Dee Tenorio Winner!

As chosen by random.org, the winner of their choice of a backlist ebook from Dee Tenorio is...

Comment #10 - Armenia

Congrats! Head over to Dee's website here, and chose one of her backlist titles. Sorry, that doens't include All of You, but does include other kick-ass titles. Then email me your choice at cheekyreads @ gmail.com (no spaces) and Dee will get your ebook out to you.

Welcome Guest Author Dee Tenorio & GIVEAWAY

Cheeky Reads is excited to welcome author Dee Tenorio. Today, Dee is celebrating the release of her latest book All of You from Samhain Publishing. All of You features a set of twin brothers, so what better topic for Dee to talk to us about today. Make sure you enter to win the contest at the bottom of the post for a chance to win an ebook from Dee's backlist of titles!

Welcome Dee!

They Call Me...The Twin Whisperer

Actually, no one calls me that, but really, I wish they would. I'm getting tired of yelling, whispering once in a while would be nice.

Now, if you haven't met me before, my name is Dee. I'm a writer. I married a twin. I gave birth to twins. And I am now beginning my second series about twins, The Lonnigans. In fact, the first book, "All Of You", is out today from Samhain Publishing! Which is why I'm here today. Because if you've never known a twin...you might not realize what you could be getting into when you pick up this series. These Lonnigans aren't your regular Romance twins. But I'll get to that...

See, in my many years of twin experience, I've learned quite a few things about these unique sets of people, and I like to try to set the stereotypes back a little in my writing--thus those amazing Lonnigan differences--but I thought, hey, why not share a little of the knowledge? Help people do a little twin-whispering of their own.

So here it is, Dee's Five Facts About Twins Most People Get Wrong:

1) They are two separate people. I know, it's kind of obvious, but you'd be surprised how often folks think twins are interchangeable. They might often have moments of startling similarity in motion, tone and tastes, but believe me, they have such individual quirks and personality differences that if they had a different face, you'd never mistake them for members of a collective. So, if you know someone who's married to a twin, don't ask her if she ever gets confused. She doesn't. In fact, just the thought probably makes her gag. (I know it does me...no offense, BIL)

2) Not all twins are polar opposites. I see this a lot in romance and it kind of cracks me up. I'm sure there are night & day twins, but honestly, most siblings will share at least some common interests. Take my husband, for example. All of his siblings--including the twin--love Japanese animation and a deep love of movies. Blending likes and not-likes is a big miss when it comes to representing twins realistically.

3) Fraternal Twins are still twins. Honest, my next set of fictional twins are going to be fraternal, lol. Just to mess with people. My own twins are identical, but due to a really difficult birth, I had one baby natural and one baby c-section. (Yes, the suckage of that is epic). As a result, "Natural" baby has a different head and face shape from C-Section baby, giving people the idea they're fraternal. (Nope, they're not--they still confuse me from time to time, I rely on that slight difference to tell them apart) So, I hear a lot, "Oh, then they're not real twins." Ask their mother, they're twins. And they have a great many of the same similarities as Identicals. In fact, I may come up with a story just to explore that further. It's not the faces that make them twins. It's the togetherness.

4) Not all twins are psychic. You know, unless they're actually psychic. Granted, some kooky alikeness things happen (hubby and his twin tended to wear the same colors, though they woke and dressed in different places and times), but they're not open ended walkie-talkies. (Though, that would really come in handy.) The same can be said of very close regular siblings.

5) Raising twins isn't the same as having two kids, one right after another. It's not. Twin babies are on the run about 20 hours a day and they are at the same level of understanding and needs. If you've ever met a nine month old, you'll know he's already trying to walk and is sitting up and is on some kind of schedule. Not saying it's easy, but believe me, a kid who can sit and hold a bottle while the other gets nursed is a godsend in comparison to two--often smaller and premie, to boot--babies who need 24 hour care. So, if you ever get the urge to tell a twin parent that you know how they feel--which is run over and trampled and probably cranky--step away from the thought. Just offer the poor parent something to wake them up. They need it.

So what is it that makes these two romance heroes so unique? Well, I like to think they're a bit more real. They're close, but they also show a bit of the frustration that comes from knowing someone since conception. (You know, you love him, but you'd also like to choke him a little) The twin bond is a real thing, but for most twins, it's a love bond. A friend bond. And while there is something magical and mystical about that kind of connection, for most twin folks, it's just part of every day. And I wanted to bring you into that every day world as best I could.

Oh, and if I didn't mention, Lucas--the twin in the second Lonnigan novel, "All Or Nothing" (out in July!)--has his story running at exactly the same time! (Okay, so I got a little twinny there. Can you forgive me?)

So, just to make this fun, how about you all take part in my giveaway for today?

Head on over to my Website and check out the upcoming books section. See if you can find the names of both heroines for the Lonnigan series from the book blurbs and excerpts. Post the names here in the comments and you're entered to win a free ebook of your choice from any of my backlist! (Sorry, All Of You doesn't count. :) )

Dee

More Triple Threat: Team Jacob Contest @ Romance In the Backseat

If you weren't lucky enough to win my Triple Threat Giveaway from Friday, here's another Triple Threat Contest for you. Head over to the Romance In The Backseat Blog and enter to win!

Calling Team Jacob and Twilight fans. Pick your favorite pic of Taylor and enter to win a free book from Romance in the Backseat. http://ritbs.blogspot.com/2010/04/sexy-sunday-team-jacob-

Guest Book Review: Beautiful People by Wendy Holden - 1 Heart Review

Book Review: Beautiful People
By: Wendy Holden
Sourcebooks Landmark
1 Heart Review from Guest Reviewer Lisa

Darcy’s a struggling English rose actress when The Call comes from L.A. An Oscar-tastic director. A movie to make her famous. The hunkiest costar in Hollywood. So why doesn’t she want to go?

Belle’s a size-zero film star but she’s in big, fat trouble. Hotter than earth’s core a year ago, she’s now Tinseltown toast after her last film bombed. Can she get back to the big time?

Emma’s a down-to-earth, down-on-her-luck nanny trying to weather London’s cutthroat childcare scene and celebrity mom whirlwinds. What will it take for her to get back in control of her own life?

Jet to London, Hollywood and Italy; toss in a passionate star chef, a kind-hearted, disillusioned paparazzo, and a reluctant male supermodel and find [author] Wendy Holden at her best.

This back-cover description pretty much covers it all. The story doesn’t go much deeper than this and you can probably guess the answers to those questions.

Holden weaves a story in which each of her many characters cross-paths and get unexpectedly involved in each others lives’. The problem is there is nothing unexpected about the plot for the reader. It’s highly clichéd and full of stereotyped characters.

There is Orlando, the teenager who was once awkward and pimply, but almost overnight turns into the hottest guy at his school. The popular girls want to get at him, but so does a talent scout for a modeling agency who thinks she’s found the next big “face”. Along with Emma and Darcy, he is one of the “pure” souls who get sucked into the lives of the beautiful people.

In contrast, we meet Belle, the silicone-enhanced Hollywood starlet, and Christian, the actor trying to climb to the top one bed at a time. These two will do anything in their pursuit of fame and fortune. Predictably (to the fictional world in which she lives and to the reader), Belle even finds herself adopting an African orphan to get back in the headlines.

There are too many other characters to introduce in this review. I got the feeling that even the author had trouble managing her cast. The character we meet in the first chapter disappears almost entirely until the middle of the book. That’s about where I stopped reading. Up to that point the characters and plot were so empty I didn’t care to find out what happens to them next. Don’t waste your time with this one.

I had a blast reading all the comments from Friday’s Triple Threat post. Thanks to everyone who entered!  A big thanks to our guest authors, Jo Lynne Valerie and Pembroke Sinclair for starting the conversation and offering their insight.

HUGE thanks to Terry at Romance In The Backseat who created The Triple Threat.

Now, for the most important part ~ the winner of a paranormal gift basket as selected by random.org is…

Comment #14 – HELLION!

Drop me an email at cheekyreads @ gmail.com (without the spaces) with your mailing address so I can send you your goodies! Congrats!

Monday Morning Cuteness!

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Discussion & Giveaway: What is it about Twilight that Grown Women Love?

I'm excited to be part of The Triple Threat Giveaway this week and hope you'll join me in a conversation about why women seem to love the Twilight books and movies even though they are intended for Young Adults.

Two authors have joined me today to give their take on the subject, and I can't wait to hear what you think about thier opinions. Do you agree or not, and are you a lover or a hater of the Twilight phenom?

Share your thoughts and enter to win a surprise book basket!

Guest Author Jo Lynne Valerie's Take:  
Twilight, the first novel in the YA series by Stephenie Meyer, was an immediate hit with tweens and teens. There are cute guys, vampires, werewolves, pretty girls and there is angst. A winning recipe! But the book proved its marketability to a broad audience when adults and parents of all ages, fell in love with Twilight, too.

I think I know why. There are powerful themes in Twilight. Edward, the hero, is a vampire with a heart. Bella, the heroine, is an opinionated if slightly awkward teen. The pair fall in love. Due to Edward's vampire nature, that love is forbidden. But forbidden love only scratches the surface of what develops between Edward and Bella. As a whole, Twilight is infused with big, booming life-themes. (Let's get this out of the way: Edward is dreamy. That said, eyes on the themes here, people, eyes on the themes!)

Edward belongs to the Cullen family, a group of vampires living together as vegetarians, by choice. This is a big deal; it means they feed off of animals, not humans. The Cullens also strongly appreciate the arts: cooking, music, reading, the masters. These choices help the Cullens maintain their humanity. Come to think of it, who doesn't struggle to stay in touch with who we are? We all work hard not to lose sight of ourselves and what we love.

Last, we come to Edward and Bella, the characters readers and viewers fell in love with. Or did we fall in love with the passion they share? Edward loves Bella completely. He can literally feel Bella's needs and he responds to them with urgency. Bella aches for Edward so much that she is willing to change her entire world and risk her life just to be with him. We all want that. We all want that crazy, can't sleep, over-the-top, I have to be with you, can't keep my hands off of you, kind of love.

All of these elements and themes combined form a heady mix. No wonder we love Twilight!

Check out Jo Lynne's website at www.JoLynneValerie.com and her author blog at www.JoLynneValerie.blogspot.com

Guest Author Pembroke Sinclair's Take:
Adult women are so drawn to Twilight because, like romance, it represents escape. When they read or watch this story, they don’t have to worry about the kids or bills or husbands or jobs or day to day routines; they can get lost in the moment. Women are traditionally viewed as caregivers. Society expects them to take care of their friends, kids, families, etc., but Twilight and romance novels give them the chance to be taken care of. It is alluring and flattering that Edward makes it his mission to ensure Bella’s safety.

The looks of the leading men in the movie might have something to do with the attraction, but since I don’t really find them attractive, I don’t know how major a role that plays. Really, I think it has to do with an ideal. Most women were probably awkward and gawky in high school with low self esteem and a poor body image (remember I said MOST, not all), and Edward represents the unattainable male: the popular, mysterious, rich guy everyone wanted. In real life, he would probably date the head cheerleader, but in this world, he falls for the geek. It’s every woman’s fantasy. 

Visit Pembroke's blog at http://pembrokesinclair.blogspot.com/.

So readers, do you agree or disagree? Why do adult women love these books and movies so much? Is it all about the boys? Are you a women who has no interest in Twilight at all? Let's Discuss!

Leave us a comment and you'll be entered in a random drawing to win a paranormal themed book basket!

Sorry, but this giveway is limited to US residents only. I know that sucks, but hopefully soon I'll be able to open my contests up internationally.

The Friday Blog Hop!

It's Friday, so that means a great weekend ahead and the Friday Blog Hop!

The Blog Hop is a great place to go to find new book review blogs. Hosted by Crazy-For-Books, it happens every Friday and I always find some exciting new blog there. Head over to check it out!

Happy Reading!

Romance Book Review: Proof By Seduction by Courtney Milan – 4 Heart Review

Romance Book Review: Proof By Seduction
By: Courtney Milan
HQN
4 Heart Review

She was his last chance for a future of happiness…

A gifted fortune-teller from a humble background, Jenny can make even the most sophisticated skeptic believe her predictions simply by batting her smoky eyelashes. Until she meets her match in Gareth Carhart, the Marquess of Blakely, a sworn bachelor and scientist.

He just didn't know it yet

Broodingly handsome, Gareth is scandalized to discover his cousin has fallen under the spell of "Madame Esmerelda," and vows to prove Jenny a fraud. But his unexpected attraction to the fiery enchantress defies logic. Jenny disrupts every facet of Gareth's calculated plan—until he can't decide whether to seduce her or ruin her. Now, as they engage in a passionate battle of wills, two lonely souls must choose between everything they know…and the boundless possibilities of love.

First of all, I’m hugely behind in posting this review but didn’t want to not share my thoughts. If you’re like me, you don’t always rush out to buy new authors so maybe you’re still deciding on this one or somehow hadn’t heard about it yet.

This debut book by Courtney Milan was exciting to read since it introduced a wonderful new historical writer that should provide us with many quality romances in the coming years.

One reason I really enjoyed the book, was the intricate way that Courtney developed her hero. For the first fourth of the book, I was engrossed in the story but not really sure this hero could find redemption. It would take a lot for him to become worthy of Jessica. The story unfolded with Blakely slowing growing in this reader's esteem into Gareth – following the same development that Gareth goes through to find himself and the love he feels for Jenny.

The insight Courtney provides into each character's thoughts and actions make for a rich and balanced story that feels ripe with emotion. From Jenny to Gareth and even to Ned and Laura, Courtney provided deep descriptions of their motivations and insecurities.  This made for a very rich story that wrapped me up in the world Courtney created.

I honestly didn’t find anything about this book that struck me as out of place or something I didn’t like. It’s a well-written and plotted book whose characters I grew to love. Maybe that’s what held it back from being a 5 Heart Review for me – I had to grow to love the Hero and that might have made the first part of the book not as engrossing to me as the second half. The hero was prefect before the end of the book, but it was harder to cheer for him in the beginning. I liked the way Gareth develops, but it did keep me from being as drawn into the story at first.

For fans of historical romance, or those who are looking for a great historical to try, I highly recommend Proof By Seduction. There is so much to like about this book, and so little I can say of negatives!

Purchase Proof by Seduction From Amazon Here

Happy Reading!

Guest Post @ Bria Quinlan's Blog - Real Life Job Description

I'm honored to be a guest at Bria Quinlan's blog today! She asked me to do a guest post about my "real life" job description. Based on some of the past guests, I had a tough act to follow. I LOVED Danielle's Bossy Wench post.

So what is my Real Life Job Description? TREASURE HUNTER!

Head on over to the Bria's blog if you want to check it out. :)

New Release Tuesday

Here are some awesome new releases out today. I've included the amazon links so you can read all the info and the back cover blurbs/descriptions without me having to include it all here.

Make sure to check out the link to the latest Samhain releases as well for those of you who love eBooks!

Succubus Shadows (Georgina Kincaid, Book 5)



Lois Lane Tells All




Silver Borne (Mercy Thompson, Book 5)




Flirting with Forever



Pure Temptation



Touch of Seduction (Hqn)



The Perfect Poison (Arcane Society, Book 6)




Tempted: Little Miss Innocent?\Annie, Get Your Guy\Messing Around with Max (Hqn)



Home in Carolina (Sweet Magnolias)



On Shadow Beach



Happy Reading!

The Triple Threat Giveaway! So, What Is It?

The Triple Threat Giveaway:

Celebrating Twilight, Supernatural, and Vampire Diaries
Join us for the fun, games, and giveaways

Events:
Supernatural Radio Show New Episode Rundown

Scare Me Up Some Supernatural
Read what Authors have to say about one of our favorite TV shows.

Sexy Sunday Contest and Giveaway
Team Edward – Hottest picture of Edward Cullen – Judged by author Veronica Blake

Sunday – Watch New Moon with Us
Terry Kate and the masterminds behind Teens Read and Write share their take on New Moon.  Get your DVD cued up and when we say play you will be joining us and hundreds others as we go through the movie together.

Monday -
Vampire Diaries Discussion at Novel Reaction
Discuss the books that made the show – see where the series is going.  If you are watching the show are you reading the books?

Tuesday -
What Readers have to Say on The Neverending Shelf
Twilight Lovers and Haters share your thoughts -
Twilight Lovers what is the worst part of the Saga
Twilight Haters, what is the best part of the Twilight Saga

Wednesday -
Twisted Fates Cafe

Thursday -
Battle of the Sexies on Backseat Nightmares
Sam vs Dean
Stefen vs Damon
Edward vs Jacob
On what side of the divide do you fall?

Team Jacob on Book Faery
Hear who’s team Tori is on.

Friday -
Giveaway and Discussion on Cheeky Reads
What is it about the Twilight series that appeals/doesn’t appeal to woman? Is it all about the pretty boys or is there more to it than that?

Saturday -
Discussion and Giveaway on Dark of Knight
10 ways to loose Bella – by Jacob Black
Author Tracey Mitchell shares what she thinks were Jacob’s 10 biggest mistakes in his suit for Bella.
Share your ideas and enter to win a copy of Tracey’s new release coming out this May!

Sunday -
Sexy Sunday Contest and Giveaway
Team Jacob – Hottest picture of Jacob Black

You Love Me…You Really Love Me!

Ok, so I know that has been insanely over-used but it’s the best I got today. :) In the past few weeks Cheeky Reads has been shown the love and been given some awesome blog awards.
Huge thanks to Jillian at Random Ramblings for two awards – the Stylish Blogger Award and the Beautiful Blogger Award! Thank you so much.

You are supposed to pass these awards on to 15 blogs you think are stunning, beautiful, stylish, etc. etc. LOL
Here are 15 blogs I totally envy their design savvy and pass these two awards to:

1. All Things Urban Fantasy
2. SciFiGuy
3. Book Junkie
4. Book Soulmates
5. The Bookette
6. My Overstuffed Bookshelf
7. The Neverending Shelf
8. Cindy’s Love of Books
9. Erotic Romance Reader
10. Lynette’s Two Cents
11. The Daily Dose
12. Fiction Vixen
13. Seductive Musings
14. Good Books And Good Wine
15. Parajunkee’s View 

I’d also like to thank Steph from Paper Cut Reviews for the awesome “Over The Top” blog award!
I’m supposed to answer following questions and then pass this award on to 5 other blogs. So here goes:

1. The Book Resort
2. Book Faery
3. Smexy Books
4. The Book Vixen
5. Marissa’s Booklair

These are all fabulous blogs that if you haven’t check out, you should head on over!

Monday Morning Cuteness!

Ever feel like this…

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