Congrats to Author Maureen O Betita on Her Latest Release The Pirate Circus!

Disclaimer: Author Maureen O. Betita is a very good friend of mine - I haven't read her latest release yet, but I have read her other books and greatly enjoyed them. I'm taking the liberty of congratulating Maureen today - she has no idea I'm doing this post - because if I can't congratulate an amazing friend and writer on a new release then how is this MY blog? :) I'm not giving my opinion on this book today - that will come later - I'm just sharing the new release news and hope you respect my disclosure of being Maureen's friend.

Without further ado, here's the rundown on Maureen's latest book that I'll be ordering today!

The Pirate Circus
By: Maureen O. Betita
The Kraken's Carribean Book #3
Decadent Publishing

Book Blurb:
Bosun Janey knows who and what she is. A pirate. And a damned good one at that. Living a life of excitement, adventure, and sailing the seas of the Kraken’s Caribbean is enough for her. But when the Quill is stuck in dry dock, Janey is left to search for distraction along Tortuga’s waterfront. How does a pirate occupy herself? Certainly not by making friends with a six-year-old boy or mooning after the boy’s father. That’s not how a pirate behaves!
Widower Benjamin Silvestri arrived in Tortuga seeking a fresh start. At first, the pirate haven doesn’t seem like a safe sanctuary for second chances, but life is full of surprises. The sun breathes life into his little boy, and new freedoms help his errant niece embrace her true nature. And then there's Janey. A pirate and most unconventional woman, she stirs feelings in Benjamin that are far from proper—but who’s to say what is proper in Tortuga?

However, before he and Janey can explore the possibilities, Benjamin's son and niece disappear onto the high seas. Together, the couple set out to rescue them—because only a loving father and a cutthroat pirate stand a chance against the dangerous Pirate Circus.
Genre: Paranormal romance, erotic romance, action/adventure
Heat level: 4
Word count – 70k
Read An Excerpt Here.

Check out the 1st 2 books in The Kraken's Carribean series on Maureen's author page by clicking here.

Super Cute Christmas Giveaway From Author Maureen O. Betita!

My friend, and awesome author, Maureen O. Betita is having a fun contest to win what I think is one of the most original and cute Christmas ornaments I've ever seen - It's a Kraken! Check out the photo to the left. Super cute right?

Head over to Maureen's blog for all the details on how you can enter to win that little guy for your very own tree - and she's also giving away free books along the way too!

I'm happy to be back from my trip and hope to have the blog back up and running next week! Hope you've been reading some fabulous books!

Happy Reading!
Cheeky Girl Sabrina

READ FOR A CURE! Special Guest Post from Author Maureen O. Betita

A Special Guest Post From Author Maureen O. Betita:

Read For a Cure!

Happy first day of summer to all! Been a long winter, hasn’t it? Well, perhaps not for everyone…but it sure seems like it. I’m an author who lives along the central coast of California and our weather is never much weather if you compare it to the rest of the country. That is true!

Regardless, things have been crazy this year. So many challenges these last few years. Job changes, health challenges, new opportunities, sad news, good news…

Good news! I’m with a wonderful publisher and this year I had my first book come out. It’s been pretty exciting and for the month of June, I’ve had the opportunity to give back. Every month, Decadent Publishing donates the proceeds from a chosen title to finding a cure for cancer. This month, that title is The Kraken’s Mirror, by yours truly!

Why do they do this? Well, Heather Bennett is one of the owners of Decadent and she’s been fighting cancer in her family for far too long. She’s lost too many relatives, too many friends. So, when she began Decadent, she dedicated the company to the cause she believes in.

A cause the authors of Decadent have embraced. For the month of June, help Decadent in the good fight! This cause is important to me and to my agent. We’re both donating our sales for the month to the cause.

If you’ve considered trying something new, a quirky adventure story featuring a matchmaking kraken, a feisty widow and pirates wearing i-pods…check out The Kraken’s Mirror and help battle cancer. For everyone who have lost a loved one or knows someone who deals with the reality of cancer on a daily basis… Let’s do it!

Buy now link to Decadent

Win A Sony Pocket Reader or Other Awesome Goodies From Author Maureen O. Betita!

My kick-ass author friend Maureen O. Betita is hosting a pretty cool contest and giveaway right now so I wanted to share it with you. Here are the details, but make sure to visit Maureen's site or a site she is visiting to leave your comments for entry. Here's the direct link to her site to enter!

From Maureen:

Between the electronic edition of The Kraken’s Mirror and the print edition of The Kraken’s Mirror…my kraken disappeared. Now, he’s a responsible beast and I choose to believe he has a reason and a place he was driven to go… (Yes, there was a reason and it wasn’t on purpose…these things happen.)

I’m making the most of a sad situation and having a CONTEST! What am I giving away? 1st prize is a Sony Pocket Reader! 2nd prize is A kick-ass kraken parasol and…a 3rd prize is a Betsy Johnson ‘kraken’ ring! When does the contest run? From May 1st to May 31st! So… Where did the Kraken go?

Here are the options: Where did the Kraken go?
1.) He’s in Scotland, wooing Nessie
2) He’s outside the Mines of Moria at Gandalf’s request, fighting off the menace in the waters
3) Sharing rum with the monster in the lake at Hogwarts
4) ? Your idea?


How to enter the contest?
1) Comment on my blog at www.maureenobetita.com and pick an option, or create your own.
2) Friend my author page on Facebook, Maureen O. Betita Author and leave a comment, telling me which option you’ve picked, or where you think the Kraken went.
3) Find me on any blog I guest at during the month of May and tell me your option. (Be sure to leave an e-mail address in the comment section.)


I’ll award the three biggies on the 31st…during the month I’ll give away smaller prizes…free books, pirate perch hats and kraken jewelry. Amuse me with clever ideas and you might win something!

Guest Author Maureen O. Betita On The Hotness That Is SciFi! Comment To Win!

I'd like to welcome my personal friend Author Maureen O. Betita to Cheeky Reads today! You might remember that I've showcased her debut book The Kraken's Mirror and now she has two HOT novellas releasing so I just had to have her back on.

Maureen is a wonderful friend who has done so much for me and I have to say that I totally agree with with her - SciFi HAS always been hot! *Waving my SciFi Geek Flag high!*

SciFi Has Always Been Hot by Maureen O. Betita

Yup, it is my premise that science fiction as always been hot. Yes, it is also a very nerd oriented genre. People think that it’s all Leonard, Sheldon and Howard from The Big Bang Theory. And yes, sometimes it is.

But not always.

Science Fiction is a brainy genre, at its best. It’s technical and full of wonderful ideas and speculation about what could be someday. Arthur C. Clarke wrote about satellites before there were satellites. Asimov came up with the three laws of robotics – an idea that is likely to be part of artificial intelligence as it develops.

Tachyon emissions, anyone? One of my favorite examples of a bit of fiction that is misused. (There is no such thing as tachyon emissions. So, yes, there are idiot examples that somehow end up in the real world.)

There were a few programs on last year about the science of Star Trek. The science of Star Wars…and how much of it was real or how it had pushed scientists to work on innovation based on these bits of science fiction.

So, why not some hot science fiction? Kirk got the babes. Mr. Spock got his fair share. So did McCoy. I’ve taken it a bit further in my two new shorts from Decadent Publishing. Humans on alien worlds, dealing with aliens, dealing with how aliens influence them… Fun stuff.

In The Ship’s Mistress, my main character is Jahari, a woman born on a human colony of Jamba. It is part of a large confederation whose only means of staying in touch with other human colonies is through the auspices of an alien race, the Etwa. The human colonies spent centuries alienated from each other and so developed into separate societies, all reverted to a more primitive society. Technology is remembered, but doesn’t function or exist.

Jahari’s world is patriarchal, viewing woman as next to worthless. Unless they are beautiful. Her little sister is beautiful and in order to save her sister from a life of exploitation, Jahari turns herself over to the alien race in trade for her sister’s safety. Her adventures begin seven years later, when she is plying her trade on a new world. What is her trade? She is a fully trained and extremely valuable Etwan High Slut, a trade she is suited for, enjoys and takes great pride in.

The second novella is The Sister’s Story/ Sari’s Search. Little sister has grown up and wants to know about her past, where she came from, who the girl is she barely remembers. Her search takes her to Jahari’s world but before then, she faces frightening adventures, along with passionate episodes with the two young men helping her.

I was raised with the gods of science fiction holding a place of honor. Of course I grew up and found myself wanting to include it in my writing.

You can find me at www.maureenobetita.com
www.romancewritersrevenge.com
http://believinginsecondchances.typepad.com/2nd-chances/

 Buy Link for all of Maureen's Books Here

What about you, do you think SciFi is hot? What's your favorite SciFi book or movie and why? Comment below for a chance to win the ebook of The Ship's Mistress!

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!

The Kraken's Mirror Winner!

The winner of a copy of The Kraken's Mirror from Mauren Betita is...

Pam S (pams00)

Congrats! As soon as The Kraken's Mirror releases, I'll get a copy out to you at the email you provided.

Happy Reading and huge thanks to Maureen for stopping by and all the lovely things she said. :)

Welcome Special Guest Author Mareen O. Betita & Win The Kraken's Mirror!

A Beta Reader You Can Trust


Hi, I’m Maureen O. Betita and I’m taking over Cheeky Reads today, by invitation, don’t worry! I’m a new author, with my first release upcoming from Decadent Publishing.

It’s called The Kraken’s Mirror, a captivating romantic adventure featuring pirates, a kraken playing cupid, ipods and a curse of good luck. With a bit of time travel tossed in for fun. Along with waltzing vampires, a swamp full of zombies and a pack of werewolves running in the forest. Yes, Tortuga will never be thought of the same!

Bwah ha ha!

When I dreamed up this menagerie of a story and saw it develop into more than just a lark I knew I needed a beta reader with some experience to help me see past the love affaire I’d fallen into.

Yes, I love this story. I still do, especially after the beta experience. In fact, my beta reader proved invaluable at pointing out some real holes in my narrative. She drew my attention to areas where I lacked descriptive detail, for one thing. Like many new authors, I was caught up with knowing my world so well I just sort of…well…skipped describing it. With her help I brought the pirate festival to life, adding color, pulling up vivid memories and inserting them for the reader.

Thanks, Sabrina!

Another thing she spotted had to do with how my heroine reacted when a betrayal was revealed. Emily needed more connection to what led to it, more connection to why she might feel betrayed. And why she might feel the moments of insecurity the way I painted them.

This was harder to do, had to back up quite a bit…but I saw the hole because she pointed it out to me. Gently. Because she’s Sabrina and she knows how to work with sensitivity.

There were several other bits and pieces Sabrina helped me with and I look forward to her eventually reading the finished product, reviewing it here on CheekyReads and giving me how every many kisses she deems it worthy of. I trust Sabrina, my beta reader.

She made the book better. And no, I’m not just playing kissy-kissy. I hope you will enjoy The Kraken’s Mirror when it comes out and remember to thank Sabrina…she helped a lot!

A Sneak Peek At The Kraken's Mirror:

Treated by our youth oriented society as invisible and sexless Emily Pawes attends a pirate festival to recapture the make believe magic she knew as a younger woman. She wins an interesting bit of booty at an old woman's bric-a-brac stand. The Kraken's mirror is a magical portal and transports her to a land of Hollywood piratitude, where swashbuckling heroes own iPods. With little choice, she embraces the madness, deciding she’ll play pirate until she figures out how to get home. Or wakes up in a padded cell.

Instead of men in little white coats, she encounters the handsome Captain Alan Silvestri. He 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 call family. Resigned to die shunned by all, forced to sail every three days, he begins to dream of a special woman.

When they meet, sparks fly, passion flares. He needs her to be free, but more than that, he needs her to be whole. They set sail, uncertain of who has control of the wheel, seeking to defeat his curse of good luck and discover all the Kraken’s mirror plans for them.

Learn more about Maureen and The Kraken's Mirror at the following locations online:
http://www.maureenobetita.com/
http://believinginsecondchances.typepad.com/
www.twitter.com/maureenobetita

A Special Note From Cheeky Sabrina:
Ok, seriously folks I did not pay her to say all those awesome things. Really I didn't. Maybe I blackmailed her a little, but no money actually exchanged hands. :) I had no idea that she'd write about my being her beta. Thank you so much for the lovely post Maureen. It means so much to me that you think I helped even a little. And isn't that an awesome cover!


Maureen is both an amazing woman, a true friend and a wonderful writer. I was surprised and honored when she asked me to be a beta reader for her and hope that some of my comments really did help. The Kraken's Mirror is a really fun and original story chock full of pirates. I said PIRATES people! And not just of the male persuasion. There is a whole crew of kick-ass awesome lady pirates as well and I had a blast reading about them.

To help spread my love of Maureen and her debut release The Kraken's Mirror, I'm hosting a giveaway! When the Kraken's Mirror releases, I'll personally purchase a copy and send to a lucky Cheeky Reads reader. All you have to do is leave a comment with your best made-up pirate name! Be creative - make it something fun, or even give yourself a Cheeky pirate moniker.

Contest is Open to all users including Internationally. I'll announce a winner on Monday. Please feel free to share this contest on your blog, Facebook or tweet about it!