10 things I need to have in my writing environment:
REVIEW: The Last Slayer by Nadia Lee
Title: The Last Slayer (Amazon)
Series: The Heartstone Trilogy, #1
Author: Nadia Lee
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Source: review copy from author
Published: December 2011 by Carina Press
Ashera del Cid is a talented demon hunter, but when she kills a demigod's pet dragon, the hunter becomes the hunted. Her only potential ally is Ramiel, a sexy-as-hell demon. Now the two must work together to battle dragons and demigods...and the chemistry crackling between them.Ramiel has his own reasons for offering Ashera his protection. He knows her true identity and the real reason the demigods want her dead. What he can't predict is how she'll react when she discovers he knew who she was all along...
Ashera is shocked to discover that she is the only daughter of the last slayer. To claim her destiny, she and Ramiel must join forces to face down danger and outwit their enemies. Only then will she be able to truly accept her legacy...
On My Wishlist (106)
On My Wishlist is a fun weekly event hosted by Book Chick City and runs every Saturday. It's where I list all the books I desperately want but haven't actually bought yet. They can be old, new or forthcoming. If you want to know more click here.
Author Guest Post & Giveaway: Dee J. Adams
What Makes A Book Good?
Everyone has something different that they like in a book. We all know it’s a subjective art. (As is any art!) Take romantic suspense for instance. (May as well use it as an example since that’s what I write.) I’m a fan of action, sexual tension, snappy banter and humor and not necessarily in any specific order as long as it’s all there. So that’s what I try and deliver. But the reader next to me might like a ton of action and think there’s no place for humor when characters are running for their lives. And still another reader might want a ton more sex and skip the action (unless it’s between the sheets!). I think a combination of all the things on my list make up a good book. Who doesn’t love a little comedy to lighten a serious or scary moment? Personally, I think a good sense of humor is way more attractive than the always-serious-never-let-them-see-you-smile hero. (Humor especially helps me get through the tough times, and I’d like to think it does the same for my characters.)
KINDLE DEALS: Sourcebooks Romance and Fiction
All promotional pricing valid from
2/21/2012 – 3/5/2012.
Dreaming of the Wolf by Terry Spear
Promotional Price: $1.99
A FIERCE HUNTER...
Alicia Greiston is a no-nonsense bounty hunter determined to bring a ring of mobsters to justice. Her dogged pursuit of the crime family has forced her to avoid relationships— any man would only become a target for retribution. Luckily, Jake Silver is more than a man, and his instincts are telling him to stop at nothing to protect her.
AN ANIMAL PASSION...
However, the mob isn't entirely human either, and soon Alicia must flee for her life. When Alicia and Jake's passion begins to spill over into their dreams, Jake learns he will have to do more than defend her— he'll have to show his mate the way of the wolf.
Terry Spear’s new book A SEAL in Wolf’s Clothing releases on 03/06/2012.
REVIEW: If You Know Her by Shiloh Walker
Title: If You Know Her (Amazon)
Series: The Ash Trilogy, #3
Author: Shiloh Walker
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Source: review copy from author
Published: February 28, 2012 by Ballantine Books
A SHADOW IN THE WINDOW.Nia Hollister doesn’t scare easily. Come hell or high water, she intends to find her cousin’s killer. She returns to Ash, Kentucky, for answers. What she doesn’t expect is to ache with desire every time she sees Law Reilly. If any man can help her escape the nightmares for a while, it’s him. But can she allow herself to take comfort in those strong arms when a murderer still roams free?
Unknown to Nia, as she quietly slips into Law Reilly’s home, is that she’s being watched—by someone who is waiting for an opportunity to strike.
Timing is everything, though he can’t wait forever. If she’s not frightened, she soon will be. Nia has made a vow to find her cousin’s killer. She should be careful what she wishes for.
On My Wishlist (105)
On My Wishlist is a fun weekly event hosted by Book Chick City and runs every Saturday. It's where I list all the books I desperately want but haven't actually bought yet. They can be old, new or forthcoming. If you want to know more click here.
Under Fire (Elite Force, #3) by Catherine Mann (Amazon)
A decorated hero, pararescueman Liam McCabe lives to serve. Six months ago, he and Rachel Flores met in the horrific aftermath of an earthquake in the Bahamas. They were tempted by an explosive attraction, yet parted ways. Still, Liam has thought about Rachel every day—and night—since.Now, after ignoring all his phone calls for six months, Rachel has turned up on base with a wild story about a high-ranking military traitor. She claims no one but Liam can help her—and she won’t trust anyone else.
With nothing but her word and the testimony of a discharged military cop to go on, Liam would be insane to risk his career—even his life—to help this woman who left him in the dust.
I got a glimpse at Liam and Rachel’s budding romance while reading Hot Zone (my review) and I want more. I want them to get their HEA.
The Iron Hunt (Hunter Kiss, #1) by Marjorie M. Liu (Amazon)
Demon hunter Maxine Kiss wears her armor as tattoos, which unwind from her body to take on forms of their own at night. They stand between her and her enemies, just as Maxine stands between humanity and the demons breaking out from behind the prison veils. It is a life lacking in love, reveling in death, until one moment—and one man— changes everything.
I need more UF. I just can’t seem to get enough of this genre.
What’s on your wishlist?
BOOK SPOTLIGHT: PODs by Michelle Pickett
Title: PODs
Author: Michelle Pickett
Genre: Young Adult, Sci-fi, Thriller
Release Date: June 2013 by Spencer Hill Press
Seventeen-year-old Eva is a chosen one. Chosen to live, while others meet a swift and painful death from an incurable virus so lethal, a person is dead within days of symptoms emerging. In the POD system, a series of underground habitats built by the government, she waits with the other chosen for the deadly virus to claim those above. Separated from family and friends, it's in the PODs she meets David. And while true love might not conquer all, it's a balm for the broken soul.After a year, scientists believe the population has died, and without living hosts, so has the virus. That's the theory, anyway. But when the PODs are opened, survivors find the surface holds a vicious secret. The virus mutated, infecting those left top-side and creating... monsters.
Eva and David hide from the infected in the abandoned PODs. Together they try to build a life--a new beginning. But the infected follow and are relentless in their attacks. Leaving Eva and David to fight for survival, and pray for a cure.
Reading the synopsis just gave me the chills. Sounds like PODs is going to by a dystopian-esque type thriller. What do you think?
BOOK SPOTLIGHT: Touch of Death by Kelly Hashway
Title: Touch of Death
Author: Kelly Hashway
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal
Release Date: January 2013 by Spencer Hill Press
Jodi Marshall isn't sure how she went from normal teenager to walking disaster. One minute she's in her junior year of high school, spending time with her amazing boyfriend and her best friend. The next she's being stalked by some guy no one seems to know.After the stranger, Alex, reveals himself, Jodi learns he's not a normal teenager and neither is she. With a kiss that kills and a touch that brings the dead back to life, Jodi discovers she's part of a branch of necromancers born under the 13th sign of the zodiac, Ophiuchus. A branch of necromancers that are descendents of Medusa. A branch of necromancers with poisoned blood writhing in their veins.
Jodi's deadly to the living and even more deadly to the deceased. She has to leave her old, normal life behind before she hurts the people she loves. As if that isn't difficult enough, Jodi discovers she's the chosen one who has to save the rest of her kind from perishing at the hands of Hades. If she can't figure out how to control her power, history will repeat itself, and her race will become extinct.
On My Wishlist (104)
On My Wishlist is a fun weekly event hosted by Book Chick City and runs every Saturday. It's where I list all the books I desperately want but haven't actually bought yet. They can be old, new or forthcoming. If you want to know more click here.
Baby, Drive South (Southern Roads, #1) by Stephanie Bond (Amazon) The hardheaded Armstrong brothers are determined to rebuild their tornado-ravaged hometown in the Georgia mountains. They've got the means, they've got the manpower…what they need are women! So they place an ad in a northern newspaper and wait for the ladies to answer their call….Porter, the youngest Armstrong, is all for importing women. Still, he's so blown away by the sheer numbers, he falls off the water tower. Luckily there's a doctor among the newcomers—sweet and sexy Dr. Nikki Salinger.
And Porter has every intention of checking out her bedside manner….
Baby, Come Home (Southern Roads, #2) by Stephanie Bond (Amazon) The hardheaded Armstrong brothers are determined to rebuild their tornado-ravaged hometown in the Georgia mountains. They've got the means, they've got the manpower…what they need are women! So they place an ad in a Northern newspaper and wait for the ladies to arrive.…Sensible yet sexy middle brother Kendall Armstrong penned that ad himself—but there's just one woman he really wants to answer the call.…
Civil engineer Amy Bradshaw—Kendall's ex-fiancée—fled Sweetness years ago, taking a precious souvenir with her. She's back now…but only on a professional level. Really.
Little does she know that old flames always burn the hottest.…
Baby, Don’t Go (Southern Roads, #3) by Stephanie Bond (Amazon) The hardheaded Armstrong brothers are determined to rebuild their tornado-ravaged hometown in the Georgia mountains. They've got the means, they've got the manpower…what they need are women! So they place an ad in a Northern newspaper and wait for the ladies to arrive.…Eldest brother Marcus Armstrong considers the estrogen-influx an irritating distraction. He's running a town, not a dating service!
Reporter Alicia Randall thinks the Armstrong brothers are running a scam and she intends to prove it—even if it means seducing oh-so-sexy Marcus in the process. Sizzling sex and a hot story? Win-win!
At least it is, until she falls for the guy. Will love trump betrayal when the truth comes out?
I had gotten Baby, I’m Yours (Southern Roads, #0.5) as a free Kindle read and I loved it! So I definitely want to read the trilogy.
What’s on your wishlist?
Demons at Deadnight Blog Tour
I am happy to have the mother/daughter writing duo A&E Kirk here on The Book Vixen today! They are going to share some secrets with us about being a mother/daughter writing team. There is also a giveaway and the secret phrase at the end of this post, so keep your eyes pealed for that.
Ten Things You Don’t Know About This Mother/Daughter Writing Team
1) Writing Process: Eileen gets her ideas while showering or driving and needs complete silence to write—graveyards are her preferred writing locations. Alyssa gets her inspiration from and writes while grooving to music.
2) Vocabulary: Alyssa really does talk like a nerd. Her vocabulary includes not only “groovy,” but also “trollop,” “skeedattle,” “coolio,” “jeez Louise,” and “Jiminy Cricket.” Yes, she earns a lot of snickers and odd looks.
3) Competition: We have daily competitions while we write to see who can write the most words in the shortest amount of time and the loser bakes a lavish dessert for the winner. It’s great for our career, not so much for our girlish figures.
Alyssa: I usually win.
Eileen: She’s delusional.
4) Romance Scenes: The first time Alyssa wrote a romance scene she was such an embarrassed blushing mess she only wrote it in her room with all the doors locked and wouldn’t let Eileen read it for two weeks. To this day she can’t talk about or read aloud romance scenes without her voice getting squeaky and her entire face going red.
5) Working Hours: Most of our writing goes on from 11pm to 3am, which is about the time Mr. Kirk gets up for work and he tucks us into bed.
6) Van Helsing: He’s real! Alyssa created Aurora’s cat because she desperately wanted to name a cat Van Helsing. When we got our next rescue cat, she named him Van Helsing and, as punishment, her brothers named the other rescue kitty Dracula. That’s right, every night we go out calling for Dracula and Van Helsing to come home. Our neighbors think we’re nuts.
7) Writing Team: We didn’t start out as a mother/daughter writing team. Alyssa had written several drafts of Demons At Deadnight. Then the family gave her a trip to a writing conference for her 18th birthday and she wanted to submit her first pages for review by another writer. She asked Eileen to look it over and give input. We attended the conference together, got all sorts of great info and have been collaborating ever since.
8) Writing Conferences: Alyssa was so young (17-18) when we attended, at some conferences many people wouldn’t talk to her, only Eileen. Ouch!
9) Recipes: All the recipes in the book are tried and true by our family. Eileen really drinks Ayden’s Hot Hex Boy Tea (it’s called Montana Gold). After trying several recipes, our family heartily agreed on Alyssa’s delicious find for Jayden’s Decadent Chocolate Cookies.
10) Matthias: The Hex Boy character of Matthias was always going to be from a foreign country, but we chose Australia because….*drum roll please*…we like Australian accents. Yep, that’s it. But come on, who wouldn’t want to sit and listen to these Australians talk? Okay, so maybe talking isn’t the only thing we’d like them to do.
Brianna, thanks so much for having us today. It’s been a pleasure. And kudos to you for doing so much while being such a busy mom!
Alyssa and Eileen
Good to know I’m not the only one who stills says ‘coolio’. LOL And that is too funny about your cats’ names!!
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Anyone who says this mother-daughter team doesn’t mesh has only seen them trying to put out the fire from the stupid wires behind the television that should’ve been more clearly labeled.
Alyssa, the A in A&E, has gone from mucking out horse stalls and taping her eyes open during college lectures, to writing novels. When she’s not writing, reading, or running down the halls flapping her coat while singing the Batman theme song, she’s either dancing or immersed in anime.
Eileen has much more class. Even a degree. Fancy. Mother of three lovably peculiar children—all of which like to point out how short she is. Even though she really isn’t—they’re just freaking giants. Happily married, she enjoys escaping like a bat out of hell horseback riding at a leisurely speed around the mountains surrounding their home.
Demons at Deadnight is their debut novel, and currently they’re eating bon bons and watching TV diligently working on the next epic Divinicus Nex adventure.
Find the authors online: website | facebook
ABOUT THE BOOK
For seventeen-year-old Aurora Lahey, survival is a lifestyle.DEMONIC DESTINY
Aurora has the crappiest superpower on the planet. And it’s just unleashed a hit squad from hell. Demons are on the hunt, salivating to carve her carcass into confetti.CHARISMATIC KILLERS
The Hex Boys—mysterious, hunky, and notorious for their trails of destruction—have the answers Aurora needs to survive. But their overload of deadly secrets and suspicious motives makes trusting them a potentially fatal move.LETHAL ALLIES
The battle to save her family, herself, and stop demonic domination may cost Aurora everything worth living for, and force her to reveal her own dark secrets. But no worries. She needs the Hex Boys to pull this off, and, chances are, teaming up with these guys will get her killed anyway.
Amazon | BN | Goodreads | Book Trailer
**GIVEAWAY**
Thanks to A&E Kirk, one lucky winner will receive a paperback or an eBook (through Amazon Kindle gifting) of Demons at Deadnight!!
- Giveaway open Internationally.
- Comments are appreciated, however, you must fill out the Rafflecopter form in order to enter this giveaway.
- Please read the Contest/Giveaway Policy before entering.
- You have until midnight (EST) on Thursday, February 23rd, 2012 to enter.
Good luck to all who enter!
To enter to win the Kindle Fire you need to know the secret phrase given out one word at a time by each blog tour host. Put the words together in sequential order and you'll eventually have the secret phrase! Right now you can Tweet and Follow on the AEKIRK Blog Tour Page to get points but starting March 9 (at the end of the tour) you can enter the complete phrase on the AEKIRK Blog Tour Page and earn BIG entry points! Your Kindle Fire will also include your choice of a DEMONS AT DEADNIGHT Skin. Either from the cover, or a Hex Boy group shot or individual "Team" skin of your favorite Hex Hunk!
The secret word for this stop on the blog tour is: OF
See the Demons at Deadnight Blog Tour Page for more information and to see the blog tour schedule.Author Guest Post & Giveaway: Dianne Duvall
Vampires, Immortals, and Ghosts, Oh My!
I couldn’t help but notice that, in recent years, ghosts have become even more popular than vampires, at least in visual media. Reality shows that revolve around ghosts have popped up on almost every basic cable channel. Some follow investigative teams who attempt to validate reported sightings and experiences using electronic equipment. Some highlight haunted houses, hotels, landmarks, and the like. There are shows that allow people to share their ghost stories and personal experiences and shows that invite celebrities to do the same. I even happened upon a show once that revolved around ghost pets.
And the movies . . . There have always been good ghost stories out there in films, but quite a few new ones have emerged recently. I even worked on the set of one not long ago. Ironically, the building in which much of the filming took place was rumored to be haunted, something I didn’t know until after production began. Did things go bump in the night while we worked? They did. And I can tell you that it unnerved some. I think that’s why ghost stories will always be popular. A lot of people believe in ghosts, even those who haven’t seen or experienced hauntings themselves. That belief increases the realism of ghost tales.
So what does this have to do with vampires and immortals? In my Immortal Guardians series, both vampires and immortals are infected with a very rare symbiotic virus that lends them dramatically enhanced speed, strength, senses, and more, along with an unfortunate photosensitivity and a need for blood. Vampires are humans who have been infected with the virus, which drives them insane as it damages their brains. Immortals are gifted ones who have been infected. Gifted ones are men and women born with extremely advanced DNA that protects them from the madness vampires suffer and bestows upon them gifts ordinary humans don’t possess. In the case of Marcus, the immortal hero of Night Reigns (Book 2 in the series) the gift is the ability to see ghosts. While I was writing his story, I began to wonder if one would ever become accustomed to such. Marcus has been doing so for over eight hundred years. Does it still startle him to suddenly see someone where there should be no one? Find out in Night Reigns.
Thank you for joining me! I hope you’ll like my Immortal Guardians . . . and the ghosts that haunt Marcus. :-)
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Dianne Duvall earned a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of St. Thomas, where she studied fiction writing, playwriting and poetry writing. Darkness Dawns, the first book in her Immortal Guardians paranormal romance series, was released on February 1, 2011, courtesy of Kensington (Zebra Imprint). It has since been nominated for the RT Reviewers' Choice Award for Best Vampire Romance by RT Book Reviews and for Best Paranormal Romance - Vampire by The Romance Reviews. It has also received many 5-star reviews, was deemed a Top Pick by The Romance Reviews, and was chosen as the Best of the Best in the RWA Indiana Golden Opportunity contest. Night Reigns, the second book in the series, was released on December 6, 2011 and was deemed a Top Pick by RT Book Reviews.
Dianne has also completed two not-yet-published paranormal romance novels that are prequels to Darkness Dawns. A Sorceress of His Own is a medieval romance with paranormal elements that won awards in the Lone Star, Where the Magic Begins, Southern Heat, Picture This, Book of Your Heart and Suzannah national writing competitions.Rendezvous With Yesterday is a time travel romance and won second place in the Picture This writing contest.
In addition to writing romance, Dianne has completed a one-act play (comedy) and teamed up with an award-wining screenwriter to write a spec script for a new situation comedy. Several of her poems have also been published in anthologies.
When she isn’t writing, Dianne is very active in the independent film industry. She edits films, constructs movie trailers and designs movie posters. Some of the film projects she has worked on have been Official Selections of the Cannes Independent Film Festival, the London Independent Film Festival the Jamerican International Film and Music Festival, and others. She also participates in preproduction and production and has done so in varying capacities for several years. Some of the functions she has performed in the past are script editor, special effects make-up artist, shooting scheduler, special effects creator, casting coordinator, production assistant, movie extra and web site designer.
A trailer of one of the films she has edited can be viewed here.
Find the author online: website | blog | twitter | facebook
ABOUT THE BOOK
Ami isn't much for trusting strangers. She has a hard time trusting anyone. But she's no coward, and she's no pushover in the protection department either. So when she comes across a mysterious warrior taking on eight deranged vampires on his own, she doesn't hesitate to save his bacon. Of course, that was before she realized what one little rescue would get her into . . .Marcus Grayden has been an immortal protector of humanity for eight hundred years, and at the moment he's not interested in backup. From the moment Ami arrives in his life, he can't deny that she's strong, smart, and extremely skilled at watching his back. But she's also destroying his protective solitude and stirring desires he can't bear to awaken. After all, whatever her secrets — how can she defeat death itself?
EXCERPT
Smiling, feeling the tension begin to melt away, Marcus swung onto a narrow two-laned highway, then shot forward. Pure pleasure engulfed him as he went from zero to seventy in three seconds. Wind yanked back the long raven hair that fell several inches below his helmet. His long coat fluttered behind him like wings as he steadily accelerated.
Traveling this road at these speeds would be insane for a human. But, damn, what a rush for an immortal with preternaturally sharp reflexes. Up and down, swinging one way then the next, leaning into the curves until his knees nearly scraped the pavement. Streetlights were few and far between here, but his enhanced night vision eliminated any need for them. Marcus could see the deer grazing by the road long before the headlight struck them and had no problem evading those that ventured too close or darted across in front of him.
The bike left the pavement and went airborne momentarily at the top of a short, steep hill. Adrenaline pumped through his veins as he tore through another curve. He felt so alive and free at times like these. What he wouldn’t give to get his hands on David’s Tomahawk, a true work of art with two closely spaced front wheels, the same in back, and a top speed of roughly four hundred miles per hour.
That precious baby wasn’t even street legal. Not that that had stopped David.
As he entered a rare straight stretch, Marcus glimpsed movement from the corner of his eye and glanced to his right, expecting to see a deer bounding along or perhaps one of those huge raven-winged vultures swooping past.
His blood turned to ice as his gaze instead fell upon a man. He was perhaps in his late thirties with skin the color of milk chocolate and a haggard face. His shirt was untucked, ragged, the neckline frayed and bloodstained.
He couldn’t have been more than five feet away. And, though Marcus by far exceeded the fifty-five mile per hour speed limit, the man’s weary stroll somehow managed to keep pace.
As if sensing Marcus’s stare, the man turned his head and met his gaze with dark, unfathomable eyes.
Marcus swallowed hard, unable to repress a shiver.
One would think he might be accustomed to this by now: seeing ghosts or spirits or whatever one chose to call them. He had been seeing them ever since he was too young to understand that no one else around him could. Yet it never failed to catch him off guard.
As Étienne often said, the sh** was creepy.
Tearing his gaze away, Marcus looked back at the road, then swore when another figure materialized directly in his path. The front of the heavy Hayabusa squirmed as he broke hard and swerved to avoid the second man, who threw out his arm as Marcus drew even with him, plucked him from the back of the bike, spun around, and slammed him back first to the pavement.
Pain crashed through Marcus, beginning in his chest, then radiating outward, so severe it temporarily deafened him . . . which some might view as a good thing because right about now his Busa was probably smashing into a tree.
Marcus struggled to breathe, each short, choppy gasp like a knife jamming into his flesh. The momentum with which he had slammed into his attacker’s outstretched arm had broken most of his ribs.
His opponent, on the other hand, showed no sign of pain as he ripped the helmet from Marcus’s head and, eyes glowing gold, snarled, “Give me one good reason I shouldn’t kill you here and now.”
**GIVEAWAY**
Thanks to Dianne Duvall, one lucky winner will receive a *signed* copy of Night Reigns with some Immortal Guardians swag!!
- Giveaway open Internationally.
- Comments are appreciated, however, you must fill out the Rafflecopter form in order to enter the giveaway.
- Please read the Contest/Giveaway Policy before entering.
- You have until midnight (EST) on Tuesday, February 21st, 2012 to enter.
Good luck to all who enter!
Curves & Qs Blog Hop
Shiloh Walker is giving away some awesome prizes (that’s the ‘Curves’ part) and answering some questions (that’s the ‘Qs’ part). Here are the details:
Enter the Curves & Qs giveaway for a chance to a book provided by Shiloh Walker, or the grand prize, win $50 Gift Certificate provided by Hips and CurvesThe blog hop will take place at the following blogs:
2/6 The Book Vixen
2/8 Fiction Vixen Book Reviews
2/10 Tori's Misadventures
2/13 Life as a Spaz
2/15 Under the CoversTo enter, just visit each blog on the scheduled date...entry instructions will be posted at each blog. You can enter up to one time per blog for up to five entries for the grand prize. One winner will be chosen for a daily prize (a signed book from Shiloh) at each blog. Hosting bloggers are allowed to enter, although they can't win at their respective blogs. They are eligible for prizes offered at the other blogs, and the grand prize.
All comments when be tallied up and one winner be chosen to win the main prize, an e-gift certificate to online retailer Hips and Curves.
The prize is valued at $50 (US) and winner is responsible for any and all costs over the dollar amount of the GC. Contest is open internationally, void where prohibited by law. Odds of winning depend of number of entries. The contest will remain open until 2/22. Winner(s) to be posted the week of 2.28 at Shiloh's blog, and will also be notified via email, however they must reply back within 14 days to claim prize.
For a further list of rules, please check out the disclaimer at shilohwalker.com.
Please note the e-gift certificate was donated by Hips and Curves with no strings attached.
Here’s my question for Shiloh Walker: What kind of research went into creating this romantic suspense trilogy? What were some things (the crazier the better) you googled?
Shiloh Walker: Oh, there's all sorts of crazy that went into this one. But not so much online. Well...there was one really weird thing. But I can't tell you that yet. Ask me again after the book is out.
Some of the research I can tell you about? I could tell you how I ended up knocking on a cop's door at 10 o'clock at night, asking him about guns and gunshots… (he knew my husband, so I didn't get arrested.) I also went to the Louisville School for the Blind and spoke with some of the staff there, toured the museum, then went back out there to speak with the friend of somebody who worked there so I could see a guide dog in action. The inspiration for Puck. *G*
That weird thing that I googled that was…well. Weird. But I can't mention that until people read book three. Cuz it's like spoiler to the max. 
Shiloh, I’m definitely getting back to you about that weird thing you googled – right after I finish book three.
Excerpt from If You Hear Her
“For now. Yeah.” Then he sighed. “You still insist on going to work?”
“Yes.”
“Shit.” Nudging her off his lap, he said, “Fine. I’m driving you. I’m picking you up. If anybody says one wrong thing to you, tell Puck to eat him.”
A smile tugged at her mouth. “You bet.”
“And stop humoring me.”
She wiped the smile off her face. “You bet.”
Sighing, he brushed her hair back from her face. “You’re a smart-ass, Lena Riddle.”
“You bet.” Leaning in, she pressed a kiss to the corner of his mouth.
**GIVEAWAY**
One lucky winner will receive a *SIGNED* book by Shiloh Walker!!
Good luck to all who enter!
On My Wishlist (103)
On My Wishlist is a fun weekly event hosted by Book Chick City and runs every Saturday. It's where I list all the books I desperately want but haven't actually bought yet. They can be old, new or forthcoming. If you want to know more click here.
Into the Night (The Reliance Group, #1) by Janelle Denison (Amazon) A former Marine and Las Vegas Vice cop, Nathan Fox has seen it all and then some. Heading up security for The Onyx Casino is tame compared to his past, but it’s not his only job. Working for The Reliance Group is his real passion project. His current case: A missing woman. His mission: To find her. But soon Nathan must deal with a stubborn—and stunning—journalist who’s nosed her way into the investigation…and into Nathan’s fantasies.To reporter Nicole Hutton, exposing a ruthless, twisted criminal who abuses vulnerable teens isn't just a job. In fact, this story has become very personal, especially now that she's gotten tangled up with sexy Nathan Fox. But before she can break the story, and help rescue a missing girl, she and Nathan must brave the labyrinth of Vegas's dark underbelly…where the heat simmering between them is about to burst into flames…
Night After Night (The Reliance Group, #2) by Janelle Denison (Amazon) The son of a con man, Sean O’Brien learned the hard way that living by your own rules comes with a price. After a brief time behind bars, Sean is now ready to live an honest life—and pay for his past mistakes. But even his gorgeous face and seductive charms can’t make up for his record…until a member of the Reliance Group sees Sean’s potential for good, and gives him a job at the Onyx Casino.Zoe Russo has met all types of men on the Vegas strip. But when Sean pays a visit to her casino boutique, she knows she’s in luck. They share an immediate, irresistible attraction and, for the first time in her life, she’s found a man she thinks she can trust. But when Zoe stumbles onto the truth about Sean, she can’t help but question his feelings for her. Is he for real—or has she been a fool for love? Until now, nothing has prepared her for the thrill—and risk—of gambling on love …
Defender (Dark Ops, #1) by Catherine Mann (Amazon) The sizzling first book in the Dark Ops Defenders series.When a USO boat goes down in flames, pilot Jimmy Gage pulls a scantily clad Chloe Nelson out of shark filled waters. Chloe isn’t looking for a jet-jock to be her bodyguard - until she finds herself side by side with Gage on a dangerous mission.
What’s on your wishlist?
AUTHOR GUEST POST: Elizabeth Marx
When The One That Got Away Was the ONE!
I’ve been thinking about this topic a lot lately, probably because my novella Cutters vs. Jocks is about a couple who meet in college, have a brief relationship which results in an unexpected pregnancy, and break up. Its companion novel, Binding Arbitration starts when they are forced to meet again six years later, neither of them ever expected to see the other one again, and neither of them is happy about the meeting or the resulting questions they have to ask themselves.
Their story begs me to ask the question: what happened in between? Were they pining away for each other? With a raised eyebrow, I say, “Be serious. He’s a professional athlete, and there’s testosterone and Baseball Annie’s (groupies) to deal with!” Or were they moving forward with their lives and not examining what happened back then. She’s a big time criminal defense attorney, who graduated at the top of her law school class while raising a child single handedly; I don’t think she stopped to examine it.
I believe there are two schools of thought, or teams, on the issue of the one that got away. For lack of better identifiers and because I’m from Chi town and my books are set here, let’s call them the Cubs and the Sox. Now, the Cubs are the ones pining away for the one that got away, and the fact that they were cursed by a lady with a goat hasn’t helped their statistics. The Sox are the ones moving onto natural grass and greener pastures without a backwards glance, in case you didn’t know they’re world champions.
Now I’m on team Sox all the way. I’ve never pined away for an ex, secretly called him just to see ‘what he’s up to’, Googled him or tried to find him on Facebook. Whether this because I really didn’t love him or when the relationship ended I had already exhausted every measure to keep it going, I can’t say. Maybe, I’m a once it was over, it was over for good kind of girl? Let’s face it, I’m a romantic at heart, I write contemporary romance for crying out loud, so I should be on the Cubs team, pining away for my one true love, or it could be I got lucky and married mine. This is good because I find the idea of longing for someone sad. I can’t imagine living a life without the person you love, especially knowing there out there and they’re not part of your world. I think that kind of yearning might break the spirit.
The cynics will say people don’t die over a love affair gone wrong.
Which brings me to the example that will be glaringly familiar to many of you, Wuthering Heights. And let’s face it, Bronte really meant, Withering Hearts, a device she probably learned from Dickens. We have the passionate but doomed lovers, Catherine and Heathcliff, and while Catherine is very much in love with Heathcliff she allows another man to court her because in the eyes of the world Heathcliff is an unacceptable match. Heathcliff runs away to make something of his self and to prove her wrong, and then returns to find Cathy married. Heathcliff cannot accept the situation and he literally pines away for Cathy for the rest of his life, he is so obsessed with her, and later her memory, he takes stalking to a level that almost destroys countless lives. It’s to die for kind of love, how many people love someone so much they dig up their grave and cuddle with their corpse. For Heathcliff it’s a little more than pining. Of course this is a novel and extreme, but this is what I meant about how depressing it must be to brood over someone you’ll never have.
In Binding Arbitration, neither of the star-crossed lovers realizes they were waiting for the other one until they’re in too deep. They are still attracted to each other, perhaps even more so, but they don’t realize that the heart wants what the heart wants until it’s too late.
So the question is: are you on Team Cubs pining away or Team Sox always looking forward? Post a comment and let us know which team you’re on. Or are you stuck in Binding Arbitration like Libby and Aidan, afraid to even ask the question? I’m especially interested in those of you pining away and hoping those of you who aren’t pining away, aren’t because you have captured the heart of your Heathcliff.
Happy reading!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Windy city writer, Elizabeth Marx, brings cosmopolitan life alive in her fiction—a blend of romance, fast-paced Chicago living, and a sprinkle of magical realism. Elizabeth resides with her husband, girls, and two cats who’ve spelled everyone into believing they’re really dogs. She grew up in the city, has traveled extensively, and still says there’s no town like Chi town.
Find the author online: website | facebook
ABOUT THE BOOKS
On the idyllic campus of Indiana University, Little-Libby-Nobody clashes with Band-Aid All-American-Athlete and fireworks explode, spiraling Libby and Aidan into a collision course of love at first sight versus lust you can’t fight. Libby believes superstar jocks don’t take cutters to Rose Well House, at midnight and pledge their undying devotion beneath its sparkling dome. And Band-Aid imagines there’s no place in the major leagues for a small-town waitress. As the game plays out and their affection grows, they realize that labels like cutters and jocks can’t extinguish what’s between them.
Cutter vs. Jocks is a free Kindle read
and free for Nook.
Through the corridors of the Windy City’s criminal courts, single mother, Libby Tucker, doesn’t wonder how far she’s willing to go to save her son’s life from cancer. The undefeated defense attorney knows she’ll take her case all the way to the majors.Libby pleads her case at the cleats of celebrity baseball player, Banford Aidan Palowski, the man who discarded her at college graduation, begging him to live up to his biological duty. Libby’s worked her backside bare for everything she’s attained, while Band-Aid has been indulged since he slid through the birth canal and landed in a pile of Gold Coast money. But helping her might jeopardize the only thing the jock worships: his baseball career.
If baseball imitates life, Aidan admits his appears to be silver-plated peanuts, until, an unexpected confrontation with the most spectacular prize that’s ever poured from a caramel corn box blindsides him. Libby reveals his son desperately needs him and it pricks open the wound he’s carried since he abandoned her.
All Libby wants is a little anonymous DNA, but Band-Aid has a magical umpire in his head who knows Libby’s a fateball right to the heart. When a six-year-old sage, and a hippy priestess step onto the field there’s more to settle between Libby and Aidan then heartache, redemption, and forgiveness.
**GIVEAWAY**
Thanks to Elizabeth Marx, two lucky winners will receive an ebook copy of Binding Arbitration – one winner from Team Cubs and one from the Team Sox. Giveaway open Internationally. Answer Elizabeth Marx’s question in the comments and fill out the Rafflecopter form to enter. Giveaway ends February 16th, 2012. Please read Terms & Conditions at the bottom of the Rafflecopter form before entering. Good luck to all who enter!
Month in Review: January 2012
Oh January, you were a busy month. Again, not enough hours in the day. I need to clone myself, in triplicate. *How cool would that be?!) Anyhoo, I read 5 books in January. Not bad, but I could do better. I’m still trying to figure out life as a mom of three. I have to-do lists everywhere! I need to consolidate them all into ONE to-do list.
I hear pigeons outside my house, like on my roof. They are driving me batty!
Okay, onto business.
Books Read:
- The Last Slayer by Nadia Lee
- Bring Me Home for Christmas by Robyn Carr
- A Wedding Story by Dee Tenorio
- If You See Her by Shiloh Walker
- Tempest by Julie Cross
Books Reviewed:
- Ruthless by Sara Shepard (Guest Review) – 4 frogs
- Hot Zone by Catherine Mann – 3 frogs
- The Heart of a Killer by Jaci Burton – 4 frogs
- Bring Me Home for Christmas by Robyn Carr – 3 frogs
- If You See Her by Shiloh Walker – 4 frogs
Posts:
- My 2011 Year in Review
- Authors Jodie Becker and Sidney Bristol chat about fiction vixens not being just a pretty face.
- Author Nadia Lee talks about what’s in a name/title
- Author Robert Manni tells us how to jumpstart your dating life in 2012
- Author Rebecca York explains why she likes romantic suspense
- Author Aida Brassington talks about endings
- Did you know you can buy a Kindle book now and gift it later? Perfect for those Kindle deals!
- Author Shiloh Walker talks about her Pinterest addiction (and how/why she considers it ‘working’)
- Author Tara Chevrestt explains why she makes her men wear rubbers
Current Giveaways:
- (1) print copy of Guarding Grace by Rebecca York – Ends 2/2 (US)
- (2) ebook copies of Between Seasons by Aida Brassington – Ends 2/7 (INT)
- (1) ebook copy of Beyond and Serenity by T.P. Boje – Ends 2/9 (INT)
- (1) ebook copy copy of A Facebook Affair by Tara Chevrestt – ENDS 2/14 (INT)
2012 Reading Challenges Status Report:
- Outdo Yourself – 5/101books
(Sign-up | February Review Link Up) - Men in Uniform – 0/5 books
(Sign-up | February Review Link Up) - eBook Challenge – 3/5 books
- TBR Pile Challenge – 0/10 books
- 100+ Books in a Year – 5/100 books
How was your January? Leave a comment with the link to your wrap up post and I’ll stop by.
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