about why that was. How do I keep a story relatable to everyone when characters have magical abilities?

Well. I think that the heart of any story—whether it be a paranormal, fantasy, science fiction, historical, contemporary, or something different—has to be the characters involved in it. In my stories, specifically in Love Beyond Loyalty, the characters are magical. But beyond that, they are special people who are looking for love, just like the rest of us.

Their magical abilities don’t stop them from having the same needs and longings the rest of us have. I think, in that way, they will always be relatable to the rest of us and I hope the readers will still keep feeling that way!

LOVE BEYOND LOYALTY by Rebecca Royce

Gabriel Ward has no problem with the fact that he’s an Outsider. Hell, he’s always known he was different. What he takes issue with is the idea he has to follow any destiny at all. He’s taken care of himself-and others-since birth. There’s no way he has to start following rules now.

Loraine Peacock can speak to animals. Other than that she thinks she’s just a regular woman making her way in the world. She figures its not that weird. Many people have unusual abilities.

But when Gabriel and Loraine are forced together by a destiny he denies and she is ignorant of, they will both finally have to accept their Outsider legacy and help the others in their quest to defeat the ultimate evil—a demon bent on world destruction. That is, if they can both survive to find their way to the most important part of their destiny: love.

EXCERPT #1:

“Are you going to tell me what happened to you? You just stood there and let that wave slam into you. I thought you were dead but Futon knew you were alive.”

Futon? He regarded the dog. A medium sized border collie with black spots stared back at him. His heart sped up. He‘d heard that name for a dog before. In fact, it was the same damn dog.

“I know you.” He pointed at the creature. “But the last time I saw you was with an old woman on Magazine Street in New Orleans.”

Gabriel had been working for a shady lingerie storeowner on the bad side of Magazine Street at the time. Trying to find out what Sebastian wanted with the man, he would later uncover that the demon had employed Trent, the owner, to kill virgins by bleeding them to death. Gabriel still didn‘t fully understand how it benefited Sebastian and he wasn‘t sure he ever would. On his second day, he‘d been hassled by an old woman on the street who‘d told him Sebastian was in New Jersey and that he needed to hurry up and get there.

She‘d spoken of fate and a lot of mumbo-jumbo he hadn‘t understood. It had turned out that she was right and he‘d high-tailed it off to New Jersey to help stop Sebastian‘s assault on the Outsiders. The woman had been with Futon.

The woman shook her head. “There are lots of border collies around this area. You must have seen a different one because Futon never leaves me.”

EXCERPT #2:

She turned on her heel, and Gabriel‘s heart sped up. He walked forward and grabbed her arm, which was tricky to do because he needed to hold up his blanket to prevent from being arrested for public indecency.

“You‘re leaving?” God, he wanted to shout, ‘don‘t leave.‘

Nodding, she gave him that forced smile again, and he wanted to wipe it off her face. “I am. I brought you to Alexa. It‘s time for me to go on my way. You‘ve told me a lot of stuff I have to digest. Good luck.” She looked at Alexa and he wished that one of his powers was mind reading because he had no clue what was going on inside of hers. “To both of you. It was nice meeting you.”

Pulling her arm free of his grip he thought for a second he felt her shake. Was she okay?

“Loraine, wait a second…”

He wouldn‘t have believed she could move that fast. One second she was there and the next she, while still walking, sprinted out of the building.

“Loraine,” he yelled but she didn‘t turn around and soon the crowd in the room blocked his view.

Why was she leaving? Like a light turning on, realization struck him. She had used the phrase your Alexa. What did she think his relationship with his oldest friend was?

AUTHOR BIO:

As a teenager, Rebecca Royce would hide in her room to read her favorite romance novels when she was supposed to be doing her homework. She hopes, these days, that her parents think it was well worth it.

Rebecca is the mother of three adorable boys and is fortunate to be married to her best friend. They live in northern New Jersey and try not to freeze too badly during the winter months.

She's in love with science fiction, fantasy, and the paranormal and tries to use all of these elements in her writing. She's been told she's a little bloodthirsty so she hopes that when you read her work you'll enjoy the action packed ride that always ends in romance. Rebecca loves to write series because she loves to see characters develop over time and it always makes her happy to see her favorite characters make guest appearances in other books.

In Rebecca Royce's world anything is possible, anything can happen, and you should suspect that it will.

www.rebeccaroyce.com
On Facebook HERE
On Twitter HERE

**********GIVEAWAY**********

Prize is a $50 GC to Amazon

-Giveaway is OPEN TO EVERYONE!

-To be entered just leave a comment along with your email addy.

-One commenter will be chosen randomly from all comments made throughout the tour, so the more tour stops you make a comment on the greater your chances of winning. A list of all participating blogs can be found here.

-Giveaway ends at 11:59 PM CST on 3/2.

Book Tour for Supernaturally Kissed by Stacey Kennedy (Guest Post & GIVEAWAY)

2012-02-21T02:00:00.097-06:00

The road to true love is never easy, but in Stacey Kennedy's new release Supernaturally Kissed, the road is even rockier than most when the one you love is a ghost. Courtesy of Bewitching Book Tours you can learn more about this emotionally charged paranormal story by enjoying the snippets of delectable info in today's post. First up is Stacey talking about her fascination with ghosts and giving you the opportunity to win this amazing book.....

Big thanks to Words of Wisdom from The Scarf Princess for having me by today. You know I’ve always been really fascinated by ghosts. I find the idea of their existence frightening, but appealing at the same time. I suppose you could say I want to know if their real, however I just don’t want to see one. Truth be told, I don’t think I’d ever sleep again, get undressed, take a shower or anything else if I thought someone was really watching me.

But just because I don’t want to see one doesn’t mean I’m not totally enthralled by the idea. I’m a huge fan of the television show, Paranormal State. When the show aired, I watched every single episode and was glued to the screen. Out of all the ghost shows out there, it always scared me enough that I hid under my blankets at night. But of course, I still watched it the next week.

Now that Paranormal State’s off the air, I’m totally hooked on Ghost Hunters. While Paranormal State always scared me, Ghost Hunters never does. I have to admit that it’s much more believable. While watching Paranormal State, even though it scared me, I didn’t always have the sense that what was happening was actually real. With Ghost Hunters, I have no doubt that there’s more truth behind it.

I’m sure it’s because the way the show is done is to prove that there isn’t a ghost there. They go into the houses or buildings to find a logical reason for what’s happening. But even though Ghost Hunters seems more real, I still have to wonder if what I’m watching is real or if it’s all tricks. Sometimes I wish a ghost would just pop up in front of me so I could finally have the answer I want. The other part of me would probably die from a heart attack if that happened.

So regardless, if ghosts are real or not, or if the television shows are totally fake I will still watch those shows, still hide under my blankets and tell myself I’m never going to watch another show. But then the next week, I’ll be sitting there watching.

I’d love to hear what you all think. Do you believe those television shows are real or do you think it’s all for show?

~*~

In thanks for stopping by and chatting today, I’m offering up one copy of the ebook Supernaturally Kissed (international). Leave your email address with your comment to be entered. Don’t forget to come find me on Facebook and Twitter. I love to chat!!

SUPERNATURALLY KISSED by Stacey Kennedy

Ghosts harass and annoy Tess Jennings to save their souls. Sometimes she helps them. Other times she ignores them. But one ghost will give her no choice.

Kipp McGowen, a cop with the Memphis Police Department, will stop at nothing to gain her help, including using his ghostly charms to seduce her.

Tess must help solve the five year old cold case of Hannah Reid, because solving the case will save Kipp. But a bigger problem presents itself. Tess is falling in love with a ghost. Now she must decide. Keep Kipp forever or find the killer…

BUY LINKS: Amazon, B&N, Ellora's Cave, All Romance Ebooks

EXCERPT:

An icy wisp of air swept in behind me, causing my heel to twist as I stumbled. To the other pedestrians striding along the downtown Memphis street, the sensation would be brushed off as a cold breeze.

They were wrong. A spirit lingered here.

“Can you hear me?”

From the intrigue rolling in his voice, he hadn’t expected me to acknowledge him. Shit! I’d already given myself away. A mistake I’d rectify.

Without hesitation, I righted my stance and strode forward with purpose, forcing myself to remain deaf to the voice. If I ignored ghosts long enough, they moved on and searched out someone else who held the same irritating ability, whom I had yet to meet.

Much to my annoyance, the ghost stayed right on my heels and his presence remained strong behind me. The cold air at my back remained a contrast to the warm morning air in front of me. Every hair on my neck stood up and goose bumps pimpled a trail along my skin. If only I could rub them away, but I didn’t dare. Ignoring him would make him go away.

“You can hear me, can’t you?” the ghost asked again.

Spirits were typically harmless, but annoying. I’m dead, what’s going on, why am I a ghost—yada, yada, yada. I quickened my steps and made my way down Peabody Place in hopes he’d leave me alone.

“Wait.”

He sounded desperate, which meant a big headache for me. If I hadn’t worn my damn slingbacks, I would’ve tried to run and hide. But the three-inch Manolos and the tight, tailored gray skirt restrained my movements.

I passed Miss Polly’s Soul Food Café, and the delicious aroma of bacon and eggs drifted along the air. My empty stomach complained. My only thought after I woke had been caffeine. Now I wished I’d grabbed a muffin with my latté at Starbucks. With ten minutes to get to my desk, I couldn’t worry about such things.

My boss, Event Manager Dylan Cobb, would hand me my ass if I stepped into the office a minute late. Sadly, there’d never been a day I didn’t cater to his every need.

I approached Beale Street and sighed in relief, relishing the warmth surrounding me. Not only from the sun above—the spirit’s cold presence at my back had vanished. Pleased my dodge of him had worked, I took a sip of my energy in a cup and smiled. Coffee’s fantastic, the ghost is gone—life is good.

Another block passed under my heels before I reached the historical red-brick building. Randall Marketing, written in black block letters, decorated the striped green-and-white awning.

I opened the door to the office and strode in, greeted by a bubbly voice. “Good morning, Tess.”

“Mornin’.”

“Give me a moment here.” Doris shuffled paperwork around her desk, her auburn curls bouncing on her shoulders. The receptionist had always been messy, yet somehow organized. “There were a few messages on the voicemail for you.” She raised her head and held out the pink slips of paper. “A lovely day today, is it not?”

“Sure is.” So I lied. The ghost hadn’t kicked off my day on a high note. Not as if I’d tell her about my interaction with spirits. My ability to converse with spirits remained on a need-to-know basis, and as far as it concerned me, no one needed to know. I grabbed the messages from her hand. “Did your weekend treat you good?”

“I spent the entire weekend knee-deep in my garden.” Her cocoa-colored eyes lit up. “My best year ever, I’m hoping. You’ll have to come out and have a look-see.”

“I’d love to.” Doris treasured her gardens, so I tried to appear interested, even though my green thumb looked black.

Her smile brightened, but when the phone rang, she waved a goodbye and answered the call. “It’s another beautiful day here at Randall Marketing, how may I direct your call?”

Leaving her behind, I strode down the hall toward my office and sipped my coffee. The warmth slid down my throat and provided an immediate rush to my energy levels. At the third door on the right, I entered my bleak workspace with its pale-blue walls, closed the door behind me and approached the desk. I dropped down into the black leather chair and flipped through the messages. None were urgent enough to worry about now.

I powered up my computer, but a knock at the door had me glancing up. Before I got a word out, the door swished open and I cringed, fully aware of the looming trouble.

Caley, the officer manager and my best friend since the age of four, looked like a typical Barbie. Perfect skin, long flowing blonde hair and a body men drooled over. I might have been jealous of her perfection since I couldn’t pull off her looks even with a makeover—so maybe a little envious—but her appearance had always been a front. She was the devil in disguise.

She scowled, shutting the door behind her with a slam. “Do you mind explaining where you were all weekend?”

“At home.” I batted my lashes. “Why? Did you try to call me?”

She pointed her finger, narrowing her eyes at me. “Don’t you try that shit on me. I called you all weekend and your phone went straight to voicemail.”

“Hmm…” I pretended to ponder. “The battery must have died.” She had enough gall to just come over, but the little hint had been a subtle way of telling Caley to leave me alone.

“Liar.” She plopped down in the seat across from my desk. “Where were you? I wanted to go out.”

“Nowhere. Honestly, I vegged on the couch.”

Caley snorted. “You lead such an exciting life.”

My mouth parted to offer a snappy retort, but a cold wisp of air brushed across my skin, causing my lips to snap shut. Damn! I thought I’d got rid of him.

“Hello.” Caley snapped her fingers in front of my face. “Leave the aliens behind and return to Mother Earth.”

I blinked, trying to force my attention back to her, yet failing. The ghost knelt right beside Caley—not kneeling, of course; more like floating, since ghosts were never able to obtain physical contact with the world around them—and my focus held strong on him, unable to stop myself from ogling. He stared intently, with one crystal-blue eye, while the other was a chocolate color. His strong jaw, the muscles clenching along his cheeks, all spoke of power. But as he ran his hand through his untidy sandy-colored hair, his expression showed playfulness. His black tank top left his arms exposed and muscles upon muscles layered those arms.

“Anyways,” she said, dragging my gaze back to her. “I had to go out with Susanne because you left me high and dry.”

I laughed. Caley’s horny, twenty-year-old stepsister had the body that men chased after. “You did have the option to stay home, you know.”

Her eyes widened. “On a Saturday night?”

“Yeah, you know, get some popcorn, watch a movie and relax.”

She frowned. “If you don’t stop your grandma behavior, your va-jay-jay is going to shrivel up and die.”

The ghost chuckled.

His smooth laugh hit me like a cup of warm cocoa, causing my insides to melt. Nothing amused me. First off, Caley had been so wrong—maybe a little right—but I’d never admit to her accuracy aloud. Second, reacting in such a heated way to a ghost definitely didn’t hit my to-do list today.

“Excuse me.” I spoke not only to Caley, but also to the irritating ghost. “My va-jay-jay is just fine.”

“Well, I’m glad to hear you’ve still got some spunk.” She stood and placed her hands on her hips. “Because we’ve got a double date tonight.”

“A what?” Dear God!

She grinned from ear to ear. “Yes, my dearest Grammy, we’re going out.”

“With who?”

“Two guys I met on Saturday night. You’re coming with me, either willingly or unwillingly, so suck up your hesitations, babe, because saying no isn’t an option.”

“But it’s a Monday night.” Not saying a date didn’t sound like fun. A month had passed since my last attempt at dating—which failed miserably—but a man Caley chose while drunk? No thanks. My sex life might have been as dead as the sexy ghost in front of me, but I’d still search for a way out. “I have to work tomorrow.”

She wagged her finger in classic Caley fashion. “You’re a grandma.”

Most times, I respected her persistent personality. She never backed down, always dreamed big and went for the gold, but her grit hadn’t been all rays of sunshine. Her determination made her annoyingly tenacious. I had to agree or she’d never give up, and getting her out of my office sounded all too good. “Fine. I’ll go with you.”

“Oh, stop looking so pissy. We’ll have fun. Promise. I’ll come to your place at eight.” She opened the door, glanced over her shoulder and winked. “Leave the granny panties at home.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Stacey Kennedy’s novels are lighthearted fantasy with heart squeezing, thigh-clenching romance, and even give a good chuckle every now and again. But within the stories you’ll find fast paced action, life threatening moments and a big bad villain that needs to be destroyed. Her urban fantasy/paranormal and erotic romance series have hit Amazon Kindle and All Romance Ebooks Bestseller lists. If she isn’t plugging away at her next novel, tending to her two little ones, she’s got her nose deep in a good book. She lives in Ontario, Canada with her husband.

Be sure to drop her a line at www.staceykennedy.com, she loves to hear from her readers.

**********GIVEAWAY**********

The prize is a digital copy of Supernaturally Kissed.

-Giveaway is OPEN TO EVERYONE.

-To be entered just leave a comment answering the question Stacey asks at the end of her post (it's in bold print too). Make sure to leave your email addy to make it easier to contact the winner.

-Winner will be chosen using random.org and will have 48 hours to respond to my winner's confirmation email or a new winner will be chosen.

-Giveaway ends at 11:59 PM CST on 3/1.

Teaser Tuesdays #56

2012-02-21T01:00:00.003-06:00

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers.

CALLUM: THE CURSED CLAN by Melissa Schroeder

....from page 404 of 2511 (on my Kindle)

-Her stomach fluttered when Callum spoke to Belvidore. The rich Scottish wrapped around each word. What would it be like to hear that voice in the dark, hear it slipping over her as he woke her with kisses?

Release Day Blitz for Cat Burglar in Training by Shelley Munro

2012-02-20T02:00:00.015-06:00

One of many authors I enjoy is getting ready to release another exciting book and courtesy of Bewitching Book Tours I get to bring you a taste of it. So get comfy and learn about Cat Burglar in Training by Shelley Munro.

CAT BURGLAR IN TRAINING

By Shelley Munro

Eve Fawkner had no intention of following in her father’s footsteps. But when the thugs harassing him to repay his gambling debts threaten her young daughter, Eve is forced to assume the role of London’s most notorious cat burglar, The Shadow. The plan is simple: pull off a couple of heists, pay back the goons and go into permanent retirement. But things get messy during her first job when Eve witnesses a murder, stumbles across a clue that sheds some light on her past and, worst of all, falls for a cop.

Inspector Kahu Williams would be the perfect man, if Eve were looking, and if there wasn’t the little matter of their career conflict. The man is seriously hot—and hot on the trail of a murderer. A trail that keeps leading him back to Eve…

http://www.amazon.com/Cat-Burglar-in-Training-ebook/dp/B006IIX6C2

Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Shelley-Munro/e/B001JOWGNK/

Here are some interesting tidbits about the book.........

First line from Cat Burglar in Training by Shelley Munro: “The walls have eyes, Mama.”

~*~*~*~

One of Shelley’s favorite lines from Cat Burglar in Training: Some girls attend society balls to snag a rich husband. Not me. I was stuck in work mode with beginner’s nerves lurking under the surface. Lady Eve Fawkner—reluctant cat burglar in training.

One of Shelley’s favorite lines from Cat Burglar in Training: “She made a joke. See, I told you she’d be fine,” Grace hollered back. She stepped a little closer. “What happened to you? It looks as if a vampire drained your blood. You’re pale and interesting.” Her face creased in a frown. “You okay?”

One of Shelley’s favorite lines from Cat Burglar in Training: If I were looking for a man, he’d make the finalist list—obviously intelligent, easy on the eye with a slight kink in his nose hinting at an interesting history. The man was a natural on the dance floor, moving like a…well, a cat burglar. A real joy to partner. Pity I wasn’t shopping.

~*~*~*~

Fun Fact About Cat Burglar in Training by Shelley Munro: After watching the movie To Catch a Thief as a teenager, Shelley wanted to read cat burglar stories. There aren’t many around so she wrote her own.

Fun Fact About Cat Burglar in Training by Shelley Munro: One of the most interesting things Shelley researched during the writing of Cat Burglar in Training was how to break a window without making much noise. The solution is peanut butter!

~*~*~*~

Here are our hero and heroine.....

Meet Eve Fawkner: Eve is twenty-four years old. She’s the daughter of Viscount Oakthorpe and possesses her own title but prefers not to use it. The mother of a five-year-old daughter, she’s spent the last six years living in France, but on her return to England she re-enters the social whirl, attending balls and acting the vapid socialite. While her busty, blonde image fits the stereotype, she’s intelligent and witty, fiercely protective of her family and friends, and fills the role of The Shadow, a cat burglar.

Meet Kahu Williams: Kahu is a New Zealand cop, and he’s traveled to England to search for his younger brother. He’s signed a contract to work in England and is investigating the murder of Perdita Moning. His investigations take him to society balls, and this is where he meets the very sexy Lady Eve Fawkner. Eve is with a man and out of bounds, but there is something about her that intrigues him. Yes, he can’t stop thinking about Eve.

~*~*~*~

With all this talk about jewels here are some famous quotes that come to mind......

Jewel Quote #1: Diamonds are nothing more than chunks of coal that stuck to their jobs ~ Malcolm Forbes.

Jewel Quote #2: I have always felt a gift diamond shines so much better than one you buy for yourself ~ Mae West.

Jewel Quote #3: Jewelry takes people’s minds off your wrinkles ~ Sonja Henie.

Jewel Quote #4: I never worry about diets. The only carrots that interest me are the number of carats in a diamond ~ Mae West.

Jewel Quote #5: Let us not be too particular. It is better to have old second-hand diamonds than none at all ~ Mark Twain.

Jewel Quote #6: Better a diamond with a flaw than a pebble without ~ Chinese Proverb.

About the Author:

Shelley Munro is tall and curvaceous with blue eyes and a smile that turns masculine heads everywhere she goes. She’s a university tutor and an explorer/treasure hunter during her vacations. Skilled with weapons and combat, she is currently in talks with a producer about a television series based on her world adventures.

Shelley is also a writer blessed with a very vivid imagination and lives with her very own hero in New Zealand. She writes mainly erotic romance in the contemporary, paranormal and historical genres for publishers Carina Press, Ellora’s Cave and Samhain Publishing.

Links:
Website – http://www.shelleymunro.com
Blog – http://www.shelleymunro.com/blog
Twitter – http://twitter.com/shelleymunro
Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/shelleymunro
Goodreads - http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8603.Shelley_Munro

Amazon Page Here

Winner of The Master by Anya Winter.....

2012-02-19T02:00:00.002-06:00

Anya Winter was here recently promoting her new short story The Mask and letting me give away a copy of the previous book in the series The Master. With the help of Bewitching Book Tours the winner of the digital copy of The Master is......

...........YVETTE!!!!!!

I'll be emailing you soon to confirm your win so be on the lookout for my email. Happy Reading!

Review for Dark Soul Vol. 1 by Aleksandr Voinov

2012-02-18T01:00:00.002-06:00

Stefano Marino is a made man, a happily married west coast mafia boss who travels east to await the death of a family patriarch. All the old hands have gathered—of course sharks will circle when there’s blood in the water—but it’s a new hand that draws Stefano’s eye.

Silvio “the Barracuda” Spadaro is protetto and heir to retired consigliere Gianbattista Falchi, and a made man in his own right. Among his underworld family, being gay is a capital crime, but the hypersexual—and pansexual—young killer has never much cared for rules. The only orders he follows are Battista’s, whether on the killing field or on his knees, eagerly submissive at Battista’s feet.

But Silvio has needs Battista can’t fill, and he’s cast his black-eyed gaze on Stefano. A fake break-in, an even faker attack, and Silvio is exactly where he wants to be: strung up at Stefano’s mercy, driving the older Mafioso toward urges he’s spent his whole life repressing. Stefano resists, but when the Russian mob invades his territory and forces him to seek aid, Gianbattista’s price brings Stefano face to face once more with Silvio—and his darkest desires.

********************

As I started reading this book I couldn't help but find myself feeling the same as when I watched The Sopranos on tv. Characters were doing unlikable things, but they were still likable characters amidst the inner workings of the mafia. This is a dark and gritty world that Aleksandr Voinov has created and one that drew me in completely with its larger than life characters.

As this series begins we meet Stefano Marino, married and powerful in his own right, who's come to await the death of the "family" patriarch. There he meets Silvio Spadaro and from there on things will never be the same for him. Stefano is a self-made man with a conscience who is happy letting others live as they may. Finding out that the sexy and mysterious Silvio is gay is not a problem for him but his attraction to him is. From the moment they lay eyes on one another the sexual tension between them is combustible. They have an intensely dark encounter on the night Silvio breaks into his room that borders on disturbing but considering the darkness in his soul I wasn't surprised that Silvio was a willing participant.

Silvio is an intriguing character, strong with a soft look to him. He had a hard childhood with a horrible father. It's led him into a complicated father-son, lover relationship with an older made man in Italy, Gianbattista Falchi. Silvio's made his living as a hired killer and earned his place in Falchi's "family" by not only acting as his sub but also as his protector. Falchi's grown bored with him though and he gets sent to help Stefano which puts them in close quarters where the sexual tension gets even stronger. The lip lock they share is one of the hottest things I've read in a long time and had me screaming for more. What we learn of Silvio in this book is just a tantalizing taste and I can't wait to dig even deeper into his personality.

As the first book in a series, the set-up is perfect. The portrayal of the mafia world feels realistic with all its violence, prejudices and excessive manliness. The different locales both here and overseas add a nice bit of exoticness to the story and gave us an intriguing added glimpse into the main character's lives. Just enough info is doled out to get you fully immersed in the story but enough is left hanging to get you excited for the next installment. With its dark and gritty world and conflicted characters Dark Soul is a series that promises to reach out and grab you and I for one am happy to jump on board and look forward to Volume 2.

My rating for this is a B+

*I received this from the author in exchange for my honest opinion.

Feature & Follow Friday.........

2012-02-16T21:50:00.000-06:00

Q: I like unique names for characters and am looking forward to coming up with some when I start writing. What's the most unique character name you've come across?

A: I know some people are annoyed by the heroes names in JR Ward's BDB, but I'm drawn to them. The names are a reflection of the man with Wrath, Rhage, Tohrment, etc.

Review for A Chip in His Shoulder by L.A. Witt

2012-02-16T02:00:00.010-06:00

“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?

********************

This book is set in the future where there's a dramatic difference between the haves and have nots. For the haves is the ability to have implants to make you stronger and richer and live in the "Sky", whereas everyone else is just average and relegated to lesser jobs and living in the "Gutter". As if an economic class distinction weren't enough of an issue there's also issues between vampires and humans where vampires think they're supreme and discriminate against humans. All of these issues add an intriguing layer to an already exciting and thought provoking book that I hope leads to a sequel soon.

Vampire Liam once lived in the Sky before it was discovered that he had a human lover. Suddenly he was left living in the Gutter using his genetic modifications and vampiric abilities to become a renowned contract killer. He's become bitter over his circumstances and resents his former lover Daniel for what's happened. When he gets a job offer he can't refuse he again comes in contact with Daniel which leads to conflicted feelings and life or death circumstances.

Life for Daniel hasn't gone the way he wanted it to either. As Liam got more and more mods he thought he was losing his lover. By bringing their relationship out into the open he thought he was saving him but ended up losing him anyway. He's become hardened since then and more resentful of leading mod manufacturer Cybernetix, the company that he'll one day inherit. When he and Liam are again forced into each other's company they have to work together to survive and the feelings one thought buried come out full force.

The world Ms. Witt has created is vividly presented and the issues between individuals is realistic and easily translatable to things happening today. The grandeur and beauty of Sky living is in direct contrast to the grungy and depressing environment of the Gutter. Where there's cleanliness and sunshine in the Sky there's darkness and choking smog in the Gutter. The contrast between rich and poor is plainly obvious and the fight to end these differences is just starting in this book.

Liam and Daniel are both strong men and when they come together the sexual tension is off the charts. With this being a short story there's not a lot of time devoted to their romantic history together. Being told they loved each other deeply and being shown are two different things. I wish there had been more opportunities to see them together in this way but they were too busy fighting for their lives to have romantic interludes. The brief glimpses we got were really hot though! Both of these men were betrayed by the same man which led to their being on the run. Their escape was exciting and pulse pounding and had me on the edge of my seat but I would've gladly given up some of this action for more romantic action.

This book is a great beginning to what could be an intriguing continuation. The ideas presented here are thought provoking and could have even more interesting ramifications for the future. With strong-willed men like Liam and Daniel leading the way the rebellion just hinted at here could lead to one heckuva story. So here's hoping that we'll be revisiting this world soon!

My rating for this is a B.

*I received this book from the author in exchange for my honest opinion.

Book Tour for With This Kiss by Victoria Lynne (Promo w/ GIVEAWAY)

2012-02-15T03:00:00.011-06:00

I'm a huge fan of historical romances and recently had the chance to read With This Kiss by Victoria Lynne. This story was full of angst, romantic misunderstandings, and a serial arsonist on the loose whose identity is well hidden. Courtesy of CBLS Promotions I get to bring to you a taste of this book and a chance to win a digital copy of it too. So be sure to read the entire post to find out how to enter.

WITH THIS KISS by Victoria Lynne

Beauty and the beast: they were the scandal of the ton. All eyes feasted on the beautiful flame-haired gambler in London’s most infamous club. But Julia Prentisse was interested only in the rake-turned-recluse whom they now called “The Beast.” She lured him out of the crowded club to a deserted warehouse, where she made her scandalous offer: If he married her and protected her from her uncle, she would help him capture the arsonist who had ruined his life.

An act of heroism had left Morgan St. James burned, scarred for life, but Julia’s bold gaze lit other fires he had long suppressed. And now this glorious stranger was his bride. But when he tried to claim his husbandly rights, she demanded three months grace—three months to know a stranger’s mind, to touch a stranger’s soul, to go where no woman had ever gone before. Into his heart…

EXCERPT:

"Why did you come here?" he asked.

Gathering her courage, she ventured hesitantly, "If you're not too busy, I thought we might do something today. Together. As man and wife."

He released a bored sigh. "What did you have in mind, a waltz? Ordinarily I'd indulge your whim, but as you can see, the orchestra has temporarily abandoned its post."

"I've missed you."

The statement hung in the air between them. Morgan studied her face for a long moment. "There is a term in fencing for toying with one's opponent."

"Are we opponents?"

"Are you toying?"

"I'm not sure what I'm doing."

"Forgive me if I find that difficult to believe. I've never met a more purposeful woman in my life."

A small smile touched her lips. "Is that good or bad?"

"What do you want, Julia?"

She couldn't remember him ever using her name before. The sound of it rolling off his tongue sent an unexpected rush of pleasure racing through her. Idly wondering if his reaction would be the same if she spoke his name, she said, "I thought it might be nice if we spent a little time together, Morgan."

She saw something flash in his eyes, but the emotion, whatever it was, vanished too quickly for her to properly define. "Ah. So that's it." A small, cynical smile curved his lips. His gaze moved over her body with scorching intensity, as though he were able to see right through to her drawers. He straightened and glanced around the empty room, then back at her. "Interesting timing."

Heat flooded her cheeks. "I didn't mean—"

"Didn't you."

"Certainly not. Must you always be so base?"

"You're the one who came to me."

"With the simple proposition that we attend Lord Attmark's boating party this afternoon," she said, seizing upon the sudden inspiration. "That's all I had in mind."

"Lord Attmark's boating party?"

"I thought it would be quite diverting."

"Floating along a river that smells like rancid sewage in this sweltering heat. That's what you came to see me about."

"Yes."

A knowing smile curved his lips. "Liar."

"I don't know what—"

"Liar," he repeated softy.

BUY LINKS:

Amazon (Kindle Edition): http://www.amazon.com/With-This-Kiss-ebook/dp/product-description/B003UV98E0
Amazon (Paperback): http://www.amazon.com/this-Kiss-Victoria-Lynne/dp/0440223342
Barnes & Noble (Paperback): http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/with-this-kiss-victoria-lynne/1103540410
Smashwords (All Formats): http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/68828

READER REVIEWS:

With This Kiss — A Romantic Times ‘Top Pick’!

“Ms. Lynne weaves her magic to bring the reader a bit of poignancy along with a sexually charged romance in this very satisfying historical romantic suspense. Find a place for this one on your special shelf.” —Romantic Times

Nominated for Romantic Times “Best Historical Romance”

“A smoldering Victorian era romance.” —Booklist

“The unexpected twists in Ms. Lynne’s newest historical entertain and satisfy.” —Publisher’s Weekly

“…Trust me: A fun read for lovers of romance, and CERTAINLY for lovers of the Beauty/Beast type story (which I am). This is the only book of Ms. Lynne’s that I’ve read, but based on my enjoyment, I shall surely seek more.”

“An excellent read—I loved it! I have never read Victoria Lynne before this book. You can bet I will from now on. This book was excellent and I couldn’t put it down… If you like Jude Deveraux or Kathleen Woodiwiss, pick up this book!”

“This book is as great as the reviews! I am happy to say that it was a pleasure to read a romance that fulfills everything I look for in a novel…This was my first book by this author but I will by all means be looking for more.”

“Surprisingly good! I received this book from my sister and thought it would prove to be just another trite formula romance. She said it was “really good,” so I gave it a chance. She was right. It does have all of those necessary facets that make it a romance novel, but the writing is crisp and talented, the characters sizzle with a never flagging sexual tension, and the plot never sinks to feeling contrived or phoney. I enjoyed every page!”

“I loved this. I could write a long review of this book, but I won’t. I will sum it up in as few words as possible. This story contained two extremely likeable characters. The dialogue between them was so entertaining and well-worded. I loved every encounter between them. Everything about this novel was real. I loved it, and I can truly say it is one of my favorite novels.”

“Fabulous! With This Kiss had everything I look for in a romance—a tender hero, touching love scenes, a strong heroine, and even a mystery to solve. I will be hunting down this author’s backlist.”

“Fresh and rewarding…definitely get you hands on this book.”

“This was an extremely well-written book, with believable characters and an interesting plot…”

AUTHOR BIO:

Victoria Lynne is the author of five historical romance novels. She’s received two RITA Award nominations, and has consistently earned Romantic Times’ “Top Pick” award. Called “A Fabulous Storyteller!” by Rendezvous Magazine, her work consistently draws rave reviews and continues to attract new readers. Her books have been translated into German, Italian, and Spanish, and are currently available online through Kindle and Nook.

Ms. Lynne lives in Vermont with her husband and two children. When she’s not plotting her next novel, she loves to get away from her keyboard to ski and hike.

Visit Victoria on Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Victoria-Lynne/343823838961510?sk=wall

**********GIVEAWAY**********

The prize is an eBook copy of With This Kiss.

-This giveaway is OPEN TO EVERYONE.

-To be entered, please leave a comment, along with your email addy.

-Winner will be chosen using random.org and will have 48 hours to respond to my winner's confirmation email or a new winner will be chosen.

-Giveaway ends at 11:59 PM CST on 2/24.

*To discover even more about this exciting book you can visit other blogs participating in this tour here.

Review for With This Kiss by Victoria Lynne

2012-02-15T01:00:00.003-06:00

Beauty and the beast--they were the scandal of the ton....

All eyes feasted on the beautiful flame-haired gambler in London's most infamous club. But Julia Prentisse was interested only in the rake-turned-recluse whom they now called "The Beast." She lured him out of the crowded club to a deserted warehouse, where she made her scandalous offer: If he married her and protected her from her uncle, she would help him catch the arsonist who had ruined his life.

An act of heroism had left Morgan burned, scarred for life. But Julia's bold gaze lit other fires he had long suppressed. And now this glorious stranger was his bride. But when he tried to claim his husbandly rights, she demanded three months grace--three months to know a stranger's mind, to touch a stranger's soul, to go where no woman had ever gone before. Into his lonely heart . . .With This Kiss.

********************

As a big fan of historical romances who's read many of them, after awhile they tend to all follow a familiar formula. So when a book shakes things up a bit it should be complimented. Thus is the case with Victoria Lynne's With This Kiss. As the hero and heroine struggle to admit their true feelings there's a serial arsonist on the loose who's left the hero scarred and has a deadly obsession with the heroine and sets fires in her honor.

The romance between Julia and Morgan was full of angst and evolved one painfully bittersweet step at a time. Morgan is self-conscious of his scars and Julia doesn't think she has anything to offer after the scandal her father caused. Neither has had an ideal upbringing, but whereas Julia remains optimistic Morgan questions everyone's motives. One of them has to take the first step and luckily as the story progresses Julia takes that leap. It's a very emotional moment and one I longed to see. Julia was a strong heroine with many admirable qualities. She stood her ground with her husband, was always honest with him, and fought for her principles. She was almost too perfect, ALMOST. Morgan was the typical shallow cad before the fire that left him with numerous scars. He's changed now and not confident in his sex appeal which made him rather cranky and sarcastic. At times I wanted to smack him for his bad behavior, but I was still drawn to him and and was rooting for him to accept the love Julia was offering him.

The mystery of Lazarus, the serial arsonist, was a well-kept secret with many believable red herrings along the way. The glimpses we get inside his head throughout the story are unsettling and make him a formidable villain. He's truly mad and his thought process makes his actions, and the book's storyline, very unpredictable. This had me on the edge of my seat and drew me in wholeheartedly as I tried to discern whodunit.

This was an enjoyably entertaining story with likable characters and a truly scary villain. There were many extremely memorable secondary characters as well that propelled the story along at a nice pace. This was my first time reading one of Ms. Lynne's books, but considering my great enjoyment of it, it won't be my last.

My rating for this is a B+

*I received this book from the author in exchange for my honest opinion.

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!!!!

2012-02-14T03:00:00.006-06:00

To everyone out there, single or in a couple, I wish you a loving and wonderful Valentine's Day!

Teaser Tuesdays #55

2012-02-14T02:00:00.005-06:00

WITH THIS KISS by Victoria Lynne

....from page 1958 of 4163

-There was no greater fool than a woman who looked at a man and saw what he might be rather than what he actually was. But nothing died harder than a bad idea.

Rebel Ink Press Blog Tour (Interview & GIVEAWAY)

2012-02-13T02:00:00.003-06:00

Rebel Ink Press is an independent bookseller with an intriguing roster of books and authors. To learn more about what they have to offer VP of Business Affairs, Lila Munro, is here to talk about what's on the horizon for them. Not only is Lila here for an interview but there's also a giveaway for you to enter. So get comfy and join me in welcoming Lila here....

TSP: How did Rebel Ink Press come about?

LM: Rebel Ink is the brainchild of a few friends that thought they could do it and do it well. After batting the idea around a while, our owner E filed for an LLC and we were born. Seems like it should be more complicated than that, but it truly was that simple. E has a grab it and growl way about her. It was time and Rebel was born.

TSP: How has RIP changed since its inception in relation to how the company markets itself and how it reaches out to readers?

LM: This year our theme is Rebel Strong in 2012 and we’ve come up with some pretty innovative ways to get our name out there. We have blog tours planned all year long and are trying marketing through a bit of video trailer. I haven’t seen that done often if at all, and I’ll be sharing our new corporate video with you today created by our very talented graphic artist, Carl J Franklin. I think marketing is a matter of finding what fits and sometimes that can take some time. Whereas before we marketed our writers first and foremost, we’ve now split the two in some ways in terms of equal air time. While I focus on marketing Rebel as a brand, Bethany Halle focuses on marketing the writers. It’s a two-front approach and so far is working very well.

TSP: With so many other digital publishers out there, what sets you apart from the others?

LM: Our personal service to our writers. Not many other small presses do what we do in terms of helping our writers market themselves. We have a great staff and Bethany Halle helps tremendously in her role as Public Relations Director. We set up chats, steer our writers into blogging opps, set up advertising and arrange release parties.

TSP: Is there any specific genre that's most popular amongst those purchasing books from RIP? And are there any specific themes/genres that appear to be gaining in popularity?

LM: Right now the trend seems to be leaning toward m/m and BDSM themes, while paranormal seems to be taking a bit of a downtrend. Steampunk, fairy tales, and contemporary themes seem to be gaining ground, but the market is so fluid things could change rapidly.

TSP: Do you have any special events coming up at RIP that you'd like to share?

LM: Our 2012 calendar is full to overflowing with special events. We have author chats scheduled at several venues throughout the year. This year will see the start of excerpt Fridays on our blog, Rebel Reasoning, as well as some theme days that will see many of our writers participating. We have anniversary happenings planned for August to celebrate two years in the business and we have some spectacular holiday events planned. We’re very excited about the possibilities this year olds for us and our writers. For updates on these events readers can follow us on our website, http://www.rebelinkpress.com or on twitter http://twitter.com/#!/rebelinkpress , or on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/messages/#!/rebelinkpress?sk=photos We also have a link on Facebook to sign up for our monthly newsletter.

TSP: As a writer yourself, do you find it hard to keep your business hat on when dealing with submitting authors?

LM: At first it was quite a juggling act doing both, but now it’s just a matter of time management, and to be honest I feel that my experiences as a writer myself make me more empathetic toward our writers, particularly new writers that may feel a bit like a boat without a rudder at first. That first leap of faith can be scary and understanding that goes a long way in developing a good working relationship.

TSP: Is there anything you'd like to share about your own current and upcoming releases while you're here? Any top secret info you can speak of?

LM: Thank you so much for asking. I just saw the release of Assumed Identity, book 3 in my Identity series and am working on book 4, Assumed Master. Later in the year I’ll be releasing a brand new series that returns to my military roots, The Sergeants of Echo Co.

TSP: My blog is all about your favorite things. What are some of your favorite things, the things you can't live without?

LM: Bubble baths, decaf coffee, and my day planner. Sometimes in combination.

TSP: Thanks so much for being here and I look forward to many more releases from RIP in the future!

LM: Thanks so much for having me over!

As a company, Rebel strives to provide readers with stories they want and while offering the services authors deserve. We're committed to good citizenship, fair business practices, and developing up and coming authors through editorial support, marketing and promotion--all of which help authors create their best works possible.

Our philosophy must be working because here we are a year later, Rebel strong! We now house over sixty writers and our inbox is a busy place. We currently have eighty plus titles available at ARe, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Coffee Time Romance and Bookstrand, and we’re looking to expand our vendor list in 2012. Our release calendar is full and our first quarter of 2012 is busting at the seams. In fact we’re looking to double our available titles this year. Our writers are gleaning rave reviews and several are bestsellers at ARe, to date they’ve earned twenty-one of those coveted silver stars.

At Rebel our promise to ourselves was to provide the Cadillac of customer service to our writers. Yes, our writers. They enjoy benefits under our roof not often offered through small presses, such as the services of a professional cover artist, marketing opportunities arranged through our public relations department, professional editing services by a half-dozen plus hand-selected editors, graphic arts help, and we have an in-house review coordinator. Our ARCs are sent out in advance of release to reputable and safe reviewers so we have feedback for our writers to grow on. As a result, we’re growing, too. By leaps and bounds.

Again we’d like to say thanks for hosting us today. If you have questions, please leave them in the comments section or email us at editor@rebelinkpress.com . We’d be happy to answer them.

**********GIVEAWAY*********

Prize is a $15 Amazon GC to one randomly drawn commenter from the entire tour.

-Giveaway is OPEN TO EVERYONE.

-To be entered, just leave a comment along with your email addy.

-Winner will be chosen from all comments made throughout the entire tour, so the more blogs you comment on the greater your chances of winning. A list of participating tour stops can be found here.

-Giveaway ends at 11:59 PM CST on 2/27.

Review for Few Are Chosen by Storm Grant

2012-02-12T03:00:00.032-06:00

Sparks fly between virgin teenage demon hunters when the Chosen One turns out to be the Chosen . . . Two?

Apprentice warrior Blake St. Blake is the Chosen One, raised by an ancient order to defend the world against evil. Well, maybe not the whole world, but at least his neighborhood in downtown Detroit. When a dreaded reflux demon is sighted in a local cemetery, Blake is sent off to his very first battle, armed with his sword, his super-senses, his black leather duster, and a few well-rehearsed one-liners.

But another Chosen One gets in Blake’s way—an apprentice wizard named Shadow. While the boys argue about who’s the more chosen of the two, the demon escapes.

Blake wants to be angry, but it turns out he and Shadow have a lot in common. Besides, Shadow’s pretty cute, and Blake can’t help but think that the wizard’s skills (and hands and lips and other bits) might make the perfect complement to his. Blake and Shadow are brave enough to challenge the reflux demon in a second battle, but will they have the courage to tell each other how they feel?

********************

Storm Grant is an author known for nicely blending humor and romance and in her upcoming release Few Are Chosen that blend continues to be perfect. This may be a short story but it's long on entertaining characters, witty dialogue, humor, and fast-paced action. From start to finish the reader is drawn in and on the edge of their seat to see if our heroes succeed.

For Blake St. Blake life is all about training and trying to live up to being the "Chosen One". He visualizes himself as a character from a book which leads to some humorous sayings on his part. His fight scenes and interactions with the villain, a reflux demon, add an extra layer of humor that was thoroughly enjoyable. Blake soon learns he's not the only "Chosen One", which leads to frustration for him as the other fighter seems better than him. Shadow is a wizard similar in age to Blake who's life is also all about training so they have a connection. Blake's intimidated by him but attracted too. Only by working together will they be able to defeat the demon.

Blake and Shadow don't have much romantic/sexual experience but both know they're gay. With being trapped in a mausoleum comes time for experimentation. This scene is handled beautifully with that sense of wonder at it being the first time. It's a bit sweet and sexy and totally satisfying. These two have formed a connection from that moment on that's more than friendship and I yearn to see things evolve from this monumental moment.

Ms. Grant has created a fast-paced and deeply satisfying story. The dialogue is witty and humorous and kept my eyes glued to the page so as not to miss a single moment. Blake and Shadow are a dynamic duo that drew me to them and I'm sure you'll feel the same. I hope this is just the beginning of their relationship and implore Ms. Grant to return to this world as I'll definitely be waiting with bated breath to read more about these young superheroes.

My rating for this is an A!

*I received this book from the author in exchange for my honest opinion.

Book Tour for The Mask by Anya Winter (Guest Post & GIVEAWAY)

2012-02-11T03:00:00.000-06:00

Looking for a quick and sexy story? A wham, bam, thank you ma'am kind of story? Well, look no further than The Mask by Anya Winter. Courtesy of Bewitching Book Tours and Anya herself you can get a taste of this short story today and the chance to win the previous book in this series with a giveaway. So make sure to read this entire post to find out how to enter. First up is Anya talking about masks and how they affect people.....

There’s something about a mask that captures the imagination.

Think about it. When you wear a mask, you become someone new. Usually, its that person deep down inside that you’ve always wanted to be that comes out. Or maybe its a new persona you want to test. Maybe there’s a secret longing or a hidden desire that needs a mask?

There’s something so sinfully delicious about wearing a mask. The thought excites me. The possibilities are endless about who I can become, or rather - what aspects of ‘me’ can come out. There’s a false sense of security, anonymity when you wear a mask. Which can also be its downfall.

That’s what happens to my characters in book 2 of the Masquerade Series. Eve Manor is a pastry chef with hidden passions. She thinks the anonymity behind her mask has kept her safe while trying to combine her passion for food with her more ‘inner’ passions. But fortunately, Christian Grier sees past the facade and falls in love. Except, he’s wearing a mask as well and the consequences are a tad bit higher if his secret gets out. As the editor-in-chief of a foodie magazine, it wouldn’t be favorable if work go out that he was also part owner of a ‘fetish’ club.

I enjoyed exploring the aspect of wearing a facade and how the protection we seek isn’t always there. The reality is - the mask only does one thing - shows our true character. It’s how we embrace those aspects of ourselves that really matter.

You can find out more about Eve and Christian and The Mask here.

I would love to know your thoughts on wearing masks. Visit me at www.anyawinter.com and share your thoughts.

THE MASK by Anya Winter

Book Two in the Masquerade series

Genre: Contemporary Erotic Romance

Christian Grier is a man with a secret. In the foodie world, he's known as the Editor-in-Chief of the famous magazine, Sizzle. When his old college roommate, Josh, asks him to attend the ball his company is catering, Christian intended to turn him down. But when Josh reveals Eve's secret plan, he knew he needed to do everything he could to help. Will hiding behind his mask help in his quest to seduce Eve or will she decide he’s not what she wants after all?

EXCERPT:

Eve wore a slinky black dress that highlighted her luscious curves. She gazed in awe at the masked dancers as they teased one another with their sexy corsets and tight leather outfits.

The Black Lace Masquerade Ball. A dream come true.

“Is it what you expected, kiddo?” Josh Brown, Eve’s boss, cozied up to her and placed his arm around her waist.

“I’m amazed. It’s better than I imagined. I just wish I was on the other side of the table.” Eve sighed as she gazed around the crowded ballroom. Full of her idols, top-notch chefs from around the country, she dreamed to someday apprentice with one of them.

Despite the sequined masks they all wore, Eve could pinpoint each and every chef she admired. Through Twitter statuses, Facebook updates and magazine articles, she felt like she knew almost every person on the floor.

Jillian Thomas, pastry chef for the Banff Springs Hotel, wore a gorgeous black pinstriped corset with a lace edge that did nothing to hide her voluptuous chest. Lacey Sullivan, Executive Editor for French Cuisine magazine, looked fabulous in a black leather corset dress with a slit up the side and showed the red lining of the leather underskirt. God, she was beautiful.

“You will, one day.” Josh pulled her close and brushed a kiss against her forehead. “That will be you out there, wearing a fuck-me corset and come-hither mask.”

“Josh!” Eve’s eyes widened as she checked to make sure no one heard his words.

Josh leaned down and whispered into her ear. “I saw you coming out of Ganache last night.”

Eve’s body stiffened as her cheeks flushed. Oh no. Without turning to look him in the eye, she tried to step away but his hold tightened.

“Something you want to tell me?”

Eve shook her head as she bit her lip.

“Nothing at all? ‘Cause I thought for sure you’d have something to say about that skimpy little number you wore, or the guy who escorted you to your car.”

What the hell was he doing in that part of the city?

“What would Harold have to say if he knew his little sugar plum was into BDSM?”

Eve dug her elbow into Josh’s side before she turned and glared at him. “I’m not.”

“Really? ‘Cause I know it may be called Ganache, but there’s nothing sweet about the club at all.” He smirked and winked at her.

Damn it all. There was no way she was going to admit anything to him. Not here. Especially not with her grandfather hovering over her every time she turned around.

“Can you forget what you thought you saw and just focus on our plan?” She stepped over to the table where she rearranged platters of petite éclairs, mini cheesecakes and mousse-filled martini glasses.

“It’s going to work.”

“I hope so.” Eve glanced over her shoulder at him and gave what she hoped was an innocent smile.

“Don’t bother sweet’ums. This isn’t my first ball, but it is yours. So let me give you the advice a dear soul gave me oh so long ago—the coach turns back into a pumpkin, the horses into mice and yes, as much as I hate to admit it, the prince does revert back to the Beast.” Josh laid his hand over his heart and sighed.

Eve struggled not to roll her eyes. He couldn’t even get his fairy tales right.

“That dear soul knew what she was talking about, didn’t she?” Madison Pearce, owner of Choco Chic Events, stood behind them, notebook in hand.

Josh stood there, eyes closed as he slowly nodded his head. Eve struggled for composure but lost it when Josh winked at her.

“Eve, your desserts are fantastic. I’ve already had several requests for quotes. You’ve outdone yourself.” Madison smiled before she turned to Josh and gave him a stern look.

Eve breathed a sigh of relief before she took a small step away from the two but still within hearing distance.

There was a strong undercurrent filled with tension between them. Whatever was going on didn’t include her.

She hoped.

So much was riding on tonight. More than Madison knew. These little desserts were nothing. Not even Madison knew of the plan Josh concocted to help her tonight.

“You promised to behave, Josh. Harold catching you in the broom closet with your new boy toy is not behaving. Honestly. I don’t know what’s gotten into you lately.”

Eve knew she should walk away. “Harold shouldn’t be poking around where he’s not wanted,” Josh crossed his arms and glared at Madison.

Uh oh. She really needed to walk away.

“He was getting a mop to clean up spilled wine. Where else was he to go? Seriously, I need you to step up. If you want a partnership, than show me you deserve it,” Madison hissed between clenched teeth.

Eve spied her grandfather across the room. Now was a good time as any to face him. Josh could handle Madison’s tongue lashing on his own.

She wove her way through the maze of guests and stood beside the man she adored more than life.

“The mask has always mystified me.” He nodded his head at a couple dancing close to them. Eve loved the masks they wore. The female’s face was half-clad in white satin with ribbons tailing down from a large pale pink flower. The man’s mask was a light green with an overlay of black strips.

“Do they not realize that they reveal more of the secrets they wish to hide?” Harold clasped his hands behind him as he surveyed the room.

Eve snaked her arm through his. She would have rested her head on his shoulder but PDAs were highly frowned upon. He believed public displays of affections were for the lower class. She tried to see it from his point-of-view, but for the life of her, she couldn’t. She craved to be out there on that floor wearing a mask that would bring out the girl she kept buried. She thought about the hatbox hidden beneath her bed, containing the beautiful silver mask she’d found in Venice, and a black wig.

“Oh, I don’t know. I find them mysterious, enticing. Seductive in a sense.” Eve tilted her head up and waited for her grandfather’s frown.

“Your generation knows nothing about seduction. Wearing undergarments to a social gathering cheapens the art.” Harold’s lips thinned.

Eve pulled away and studied the man who had moved continents to raise her. She would never have imagined he understood the term seduction let alone have thoughts about it.

“Don’t look at me like that, child. I may be English, but I’m not dead.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Once upon a time … is how the stories used to start.

Not anymore. Now they start with chocolate (and maybe a little bit of passion).
At least in Anya’s world where passionate pleasures are explored …
One Story at a Time!

Don’t miss out on The Master - Book One of the Masquerade Series.

Twitter: @AnyaWinter

Website: www.anyawinter.com

**********GIVEAWAY**********

This giveaway is for a pdf copy of The Master - Book One in the Masquerade series.

-Giveaway is OPEN TO EVERYONE.

-To be entered, just answer Anya's question at the end of her post in the comments below (PLEASE include your email addy).

-I will use random.org to select a winner, and send a winner's confirmation email to that winner, who will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen.

-Giveaway ends at 11:59 PM CST on 2/18.

Review for The Mask by Anya Winter

2012-02-11T01:30:00.004-06:00

Eve Manor is a pastry chef with a passion for chocolate and romance. During the annual masked Black & Lace ball, Eve has a plan. She created a signature chocolate dish that was sure to knock the socks off every famous chef and food critic attending the ball. Everything hinges on the night’s success.

Christian Grier is a man with a secret. In the foodie world, he’s known as the Editor-in-Chief of the famous magazine, Sizzle. When his old college roommate, Josh, asks him to attend the ball his company is catering, Christian intended to turn him down. But when Josh reveals Eve’s secret plan, he knew he needed to do everything he could to help. Will hiding behind his mask help in his quest to seduce Eve or will she decide he’s not what she wants after all?

********************

This is a fast-paced story full of sexual tension set amongst the sinfully sweet world of a dessert and Masquerade Ball. And if that wasn't enough decadence for you, two people who have been having an emotional tug of war finally decide to give into temptation and that's when the real sparks fly.

This is the second book in the Masquerade series and it stands nicely on its own with the only connection to Book One being a shared character. So there's no problem jumping right into this book, and jumping in is exactly what you'll want to do once Eve and Christian come together. They've felt a sexual attraction to one another since they first laid eyes on one another at BDSM club Ganache. But Eve wants fame as a pastry chef while Christian wants to keep both his club and culinary magazine going strong. They've hid behind masks for so long that they finally decide to give their feelings a chance and that's when things get scorching. I found their sexual interlude very satisfying and wished things hadn't been cut short. They're a likable couple and I felt equally as frustrated by their interlude being interrupted.

They're not the only likable characters in The Mask though. Eve's boss Josh is flamboyantly flirtatious and I'd love to see him find his match. He's outspoken and larger than life and great for tension relief. So too is Eve's grandfather, Harold. He tells it like it is while being the rock Eve needs to go for her dreams. He's lovably gruff and I'd also love to see him find someone to love since he seems lonely without his one and only love.

While the characters drew me in wholeheartedly, there were a lot of frustrating storylines left unresolved. One or two intriguing events happen with no resolution and I felt a bit cheated. I can only hope that Ms. Winter is working on a third book in the Masquerade series to tie up these loose ends. The storylines started in this book are a tempting morsel and any plans Ms. Winter has for these characters in the future has me totally on board.

My rating for this is a B-

*I received this book from the author in exchange for my honest opinion.

Feature & Follow Friday....

2012-02-09T21:34:00.000-06:00

Q: What would your prefer: reading your favorite book over and over again until you got sick of it OR reading 100s of mediocre books? And why?

A: I'd want to read 100's of mediocre books because there's value in experience. Even if the books have issues at least there's variety to add to my life. Besides that, I believe in moderation. I don't want to get bloated by over-reading the same book. Or get burned-out on it. My favorite books are special for a reason and I don't want to ruin that.

Book Tour for Prohibited Passion by Alyssa Linn Palmer (Guest Post)

2012-02-09T02:00:00.003-06:00

With the plethora of m/m books on the market, I'm pleased to run across an intriguing historical read featuring two ladies in love. Courtesy of Bewitching Book Tours, Alyssa Linn Palmer is here today to give us a glimpse into her new book Prohibited Passion. So make Alyssa feel welcome and learn more about about this exciting book....

Flappers were the new, independent women of the post-war (WWI) decade, no longer confined to the home. The New York Times, in an article published July 16, 1922, stated that a flapper “...is shameless, selfish and honest, but at the same time she considers these three attributes virtues.”

Today we know the flapper for her looks, from the cloche hats, the drop-waist dresses, and the iconic Louise Brooks. Fashion was essential: the styles moved away from the more traditional, full length dresses and skirts, and by the end of the 20s, the skirts had come to the knee. (All the better to dance the Charleston.)

Mass-market consumerism really took hold after WWI, and women had money to spend. They were out of the home, investing in the stock market, going to speakeasies... doing almost everything a man could do. They were no shrinking violets.

CeeCee, the flapper in my story, embodies the woman of her time. She’s confident, even when confronted with the disdain of the townsfolk in Bandit Creek. She’s the complete opposite of Ruth, the pastor’s daughter who was raised very conservatively. Ruth dreams of freedom in the big city, and CeeCee is everything Ruth wants to be. However, Bandit Creek isn’t ready for women to demand the same independence as men...

PROHIBITED PASSION

by Alyssa Linn Palmer

Ruth wants to escape the boredom of Bandit Creek and the strict expectations of her father, the local pastor. Her life changes the day she meets CeeCee, a world-wise flapper, and an irresistible attraction develops between them. She’ll be disowned and shunned if anyone discovers their prohibited passion, but can they keep their growing affection a secret?

CeeCee is drawn to Ruth, but things become complicated when her gangster companion disapproves of their liaison. He’s in town to broker a deal with the owner of the local speakeasy, and he’s not above using them to further his own plans. Can CeeCee protect Ruth and their budding relationship?

As Ruth gets drawn further into their world, she must decide between her familiar life and a new, dangerous path with the woman she loves.

Smashwords Amazon

EXCERPT:

Bandit Creek, Montana August 1929

Chapter One

Ruth thought her father looked ridiculous with his eyes closed and his hands raised to the heavens. His thinning hair had already gone grey and it fell untidily over his ears. A growing paunch strained the fabric of his clericals. She knew she would have to make him new ones. Just another task she couldn’t escape from.

Escape. She thought of little else. She wanted to leave Bandit Creek behind but, today, she’d satisfy herself by leaving the service. While the congregation followed her father’s lead, she rose silently from the end of the pew and crept from the church.

She had an excuse or two all ready if he asked her over dinner why she’d left the service.

I needed some air. I felt ill.

Not that he’d ask. As long as she had dinner on the table when he wanted it, kept the house in order and washed his clothes, her presence went unnoticed. If she had been a boy, he would have taken her under his wing and taught her to follow in his footsteps. His sycophants hoped she might choose one of them to marry, and thus receive his blessing and the church’s leadership after he was gone. She disappointed them all. The thought of any of those young men - or any man - left her cold. She never understood why the other girls fawned over the attention from boys. She couldn’t feel an ounce of attraction to any of them.

Ruth turned at the corner and strolled down to the small rail station, slowing her steps in the hopes of seeing strangers on the platform, hoping for a glimpse of the world outside. The platform was barren and the ticket office shuttered. She continued on to Main Street, where most businesses were closed for the Lord’s Day. She scuffed her toes in the dust as she crossed over in front of the hotel, the single building showing any signs of life.

If only she could go inside, just for a while. If she had money, she could order lemonade and sit at one of the tables in the tiny restaurant, pretending to be a lady on an exciting trip, waiting for her maid to finish packing. She never pictured herself with a husband or a chaperone; she wanted to experience the world on her own.

The lace curtains fluttered in the open window and Ruth lingered outside, carefully peering into the restaurant without seeming to peep. A woman sat alone at a table, a glass and a dirty plate in front of her. A napkin lay crumpled by her elbow and she rotated her tea cup in its saucer. She seemed lost in thought.

Ruth stared. The woman had her dark hair cut into a stylish bob, with Marcelled finger waves. She wore a dress that left her arms bare to the shoulder and gave little shape to her form. Ruth fingered the end of her long, ginger braid and looked down at her homely and serviceable dress. The women of town would shun her if she dared wear a flapper’s dress or cut her hair, but she couldn’t help her attraction for the delicate and gorgeous woman. Ruth’s mouth had gone dry. A tremor went through her. From where she stood, the woman’s skin looked pale and soft and Ruth wanted to touch her hand or run a finger down her bare arm.

Ruth remembered the grocer’s wife gossiping about the easy women she had seen in Missoula last fall, wearing shorter skirts, showing their arms and legs, and acting without a care in the world.

“Thank the Lord none of that sort would ever come here,” Mrs. Williams had said. But yet, here was one of those women, in this very hotel. Ruth smiled to herself. She so wanted to meet this woman.

She heard footsteps on the boardwalk, the loud thumping of a man in a rush. A tall, dark-haired man in a dark suit strode by her on the boardwalk, almost brushing her arm. He went into the hotel.

“CeeCee!” His voice carried through the open window.

She saw the woman lift her head and push back her chair. Before CeeCee could move any further, the man had come into the restaurant and taken her by the arm, lifting her to her feet. He said something else, but it was muffled.

For a moment, CeeCee’s gaze met hers, eyes wide in surprise. Ruth gasped and clapped a hand over her mouth. The last thing she wanted was to be caught staring. Ruth backed away from the window and down the boardwalk, hovering by the side of the building.

The man reappeared, CeeCee in tow. A long shawl, draped over her shoulders hid her bare arms, but her dress rose to just above the knee and Ruth gaped.

“I told you to be ready earlier,” the man growled at CeeCee. “You’re going to make me late. I expected you to meet me.”

To Ruth’s relief, they headed away from her, crossing the street, walking swiftly towards the warehouses at the edge of town. Ruth burned with curiosity and she wanted to follow them, but the bells of the Catholic church pealed and she knew she had to get home.

* *

“Sher, slow down. Please?” Cecilia scurried to keep up with Sheridan, her patent leather shoes sliding on the gravel road. He slackened his pace and she smiled at him.

“They won’t leave the warehouse before we get there,” she said, hooking her arm through his. If she hadn’t complained of her boredom the evening before, she could have stayed at the hotel. After seeing the girl at the window, she wished she had stayed.

“I need this partnership, Cecilia,” Sheridan said seriously. He rarely called her by her full name, preferring her nickname which rolled off his tongue more easily as it had done since he first met her. “This town could easily be a link to the trade out of Whiskey Gap - I can’t overlook it.”

“I know.” She patted his arm. He’d told her his ideas as they rode the train across several states, each stop taking them further from home. “But this town doesn’t seem like the type to support the trade. Everyone I’ve seen so far looks like they should be part of the temperance movement.”

“According to Erickson, my contact in Missoula, there’s enough interest here. And when the rail line opens across the border to Canada, we’ll be rolling in dough.”

They certainly weren’t rolling in dough now. Sheridan had money from his boss in Chicago, but traveling across the country added up quickly. Sheridan had sold the remainder of her Chanel perfume - her favourite - when they’d arrived in Bandit Creek. She’d tucked the cash away and if she could, she would buy it back from the shopkeeper before she left. It had been a gift, but not from him.

She tried not to think of Nell, but seeing that woman peering in the window, her red hair so much like Nell’s, was a painful reminder. Nell presented her with the bottle one night as they lay in bed, a mischievous smile on her face. CeeCee had been startled and then surprised. Then Nell had kissed her again and the bottle was forgotten. She’d never kiss Nell again. She could only visit her grave.

Sheridan came to a stop and Cecilia almost stumbled. The warehouse door opened and a middle-aged man with sandy hair and spectacles gave them a genial smile. He looked more like a teetotaler than a rum-runner to her.

“Mr. Henderson?” Sheridan inquired.

The man nodded and waved them inside. Cecilia let go of Sheridan’s arm. He’d expect her to spend time with the other men and charm them into agreement. It had worked in other towns. Men always wanted to be confident and decisive if it meant impressing a woman.

Henderson led them through to the small speakeasy he’d set up in a section of his warehouse. It was crude by Chicago standards, but Cecilia supposed it would do for a small town. Two other men were present: a broad shouldered younger man, whom Henderson introduced as Mr. Dyer, his assistant, and a raggedy old wino that sat crumpled at a far table.

“Don’t mind Jack,” Henderson said, waving away Sheridan’s concerns. “He’s harmless. I doubt he even remembers what he was up to yesterday.”

Cecilia noticed Mr. Dyer smile at that, but his gaze took her in before looking coolly at Sheridan. She hoped he wouldn’t make a play for her. Sheridan protected her against all others, and she loved him for it, but she didn’t want this complication. The sole complication she wanted was back in town, with a long red braid and grey eyes, her plain dress belying the girl’s beauty.

“Get Miss Mills a drink,” Henderson told Dyer. “Now, Mr. Sheridan, let’s talk.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Alyssa has many passions. Fortunately, none of them are prohibited. When she isn’t working, she’s writing dark tales inspired by mid-20th-century noir books and films, cooking up a storm in her kitchen, and reading.

http://alyssalinnpalmer.wordpress.com/

https://twitter.com/#!/alyslinn

Review for Tangled Past by Leah Braemel

2012-02-08T01:00:00.000-06:00

Forced to marry a man she just met, Sarah McLeod clings to the hope that she'll finally find the love and acceptance she's always craved. Her tenuous dreams of a happy life on the frontier are in danger of being dashed by the one thing she can't change—her husband's love for another man.

Jackson Kellar's determined to do right by his bride, yet he's torn between his newfound love for Sarah and his still-burning desire for Nate.

Ranch owner Nate Campbell loves them both. He hates to see Jackson's loyalties so divided, and doesn't want Sarah hurt either. How can they fix the tangled mess they find themselves in? Nate suggests a possible solution—a permanent threesome.

With the open frontier closing in around them, is Nate's solution their path to happiness—or will others destroy what they've found together?

********************

Coming off her previous menage story Texas Tangle, Ms. Braemel is revisiting the family in this historical prequel set in the 1880's where homosexual couplings resulted in death. For Jackson Kellar and Nate Campbell all they want to do is live their life in peace sharing farm work and their bed without fear from their neighbors. Enter Sarah McLeod, half-Indian with a father and brother who treat her like garbage, who gets wrangled into marrying Jackson after being discovered in a compromising position. Even though he loves Nate he wants to do right by Sarah who's had a tough life before marrying him. He finds her attractive and sees no problem in creating a future with her if he can just get past his feelings of inferiority when it comes to his bank account. When Nate gets hurt though, Jackson can't keep his feeling for the man contained any longer. To find happiness, Sarah must admit that two men are better than one and that she's more than a way to keep their secret, she's the final piece to their happily ever after.

This was a pleasant read with likable characters that had a strong connection. Sarah seemed rather weak-willed at the start but I was happy to see that as the story progressed so too did she gain strength. Being away from the verbal abuse spewed at her by her family definitely helped as did the encouragement to be bold by two strong and sexy men. Nate and Jackson were equally as enjoyable to read. Both men were distinctly different with what they brought to the relationship. I loved the brute sexual tension that always surrounded them and their sexual interludes were hot. Adding Sarah into the mix only added to the heat. The love between the three of them felt realistic, but in the real world I can't quite believe that a relationship like theirs would be tolerated. If a homosexual relationship meant death, then surely the small town townspeople would be equally upset by a three-way relationship. But with a well-written story like this it's easy to put thoughts of the real world aside.

The villains in this story were pretty stereotypical as were their actions. This story is definitely about characters and not action based as that part of the story fell flat for me. Seeing characters evolve and accept happiness where they can find it is the focus of this story.

Even though this is connected to Texas Tangle there's no need to have read it to find enjoyment in this book. It can and does stand nicely on its own with satisfyingly steamy sexual interludes and two heroes that are to die for that would easily make a girl jump at the chance to be a part of their menage. Leah Braemel has again created a satisfying menage story and presents it in a believable way that immerses the reader wholeheartedly from the start. When looking for a well-written menage story in the future, I'll definitely be looking towards Ms. Braemel's books.

My rating for this is a B.

*I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Kiki Howell's Valentine Celebration Book Tour (Guest Post & GIVEAWAY)

2012-02-07T02:00:00.010-06:00

As a single gal, reading a steamy romance book while drinking wine and eating chocolate is my ideal way to celebrate Valentine's Day. Courtesy of Bewitching Book Tours and Kiki Howell I'm about to show you a better way to celebrate. Learning about books and big giveaways! So be sure to read this whole post to see what's up for grabs and how to enter. And now, here's Kiki....

What A Cover Says by Kiki Howell

We hear all the time as authors how important our covers are. And in the past four years that I’ve been published, I have been so lucky with all of my book covers. Of course, covers are a very subjective thing. Personally, I like the ones that are more collage-like, with people or places over a background, beautiful scrolling title, etc.

When I got my two covers for my Valentine’s Day stories this year, I could not have been more thrilled. Both not only sum up the elements of the story but they capture the setting and tone as well. There is just so much that I like about each of them. Someone asked me why, and as I tried to analyze it, I decided to write up a post as I did so. Thought it might be fun to give my opinion or commentary on why these two covers of mine are so perfect for the stories.

Cover #1 for Love, Creativity & Magick, A Steampunk Valentine’s Day Tale

Of course the clockwork style gears show the steampunk element, and the red on them a nice touch for the holiday. The clothing on the couple is so right. I love that the female’s dress is red and black. The female in this story really is a sassy witch, one with power and confidence. But, when the vampire comes to her, a dark and mysterious being, hence the robe, she is for the first time in her life in awe of him, gives into her feelings and passions. So I was thrilled with the way she looks up at him, and the way he holds her, because he does support her in the story, everything about her.

Check out the blurb, and let me know what you think…

Love, Creativity & Magick, A Steampunk Valentine’s Day Tale Blurb:

All acts of magick take on shades of gray in the end, especially for Emma, one of four females witches who by birthright belong in the social circles of the privileged upper ten thousand in London. Yet, by rumor of the unknown and the misunderstood, she stands apart, cut by her peers along with her cousins, because they hold a secret—each is gifted with magick.

Their elders had taught them respect for their powers even when mixed with a spanking amount of fanciful mischief. On the other hand, if a lesson was warranted, then white verses black magick could be hard to define. Nowhere was the color of steam more evident than in the matters of justice, a slippery term to define. Yet, they’d made breaking the laws of society their mission. Most of their nights at parties and balls were spent creating a magickal comedy of errors, helping the uptight aristocracy side step their fastidious standards.

Only this year, days before Valentine’s Day, a damnable day for women without suitors, Emma is not quite sure what is happening to her. Something dark and seductive, something not of this world, is luring her, possessing her, and she has no comprehension of what or who the presence really is. But, when he does show his face finally, and she feels him to be a nightwalker, she must fear not only the threat he poses to her blood and to the energy or magick he can suck from her, but also the danger he poses to her heart. After all of these days feeling him, wanting him, she has to wonder if her feelings are just a matter of his compulsion, if she is under this vampire's own type of magick.

To complicate matters further, the vampire’s propositions are as exciting as they are scandalous, to teach her how to power her magick with the overabundance of sexual energy she bears. But, how he knows such things he remains elusive about. And there is the added attraction that this vampire was a failed inventor in life, one with a basement full of contraptions she finds she can power through the use of her sexual energy. Valentine’s Day seems like it could be all kinds of fun this year now.

Yet, in these days of social unrest and out-of-control creativity, what is a witch to do with a vampire? When Valentine’s Day rolls around, and a secret is revealed, what will be left for her?

Cover #2 is for Sacred Sex:

This story is contaemporary, and I think the different style cover portrays that. Here though we have a couple tore apart by modern day woes, and I love how that shows in their faces on the cover. I must say that the title scroll in gold says “sacred” to me. The key to capturing the mood of this story in this cover though is the flickering candle and the flower petals. Both are used in the sex magic ritual the couple does. The colors are soft and say tenderness, the added touch of the coiling vine just wraps around you…I get the warmth, the tenderness, the depth of feeling whether despair (I see this in the black and white tint over the couple) or love with this one.

Check out the blurb and see what you think. A perfect match?

Sacred Sex Blurb:

Just a few days before Valentine’s Day, Margaret visits her aunt’s craft consignment shop hoping for a spell or oil, and any advice on how to re-connect with her husband, Michael, who has become distant since losing his job. Determined to save her marriage, she gets more than she bargained for from Aunt Minny, a practicing witch. Armed with recipes to enhance love, a massage oil type love potion, a new Valentine’s Day candle and a book on Sacred Sex Rituals, Margaret prepares to seduce her husband.

But, his initial reaction is not what she planned for…

Follow Margaret and Michael on a holiday of love journey, a throwback to the kinky pagan sex rituals once practiced long ago on this day before it was named after a saint. You may want to take notes to enhance your own Valentine's Day this year!

Kiki Howell

~where love is a mystical thing~

http://www.kikihowell.com/

Amazon Author Page

All Romance eBooks Author Page

Love, Creativity & Magick: A Steampunk Valentine’s Day Tale –
A Novelette by Kiki Howell

All acts of magick take on shades of gray in the end. Especially for Emma, one of four females witches who by birthright belong in the social circles of the privileged upper ten thousand in London. Yet, by rumor of the unknown and the misunderstood, she stands apart, cut by her peers along with her cousins, because they hold a secret—each is gifted with magick.

Their elders had taught them respect for their powers even when mixed with a spanking amount of fanciful mischief. On the other hand, if a lesson was warranted, then white verses black magick could be hard to define. No where was the color of steam more evident than in the matters of justice, a slippery term to define. Yet, they’d made breaking the laws of society their mission. Most of their nights at parties and balls were spent creating a magickal comedy of errors, helping the uptight aristocracy side step their fastidious standards.

Only this year, days before Valentine’s Day, a damnable day for women without suitors, Emma is not quite sure what is happening to her. Something dark and seductive, something not of this world, is luring her, possessing her, and she has no comprehension of what or who the presence really is. But, when he does show his face finally, and she feels him to be a night walker, she must fear not only the threat he poses to her blood and to the energy or magick he can suck from her, but also the danger he poses to her heart. After all of these days feeling him, wanting him, she has to wonder if her feelings are just a matter of his compulsion, if she is under this vampires own type of magick.

To complicate matters further, the vampire’s propositions are as exciting as they are scandalous, to teach her how to power her magick with the overabundance of sexual energy she bears. But, how he knows such thinks he remains elusive about. And there is the added attraction that this vampire was a failed inventor in life, one with a basement full of contraptions she finds she can power through the use of her sexual energy. Valentine’s Day seems like it could be all kinds of fun this year now.

Yet, in these days of social unrest and out-of-control creativity, what is a witch to do with a vampire? When Valentine’s Day rolls around, and a secret is revealed, what will be left for her?

Genres: Valentine's Day 2012 Theme, Paranormal (witches and vampires), Steampunk (Victorian England), Erotic Romance from Naughty Nights Press

Sacred Sex
A Valentine’s Day Short Story

by Kiki Howell

But, his initial reaction is not what she planned for…

Genre: Contemporary, Erotic Romance, Wiccan/Pagan, Holiday - Valentine’s Day from Rebel Ink Press

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Ever since she was young, Kiki Howell has loved to listen to a well-woven tale with real characters, inspired plots, and delightful resolutions. Kiki spend hours lost in books and soon knew creating lives, loves, and losses with just words had to be the greatest thing she could do. She’s now had over twenty stories published and couldn’t be more thrilled or grateful to see her creations polished and out in the real world.

www.kikihowell.com

Bewitching Valentine’s Day Blog Tour Prizes – 5 Winners Total

-Physical Prizes Open to US Shipping

-Enter using THIS form.

-Giveaway ENDS 2/13

Prize #1 - Fashion Heart Necklace and Earrings

Prize #2 - Steampunk Necklace

Prize #3 - eBook Erotic Romance Short Story Bundle: Includes Love & Marriage Cures, The Healing Spell, Rituals and Working Out the Kinks For more information on these stories go to: http://www.kikihowell.com/2010/06/stories.html

Prize #4 - Print Book Sweet Romance Bundle: The Sorcerer’s Songs Novella with Weathervanes CD - For more information on this story and the CD that inspired it go to: http://www.kikihowell.com/2010/06/sorcerers-songs-trade-paperback-novella.html

Prize #5 - Print Copy of Torn Asunder Erotic Romance Novel - For more information on this story go to: http://www.kikihowell.com/2010/09/torn-asunder.html

Teaser Tuesdays #54

2012-02-07T01:00:00.003-06:00

FEW ARE CHOSEN by Storm Grant

.....from page 115 of 519.

-This guy was kind of scary. Also kind of cute. Which, I mentally chided myself, was an entirely inappropriate thing to notice in one's enemies.

Fashion Monday Madness

2012-02-06T01:00:00.004-06:00

After the craziness of a weekend that saw 13 inches of snow outside my front door, the awesomeness of Animal Planet's Puppy Bowl, and the massive crowds at the grocery stores preparing for the blizzard, I'm very ready for Monday and our fashion chat. So let's get right to it.....

The Good....

Keira Knightley gives us the best of both worlds in this gown that offers prim and proper in front and naughty in back. The gown fits her perfectly and is a color that goes beautifully with her hair color and skin tone. With such an intriguing and attention-grabbing bodice, extra accessories aren't necessary. Another A+ look from Keira that has me totally jealous.

Kathering Heigl looks like the belle of the ball in this flowing and fitted gown. The diaphanous steel-grey material looks dream-like and romantic. The bodice has an intriguing fit with an eye-catching openness to the back. The hair is a bit too severe for such a romance-inspired dress but that's Katherine's usual hairdo of choice. I'm too distracted by the glamour of this dress to be critical of any small issues. Kudos to Katherine on a nice return to form!

The Bad....

Actress Mia Wasikowska is wearing a craft project gone awry. The silk material looks cheap and the gathered mid-section looks as if the seamstress lost control of the sewing machine. The white "undershirt" looks out of place and cheapens the overall look even more. In the end, it's an ill-conceived 4-H project that won't win any blue ribbons.

They say that fashion is art, but for Rooney Mara, this piece of art is a complete mess. This cocktail dress is overworked and poorly-fitted and looks uncomfortable to walk in. The bodice looks like a road map and the uneven hem looks like a wardrobe malfunction waiting to happen. From head to toe she looks memorable, but definitely NOT in a good way.

The Ugly....

Leave it to Bjork to make another fashion statement by looking like the Staypuff Marshmallow Man. As if the voluminous coat weren't bad enough, add in the blue skirt, tights, and boots and it's a blueberry nightmare. At least no animals were harmed in the making of this outfit.

Looking more like a mug shot than a pop princess, Rihanna looks disheveled with her latest hair color and chewed-up Daisy Duke shorts. Add in the thigh-high boots and you have a Pretty Woman reject. Here's hoping she's dumps out the dirty dishwater and goes back to one of her more successful hair colors.

That's a wrap for this week! Let me know what you think of these ensembles in the comments below and join me for another busy week here at my place.

Book Tour for Her Man Flint by Jerri Drennen (Guest Post)

2012-02-05T02:00:00.007-06:00

Here's a great way to end the weekend courtesy of Bewitching Book Tours! Today we get to spend some time with Jerri Drennen learning about her new release Her Man Flint. So get comfy and enjoy what Jerri has to say in this character interview between our hero and heroine......

On today's "Talk To Me, Susan" we're doing a thing called, "He said, She said", or in this case, "she said, he said" Our first two guests hail from Denver, Colorado. They're an ex-couple who remain partners on the job. Please put your hands together for Adriana Kent and Flint Morgan. We'll start with Adriana. I'd like you to tell the audience a little bit about yourself and what your problem is with Flint.

"Hello! I'm a special agent with the Department of National Security. The man sitting next to me is my partner, Flint, who I'll just say is a cad and a jackass. The two of us used to share a bed until I found him on our mattress with a red-haired bimbo, who just happened to be working for a guy who's on our most-wanted list. This alone only reiterates in my mind how incredibly sloppy Flint has gotten, but you can't tell him this since he's a cad and a jackass. I think I might have already said that, but I'm hoping if I say it enough, it'll sink in. Let me just mention here that I've worked hard to get to where I am in the agency and I refused to allow my distaste for Flint to destroy the career I've built. When things were starting to get back to business as usual, this fake-breasted fem-fatale ended up with a bullet in her head. In Flint's apartment. The gun used in the kill shot, his. For whatever reason, I felt obligated to help get his sorry ass out of trouble. Okay, maybe obligated isn't the right word, and to be brutally honest, I have this crazy obsession with Flint's ass. Can I say ass on television? I mean, you could literally bounce a quarter off the thing, or is it mine you can? I'm not sure. All I know is that I couldn't let him be railroaded into a murder he didn't commit. What kind of partner would I be if I did?"

So, Flint, do you have a rebuttal for what Adriana said?

"She is so full of herself. It is true that I was in bed with this redhead, but I don't remember a damned thing about it. Until today I refused to admit that to Adriana. I mean, why not let her think I had the night of my life with the woman (I might have said those exact words to her at the time). I was angry since she was playing mouth-to-mouth with some doctor she'd met when she ran her Porsche off the road while trying to apply makeup. You think a guy would do something so stupid? But I digress. Anyway, so, maybe there was a lack of judgment on my part drinking myself into a stupor the night I met this lady, but I wasn't thinking clearly at the time. I was actually contemplating strapping on the old ball and chain with Adriana. How crazy is that? And, on the record, I never asked her to save my sorry ass. She volunteered and got herself kidnapped and sent overseas to some prince who intended to tame her wild ways. Like that would ever happen. Anyway, I rescued her from a fate worse than death--becoming yet another concubine to this lecherous fiend. Truth is, and I'll deny I said this if asked again, I love Adriana. Too bad she only loves one person--herself!

Well, Adriana?

"First, I wasn't putting on makeup when I had that accident in my Porsche. I was deliberately run off the road by a pair of goons who worked for the dead woman's boyfriend. As far as the doctor he's talking about, Flint had already destroyed our relationship long before I started dating him. Mister Morgan likes to embellish things to make himself look less like a cad. As far as him loving me. Huh! The man doesn't know what the word means."

"Flint?"

"I don't know what she's talking about."

"Exactly. I rest my case."

Okay. Now, it's time to poll the audience? What do you all think? Do you agree with Adriana? Is Flint a cad and a jackass. It's time for you to decide. When we come back from commercial break, we'll have an answer. Then, we'll move on to our next couple who come to us from Washington D.C.

Her Man Flint

By Jerri Drennen

If James Bond and Cleopatra Jones had a daughter, Adriana Kent would kick her ass.

Everything Adriana knows about being a top-notch, undercover agent she's learned from her partner, Flint Morgan, in and out of the sheets. That is, until he's caught between those same bed linens with another woman. Heartbroken, Adriana refuses to forgive him. But when 'the other woman' is found dead in Flint's apartment, she steps up to prove his innocence--he might be a womanizer, but he's no killer.

As Adriana closes in on a suspect, she's kidnapped and sent overseas to a sadistic prince who collects women like priceless pieces of art. Now this tough as nails agent finds herself playing the helpless courtesan to a man hell-bent on breaking her spirit. Flint arrives in the nick of time, dressed as a harem girl, fighting off randy guards and surly camels to rescue Adriana so they can fly back to the states to find a way to exonerate him for murder.

AMAZON

BARNES & NOBLE

EXCERPT:

“Are you going to lie there all day, or are we going to get the hell out of Dodge?”

The voice was unmistakable. “Adriana,” he growled.

“What? Were you expecting Lindsey ‘Silicone’ Warren, perhaps?” Adriana popped her head out from behind the huge rock in front of him for a brief second, glared, then ducked behind the boulder again. “Sorry to disappoint you, but that woman wouldn’t break a fake nail to save your arrogant ass.”

“Cute.” Flint eased up and clutched his side, putting pressure on the wound in hopes of easing the flow of blood between his fingers.

“You think she’d care one way or the other if you made it out of here alive?” Adriana continued. “Who do you think set you up anyway?”

“You did,” Flint tossed her way.

She jumped up again, her eyes spitting fire. “The hell I did. I stopped by Billy’s this morning. He asked me what I wanted when I called you yesterday.” With a seriousness Flint had never seen before, she shook her blonde head, her glare boring into him. “I never called you. He told me you were headed out here, and I knew you were in big trouble. Did you know your precious Lindsey dated Hartford?”

“What?” Flint’s mouth slacked in astonishment.

“Yeah, they were a hot item last summer.” Her gaze turned ice cold. “Apparently the relationship never ended. Why would you think I’d set you up anyway? Believe it or not, I did care for you at one time.”

Adriana abruptly looked up and aimed her rifle, firing at a man who’d popped his head over the ledge, then cursed like a sailor when she missed the mark. “Move your ass. I’m not going to be your back forever.”

She fired again, this time smiling with satisfaction when the man clutched at his shoulder.

“One down.”

Flint scrambled over to the boulder she used as a shield and pulled himself behind it, moving in close to her. Instantly, her womanly scent filled the air around him, a perfume he remembered all too well—a sweet, flowery fragrance with just a hint of musk. The stuff had always done strange things to his libido. Today was no exception. Even in danger and wounded, he found it difficult to ignore her wonderful essence. Hell, her in general.

“Why’d you come, Dray?” He slid to the ground, his back against the rock while he wiped sweat from his brow onto his shirtsleeve.

He glanced back at her with curiosity. Today, her long, ash-blonde hair was pulled away from her face, her perfect ivory complexion smudged with dirt that no way detracted from her beauty. Her attention was on their surroundings—no doubt trying to figure the best way to get them out of the mess he’d gotten them into.

He watched her intently, shocked to realize he’d missed her. “Why’d you save me?”

She turned to face him. “We’re partners. Isn’t that what partners do?”

“But what about—”

“Forget it. So our personal relationship didn’t work out—that doesn’t mean our professional association at the department can’t continue.”

Adriana turned away and fired again, this time at a man who’d started down the ravine after them. Her shot was off again.

Intense pain cut through Flint’s side as he shifted his body. “I owe you one.”

She returned her attention to him and grinned. “Do I get to choose payment?”

Before he could answer, she turned to the leather-clad man who was moving again. Taking aim, she fired, hitting the goon in the leg. The blast sent the assailant firing wildly in the air before tumbling down into the gorge.

“That’s two.” Her triumphant smile said she was pleased with herself.

“We were discussing payment. What’d you have in mind?” Flint’s grin turned to a grimace when another wave of pain sliced through him.

Adriana’s frown deepened as she studied the area. “Let’s get out of this alive, and then we’ll talk.” She pointed to his side. “How bad is it? You think you can run?”

Despite the blood soaking his shirt, he knew he could scramble if need be. “It’s nothing. I’ll be right behind you.”

“Let’s go.” Adriana raced for the next boulder about twenty feet away, Flint hot on her heels. On the way, she tried to sidestep sagebrush in her path, but instead hit it head-on and stumbled, rolling to the rocky ground and landed hard on her back.

Flint dove on top her as a barrage of bullets flew over them.

“Man, they really want you dead. Could you get off me?” She scowled and tried to push him away, her breath coming in quick, uneven gasps.

Flint stared at her flushed face, painfully aware of the soft yet firm breasts beneath him. Emotions he’d thought long dead stirred him to distraction.

“I’m sure the same thought crossed your mind a time or two.” He studied her face for a reaction, then lifted himself from her.

A hint of amusement danced in her eyes. “No, not dead. Castrated maybe.”

As she rose in preparation to run again, her meaning sunk in and caused Flint’s groin to twitch. “Oh, that hurt.”

He grabbed her arm and pulled her back to the ground as another bullet buzzed past them.

“Yes, I imagine it would for someone who thought with his dick instead of his brain.”

Flint couldn’t help but smile. She had such a foul, sexy mouth. He reached over and laced his fingers through a loose strand of hair, caressing its soft, silky texture. “Have I ever told you, Dray, that you have the prettiest blonde hair?”

“Yes, as a matter of fact you have. It was right around the time you were trying to get in my pants.” She glanced around. “We don’t have time for reminiscing, Flint. If you hadn’t noticed, people are trying to kill us.”

“Right. Well, it is nice,” he mumbled under his breath.

Adriana wiggled away and sat up. “Flatter me later.”

He chuckled, then grimaced when his amusement garnered him a kick in the shin.

Another round flew by and ricocheted off a nearby rock, sending them scurrying further behind the boulder protecting them, and reminded Flint that they weren’t forgotten by their attackers.

Hunching over her, he asked, “Where’s your car?”

“Over there.” Adriana pointed to a large formation and almost lost a finger when another slug zipped past.

She gasped and clutched at her hand, her eyes narrowing on him.

“Are you hurt?” Flint reached for her fingers, but she pulled away.

“If I lose even a hair on my head, Flint Morgan, you’ll pay.”

Like a snake, she slithered toward the large rock where her car was hidden. A well-timed storm cloud crossed over the sun and cast a shadow over the ravine, giving them the opportunity to make their move to the larger formation.

Flint crawled behind Adriana. He couldn’t help but admire her perfectly rounded bottom, clad in a pair of tan khakis. She really did have the best looking rear-end he’d ever seen in his life.

“Did I ask you to save my ass?” he asked, his mind now consumed by hers, rather than what he should be worried about—getting them out of this mess alive.

“No, but I couldn’t help but recall yours, and I didn’t want to see it get shot off. Now crawl faster before my ass is the one that ends up with lead in it.”

He smiled again. The women definitely had wit.

They made their way to a pile of enormous boulders, just a few feet from Adriana’s red Porsche when Flint heard the faint thrum of a helicopter in the distance.

Adriana cursed. “Who the hell’s coming now—guerilla fighters? What if they’re not the good guys, Flint? What are we going to do?”

“Just keep moving. We’ll do whatever we have to. You got any guns in your car?”

“Yeah, two. No extra ammo, though. Only what’s loaded in my Glock and .45.”

The chopper flew overhead and circled the compound before fanning out into what was clearly a search maneuver.

“Can you see any markings on the craft?” Flint squinted, trying to make out anything that would give him some idea whether it was friend or foe.

Her green eyes widened and in a soft voice she said, “I don’t think we’re going to make it out of here alive, Flint. I need to tell you something.”

“Oh? What’s that?” he asked, his attention still on the helicopter above them.

“I wanted you to know—”

“I think it’s Billy,” he interrupted, waving his hands to draw the pilot’s attention.

The craft flew over them once, then landed in an open field a short distance away.

“Run.” Flint grasped her arm and pulled her toward the aircraft, using a zigzag pattern to dodge stray bullets, while fighting the rush of intense whirlwind caused by the propeller blades.

When they reached the chopper, he shoved Adriana inside and jumped in behind her.

Instantly, they took off, hovering just long enough for them to see three men aiming their weapons up in the air.

“Get us the hell out of here, Billy. Before they shoot us down.” The ping of a bullet hit the side of the chopper and pounded home the importance of Flint’s words.

“Right away, boss. Glad to see you’re alive. I thought I was going to have to take you out in a body bag.”

The chopper pivoted forward and left the compound.

“You might have had to if Adriana hadn’t come along. Say Dray”…Flint glanced at the blood clotting on his shirt, then looked up to meet her gaze. “What were you trying to tell me back there?”

Adriana shook her head. “Nothing. It wasn’t important.”

She turned to stare out the window, leaving Flint to wonder what seemed so dire just seconds ago, yet now that they were safely on their way home, turned into nothing?

AUTHOR BIO:

Jerri Drennen was raised on a farm in a tiny town in Minnesota where the winters were long and being stuck inside awarded her the opportunity to read and tell stories. Years later, after moving away from family, marrying her husband of twenty-five years and having their four children, she started writing when her youngest was three. Eleven years and many manuscripts later, she has one contemporary romance and three romantic suspense novellas with Samhain Publishing, a category romantic suspense at The Wild Rose Press and two action-adventure romances at Liquid Silver Books. Now, she's trying her hand at self-publishing.

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=699298823&ref=tn_tnmn

Twitter: @jerri47

Book Tour for We Shall Rise by J.E. Hopkins (Guest Post)

2012-02-04T03:00:00.007-06:00

There's and exciting new paranormal series that I just discovered and wanted to share with you. The series is Misfits of the Lore and the author is J.E. Hopkins. The second book in the series is currently out and entitled We Shall Rise. Courtesy of Bewitching Book Tours I get to bring you a taste of it. First up is J.E. talking about character growth....

Character growth and development is something I enjoy creating. The aspect that appeals the most is crafting the imperfect hero that is relatable, frustrating, but ultimately irresistible.

There is certainly something appealing about the flawless knight in shining armor who valiantly rescues the damsel in distress. How many of us have dreamt about the dynamic hero who epitomizes our dream of the perfect partner? There is something to be said for that, but for me and specifically my books, I much prefer the flawed hero.

In my Misfits of the Lore series, there are numerous imperfect characters who I try to make relatable to the reader. Even in the midst of a paranormal tale, I strive to create an element of reality. I think it’s important to see that perfection is unrealistic and unattainable. Everyone has issues that they are fighting to overcome, but it’s those flaws that make a character endearing. There’s a beauty in watching them overcome themselves and the barriers that hold them back from realizing happiness. Love is one of those gifts that can help breakdown those walls, but it is a journey wrought with struggle that hopefully in the end pays off with a happily ever after.

In my latest novel, We Shall Rise, the hero Kaden is fighting against an external race war between immortals, but the greater battle is the one his heart has waged against his mind—embracing love for the first time or continuing to run and punish himself for mistakes of the past. For Kaden, this is an ongoing battle within himself that could cost him everything he never knew he wanted.

My characters never attain perfection, but they grow and become stronger characters. Love doesn’t cure them, but it strengthens them. Love won’t find them until they open themselves to it. That’s a lesson I’m still learning.

I hope you enjoy We Shall Rise as much as I enjoyed writing it.

We Shall Rise

By J.E. Hopkins

Book Blurb:

As Kaden and Reysa struggle to accept the undeniable bond between them, they must come together to stop the emerging terror that threatens to destroy all immortals. The lesser immortals – witches, sages, shifters, demons, hybrids, charmers and foreseers – have declared war against the pureblood vampires and lycans who have used their purity of blood and greater strength to enslave the weaker races. No immortal is safe. This is a fight for freedom and a fight against genocide. There can be no true victor as death looms for them all.

AUTHOR BIO:

J.E. Hopkins is a practicing attorney in New York and an avid fiction writer. Hopkins holds a Juris Doctor from St. John's University and a Bachelor of Arts from New York University.

J.E. Hopkins published her first novel, The Broken, in 2007. She subsequently published her first paranormal romance of the Misfits of the Lore Series, Lover's Betrayal, in 2011.

For more information about this author and upcoming works, please visit www.jehopkinsauthor.com

Review for We Shall Rise by J. E. Hopkins

2012-02-04T01:00:00.011-06:00

War surrounds him, yet for vampire Kaden Gaspard, there is no greater battle than the one his mind has waged against his heart. He knows he should stay away from her. Reysa. The half-breed vampire warrior who had risked her life to prove his innocence for the seven murders for which he was accused, but had not committed. This stubbornly loyal woman who dedicated her life to her family of misfits - immortals shunned and abandoned by their clans for their impurity of blood and genetic mutations. This courageous and valiant African warrior who Kaden fears could never love the monster that he is destined to be.

As Kaden and Reysa struggle to accept the undeniable bond between them, they must come together to stop the emerging terror that threatens to destroy all immortals. The lesser immortals – witches, sages, shifters, demons, hybrids, charmers and foreseers – have declared war against the pureblood vampires and lycans who have used their purity of blood and greater strength to enslave the weaker races. No immoral is safe. This is a fight for freedom and a fight against genocide. There can be no true victor as death looms for them all.

********************

The excitement continues in this second book in the Misfits of the Lore series by J.E. Hopkins. Pureblood vampire Kaden grew up tortured by his demented father until one day he had enough and killed him. The guilt from that incident weighs heavily on him throughout this story and makes him feel unworthy of happiness. He feels that his DNA is tainted and wants nothing to do with a mate or starting a family. The constant attraction he feels towards half-vampire Reysa is driving him mad and it's a struggle that he's slowly losing in keeping away from her and the sense of family she can give him. I ached for Kaden and his tortured childhood and kept hoping he'd allow himself happiness. He truly believed his blood cursed through no fault of his own. He sees other vampires around him finding their mates and truly wants what they have but is so scared the cycle of violence will continue. His sacrifice made me sad for him and admire him a bit as well. Of course it also made me want to hit him in the head sometimes. In one breath he says he needs to stay away from Reysa and in the next he's jumping her bones. This angsty tug of war got to be a bit much after awhile and I can see why the heroine got fed up, I would too with being led on. I desperately wanted him to just get over it, put the past behind him and stop the self flaggelation. He's such a strong vampire physically and I wanted him to be mentally as strong too. It took almost all the book before he finally became strong inside and out and became the mate Reysa deserved.

Reysa is a half-vampire warrior who's used to being looked down upon for her mutt bloodline. She too had a tough childhood but instead of pulling away from people she's made a family for herself by bringing others of half-blood status from all the different otherworldly groups to live with her and visit her nightclub. This allows a lot of intriguing characters to be introduced, quite a few sexy ones truthfully, that I long to see more of. Reysa knows what she wants and is willing to put her heart on the line to get it. I liked that she was the stronger of the two both mentally and physically. It made for a memorable heroine with many of my favorite qualities.

Even though they fought each other every step of the way, once they got together the sexual interludes were smokin' hot. The sexual tension surrounding them was intense every time they were together, whether they were in bed or out and it made me scream for them to "just do it". I liked them as a couple and rooted for them to finally find happiness after their traumatic childhoods.

There's a war brewing between the purebloods and lesser bloods in this story that created many action-packed sequences. There's experimentation on children, germ warfare, and deadly drugs being used in the fight that gave an interesting parallel into how humans wage war on one another. There's issues of discrimination and a kind of race war that this story presents that I found very intriguing and could easily relate to the world I live in.

There are many varieties of otherworldly characters with unique abilities in this story. There's Sirens (a sexed up huntress Anastasia), lion shifters (a particularly sexy one named Yanis), cat shifters (a tortured and sensual one named Alejandro), witches (a physically tortured one named Yasmine), half-vampire/half-werewolf (an uber sexy Christian), and the one who will change the war (Tatiana, Reysa and Christian's deaf adopted daughter). There were many others too and they were introduced at a fast pace at times which made it hard to keep track of them all. I'm intrigued by them all and hope each of them can have their own story so we can learn more about each one in depth.

As the second book in the series there are many things from the previous book that creep up here. Luckily, important familial connections and past actions are easily reiterated and seamlessly incorporated into the current storyline. So reading the previous book isn't a necessity, but it would give a stronger glimpse into what Kaden suffered and the reason for the rift between him and his brother Julian. This book also ends on a cliffhanger, so those with weak hearts and issues of impatience beware! The final scene had me screaming at the top of my lungs and I'm now counting down the days until the next book in this series.

This book is another entertaining edition to the Misfits of the Lore series. The action is amped up as the stakes get higher. Lots of memorable characters make for a compelling story that I was sad to see end. Those looking for a worthy new series in the paranormal genre can add this to their list and enter this well written and engaging world created by J.E. Hopkins.

My rating for this is a B+

*This book was given to me by the author in exchange for my honest opinion.

Feature & Follow Friday.....

2012-02-02T21:26:00.000-06:00

Q: Define what characteristics your favorite books share. Do they all have a kickass heroine or is the hot love interest the Alpha Male?

A: When it comes to favorite books, it's all about the characters. I enjoy smart heroines with a backbone. I hate when they're weak-willed or TSTL. So I avoid those heroines like the plague when I'm reading. For my heroes they tend to be strong and sexy or smolderingly sexy with a hint of geekish to them. Either way, sexiness is a must for my heroes! Does that make me shallow?.....NAH!!!

Book Tour for Desperate Betrayal by Hildie McQueen (Guest Post)

2012-02-02T02:00:00.006-06:00

It's going to be a fun day here at the blog as Hildie McQueen is visiting and talking about her new book Desperate Betrayal. Courtesy of Bewitching Book Tours you'll get a taste of this new paranormal read featuring demons and sexy immortal warriors. Before showing you an excerpt, here's Hildie talking about her characters......

“You always look put together,” my husband told me one morning as we prepared to leave for work. I glanced down at my outfit and thought, really?

I don’t think much about the outfits my heroines wear for the most part. When I considered this, I realized that perhaps I could put together a style for the heroine and the other women in Desperate Betrayal.

First there’s Emma, she works in a bank, so she’s has to dress conservatively during the day. When on the hunt for her sister’s kidnappers and attempting to save her lover’s life from demons, then she’s more of a jean’s girl. This is what I picture her to wear most days.

Emma’s best friend Wendy is a petite and creative girl. A jewelry maker, with auburn spiky hair, I could definitely see her wearing this outfit.

Rachel, who is married to one of the Protectors, is a tall blonde. Mom to a teenager, she has drive to sporting practices, she’s more likely to dress casual yet chic.

What about me you ask? (Yes you did), well, I’m a jeans girl. I used to be a dressy-dressy girl, but although I won’t leave the house without jewelry, cute shoes and an awesome bag. I usually construct my outfits around denim pants. And still my hubby claims I look “put together”, so I guess I’m doing something right. This is my type of outfit.

DESPERATE BETRAYAL by Hildie McQueen

Cynden Frasier (Cyn) is a member of a group of immortal warriors, the Protectors, assigned to protect humans in Atlanta, Georgia, the epicenter of a major uprising in demon activity. When Cyn is approached by a beautiful woman in a dirty alley, he is intrigued by the fact that she can see him for what he is, a terrifying demon slayer, and still dares to approach him.

Emma Blake, a half-demon, has to convince Cyn to help rescue her sister from powerful demons. Terrified that the Protector will kill her if he realizes what she is, she still goes against every instinct and approaches Cyn for help. Despite knowing that she is leading them both into territory so wrought with treachery, neither of them may survive.

Can Cyn and Emma overcome betrayal, the ancient rules that prevent Protectors from taking a wife, unless she is his one true mate? And if they do, will it even matter?

Available now at Amazon and Barnes & Noble

EXCERPT:

Shadows.

Emma Blake always felt at home in the shadows. It was where she lived, always concealing the truth from those around her.

Now as she hid in the doorway of an abandoned building, she couldn’t help but compare the current situation to her life. The dampness of the brick wall behind her seeped through to her skin, as she pushed further into the dark to avoid being noticed. The putrid smell of trash and urine barely registered, as she was mesmerized by the scene unfolding before her.

The scene invoked images of the endless battle forces of dark and light had been waging since the dawn of time.

Although beautiful to behold, the warrior who fought before her wasn’t exactly an angel, but he was as close to one as she would ever get. In desperate need of his help, she took a big chance sticking around; because once he caught her there were only two possibilities for her.

He’d either help her or he would kill her.

The air blew chilly on this damp, drizzly day in Atlanta, a city that for some unknown reason, in the last few years, had become a hotbed for demons. With such an influx of demons, human assaults were on the rise.

Emma continued to watch from the shelter of the doorway, as the Protector fought his aggressors. Ten huge low-level demons armed with medieval-type swords.

She tensed, but didn’t flinch as a demon’s severed arm flew past her and hit the ground next to her foot with a sickening thud.

Emma had no doubt as to whom the victor would be in the end. The fluidity of the Protector’s movements and the speed of the fight enthralled her. Her gaze locked on his biceps. Muscles bulged on his right arm, as he swung his sword in a way that seemed almost effortless. Impressive, for the weapon he wielded had to weigh at least twenty pounds.

He dodged a blow and struck out with his sword to slash through one demon’s chest. A dagger flew from his left hand and found its target in another’s heart.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Hildie McQueen is a whirlwind who refuses to wear anything but jeans and heels.

She grew up on the San Diego/Mexico border, joined the military at seventeen and never returned. After living in Germany, Texas and Hawaii, she finally settled in the beautiful southern town of Augusta, Georgia.

Biracial, half Mexican and half African-American, Hildie’s native language is Spanish, but English is her favorite way of communicating now.

Her mission in life is to make as many people as possible to feel normal. It’s an easy thing to do, for others to feel normal around her, because she’s anything but.

www.hildiemcqueen.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/HildieMcQueen

Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/HildieMcQueen

Blog: http://www.hildiemcqueen.com/

Book Tour for Mind Over Matter by S. J. Clarke (Promo)

2012-02-01T01:00:00.011-06:00

There's an intriguing new book on the block that I wanted to let you know about and courtesy of Bewitching Book Tours I get to give you a taste. This book is the start of an exciting new series combining suspense, romance, and a pinch of the paranormal. So keep reading and enjoy your look at Mind Over Matter by S.J. Clarke.

Mind Over Matter
By S.J. Clarke

Rebecca McKenney grieved the loss of her daughter for three years. Now, a vision showing Sabrina three years older, suggests her baby is still alive, and the FBI agent who gave up the search is the only one who can help find her.

Special Agent Dan Cooper is haunted by a tragic mistake made early in the investigation of Sabrina's disappearance. Now to ease his conscience he agrees to help Rebecca search.

Together they fight inner demons, all to real bad guys, and an attraction neither wants to admit to. Each step closer to finding Sabrina is a step deeper into deception and evil.

Can Rebecca and Dan save Sabrina before it's too late?

EXCERPT:

Rebecca knew from experience she didn't have much time left. A vision came at her, hard and strong...

The child’s face from the milk carton, about six or seven years old, hovered before her, similar yet different. Shivers wracked her body as she huddled in a corner, her long brown curls limp and dull. Smudges on her face spread when she used a dirty forearm to swipe away tears, and a cut bled through the tear in her dress.

A flickering light illuminated the dark room, hinting at secrets in the shadows. The sound of water dripping, slow and steady like a leaky faucet, met Rebecca’s ears and her nose crinkled at the stench of urine and human waste. The child looked up. All trace of color drained from her face when a deep voice crept out of the darkness.

“It’s time.”

“Rebecca, did you hear me?” Ruby’s voice penetrated the fog surrounding Rebecca’s mind.

“W-What?” She lifted her head, taking in the dining room around her. The tourist family still sat waiting for their breakfast. “I’m sorry Ruby, what did you say?”

“You okay, hon? You were in another world there for a minute.”

“I’m fine. Really,” she added at Ruby’s doubtful expression. “Didn’t sleep well again last night, I guess.” She forced a grin. “Good thing you caught me before I nodded off and started drooling in my coffee.” The mention of coffee drew Rebecca’s gaze to the carton of milk again. The girl’s innocent face stared back. Something seemed wrong. Rebecca leaned in, reading the caption under the photo. Nicole Wilson; missing for six years, before Bree even.

“I hope you don’t mind that I helped myself to the milk,” Rebecca said, and explained what happened.

“Didn’t want to be a bother.”

“Honey, it’s no problem at all, but you didn't have to do that.”

“Not to worry, it’s over and done now.” Rebecca looked down at the pancakes and fruit before her and knew little would make it past her lips “Breakfast looks delicious, as usual,” she lied.

Ruby looked over at the children’s order of pancakes in front of the empty seat across from Rebecca. She moved her gaze back to Rebecca for a moment longer, before nodding as if confirming something in her head.

“Okay then. Enjoy.” Ruby picked up the milk carton as a bell dinged from the kitchen area. “Let me know if you need a refill on your coffee.” Smiling, Ruby went off to deliver the next order.

Rebecca’s stomach roiled at the thought of eating. Nausea and a headache overwhelmed her. She needed to get home where she could decipher what this vision meant. With Ruby monitoring her every move, coming up with a way out of the diner proved difficult.

Forcing another smile, Rebecca picked up her fork and knife and waved them in the air for Ruby to see. At Ruby’s disappointed frown, Rebecca cut the pancakes, and placed a small piece between her lips. Once Ruby smiled and turned away, Rebecca spit the bite out into a napkin. She spent another few minutes cutting and moving food around, hiding small bits under the second pancake. Pulling some money out of her wallet, she kept an eye out. As soon as Ruby went back to the kitchen for the next order pick-up, Rebecca threw the bills down on the table and made her escape.

Rebecca’s first deep breath came when she sat safe inside her car at the other end of Main Street. Home. She had to hold it together until then. Shoving the key into the ignition, she crossed her fingers, and then groaned at the dull grind that met her ears.

“Crap. Not today!” Rebecca cursed for putting off taking the car in to Joshua. Hands shaking, she tried again, holding her grimace until the engine caught.

The edge of another vision crept in while she pulled into the driveway. “Shit. One more minute, come on, one more minute.”

She fumbled at the keyhole, hands shaking too hard to fit the key in the lock. Rebecca crossed the threshold and fell to her knees as the pain sliced in again, worse this time. Never before had two visions come so close together. What the hell?

Rebecca’s world faded and in its place…

Sabrina appeared. Her baby. Sitting on the floor in a room of shadows, chin resting on drawn up knees.

“Where are you Mommy? Why haven’t you come?” The shadows opened up, pushing forward to swallow both the light and Bree.

“Nooooooooo.” Rebecca came back tears streaming down her face and fell to the floor. Limp, she laid there, an arm thrown across her eyes. “So close.”

Rebecca rolled as her stomach revolted, giving up its meager contents. Pushing herself to her knees with the last heave, she drew the back of a hand across her mouth.

The memory of losing Sabrina burned in her mind forever, but these fresh images; God, they made it so much worse. Rebecca crawled the few feet to the still open door, shoved it closed and leaned against it, shaking with sobs.

The late morning sun shone through the windows when she refocused. Struggling to her feet, she took in the scene around her.

Clean this mess up, and then shower. You can deal with the rest later. Rebecca tossed the soiled clothes in the washing machine on the way to the bathroom.

Revived by the hot shower, Rebecca poured a glass of iced tea. She curled up in the big chair in the living room, rested her chin on her knees, and tried to make sense of the morning’s events. Break it down.

Concentrate on one thing at a time. Tackle the vision at Ruby’s first.

Who are you, Nicole Wilson, and why are you in my head?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

S. J. Clarke has published over fifty articles as a columnist and regular contributor for a variety of lifestyle and human interest websites. She is a grateful member of the Writers' Community of Durham Region, and proud to sit on the Board of Directors for The Ontario Writer's Conference.

Sandra also co-authored Touretties, a touching tribute featuring testimonials from patients and and their loved ones living with Tourettes.

Mind Over Matter, released in November, 2011 through MuseItUp Publishing, is her first novel.

Check out my new website at: http://sjclarke.com

Friend me on Facebook: http://on.fb.me/jzcSq4

Follow me on Twitter: http://twitter.com/sandrajc

Join me on LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/home?trk=hb_tab_home_top

Mind Over Matter Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/MindOverMatterbySJClarke

Teaser Tuesdays #53

2012-01-31T02:00:00.002-06:00

WE SHALL RISE by J. E. Hopkins

....from page 131 of 3702 (from my Kindle).

-I appreciate your wish to rescue me, but I'm not that girl who needs a knight in shining armor to come rescue her from a fire-breathing dragon. I don't need to be saved. I'm more likely to kick someone's ass, as I just did to your brother, than to have my ass kicked.

Fashion Monday Madness.....

2012-01-30T03:00:00.005-06:00

Last night provided great fodder for today's post with the SAG Awards rolling out the Red Carpet. So let's get right to it....

The Good....

Michelle Williams is a standout from head to toe in this bright red gown with a bit of lace. The length of the dress works beautifully to keep it from being stepped on and more actresses should go with this hemline too. Her short 'do always enhances her porcelain doll complexion that doesn't need much make-up. She looks stylish and sweet and definitely gives off a Marilyn vibe even now.

This dress worn by Kaley Cuoco is one that's definitely a love it or hate it ensemble. I love it's fresh color and the draping of the bodice is very flattering. The skirt is a conversation piece with its billowing, cloud-like style and she looks cool as ice in it. The only thing I'd change is the Heidi-like braided hairdo, it's a bit overly done.

The Bad....

Kristen Wiig is known for her comedy but looks overly somber in this blandly colored gown with it's baggy line. The studded dog collar does nothing to help the situation except make me want to send her to the dog house for wearing this disappointing outfit.

Glee's Amber Riley is practically swimming in bows and lace in this overly-embellished cocktail dress. The adornments completely overwhelm her and make her figure look even larger. The hair too is overly done and add to this drunken mess of a cocktail dress.

The Ugly....

Zoe Saldana looks positively matronly in another overly embellished gown. Too many swaths of crystals at the waist and neckline, along with the tiny diamond disco balls along the hem make for a Bedazzled nightmare.

Rose Byrne continues the glitter-fest in this wedding cake-inspired jumpsuit. All the embellishments make for a weighty outfit that completely overwhelms her tiny stature. The 70's style, along with the blunt bob, harken back to a bygone era that should have stayed in the past.

That's it for this week, time to roll up the Red Carpet, and leave you to comment below. Let me know what you think of these choices and join me again next week for more fashion fun.

Book Tour for Blacker Than Black by Rhi Etzweiler (Interview & GIVEAWAY)

2012-01-29T03:00:00.007-06:00

Today is an exciting day for me! This is my first time joining in the fun that new kid on the block Riptide Publishing is providing by having the wonderful Rhi Etzweiler here talking about her new book Blacker Than Black. Not only that, but there's an awesome giveaway that you can sign up for too. So to start us off here's my interview with Rhi.....

Thanks for having me, Jody! It’s great to be here with you today.

TSP: How did you get where you are today with your writing career and if you weren't writing what would your occupation be?

RE: I’m not a full-time writer; my books don’t pay my bills. I have a day job that does that – I work in the retail sales industry. Glamorous, isn’t it?

To be honest, I can’t imagine not writing. I expect that if I hadn’t finally begun a career as an author, I would still be a writer. It is the artist in me that needs an outlet of expression, and fictional prose is my medium of choice. I think I prefer it this way, simply because there is zero financial pressure for me to perform. It allows me to create at my own pace, as my artistic vision leads, instead of worrying about productivity and sales figures and all the rest of it.

TSP: Your first release ever Dark Edge of Honor was co-authored with the amazing Aleks Voinov and Blacker Than Black is your first solo release. How is the writing process different between the two and who else would you consider co-authoring with in the future? (We can make the question even more radical by saying the author can be dead or alive...lol)

RE: The synergy of a co-writing process is invigorating, simply because writing is largely such an insular task otherwise. To turn it inside out, externalize it, share the burden and expression of the creative process with another, transforms the task into a completely different creature. Not only do you feed off one another, but you encourage one another and even learn from one another. The strengths of one, balanced by those of the other.

Hmm. I think I would learn a great deal from co-authoring with Sun Tzu. I expect he would inform me that he’d said all that needed saying in “The Art of War” and that there was no need to belabor the point. But I can dream.

TSP: How would you describe BTB? And how do your vampires differ from the typical vamp?

RE: BTB is …an exploration of genderfuck—that’s my best description of it, at least. In Black’s world, the vampires aren’t bloodsuckers, they’re energy vampires. The term vampire is actually employed as a derogatory slur. And they’re not “made” into vampires. They’re portrayed as the next evolutionary step of the human race. Whether that makes them less or more, though, is for the reader to decide.

TSP: How would you describe your writing style and what sets you apart from other authors?

RE: There’s an old saying about forests and trees. This is like asking a tree how large the forest is. *laughs* You’ll have to decide that for yourself, the tree whispers.

TSP: What do you think draws readers to the m/m genre and is there a different way of writing a m/m couple than het couples?

RE: I think there are as many motivations drawing readers to the genre as there are readers. I think the fresh perspective that the stories provide is probably the biggest draw. For some, it’s the titillation of something foreign—for others, it’s the expression of what’s familiar to them, it’s fiction that they can identify with on some level.

I don’t feel there’s any true delineation between writing one couple and the other—ultimately, a couple is a couple. The nature of the characters dictates their portrayal, and their gender and sexuality has relatively little to do with the writing of their relationship, their interactions, etc.

TSP: How has the digital revolution affected your career and how you market yourself? Do you have a eReader?

RE: For me, my online presence is a public image and one of the assets in my writing career. In other words, I invest time and energy in maintaining a certain image online, and behave professionally. Anyone who is selling something is in business, and I feel that as a writer you’re not just selling your writing but yourself, after a fashion. Or the image of your pseudonym, as the case may be. So that portrayal, and what you make visible, is an asset and should be treated as such.

Without the ability to digitally disburse and market my writing, I strongly doubt that I would have a writing career at all. I have grown and matured as a writer over the years thanks to individuals and communities I would not have encountered otherwise. As with any tool, though, the internet is what you make of it.

I don’t own an eReader device, just yet. My laptop does double duty as an eReader, though… does that count? I’ve lost track of how many books I’ve not bought in paperback because I could get them digitally. It saves production resources…and shelf space, too.

TSP: What do you have coming up next, any top secret WIPs you can share with us?

RE: There’s no release date just yet, but I do have another contracted book with Riptide that will be published later this year. I have a couple sequels in the works, or at least in the muse-writer negotiation phase. And a reinvention of an old, trunked piece—it’s a military fantasy, and I expect it may lean toward serialization.

TSP: My site is all about favorite things. What are some of your favorite things, the things you can't live without?

RE: I think it’s awesome that your site is all about favorite things. Celebrating the little pleasures in life, those slivers that bring you happiness. We’re each responsible for our own happiness after all – I enjoy reminding myself of the small sensations that give me joy.

So let’s see. My list would include:

Coffee, of course! The rich flavor of a dark roast, the scent of cinnamon and sugar blending with the aroma.

Trance music. I use it to create a writing space and get in the frame of mind to write.

Vivid sunsets on warm evenings, with just enough clouds in the sky to create a beautiful palette of colors.

The feel of my favorite old flannel shirt. It’s that threadbare soft, and looks like some starving artist’s painter smock, but it was my grandfather’s.

The grounded, peaceful feeling I get after a yoga session. That calm, cleansed sensation. As though all the negativity has sloughed away and left me with a clean slate for the day.

...Thanks for all the great answers and I look forward to what's coming up for you next!

BLACKER THAN BLACK by Rhi Etzweiler

For us, one night and one sale change everything.

Monsieur Garthelle is the first john to hunt me down. He calls me a chi thief in one breath and offers absolution—servitude—in the next. Maybe I’m a sucker, but I like living and breathing. Strange that such a powerful vamp would show leniency to a mere human. And something’s not right with the chi I took from him. It won’t go away.

Neither will he, and he’s forcing us to spy on his peers. Then a vamp turns up dead, and we go from playing eyes and ears to investigating a murder. This isn’t what I signed up for. All I ever wanted was to sell a little chi, maybe steal some in return. I should’ve kept my damn hands to myself.

This is my story. Look through my eyes.

WHERE YOU CAN FIND RHI:

Email address: RhiAnon.Etzweiler@gmail.com
Website: http://www.RhiAnonEtzweiler.com
Blog: http://RhiAnonEtzweiler.blogspot.com
Twitter: @musefodder
Facebook Profile here
Goodreads Profile here
Amazon Author Page here
Google+ Profile here
Get “Dark Edge of Honor” here

**********GIVEAWAY**********

There are 2 giveaways associated with Rhi's tour.....Giveaway #1 is strictly related to my site and is for a signed cover card and magnet. Giveaway #2 is tour wide and will have 2 winners. First winner will receive an autographed tote bag and pen, signed cover flat, and large magnet. Second winner will receive a t-shirt (size XL), pen, signed cover flat, and small magnet.

-Giveaway #1 is OPEN TO ALL.

-Giveaway #2 is OPEN TO US & CANADA.

-To be entered in both giveaways, comment on this post along with your email addy. For the tour wide giveaway, the more tour stops you comment on the greater your chances of winning. For a list of all tour stops, go here.

-Winners will be chosen randomly and will have 48 hours to respond to their winner's confirmation email or a new winner may be chosen.

-Giveaway #1 ENDS AT 11:59 PM EST TONIGHT (1/29).

-Giveaway #2 ENDS AT 11:59 PM EST ON 2/2.

Review for Blacker Than Black by Rhi Etzweiler

2012-01-29T02:00:00.005-06:00

Apparently, my twin and I are two of York’s most notorious criminals. We’ve been Nightwalkers in the blue-light district since the vamps took over the world. Don’t know how many years it’s been. Long enough that a stream of fellow ’walkers have come and gone. Most don’t last long selling their chi. End up face-down in the gutter, or worse.

For us, one night and one sale change everything.

Monsieur Garthelle is the first john to hunt me down. He calls me a chi thief in one breath and offers absolution—servitude—in the next. Maybe I’m a sucker, but I like living and breathing. Strange that such a powerful vamp would show leniency to a mere human. And something’s not right with the chi I took from him. It won’t go away.

Neither will he, and he’s forcing us to spy on his peers. Then a vamp turns up dead, and we go from playing eyes and ears to investigating a murder. This isn’t what I signed up for. All I ever wanted was to sell a little chi, maybe steal some in return. I should’ve kept my damn hands to myself.

This is my story. Look through my eyes.

********************

This is Rhi Etzweiler's first solo novel and considering it's nice flow, intriguing characters, vivid world imagery, and fresh take on the vampire mythos it definitely won't be the last we hear from her. Etzweiler has created a future world that is dark and bleak where a hierarchy of vampires (lyche is her term) rule the cities and humans are left to struggle to survive anyway they can. For many, that means selling their souls on the streets as Nightwalkers to any lyche who chooses them. For Black and his sister Jhez they've lasted much longer than the usual Nightwalker and as the story unfolds the reader discovers there's more to them than meets the eye. As they become entwined in lyche politics their lives are put in danger and the truth about them comes to light and changes their future forever. Throw in a sexy yet conflicted lyche by the name of Leonard Garthelle and you have a story that keeps you on the edge of your seat until the final page is turned.

What first impressed me about this story was its vivid depiction of a world on edge. Where Black and Jhez live is a forlorn city reeking of no hope, amongst other smells. It's dark and depressing and those who struggle to cope there have to do many unsavory things to survive, often losing their emotions along the way. Black and Jhez show a strong bond with one another though. They often hug and will do anything to keep the other safe. They're all that's left of their family and the only other person allowed in is Blue. Blue has plenty of issues of his own with a cloud of mystery surrounding him. He's the local drug dealer and has seen plenty of bad things in his life barely hinted at. The three of them are interesting to see together and the strong bond of love they have. Black and Blue (the Bruise Brothers) appear weak throughout the story with momentary flashes of raw unexpected power. Jhez is badass to the core though with her flippant words and cocky attitude and I greatly enjoyed seeing her cope in the new world they find themselves in amongst lyche royalty. I look forward to seeing more of her in the future and the man strong enough to take her on. Blue also greatly intrigued me. He suffers so with the constant barragement of noise in his head and the reasons behind this will have my mind whirling until his story is told.

Monsieur Garthelle of York, Leonard to a very few, is in charge of the city and is looking for chi thieves who are stealing energy from his fellow lyche. He finds Black and is immediately drawn to him. Once they share chi he blackmails Black and Jhez into helping him with an even bigger problem in the lyche hierarchy and those trying to usurp the balance. Leonard is extremely sexy and mysterious and the sexual tension between him and Black is off the charts. The few sexual interludes they had made my heart pound and left me wanting more. Leonard's kept secrets for so long and been alone forever that it's hard for him to deal truthfully with Black who he's really starting to care for. Seeing him struggle to admit his feelings and be open with Black made me ache for him. Having him not only accept Black into his heart and family but Jhez too made me like him even more, since others of his ilk would have nothing to do with Mutts like them.

I enjoyed the fresh take on vampirism that Rhi presents. Having individuals share energy instead of blood felt more dangerous to me. Being drained dead like a battery and having your soul drained completely spoke volumes to the kind of world these characters live in. Sharing chi also makes for a stronger bond and felt more sexual to me since it's through touch that the transfer occurs. The more skin exposed the more chi can be transferred.

From start to finish I was fully invested in this story. While I could have done with a bit less political intrigue and had more focus put on the relationship between Black and Leonard, I still found the flow to be pleasant. The ending section is a bit hurried with a very open ending that I hope gets picked up from again soon. The sexual tension is palpable throughout but with very few blatant sexual interludes, which I would have liked to have had more of. The secondary characters of Jhez and Blue really grabbed my attention and I so hope we have their stories told soon since the anticipation is killing me. Blacker Than Black was an entertaining story with a memorable world that I look forward to visiting again soon and recommend you do too.

My rating for this is a B+

*I received this book from the author in exchange for my honest opinion.

Book Review for Smokin' Seventeen by Janet Evanovich

2012-01-28T02:00:00.008-06:00

Where there’s smoke there’s fire, and no one knows this better than New Jersey bounty hunter Stephanie Plum.

Dead bodies are showing up in shallow graves on the empty construction lot of Vincent Plum Bail Bonds. No one is sure who the killer is, or why the victims have been offed, but what is clear is that Stephanie’s name is on the killer’s list.

Short on time to find evidence proving the killer’s identity, Stephanie faces further complications when her family and friends decide that it’s time for her to choose between her longtime off-again-on-again boyfriend, Trenton cop Joe Morelli, and the bad boy in her life, security expert Ranger. Stephanie’s mom is encouraging Stephanie to dump them both and choose a former high school football star who’s just returned to town. Stephanie’s sidekick, Lula, is encouraging Stephanie to have a red-hot boudoir “bake-off.” And Grandma Bella, Morelli’s old-world grandmother, is encouraging Stephanie to move to a new state when she puts “the eye” on Stephanie.

With a cold-blooded killer after her, a handful of hot men, and a capture list that includes a dancing bear and a senior citizen vampire, Stephanie’s life looks like it’s about to go up in smoke.

********************

With Katherine Heigl bringing Stephanie Plum to the big screen this weekend I thought it appropriate to post this review of the 17th outing of the world's worst bounty hunter, Stephanie Plum. In this outing everyone's a bit out of sync after the complete destruction of Vinnie's Bail Bonds office in the previous book. Forced into working out of Mooner's marijuana-reeking trailer, Stephanie and Lula once again drive through the streets of Trenton looking for their next bounty.

The formula for this book and the series as a whole is pretty straightforward and similar from story to story. These books aren't read for their cutting edge storylines or thought provoking themes, they are strictly comfort food. You know Stephanie's latest car will go up in flames, you know Lula's going to be on another wacky diet, you know Grandma's going to cause a scene at a funeral, and you know Stephanie will still be torn between two sexy men....the reliable Morelli and the mysterious Ranger. Even knowing all these things you can't help but want to join in the fun.

This series still brings the laughs, and even though I look forward to those sexy tension-filled scenes between Steph and her men, it's those scenes with Stephanie and Lula that keep me entertained. These two ladies are a laugh riot, a modern-day Lucy and Ethel. They're the perfect pair and even if Steph never chooses which man to be with, as long as she's with Lula riding into the sunset I'll consider it a HEA.

Morelli and Ranger still make my mouth water with both of them having very appealing qualities where I can understand why Steph can't choose. In this book an extra male is thrown into the mix with a quality that Stephanie can't ignore, he's a great cook and she finds herself intrigued by him until things start getting a little crazy. Once the craziness kicks in the story picks up speed with an exciting race to the finish.

All-in-all I still find myself entertained by Stephanie Plum. I don't buy the books immediately upon release, but I'm still drawn to the series and will keep reading until the very end. I can admit that there are some consistent flaws in the series and that the love triangle needs to be settled soon, but the comedic moments between Stephanie and Lula and anytime Grandma opens her mouth still leave me satisfied and with a smile on my face.

My rating for this is a B.

Follow Friday.......

2012-01-26T21:44:00.000-06:00

Q: Which book genre do you avoid at all costs and why?

A: Self-help books. I've only read one or two that were recommended to me as being empowering, but I found them to be depressing and slightly annoying. I think change has to come from within and you've got to truly want it to achieve it.

Book Tour for Lust on the Rocks by Dianne Venetta (Guest Blog & GIVEAWAY)

2012-01-26T02:00:00.011-06:00

It's an exciting day here on the blog courtesy of Goddess Fish Promotions who have let me bring Dianne Venetta here who will be talking about her sexy new read and the appeal of younger men with older women. So let's get right to it......

What’s the allure of older women & younger men?

Okay. Let's be honest. What isn’t sexy about an older woman and younger man? Forget cougar, I'm talking feline, feminine, hums and purrs, twists and rolls... My heroine Samantha Rawlings is all this and doesn’t mind sharing. And she's not shy. Of course, neither are most cats I know!

In fact, they're independent souls that know what they want and know how to get it. Resourceful yet finicky, most cats can work any situation into their favor and Sam is no exception. When she spots a sexy young man? She takes possession—usually without complaint. But of course, what man would complain when an attractive woman seeks him out?

But a beautiful body will only take you so far. One of the sexiest things about this relationship is the combination of youthful stamina and the touch of experience. Older women know how to please and younger men can go the distance (if you what I mean) which heightens the pleasure for both. When a woman knows how to please herself—she will find herself at the top of every man's wish list. Odd concept, save the old adage: know thyself and you know your neighbor.

Never heard of that one? Well, I did just pull it from my back pocket, but the point remains: with an older woman, a man knows he won't be disappointed. If she knows her way around the human anatomy, he’s in for a thrill. And the knowledgeable older woman? What it's in it for her?

Complete and utter adoration. Much like a cat, a woman who is adored is a woman in full purr mode. Stroke her, rub her and send her straight to heaven. When she's had her fill? No problem. She’ll bolt like a flash of lightning, not to be seen or heard from again until she's good and ready.

Much like the older woman. Uninterested in making children or engaging in long term commitment (been there done that perhaps?), she's working off the pleasure principle. When it's good she's in—when it's not, she's out. The older woman has no use for the relationship that doesn't please her. Does it get any more liberating?

Not in my book, it doesn’t! How about you? Would you agree with my premise or do you have even more scintillating reasons these two make a sizzling combination? Do share—I’d love to know!

LUST ON THE ROCKS by Dianne Venetta

She has what he needs, and he won't stop until he gets it. Trouble is, what begins as a matter of death, becomes a matter of life.

One case away from partnership, Samantha Rawlings is forced to share her high-profile case with a sexy younger man, whose eyes are on a different prize. In the best interests of her client, Sam opens the door to his strategy. Turns out, a little too far...

Victor Marin has ulterior motives. The defendant in her case holds the key to his revenge, and his last chance for justice. But as he chases old demons, he uncovers a powerful woman with no inhibitions, one he wants to possess for himself. But decidedly single, Sam wants no part.

Until Vic walks away.

EXCERPT:

“You did well today, Vic. You didn’t win your argument, your performance was a little overpowering, but you did well.” She slid a hand across the table. He would have sworn she was about to touch his, but instead, her fingers curled around the stem of her water glass. “Chavez was out of line. It’s his MO. Whenever there’s a new attorney in his courtroom, he parades power like a peacock. Don’t take it personal.”

No longer sparring, Vic noted her removal of armor.

“You’re good. Really good. You have phenomenal energy in the courtroom—I mean you had the jury.” A smile crept onto her lips, a gesture which reached deep inside him. “I was watching. Each and every one of them followed you around that courtroom, your every move, your every word, they were right there with you. They didn’t believe her either.”

“Then why won’t you include me on Perry?”

Sam’s breath caught in her throat. Trapped beneath his gaze, the question echoed Raul’s. Around her, the noise level rose as lunch hour officially reached full sprint. People shouted orders, metal cash registers clanged in action, but she focused solely on Vic.

Her suspicion returned. Because I don’t need any help. Because I don’t want the distraction. Because I’ll be damned if some unknown hotshot comes in and tries to strip the prize from my hands regardless of how good, or how good-looking he is.

Sam’s spine locked straight. All her life she had to work twice as hard, run twice as fast—because she was a woman. As an adolescent, her parents forced her to share an overload of responsibility for the care of five younger siblings, despite the fact her brother was scarcely a year behind her. In college she was offered more dates than internships with law school providing more of the same.

Sam sighed. Baker, Schofield, Martinez and Brown had been the one interview where she felt wholly respected—wholly appreciated for her talent and not her looks. Because of Raul. He focused on her abilities and she responded. From there, the man taught her everything she knew, from the law to the lowdown, and groomed her into the legal shark she was proud to be.

Her thoughts chilled. Yet now, he was encouraging interference on her caseload from the new guy. It didn’t make sense.

Sam honed in on Vic. “Give me one good reason I should include you on Perry.”

“You said it yourself, I’m good.”

“So am I.”

“It’s a big case. More than one attorney can handle.”

“I have Diego.”

“I have experience.”

“So I hear.” Sam lifted her glass from the table, but never took her eyes off him.

“It could work to your benefit.”

“I work to my benefit.”

Vic eased his neck from his collar and reached for his glass. “I’m offering to help, Sam. Most attorneys would jump at the opportunity.”

“If you hadn’t gathered by now, I’m not most attorneys.”

***********************************************************

“My father is a prominent attorney.”

Sam gave an expectant lift to her shoulders. “And?”

“And, what? He’s a good guy.” Depressed, angry… Vic sighed. But a good man at heart.

“What do they think of you moving to Miami?”

Something inside him hardened. “They’re very supportive of what I do.”

She nodded, as though it were obvious. “They want you to be happy.”

Vic felt the old pressure swell in his gut. “Something like that.” He sipped from his drink, coating his ache with a soothing measure of gin.

“Family is important,” Sam said, with what sounded like genuine admiration. “Particularly the dedicated kind.”

He paused, and held onto the softness that entered her voice. “If you feel that way, why aren’t you married?”

“Why aren’t you?”

“Asked you first. The way you said it, sounded like you have some experience in the department.”

“I do. Loads of it.” She shook long bangs from her well-shaped brow and said, “I come from a family of six kids.”

“Six kids?”

“Six. And I, being the oldest, had to help raise the little beasts—I mean, dearies.” She smiled sweet as syrup. “And mind you, I love every one of them, but I don’t want to repeat history.” She mimicked a shudder and fiddled with her drink’s red plastic sword. “I’ve had my fill in the child-rearing department, thank you very much, but that doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate the commitment my parents made to keep it together.”

Oblivious now to the parade of passersby, Vic felt a strange wave of disappointment. “What, you don’t want kids?”

“I have kids,” she asserted. “My brothers and sisters have several between them who I enjoy very much, but as for myself I’ve chosen a different path.”

Vic nodded, but said nothing. He was calculating the new information, turning it over in his mind, deciding what it meant and how he felt about it.

And it’s reflection on her.

“So Vic, you still haven’t explained why you chose Miami.”

He welcomed the shift in tide. Talk of marriage and children was starting to depress him. “I’m looking to add a little ‘sunshine’ to my life and this seemed just the place.”

Sam dipped into her martini, the fiery gleam in her eyes magnetic, her smile reflecting the earlier reference. Inciting desire, it pulled him in, all without revealing her first thought.

“Yes, well, sounds to me like you had a vested opportunity in your father’s firm. Why cross the country and start over?”

“I wanted a change in scenery. While I’m young,” he added, with measured thrust.

Sam smiled, intrigued, but let the subject go.

While she had yet to decipher the reason for Vic’s move, and Raul’s insistence on acting as his cheerleader, she knew men didn’t usually uproot their careers and move halfway across the country, particularly when their father was a well-connected attorney in town and their academics were spotless.

Unless there was a problem.

**********************************************************

“It’s nice out here, isn’t it?”

The light breeze tossed hair into her face as she looked at him. “One of my favorite places to be.” The feel and sound of crashing waves reminded her of life’s ebb and flow, the powerful force of nature, the calming sense of continuity. Sam loved the ocean, from the deep dark depths to the slide of incoming tides across a shore littered with shells.

Vic kept his pace slow. Jean pant legs rolled up, he carried his loafers in one hand, allowing the other to occasionally bump with hers. “Why aren’t you tied down yet, Sam? Seems to me, a woman like you would have men lining up with proposals.”

She chuckled at his compliment. “I don’t want to be tied down.”

“Ever? You mean to tell me you never met a guy who did it for you?”

“Did it for me?” she repeated, amused by his choice of words. But she knew what he meant and relaxed into a laugh. “I’ve met a lot of men who have done it for me, as you so neatly put, but I choose to be single.”

“Why? Someone hurt you?”

“No.” Other than my family. Being forced to care for five little kids when you were scarcely one yourself wasn’t so great. But life did that to you. It put you in situations and forced you to deal—which she did. But that was behind her now and she didn’t intend to go back. Ever.

“You don’t want kids? Is that it?”

“Let’s say I had an overexposure at a young age, caring for my brothers and sisters and I’m cleansed of any desire to have my own. What about you?”

“What about me.”

“Siblings, nieces, nephews...”

“None,” he said, and Sam almost tripped over the soft quality of his voice.

“Must be strange.” When he didn’t reply, she said, “I’m sorry, that didn’t come out right.”

He looked at her and said, “Don’t worry about it. No big deal.”

But the vulnerability in his eyes unraveled her heart. Had he been hurt? Was that the reason behind his distinct change in demeanor, the wall that slid between them?

This was usually easy territory for a man. Unless there was a problem, rang the sentiment again. “Ever thought about marriage and kids for yourself?”

“Maybe someday.”

“Someday?”

“I’m focused on my career, but later, when I’m ready to settle down...” The thought fell away. “Who knows?”

“They’re a lot of work,” Sam tried to make light, willing the ease to return.

“But the connection is worth it.”

She turned to him and he stopped. In the distance, the sound of partygoers blended with the thumping base of music drifting far and wide. Behind them, a large wave crashed. Racing up the shore, it submerged them ankle deep, then glided across the wide expanse of sand as it made its retreat to the ocean. Something changed. The hairs on the back of her neck stood amidst goose bumps prickling her flesh. Vic’s gaze cut through the gentle evening light as he touched her hair, ceasing its lash across her cheekbones. Her pulse quickened.

“I had a nice time.”

“Me, too,” she uttered, her breathing reduced to wisps.

“I’m glad we’re working together.”

She could only nod, suspended by what came next.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Dianne lives in Central Florida with her husband, two children and part-time Yellow Lab--Cody-body! When not whacking away at her keyboard crafting her next novel you'll find her in their organic garden chasing grasshoppers and plucking hornworms all while drawing wild analogies between kids and plants and men. Definitely men.

A girl's gotta have fun, right?

When she's not knee-deep in dirt or romance, Dianne contributes garden advice for various websites and volunteers in her kids' school garden (a crazy existence to be sure). But at the end of the day, if she can inspire someone to stop and smell the roses--or rosemary!—kiss their child and spouse good-night, be kind to a neighbor and Mother Earth, then she's done all right.

http://www.diannevenetta.com
http://www.twitter.com/DianneVenetta
http://www.facebook.com/DianneVenetta
http://www.BloominThyme.com - the last being my garden blog

**********GIVEAWAY**********

Prize is a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to one randomly drawn commenter during the tour.

-Giveaway is OPEN TO EVERYONE.

-To be entered, you MUST answer the question Dianne asks at the end of her post (it's in bold) and include your email addy.

-Winner will be randomly chosen from amongst all comments made throughout the tour. So the more tour stops you comment on, the greater your chances of winning. A list of tour stops can be found here.

-Giveaway ends at 11:59 PM CST on 2/10.

Taking the Day Off For My Birthday.....

2012-01-25T02:00:00.002-06:00

Hello all, I'm taking a lazy day in honor of my year older birthday. Not much planned for today, but my high school best friend and her hubby are coming over tonight for some take-out and tv and that's as wild as it's going to get. So thanks for understanding my day off and I'll be back tomorrow with an author guest and giveaway.

(My Birthday Gift to Myself!)

Teaser Tuesdays #52

2012-01-24T07:00:00.000-06:00

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers.

BLACKER THAN BLACK by Rhi Etzweiler

....from page 228 of 4322 (from my Kindle).

-"You don't yet realize what you've taken, do you." Of course I don't, not....completely. I never do, until my body has fully absorbed it. It burns through my bloodstream like a bad high, even now. And that's not normal either, now that I think about it.

Winner of Deadly Obsession by Kristine Cayne....

2012-01-24T06:30:00.003-06:00

Before I announce the winner of a digital copy of Deadly Obsession in the format of their choice by Kristine Cayne, I want to thank Bewitching Book Tours and Kristine for letting me be a part of this giveaway. And now on to the winner....

.......Catherine Lee!!!!!!!!!!

CONGRATULATIONS!!!! I'll be emailing you in a bit to confirm your win and find out the format of your choice. Thanks for entering and Happy Reading!

Book Tour for Stripped by Tori St. Claire (Interview & GIVEAWAY)

2012-01-23T13:04:00.002-06:00

You can tell I'm a year older this week as I almost forgot about the lovely Tori St. Claire's visit here today. I apologize to her and Goddess Fish promotions for my doofus moment, but better late than never. So let's learn about Tori St Claire and this sexy book together.....

TSP: How did you get where you are today with your writing career and your first erotic book being released?

TSC: Oh my goodness… As I reflect, most of my writing endeavors have come as a result of being challenged. I began writing historical romance (and still do, though it’s not currently dominant in my path) and had some success in contests with a few manuscripts. A critique partner dared me on what was to be my first published novel, Seduction’s Stakes, to amp up the heat and write about horses. An entirely different critique partner slammed the manuscript when I finished it, so I submitted it to The Wild Rose Press to get a “professional take” on the “problems” in the manuscript. To my absolute surprise, shortly before Christmas, my editor there returned with an offer to contract. I had a phenomenal relationship with my first editor and quickly decided to write something else for her. The holidays were right there – so A Christmas to Believe in and Timeless Valentine came about.

I kept writing contemporary while working on paranormal and shopping to agents. While I adore The Wild Rose Press, I wanted something a bit larger for the books that required intense research and writing time. I’ll be completely frank – I took a chance with a new agent. I was her fifth client, and couldn’t have made a better decision...After she signed me with my paranormal, IMMORTAL HOPE, we sold a week and a half later.

We’ve since signed international contracts, obtained the second with Berkley, and she is an invaluable instrument to where I am presently. She’s aware of my goals, she helps me strive to meet them, and also gives me freedom to spread my wings as my creativity demands. She, and my editor at Berkley, brought me here with STRIPPED by seeing a door I didn’t even consider.

TSP: What made you decide to change writing genres after having so many not quite erotic releases as Claire Ashgrove? And will you still be writing as Claire Ashgrove?

TSC: First, yes, I’m still writing as Claire Ashgrove. And actually, in conjunction with the release of STRIPPED, I have a new paranormal series releasing through Tor Romance this month – IMMORTAL HOPE, the first book in The Curse of the Templars. (There’s my plug – check it out!)

Second – it was completely by accident! I wrote STRIPPED as a hot romantic suspense that falls in line with many of my contemporary works. It was shopped to my editor as such. The offer came back contingent on an alteration to an erotic novel. I agreed, and here we are. The choice of a second pen name wasn’t to disguise or hide behind a second identity. It was to establish a clear delineation between what type of book my reader was picking up, so Tori St. Claire was born.

TSP: What can you tell us about your new release Stripped and the Black Opals series, which it's the beginning of?

TSC: STRIPPED is dark and edgy, and the Black Opals veer away from the traditional pairing of really good guy in bad situation. At the core of what they are, the Black Opals are human beings with the same faults, strengths, and weaknesses as any human being. But their professional side pushes boundaries that put them in not only dangerous, but also morally questionable situations that make them a bit controversial.

“They exist only in shadow. An elite team of deadly operatives created to satisfy increasing international threats. Their world is the dark underground, where sin and pleasure dominate and lies are second nature. To those who cross them, they are professional killers. Within the CIA, they are the rare Black Opals . . .”

The books are also thrillers, where I’ve taken great pains to weave hidden intricacies so that the danger is truly unknown. Which has made it surprisingly difficult to talk about, actually. I’m so afraid I’ll give away something that is critical to the resolution. I will say this though – more often than not, what you assume as fact… isn’t.

TSP: What do you think makes a good h/h and do you have a favorite from another author's book (I know it's hard to choose among your own, so I thought this might be an easier choice...lol)?

TSC: A good h/h comes about when there is deep emotion and can come from any pairing, in my opinion. It’s not about conflicting goals or personalities… but the emotion those conflicts evoke. How it affects and makes them grow. You can take two people in the same profession, who have the same external goal, who both want happily ever after plus children… One gets a promotion while the other loses his job. A small conflict with the potential to have extraordinary emotional growth and impact. If the unemployed can’t move past jealousy, there’s one possible obstacle. If the employed suffers from guilt, there’s another. What they do with that, how the interrelate can make the difference between a memorable read and a good read.

Actually…I do have favorites –note the plural, lol!) amongst my own, and I really don’t like to name other authors because I always feel like someone might get offended, even if that’s a ridiculous worry. However, I love the conflict between Natalya and Brandon in STRIPPED because of how it affects Natalya internally, what it forces her to consider and acknowledge about herself. More so, in this series, I’m incredibly attached to the hero in the forthcoming second book, LIE TO ME, and another hero who is plotted, but not yet written, both of whom have to confront demons of their past.

In my paranormal works, book 2 of The Curse of the Templars (IMMORTAL SURRENDER) has one of my favorite h/h pairings. As does the pairing between Belen and Faith in my novella, DESTINED TO DIE.

But currently, my absolute favorite hero and heroine pair are Kyle and Aimee in A BROKEN CHRISTMAS, from my contemporaries. Kyle is absolutely broken, physically and mentally. Aimee has her own obstacles, but she’s immovably determined to heal Kyle. They aren’t different people, their personal goals don’t put them as polar opposites, but the emotional turmoil the conflict puts them through, moves me to tears, and I’m not one to cry over my own writing, ever.

TSP: How do you feel about the digital revolution and what affect does it have on your writing and how you market yourself? Do you have an eReader yourself?

TSC: I don’t own an eReader, but I’m not opposed to them. The digitalization does impact an author, and I’ve had to bend my understandings to meet those demands. Promotions used to be a matter of appearing physically at stores. Now, it’s doing blog interviews, social networking, maintaining websites and making sure that material is there for readers who are digital-first. I’ve done some short stories to keep with the curve, something I never thought I would have an interest in. I joined Twitter – big step for a somewhat shy gal.

While I don’t see digital replacing the physical book, it is a dominant force and an author needs to be aware of its existence. No longer can a blind eye be turned to the ‘revolution’. Innovative promotions, just getting out there –which is hard when the writers cave calls – will bring an author into the new era.

TSP: What do you do when not writing and when you complete a book do you do anything special to celebrate?

TSC: Laugh! You really should see my GANTT Chart. I came up with the insane idea that it would be prudent to write eight novellas in the middle of two contracts that are running parallel. Right now, I have no downtime. I finish a book, take about a week to clear my head, piddle around the house, play with my children, just… breathe outside of the cave. We have horses, but it’s winter, and no one feels like doing much other than feeding and watering. When I’ve let down for a while, then I go back in and do it all over again.

Writing is a job to me, though I love every moment of it. But just like my days in the corporate world, when one task or project is finished, I’m done, I move on to the next one. With all the voices clamoring for attention in my head, I don’t have trouble being enthusiastic about the next slated story.

TSP: My site is all about favorite things. So what are some of your favorite things, the things you can't live without?

TSC: I cannot live without my horses. I might be able to exist without the dogs and cats, but the horses… no way no how.

Must. Have. Chocolate. And coffee.

Must also have high heeled shoes and nifty boots… I’m a shoe addict.

I’m also very addicted to dragons. I have figurines of all kinds of dragons, and pictures… I love dragons. Cute, mean, dangerous, wise… all colors, shapes and sizes. One cannot have enough dragons in their lives.
Last, I’d say I must have my critique partner’s cream puffs. YUM!

STRIPPED by Tori St Claire

Body of secrets…

As a member of the CIA’s elite, Black Opals, Natalya Trubachev must live a lie, working undercover as the lover of Dmitri, a Russian mob boss. His business is trafficking vulnerable Las Vegas strippers overseas for twisted sex games. Natalya’s business is to blow the ring wide open and bring down Dmitri and his American contacts. But the stakes are raised when she learns that the next target is her own sister Kate, a dancer in the famed club Fantasia. Only now does Natalya realize how personal her mission has become, and how far she’s willing to go to complete it.

Body of lies…

The manager of Fantasia is Brandon Moretti, an undercover detective who keeps a close eye on his girls, and an even closer one on his sinfully sensual hire. For Natalya, working the club could be the break she’s been waiting for. But for Moretti, Natalya is a possible link to a killer. Only he never counted on her being so lethally seductive or so dangerous to get close to. As every forbidden pleasure between them is stripped away, his own secrets threaten their security, but it’s Natalya’s that could destroy them both.

EXCERPT:

"No.” Sitting forward, Brandon folded his hands on the stack of papers atop his desk. “You worked with Kate. That was when? Ten years ago? Have you danced since then?”

“Fifteen, and no. But I’m quite capable.” Only because Dmitri made her dance for him. She supposed she could consider that a benefit. If he hadn’t insisted on private pole dances, her body would have forgotten how.

The reproachful arch of a dark eyebrow hinted at doubt. “What makes you certain you can compete with the girls who’ve been doing this for years?” His gaze dropped to her breasts, then slid slowly back up to lock with hers. “Beyond the obvious.”

Natalya’s body flushed with heat. She crossed the opposite leg over her opposite knee, unsettled by the blatant appreciation in those tawny eyes. How many times had Dmitri looked at her with the same suggestion in his gaze?

How long had it been since she’d liked being stripped bare with a mere glance?

The sudden tingling of her skin disturbed her. Moretti could very well be one of Dmitri’s faithful—he had more than one cop on the take. While Dmitri understood her job required a bit of . . . feminine finesse . . . he’d only grant her so much leeway. If she gave him a reason to suspect her allegiance, he’d slice her throat before she could see the knife glint. And the way her body was warming beneath Brandon’s heated stare spelled trouble.

Determined to ignore his blatantly sexual gaze, she focused on the small white scar across Moretti’s chin and dredged up every reason she could think of to convince him into giving her the job. “I danced well. Was the crowd favorite for a while. I held the job all through college, and two years in, the girls were coming to me for dance suggestions, costuming, on-the-spot fixes for breakdowns. Advice on how to handle the more exuberant customers.” She took a breath and began counting items off her fingers. “I hired. I fired. I kept the drugs out of the dressing rooms. I trained the girls on the pole—Kate said you needed someone strong with the pole. My core body strength—”

“You’re hired.”

Natalya snapped her mouth shut. Slowly, she blinked. “What?”

“You’re hired.” Moretti stood, stretching out his muscular thighs that even his loose denim jeans couldn’t disguise. He shoved his left hand into his hip pocket. Against her will, Natalya’s gaze dropped to his crotch.

Her breath caught at the tightening of his fly, the hard ridge that evidenced arousal.

When she yanked her gaze back to Brandon’s, his eyes flashed dark gold, telling her he knew exactly where she’d been looking. His voice, however, belied his awareness. “We open in three hours. I’ll need you here early to help get the girls settled in.”

“The girls?”

He fished a set of keys out of the top right desk drawer and held his fist over her hand. “These are to the dressing rooms. I have a copy, you have a copy. No one else. Kate’s our star. She goes on at ten, and every two hours after. Jill follows. Beyond that, you’ll have to talk to the girls.”
Natalya moved her hand beneath his, palm up, waiting for the keys. “And me?”

“I need a housemom more than I need a dancer.” His fingers brushed the base of her wrist.

Ignoring the chill that raced to her shoulder, she blinked again. “A housemom?” He had to be kidding! She needed to be onstage. Scoping out the crowd. Looking for Discovery, as he was bound to be looking for potential targets.

Brandon lifted his hand a fraction. “A housemom.”

Or the job wasn’t hers. The hard line of his chiseled jaw voiced what he didn’t say.
Hell, not if she had anything to say about it. She was here to crack a case, and she couldn’t do that locked away in the back of the house.

He slammed the ball of his fist down on her desk. A box of chocolate-covered cherries jumped. He glanced at the white and red carton briefly, then dismissed it, locking his gaze with Natalya’s once more. “I’ll tell you about wrong ideas. Let’s start with how your boss told you not to dance, and you decided to do so anyway.”

“My boss?” Natalya laughed again. “Make up your mind which role you want to play, Brandon. You’re only my boss when it’s convenient for you. Otherwise you’re too busy fucking me.”

He clamped his teeth down on the stream of oaths that choked off his air. He couldn’t argue with the truth. Moreover, he caught the flat glint of her eyes. The unfeeling stare that told him the words were real enough, but the woman who said them wasn’t. For a moment, in the dancers’ lounge, he’d glimpsed that mesmerizing Natalya who drove him to maddening limits. While this shell made him every bit as crazy, he ached for the woman who prompted him into foolishness. She had been on the stage. She deserved the fight.

“Damn it, where are you?” Frustrated beyond all means, he swiped his arm across the desk, sending the chocolates flying into the wall.

She blinked. But not at him, he realized, as he followed the trajectory of her gaze. She stared at the floor where the box had broken open. Smashed chocolate-covered cherries coated the floor, sugary ooze pouring from a squashed corner.

Brandon straightened. Unease filtered through his angry haze. He’d hit the candy hard. But not hard enough to smash two entire trays of candies, each held in egg-shaped cups. That candy was already crushed, long before he’d hit it. And to accomplish that, while keeping the flimsy plastic cups from collapsing, someone had done it piece by piece.

“Who gave you that?” His gaze flicked back to hers, and he took a small measure of satisfaction at witnessing the truth behind her eyes before she once again snapped the shutters closed.

“I told you jealousy wasn’t a pretty color for you.”

He pursed his lips, ground his teeth together. With patience that defied his years of training, he gritted out,

“No games. Who gave you the chocolate, Natalya?”

Defiance radiated in the proud jut of her chin. Sparkled behind her unblinking stare. Then, as she blinked, the facade crumbled. She shook her head. “It wasn’t here when I left for the stage.”

In the next heartbeat, the color drained from her face. He knew then, she’d made a connection. Associated the candy with someone else. Someone who had the capacity to strike fear into her fearless little heart.

“Tell me what you want, beautiful.” His breath rasped over her cheek. Featherlight kisses accompanied the whisper, trailing across her skin in a taunting path toward her mouth.

Kiss me. She turned her head in search of lips she instinctively knew would be warm, the words on the tip of her tongue. Kiss me until I don’t care whether I live or die.

Honesty. Just once.

He caught her lower lip with his teeth, the nip nowhere near gentle. But the lazy stroke of his tongue soothed the stinging bite. She parted her lips, dipped her tongue out to touch his.
Brandon’s body tightened like a whip. The pressure in her lower back increased as his fingers curled into her skin. Their breaths mingled. The tips of their tongues met in a slow, sensual dance. As another spasm of ecstasy threatened to send her tumbling into his solid chest, she braced her hands on his shoulders.

And then Brandon was gone, the magic of his fingers disappearing as he stepped back and set both hands on her waist. His gaze scorched in to flood her body with tingles. He waited, his question unspoken, but hanging between them.

Tell me what you want.

Clearly he intended to make her admit she wanted to feel him deep inside her. Wanted to experience the slide of his bare skin against hers. And God, how she wanted to kiss him. To taste the desire that burned in his gaze and the indescribable flavor of hot, aroused man.

Confessing might lead her to an early grave, but for once, her conscious would be clear. She swallowed hard and dug deep for the courage that had kept her alive these last three years. His gaze followed the sweep of her tongue as she moistened her lips.

“Kiss me.” Her senses honed in on her whisper, amplifying it and the ragged fall of their mutual breathing. She became aware of every minuscule sound as she waited for Brandon to either dip his head and honor her request, or shove her aside with a wicked sneer.

He took a step closer, bringing their bodies in contact from chest to toes. One arm wrapped around her waist, then slid up her back to offer support between her shoulder blades. The other tangled in her hair, tipping her head back. Putting her where he wanted her—subtle dominance that thrilled her in places she hadn’t known existed. Her womb clamped hard, sending another rush of moisture through her pussy.

His mouth descended. Warm lips played against hers, drawing her into the spell his body wove. Pulling her in so deep she struggled for air.

The sudden, brassy ring of her cell phone jolted her out of hazy desire. She froze. With Kate and Sergei due to arrive at Fantasia any minute, there could only be one other person calling at this time of day—Dmitri. It would be almost one in the morning in Moscow. The time Dmitri put aside his work and crawled into bed. He’d want to talk before he slept.

“Don’t answer that,” Brandon whispered against her mouth.

Damn if those lips weren’t compelling. She’d had his mouth on her breast, knew the incredible magic his tongue could create there, but had yet to experience the tantalizing slide of his tongue against hers. The need to feel his mouth on hers, to get lost in his potent masculinity pressed her to ignore the ringing tones.

Duty, however, rose up screaming. If she didn’t answer, Dmitri would get suspicious.

“I have to.”

AUTHOR BIO:

Tori St. Claire grew up writing. Hobby quickly turned into passion, and when she discovered the world of romance as a teen, poems and short stories gave way to full length novels with sexy heroes and heroines waiting to be swept off their feet. She wrote her first romance novel at seventeen.

While that manuscript gathered dust-bunnies beneath the bed, she went on to establish herself as a contemporary, historical, and paranormal author under the pen name, Claire Ashgrove. Her writing, however, skirted a fine line between hot and steamy, and motivated by authors she admired, she pushed her boundaries and made the leap into erotica, using the darker side of human nature and on-the-edge suspense to drive grittier, sexier, stories.

Her erotic romantic suspense novels are searingly sensual experiences that unite passion with true emotion, and the all-consuming tie that binds -- love.

Tori can be found at:

www.toristclaire.com
www.claireashgrove.com
Twitter: @claireashgrove

**********CONTEST**********

Giveaway is for a $25 Amazon GC

-Giveaway is OPEN TO ALL!

-One winner will be chosen randomly from everyone who comments throughout the tour, so the more you comment the greater your chances of winning. The complete tour schedule is listed here.

-Just leave a comment, along with your email addy, to be entered.

-Giveaway ends at 11:59 pm CST on 1/27.

Fashion Monday Madness....

2012-01-23T02:00:00.006-06:00

Another week is upon us and the days are counting down until my birthday on Wednesday when I will be.....a year older. Since it's Monday it's time for our fashion chat. So let's get right to it....

The Good....

Kate Beckinsale is glittering in gold in this flowing gown that's simple and sleek. The gold jewelry adds to this winning dress and is the perfect accent. Kate definitely gets the gold medal for this look!

Kate Blanchett combines classic with cutting edge in this intriguingly draped cocktail dress. The bodice has a romantic flowing feel to it and adds a bit of sexiness with the see-through material. The shoes add a bit of flair and are all the adornment this simply perfect dress needs.

The Bad....

January Jones looks matronly from the top of her head to the tips of her toes in this bland dress. The sleeves look like a child's craft project and make the dress look even more odd. Add in the boring shoes and this is one ensemble that needs to be put in storage.

Amber Rose is trying to bring a bit of fashion to the Army with her peppy boots and leather vest, but she should be discharged for wearing pajamas. The jumpsuit completely overwhelms her and is a fashion statement no one wants to make. This is definitely not being all you can be!

The Ugly....

I normally love Evanescence's Amy Lee's gothic style, but this scarf scraps skirt is a mess. It makes me think of that magic trick where you pull a scarf out and they just keep coming. The colors are a joke and the skirt as a whole completely ruins her bad girl attitude.

Kelly Osbourne looks like a ghost with her washed-out face and grey hair that looks like it's been through a windstorm. The dress is completely ill fitting with colors that add to her paleness. The dress can't decide if it wants to be too baggy or too tight and ends up being too depressing for this Fashion Police correspondent.

That's it for this week. Next week we'll be highlighting outfits from the SAG Awards so make sure to come back for more awards season fun. And please sound off below with your feelings about this weeks clothing choices.

Review for Her One-Night Prince by Rebecca J. Clark

2012-01-21T02:00:00.032-06:00

Her One-Night Prince is a Cinderella story about a woman's dream to be something she's not for just one night at her class reunion. As all fairy tales go, however, happy endings don't come easily. Shy and sheltered Lydia St. Clair is uncomfortable around men, so she advertises for a gay man to be her date and revamp her style. Mitch Gannon answers Lydia's ad, and he's perfect for the job--he's handsome and, even more important, he's charming. Unbeknownst to Lydia, Mitch is straight and answered the ad as the unwitting victim of a practical joke. Before he can reveal the truth, Lydia is convinced he's her fairy godmother, ready to transform her into the belle of the ball. And Mitch, prince that he is, doesn't have the heart to set her straight.

********************

This is a wonderfully written sweet story that fulfills every little girls dream, especially this little girl. From the memorable characters put into realistic situations to the slow burn of friends to lovers, I was caught up in this story from start to finish.

Lydia St Clair is a loving daughter and highly responsible woman which has left little time for doing things for herself. I could respect her way of living and found bits of myself in her way of thinking. All she wants at the moment, other than caring for her father so he doesn't go to a nursing home, is to prove to her former high school classmates that she's no longer that awkward ugly duckling the popular kids once called her. Trouble is, she's still awkward and unstylish. Hence her brilliant idea to have a Queer Eye make-over from a gay man and have him act as her reunion date. The lessons she received made me ache for her struggle to succeed. To see her constantly second-guessing herself and feeling like a failure made those moments of success and happiness all the sweeter. Lydia was someone that truly deserved happiness and it brought a tear to my eye when she finally got what she wanted.

Mitch Gannon accidentally answers Lydia's ad and even though he thinks she's an unpleasant prude at first glance, there's just something about her that draws her to him. He once lived his life like Lydia, full of seriousness all the time, never taking time for himself. He's turned over a new leaf and now is a writer and bar owner. Therefore he sees it as his mission to get Lydia to relax too. And since he feels guilty over not being able to take her to the reunion, he gives her lessons to be more comfortable in public and around men. Unfortunately, to keep her calm in his presence the lie about his sexuality remains. But as they interact he grows more and more attracted to her and desperate to tell her the truth. The lies keep adding up as Lydia's father Robert wants Mitch's help in finding a suitable nursing home to move to behind Lydia's back. And as the reunion draws nearer truths come out and a blossoming relationship might end before it barely starts. I found Mitch incredibly charming in his interactions with Lydia. He was extremely sexy but never acted arrogant about it. His problem lies in his committment issues and fears of gaining responsibility again. But once he realizes what he truly wants, the grand gesture he makes is one that made me clap.

This was a sweet romance with some heavy petting and kissing that still made my toes curl. The sexual tension generated by Lydia and Mitch was off the charts and equal to books with even more blatant sexual acts.

The secondary characters added to the drama and certainly stood out. In particular, Lydia's father Robert left a lasting impression on me. He's been left with physical impairments and issues surrounding a head injury that have left him reliant on his daughter. We see glimpses of him struggling with his disability but he's no less spry because of it. He's outspoken and plays matchmaker to Lydia and Mitch using some hilarious methods. I adored him and would have loved to see even more of him!

This was a wonderful, feel-good story that flowed at a nice pace with a truly likable couple you root for every step of the way. The romance was sweet and very satisfying and reading it fulfilled all those youthful dreams of a Cinderella ending. I highly recommend this to anyone wanting a story that leaves a smile on their face long after the final page is turned!

My rating for this is an A!

*I received this book from the author in exchange for my honest opinion.

Follow Friday.......

2012-01-19T21:11:00.000-06:00

This is the day of the week where we get to know each other better by answering a question devised by our lovely hostesses Parajunkee & Alisoncanread. We also gain new followers by joining each other's sites via GFC, so please let me know if you're a new follower since I automatically follow back. And now for this week's question....

Q: What's the craziest thing you've ever done to get your hands on any particular book?

A: I'm going to appear rather boring with this answer...but so be it. I read A LOT as a child, and since I became disabled at the age of four, it was my main form of activity (sure beat PE which I luckily got out of in later years). My parents made sure I had whatever books I wanted but we had to drive 45 minutes to the closest city with a bookstore to get them. Needless to say, the bag was overflowing with books when we came home. Thankfully, my sister was a big reader too so the books were reread by many.

Book Tour for Broods of Fenrir by Coral Moore (Promo Post)

2012-01-19T02:00:00.036-06:00

As a fan of the paranormal genre I'm always on the lookout for intriguing new stories. Courtesy of Bewitching Book Tours I've discovered such a book. Broods of Fenrir by Coral Moore puts a new spin on the werewolf myth and is the start of an exciting new series. Luckily I can give you a glimpse of it today and without further ado here's that taste.....

Broods of Fenrir by Coral Moore

Shapeshifter Brand Geirson was raised to rule the Broods of Fenrir, but he refused his birthright. Instead, he killed their brutal leader–his own father–and walked away.

For hundreds of years he’s avoided brood society, until a werewolf kills an innocent human woman and Brand finds himself dragged back into the violent politics of the shapeshifters. When the two brood women who mean the most to him come under threat, he must take up the throne and risk becoming the kind of vicious bastard his father was, or let the broods descend further into chaos–taking the friend he swore to protect and his lover with them.

Relevant Warnings: There is significant violence. One on-screen sex scene, though I wouldn't describe it as particularly graphic.

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Broods-of-Fenrir-ebook/dp/B006AKQVR0/
Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/106624
Barnes & Noble: http://search.barnesandnoble.com/books/e/2940013500624

AUTHOR BIO:

Coral Moore has always been the kind of girl who makes up stories. Fortunately, she never quite grew out of that. She writes because she loves to invent characters and the desire to find out what happens to her creations drives the tales she tells.

Prompted by a general interest in how life works, her undergraduate schooling was in biology. She follows science news and enjoys conversations about genetics and microbiology as much as those about vampires and werewolves. Coral writes speculative fiction and is pursuing a Master of Fine Arts in Writing at Albertus Magnus College.

Currently she lives in Connecticut with the love of her life, who offers both encouragement and kicks in the tail when necessary. Also in residence are two mammals of the families Canidae and Felidae.

She released her first novel, Broods of Fenrir, in November 2011. Her next release, Elements of Rebellion, is due out in spring 2012.

http://www.chaosandinsanity.com/
twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/coralm
http://www.facebook.com/AuthorCoralMoore