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Oct 29, 2011

Sherri Hayes - Interview and Giveaway

October 29, 2011 9 Comments


I have an exciting news for you guys! We have Ms. Sherri Hayes the author of Slave (Finding Anna 1) in here. She agreed to do an interview.. so let's get started shall we?!



Interview:


Please tell the readers something about yourself. (Not really a question, more of an introduction.) Something we don't know yet.

I'm 34 years old, and live in Ohio with my husband and three cats. I started writing fiction about four years ago, but I've been reading romance since I was 14. When I'm not writing, I'm usually working on the woodworking business my husband and I own. I also love singing. My mom has a picture of me standing up in church when I was 4 years old singing This Little Light of Mine. 
Slave is a very different and emotional romance, what inspired you to write Slave?
My Finding Anna series, of which Slave is the first book, developed from a mixture of my new interest in reading D/s romances and what was going on nationally at the time. You may remember the news stories on the woman who was freed after spending 18 years in captivity. Following that, there were news stories everywhere about human trafficking. I began wondering what would happen if I mingled the two.

Did you have a hard time writing it? Which part of writing it did you hate the most?
The hardest part for me was starting. I’m not sure you’d classify this series as ‘normal’, and I wasn’t sure how people would react to it. I knew that if I were going to write it, I would have to have a complete understanding of my characters and their motivations. But once that was laid out, everything else fell into place. As far was what I hated the most… That’s simple. Editing. Of course, I think you’d be hard pressed to find a writer who loves editing. lol.

You're main characters are very complex and intense, can please describe your personal feelings for Anna and Stephan? Describe how you come up with these characters? Their strengths and weaknesses and what you love most about them?
I love Stephan and Anna. They are both amazingly strong characters. The reader gets to see some of each character’s strength in Slave, but we are only touching the surface.
I wanted Anna to have a strong sense of self-preservation. This is a woman who’s spent the last ten months being held captive after all, and where I wanted the story to go couldn’t happen if she were utterly and completely without her sense of self anymore. Anna’s biggest weakness also stems from that strength. She’s learned to rely on no one but herself for a long time, so she has difficulty in communicating what she needs to someone else, mainly Stephan.
Stephan is a little more complicated. lol. We don’t find out a lot about his background yet, but he’s been through the emotional wringer himself. I love that he is a genuinely good person. What he did for Brianna wasn’t out of character for him. His biggest weakness, though, will be letting his guard down. As I said, we really don’t find out a lot about him in Slave, even from his own thoughts. He holds a lot inside, and it will be interesting exploring that as the series continues.

What are your personal feelings regarding the BDSM lifestyle? I just really want to ask you that question! lol.
You really did, did you? lol.
Throughout the course of writing this story, I’ve met Dom, subs, Masters, and slaves. Some have become really good friends. There are parts of BDSM that I find fascinating. One of those things is the intensity of the relationships. Because of the nature of what BDSM is, couples especially tend to develop a bond that is rarely repeated in a more traditional setting. You begin to see this in Slave as Brianna’s trust in Stephan grows.    

When did you start writing romance? How did you discover that you have a talent for writing?
As I said above, I only started writing romance about 4 years ago. I didn’t write anymore in school because I didn’t think I was very good at it. English was always a subject I struggled with mainly because of spelling. My second grade teacher actually told my parents I was going to fail her class two weeks into the school year because my spelling was so bad. Needless to say, my spelling has improved, but it is still something I struggle with. Thank goodness for spell check and editors!
My first foray into writing was on-line. I was a big fan of a show on television, but didn’t like the direction they were taking with the main love interest. And as so many fans do now a days, I decided to write my own ending. I was a nervous wreck posting it, and had no idea how people would react. The site I posted on was dedicated to this particular show, and while it is by no means as massive as fanfiction.net, it still held a number of stories and some of those from very talented writers. By the time I was finished writing, my story was the eighth most read on the site and people were encouraging me to continue writing.


 You must have been very elated when Slave got published. Can you tell us how you got Slave published?

I was. As I said before, Stephan and Brianna mean a lot to me. I really wanted to tell their story. Slave is my second published novel, so it was easier than you’d probably think. My publisher loved my first novel, Hidden Threat, so when I pitched my Finding Anna series to them, they jumped at it.

If Slave is going to be a movie, who do you see playing the lead characters?
I’ve actually been working on posting some visuals for my readers over on my blog www.findingannaseries.blogspot.com. Stephan, Brianna, and Ian’s pictures are up so far.
Stephan – Parker Gregory
Brianna - Felicity Jones
Ian – Peter Hermann
You and your readers will just have to stay tuned to my blog to find out who I pick for the remaining cast of characters. ;)

Let's do the fun part!
Favorite part of the body?
Breasts


Favorite book?
Voyager by Diana Gabaldon (who doesn’t love Jamie!)

Last movie you've seen? 
I have no idea. It might have been Eclipse. We don’t go to the movies often.

The movie you are dying to see now? 
Breaking Dawn part 1. Yeah. I’m a Twihard. lol.

If you're going to heaven, who would you take with you? 
My husband.

If you're going to hell, who would you take with you? 
mother-in-law.

First person that comes into your mind when the word "SEXY" is uttered?
David Boreanaz.


What can we expect in the next book of the series. Can you give us, the overly excited readers, something to look forward to? Is it going to be more emotional than the first one? More angst maybe?
The next book is going to deal with her trying to figure out what she wants, where to go from here. She has a long way to go, and it won't be easy. I will say that the 'adult content' will increase in the next book. Also, we are going to get more of a look at what her life was like before Ian. It should be another emotional ride.




And there you have it, people! We know a little more about this awesome author! Thank you Ms. Sherri Hayes for letting me do thins interview and for being game in answering all these questions. I hope your next book would do well.


Read my review on Slave here

But if you guys think that is all, you're all wrong! Ms. Sherri Hayes and her publisher are very nice and generous enough to let me do a giveaway!



Oct 28, 2011

Book Review: Unforgiven (Packing Heat #1) by Sarah Ballance

October 28, 2011 1 Comments




 Book Blurb:
Riley Beckett's past just came back to haunt her . . . and this time, he's got a gun. When Gage Lawton finds his brother shot dead on his back porch, every shred of evidence points to one person: Gage's former lover, Riley. He and she didn't part ways on good terms, and he's not planning to rekindle anything now--not when he's got a revolver pointed at her head and a finger on the trigger. A year after Riley swore she and Gage were over, he returns in a hail of gunfire. One look into those achingly familiar blue eyes and she knows how wrong she was to let him go, but now far more than their heated past stands in the way. A twist of fate puts them in the cross hairs of a killer, leaving Riley with two slim options: trust her greatest betrayer or face a murderer on her own.


My Thoughts:

This is gonna be a short review! I won this copy from a giveaway in Ms. Sarah Ballance's blog! I was so happy and excited and Ms. Sarah Ballance can attest to that. Lol! OK! To continue this review.. when I read the summary of the book I was immediately intrigue. I read this book the moment I got my hands on the copy I won.

Unforgiven is definitely a must read for me! The characters are nicely presented and one can't help but love them, even from the start. It's a little short from what I was used to reading but it didn't feel like it was rushed. It is a fast paced romance that has a lot of action, suspense, drama and passion. I loved every minute I spent reading it because there is absolutely no dull moment where I just want to skip a page ore something. The truth is, I didn't have the sense of time while reading this book. I didn't even noticed that it was already 3am when I finished it, and I think that's the kind of book that an avid reader labels "for keeps"; and I am definitely happy to say that this book is one of them.


BUYING LINKS:


Oct 26, 2011

Blog Barrage:Unforgiven (Packing Heat #1) by Sarah Ballance

October 26, 2011 2 Comments

Hello my loves! I'm here to feature another great Romance. Today we shall know more about the book entitled UNFORGIVEN by Ms. Sarah Ballance. It is the first installment Packing Heat series. I will also post a review of this book in a few days. I've won a copy of this book from Ms. Sarah. So anyway let's all find out what it's all about.




BLURB:
Riley Beckett's past just came back to haunt her . . . and this time, he's got a gun.

When Gage Lawton finds his brother shot dead on his back porch, every shred of evidence points to one person: Gage's former lover, Riley. He and she didn't part ways on good terms, and he's not planning to rekindle anything now--not when he's got a revolver pointed at her head and a finger on the trigger.

A year after Riley swore she and Gage were over, he returns in a hail of gunfire. One look into those achingly familiar blue eyes and she knows how wrong she was to let him go, but now far more than their heated past stands in the way. A twist of fate puts them in the crosshairs of a killer, leaving Riley with two slim options:  trust her greatest betrayer or face a murderer on her own.


EXCERPT:
Something was wrong. Was the dark playing tricks on her? Riley Beckett froze, arm outstretched, hand poised to toss her keys on the table just inside her front door. But she didn't let go. Instead of dropping them in their usual spot, instinct whispered for her to feather pieces of the makeshift weapon between her knuckles. Heart pounding, she pressed the keys in a silent, white-knuckle grip and prayed her concerns were her imagination, that the paranoia of coming home alone to a dark house was getting the better of her.
One, two steps in. Wood planks echoed underfoot. She fought to breathe in air that grew thinner with every tense second.
Three steps.
Then it hit her. The scent. His scent. And with it a flush of memories. The burn of hot grass on her bare skin. Rough hands, a tender touch. Love so sweet she ached for it, her dreams raging, and her body drenched with need.
Their first time.
Her last.
"Gage?" Her voice broke on the single syllable. Riley's grip on the keys tightened, her blood raging hot and cold all at once.
A creak sounded from the corner chair. Her eyes refused to adjust in the darkness, but not even the faint light kept the blond streaks in his russet hair from giving him away. Like rays of sunshine, she used to tease, and her words never failed to draw a scowl across his rugged face.
"Riley."
God help her, her name on his lips sounded as it always had. Coarse. Dangerous. Forbidden. Even before . . . The memory surged, hot and vivid, leaving a metallic taste in her mouth. White heat assaulted her from every corner of the room.
The keys fell to the floor with a clink.
"An eye for an eye, is it?" His voice sounded unpracticed, as if he hadn't spoken in a long while.
She couldn't see his face, but she knew his expression. Flat and humorless. Broken. She remembered the day he stopped smiling. Every part of her wanted to flee, but she stood frozen to the spot.
"What do you mean?" Riley wondered if the words, whispered and weak, had the strength to make it across the room. Hadn't she always known she'd shatter the next time she saw him? Hadn't she dreamed of it anyway?
"You have to ask?" Gage laughed, cold and hollow. "Billy's dead. Hell of a thing to come home to, Riley. My brother blown to bits on my back porch."
"Oh, God." Riley swayed, bile rising in her throat. The room filled with a distant buzzing. She took one unsteady step to the side and stumbled.
When she found his gaze, it was over the business end of a revolver.
He leveled the gun in her direction. Everything else in her world trembled, but his aim held rock steady. Unyielding.
His eyes burned blue and bright. "What I want to know, sweetheart, is why you did it."
He worked his finger over the trigger, and a veil of blackness threatened her last discerning thought.

BUY LINKS:


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Sarah and her husband of over fourteen years live on the mid-Atlantic coast with their six young children, all of whom are perfectly adorable when they're asleep.  She often jokes that she writes to be around people who will listen to her, but her characters aren't much better than her kids.  Fortunately, her husband is quite supportive, having generously offered to help her research "the good parts."  She's never had to ask twice.





Oct 23, 2011

Book Review: Unwritten Rules by MA Stacie

October 23, 2011 2 Comments


Hey everyone! I've been MIA because of final exams but I'm back with a new book review! So here it goes....







Author: M.A. Stacie

Category: Romance

Publication date: Jan 27, 2011

Pages: 256

ISBN (paper): 978-1-61213-022-4

ISBN (ebook): 978-1-61213-023-1




BOOK BLURB:


Elle is an energetic, independent woman with a successful business and new start in the big city. The bustling streets of New York are not what she expected, yet she finds the freedom exhilarating. One interaction at the mailboxes with her shy, strikingly handsome neighbor is all it takes to turn the strong- willed young woman into a bumbling mess.

Jonah Quinn is withdrawn for good reason; he harbors a dark secret. He lives his life in the shadows, playing his music in late night bars and hiding himself from everyone but Elle's cat. His tattoos bear his pain while his music is his outlet, but it is his silence that keeps his shame at bay.

Can one night of passion between the two of them lead to more than casual glances exchanged at their mailboxes? Will Elle be strong enough to help Jonah with his personal demons. And will Jonah break his silence regarding a past that haunts him?

The Rules for this relationship are Unwritten. A story of longing, love, and forgiveness.



MY THOUGHTS:

This is the first book I've read from MA Stacie and I can say that I am pleasantly surprised! Unwritten Rules is a romance one reader wouldn't want to miss!

The first thing that attracted me to this book is the book cover. I think it was tastefully done. You gotta admit, that when you looked at it you become as entranced as I still am. It was like calling to me saying "pick me! pick me!".  I am glad I did!

The first few pages, I thought I knew where the story was going. I though it was the typical story of a shy boy meets an outspoken girl and they fell in love. Nope! I was dead wrong! It was much more than that. MA Stacie carried out the plot without giving out too much too soon. She knows what to give and when to give it. Her way of writing made her book so compelling that it makes it impossible for me to put the book down.

The two main characters are simply fascinating! The more I read, the more curious I get about them. Jonah and Elle's chemistry is simply incredible. A reader could feel the tension, the great force of their personality and their blazing passion for each other.

Reading this book is a wonderful delight! I didn't put it down till I read the very last word. It was the kind of book that would consume a reader. The drama would suck you in, the intimate scenes would make you hot, and the love would allure you to the greatness of it! 

I blame MA Stacie for my eye bags! I am eagerly waiting to read more of her works! It would be a crime for a self proclaimed book lover not to read her work.. and I'm no criminal!


Author Bio:

Facebook Fan Page
Goodreads
Twitter
Website





M. A. Stacie has tried out a few different jobs, never quite finding the right fit. After her second son was born, she discovered writing. While then being a needed outlet, she now feels rather unproductive if she hasn’t written something each day.

M. A. Stacie is a voracious reader, much to her husband’s annoyance, because books all are over the house. When she is not reading or writing, she enjoys knitting, listening to loud music and playing the Wii with her two sons. M. A. Stacie is a native of Manchester, U.K. and continues to live there with her husband and children.



Where to Buy:





Oct 20, 2011

Blog Tour: Last Call by Jennifer Schmidt Guest Post and Giveaway

October 20, 2011 6 Comments




Last Call Blog Tour


Hey people, I'm here on another great tour! If you guys would just refresh your memory, you'd remember that I posted a review of this book a couple weeks ago! I'm so happy to say that we have the very gracious author of Last Call today on my blog. I'm gonna stop rambling and let Ms Jennifer Schmidt take it from here...



I felt like I was about to jump out of an airplane without a parachute. Mind you, jumping out of a plane with a parachute isn’t something I would do either. Okay, I’m contemplating it for my 30th birthday, but I have a little over three years to build my courage for that one. Courage is hiding at the mere thought of it at the moment.
Standing on the edge, free falling into the wide open space below me is how I felt when I decided to suck up my anxiety and doubt and enter a contest for a publishing contract. I never actually thought I had a hope in hell of winning; I was just doing it to basically shut everyone up around me that pushed me to do it.

Imagine my surprise when Last Call won TWCS Publishing House 2010 Best Romance entry. I think my jaw actually hit the floor. And then I was screaming - my children didn’t know whether to laugh or cry at my emotional outburst. I won a PUBLISHING CONTRACT! The excitement last about three minutes and then anxiety snuck up on me again.

Wait. I won a publishing contract. A. Publishing. Contract. Holy crap this meant I was going to have a book! A real freaking book with pages and my name on the cover and author biographies and…people were going to read it.

Cue panic attack number one. I was terrified. I suddenly realized my work, with my real name on and not just a faux pen name, was going to be out there for anyone to get their hands on. Did I want to publish? Hell, yes. It had been a dream of mine for as long as I could remember. Did I want people to know I wrote it? Not a chance. Hmmm do you see the potential problem I faced?

Yes, I know you’re thinking, Jennifer, yes you could have hid behind a pen name and no one would have been the wiser. True. But no, not true. My family, the family that pushed me to do this, can’t keep anything to themselves (sorry, I love you all but it’s true) and they would have told the world it was me anyway.  A pen name would not have saved me.

People reading my book and knowing it was me was the problem I had. That was the cause of my anxiety and panic attacks even before I signed the contract. What if I sucked? What if everyone thought it was amateur crap? I had written things before and posted them online but I didn’t care then because no one knew it was me. This… Wow, this was something bigger. Much bigger. Was I ready for it?

I honestly don’t remember how long I held onto the contract before I sent it back signed. It could have been hours, days, weeks, months. Okay, it wasn’t months I know that, and I’m pretty sure it wasn’t weeks, and I know it was longer than a few hours. I didn’t sign it right away, fear held me back. Until one very bossy, very pushy man threatened to kick my ass if I didn’t do it. So I did.

I cannot even explain all the emotions I was feeling as I signed my very first book contract. I was scared, nervous, obviously anxious, excited and extremely nauseous. But swallowing all that fear and going for it was also very empowering. I did this. I wrote a book a publisher wanted.  What a rush that was! And it has been so amazing so far.

Yes, I still feel nervous and everything else. (You should have seen me on PUB Day when Last Call was released I was shaking!) And I obviously still care what people think about my books because let’s face it, the readers are the sellers. Sure it would be awesome to sell a bunch of books, have everyone love it, tell their friends and before you know it I’m a hit. Realistic? Probably not. A fantastic dream to have? Definitely.  But I’ve also come to realize that I’m doing this for me, because it’s been something I’ve wanted to do since I learned to read. And at 26, to be able to say I accomplished my biggest goal, well that’s priceless. 






And now we all know how Last Call was published! Congratulations Ms. Jennifer Schmidt! Your book definitely deserves to be published. And it is really nice getting to know more about you. I hope to read more from you!





Category: Romance

Publication date: Sep 29, 2011

Pages: 234

ISBN (paper): 978-1-61213-064-4

ISBN (ebook): 978-1-61213-065-1


You can read my review for this book in here!
More About the Author:



Jennifer Schmidt wrote her first novel at the age of 15. Six hundred hand written pages later it was put away and forgotten about. It wasn’t until she found an online writing community that she took the first step and, hiding behind a penname posted her work. After some persuasion from family and friends, Jennifer shed the penname and entered the 2010 TWCS Original Fiction Contest and won for best romance. 

After moving and living in a couple of different cities around the Country, Jennifer came back home to Ashern, Manitoba where she lives with her two young sons, Hayden and Nicholas.



Where to buy:

The Writer's Coffee Shop (paperback & eBook) http://www.thewriterscoffeeshop.com/publishinghouse/books/detail/41

Amazon FR
http://www.amazon.fr/Last-Call-ebook/dp/B005QQ3QX6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1318802062&sr=8-1


Follow this Tour:



Oct. 18 Review, Interview, and Giveaway at She Who Blogs Behind the Rows

Oct. 19 Guest Post and Giveway at Tyra's Book Addiction 

Oct. 20 Guest Post and Giveaway at Journey with Books

Oct. 21 Guest Post and Giveaway at Books, Biscuits and Tea 

Oct. 24 Review, Guest Post and Giveaway at Book Briefs
Oct. 25 DOUBLE THE FUN!!
 Review, Interview, and Giveaway at What's Beyond Forks?
Review and Interview at Clever Copywriting
Oct. 26 Guest Post and Giveaway at Love of Books

Oct. 27 DOUBLE THE FUN!!
 Guest Post and Giveaway at The Bo0ki3 

Review, Guest Post, Interview, and Giveaway at SOS Aloha

Oct. 28 Review, Guest Post, and Giveaway at I Loves to Read

Oct 11, 2011

Book Review: Becoming Sage by Kasi Alexander

October 11, 2011 2 Comments



Hi my beloved readers! I'm giving you my book review of Becoming Sage by Ms. Kasi Alexander. I want to that Ms. Kasi Alexander and Omnific publishing for giving me the chance to review this book. 

Just a little warning: This book is for ADULTS only!

Now that we've got that out of the way... read on!



Kasi Alexander 
Paperback and ebook
ISBN: 978-1-936305-71-1

Book Blurb:



With a failed marriage behind her, Jill Marten was looking to start a new chapter in her life. She had no idea that running into her old friend, Jessie, would unlock a whole new world. When she accepts Jessie's invitation to a party, in order to "try something completely different," it awakens a need to discover her place in a new community. Jessie, also known as sunni, is a submissive slave who is in a loving relationship with her Master, Sir Rune. When Rune and sunni ask Jill to be a part of their family, Jill begins her journey into submission, bondage, and polyamory, even as she questions everything that she has been taught about love and relationships. She begins to face her own desires and fears as she struggles with feelings of jealousy, inadequacy, and self-worth. Once she opens the door to a life she never imagined, a peek through the keyhole is no longer enough, and she must learn what it means to become sage.

Kasi Alexander's debut novel, Becoming sage, is the first installment in The Keyhole Series. An active member of the BDSM community, Kasi brings a true-to-life realism to her writing. This is not traditional erotica, but the series offers an intimate look into the lives of the men and women who live the BDSM lifestyle, in particular, the Master/slave dynamic.


My Thoughts:

'Becoming Sage' by Ms. Kasi Alexander is definitely one of my most unique reads. It was different and it would definitely give the reader a more realistic insight to BDSM. As most of us know, Ms Kasi Alexander is involved in BDSM lifestyle and this is probably why this book became much more intriguing and interesting because as a reader I know what I'm reading has a touch of reality.

I read 'Becoming Sage' in small doses because it was too intense.The three main characters in the story became more real to me because of the conflicting emotions they showed and felt. The complexity of their relationship was interesting. As I read along I saw the progress and falling and then the progress again of the relationship. At times it was hard to read, but I kept going because I wanna know how they resolve their issues. 

You know, I've got to be honest and say that I couldn't decide whether I liked the characters or not. I guess, one could say that I have mixed emotions about them. Sage or Jill, is sometimes hard to like and that makes her more believable because the author didn't make her the perfect heroine. She has these very normal imperfections and her doubts and bitter feelings. Reading what she goes through as a third in the relationship is at times enlightening and other times just plain frustrating. Sunni, I admit that I liked her more than I did Sage. She's more fun, I guess. And I get Sunni more than I did Sage. While, Sir Rune... at first I just wanna go in the book and hit him because I didn't understand why he couldn't just give Sunni and Sage the affection they wanted, but later I came to understand his reasons. Plus, he was sweeter and more fun at the end of the book.

This book is absolutely a must read, if one is looking for a more realistic view of BDSM. I'm not gonna say that I agree with everything that was written in the book. There are some that I do agree with and there are some that I don't. And I guess that's what this is all about, seeing things in another person's perspective.

This book is not your typical romance, in fact there is little romance included in the book, but what I could definitely say is that, the book is simply about life and choices and how one lived with the choices she/he made. I really liked how Ms. Kasi Alexander wrote this book in a very honest way and without glossing over the details that would make some uncomfortable.

Two thumbs up to Ms. Kasi Alexander for writing a fiction that could bring a reader to a different reality from what most of us live in.



Where to buy:



More about the Author:




Kasi Alexander is an author living in the Denver, Colorado area. She is part of the Denver Leather/BDSM/Polyamory communities, and lives the lifestyles she writes about. Her Keyhole Series deals with Rune, sage and sunni, a leather family in a Master/slave dynamic. The stories chronicle the way they came together and how they deal with the realities of being kinky and polyamorous in a world that doesn’t understand their lifestyle.





Cover Reveal: Take Me in the Night by R.L. Kenderson

Today we have the cover reveal for R.L. Kenderson’s TAKE ME IN THE NIGHT! Check it out and pre-order your copy today!   Title: Take ...