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.

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!

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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!!!!

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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

Monday Morning Cuteness

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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.

Monday Morning Cuteness!

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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!

Monday Morning Cuteness!

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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!

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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!