Interview & Contest: Inara Scott

Jen: Today we are happy to welcome Inara Scott to Romancing the Book.  Inara, will you please share a short bio with us?

Inara: I was born in the lovely -- but cold -- city of Buffalo NY. While I loved it there, I am perpetually cold, and a bit of a whiner, so I knew I had to head south. I went to Duke University for my undergraduate, and then proceeded to wander around the country, somewhat aimlessly, until I came to Portland, Oregon, where I fell in love and decided to stay. I practiced energy law for ten years before leaving my job to write full time. Right now, I’m doing a mix of writing and contract work, and I’m enjoying myself immensely!

Jen: Tell us about Radiant Desire and where is can be purchased.

Inara: Radiant Desire is an adult romance about a beautiful faerie who must seduce and break the heart of a mortal man, or lose her wings -- and her soul -- forever. It can be found at most on-line retailers in e-book form, and you can order it in paperback from Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

Review: Radiant Desire by Inara Scott

Radiant Desire by Inara Scott
Series: A Handmaid’s Seduction (#1)
Release Date: October 4th, 2011
Publisher: Entangled Publishing, LLC
Page Count: 304 pages
Source: NetGalley

Kaia Verde is one of the four Faerie Handmaids of Zafira, Queen of the Fey. To redress an ancient wrong done to Zafira by a human king, the Handmaids make sport of mortal men, seducing and humiliating them. When Kaia sets out to seduce Garrett Jameson, but ends up being the one surrendering to pleasure, Zafira is furious. Kaia's punishment is simple: make Garrett fall in love with her by the summer solstice, then break his heart, or face eternity without her wings—or her soul. To make the task harder, Zafira tells Kaia she cannot use her faerie magic or charm to lure Garrett into her bed.

Review: Finding Eden by Kele Moon

Finding Eden by Kele Moon
Series: Eden (#2)
Release Date: August 19, 2011
Publisher: Ellora's Cave
Page Count: 131
Source: ebook provided by the publisher

Three lifelong friends find themselves tangled in a web of love, pain and dangerous secrets in this erotic Garden of Eden tale.Tall, dark and handsome Danny Carlow has always gotten whatever he wants except for the two he wants more than anything—his best friends, lovers Paul and Eve. Determined, he waits like a snake in the grass, poised for the right moment to offer them a temptation too delicious to resist.Artist Eve Everton makes the painful decision to leave her true love Paul for the siren call of New York City. Ten years later, with her life in shambles, she returns. When Paul’s waiting arms aren’t available, Eve falls for Danny’s charm and finds herself a willing accomplice in the dangerous games Danny plays.Former college football star Paul Mattling is now a successful attorney with a bright future ahead of him. But behind those brilliant blue eyes are secret desires for a taste of the forbidden. Will he play it safe or give in to Danny and Eve and bite the apple?

Review & Contest: English Tea Murder by Leslie Meier

English Tea Murder by Leslie Meier
Series: Lucy Stone Mysteries (#17)
Release Date: July 1, 2011
Publisher: Kensington Books
Page Count: 304
Source: Goodreads contest win

Lucy Stone is saying cheerio to Tinker’s Cove and jetting off to jolly old England! But when things get dodgy, it appears murder may have followed her across the Atlantic...

Between a busy family and her duties as a reporter for the Pennysaver, Lucy could use a break. So when her friend Pam tells her about a trip to England sponsored by Winchester College, she jumps at the chance for a girls getaway. But when tour leader Professor George Temple dies mid-flight after suffering an asthma attack, Lucy’s glad she packed her sleuthing skills...

In London, Lucy and her pals try to forget their harrowing journey across the pond by indulging in some retail therapy and searching for the perfect afternoon tea, from the Tower of London to the shores of Brighton. Professor Quentin Rea, a ladies’ man and former flirt of Lucy’s, arrives to take over the tour, and she finds that while his hairline may have receded, his amorous intentions have not. She also begins to notice the peculiar behavior of other members of the tour group. And when she discovers that all of them have pasts connected to Professor Temple, she suspects that his death was an elaborate act of revenge.

The truth is as elusive as the perfect cup of tea, and it seems that anyone-or everyone-could be the culprit. But when another tour member dies Lucy is suddenly ensnared in a daring scheme that could lead her to a mastermind of murder-or make her the next victim...

Review: True Grime by Natasha Deen

True Grime by Natasha Deen
Release Date: August 24, 2011
Publisher: Blueberry Hill
Page Count: 275
Source: ebook provided by the author

Grime cop and teen fairy Pepper Powder lives for one thing: protecting the human species from magical zealots who seek to eradicate them with Violent Illness of Unusual Resistance and Strength (humans call them “viruses,” but their mistake is understandable. The very young often get their words wrong.). When a terrorist leader releases a necrophage bomb, it not only decimates Grime headquarters, it turns Pepper into the magical world’s first fairy amputee—but she’s not going to let a little thing like a missing leg stop her. To catch her criminal, and prevent him from unleashing a VIURS in one of the human world’s biggest shopping centers, West Edmonton Mall, she goes undercover as a human. But once Pepper's theories of humanity collide with the reality of bullies, cliques, and environmental destruction, will she still believe humanity's worth saving?

Review: The Incident by Xavier Axelson

The Incident by Xavier Axelson
Publisher: Seventh Window Publications
Release Date: August 13, 2011
Source: Received from author

In the line of duty, decisions that will change your life forever are made in a split-second. Nobody knows that better than Officer Michael Carmac, whose fatal split-second decision haunts his days. Tormented by guilt, Michael seeks solace in a bottle and the friendship he has with his partner, Officer Bertram Angel. But the more he leans on Angel for support, the more Michael discovers a longing that he’s kept hidden for too long. Can Angel help ease the pain of guilt or will Michael’s hidden desires be the end of their friendship?

Review: Late Harvest by Suzanne Barrett

Late Harvest by Suzanne Barrett
Release Date: November 2010
Publisher: Turquoise Morning Press

Source: ebook provided by the publisher

Kurt von Daniken wants only one thing from Glenna Ryan: The key to making Eiswein -- Ice Wine. Five years ago, while working at his family's California winery, she'd begun developing the method to simulate wine made from grapes gathered after a freeze. Now, when the winery desperately needs it, the only person who might be able to duplicate Glenna's process, Kurt's tyrannical Uncle Otto, lies paralyzed by a stroke and near death.

Glenna wants only one thing from the von Danikens: To be left in peace to raise her son, Robbie, who suffers from a birth defect and needs an expensive surgery to repair it. When Kurt suddenly appears at her home, demanding she return to Cresthaven and complete the process, Glenna knows the money she'll earn by doing so will provide Robbie the treatment he needs. She also knows she'll risk having her heart broken, again, by Kurt, the only man she's ever loved. But, what if he discovers the real reason she left Cresthaven?

Review: The One by Lora Leigh

The One by Lora Leigh
Release Date: June 29, 2011
Publisher: Ellora’s Cave
Page Count: 64
Source: ebook provided by the publisher

Brenna's love for Jase has grown from a crush to a soul-searing need, a painful hunger . . . and an unrequited ache, because the savagely sexy Texan doesn't feel the same. A bequest and stipulation in his father's will have hardened Jase, it seems. Now she must endure three months of living under his roof. Three torturous, tension-filled months and Brenna will have fulfilled the stipulation; will be free to attempt to regain the heart lost to Jase so long ago.

Since the age of eighteen, Jase has protected Brenna-from himself, as much as anyone else. Living with her proves too rousing even for his iron will. He'll claim what's his, take Brenna in ways he'd previously only dreamed, sink so deeply inside her luscious body he'll never find his way out. And be damned if he'll let her go.

A scorching Texas summer can't compete with blazing lust as Brenna gives in, gives over, gives all that she is to Jase, to the only man she's every loved . . . to the one (Goodreads)

Review: Storm Called by Dorothy Muir

Storm Called by Dorothy Muir
Series: Ocean Magic
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Release Date: July 6, 2011
Page Count: 62
Source: ebook provided by the publisher

Sean Gordon is head of the Selkies. Powerful, ancient, and invulnerable, he's controlled the clans at the cost of his own family. Years ago, an echo of loneliness called him ashore, almost binding him to a life on land. He escaped to the sea, but he’s never forgotten the woman who revitalized his soul.

Kerry Duff never expected to see Sean again after their magical night together twenty-one years ago. But Kerry is still addicted to the mythical creature who slipped away with the dawn tide, and she is driven by an insatiable need to find him.

Now, face-to-face again, Sean realizes Kerry is destined to be his mate—and the secret she has kept from him represents the renewal of his clan. But an enemy clan is determined to exploit Sean’s new-found weakness. Can Kerry and Sean trust each other enough to prevent the destruction of their clan?

Guest & Contest: Cidney Swanson

Truth and Beauty

A few months ago in a dark movie theater watching the last Harry Potter movie, I remembered why I love to write. I didn’t make it for the midnight viewings because I’d promised my niece that we would watch it together. (We’re both very bookish and deeply devoted to all things JK Rowling.) When she arrived to visit, a couple of days after the premiere, we marched down to the local Cinemark.

Review: Chameleon by Cidney Swanson

Chameleon by Cidney Swanson
Series: Ripple (#2)
Publication Date: September 6, 2011
Publisher: Williams Press
Pages: 189
Source: ebook provided by author

Sixteen-year-old Samantha Ruiz has a lot on her mind. The crush who kissed her but changed his mind. The BFF who thinks Sam is in an abusive relationship. The geneticist who wanted Sam dead but now wants her ALIVE. And of course, Sam’s still dealing with a tendency to disappear into thin air. When Sam learns of her nemesis Helmann’s Nazi-like plan to establish a Thousand-Year Reign, she’s determined to fight him. Along with Will and Mickie, Sam flees to France to meet Sir Walter—their best hope for stopping Helmann’s brave new world.
But Sam isn’t any safer in France. Someone is following her. Someone invisible. Sam will have to figure out how to hide from an enemy she can’t even see.

Review: The Mephisto Covenant by Trinity Faegen

The Mephisto Covenant by Trinity Faegen
Release Date: September 27th, 2011
Publisher: EgmontUSA
Page Count: 448 pages
Source: NetGalley

Sasha is desperate to find out who murdered her father. When getting the answer means pledging her soul to Eryx, she unlocks a secret that puts her in grave danger—she is an Anabo, a daughter of Eve, and Eryx’s biggest threat.

A son of Hell, immortal, and bound to Earth forever, Jax looks for redemption in the Mephisto Covenant—God’s promise he will find peace in the love of an Anabo. After a thousand years, he’s finally found the girl he’s been searching for: Sasha.

With the threat of Eryx always looming, Jax knows he has to keep Sasha safe and win her over. But can he? Will Sasha love him and give up her mortal life?

Review: Lord of Rage by Jill Monroe

Lord of Rage by Jill Monroe
Series: Royal House of Shadows (#2)
Publication Date: September 20, 2011
Publisher: Harlequin
Pages: 288
Source: NetGalley

Princess Breena had been dreaming of her warrior lover when she was ripped from her Elden castle and thrown into a strange, dangerous realm. Lost and alone, she prayed for survival and vengeance for her stolen kingdom. She found both in a woodland cottage…in a dark bear of a man.

The golden-haired beauty had eaten his food and slept in his bed when Osborn found her. Though he wanted to awaken his virgin princess to carnal pleasures, Breena wanted more—including his warrior skills. Skills the once-legendary mercenary had long buried. Now Osborn had a choice—risk his life or deny his princess her fairy-tale ending.

Interview & Contest: Lisa Darling

Jen: Today we welcome Lisa Darling to Romancing the Book.  Lisa, will you please share a short bio with us?

Lisa: I'm 45, married 25 years to my talented husband, Roy, we have two adult daughters who don't seem to want to leave home.

Jen: Tell us about the "OF WAR" series and where is can be purchased.

Lisa: The "OF WAR" series revolves around Ares God of War and Magdalena MacLeod a half-fey half-human woman with whom he falls in love. Although the series is set in modern day it involves a full array of the Greek Pantheon including Zeus, Hera, Apollo, Aphrodite and Eros as major players. Currently Book #1 "The Heart of War" is widely available on Amazon, Booksamillion, and Barnes and Noble in paperback, in ebook you can get it from Nook, Kindle, iBooks, Kobo, Diesel, All Romance e-books, Smashwords and others. Book #2 "Child of War-A God is Born" is currently available in limited edition signed hard cover through the publisher only. It's also available in paperback through the above retailers and releases in mass e-book on November 25th. Books #3 and #4 will release in early 2012 and late 2012 respectively.

Excerpt: Child of War-A God is Born by Lisa Darling

After taking the first sip, Zeus handed the chalice off to Apollo who then handed it to Alena—who always felt funny about taking her sip and so, generally, only pretended to do—who handed it to Eros. The others quietly waited to take their turn drinking from the cup making its way around the table. When the chalice finally made its way back to Zeus, he sat and Aglaia began filling his plate with items he pointed to with a greedy finger. His plate full, the rest were then free to partake of the feast, each with a Muse or a Grace to assist them with everything from putting the food onto their plate, to cutting their meat, filling their chalices when they were empty, and if asked to do so actually feeding the Olympian they were attending that evening.

Jacquelyn Frank special contest and sale price

Please note, there's a date correction here... the sale is on Friday, November 4.  Sorry for any confusion!

In order to celebrate the release of ADAM, this Friday (November 4), JACOB, the first book in Jacquelyn Frank's Nightwalker series, will be available for Nook and Kindle for only $1.79. This sale price will be available for one day only.  So mark your calendars and pick up your copy of JACOB on Friday!

To top it off, Kensington has graciously offered up a print copy of book two, GIDEON, for one of our readers.  The contest is open to US and Canadian residents over the age of 18.  To enter, you first need to leave a comment letting us know if you've read any of Jacquelyn's books.  If so, which is your favorite?  If not, why do you want to win this book?  You can then earn additional entries by following Jacquelyn on Facebook and/or Twitter.  Use the Rafflecopter form below to enter.  If the form is not working, you can either mention it (and your entries) in the comments or by emailing admin.bookblog AT gmail.com.  The winner will be chosen on Wednesday, November 9.

Review: Belong to Me by Shayla Black

Belong to Me by Shayla Black
Series: Wicked Lovers (#5)
Publication Date: October 4, 2011
Publisher: Berkley Heat
Source:  ARC provided by author

She’s undercover and in over her head…

When FBI analyst Tara Jacobs’ fellow agent and best friend goes missing while investigating a sex ring, Tara goes undercover as a submissive in a Dallas BDSM club called Dominion. But no man can top a woman with Tara’s moxie convincingly enough—until an edgy, dangerous Dom takes control of the scene and sets her heart racing with a single, commanding glance. Too bad he’s also the man who stole her innocence years ago—and the one to whom she will never submit.

He’s got everything under control…until he falls for her again.

Navy SEAL Logan Edgington once left the woman he loved to save her life. He knows Tara will never forgive him, but he has no doubt that he possesses the knowledge to master her fears and the strength to guide her through an unfamiliar world of pleasure and pain. He alone can protect her on a dangerous mission that reveals both wicked depravities and terrible secrets. Logan relishes the exquisite torture of holding her again, feeling her uninhibited response. No matter how much Tara insists their fling will end after this mission, he’s determined that she will be his again—and this time, he’ll never let her go.

Guest & Contest: Lauren Hawkeye

Thanks for having me!

Quite often when I read a book, I superimpose a familiar face onto a character. It can be the face of someone near and dear to me, or the face of a celebrity, of even the face of someone that I just happened to meet the day that I started reading the book. Some that stick out in my mind: Grace in Brenda Novak's Stillwater trilogy looks like one of my sorority sisters from university, Elle in Megan Hart's Dirty is my friend's sister. Anya in Gena Showalter's Lords of the Underworld series is Elizabeth Banks. Cian in Nora Roberts' Morrigan's Cross is Gale Harold. Sometimes this influences how I feel about a character, but more often, picturing the character as this person changes my view of the celebrity/ person who has unwittingly been cast in my current read.

Review: Back in the Saddle by Ashlynn Monroe

Back in the Saddle by Ashlynn Monroe
Series: 1 Night Stand
Publisher: Decadent Publishing
Release Date: July 19, 2011
Page Count: 26
Source: ebook provided by the publisher

All Jesa wants is peace from her father and aunt meddling in her life. When she decides to use 1 Night Stand to find a date, she never imagines she’d be matched with the very type of man she’s trying to avoid.
David is a werewolf. As the oldest male in his family he must battle the inner violence that his wolf begs him to unleash. His sister’s meddling leads him and Jesa to a meeting that will rock their worlds, bringing them an emotional connection and ecstasy neither expected.

Review: Water by Nicki Greenwood

Water by Nicki Greenwood
Series: Elemental Series (#2)
Publisher: Wild Rose Press
Release Date: 2011
Source: ebook provided by the publisher

Water Elemental MORGAN CLIFTON has finally found her haven as the chef at a bed-and-breakfast on beautiful Nantucket Island. Then slick and sexy businessman TRENT WILLIAMS arrives to buy the property out from under her, and he's equal parts infuriating and irresistible. Can she hang onto her senses and the secret of her gift, or will she lose her heart as well as her home?

Review: Autumn Duchess by Lucinda Brant

Autumn Duchess by Lucinda Brant
Series: Roxton (#3)
Release Date: August 8, 2011
Publisher: Sprigleaf
Source: book provided by the author

A beautiful duchess mourns for her beloved.A sun-bronzed merchant returns to claim a birthright.
Disparate souls in need of love and renewal.
Paths cross and the journey begins...

Set in Hampshire England in 1777, it is the story of Antonia, the heroine of Noble Satyr, and how she emerges from utter despair after the death of her husband and soul mate the Duke of Roxton to unexpectedly find love again.

Review: Coffee Time at Little Angels by Nadine Rose Larter

Coffee Time at Little Angels by Nadine Rose Larter
Release Date: May 26th 2011
Publisher: Katalina Playroom
Pages: 188
Source: book provided by the author

Phillip, Sarah, Kaitlyn, Caleb, Maxine, Grant, Melanie and Josh grew up in a small town where they spent their high school years together as an inseparable clique. But high school has ended, and they are all living their own “grown up” lives, each under the impression that their group has basically come to an end. When Phillip dies in a hit and run accident, Kaitlyn summons the others to all come back home, forcing a reunion that no one is particularly interested in partaking in.

Coffee at Little Angels follows how each character deals with the death of a childhood friend while at the same time dealing with their own ignored demons after years of separation. Events unfold as the group tries to rekindle the friendship they once shared to honour the memory of a friend they will never see again.

Review: Giving Up the Ghost by Melissa Ecker

Giving Up the Ghost by Melissa Ecker
Release Date: April 25th, 2011
Publisher: Turquoise Morning Press
Page Count: 272 pages
Source: ebook provided by the publisher

Kylie McAllister has it all until her world is shattered by the death of her husband, Jackson, in a car accident. After a year of grieving, Kylie uses the proceeds from Jackson’s life insurance to purchase a plantation home on the outskirts of New Orleans to start over with their daughter, Abby. Confirmed bachelor, Ryan LaCroix, has no intentions of settling down with anyone, let alone his best friend’s widow, but somehow Kylie and Abby find their way into his heart. After discovering an old Ouija board in the attic of her new home, Kylie unwittingly opens a cosmic door to an incubus who pretends to be the dead husband she is so desperately struggling to let go of. She falls deep under his potent spell of delicious sex and malevolent obsession while he gradually drains her life to fortify his own. By the time she realizes he’s an imposter, she is powerless to stop him. Together, with Jackson’s subliminal guidance and the help of a kind voodoo practitioner, Ryan and Kylie wage a fight for her life against the evil entity.

Review: The Mad Baron by Summer Devon

The Mad Baron by Summer Devon
Release Date: March 21st 2011
Publisher: Liquid Silver Books
Source: ebook provided by the author

Nathaniel, the new Baron Felston, awakes from a fever to discover he’s a prisoner on his own estate. At first, certain he’s gone insane; Nathaniel learns potent opiates are the cause of his strange vision. But, barricaded in a small room, he can’t outwit his mysterious jailer.

Determined to steal back one of her father’s swords, Florrie Cadero gets more than she bargained for when she breaks into the baron’s mansion. The dashing, drugged man in the locked room soon sweeps her into his story—and his bed. When she discovers they’re trapped together, she devises a clever escape. Addicted to his captor’s drugs and bent on revenge, Nathaniel seeks out the feisty thief who freed him. Florrie, now a shop girl, has foresworn her life of adventure. But Nathaniel’s offer of employment intrigues her. Together they must break his addiction and expose the villain who would destroy his life.

Review: The Arrivals by Meg Mitchell Moore

The Arrivals by Meg Mitchell Moore
Publication Date: May 25, 2011
Publisher: Little, Brown & Company
Page Count: 320
Source: SheKnows Book Club

It's early summer when Ginny and William's peaceful life in Vermont comes to an abrupt halt.

First, their daughter Lillian arrives, with her two children in tow, to escape her crumbling marriage. Next, their son Stephen and his pregnant wife Jane show up for a weekend visit, which extends indefinitely when Jane ends up on bed rest. When their youngest daughter Rachel appears, fleeing her difficult life in New York, Ginny and William find themselves consumed again by the chaos of parenthood - only this time around, their children are facing adult problems.

By summer's end, the family gains new ideas of loyalty and responsibility, exposing the challenges of surviving the modern family - and the old adage, once a parent, always a parent, has never rung so true.

Review: Cross Currents by John Shors

Cross Currents by John Shors
Release Date: September 2011
Publisher: New American Library
Page Count: 322
Source: book provided by the author's publicist

Thailand's pristine Ko Phi Phi island attracts tourists from around the world. There, struggling to make ends meet, small-resort owners Lek and Sarai are happy to give an American named Patch room and board in exchange for his help. But when Patch's brother, Ryan, arrives, accompanied by his girlfriend, Brooke, Lek learns that Patch is running from the law, and his presence puts Lek's family at risk. Meanwhile, Brooke begins to doubt her love for Ryan while her feelings for Patch blossom.

In a landscape where nature's bounty seems endless, these two families are swept up in an approaching cataclysm that will require all their strength of heart and soul to survive.

Review: The Christmas Throwaway by RJ Scott

The Christmas Throwaway by RJ Scott
Release Date: February 27, 2011
Publisher: Silver Publishing
Page Count: 100
Source: purchased for pleasure

Christmas is a time for giving - what do you do when no one gives a damn?

For Zachary Weston Christmas means sleeping on a churchyard bench in the freezing snow with nothing better in his future. Thrown out of his home for being gay, he is left without money or, it seems, anywhere to go.

Until a stranger shows him that some people do give a lot more than a damn.

Ben Hamilton is a rookie cop in his small home town. He finds a young throwaway, fresh from the city, sleeping on a bench in the churchyard on a snowy Christmas Eve. Can he be the one to give Zachary his own Christmas miracle?

Review: Caskets and Corruption by Cindy A Christiansen

Caskets and Corruption by Cindy A Christiansen
Publisher: Secret Cravings Publishing
Release Date: Aug. 1, 2011
Source: ebook provided by the publisher

Lizzie, a portrait artist of the dead, is looking for adventure amongst the living. But, after discovering a drug operation involving military caskets, she’s chased across the country with Phillip Van Dyke, a stiff-necked funeral director and her sister’s hairless dog as a stowaway. Can she exhume Phillip’s heart before the drug cartel catches up with them?

Review: Wild and Unruly by Amanda McIntyre

Wild and Unruly by Amanda McIntyre
Release Date: September 1, 2011
Series: Tales of the Sweet Magnolia (# 1)
Publisher: Decadent Publishing Company, LLC
Page Count: 171 pages
Source: ebook provided by the publisher

Single, misjudged, and socially sequestered, library curator Lillian White lives vicariously through her beloved books of the bawdy Old West, dreaming of the cowboy that will take her away from her lonely life until the day she discovers a mysterious, antique necklace with the power to tap into her deepest desires and possibly change her life forever.

Sheriff Jake Sloan is Deadwater Gulch’s “good son.” A man married to the law, his heart secretly yearns for the Magnolia’s headmistress, a soiled dove forbidden to him and his perfect reputation, until he saves her life from a ruthless gunman and injured, winds up convalescing in her bed.

Can a librarian with secret fantasies, make it as a bordello madam? And can a sheriff with his career in the balance fall in love with her? Be careful what you wish for...you just might get it.

Review: Nocturne by Syrie James

Nocturne by Syrie James
Release Date: January 4, 2011
Publisher: Vanguard Press
Page Count: 264
Source: book provided by the publisher

When Nicole Whitcomb’s car runs off a Colorado mountain road during a blinding snowstorm, she is saved from death by a handsome, fascinating, and enigmatic stranger.

Snowbound with him for days in his beautiful home high in the Rockies, she finds herself powerfully attracted to him and soon comes to realize that the feeling is mutual. But there are things about him that mystify her, filling her with apprehension—and Nicole can’t shake the feeling that he doesn’t want her there.

Who is Michael Tyler? Why does he live alone in such a secluded spot and guard his private life so carefully? What secret—or secrets—is he hiding?

Nicole has secrets of her own and a past she is running from—but Michael understands her better than anyone she has ever known. Soon, she is falling as deeply in love with him as he is with her.

But as the sexual tension between them builds, the clues mount up. When Nicole learns the terrifying truth—that her host is an ages-old vampire who is torn between his love for her and his desire for her blood—there’s nowhere for her to run but into the blizzard raging outside, and he’s the only one who can save her life.

Filled with unexpected twists and surprises, Nocturne is a page-turning, haunting, and deeply romantic story of forbidden love that will grab your heart and not let go.

Review: Red Leather Reunion by Karen Bostrom

Red Leather Reunion by Karen Bostrom
Series: Class of 85
Release Date: June 2,2011
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Page Count: 44
Source: ebook provided by the publisher

Ron Granger never expected his twenty-fifth high school reunion to bring his heart's desire one step closer to reality. But when Jane Hunter shows up unexpectedly—in a hot red leather dress, no less—Ron wonders if he'll finally get a second chance to tell her how he feels.

Local TV reporter Jane Hunter never wanted to attend another Summerville High School reunion—not after the explosive split with her ex-husband twenty years ago. But the opportunity to defuse his mean-spirited campaign to smear her is too enticing to miss. Besides, she's after something more important than compliments and envy in her killer red dress—it’s another man from her past she’s hoping to dazzle.

Unrequited love, resentment, and vengeance create a steamy mix—will the lives of these three estranged friends ever be the same?

Review: Nerds are Freaks Too by Koko Brown

Nerds are Freaks Too by Koko Brown
Release Date: August 31, 2011
Publisher: Ellora's Cave (Fusion)
Page Count: 100
Source: ebook provided by publisher

Roxanne is stunned when her best friend, Leo, admits his feelings for her--she's so not going there. Lovers may come and go, but true friends are hard to find. Instead, she enlists his help to sign her up for an online fetish dating site. She immediately meets a man who can help her explore her kinky side, starting with a chat session that leads to the best orgasm of her life. While her body's satisfied, her mind can't forget Leo's confession… Leo, meanwhile, isn't giving up so easily. He knows Roxanne like the back of his hand, knows what she needs, and he's more than equipped to give it to her. Subtle touches, a sexy spanking, the most erotic dessert-eating session ever… Leo is successfully proving that computer nerds can be sexual freaks too--until Roxanne discovers his secret. One that could kill not only a potential relationship, but their longtime friendship as well.

Review: The LA Commandments by Gillian Duffy

The LA Commandments by Gillian Duffy
Publisher: Book Republic; A Boutique Publishing Press
Release Date: Sept. 2011
Source: ebook provided by the publisher

Joanne Kavanagh and best friend Suzie pack their bags and swap dreary, depressing Dublin for the cool Californian coast. Both are determined to start a new life in the land of opportunity, leaving behind the recession and their complicated families.

They make a pact at the airport to stick religiously to the ‘LA Commandments’, a list of ten ‘Thou Shalt Nots’ for their new life in LA, including ‘Thou Shall Not Fall in Love,’ but when Jo befriends sexy, shy musician Marc, and Suzie falls for womanizing bar-man Chris, not only are the commandments at risk of being broken, but also the girls’ hearts…

With all California has to offer —sunshine, shopping, killer nightlife, and drop-dead-gorgeous men, will the girls stay faithful to the LA Commandments?

Contest winners

We just picked a whole bunch of winners and decided not to wait until Sunday for the official posting.  All winners have been contacted...

Lila DiPasqua contest -- May, Sarah
Fire on Dark Water contest --  Miki
Spooktacular Hop winners -- Gabriela, Laura Ann, Ashlyn, Marissa, Sarika, Elizabeth, Julee
Lisa Becker contest -- Margaret, Dee, Honey, MJB
Pamela Palmer contest -- Jet, Alainala

As always, if you didn't win, there are always more opportunities with the links found at the top of the left hand sidebar.

Guest & Contest: Jacquelyn Frank

Hello you crazy reading fiends. And yes, I DO include myself in that. Though not so much reading time for myself these days, I have the heavily laden bookshelves to prove I am a permanent member of the reading-fiend fan club. But now I’m reading off my Kindle (and heavily craving a NOOK color in spite of the fact that I will have my library split in twain.) I have also recently discovered the joys of audiobooks! (The NIGHTWALKERS series is in audio at last! You can get them here and here!) Anyway, I’m happy to talk with you all.

Review: Forever Freed by Laura Kaye

Forever Freed by Laura Kaye

Publication Date: May 3, 2011
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Page Count: 332
Source: ebook provided by publisher

A heart can break, even one that no longer beats.

I stalk my new neighbors, a single mother and her child, drawn by the irresistible scent of their joy and love. I crave their blood, starved for some healing respite from my ancient grief. Now to lure them into my grasp.

But they surprise me. Little Olivia accepts me without fear or reservation-talking, smiling, offering innocent affection that tugs at my long-lost humanity. Her mother, Samantha, seeks me out when she should stay away, offering sweet friendship, and calling to the forgotten man within me. They lure me instead.

Ah, Dio, Lucien, run and spare them while you can...