Chat with Fantastic Author (and all-around super cool lady) Judi McCoy


One of my personal favorite authors, the lovely Mrs. Judi McCoy, is chatting it up at the Romance Writer's Revenge today. I have a review of her latest book, Hounding the Pavement that I'll be posting on Monday but you can have at her today over at the Revenge!

She's open to answering any questions about her books, the writing process and/or anything that strikes your fancy! Go check out her guest blog and ask her your best questions!


Audio Lovin': Review of Naughty Neighbor by Janet Evanovich




Naughty Neighbor
Written By Janet Evanovich
Read by C.J. Critt
Harper Audio
3 Heart Review

I had one major problem (and a few small ones, but more about those later) with this audio book – it was over much too soon! The story is on the shorter side, and I felt these characters had so much more to say and I wanted to get to know them more!

Here's the description from the audio case:


Louisa Brannigan's neighbor is a handsome hell-raiser – and he's driving Louisa crazy. He makes terrible coffee, steals her newspaper, and listens through her walls. But when she's fired from her government job, Louisa is persuaded to join his undercover investigation. Sneaking around in the shadows is more fun than she ever imagined, especially when the getaway car is a Porsche.

Pete Streeter never figured on finding such an attractive partner in crime. Louisa is all he ever wanted in a woman, and more. But once he's taught her to enjoy living on the edge, will she finally feel safe in his love?
This quirky little story really tickled me and I didn't expect that since my initial impression was that this might be a random audio miss. The voice of C.J. Critt immediately felt off to me. It seemed more mature and slightly gruffer than what the story seemed to call for. BUT, Critt is an excellent performer and her enthusiasm and comedic timing will eventually make you forget that her voice isn't exactly matching the heroine's personality. Kudos to Critt for making the characters come alive so well.

I found myself pleasantly surprised as the characters grew on me. Again, part of that was due to the enthusiasm of Critt, but mostly it was the appeal of the characters as Evanovich expertly unveils them. I was particularly drawn to Pete Streeter and his unpretentious attitude and easygoing banter with Louisa. Having the hero fall hard first makes for a nice change, and Pete really puts his heart out there early. Gotta love a man not afraid to commit!

Louisa was a little less developed, so I didn't feel nearly as drawn to her. Still likable, but she could have used more background or some deeper insight into why she valued her independence so much that she was almost willing to let Pete walk away. That felt a little forced to me and I didn't fully see it fitting into the personality that had been painted of her. Otherwise, she was delightful and so was the story.

All in all, this is a cute little audio book that showcases some great work by Critt and by Evanovich. If you are anything like me though, you'll want more substance to the story so you can hang out with Louisa and Pete for a little while longer.

Vote for Your Favorite Romance Covers of 2008


The ladies over at Cover CafĂ© are doing it again! It’s time to vote for the best and worst romance book covers of 2008! The nominees are amazing – Definitely eye candy!

Click here to go to the voting website. While you’re there, check out how you can nominate your favorite covers from this year for the contest in 2009!

I've provided one of my favorite covers from 2008 here for your viewing pleasure!

CHEEKY REVIEW: Vexing the Viscount by Emily Bryan



Vexing the Viscount
By Emily Bryan
Leisure Historical Romance
Dorchester Publishing
5 Heart Review

Sign me up for everything Emily Bryan ever writes! With this post, Cheeky Reads officially awards it's very first 5 Heart Review to Vexing the Viscount by the very talented Mrs. Emily Bryan!

Read the back cover copy:


As children they'd sparred with play swords. She's scarred his chin, and he broke her heart. Now, more than a decade later, the true battle was only beginning...

Daisy Drake needed Lucian Beaumont, Viscount Rutland. Tired of being labeled “on the shelf,” she craved adventure. And Lucian held all the clues to a long-buried Roman treasure. Surely, her desire to join his search had nothing to do with his dark curls and seductive Italian accent. Too bad Lucian wanted no help from her – until she donned the disguise of an infamous French courtesan and promised to teach him all she knew about the pleasures of the bedchamber. Of course, she only knew what had been written in naughty books. But Daisy had always been a quick learner. And night by naked night, they'd discover treasure neither expected to find.
From the very first page Mrs. Bryan grabbed my imagination and took it on a sassy, seductive ride. Daisy is everything I love in a historical heroine – smart, adventurous, quick-witted and most of all, she goes after what she wants!

Our hero Lucian will steal your heart with his underdog status, inexperience and endearing personality. His interactions with Daisy/Blanche will make you giggle out loud while you root for him to keep her on her toes.

This book started off with a perfect first meeting between the two and then never lets up. The pacing was excellent and the sparring between Daisy and Lucian is delightful. The story never dragged, and the ending left me with the perfect combination of feelings - amused, satisfied, light-hearted and happy.

I'll be purchasing Mrs. Bryan's entire backlist and will be the first in line for any new releases! Check out Emily's Blog, website and the supercool additional blog she writes at the Chantelaines.

Do you enjoy Historical Romances? You already know I love my heroines cheeky, but what about you? What kind of heroine do you love to read about?

Drum Roll Please...Winners of the RT Convention Contest

I'm glad everyone enjoyed the posts from the Romantic Times Convention! I learned a lot about what kind of photos I wish I had taken and next year I will definitely work in some video!
Now, for the fun part!

The winner of a $25 Borders Gift Card & Swag is: Penney

The winner of a collection of books and Swag from the RT Convention is: Pams00

Congrats ladies! Just send me your full name and snail mail address to cheekyreads @ gmail.com (without the spaces).

True Romance: Borders May Romance Picks from Sue Grimshaw

Check out this neat video on Borders True Romance. Sue Grimshaw walks you through a Borders store and talks to you about her picks for books to add to your TBR pile!

It's a neat way to learn about the newest releases and since I happen to love my local Borders I don't mind giving them some shameless pimping!

Enjoy, and I hope you find something new!

Winners of Rogue Contest

The winners of a free copy of Rogue by Cheryl Brooks are...

Booklover1335
Natasha
JCP
Heather D
Judy
Melissa

I really appreciated everyone's input on how I can work to make the blog even more appealing, so I decided I would send everyone a copy of Cheryl's book! Thank you again and I hope you enjoy the read. :)

Send me an email with your full name and snail mail address to cheekyreads @ gmail.com (without the spaces) and I'll get your book in the mail to you next week.

Congrats!

I Want It Wednesday: Win a Copy of Rogue by Cheryl Brooks

Today I'm giving away two copies of Rogue by Cheryl Brooks! Rouge is the third book in Cheryl's Car Star Chronicles and is a super steamy paranormal romance! Check out the description of the book:

He crawled toward me on his hands and knees like a tiger stalking his prey.

No woman has ever tamed him before...
Enslaved for years, Tychar belongs to the Queen of Darconia. His feline gene gives him remarkable sexual powers and every female on the planet is in love with him. Then, the Queen gives him to Kyra...

Does she even stand a chance?
Or will she be just another one of his conquests? Why would he choose the modest piano teacher? Yet the two are drawn to each other with a powerful, magnetic attraction unlike any he's felt before... Then the palace is attacked in a coup, and Tychar has to choose between freedom and love...

All you have to do to enter is leave a comment letting me know what you would like to see more of on this blog or if there is something I don't normally include that you'd like to see added! Feel free to give me any input so I can make this blog better for everyone!

I'll pick two random winners on Friday the 15th. Good Luck!

Win a HUGE Boatload of Books from Sourebooks Casablanca at AAR!!!!

All About Romance is having a fantastic contest where you can win some fantastic reads from Sourcebooks Casablanca authors. All you have to do is check out the site and leave a comment about your favorite small press!

Get over there and win some books!

http://www.likesbooks.com/blog/?p=1657

Audio Lovin': Review of 16 Lighthouse Road By Debbie Macomber

16 Lighthouse Road

16 Lighthouse Road Audio Book
By Debbie Macomber
Ready by: Sandra Burr
Brilliance Audio

I will admit I'm a latecomer to Debbie Macomber and her Cedar Cove stories. I was lucky enough to pick one up to read on our community loaner library shelf, and I discovered a writer with a sweetly sentimental contemporary voice. When I'm in the mood for a straightforward romance with warm feelings of home, I now reach for one of Debbie's books.

16 Lighthouse Road is my first foray into the lives of Judge Olivia, her mother Charlotte, and her selection of friends and family. I was very happy with the audio recording and the voice work done by Sandra Burr and the story was everything you should expect from Debbie.

The character Olivia is very interesting and as the story goes on you want to see more and more into her past and her future. I really connected with Olivia and was rooting for her relationship with local newspaper editor Jack to take off. Olivia's mother Charlotte adds just the right mix of humor to lighten the mood when the darker parts of the story threaten to take over.

The story of Cecilia and Ian Randall was both satisfying and slightly annoying to me. At times I felt so sorry for them, and at other, I wanted to yell at them just to sit down and talk and they might be able to work things out. I thought their romance was naively sweet and their hardships make their miscommunication understandable. Even so, I just wanted them to listen to each other!

The side story of Grace and her husband was surprising and that's why I loved it. Today i'll check out Debbie's Website to see if Grace has her own story since her story as the most compelling to me. I really want to know what happens to her and her husband.

Fans of Debbie and sweet contemporaries, will love 16 Lighthouse Road. With great characters, a very personal and memorable setting and great writing, this book will satisfy your need for a charming romance.

Brenda Novak's Auction for Diabetes Research

May 1st saw the launch of the 5th Annual Brenda Novak Online Auction for Diabetes Research and I'm so happy to promote this event. The goal this year is to raise $300,000 and as of yesterday, the auction proceeds were up to 92,500 after just 5 days! GREAT JOB!

There are so many awesome items at the auction for every price range and new stuff is getting added every day!

On a personal note, I lost my mother a little over a year ago. She battled diabetes for over 20 years and it played a major role in her passing away. I ask that if you are touched my diabetes in your life, that you check out this awesome auction and bid!

The money raised this year will go to the Diabetes Research Institute at the University of Miami. By bidding you will not only win some exciting and unique items and/or opportunities, you'll be supporting a very worthy research-based organization. To find out more about the Diabetes Research Institute, visit their website at www.DiabetesResearch.org.

RT Convention: More Fun Photos

I'm finally feeling more into the swing of things, so I wanted to post a few more photos from the RT Convention. Everyone was fantastic and I made some amazing new friends. I would definitely recommend RT to any aspiring author and for readers who love romance!

Check out some more fun shots from RT below and don't forget every comment enters you to win a $25 gift card or load of goodies!



I've already blogged about how inspirational Heather Graham was when she stopped by our aspiring authors workshop, but you have to know that she is a very friendly and talented lady! Not only did she sing and perform at multiple events - including her fantastic Vampire Ball - but she was always gracious and took time to speak with many fans and writers. It was such a pleasure to meet her. Check out Heather's Website here.



I cannot tell you how much I love Judi McCoy! I won't go on and on, but not only is she a great teacher, but she's also a very special woman who gives so much of herself! Please check out Judi's latest release, Hounding the Pavement and buy a copy - all the proceeds from the book go to the Best Friends Animal Society. Get all the details about Judi's new Dogwalker Mysteries at www.judimccoy.com

Next to Judi in the photo is romance author Amanda McIntyre. I know I keep saying this, but Amanda was so nice and willing to talk to fans and authors! We had a lovely conversation about traveling and I just had to buy her book The Diary of Cozette! The cover is gorgeous! Check it out at www.amandamacintyre.net



Traci Hall was one of the super awesome ladies I befriended at the conference. Such a sweet heart, Traci writes both a young adult series and adult romances. Check out her website at www.tracihall.com



I also met Karen Kendall who currently writes a fantastic romantic suspense series called ARTemis. If you like your romance suspenseful with a bit of glamour and danger, then check out Karen's website at www.karenkendall.com



I want to say a very special thank you to author Susan Yarina for being so wonderful to me during the conference. Her input on my work in progress was beyond helpful and she is a delight. Check out Susan's website at www.susanyarina.com

I met so many more remarkable authors and ladies at the event that I can't list them all! I'm hoping to have them stop by Cheeky Reads soon and talk about their latest releases and what else they are up to.

Don't forget to leave your comments to enter to win some fantastic prizes! Every comment is an entry!

RT Convention: Ahoy! Meet Jane & Maureen

Before the conference even started, the aspiring writers workshop group started a yahoo group to get to know each other before actually attending the event.
Two lovely ladies who took the workshop with Judi McCoy last year joined the chat to help prepare us. I was lucky enough to spend some time with them throughout the conference and they are fantastic!

Check out the ladies in full smile at the Saturday Book Fair in the photo above.
Maureen blogs as 2nd Chance at the Romance Writer's Revenge. It's a cool site and they are featuring a hilarious Q&A with none other than Angie Fox - who recieved a 4 heart review here at Cheeky Reads for The Dangerous Book for Demon Slayers. Check it out - you'll laugh your ass off!

I just want to say thank you to Jane and Maureen for all their great advice!

CHEEKY REVIEW:The Dangerous Book for Demon Slayers




Dangerously Demonish...Magically Sexy...Fantastic Fun!


The Dangerous Book For Demon Slayers
By Angie Fox
Love Spell Paranormal Romance
4 Heart Review

Confession: I love paranormal romance – the kick ass heroine who saves the day while being smart and sassy is totally part of why I started Cheeky Reads. In my mind's eye, I picture myself as the girl who can always give the sassy comeback to any quip. In real life? Well, let's just say I try really hard, but my sassy girl tendencies run more to the quirky and comedic.

Which might be why I can't resist paranormal romances that make me laugh out loud. Give me MaryJanice Davidson, Kim Harrison, Judi McCoy, Katie MacAlister and a whole slew of others to read and I'll disappear for days. Not to say I don't crave the darker side of paranormals – I have my own love fest with those as well, but that's for another post.

Angie Fox's newest, The Dangerous Book For Demon Slayers sounded like perfection. Reluctant but spunky heroine just learning her powers? Check. Awesome talking animal sidekick? Check. A supporting cast of characters that provide laughs at all the right places? Check. A brooding paranormal love interest that lets the heroine fulfill her ass-kicking destiny? Triple Check.

Angie Fox brews the prefect spell of a wickedly sexy romance, hilarious high jinks, and the sense of mystery and danger that comes from protecting a paranormal world. So good I read it in one sitting, Angie Fox's Demon Slayer Series is now on my permanent gotta have it list!

Even if you've never tried a paranormal before, don’t miss The Dangerous Book for Demon Slayers!

Check out Angie's website where you can learn your Biker Witch name and find out if you're part Demon Slayer. Check mine out in the top left corner - I'm 65% Demon Slayer!

RT Convention: Recovery!


So I had a fantastic week at the Romantic Times Booklovers Conference and now I'm crashing!

Watch out for more photos and fun news in the next few days as I unpack all my goodies and get all the images off my camera.

For your viewing pleasure, here is Mr. Romance competitor Stefan as he signs photos for all the lovely ladies. Check out Stefan Pinto's website here.

Advertising on Cheeky Reads


Advertisments on Cheeky Reads help us to keep spreading the romance genre love around with contests and giveaways! Your Ads will help Cheeky Reads pay for purchasing and shipping books - we hope internationally - so we can make sure the love reaches far and wide!

Currently, we offer a standard size 200x300 vertical ad for our sidebars. See the image above for an example of the size.

Here are the details:

Each 200x300 ad is $10 a month. It's $15 a month if you want the ad space in the Top Right-hand sidebar.

Ads run for one month - that's guranteed!

You can submit html/javascript or an image with the URL you want it to link to. We can accept jpegs and gifs for the images.

Ads do not constitute an endorsement by Cheeky Reads.

Cheeky Reads reserves the right to refuse any artwork or ad subjects that are found to be offensive.

Payment is via Paypal.

To discuss your ad or for any questions, please contact Sabrina at cheekyreads@gmail.com.




RT Convention: eBook Expo


Part of this year's conference was a special feature on eBooks and ePublishers and the event was packed!

Again, tons of giveaways and door prizes. Love that!

What was even better was seeing authors with eBooks and small press books doing signings and finding new readers. There are some fabulous writers out there in eBooks and it was great to see them get their time in a special spotlight.

One fantastic author I've met this year is Lyn Armstrong. She's beyond nice and I can't wait to read the book I bought from her! She writes about Celtic witches and I can tell just from meeting her I'm gonna love them.

Check out Cheeky Author Lyn Armstrong in the book signing photo I took of her. I'll be having Lyn on the blog a little later and give you more details about her and her books. In the meantime, check out her cool website www.lynarmstrong.com.

RT Convention: Gotta Love Free Swag!


One of the coolest things about RT so far is all the swag! FREE stuff is everywhere. From your conference bag stacked with hot new titles, to giveaways at the workshop panels, and party bags full of books, I'm going to come away from the conference with loads of loot!

Promotion lane is where authors and publishers pimp out their books and upcoming titles with all kinds of freebies. There are bookmarks, candy, postcards, excerpts, pens and any other number of items to take home.

I'll be sharing some of these awesome freebies with readers after the conference. You know you want some!

REVIEW: The Dangerous Book for Demon Slayers By Angie Fox




Dangerously Demonish...Magically Sexy...Fantastic Fun!


The Dangerous Book For Demon Slayers
By Angie Fox
Love Spell Paranormal Romance
4 Heart Review

Confession: I love paranormal romance – the kick ass heroine who saves the day while being smart and sassy is totally part of why I started Cheeky Reads. In my mind's eye, I picture myself as the girl who can always give the sassy comeback to any quip. In real life? Well, let's just say I try really hard, but my sassy girl tendencies run more to the quirky and comedic.

Which might be why I can't resist paranormal romances that make me laugh out loud. Give me MaryJanice Davidson, Kim Harrison, Judi McCoy, Katie MacAlister and a whole slew of others to read and I'll disappear for days. Not to say I don't crave the darker side of paranormals – I have my own love fest with those as well, but that's for another post.

Angie Fox's newest, The Dangerous Book For Demon Slayers sounded like perfection. Reluctant but spunky heroine just learning her powers? Check. Awesome talking animal sidekick? Check. A supporting cast of characters that provide laughs at all the right places? Check. A brooding paranormal love interest that lets the heroine fulfill her ass-kicking destiny? Triple Check.

Angie Fox brews the prefect spell of a wickedly sexy romance, hilarious high jinks, and the sense of mystery and danger that comes from protecting a paranormal world. So good I read it in one sitting, Angie Fox's Demon Slayer Series is now on my permanent gotta have it list!


Even if you've never tried a paranormal before, don’t miss The Dangerous Book for Demon Slayers!


Check out Angie's website where you can learn your Biker Witch name and find out if you're part Demon Slayer. Check it out in the top left corner - I'm 65% Demon Slayer!

RT Convention: Surprise Special Guest!

1:30 and surprise guest HEATHER GRAHAM drops into our writers workshop to give us her words of wisdom! What a fantastic surprise - she was humble, real and so willing to offer her advice.

Flashbulbs were going off all over the room!