RT Booklovers Convention: Writer's Workshop

Morning Session Surprise: The group had a surprise visit from a Mr. Romance competitor. The ladies managed to control themselves, but couldn't help making him blush with a few catcalls!

Allison Chase and Nancy Cohen are speaking about plotting out your book. I can't believe I'm getting advice from Nancy Cohen! Her tips on organization and her plotting tools are fabulous and I can see how it will help me immensely.

Allison and Nancy gave away copies of their books. Three lovely future New York Times Bestsellers were the happy winners!

RT Booklovers Convention: Day 1 Aspiring Writer's Program

Day one of the Aspiring Writer's Program portion of the RT Booklover's convention rocked! I'm taking the beginner's class, and Not only is Judi McCoy an awesome writer, she is one hilarious lady! She cracked me up all day long.

The hotel has some serious issues with wifi access I won't even go into, so I'm hoping to start posting some photos tomorrow.

All I can say is I'm hooked on RT and having the time of my life. I'll try to give a run down tomorrow of some of the fabulous authors that have come in to do some teaching workshops...Linnea Sinclair is a hoot!

More coming soon!

FREE - That's Right, I used the F-Word - FREE eBooks from Samhain!

Samhain is doing one awesome series of Spring Fling events! Check out all the details below...and don't forget I used the F-Word! FREE eBooks!

Contests - There are seven contests, each beginning at 12:01 EST from the 19th through the 26th. Each contest will be released on the Samhellion Blog and the post will contain a link to the current contest.

Chats - Samhain authors will be chatting on the Samhain Cafe chat loop on Wednesday 4/22 through 4/26.

FREE eBooks - A Free eBook each day this week! They will be announced on the Samhellion Blog every day. Check out these two freebies: Wild Thing by Shelley Munroe and April's Crush by Meg Allison. Happy E-Reading!

Romantic Times Booklovers Convention

OK, I'm so excited I can't see straight!

I'm attending my very first Romantic Times Booklovers Convention next week and the excitement is too much - I can't even sleep at night I keep wanting to wake up and be another day closer!

Believe it or not, I'll be attending the Aspiring Authors workshops before the main conference - I've finally decided to make my dream a reality. Then, it will be all about meeting some romance authors! The list is amazing and I just hope I can control my urge to squeal with delight.

Next week, look for daily posts with all the great details, pics with your favorite authors and maybe even some photos of the Mr. Romance competitors!

You can get all the details about the conference here.

Check out this awesome video for some fun highlights from 2008!


RT Convention 2008 Wrap Up from Romantic Times BOOKreviews on Vimeo.

AUDIO LOVIN: Review of Remember Me by Sophie Kinsella

Remember Me
By Sophie Kinsella
Read By Charlotte Parry
Random House Audio
2 Heart Review

I enjoy Sophie Kinsella’s books, and for a bit I had to have every one. Somewhere, probably before Shopaholic & Baby, I lost interest or found someone new and forgot about Ms. Kinsella. So, when I saw the audiobook for Remember Me and saw her name on the cover I thought why not?

When twenty-eight-year-old Lexi Smart wakes up in a London hospital, she’s in for a big surprise. Her teeth are perfect. Her body is toned. Her handbag is Vuitton. Having survived a car accident—in a Mercedes no less—Lexi has lost a big chunk of her memory, three years to be exact, and she’s about to find out just how much things have changed.

Somehow Lexi went from a twenty-five-year-old working girl to a corporate big shot with a sleek new loft, a personal assistant, a carb-free diet, and a set of glamorous new friends. And who is this gorgeous husband—who also happens to be a multimillionaire? With her mind still stuck three years in reverse, Lexi greets this brave new world determined to be the person she…well, seems to be. That is, until an adorably disheveled architect drops the biggest bombshell of all.

Suddenly Lexi is scrambling to catch her balance. Her new life, it turns out, comes complete with secrets, schemes, and intrigue. How on earth did all this happen? Will she ever remember? And what will happen when she does?

For the most part, I enjoyed this audiobook and its quirky tone. As much as the amnesia storyline might seem hokey or generic, Kinsella actually creates a story that leaves you guessing and offers up some new ideas on the subject. Lexi is a likeable character that I wanted to root for, but she quickly begins to irritate me. For some reason, I want her to use her common sense and open her eyes instead of blindly trusting everyone. I want to like her, I really do!

Charlotte’s reading of the book is good, it’s just unfortunate that some of the lines she is forced to read made me want to chuck the CD out the window! I couldn’t get passed her grating out “STOP IT” every other line. I kept wondering why Ms. Kinsella couldn’t have found an alternative phrase every now and again.

This is a cute story that doesn’t end the way you might expect it to. If you need something fun to pass the time this is a good choice. If you are looking for a really great audiobook, this wouldn’t be my first recommendation. I wanted a heroine with more gumption and sass and less blind obedience. I think the audio version of the book might point out the shortcomings in the phrases and Lexi’s characterization more than what might have been evident in the printed book.

Romance Junkies Chat Tonight!

RomanceJunkies Rocks! I love their website, blog, and their yahoo group and highly recommend romance lovers (well - JUNKIES!) check them out!

One of their coolest features is that they offer online chats with authors on a regular basis. Tonight is the monthly chat with the Midnight Seduction Authors.

Here are the details:

MIDNIGHT SEDUCTION Author Chat 9-10 PM EST
Date: Tuesday April 14, 2009
Time: 9:00 pm - 10:00 pm
Location: http://www.romancejunkies.com/chat.html

Come and chat each month with the authors from Midnight Seductions. You will meet with different authors every month to learn about their latest releases!

Rock on RomanceJunkies and thanks for feeding our romance addiction!

National Library Worker Day

Thank you!
Thank you to all of the Library workers who dedicate themselves to literacy and the idea of a free exchange of knowledge and information.

Please stop by your local library today and show your appreciation with a word of thanks - or in my case, cupcakes! If you can't make it to the library, send them an e-card!

Technical Glitch My Petunia! Shame on Amazon!

Amazon Rank

Amazon has been stripping books of their important sales figures and deranking them from it's listings and of course they are targeting GLBT books - sometimes even wiping out entire listings from some publishing houses. They are censoring what is being made available to the public and that's ridiculous!

For instance, you can type in an authors name - which, if you do that then you really are looking for books by that author DUH! - then you will not get any of that author's books that might include same sex partners. BUT - you can still get all kinds of erotica as long as it's male/female.

Oh- and of course you can get your dogfighting book needs there too. And all the information you ever needed about machine guns. Cause those have never harmed anyone and we don't mind kids seeing those. Such bullshit!

Both Smart Bitches and Dear Author are following this very closely - I suggest checking out their posts that follow all the details. They also include information on contacting Amazon and putting a stop to this!

Click here to learn about the Google Bomb Campaign from Smart Bitches.

Check out how to contact Amazon with a complaint and see a letter here at Dear Author.

I was previously part of the Amazon Associates program, but no more. I have pulled all the amazon ads from my site and will be changing all the links that go to their site. Never again will I purchase something from Amazon and the Sony Reader just clinched the competition for my hard earned dollars!

Hug Your Librarian: It's National Library Week!!!

I adore my local library so I'm always excited for National Library Week when I can shout out my love and extol the benefits of visiting your local library!

At least once a week you'll find me in the racks at my local branch. There, I can discover a new author, try a new genre before actually spending the bucks to buy something I might not like, check out some really cool documentaries (OK - and every version of Pride and Prejudice ever put on film!), rediscover older books and books that might be from before my romance reading years, and so much more!

Events scheduled for this week include:

Monday, April 13 - "The State of America's Libraries" report will be released. Visit the Public Information Office Web site for more information.

Tuesday, April 14 - Celebrate ALA-APA's National Library Workers Day

Wednesday, April 15- ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom will release the “Top 10 Most Challenged Books of 2008” list. Visit the Banned Books Week Web site.

Thursday, April 16 - Celebrate YALSA's Support Teen Literature Day

Libraries are super cool and totally great for when your pocket book can use a break! Visit your local library and thank them for offering such a great service!

Death Proof: True Love Conquers All!!!!

The New York Times recently published an article about how even with the economy in the crapper and sales of books being down or flat for most booksellers, that romance title sales are on the rise.

It just goes to show - Romance Book Lovers know their priorities!

Actually, the article hits some great points about escapism in hard times and how that creates a tendency to look for romance and comedy choices in books and movies. I totally agree that paranormals will continue to grow as they take us to a whole other world and away from any semblance of the world where all our problems are coming down around us.

I highly recommend checking it out. I love the image of the manly hand grabbing Lora Leigh's Wicked Pleasure (Bound Hearts) off the shelf!


There's even a quote from Jane Little at dearauthor.com and other romance industry folks.

Here's the link to the full article.

Stephanie Plum Fans Grab Your Video Cameras!

Love Janet Evanovich's series and want to share your crazed addiction for all things Plum with millions? Borders is asking fans to make short videos reenacting their favorite scenes or even write your own using the Plum characters.

Upload your kiss-ass video to YouTube to share with the world! Then you should send the link to Borders at evanovich@borders.com. If Borders likes your vid then they may share it before the release of "Finger Lickin' Fifteen." Your video could be included in their shortlist e-newsletter that goes out to over 31 million readers!

For inspiration, check out the cute video made by Borders employees who love them some Plum! Click here to laugh out loud and to get all the details!

Married By Mistake Winners!!!!

Drumroll please...

The winners of the drawing for a copy of Married By Mistake by Abby Gaines are:

2ndChance
JaneL
Natasha
Loves2Read

Ladies, just send an email to cheekyreads@gmail.com with your snail mail address so I can send you your prize!

I want to say a special thank you to Abby Gaines for stopping by to check out the contest and to comment on our site! How cool was that! You can learn more about Abby at her website http://abbygaines.com/ or sign up for her newsletter here.

Be sure to check out her latest releases Checkered Past and the Groom Came Back!

Win One of Four Copies of Married by Mistake by Abby Gaines

“TV bride gets dumped. Unexpected groom steps in. Film at eleven.”

Hey all you Bachelor / Bachelorette TV show fans! Need more reality TV match ups? Then this book is right up your alley! The story centers on a bride jilted at the alter on a live reality TV show and the millionaire hero who steps in to marry her. In light of how the most recent incarnation of the Bachelor ended, the timing is perfect to enjoy this Harlequin Super Romance and get your happily ever after fix!

The awesome team at Harlequin sent me four copies of Married By Mistake to giveaway!

Just leave a comment about whether you would consider going on a reality TV show to find true love, and I'll pick four random comments to win a copy of Married By Mistake! Comment before April 8th for your chance to win!

Audio Lovin' Review: Plum Lucky By Janet Evanovich

Plum Lucky - Audio Book
By: Janet Evanovich
Read By: Lorelei King

As a between the numbers Stephanie Plum novel, Plum Lucky hits the perfect note of sassy, fun and fast paced. The narrator of Plum Lucky, Lorelei King, does an amazing job of setting the right tempo and hitting the lines in just the way you imagine them in your mind.

I enjoy the Stephanie Plum novels, but I don't wait with baited breath for their release. In fact, I've only read a few so I'm trying to go back and catch up with the story. When I’m in the mood for a spunky, light read, I know that the Plum novels will usually do the trick.

For Plum Lucky, we get away from the romantic push and pull between Ranger and Joe. Since I haven't read the entire series, I can only guess how Janet keeps that from getting stale. This time, we get to see Stephanie mix it up with Diesel, whose personality is so easy going that you wish he was around more often.

The book isn't heavy on romance, since it's pretty clear that even if Stephanie has the hots for Diesel, she's not excited enough to act on anything. I would have enjoyed the book more with at least a little more sexual tension or a few sexual interchanges beyond just verbally.

The regular cast of characters makes an appearance, including Grandma Mazer, a leprechaun (yes! I said leprechaun) Lula and a rocket launcher. Together they make for some nice LOL moments. On the flip side, I'm always annoyed by Stephanie's mom – I can't even find her ironically funny. For my money, I would totally hire the mob to whack her!

The Audio Books is a good listen. Just be careful – you'll be smiling and laughing like a silly head – I was driving along with an idiot grin on my face and realized other drivers probably thought I was insane!

Nora Robert's High Noon on Lifetime

Are you ready for the next movie in the Lifetime Nora Robert's Collection?

High Noon starring Emilie de Ravin and Ivan Sergei premieres this Saturday at 9PM ET. Encores will air April 5th & 6th at 9PM, but after the premiere you'll be able to watch the whole movie online at their site! Oh, and did I mention Cybill Shepard is also in the movie! Love her - Moonlighting rocked!

From the Lifetime website:

In the Nora Roberts movie "High Noon," expert hostage negotiator Lieutenant Phoebe McNamara (Emilie de Ravin) juggles her high-pressure career with the demands of raising her young daughter and contending with her agoraphobic mother, Essie (Cybill Shepherd). When Phoebe meets handsome bar owner Duncan Swift (Ivan Sergei), he can’t resist her take-charge attitude and attempts to earn her affections. Though she tries to resist his charms, Phoebe soon realizes no amount of negotiation will keep Duncan at arm’s length. When Phoebe is assaulted by an unknown assailant in her precinct, she can’t help but be deeply shaken. She later receives a series of mysterious and threatening messages, and soon discovers she is the target of a psychopathic killer out to destroy her personally and professionally.

Check out the trailer below...Isn't Emilie de Ravin strikingly beautiful?!

Borders New True Romance Feature

Borders recently launched its newest feature True Romance with Sue Grimshaw. It's an online video featuring an interview with a romance author talking about her newest release. Sue is Borders romance book buyer, and she interview the authors in each segment.

The first interview featured Lisa Jackson speaking about her newest release Malice, and the latest is with Lisa Kleypas and her book Smooth Talking Stranger. I've heard great things about Lisa and her newest book, so I was happy to get the chance to watch the interview. One more book to add to my TBR pile!

Click here to check out the interview with Lisa Kleypas and find out more about Borders True Romance.

Harlequin Does Some Spring Cleaning - Equals Big Savings for Us!

Harlequin is promoting its Spring Cleaning Sale with selected titles up to 76% off!

Cheeky Girl Sabrina checked it out, and there are some great titles available at drastically reduced prices! In fact, you can search by just how good the reductions are - scroll to the bottom of the page for the best deals available. There are many titles under $1.50 - for brand new books. Gotta love those prices!

Hurry, these great deals won't last long!

Ends Apr. 30: Save Up To 76% On Featured Books

Harlequin More Than Words Award & Anthology

Harlequin recently announced the release of its fifth More Than Words edition, featuring bestselling authors Heather Graham, Candace Camp, Stephanie Bond, Brenda Jackson and Tara Taylor Quinn.

The More Than Words anthologies is a collection of short stories inspired by real-life women who make a difference everyday through charity work. Those charities are awarded 10,000 to continue their good work. Each year the proceeds from the sale of the anthologies is reinvested into the More Than Words program.

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"Harlequin is a longtime supporter of women's causes and we are proud to continue this tradition through the Harlequin More Than Words program," says Donna Hayes, Publisher and CEO, Harlequin Enterprises. "Established in 2004 as our main philanthropic initiative, the More Than Words program remains dedicated to celebrating and rewarding women who make extraordinary contributions to their community."

Information on donations or volunteering time with the organizations highlighted in this year's program is available at http://www.harlequinmorethanwords.com/.

Details on when and where you can purchase the More Than Words anthology will follow.

For the Love of Audio

Cheeky Girl Loves Audio Books!

I admit I devour books like candy, but never thought I would enjoy having someone else – anyone other than the voices in my head that is – bring the characters to life for me. With an hour or so car commute each way to work, I decided to give audio books a try and I discovered a prefect way to pass the time and get some "quality" time in with my feisty girlfriends and those hot leading men!

I was very lucky that the very first audio book I tried was excellent – The Good, The Bad, and The Undead by Kim Harrison- which introduced me to the amazing Hollows world and I highly recommend the series both in audio and printed versions! I've since learned that audio books can be hit or miss – the success or failure hinging on the person reading and how well they handle the various characters.

You can usually tell within the first few tracks if the voice will connect with you or if you feel it paints the perfect world for you. My experience has been that most of the audio books are very well done. There have been only a few that were so bad I had to stop listening before I got through the first disc. I remember one distinct book that I really struggled to keep listening, since the first few tracks were just annoying! For some reason I hung in there and was rewarded with a light-hearted romp through France and a new series to follow!

Some great perks with Audio Books:

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• Car Commuting - Put your time behind the wheel to good use!
• Great for putting on your iPod while you clean the house
• You can download Audio Books just like eBooks - Look for upcoming posts on the various different Audio Book retailers
• Great for travel when you don't want to carry paper books or have light to read by (I hate when they turn off all the lights on the plane and then my seatmate wants to sleep!)
• When you want the excitement of having a book read to you like when you were 5 (only obviously now your book selections have changed) :)
• Your local library already has a selection of Audio Books waiting to be discovered
• Too many more to list!

Cheeky Reads will have a regular Audio Book feature where we'll review and discuss both upcoming and older titles. I hope you'll be enticed to try Audio Books for yourself, and if you already sing the praises of audio, then you'll find some great new books to listen to!

If you have any suggestions for audio books you would like to see reviewed, just leave me a comment below! If you're an author with an audio book - speak up and sing its praises!

Fictionwise Weekend Sale

Sorry for the last minute notice, but I just got word that Fictionwise is having a weekend sale!

Here are all the details from Fictionwise:

To celebrate the release of eReader for BlackBerry, we want to encourage everyone to try eReader this week with a special sale (it doesn't matter if you own a BlackBerry - just try any eBook in eReader format and save).

-- Buy any Secure eReader eBook (using a credit card or PayPal) and you'll automatically receive 30% back as a Micropay Rebate!

-- Plus, all unencrypted MultiFormat eBooks are discounted 20% this week! We simply ask that after purchasing a MultiFormat eBook that you try it in eReader format (eReader is one of the thirteen formats we offer when you buy a MultiFormat eBook).

eReader eBooks now work on BlackBerry Handhelds, along with Apple iPhones plus other mobile devices using Palm, Windows Mobile Pocket PC and Smartphone and Symbian Operating Systems (as well as PCs and Mac). This sale only runs through Sunday, March 29th, so hurry!
http://www.fictionwise.com/home.html