Vampires, Werewolves & Fairies. Oh My!

2012-02-18T05:29:00.000-08:00

WINNER !!!

Good Morning everyone!! Laura Bickle is here to tell us about some of her awesome books and the characters she has in them. While living in the Midwest she has worked in library science, criminology, and technology. Oh yes,.... and she is an avid cat lover. LOL!! Laura is also sponsoring a giveaway today, a copy of ROGUE ORACLE. Just be a follower of this blog and leave a comment or questions with your email address. A random winner will be drawn from the comments. Now let’s talk with Laura!!!!

2012-02-17T05:04:00.000-08:00

1. First let’s talk about the two series you have. First is the DELPHIC ORACLE series written under Alayna Williams. The other under Laura Bickle, is the ANYA KALINCZYK novels. Tell us about these books and why you decided to use different names with each series.

Thanks very much for chatting with me today!

Writing as Alayna Williams, I'm the author of DARK ORACLE and ROGUE ORACLE for Pocket Books. The ORACLE books are about a criminal profiler, Tara Sheridan, who uses Tarot cards to solve crimes. Her foil and sometime-lover is skeptical federal agent Harry Li. Tara is a member of a secret order of oracles who trace their lineage back to the Oracle of Delphi. The series mixes magic and science in a way that appeals to fans of The X-Files and Fringe. I get to do a lot of exciting stuff with artificial black holes, pyromancy, the legacy of Chernobyl, and conspiracies.

My Laura Bickle books, EMBERS and SPARKS, are probably best described as "Ghostbusters in Detroit with arson and dragons." The Lantern series follows the adventures of Anya Kalinczyk. By day, Anya investigates suspicious fires as a Detroit arson investigator. By night, she works as part of an eccentric group of ghost hunters. Anya's the rarest type of spiritual medium - a Lantern, who incinerates malicious ghosts. With the help of her cranky fire salamander familiar, Sparky, Anya chases supernatural and human threats to her city.

My editor recommended that I use a pseudonym for the ORACLE books. My first book, EMBERS, came out in April, 2010. DARK ORACLE was scheduled for June of that year. We thought it would be confusing for readers to have two UF series going on under the same name, with alternating release dates. For that purpose, it made sense to create "Alayna."

2. In the future do you intend (and want) to continue with two pen names or identities?

Having a not-so-secret identity is a lot of fun, but it's also a lot to keep track of. For the foreseeable future, I think I'm going to stick with "Laura Bickle."

3. Anya Kalinczyk has a charming invisible fire salamander familiar named Sparky. How did this inspiration develop and become a creation on the page?

Sparky, Anya Kalinczyk's fire salamander in EMBERS and SPARKS, is a lot of fun to write. Sparky is a composite of all the pets I've had. He's snuggly, petulant, protective, and snarky. As a fire salamander, he can affect electrical fields and fire...he's been known to chew on cell phones, blow up microwaves, and set of sprinkler systems in the crime lab. He doesn't speak, but he gets to unleash all of his destructive urges and snack on ghosts.

He has a favorite toy that he cuddles with at night...a Glow-Worm. I had a Glow-Worm toy as a child. I was terribly afraid of the dark, and it really helped. I still give them as gifts for baby showers.

4. There is still a lot about Sparky that hasn’t been told yet. Could you share something that isn’t in your books about this special creature? We promise not to tell **wink, wink**.

LOL. Well, Sparky's had quite a long life. He spent some time gadding about Europe with Van Helsing. He was Joan of Arc's familiar, and also had his sticky fingers involved in the Hindenburg disaster. He's a bit sensitive about the Hindenburg issue.

5. In the ORACLE series, Tara Sheridan looks to Tarot cards reading for some of her guidance. Do tarot cards play a role in your personal or working life?

I've been puttering around with Tarot cards since I was a teenager. I've never read cards professionally, but they make wonderful story prompts. I wrote the ORACLE books with a deck of cards at hand. Whenever I got stuck on a plot point or character, I'd draw a card at random. Many of the spreads I came up with actually appear in the book.

6. When Anya 'devours' the spirits ( or ghosts ) where do they go? What exactly takes place?

Ah, this is a price of power question. I think that human protagonists must make a trade-off for using magic; there’s no free lunch in the universe. Even if a magical heritage is forced on them, and not something sought out willingly.

With that in mind, I created my heroines with an ambivalent relationship toward their magical powers. In EMBERS, Anya Kalinczyk is the rarest kind of psychic medium, a Lantern. Where other mediums allow spirits to use their hands and voices to communicate, Anya devours ghosts. It’s a talent she had no choice in - she’s always been a Lantern. And it comes in handy in her nocturnal work as a ghost hunter. But she wrestles with the costs.

The first cost is physical. Devouring a spirit leaves a burn, a scar, on her body. The second is psychological - Anya feels apart from ordinary humans, and can’t make a connection with her fellow ghost hunters. And the last one is spiritual. Anya wrestles with the idea of what happens to a ghost after she incinerates it. Does it go forward into an Afterworld? Or has she killed it entirely?

These are questions that Anya hasn't yet answered, but they keep her awake at night.

7. Intertwining realm's (reality and fantasy) is a strong point that seems to flow and come alive in your writing. Is this something that you have to work at or does it come easily?

One of the tricky issues in writing urban fantasy is finding the appropriate balance between fantasy and reality. Urban fantasy, by definition, includes fantastical elements (including paranormal ideas or magic) in a mundane setting. Fantastic elements make a story interesting, and realistic elements make a story believable. Too much fantasy makes the magic less special, drowns it in a sea of fantastic characters and places. Too much realism makes the world too gritty or dull.

The solution to that balance for me is research, whether I'm researching particle accelerators, arson investigation, astrology, or spontaneous human combustion. I think that the devil's in the details, and it's important to get those correct.

8. Do you find that any one of your characters reflects characteristics that you find in yourself?

I think that all of my characters have some element of myself in them. The character who's most like me is probably Tara Sheridan. She's not a character who kicks in doors with guns blazing - she tends to be more self-contained and cerebral. She's more of a strategist - she tries to plan several steps ahead of her opponents. Tara was inspired by the Queen of Swords Tarot card, which is one that I used to represent myself in many card readings over the years

9. Is writing something that keeps you busy full-time or do you still juggle your writing time with another day job?

Like many writers, I do have a day job. I worked in and around criminal justice for more than ten years, and now have the pleasure of working in a library. It's wonderful imagination food, being surrounded by all those research materials!

10. Sitting in your work area, with all possibilities in front of you, what direction would you like to explore for a future project?

Ah, I have far too many ideas and not enough time for them. But my newest project is called THE HALLOWED ONES, which will be coming out in September from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt's Graphia line. It's YA thriller about an Amish girl who must confront not only a massive disaster unfolding in the world outside her community, but also the threat of darkness in her own increasingly fragile society.

The latest info on THE HALLOWED ONES and my other books can be found on my website, at www.salamanderstales.com

Thanks so much for chatting with me today!

Dire Warning- Stephanie Tyler (book 0.5)

2012-02-16T07:36:00.000-08:00

Immortal and invincible, Rifter is the head of the last surviving pack of Dire Wolves—a band of Alpha brothers charged with protecting the Weres. But now that witches have joined forces with nefarious weretrappers, it’s a perfect storm for double trouble. When the murder of a human points to a wolf, along with the threat of the packs being outted to the world, the Dires fear that something even more dangerous is out there hiding in the dark, something waiting for the right time to show itself.

I'm going to be as honest as I can on this review- I liked the storyline but the actual story was so jammed together in such a small novella that things jumped around a little too much for me. With, I think, a total of six Dire & Were you have to learn about with not much information about each and yes I do understand this is a prequel novella to introduce you to the characters but I still think it was scattered. I have read this author's books before and I really enjoyed her writing but honestly, I felt like I was reading something that was rushed and nowhere close to being as good as her other work but- the teaser chapter for book one Dire Needs was great- I am looking forward to that book. I personally am not one that points out mistakes in books and have no problem with people that do, but there are a lot of mistakes in this short book but they did not stop me from completing this book or wanting to read the rest of this series.
For the storyline alone I will give this book a 3
Wendy

Wraith's Awakening- Virna DePaul

2012-02-15T15:27:00.000-08:00

Five years after the Second Civil War ends, humans and otherborn— humanlike creatures with superhuman DNA—still struggle for peace. To ensure the continued rights of both, the FBI forms a Para-Ops team with a unique set of skills.

This is a short novella to the Para-Ops series. In this short story you find a woman who was in the garbage in an alley. She has no idea who she is but she remembers about movies and some things about herself. She meets up with a vampire and then learns about the civil war coming between the humans and the outlanders. She then discovers that she is a wraith and is dead. Then she meets briefly a man called C and then can’t remember why he is familiar. So of course now I am curious about her and what will happen to Colt and who this man she thinks she knows.

I would give 3.5
Sandy

Eternal Captive- Laura Wright (book 3)

2012-02-13T14:20:00.000-08:00

Since feeding her his blood, Lucian Roman has struggled with his obsession with Bronwyn Kettler-fighting an uncontrollable desire to kill her, if he has to, and the vampire she has sworn to wed. But when a dangerous enemy threatens Bronwyn, only Lucian can save her life. Even if it means sacrificing his own...

Oh, where to begin?? Well this is the third book in a row that has made me cry, a good cry though. The emotions that you go through while reading this book is what makes this a fantastic read. Lucian knows in his unbeating heart who and what he truly is but he wants more, even if he can not admit it to anyone. Bron gets his attention from the moment he meets her but when she drinks from him he knows that she is the be all and end all for him. Bron does nothing but think about him but she still goes through with mating another man, who she tells everyone is her True Mate and she has the mark to prove it. The energy coming out of my Kindle while reading this book was like magic, they are pulled towards each other but at the same time know it's not what is best for either of them. Until they come together in a steamy, hot, sexy, smoking sexfest do they actually realize what they have between the two of them. He is pulled into a life that he never wanted and she is willing to do anything to stay with him. For a Roman brother that never thought he deserved the love from one women it was great to read that he opened his eyes and his unbeating heart to one that loves him for HIM (smart-ass mouth and all).
My Rating: 5 Wendy

There's nothing like a book that can keep you up all night, one that you can't wait to turn the page to find out what is going to happen next and to top it off a book that makes you cry and say "Aaaahhh that is so awesome"- This was that book for me.

Authors website: http://www.laurawright.com/index.php

Buy at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Eternal-Captive-Vampire-Laura-Wright/dp/0451235878/

Buy at Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/eternal-captive-laura-wright/1101077569

Night Reigns- Dianne Duvall (book 2)

2012-02-13T11:36:00.000-08:00

Ami isn't much for trusting strangers. She has a hard time trusting anyone. But she's no coward, and she's no pushover in the protection department either. So when she comes across a mysterious warrior taking on eight deranged vampires on his own, she doesn't hesitate to save his bacon. Of course, that was before she realized what one little rescue would get her into . . .

Marcus Grayden has been an immortal protector of humanity for eight hundred years, and at the moment he's not interested in backup. From the moment Ami arrives in his life, he can't deny that she's strong, smart, and extremely skilled at watching his back. But she's also destroying his protective solitude and stirring desires he can't bear to awaken. After all, whatever her secrets — how can she defeat death itself?

The book starts out with Ami hearing Marcus fighting against a bunch of vampires and she helps him to defeat them. Seth the Immortal Guardian's leader decides Ami is to be Marcus's second. Because of the grieving and risk taking Marcus is doing over losing Bethany the woman he cared for a lot but she was in love with his best friend Robert. So Marcus does his best to stay away from Ami and Ami tries to keep Marcus from knowing her secret. There is good story and you see the characters throughout the book. Bastien has become on of my favorite characters and I can not wait for his. But Marcus and Ami are great. I love the way they both connect with each other. Will Ami reveal her secret to Marcus? Will Marcus open up about his past? Who is this mysterious commander after Ami and the Immortals?
My Rating: 5 Sandy

Authors website: http://www.dianneduvall.com/index.html
ISBN-10: 1-4201-1862-9

ISBN-13: 978-1-4201-1862-5
Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1420118625/

2012-02-11T11:44:00.000-08:00

WINNERS!!!!!!!

Congratulations to Niki and Denise Z.

You are the winners drawn for yesterday's post with

STEPHANIE BECK

Thanks to everyone for stopping by.

Mark your calendar

Feb. 17th

Laura Bickle will be visiting with us

Today the Three Crazy Chicks are smiling from ear to ear. Stephanie Beck is here and giving us her view on things warm and fuzzy. And no, we’re not talking about that robe you wrap around yourself as you stumble to the coffeepot in the morning. Stephanie is a full time mom, and author. Writing since she was fifteen, Stephanie loves romance and all things romantic, heart warming and usually funny, though a more serious piece will find its way in occasionally. With books in several genres like erotic, suspense, and paranormal romance, Stephanie balances a life between writing and family.So take a few minutes, and get to know Stephanie and her thoughts today.

2012-02-10T03:52:00.000-08:00

Something furry (and I don’t mean my legs)
By Stephanie Beck

Why is body hair a turn off in romance? Anything beyond light stubble on a hero’s dashing face seems to be off taste at the moment, but seriously, I don’t see it!

Maybe I’m partial to the fuzzy guys because I married a man with a perma-sweater and the kind of really great beard that has people asking if he’s Amish. He had to shave it nearly off once for work and I missed his beard. Without it, his face looked…naked…and not the good kind.

The real irony I see in this is the werewolf trend. By definition werewolves are furry! (All those movies with the smooth chested, smooth faced werewolf males are WRONG). I think women with a thing for furry guys started making werewolves sexy. Howling at the moon? Oh no, it’s the luxurious hair and fur a woman wants to sink her fingers in.

I don’t think werewolves need to be comically hairy. Having a werewolf shave six times a day would be ridiculous, but what’s wrong with a hairy chest or a little back fuzz? There is a reason the ‘treasure trail’ on a man is called the ‘treasure trail’…it must lead to good things and if it’s left off in favor of glossy rock hard abs, well, it’s the leading lady’s loss. On the other side of that argument, I find bald or shaved-headed werewolves to be tickle my irony funny bone, (Scott, in Unraveling Midnight, has a shaved head—it goes along with the badass).

Attention to body hair says a lot about a character, werewolf or not. If an adult man doesn’t have a fair amount of hair, or is baby’s butt smooth…well, he most likely had to have focused time, attention and possibly money on that vanity. What does that say about a character? I’ll say it, when a big, strong, badass alpha male has baby smooth anything it makes me picture him painstakingly shaving and then lotioning (you know, like a woman) or I get a mental image of him sitting at a salon waiting for his waxing appointment.

Long story short: I need more fuzzy guys in my romance. They need to be clean and neat and sweet and strong…and furry.

Share your ideal fuzz level. One lucky (US only, sorry) winner will receive a Goody Bag full of my favorite things. Another lucky (open to international readers) will receive an ebook of Unraveling Midnight.
Be sure and be a follower to the blog and leave your email address after your comment.

Blurb for Unraveling Midnight: Book 2 in the Creating Home Series

An entanglement with a werewolf brings unexpected turns.

Scott, a lone werewolf expelled from his pack, bends over backward to give his kids everything he can - including knitting lessons for his daughter. Learning to knit becomes much more appealing with Lucy Jamieson as the teacher. His heightened senses tell him the compassionate and beautiful human might be what he and his little band need, yet getting involved with Lucy means exposing her to his paranormal reality.

Although Lucy's childhood skewed her expectations of family, she recognizes and respects Scott's desire to protect and provide for his kids. When Scott is hit by a truck, Lucy offers to help with the kids--and gets more than she bargained for after learning Scott's true nature...

Stephanie Beck....Even before she understood what all the thrusting meant, Stephanie Beck loved reading romance. When the stories didn’t end the way she wanted, writing her own was the perfect solution. From ridiculous humor to erotica, Stephanie loves being transported within a story. When she’s not elbow deep in words, her husband and two daughters command her attention. After they are sleeping she knits or bakes cookies...or squeezes in more writing.

Visit Stephanie Beck at http://www.stephaniebeck.net/

and on facebook at http://www.facebook.com/StephanieBeckAuthor

Darkness Dawns- Dianne Duvall (book 1)

2012-02-08T09:25:00.000-08:00

In this dazzling, sensual novel, Dianne Duvall beckons readers into a world of vampires, immortals, and humans with extraordinary gifts . . . where passion can last forever, if you're willing to pay the price . . .

Once, Sarah Bingham’s biggest challenge was making her students pay attention in class. Now, after rescuing a wounded stranger, she’s landed in the middle of a battle between corrupt vampires and powerful immortals who also need blood to survive. Roland Warbrook is the most compelling man Sarah has ever laid hands on. But his desire for her is mingled with a hunger he can barely control . . .
In his nine centuries of immortal existence, no woman has tempted Roland as much as Sarah. But asking her to love him is impossible -- when it mean forfeiting the world she’s always known, and the life he would do anything to protect.

Well this book starts right off with some action. Roland has been attacked and left to die out in the sun but Sarah helps him escape. We find out that the vampire Bastian is after Roland. You can feel the connection between Sarah and Roland. You also meet other immortals in this book. The oldest immortal Seth is hearing the cries of a female and is determined to find her. The story is great and the characters are very interesting. Will Bastian get rid of Roland? Will Sarah and Roland be able to be together even though Sarah is a human? And who is this mystery woman?
My rating is a 4... Sandy (Guest Blogger)

Authors website: http://dianneduvall.com/index.html

ISBN-10: 1-4201-1861-7
ISBN-13: 978-1-4201-1861-2
Amazon- http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1420118617
B&N- at the time of this post, the B&N page would not load
Indie Bookstores- http://www.indiebound.org/book/9781420118612

Flashfire- Deborah Cooke (book 8)

2012-02-06T14:54:00.000-08:00

Master illusionist Lorenzo's dragon nature is his biggest secret. It's also another detail to juggle, like ensuring each of his Las Vegas magic shows is a true spectacle. That is until he feels the burn of his firestorm and his whole world shifts.

Cassie Redmond is tired of photographing celebrities. She wants to pursue her dream of serious photography—despite the lucrative offer for a shot of a dragon shifter. Las Vegas is the last place she wants to be, but Lorenzo arouses more than her curiosity when he shifts shape as the finale of his show. Instead of forcing him to reveal his secrets, Cassie gets swept away by this illusionist’s masterful touch.

Lorenzo wants to satisfy the firestorm and put it behind him. But photographer Cassie Redmond is hard to forget. And when Slayers target the mate he didn't believe he wanted, Lorenzo realizes he'll do anything to keep Cassie safe..

Lorenzo doesn't want to be a part of the Pry or the slayers, he hasn't even shapeshifted into a dragon for too many years to count now. All he wants to do is finish his last Illusion so he can start a new life. But all of that is put in jeopardy when his Firestorm hits.. A firestorm is when a Pry finds his descent mate and she and only she can give birth to his sons. Slayers are not allowed to have firestorms because they have chosen not to take care of the world and its treasures which are humans. That's the job of the Pry. Lorenzo has been making plans to cuts ties with all dragon Pry's and Slayers. Cassie is a paparazzi and she hates it, she loves taking pictures but the emotional turmoil is making her want or need to take a vacation. Which lands her in Las Vegas and in the arms and then bed of one of the most famous Illusionist in Vegas. She thinks she will have one of the most wonderful one night stands of her life and believed it to be to true when she woke up the next morning alone intending never to see Lorenzo again. Until a stranger tells her that Lorenzo knocked her up!

My Rating: 4-- LaTonia

Darker After Midnight- Lara Adrian (book 10)

2012-02-04T14:19:00.000-08:00

In the dark of night, a blood war escalates within the hidden world of the Breed. After existing in secret for many long centuries, maintaining a fragile peace with the humans who walk beside them unaware, a single act of retaliation has put the entire vampire nation at risk of discovery. It falls to the Order--a cadre of Breed warriors pledged to protect their own and humankind alike--to stop Dragos, the power-mad vampire at the center of the conflict, before his push for domination can explode into catastrophe.

At the center of the Order’s quest is Sterling Chase, once a morally rigid enforcer of Breed law, now a warrior fallen from grace, whose biggest battle is the one he wages against his own savage nature. With addiction beckoning him toward eternal darkness, Chase’s path to redemption has never seemed more out of reach--until he finds himself drawn to a beautiful young woman who may be something much more than she seems . . .
Oh, how I love this series, I mean come on 10 books into the series and still it is going strong. The story never gets old or repetitive and her writing is absolutely awesome. This book continues with Sterling Chase, who we met several books back. He is an ex-agent but now is part of the Order. Chase has been on the verge of Bloodlust for over six years and he is at the end of his rope, barely hanging on. With Dragos getting bolder with each day that passes the Order has to step up their pace on catching him. In the last book Chase tried to kill Dragos who is pretending to be human and when that goes wrong he is taken into police custody. Dragos is right on top of the Order's home so they have to find somewhere new to live. Tavia, who is a Senator's assistant, the senator who Dragos has in his pocket is called to the police station to pick Chase out of a line-up. He goes crazy and escapes police custody, once free he kidnaps Tavia so he can explain everything to her. Boy is he in for a surprise when he finds out what Tavia really is.
The book is fast paced, action filled, romantic and heartbreaking all at the same time. I cried at the end and can't wait for the next book.
My Rating: 5+ Wendy

Fifty Shades of Darker - E. L. James

2012-02-01T17:20:00.000-08:00

Daunted by the singular sexual tastes and dark secrets of the beautiful, tormented young entrepreneur Christian Grey, Anastasia Steele has broken off their relationship to start a new career with a Seattle publishing house. But desire for Christian still dominates her every waking thought, and when he proposes a new arrangement, Anastasia cannot resist. They rekindle their searing sensual affair, and Anastasia learns more about the harrowing past of her damaged, driven and demanding Fifty Shades. While Christian wrestles with his inner demons, Anastasia must confront the anger and envy of the women who came before her, and make the most important decision of her life.

The book begins with the couple apart and broken. With her best friend on vacation and her heart in pieces, Ana is alone. She feels she can’t be the women Christian needs even though she can’t stop thinking about him and how much she wants him. It doesn’t take long for Christian to admit he wants Anastasia and he misses her deeply. Their relationship grows and they both have to learn how to find a loving balance. The story remains romantic, witty, playful and a thrill ride with new characters and wild turns. I really enjoyed Ana’s inner goddess and all the flirty e-mails.

I cried when Christian lets down his walls and lets Ana touch him. You can feel his pain as he struggles to let her in and tries to find real love the “Vanilla” way. I feel his character is softer and sweeter in this book.

As for Mrs. Robinson..... Don’t worry, she gets a good slap and is exposed for what she is.

This books ends with real hearts and flowers.

My Rating - 5

April - Guest Blogger

No Dogs Allowed- Nicole Hicks

2012-01-29T18:33:00.000-08:00

Sometimes what happens in Vegas isn’t the only thing that stays….

I came to Vegas for an interview, and a much needed vacation. When mistaken for a blind date by a Napoleon complex cur, my vacation opened up to other possibilities.

What’s a cat, who’s allergic to dogs, find to do in a canine filled town? Can I manage to do more than have annoying, not to mention embarrassing, sneezing fits in front of all the men I meet? Is there a possibility to actually hook-up in my future? Can the mysterious proprietress of the 1Night Stand service, Madame Eve, help even me find someone? My name is Kenya, and I invite you to come find out in No Dogs Allowed!

(ARC review) I enjoyed this novella but LOL I probably should not have read it at work! This is a hot little story of a cat shifter in Las Vegas for a job interview, who decides to try a "Shifter dating service" for fun and a one night stand while she is in town. The funny thing about this kittie is she's allergic to dogs and Las Vegas is full of dogs, in all shapes and sizes. Now this is the cute part of this book, these shifters are not big giant werewolves or tigers they are regular pet sized shifters- seriously how cute is it that a Hot-assed man can turn into a Chihuahua??? Not that Raph is a chihuahua- but you have to read it to find out if he is a dog or a cat!!
Kendra is second guessing herself about the blind date when she runs into a tall handsome man while she is getting off the elevator. Nervous about meeting a stranger she wishes her blind date is the man she runs down. Raphael, the blind date, is the man she ran into getting off the elevator so Kendra is a happy little kitten. They hit it off and end up in her hotel room where he shifts to show her his other half. Now this gets into why I should not be reading this kind of book at the office (my eyes would jump around to make sure no one came into my office while I was reading and focusing ONLY on what I was reading- lol), it is hot, hot, hot and these two like to play!! Loved Kendra's playfulness and Raphael's reaction to her wanting to play with things she's never played with before- lol
My Rating: 4.5 Wendy

To purchase: http://www.decadentpublishing.com/

Devil's Kiss- Zoe Archer (book 1)

2012-01-27T08:32:00.000-08:00

A HANDSOME DEVIL

1762. James Sherbourne, Earl of Whitney, is a gambling man. Not for the money. But for the thrill, the danger—and the company: Whit has become one of the infamous Hellraisers, losing himself in the chase for adventure and pleasure with his four closest friends.

Which is how Whit finds himself in a gypsy encampment, betting against a lovely Romani girl. Zora Grey’s smoky voice and sharp tongue entrance Whit nearly as much as her clever hands—watching them handle cards inspires thoughts of another kind...

Zora can’t explain her attraction to the careless blue-eyed Whit. She also can’t stop him and his Hellraisers from a fiendish curse: the power to grant their own hearts’ desires, to chase their pleasures from the merely debauched to the truly diabolical. And if Zora can’t save Whit, she still has to escape him…

It is the first book in her Hellraisers series. The story is about friends who made a pact with the devil. It was a great read. I could not put it down. The interaction between the hero Whit and heroine Zora was hot. This is a paranormal historical romance. The action and adventure was great. I can't wait until the next book comes out...
Guest Blogger- Nikita

Authors website- http://www.zoearcherbooks.com/Hellraisers.html

Fifty Shades of Grey - E. L. James

2012-01-27T05:14:00.000-08:00

When literature student Anastasia Steele is drafted to interview the successful young entrepreneur Christian Grey for her campus magazine, she finds him attractive, enigmatic and intimidating. Convinced their meeting went badly, she tries to put Grey out of her mind - until he happens to turn up at the out-of-town hardware store where she works part-time.The unworldly, innocent Ana is shocked to realize she wantsH this man, and when he warns her to keep her distance it only makes her more desperate to get close to him. Unable to resist Ana’s quiet beauty, wit, and independent spirit, Grey admits he wants her too - but on his own terms. Shocked yet thrilled by Grey's singular erotic tastes, Ana hesitates. For all the trappings of success– his multinational businesses, his vast wealth, his loving adoptive family –Grey is man tormented by demons and consumed by the need to control. When the couple embarks on a passionate, physical and daring affair, Ana learns more about her own dark desires, as well as the Christian Grey hidden away from public scrutiny.Can their relationship transcend physical passion? Will Ana find it in herself to submit to the self-indulgent Master? And if she does, will she still love what she finds?

This erotic fictional story could also be titled, “Fifty Shades of Emotions”. The roller coaster ride is overwhelming with it’s depth of different impressionable feelings. The wide range of passion is like trying to hold on to a swinging pendulum. The two main characters, Christian Grey and Anastasia Steele, start out from opposite ends of a spectrum as the story unfolds and their insight on understanding and overcoming the struggles and loving affections felt by the heart go through a staircase of trials. True to life, characteristics revealed about them show that neither are perfect in their actions or personal viewed perceptions. Christian, accomplished, rich, and sexy, hides a dark side of desire behind a door that few have seen. Full of anger and scars from his early childhood, a need for dominance and control mold a moody disposition of temperamental behavior that sparks in a new direction with every turn. Ana, graduating from college, is smart, witty, and beautiful, followed by insecure, naive and innocent all rolled in one. The pull they feel between their souls takes them on a journey that starts with this first in a trilogy that is a must in my opinion for everyone.
My Rating - 4.5 (only because the next two installments are even better)
Shonna

Death Magic- Eileen Wilks (book 8)

2012-01-26T09:52:00.000-08:00

DEATH MAGIC opens with Special Agent Lily Yu in Washington, D.C. with her fiancé--lupi prince Rule Turner—to testify before a Senate subcommittee about her role in the magical collapse of a mountain last month. She is not there to tell them about the strange legacy she carries from that event—or about the arcane bond between her and Rule--or what her boss in Unit Twelve of the FBI’s Magical Crimes Division is really up to. She sure won’t tell them that the lupi are at war with an Old One who wants to remake humanity in her own image.
Lily is managing the conflict between her duty as an officer of the law and the need for secrecy pretty well . . . until the rabidly anti-magic senator who chairs that committee is murdered. The line between right and wrong, always so clear to her, becomes hopelessly blurred as events catapult them all towards disaster, and prophecies of a cataclysmic end to the country she loves and serves--and to the entire race of lupi--seem well on their way to being fulfilled.

This is the latest book out in this series, we find Rule and Lily back in D.C. on business. Where they go so does evil and evils little murdering minions so with the death of a high profile Senator, Lily is back to work with the FBI. Her boss is accused of murder and Lily is looking for ways to clear him, she knows that Death Magic was used to kill the Senator but she needs to find out who is controlling or using the death magic. Cullen comes to D.C. to help and so do lots of Lupi from various clans. Lily is arrested, Ruben (her boss) is changed and the war is getting closer. We meet Brownies in this book, I personally hope we hear more from Harry, the lead Brownie. I felt that this book left off with more of a cliff hanger than any of the other books- I for one def. have unanswered questions. Will there be babies in the future for Rule and Lily?? Will Grandmother come back around?? Will the wedding actually happen with no drama??
My Rating 4- 4.5 Wendy

Blood Challenge- Eileen Wilks (book 7)

2012-01-23T07:56:00.000-08:00

Lily Yu and Rule Turner’s engagement announcement is stirring up ugly passions in the Humans First camp. There’s hate mail. Death threats. Lily’s car is vandalized. But professionally, things are going smoothly . . . until a lupus in Tennessee goes on a killing spree.
Then Rule's brother, Benedict, catches a lovely intruder--twice. The first time she's sneaking around the home of the leader of Humans First. The second time, she sneaks into Nokolai Clanhome with a mysterious potion.
It may not be possible to deal with the rapidly escalating situation the way Lily always has: through the law. Especially when she’s pulled off the case due to an alleged conflict of interest. Lily’s loyalties will be stretched to the breaking point when she discovers that the deaths in Tennessee were only the opening skirmish in an all-out war.
Loved this book!! It made me cry and believe me I don't do that often. Lily and Rule are now out and open about their upcoming wedding and not everyone is happy about it. Friar, who we met in an early book, is a human that is working with the Great Bitch to take over earth. He has a contract with an Elf Lord and uses a slave to make potions that can hurt or kill lupi. Arjenie is a part human, part sidhe woman who works for the FBI in the research department but is also sisters with the slave that is being held prisoner. She has magic that makes her invisible to the human and lupi except for Benedict. When he first sees her the mate bond kicks in and he is not happy about it, he had a mate years before but she died. She also denied him and he barely lived through her death so he and everyone else is shocked that the Lady has given him another Chosen. It is unheard of for a lupi to have two, even with their long lives. When he comes around and realizes what he has again nothing will hold him back from her. A meeting is called with some of the other heirs but it goes horribly wrong when a few betray Rule and poison Benedict.
I loved this story and hope to have Benedict and Arjenie show up more in the next books.
My Rating: 4.5-5 Wendy

Besides werewolves, Fae, gnomes and other magical beings there are dragons in this series. Here is what I think Mica would look like. (now these are real dragons, not men that can turn into dragons)

2012-01-20T05:23:00.000-08:00

WINNER!!!

Congratulations to Sophia!

You have won a book from Joey W. Hill

Thanks to everyone for stopping by

Today we have a wonderful visitor with us!!!!!! Joey W. Hill writes about vampires, mermaids, boardroom executives, cops, witches, angels, simple housemaids... If there’s an erotic love story to be told, she’ll take the plunge. As a result, she's proud and humbled to have four series and almost thirty award-winning and highly acclaimed titles, as well as the support and enthusiasm of a wonderful and widely diverse readership. In 2009, she was nominated for a Career Achievement award in Erotica by Romantic Times. We are so excited (jumping up and down) that you could join us today and talk with our followers.

2012-01-19T03:44:00.000-08:00

It’s wonderful to be here at Vampires, Werewolves and Fairies, Oh My. My kind of place. And the timing was great. My latest release, Bound by the Vampire Queen, was a full-on collision between the vampire world and the Fae one. Lyssa, my 1000-year old vampire queen who started the Vampire Queen series with her servant Jacob, a former vampire hunter and Ren Faire player, has Fae blood. Because of some things that happened in the previous books, her Fae powers have experienced a major surge. As such, in Bound by the Vampire Queen, she has to visit the Fae world and come before the Unseelie Queen to be evaluated. The Fae look down their noses at vampires as inferior creatures, so of course sparks are going to fly.

It’s rather difficult to get me to read a non-fiction book – unless there’s a purpose. I won’t say, “Look, there’s a book on pruning roses” and rush over to get it. However, if my character has to be an expert on rose pruning, I’ll read everything I can find on that, as well as the history of rose gardening, pictorial books showing me all the different colors and styles, and even try a little pruning myself (God/dess help the poor flowers – I’m the only Wiccan in the world with a black thumb). If another fiction writer has written a book featuring a rose expert as one of her/his characters, I might even get my hands on it to see if I’m missing any nuances that my nonfiction sources haven’t covered, verify the sourcing and then use that to create my own character’s unique expertise.

My husband is a gaming addict – loves World of Warcraft and Star Wars currently – and really wishes I’d join him in the addiction. However, if I had to choose between a root canal without painkillers or playing a day’s worth of computer games, I’d REALLY have to think about it (I would eventually choose the gaming, just because I’m that scared of needles, but halfway through the day of gaming, I’d probably think, “How painful would it have been, really?”). There’s just no purpose to playing a computer game. Yes, I do understand that’s the point, to relax and have fun, but I don’t relax. Ever. So I’ve been told. Of course, if he could figure out how to make one of my upcoming characters a gamer, I’d probably be knocking him out of the way to spend hours beating on the mouse to blow up stuff and run across acres of computer generated scenery. But please don’t tell him that. I don’t want to face that root canal.

Anyhow, where the heck was I going with this? Oh, yes – research on the Fae. As a result of drafting out Bound by the Vampire Queen, I had the opportunity to research the Fae, and this was a whole new area for me. I’d enjoyed Mercedes Lackey’s Elves of LA series, and read different derivations of the Tam Lin story when I was younger, and I was pleasantly reminded of them as I delved back into the Fae world. I tend to be a character-driven author, so I’ll latch onto personality nuances/conflicts first and foremost. The Fae have a fascinating moral blend – somewhere between cruel capriciousness, moral neutrality, and an unpredictability that starts to form a pattern after awhile. That blend was what I brought out in Bound by the Vampire Queen. As the Fae Lord Keldwyn explained to Lady Lyssa:

“Our ways are tricky. A step left, when the dance seems meant to go right. You may have powers like ours, but you do not yet know the way our minds work. We are creatures of random chaos. It is why our paths separated from humans and vampires so long ago. Because of their violent natures, they need order and structure. We do not.” When Lyssa points out they do have structure, with two separate courts, Keldwyn responds, “We have our own etiquette. It’s just far less predictable.”

Here’s a little snippet I’ve been using to illustrate some of the challenges and fascination of the Fae World. Hope you enjoy it! If you’d like to leave me a question or comment, I’d be delighted to enter you into a random drawing to win a book-of-your-choice from my current titles. You can find free excerpts, blurbs and info on all of that at my website, www.storywitch.com. Thanks for letting me be here today!
(When entering please remember to first be a follower of our blog and leave your email address after your question or comment.)

“Our visitor will need a proper mount to ride with the Seelie king tonight,” Queen Rhoswen announced, with a cool curve of her lips.

A palfrey was led from a pavilion on the lawn. The mare was decorated with ropes of greenery and lavender flowers in her dapple gray mane. Lavender embroidered silk was cinched with braided ribbon over a saddle pad. The reins were likewise tangled with a trail of lavender and green ribbon.

“Thank you, Your Majesty.” Lyssa nodded to her. “A lovely mare. I hope my servant’s mount is not as gentle, however. He is quite a horseman, and likes to be challenged.”

“It is our pleasure to accommodate him.” Rhoswen’s voice had that silver, brittle sound that resonated off the trees, off the silence of the listening Fae. Not even a horse shifted with restless impatience. “Like a faithful hound, he goes whither you goest, right?”

An outraged whinny came from the pavilion, a thud of hooved feet. The side of the pavilion shuddered, as if a support had been kicked, and then Cayden, Rhoswen’s guard captain, was leading out Jacob’s mount, using all of his strength to control the creature.

The massive black stallion was built like a draft horse, with powerful withers and thick neck. Glowing red eyes glared at the gathering. The high court, whom Lyssa assumed contained many Fae of considerable power, drew back apprehensively as the horse surged forward and then was forced by Cayden’s quickness to swing his haunches around in a circle. He kicked, causing the nearer Fae to draw back farther.

Lyssa’s brow rose as the horse snorted, producing two short gouts of flame that dissipated with wisps of smoke, like a dragon. This horse had no tack except the halter he was wearing. Instead of flowers or strands of jewels in his long mane, he had tangles of seaweed and shells. As he swung around, Lyssa smelled the ocean coming off his damp, heated skin. The steed’s front legs were hobbled, forcing the horse to move at an awkward, hopping gate. When she saw Jacob looking at the headpiece, his expression darkening, she realized a bearing rein was holding the horse’s head at a painful upright angle. The discomfort and restraint prevented him from dropping and bucking.

Jacob had been the master of horse at the Ren Faire, and she knew well how her handsome servant felt about seeing one mistreated.

Easy, Jacob. Lyssa spoke in his mind. There’s more here than meets the eye.

“A water horse is a very difficult horse to catch. Impossible to ride, unless you wish to ride to your death.”

At the sound of Rhoswen’s voice, the horse let out another shrill, bloodcurdling cry. Cayden shifted with the stallion once more, narrowly avoiding having his skull crushed with a swing of the massive head.

Oh, lovely fucking Christ. A kelpie. Though it was likely meant only for himself, Lyssa heard Jacob’s thought loud and clear.

Lyssa glanced at Jacob. From the set of his jaw, it appeared the situation was far beyond optimal. Perhaps even in the realm of hopeless impossibility.

Ah, my lady, there is no such thing as hopeless around you. Impossible yes, hopeless no. He gave her that warm look he did so well, though it was laced with tension.

“Mortal legend claims a waterhorse coaxes children onto his back,” Rhoswen said. “Then he races away, plunges into a loch and drowns them. It is believed he has a strong binding magic to keep them on his back until the last breath leaves them.”

The Fae queen considered the creature, the brutal effort he was expending, trying to stomp her guard captain into the ground. “Since the bodies were rarely found, it was also suggested that the horse took them to the Fae world. Or ate them, once he had them below the surface of the water.” She shrugged. “Only the waterhorses know for sure. Even the Fae are wary of them, as you can see. The Irish called them kelpie. Right, Irishman?”

“Aye. And the Scottish called them each uisge.” When Jacob looked toward the queen, Lyssa saw his blue eyes were almost as cold as Rhoswen’s. “To be feared . . . and respected.”

“Supposedly, if you have the Kelpie’s halter or bridle, he has to obey your will.” Rhoswen gave Jacob a tight smile. “As far as we know, Firewind has no such weakness. He despises most Fae, let alone humans. He won’t tolerate a vampire on his back at all. Perhaps because he feeds on blood and doesn’t like the competition. However, if you do manage to get on his back, be careful of the unique trait he inherited from his sire, Firebreather.”

She lifted her hand toward the horse, gave a sharp command that was reinforced by a flicker of magical energy. Jacob started forward, but Lyssa caught his arm. Firewind’s head snapped around, long ears pinning back as his malevolent expression intensified. A wreath of flame erupted from his withers and, in a dramatic sweep, encased him from neck to tail, the long black strands like a flame-covered flogger as he lashed them over his haunches. Cayden had his hand on the horse’s cheek rein, avoiding the fire. Then the flame vanished and Firewind made another valiant attempt to get his hooves off the ground.

“Ride him in the Hunt,” Rhoswen said, fixing her eyes back on Jacob. “That is the second quest. If you do not succeed, or if you don’t dare to try, your lady has failed the Gauntlet, per your failure as her champion, and her fate rests wholly in my hands. Since I know you are as full of pointless nobility as Firewind is of flame, I expect you will immolate yourself. But try not to singe your fine backside. Some things should remain sacred.”

Rhoswen turned her attention to Lyssa. “You will ride with me at the head of the procession. We proceed to the rendezvous point with the Seelie court. Your servant will join us, or not.”

The stablehand holding Lyssa’s palfrey moved forward, presenting a hand to help her on the steed. Lyssa turned her gaze to Jacob. Sir Vagabond?

“I’ll catch up,” Jacob told her. He gave her a wink, though there was no such affability in his gaze. His mind was already concentrated on the task ahead because, of course, it wouldn’t occur to him to do anything but try, just as Rhoswen said.

Lyssa accepted the stablehand’s help onto the mount with the brief press of hands on her waist, since mounting with a dress train was not an easy task for any species, Fae or vampire. She caught a brief flash of surprise on Rhoswen’s face at her detachment, but she couldn’t feel any smug satisfaction. For one thing, looking serene and unconcerned was taking all her effort. As she bent her knee over her mare’s withers in a sidesaddle position, she saw Jacob take two steps toward Cayden.

“Looks like you’re a little out of your depth, captain. Ready to turn him over to me?”

Lothaire- Kresley Cole (book 12)

2012-01-18T16:12:00.000-08:00

ALL FEAR THE ENEMY OF OLD

Driven by his insatiable need for revenge, Lothaire, the Lore’s most ruthless vampire, plots to seize the Horde’s crown. But bloodlust and torture have left him on the brink of madness—until he finds Elizabeth Peirce, the key to his victory. He captures the unique young mortal, intending to offer up her very soul in exchange for power, yet Elizabeth soothes his tormented mind and awakens within him emotions Lothaire believed he could no longer experience.

A DEADLY FORCE DWELLS WITHIN HER

Growing up in desperate poverty, Ellie Peirce yearned for a better life, never imagining she’d be convicted of murder—or that an evil immortal would abduct her from death row. But Lothaire is no savior, as he himself plans to sacrifice Ellie in one month’s time. And yet the vampire seems to ache for her touch, showering her with wealth and sexual pleasure. In a bid to save her soul, Ellie surrenders her body to the wicked vampire, while vowing to protect her heart.

CENTURIES OF COLD INDIFFERENCE SHATTERED

Elizabeth tempts Lothaire beyond reason, as only his fated mate could. As the month draws to a close, he must choose between a millennia-old blood vendetta and his irresistible prisoner. Will Lothaire succumb to the miseries of his past . . . or risk everything for a future with her?

OK I will start this review with a few personal things- 1. I LOVED this book. 2. I do not like the cover and before everyone starts throwing eggs at me, let me explain. This cover model, Paul M. is so freaking HOT- the kind of "OMG my panties are wet just looking at pictures of him", smoking HOT!! But this pic does not do it for me but he does have the complete feel of Lothaire that KC wrote about- makes me wonder if she had this yummy man in mind while she wrote it.
We met Lothaire many books back and he has always been just so evil and funny that you kinda have to love him, he's extremely arrogant and self-righteous (reminds me of Jericho Barrons but at times made JB look & sound like a cuddle little puppy dog). It was an awesome read to have him knocked down a few pegs by a mere mortal hillbilly woman. Lothaire uses his Oracle to find his Bride but when he finds out she is a human he is not pleased and she is young. He spies on her for years watching her grow into a woman, while on one of his many trips to watch her his heart starts beating again but he soon learns that she is possessed by a Goddess, a very evil goddess that enjoys killing. He thinks that Ellie is not his bride that the goddess is. Ellie goes to jail for five years and while she is set to be executed he pops in and traces away with her. The banter between the two of them is great. He agrees to protect her body but to get rid of her soul so his Bride can take over. When surfaced his Bride makes excuses why she will not have sex with him and she tells him to use Ellie. He and Ellie do sexually things but not intercourse because he is afraid with his strength he will hurt her. The sex scenes are great, I cracked up when he was "teaching" her how to give head (as he calls it). The fight in both of their hearts to keep from falling in love with each other is great and the moment he realizes what she means to him was so well written. He can't bring himself to fall in love with a human, he has hated humans his entire life and to think that Fate has matched him for life with a human is too much for him to wrap his head around. Ellie on the other hand tries so hard not to fall in love with the man that has never once treated her like a woman, with respect and is always threatening her and her family.
Nix.. Nucking Futs Nix is fantastic in this book. LOL I love it how she walks around with a bat on her shoulder. Lothaire thinks that she has betrayed him his whole life and she did a few times but for his own good. I hope her book is next. This book we also met 5 of Lothaire's cousins- ummm yummy I hope they all get books too!!
My Rating: 5 Wendy
Here's a few pics of Paul- like I said smoking HOTTTTT!!!!

True Colors- Thea Harrison

2012-01-17T13:21:00.000-08:00

Meeting your soulmate? Great. Preventing your possible murder? Even better. Alice Clark, a Wyr and schoolteacher, has had two friends murdered in as many days, and she’s just found the body of a third. She arrives at the scene only minutes before Gideon Riehl, a wolf Wyr and current detective in the Wyr Division of Violent Crime—and, as Alice oh-so-inconveniently recognizes at first sight, her mate. But the sudden connection Riehl and Alice feel is complicated when the murders are linked to a serial killer who last struck seven years ago, killing seven people in seven days. They have just one night before the killer strikes again. And every sign points to Alice as the next victim.

This was Cute, Sexy , quick little book.. About a wolf and a chameleon. But sadly her people have been getting killed for their blending powers, So when Gideon lays on eyes her.. he can't figure out why he needs and wants her so much.. Gideon spent 100 years in Wyr military so he didn't know what MATING was. But Alice knew and after seeing him at the crime scene she was afraid he may be the killer and ran. Gideon gave chase.. the question is did he catch her and if he did, will she accept him?
My Rating: 5 LaTonia

Some Girls Bite - Chloe Neill

2012-01-16T12:18:00.000-08:00

Sure, the life of a graduate student wasn’t exactly glamorous, but it was mine. I was doing fine until Chicago’s vampires announced their existence to the world-and then a rogue vampire attacked me. But he only got a sip before he was scared away by another bloodsucker… and this one decided the best way to save my life was to make me the walking undead.

Turns out my savior was the master vampire of Cadogan House. Now I’ve traded sweating over my thesis for learning to fit in at a Hyde Park mansion full of vamps loyal to Ethan “Lord o’ the Manor” Sullivan. Of course, as a tall, green-eyed, four hundred year old vampire, he has centuries’ worth of charm, but unfortunately he expects my gratitude-and servitude. Right…

But my burgeoning powers (all of a sudden, I’m surprisingly handy with some serious weaponry), an inconvenient sunlight allergy, and Ethan’s attitude are the least of my concerns. Someone’s still out to get me. Is it the rogue vampire who bit me? A vamp from a rival House? An angry mob bearing torches?

My initiation into Chicago’s nightlife may be the first skirmish in a war-and there will be blood…

This urban fantasy series opens with the life of a university student turned inside out. Immediately thrown into a new world as a vampire after an attack, Merit doesn’t embrace what destiny has shown her is the path to her future. Soon the facts to her attack reveal more than a random incident as someone continually repeats the act, only succeeding in murdering women and leaving clues to point fingers at Chicago’s vampire communities. As possible motives intriguingly unfold through the pages, the entertaining characters roll the increasingly thickening plot of politics and power into an unexpected tale. With the foundation set for a great series the frosting to this tale is a complicated romantic pull between Merit and a vampire she has vowed her eternal loyalty to.
My Rating - 3
Shonna

Serpent's Kiss- Thea Harrison (book 3)

2012-01-16T08:20:00.000-08:00

In order to save his friend's life, Wyr sentinel Rune Ainissesthai made a bargain with Vampyre Queen Carling—without knowing what she would ask from him in return. But when Rune attempts to make good on his debt, he finds a woman on the edge.
Recently, Carling's Power has become erratic, forcing her followers to flee in fear. Despite the danger, Rune is drawn to the ailing Queen and decides to help her find a cure for the serpent's kiss—the vampyric disease that's killing her.
With their desire for each other escalating just as quickly as Carling's instability spirals out of control, the sentinel and the Queen will have to rely on each other if they have any hope of surviving the serpent's kiss…

Rune is a Gryphon and the First to Dragos the leader of the Wyr. Rune didn’t want to mate... he just saw one of his best friends go through it and give up everything for her... He didn’t want anyone to have that much power over him... But he still found himself in that position when he promises Carling one favor...Not sure if she would ask him to do one thing for thousands of years. But it was worth it to save Tango, once he goes to her... he sees shes not the same Queen that bargained that favor for a life with him... But a woman that has giving up on life and waiting to die. He wants to help her and even after she releases him from his favor he stays to help her find a cure to her vampire disease... When you reach a very old age as Carling is... your power start to slowly kill you and making you think you’re insane. Carling powers sends her back into the past to relive hurts... But when Rune learns he can go and change things for her... he does... which causes problems in the present time... Will they be able to fix the wrong they have caused and Find a cure for Carling before she dies which will take Rune with her if he mates with her?

My Rating 4.5 LaTonia

Blood Magic- Eileen Wilks (book 6)

2012-01-15T13:21:00.000-08:00

Lily Yu’s world changed when she met Rule Turner, known to the human world as “that werewolf prince.” It’s been eight months since everyone else’s world changed, too—when the Turning hit. That shifting of the realms has magic seeping back into the world in quantities unseen since the hot news story concerned a pair of human babes raised by wolves who went on to found a new city: Rome.
Lily is a homicide cop turned FBI agent. She works for a special Unit within the MCD—that’s the Bureau’s Magical Crimes Division. Lily became a cop to stop the monsters , though it was human monsters she had in mind at the time. These days, the perps she tracks may be a lot more—or a lot less--than human.

In BLOOD MAGIC, Lily and Rule are faced with their most dangerous opponent yet, one the law can’t touch. One who can’t be killed. One whose like hasn’t been seen in our world since long before those wolves fostered Romulus and Remus.

We are back in San Diego in this book with Rule and Lily plus the other misfits. Toby is now living with Rule and Lily and spending a lot of time at Clanhome with his Grandpa & Uncle Benedict. This was a very exciting story with a lot of action, Grandmother is keeping everyone on their toes and wings- lol, Sam the dragon is still in love with her and doesn't really hide the fact. Lily learns of her true heritage and is completely shocked by what she learns. Grandmother & Sam tell her things that truly open her eyes. The evil in this book is a Chimei, she and Grandmother knew each other hundreds of years ago in China. She is not a "demon" and does not have a solid body, she has a human lover named Johnny who is a sorccer with powers that are very strong. People are stabbed, kidnapped and killed in this book, keeps ya on your toes! Rule seems to be throwing out all of the rules set by the Lupi- lol- marriage?? (Lupi do NOT marry) and jealousy?? really was funny to read about he became jealous over a mere human. haha.

My Rating: 4.5 Wendy

Giveaway Winners- Congrats everyone!

2012-01-13T08:28:00.000-08:00

Giveaway!! Giveaway!! Giveaway!!

2012-01-09T12:27:00.000-08:00

Books, Book marks, drink cozy, ice scrapper, trading cards,
ink pens, & note pads!!

We are doing a total of 7 giveaways this week, very EASY rules

1. Become a Network Blog Follower on this blog

2. Tell us your all time favorite book QUOTE

(doesn't matter what book- just please let us know

the book and author too please.)

3. Leave your email address

Each of the winners will have random authors- might not be the same ones in the picture above- items above are only HALF of what I have to giveaway

Good Luck and have fun- you can enter as many times as you want to.
Winners will be picked by Random.org AND notified by Friday Jan. 13, 2012
(U.S. residents only please)

Mortal Sins- Eileen Wilks (book 5)

2012-01-09T07:55:00.000-08:00

FBI agent Lily Yu is in North Carolina with her lover and mate Rule Turner, lu nuncio of the Nokolai werewolf clan, where he is to take custody of his son from the boy’s grandmother. It’s a purely personal trip until Rule, in wolf form, finds three bodies in a shallow grave. They carry the stench of DEATH MAGIC, which makes the murders a federal crime. Lily takes charge of the investigation, and soon realizes that nothing adds up—not the motives, not even the accused killer, who’s behind bars when death strikes again.
But murder, however bizarre, is an everyday affair for Lily, who was a homicide cop before being recruited into the FBI’s Magical Crimes Division. A more personal shock arrives in the person of Rule’s son’s mother. Why is she challenging Rule’s long standing plan to bring his son to live among the Nokolai?
But family must take a back seat when the violence escalates, and there’s no rhyme or reason for the killer’s next strike—a killer who may not even be of this world...
So many good things happened in this book, Lily and Rule are in North Carolina and of course a case comes up that Lily needs to help with. They are there for another reason though, Toby, Rule's son might finally get to come live with his father & Lily. Toby has been raised by his Grandmother for the last 9 years even though his mother has full custody of him. Alicia, Toby's mom, shows up trying to fight for him, not that she wanted him for the last nine years but now she doesn't want Rule to have him either. There is a ghost, well he is not really called a ghost in the story, but that is what I will call him, is taking over peoples bodies and killing those around him. He dies during the Turning and was brought back with Death Magic. He has closer ties to Rule than anyone thought from the beginning. Lily solves the case with help from those around her, human and lupi. I think out of the five books this one was my favorite so far. The ending was fantastic- I didn't see it coming!!
My Rating: 4.5

Wild Cat- Jennifer Ashley (book 3)

2012-01-06T10:14:00.000-08:00

When Feline Shifter Cassidy Warden saves detective Diego Escobar from plunging to his death, the naked Shifter woman takes his breath away. But she'd been breaking all kinds of human laws, and Diego, to save her from termination, has to promise his department he'll watch over her. Diego finds the task harder than he thinks--Cassidy is trying to find out what kind of mysterious hunter killed her mate two years ago, a hunter that could bring danger to all Shifters. Plus Cassidy has scent-marked Diego--essentially telling all other Shifter females, "Hands off."

Diego risks his personal and professional life getting involved with Cassidy, but he realizes he'll do anything, even confront the deadliest of assassins and his own inner demons, to keep her safe.

I have been waiting for months for this book and I was not disappointed when I read it- Loved it!! I could hardly put it down to go to sleep, it's so fast paced that it really kept me involved in the story. Diego a human cop in Las Vegas finds himself fifty one stories above the city tracking what he thinks is a rouge Shifter. Was he surprised to find a human shooting at him and a very big wildcat protecting him, he was even more surprised when the wildcat turned into a very beautiful woman. The shooter gets away but Diego has to arrest Cassidy for trespassing. Once at the station he helps her by not turning her over to the Shifter Division and orders her to stay in Shiftertown for two weeks. Diego is ordered to keep track of her and when he goes to check on her he finds out she is not there. Cassidy is second in command in Shiftertown, her brother Eric is the leader. Diego and Cassidy are drawn to each other through grief over losing someone they each loved, not to mention the sexual chemistry too. I don’t want to give too much away but this book is full of love, lust, feral Shifters, mating bonds, trips to Mexico and so much more. I am looking forward to the next book, hopefully Eric will get his little wildcat and find love again.

My Rating: 4.5 to 5 Wendy

Shifter Made- Jennifer Ashley (prequel)

2012-01-06T09:57:00.000-08:00

The Story of the Sword of the Guardian. Fae Alanna is sent on a mission to force Shifter sword maker Niall O'Connell to make a sword to defeat all Shifters. But Alanna has other ideas.
This was a quick prequel to the Shifters Unbound series, Niall is a blacksmith but he is also a Shifter, Alanna comes to him to request he make a sword for her brother, who is a Fae prince. Her brother thinks the sword will be used to bring back the Shifters that killed his family members so he can get his revenge. Little does he know that Alanna has her own plans for the sword. Working together they make a sword that helps Shifters instead of harming them while falling in love. It was a good quick story to help to explain how and why Sean uses his sword as the Guardian. My Rating: 4 Wendy

Night Season- Eileen Wilks (book 4)

2012-01-06T09:46:00.000-08:00

A magic medallion . . .

A diplomatic envoy from another realm . . .
A dragon who doesn’t like to share. . .. . . and a tester that turns the wrong color when she pees on it. FBI Agent Cynna Weaver’s life is a little too full right now. She’s pregnant--and lupus sorcerer Cullen Seabourne is the father. Cullen is thrilled. Cynna can barely utter the p-word. What does she know about kids? Her mother was a drunk. Her father abandoned them. Or so she’s always believed . . . .
But things could be worse. She might be snatched into another realm to meet her long-lost father--a world where humans are strictly second-class citizens. In Edge, magic is commonplace, lying is an artform, and night never ends. And Cynna’s only way home means working with Cullen to find an ancient artifact sought by powerful beings who would do anything to claim it.

Well Rule & Lily take a back seat in this book, they are in it but not the main focus. Cynna finally admits to herself she is pregnant with Cullen's baby and he could not be happier. After weeks of not seeing each other they now have to work together to find a medallion for the beings that live in Edge, a part of the realm where the Fae and other magical beings live. They were tricked into opening a gate that pulled them to Edge. So many things happen while there and they don't know who they can trust and who is actually there to help them. Other humans are there but they cannot help to find the medallion. Gan, the orange little demon that helped Lily and Rule, is there also since she was helping the gnomes. Cynna really opens her eyes to what Cullen can give her and realizes that she wants him in her life. Cullen goes against the Lupi rules and proposes to Cynna because he knows he loves her and knows this is what she needs. I know I mentioned it before but I really like these two together. Just when you think you know what is going to happen with this story you are knocked off your feet with the betrayal. In the end a human helps more than anyone knew they could, with a little help from a sexy Hellhound.

My Rating: 4 Wendy

Blood Lines- Eileen Wilks (book 3)

2012-01-06T09:25:00.000-08:00

Touch-sensitive FBI agent Lily Yu and her werewolf bond-mate are recruited by the Secret Service to help identify elected officials who have accepted demonic pacts. But Lily must turn to fellow agent Cynna Weaver for help when Cynna's former teacher, a demon master, emerges as the main suspect behind the pacts.
After a demon commits a gruesome murder, sorcerer Cullen Seabourne joins the team racing the clock to find the apprentice of evil who uses demons to kill. Cynna and Cullen must work together—a challenge indeed when each has good reason to ignore the desire simmering between them. But passion and events both spiral out of control as an ancient prophecy is fulfilled-and the lupi's greatest enemy sets her sights on total devastation...
I really am enjoying this series. Rule and Lily are now in Washington DC while she helps the Secret Service using her Gift. Cynna who we met in the previous book is working with her due to the fact that her old mentor is the one causing all the problems bow. Jiri, is a demon master is able to pull demons from Dis and use the to attack Lily and her friends. Rule is attacked by a demon but he survives, other Lupin were not so lucky. It takes Lupi and the FBI to track down Jiri and her Master to gain control again. Toby, Rule's son is hurt and put into a coma by Jiri, she wants Rule's help to save her daughter from the man she was working with. Cynna and Cullen are getting closer and I def. like them together.
My Rating: 4 Wendy

Lucky Harbor series- Jill Shalvis

2012-01-06T09:09:00.000-08:00

LUCKY HARBOR is a series by Jill Shalvis. It is not paranormal. There are three books out so far and are about three half sisters who do not really know each other and definitely don't like each other much, but inherit a Bread and Breakfast Inn from their mother in the Washington State town of Lucky Harbor. They have the option of either staying and running the Inn together or selling it and going their separate ways. They each are at a crossroads in their life, so decisions need to be made, including how they would pay for renovations to a run down, potential money pit of an Inn. Each sister has her own book, although they all appear in each book. The first book is about Maddie and Jax and deals with how the girls meet, decide what to do with the Inn, and start forming a sisterly bond. Jax and Maddie meet when Maddie is on her way into town for the very first time and runs him off the road while he is riding his motor cycle.

The second book ia about Tara and Ford. They have a history together, but haven't seen each other in 15 years when Tara spent a summer with her grandparents, with results that both Tara and Ford considered disastrous at the time. They have a lot of issues to work through, and if that's not enough, Tara's ex husband comes into town set on winning her back for himself. And of course the girls are still trying to deal with the Bread and Breakfast Inn. The first two books are sold together under "Christmas in Lucky Harbor" and are priced two for the price of one.

The third book was just released in the past few weeks. It is about Chloe and Sawyer. Chloe is the youngest sister and is known as the wild child. She has life threatening asthma but doesn't let it rule her life. Sawyer is the town Sheriff and seems to always be around when Chloe is getting into mischief. Sparks start flying between these two in a good way but Sawyer is all about following the rules and Chloe is forever breaking them. I'm not saying this series is intense or deep. But it is a lot of fun. It has lots of laugh out loud moments and a couple of scary times also. And the chemistry between the couples is great. There is plenty of hawt romance also as Jax, Ford and Sawyer are all to die for. The real story, however, (well besides all the romance) is the bonding that eventually happens between the sisters that have no other family. They barely know each other at the beginning of the series and had no trust for each other at all. The books definitely should be read as a set to get the whole benefit of the story line. The next book will be about other people in town but I'm sure we will still get to see how these three couples are doing. All three stories wrap up with an HEA which of course is exactly how we want it to be. If you are looking for a fun, fairly quick read, this series may be exactly for you. 4.5 stars for all three books. Terena

2012-01-03T04:29:00.000-08:00

WINNER!!!!!!!!!!

Congratulations to bcsndr123

You have won a signed copy of NIGHT REIGNS

Please contact us at bookloversforever@yahoo.com

Thanks to everyone for stopping by

With the new year we want to thank all of our friends and followers that have helped share our love for books here on this blog. Sharing some of the wonderful reads out there by new and seasoned authors alike, are a joy we enjoy bringing your way. We appreciate your support and comments to help us achieve a blog we hope you will want to revisit time and time again.

2012-01-02T04:09:00.000-08:00

Without a doubt this blog is starting out the year with an explosion of excitement! We are so delighted to have Dianne Duvall visiting here with us today. This is one busy little lady and we feel so fortunate that she has stopped by today to talk with us about her awesome books. Author of the yummy paranormal romance series, IMMORTAL GUARDIANS, Dianne has received numerous 5-star reviews since the first release, last February. Now with the second installment hot off the press, we have lots to talk about so let’s get started.

Before we get into your new release,“NIGHT REIGNS” let back-up a bit and hear a little about the first in the IMMORTAL GUARDIANS,... “DARKNESS DAWNS”. Would you give a summary to our followers about it?

Thanks so much for having me here today! I would be happy to.

In DARKNESS DAWNS, the spring semester has just ended and Music Theory Professor Sarah Bingham seeks only peace and quiet . . . until she rescues a wounded man who has been staked to the ground practically in her backyard. The world as she knows it ends when she is suddenly thrust into a war that erupts between vampires and immortals and falls deeply in love with the dark, enigmatic warrior who offers her his protection.

Immortal Guardian Roland Warbrook has lived nearly a thousand years and has been betrayed too many times to feel he could ever trust again . . . until Sarah risks her life to save him. Roland has never been so fascinated or intrigued. Sarah brings laughter and teasing back into his life, making him long for an impossible future despite the constant battle they must wage against the dangerous enemy that has arisen . . . an enemy who is determined to bring about the downfall of the Immortal Guardians, beginning with Roland.

Where did the inspiration develop for the plot and characters?

Making vampirism the result of a rare, symbiotic virus was inspired by a documentary I saw in which historians suggested that most vampire mythology arose as a result of people misunderstanding illnesses like porphyria. I wanted my vampires and immortals to be alive, not dead or undead. I also wanted there to be a catch 22 that would prevent them from becoming mortal again if a cure could be found. Thus, I created a virus that first defeats, then replaces the immune system, lending those infected with it enhanced speed, strength, senses, and regenerative capabilities, coupled with a need for blood and photosensitivity. What’s the catch? Kill the virus, and the immortal or vampire turned mortal will be left with no immune system.

The idea for differentiating immortals from vampires genetically actually arose from two manuscripts I wrote before DARKNESS DAWNS. Both featured gifted ones, men and women born with advanced DNA that lent them abilities ordinary humans lack, such as telepathy, telekinesis, healing with hands, and more. In DARKNESS DAWNS, I expanded upon this. Immortals (or Immortal Guardians) are gifted ones who have been infected with the virus. Vampires are humans who have been infected with the virus. In humans, the virus causes brain damage that results in a rapid descent into madness, so even nice guys become villains when infected. The advanced DNA of gifted ones protects them from this. So they spend their nights hunting the insane vampires who prey upon humans.

When you write do you guide the characters into the plot you want or do they control you?

I guide the characters through the plot, but that doesn’t mean they don’t surprise me at times along the way. Writers usually describe themselves as plotters (those who draft meticulous outlines of a book before they begin to write) and pantsers (those who fly by the seat of their pants and just sit down to write). I’m mostly the latter. When I sit down to write a book, I have the beginning firmly in mind and a general idea of where and how I would like it to end. Everything else simply falls into place as I write, so sometimes characters do things I don’t plan. Ami, the heroine of NIGHT REIGNS, is an excellent example. When her character first came to me -- so sweet and innocent and damaged -- I didn’t know she would become such a fierce warrior and be the one who yanks Marcus right out of his grief. :-) Oh, and there’s a scene with Marcus in NIGHT REIGNS that I admit made my jaw drop. I don’t want to spoil it for those who haven’t read it, so for those who have: It’s the scene in which Marcus confronts Seth in David’s training room. :-)

If you became an immortal, what would you want your special ability to be?

I would love to be able to heal with my hands the way Roland, David, and Seth can. If I could choose a second ability, I would want to be able to teleport like Seth and Richart.

In creating the IMMORTAL GUARDIAN world and characters, did it just display itself in your mind’s eye or were there certain factors that you built around with research ?

Much of the Immortal Guardians world came to me as I simply contemplated what it would be like to be immortal, to live such a long life and have heightened senses and abilities, how difficult it would be to avoid drawing unwanted attention when one couldn’t go out in daylight. (That would be how Seconds and the extensive network of humans who aid the immortals came into being.) Each book, however, has required research on a wide variety of subjects: the immune system, weapons, locations, military hand signals, satellites, vehicles, names that were common in the era and country of each immortal’s birth, and more.

OK I can’t take it anymore (I’m so excited) Let’s talk about “NIGHT REIGNS”. Give us an introduction to this story about Marcus.

Immortal Guardian Marcus Grayden recently lost the woman he has loved for eight centuries. Though he brought humor to DARKNESS DAWNS, in NIGHT REIGNS we see what he hopes to hide from the others: that he now only feels alive when he is risking all in battle against the hordes of maddened vampires who prey upon humans. When his actions spawn concern in Seth, the leader of the Immortal Guardians, Marcus is assigned a new Second (mortal assistant) -- Ami. Though the last thing Marcus wants is a Second, he simply can’t deny Ami’s appeal, swiftly succumbing to her wit and intelligence and beauty when they are thrown together.

Ami has suffered greatly in recent years. So much so that, at times, she questions her sanity. When Seth assigns her to serve as Marcus’s Second, taking care of business for him during the day when he must shun the sun and backing him in battle when he needs it at night, she is shocked. But she rises to the occasion. Conquering the fear instilled in her by the monsters who tortured her, she fights valiantly by Marcus’s side . . . and swiftly loses her heart to him as the bonds of friendship they find deepen into love.

Tell us something about Marcus that isn’t in the book, something only you know. We promise not to tell *wink*.

Hmmmm. When Marcus was a teenaged squire in the Middle Ages, he was very popular with the ladies, who adored him not only for his newfound skills as a lover, but for his teasing, jovial manner, his chivalry, and his valor. :-)

Tell us something you enjoyed writing in your book about Marcus?

I love that Marcus is drawn to strong women. I imagine many men born in the Middle Ages would want the opposite. But Marcus’s unique history made the strength Ami repeatedly displays utterly irresistible to him. I enjoyed the sense of humor he displays in both NIGHT REIGNS and DARKNESS DAWNS, too, and that he doesn’t just lust after Ami, he genuinely likes and admires her, then loves her deeply.

What is you favorite scene in “NIGHT REIGNS” ?

That’s a tough one to answer without spoilers. I have several favorite scenes in this one, but think the number one favorite would be the scene in which Ami tells Marcus why she’s different.

Do you trend towards an organic diet like some of your characters?

I would like to say I have an all organic vegetarian diet no doctor could find fault with, but I can’t. One of the reasons I made the immortals in my series eat organic is because it helps reduce their need for blood. The second was because I figured a heightened sense of taste would allow them to taste the difference between real flavors and synthetic flavors. And the third . . . well . . .

I don’t know anyone, myself included, who isn’t stubborn when it comes to diet. There are certain foods I just won’t give up that doctors say people should. And there are certain foods I will never try. I figured if I’m this stubborn regarding diet after the short time I’ve spent on the planet, how much more so would someone who has been around for hundreds, if not, thousands of years be? I imagine Marcus -- who ate nothing but organic foods for eight hundred years (that’s all that was available) -- when told at some point in the past century to “Try this. It has fake coloring and fake flavoring, but tastes great,” would’ve looked at the speaker as if he or she were insane. :-)

Could you tell us about, or give us and excerpt from your next
IMMORTAL GUARDIAN installment?

I can’t give you an excerpt yet, but I can tell you that PHANTOM SHADOWS, Book 3, will feature Bastien as hero and Dr. Lipton as heroine. (I was thrilled when readers of NIGHT REIGNS mentioned wanting to see those two get together!) The enemy immortals face will continue to change and evolve, growing ever more dangerous. Surprising new allies will arise. New friendships will form. And the Immortal Guardians’ world will be irrevocably altered.

Thanks so much for being with us and answering our questions. We truly enjoy your work and look forward to many more IMMORTAL GUARDIANS to come our way in the future.

Dianne is sponsoring a special giveaway today to one lucky winner,..a signed copy of NIGHT REIGNS. To enter just be a Networked Blog Follower to this blog and leave a comment or question for Dianne today. The winner will be posted tomorrow by way of a random drawing. To find out more about Dianne Duvall, check her web site at

http://www.dianneduvall.com/

Starcrossed - Josephine Angelini

2012-01-01T17:20:00.000-08:00

Helen Hamilton has always tried to hide how different she is—no easy feat on an island as small as Nantucket, and only getting harder as she finds herself haunted by hallucinations and vivid nightmares.
It's not until she crosses paths with Lucas Delos at school that Helen's true heritage is finally revealed. Yet even as Lucas helps her awaken to her startling powers, they can never be together—not unless they can break free from the tragic destiny the Three Fates have in store.

This tantalizing story with it’s unforgettable characters is a great YA read with a Greek mythology theme. Anticipating what you think will take place in the action packed pages will only leave you more surprised as the plot plays out with it’s twists and turns. Full of drama and spinning action, two starcrossed lovers change the course of their future the day their eye’s first lock upon one another. Family betrayal, compounded by secrets and power struggles plague Helen as she comes to understand through Lucas what she is in the eyes of the Greek gods. The passion,... pulling and pushing these two teenagers reveal a strong emotion despite the known fact that fate rules among all realms. This captivating debut novel, promises a great adventure to look forward to with a trilogy planned for this thrilling story.
My Rating - 4
Shonna

Mortal Danger- Eileen Wilks (book 2)

2011-12-28T14:58:00.000-08:00

Former homicide cop Lily Yu has a lot on her plate. There's her sister's wedding, a missing magical staff with unknown powers, and her grandmother's sudden decision to visit the old country just when Lily could use a little advice. Maybe she should turn to the man she's involved with, but for all the passion that flares between them, she doesn't really know Rule Turner. Yet she's tied to him for life, both of them caught in an unbreakable mate bond.
That Rule is a werewolf, prince of his people, only complicates matters.
Now an agent in a special unit of the FBI's Magical Crimes Division, Lily's job is to hunt down Harlowe, a charismatic cult leader bent on bringing an ancient evil into the world. But what Lily doesn't realize is that Harlowe has set a trap-for her. And then the unthinkable happens.
In the blink of any eye Lily's world divides and collides, and she is thrust into a new and frightening reality. Her only hope will be to trust Rule-and herself-or Lily will be lost forever...
I really am enjoying this series but I was a little confused while reading this book- a few times. But it was a good story, I'm liking Lily more with each book. This book happens only a few weeks after the first book and has all the same characters plus it has small HEA's at the end of the books (which I like, I don't need it all to be wrapped up pretty in a nice bow but I don't want it to end with death and tragedy either) Lily and Rule are still looking for Harlowe and the evil staff and fighting over where they will live when they live together. To put my two cents in, my ass would be all over him at HIS place every night. Cullen is back and he is as witty as ever, lol I actually laughed out loud when he offered to service Lily. You need to read the book to find out the reason why he was offering. We are introduced to a few new characters in this book, Cynna, who now works with Lily in the Unit, who also has intimate knowledge of Rule- yep read to see how that plays out too. How would you like to be partners with a woman that has had sex with your man?? Dragons!! We get to meet dragons in this book, they live in Dis (which is what we call Hell) and they get to leave Dis to come to earth. I can't wait to read more about them. It took a trip to Dis for Lily to realize what she has with Rule and I finally got my 3 little words I have been waiting for. I really like how the author sets up the next book in the previous book, she drops little hints here and there so you know what's coming.
My Rating: 4

Tempting Danger- Eileen Wilks (book 1)

2011-12-22T15:04:00.000-08:00

Lily Yu is a San Diego police detective investigating a series of grisly murders that appear to be the work of a werewolf. To hunt down the killer, she must infiltrate the clans. Only one man can help her--a were named Rule Turner, a prince of the lupi, whose charismatic presence disturbs Lily. Rule has his own reasons for helping the investigation--reasons he doesn't want to share with Lily. Logic and honor demand she keep her distance, but the attraction between them is immediate and devastating-and beyond human reason. Now, in a race to fend off evil, Lily finds herself in uncharted territory, tested as never before, and at her back a man who she's not sure she can trust ....
I really liked this book, I did read the novella first (Only Human), I personally recommend to NOT do that- start with this book. They are the same story but since the other is a novella it is short and this is a full length book with some changes, changes the authors talks about on her website. Don't get me wrong I liked the novella too but the full length book is better with better explanations of who, what, when & how for this story.
Oh Rule Turner, what a hot sexy beast of a werewolf you are..Yum-O!! And Lily, well I've said it before and will say it again, I do not like tough leading ladies that think they can kick any ass out there but good news is, Lily is not like that, she's actually lovable in a rough kind of way and sarcastic which is a plus. She really doesn't know what hits her when Rule walks into her life. The side characters in this book are great, Cullen is Rule's oldest friend who is also a lupi plus more, I will let you read to find out what kind of more I am talking about. What I loved about this story is that the Lupi are out, known to the world and not everyone is happy about it. Great story and just what until you meet Dirty Harry and Grandmother..enjoy!!
My Rating: 4.5 Wendy
MY version of RULE in my head..
Yummy & furry & wolfie! Yummy & clean & sexy

Lord of the Abyss- Nalini Singh

2011-12-22T09:53:00.000-08:00

As the dark Lord who condemns souls to damnation in the Abyss, Micah is nothing but a feared monster wrapped in impenetrable black armor. He has no idea he is the last heir of Elden, its last hope. Only one woman knows—the daughter of his enemy.
Liliana is nothing like her father, the Blood Sorcerer who’d cursed Micah. She sees past Micah’s armor to the prince inside. A prince whose sinful touch she craves. But first she has to brave his dark, dangerous lair and help him remember. Because they only have till midnight to save Elden.
Oh out of the four this was by far my favorite storyline and I really liked Micah. Liliana is the Blood Sorcerer's daughter and she hates him so she travels to the Abyss to find Micah, who does not know who or what he really is, after she had a vision and knew she was the only hope of saving Eden and the brothers and sister. This story was a modern day twist to Beauty and the Beast to me, when Micah's parents were killed he was only five years old, he was put into a hold like state until he was old enough and big enough to become the Lord of the Abyss. Liliana knowing who he is tries to gently get him to remember things from his past before it is too late. When he was banished 20 or more years ago he was also cursed, he becomes a beast that no one can control, until Liliana. She has been told her whole life she is ugly and no one would ever love her but Micah has never been with a woman and he sees past her looks at the person she really is. The sex scenes are so well written in this book and believable for two people who have never been with anyone else. The end of this book was fantastic to me, not just how they wrapped it up but Micah is not the only one changed to something else at the end and his comments about Liliana after the change were great.
My Rating: 4.5 Wendy

Lord of the Wolfyn- Jessica Andersen (book 3)

2011-12-22T09:50:00.000-08:00

Practical cop Rhea Weston didn't understand how reading a sexy version of “Little Red Riding Hood” catapulted her into another realm—face-to-fang with the legendary wolf-creature who seduced women. A wolf who transformed into a dark, virile man . . .
Dayn cursed the Sorcerer that damned him to a lonely fate. As a beast, he mated with women to gain the strength he needed to rescue his royal palace. But as a man, he craved Reda’s touch. With little time left, Dayn had to either embrace his wolf to safe his kingdom…or fight to save his woman.
Like the previous two books in this series it followed a theme and this one was of course Little Red Riding Hood but with a modern day twist. Rhea travels to the realm where Dayn lives his lonely life, he's an outsider with a pack of wolves but that doesn't keep him from interacting with a few of them. When he finds Rhea he knows there is something different about her, she herself always felt different but when she realizes that her own mother could have been from the realm she was in now, things started to make sense to her. Rhea will do anything to get home and Dayn will do anything to keep her, he knows this strange human is his mate and he does everything he can to convince her they belong together.
My Rating: 4 Wendy

2011-12-20T04:14:00.000-08:00

WINNER

Congrats to bookbunny68!

One of Stephanie Rowe's books is yours to pick.

Please contact us at bookloversforever@yahoo.com

Thanks to everyone for stopping by.

A four-time RITA® Award nominee and Golden Heart® Award winner Stephanie Rowe is the nationally bestselling author of more than twenty published books with major New York publishers, including HarperCollins, Grand Center and Harlequin. Stephanie has received starred reviews from Booklist and high praise from Publisher's Weekly. She writes romance (paranormal, contemporary and suspense), teen fiction, middle grade fiction and inspirational non-fiction. A former attorney, Stephanie lives in Boston where she is actively working on her next project. Thanks for visiting with us today and answering some of our questions Stephanie. We are so exited to have you.

2011-12-19T04:14:00.000-08:00

1. Let's talk about your Soulfire series. Tell us a little bit about each book for our followers that haven’t had the pleasure of reading them yet.
Thank you so much for having me! I'm so excited to be here, and I'm SO excited about the January 1^st launch of my next paranormal romance. Yay! Thanks so much for asking about the series.

The Soulfire series is about a team of immortal warriors who have recently escaped from the Den of Womanly Pursuits, after 150 of torture and sensitivity training by Death's grandma. These hardened survivors can, much to their dismay, wield a pair of knitting needles as well as they can vanquish a demon with a sword. Not that they will admit that. Ever. Denial only goes so far, however… If a man's got a talent with a curling iron, he can hide it for only so long…

In KISS AT YOUR OWN RISK, the first book in the series, an intractable warrior teams up with a cursed spitfire to rescue his best friend from Death's hot-blooded Grandma, in a high-octane and deliciously sexy romance, in which Death takes on a whole new meaning.

In TOUCH IF YOU DARE, book two, Jarvis Swain is an immortal warrior with a talent for French braiding, who is also the Guardian of Hate. He's on the fast track toward succumbing to his dark side, much to the detriment of pretty much the entire world. Jarvis's only chance to prevail comes in the form of Death's tender-hearted assistant, Reina Fleming, who is far too busy trying to save her own sister to get involved with Jarvis. Or is she? Reina and Jarvis quickly discover that they are each other's best chance…and greatest threat. Will love prevail or bring them down?

In HOLD ME IF YOU CAN, book three, Nigel Aquarian is the only warrior who's entirely at peace with his softer side. Give him a sketch pad and some markers, and he's happy. But those that giveth taketh away, and Nigel suddenly finds that his art has become deadly to those he loves. Without his art, Nigel has no outlet for his darker side. He has to find a way to regain control before he kills everyone he loves, and the only woman who can help him is Natalie Fleming, a passionate woman with a talent for chocolate, demons and maybe, just maybe, his salvation. If, of course, they don't kill each other first.

2.How did the ball start rolling, so to speak, with the idea and plot for this series?
My goal with the Soulfire series was to create a story that took the paranormal genre and twisted it into new, unpredictable directions. I wanted to surprise the reader by creating a powerful, sexy story about the triumph of love in the most unusual of circumstances. For example, the traditional dark, tortured alpha hero is deliciously yummy, but I wanted to do something more. I wanted to give these guys an unexpectedly soft side that torments them as much as it gives them peace. Each warrior in this series has his own special talent, one that he's embarrassingly addicted to for his mental well-being, be it knitting, cross-stitching or flower arranging. I wanted to show that a man can be a bad ass warrior, and still tap into his gentle nature without losing that which makes him so powerful and appealing. As for Death, I wanted to create a bad guy that was compelling and delicious in a way that the reader would never expect. I adore Death, and I wanted the reader to as well. I modeled him based on Satan, who was the villain in my Immortally Sexy series. Satan got the most fan mail, and everyone wanted to see his happily ever after, even though he was, of course, Satan. With Death, I wanted to create a similarly compelling character that you love and hate at the same time.

3. Your characters have a lot of developed facets to them. Do you do a lot of planning before starting a project where your characters are concerned, or do you just go with the flow?

My first step is to get to know my main characters in their souls. I don't bother with their favorite kind of ice cream. I need to sink myself deep into the emotions that drive them, and peel back the layers to expose their greatest fears, their greatest hopes, and their greatest joys. I find out what drives them, and I find out what terrifies them beyond belief, and then I create a story that forces them to defeat their innermost terrors in order to get that which their soul burns for. Sometimes those obstacles can be external experiences that trigger their inner traumas, and sometimes those obstacles can be internal, but every obstacle and every event and every relationship stems from that darkest place in their soul that is yearning for hope, for love and for light.

4. Do you have conversations with your warriors? If so what do you talk about? Has their special talents ever been a topic of discussion?

I've heard that a lot of authors have conversations with their warriors, and I always wondered about that, because I never have. There were times if I thought there was something wrong with me because I didn't have discussions with imaginary characters. Eventually, I discovered that there was a good reason for this lack of dialogue, and I was happy to realize that there was nothing wrong with me. See, the reason I don't have conversations with my characters is because when I am writing their stories, I become them. I am not an author telling their story as they tell it to me. I actually become my characters and I live their lives. I think their thoughts, I feel their emotions, I live their lives. I'm so immersed in who they are, that I could never pull myself back and separate myself from them long enough to have a conversation. I simply feel who they are through my own heart. So, see? I'm totally normal… ahem…

5. Could you tell a little secret or fact about Death that we can’t read in the series?

Death will get his own story eventually, but the poor man wants nothing more than to fall in love, and to be loved deeply, passionately and without judgment or reservation. Despite the fact that he has successfully turned the business of Death into a phenomenally lucrative business, he's actually really insecure and gentle in his personal life, and he yearns to have a safe place to show the utter softness of his soul. I heart Death. J

6. Writing in multiple genres is nothing new for you, but is it hard to jump around from one to the next?

I think the toughest part is when I finished a book and then start brainstorming a new book that is in a different genre. Sometimes it is really hard to get myself out of the mindset of the book I was working on. Once I start to gain momentum, then it's all good, and I'm so happy to be able to challenge myself with something new. Writing in difference genres forces me to keep developing as a writer and prevents me from getting into a predictable routine with my writing. It keeps those brain muscles working hard!

7. Do you have a genre that you prefer to write about, and if so, why?

My favorite genre to write is always the one that I'm writing in at the moment, but I enjoy writing in all of the genres. I think going back and forth helps keep my writing evolving and growing, because I focus on different things in each type of story, while still maintaining some continuity. For example, in my paranormals, there is more action and they are darker (and a little more outrageous) than my contemps, but both of them focus on characters battling their darkest fears and demons (sometimes literally, in the paranormals). Every genre is challenging in its own way. They all require a compelling story and compelling, heartfelt characters, and that's the toughest part of writing a book. The setting, whether contemporary, paranormal or romantic suspense, are the natural output of the characters in that story.

8. Do you have any special requirements, or things you can’t do without, when you write?

In an ideal world, I like to write in the morning, power through until I'm finished, and then gallivant gleefully throughout the rest of the day. Unfortunately, that rarely happens. I often have to stop to take a break and workout, because my brain gets tired, or life interferes. Often I need to write a few more pages at night, but honestly, I’m not that great at night, unless I can get into a groove, and then I can sometimes get some great creative juices flowing. I have a pretty extensive outline before I start to write, and I usually end in the middle of a scene (not the end of the scene), so it's pretty easy for me to pick things back up when I sit down again…or at least, that's my theory… In terms of setting, I can actually write in pretty much any situation. I can write in a coffee shop with all sorts of chaos around me, I can write with music blasting or the TV on, or I can write in the total silence of my living room, or even in my car in a parking lot. It depends partially on my mood, but there is also an element of awareness that this is my job, and I have to find a way to work in whatever situation I'm in. Sometimes it's tough to get going, but once I become immersed in my story, the environment I'm in ceases to matter. Earlier this summer, I had the opportunity to write on a sunny afternoon lakeside in the woods of Maine with a gentle breeze blowing, and I must say that that was quite awesome. If I could recreate that moment at will, that would be a beautiful thing.

9. What would you like to tell us about Stephanie that isn’t in your web bio?

I think the most important thing about who I am is my belief that we all deserve to be happy and feel good, no matter what is going on around us. I've been through some hard things for the last few years, and there are times it's been such a challenge for me to put one foot in front of the other, and to believe that things are going to be okay someday. It's made me realize how important it is for all of us to keep striving to feel good, to be good to ourselves, no matter how tough life is. Taking the time to read books that uplift your heart is one of the gifts we can give ourselves, so I'm honored and privileged to have the opportunity to write books and maybe be that moment of relief for someone whose having a tough time.

10. Jan.1st won’t be here soon enough for all of us to dive into HOLD ME IF YOU CAN. What future projects or reads are you working on that we can look forward to?

I have a new book out called THE FEEL GOOD LIFE that I'm so excited about. It’s a non-fiction book that evolved from my personal journey over the last four years to get my life back together after it imploded. The book acknowledges that life is hard, that tough things happen that we can’t always fix, but we deserve to still be able to wake up in the morning and not feel a huge weight in our chests. The book is filled with the things I did to help myself pull myself together and start to shift how I felt, to feel better, to be able to look around and realize that everything was going to be okay, in some way or another. Honestly, it totally sucks to feel awful, and if I can help one person get through a day more easily, then that’s a gift I will cherish. This book is the kind of book I want people to give to the people in their lives who are struggling through something tough, because we all deserve to feel better, no matter how much the world is crashing down around us. If my journey can help others, then it’s worth everything I went through.

On the fiction side, I have a new dark paranormal romance series called the ORDER OF THE BLADE launching in late winter as eBooks. The first book, THE FIRST KISS, is slated February. The next two will be released shortly thereafter, so the first trilogy of the series will be out in quick succession. The series is darker, sexier and more suspenseful than the SOULFIRE series, and the warriors are armed, dangerous and mate for life.

WOW! It sounds like you have a lot of awesome books headed our way, thanks for telling us about them. We appreciate you taking the time to be with us today. To find out more about Stephanie Rowe and her wonderful work, checkout her site at,..... http://www.stephanierowe.com/

Stephanie is sponsoring a special giveaway with the winner picking one of her books as a prize. To enter, simply be a follower of this blog and leave a comment or question for Stephanie today along with your email address. The winner will be selected from a random drawing and posted tomorrow morning on the blog. (winner restricted to US residents only)

A Taste of Midnight - Lara Adrian

2011-12-18T05:14:00.000-08:00

A shimmering holiday gala lights up an ancient castle in the Scottish Highlands, but beautiful widowed Breedmate Danika MacConn feels alone in the crowd. Even among the friends and festivity of the Darkhaven celebration, she can’t forget her lost love, a fallen warrior of the Order. Her brief return to her mate’s homeland has become treacherous after rejecting the advances of a dangerous Edinburgh crime boss with a taste for blood sport. As Danika seeks to expose the vampire and his dark trade, she discovers an unexpected ally in his forbidding, enigmatic henchman, Brannoc, a man who exudes heat, danger, and dark menace—and seems somehow achingly familiar. Bran has his own reasons for wanting to keep Dani out of his employer’s business . . . and his own secrets he means to keep buried. The last thing he needs is to get tangled up with a woman who tempts the wildest part of his Breed nature—especially when that woman is Danika MacConn, the one woman capable of bringing him to his knees.

Even though this story could be read as a stand alone, you will enjoy it so much more if you have indulged in the Midnight Breed series first. Ever since I cried while reading the first Breed book, KISS OF MIDNIGHT, I have been waiting for Danika to have her own story and a chance to find happiness once again. A great short story, Lara Adrian comes through with flying colors and delivers a well written passionate love story sprinkled with action and twists. Although the main plot takes place outside of the order’s realm, cameo appearances and past known names will catch your eye as well as some new characters I hope we will see more of in the future. Lara Adrian is a fantastic writer and all I can say is the next installment can’t get here soon enough for me. Book ten, DARKER AFTER MIDNIGHT, is planned for January,2012. Mark your calendars!
My Rating - 5
Shonna

Bound by Darkness- Alexandra Ivy

2011-12-16T08:09:00.000-08:00

Desire is the deadliest weapon.
The Sylvermysts have a reputation as sinister cousins to the fey, and none are more mysterious than Ariyal and his tribe.
To save his people from banishment, he faces a new challenge: Jaelyn, an elite vampire warrior sent to capture him. By rights, he should kill her on sight. Yet he cannot bring himself to hurt her—or to resist her…
Jaelyn is stunningly beautiful, utterly lethal—and always alone. Until Ariyal. From their first encounter, she knows that what's between them is more dangerous than simple lust. And as they unite to thwart a terrifying prophecy that will mean the end of his clan and of the world they know, she will risk everything to fulfill her destiny by his side…
I just love this series, every book has been great and the story line never feels like it is repeating (and we all know when you have several books in a series it can be same story different characters) We met both lead characters in previous books and it was great for them to finally to have a book together. So I was pleased with the book but not with the cover and for those that know me, know I like my covers to at least look like what the author describes. Ok over the cover problem now, on to the story. Loved Ariyal, he is strong, sexy and hell bent on setting this right in his life now that he is free. He has a sensitive side that is surprising for what he has been through. Yum he is just sex on a stick with a sword!!
Jaelyn, well she is a tough one overall but when he starts to peel back the layers he finds a loving, sensitive woman who besides being a fierce warrior is also a needing, wanting female. Denying each other does not last long once she realizes that she is stuck with him. Oh and my favorite little gargoyle, Levet is in this book...Oh he is so cute and funny!
My Rating: 4.5 Wendy

Body Guard- Jennifer Ashley (book 2.5)

2011-12-07T07:47:00.001-08:00

Elizabeth Chapman is robbed at gunpoint in her store late one night, and fears she'll die. But that's before a giant bear knocks the intruder across the room and opens a new chapter of Elizabeth's life. Ronan, a Bear Shifter of the Austin Shiftertown, knows he needs to protect Elizabeth from retaliation from the robber's dangerous family. Ronan has a "family" of his own--orphaned cubs and clanless Bears that all seemed to find themselves under Ronan's care. He needs to protect the fiery Elizabeth and keep his family safe, but he finds his mate hunger for Elizabeth growing. How to mate claim her, a human, and a not very tall one at that, and protect her, but show her how gentle a bear can be?
LOVED, LOVED, LOVED this book- well honestly I love the whole series so far. We met Ronan in a previous book and I am so excited he now has his own story even if it was a short one. Ronan is a bear shifter who for years lived on his own but once the shifters became public he moved to Shiftertown. Bear shifters are rare and since there are so few of them when they do move to shifter towns they usually live together. Ronan has taken in all the bear shifters that no one else wanted to care for, each has become like family to him. While off from work he gets caught up in a robbery of one of the few stores that allow shifters. Ronan knows from early on that Elizabeth is the woman for him, human or not he wants her for his mate. With drug dealers, shifter fighting and big power plays this was a very exciting novella.
My Rating: 4.5 (I would have given it a 5 if it would've been longer)
Wendy

Immortal Rider- Larissa Ione (book 2)

2011-12-07T07:25:00.001-08:00

The signs are everywhere...disastrous world events. Evil rising up, unleashed upon the innocent. The prophecies were there...but no one listened. Until now. The time has come for those who can either usher in Doomsday...or prevent it. They are here. They ride. The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.
Arik Wagner, a soldier with the U.S. Army's paranormal unit, the R-XR, kissed a girl and liked it. And then he went to hell as punishment. Where he's spent weeks being tortured...and plotting revenge.
Limos, Horsewoman of the Apocalypse, isn't your average girl. She's immortal, dangerous, and her fiancé is Satan himself. In a moment of weakness, she gave in to her desire and kissed Arik, triggering her fiancé's wrath - and his claim on her. In order to save Arik, and the world, Limos must make a dangerous pact with her recently turned evil brother, Pestilence. A deal that might just cost her her soul...and her heart.
I really like this series, I like that Limos is one of the most powerful beings out here but still allowed to be girly. Limos and Arik have been flirting for awhile but Limos knew it could never go any further then that. Arik had other plans and when the time was right he caught her off guard and gave her the kiss they both had wanted for months. But sadly because Limos is engaged to Satan, who set it up that if Limos showed affections to anyone besides himself that person would be dragged to Hell. And if they could get that person to say the name "Limos" while in torment that would give Satan the power to drag Limos back to Hell to marry him. Which she wanted before she meet back up with her brothers the 3 Horsemen, thousands of years ago. She and her brothers are children of a demon and an angel. Limos was raised by her demon mother and was set free to find her brothers to get them to turn evil. But after being with them they turned her to their side with love and respect, so she turned her back on evil. She never told her brothers the truth about how they really found each other and she knew that lie would destroy her family. Will all of her lies destroy these new feelings she's found with Arik? Will her brothers trust her again before she goes over to the dark side?
My Rating 4.5
LT

Q & A with Lex Valentine

2011-11-30T09:26:00.001-08:00

Wow is it December already?? Boy this year just flew by. Today we have Lex Valentine as our Guest Author/Blogger, she's stopped by to answer a few questions for us. To read more about Lex and her fantastic books, visit her website- http://www.lexvalentine.com/ She has some really yummy books to pick from. Also stop by her blog http://www.lexvalentine.com/blog/ So let's get started with the Q&A's.

1. What was the hardest part to write so far in the series?

The hardest thing for me to write in the entire series was Emily’s Death Spiral in Ride the Lightning. It isn’t easy to write a suicide scene and I worried that readers wouldn’t like that Emily tried to kill herself in her despair over Vahid. Luckily, they all understood where she was coming from as a dragon and a woman and they sympathized.

2. Do you design your own covers and do you decide on the names of each book?

At Pink Petal Books, I do my own covers, but not at other publishers. Thus far, I’ve not had any publisher change the title of a book on me.

3. Which comes first- the characters story or the idea for the novel?

Oh, I think they sort of all come together. I’ll get a germ of an idea whether it’s a scene or a character or a plot point, then I build on it in my head and it all sort of happens together. I have no specific way that I come up with a story.

4. In your series, Tales of the Darkworld, you have F/M couples and M/M couples, which do you find easier to write?

F/M usually because I’ve been there done that, but to be honest, lately, the M/M stuff comes easier. I think it’s where I’m at in my head at the time and what I’ve been reading. Lately, I’ve been reading more gay rom and less het. But I shift back and forth. I’m an equal opportunity reader and writer. Also, some characters are infinitely more easy to write. In Common Ground, Sair was very hard for me to write, but Weylyn, who is a secondary character in that book, is always easy for me to write.

5. I love how you bring in all different types of breed characters (dragons, vampires, werewolves), when you started the series did you know that you would be writing each book about a different species?

I knew. When I first came up with the idea for the Five Dark Realms more than 25 years ago, I knew I wanted to write about all the different people who inhabited my worlds. And so it’s come to be.

6. What is a typical writing day for you?

It depends on the day of the week. Sometimes I’ll squeak out a half hour in the morning before work, a half hour at lunch and that’s it because it’s a work day for me. Sometimes I can write when I get home but usually not. Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night and I can’t sleep and don’t feel like reading so I write. On the weekends I can do more, but it depends on if I have something going on that takes me out of the house or if my friends want to do Word Wars online. I don’t really have a typical writing day to be honest. I wish I did because it would mean I’m making enough to quit the EDJ.

Thank you Lex for stopping by and everyone be sure to stop over at Lex's blog, she is having a 30 Days of Christmas giveaway- here's the link again

http://www.lexvalentine.com/blog/

Adam- Jacquelyn Frank (book 6)

2011-11-28T08:53:00.001-08:00

Haunted by magic, beset by evil, the Nightwalkers face their darkest hour yet. And when they unthinkable happens, only one legendary male has the power, the will, to save them: Adam....

FOR 400 YEARS HE WAS LOST TO HER, BUT HE IS HERS TONIGHT...

From their first tantalizing touch, Jasmine knows he is different. What other lover could unlock her tight control, flood Vampire senses jaded by a lifetime of decadent self indulgence? Centuries ago, when he disappeared without a trace, she had given up hope of ever fulfilling the promise of incomparable passion. But here he is, against the very laws of nature, ready to bring down their most vicious enemy, ready to bring her blood to the boiling point.... If she will only let him.

It's been a month since I read this book but since we had the blogiversary I waited to post. Ok two things to get out of the way, 1st thing I was shocked, umm let me changed that a little, I was SHOCKED when I first started reading this book, so shocked I sent LT a message telling her how pissed off, upset and just all around blown away by this book I was. But I kept reading and it got better and explained away my doubts from the first few chapters. Whew, I'm glad I stuck with it because here is the 2nd thing- I LOVED it!! What a freaking roller coaster ride you go on while reading this story. Adam, who we only heard about in the other books, but never actually met is the main male character and boy is he yummy. He's a water demon which means he can control the moisture in the air or any water near him. Jasmine is a vampire, who is Damien's second, she is the female lead but we met her in Damien's book. Adam and Jasmine met centuries ago during the war between the demons and vampires when it was unheard of for the two species to be together. Even though Adam disappeared that did not stop Jasmine from thinking about him or longing for him. Now if I dive into the story I will tell too much because really there is no way around telling the good stuff without you knowing all the secrets of the book. I will leave you with this...read the book, read the series AND check out this freaking pic below. Yes I swiped it from the authors facebook page. Holy crap on a cracker this guy looks exactly like what I had pictured in my head when I read this book and OMG he is wet- Yum, Adam the water demon is WET!!
My Rating: 4.5

Wendy

Ghost of a Chance- Deena Remiel

2011-11-28T08:49:00.001-08:00

Let me start off by telling you I love all Magical or Supernatural stories, I prefer them over real life stories. So if you’re like me you will love this Short story.

Remy Charles finds himself in the same position he was put in 10 years ago. When his vindictive ex-wife put a curse on him turning him into a living Ghost of a man and the only thing to save him from that curse is to have a woman fall in love with him. But no matter how many times his friends set him up, as soon as the woman lay their eyes on his corporal form they would run screaming.
Susannah has been a widow going on 6 years and she used that grief to make her stronger and to get ahead in her profession. But now she feels that work isn’t enough for her and she wants to find something magical maybe even a one night stand that could turn into many more nights with that special someone.
So they both call a dating service that has a 100% track record for finding the right person.
Is Susannah the woman to break Remy’s curse? And will Remy let anyone close enough to break it?
LT: my rating 4.5 only because I wanted more, the book was over too fast

Sherrilyn Kenyon - The Guardian

2011-11-28T07:54:00.000-08:00

As a Dream-Hunter, Lydia has been charged with the most sacred and dangerous of missions. She’s to descend into the Nether Realm and find the missing god of dreams before he betrays the secrets that could kill all of them. What she never expects is to be taken prisoner by the Realm’s most vicious guardian.
Seth’s time is running out. If he can’t hand over the key to Olympus and the heart of Zeus, then his own life and soul will be forfeit. No matter the torture, he hasn’t been able to break the god in his custody. But when a rescuer appears, he decides to try a new tactic.
When these two lock wills, one of them must give. But Lydia isn’t just guarding the gates of Olympus, she’s holding back the darkest of powers. If she fails, an ancient evil will roam the earth once more and no one will be safe.
But evil is always seductive…

Sold into slavery as a child to one of the primary powers, the Egyptian demigod, Seth, has spent 4,500 years in the realm of Azmodea and its dungeons. To gain a reprieve from torture and pain from Noir, he agrees to help his master find the key to Olympus by capturing the Dream Hunter, Solin. Unable to break Solin with beatings and abuse, Seth is running out of time to acquire the information until he finds the leverage needed to accomplish his deed. Caught trying to free her father, Lydia now is being help prisoner in secret until Solin returns with the key for Seth, The Guardian, to present to his ruler. Away from all eyes in Seth’s room, two enemies thrown together now learn to see more than what is in front of them. Allowing themselves to understand one another, and feel the love they have is a feat thought impossible by both.

This fifth installment of the Dream Hunter series is awesome! To top it off, many past characters like Jaden, Madoc, Zarek, Carson, Colt, Dev, Jericho, Delphine and Menyara sprinkle the pages with an appearance. While even more are mentioned and talked about. This great read is why we all love Sherrilyn Kenyon’s work. There is just one thing I recommend, before you starting reading this story, have a box of kleenex sitting beside you,...you are going to need them.

My rating - 5 Shonna

2011-11-19T05:34:00.000-08:00

WINNER!!!!

A BIG welcome to Eileen Wilks and her wonderful werewolf friends from The World of Lupi series. We are coming to the end of Blogiversary so for our last contest we will be giving away to one lucky follower a Werewolf themed book thong and a Starbucks gift card. For your chance to win please become a follower of this blog and leave us a comment on what you find sexiest on a man (and ladies it can be anything you want) (US residents only please)

2011-11-18T03:51:00.000-08:00

TWO-NATURED

If you’ve been following Lily and Rule in my lupi series, you probably have some idea of what the new book is about. If not—well, DEATH MAGIC covers the same ground most books do. Life and death . . . love and magic . . . coffee and werewolves.
Okay, maybe the last pair isn’t standard fare for every book, but they show up in mine pretty consistently. DEATH MAGIC is the eighth book in the series, and both werewolves and coffee are present in every one. As are life and death, love and magic.
Those of you who are new to the series will want to know if you can read this one without having read the others. Yes, you can. I work hard to make it possible for a new reader to enter my world with any of the books, and each book has its own, stand-alone plot, as well as elements that stretch through multiple books. But speaking as a reader, not a writer, I think it’s more fun to read a series in order. The series I love most have characters who grow and change over the course of several books, so that’s the kind I write. The Lily Yu you meet in Tempting Danger isn’t exactly the same Lily who’s dealing with ghosts and shadows in DEATH MAGIC. The world she lives in isn’t the same, either.

I have long been fascinated by the idea of magic returning to the world—and with it, otherworldly beings with agendas far different from ours. In Lily Yu’s world, magic never died out completely, but it had thinned so much that, before The Turning, some people didn’t think it existed at all.
Lily has always known better. For one thing, she’s a touch sensitive, able to feel magic tactically, but unable to work it or be affected by it. For another, her grandmother can turn into a tiger. (And no, I’m sorry, but you won’t get to meet Grandmother in this one—you’ll have to check out the earlier books for that. But you do get to meet some brownies.) When DEATH MAGIC opens, Lily’s world has changed drastically since she first met Rule Turner. She’s engaged, for one thing, and the man she loves doesn’t consider himself human. She works for the FBI now, not as a homicide cop. And the world is at war . . . though most people don’t realize it.
If you were literately inclined, you might say that my books are about dualities—male and female, magic and mundanity, instinct and reason, good and evil . . . the two natures that live in all of us. You might add that my characters are always having to reinvent the balance between those dualities, because what worked last year or last week isn’t working now that the world has gone and changed on them again.
Probably, though, you won’t notice any of that. Probably that’s just me thinking too much, as Rule’s wolf would say. Probably what you’ll notice as you dive into DEATH MAGIC is that it’s like one of those cartoon snowballs that start small but pick up mass and speed as they toll faster and faster down that steep hill until they’re flattening trees and houses as they careen towards the end.
At least I hope so. Because however much I may like to think about things like theme and dualities and all that, what I love as a reader are stories that lift me out of my everyday world, stories with characters I care about deeply, stories that keep me turning the pages, surprising me over and over as they send me careening towards some unseen end.
And if they have coffee and werewolves, that’s even better. (Oh Eileen I totally agree with you!!..Wendy)

http://www.eileenwilks.com/
1/11 BLOOD CHALLENGE (Berkley)
11/11 DEATH MAGIC (Berkley)
11/11 TIED WITH A BOW (anthology--Berkley)

THANK YOU Eileen for stopping by to help us celebrate our Two Year "Blogiversary"- Come back any time and feel free to bring your Yummy werewolves with you, we will supply the coffee!

2011-11-18T03:49:00.000-08:00

WINNERS!!!

Today we are so lucky to have the author of one of our all time favorite series, THE WING SLAYER HUNTER, Jennifer Lyons. She is going to answer a few of our questions, and tell us a bit about herself and some future works we need to keep our eyes open for. Ms. Lyons has also agreed to a super contest giveaway of a signed copy of NIGHT MAGIC, and SINFUL MAGIC. It’s easy to enter, all you have to do is be a follower of this blog and leave a comment or question for Ms. Lyons. Sorry, this contest is limited to US residents only. The two winners will be announced tomorrow morning so don’t forget to check back and see if you’re a winner!

2011-11-17T03:57:00.000-08:00

1. Who or what inspired the WINGED SLAYER SERIES? Was the plot or the characters first?

My inspiration goes way back to the TV show BEWITCHED. Even though my series is nothing like that show, and in fact, is much darker, it was that that sparked my love of witches. I knew that, someday, I really wanted to write about witches and the men who loved them.

That day came when I met Axel Locke, the hero of the first book. I was playing around, just writing, and the scene of Axel and Sutton talking in a nightclub materialized. I was hooked; I had to write their stories.

2. Which Winged Slayer is your favorite and which was the most difficult to write about?

That’s like asking me which of my kids is my favorite. I love them all. They exasperate me, amuse me and sometimes break my heart. The two hardest to write were Phoenix and Key’s stories. They just ripped my heart out.

Weaving Dyfyr, the dragon, into Key’s story was a huge challenge. And speaking of love—I was, and still am, in love with Dyfyr. But melding a timeless love story from the past into a new love story in the present was one of the most difficult things I’ve done yet. I hope I did the story justice.

3. Have you ever experience writers block, and if so, how did you handle it?

I refuse to call it writer’s block. That feels like an excuse. I have hit the wall where nothing works. At first, I try to ignore it and keep going. Eventually, I have to admit that there’s a problem somewhere. I stop writing and begin analyzing to find where the problem is and fix it by rewriting. Almost always, the problem is with the character’s internal conflict which drives all the character’s decisions. But once in a while, it’s a plot problem. Whatever it is, it’s always extremely frustrating when it happens, and I’m often in a panic trying to “save the book.”

4. Tell us about Jennifer. What do you like to do when you aren’t writing?

Think and talk about writing. Otherwise I like hanging out with my family, or going out with my sister and friends. I also work out a few mornings a week and try to stay consistent. I enjoy cooking and trying new recipes, but my husband I have very simple tastes. I love to bake, but rarely do it anymore. I just don’t have the metabolism to burn it off these days!

Of course, I love to read. I’m a very random reader, I just pickup whatever catches my attention. I love my Kindle as I can download a book in seconds—so addictive!

5. What is something you would like your readers to know about yourself that you have never told before (we love secrets)?

I don’t know--are any readers officers of the law? I don’t want to get into trouble…LOL! Seriously, aside from protecting my family’s privacy, I’m a pretty open book. Hmm, oh! I know! I find certain accents in men super sexy, particularly Scottish. Maybe it’s the Scots blood in me rising to the surface there.

6. Wendy is about to bust, so we have to ask so she will stop stressing, LOL ..... When is the next WING SLAYER book coming out?

Oh I don’t think this is going to help Wendy’s stress level, but here it goes: As of right now, I don’t have a release date for any new books in the Wing Slayer Series. The publisher isn’t interested in going forward, and as of yet, I haven’t found a new publisher. I do have the next three books plotted, but I just don’t know. I’m so sorry to Wendy and all the readers who are disappointed. I still love these characters and hope to write more of their stories! (Wendy breaking in for a minute- I WILL publish them myself- tell me what I have to do!! I NEED Linc's story, like yesterday. Message to the publisher- WE NEED those two stories!!!)
Right now, I’ve just finished a new proposal that I’m excited (and terrified) about. It’s a new world with ancient, powerful Dragon Shifters and magical Faes descended from Otherworld. Here's a simple explanation of the story: The door to Otherworld has been closed by the Dragons and they need to keep it that way. The Fae are trapped on Earth and their magic is dying, so they need to get that door open. The first story begins with a Fae heroine whose beloved younger sister will go insane if she doesn’t get that door to Otherworld opened. That’s a very sketchy description. We’ll see if my agent likes the proposal. And I have some more ideas I’m anxious to develop.

Thank you so much for having me on your blog today!

http://jenniferlyonbooks.com

Jennifer Lyon grew up under the shadow of the Matterhorn at Disneyland in Anaheim, California. She attended Walt Disney elementary school and her very first playmate was her beloved dog, Duke (an ugly but very good natured Boxer), who was cast in the role of hero in all their many adventures.
Imagination was never a problem for Jen! She discovered books at a very young age and read voraciously.
Many years later, Jen met her real life hero at the dog pound, married him and they had three sons. She went back to school to get her degree, and pursued her passion of writing. Eventually writing won out over a degree and she began to write full time.

Jen has penned the award winning Samantha Shaw Mystery Series and several other romantic mysteries under the name Jennifer Apodaca. Then she decided to unleash her inner witch, took the name Jennifer Lyon and created the Wing Slayer Hunter Series about tortured alpha males and the very special witches who love them.

2011-11-17T03:56:00.000-08:00

Winner!!!!!!

Gamble with us today with Marie Harte & her men of Dawn Endeavor to introduce her latest book in the series, Grayson's Gamble. Today's contest/giveawy is a fantastic book, Fallon's Flame, to enter become a follower of this blog and tell me what you think of the yummy looking men below. Open to All!

2011-11-16T04:23:00.000-08:00

I love shapeshifters of all types. I love the military. And I love hot, sexy men. So how to shake it up so they’re all together in one place? Why, write a series, of course. And to give it extra zing, don’t contain the romances to one man, one woman. Why not two or three men? Four? A woman here or there would work too, I suppose… I’m all about the characters, I swear, and this is the way it had to happen. So if you’re squeamish about men kissing men, these books may not be for you.

Grayson's Gamble is the fifth of my Dawn Endeavor books and releases Nov 22 from Loose Id. It’s a ménage story involving two men and one woman, and none of them are quite human. They’re Circs, and they like to bite, scratch and claw to get the job done. This story is really a stand-alone, though it takes place a year after the last Dawn Endeavor book, Gunnar’s Game, ended. You don’t need to read the others to understand this one, but Grayson did make his first appearance in Julian’s Jeopardy (Dawn Endeavor 3). Blah blah blah. Right. But what’s a Circ? What’s Dawn Endeavor? Why all this shameless name dropping and promotion? Where’s the sexy hero, and why is this series something worth reading? Besides the fact that I wrote it… *grin*

Take four hot ex-SEALs, sign them up for a secret government project that turns them into inhuman supersoldiers, add a need for sex with other Circs, gender not specific, and mix in a whole lot of secrets and intrigue, and you have Dawn Endeavor.

I came up with the idea of supersoldiers over ten years ago, when I was still a wannabe romance writer and lieutenant in the Marine Corps. I had terrific ideas but little discipline to sit down and write them out, too busy partying with my friends or working out in the field, making sure the Division Forward had communications. (Fun, but involved. Don’t ask.) Ebooks weren’t viable, and email was still a fairly new concept to me. In other words, the e-reader didn’t exist. Amazon, who?
Fast forward several years. I left the Marine Corps, had a family, and started writing for real. I took out the notes I’d made about Circe’s Recruits and wrote a story about a Marine who’d signed up for a secret supersoldier project, and Loose Id liked it. Hurray! Three more stories followed. The Circe’s Recruits http://marieharte.com/series.html series did well, really well. By the time I’d gotten into the last book, Circe’s Recruits: Hale http://www.marieharte.com/LooseId.html#Circes_Recruits another group of Circs had snuck their way into existence.

Jules and his team wanted to escape the labs and torturous trials the Circe’s Recruits guys had left behind. And then Jules pestered me to write the Dawn Endeavor story. Three men led by Jules Hawkins: Jesse Fallon, Kisho Hayashi, and Frederik Gunnar Tersch. They were different than the original Circs. These guys had psychic skills and more conspiracies to uncover. Good guys weren’t black and white, but mostly gray. And then there was Mrs. Sharpe, their mysterious leader…

I had a ton of fun writing these stories. And I had motivation. I normally don’t look for pictures of my heroes, I just write them. But I was inspired by these guys. So I found a few shots that seemed to encapsulate my heroes. Mind you, these warriors were normal men before they received the shots of EP12, the Circe serum. They underwent genetic manipulation that altered them. They change into stronger, faster creatures neither man nor animal. Claws, fangs and hardened skin are just a few of their enhancements. They also suffer a mating heat, when only sex with another Circ will satisfy. It’s perpetuation of the species, Circ style. And it makes for a really “tight” team, if you get my meaning.

Meet the men of Dawn Endeavor:

Jesse Fallon: telepath, all around charmer, good guy. He’s the peacekeeper of the bunch, but he can’t keep his head straight around Olivia Lynn.

Kisho Hayashi: Team prognosticator, the quiet one. He has the soul of a poet and the tortured past of a man who knows the true value of being accepted. He’s gay but not ready to come out of the closet, until he meets his mate, Morgan Reynolds.

Julian Hawkins: Can read auras, and has the odd ability to turn invisible with an alignment of his cells. He’s the leader of the bunch, alpha to the core, and nothing means more than the safety and well-being of his men. Until he meets his mate, a vulnerable redhead, in the most unlikely of places--the arms of his enemy.

Frederik Gunnar Tersch: The scary Circ. Gunnar is the team’s resident Viking. He becomes a berserker, stronger and more brutal than anyone or anything. He can’t be beaten, which can be a problem when he fails to control his berserker’s violent nature. An abusive past keeps him from reaching out to his mate, afraid of hurting those he loves. But when the woman he wants as his own starts playing for keeps, he’s in over his head and struggling to break even against the one person destined for him.

I finished the series in November of 2010, when Gunnar’s Game http://www.loose-id.com/Dawn-Endeavor-4-Gunnars-Game.aspx released from Loose Id. I had several other projects ongoing, as I normally do, when I started getting a lot of questions about one Circ who appeared in two of the last books, Julian’s Jeopardy and Gunnar’s Game. Gunnar mated Ava, who has a brother not exactly normal. Grayson Belle is a natural born Circ, and he’s a real piece of work. He helped Ava and the Dawn Endeavor team overcome their enemies, but he’s always thought of himself as better than the artificial Circs. I knew he needed his own story, and when the positive response to the series continued, I finally wrote it. Grayson is Ava’s brother, and he works for Admiral London and Mrs. Sharpe. But other than that, his story is its own entity.

Here’s a short blurb.

Grayson Belle is one in a million. Unlike the government’s manufactured Circs -- the nation's warriors who’ve been mutated by the government into men who can shift form -- Gray was born with the ability to shapeshift and has a heightened sense of telepathy. But lately, his world has gone to hell. He’s prepared to throw in the towel after his current mission. He’s seriously messed up, lusting after his irritating partner, whom he’s not even sure he likes. And then the rogue Circ he’s been sent to kill turns his heart inside out and his resolve to nothing. He’s seriously losing his edge, because he wants to mark both Circs as his own. But if he does, what will that mean to the future he’s mapped out for himself?

He’ll have to gamble on his instincts to ignore what his head is telling him. Sometimes being rational means less than nothing if the heart isn’t happy. And Gray will be damned if he’ll let himself lose at love. Now he and his partner just have to convince one stubborn female to take that same chance.

If you'e like to read an excerpt, hop on over to my website here http://www.marieharte.com/GraysonsGamble_exc.html

I'm also giving away a copy of Fallon's Flame http://loose-id.com/Dawn-Endeavor-1-Fallons-Flame.aspx to one lucky commenter. Enjoy!

Thanks for letter me blog today. It's been a blast.

Marie

website: www.marieharte.com or blog: http://marieharte.blogspot.com

Don't miss Grayson's Gamble, coming to Loose Id Nov 22nd!

Thank you Marie for joining us today, I very excited about Grayson's book and can't wait to read it- love all your books (Wendy)

The winner for the copy of “The Sentinels”

2011-11-16T04:20:00.000-08:00

WINNER!!!!!

WOW! What a great time we are having for our “Blogiversary”. So many awesome authors, and yummy giveaways every day. With only a few days to go, we are so fortunate to have Desiree Holt swing by and visit with us today. She has agreed to chat about her fantastic series, and the excitement of the sixth installment released just the end of August, Ms. Holt is going to talk about her love for wolves and shapeshifters. To top all this off Ms. Holt is sponsoring a giveaway of a copy of "The Sentinals". All you have to do is be a follower of this blog and leave a question or comment for Ms. Holt.

2011-11-15T04:13:00.000-08:00

Note: Anyone who comments today, if you leave me your email I’ll contact you and send you a set of my Romance Trading Cards. Also I’ll draw one name for a copy of The Sentinels.

The Sentinels

And why I love shapeshifters

I’ve always had a fascination with wolves. Maybe because I grew up in Maine and when I travelled in the northern part of the state on very rare occasions I’d catch a glimpse of one. I started reading about them and everything I read fascinated me. They are among the most intelligent of mammals and while they are predators they attack only for protection and food. And I consider them noble animals.

The first shapeshifter books I ever read are by Karen Whiddon, One Eye Open and One Eye Closed, the stories of a brother and sister who are both shifters. The stories are so well written and told so well I fell in love not just with the characters but with the entire idea of wolf shapeshifters. You cannot begin to imagine all the stuff that’s out there about them. Legends, opinions, so-called research. It’s fascinating!

I studied the pack dynamics of wolves, also, and found so many stories where they’d been translated into shifter traits. Read any of Kate Douglas’s Wolf Tales for some tremendous insight into this. And I thought to myself, Self? If you’re going to do a series on shifters what should it be about and what kind of humans should they shift into?

The answer came very easily. The wolf is a warrior, a defender, and so The Sentinels were born. Eight men and women dedicated to guarding, protecting and helping those in need of their services. Whether it’s protection or investigation they stand ready to serve.

As the series progresses, in each book the hero or heroine finds his or her mate. In some cases they mate with a human, in at least two situations with another shifter. Here’s what the series blurb says:

They are eight orphan shapeshifters, brought together to create their own pack-The Sentinels, guardians and protectors. As humans they are second to none. As the wolves they shift into they are beyond comparison. If danger stalks you, you can do no better than The Sentinels. But beware of the sexual attraction that will grab you and never let go.

The latest release is Book 6: Silent Hunters

When Lauren Rhodes is kidnapped and taken to an isolated cabin in the Maine woods, it’s only by sheer determination and the help of three wolves that she manages to escape. She is stunned when they then lead her to safety at the cabin of Sentinel Luke Spencer and his wife. And even more stunned to meet Damien Moreno and discover the explosive sexual chemistry between them. She needs him and The Sentinels to find out who’s after her, but what happens when she discovers his true nature? Can she ever turn her back on the powerful attraction between them and the off-the-charts sex?

Excerpt:

“She’s coming now,” Luke Spencer, the silver wolf, messaged his companion.

“I wasn’t sure she’d follow us,” Mack Renfield, the magnificent white wolf, answered him. “Especially after we tore into that guy.”

“Well, it was that or let him shoot her,” Damien Moreno commented.

“What do suppose that was all about?” Luke asked.

“I have no idea,” Luke answered. “But when I see a woman whose wrists are bound and a man after her with a hood over his face and a gun in his hand, I know whose side I’m on.”

“We need to lead her to your place, Luke. I think what she needs right now is The Sentinels. That’s one woman in a huge pile of trouble.”

“If we can get her close to the house,” Damien told them, “we can take off and let her go the rest of the way herself. The house will be lit up and easy for her to find.”

“Good idea,” Mack agreed. “We need to slip in ahead of her and give Sierra and Kelsey a heads up.”

Luke made a sound in his throat that would have been a laugh if he’d been in human form.

“They’re probably still guzzling that wine and talking. About us. Even at this hour. We left them so we could take a short run. Remember? Who the fuck knew we’d run into this?”

“Short run.” Mack snorted. “That certainly worked out well.”

“Okay.” This from Damien. “Let’s just get her out of these woods and go check in with the ladies. Give them, a heads up. Then find out what the hell this is all about.”

Lauren was exhausted. The wolves had raced in front of her, stopping and starting, and she had the weirdest feeling that each time they stopped they were waiting for her. Saying, “Come on. We’ll get you out of here.” For a brief moment she remembered stories she’d heard about a certain kind of wolf. A hybrid. A wolf that was…

No, no, no. That’s just a legend.

Still, the first time she’d heard it she’d done all the research she could, intrigued by the stories. She’d chalked it all up to someone’s fanciful imagination. Still, in college she’d taken a class called Legends and Lore and that was part of what they’d studied.

You’re losing it, girl. These are just wolves that for some reason don’t intend to harm you. That have led you to safety. You hope.

Then, just as she was about to collapse, she broke out of the trees into a clearing and saw a house. At first she thought it was a mirage but she blinked and it was still there. She looked for the wolves but in that instant they disappeared, flashes of silver and white and black that were just…gone.

You can find all The Sentinels at Total-e-bound, Amazon, Fictionwise and Barnes & Noble.

And you can find me at

http://www.desireeholt.com/

www.desireeholttellsall.com

www.facebook.com/desireeholt

www.twitter.com/desireeholt

THANK YOU Desiree for stopping by and helping us celebrate our Two Year "Blogiversay"

2011-11-15T04:10:00.000-08:00

Winner!!!

Are you ready for some historical romance and contemporary romantic suspense?? Today we welcome the very talented Pamela Clare. She is going to join us for a little Q&A and as a special giveaway we will be having a contest to win a "one of a kind" book thong. To enter the contest please follow two easy steps- become a follower of this blog and tell us who are the two main characters in Pamela's book UNTAMED (US residents only please and don't forget your email address)

2011-11-14T04:12:00.000-08:00

1. You say you like it when your characters become so real that they tell you what to do. Who is your all time favorite character that you've wrote about? Who was the most frustrating and hard to deal with?

Choosing a favorite would be so hard! I love them all. The all come with things that fascinate me and things that are difficult. Kat James was tough to write even though I loved her simply because I wanted her to be TRUE to her Navajo roots and not an “apple,” i.e., Indian on the outside and white on the inside. Lord William Wentworth is so fun to write because he’s so incredibly selfish and self-centered, but he also has a good side. Complicated characters are fun. Iain and Annie were wonderful to write.

2. Tell us about your writing routine. How do you balance writing, being the editor of a newspaper, juggling the care of two boys and having five minutes to take a hot shower?
I am always sleepy, I will tell you that! I get up somewhere between 5:30 and 6:30. Monday through Thursday I go into the office and work an eight-hour day. On Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, I run errands and then focus on writing for the rest of the day until late at night. Fortunately, my boys are now 25 and 21. I do try to take time to talk with them, because no matter how old we are we still need our mothers once in a while. But my house is messier than I’d like. I have a big garden, and my younger son helps with that. My lawn goes un-mowed sometimes. I never get enough sleep or exercise. But I love to write fiction, so in the end, finishing a book is worth it all. I will be leaving the newspaper very soon, however, and that means writing a lot more.

3. If historical romance is one of your favorite to read, name a few of your favorite authors in this category.
Kathleen Givens was my favorite. Sadly, she passed on. I love Anna Campbell. I also really enjoy Loretta Chase and Julie Garwood and am VERY interested to read Kaki Warner and Sara Donati, who also write Colonial American romance.

4. In the I-Team series, which book was your favorite to write and why?
I really don’t have a favorite. Each of them have been different. EXTREME EXPOSURE was, perhaps, the most fun. I laughed while I wrote it because I just had no idea what I was doing. I’d never read romantic suspense before, so I was just shooting in the dark. HARD EVIDENCE was fun because of Julian Darcangelo and the chance to write about life on the streets of Denver. UNLAWFUL CONTACT was precious to me because it included a lot of the prison-related reportage I’ve done over the years, telling some very near-to-true stories that are just heartbreaking and terrible. It also inspired me to try to change our state law regarding the shackling of women inmates during labor and childbirth. Last year, I wrote and helped pass a law that bans the use of shackles. (how awesome is that? Congrats & Great job.) NAKED EDGE was my love letter to the Navajo and Lakota people after years of reporting on Native issues. BREAKING POINT was fun because of Zach and Natalie. I love Natalie. She’s very feminine but very tough when she needs to be. And Zach... Is Zach. :-) I’ve put author’s notes on all the books on my website if anyone out there wants to read more about the stories behind the stories. All of them are drawn from my real work as an investigative reporter.

Thank you Pamela for taking the time out of your busy day to visit with us. One final question.

5. What can you tell us about your upcoming book, DEFIANT ?

YES! DEFIANT tells Connor MacKinnon’s story. He is sent to retrieve Lord William’s niece after she is taken captive by the Shawnee. He finds himself in a terrlble situation where the only way to save her is to fight the warrior who took her to the death and then claim her as his own. Here’s the back blurb:

Major Connor MacKinnon despises his commander, Lord William Wentworth, beyond all other men. Ordered to rescue Wentworth’s niece after the Shawnee take her captive, he expects Lady Sarah Woodville to be every bit as contemptible as her uncle. Instead, he finds a brave and beautiful lass in desperate peril. But the only way to free Sarah is for Connor to defeat the Shawnee warrior who kidnapped her—and claim her himself.

Torn by tragedy from her sheltered life in London, Lady Sarah is unprepared for the harshness of the frontier—or for the attraction she feels toward Connor. When they reach civilization, however, it is she who must protect him. For if her uncle knew all that Connor had done to save her, he would surely kill him.
But the flames of passion, once kindled, are difficult to deny. As desire transforms into love, Connor will have to defy an empire to keep Sarah at his side.

There are excerpts on my blog and website if anyone wants to read them. http://www.pamelaclare.com/index.php

Thanks so much for having me!

Thank you Pamela and now on to the contest- Please become a follower of this blog and tell us the names of the TWO main characters from Pamela's UNTAMED book (hint..follow the link above to find the answer)

2011-11-14T04:09:00.000-08:00

Winners!!!

Good Morning Everyone! We are off and running with Raven Hart as our featured author today. Her awesome series, SAVANNAH VAMPIRE, is something I am sure you are all familiar with. The five installments are wonderful reads that everyone should recommend to anyone that hasn’t read them. With winter around the corner, a great series like this, with a hot mug of coffee curled up in your favorite chair would be a wonderful way to spend a couple of “me” hours. Come on now, we all need it once in a while, right? So to help get you started on this series, Ms. Hart has agreed to give away three copies of the first installment, “THE VAMPIRE’S SEDUCTION”. Just become a follower to our blog, and leave a comment telling us what you like to add in that steaming mug of coffee ( tea, or hot chocolate) and your email address. Let us know what spicy sprinkles, or creamy concoctions you use. Even if you just enjoy a simply sweet spoonful of sugar or prefer nothing at all, it doesn’t matter. A random drawing for the winners will be used and winners will be announced tomorrow morning. (Limited to US residents only)

2011-11-13T05:03:00.000-08:00

Here are a few questions we asked Ms. Hart to answer so we could all get to know her a little better.....

If you were writing these questions to yourself, what would be a question that has never been ask before, and you are busting to tell your fans about?

I can’t really think of any question that has gone unasked. I will tell you the most interesting question I ever had from a fan, though. He wanted to know if there was any way he could become a real vampire. I was kind of sorry to have to tell him that I wouldn’t know where to start looking for one. As far as what I’m busting to tell fans about, I am excited about the werewolf series I’m going to do. As soon as I have time, I’ll get an excerpt ready to post on my web site.

Which comes first when you explore new ideas, a developing character or and storyline to place him or her in?

That can go either way. It seems to work better if the ideas spring from the character. I love to brainstorm with people. I have two critique partners who are multi-published, award-winning authors. We were talking about a character in book 6 who’s begging Jack to be made into a vampire. One of my critique partners innocently asked me if I thought this character had an ulterior motive for wanting to become a vampire. From that one question, the three of us came up with a back story for this character that y’all are going to love!

How do you write the sex scenes in your books? Do you leave it blank and comeback when you are in the mood, do you go with the flow and just write down what comes to mind, or do you wear a brown paper bag over your head as you pound the keyboard with embarrassment when no one is around.?

The brown paper bag, definitely! How did you know? I always write a book from first to last. I don’t skip around. When I come to a sex scene or any other scene that’s difficult to write, I just go for it. What’s hard is writing sex from a guy’s point of view. Who knows how guys think? I just know how I want him to think or what would be romantic/funny/scary for him to think—whatever’s necessary. Writing sex scenes is definitely my least favorite thing about the writing process. That and revisions.

Do you wish that a particular part in one of your books could be different or changed, and if so, do you think this change would have reflected on the outcome of the entire story?

The main thing I wish I hadn’t done is kill off William. (Spoiler alert) I’m bringing him back in book 6, but he won’t be quite the same William. I annoyed a lot of fans by killing him, so I’m trying to make it up to everyone. I have a lot of interesting plans for William in the future. He’s got some very important struggles ahead of him. I think the readers will enjoy his journey. I’m excited about it.

We all are interested in what you have planned for future. Can you tell us more about the werewolf series, or other ideas you have bouncing around?

The werewolf series will star a kick-butt female shape-shifter, a veeery interesting Atlanta vampire, and some monsters the likes of which you’ve never before seen. There are some charming foreign werewolves and cool witches and lots of other surprises. There’s also a murder mystery.

There are a couple of young adult books I want to write as well, but they’re not far enough along to talk about yet.

http://ravenhartbooks.com/

Thanks for including me in your Blogiversary!

Raven

THANK YOU Raven for helping us celebrate our Two Year "Blogiversary" feel free to come back any time!

2011-11-13T04:58:00.000-08:00

Winner!!!!!

We're mixing it up today- instead of having an author join us we are having a little mini giveaway, all we need are your votes! Just leave a comment with all your answers. Winner will get a $15 gift card from either Amazon or B&N

2011-11-12T04:38:00.000-08:00

Best New Author

Kay Springsteen
J.D. Tyler
Tessa Dawn
Laura Wright
Nicole Hicks
Chloe Lang
Deena Remiel

Favorite Male Lead

Jax- Primal Law
Barrons- ShadowFever
Jonas- Lion's Heart
Ares- Eternal Rider
Adam- River Marked
Sean- Primal Bonds
Bones- This Side of the Grave

Favorite Female Lead

Cat- This Side of the Grave
Mac- ShadowFever
Payne- Lover Unleashed
Sara- Eternal Hunger
Kate- Eternal Kiss
Mercy- River Marked

Favorite Couple

Cat & Bones- This Side of the Grave
Payne & Manny- Lover Unleashed
Georgina & Seth- Succubus Revealed
Jess & Abby- Retribution

2011-11-12T04:35:00.000-08:00

OUR WINNER!!!!!