The Men of Urban Fantasy – Hello…She Means the Authors You Filthy Minded Ladies! LOL

Awesome book blogger Book Chick City is hosting a themed week for “Men of Urban Fantasy” and it’s pretty awesome.

As she mentions on her blog, the genre has been established and pretty much driven by female writers, so she wants to share some the awesome male Urban Fantasy authors out there who are writing great stuff.

Head over to Book Chick City and enjoy her “The Men of Urban Fantasy Week.”

Today’s feature is a review of Blood Vice by Keith Melton. There will also be guest posts, giveaways and more! Book Chick City knows how to do a themed week right!

Monday Morning Cuteness!

I hope your Monday is off to a great start! I’ve got loads of cool updates for you in the next few days, plus some new reviews I’ll finally post. :)

Did anyone read a really great book this weekend?

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Help a Cheeky Girl Out!

The DABWAHA Tournamnet kicked off this morning and this Cheeky Girl needs your help! You don't need to be playing a bracket to vote, so go join the fun and vote for your favs!

Most of my picks are kicking ass, but two of my books - two that I had staying in the tourney for a few rounds, are lagging. Help me help them make a miraculous comeback!

My two picks who need your help the most are:

Start Me Up by Victoria Dahl - A kick ass book if ever there was one. Don't get me wrong, I liked Smooth Talking Stranger by Kleypas but I adored Start Me Up. Vote for Cheeky V!

The Groom Came Back by Abby Gaines. A Great book that needs to come from behind. (no...get your dirty mind out of the gutter. I mean it needs to win!)

Here are my first Round 1 Set 1 of 4 Picks:

Magnate's Make Believe Mistress

Home For The Holidays

The Groom Came Back

Start Me Up

Branded by Fire

Angel's Blood

Instant Attraction

And it's on like Donkey Kong!

It's that time...DABWAHA is here!

What the hell is DABWAHA? It's just an insanely fun and awesome round of March Madness Romance Style! Put on my the ladies at Smart Bitches Trashy Books and Dear Author, you can bet your ass it's full of awesome.

Here's the details directly from the website:

"For newcomers, the DA BWAHA is a tournament of books where we put up a field of 64 books and you vote until there is one book, one champion. The contest is twofold. First, you must fill out a bracket identifying which book will win each round. Then you vote."

For even more info, and to take a look at the kick-ass prizes (iPAD anyone?) head over to the website at http://www.dabwaha.com/. Just hurry becuase your bracket needs to be turned in tomorrow before 8pm!

Book Blogger Pre-Conference Panel: All About Covers

Are Covers Important?

Come hear what industry professionals think. This is a FREE Panel from the Book Bloggers and Publishers Online Conference. The Conference is March 19-20 wth a Special Authors Day Sunday March 21st. Find out more about the conference at http://www.romanceinthebackseat.com/bbpcon.html

Book covers pre-conference panel tonight 8:30pm EST

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/terry-kate/2010/03/13/covers

Authors and readers welcome.

Panelists:
Blogger - Book Junkie - Brande http://myfoolishwisdom.blogspot.com/

Cover Artist - Kendra - Creations by Kendra http://www.creationsbykendra.com/

Publisher - Renee Russo - Lyrical Press http://lyricalpress.com/

Book Review: Getting Lucky by Carolyn Brown – 5 Hearts

Book Review: Getting Lucky by Carolyn Brown
Published by: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Released: January 2010
5 Heart Review
Getting Lucky Amazon Link

I ADORED THIS BOOK!

That’s the main thing you should know about my thoughts on Getting Lucky by Carolyn Brown. You should also know that cowboy romances are some of my least favorite and somehow not only did I enjoy this one, I can say this was by far one of the best books I’ve read in a long time.

Here’s the book description:

One Stubborn Cowboy Who’s More Than Willing To Cross Horns

When single dad Griffin Luckadeau thinks his new neighbor is scheming to steal his ranch out from under him to benefit her own daughter, sparks really being to fly…

One Hotheaded Schoolteacher Who Doesn’t Take Guff From Anybody

Julie Donovan moves to town, determined to leave her troubles behind. As soon as she meets the absolutely infuriating, oh-so-sexy cowboy next door, things quickly go from bad to worse…

Until these two Texas hotheads admit that it’s fate that brought them together, running from the inevitable is only going to bring them a double dose of miserable…

Everything about this book stood out for me. The writing is first rate – it’s smooth and enticing and makes you want to read every word. Since I’ve been known to scan over a few “boring” paragraphs in books before, that’s a big statement for me.

There is so much to this story and it never seems to overwhelm. I love how Carolyn added to the story with side plots and characters instead of taking away from Griffin and Julie.

It’s been a long time since anything close to a sweet romance did it for me. Lately, they’ve all made me want to scream that no one is that naive or goody-goody all the time. That’s why this book rocks. It has the timeline of a sweet romance, a way more believable timeframe where the hero and heroine really fall in love, but with the awesome hotness still sizzling between them. It’s a hybrid I hope I see more of!

I loved how seriously Carolyn’s characters seemed to take falling in love with each other, and how they considered what it meant for their kids and families. This story rang true with every page I read. Amazing that after reading so many Paranormals and Urban Fantasies (I love both don’t get me wrong), how I could connect so much with a book that read like seeing into my next door neighbor’s diary.

An insanely fantastic book, Carolyn Brown wowed me with this book and her expertise in crafting a perfect romance. Put me down as her newest Super Fan!

Check out Carolyn’s Website here.

Read the fun interview I did with Carolyn here.

Have any of you read Carolyn’s books before? What did you think? If not, what author have you read lately that really seemed to stick out above and beyond the rest?

Monday Morning Cuteness

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Thoughts From My Trip…Books Have Amazing Powers!

So I’m back from my trip, and I wanted to share something fun and interesting that happened while I was visiting my family.

Staying with the Aunt & Uncle, I found myself pondering their bookshelves. It’s always interesting to see what books do people not only keep, but display in main rooms of their homes for all to see.

My Aunt is a die-hard mystery fan and has every Hardcover Stephen King novel. What I found so interesting, were the shelves next to those.

I found two entire shelves full of old paperbacks and at first thought they were Harlequins. They weren’t but equally cool was learning about what they were and hearing my Aunt’s story behind them.

They were slim paperback Gothics written in the 60’s & 70’s by Marilyn Ross and based on the Dark Shadows TV show. Now, I’ve never seen the show but who hasn’t heard of it and isn’t aware of how popular it was.

The fascinating part was that my Aunt had these books because it was the one thing she and her grandmother bonded over. She fondly remembers them sharing their thoughts on the TV show and spending time together watching it. So, these books became something they shared as well. They would pass them back and forth and have discussions on them like a little 2 person book club.

I loved this story and was happy to hear this started a relationship between the two women and books they would share. As my Aunt got older, they began to swap romance novels and Kathleen Woodiwiss was a favorite author. Since I’ve just started reading Kathleen’s books, I was excited to start talking about them.

Then it struck me, how amazing books are with connecting people across generations. How awesome that I’m reading and loving books that were read and loved by someone who technically could have been my Great-Great Grandmother.

Books have such a power to inspire, entertain and connect people and I was deeply touched to discover this shared connection with my Aunt and hear her stories.

Have you connected with someone of a different generation over the same book? Are there some novels out there so timeless that they easily lend themselves to sharing with both old and young alike?

Cuteness while on the run...

I'm traveling today and will try to post later, but wanted to at least leave you a little something for fun...


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So, are you a cat person or a dog person? I bet you wouldn't believe it for all the photos I post of LOL Cats, but I'm a total dog girl so far. I've actually never owned a cat but I'm hoping to convince the Hubby to get one soon.

New Release Tuesday

There are an insane amount of new releases out today, so this list is just a sample of what you can find. Sorry for the simplified Amazon links, but I’m short on time today and tried to figure out the quickest way to get this info to you. The links will take you to see a better cover image and some details about each book.

Head to your nearest store and check out those shelves!

Black Magic Sanction Is Out – RUN To Your Local Bookstore!

One of my most anticipated books of 2010 happened to release while I was away and I can’t let another day go by without discussing it.

I haven’t read the book yet, so PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE no spoilers, but I’m pretty sure the spectacular Mrs. Harrison will keep us Hallows fans happy with Black Magic Sanction!

Mrs. Harrison is an absolute master at world-building and creating characters you love and love to hate. I “discovered” her in my all-time favorite way – I randomly selected a good looking audio book at the library and the rest is history.

I do highly recommend the Audio Book versions of the Hallows series, but I’ve also read the books. Yes, I am a book geek. To read and listen to the same book means I’m in love. :)

For those not familiar with Mrs. Harrison and her Hallows-verse(Rachel Morgan Series) I have a treat for you. The publisher is offering free eBooks of the first book in the series, Dead Witch Walking.

Here is the FREE Amazon version.

Here is the FREE Barnes & Nobles version.

Here is the FREE Sony Reader version.

I seriously cannot recommend this series enough. It’s the very best Urban Fantasy I’ve ever read with the question of who Rachel will end up with being one of my favorite romance plots ever!

The Geeks of Doom have released Mrs. Harrison’s first ever book trailer. Click here to head over there and check it out!

Where the *$#@ Have I Been?

So, I’ve been MIA – I literally dropped off the face of the Earth there for awhile and I hope you’ve been keeping yourselves entertained while I’ve been gone.

There have been some AMAZING book releases while I was away that I’m going to do a write-up on soon just to make sure I’ve covered them.

I also have a few reviews coming up for books I TOTALLY adored.

So where exactly have I been? Well, it’s been a little of the good and the bad, but I’ll stick with the good…I moved! The Hubby and I bought a house and I’ve been working night and day packing, painting the new house before the movers put all our HUGE furniture in the rooms and we’d never be able to move them again, and trying to coordinate everything.

I swear, it’s like I’m the director of a Broadway show – this must happen over here, before Mr. Cable enters from stage left.

While we still have a TON on DIY projects to do on the house, we are finally totally in the house and I’m starting to unpack. The paint inside the house was the first thing we had to tackle. These people were insane with crazy color choices. For instance, this lovely pic is our master bedroom – which we dubbed the John Deer Room. That’s primer you see going onto the wall on the right side. Yep, have to primer every single wall. Sigh. BUT, it does mean I get exactly the colors I wanted!

If you’re an author or publicist waiting to see my review of your book – I’m sorry! I tried to pack the books in order of release date so They’ll be easier to organize as I unpack them. I promise I’ll get to them soon!

So, what great books have you read lately? I’ve missed so many releases I can use your input!

Monday Morning Cuteness Round 2!

I couldn't pass up posting this because the top photo is one of my all-time favorites. I'm probably responsible for at least 100 hits on that link. It's seriously cute, and if looking at those stubbular little legs doesn't make you smile nothing will!

Photo From Cute Overload. Check out the whole link here: Trust me you have to go there!

http://cuteoverload.com/2010/02/28/sunday-wrap-up-snooze-a-bun-a-thon/

Monday Morning Cuteness!

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Monday Morning Cuteness

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Bloggers, Writers & Readers: An Online Conference Just for You!

Head over to the Romance in the Backseat website (click on the image you see and you'll go right over there) and you'll see all the details about the online conference. I'm hoping to participate, and I'll have more details on that as we get closer to March.

The cool news is, they've added an author and reader portion of the conference! Sunday March 21st will be Author & Reader Day! Bloggers, Readers and Authors will have time to talk to each other and get details on how we can all promote and enjoy books and authors.

New Release Tuesday!

Here’s a quick look at some of the books releasing this week. Make sure to stop by your local bookstore to see what other new goodies might await you. Don’t forget to check out online E-book stores too!

Butterfly Tattoo by Deidre Knight (Now in Print)

The Golden Season by Connie Brockway

Veiled Desire by Alisha Rai

Archangel's Kiss (Guild Hunter Series) by Nalini Singh

Slow Heat by Jill Shalvis

Black Legacy by Juliana Stone

Flirt (Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter) by Laurell K. Hamilton

Steamed: A Steampunk Romance by Katie MacAlister

Accidentally Demonic (An Accidental Series) by Dakota Cassidy

Little Red and the Wolf by Alison Paige

Catch of a Lifetime by Judi Fennell

Unknown (Outcast Season, Book 2) By Rachel Caine

2 Hot 2 Handle by Kelly Jamieson

Fleeced in Stonington by Rosemary Goodwin

Monday Morning Cuteness

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New Release Tuesday!

For your reading pleasure I present some of the new books releasing this week. There are way to many awesome looking books releasing this week and I could not fit them all on this list. Head to your local bookstore to see even more new precious pretties!

Lessons in French By Laura Kinsale

Ecstasy Unveiled (The Demonica Series) by Larissa Ione

No Prince Charming by Shiloh Walker

A Tale of Two Demon Slayers By Angie Fox

The Elusive Bride By Stephanie Laurens

Odd Stuff by Virginia Nelson

The Mammoth Book of Irish Romance

Hold On Tight By Stephanie Tyler

Twice as Hot By Gena Showalter

“Wicked Sexy” by R.G. Alexander

Here Comes Trouble By Donna Kauffman

Question for Cheeky Readers – Would you rather see new releases from not as well known authors to help you discover something new, or keep a mix of well-known and newer authors? Sometimes I wonder if listing some of the “big names” helps readers or if they already know about those releases. Drop me a comment and let me know!