Book Review: Loving Mr. Darcy by Sharon Lathan

Book Review: Loving Mr. Darcy: Journeys Beyond Pemberley

By: Sharon Lathan
Sourcebooks Casablanca
3 Heart Review
Disclosure: Book Provided By Sourcebooks

Darcy Is Head Over Heels In Love

Six months into his marriage to Elizabeth Bennet, Darcy is still awestruck by his beautiful wide and their unparalleled love and passion. For Darcy, each day offers more opportunities to surprise and delight his beloved bride.

Lizzy Is Ready For Anything

Elizabeth has quickly adapted to being the Mistress of Pemberley, charming everyone she meets and handling her duties with grace and poise. Just when it seems life can't get any better, Elizabeth gets the most wonderful news.

Together They Embark On The Journey Of A Lifetime

The lovers leave the serenity of Pemberley, traveling through the sumptuous landscape of Regency England, experiencing the lavish sights, sounds, and tastes around them. With each new day come new discoveries as they become further entwined, body and soul, and a most sacred bond grows ever deeper.

This sequel to Pride & Prejudice was fun and enjoyable read. One thing to be prepared for? The sex. This is Jane Austen sexed up and going places you might not have expected.

Personally, I liked the idea of sexing Jane Austen's world up a little. The writing is very true to Jane's style, with something extra thrown in that makes the story appeal to a more modern women while still being historically accurate.

If you've been reading light and breezy contemporaries or funny paranormals, it might take you some time to get into this book. Again, Mrs. Lathan does a great deal of justice to the language and writing style of Austen, but that does mean that Loving Mr. Darcy isn't the lightest of reads.

What I enjoyed most about the book was that takes you back to the original story by having Darcy and Elizabeth reveal their thoughts and feelings about scenes that happened in Pride & Prejudice. It's an interesting inside look at the original and I think much of what Loving Mr. Darcy presents could be accurate!

If you are a Jane Austen fan and don't mind a little more heat to the story, I think you'll really enjoy Loving Mr. Darcy. If you're more the movie version fan of Austen, meaning not overly thrilled with the writing style, then you might find Loving Mr. Darcy a little hard to get caught up in. Once you reacquaint yourself with the characters and language, the reading flow does speed up.

I would have liked the story to have included more about Georgiana as I think seeing Mr. Darcy handle Georgiana's courtship will allow for some great moments.

So, if you enjoyed the book version of Pride & Prejudice, you'll enjoy Loving Mr. Darcy as long as you don't mind a little steamy romance!

Buy At Amazon
Link provided for convenience, does not constitute an endorsement.

That's what I get...Stay tuned for new reviews tomorrow.

So, I changed purses for the first time in 6+ months this morning and what did I forget to put in the new one: The flash drive holding all my latest reviews. I had planned to post a few today, but apparently it was not to be! That's what I get for changing my purse for the sake of fashion!

I will be here bright and early tomorrow with new reviews!

Monday Morning Cuteness

Here's some Monday Morning Cuteness to get this week started off right!


see more Lolcats and funny pictures

Look for some new reviews posted later today and throughout the week as well as some special guests and contests!

More Winners for Out of The Darkness & Rogue's Dynasty Books!

The winner of a copy of Out of the Darkness by Jaime Rush, as chosen my Random.org, is:

Comment # 23 - Lynz Pickles

Also randomly selected, the winner of the 1st two books in the Rogue's Dynasty series by Amelia Grey is:

Comment # 15 - Bekki1820cb

Ladies, please send me an email with your snail mail address to cheekyreads @ gmail.com (no spaces). Congrats and Happy Reading!

A Highlander's Temptation Winners!

Using Random Number Picker, the following 5 lucky readers are winning a copy of A Highlander's Temptation by Sue-Ellen Welfonder!


Random Winning Comments Are:

#4 - Gina

#8 - Jeanette8042

#10 - DYockman

#19 - Martha E

#20 - HaleyKnitz


Congrats Ladies! Please email me your snail mail address to cheekyreads @ gmail.com (no spaces) and I'll send your info over to the publisher who will be shipping the books directly to you. Happy Reading!

10 Questions with Author Amelia Grey & A Chance to Win Two Rogue's Dynasty Books

Cheeky Reads is pleased to have author Amelia Grey here with us today to answer some questions about her latest release A Marquis to Marry and her Rogue's Dynasty Trilogy. Welcome Amelia!

To start, please tell us a little about The Rogue's Dynasty Trilogy and A Marquis to Marry.

Good morning, and thank you for having me today on your fabulous site! I would love to tell you a little about The Rogues’ Dynasty Series. I started the Rogues series with this premise: Everyone in the ton knew that Lady Elder had tried many times by fair and foul means to force her grandsons to marry. After all, she had been happily married . . . four times. Decades earlier she had successfully married off each of her three daughters to titled gentlemen. And in turn, each daughter had given her a grandson all in the same year.

The Grandsons turned out to be Rogues of the highest order, notorious for many reasons including their titles, handsome faces and rumored debauchery. But nothing made them more popular than the fact that all three still remained bachelors in their thirtieth year. Not even vast fortunes had tempted any of them to propose to any of the young ladies who fancied them.

In A Marquis to Marry, the second book of the series, Alexander Raceworth, the fourth Marquis of Raceworth was not looking for love when Susannah Brookfield, the Dowager Duchess of Blooming arrived unannounced at his door. He had a card party going on at his house and serving tea to a temperamental old dowager was not in his plans. Let the servants take care of her. But when Race finally puts his cards on the table and goes to meet the duchess, he finds that she’s not old and she’s not unattractive. She’s a young, stunning beauty. And what’s more, she claims his grandmother’s pearls belong to her family. She intends to get them back, but Race doesn’t plan to be bluffed out of them.

Before the true ownerships of the pearls can be determined they are stolen from Race’s home. Race puts Susannah at the top of the thief list, but she wasn’t the only one after the pearls. There’s a sweet-talking buccaneer, a master-jeweler popinjay who secures jewels for the Crown, and a seedy, one-armed antiquities dealer, all wanting possession of the famous pearls.

The first book of The Rogues’ Dynasty series is A Duke to Die For. It came out in April 2009, but it is still available at your favorite local or online bookstore. In A Duke to Die For, the hero’s life is chaotic and undisciplined, so I gave him a young and innocent heroine who was timely and organized to get under his skin and stay there. For fun I had her believe she was cursed, and for intrigue I had him be in danger because of it.

An Earl to Enchant is the third book of the series and will be published in April 2010. In An Earl to Enchant, the hero is a planner who plays by the rules and has no idea what to do with an enchanting heroine who ignores convention and steals his heart with her impulsive ways. For merriment, I have the heroine pursuing the hero, and for intrigue I have a killer pursuing her.

I've heard A Marquis to Marry is based on true events - how did you uncover the true story and what was it like to research it?

Several years ago I read a snippet of information about the Talbot pearls. Five strands of perfectly matched pearls with each strand measuring thirty-two inches. I knew I wanted to use them in a book and A Marquis To Marry seemed the perfect story. It was easy to work out little details about the pearls. I decided they would belong to the hero, Race, left to him by his grandmother. And then to add a little spice to the story, I decided to have the heroine, Susannah, show up at his door claiming the pearls belonged to her family.

During the entire writing of this story, I kept searching for what really became of the Talbot pearls. I made e-mail contact with a couple of libraries in England, including the one in Sheffield where the Countess of Shrewsbury lived, hoping they could help me. I was sent a lot of information about jewels but nothing on the Talbot pearls. As I neared the end of the book frustration set in. I wanted to be able to tell in the author’s notes what really became of the famous pearls, so I hired a professional researcher.

She went to work right away checking books, museums’ lists, and old account records of the Countess of Shrewsbury, but to no avail. She and I finally had to give up and assume the strands of pearls were probably sold or pawned and were eventually broken up to make smaller necklaces. But it was most disheartening not to be able to say for sure what became of the pearls. The one thing I could do was make sure A Marquis to Marry had a happier ending. At the end of the book, the real thief is caught and the pearls are found.

I love the reformed rake playing the hero - something about have all that experience is appealing (in make-believe at least!) What three words would you use to describe your hero Race?

Passionate, fun-loving and sexy!

Describe your heroine Susannah in three words.

Believable, forgiving, and tempting.

I love that you begin each chapter with a note to Race from his Grandmother. What made you think of including these and can you tell us a little of how you use these notes and the ones Race sends to Susannah in the story?

Lady Elder, Race’s grandmother is the tie that binds The Rogues’ Dynasty books together and her quotes from Lord Chesterfield to her three grandsons was a constant irritant to them. In A Marquis to Marry, Susannah is a Duchess which means her rank is higher than Race’s. She’s usually treated with the highest, and most formal respect. He gets her attention by sending his informal notes that say just enough to tease her.

What scene was the most fun to write, and which was the hardest?

The most fun scene to write was the scene where Race and Susannah meet. I think the sexual tension between them sizzles from the moment they set eyes on each other. And the hardest to write was when Race thought Susannah had betrayed him and he accused her of having the pearls stolen. I wanted him to be passionately angry in that scene but yet he still had to be the hero of the book, too!

What do you love most about writing historical romances?

I love that feeling of being back in time and making it as beautiful, sensual and as fun as I hope it was.

Can you tell our readers a little about your writing and researching process?

I’m a fairly steady writer in that I usually write from about 10:00am until 4:00pm Monday through Friday. I seldom write in the evenings or weekends. I still do most of my research with books rather than the internet as I simply love to get away from the computer with a book and curl up in my favorite chair and read. But in a time crunch, I’ll stay at the computer and try to find what I need to know—for instance—if they used the term “bath salts” during the Regency, which I concluded they didn’t.

What are you currently reading and are there any books you would recommend? Authors always have the best recommendations!

I’m reading The Grand Sophy by Georgette Heyer and I have Sandra Brown’s Smash Cut sitting under it as next on my to be read list. I know Laura Kinsale has a book titled Lessons in French coming out in February of 2010 as my editor sent me a copy. I read it and loved it. It should be on anyone’s list who likes historicals.

The third book in the Rogue's Dynasty Trilogy, An Earl to Enchant, is set to release in April 2010. Can you give tell us a little about the main characters?

I’m happy to tell you a little about An Earl to Enchant. It is the third book of the Rogues’ Dynasty series and will be published in April 2010. In An Earl to Enchant, the hero is a planner who plays by the rules and has no idea what to do with an enchanting heroine who ignores convention and steals his heart with her impulsive ways. For merriment, I have the heroine pursuing the hero, and for intrigue I have a killer pursuing her.

Is there anything else you'd like to share with our readers?

I’d like for everyone to know that I’ll be writing three more books in the Rogues’ Dynasty for Sourcebooks. I can’t tell you about where the next three rogues come from as it would spoil one of the plots in An Earl to Enchant. But rest assured I have three more powerful, sexy heroes coming your way.

Thank you for having me today and I hope I’ll be invited back next April when An Earl To Enchant is published. Amelia

Thank you Amelia and we'd love to have you back! How exciting to hear there will be three more books - for six in all!

Sourcebooks has awesomely offered a set of the first two Rogue's Dynasty books to one lucky reader of Cheeky Reads! Leave a comment or question for Amelia and you'll be entered to win both A Duke to Die For and A Marquis to Marry!

Sorry, but this contest is limited to U.S. and Canada residents only.

Welcome Guest author Jamie Rush & Enter To Win!

Welcome Guest Author Jaime Rush!
OUT OF THE DARKNESS, Avon Books
http://www.jaimerush.com/

What, are you psychic or something?

I grew up on stories about ghosts and my mom's psychic experiences, so I never questioned that psychic stuff was real. Yeah, there are a lot of people who fake their abilities for money, but I'm not talking about them. I'm talking about people who truly have a gift…or a curse, depending on how they see it.

My earlier books (written as Tina Wainscott) played with themes such as body switching, near death experiences, twin connections, cellular memory, and psychic connections. I love that it could be real. It's on the edge, accessible to all of us. Who hasn't had a whoo-whoo experience? A knowing? If you haven't, someone you know has, I'll bet. Just recently a man I met, upon hearing what I write about, recounted an out of body experience he'd had. People who see a relative's spirit in the night and discover they passed over. I have had knowings.

When I was 19 and doing temp work, every time I saw a Toyota Supra, a sports car way out of my current financial picture, I knew I would have one. It baffled me, frankly. (Hello, between jobs, 19 years old) When I heard on the local rock station that they were hosting a hand-a-thon and the winner would get a brand new Toyota Supra, I didn't hesitate to enter. Without that knowing, I probably would have, considering it was a competition where twenty-eight people put their hand on the car and whoever was the last person standing won it. I had to enter, and I kept that knowing with me hour after hour, hallucinating, people dropping off in fugue states and sleeping right there, even when it came down to me and one other guy, and he tried giving me the evil eye. Seventy-four hours later, I won that car. It was the same with getting published, knowing I would meet a great guy, and recently, lingering when the light turned green instead of gunning it (I still have a Supra). The car in the right turn lane came into my lane and would have hit me if I'd been in my usual spot.

I believe we all have the ability to expand past our five senses. What could be more fascinating, more mysterious, than the human brain? Our soul? We are amazing creatures. If we don't get in our own way, think of the things we can accomplish.

It was interesting to find how tested psychic abilities are. There have been some interesting and compelling data, though you can't just produce results on command. Our own government even created a program that used gifted people to remote-view (psychically spy) on our enemy, which was primarily the USSR at that time. Several agencies had custody of this program, best known as Stargate, over twenty-four years starting in 1971. The Soviets were also pursuing paranormal means for spying and warfare.

It was this program, in fact, that inspired my Offspring series. The government had also given one of their own people LSD without his knowledge to see if it would make him more susceptible to interrogation. It only made him hurl himself out a hotel window to his death. My mind started playing the writer's What If? Game. What if the government created a program that employed people with different, and potentially dangerous, psychic abilities? What if these people were given a substance that enhanced those abilities, but ultimately made them crazy and so they had to be terminated to protect the program? What would happen to their Offspring, who might have inherited both the ability and possibly the insanity as well? What if the man behind the original program began searching for the Offspring, to either use them for a new program or terminate them? And thus, my group of Offspring began forming, joining together to find the truth about who they are and who killed their parents. Different people, outcasts, fierce, loyal, banding together to survive.

OUT OF THE DARKNESS is book two of the series, and I've tried hard to make sure new readers are caught right up to the action without an information overload. In a flash, Zoe Stoker goes from tattoo artist to target of an assassin. All her life she's felt like a freak, and now the Offspring, people who also have remarkable psychic abilities, are her only hope. The enemy grows more dangerous…and so do her feelings for one sexy loner as she gains command of her powers and loses control of her heart.

I have another way to honor you, reader, writer, bookseller…everyone. I'm giving you the opportunity to be in a book. Yes, you can have your name in a nationally-published book! All you have to do is fill in your name and email address in the form at my site. There is no contest, no "lucky" winner. You're all winners to me. Tell your friends! Post it on your blog! Names will be included in my third book of my Offspring series, TOUCHING DARKNESS, scheduled for summer 2010. See http://www.jaimerush.com/ for details.

I also host my Kick Butt First Line contest for readers and writers. Shocking, suspenseful…make us want more! Cash prizes! Contest runs from September 15 through November 1, 2009.

Thanks Jaime! She's been nice enough to offer a copy of Out of the Darkness to one lucky reader! So tell us, have you or has anyone you know, had a whoo-whoo or psychic moment? Leave your comment below and I'll choose a random winner on Friday Oct. 9th. Good luck and Happy Reading!

Enchanted Realms - Welcome Guest Author Sue-Ellen Welfonder & Enter To Win!

I bet you’re thinking this is about Celtic legend and myth? After all, I’m here because of my latest Scottish medieval romance, A Highlander’s Temptation (GCP, Oct. 2009. Anyone familiar with my books knows that I enjoy weaving enchantment into them. There’s even a meddlesome crone, Devorgilla, who is a recurring character and always has a spell or charm at the ready. She even has a little red fox named Somerled who assists her in all things magical.

Scotland, too, can be called enchanting. I’ll not argue that.

With its Hebridean setting, A Highlander’s Temptation (GCP, Oct. 2009) has one of the most spectacular backdrops I’ve ever written. The hero’s windswept home, MacConacher’s Isle, is definitely an enchanted place.

So you aren’t far from the truth if you guessed that a guest blog titled “Enchanted Realms” would be about something mystical.

It is, actually.

Although, the enchanted realm I mean is a writer’s office. But that, too, isn’t quite the right description because not all of us write in a real, stone-and-mortar work environment. I do. And I love my office dearly. But some of us create in a corner of some other room, space constraints and personal circumstances depending. Some write on laptops while sitting on the sofa. Or in a garden or – gads! – ensconced in a crowded café. I even have a friend who used to slip away to her car on her lunch breaks, working there.

With so many books on the shelves – and more appearing every month – you can be guaranteed that there are writers writing somewhere, every day.

Here’s a look at my office.

And here’s a look at why I write all my books perched on the edge of my chair. Needless to say, my little dog shares my chair always. Sometimes, when he falls asleep, he nudges me until I really am sitting on only about an inch and half of space.



No matter. Dog lovers will understand why I don’t have the heart to disturb him. What counts is that this is my writing place. It’s impossible to work without one.

And wherever that somewhere might be, I think it’s a safe bet to say that to the individual writer, that somewhere is an enchanted place. It has to be. Because if it isn’t the writer won’t be able to slip away from the real world and disappear into the story.

Every writer needs an enchanted realm.

Wherever we craft our stories, we have to be able to walk through a magical door and immerse ourselves in the world of our work-in-progress. So I want to talk about how we get that door to glide open and then fall quietly shut behind us, locking us inside our special writing zone.

I do it with rituals.

One or two little things that help me banish everything but The Book from my mind. These signals alert my subconscious that I’ve stepped through the magical door and am now in my enchanted realm, ready to work.

Candles and scented oils (I love reed diffusers) are high on my list of writing rituals. As I do my best work after midnight, the candle glow adds much-appreciated atmosphere. The reed diffusers give off a subtle fragrance that makes my work area seem extra-special.

I also enjoy listening to music (no lyrics, please) to help set the mood. Classical music is my favorite choice, with Mendelssohn’s incredible overture, The Hebrides, having accompanied me through the writing of so many books. Celtic music (again, without words) is also inspiring. And I also love the evocative, transporting melodies of many New Age-y instrumentals.

The rest of the world needs to be absolutely quiet and still. I would call myself a mild-mannered person, but if the local landscape crews dare waltz by anywhere near my office windows when I’m trying to work, I have moments when I can easily imagine someone exploding into a mindless, red murderous haze of fury.

These leaf-blowing brigades can transform me into a fire-breathing she-dragon in quick time. Even my best, most soothing writerly rituals can’t compete with a leaf blower.

So when these fiends appear – which so often happens to be just then when I am busiest and really, really, really need to concentrate – I abandon my office and either take my dog for a walk or ride my bicycle.

Here’s a favorite bit of my dog-walking-and-cycle route.


Getting out and about banishes my leaf-blower-induced temper and also clears my mind. Some of my best writing ideas come to me when I am walking my dog or cycling. The physical exercise does me good, too. But that – writers and fitness - is a topic for a different blog.This one is about writers and the rituals we use to find our way into the writing zone.

One other thing I often do to jumpstart a work session is consult a sweet little tome called Juwelen der Weisheit. That’s german for “Jewels of Wisdom.” It’s a tiny book that fits easily into the palm of my hand. The book is filled with inspirational quotes and was a gift from a very dear friend who lives in Munich. I keep the book on my desk. Sometimes I’ll just hold it, close my eyes, and then open the book and read the saying that my ‘heart’ has chosen. It’s amazing how often the quote will be exactly what I needed to hear.

A while ago, I was feeling discouraged and opened the book to this quote: “If we think of failure, it will come to us. If we’re undecided, we’ll not move forward. We must simply choose our path and follow it.” That’s a rough translation from the German, but you can see how well the saying applied to a time when I was stumbling.

I don’t know if my German girlfriend cast a spell over this little tome or if the magic comes from the book or maybe even someplace deep inside myself. Whatever it is, I often find the exact motivation I need in the book’s pages.

If I don’t feel like working, I grab the book. Without fail, I open it to a saying that gets me going.

If something blindsides me and I pick up that book – lo! – I only have to peek inside to find just the words I needed to feel better again.

To me, this little book is magic. It’s definitely become one of my writing rituals.
You’ll see my characters using rituals of their own in A Highlander’s Temptation . I don’t like to give spoilers, so I won’t mention them specifically. But you can bet that you’ll see Arabella MacKenzie, the heroine, trying out a special ritual or two. And you’ll definitely catch her hero, Darroc MacConacher, busy at a very poignant daily habit of his own.

Devorgilla, the recurring crone mentioned above, is always good for a ritual. As a spell-caster extraordinaire, she’s a real master at such things. She has her hands full in A Highlander’s Temptation (GCP, Oct. 2009), but she’s indomitable and never tires of working her special magic. You might even catch Arabella’s mother, Linnet, going about her own unique daily rituals when you accompany her into her beloved herbarium and see her at work there. That scene, which includes Arabella’s father, Duncan MacKenzie, hero of my first book, Devil In A Kilt (GCP, July 2001), was lots of fun to write and is also an example of how a few very simple things can help us start our days in a good way.

I don’t know about you, but I love anything that helps me keep life positive.

It’s so important for writers to protect our work.

I mean, of course, keeping our heads clear and untroubled and being able to find our way into the writing zone again and again and again until the deadline is met and the book is finished and on its way to our editors.

Writing rituals help us do that. I know my own work for me.

So what about you? Do you have any special tricks that help you ready yourself for your work day? If you do, I’d love to hear them.

If anyone knows of a ‘ritual’ powerful enough to block the noise of leaf blowers, you’re my hero. But somehow, I doubt even old Devorgilla could win against the noise caused by landscaping crews.

So forget that and just tell me: how do you get to your enchanted realm?

Meet the real Somerled (Devorgilla’s little red fox), read an excerpt, and see setting photos of A Highlander’s Temptation (GCP, Oct. 2009) at my website: http://www.welfonder.com/

Leave a comment and you'll be entered to win 1 of 5 copies of a Highlander's Temptation! I'll pick 5 winners randomly and announce them on Thursday Oct. 8th. This giveaway is open to residents of the U.S. only.

Beauty Tempts The Beast Winner...

The winner of an eBook copy of Beauty Tempts the Beast by Leslie Dicken as chosen by Random.org is...

Comment # 12 - jeanette8042

Congrats and a huge thank you to our special guest Leslie Dicken for her great interview yesterday.

If you didn't win, and want to get your own copy of Beauty Tempts the Beast, you can find it here.

Jeanette - Email me at cheekyreads @ gmail.com (no spaces) so I can send your contact email over to Leslie for your book.

You Put a Spell on Me - I'm Guest Blogging Today @ The Daily Dose

Come on over to The Daily Dose today for my guest post on why I love the modern witch story in Film, TV and in books. I'd love for you to visit me there and chat about your favorite witch stories and what you love about them!

Hop to see you there!

10 Questions with Leslie Dicken, Author of Beauty Tempts the Beast & A Giveaway!

Today Cheeky Reads welcomes Leslie Dicken, the author of Beauty Tempts the Beast!

I read Beauty Tempts the Beast in one sitting and really loved it. In fact, when I went to draft the questions for this interview I found myself completely re-reading the story - less than a month later! If you are a historical romance fan I cannot recommend this book enough. On the Cheeky Reads scale I give it a 4 Heart Review - It really is a fantastic read!

Welcome Leslie!

Let's start by having you tell us a little about Beauty Tempts the Beast. I've always loved the gothic novels, especially when there was romance involved. Wuthering Heights had a huge impact on me with regards to setting, dark heroes, and thwarted love. Beauty Tempts the Beast is about a man who has hidden himself from the world. He not only wants to keep his son hidden, but also is afraid he truly is the monster he is rumored to be. The heroine is running from true evil and believes marrying a man who keeps himself isolated is the perfect answer. But what they both learn is that just living is not the same as being alive.

You have created a story chock-full of awesomeness! There's Ashworth's scar and mysterious past, Vivian's flight from an abusive man, a secret child, blackmail, and a mysterious monster to name just a few of the twists and turns in this story. How did you keep it all straight while writing? Ha. I'd love to say I had notebooks filled with scribbling of every twist and turn. But the truth is, I just wrote. I'd go back and reread and reread and reread to make sure I was following through on subplots and characters. And it always helps to have an extra pair of eyes (or several) read it before it gets published!

A sucker for the disfigured hero with a dark past, I was instantly drawn to Ashworth. What inspired you to create him and what three words would you use to describe him? He was created (and the book itself) when I issued a writing challenge to an online loop. I said to use the words "I do not take kindly to strangers" in a scene. Thus, my first scene was written and Ashworth came to life. What would make a man say something like that? He is: tortured, protective, and sexy. ;-)

For all my talk of Ashworth, Vivian is no shrinking violet! Describe your heroine in three words. She is: passionate, determined, and kind.

Silverstone Manor itself becomes a character in this story. Is there a particular place you based it on? No, other than various images of windswept moors and hilltop manors. But, as I've said, I love gothics and the fact that the setting becomes a character. All of this story came so easy to me...as if it was meant to be written!

What was your favorite scene to write? Wow, that's a hard one. I think it's the bathtub scene in the beginning of the book. It was such a turning point for both of them.

What do you love most about writing historical romances? I love that the characters are more limited by custom, morals, and values. Their motivation step outside these confines must be very strong, which can make for powerful characters. Of course, I love the dresses and balls and carriage rides too.

How would you describe your writing process? I used to be much more disciplined about it. When writing Beauty Tempts the Beast, I wrote almost every night from 8:30 to 11:00. Now that kids are older and stay up later, I try to squeeze in writing before 11:00 or during lunch breaks or on weekends.

I am mostly a pantser, but I can't go solely on my Muse. So I do brief plotting and character development and research before writing, then just dive in. After the initial flush of getting down what's in my head, I stop and regroup and replot again. If I'm lucky, the book will actually get finished. ;-)

What are you currently reading and are there any books you would recommend? Authors always have the best recommendations! I'm reading the new series by Tessa Dare. I've only read the first book so far, Goddess of the Hunt, and so loved it. She has such great talent. I'm also excited for Courtney Milan's debut book. Some of my other historical favorite authors are Jennifer St. Giles, Sally MacKenzie, and Eve Silver. There are many, many more, but can't name them all!

What are you working on now? Please let us know any news or cool stuff you have coming up! I'm working on a Victorian steampunk murder-mystery (think Jack the Ripper but with cool flying machines). My hero is a mysterious inventor who disappears each night until dawn and my heroine becomes an amateur sleuth to find her cousin's killer.

Thanks Leslie! You can find out more about Leslie at her website, or purchase Beauty Tempts the Beast by clicking here.

Leslie has graciously offered to giveaway a copy of Beauty Tempts the Beast to a lucky reader! Leave a comment here telling us if you love a tormented hero, or with a question for Leslie, and you'll be entered to win an eBook copy of Beauty Tempts the Beast! I'll announce the winner tomorrow - Oct. 1st.

Book Review: Mischief in Mudbug By Jana DeLeon

Book Review: Mischief in Mudbug
(A Ghost-In-Law Mystery Romance)
By: Jana DeLeon
Love Spell – Dorchester Publishing
3 Heart Review

Everyone in Mudbug, Louisiana, knows that when Helena Henry shows up, no good will come of it. Especially now that Helena is dead. And more meddlesome than ever.

Sabine LeVeche needs to locate a blood relative fast – her life depends on it. Her only ally is the smart-mouthed ghost of Helena Henry. Until Beau Villeneuve agrees to take the case. The super-sexy PI is a master at finding missing persons – and all the spots that made Sabine weak in the knees. But as they start to uncover the truth about the past, it becomes clear that someone out there wants to bury Sabine along with all her parent's secrets. And she realizes what they say is true: family really can be the death of you.

This is one romantic mystery that really kept me guessing until the end. There were some many twists and reveals that you won't absolutely know the villain until the end. Surprises abound and the book makes for a fun and delightful romp through the bayou!

One thing I really liked was how spunky Sabine was. She was trained in marshal arts even if she isn't some kick-ass assassin or bodyguard. Love that! I also really liked Mildred as the mother figure and of course, the ghost Helena. The history of the characters makes for a charming set-up and all the characters were original and engaging.

A trend I love and that is found in this book is the tweaking of a traditional cozy mystery into something new and sassier. The heroines are more modern and they are sexual! It's great to see a more contemporary feel finally find cozies. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE cozies. But, I love my amateur sleuth and comedic hi-jinks with a little steam and sauciness! I refer to them as modern cozies, but I think the time has come for an official industry name for this new breed.

My only issue with this book was that I did have some trouble with the names. They might be authentic, but not being able to easily read names makes it harder to identify with a character. It kept me from being totally immersed in the story. I felt like I had to stop and try to pronounce the names or to get straight which character it was. Not a good way to keep the reading flowing.

Note to authors: It's okay to use regular names. We don't care if they are common. If your story is good and the name fits the character's personality we won't care that the heroine’s name is Sarah. Not every character in every story has to have a unique name!

If you are better at the names in this book than I was then you won’t have any issues with this book! If you love cozies with sass, this is a story for you. Be sure to check out the first book in the series,Trouble in Mudbug! (Although each book stands perfectly well on its' own, you'll want to follow the antics of these characters!)

Local Romance Author Signing: Where Cheeky Girl Sabrina Dorks Out!

Recently, I discovered a lovely little local bookstore that sells new and used books and even does paperback trades for store credit! Not only does the store have a fantastic selection of books, but it felt cozy and nice to be in a store that really loves books. B and L Books held a customer appreciation day this past Sat. and it included a 7 local authors signing their latest releases. Of course I had to go!

There were door prizes, refreshments and loads of fun, but the authors themselves were a blast. As I walked around the shop, I could hear them giggling and cracking jokes amongst themselves in-between customers. So cute!

The authors at the singing included Roxanne St. Claire, Julie Leto, Kathy Carmichael, Elissa Wilds, Loretta C. Rogers, Susan Kearney and Wendi Darlin. What a fantastic group and I can't believe they are all local to Central Florida!

I was able to spend some time with the three lovely ladies pictured above from Left to Right - Kathy Carmichael, Susan Kearney and Elissa Wilds. All three have fabulous sounding books that I can't wait to read. I'm still learning to use my iPhone camera, so sorry for the slightly blurred action!

Here's the crazy part - I was in total fan girl mode - I dorked out quite a bit and didn't even introduce myself as a blogger for Cheeky Reads! I especially made a fool of myself taking Roxanne's photo - so much so that I couldn't bring myself to say hello! I have no idea why my inner 6 year old geeky self had to appear at this event, but she did. :)

Hopefully I'll learn a better poker face for the next time I meet one of my favorite authors in person. Boy, you would think I could at least appear slightly professional! LOL - next time I'm gonna play it calm, cool and collected. Yeah right!

Making It Through Monday: Your Wake Up LOL

see more Lolcats and funny pictures

Can't you just picture a whole herd of cats flying around instead of the monkeys in the Wizard of Oz? I'm so happy it's fall and the weather is cooling off. It's my favorite time of year and puts me in a great mood. This little guy just got my Monday off to a good start!

New Poll: What Color Hair Do You Prefer On Your Heros?

Book Review: Start Me Up by Victoria Dahl

Book Review: Start Me Up
By: Victoria Dahl
HQN Books
5 Heart Review

Lori Love is yearning for something more

Lori had always planned to get out of tiny Tumble Creek, Colorado, but when her late dad left her his beloved auto body shop, she'd stayed. Now, according to her crazy best friend, Molly, what Lori needs is some excitement, in the form of hot, no-strings-attached sex...and lots of it.

Quinn Jennings has buildings on the brain – not love and romance. A serious architect, he's delighted to discover that Lori is willing to skip dating protocols and head straight for the sheets. And aided by the steamy books on Lori's bedside table, he's busy indulging both of their wildest fantasies. But when life in Tumble Creek takes a dangerous turn for Lori, Quinn's protective instincts kick in.

Suddenly he cares. More than either of them expected...

Ok, here's my review in a nutshell: BUY THIS BOOK! Then, buy Victoria's entire backlist and be first in line for every new release.

I'm beyond excited to have read my first book by Victoria! She's a fantastic writer who combines quick whit, strong female characters, sexy as hell love scenes, and an overall interesting plot into a fantastic read. Authors like Victoria are why I love to read and why I created Cheeky Reads in the first place. She gets readers like me and what we want. It's like she read my mind before writing Start Me Up!

Many Authors talk of writing the book of their heart, but I'd like to suggest that there is also the book of the reader's heart. Start Me Up might not seem like a contender since it's not weepy, dramatic chick-lit, but it’s very, very close to being my perfect book.

Maybe it's because I identify completely with Lori. Seriously, I think I AM Lori. From living in a small town and the desire to escape that town and travel the world, to being the caretaker of a handicapped parent and dealing with their passing, I am very like Lori. The list goes on and on as to how much of myself I saw in Lori. Oh, how I hope I can live up to Lori's wit and um...well we won't discuss the “other” side of Lori I'll never be able to live up to!

Victoria's books are the epitome of Cheeky Reads and she deserves her own special designation. I formally announce that Victoria Dahl will be known forever more here at Cheeky Reads as “Cheeky V!”

Long may Cheeky V write!

(TIP: Victoria released a new historical romance recently titled One Week As Lovers. So...Umm...maybe you should...you know...check that out!)

Wednesday Round-Up: Random Romance News You Can Use

There are lots of exciting things going on in romance land lately so I thought I would do a round-up post today.

First off, I'm excited to be counting down the days to the release of Heir of the Dog by Judi McCoy on October 6th! I reviewed the first book in Judi's Dog Walker Mysteries series, Hounding the Pavement, and loved it so much I gave it a 5 Heart Review. Judi herself says that the second book is even better, to which all I can say is hurry up Oct. 6th! You can read my review of Hounding the Pavement here.

If you are on twitter there is a great new hash tag you need to know and follow - #romrev. Started by Sue Grimshaw, the romance buyer for Borders, it will be used to help tag review links posted in twitter. What a great idea!

A while back I wrote a post about the new Lifetime show Drop Dead Diva - if you aren't watching it you are missing out! It's getting better every show and the lead actress is amazing! Today I found this super cute video about Guardian Angel Fred's Romance Rules.

I've added a new feature to the blog - check out the upper right hand side bar and you'll see a list of upcoming guest authors and dates for when I'll be guest blogging at some fantastic sites. I'll be updating this all the time so keep an eye on it. HINT - I'll even be teasing upcoming contests!

For those of you who love a good giveaway - and who doesn't - the fabulous blogger at Book Binge is hosting daily giveaways all month. These are fantastic giveaways with cool bags and great selections of books. Check out today's giveaway and see for yourself!

Whew - enough updates for now. Be back with some reviews soon! Happy Reading!

BBAW Giveaway Winners!

So I decided that Book Blogger Appreciation Week was so good, that I should giveaway two prize packs! Using Random.org, the winners of 4+ books in their selected genres are posts:

#9 Kaye and #37 Bella

Kaye and Bella - I'll email you about your prize! Congrats and Happy Reading!

Welcome to our new followers and I hope you join in the discussion here at Cheeky Reads!

Book Review: Vicious Circle By: Linda Robertson

'>Book Review: Vicious Circle
By: Linda Robertson
Juno - Pocket Books
3 Heart Review

A girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do...

Being a witch doesn't pay the bills, but Persephone Alcamedi gets by between reading Tarot Cards, writing her syndicated newspaper column, and kenneling werewolves in the basement when the moon is full – even if witches aren't supposed to mingle with wolves. She really reaches the end of leash, though, when her grandmother gets kicked out of the nursing home and Steph finds herself in the doghouse about some things she's written. Then her werewolf friend Lorrie is murdered...and the high priestess of an important coven offers Steph big money to destroy the killer, a powerful vampire named Goliath Kline. Steph is a tough girl, but this time she bites off more than she can chew. She needs a little help form her friends – werewolf friends. One of those friends, Johnny, the motorcycle-riding lead singer for a techno-metal-Goth band Lycanthropia, has a crush on her. And while Steph has always been on edge around this 6'2 leather-clad hunk, she's starting to realize that although their attraction may be dangerous, nothing could be as lethal as the showdown that awaits them.

I slipped very easily into reading Vicious Circle. The heroine Persephone is an intriguing character and I wanted to find out more about her even after the first few pages.

This book seemed very familiar to me and this was good and bad. On the bad side, I felt that many parts of Linda’s world mirrored Kim Harrison’s Rachel Morgan series and Persephone reminded me of Rachel very much. Likewise, Master Vamp Menessos made me think of Laurel K. Hamilton’s Jean-Claude as there was sexual tension mixed with the dangerous control Menessos can have over Persephone.

It’s only because I have read these other series that I was so easily reminded of them, but I think it speaks well that I would compare the writing to these two talented authors.

On the good side, Robertson’s world and writing are indeed very good. Even though parts of the book were familiar, this also added to my being able to fully engross myself in the story. Johnny is a great love interest and the foreshadowing of him being more than just any shape shifter added to my enjoyment of the story and makes me look forward to more in this series.

Vicious Circle feed my craving for an urban fantasy with a heroine I genuinely liked, and a hero who didn’t immediately have the heroine in the palm of his hand. I loved that Steph wasn't immediately attracted to Johnny and that he isn’t your typical looking hero. The interesting twist that in this world werewolves and witches aren't exactly friendly does make this world stand apart from many of the other Urban Fantasies I've read. I expect these things to add layers to the series as it moves forward.

A good read with an interesting world and cast of characters, I'll be looking for the next in this series.

Book Blogger Appreciation Week: Cheeky Reads Goals For The Future

As Book Blogger Appreciation Week draws to a close, today's blog topic is to discuss what we like most about our blogs currently and the goals we want to set for the future.

Cheeky Reads is only about half a year old, and I'm been so happy to see how its evolving. Although I know I'm still finding my voice, I'm proud that the reviews I post are getting stronger and I'm sticking to my idea of writing them like a conversation with friends.

I'm happy to be the book blogger who doesn't give away plot points and spoilers. I don't want to be the serious critical reviewer - I think there are so many high profile bloggers out there who already do this exceptionally well. What I wanted was a place to discuss the books I read and to give others the chance to join in. So far, I think Cheeky Reads is living up to my hopes.

For the future, I would really like to see the blog move forward technically. I'm basically teaching myself html as I go, but I would LOVE to see real sections and pages to Cheeky Reads. I'd love to spiff up the entire blog with sharper graphics.

I think I'm doing a much better job of posting regularly, but my goal is to post at least one review a day because at the end of day after all the fun freebies and downloads, this is a romance book review blog. That's not to say I don't love the giveaways! They are the best part!

Beyond more book reviews, better navigation and graphics and finding my voice, my goal is to grow my followers and traffic to the site. Because it's much more fun to write a blog if you have people that will comment! I don't write Cheeky Reads just to review what I thought, I write to create a discussion with my fellow Cheeky Readers!

Help me out - let me know what you like about Cheeky Reads, and what you think about my goals for the blog in the future! Feel free to let me know if you don't like something too. Thanks for reading!