Integrating Feedback Into Your Writing With Guest Author Alayna Williams

Integrating Feedback in the Writing Process
by Alayna Williams

Writing for oneself is a completely different animal than writing for other people. When writing for oneself, there's a freedom to explore any idea or format that one likes. There's freedom to make errors. With an audience of one, there's very little pressure to conform to the ideas of others. There are no rules.

Writing for others is different. When developing an idea or manuscript for sale, there's a certain amount of external input needed. Input comes in many forms: from beta readers, critique groups, agents, and editors. External input is invaluable: as a writer, I'm often blind to flaws and blatant errors in my own work. I can read the same sentence over and over and not see a mistake in logic that another will readily see. I think that it's really impossible to produce clean work in a vacuum. At least, that's true for me.

But too much feedback can also be a bad thing. Each reader approaches a manuscript differently, has different tastes and desires. One reader may adore a chapter while the next may hate it. And if I've solicited feedback from many sources, that feedback can sometimes conflict. I feel that I have to address *every* issue raised...even when there is no way to incorporate everyone's opinion. I can sometimes fall into analysis paralysis, and never find my way out of the revision forest. Too many cooks can spoil the broth.

I think that there's a balance between using our internal compasses and soliciting external feedback. To be certain, some feedback is vital and necessary. It produces a more sound work. And some of it - particularly editorial suggestions - are not optional.

But there must be limits. Writers must remember that not every book is for every reader. And creating a work that encompasses all possible feedback is frankly impossible. Overcritting a manuscript can sometimes be harmful...a writer can lose track of the original inspiration. Being in a state of constant revision can result in disjointed, disconnected parts. The flow can get lost. When I read manuscripts for others, I can often tell when plot threads were snipped and moved around over and over, because threads are dangling.

Sometimes, it's helpful for me just to set a manuscript aside for awhile. Let it percolate. Read it some months later with a fresh eye. Sometimes, the project will not see the light of day. I take what I've learned and move on. Sometimes, I'll go forward with the project after time has passed.

And I think that it's also helpful to develop a small network of folks who are able to act as crit partners. People who will be honest, who understand my genre. Folks who aren't afraid to scribble in the margins: "What the hell is this platypus doing here? And when did he learn to play the kazoo?"

I think that's valuable. I gather three or four sets of feedback, with the sources depending upon the project. With three or four recipes, I have a pretty good idea of how to improve my chicken soup. I still feel as if I have control of the project, and that the book isn't being written by committee.

With any artistic endeavor, you can't please everyone. And that's also true for writing groups and critique partners. The trick, I think, is to be able to filter feedback and integrate it into a work without losing track of what you set out to do.

Cheeky Readers - how many of you also write? Do you find yourself having trouble keeping a balance between using input and opinion overload? If you don't write, have you ever sent an author your opinion on thier book or wanted to tell them what you wished they'd done differently?

Check out Alayna's latest release:
ROGUE ORACLE
Delphic Oracle #2
Pocket Juno Books
Mass Market Paperback, $7.99
ISBN 978-1439182819

"Alayna Williams writes with power and poetry, combining old mythos with complete ass-kickery. You don’t want to miss this series.” -National bestselling author Ann Aguirre

The more you know about the future, the more there may be to fear.

Tara Sheridan is the best criminal profiler around - and the most unconventional. Trained as a forensic psychologist, Tara also specializes in Tarot card reading. But she doesn't need her divination skills to realize that the new assignment from her friend and sometime lover, Agent Harry Li, is a dangerous proposition in every way.

Former Cold War operatives, all linked to a top-secret operation tracking the disposal of nuclear weapons in Russia, are disappearing. There are no bodies, and no clues to their whereabouts. Harry suspects a conspiracy to sell arms to the highest bidder. The cards - and Tara's increasingly ominous dreams - suggest something darker. Even as Tara sorts through her feelings for Harry and her fractured relationships with the mysterious order known as Delphi's Daughters, a killer is growing more ruthless by the day. And a nightmare that began decades ago in Chernobyl will reach a terrifying endgame that not even Tara could have foreseen…

Win a Kindle 3 WiFi Edition From Moira Rogers!

Moira Rogers is holding an awesome contest for readers to win a brand new Kindle WiFi Edition to celebrate the release of Wilder's Mate, the first story in their new Bloodhounds series. Check out the story details here and just comment to enter to win the Kindle! (See complete details below)


Wilder Harding is a bloodhound, created by the Guild to hunt down and kill vampires on America’s frontier. His enhanced abilities come with a high price: on the full moon, he becomes capable of savagery beyond telling, while the new moon brings a sexual hunger that borders on madness.

Rescuing a weapons inventor from undead kidnappers is just another assignment, though one with an added complication–keeping his hands off the man’s pretty young apprentice, who insists on tagging along.

At odds with polite society, Satira’s only constant has been the aging weapons inventor who treats her like a daughter. She isn’t going to trust Wilder with Nathaniel’s life, not when the Guild might decide the old man isn’t worth saving. Besides, if there’s one thing she’s learned, it’s that brains are more important than brawn.

As the search stretches far longer than Wilder planned, he finds himself fighting against time. If Satira is still at his side when the new moon comes, nothing will stop him from claiming her. Worse, she seems all too willing. If their passion unlocks the beast inside, no one will be safe. Not even the man they’re fighting to save.

Warning: This book contains a crude, gun-slinging, vampire-hunting hero who howls at the full moon and a smart, stubborn heroine who invents mad-scientist weapons. Also included: wild frontier adventures, brothels, danger, betrayal and a good dose of wicked loving in an alternate Wild West.
Wilder’s Mate Kindle Contest
Want to win a brand new Wi-Fi Kindle 3? All you have to do is leave a comment on this post, and you can have your chance! For more chances to win, visit the main contest page. Every participating blog you visit gives you another chance to win!
This post is part of Moira Rogers’ Wild Web Adventure Promo. For full rules and disclaimers, or to hold your own kindle contest, visit the contest post. Winners will be chosen during the first week of April.http://www.moirarogers.com/blog/archives/3473

Monday Morning Cuteness!

cute puppy pictures - Cyoot Puppeh ob teh Day: Momma, ai iz bored...
see more dog and puppy pictures

It Is On People! DABWAHA Voting is now open!

Every year Dear Author and Smart Bitches, Trashy Books host the DABWAHA - the most awesome Romancelandia contest ever. Seriously, I look forward to this event every year, even if I do usually go down in flames. :)

This year is looking to be no different as a book I have going in a few rounds is dying a early death. So...

I'm totally pandering for your votes! I need you to help me keep The Summer of You by Kate Noble in this thing.

Now, if you help me do that I will do a giveaway here on Cheeky Reads. That's right, if The Summer of You makes it to round two then I'll host a giveaway here tomorrow!

Check out all the details about the DABWAH here.

VOTE HERE FOR THE SUMMER OF YOU!!!!

A Romancelandia Tragedy: How You Can Help

Fellow Book Blogger Fatin lost her husband this past week to senseless violence. Her blog, RR@H Novel Thoughts & Book Talk are helping to organize an auction to help her and her four daughters. Here is the post from that site with all the current information. I will post any updates I find out about.

From RR@H Novel Thoughts & Book Talk:

Fatin has been an integral part of the romance community for years – she owns and runs this blog, is an administrator of the WriteMinded loop, an author assistant and a tireless advocate for romance novels. She is also a friend to many in this community. On Tuesday, March 8th, she lost her husband in a senseless act of violence, leaving her alone with four children. You can read more about the tragedy here: http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/9233067/

The romance community would like to rally around her. Therefore, we will be holding auctions on ebay the last week of March. More information on exact days and donations will follow.

If you are an editor / agent / author and would like to donate something for the auction – such as a critique, mentoring, lunches at RT or RWA, swag, signed books, etc., please contact me (lillie80@gmail.com) or Sharon (sharonmuha@nc.rr.com) with your donation. Your help is greatly appreciated! Larissa Ione asked readers recently what type of items they’d most like to bid on, so you might find this list helpful: http://www.facebook.com/OfficialLarissaIone/posts/200490423313803

Welcome Author Lila Munroe to Cheeky Reads & Giveaway!

Today I'm excited to welcome guest author Lila Munro to Cheeky Reads! First, let's take a look at the blurb for Lila's book Identity Crisis:
Someone once said you never truly know a person,

Chad Dearborn was raised with a silver spoon in his mouth. He was given everything a person could want and more, country clubs were his daycares and Paris and London his playgrounds. Heir to Dearborn Inc., Chad stands to inherit a veritable fortune. But the problem is his parents want to gift him the perfect wife to go with it. A woman in the form of a molded, plastic, jet set dolly. Certainly not Chad’s idea of an ideal mate. He wants a woman that can hold her own, in and out of the bedroom. Who knew he’d find her in one of Portland’s hottest leather clubs? Chad was fascinated by what went on there, but something just wouldn’t let him cross that line.

until you sleep with them.

Country clubs? Europe? The closest Tori Myers ever came to those things were the covers of magazines. With an absent father, a less than attentive mother and nowhere to go, Tori finds herself drawn to an alternative lifestyle at the tender age of eighteen. Vertigo is a treasure chest of Dom’s willing to give her anything she wants. But when Chad Dearborn walks through the door, Tori figures out sometimes what your heart wants isn’t necessarily what your body is willing to compromise to have.

Or do you?

The thing that just wouldn’t let Chad cross the line with his sexuality has come home to roost. And as a result, he's faced with a huge decision. Accept who he is and what he wants. Or continue to fight the biggest identity crisis of his life.

Tell us a little about what inspired you to write this story and what your favorite part about writing it was?


I first became interested in BDSM after reading Broken Together by BethAnn Buehler. Something that not everyone knows about me is that I have a BS in Sociology, so sub-cultures and how they work absolutely fascinate me. The more I read, the more I had to be able wrap my head around how these relationships worked and that lead to a whole lot of research. Once the light bulb went off and I could wrap my head around the idea of a Dom/sub relationship the next logical step for me was to incorporate it in my writing. My favorite part of writing this story was the freedom it allowed me to step outside my “box” and comfort zone. I really allowed me to grow as a writer and explore a sub-genre I might not otherwise have if not for that first spark of interest.

Characters really make a story for me. What 3 words best describe your hero? What about your heroine?

Well it happens that in this story not only are the elements of BDSM present I also worked in a ménage relationship between two Doms, Chad and Ren, and their sub, Tori.

Chad is—faithful, confused, and loving to a fault

Ren is—strong, confident, and capable

Tori is—giving, frustrated, and intelligent

Was there a favorite scene for you to write? Would you give a little tease of it...:)
(WARING R RATED)
My favorite scene to write was when it became apparent that Ren was indeed the alpha Dom in this relationship. It was exciting to write because mixed emotions were involved for all three people. Tori was grateful to finally be understood, Ren was relieved that she accepted him, and poor Chad is just terrified.

“Why are you still dressed, Ren?” Tori asked in a husky voice, turning her head toward him once again. “Don’t you want to claim your prize?”

Chad eased off her, his erection bobbing as he crawled to the edge of the bed. He grabbed Tori’s collar and after pulling Tori to sitting, he draped the red creation around her throat and fastened it. Ren approached with a possessive smile on his face, and held up one hand. Between his forefinger and thumb he held an identical lock to the one already on Tori’s collar. Ren climbed on the bed and on his knees got behind her. He reached around her slender neck and ran his lock through the clasp and fastened it, leaving it to hang beside Chad’s. Tori was now fully theirs. “Where…” Tori started as Chad backed away.

“Shhh…” Chad told her, putting a finger to her lips. “You two need to get to know each other. I’m gonna watch.”

Tori’s skin tingled at the thought of Chad wanting to see another man brand her. A heated flush ran over her as Tori began to fully realize what she’d agreed to. She now belonged to two Doms. She was theirs for the taking, but also for the giving. Chad had just torn the door to their relationship off the hinges and given Tori more than she'd ever dreamed of.

“You’ll never know how happy it makes me that you said yes, pet,” Ren murmured into her hair, running his hands over her shoulders. “God, you’re beautiful.”

A shudder flew across Tori as Ren took her earlobe in his mouth and bit, then sucked, easing away the sharp pain.

“I can be very demanding, Tori. Maybe more than you’re used to,” he told her taking her nipples between his thumbs and fingers, pinching and twisting.

Tori sucked in her breath. He was going to play rough, probably rougher than Chad ever had, but maybe by watching Chad would learn. Ren had obviously already tutored him well in the fine art of whips.

“What’s your safe word, angel?” Ren asked, getting off the bed and taking her with him as he tore off his boxers, his cock springing free. “You might need it.”

“Couture,” Tori answered.

“Couture.” Ren reached out and pinched her nipples again. “On your knees.”

Tori immediately dropped, put her hands on her thighs palm side up and lowered her head. Yes, this would definitely be a learning experience for Chad. He’d never let anyone dominate her in ways even close to what she knew was coming. Tori could feel the power and strength flying off Ren in waves, and as he ran one hand through her hair, wrapped it tightly around his fist and pulled her head up quickly, she knew Ren wasn’t joking. She might very well use her safe word. It was something she hadn’t done in years.

What else do you have coming up and where can readers find you next?

I have several irons in the fire right now. The Force Recon writing team is back together and we’re working on the second in that series, Force Recon Somalia. It’s due out this summer through Rebel Ink Press. Also through Rebel, I’ll be putting out the second book in the Delaney brother’s series, A Slower Lower Life, and there’s more Identity issues to resolve. The second Identity book will be entitled True Identity and will release this summer as well. It revolves around Master Steph and his graduate student sub, Jill. For more information about any and all my works readers can find me at www.lilamunro.weebly.com or www.wickedmuses.blogspot.com .

Have you read any great books lately?

I’ve read several good books lately. I finished Maya Banks Colter’s series and loved them and I just finished the fourth installment of Cherise Sinclair’s Shadowlands series, I can’t wait to download the fifth book, Make Me, Sir. Currently I’m reading an Andrew Grey novel, Accompanied by a Waltz. It’s not often I find a m/m author that holds my attention but Andrew has managed to do that very thing.

Thanks Lila!

Bio:
Lila Munro is a writer of contemporary romance currently residing on the coast of North Carolina. She is a military wife and takes much of her inspiration for her heroes from the marines she’s lived around for the past fourteen years. Coining the term realmantica, she strives to produce quality romance in a realistic setting. When she’s not writing, she enjoys reading everything she can get her hands on, trips to the museum and aquarium, taking field research trips, and soaking up the sun on the nearby beaches. Her previous works include The Executive Officer’s Wife, Bound By Trust, and Destiny’s Fire. Anthology work includes a piece in All I Want for Christmas is Redemption. She loves to hear from her readers and can be contacted via her website http://lilamunro.weebly.com/ , her joint effort website http://www.wickedmuses.webs.com/  or through Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/Lila_Munro  .

You can purchase Identity Crisis through the following links:

http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-identitycrisis-521393-146.html
http://www.bookstrand.com/identity-crisis
http://www.amazon.com/Identity-Crisis-ebook/dp/B004QZ9Q8M/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1299623551&sr=8-1

Enter to win your own copy of Identity Crisis by telling us what great book you've read lately or if you've ever read a m/m or BSDM romance before.

What I Want: The Imperfect Looking Historial Hero

I was just considering this the other day and thought I would ask readers how they feel about it...What do you think of every historical hero being thought of by all of society as handsome, swoon-worthy, dashing, etc?

Who doens't love a good looking hero right? I mean we want someone to swoon over. But...

I can't help but find myself love those stories and heroes who aren't conventially handsome. Someone the heroine loves for more than just his good looks and reformed rake status.

Not only do I enjoy heroes who the heroine loves in spite of everyone else not thinking them beautiful, I love the scarred hero. Give me a man with a deep scar across his cheek that all other women but the heroine can't bring themselves to look at and I'll fall in love.

I guess this means I'm a total sucker for the Beauty and the Beast trope. Yep. I'll totally own it. I don't find myself needing this as much in contemporaries or paranormals. There's something about an imperfect man in a historical that draws me in. It's not just about a scarred hero, but one who doesn't have the ladies falling at his feet.

As much as I enjoy a dashing Duke or reformed rake, I love the slightly less handsome or eccentric looking hero all the more. More heroes with spectacles, red hair, a dark complextion, scars, etc. Give me something off the beaten path for a historical hero. Give me the imperfect hero!

What about you? Do you long for a these types of heroes too? Are you a fan of the Beauty and the Beast storyline? If so, what was your favorite book or hero? Authors - share your heroes with us too! I would love to find some new books to add to my list!

Cheeky Gift by Guest Author Kate Early & Comment to Win Full Load!

Cheeky Gifts by Kate Early

Hello Readers,

Kate Early here and so excited to be on Cheeky Reads. I am one for the authors from the Ravenous Romance anthology "Werewolves in Love" cause hey - werewolves need love too! Oh and they like presents just like the rest of us.



My two characters exchange gifts in the book and they are a bit tongue and cheek. Which got me to thinking about what I have been giving the ones I love. Are the presents fun enough?

My family has been known to do some fun gifts. I got the Wallace and Gromitt DVDs for Christmas and a group of the cheeses that they mention in the animated shorts. My BFF's College graduation, I got him a whole bunch of retirement themed gifts - since he was retiring from his school career. But maybe I have run out of juice?


I managed to have my two heros give each other some pretty funny surprises, but now I am out of ideas for my real live sweetheart. He hates chocolate, but likes Charleston Chews - so I got a bunch and used hot water to melt the outside off. I have done rose petals on the bed - as a florist word of advice here - lay them on an outer blanket then strip that off. Roses have a ton of chemicals on them. He got a rash. So he doesn't like sweets, gets excited by receiving toys - toy helicopters - video games - wii. But that is not really fun in a cheeky sense. So anyone got any ideas?



You can check an excerpt from Enforced Will from the Werewolves in Love Anthology below and comment with a suggestion for a cheeky gift to enter to win my M/M Romance - Full Load

Thanks for having me!

Kate Early
KateEarly.com

From Enforced Will by Kate Early

February 13, 2009
Subject: V-Day

I sent you something to brighten up your cabin with. Should be delivered tomorrow.

- Will

Re: V-Day
William,

I look forward to it. Since you go through more groceries then a sumo wrestler, I sent you a little something too. Enjoy.

-Vincent

* * * *

February 14, 2009
Vincent’s Cabin, 2:27 p.m.

“Hang on a sec.” Vin opened the door, coming eye to eye with dozens of flowers. Roses, lilacs, lilies, hyacinths, and just about every growing thing that set off his allergies.

Behind the massive arrangement was a petite woman with a clipboard under one arm. “I have a delivery for Mr. Vincent Mancuso from William Brand.”

He didn’t want to send the woman running, but the words rolled out on a growl anyway. “That would be me.”

"Sign here.” Her smile was genuine and warm. “I just love when men send each other flowers. Stereotypes are wrong. Everyone likes flowers.” The door shut firmly in her face.

William’s Apartment, 3:42 p.m.

“Delivery for you at the door, Will.” His ears perked up. What would Vin send him? When he hit the living room, he had to reassess. This couldn’t be Vin. Who would send him ten somethings?

Spy Boy looked up from the candy he was already enjoying out of one of the baskets. “Someone knows you like mangoes. Every one of these is either mango flavored food, mangoes, or all that fruit body scented shit. Figured you wouldn’t mind if I grabbed some.” He indicated the open bag in his lap.

“Sir, can you sign for all this? Your secret admirer went all out. This is the largest delivery I have ever done all to the same person.”

“Ooooh! Will has a secret admirer.” The singsong tone grated on the nerves.

“Yep, one who knows I am allergic to mangoes.” Vin was evil.

If you want to meet Will and Vin check out Enforced Will in Werewolves in Love. - Read an Excerpt from Enforced Will - HERE


Werewolves in Love

by Kate Early, Azura Ice, and Trinity Blacio
In this collection, you'll find three sizzling novellas of supernatural love and romance.
In Heart of a Were by Azura Ice, you'll find out what happens when a were mated for life is widowed...

Best-selling ménage author Trinity Blacio shows us what happens when Cupid gets hit by his own arrow...

and Kate Early's M/M BDSM werewolf lovin' in Enforced Will should leave you panting for more.
Buy Werewolves in Love at Amazon.com
Werewolves in Love at Barnes and Noble
Werewolves in Love at ARe

Cupid's Post Valentine's Day Boredom by Author Chelsy Day & Contest



Cupid's Post Valentine's Boredom by Chelsy Day

What can I say? It happens. The big build up to the Holiday, working non-stop, every Cupid fluffing their feathers and batting their wings to get the most matches for that heart filled romantic V-Day. For a week, even two afterward the relief and exhaustion just call for a vay-cay, but now there is a lull. I really wonder if Santa and the Easter Bunny feel the same way.

But I can not stop. Nope. Because I am one of the 5 Cupids who took part in the 2011 Challenge to match the "Most Unlikely Couple". And that contest is still going! Voting for the public to pick our winner runs till March 25th - I need to be the most productive Cupid around for another twenty-five-days! BUT if you want to help me and be entered to WIN A KINDLE you can go to the eTreasures Blog to vote.

Oh and let me introduce myself. I am Cupid HH of The Hollywood Hook Up - totally the most deserving of the Cupids. :)

I want to thank the Cheeky Lady for having me and inviting me to share the contest - and beg for votes a bit.

CUPID GONE WILD

(All Stories are Available Solo too)
Sometimes true love needs help. Five Cupids take on a challenge this Valentine's season: To match the most unlikely couple they can find.

Love Transposed by Pepper O'Neal and Chelsy Day

One arrow straight through two chests was all it took for carpenter/painter Dan, and trust fund baby Jane to go from making each other crazy, to being crazy about each other. The match that won Cupid X the Challenge in 1981...

Love Potion 2-14 by Pepper O'Neal

White witch Kole Trillion has a successful business, customers who swear by her potions and spells. Unfortunately, she also has the bad luck to fall in love with a man who doesn't believe in magic, Police Detective Gage Corwin.

The Bachelor by Heather Hiestand

Abbie Harper didn’t mean to buy the date, but one look at Jake Cordalys and she’s ready for red-hot romance. Jake is not looking for something complicated, but when Cupid is involved, all plans go out the window and romance flies in.

The Boss Wore Red by Delle Jacobs and SamMarie Ashe

For city fashionista Alexandria Bergstrom, there's nothing worse than learning her crazy parents' past, unless it's having to re-live it herself on the ranch she's inherited. It's the worst possible time for her heart to tumble, especially for hunky, city-hating ranch manager Clint Riordan. But does her heart listen? That's what Cupids are for...

The Wrong Target by Sherry Gloag

Headmistress, Tina Blackberry and Ryan Thomas can't control events after Ryan's daughter steals his coveted golden arrow and takes it to school, But put Cupid on the job and nothing can go wrong, or can it?

The Hollywood Hookup by Chelsy Day

Actor Casey Jones and Stunt Woman Sandra Benson have a history. Can Cupid get them past the animosity and prove that true love in Hollywood is NOT impossible?

BUY CUPID GONE WILD FROM AMAZON - BARNES AND NOBLE

FIND OUT MORE ABOUT CHELSY DAY AT CHELSYDAY.COM

Welcome Author Laurie London & Enter to Win Bonded By Blood!

Today I'm pleased to welcome Author Laurie London to Cheeky Reads. Laurie was nice enough to answer a few questions for readers and give us a look into her new Paranormal Romance Bonded by Blood!

First, here's the blurb for Bonded by Blood build your appetite:
Deep within the forests of the Pacific Northwest, two vampire coalitions battle for supremacy—Guardian enforcers who safeguard humanity and Darkbloods, rogues who kill like their ancient ancestors.


Movie location scout Mackenzie Foster-Shaw has always known that she’s cursed to die young. No one can protect her from the evil that has stalked her family for generations—vampires who crave her rare blood type. Until one afternoon in a wooded cemetery, she encounters an impossibly sexy stranger, a man she must trust with her life.

For Dominic, a man haunted by loss, Mackenzie satisfies a primal hunger that torments him—and the bond they share goes beyond heat, beyond love. She alone can supply the strength he needs to claim his revenge. But in doing so, he could destroy her…


Would you give readers a glimpse into the world you created? Tell us a little about what makes it special and how it came to you.


The Sweetblood world follows a team of Seattle-based vampire warriors, Guardian enforcers who safeguard humanity against Darkbloods, a rogue vampire faction that kills humans and sells their blood on the vampire black market. The rarest blood type, called Sweet, commands the highest street price and is highly addictive to vampires.

Bonded By Blood is the story of Dominic Serrano, head of the Seattle field team, and Mackenzie Foster-Shaw, a sweetblood human who works as a movie location scout, which takes her into some pretty unusual places.

The seed for the story started when my sister and I saw Fright Night eight times in a row as teenagers. I had a mad crush on Chris Sarandon’s vampire character—he was dark, mysterious and seductive—but I always wished he hadn’t turned into such a monster.

Dom is bad too...but in all the right ways.

Characters really make a story for me. What 3 words best describe your hero? What about your heroine?

I’m the same way with characters. If I love them (their faults and baggage too), everything they do is interesting to me. Three words? Okay, this is hard.

Dom: mysterious, burdened, driven

Mackenzie: pragmatic, spunky, devoted

What was your favorite part of writing this book and creating this world?

It’s difficult to single out just one part because I enjoyed the whole process. I set out to write the kind of story I enjoy reading with characters and conflicts that were compelling to me.

You have the second book in the series coming out this summer and more books planned after that. What can we look forward to in the next book?

Embraced By Blood comes out in July and is the story of Lily and Alfonso. Lily works with Dom as a highly skilled tracker with the Agency. Alfonso is Dom’s estranged brother who worked undercover for years in the Darkblood Alliance. He’s haunted and tormented by some awful things he did in his past. Talk about baggage. His growth through the story is pretty intense—I can’t wait for readers to meet him.

Also, I’m so thrilled that books 3 and 4 will be coming out next year and an e-novella, Hidden By Blood, will be coming out in June—just a few months from now.

Have you read any great books lately?

I loved The Bodyguard, an anthology with short stories by Cherry Adair, Gena Showalter and Lorie O’Clare.

A recent novel that blew me away was The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon. The prose was achingly beautiful, and the story and characters were fascinating.

Thanks so much for having me on today!!!

Thanks Laurie!
Check out Laurie's Website here to read an excerpt of Bonded by Blood.

Enter to win an autographed copy of Bonded by Blood by telling us what 3 words would describe your ideal hero or heroine! The contest will run until noon on Friday, March 4th and is open to US and CAN residents only. The winner will be announced Friday afternoon.

Around The Romance Universe: Cool Links for Readers

So I've come across some awesome links in the land of romance online this morning so I thought I'd do a quick post to share some of them.

Today, Kim Harrison is the guest at the Borders True Romance Blog and is giving away a copy of Pale Demon! I LOVE this series and can't wait until the copy I ordered arrives in the mail. ;)

JoJos Book Corner has 6 contests running right now!

Macmillian launched an awesome new website and community for romance readers called Heroes and Heartbreakers. Lots of awesome blogs by some of the best book bloggers out there!

I'm super excited that Kresley Cole's latest book in the Immortals After Dark series, Dreams of a Dark Warrior, has landed the #1 spot on the New York Times bestseller list!

Brush of Darkness Winner!

Thank you again to Allison for stopping by and talking about her new UF book and keystones. I loved hearing about everyone's experiences!

Now, on to the winner. The comment chosen by random.org to win a copy of A Brush of Darkness by Allison Pang is...

Comment # 3 - Donna Cummings!

Thank you to all my readers who stopped by and entered to win. It really is a really enjoyable read that I still recommend you check out.

Happy Reading!
Sabrina

Monday Morning Cuteness!

Happy Valentine's Day To All My Romance Reading Friends!
Be sure to tell the ones you love how much they mean to you not only today, but everyday. Thank you for reading Cheeky Reads and being a part of the community here. I love talking books with all of you and hope you'll keep stopping by and sharing!

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Welcome Guest Author Allison Pang & Win A Brush of Darkness!

Today I'm truly excited to welcome guest author Allison Pang to Cheeky Reads! Allison's debut book A Brush of Darkness has been one of my favorites so far this year and part of that is due to the pretty awesome world she creates. That's why I'm excited that today she's introducing us to it and talking about an idea central to the book - Keystones.

I can't recommend this book enough if you are looking for a new Urban Fantasy world to get lost in. Now, check out Allison's post and comment with an answer to Allison's question below or a ask Allison a question to enter to win a copy of A Brush of Darkness!

Welcome Allison!

Keystones

Mystic groves, haunted houses, magic wells – even in the real world there are places of sacredness that cause people to pause and wonder. (Or give them that lovely prickle down their spine.) For whatever reason , these locations pick up a reputation for having some sort of power or otherworldly presence. In A Brush of Darkness, this concept becomes the basis of something called a KeyStone.

As part of the overall world building, many of these beings (Fae, angels, etc.) like to come and go between their worlds and ours. However, I wanted to limit this a bit, so for the sake of keeping these beings under control, I set it up so that they can only cross over at the four hours – midnight, noon, twilight and dawn – unless they have a TouchStone…or access to a KeyStone.

TouchStones are mortals who enter a Contract with one of these beings, and part of that bargain allows the OtherFolk to travel whenever/wherever they want. If the OtherFolk doesn’t have one, they are usually limited to hanging out at one of these mystical places known as KeyStones. The Hallows, for example, is an OtherFolk bar that’s actually built on top of a more ancient place, but the power still holds true and the OtherFolk take advantage of that.

In some cases, humans can be living KeyStones – with the rare power of being able to TouchStone any OtherFolk person they come in contact with…without the need for a written Contract. I’d been thinking on the idea that so many talented people tend to die so young (i.e. Mozart, for example). In much of Faery lore, the Fae are drawn to that sort of thing – musicians, poets, writers, etc. I began to wonder what might happen if a particularly talented person captured the Fae’s attention and attempted to Contract to too many OtherFolk at once? Undoubtedly the effort would eventually drain them and thereby quite possibly cause their death.

In the book, the Fae actually police these Contracts through the position of a Protectorate, who oversees the written Contracts so that this doesn’t happen (since they don’t actually want that sort of attention drawn to themselves.) On the other hand, a living KeyStone would be a very precious commodity among the OtherFolk, since it would allow them to potentially abuse the system. With no written Contracts needed, a human KeyStone could find him or herself passed around between OtherFolk with very little say in the matter.

In A Brush of Darkness, Abby Sinclair eventually discovers that she is a KeyStone, although being already TouchStoned to the Faery Protectorate lends a certain amount of protection, since very few OtherFolk would want to cross the Protectorate in such a way. Of course, her situation does lend itself to a few humorous moments, particularly when Abby finds out she’s accidentally TouchStoned to a small unicorn who likes to nest in her underwear drawer.

I’d love to hear if anyone has ever run into a KeyStone of their own – a place that felt “haunted” or magical or seemed to have a presence that wasn’t particularly tangible. :)

Monday Morning Cuteness!

funny pictures - C'mon! Faster! She's in one helluva mood this morning!
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I need coffee ASAP! Hoping for news on my job interview today...we'll see since it could go either way.

First Grave on The Right - Cute Book Trailer & Giveaway!

I've heard fantastic things about this book and have the audio version I'll be starting soon so look for a review in the next week or so. What I think is awesome is that this is one of the few book trailers that was worth watching - very funny, cute and really does set the tone for the book.

Check it out and tell me what you think. Oh, and has anyone read or picked up this book yet? If so let us know about it!



*****UPDATE****


Macmillan Audio is giving away an audio book copy of First Grave on The Right and a T-Shirt on their FaceBook page - Click here to check it out!  

RELEASE DAY - THE KRAKEN'S MIRROR - CONGRATS MAUREEN & ENTER TO WIN!


Huge congrats to Maureen O. Betita, a very dear friend of mine who is celebrating the release of her debut book The Kraken's Mirror! I was honored to serve as a beta-reader and think readers will really enjoy the world that Maureen has built. Here's a snippet about the book:

Captain Alan Silvestri is a man haunted by a strange curse. Good luck is his to command, but it comes at the cost of any place to call home or people to reckon as family. Resigned to die and shunned by all, he is forced to sail every three days, until he begins to dream of a special woman.


Treated by our youth-oriented society as invisible and sexless, Emily Pawes is ready to move on with life. She attends a pirate festival, hoping to recapture the make-believe magic she knew as a young woman. Lucky to win an interesting bit of booty at a brick-a-brac stand, she finds herself transported by the Kraken’s mirror through a magical portal to a land of Hollywood piratitude, where swashbuckling heroes own iPods. With little choice, Emily embraces the madness. Playing pirate has to be safer than falling into the arms of handsome Captain Silvestri, right?

When they meet, sparks fly, passion flares. He needs her to be free, but more than that, he needs her to be whole. Setting sail and uncertain of who actually controls the wheel, they seek ways to defeat his curse of good luck and discover the Kraken’s mirror has plans for them. Will Emily stay in this pirate haven to fight alongside him or will he lose her because of his curse?

Cheeky Reads had a giveaway for Maureen's book back when she was first contracted and I'l be contacting the winner later today for details on how to get her copy of the book.

But for the rest of you, head over to The Romance Writer's Revenge and comment to enter to win one of three copies Maureen is giving away today. Join in the fun and tell Maureen Cheeky Girl Sabrina says congrats!

Sorry I'm MIA...



I'm sorry not to have posted an update, but I've been sidelined with something big happening with my day job (not in a good way) so I'm pretty focused on that right now. I should be back to posting this weekend or early next week!

Happy Reading!
Sabrina

Sponsor Spotlight: Introducing Rebel Ink Press

Today I'd like to highlight one of our sponsors at Cheeky Reads. Please welcome Rebel Ink Press and take a look at their upcoming releases. You might find a new-to-you author or book you just have to have!

Happy Reading!
Sabrina

Coming Soon From Rebel Ink Press

Rebel Ink Press is proud to be at Cheeky Reads today sharing a bit about our upcoming releases and the writers that produced them. Thanks so much Sabrina for inviting us over! We’ve enjoyed being here and look forward to working with you again soon.

Rebel Ink Press is a small, independent publisher of romance novels that run the gamut from young adult all the way to sizzling erotica. Since their official opening in September 2010, Rebel has signed both new and seasoned cutting edge authors from several genres. There's no question that Rebel titles have tremendous market appeal and that their writers are plugged in to the both the paranormal/fantasy side of the romance genre as well as the more down to earth, realistic, romantic side by featuring real-to-life heroes and heroines going about the business of day to day living. In fact, several of their authors are best sellers within their given genre and a few have won awards through their local writing guilds or chapters. Since their inception, Rebel has boasted four silver star winning manuscripts at ARe, a premiere e-book retailer, and their authors are gleaning rave reviews. For more information about Rebel please find us at: http://www.rebelinkpress.com/.

Our February line-up:

Kinship Trinity by JL Oiler - February 9, 2011
Time changes all. The world of humankind is gone, replaced by a landscape marred with the aftermath of war and disease. This is the world of the Were. However, even their existence hangs perilously by a thread. The ratio of males to females has become unbalanced and the ruling council is struggling to bring order to its people through the creation of strong clans. Clans lead by not one Alpha Were, but two

Cirri works within the confines of the council hall, evaluating and confirming the rosters of each group seeking clanship. Knowing the day would come when she would be a claimed mate, Cirri just never expected it to be so soon. Or that her mates would take her to the edge of ecstasy and beyond.

Meru and Arcos have traveled to the remnants of the human city seeking clanship even though they've yet to find their perfect mate. Fighting for their right to keep their clan together, neither Were expected to catch the scent of the female who was destined to be their third. But when their clanship paperwork causes a stir within the council, Arcos, Meru and Cirri find themselves fighting for their lives and that of their followers.

JL Oiler lives in the mountains of West Virginia with her husband, two children, and boxer. She began writing stories at a young age, but didn't begin sharing them until she was in her late teens. When not writing, JL enjoys the outdoors and teaching shop to unruly middle schoolers. JL joined forces with fellow authors BethAnn Buehler, Lila Munro, and Carl Franklin to form Wicked Muses in June 2010. JL has releases with Silver Publishing which include To Kiss a Demon, Claiming Night, and Have Yourself a Rotten Little Christmas. A March release is planned for her upcoming anthology (Force Recon: Beacon Bayou) from Rebel Ink Press. JL can be found frequently chatting on Facebook, Myspace, and Twitter. Readers can find JL at her author site: http://www.joiler.weebly.com/

An Executive Affair by Christopher Craven - February 13, 2011
After years of fighting his way up the corporate food chain, advertising executive Jason Hughes settles into his new office on the top floor. Nearly two years after his former lover committed suicide, Jason lives his life settling with everyone for everything. But once he’s been promoted to partner at Hanson Smith Advertising, everything changes—including his social life. Lusting for his secretary, Jon, Jason is contemplating coming out of the closet in the boardroom. But Jason’s sexuality isn’t the only thing on the table when he’s ordered to Valentine's day dinner at his boss’s house. When Jason discovers the man he’s juggled his feelings and sexual desire for is also in attendance that night, will it alter Jason’s position at the firm and erase the years he’s struggled to get to the top?

Christopher Craven grew up the scrawny middle child in a semi-liberal family residing in Phoenix, Arizona. From the time he was able to write his own name, Chris knew that he was destined to write for the world. Thanking his mother, who handed him his first adult novel in junior high, Chris strives to become a prolific name in the literary world. Preferring to write erotic romance that explores the love between kindred spirits and Romantic Suspense, Chris also enjoys barefoot strolls along the beach but can most often be found roaming the Eastern Colorado plateaus when he isn't writing. His online dwelling can be found at http://cravenheat.blogspot.com/

Cupid’s Desire by Dyanna Ashe  - February 13, 2011
Leonidus doesn’t have a typical day job. He’s a Greek Cupid responsible for setting in motion the fates of lovers since the beginning of time. But being a love god isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Sometimes Leonidus has to set in motion passions that will destroy lives, decimate kingdoms, and leave nothing but sadness and ruin in their wake.

His current assignment is to help lonely, shy bookstore owner Chloe Jones fall for a man who is fated to break her heart and ruin her life. The problem is the more he gets to know Chloe, the less Leo wants to hand her off to an undeserving suitor. Leo is determined to protect Chloe from the cruelty of fate and claim her for his own. Unable to contain his rising passion, Leo puts both their lives in jeopardy playing a dangerous game of defiance with the gods themselves. Could this Cupid’s Desire destroy them both?

Dyanna Ashe is a woman on the run, constantly traveling, meeting new people, and exploring new places. Originally from beautiful Virginia, she is happiest when living out of a suitcase and writing whenever she finds inspiration. A true gypsy at heart, she loves being outdoors and surrounded by noisy crowds. Please visit her at her web home: http://dyannaashebooks.blogspot.com/.

Salvation—An Anthology by BethAnn Buehler, JL Oiler and Lila Munro - February 13, 2011
Hearts Vendetta by JL Oiler
Strata Drake had everything a thirty something woman could want: a gorgeous two bedroom flat in the best part of Salvation, Massachusetts, a great job as the requisition coordinator for a nearby museum, and a smoking hot new boyfriend who didn't pressure her for sex. That is until a night out on the town and a spiked drink changes things. Strata finds herself in bed with her hunky boyfriend and his identical twin for a night of passion that fulfills every erotic fantasy she's ever had. However, the next evening Strata discovers she's not only alone, but she's part of the undead. Now she must track the pair down and attempt to reclaim her humanity. Strata soon discovers she's not the only one looking for the tantalizing twosome. Teaming up with Chris Harm, an aggressive werewolf with a score to settle, she realizes she has a lot to learn a lot about herself and her new persona. She also discovers that the wolf has some sexy animal magnetism of his own.

Lethal Love by Lila Munro
After having freed his last assigned town of the worst type of evil to ever walk, Caleb Laird has no excuse to stay any longer. He once thought he’d never leave that small mountain town, but under order of the Agency, he’s been moved to Massachusetts. With his soul mate, Claire Adams, by his side and a few good friends tagging along, this new haven for all manner of para-beings seems like the perfect place for a fresh start.

Claire was more than happy to follow Caleb. In fact, she’d have followed him anywhere. In Salvation, no one knew about her past. Her identity could be concealed and no one would ever need to know about her aliases. Cheers to new beginnings! Now a year later Claire’s found her identity as a talk show host, she's getting married in a few days, and she’s just found out a little magic is on the way.

Thinking they were safe from the which that haunted them, Caleb and Claire never expected to have to deal anyone from a place worse than hell again. But something’s lurking in Salvation. It’s turning families against each other, stalking the innocent, and tearing Caleb and Claire apart. Caleb has to figure out who’s telling the truth before it’s too late and salvation is beyond his grasp.

Spellbound Hearts by BethAnn Buehler
Angeline Griggs has made a career out of teaching Early American History at Boston College. A descendant of William Griggs, the man responsible for the deaths of twenty three young men and women during the Salem Witch Trials, Angeline has spent a lifetime trying to demystify her distant grandfather's claims.

Armed with new knowledge of an ages old family secret, Angeline ditches an attempt at a personal life as she throws herself into studying the link between the men in her family and a long line of witches, one of whom her brother, Grier, has recently taken as his bride. Too enthralled with her studies to be bothered by the boring academic types that keep calling and asking her out, Angeline puts privacy blocker on her phone and requests her number be unlisted. Finally, a little peace and quiet.

Scotsman Branan Laird has come to Boston to attend the wedding of his cousin, Caleb. Glad to be stateside, where no-one knows about him or the "gifts" he's been given, Branan finds that time stops when he spies a gorgeous redhead fretting over a stack of books that weigh more than she does. Anxious to make her acquaintance, Branan is shocked when the women turns up her nose and dismisses him with the back of her hand. Certain she'll not only want to meet him, but that she'll fall for him as well, Branan devises a plan a certain bookworm won't be able to outrun.

Lila Munro is a writer of contemporary romance currently residing on the coast of North Carolina. She is a military wife and takes much of her inspiration for her heroes from the marines she’s lived around for the past fourteen years. Coining the term realmantica, she strives to produce quality romance in a realistic setting. When she’s not writing, she enjoys reading everything she can get her hands on, trips to the museum and aquarium, taking field research trips, and soaking up the sun on the nearby beaches. Her previous works include The Executive Officer’s Wife, Bound By Trust, and Destiny’s Fire. Anthology work includes a piece in All I Want for Christmas is Redemption. She loves to hear from her readers and can be contacted via her website http://lilamunro.weebly.com/ her joint effort website http://www.wickedmuses.webs.com/ or through Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/Lila_Munro

Broken Destiny by BethAnn Buehler - February 16, 2011
It's not about living...

When Casey Owens runs away from Nevada bad boy Mark Whitlow, she's fleeing not only one of the most powerful families in the south, but the man who just happens to be the father of her newborn son. Tossing caution to the wind, Casey refuses to let her past get in the way of her future. Her only focus now is Tyler, the precious little boy her ex future in-laws consider "the bastard child." While the last thing Casey wants to do is start over, it's not about her anymore.

Jamie Wallace, Rebel Canyon's favorite cowboy, is sick of the bar scene. Who would imagine such a successful, good-natured hunk would have so much trouble getting a date? But when Jamie wanders off his ranch and takes one look at the helpless waif of a woman he nearly kills with his truck, he wonders if the man upstairs has finally answered his prayers.

It's about love...

Jamie can't wait to explore every inch of Casey's body and he's just as intent on winning her heart as he is on undoing her zipper. There's just one catch. Jamie has no idea about Casey's past. Or the baby. And when he sees the scars that mark her body, Jamie loses more than just his nerve in the bedroom. With unseen forces working against them, Casey's resolve will be tested by a man whose kind of love leaves bruises while Jamie's heart will be torn between bending Casey over the tailgate of his truck and changing dirty diapers.

Offering Casey nothing more than his heart, Jamie can only hope that one day Casey will grow to love him in return. But will she ever truly be free from the hold of another man?

BethAnn Buehler's world revolves around her family, her friends and her love of writing.  When she's not working on her next story, she can most often be found having breakfast at a local restaurant with her parents, enjoying a caramel latte with her girlfriends or neglecting her responsibilities as a wife and mother because she's thinking about her next story.  Spaghettio's are fine for dinner most nights, aren't they? BethAnn writes romance with an erotic bent and gets most of her ideas from talking with her friends about what everyone really wants for Christmas---the perfect mate.  Of course we all know people like that don't actually exist, but it's certainly fun to create them on paper! BethAnn is a member of the Indianapolis Writer's Group as well as the Romance Writers of America, Indiana Chapter.  She lives with her awesome husband, gorgeous little boy and two rotten Silky Terriers. You can find out more about her at: http://www.bethannbuehler.com/ .

Force Recon: Beacon Bayou—An Anthology by BethAnn Buehler, Christopher Craven, JL Oiler and Lila Munro - February 22, 2011
Looking for a splendid place to visit? Welcome to Beacon Bayou! Come wander Big Thicket National Preserve... For one four man Marine Force Recon team, a vacation was just what the doctor ordered. Or in their case, the team corpsman.

Fresh off a mission in the jungle of South America, rest and relaxation are Recon's number one priorities. But for Gunnery Sergeant Brogan Baker, Sergeant Aaron Wolf, Corporal Regan Maxwell, and Chief Gabriel Sanchez, this vacation will test their strength unlike any mission ever has.
After a string of failed relationships, Brogan Baker is questioning his sexuality. Surely Regan Maxwell can't be the answer to Brogan's problems, can he? Besides, Regan’s a former Hollywood pretty boy just trying to prove he has what it takes while keeping one foot firmly planted in the closet. Then Ke;;i comes along. Can the two men foster their growing relationship and survive the presence of one tiny female?

Aaron Wolf, the unit lost sheep, agreed to the Texas get away thinking he could finally overcome the short comings his father points out every chance he gets. Meeting Scarlet might be the way out Aaron's been looking for, but it’s the beauty Gabe's got his eye on that shows Aaron there’s hope where he thought none existed. After losing his first wife over fifteen years ago, Gabriel Sanchez has sworn off women. But somehow Roslyn Romero manages to capture his heart. The only problem is she's got a host of her own issues that will push Gabe to the brink.

If that which doesn't kill us only makes us stronger, then the Force Recon team will either leave Texas in body bags or they'll have a new found resolve to live life to the fullest. Beacon Bayou beware. Recon never backs down.

Revving Her Wild Engines by Cassandre Dayne - February 24, 2011
Stephanie Simon was more than ready to have her most secret and sinful fantasies fulfilled. And the thought of having a torrid affair with David Tyler took her breath away. Unfortunately however, Stephanie and David have never met. Introduced by a friend, they've only conversed via the Internet, where they tell each other their every hidden fantasy. Stephanie's is a wicked tryst on the back of David's motorcycle and a ménage. And as luck would have it, David has the perfect third in mind.

Fueled by Stephanie's hunger to explore, David sweeps Stephanie off her feet with a wild ride across a pool table in front of his friends and a ménage that leaves her engine revved for more. But both David and Stephani hold a terrible secret. As they learn about their tragic pasts, neither knows if they can cling to the other for support and find the love and forgiveness they need.

Cassandre Dayne began writing in her early teens, penning everything from science fiction to romantic poetry. Unfortunately she allowed her love of writing to take a back seat to real life, but ideas for very wicked stories never fully left her mind. Suddenly awakened by the rampant fantasies and untold stories of characters that flowed through her dreams every night and filtered into her daylight hours, she could hold back the creative process no longer. Writing highly erotic stories and novels delving into all your most secret sensual fantasies, she is published with Rebel Ink Press and several short stories and novellas will be coming out in the next few months. In addition, she is the new radio show host at Robin Falls Red River Radio for their erotic writers corner debuting in January 2011. Married and currently living in a small town in Virginia with her two wondrous four-legged friends, her world is filled with endless possibilities of the future. Visit her website http://www.cassandredayne.com/ for a taste of her spicy world, trailers and free reads.

Thanks for spending some time with us today and perusing our February selections. You can purchase these works on their respective release days as well as many other fine Rebel titles at: http://www.allromanceebooks.com/storeSearch.html?searchBy=publisher&qString=Rebel+Ink+Press

Monday Morning Cuteness - Harry Potter-esque Edition

funny pictures - Not Slytherin...not Slytherin...
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So I ask you, have you read the Harry Potter books or just watched the movies? Or maybe both? Coming up soon I'm going to do a movie marathon of the movies since I've only seen the first couple, but I've never read the books. Are they as well written as people (okay almost everyone) says they are?

A Favorite Author's Older Work - When It Just Doesn't Work For you

So I'm currently listening to an audio book of one of my favorite, go-to authors. It's a new audio release for a book of hers that I hadn't read from the mid-90s. The premise sounded fun and sassy - just like most of this author's work, but I've noticed a few things as I've listened that have me questioning visiting a Fav authors older stuff.

At first I thought it was just the narrator of the story - she has a great voice for characters, but holy cow she makes EVERY SINGLE WORD animated and like the characters are constantly talking with exclamation points. This made me think "Oh, it's just a bad narrator I should read this one instead." But no, I kept listening and discovered more was wrong.

Next I realized there are things about the character descriptions that bother me and I felt dated the story. For instance - the heroine makes a big deal about the hero wearing a "super cool" diamond stud earring. Ok - to me that dates the story to the 90s when women actually did think that was hot, but not so much for me anymore. I don't see that as the fashion now and to be honest I can't stand a guy with an earring. Maybe this means I'm getting old instead of the story? :)

Moving deeper in, I couldn't believe that one of my fav authors was letting me down. I think I might actually HATE the heroine. I've never hated one of her heroines. But this one is just SO wimpy against her family and others. She WHINES. But the worst offense is that I can't see to justify her motivation for staying in this story.

The entire plot so far has me screaming in the car at the stereo. At one point the heroine says ..."but I couldn't change that now..." when she REALLY could. There is absolutely nothing at all keeping her in the situation by any stretch of the imagination.

Likewise, the family in this book is so horrible and rotten there is NO WAY they can ever be redeemed and then I'm left asking why would the author have centered the heroines emotional journey around them if it was going nowhere. I expect she's going to attempt to redeem them but I find that impossible now.

I'm so disappointed, but I keep listening because I'm hoping in my heart of hearts that my fav author can really pull this one out. It seems doubtful.


What about you? Ever run across an older romance and it felt dated? Found a story by a favorite author that was totally not for you? Did it affect your trying that author again or did you think "She can't write every book perfectly?" I'd love to hear from you about if this has happened to you and what it did to your relationship with that author. 


If you're an author I'd love to hear from you too! Do you sometimes look back on books you wish you'd done things differently with - no titles needed just a general answer. :)

3 Heart Book Review: Buffalo West Wing by Julie Hyzy

Buffalo West Wing: A White House Chef Mystery
By Julie Hyzy
Berkley Prime Crime
3 Heart Review


With a new First Family, White House executive chef Olivia Paras can't afford to make any mistakes. But when a box of take-out chicken mysteriously shows up for the First Kids, she soon finds herself in a "no-wing" situation. After Olivia refuses to serve the chicken, the First Lady gives her the cold shoulder. But when it turns out to be poisoned poultry, Olivia realizes the kids are true targets.

First off I must admit I'm jumping into this series mid-steam. This is book four and I could really tell when reading it that I wish I'd was more familiar with the characters and their storyline before picking this up. Even though you can read and enjoy this story all on it's own, I kinda of do feel like the 3 Heart rating might be influenced by my not having read books 1-3.

Having read and enjoyed the 1st book in Julie other mystery series, The Manor House Mysteries, I was excited to read one of her White House Chef Mysteries and was really happy with it. Again, I wish that I'd had more background knowledge - especially when it came to the two men in Olivia's life. Her Ex in this book still works with her and seems to be...well...an ASS. It was so hard to picture Olivia ever having been with him - and that made me question her as a character. If I'd read the prior books maybe it would have made more sense because maybe he was a more likable character in those.

It was nice to find a cozy mystery with a hint of romance, but I did find myself wishing this had more. I really didn't want the book to end where it did because I wanted a little more of the romance - hey sue me I'm a romance chick!

This was a really fun read and I will be checking out the first 3 books - I just wish I didn't already know what was going to happen with the crappy Ex. :)

If you enjoy mysteries, and cozies in particular, you'll really like Julie's writing but it is my recommendation that you start with the 1st book in the series. I would have had so much more fun and felt more connected to the book if I'd read them, and this might have been a 4 Heart Review instead.

Happy Reading!
Sabrina

It's Shadowfever Release Day!!!!


Even if you were living under a rock, you've peobabaly still heard that today is release day for Shadowfever, the last book in the Fever Series by Karen Marie Moning.

I just happened to be camping in a tent this past weekend (for hte 1st time) and it was a firm "no cell phone or technology weekend" so somehow I managed to forget all about it! That is, until i saw Twitter this morning. It exploded with people catching "The Fever."

If you want more info or have never read this series, check out Karen's website here.

Happy Reading! I know what I'm buying today!

Soup's On!

So yesterday on Twitter I mentioned that I had made an awesome pot of soup over the weekend and I got so many requests for the recipe that I thought I would do a post for everyone. Now i like to use the term recipe lightly because well I like to do a "dash of this" and "just throw in a lot of that" so this is a just a general outline of what I did.

The best part of this is the cost factor - I made this huge pot of soup for under $5. Hubby and I had three bowls each. That's about $0.84 per bowl of awesome fresh, homemade goodness. Oh, and it's a hearty soup so it's filling!

Here is the ingredient list for what I used:

1 Large Box of Vegetable Stock
1 Can of Tomato Paste
1 Small Bag of Frozen Soup Mix Veggies (sample photo below - not the same brand I used, but gives you the general idea)
2 Sweet Potatoes (Chopped into small wedges -you can add more of this depending on how many people you are cooking for)
Italian Seasonings (A Mix or use Basil, Oregano, Thyme and Rosemary)
Red Pepper Flakes
Minced Garlic


So I started with the Veggie stock in a soup pot, added the can of tomato paste and then the chopped up sweet potatoes and let that boil for about 10 minutes before I added the rest of the ingredients.

Then I added the frozen veggies, all the Italian Seasonings and a VERY generous amount of red pepper flakes and about 2 teaspoons of minced garlic. Now, we like our soup spicy - and this is spicy if you are generous with the red pepper and garlic. If you don't want it that spicy, then only add a small amount or leave out the red pepper flakes.

I lowered the stove to a simmer and let the soup work it's magic for about another 10-15 minutes. TA-DA! That's it. Totally Done.

This is a veggie soup, but you could very easily cook up some cut up chicken pieces, sausage, etc. and throw those in the pot as well.

Next time I'm considering adding in some whole wheat pasta - a cheap way to add even more bulk to this soup! I'm also thinking about some shrimp or edamame to add some protein.

What do you think? Want to try it and let me know how it goes - or share your easy homemade soup recipe with us please! Any great cooking or food related romances you've read lately?

Oh - and to make this blog somewhat romance book related, head over to Author Louisa Edwards website and check out her Recipe For Love series and all the free recipes available on her site!

Monday Morning Cuteness!

funny dog pictures - DRAW ME LIKE ONE OF YOUR FRENCH GIRLS
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I love this photo, but someone help that poor doggie - call weight watchers stat! Poor thing - do you have to watch your dog or cat's weight? any tips for other readers who might be fighting the weight wars for their pet? I'm having trouble keeping one of my dogs fat enough. Go figure right.

Friday Fun With Book Trailers

Here are a few newly released book trailers for your enjoyment! I'm still very interested to hear what you think of book trailers as a whole, and if they've ever made you add a new book to your buy list!





This one is purely for laughs and fun:



5 Heart Book Review: No One Lives Twice by Julie Moffett


No One Lives Twice - A Lexi Carmichael Mystery
by Julie Moffett
Carina Press
Mystery/Comedy/Adventure
5 Heart Review

Blurb:
I'm Lexi Carmichael, geek extraordinaire. I spend my days stopping computer hackers at the National Security Agency. My nights? Those I spend avoiding my mother and eating cereal for dinner. Even though I work for a top-secret agency, I've never been in an exciting car chase, sipped a stirred (not shaken) martini, or shot a poison dart from an umbrella.

Until today, that is, when two gun-toting thugs popped up in my life and my best friend disappeared. So, I've enlisted the help of the Zimmerman twins—the reclusive architects of America's most sensitive electronic networks—to help me navigate a bewildering maze of leads to find her.

Along the way, my path collides with a sexy government agent and a rich, handsome lawyer, both of whom seem to have the hots for me. Hacking, espionage, sexy spy-men—it's a geek girl's dream come true. If it weren't for those gun-toting thugs...

Review:
I read this book at the end of 2010, and if you follow me on twitter you already know that I raved about it for days. For my first review in 2011, I thought I would start off with a bang and say I LOVE THIS BOOK! It's not a romance - romance, but instead a mystery/comedy with the perfect mix of possible love interests. Seriously, there are two main men vying for Lexi's attention but without spoiling a thing I can say I'm TEAM ELVIS all the way!

The writing in this book was exactly what I love - witty heroine who's slightly awkward but all sass and full of awesome mixed with a wicked sense of humor and without that whole "I'm a girl and can't help myself" thing I hate so much. The wit and humor really made this book for me and I adored the character of Lexi and also the fabulous Zimmerman Twins.

The mystery was both a fresh idea and one that wasn't obvious from the start. I also loved that Julie keeps you guessing about if the two male leads are who they really say they are. Very fresh writing and an expertly crafted mystery!

Julie Moffett was a new to me writer and after reading this book I had to check out if she'd written anything else. Now, Lexi is definitely a new direction for her but I was blown away by the writing awards that she has won for her other books. They've been added to my TBR pile, but I really cannot wait for another Lexi mystery.

I cannot say enough about how much I really enjoyed this book and want more. I've actually already read it again over the holiday - I just couldn't help myself. Awesome read and an awesome new-to-me author. Check this one out if you like quirky, witty heroines who can take care of themselves with some serious brain power.

Happy Reading!
Cheeky Girl Sabrina