Monday Morning Cuteness!

funny pictures-I haz a hed'ayk  rub mah belleh
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Poisoned Kisses by Stephanie Draven Winner!

Thank you again to Stephanie for coming on Cheeky Reads and answering some questions for us about her new Harlequin Nocturne release, Poisoned Kisses. I've seen quite a few 5 star reviews for this book on twitter this past week so I'm so excited to be giving away a copy!

The winner of that copy, as randomly selected by random.org. is...

Comment #1 - arceli

Congrats! Email me your mailing address to cheekyreads @ gmail.com (no spaces) and I'll get the book out to you soon.

Happy Reading!

BEST Audio Book EVER! (Well, mightly fine one at least)

Confession: I'm only half-way through a book and I'm ready to call it a winner. Seriously, I've been tweeting all morning on how freakin' fantastic the current Audio Book I'm listening to is. Which one you ask?

Maybe This Time by Jennifer Cruise released in audio by Brilliance Audio.

THIS is why I adore audio books and why I keep singing their praises to readers who have yet to try them out.

The story is performed by Angela Dawe and she nails every voice, owning every character. This is the first time I've written "performed by" and totally meant it. These characters come alive off the page and do great justice to Jennifer Cruise's story.

I mean it's a Jennifer Cruise story, which means chances are that it's going to be pretty good if not great, but this just raises it to another level. I can honestly say I think the Audio Book version might be better than the book itself because - I'll say it again - Angela Dawe owns these characters.

So fantastic! If you were looking for your first audio book to try, or if you tried one in the past and hated it, PLEASE try this one. It's the perfect example of what an Audio Book should be and can be!

Here's Brilliance Audio's website with a sample of this audio book. The audio book just gets better and better the further into it. :)

Here's an Amazon link.

And a Borders link.

Have you read or listened to Maybe This Time? Tell us what you thought or tell us the best Audio Book you've found!

Monday Morning Cuteness!

funny pictures MONDAY MORNING
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Someone's got a case of the Mondays...shoot me now!

BLOGMANIA WINNER! Drumroll please...

Thank you to everyone who stopped by Cheeky Reads during Blogmania! If your a book lover that you'll stop back by and visit again!

With Blogmaina now over I wanted to say I had a great time visiting all the blogs and finding new ones that I'll be checking out on a regular basis. I'm also super excited about all the great comments I recieved in response to my favorite author question. So much so, that I've decided to take some time this weekend and compile a list of every author that was mentioned. I mean what better recommendation list than a list of all-time favorites! I'll post the list here and I'm planning to feature many of those authors in the coming months.

Now, for the news everybody really wants to hear. :) I wrote up all the eligible entries this morning, placed them in a bag and pulled one out.

The randomly selected winner is...

Amy! Here is a screen shot of the winning comment (with email removed) so we can be sure which Amy it is. :)


Congratulations Amy and thank you for entering. Please email your mailing address to me at cheekyreads  @ gmail.com (no spaces) and I'll ship out your items. The books and audio books will ship from me, and the chocolate I will be ordering from online so it will ship seperately.

I wish everyone else luck on all the other great giveaways!

Happy Reading
Cheeky Girl Sabrina

Welcome Guest Author Stephanie Draven & Enter to Win Poisoned Kisses!

I'm pleased to welcome author Stephanie Draven to Cheeky Reads as a stop on her blog tour for her new Harlequin Nocturne release Poisoned Kissies! Stephanie was nice enough to answer a few questions for us, and I wanted to start us off with a sneak peek at Poisoned Kissies...
He can wear the face of anyone who has ever hurt him…


This former soldier-turned-gun-runner thinks his true identity is safe, but a mysterious woman is about to force him to face the tragic past he thought he left behind.

She can disguise herself as the only woman he’s ever loved…

It’s not easy to be a Daddy’s Girl when your father is Ares, Greek God of War. To thwart her father and all those who serve him, Kyra intends to assassinate a modern day hydra. To kill him, she needs to seduce him, but Marco Kaisaris isn’t the monster she thinks he is–and even if he doesn’t break her heart, he may still be the death of her.

Can they see past each other’s masks to find a love that’s more than skin deep?

Welcome Stephanie!

Your book Poisoned Kisses is the first of a new series called "Mythica". I'm a huge fan of Greek Mythology so I'm really excited to see a new series that uses those old myths in a new way. Can you tell us a little more about the premise behind the series and why you decided to base it on Greek myths?


First, I’d like to thank you for having me as a guest on Cheeky Reads! The central premise of the Mythica stories is that love turns men into monsters, sometimes quite literally. I tend to use the tagline, “What if the monsters of ancient myth still walk the earth...and what if you found out that you were one of them?”

I chose Greek myths because they are primal stories from so far back in our past that they still evoke basic fears about ourselves. I’ve always loved Greek mythology and the chance to update those stories and put a sexy twist on them is something that I relish.

Characters can really make or break a book for me and I love hearing from authors about how they would describe their hero and heroine. What three words would you use to describe each?

What a great question. Okay, let’s see:
Hero, Marco Kaisaris: Honorable. Wounded. Loyal.
Heroine, Kyra, Daughter of Ares: Brave. Dangerous. Vulnerable.

Your heroine is a nymph and I know from your blog that you are particularly interested in them and have written other nymph characters. What is it about nymphs that inspires you so much?

Nymphs are an archetype of women outside the realm of social constraints. They were powerful, deeply connected to nature, and independent. They didn’t need men, but when they fell in love, they loved intensely. They were everything the ancient Greeks feared about the nature of women, but also what they may have secretly desired.

Now that we know more about your characters, what was it about them that had you wanting to write that HEA for them? Was there a particular scene that was the most fun for you to write?

Kyra is such a badass with her sharp assassin’s knife and her casual indifference to the normal rules of human morality...that I was surprised to discover in her a very vulnerable core. When she falls for Marco, she falls so fast, and so hard, that it shames her. She doesn’t want to be pathetic. She just wants to be loved in return, but she knows better than to even hope for that.

Meanwhile, Marco hasn’t ever found anyone to truly understand him. He’s never met anyone as committed to any cause as he is. He’s very much alone, and he’s lost himself. Kyra helps him come to terms with what he’s become...and what he could be.

I desperately wanted these two to find their happy ever after. As for the scene that was most fun to write, I’m not sure I can pick just one, but every time Ares or Hekate made a guest appearance, I had a blast. Ares as a modern day arms dealer. Hekate as a fortune telling gypsy! I’m not comparing myself to Neil Gaiman but I was certainly inspired by American Gods, and those scenes made me grin.

I always find that authors have the best book recommendations. Have you read any good books lately or or a discovered a new author?

The most recent thing I’ve read is Jeannie Lin’s The Taming of Mei Lin, which I loveloveloved!

What's up next for you? Would you tell our readers a little bit about the next book in the series or what you are currently working on?

The next installment will be a novella about a young rock-star diva in Annapolis who unwittingly snares an ancient guardian of the sea with her siren song. After that, next year there’ll be a full-length novel about a mind-controlling Minotaur and a sexy sphinx!

In other news, I also write historical fiction as Stephanie Dray and my debut historical novel, Lily of the Nile: A Novel of Cleopatras Daughter, will be released in January 2011!


Do you love Greek or Roman Mythology? What about books that feature myths as part of their world-building or characters? Do you have any favorite myths you'd love to see featured in a book? Let us know and you can be entered to win a copy of Poisoned Kissies!
This giveaway open to US residents only.


Stephanie Draven is currently a denizen of Baltimore, that city of ravens and purple night skies. She lives there with her favorite nocturnal creatures–three scheming cats and a deliciously wicked husband. And when she is not busy with dark domestic rituals, she writes her books.

Stephanie has always been a storyteller. In elementary school, she channeled Scheherazade, weaving a series of stories to charm children into sitting with her each day at the lunch table. When she was a little older, Stephanie scared all the girls at her sleepovers with ghost stories.

She should have known she was born to hold an audience in her thrall, but Stephanie resisted her writerly urges and graduated from college with a B.A. in Government. Then she went to Law School, where she learned how to convincingly tell the tallest tales of all!

A longtime lover of ancient lore, Stephanie enjoys re-imagining myths for the modern age. She doesn’t believe that true love is ever simple or without struggle so her work tends to explore the sacred within the profane, the light under the loss and the virtue hidden in vice. She counts it amongst her greatest pleasures when, from her books, her readers learn something new about the world or about themselves. Stephanie also writes historical fiction as Stephanie Dray and has a series of forthcoming novels from Berkley Books featuring Cleopatra’s daughter.

Website: http://www.stephaniedraven.com/

Follow Stephanie on her blog tour with the following upcoming stops:
9/17/2010 - http://www.accessromance.com/blog/ - Access Romance
9/17/2010 - http://www.romancejunkies.com - Romance Junkies
9/18/2010 - http://www.cherrymischievous.com - Cherry Mischievous
9/19/2010 - http://cherylsbooknook.blogspot.com - Cheryl's Book Nook
9/20/2010 - http://dearauthor.com - Dear Author
Complete Blog Tour List Link: http://stephaniedraven.com/poisoned-kisses-blog-tour/

BLOGMANIA 2010 IS HERE! Everyone Deserves a Little Romance...

I'm extremely excited to be a part of Blogmania this time around and hope that new visitors to Cheeky Reads will take some time to look around the site. Cheeky Reads is a romance book review site that covers all genres of romance as well as Urban Fantasy and Paranormal titles. I also ADORE audio books and do reviews on those as well. Thanks for stopping by!

So, what's my giveaway theme? EVERYONE DESERVES A LITTLE ROMANCE! To one lucky winner, I'm giving away the following worth over $120!




Return to Sender by Fern Michaels - Audio Book
Her Mother's Keeper by Nora Roberts - Audio Book
The Perfect Poison by Amanda Quick - Print Book
Enemy Lover by Karin Harlow - Print Book
Your choice of Dark or Milk French Chocolate Fondue to make your reading time even more luxurious!


To Enter to Win: Leave a comment letting me know who your favorite author is and include your email address. For an extra entry (+1) follow this blog with GFC (on the upper left sidebar) and leave me another comment letting me know. Following is not required to enter, and only follow if you really want to! :)  This contest is open for US and Canada addresses only.

Here are all of the blogs hosting a BLOGMANIA 2010 giveaway. They are labeled with US, US/CAN, or INT based on who their giveaways are open to - US residents only, US/CAN residents only or INT - world wide!!! Each blog should have this link list - in case you are looking for specific giveaways only - at the bottom of their giveaway post. However, BOOKMARK this page and keep track of what number you are on - Good Luck and HAVE FUN!!

ALL BLOGMANIA RELATED QUSTIONS MAY BE SENT TO blogmaniapr@...


THE FINE PRINT: Please read each giveaway 's directions carefully as entry methods differ, and giveaways may be open to different world areas than previously noted on our list. Please make sure you leave a way (valid email address) with your entries to be contacted if you win. All blog's are responsible for drawing their own winners and contacting those winners for their shipping addresses. All blogs are responsible for providing this information to the companies that are shipping the prizes to the winners or providing the prizes themselves directly to the winners in a timely fashion. Parker Pr Online and BLOGMANIA 2010 are not responsible for any giveaways or prizes.

Audio Book Review: Wicked Appetite by Janet Evanovich


Audio Book Review: Wicked Appetite
By: Janet Evanovich
Read by: Lorelei King
Macmillan Audio
Unabridged CD - Run time 7 hours 
3 Heart Review

Life in Marblehead has had a pleasant predictability, until Diesel arrives. Rumor has it that a collection of priceless ancient relics representing the Seven Deadly Sins have made their way to Boston’s North Shore. Partnered with pastry chef Lizzie Tucker, Diesel bullies and charms his way through historic Salem to track them down—and his criminal mastermind cousin Gerewulf Grimorie. The black-haired, black-hearted Wulf is on the hunt for the relic representing gluttony. Caught in a race against time, Diesel and Lizzie soon find out that more isn’t always better, as they battle Wulf and the first of the deadly sins.

I've had the hardest time ever writing this review. Please know that right off the bat. A fan of the Stephanie Plum series, I was super excited to learn that Janet had a new series coming out and was excited to see something different from her. Don't get me wrong, I love the Plum series, but after so many books I was looking to something refreshingly different but with the fun I knew would always be in Janet's writing.

What I personally felt about Wicked Appetite was that it felt too much like the Plum series. That was not helped by keeping the same narrator from the Plum series for this series. I love Lorelei King as a narrator and think she has made the Plum series come alive in audio, but in order for Wicked Appetite to really have it's own "voice" they should have chosen a new narrator.

Having Lorelei narrate this book only served to highlight how much of it mirrored the exact type of situtations, humor, jokes, etc that a reader would have in the Plum series. Yes, the Plum series is awesome but with a new series it SHOULD feel different and this just didn't for me.

Yes, Diesel is a cross-over character readers are already familiar with but I felt like Lizzie was a Stephanie clone. Add in Carl the Monkey and too many scenes where you forgot this is Lizzie instead of Stephanie and I just couldn't get into it.

It is a very fun story and maybe it would have been better this time for me to read the book. Not having Stephanie's exact "voice" might have helped me seperate the stories more. As it was, Lorelei King is Stephanie to me and I couldn't hear her reading this story and not be thinking Plum the whole time.

If you haven't done the Plum series by audio that might not be an issue for you or if you read the print book. If you love Evanovich then you will probably really enjoy this new book and series, but if you are looking for something new from her this isn't it. Yes, I wanted fun and zany but this was too similiar. It felt like when a favorite author's book has been re-released with a new title and cover and you buy it only to get a few pages in and realize you've read it before - it's still a great story, but it's not that something new you were hoping for.   

Winner Of The Audio Download Of Mating Call by Emily Ryan-Davis

Thanks again to Emily for stopping by and talking Audio Books with us (one of my favorite topics!!) and for offering a free download to a reader.

The winner, as chosen by random.org, is # 8 - JellyBelly!

Congrats and email me at cheekyreads @ gmail.com (no spaces) and I'll send you the information on the download.

Happy Reading & Listening!

Welcome Author Emily Ryan-Davis & Enter to Win An Audio Book Copy of Mating Call!

Audio Books: Read Together

Happy Wednesday everyone! Cheeky Reads is the first stop on my audio book blog tour, which launches along side my first audio book release, MATING CALL, available now at AudioMinx.



MATING CALL is the first of a paranormal romance serial trilogy crammed full of dragons both solid and ephemeral. I'm happy to say books two and three, DRAGON DANCE and DRAGON BOUND, will be releasing in September and November of this year (don't forget Tuesdays are discount days at AudioMinx).

But less about THE audio book and more about audio books in general.

The first time I chose an audio book over a print book was Christmas four years ago. My now-husband, Chris, and I were going to undertake a four-hour drive to visit my family for the holiday. I'm not a verbal entertainer by nature and I worried Chris would be bored to death traveling such a long distance, his hands glued to the wheel instead of free to flip pages or wield knitting needles (like mine).

Together we chose Christpher Moore's A DIRTY JOB. I chose it more for him than me because I figured I'd knit or something if I didn't like the book. For the record: love A DIRTY JOB. I highly recommend it (not romance, though: you've been warned).

Chris and I went out of our way to keep driving so we could finish listening to the book together. We loved the voice acting, we loved being able to laugh together the way we would if we were watching a movie, and we didn't experience any of that awkward “you've GOT to read this! it's hysterical!” bumbling that occurs when you try to communicate hilarity to someone who's not been reading along with you. That audio book was the perfect joint-reading solution to our long drive.

When Audio Lark opened for submissions last year, my first thought was of the A DIRTY JOB experience. I immediately put together submission packages for my contemporary paranormal Dragon Queen series. The Dragon Queen books were my first e-books, my first print books and wouldn't it be fitting if they were my first audio books, too?

This afternoon, I was listening to proofs for DRAGON DANCE (book 2) and my husband was sitting on the bed putting on a pair of socks when the voice actress hissed a vehement curse followed by incredulous exclamation. I started laughing and so did he (it was meant to be a laughing bit) and in that moment, I knew I HAD to make audio books a more regular part of my life. What better way for reading households to do things together?

I'm not sure I'd advocate spicy romance as read-together subject matter...but I'm not sure I'd caution against it, either, ifyaknowwhatImean.

My question for blog visitors today is, in what circumstances do you “read” audio books? Your commute? Gym time? In the winter, when your hands are busy knitting up homemade socks? Tell me a) the last audio book you “read” and b) why you choose audio when you do choose audio, and you'll be entered in a drawing to receive a free download of MATING CALL.

-
Emily Ryan-Davis writes for Ellora's Cave, Liquid Silver Books and Freya's Bower. News of projects, releases and blog appearances can be found at ScorchedSheets.com. MATING CALL, DRAGON DANCE and DRAGON BOUND are currently available in electronic and print format at Freya's Bower.

Fun with Book Trailers: Eve Silver's Otherkin Trilogy

Book Review: All I Ever Wanted by Kristan Higgins


Romance Book Review: All I Ever Wanted

By: Kristan Higgins
HQN
4 Heart Review

One happily-ever-after rocking chair…

And no sign of any forthcoming babies to rock in ol’ Georgebury, Vermont. For Callie Grey, turning thirty means coming to grips with the fact that her boss (and five-week fling) is way overdue in his marriage proposal. And way off track, because Mark has suddenly announced his engagement to the company’s new Miss Perfect. If that isn’t bad enough, her mom decides to throw her a 3-0 birthday bash in the family funeral home.

Bad goes to worse when she stirs up a relationship with the town’s most eligible — yet not so warm and fuzzy — veterinarian, Ian McFarland, in order to flag Mark’s attention. So Ian’s more comfortable with animals… So he’s formal, orderly and just a bit tense. The ever-friendly, fun-loving and spontaneous Callie decides it’s time for Ian to get a personality makeover. But, dang — if he doesn’t shock the heck out of her, she might actually fall for Vermont’s unlikeliest eligible bachelor…

I cried. Really, there's a point toward the end of this book that had literal tears going down my face. The hubby was sitting next to me on the couch and looked at me and said "Are you serious?" Me in my warble-est voice ever said, "I can't help it. There this (insert plot point) and then this (more plot) happens and it's just so sad!" Yep. It's a good book. A really good book and a wonderful read that I think you'll really enjoy.

Kristan Higgins writes wonderfully original, yet relatable, contemporary stories that have me coming back again and again because she creates stories and characters that I see myself in and that's half the battle to finding a good romance.

This book was no different, but the only reason this wasn't a 5 Heart Review for me was that I wanted to know more and get a deeper understanding of the hero. The heroine Callie is wonderfully fleshed out and we learn so much about her and where she's been and what her motivations are. With our hero Ian, that's a little harder to discern. Now, part of that is because his character is reserved and mysterious, but I wanted to see him bloom a little with Callie. More so than he did at least.

The above back cover copy does help explain the premise of the book, but I was very happy to find that the plot of the engagement of Callie's boss takes a backseat to the romance between Callie and Ian. I wouldn't have liked the book as much if the focus on that initial incident had been played up too much. There was a very nice balance of Callie being hurt by Mark's engagement, and in seeing her grow past it.

It's so hard to say exactly why I loved this book, expect to say that I just did. It all worked for me, even without further insight into Ian, and it was all I could do to not go back and read the one book by Kristan that I have on my TBR pile but hadn't gotten to yet. Sometimes needing to read the latest books to review is hard! I want to throw a tantrum and say "No, I will read what I want!" LOL - alas I have resisted the temptation, but it was hard. Kristan Higgins pulls me in and I'm sure it won't be long until I give in to temptation and read that missed book (The Next Best Thing).

New Book Release Alert: Just One Taste by Louisa Edwards

I'm a fan of Louisa Edwards' first two books in her Recipe for Love series, so I thought I'd share some information from Lousia about her third book in the series that releases today. Check it out below and let us know if you've read one of the Recipe for Love novels and what you thought about them!

The third Recipe for Love novel, Just One Taste, is now available! Revisit the misfits, outcasts, and renegades of trendy Manhattan eatery, Market--or meet them for the first time.

Just One Taste delves into the scrumptious secrets of aphrodisiacs, and pits ex-con artist Wes against genius (and Nerd Extraordinaire) Rosemary. These two are a clear case of opposites attracting...and striking sparks!

He has a hungry mind.

Bad-boy chef Wes Murphy dreads his final semester cooking class—Food Chemistry 101—until he meets the new substitute teacher. Dr. Rosemary Wilkins is a feast for the eyes, though her approach to food is strictly academic. So Wes decides to rattle her Bunsen burner by asking for her hands-on advice—on aphrodisiacs . . .

She’s got love down to a science.

Rosemary is a little wary about working with Wes, whose casual flirtations leave her hot under the collar. But once they begin testing the love-enhancing power of chocolate, oysters, and strawberries, it becomes scientifically evident that the brainy science nerd and the boyish chef have some major chemistry together—and it’s delicious . . . 

**If you'd like a little taste, click here for an excerpt. To purchase a copy from your favorite bookstore, click here!**

Early reviewers had this to say:

"Readers new to Louisa Edward’s trilogy needn’t read the previous books to enjoy this Just One Taste, but I’d recommend doing it anyway. It’s a solid debut trio, and I’m looking forward to more from this author."--All About Romance (B+)

"Despite plenty of funny dialogue that will make you laugh in
places you probably shouldn’t—like the elevator, doctor’s
office, or waiting to meet with your child’s teacher—Just One
Taste
is a romance novel with substance."--Romance Reviews Today (Perfect 10)

"Just One Taste is light and fluffy, much like a tasty soufflé that should be savored and enjoyed."--Babbling About Books

"The plot turns moment to moment from tension to connection, back and forth, before a most luscious ending is served...Four stars!!!"--Crystal Reviews

"The writer not only describes the tastes and scents of the glorious dishes in a way that will make all readers mouths’ water, but the characters are as sinfully delightful as the meals they prepare."--Night Owl Reviews

Book Review: The Heat Is On by Jill Shalvis

Romance Book Review: The Heat Is On
By: Jill Shalvis
Harlequin Blaze August 2010
4 Heart Review

Oh, dear. Bella Manchelli is so not having a good day. First, she's deliciously exhausted from last night's sizzling one-night stand. Second, there's a (gulp) dead body at her back door. Third…um, that scrumptious one-nighter is at her front door… and he's wearing a badge!

Police Officer Jacob Madden is all about duty. Until he shows up looking for a homicide…and runs right into last night's slice of sexy heaven! Damn, he just can't think straight when he's around Bella. All he wants to do is lick her up one side and down the other….

Can duty and smoking-hot sex blend for a while? Definitely! Until Jacob discovers that several of the guys Bella's dated have turned up dead. Jacob loves being around Bella. But is he ready to be used as target practice?

This book is what a Harlequin Blaze is all about - sexy, fun and with the kind of heroine you'd love to have as one of your girlfriends. Jill Shalvis is a damn good author and I really enjoyed this story that started with a bang, literally, and never let up.

You'll root for both the hero and heroine and I couldn't find a thing I didn't like about them. I loved how realistic Police Officer Jacob Madden was and Bella was like the embodiment of a lot of modern women today - feeling restless, wanting to travel the world, and scared of settling for life.

The suspense in this story mixes well with the love story and did contribute to the central story very well instead of taking away from it. In fact, the suspense was written so well that it helped showcase who the characters really where and why they belonged together.

A really solid book with something a little extra that will make you smile and keep you reading straight through, The Heat Is On is an excellent book and I really recommend it for lovers of contemporary and romantic suspense.

Happy Reading!

Awesome New Site for Urban Fantasy & Romance Readers!

Ok, so I'm a little late in posting this but I wanted to make sure to tell you about the awesome new site launched by Pocket Books for us Romance and Urban Fantasy lovers.

It's called "Pocket After Dark," and I've just joined becuase it really is pretty cool and I'm applauding Pocket Books for doing it. Stop by the website and check it out!

Here are more details from the press release:

Pocket Books, a division of Simon & Schuster, has announced the launch of POCKET AFTER DARK (PocketAfterDark.com), a free online community for romance and urban fantasy readers. Developed by Simon & Schuster Digital, Pocket After Dark will offer access to exclusive content and provide a forum for members to share interests and connect with other readers, authors, and editors on a personal level.

POCKET AFTER DARK will allow members to read, rate, and discuss new romance and urban fantasy books, participate in polls and live chats with bestselling authors, discover new authors and sample material, and connect with fellow readers and fans. Special features will include access to free books, A Little Tease which offers two free chapters of up to six current titles per month, and a sneak peek from a soon-to-be published book by new and popular authors. Members will also be able to earn points based on their site activity.

The site also includes the entire catalog of Simon & Schuster’s romance and fantasy books organized around the various sub-genres: contemporary, historical, paranormal, urban fantasy, and romantic suspense so readers can easily engage with the content and discussions they find most relevant to their interests.

While the site is geared towards reading and discussion, users can buy the books directly from the site or an online retailer of their choice.

“Pocket Books is home to many of today’s premiere romance and urban fantasy authors, and Simon & Schuster Digital remains at the forefront of developing exciting and compelling online content,” said Louise Burke, Pocket Books’ Executive Vice President and Publisher. “I am thrilled to be a part of this new venture that will unite our authors with their devoted fans.”

“Romance and urban fantasy readers are incredibly active online, and love to talk about their favorite books,” said Lauren McKenna, Pocket Books’ Executive Editor. “POCKET AFTER DARK wants to be the publishing equivalent of their favorite hangout, where they can spot a publishing ‘VIP,’ bestselling author, or just talk with like-minded fans.”

“We combined free access to great content with all the latest social media functionality to create a virtual book club that serves passionate romance and urban fantasy readers,” said Ellie Hirschhorn, Simon & Schuster’s Chief Digital Officer. “Readers and fans can now connect around their favorite authors, characters, and books with others from around the country, rather than limiting discussions to those held in their living rooms.”

Log on to http://PocketAfterDark.com and become a member today!

New Release Tuesday

Here are just a few of the books releasing this week that caught my attention...What caught yours? Are you a YA reader who is Mockingjay addicted right now? If so, why do you love that series? (Since I don't read YA, I'm out of the loop!)



A dangerous demon she can't resist...

Malkom Slaine: tormented by his sordid past and racked by vampiric hungers, he's pushed to the brink by the green-eyed beauty under his guard.

A maddening witch he aches to claim...
Carrow Graie: hiding her own sorrows, she lives only for the next party or prank. Until she meets a tortured warrior worth saving.

Trapped together in a savage prison...
For them to survive, Malkom must unleash both the demon and vampire inside him. When he becomes the nightmare his own people feared, will he lose the woman he craves body and soul?

Check out more information about Demon From the Dark and read an excerpt here.
 

AN INNOCENT WOMAN
Emmaline Marlow is about to wed the extremely powerful laird of the Hepburn clan to save her father from debtor's prison when ruffian Jamie Sinclair bursts into the abbey on a magnificent black horse and abduts her in one strong swoop. Though he is Hepburn's sworn enemy, Emma's mysterious captor is everything her bridegroom is not--handsome, virile, dangerous...and a perilous temptation for her yearning heart.

A DANGEROUS MAN
Jamie expects Emma to be some milksop English miss, not a fiery, defiant beauty whose irresistible charms will tempt him at every turn. But he cannot allow either one of them to forget he is her enemy and she his pawn in the deadly Highland feud between the clans. Stealing his enemy's bride was simple, but can he claim her innocence without losing his heart?
 
Check out an excerpt of The Devil Wears Plaid here.
 
 
HER TOUCH IS DEADLY
As the only female Seminus demon ever born, master assassin Sinead Donnelly is used to being treated like an outcast. She spent decades enslaved, and now vows she’ll die before she’ll relinquish her freedom again. Then Sin’s innate ability to kill her enemies goes awry: She creates a lethal new werewolf virus that sparks a firestorm of panic and violence.

HIS HUNGER CAN’T BE DENIED
Half-werewolf, half-vampire Conall Dearghul is charged with bringing in Sin to face punishment for the plague. And she’s no stranger: He’s bound to her by blood, and the one sexual encounter they shared has left him hungering for her raw sensuality. Worse, Sin is the underworld’s most wanted and Con soon learns he’s the only one who can help her . . . and that saving her life might mean sacrificing his own.

For more information on Sin Undone and to read the excerpt, click here.
 
 
 
Highborn Anna Arrington has been "following the drum," obeying the wishes of her cold, controlling cavalry officer husband. When he dies, all she wants is to leave life with Wellington's army in Spain behind her and go home to her family's castle in Scotland.
 
Sergeant Will Atkins ran away from home to join the army in a fit of boyish enthusiasm. He is a natural born soldier, popular with officers and men alike, uncommonly brave and chivalrous, and educated and well-read despite his common birth.

As Anna journeys home with a convoy of wounded soldiers, she forms an unlikely friendship with Will. When the convoy is ambushed and their fellow soldiers captured, they become fugitives—together. The attraction between them is strong—but even if they can escape the threat of death at the hands of the French, is love strong enough to bridge the gap between a viscount's daughter and an innkeeper's son?

Check out the Carina Press website for more info and an excerpt.

New Release Tuesday...

So today instead of featuring books that are releasing this week only, I wanted to show a couple of recent books that really caught my attention and are in my TBR pile. I hope you'll let me know what you think of my list and tell us what books in your TBR pile you are most looking forward to!


"I'm Lexi Carmichael, geek extraordinaire. I spend my days stopping computer hackers at the National Security Agency. My nights? Those I spend avoiding my mother and eating cereal for dinner. Even though I work for a top-secret agency, I've never been in an exciting car chase, sipped a stirred (not shaken) martini, or shot a poison dart from an umbrella.

Until today, that is..."

I first noticed this book on the Carina Press website and I MUST read it. From the blurbs, I'm hoping this is a slam dunk 5 Hearter for me. It's exactly the kind of story I love - I'm all about the Geektastic. Give me a geeky hero or heroine and I'm all over it. Click here to go read the full blurb, an excerpt from the book and for info on where to buy No One Lives Twice.


"One happily-ever-after rocking chair…

And no sign of any forthcoming babies to rock in ol’ Georgebury, Vermont. For Callie Grey, turning thirty means coming to grips with the fact that her boss (and five-week fling) is way overdue in his marriage proposal. And way off track, because Mark has suddenly announced his engagement to the company’s new Miss Perfect. If that isn’t bad enough, her mom decides to throw her a 3-0 birthday bash in the family funeral home."


I seriously love Kristan Higgins' books, and that's why I cannot wait to read All I Ever Wanted. Not only have reviews been great for this book, but I had my copy personally signed by Kristin at the RWA Conference so somehow that must translate into a super special awesome read right? Right? :) Check out this link to see more details and to read an excerpt.



"After the death of his wife and father, the Earl of Markham has spent the last five years fiercely guarding his emotions from involvement, including getting too close to his son. Then a blackmail threat shatters his impassive world..."

Leslie Dicken is a writer I'm keeping my eye on becuase I just know she's going to explode soon. Her book Beauty Tempts the Beast was one of my favorite reads of all of last year. A seriously awesome book that if you haven't read you should. Her newest release is A Tarnished Heart and I'm hoping it's every bit as good as BTTB was. Here's a link to Leslie's site and includes an excerpt.

Those are just a few from my pile - what about you? What book are you itching to read? Are there any upcoming releases you'll be stopping by the bookstore for on release day?