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Saturday, May 5, 2012

Guest Post with Author Cheryl Douglas


Today I would like to welcome author Cheryl Douglas to the blog. Cheryl is currently on tour for her book Ruthless and has stopped by the blog to chat a bit about her characters from the book. Before I give the floor to Cheryl, let's get to know her a bit.

It took me thirty-seven years to decide what I wanted to be when I grew up. I thought I'd found my calling. In fact, I worked as a nutritionist for twelve years before I finally admitted to myself that while I enjoyed my work, I couldn't imagine doing it for the next thirty years.

My sub-conscious knew that I wanted to be a writer long before the conscious part of my mind decided to get with the program. While my sub-conscious was hard at work creating character profiles, plots and storylines, my conscious mind was telling me it was crazy to give up a successful business on the off-chance one of my manuscripts might rise to the top of someone's never-ending slush pile. After years of listening to that negative voice, I was finally ready to stop making excuses, face the fear and follow my dream of becoming a full-time writer, no matter the outcome. I'm so thankful I did.

I love bringing my characters to life and I am so grateful to have readers who love those characters as much as I do.

When I take a break from writing it's to spend time with my husband (a.k.a. my real life hero), my son, and my writing partner, Tia, a spirited Havanese who enjoys tapping her paw on my keyboard whenever I need a little comic relief.

Places to find Cheryl:
| Site | Blog

Friday, May 4, 2012

ARC Review: A Gentleman Says "I Do" by Amelia Grey

When I first saw this on NetGalley I immediately added it to my queue. I've had other books from this author on my TBR pile for quite sometime and I found myself very excited to pick this one up. I shouldn't have gotten myself so worked up because this book left a lot to be desired. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't really bad it was just okay. There wasn't anything that really stuck out for me with this book. It's just a book that has been done before by others and better.

Iverson Brentwood is seething mad. When a story is written in the paper about him and his twin brother depicting their mother in not such a good light he decides the only that can be done to rectify the situation is to confront the author himself. When he arrives at the mans home he is confronted by Miss Catalina Crisp, the authors daughter. Of course Iverson immediately finds himself attracted to Catalina. She's beautiful, feisty and she challenges him like no one else.

Catalina has a secret. She is actually the one behind the story. For the last three years she has been working on her fathers stories that he leaves unfinished so that they can get paid and keep their roof over their heads. When she is confronted by Iverson, she feels bad for the pain she has caused him and his family but knows he can never learn the truth behind the stories. He will tell everyone and ruin her father. So she keeps it a secret while at the same time she begins to look for her father so he can possibly put a stop to future stories about Iverson and his family from being released in the paper.

While all of this is going on, Catalina and Iverson are growing a lot closer. Iverson awakens feelings Catalina has never had before and likewise for Iverson. Iverson is known as the Rake of Baltimore and he in no way wants to settle down, but there is just something about Catalina that calls to him and he keeps finding himself drawn to her.

While I felt that the story-line has been done before and it was a little predictable, I will say I really enjoyed the way Catalina and Iverson reacted with one another. The way they both would go back and forth with each other was entertaining to read. They had some really funny moments with one another and some terrific one liners.

All in all, this book was okay. Nothing spectacular but not necessarily bad. Just kind of forgettable.


**ARC copy provided by NetGalley**

Purchase:
| Amazon | Kindle | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository |

Guest Post with Jessica E. Subject and Giveaway


Today I would like to welcome to the blog Jessica E. Subject. Jessica is currently on tour promoting the release of her book The Zurian Child and has stopped by the blog to chat. Before I give the floor over to Jessica, let us learn some about her.

Jessica Subject started writing to encourage her daughter to read. Now she writes to keep herself grounded. Although she reads many genres, she enjoys writing Science Fiction Romance the most and believes everyone in the universe deserves a happily ever after. She lives Southwestern Ontario, Canada with her husband and two kids and loves to hear from anyone who has enjoyed her stories.

Places to find Jessica:

Thursday, May 3, 2012

Guest Post with Author April Fifer and Danielle Hylton-Outland and Giveaway

Today I would like to welcome to the blog Danielle Hylton-Outland and April Fifer, otherwise known as Fiferhylton, the writing team behind the book Flesh and Feathers the first book in the Flesh Series. They have stopped by today to chat but before I give the floor over let's learn a bit about them.

Danielle Hylton-Outland was raised in Virginia. She grew up having a huge appetite for daydreaming; always wanting to live in the spectacular worlds she created in her mind. She now lives with her husband and dog where she is pursuing a degree in literature. Danielle is a strong animal activist. She is currently co-writing the second book in the Flesh Series, "Flesh and Flames".


April Fifer grew up in a small town in Virginia, where it was common practice believing that dreams could only be found in stories. At the age of seven she was diagnosed with dyslexia. She was told that she would struggle through life and would never pick up a book to read for pleasure. Although school was hard, she was able to find her way with the help of two teachers who taught her self-discovery. Ignoring what she was taught growing up, she turned it around and found that your dreams could become stories.

Places to find Fiferhylton:

Forever Blog Tour: Interview with Author Roxanne St. Claire and Giveaway


Today I would like to welcome to the blog author Roxanne St. Claire. Roxanne is currently on tour promoting her newest release, Barefoot In The Sand. Roxanne was kind enough to take the time our of her busy schedule to let me ask her a few questions, but first let's get to know Roxanne a bit.

Roxanne St. Claire is a bestselling author of thirty novels of romance and suspense. A five-time nominee and one-time winner of the prestigious RITA Award for outstanding romantic fiction, her books have also won the National Reader’s Choice Award for best romantic suspense for two consecutive years, as well as the Daphne du Maurier Award, the HOLT Medallion, the Maggie, Booksellers Best, Book Buyers Best, five Awards of Excellence, the Aspen Gold and many others

Prior to launching a full time career as a novelist in 2003, Roxanne spent most of her professional life as a marketing executive and public relations consultant. She is a graduate of UCLA, an active member of several national writing organizations, and a lecturer on a wide range of writing-related topics. She lives in Satellite Beach, Florida with her husband and their two teenagers, and if you know her, you call her Rocki.

Places to find Roxanne:

Wednesday, May 2, 2012

ARC Review: Wicked Road To Hell by Juliana Stone

This was a great beginning to what looks like a great new series by Juliana Stone. I really enjoyed this book and I'm super excited that I was finally able to see Declan and Ana get their HEA. Ever since I picked up Juliana's first book His Darkest Hunger, I've been dying to see what was going to happen with Declan and Ana. There were just so many sparks between them both. It sucked having to wait so long to finally see them get together but it was worth it.

Boy oh boy is Declan one hot, sexy man! Him and Ana were super hot together and I found myself fanning my face on more than one occasion. These two just sizzled. But once I got past their sparks and obvious chemistry I found myself a little annoyed. I understand Declan has been in love with Ana for years and it just about killed him when he watched her die a few years ago, I just wish he wasn't so Alpha with her at times. He tended to treat her like she's a delicate flower who can't take care of herself when in actuality she's a fierce, kickass heroine who can not only take care of herself but others also. Because of this I found myself getting anxious quite a few times. It aggravated me to see him be so domineering. Did he not remember that she fought alongside of him for years when there were PATU? Forgetting all of that, I still liked Declan. He's fierce and willing to do anything to protect the woman that he loves. I found that commendable.

I really like Ana. I mean really, who doesn't love a heroine who can kick some ass? She's caring and watching her fight herself over her feeling for Declan was slightly heart-wrenching. I just wanted to scream at her a few times but I completely understood where she was coming from. It's because of her love she's stayed away. Ana is just like Declan when it comes to caring for the ones she loves. She will do whatever she can to take care of the ones she cares about and I really liked that about her. Previously, I found Ana slightly cold and uncaring, but that definitely is not the case.

I really enjoyed this book but towards the second-half of the book it kind of started to drag for me. It just felt like too much was happening but not enough was happening. Does that make any sense? So much is happening to both Declan and Ana actionwise. One second they are fighting demons, the next vampires, and the next moment something else. It just became to much action after awhile. And while all of this is going on both Ana and Declan are trying to figure out their relationship. For me, it just felt like some things were lost in all of the action. I think I would have like there to be a bit more focus on their relationship. I don't feel like either one ever really talked to the to other and that I didn't like. I feel like there are some things that were never answered. I think if I were a reader who hadn't read Juliana Stone's previous Jaguar Warriors series I would feel slightly disappointed. I don't feel like I ever really got to know either character that well. What's their backstory, why are they here? Especially with Ana. I feel like there is so much that I still don't know about her and her past and I just would have liked to know a bit more.

Though all in all, I really enjoyed this book and I loved the idea behind this series. This is definitely a series that has caught my attention and I will definitely be reading and keeping an eye out for. Juliana introduced many characters that I am dying to get to know better and I am looking forward to seeing where this series goes.

**ARC copy provided by Publisher**

Purchase:
| Amazon | Kindle | Barnes & Noble |

Guest Post with Gabrielle Bisset and Giveaway


Today I would like to welcome to the blog author Gabrielle Bisset. Gabrielle is currently on tour promoting the release of her book Blood Avenged and has stopped by today to chat. Before I give the floor over to Gabrielle, let's get to know her a bit.

Gabrielle Bisset spends her days teaching college students American and European history, but by night she's an erotic romance author. Her first book, Stolen Destiny, was released by Siren Publishing in June 2011, and since then she's released the novellas of The Victorian Erotic Romance Trilogy--Vampire Dreams, Love's Master, and Masquerade--in addition to Destiny Redeemed. In December 2011, she released Blood Avenged, the first book in the Sons of Navarus series about eight vampires who must protect their world against an enemy that travels among their kind. She lives in Pennsylvania with her teenage son and a herd of pets.

Places to find Gabrielle:

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Guest Post with Lori Toland and Giveaway


Today I would like to welcome to the RFTC author Lori Toland. Lori is currently on tour promoting the release of her book The Long Con and has stopped by the blog to chat. Before I give the floor to Lori, let us get to know her some.

CEO by day, erotic romance writer by night, Lori Toland lives in Orlando where the summers are hot but the romance between her characters is even hotter. Writing since the tender age of 13, Lori somehow finds time to play video games and watch movies while taking care of her beloved cats and a husband who will forever be her hero.

Places to find Lori:

Random Acts of Kindness: April Wrap Up


R.A.K, otherwise known as Random Acts of Kindness is put together by the lovely ladies from Book♥Soulmates. It's a way for fellow bloggers to get together and give eachother items on their wish lists. I love participating in R.A.K. It's so much fun and rewarding to give others items from their wish list and it's exciting to see if anyone is going to give you something too.

Sent Out:

Monday, April 30, 2012

Spring Fling Giveaway Hop


Welcome to the Random Acts of Kindness Giveaway Hop. This hop was organized by I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and Eve's Fan Garden and will run from May 1-7.

I will be having 2 different giveaways. One will be for US entries only and another will be of International entries only. Please, enter the correct giveaway.


Up for grabs:

US Giveaway

  • A Light at Winter's End by Julia London (used ARC copy)
  • Home for a Soldier by Tatiana March (new paperback)
  • Next to Love by Ellen Feldman (ARC copy)
  • Bergdorf Blondes by Plum Sykes (new paperback)
  • Sleeping Beauty by Denise Jeffries (new paperback)


International Giveaway
  • 1 $10 book of choice from The Book Depository

There are more than 190 different blogs participating, so there are plenty of chances to win something. So make sure to check out the blog hop list and hop over to some of the other blogs.

Good Luck =)

ARC Review: An Heir of Deception by Beverley Kendall

I've been eagerly awaiting the release of this book for over a year and I was really nervous that I wouldn't live up to my expectations. I needn't have worried because this book was so good, easily my favorite from this author. There was just so much angst and emotion that I just couldn't put the book down.

Alex Cartwright is a man scorned. After being left at the altar five years ago by the woman he loved, he has been living in a self made hell. He was distraught and in pain and the only way he knew how to deal with everything was by drinking it all away. After living in debauchery and drinking himself into a stupor for days on end he decided to turn his life around and has been living in sobriety for the past two years.

Charlotte has been living in painful regret for the past five years. Days before her wedding to Alex, Charlotte received a letter threatening to expose a family secret that could ruin not only her family and her, but could potentially tarnish the dukedom Alex is set to inherit. She leaves thinking that it will save everyone from the painful truth.

Now five years later, Charlotte has returned home thinking that her beloved sister has fallen ill and taken a turn for the worse. When she sees her sister alive and healthy she decides to explain her hasty actions and the secret that she's been keeping from everyone. When she left she was pregnant with Alex's child and she has kept it a secret from everyone. Now that she is home she plans to tell everyone the truth, including the reason why she fled in the first place. While in the process of explaining Alex inadvertently walks in and spots Charlotte. All of the pain both have been suffering with for the past five years rushes up to the surface. Alex, not wanting to show he's affected in the least decides to not even acknowledge Charlotte and leaves. On his way out he spots a child crying in a carriage and goes to investigate. When he see the boy he can hardly believe his eyes. The child looks just like his brother did as a boy. Immediately he knows he is the father and takes the boy in to confront Charlotte.

Alex thought he was hurt before when Charlotte left, but the pain and betrayal he feels now about not knowing he had a son and being kept from him is indescribable. Not only is he angry that she left but he just can't believe she denied him his son, and rightful heir. Alex decides the only thing he can do to fix everything, is to forge a marriage license between Charlotte and himself and just make it seem as if they were estranged for the last five years. That way his son can inherit and he can be with him.

Charlotte feels horrible for deceiving Alex but she thought she was doing the right thing. She is willing to do anything to make things right with Alex. She still loves him greatly and wants nothing more than to be his wife in the truest sense of the word. If that means she has to bide her time until he is ready to accept the truth, then so be it. She loves him and she will do anything she can to earn back his trust.

I found this book to be filled with so much raw emotion. Your heart just breaks for Alex and you can't help but feel hurt and betrayed with him. It's rare to see a man so in love with a woman and when you hear some of the things he went through in his despair you weep for him and what he lost. I found that even when he was being cruel to Charlotte that I couldn't be mad with him. He's just so raw.

With Charlotte I found her at times to be slightly aggravating. I understand why she left, it just annoyed me that she is so distrustful of Alex's feeling towards her. I just wanted her to trust him and the love he felt for her.

I really enjoyed this book. I loved all of the emotion and grittyness of it. Charlotte might have annoyed me but I still loved her and Alex together and I'm so happy that finally got their HEA. I definitely can't wait to read Beverley's next book.

Purchase:
| Amazon | Barnes & Noble |


Romance Casting Call Wrap-Up


Hey all. Today is the 30th so that means the end of Romance Casting Call. I have had a blast with you all for the last thirty days and I hope you all have enjoyed yourselves as well. I want to say a huge THANK YOU to each and every author and blogger that was kind enough to stop by and share their casting choices as well as donate books for giveaways. Another big THANK YOU goes out to the lovely Kati and Jamie from Romancing Rakes For The Love of Romance for celebrating with me and making this event awesome.

Now if you didn't win something don't fret. There is still time to enter a few giveaways. We have book giveaways going till Friday. Along with the book giveaways, there is still 1 day left to enter to win a KINDLE, a GIANT box of books, and 3 different book bundles featuring our favorite books. So if you haven't already entered, what are you waiting for?

Again, thank you all for everything. I've had the most fun and I can't thank you enough for supporting the blog. You all rock! =)


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Sunday, April 29, 2012

Book Bundle Feature: Lord and Lady Spy by Shana Galen and Giveaway

It's Sunday so that means another week has passed here at the blog. I hope you guys are enjoying all of the posts. This week I had the only struggle trying to decide what book to giveaway for the book bundle giveaway. Seriously, I've debated about what book to giveaway all week. I had a list of about six different books. There are so many that I LOVE but I finally decided to give out Lord and Lady Spy by Shana Galen. This was the first book I ever read by Shana Galen and it was definitely my favorite book I read last year. It blew my mind and I can't wait to share it all with you.

Weekly Winners-Contemporary

Below is a list of all of the winners from last weeks Contemporary/Historical author and blogger castings. 

Nicola Marsh
Yadira A-Busted In Bollywood
Leev W-Interview With a Daredevil

Bella Andre
Shannon G-The Look of Love
The_Book_Queen-From This Moment On
Yadira A-Can't Help Falling in Love

Carolyn Brown
Velvet H-Darn Good Cowboy Christmas
Yadira A-Love Drunk Cowboy

Tawny Weber
Sally S-Sex, Lies, & Mistletoe
Helen B-Breaking the Rules

Lila DiPasqua
Filia O-A Midnight Dance
Nora L-Undone

Aislynn @Stitch-Read-Cook
Krista-Book of Choice
Diane S-Book of Choice


All winners have been notified via email. Thank you to everyone that stopped by and a HUGE thank you to all of the authors that have participated and donated books for the event. You all rock. If you didn't win don't fret, there is still time to enter to win a bunch of goodies including a KINDLE. Just go here to enter.