Baltimore Book Festival Swag Giveaway!

With our recent move to Maryland I had the chance this year to go an meet and mingle with some wonderful authors that live in the area.

My favorite part of the day was getting to meet two authors(Joya Fields on my right and Laura Kaye on the left) that made me feel welcome here in Maryland almost immediately, I may have mentioned I spent this whole summer in casts on both feet, I had a lot of time on my hands to read LOL! Both of these authors have amazing books I read this summer as part of my stay sane while you can't walk program.
(they are holding plot bunnies I crocheted for them)

The chance to listen to the panel discussions on everything from historical accuracy to getting the courage to write your novel was a wonderful experience.

I picked up a bunch of swag incuding a couple pens, a notepad, tons of bookmarks, a temporary tattoo as well as a few postcards and I threw in some candy.
I wanted to share with y'all the fun I had so I am going to run a rafflecopter giveaway.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Happy reading, Carin

Winner of the Naughty of Nice Giveaway

Comments by ZingerBug.com

Wendy Dee I have sent you an email!

Happy Reading, Carin

Love's Debt Review & tour wide giveaway

Looking for the Naughty or Nice bloghop post

Author: Rachel Brimble
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Length: 91 pages
Genres: Historical Romance

*BUY LINK*
The Wild Rose Press - Love's Debt

The Rafflecopter giveaway is tour wide so be sure to catch the other blogs to better your chances http://cblspromotions.blogspot.com/2012/09/scheduled-vbt-loves-debt-by-rachel.html

*BLURB*
To keep herself from the depths of poverty, Milly Shepherd needs to be appointed manager of the Red Lion Tavern. The elderly owner is in failing health and has promised her the job permanently if no one more suitable applies. Milly will fight with her entire being to make the job her own.

Joseph Jacobs needs to supplement his income to pay off his father’s creditors and save him from debtor’s prison. Though the job as manager of the local tavern looks promising, Milly is favored by both the owner and customers. Instead, Joseph swallows his pride and agrees to tend bar.

As they work together, their attraction grows, their goals cross, and both Millie and Joseph find they must face their fears …the question is whether they face them alone or together?

*My Review*
Milly Shepherd has know poverty, she has worked hard to bring herself and her mother and sister out of the depths of the slums to where she now has a good job and the money to take care of her family.

Joseph Jacobs was raised with wealth until his fathers gambling first drove his mother away and now his father has creditors after him while Joseph works two jobs to try to keep him out of prison.

The sparks between Milly and Joseph are immediate and they build quickly, Joesph is a good honorable man and Milly is a smart and hard working woman. From the beginning you are rooting for them to make a go of it.

I have to say I am so glad I don't live in 1890! I know there are very few of us who aren't acquainted with at least some debt, however we no longer have the threat of debtors prison hanging over us. Debtors prisons were horrible places that people usually died while hoping for someone to pay their debt. This is the threat hanging over Joseph's father. It makes for a compelling story.

This short novel was written well, developed well and the characters are likable and realatable (that's a word right, it is now!) I give this book red roses!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*EXCERPT*
“No, I take it from here.” His jaw tightened. “I mean it, Milly. I don’t want you in there.”

“Why are we arguing about this? I thought we’d built a trust between us.”

His gaze darted over her face, lingered at her lips. “This has nothing to do with trust.”

“Then what?”

“Pride. If I haven’t got that…if I’ve stooped so low as to put a woman at risk, then there’s no point in going on at all. I won’t do it, Milly. I won’t expose you to whatever is behind that door. If you can’t stay here, then go back to the tavern. I’ll see you there shortly.”

His face was set, his shoulders stiff and Milly’s irritation grew. She poked a finger into his chest. It was like iron. She swallowed. “Have you heard the saying, pride before a fall?” He nodded. “Good, because if people don’t reach out to other people, Joseph Jacobs, they fall further than ever with nobody there to catch them.”

“Milly--”

She raised her hand. “Go. Do what you want. I’ve got more important things to worry about that a man full of so much pride, he looks fit to burst.”

Turning, Milly gripped her bag tightly in her hand and strode away. She did not look back, and she didn’t stop walking. Her stupid heart had let her down. Made her get involved in a man’s life and begin to care about him. Well, the buck stopped there. No more. If Joseph Jacobs ever needed her help again, he could take a long walk off the dock.

Blinking against the rare sting of tears, she tilted her chin and retraced her steps across town. Her shift at the tavern started in an hour’s time, but that didn’t matter; there was always plenty to be done and at least there, she was appreciated. Joseph certainly didn’t see what was right in front of his damn face.

Yet each step that took her across town weighed heavier and heavier. She’d seen where he and his father lived. It was little better than a hovel. She’d seen the newspapers stuffed around the window frames in an attempt to keep out the cold, the bare floorboards, and thick layers of soot from the fireplace spilling into the room. The landlady should be seeing to that, all of it. Bitter resentment furled in Milly’s stomach as her past flashed through her mind. She’d pulled her family from the gutter, and the future looked brighter than ever before.

Which didn’t help the nagging feeling that she could do more—wanted to do more to help Joseph. But she couldn’t. It would mean putting a hold on her own plans. All for a man she had hardly known more than two weeks.

She curled her hands into fists. This feeling inside her was new. This sense of wanting to fight for someone outside of her family. How had it gotten like this? To kiss him was bad enough, but to have this…this fear for him? That scared her more than anything.

*ABOUT THE AUTHOR*
Rachel lives with her husband and two young daughters in a small town near Bath in the UK. She started writing short stories about eight years ago but once her children were at school, she embarked on her first novel. It was published in 2007. Since then, she’s had several books published with small presses as well as securing her first contract with Harlequin Superromance in May 2012.

Represented by US agent Dawn Dowdle, of Blue Ridge Literary Agency, Rachel is a member of the Romantic Novelists Association and Romance Writers of America, When she isn’t writing, you’ll find Rachel with her head in a book or walking the beautiful English countryside with her family. Her dream place to live is Bourton-on-the-Water in South West England. And in the evening? Well, a well-deserved glass of wine is never, ever refused…

*Contact Rachel*
Website - http://www.rachelbrimble.com
Blog - http://rachelbrimble.blogspot.com
Twitter - https://www.twitter.com/rachelbrimble or @rachelbrimble
Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/pages/Rachel-Brimble/181873201887441
Happy Reading, Carin

Devils Mountain VBT, Review & Giveaway

Looking for the Naughty or Nice bloghop post

Title: Devil's Mountain (Devlin Legacy #1)
Author: Bernadette Walsh
Publisher: Lyrical Press
Length: 122 pages
Genres: Paranormal/Fantasy Romance (Horror)
Heat Level: Steamy

AVAILABLE AT
Amazon
B&N
iTunes
All Romance eBooks


*BLURB*
You will hate Him for all that he's taken, but you will love Him. God help you, you will love Him.

Mary Devlin accepted her fate years ago, to serve Slanaitheoir, the mountain spirit who saved her ancestors from the Irish Famine. The hauntingly beautiful woman submitted to His every caress, His every humiliation, but He’s gone too far by threatening her family.

Mary’s daughter-in-law is now an unwitting pawn in the fickle spirit’s game. Mary must challenge her fate and that of all future Devlin women, but Slanaitheoir is the most powerful being in the land. And when part of her still yearns for His touch and love, how can she fight him and win?



*Review*
This book was billed as horror/paranormal and while not a huge horror fan I thought what the heck. I am glad I did it is a unique combination that follows 5 Irish families and the deal they make with the mountain spirit to survive.
Rather than start at the beginning or the end this book starts in the middle and then you go back to get the back story and then forward to finish the book. I thought this was a very good way to give you the information and back story without trying to dump it on. The focus of this book is on the women because it's the women who have sacrificed to keep there end of the bargain.

The characters are well developed and the the story while the beginning of a series doesn't leave you with a cliffhanger ending. While being told from multiple points of view it as a rule is not hard to follow. Overall it is well written and an enjoyable read. I give this book red roses.

R-RATED EXTENDED EXCERPT:
Marcie, one of the Wanna-Be Manhattan Moms who had also experienced success, lived a few blocks away on East 85th Street. A group of successful Wanna-Be Manhattan Moms had formed a little Upper East Side sorority. We would go to Mommy-and-Me classes, play dates and at times babysat for each other. I’m not sure exactly what happened to the not-so-successful Wanna-Be Manhattan Moms. None of us mentioned them.

Marcie agreed to babysit Aidan while I went to my acupuncture appointment at the Yorktown Natural Fertility Clinic. Bobby refused to go back to the New York Infertility Institute. In fact, it was all I could do to convince him not to use condoms. “I’ve got my beautiful wife and my beautiful son,” he said in a sing-song voice whenever I raised the topic of another child. “That’s all I want. That’s all I need.”

Why wasn’t that all I needed?

The first few months of Aidan’s life, I was completely satisfied. I’d never been so happy or imagined I could be so happy.

But then, the old familiar niggling started. I’d take Aidan in his stroller through Central Park and see a woman pushing twins in a stroller. Or a mother holding the hands of a small boy and a girl. And I would get that sour taste in my mouth, the same one I had tasted for years whenever I saw a pregnant woman.

And so it began.

I couldn’t very well steal a vial of Bobby’s sperm and take it with me back to Dr. Feinberg’s office. But we had, somehow, managed to conceive Aidan on our own. Perhaps with some Chinese herbs and acupuncture we could conceive again. Marcie swore by acupuncture, and after she had been thrown out of two Manhattan IVF clinics she tried traditional Chinese medicine and conceived her own miracle baby. Why couldn’t I too, conceive a little miracle baby with the help of magic teas and shiny needles?

Just one more, I thought to myself as I opened the heavy glass doors of the Yorktown Natural Fertility Clinic. “Just one more miracle. And then. Then I’ll be happy and content.”

I promise, I silently swore to God, the universe or whoever else might be listening to my thoughts.

***

A row of needles lined my bare stomach. They were in my ears, on my wrists and even between my toes. The acupuncturist, a hippy-looking woman in her mid-fifties with frizzy red hair, twisted the needles between my toes once more before she lowered the lights and left the room.

The first five minutes were always the hardest. Inevitably at least one of the needles would burn. Dr. Hippy-Dippy said that meant it was working. It was all I could do not to rip the offending thing out.

I breathed in and out slowly, and tried to focus on my breathing, on anything rather than the needles. As I lay in the darkened room, with only the sound of a small fan to block out the traffic from Second Avenue, my shoulders, which had felt like they were jacked up below my ears, relaxed. I continued my purposeful breathing and closed my eyes.

Someone took my hand. I opened my eyes and was no longer on the table, but clothed in a long red robe and standing in a forest. And the most beautiful man held my hand.

“My love,” He said, His voice harsh and guttural. And somehow familiar.

A lone ray of sunlight made its way through the heavy woods and shone on His black hair. His pale skin glowed and His jade eyes glittered in the low light. They drew me in.

Without another word He led me to a roaring fire outside of a cave. The fire was hot, and a small bead of sweat formed on my upper lip. The man unbuttoned the red robe and took it from my shoulders. Underneath I wore only a thin sheath of white silk that hid nothing from His probing gaze.

I should have been embarrassed, but the hungry look in His hypnotic eyes stirred a fire within me. With a finger, he gently followed the lines of my plump, full breast.

“So ripe,” He whispered in a harsh rasp. “So fertile.”

That word hit me like a hard slap. I turned away. “No,” I choked out, “I’m not.”

He pulled me to Him, His lips mere inches from my own. His musky breath filled my

nose. “You could be.” His lips covered mine. At first soft, like the finest silk, but then more forceful, moreurgent. My passion soon met His and I couldn’t help but run my fingers through His magical hair as he devoured my lips.

He tore the sheath in two and it fell away from me, leaving me naked. His green gaze bore through me, and it was almost as if I could feel the very cells of my body change. My breasts felt heavier and skin softer, my lips fuller. It was as if He transferred His own beauty to me. I ran my hands across my face first, and then my breasts, my nipples, taut and tender. Instead of being embarrassed, I reveled in my newfound beauty.

My skin was hot but His hands were hotter and they almost burned my flesh as they explored every inch of me. Every touch brought both pleasure and pain.
I pulled at His golden shirt, eager to see all of Him and He seemed surprised by my daring, my need for Him. He smiled, like a wolf about to catch His prey, and ripped the silk from His body as well.

This nameless man pushed me onto the soft grass beside the fire. Starting at my toes, His scalding tongue sucked and bit me. As He traveled up my calf and along my thighs, I trembled, not with fear, but with a hunger I’d never felt before. A ravenous, ancient hunger.

He spread my legs and His rough, scalding tongue explored me, possessed me. Before I could climax, He stopped.

“Don’t,” I begged. “Don’t stop.” His animal gaze bored into me. “Are you mine?” I threw my head back and arched my back, inviting Him to enter me. “Yes, yes. Go on!”

“Are you mine? Will you give me what I want?”

My skin was on fire, dying for His touch. “Anything,” I moaned.

A terrible smile contorted His beautiful face. “Don’t you want to know what I want?”

I couldn’t take it anymore. I rubbed myself against Him. “Anything. You can have
anything.”

“I want you to have my child. I want to share the blood with you.”

I don’t know where I got the strength, but I pushed Him off me. He lay on his back, more surprised than hurt. His eyes darkened, but before He could get up I pounced on him, lowering my swollen sex onto Him, allowing Him to fill me. I ground into Him and felt Him grow even larger within me. I rocked back and forth, overcome with ripples of orgasms as I fucked Him, as hard as I could. Like a woman possessed.

Like an animal.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

http://cblspromotions.blogspot.com/2012/09/scheduled-vbt-devils-mountain-devlin.html
Follow the tour at these other blogs for more entries to win

*AUTHOR BIO*
Bernadette Walsh has been writing contemporary and paranormal romance for four years. She has published three novels to date (The House on Prospect (Echelon Press) and Gold Coast Wives (Lyrical Press)) and the first book of her paranormal trilogy, Devil’s Mountain -- Book One of the Devlin Legacy. While Bernadette has hopped around genres, all of her books to date have a common theme: strong women handling what life throws at them the best way they can.


Website
Twitter: @BWalshWriter
Facebook
Goodreads

Forever Werewolf review

Publisher: Harlequin/Harlequin Nocturne
Pub Date:September 18, 2012
576 pages (this is a 2 books in one with the other book being Moon Kissed so only 275 pages are Forever Werewolf)
Copy obtained from NetGalley


Alexis Conner, princess of the Alpine pack and pureblood werewolf, hides a painful secret-she has never shifted. If she can't shift, she can't mate, and so Lexi resigned herself to a lifetime of loneliness. But then a stranger arrives, and Lexi senses that her world will never be the same....
A massive avalanche might be to blame for Trystan Hawkes getting stuck at Castle Wulfsiege, but after one look at Lexi, Trystan is not about to leave. Lexi is strong, smart and incredibly sexy. Not that it matters. Tryst is an omega-the fabled lone wolf. Even more damning is his mixed vampire heritage.

Lexi knows that the vampire blood running through Tryst's veins makes him off-limits, but what if he's the one man who can rouse her inner wolf?
*Goodreads Synopsis*

I picked this up because A) I love werewolves B) it came with 2 books about werewolves and C) who needs a C when you have werewolves!

So that being said I have reviewed only Forever Werewolf in this review and will review Moon Kissed separately in another post.

We first meet Trystan Hawkes, Tryst to his friends, when he is delivering a special package to the Principle of the Alpine Pack who has fallen ill. One of the first people he meets is Alexis Conner Princess of the pack and the castle (did I mention they live in a castle) châtelaine. It's lust at first sight on his part at least.

This book had a hard time deciding if it wanted to be a YA romance or an Erotic romance. Part of the time you are listening to Tryst talk like he is a San Diego beach bum with a snow board (he's born and raised in Paris mind you) and then when you get to a sex scene it just jumps into being somewhat graphic.
The back story is just not here in this book, the villain was really obvious and while it is supposed to take place in France it reads like it is taking place in Colorado or Utah.

I wanted to love this book I love the idea of true love overcoming the differences in station, bloodline and perceived handicap. I love that Tryst has a great attitude no matter what and that Lexi learns to let go of her fears. HOWEVER that being the case it just cant overcome the huge amount lacking in this story.
Lexi's family is mean, weak and her overcoming all of her baggage just happens from one page to the next.
Tryst has baggage of his own but it is never dealt with so much as he just good attitudes it to death. I really had a hard time with the bits of back story that were doled out were repeated to death while other things that would help the story were never touched upon.

I had to force my self to finish this one, it does have a HEA, there are werewolves but over all I have to say this one was a real weed.

Happy Reading, Carin

Teaser Tuesday

Looking for the Naughty of Nice bloghop post

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading. This meme is simple and fun, you just pick up your current read, flip to a random page, and choose 1 or 2 teaser sentences to share! Here are the guidelines:

Grab Your Current Read
Open to a random page
Pick two “teaser” sentences from that page
BE CAREFUL NOT TO SHARE SPOILERS! (make sure what you share doesn’t give too much away. You don’t want to ruin the book for other readers)
INCLUDE the TITLE & AUTHOR too, so other TT participants can add the book to their TBR and wish-lists! If possible, add the page number.

My first teaser comes from Kallypso Masters newest release Nobody's Perfect
I can't give you a page number but this is about half way through the book.

"Where'd you get that kind of strength in your legs? You jump hurdles or something?"
"No. I haven't done it in forever. I had no idea I still had that kind of strength."
Savi looked away. "It was in self-defense training and..." She paused.
"And what?"
"Nothing."
"Answer me. Savi"
She glared at him, then backed down again, biting her lip.
Damian invaded her personal space and tilted her face up to his. "Answer.Me."
"All right. From pole dancing."

gotta leave ya hanging there ;0)

Second Teaser is from about 70% of the way through the book.
"I've gained weight. I don't think I'm the same size anymore." Most of her clothes had gotten tight, but she hadn't wanted to ask to go shopping. She'd been enough of a financial burden on him already.
"What size were you before then?"
"Zero."
"Zero? What the fuck kind of size is zero?"

I love Master Damian!

Nobody's Perfect book blurb
Savannah Gentry, now Savi Baker, escaped the torture and degradation forced upon her by a sadistic father for eleven years and has made a safe life for herself and her daughter. When her father threatens her peace of mind—and her daughter's safety—Savi runs to Damián Orlando for protection. Their one day together eight years earlier changed both their lives and resulted in a secret she can no longer hide. But being with Damián reawakens feelings she wants buried—and stirs up an onslaught of disturbing flashbacks that leave her shaken to the core with little hope of ever being a sexual being again.

Damián has his own dragons to fight, but has never forgotten the one perfect day he spent with Savannah in a cave at the beach. He will go to the ends of the earth to protect Savi and her daughter, but can never be the whole man she deserves after a firefight in Iraq. Besides, the trauma of war and resulting PTSD has led him to find his place as the Masters at Arms Club's favorite sadist. Savi needs someone gentle and loving, not the broken man he has become. But he sees that the lifestyle he's come to embrace also can help Savi regain control of her life and sexuality. How can he not help redirect her negative thoughts and actions if she needs him?
Happy Reading, Carin

A Journey in Time by Chris Karlsen Review and Giveaway

Looking for the Naughty of Nice blog hop post?

Knights in Time book 2

London attorney, Shakira Constantine finally agrees to spend the day with her handsome client, Alex Lancaster. While riding in the countryside, the couple finds themselves caught in a time warp and transported back to the 14th century- and an England preparing for war. Everyone believes Alex is the Baron Guy Guisard, a baron who died in the upcoming battle.

If they can't find a way to return to the 21st Century, Alex will have to sail with the army to certain death. Shakira will be left alone to survive in the alien and terrifying medieval world.

*Excerpt*

"Alex, what is going on?" she asked in a frenzied whisper.

"Shh." After they mounted, Alex sidled over, so close their boots touched. "We're riding into a very perilous situation. I'll explain everything when we're alone. Your life, my life," he stressed, "depends on you being quiet until then."

Confused, it took Shakira a few seconds before she nodded yes.

"Remember what I told you," he warned and trotted ahead to chat with the knight he called Simon.

*My Review*
While this is the second book in the series there is no reason this can't be read as a stand alone book, the novel is a story in and of itself.

Shakira Constantine has worked her behind off to become the successful attorney she has become. From delaying her social life in college to make the best grades to not pursuing the handsome Alex Lancaster, the music producer her friend Miranda keeps trying to fix her up with.

Alex Lancaster is a playboy, he knows it but he finds that it is a regrettable reality when you date women then they want to get "serious" and he isn't able to put himself through the loss of so much ever again.

This story is a great mix of love, sexual tension, medieval knights, time travel and a great bit of humor thrown in to make it a delightful read. In the story we get to know Alex and Shakira is what has to be some of the strangest circumstances for a first date ever to befall a couple.

We get to meet Alex the modern day music producer as well as Guy the medieval knight and see how the two are connected through time and how Shakira comes to fall in love with him. The story is equal parts medieval romance and contemporary romance with a dash of astrophysics just to keep things fun.

Chris Karlsen has a great sense of humor and it comes through in this book in funny situations, comments as well as some well placed snark!
I enjoyed this book very much and give it a rating of red roses

Chris will be giving away a digital copy of her thriller, "Golden Chariot" to one randomly drawn commenter at every stop, and a $50 Amazon gift card to another randomly drawn commenter during the tour
So be sure to follow the tour either at Goddess Fish Promotions or the links below
September 24: My Reading Obsession
September 25: Reviews by Molly
September 26: The Bunny's Review
September 27: PROMO Traditional Romance for Modern Women
September 27: Moonlight, Lace and Mayhem
September 28: It's Raining Books

Author Bio:
I was born and raised in Chicago. My father was a history professor and my mother was, and is, a voracious reader. I grew up with a love of history and books.

My parents also love traveling, a passion they passed onto me. I wanted to see the places I read about, see the land and monuments from the time periods that fascinated me. I’ve had the good fortune to travel extensively throughout Europe, the Near East, and North Africa.

I am a retired police detective. I spent twenty-five years in law enforcement with two different agencies. My desire to write came in my early teens. After I retired, I decided to pursue that dream.

I currently live in the Pacific Northwest with my husband, four rescue dogs and a rescue horse.


Links: http://www.chriskarlsen.com/index.html
http://www.facebook.com/?ref=tn_tnmn#!/chriskarlsenwriter
http://pinterest.com/chriskarlsen/



Happy Reading, Carin

Just one week for me to wait until the Baltimore Book Festival

Looking for the Naughty or Nice Hop click here

When:
September
28-30, 2012
Fri & Sat: noon-8pm
Sun: noon-7pm

Where:
Mt. Vernon Place,
centered on 600
North Charles St,
Baltimore MD 21201


For me its going to be all about meeting some of my favorite authors real and live and in person. The schedule for that stage is here:
Maryland Romance Writers

I thrilled to get to meet Joya Fields!
She will be taking part in several of the discussions I am plan on attending,
inducing:
Trends and Readings In Romantic Suspense

Debra Anastasia will also be there!
I am looking forward to going to hear her discuss:
Blood and Chocolate
and
Fantasy In Romance/Romance In Fantasy
She is also having a meet and greet late Saturday WOOT!

Also the lovely Laura Kaye!
She is going to be a busy woman with these just being two of discussions she is a part of:

Craft & Character Lessons
Debating the Erotic and Readings


I will post a full report after next weekend :O) Happy Reading, Carin

 

The Naughty or Nice Giveaway Hop was organized by Nat @ Reading Romances!

I am so excited to be a part of my very first hop!
I knew right away I had to pick naughty when it came down to a question of naughty or nice. So to show my naughty side I found the perfect item to give away!

What you can win here:

Diary of a Submissive: A Modern True Tale of Sexual Awakening

In Diary of a Submissive, Sophie Morgan candidly explains what exactly an independent, 21st century woman gets out of relinquishing her power and personal freedom in a submissive relationship with a dominant man for their mutual sexual pleasure.

In the wake of Fifty Shades of Grey, here is a memoir that offers the real story of what is means to be a submissive and follows Sophie’s story as she progresses from her early erotic experiences through to experimenting with her newfound awakened sexuality. From the endorphin rush of her first spanking right through to being collared, she explains in frank and explicit fashion her sexual explorations. But it isn’t until she meets James, a real life ‘Christian Grey,’ that her boundaries and sexual fetishism are really pushed. As her relationship with James travels into darker and darker places, the question becomes: Where will it end? Can Sophie reconcile her sexuality with the rest of her life, and is it possible for the perfect man to be perfectly cruel?

Daring, controversial, and sensual, Diary of a Submissive is filled with a captivating warmth and astounding honesty such that no one— man or woman—will be able to put Sophie's story down.
*Goodreads Blurb*
Number of winners:

One Paperback copy (yup a real live book!)
Open to (INT, US or US/CAN):

Unfortunately do to mailing costs this is open to US only

How to enter:

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Happy Reading, Carin

Hop and enter the other giveaways!

Naughty Little Bedtime Stories Book Barrage and giveaway!

Today I am so happy to be hosting the book barrage for Author Tamaria Soana's latest release, Naughty Little Bedtime Stories! Tamaria is offering a tour wide giveaway of her book, so be sure to fill out the Rafflecopter below and follow the tour for more chances to win.
Follow the other blogs here

Author: Tamaria Soana
Publisher: Beachwalk Press
Length: 20,000 words
Genres: Contemporary Erotic Fantasy Romance (M/M, Light Bondage, May-December, F/M/M)
Heat Level: Sizzling
BUY LINK







*BLURB*
Twelve short bedtime stories that will heat up your night.

Naughty Little Bedtime Stories contains twelve short stories that will arouse your senses. You’ll find stories that contain light bondage, food play, ménage (m/m/f), and other erotic events. Each story has a different setting and couple who explore all things naughty in and out of the bedroom.

I also have an excerpt here from one of the stories in the book.

*EXCERPT FROM Instant Attraction*
We walked out of the restaurant and down the hall into the main lobby of the hotel, my eyes scanning for any photographers. I really didn't want my face all over the tabloids tomorrow.

“I had a great time meeting you today. So, what now?” Slade asked as he looked deep into my eyes.

“I don't know,” I whispered. I didn't want the afternoon to end.

“I don't want to leave you just yet, Jewel,” he whispered in a sexy tone.

I bit my bottom lip and started to fidget. "Then don't." I took a deep breath, trying to figure out everything that was racing through my head. "Would you like to come to my suite for a drink, maybe?" I couldn't believe I'd just asked him that, but I knew what I wanted, and at the moment it was him.

“I thought you'd never ask.”

We stepped in the elevator and the doors closed. We were alone. Before I could process what I was doing I was kissing him. The simple kiss set all the nerves in my body on fire. The elevator stopped and I pulled away as the doors opened.

“This is my floor,” I said breathlessly.

We walked into the hallway in silence. The tension between us was so strong. We reached my suite and I swiped my card to open the door. I could feel his gaze on me, it was making me nervous and turning me on at the same time. My stomach was in knots as I walked in, but not the bad kind of knots, the I-want-to-jump-him kind of knots. He was making me crazy. I truly just wanted to go with what I was feeling. I was so attracted to him. As soon as the door shut Slade pushed me against the wall and started kissing me.

“Jewel, you are so alluring,” he said as he kissed my neck.

“Slade,” I moaned. I could feel how hard he was as he pressed harder into me.

“I want you,” he said as his hand grazed my breast. "Do you want me?"

“Yes!” My heart was pounding in my chest as I led him to the bed. His urgent lips were on mine. He unzipped my sundress and it fell to the floor, leaving me in only a black lace bra and thong.

“So sexy,” he whispered in my ear as he kissed my neck.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Happy Reading, Carin
AUTHOR BIO & LINKS
Tamaria Soana is middle aged, but just feels her life has begun. She writes Contemporary Romance stories with a higher heat level that always end with a ‘happily ever after’. Growing up she loved to read and make up new places in her head to escape to. In her late teens she began writing short stories and poetry; it wasn’t until her late thirties before she began to spin a full story. She’s married and a stay-at-home-mom of two beautiful young girls, they reside in Western New York. Cuddling up with a good book under an electric throw is her way to escape the cold Buffalo nights. Besides writing, she co-owns Shades of Rose Marketing and Shades of Rose YA Marketing, also hosts a talk show on Talkshoe called Live with Tamaria ~ Giving authors a voice.
You can find Tamaria on line at these following places:
Website Facebook Twitter

Nobody's Perfect by Kallypso Masters Guest Post And Giveaway

Welcome to Day 4 of the Perfect Blog Tour, with Kallypso Masters and friends. 

Thank you, My Reading Obsession for hosting me! 

This six-day Perfect Blog Tour celebrates the release of Nobody's Perfect (Rescue Me #4), by Kallypso Masters, which released this week—FINALLY! Perfect continues the long-awaited Happily Ever After for probably the two most wounded characters in the series, Damian Orlando and Savannah Gentry (now Savi Baker). Their heartbreaking story began in Masters at Arms (a free read—see links below) and the couple reunited in Nobody's Hero after eight years apart. 

Those who follow me on Facebook know that, as an incest and child sexual abuse survivor myself, this book was akin to opening a vein and pouring my lifeblood onto the page. I usually take 2-3 months to write and edit a book in this series (tops). This one took nearly eight months! The result is not an autobiographical story, but my fellow survivors will come face to face with a lot of the same triggers and aftermath we all suffer as a result of our abuse. 

Many of the people who helped me get the BDSM, psychology, and other aspects of this story right also are survivors of abuse, or live the lifestyle and work with survivors using BDSM for healing. This Perfect Blog Tour kicks off with the personal reflections of Ekatarina "Saya" Sayanova, who served first as a subject expert (BDSM and medical expertise), then a beta reader, and finally an editor. While reading the whipping by catharsis scene you'll be reading over the course of Days 2-6 in this tour, she was drawn into the scene almost as if she were a participant—at one point, Damián, and then Patti, the bottom he is working with in the scene. 

In this Excerpt blog tour, you will be reading from a single scene, Chapters 10-11 of the book. In this scene, Damián (sometimes called Damo) is called upon to be a Service Top to Patti, a slave/masochist at the Masters at Arms Club whose Master (Victor) isn't a sadist and is unable to give her the level of catharsis through whipping she needs to work through a severe trigger that shut her down emotionally earlier that day. This happens to be the first time in months that Damian has been in the club—and is the first time ever for Savi, who was invited here by Adam, who plays a role in helping Savi to understand the purpose of a cathartic whipping—and why Damian is the one to provide that.

** If you are just joining us, you are going to want to take a look at the first three stops in tour to get caught up on what is going on. The links are below.

Sept 17 ~ RomFan
Sept 18 ~ Salacious Reads
Sept 19 ~ Delighted Reader

EXCERPT #3 (repeated last two paragraphs from previous one)

(opening of Chapter 11)

Sweat rolled down between Damián's shoulder blades. He and Victor had gotten nowhere with pressure points a few minutes ago; he'd hoped they could avoid this scene tonight. Now, he fought to keep his focus on Patti and where the bullwhip would fall on her upper back, ass, and thighs, but having Savi sitting across the room distracted him. Damn Dad for ignoring Damián's request and keeping Savi here to witness what he had become.

Don't think about Savi watching this.

Definitely the deal breaker, if there ever could have been anything between him and Savi again. He hadn't told her about his sadistic tendencies. She'd see him as no better than the monsters from her past and would want nothing more to do with him after watching this. But Damián wouldn't hold back, because this was just what Patti needed. Tonight wasn't about Savi.
Damián broke his stance and stepped over to the table where he'd placed his bag and gear. He laid down the whip and reached for the bottle of water, chugging half of it and forcing himself not to let his mind stray toward Savi. He needed to put her out of his mind altogether. Since embracing sadism as his coping mechanism for PTSD, he'd always maintained a firm grip on his control. He needed to regain that control, and soon.
Damián stared at the scratches he and other Doms had made on the floor long ago; many of them placed there in earlier scenes with Patti. It had been months since he'd served as her Top. Only he had the expertise to give her what she needed tonight.
But he could hurt her, if he didn't stay focused on her needs and responses—or if he transmitted his own emotional upheaval to her through the whip. The scratches on the floor usually had a way of grounding him further, but not tonight.
Picking up a towel, he wiped the sweat from his brow, and then took the whip in hand again. He focused on the weave of the leather handle, working to get his mind on the mission ahead. Focus on the objective.
A sense of calm descended on him as, at last, he found his center and took a deep, cleansing breath. He was in his element. He was in control.
He breathed the scent of leather deeply into his lungs.
Feel the weight and balance of the serpent's tongue in your hand.
With his mind, he heard the whistle of the fall and popper as they displaced the air on their path to her waiting back and ass.
Listen only for the sound of Patti's response.
He imagined in slow motion throwing the whip again, watching the fall make its way to stroke Patti's back with love, caring.
Become one with the instrument.
He turned his complete attention to the petite blonde strapped to the center post. Her head was erect, eyes closed tightly, the muscles in her arms rigid. Long way to go.
He'd only laid two stripes about an inch apart just below her shoulder blades. Those thin, red lines wouldn't welt, but he knew he'd have to give her welts before she'd get what she needed tonight. Patti needs release. To connect with her body again.
Did Savi need to experience that level of pain in order to reconnect with her body?
Patti. Focus on Patti. Gunnar's oft-repeated words came back to him: "If you can't control yourself, you can't control others."
I'll take you there, Patti. Damián took a deep breath and walked over to Patti. He stroked the back of her head, confirming the tension he'd observed, but also trying to ground himself further with her body. How many times had he looked at Patti's blonde hair and imagined she was Savi?
Fuck that shit. He'd never done so during a scene and wouldn't start now. Focus, man.
"How are we doing, bebé?"
She nodded, but her eyes remained closed as tight as a gnat's ass.
"Look at me." She opened her eyes slowly, and he waited for her to blink until she appeared to focus on him. He spent a few minutes telling her what he was about to do, how she would respond, laying out what should have been said earlier, if he hadn't been so distracted. The only reaction he got was her pleading gaze, begging him to start; take her there.
"Ready for more?"
She nodded.
"Speak."
"Yes, Sir. I'm ready."
He tamped down his anger at the bastard who'd caused her so much pain in her young life, but he'd learned early on there were evil men in this world who thought nothing about abusing defenseless women. Rosa, Teresa, Patti, Savi. The fucking list seemed endless.
He couldn't help them all, but tonight, in this moment, he could help Patti. Time to give her what she needed from him.
Damián glanced back at Victor, standing well beyond striking range of the whip, in a direct line behind Patti. From past experience, he knew having Victor's voice at the start of a scene coming from the same direction of Damián and the whip helped Patti conjure up the image of Victor being the one wielding the instrument. That imagery would make the transition of power back to Victor go more smoothly after the whipping.
"Hold on tight, Patticakes." At the sound of Victor's voice, Patti's shoulders tensed.
Damián was taking so fucking long to get this scene under way, her focus had shifted now to how hard this was for her Dom to watch. Damián needed to take care of her now; get her into subspace.
With a signal from Damián, Victor added, "Here we go, Patticakes. That's my good girl."
With those scripted words, Victor knew not to interrupt the whipping again. Patti needed release. All three of them did. Damián stepped into his strike zone for the serpent's tongue, drew back his arm, and let the whip crack the air. Patti tensed. Without further delay, Damián drew back the whip again and threw it so that the lash fell an inch further down her back. Her hands chained above her head clutched into fists.
He threw the whip several more times. Patti sighed as she relaxed into the rhythm, the pressure of the leather burning stripes into her back. No catharsis yet, but it would come when he reached the level of impact she sought.
Thwack!
He laid several more stripes across her back, noticing that the flesh across the previous lashes
was now raised and growing redder. She was nowhere near her limit yet. In quick succession, moving below the no-strike zone of the kidneys to the curve of her ass, he laid three more stripes. After the third, he heard her moan.
Getting there. Good.
Still a long way to go to take her home, though. If the serpent's tongue hadn't done the job by now, he needed something he knew would get her there. Damián stepped over to his toy bag and pulled out the well-oiled cat. He'd spent the afternoon preparing his implements, not so much because he expected to use them, but the ritual had helped calm him down after the PTSD episode.
Patti was the only person at the club who'd ever been able to take this level of pain from him and, even then, only on rare occasions had he needed to use it. The knots on the nine tails provided an intense amount of pain over a broader range on her body. He'd take her the rest of the way with the cat.
He drew back and threw the braided tails against Patti's upper thighs. She moaned more loudly as the pain registered in her mind.
Damián's chest swelled. He was the only one here who could give Patti what she needed.
Maybe Savi needed it, too, but tonight was all about Patti. The pain had begun to take hold of her. Time to carry her the rest of the way home.

* * *

What had Damián become? Where was the gentle man she remembered from the beach cave? Or the man she'd lived with for months? She'd never seen this side of him. Thank God. She didn't want him anywhere near her with that menacing whip flying.
Adam hadn't said much since the scenario began to play out. Karla had curled up in his lap, her head on his shoulder and her back to the whipping scene. A glance in their direction found Adam's chin resting on the top of Karla's head, his hand idly playing with the ends of Karla's long, black curls lying against her arm. His left arm supported her back. Clearly, she wasn't able to stand the scene playing out before them. So, there was someone here who couldn't watch the barbaric scene.
But Karla must be the only one. Savi looked around the room, now nearly silent, and saw that every gaze was glued to what was happening at the whipping post. Savi didn't understand her morbid fascination—maybe it was like a wreck on the 5—but she couldn't turn her gaze away either.
Damián stepped away, coiled the menacing-looking whip, and placed it into his leather bag, then pulled out another whip.
"My God! It's a cat-o-nine tails!"
Adam growled at her. "Quiet."
Karla groaned. "Poor Patti. She must be in a really bad way this time. I can't stand that she's hurting like this."
Savi was confused, but remembered to keep her voice low. "But Damián's the one hurting her."
Karla sat up and turned toward Savi, tearstains on her cheeks. "I know it looks like that. I used to think the same thing. I steered clear of Damián for a very long time when I first came here last summer. He scared the shit out of me. But wait 'til you see the change in Patti when this is over."
Savi wasn't sure she could last until then. Her stomach churned. "I think I'm going to be sick."
Adam reached out and touched Savi's arm. "Do you need to go upstairs?"
Did she?
Thwack!
The sound of the tails finding their marks against the blonde's skin caused Savi to jump. She turned to watch the new stripes—she supposed if she'd counted, there would be nine of them—turn red across Patti's upper thighs. Savi's focus was drawn to Victor's profile. Pain. He looked as if every lash of the whip had come down on him. The anguish on his face made it clear why Patti had to come to Damián for this.
Damián must have no feelings whatsoever to be able to do this to another human being, and yet Victor did nothing to stop the whipping of his woman.
Victor's voice carried across the room to her. "That's it, Patticakes. Almost there. You're so brave. So strong."
Patti tensed again at his words, but didn't open her eyes. Damián turned to glare at Victor.
Adam sighed. "Victor probably shouldn't be here for this part."
"Why not?"
"He's anxious to get the painful part over with and move on to aftercare. Probably hurts Victor more than Patti, but his talking just pulls her away from focusing on the cat. She knows how Victor feels and is worrying more about him than herself right now. It'll take Damián longer to get her into deep subspace and catharsis if Victor continues to interrupt."
Damián's swing grew harder and Savi watched as the woman's face actually grew more relaxed the harder he whipped her. This didn't make any sense.
Even more surprising, there wasn't a drop of blood on Patti's back. When Savi had sought her endorphin release years ago by cutting, there had been bloodletting. Damián's whip and the cat had only raised red welts. Maybe he did know the limits he could go to without permanently marring her flesh.
A gentle sadist? No, Adam had called him a sensual sadist. A Service Top. Whoever heard of having someone train to provide a service like this? But Damián's skill with the whip wasn't something he would have picked up without many years of training.
Other than the comments he'd made a few minutes ago, Victor stayed out of the scene now. This was between Damián and Patti.
"He's continuously gauging her body language to determine where she is, how much more she needs to get where she needs to be. When she totally relaxes, he'll know she's there." Adam kept his voice low and she strained to hear.
More welts formed on the woman's backside. Savi cringed. How much longer? What was Damián watching for? "How can anyone relax after being whipped like that? She hasn't even screamed."
"Patti's a masochist. She doesn't process pain the same way a non-masochist would."
She turned back to Adam. "Pain is pain."
"No, it's not that simple. You probably learned in physiology, or was it anatomy?—I didn't get that far in school." He shrugged. "Anyway, I've read a lot about body structures and how the body does what it does. Our body actually only feels the temperature and pressure associated with the impact instrument. It's the brain that then interprets those sensations as pain or pleasure."
The man downplayed his formal education his knowledge-base on pain was deeper than anything she'd been taught in school.
"That's what makes pain so subjective—why one person has a high tolerance for pain, while another is debilitated by seemingly minor hurts."
Savi had a high tolerance for pain, but she'd developed techniques to help her tamp down the pain out of necessity. She chose to be numb.
Adam continued, keeping his voice barely audible. "Patti's learned to embrace the energy the whip or other implements deliver, rather than resist it. Her brain will interpret the lashes as pain eventually. Right now, Damián's trying to get her to focus on the present rather than hide within herself where she doesn't feel anything. He's trying to get her to express the emotions she's feeling, like anger, which she can't let out otherwise."
Again, the similarity between Savi and Patti was too close for comfort. Savi faced him. Adam's gaze bore into her and she squirmed in her seat. She knew he wasn't speaking abstractly, but directly to her.
"It takes an extreme level of pressure from the whips to get through the defenses she's built to cope over the years."
He could have been talking about Savi—and probably was. Savi turned away from his intense gaze and watched in silence as several more blows were delivered across Patti's already red butt.
"Patti's coping mechanism of making herself numb has worked for her for a long time, but until Victor and Damián, she hadn't really been living—merely existing."
Savi understood that feeling too well. Her skin usually felt anesthetized, as if she had been injected with Novocain from the top of her head to the soles of her feet. That inability to feel was normal for her now. She'd become accustomed to it. Still, she hated that she couldn't feel the sensation of Mari hugging or kissing her. Savi wanted so desperately to feel her baby's arms around her, but…felt nothing but pressure. Of course, she would go through the motions and return the affection, but she'd always been left to wonder what it would feel like to—well, feel.
Is that what Damián was helping this woman to do?

Wow! Here are the next two stops in the tour so you can read the rest of the scene.

Sept 21 ~ Herding Cats and Burning Soup
Sept 22 ~ Guilty Indulgence

Amazon B&N All Romance e-books Smashwords
For those new to the Rescue Me series, the intensely emotional stories will have you laughing, crying, screaming, and experiencing a catharsis of your own as you read about these honorable, loveable, but quite imperfect characters who still manage to fumble toward ecstasy in the arms of their perfect mates.

The stories are told in chronological order and build upon past stories, so you'll readers are advised strongly to read the series in order. To help you enter their world and understand many of the main characters in the series (who will return in book after book), the introduction to the series, Masters at Arms, is a free (Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, All Romance eBooks, Kobo, iTunes, and other booksellers). Masters is followed by Nobody's Angel (#2), Nobody's Hero (#3), and Nobody's Perfect (#4). At least five more books are planned over the next few years, but no other publication dates have been set.

Find Kally at the following places:
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/kallypsomasters
Facebook Author Page https://www.facebook.com/KallypsoMastersAuthorPage
Amazon Author Page http://www.amazon.com/Kallypso-Masters/e/B007WUQPOQ/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1347851121&sr=8-2-ent
Website http://www.kallypsomasters.com
Blog http://www.kallypsomasters.blogspot.com

Kallypso will be offering one commenter a $10 Gift Certificate to bookseller of there choice on each blog. Please comment with email to enter for the daily prize.
No Email = No Entry!!!!!
She will also be offering one commenter from the whole tour a grand prize of a $200 Gift Certificate to book seller of choice.
So just so we are clear comment here with your email for the daily price, Fill out the form for a chance at the grand prize.
Two ways to enter for two different prizes.

*Blurb*
Savannah Gentry, now Savi Baker, escaped the torture and degradation forced upon her by a sadistic father for eleven years and has made a safe life for herself and her daughter. When her father threatens her peace of mind—and her daughter's safety—Savi runs to Damián Orlando for protection. Their one day together eight years earlier changed both their lives and resulted in a secret she can no longer hide. But being with Damián reawakens feelings she wants buried—and stirs up an onslaught of disturbing flashbacks that leave her shaken to the core with little hope of ever being a sexual being again.

Damián has his own dragons to fight, but has never forgotten the one perfect day he spent with Savannah in a cave at the beach. He will go to the ends of the earth to protect Savi and her daughter, but can never be the whole man she deserves after a firefight in Iraq. Besides, the trauma of war and resulting PTSD has led him to find his place as the Masters at Arms Club's favorite sadist. Savi needs someone gentle and loving, not the broken man he has become. But he sees that the lifestyle he's come to embrace also can help Savi regain control of her life and sexuality. How can he not help redirect her negative thoughts and actions if she needs him?

Happy Reading, Carin

Look what I found FREE at Amazon!

Please be advised that at the time of this posting these items were free, be sure to check all prices before purchase.

Roped
By Ann Jacobs
242 pages
published by Elloria's Cave

Wicked Werewolf Nights
By Lisa Renee Jones
52 pages

Heiress Without A Cause
by Sara Ramsey
341 pages
Book 1 Muses of Mayfair series

Somebody Tell Aunt Tillie She's Dead
by Christiana Miller
332 pages

Wild For You
by Sophia Knightly
158 pages
Book one Tropical Heat series







I tried to find something for everyone's taste. I hope you find something fun for your mid-week read to get you over the hump!
Happy Reading, Carin

The Soul Within by Nancy Adams $20 Amazon or Total-e-Bound Gift Card Tour Wide Author Giveaway

I am thrilled to welcome Nancy Adams and Goddess Fish Promotions to my blog today to share with us Nancy's new book. Remember The author will be giving away a $20 Total-e-Bound or Amazon gift card to one random commenter during the tour. So comment here and then hop to the other blogs to increase your chances.
Other blogs can be found here At Goddess Fish Promotions!

*Author Blurb*

Alex’s body is in a coma. His soul, however, is not. Desperate to become whole, he must first convince stubborn beauty Evening Sinclair that he is not dead.

For generations, the Sinclairs have been healers. Using a gentle touch to heal the body and a soothing word to heal the soul, Evening Sinclair is no different. Yet despite her secret abilities, Eve has a somewhat normal existence. She enjoys her small physiotherapy practice, dotes on her eight-year-old daughter and occasionally helps souls get back into their bodies-that is until Alex, with his brooding good looks and glowing eyes, appears in her kitchen.

Alex is desperate to get back into his body-two innocent lives depend on it. His only obstacle is Eve and her stubborn fear. Unfortunately for Eve, Alex is ruthless and just as stubborn. He will do whatever it takes to get what he wants. He will not 'go away' and no matter how much Eve tortures him with her lush body and perfect mouth, he will not change his mind. Eve will merge him, and if it takes him haunting her day and night, she will merge him back with a body-any body.

*EXCERPT*

“Why can’t you merge him?” she asked, her green eyes sharp.

Eve rested her cheek into her hand. “He has three bullet holes in him—one is very close to his heart, one probably in his liver and the other in his shoulder.”

Gran remained quiet taking in the information.

“He can move things too. Opens and closes doors.” Her heart began to beat faster when she recalled Alex closing the fridge door. Even now goosebumps crawled their way up her arms.

“Doll.” Gran leant forward and touched her bent knee. “I know the idea frightens you but are you sure he isn’t dead?”

“Yes.”

“But you just said that he came to you, that he could move objects and that he has three bullet wounds one close to his heart. It sounds as though he’s dead.” Gran shook her head. “I told you seeing dead souls might happen sooner or later.”

“That’s just it, for a while I was so sure he was dead, then I touched him and—”
Gran sat up straight. “You touched him?”

“Yes,” Eve moaned covering her face. “I couldn’t help it, there’s just something about him.”

“What, doll?” Gran asked gently.

“I’m not sure.” She lied. She had wanted to feel, no that wasn’t right. She had wanted to know that he was real, that this man, who thought she was damn sexy was more than just a soul and why it was, that when she felt his heat seep into her hands, it felt as though her own soul sighed in relief?

“What did you feel?”

“Heat. He was warm...

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Nancy’s addiction for a good trash novel began in her late-teens when her grandmother gave her a bag of Harlequin Romance books. She was hooked and spent the next few years lurking in the dark corners of used bookstores searching for her next fix. Until, one marriage and two kids later, her own ideas had her jumping up at 3 am (much to her husband’s annoyance) and typing them into her laptop. Beside her husband and children, Nancy has three passions, rearranging furniture, buying bed linens and, of course, writing. Nancy lives in Eastern Ontario with her family and two over sized lap dogs.

Email address: Fancy-nancy@hotmail.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/#!/NancyAdams.scribblingseduction

The Pirates of Vampire Island (Steamy Voyages #1) $25 Givaway & review

Be sure to enter the rafflecopter drawing at the end of this post for a chance to win a $25 Gift Card from the author, be sure to follow the tour to enter and increase your chances.

Series: Steamy Voyages, Series #1
Author: Phoenix and Lover Boy
Publisher: Self (Amazon and B&N)
Length: 61,700 words
Genres: Paranormal Romance (Adventure)
Heat Level: Sizzling


AVAILABLE AT:
Amazon and B&N


*Author Blurb*:
Pretty Jane O'Doherty always chooses the wrong kind of guys. Her specialty seems to be guys who have serious flaws and who break her heart.
Her last breakup was a year ago and still she can hear his final words, "I'm sorry, Jane. I've found someone else."
A 30-day cruise through the exotic Indonesian Islands with her best friend seems like the perfect distraction to mend her broken heart.

On board, she meets devastatingly gorgeous Nick, who attracts women in droves, including our lovely Jane.
And she meets Peter, who is the cute geek with puppy dog eyes.
Will either one just lead to another broken heart?
Should she run the other way from them both and just enjoy the cruise?
But before Jane can decide, the ship is attacked by modern day pirates.

Unlike the pirates of old, these guys are vampires and are more interested in human treasure than gold and jewels.
They take over the ship and take twelve women hostage.
And the handsome pirate leader—with eerie chalk-white skin, and red eyes, is looking for a special prize. He wants a woman for his mate and queen . . .

Jane catches his eye, but she, along with Nick and Peter, manage to escape in a lifeboat and onto the open sea.
They drift for fourteen days before finally finding an island.
But the fates are cruel, and their island turns out to be the home of the pirates and the lair of the Vampire.

The Pirates of Vampire Island is non-stop action . . . filled with adventure, suspense . . . and steamy romance.

*My Review*
What a better way to get over a broken heart than to go on a fun cruise and learn to scuba, at least that is what Jane has convinced herself. With cute single men she and beautiful places to scuba Jane is trying to get over the fact she has horrible taste in men and the latest has broken her heart. When the hottest man on board takes an interest in Jane she is thirlled, she also meets an adorable, shy man who knows some of everything. When the 3 of them are stranded on an island peoples true colors begin to show.

Of all of the island that the could land on some how they end up on the same one as the pirates that took over the ship, vampires if Peter is to be believed. As we learn more about Peter, Jane and Nick through the exciting and sometimes frightening adventure they have in trying to save themselves, and the captives from the cruise ship, Love starts to bloom and strengths that Jane never new she has are shown.
I love that Jane has the chance to pick between Mr Hot and Super Geek and that she becomes a strong woman who is able to realize her own worth.

The imagery and the setting is so well written that you can picture the island, the cruise ship, the vampires and the characters with absolute clarity. I felt like that the author was describing real places and events they were so well written. I loved the love story that developed but would loved to have seen more of a true break from the "other guy", not the villain but the other man. It seemed like there was just something missing when Jane finally decides.
I love that the ending included a HEA but also left you ready for the next book, Overall a well written, short novel with the set up for a series. I give this my second highest rating of red roses.

*Excerpt*
A warm wind fanned my face. I watched the colorful flags wave in the breeze, as our sleek cruise ship, The Jakarta, cut through the Southeast Asian waters.
We had boarded the cruise in Bali. Yesterday, we stopped at Komodo Island for diving, sightseeing, and ogling the famous Komodo dragons. Now we were sailing due east through the Flores Sea. I was so looking forward to seeing some of the thousands of large and small islands, each exotic and mysterious, with strange creatures, amazing fish and birds, impenetrable rainforests, and people who still lived in the stone age.
The ship was a small luxury liner that held ninety passengers and a crew of thirty. And though the posh thirty-day cruise was a beacon for singles looking to be pampered, the main billing was its stops to scuba-dive off a few of the seventeen thousand islands of the Indonesian Archipelago – our ultimate destination the Forgotten Islands in the Banda Sea.
They would even teach us how to scuba for free; I had always wanted to learn. I tried it yesterday and was hooked.
I left the deck and went back to my cabin, which I shared with my best friend, Remy. She had dresses and shoes all over her bunk. I plopped down on mine and sighed.
"What're you going to wear tonight?" she asked as she grabbed another dress and held it up to her, turning this way and that in front of the mirror.
"I don't know. I don't feel very social today. Maybe I'll just order something and eat here. And read."
"Which one?"
"Which one, what?" I asked.
"Dress … dress."
"Oh yeah, dress. I like the red one on you. Looks great with your blonde hair."
"Done." She started hanging the other gowns. "Wasn't that guy last night tasty?"
"Who? The one every girl's eyes were glued to?"
"No. No. Who can be interested in a guy who attracts woman in packs? No, the one last night at dinner. With the green eyes and sweet smile. Zack."
"Oh, yeah. Nice."
Actually, the guy who attracted every female on the ship had also attracted me. I had seen him by the pool with his ever-present fan club. The guy had it all. A classic Greek face, black curly hair, olive complexion – probably never visited by a zit. Fabulous build. He seemed to be charming the knickers off every young woman aboard. Maybe that's what my bad mood's about, I thought. Being attracted to the gorgeous guy started me thinking about Tony again – and the phrase that runs over and over in my head – "Jane, I'm sorry. But I've found someone else."

I hadn't been attracted to a man since my fiancé left me for another girl a year ago. You get burned, and you stay away from the stove.
I sighed. I had to stop this. I jumped off my bed. "I need to shake this off. How about a swim?
"Sure."
a Rafflecopter giveaway

*About the Author*
I was born in St. Paul, Minnesota, and grew up in California. I came from a long line of Americans who were pioneers and individualists. The family tree is filled with rugged people: rough coal miners, pioneers, and farmers living in log cabins in the early west. I wrote A Whisper from Eden, A Historical Fantasy, but like to write in several genres.

Lover Boy (aka my husband) was born and raised in Anaheim, California and wishes to remain anonymous because he doesn’t want anyone to know he likes to write romance novels. (Let's keep his secret.)

We wrote THE PIRATES OF VAMPIRE ISLAND, A Paranormal Romantic Thriller (Steamy Voyages #1). And we are working the sequel to Steamy Voyages and a dystopian thriller, The Trash Pile People. We live in Hollywood with our ornery tomcat, Snickers.

Website: http://www.fictionbyphoenix.com
E-mail: read@booksbyphoenix.com
Twitter: @PhoenixRead
Goodreads: Phoenix Reads
Facebook Page: Fiction by Phoenix
Facebook Profile: Lee Jordan
Pinterest: Lee Jordan
Amazon Author Central: Amazon.com/author/phoenixread
Amazon Reviews by Phoenix Profile Page: http://amzn.to/P8T5QD

*Follow the rest of the tour*
Sept 17: Shah Wharton's WordsinSync (Guest Post/Review)
Sept 18: My Reading Obsession (Review)
Sept 28: Night Owl Reads (Guest Post)
Sept 28: SnifferWalk (Author Interview)
Oct 3: Kristy Centeno (Guest Post)
Oct 4: Carly Fall - Where Fantasy Meets Romance (Guest Post)
Oct 5: Reading with Holly (Author Interview/Guest Post)
Oct 6: Sapphyria's Steamy Book Reviews (Guest Post)
Oct 8: Words of Wisdom from The Scarf Princess (Guest Post/Review)
Oct 9: Harlie's Books (Guest Post/Review)
Oct 9: For The Love of Reading (Review)