Cover Reveal ~ "Beauty From Pain" by Georgia Cates

Title: Beauty From Pain

Author: Georgia Cates

Expected release date: January 31, 2013

Genre and Age Group: Adult Contemporary Romance

Cover Designer: Georgia Cates

Cover reveal organized by: AToMR Tours

Feature & Follow #2

Feature & Follow is a meme hosted by Alison can read and Parajunkee.


It's a great way to increase Blog Followers, gain new Blog Followers and make friends! :)

Ranae Rose ~ "Hot Ink"

Me after reading the blurb:


Me after finishing this book:


But, let's go back to the very beginning...

"Waiting on" Wednesday ~ The Seduction of Elliot McBride

"Waiting on" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:

Aurelia B Rowl ~ "Christmas is Cancelled"

How shall I put this gently...?
No. Okay? Just... no.

It pains me to say it, but I was so sure this book will turn out to be a fine, refreshing, light holiday read. The first half of it is great. Seriously. Great!
So, what went wrong? And, what's even more important - how could it go so terribly wrong?
Let's see...

Teaser Tuesdays ~ December 25th

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Kristen Ashley ~ "Creed"

Honestly, I'm not sure if I should even consider rating this book.
There were some things I loved - Knight, to be exact.
There were many things I wanted to skip, and just move on.
There were some things I wanted to read more about - Knight, again.

You know how much I love KA's work. Enjoy it, go back to it on regular basis, sometimes think I could never have enough of it.
And then, there's Creed. It's just...
*sigh*

Promo Post ~ "Burning"

Burning
(Short Story - Demon Legacy Series Prequel)
Author: J.M. Gregoire
27 Pages
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Author Website: http://jmgregoirebooks.com
Author Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/puretextuality


It's free on Amazon today and tomorrow only.

So, what are you waiting for?

Click and grab your copy! :)

Cover Reveal ~ "Running on Empty" by L.B. Simmons

Title: Running On Empty

Author: L.B. Simmons

Genre: Contemporary Women’s Fiction

Age Group: Adult

Cover Designer and website: Okay Creations, www.okaycreations.net

Cover reveal organized by: AToMR Tours

Expected release date: Jan 9, 2013

Feature & Follow #1

Feature & Follow is a meme hosted by Alison can read and Parajunkee.


It's a great way to increase Blog Followers, gain new Blog Followers and make friends! :)

Mari Carr ~ "Fix You"

*sigh*

"Waiting on" Wednesday ~ The Arrangement

"Waiting on" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:

Teaser Tuesdays ~ December 18th

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

"Waiting on" Wednesday ~ Love Irresistibly

"Waiting on" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:

Teaser Tuesdays ~ December 11th

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Brooke McKinley ~ "Shades of Gray"

"Good and evil, right and wrong, innocent and guilty. Stay in the right box and it would all work out in the end."

...or would it?

So, is this book perfect? No.
Is it the best story ever? No.
Does it have flaws? Hell, yes!
But... what's most important - I don't give a damn! It made me laugh, cry, want to hug those two, and - definitely - slap some sense into them occasionally. No way could I, after all that, go for less than five shining stars!

Holiday Interview with Liz DeJesus & Giveaway

Welcome to the first interview of the 25 Authors of Christmas Blog Tour on our blog!

Today's featured author is Liz DeJesus, author of the YA fantasy novel "First Frost".

"Waiting on" Wednesday ~ Crystal Cove

"Waiting on" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:

Teaser Tuesdays ~ December 4th

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Suzanne Wright ~ "Feral Sins"

High expectations and all...

Oh, how I wanted to love this book. What's even worse, how I expected to love this book. It wasn't meant to be, I guess.

*Drum Roll*

Yes, it was one hell of a hiatus, but I'm finally back - up & running.
There were some technology/internet/life issues, that made me go offline for this long and... damn, it's such a great feeling being here again.
Anyway...

Jess Dee ~ "The One That Got Away"

I have been reading romance since before I can remember. And if I recall correctly, even my childhood obsession with western historicals was all about the luuuuve. :)
So, it is safe to say that I have seen a gazillion heroes do the right thing - from marrying pregnant ex-es that they did not love, to leaving their beloved heroines because of family feuds, all the way to jalousies that make a muck of things …after reading about all of those dramatic/tear jerker/angsty situations, I thought --> well, I had seen it all. I can write a book about stupid reasons, and silly alliances! There is nothing more out there that can surprise me. Nothing. NOT A THING.

Author Guest Post by Kimberly Lewis

It’s been a while.
And I missed the drama!
So let me turn on the stage lights, draw out my magic wand, and bedazzle you with the best type of illusions there are – book fantasies that come to life.
You’re not up to it? Oh, well. Then, just stop for a second, and take a peak at the works behind the scenes…because Kimberly Lewis, proud author of “Zane”, was kind enough to tell us her secrets about the way the magic happens!

 

In November of 2011, author KIMBERLY LEWIS stepped into the writing world with her first original contemporary romance novel "WHEN THE HEART FALLS". Born and raised on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, this country girl at heart caught the creative bug at an early age, doing everything from drawing to writing short stories. After the birth of her son, Kimberly found the inspiration to pick up a pen, or in this case a laptop, and began writing her first novel. Since then she has continued to write and credits her husband Rob and her wonderfully crazy family, who with their love and joking demeanor provide her with the ideas that inspire her novels. In her spare time she enjoys reading, horseback riding, and spending time with her amazing family. You can contact  Kimberly via her website, Facebook, and Goodreads.

Life...!

Do excuse me, my lovlies! Life is just so chaotic right now --> with my blog partner being unable to review and me not having the time to…well…even die of exhaustion!

Still, will be back with a bang on the 28th! Wooops, not a bang, but a brand new author post! Exited?
Stay tuned!

Xoxoxox

~D

Tiffany Reisz ~ "The Angel"

Imagine a cookie. Sinful, and fluffy at the same time. Covered in dark chocolate and melting in your mouth, while it leaves a whole specter of sensations in its wake. And just like that – you are hooked. Hooked for life.

That’s “The Angel” for me, darlings. A secret little desire that makes my cheeks flush in equal parts pleasure and shame.

W. Soliman ~ "Downsizing"

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and boy, is that true in this case!
Instead of a review, I could have just posted my shocked face. Or maybe a photograph of the big red stains on my carpet…no! I did not kill anybody, don’t worry your pretty little heads off. I just let the glass of wine I had with me slip out of my fingers, without even noticing it…

Robin Schone ~ "Gabriel's Woman"

I bought "Gabriel’s Woman" as a 2 for 1 deal when I got “The Lover”. My reading OCD did not help in this matter, so I was unable to stop myself from the mental torture of finishing this harrowing saga.

Robin Schone ~ The Lover

I know people love the books this author writes.
She sure writes with a passion, I can tell you that! Her syntax is good and she has no visible flaws in her text. She does not, like so many of the new authors, sound like a child trying to write. But...Oh and what a but that is!...her books sound so pretentious and cocky - it actually gets weird.

Celia Kyle ~ "Ball of Furry"

Shifters in love. That never stops being cool, right? And for me personally- there is an extra does of sexy in the mix when ware-bunnies are getting bitten by predators. You just can not get more alpha than that!

The book started out well – light, funny and entertaining. I pegged it as a hot 4 star read – the kind of rating I give to scriptures that flirt a lot with eroticism but don’t have a complicated plot. Basically, this is reserved for books that keep me engrossed...without being too deep. Sometimes a girl just needs to relax and read about some good old bunny boinking, if you know what I mean!

In other words…the experience as a whole – the writing, the plot, the sex scene, and even the mystery and thriller subplot – was well done. I would have been pleasantly surprised to find such a compact read in so few pages, if not for one small detail…well.
Maybe it started out as something small – until it snowballed in to an avalanche, made me rage and left me unable to give this anything more than 2 stars.

Serenity Woods ~ "Seven Sexy Sins"

A hot and quick summer read.
The best out there?
Hard to tell…

Back – rested and with a killer agenda!

Vacation time over – review time is here!
This month was a good one for us people that love to see the sites, and enjoy some relaxing time-outs.
It was also a good month when it comes to ARCs and going trough my tbr pile. Super productive. I am very proud of myself. :)

Teaser Tuesdays ~ August 7th

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Kristen Ashley ~ "Knight"

This was my very first Kristen Ashley book. To tell you the truth, I had absolutely no idea what to expect. But, my very dear friend gave her stamp of approval, and there's all that buzz about Ms. Ashley's books, so I thought - let's give it a try...

...and a try was given. I'll tell you right now it's damn worth it, too.
This book is hot. It pulls you right in, and doesn't let go. It even makes you pant. Yep. A lot.

18 & Over Book Blogger Follow #1

18 & Over Book Blogger Follow is a weekly feature that begins on Fridays and runs through the weekend, hosted by Crystal from Reading Between the Wines. This is a Friday blog hop with the objective to find and visit other book blogs that share the same interest as you, namely books geared towards the 18 & over crowd, and make some new friends!

Teaser Tuesdays ~ July 31st

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Sarah Dupeyron ~ "Hashimoto Blues"

I have been gone, gone, gone, and I have been a mess, mess, mess.
Vacation time is here, and as usual, all my stuff is yet to be laundered, my favorite brand of face primer is out of stock, and I need to make myself pack lest than 20 pairs of shoes.
On top of all this – family drama, health drama…heck! Every kind of drama there is was thrown in to my face.
So, maybe it was my mood – half destructive, half desperate – but I was hungry for some action, action, action!

Sophie Renwick ~ "Hot in Here"

A miss... HUGE miss!

Here goes...
Bryce is a chef with some reputation trouble, caused by his “I like my women the way I like my recipes: fast, easy and full of variety.” blabber, that made his fans turn their backs on him. He needs a U-turn in his career, so he calls his friend Jenna - PR girl - to make a strategy. The same Jenna - plain Jane, shy and insecure - that's in love with him for ten years... ever since she spotted him in school cafeteria, and dumped a tray of meat loaf and mac and cheese in his lap.

Teaser Tuesdays ~ July 24th

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Author Guest Post + Giveaway by Aida Brassington

We are so very proud to present a guest post from a quirky and fresh writer that is here to tell us about going wrong (or in her case- going right!) with speech patterns and dialects.

Give a warm welcome to… the one …the only … Aida Brassington, author of “Chasing Fools”!!

Aida Brassington lives in northeast Pennsylvania. She loves to eat and cook, and was inspired to write CHASING FOOLS by her experiences smuggling illegal cheese into the country from France (small amounts, of course—she has never held a job as an illegal foods smuggler). Her best-selling debut novel, BETWEEN SEASONS, has consistently garnered 4 and 5 star reviews and been called “intriguing,” “compelling,” and “surprising.” You can find her online at her website, Twitter, and Goodreads.

Heidi Cullinan ~ "Nowhere Ranch"

It's really hard for me to rate this book.
There were things I loved about it.
There were moments when I seriously did not want to continue reading.
And, then, there was that epilogue...

Kele Moon ~ "Defying the Odds"

“Do you really believe in soul mates?”

“I do now.”

If choking and gagging over a piece of pie could help you find true love, would you do it?



Melody Dylan is a waitress. She ended up working in a diner in Garnet, after she'd run away from her abusive ex-husband, who's still after her. Although broken from the past, she's still sweet and caring soul, so when she sees a guy eating alone on Thanksgiving, she decides to buy him a piece of pie. Pumpkin pie.
The guy turns out to be Clay "Powerhouse" Powers - UFC heavyweight champion. Yes, UFC as in Ultimate Fighting Championship. And, Clay hates pumpkin pie. Not that he'd admit it, so he decides to choke and gag, but eat it no matter what.

Just listen...

I know it's totally off topic and all, but...
It's 3.30 AM in this part of the world, I'm in one of those moods, listening to this song and - well, why not?

So, here's a little bit of Balkan music for you all. One of my favorite, and unbelievably beautiful, songs.

Hit PLAY, close your eyes and... just listen.

Teaser Tuesdays ~ July 17th

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Serbs fight the Serbian Wolf

Now, this was truly an unforgettable experience... Dee Dee seems to agree with me. Can you believe that? No? Well, why don't you see for yourself. Here she goes... Dee Dee?

Dee Dee and Mara
sitting in a tree:
K-I-S-S-I-N-G
First comes love,
then comes marriage,
then comes baby….
…huh. Not really sure we can make that one happen- medically impossible and all. Although me and Mara would have some super cool kiddies!

And frankly, even thou sitting in a tree is SUPER fun, climbing it does not work very well in heels.
Because of this we had to settle for sitting in a café - while yapping and ranting about “My Serbian Wolf”.
From time to time, a scared waiter brought us some more ice cream.
You need ice cream to have this kind of discussion - trust me! Lots and lots of ice cream!

So, this is how it all went down…

Tielle St. Clare ~ "Through Shattered Light"

The blurb:
"Carissa sees herself as ordinary, average-but when she gets dragged through a magic portal, she finds herself in a new body in a new world. Clothing optional. Sex a requirement. The people of this world have little reason to trust intruders-particularly when they come with a wizard in tow-and Carissa finds herself the king's captive. After one night in his bed, she can't quite remember why that's a bad thing. She knows she has to escape and return to the real world but until she can find a way home, she might as well enjoy the sensual amenities this world provides-hot sex with a delicious king and his trusted associate. But the world she's landed in is dying and the people think she's the magical Lady who can save them. She needs to get home before they find out she has no magic and before her heart gets broken. It turns out the wickedly good sex comes with a price-she's fallen in love with the king. Note: This book contains male/male and female/female sexual interaction."

Aida Brassington ~ "Chasing fools"

One Jewish cheese smuggler. (yes, cheese!)

One goofy Italian in love with the cheese smuggling (Jewish) girl.

One slutty Italian breaking the news of being gay.

His very much NOT Italian boyfriend.

One Italian mother with a bucket full of hate reserved for Jews, Chinese and Swedes. (And pretty much everybody and everything else. )
One crazy cheese mobster trying out his big boy pants.

One kick ass Nana, more fearsome than an Italian Don…

…add in some poison ivy, mushrooms aaaaaaaand a dead body…what do you get?

One heck of a ride!

H.C. Andersen ~ "The Little Match Girl"

Yes, this is for real. No, you're not wrong. It's my review for that fairy tale. Why? Keep reading...


I simply cannot bring myself to rate this.
It's one of those bedtime stories from my childhood, that were read to me repeatedly, and that stayed carved in my memory for good.

Only, this particular one is kind of an issue for me.
When you're a kid - three or four years old - you're bound to enjoy the numerous fairy tales, and think about... well, fairies, and princes, and frogs, and villains, and magic, and God knows what else. And it's great. Almost everything is great at that age, but still...

Cat Grant ~ "Doubtless"

*sigh*
I blame the blurb. It all sounded so... good. Nice. Great way to spend an hour reading. Whatever.

Here, take a look:

"Loving your best friend is hard . . . especially when he's marrying someone else.

On the surface, Steve Campbell seems to have it all: a beautiful home, a snazzy car, and a dream job as one of the country’s top 3-D optics researchers. But underneath, he’s restless and dissatisfied, tired of empty encounters with leggy lab assistants and endless evenings alone.

A chance meeting with a handsome escort lifts Steve’s spirits and opens his eyes to his long-repressed attraction to men—and his love for his best friend and business partner, Connor Morrison.

Connor might’ve loved Steve like that once, but now it’s too late for their happily ever after; Connor’s about to ask his boyfriend to marry him. Fortunately, it's never too late to learn about yourself, and maybe Steve can find a happy ending on his own."

Laura Hunsaker ~ "Highland Destiny"

Rainbows and sunshine, with a speck of flowers and sparkly things in liiiiiiife..!!

What is that?

That is me singing of key.

Sure, sure, that’s not the point.The point is: I just re-read this book today!

Why?

Try to pick a correct answer!

Dinjolina re-read Highland Destiny (Magic of the Highlands, #1) by Laura Hunsaker even thou she has a gazillion new books on her TBR because:

a)      Laura threatened her bodily harm

b)      Dinjolina is a sucker for time travel

c)      This is the greatest debut novel of all time