see more Lolcats and funny pictures
Sharing Some Info on the Book Bloggers & Authors Online Conference
Here are the details from Terry Kate from Romance in the Backseat:
Authors and Bloggers are both working together online to reach out to readers and spread the word about the books we read and love. We all face challenges with online promotion that can be alleviated by working together. By streamlining the process of co-operative work between Authors and Bloggers we can move forward using social media and online outlets to expose more readers to more books.
*** How this Conference works. The Book Bloggers and Authors Conference is an online event. It will be posted on a private Ning. The panels are live audio using blog talk radio. This allows for the interactive flow of conversation as well as allows for callers to ask questions. While each Panel goes on there is a set chat room allowing attendees to discuss the issue together as they listen. These recorded panels are available to listen to in archive during and after the conference.
We have the tentative schedule for the BBA Online Conference with the announcement of panelists to be added soon. Friday Night and all day Saturday August 6&7 radio panels and live discussions. All Times are EST
Tentative Schedule
FRIDAY 6th
6 - 7pm - EST Opening Event
7 - 7:30pm - Fix Your Facebook - Authors and bloggers, Facebook is important. It is an easy location to use for us to learn about each other. It allows you to use links, display info and get together with readers and other industry folk. Get yours set up the right way and get the biggest benefit from having a Facebook account.
7:30 - 8:30pm - The art of the Review - Hear how reviewers approach writing their reviews as well as authors weigh in on what they look for and appreciate.
8 - 9pm - Be a better guest blogger/how to guest blog - Learn what bloggers and readers are looking for. What is important to include when you guest blog. What is the blogger's part and what is the author's/guest's. How to bring more attention to your guest blogs.
9 - 10:30 - Should Authors Blog - A round table discussion on the benefits and downsides of authors having blogs and what other possibilities are open to them.
SATURDAY 7th
11am - 11:30 EST- Opening Panel
11:30-12:30 - Finding the Right Blogs - What makes a blog a good match for what you write? How do you find them? What can you do to work with them, how to get in contact, SEO and web search secrets.
12 - 1pm - Approaching Authors and Publishers - Bloggers, how do you approach authors and publishers? What makes your blog stand out to them. ARCs, Authors, Interviews, the important parts and proceedures.
1:30 - 3pm - Time Management - Promotion - This is a good thing for all of us in life. We are bringing in some pros to talk about time management and the benefits it can have on your promotion.
3:30 - 4:30pm - Live Events and Happenings - Important to bloggers AND authors -We need to reach out as authors and bloggers - so lets talk about how to go about it. Book signings, conferences, libraries, book stores and more. Where to go and how to go about it.
5 - 5:30 pm - Get your books Reviewed - Authors roll in getting reviewed and why that is important. Is it all on your pub? What is the proceedure and what falls to the reviewers. Discussing why it is important to get reviewed.
5:00 - 6:00pm - Bloggers Working Together - Co-operation - Blog hops, memes, networking, and reaching out to fellow bloggers. Panelists - Rebecca - Dirty Sexy Books
6:00 - 7:00pm - Blog Tours Pros and Cons - Are they good for bloggers? Do they benefit authors? Hear from bloggers, authors, and those who organize the tours.
7:00 - 8:00pm - What makes a Great Interview- Authors Weigh in on what they like to be asked and bloggers what makes the returned answers stand out. Panelists - Ilona Andrews http://www.ilona-andrews.com/ - Stacia Kane http://www.staciakane.com
9 - 10:30 - How can bloggers and authors do it better? Wrapping up the ideas covered during the conference and discussing the future of Blogger author relations.
Dark Oracle Winner!
It was so fun hosting author Alayna Williams and her post on Tarot Cards and how they helped her with her new release Dark Oracle. Big thanks again to Alayna!
As selected by random.org, the winner of a copy of Dark Oracle is:
As selected by random.org, the winner of a copy of Dark Oracle is:
Congrats to Busy Working Mama! Please email me your mailing address at cheekyreads @ gmail.com (no spaces) and I'll have Alayna send you the book. Happy Reading!
Book Review: Grace Under Pressure by Julie Hyzy
Book Review: Grace Under Pressure
By: Julie Hyzy
Berkely Prime Crime Mystery
4 Heart Review
Everyone wants a piece of millionaire Bennett Marshfield. owner of Marshfield Manor, and letters are coming in daily from those claiming to be poor relations. The elderly, reclusive heir trusts no one but his aged curator, Abe. But when Abe is killed in a case of mistaken identity, the tide changes...
Although shaken by the murder, Grace Wheaton, whose lifelong dream has been to work at the manor, steps up to the challenge of assuming Abe's job. But now some of the letters arriving for Bennett have taken a nasty turn, demanding millions - or else. When an uninvited stalker shows up at the manor and at Grace's home, she and handsome grounds-keeper Jack Embers must protect their dear old Marshfield. But to do this, they'll have to investigate a botched Ponzi scheme, some torrid Wheaton family secrets - and sour grapes out for revenge...
As much as I love my romances, I do have a soft spot for really good Cozy Mysteries. Now, when the two genres mix it up, I'm all over it. When I found out that Grace Under Pressure wasn't only a Cozy, but that it also contained a little romance, I really couldn't wait to read it.
The opening scene really pulled me in and was a great introduction to our main character Grace Wheaton and Marshfield Manor, the grand estate where she works as a curator. The scene was a perfect set-up for showing Grace's character and also a little slice of info on the estate.
Julie did a wonderful job tying what were seemingly random events together to create a tangled web of a mystery for Grace to solve. I loved how Julie expertly placed small nuggets of information that would pop up again as major clues and also the red herons she throws in along the way keep you guessing.
While there is just a hint of romance in this book, I found the growing relationship between Grace and Jack to be extremely interesting and I really want to read the next book to see how it develops. There is a hint of mystery surronding Jack and it not only intriques Grace, it does me too!
A well-written twist of a mystery, Grace Under Pressure was a satisfying cozy that already has me ready for the next in the series. Cozy fans will find much to love about this book and will appreciate some of the larger plot points that will come as a complete surprise.
By: Julie Hyzy
Berkely Prime Crime Mystery
4 Heart Review
Everyone wants a piece of millionaire Bennett Marshfield. owner of Marshfield Manor, and letters are coming in daily from those claiming to be poor relations. The elderly, reclusive heir trusts no one but his aged curator, Abe. But when Abe is killed in a case of mistaken identity, the tide changes...
Although shaken by the murder, Grace Wheaton, whose lifelong dream has been to work at the manor, steps up to the challenge of assuming Abe's job. But now some of the letters arriving for Bennett have taken a nasty turn, demanding millions - or else. When an uninvited stalker shows up at the manor and at Grace's home, she and handsome grounds-keeper Jack Embers must protect their dear old Marshfield. But to do this, they'll have to investigate a botched Ponzi scheme, some torrid Wheaton family secrets - and sour grapes out for revenge...
As much as I love my romances, I do have a soft spot for really good Cozy Mysteries. Now, when the two genres mix it up, I'm all over it. When I found out that Grace Under Pressure wasn't only a Cozy, but that it also contained a little romance, I really couldn't wait to read it.
The opening scene really pulled me in and was a great introduction to our main character Grace Wheaton and Marshfield Manor, the grand estate where she works as a curator. The scene was a perfect set-up for showing Grace's character and also a little slice of info on the estate.
Julie did a wonderful job tying what were seemingly random events together to create a tangled web of a mystery for Grace to solve. I loved how Julie expertly placed small nuggets of information that would pop up again as major clues and also the red herons she throws in along the way keep you guessing.
While there is just a hint of romance in this book, I found the growing relationship between Grace and Jack to be extremely interesting and I really want to read the next book to see how it develops. There is a hint of mystery surronding Jack and it not only intriques Grace, it does me too!
A well-written twist of a mystery, Grace Under Pressure was a satisfying cozy that already has me ready for the next in the series. Cozy fans will find much to love about this book and will appreciate some of the larger plot points that will come as a complete surprise.
Flirting With Forever by Gwyn Cready Winner!
The winner of Flirting with Forever by Gwyn Cready, as selected by Random.org is...
Comment # 1 - Carrie at In The Hammock Blog!
Congrats Carrie - email me your mailing address at cheekyreads @ gmail.com (no spaces) and I'll get the book out to you asap!
Welcome Guest Alayna Williams - Author of Dark Oracle! Enter to Win!
By Alayna Williams
For DARK ORACLE, I took a different approach to profiling my heroine, Tara. I didn't use any tried-and-true psychological or literary approaches. Instead, I did what Tara would.
I used Tarot cards.
Tara Sheridan swore off criminal profiling after narrowly escaping a serial killer who left her scarred for life. By combining Tarot card divination with her own intuition, find a missing scientist who has unlocked the destructive secrets of dark energy.
The card that came up most often in my random drawings to represent Tara was the Queen of Swords. The Queen of Swords depicts a woman staring pensively into a stormy sky. She’s lifting sword as if it’s quite sharp, and extends her hand as if she’s cut herself with it. The swords, in general, represent intellect. The Queen of swords traditionally represents sadness and mourning or a particularly clever woman. I always associated her with the Snow Queen from fairy tales – cold, isolated, withdrawn. The Queen of Swords became the significator for Tara - an image that focused the rest of my Tarot card readings. Throughout writing DARK ORACLE, whenever I was stuck or needed more information, I'd draw a random card from my Tarot card deck as a story prompt.
I wanted to learn more about the mental, physical, and spiritual challenges facing Tara. So I drew three cards to symbolize the metal, physical, and emotional challenges facing her in the story.
For Tara's mental challenge, I drew the eight of swords. It shows a woman blindfolded and surrounded by sharp swords. The traditional meaning of this card involves imprisonment, crisis and bad news. Tara survived an attack by a serial killer years ago, and the event has left her scarred and in self-imposed exile. Her mental challenge will be to break out of the cycle of the past and see the future.
For Tara's physical challenge, I drew the Tower. The Tower depicts lightning striking a tower and people falling to the ground. The Tower represents the case Tara has been asked to work on, an explosion of a particle accelerator. A scientist who's unlocked the secrets of dark energy has gone missing, and his disappearance could dangerously affect the balance of power in the world.
For Tara's spiritual challenge, I drew the Lovers. It shows a man and woman in an embrace. Tara falls for the federal agent, Harry Li, who's working the missing scientist case. And she falls hard. But she struggles with giving herself over to a relationship, with learning to trust again. When he discovers her unorthodox methods, will Harry be able to trust Tara?
Even Tara can't see that far into the future with her Tarot cards. She'll have to find out by experiencing these challenges, one by one.
Alayna Williams has an MA in sociology-criminology (research interests: fear of crime and victimology) and a BA in criminology. She has worked in and around criminal justice since 1997. Although she does read Tarot cards, she's never used them in criminal profiling or to locate lost scientists. She recently took up astronomy, but for the most part her primary role in studying constellations and dark matter is to follow her amateur astronomer-husband around central Ohio toting the telescope tripod and various lenses. More info is at http://www.alaynawilliams.com/
"Alayna" is also known as Laura Bickle, the author of Embers from Pocket Juno.
What about you - Have you ever tried Tarot Cards? Had your palm read or your future told? Did you read Embers from Alayna's alter ego Laura Bickle? What did you think? (I LOVED IT) Let us know and you'll be entered to win a copy of Dark Oracle from Alayna Williams!
Sorry, contest open to US and Canadian residents only.
Cool Event TONIGHT!
I wanted to share this message I got from Terry at Romance in the Backseat with everyone.
So, signings and live events with authors are pretty cool. Though they can however be hard to get to. So we have technology, why not use it? Tonight is the maiden voyage of the Romance in the Backseat Virtual Events. From here to hope is bigger and better and direct video book signings.
Tonight we are joined by two fabulous authors.
At 9pm EST - Alyxandra Harvey -Author of the Drake Chronicles - Hearts at Stake - Blood Feud
9:30pm EST - Meagan Hatfield - Author of Shadow of the Vampire
They will talk about their new releases, enter the chat room, and take live questions.
The ladies have also generously offered some pretty awesome giveaways - good from now till we announce the winners tonight at 10:30pm EST.
So come check it out and tell us who you might like to hear from.
http://www.romanceinthebackseat.com/signing.html
*** I recomend you get there 15 min early to sign in to the chat room and hear all the special instructions.
I will see you there.
Terry Kate
So, signings and live events with authors are pretty cool. Though they can however be hard to get to. So we have technology, why not use it? Tonight is the maiden voyage of the Romance in the Backseat Virtual Events. From here to hope is bigger and better and direct video book signings.
Tonight we are joined by two fabulous authors.
At 9pm EST - Alyxandra Harvey -Author of the Drake Chronicles - Hearts at Stake - Blood Feud
9:30pm EST - Meagan Hatfield - Author of Shadow of the Vampire
They will talk about their new releases, enter the chat room, and take live questions.
The ladies have also generously offered some pretty awesome giveaways - good from now till we announce the winners tonight at 10:30pm EST.
So come check it out and tell us who you might like to hear from.
http://www.romanceinthebackseat.com/signing.html
*** I recomend you get there 15 min early to sign in to the chat room and hear all the special instructions.
I will see you there.
Terry Kate
Book Review: Flirting with Forever by Gwyn Cready & Giveaway!
Book Review: Flirting with Forever
By Gwyn Cready
Pocket Books Romance
4 Heart Review
Art Historian Campbell Stratford is about to make a name for herself with her scandalously sexy tell-all “fictographies” of famous seventeenth-century artists, but she's more intimately familiar with her subjects than her eager readers can imagine. Thanks to a time portal she accidentally discovered, she has caused quite a stir in the Great Beyond. To save their reputations, the Guild protecting dead artists convinces playboy Peter Lely, portraitist to the king, to sabotage Cam's latest project. A few hours posing on Sir Peter's modeling chaise leads to a night of seductive passion – then Cam returns home and discovers his betrayal. But before she can turn her angry pen on her lover, Sir Peter makes a surprise visit to the future and transforms Cam's twenty-first-century life into chaos of classic porportions...
This was my first time reading Gwyn Cready and I really enjoyed her funny voice and interesting characters. She did an especially good job with the hero Peter Lely and I felt like we understood him much more than we did the heroine Cam.
For all of Cam's good points – and there were many – I questioned why she didn't realize her boyfriend was a scumbag or why she allowed her sister to constantly put herself in Cam's way. Somehow those two things didn't mess with the rest of Cam's personality and I wanted to scream at her about them. Cam still managed to win me over and again, had so many good points that those two “off” items didn't bother me that much.
As far fetched as this book sounds, it's such a fun ride that you will suspend your disbelief without any worries as to how the time travel happens. The set-up for the time portal and the Guild that watches over dead artists is original and feels fresh. Who cares about “can this really happen” when you've got a great hero to play with! I love books that allow me to escape the real world and this one did just that with humor and with a surprisingly emotional book.
Embedded in the story is a very emotional and moving look at a man who loved and lost and is willing to give everything up to love again. It's a moving love story with more meat to it than I expected. I will be checking out Gwyn's backlist to read her other time-travel romances since this one was a winner for me.
Have you read a Gwyn Cready book before? Do you like time travel romances? If so, which is your favorite or favorite time travel romance author? Tell me and you'll be entered to win a copy of Flirting with Forever by Gwyn Cready!
Winner annouced Wed. June 30th - Open to US and Canada residents only.
By Gwyn Cready
Pocket Books Romance
4 Heart Review
Art Historian Campbell Stratford is about to make a name for herself with her scandalously sexy tell-all “fictographies” of famous seventeenth-century artists, but she's more intimately familiar with her subjects than her eager readers can imagine. Thanks to a time portal she accidentally discovered, she has caused quite a stir in the Great Beyond. To save their reputations, the Guild protecting dead artists convinces playboy Peter Lely, portraitist to the king, to sabotage Cam's latest project. A few hours posing on Sir Peter's modeling chaise leads to a night of seductive passion – then Cam returns home and discovers his betrayal. But before she can turn her angry pen on her lover, Sir Peter makes a surprise visit to the future and transforms Cam's twenty-first-century life into chaos of classic porportions...
This was my first time reading Gwyn Cready and I really enjoyed her funny voice and interesting characters. She did an especially good job with the hero Peter Lely and I felt like we understood him much more than we did the heroine Cam.
For all of Cam's good points – and there were many – I questioned why she didn't realize her boyfriend was a scumbag or why she allowed her sister to constantly put herself in Cam's way. Somehow those two things didn't mess with the rest of Cam's personality and I wanted to scream at her about them. Cam still managed to win me over and again, had so many good points that those two “off” items didn't bother me that much.
As far fetched as this book sounds, it's such a fun ride that you will suspend your disbelief without any worries as to how the time travel happens. The set-up for the time portal and the Guild that watches over dead artists is original and feels fresh. Who cares about “can this really happen” when you've got a great hero to play with! I love books that allow me to escape the real world and this one did just that with humor and with a surprisingly emotional book.
Embedded in the story is a very emotional and moving look at a man who loved and lost and is willing to give everything up to love again. It's a moving love story with more meat to it than I expected. I will be checking out Gwyn's backlist to read her other time-travel romances since this one was a winner for me.
Have you read a Gwyn Cready book before? Do you like time travel romances? If so, which is your favorite or favorite time travel romance author? Tell me and you'll be entered to win a copy of Flirting with Forever by Gwyn Cready!
Winner annouced Wed. June 30th - Open to US and Canada residents only.
AudioBook Week Winner!
I'm pleased to annouce the winner of my AudioBook Week giveway, as selected by Random.org, is comment # 8...
edmontonjb
Congratulations! I will email you with a list of AudioBooks I have for you to select from. You can also email me at cheekyreads @ gmail.com (no spaces) if you read this first.
Thanks to everyone for participating in AudioBook Week and I hope if Cheeky Reads is a new-to-you blog, that you'll stop by again soon!
Happy Reading
Cheeky Girl Sabrina
Audio Book Week: Audio Book Recommendations
Head over to hostess Devourer of Books website to see her recommendations and check out the Mister Linky for a list from other bloggers to.
Here is my list of some of my favorite Audio Books:
Married by Morning by Lisa Kleypas - Narrated by Rosalyn Landor - Brilliance Audio (LOVE this narrator)
The Rachel Morgan Series by Kim Harrison - Narrated by Marguerite Gavin - Tantor Audio (Start with Book 1 - Dead Witch Walking)
The Janissary Tree: A Novel (Yashim the Eunuch) - Narrated by Stephen Hoye - Tantor Audio
The Malory Books by Johanna Lindsey - Narrated by Laural Merlington - Brilliance Audio (Start with Book 1 Love Only Once)
There are so many more, but I don't want to overload you! If you are trying Audio Books for the first time, please take all the blogger recommendations into consideration - especially check out the narrators we list. That should help you make a better first step into filling your free time with even more great books!
AudioBook Week: When & Where Do You Listen? Giveaway!
I'm excited to hear from other Audio Book lovers where they listen, but I'd also like to ask non-Audio Book listeners if they can think of times in their day where an audio book might be a great fit or help them make it through the day. I'd love to see if we can give suggestions to non-listeners and get them to try out Audio Books.
Personally, the number one spot I listen is in my car on my daily commute to and from work. I seriously hate radio DJ’s and their annoying chatter, but I also never really liked talk radio. At first I thought Audio Books would equate to talk radio, but I was so wrong.
Another awesome time I listen to audio books is on long car rides or vacations. I love picking something the hubby and I might both love and we can share the book together. We don’t have kids, but I can see how cool it might be to pick a book to entertain the entire family on a road trip.
The best guilty pleasure place I listen to Audio Books? While I’m in the tub! You ladies know that when you have water and bubbles it can make reading a book not the most relaxing experience. Who wants to keep wiping their wet hands off in order to turn the page or worry about dropping the book into the water? Putting on an Audio Book lets me relax into the bath and really escape.
So, where do you listen? Give our non-listeners some tips and hints for how Audio Books can expand their reading and make their day better! If you don’t listen to books, what do you think is holding you back? Comment to enter to win a brand new Audio Book from my pile. I’ll email the winner a list to choose from!
Sorry, but contest is open to US and Canada residents only at this time. Winner will be announed on Friday afternoon June 25th.
AudioBook Week: What Do You Want In An AudioBook Review?
My Audio Reviews have slightly evolved since I started them. My main change has been that lately I've been giving two ratings to my reviews - one for the story and a second one for the narrator. That's because sometimes even the best narrator can't save bad writing and a bad narrator can ruin a well-written book.
Another new addition is adding the running time of the CDs because I think sometimes people want to know how long it will take them to get through a particular book.
One think I really wish I could include in my reviews - an audio excerpt. Even if it was only 10-20 seconds I think just hearing the narrator would help both the review as well as get more readers to try out AudioBooks.
Do you like seeing two ratings for AudioBooks - 1 for the story and 1 for the narrator? What else do you wish was included in an Audio Review? Would you like to hear short excerpts to help you make up your mind?
AudioBook Week! Why AudioBooks?
Check out Devourer of Books today to see her latest posts and enter to win some AudioBooks.
For today's post, she asked us to answer the question "Why AudioBooks?"
To answer this question, I think I have to actually talk about how I came to try out listening to AudioBooks. It's not a light story, but I'll try to keep it from going crazy emotional.
My commute to work is about 1 hour each way and a few years ago I would listen to the radio in the morning, but on the way home each night is when I called my Mom. Now, my mom was sick almost my entire life and had been disabled completely from around the time I was 12. It was hard moving away from my parents and the small town I grew up in, but my parents were my best friends and we spoke everyday.
So, never fail, I would call my mom at 6pm every single day. I would get in my car and tell her all about my life, what had happened that day, etc. And being the awesome mom that she was, she listened like no one else could. Before I knew it, I would be home and our conversation would be over. It was like that 1 hour commute was no time at all.
About three years ago my mother passed away. My dad, who was also older and disabled, wasn't available to talk at 6pm becuase he had friends that could only come visit him at that time. So, I found myself for the first time in about 4 years without my best friend to talk to and make that trip home fly by.
A few months passed and I suddenly started to realize something: I would have a great day at work, be excited about something, etc. but by the time I got home I would be depressed, angry, irritable. You name the bad mood. The hubby started asking why I was always snippy when I first got home and it made me realize something was off.
That something was that the long ride home without my mother to talk to was very lonely. It clicked for me that I really needed something to fill that time with, to take my mind off replaying every last conversation I'd had with mom over and over again. I was depressing myself every single day in that car without realizing it.
When I did figure it out, the next time I went to the library I saw the AudioBook section and thought "Why not?" Which was weird since I was a die-hard "You must read the print version" kinda reader.
I was so lucky that day because I happened upon an AudioBook of an unknown to me series, unknown to me author, and in a genre I don't normally read. And it was good. I mean really good. I'd hate to think of what might have happened if that first AudioBook had been bad. And it is true - AudioBooks can be hit or miss the same way printed books can. The wrong narrator can ruin a great story. A good narrator can take a so-so story and make it more compelling or exciting.
If that first AudioBook hadn't been terrific I think I would have missed out on one of my favorite things in the world now - and would have missed out on something that truly saved me.
That's how I think of AudioBooks - as something that saved me from a really bad time in my life. I was able to lose myself in those stories instead of focusing on my loss. I really cannot put into words how much AudioBooks mean to me. To put it simply - I adore AudioBooks!
Romance Book Review: Wanted by Vicki Lewis Thompson
Book Review: Wanted! Sons of Chance
By Vicki Lewis Thompson
Harlequin Blaze - June 2010
4 Heart Review
He's everything she's ever wanted...
Photographer Dominique Jeffries has come to Wyoming to find herself - her creative self, her sexual self. After escaping the engagement from hell, she's dying to break loose and live a little. And seducing a shirtless, sweaty cowhand looks like just the place to start...
Nick Chance isn't exactly a cowhand but, hey, he'll be whatever the lady wants! Only he soon realizes that this is more than just a quick roll in the hay. There's something about Dominique that calls to him, something about her that completes him.
There's only one problem. Dominique wants a fling, not another relationship.
Little does she guess how easily she'll be persusaded to take a Chance -- again and again and again!
This book starts off seriously hot and never lets up. The heat steams up the pages becuase the chemistry between Nick and Dominique rocks. These characters are perfectly matched both in attitude and sexually.
Vicki Lewis Thompson is one of my all-time favorite writers and although this is much different from her Nerd or Hex series, her voice still shines through. It's a wonderfully crafted story full of great characters and you will smile as you read it.
One theme that Vicki seems to use in some of her books is that it's the heroine who doesn't want to commit. These heroines know what they want and at first it doesn't include a relationship. I love that! It's a nice change from books where the heroine is pinning for the hero who doesn't want more than a roll in the hay until the end of the book.
This book was so good I read it straight through - love how I can do that with a good Harlequin. I loved all the characters, it was very steamy, and had a great ending. And lets not forget about that cover - I think Vicki scored one of the best covers I've seen in a long time! It surely inspires you as you read the book to imagine the photos that Dominique takes of Nick.
If you've ever wondered if a Harlequin can be hot enough for you, check this book out!
Have you ever read a Harlequin Blaze? Anything by Vicki Lewis Thompson? Let me know if you have and what you thought.
By Vicki Lewis Thompson
Harlequin Blaze - June 2010
4 Heart Review
He's everything she's ever wanted...
Photographer Dominique Jeffries has come to Wyoming to find herself - her creative self, her sexual self. After escaping the engagement from hell, she's dying to break loose and live a little. And seducing a shirtless, sweaty cowhand looks like just the place to start...
Nick Chance isn't exactly a cowhand but, hey, he'll be whatever the lady wants! Only he soon realizes that this is more than just a quick roll in the hay. There's something about Dominique that calls to him, something about her that completes him.
There's only one problem. Dominique wants a fling, not another relationship.
Little does she guess how easily she'll be persusaded to take a Chance -- again and again and again!
This book starts off seriously hot and never lets up. The heat steams up the pages becuase the chemistry between Nick and Dominique rocks. These characters are perfectly matched both in attitude and sexually.
Vicki Lewis Thompson is one of my all-time favorite writers and although this is much different from her Nerd or Hex series, her voice still shines through. It's a wonderfully crafted story full of great characters and you will smile as you read it.
One theme that Vicki seems to use in some of her books is that it's the heroine who doesn't want to commit. These heroines know what they want and at first it doesn't include a relationship. I love that! It's a nice change from books where the heroine is pinning for the hero who doesn't want more than a roll in the hay until the end of the book.
This book was so good I read it straight through - love how I can do that with a good Harlequin. I loved all the characters, it was very steamy, and had a great ending. And lets not forget about that cover - I think Vicki scored one of the best covers I've seen in a long time! It surely inspires you as you read the book to imagine the photos that Dominique takes of Nick.
If you've ever wondered if a Harlequin can be hot enough for you, check this book out!
Have you ever read a Harlequin Blaze? Anything by Vicki Lewis Thompson? Let me know if you have and what you thought.
Book Review: Embers by Laura Bickle
Book Review: Embers
By Laura Bickle
Juno - Pocket Books - Urban Fantasy
4 Heart Review
Truth Burns.
Unemployment, despair, anger -- visible and invisible unrest feed the undercurrent of Detroit's unease. A city increasingly invaded by phantoms now faces a malevolent force that further stokes fear and chaos throughout the city.
Anya Kalinczyk spends her days as an arson investigator with the Detroit Fire Department, and her nights pursuing malicious spirits with a team of eccentric ghost hunters. Anya -- who is the rarest type of psychic medium, a Lantern -- suspects a supernatural arsonist is setting blazes to summon a fiery ancient entity that will leave the city in cinders. By Devil's Night, the spell will be complete, unless Anya -- with the help of her slamander familar and the paranormal investigating team -- can stop it.
Anya's accustomed to danger and believes herself inured to loneliness and loss. But this time she's risking everything: her city, her soul, and a man who sees and accepts her for everything she is. Keeping all three safe will be the biggest challenge she's ever faced.
Wow! That's the only way I could think to start this review. This is an amazing, blow your mind if you love Urban Fantasy, debut novel by Laura Bickle.
I literally had to look three times to remind myself that this was a debut novel. The world-building is so compelling and fastinating, that I felt there was no way this was her first book!
This quote from M.L.N Hanover, bestselling author of Darker Angels, from the front cover really hit the nail on the head.
"Bickle has something great in Anya. Embers has everything: demons, ghosts, dragons, love, sex, police, and murder."
I agree - Anya is both a unique and kick-ass heroine. I cannot wait for more of her and the band of ghost hunters she reluctantly tags along with. One of the best Urban Fantasy heroines to come around in a long time, I felt Laura did an amazing job of making Anya something new in the Urban Fantasy world, but that she also made her incredibly real and honest.
Anya's feelings fill every page and carry you along her journey - I felt connected to her and that's totally a credit to how great Laura's writing and characterizations are. Likewise, the rest of the cast of characters are just screaming for more play time - including Anya's familiar salamander Sparky.
I cannot wait for the next book in the series, Sparks, to release so I can see what happens to Anya next and how she develops. I think once I've read the next book, I'll be able to say if I think Laura has created something I would put on par with Kim Harrison and Karen Marie Moning in terms of my love of the world-building.
I highly recommend this book if you love real Urban Fantasies. Do yourself a favor and check it out - it's not a light-hearted book, but a fantastic read.
Do you read Urban Fantasy? Do you like them darker, or with some romance thrown in. Do you think a story can be a true Urban Fantasy without a little bit of grit?
By Laura Bickle
Juno - Pocket Books - Urban Fantasy
4 Heart Review
Truth Burns.
Unemployment, despair, anger -- visible and invisible unrest feed the undercurrent of Detroit's unease. A city increasingly invaded by phantoms now faces a malevolent force that further stokes fear and chaos throughout the city.
Anya Kalinczyk spends her days as an arson investigator with the Detroit Fire Department, and her nights pursuing malicious spirits with a team of eccentric ghost hunters. Anya -- who is the rarest type of psychic medium, a Lantern -- suspects a supernatural arsonist is setting blazes to summon a fiery ancient entity that will leave the city in cinders. By Devil's Night, the spell will be complete, unless Anya -- with the help of her slamander familar and the paranormal investigating team -- can stop it.
Anya's accustomed to danger and believes herself inured to loneliness and loss. But this time she's risking everything: her city, her soul, and a man who sees and accepts her for everything she is. Keeping all three safe will be the biggest challenge she's ever faced.
Wow! That's the only way I could think to start this review. This is an amazing, blow your mind if you love Urban Fantasy, debut novel by Laura Bickle.
I literally had to look three times to remind myself that this was a debut novel. The world-building is so compelling and fastinating, that I felt there was no way this was her first book!
This quote from M.L.N Hanover, bestselling author of Darker Angels, from the front cover really hit the nail on the head.
"Bickle has something great in Anya. Embers has everything: demons, ghosts, dragons, love, sex, police, and murder."
I agree - Anya is both a unique and kick-ass heroine. I cannot wait for more of her and the band of ghost hunters she reluctantly tags along with. One of the best Urban Fantasy heroines to come around in a long time, I felt Laura did an amazing job of making Anya something new in the Urban Fantasy world, but that she also made her incredibly real and honest.
Anya's feelings fill every page and carry you along her journey - I felt connected to her and that's totally a credit to how great Laura's writing and characterizations are. Likewise, the rest of the cast of characters are just screaming for more play time - including Anya's familiar salamander Sparky.
I cannot wait for the next book in the series, Sparks, to release so I can see what happens to Anya next and how she develops. I think once I've read the next book, I'll be able to say if I think Laura has created something I would put on par with Kim Harrison and Karen Marie Moning in terms of my love of the world-building.
I highly recommend this book if you love real Urban Fantasies. Do yourself a favor and check it out - it's not a light-hearted book, but a fantastic read.
Do you read Urban Fantasy? Do you like them darker, or with some romance thrown in. Do you think a story can be a true Urban Fantasy without a little bit of grit?
Romance Book Review: The Prince's Royal Concubine by Lynn Raye Harris
Book Review: The Prince's Royal Concubine
By: Lynn Raye Harris
Harlequin Presents June 2010
3 Heart Review
Two glittering royal houses...
Prince Cristiano di Savare hunts his prey by ruthless means. Tonight's pickings -- Antonella Romanelli, crown princess of a rival country and part of a dynasty he has every reason to despise...
One majestic seduction...
Antonella is rocked by Cristiano's unexpected magnestism. But there's ice in his wolfish smile...She's far from the promiscuous spoiled socialite he believes her to be, but Cristiano is here to persuade her into compliance. If bedding her is what it takes, then it will make his mission all the more pleasurable...
I have to start this review by saying that although I adore Harlequins, Presents is not my go-to line. I'm a Blaze girl through and through with a little Intrigue thrown in. I absolutely love how fulfilling these stories are, without needing more than just a few hours to read one.
Harlequins are my way of fitting in awesome love stories even when I'm slammed by work or my daily life. A few stolen moments here and there and I've experienced a satisfying romance without having to "find time."
I have read and enjoyed many a Harlequin Presents through the years, even if they aren't my favorite. I tend to like my heroines with a little more spunk, world experience and my heros a little less domineering. An alpha male hero can be a great thing, if the motivation is right, but some Presents miss the mark for me.
I thought it was important to mention that before reviewing a Presents title. The nature of the line kinda means that the chances of one of its books blowing me away are slim. BUT, for some the Presents line is the bees knees so I wanted ove disclosure at the start of this review.
Lynn does an excellent job with writing this story and somehow manages to create a Presents heroine I'm not yelling at to get a backbone! In fact, I really loved the character of Antonella and felt very sympatheic to her story and how she was trying to help her country.
The hero Cristiano was a little harder for me becuase of his ruthlessness toward Antonella at the beginning of the story, but his true colors did show through quickly and he proved to be a sort of rescuing knight - one with ruinious seduction in mind, but still a knight that wouldn't leave a lady to die or fend for herself.
Since I'm a Harelquin fangirl, I'm well aware that the stories happen in a much shorter time frame than your normal romance, but in this instance it was the one thing that didn't really work for me. With Cristiano and Antonella's time together so limited, and with started off with so much hate between them, I couldn't take the leap to believing that Antonella was in love with him.
Maybe if Antonella had taken longer to come to that realization the story would have worked better for me, becuase everything else was there. Good characters, great plot, a good amount of chemistry and conflict. Very well done, I just needed more between them before she falls in so deep.
I give this a 3 Heart Review, but if Presents was more my style it could easily have been a 4. A good read from an author I'm looking forward to seeing more from!
By: Lynn Raye Harris
Harlequin Presents June 2010
3 Heart Review
Two glittering royal houses...
Prince Cristiano di Savare hunts his prey by ruthless means. Tonight's pickings -- Antonella Romanelli, crown princess of a rival country and part of a dynasty he has every reason to despise...
One majestic seduction...
Antonella is rocked by Cristiano's unexpected magnestism. But there's ice in his wolfish smile...She's far from the promiscuous spoiled socialite he believes her to be, but Cristiano is here to persuade her into compliance. If bedding her is what it takes, then it will make his mission all the more pleasurable...
I have to start this review by saying that although I adore Harlequins, Presents is not my go-to line. I'm a Blaze girl through and through with a little Intrigue thrown in. I absolutely love how fulfilling these stories are, without needing more than just a few hours to read one.
Harlequins are my way of fitting in awesome love stories even when I'm slammed by work or my daily life. A few stolen moments here and there and I've experienced a satisfying romance without having to "find time."
I have read and enjoyed many a Harlequin Presents through the years, even if they aren't my favorite. I tend to like my heroines with a little more spunk, world experience and my heros a little less domineering. An alpha male hero can be a great thing, if the motivation is right, but some Presents miss the mark for me.
I thought it was important to mention that before reviewing a Presents title. The nature of the line kinda means that the chances of one of its books blowing me away are slim. BUT, for some the Presents line is the bees knees so I wanted ove disclosure at the start of this review.
Lynn does an excellent job with writing this story and somehow manages to create a Presents heroine I'm not yelling at to get a backbone! In fact, I really loved the character of Antonella and felt very sympatheic to her story and how she was trying to help her country.
The hero Cristiano was a little harder for me becuase of his ruthlessness toward Antonella at the beginning of the story, but his true colors did show through quickly and he proved to be a sort of rescuing knight - one with ruinious seduction in mind, but still a knight that wouldn't leave a lady to die or fend for herself.
Since I'm a Harelquin fangirl, I'm well aware that the stories happen in a much shorter time frame than your normal romance, but in this instance it was the one thing that didn't really work for me. With Cristiano and Antonella's time together so limited, and with started off with so much hate between them, I couldn't take the leap to believing that Antonella was in love with him.
Maybe if Antonella had taken longer to come to that realization the story would have worked better for me, becuase everything else was there. Good characters, great plot, a good amount of chemistry and conflict. Very well done, I just needed more between them before she falls in so deep.
I give this a 3 Heart Review, but if Presents was more my style it could easily have been a 4. A good read from an author I'm looking forward to seeing more from!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
