The Pen & Muse

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2011-04-21T20:02:00.000-07:00

The Pen & Muse Blog Has Moved

2010-08-25T20:26:00.001-07:00

The Pen & Muse Blog has now moved to http://thepenmuse.net.

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Interview : Teaching Tyler author, Glynnis Ivy

2010-08-25T09:08:00.001-07:00

I had the pleasure of interviewing Glynnis Ivy. I look forward to reviewing her book as well.

Where are you from? Tell us a little about yourself!

I was born an only child and raised in the wilderness of British Columbia, Canada where my parents ran a logging camp. I spent much of my childhood reading and mostly my mom's books because that was all that was around. So I grew up loving books like Mrs. Mike, Yargo by Jacqueline Suzanne, The Godfather and tons of Danielle Steelel. In my teens, I briefly "graduated" to Harlequin and Silhouette before moving onto more mainstream romances with my last literary stop being erotica. Throughout it all, I really relished writing little stories about love and the way it can always change one's life for the better.

What inspires you to write?

Everything! From music, magic moments, scenery, my animals, my boyfriend, memories, wishes, dreams...if you can name it, it will inspire me.

Do you find that your muse takes over when writing?

Totally! It's like I'm not even the one writing the story sometimes.

What inspired this story? What was your favorite part?

As women hit their sexual peak in their 40's and men in the 20s, I've always wanted to write an older women-younger men love story but one that had emotional depth as well and didn't just focus on the sexual fireworks.

My fav part in this story is the moment when Alene "decodes" the pendant Tyler bought for her.

Do you have any other works in progress that you want to share?

I'm just finishing my unofficial nod to Yargo. Still untitled, this story is about a woman who wakes up to find herself in a strange new world and a sex slave to not one but two delicious locals who are overly eager to learn all about her human body. And heart.

What would be your advice to aspiring writers out there?

Write what you love. That way it NEVER feels like work.

What are your favorite books at the moment?

Right now, I'm reading an older book by John Grisham - The Client. It's a great page turner so I am really devouring that.

What is your favorite word? Least favorite?

Surrender and resist.

Sex and Solar Flares...a Review

2010-08-24T08:21:00.001-07:00

Author: Larissa Lyons

Author Website: http://www.larissalyons.com/

Genre: A Fantasy Novella

Publisher: Ellora’s Cave: http://ellorascave.com

Info: ISBN: 9781419928901

Price: $4.45 Available as e-book

WHAT I LIKE

From the first page Ms. Lyons pulled me in with the carefree, off-the-cuff hints at her heroine’s fantasy life and her mission. When Aurora landed on earth on a cruise ship, during a mission to earn her ‘wings’, we share her experience: the crowds, the smells, the ocean’s vastness-through her alien eyes.

The author’s insight into her male character’s head was amusing. I loved hearing Charlie’s thoughts as he became more disgusted with his body’s reaction to Aurora. I LOVED the scene on the boat’s bow when Charlie gives an astronomy lesson to the captain and fellow guests while Aurora is sliding her fingers all over him. When he gives in to the pleasure, I cheered.

I liked how the author showed us the slow, eventual joining of two very opposite creatures. This story was filled with erotic sexual tension. Ms. Lyons tempered it with laughter and Aurora’s slight problem with earth language and customs, quirks that made her VERY human to me.

BOOK BLURB

Can a fearless fairy seduce a stuffy scientist?

After crash-landing into the sexiest man on Earth, apprentice fairy Aurora abandons her assigned task in favor of seduction. And during a starlit constellation tour, she takes her own journey—right into Charlie’s pants!

Boarding a cruise ship bound for Hawaii, astronomer Charles Morgan is entranced by the whimsical beauty who propositions him in the most amazing way. Would he like to have sex with her? Does the sun shine and the galaxy spin?

A night full of lust and stars, dusted with a hint of magic, just might bring these two unlikely lovers together for their own big bang!

Publisher’s Note: This story was previously published elsewhere under the title of Written in the Stars and has been revised for Ellora’s Cave

Review: Soul Keeper by Natalie Dae

2010-08-22T20:26:00.001-07:00

Title: Soul Keeper

Author: Natalie Dae

Author Website: http://nataliedae.blogspot.com/?zx=18830fc74bf39019

Genre: Contemporary Erotic

Publisher: Ellora’s Cave

Price: $2.49

Link to Purchase

What I liked: Soul Keeper by Natalie Dae is a sweet, well-written short story with some very hot sex. The premise of two lovers connecting in person after getting to know each other on the internet is definitely a relevant theme these days.

With Carrie eagerly awaiting her new lover to arrive by train in nothing but her underwear and an overcoat, the reader becomes equally nervous wondering if he truly will show. Ms. Dae brought out Carrie’s naughty girl persona perfectly and the fun romp is the perfect lunch time read.

I look forward to even more from Ms. Dae, hopefully in more than a short story.

Book Summary:

Carrie Marsh anxiously awaits her online lover of two years, pacing the station in her stylish red coat with nothing but luxurious black lingerie underneath and stilettos on her feet. Will Rob Edwards really be on the train from Scotland? Will the attraction still exist in person? Can she even stave off the first anticipation-induced orgasm before he arrives? Excitement spirals through her, for Carrie has planned a night to remember.

Rob is shy, and Carrie intends to show him how to unleash his sexy side during a series of sexual encounters. But once he arrives, she can’t wait until they get to the hotel, let alone a bed. No. They hardly make it to the first tree, where anyone could spot their antics.

One unforgettable evening of passion leads two virtual lovers to a lifetime as each other’s soul keeper.

Review: Mantis: Book One – Mantis Nights by: Joshua Scribner

2010-08-19T09:59:00.001-07:00

Title: Mantis: Book One – Mantis Nights
Author: Joshua Scribner
Author Website:Joshua Scribner
Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: Lyrical Press Incorporated
Price: $5.50
Link to purchase

What I liked: “I’m telling you, Mantis, you don’t want to go over there again.”
Mantis stared across the street. There were forces in this universe that one never wanted to disturb, even to help other people. Could he resist?

Pity often washed over him. He’d never wanted a woman before, not for keeps anyway. Now two had come into his life and left him longing for more. Chloe lived in a different time, Kendra in a higher realm. He found himself bitter at men who need only cross land to be with their lover.

Fear of being trapped nibbled at his nerves, but didn’t debilitate him. He was coming to accept the dangers of his special ability. It had become something more than a trick. Was that good or bad? He didn’t know.

****************************************

In Mantis Nights, the first book of the Mantis Series, author Joshua Scribner delivers a read reminiscent of 1930s gangster movies. Snappy dialog and swift imagery take readers on a journey into Mantis’ world of nocturnal exploration. Dispensing with the usual ‘getting to know you’ details of Mantis’ life, readers are not mired in the sad childhood or tales of introspection, Scribner stays focused on the present events. Readers find themselves thrown right into the action and watch as Mantis’ once safe and controlled means of escape has turned on him. The book stays true to adventure and suspense without letting the 'love interest' take over as is often the case.

Mantis used his special gift to enter worlds removed from the vulnerabilities and fears typical in his daily existence. Each adventure bent to his control. But now he cannot manipulate the journeys or the outcomes. What was once escapism is now a dangerous mission to survive.

Along the way, Mantis meets up with a variety of supporting characters that all seem to merge between the daily and nightly worlds. Mantis is compelled to push aside his fears to help those he encounters in his series of adventures. Yet the closer Mantis is to his goal, the more he is drawn into the psychological force that threatens his existence. Who wants Mantis dead and why? What forces from his daily existence are following him into his no-longer safe dream factory? Where can he possibly feel in control again?

Book blurb: Mantis enjoys escaping from reality -- until he can’t get back!

Mantis Shed has the perfect escape from the doldrums of ordinary life: he can enter alternate realities, becoming any character in whatever adventure suits him.

But those alternate realities trap him in battle, forcing Mantis to fight for his life against nightmare creatures. With a mysterious woman in black stalking him, will Mantis get his life back?

Graphic violence and mythical creature violence.

Book excerpt: Back on Main, his evader stood a block away in the middle of the road. The kid looked around, his high-pitched sobs loud in the still night.

A voice broke through the air. “Come out, come out wherever you are.”

The voice and the machinegun laugh had come from the same source, a little girl.

The kid looked around, his sobs getting louder. Someone came out on the street further down. The boy turned his head toward her, then started backing away. Mantis stepped toward him. The horrible laugh ripped again, stopping Mantis in his tracks. The little girl, dressed in a white nightgown, sped down the street at an inhuman rate. The boy had no more than turned before she caught him.

She laughed again, this time not loud, more playful. “Freeze tag,” she shouted with glee.

“Pssst.”

Mantis turned to where the whisper had come from. There was a bar at the corner of the block. Down low was an open basement window.

“In here. Hurry!”

On the street, the scary child twirled around the frozen boy. Maybe she hadn’t noticed Mantis yet.

Or maybe she was just that confident.

Tammy Elizabeth Southin

Review: Bewitching Finn

2010-08-17T17:08:00.001-07:00

Bewitching Finn

Emma Wallace

Genre: Contemporary/Paranormal Romance

Purchase: http://www.jasminejade.com/p-8418-bewitching-finn.aspx

Publisher: Ellora's Cave

What I liked: Grace Woodrow needs some help in the love sector. One spell and that's exactly what she gets when she has one hot night with Finn. Although Grace thinks she just needs one night to get what she needs, she finds out that Finn is more than she bargained for. In a chance meeting, Finn finds her only to want her again and again. Will Grace accept Finn's advances ? You bet she will when she sees that there is more to the handsome Irishman than a one night stand. Wallace really knew how to throw magic and love together in this tale. I really connected with the characters. I felt Grace's pain when we find her sad story of a past love gone wrong, but I really loved Finn's character and his wanting happiness and love. He knew what he wanted and he went for it. Wallace makes this story magical, beautiful, and a story that a reader will want to read again and again. This is a book not to miss.

Book Blurb:

Armed with a secret family recipe book, Grace Woodrow is cooking up a storm. And as every good witch knows, the real power of magic isn’t in the lotions and potions but in the intent. Grace wants a simple life but events conspire to keep her world complicated. As a result, Grace resorts to drastic measures that inadvertently trigger a chance encounter with a sexy, stranded Irish stranger. It’s lust at first sight, and after a year of being virtuous, the temptation to succumb to the promise of a no-strings-attached night of pure sexual indulgence proves too much to resist.

But once isn’t enough. And as if Grace doesn’t have her hands full with her interfering mother and Finn Delaney, the locals are acting…well… Frankly? Weird. Soon the rest of the island is unable to resist the side effects of her notoriously decadent delicacies, and before long it isn’t only Grace and Finn who are making merry…

Excerpt: http://www.jasminejade.com/productspecs/9781419926488.htm

The Pen & Muse Needs More Book Reviewers: Spread the Word!

2010-08-15T20:08:00.000-07:00

Do you enjoy reading books and reviewing them? Well then the Pen & Muse needs you!
If you are interested in reviewing and reading books, we could use another good one.

Benefits: Free Books

Requirements: Lover of books, romance genre reader and open to others, and be willing to read and write about the books, read about 2-3 books when reviews jobs come in.

If you are interested please email me @ thepenmuse(at)gmail.com

San Gabriel Valley Author Receives Two Awards From Military Writers Society of America

2010-08-13T15:50:00.000-07:00

Please feel free to use this release as is or to include any information in it that might benefit your reading audience. Please let me know if I can help in any way.

M E D I AR E L E A S E

CONTACT: Carolyn Howard-Johnson

E-Mail: HoJoNews@aol.com

San Gabriel Valley Author Receives Two Awards
From Military Writers Society of America

Glendale, CA, August, 2010—Carolyn Howard-Johnsonreceived the Military Writers Society of America (MWSA) two awards for her books, one the gold medal for her marketing book A Retailer’s Guide to Frugal In-Store Promotion and honorable mention for her chapbook of poetry celebrating mothers She Wore Emerald Then. It is a cooperative effortwith Aussie poet Magdalena Ball.

MWSA President Joyce Faulkner, said, “Among the benefits for (Author) and other award nominees will be appearances on various Internet blogs and radio talk shows, features on MWSA’s website and in our monthly Dispatches magazine, and interviews on radio and public-access TV during our annual conference in Pittsburgh.”

Although these two winning books have nothing to do with the military (all writers are welcome to become MWSA members), Carolyn Howard-Johnson often writes to increase awareness for the plight of our troops. She wrote the foreword for Support Our Troops published by Andrews McMeel, blogs resources for our soldiers and their families at www.warpeacetolerance.blogspot.comand has included military themes in many of her poems. She is the author of several chapbooks of poetry and has been published in many print and online journals.

All awards recipients will be honored at the MWSA’s conference, Thursday, Sept. 30 – Sunday, Oct. 3, at Pittsburgh’s Wyndham University Plaza. The Conference will include a special ceremony at the Dawn’s Early Light Flag Retirement Plaza in Pittsburgh’s South Park, special interest luncheons around the city, a play featuring the works of MWSA authors at the Kelly-Strayhorn Theater, Oral History Day, workshops, book signings, and the awards banquet. Many of the events are open to the public. Joseph Beth’s Book seller is the official MWSA Pittsburgh Conference bookstore.

Howard-Johnson is among more than 900 authors, poets and artists who comprise Military Writers Society of America. Most MWSA members are active duty military, retirees, or military veterans. Others are life-long civilians who’ve chosen to focus on military and/or historical themes with their writing or art.

Learn more about Howard-Johnson, a multi award-winning author at www.howtodoitfrugally.com.

Learn more about MWSA at: http://militarywriters.com/ or contact Joyce Faulkner, MWSA president, Bridgeville, PA (412) 496-5034.

###

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Review: Whispering Bones by: Rita Vetere

2010-08-13T08:31:00.000-07:00

Title: Whispering Bones
Author: Rita Vetere
Author Website: Rita Vetere
Genre: Horror/Thriller
Publisher: Lyrical Press Incorporated
Price: $5.50
Link to purchase

What I liked:

“No,” the old woman declared, her voice turning imperious. “I forbid you to go.”

“No Italian will set foot on that island.”

“She’s as dead as the others. Put her in with the rest.”

The clock in Rossi’s office chimed the half hour. At two-thirty in the morning, he sat on a crumpled blanket at the edge of his bed, staring at the dissected brain sitting on his desk. With a trembling hand, he raised an almost-empty liquor bottle to his mouth, swilling down the remaining contents in one gulp. Then he tossed the empty bottle against the wall. It shattered, sending shards of glass spraying across the floor.
Another dead end.

*****************************************

Anna LaServa has been handed the career opportunity of a lifetime in the land of her ancestors, Italy. Anna’s excitement slams into her grandmother’s dire warnings, which Anna chalks up to the worrisome personalities of old women. After all, the job entails working with professionals who specifically chose Anna for her expertise and this is the 21st century for heaven’s sakes – what could possibly go wrong?

Anna’s present day story mingles with the back stories in the shadows of both centuries and decades past. What Anna does not realize in her blissful daily routine is that she herself is a part of a long chain of events set into motion long before her existence. As Anna is pulled into the mysteries of the doomed Poveglia – an island no self-respecting bird or even insect visits – she must come to grips with the feeling of doom she has carried her entire life. Can Anna break the chain of terror and end the curse? How long and how far can ill-fated genetics carry a lust for revenge? How many more must suffer the same fate?

In Whispering Bones, author Rita Vetere avoids the confusion that sometimes happens as readers are pulled in and out of storylines. Vetere uses impeccable timing in each of her narratives along with a steady pace that gives all these stories equal respect with pace and placement in the overall narrative. The back stories do not bog readers down with mundane details; they provide strong character insights and perspectives. Each story could be strong enough for its own individual full novel treatment, and this is what keeps the chills moving up and down the spine during the book. In a short volume, tight writing keeps readers on their toes along with clues that help deduce without being blatantly obvious.

Book blurb: When someone dies in outrage, a curse is born.

In 1576 Venice, during the second and worst outbreak of the plague, a dying child is shown no mercy. Her death spawns a curse, one which has endured for more than four centuries.

In 1927, the curse manifested in acts of madness and murder in a newly constructed asylum, events which, almost a century later, have not quite been laid to rest.

Now, in a rendezvous with fate, architect Anna LaServa has arrived in Venice, opening the door to the next fulfillment of the curse. She will uncover the reason behind her ultimate confrontation with the barbaric executioner whose name is... Revenge.

Content warning, some scenes of violence.

Book excerpt: From the open cylinder of the incinerator, a hand shot out. By the light of the trembling flame, she could see the raised purple veins covering it. Ragged black fingernails scraped against the metal as whatever was on the other end tried to claw its way out. Anna screamed and dropped the lighter again. Oh God... Oh God, please.

Panic bit into her as she frantically felt around the floor for the lighter. The scraping of nails across metal sounded behind her again, followed by a slithering, dragging sound. Her frenzied hands couldn’t locate the damned lighter. Whatever was in the room with her would reach her in a minute and—

Her fingers brushed against the lighter and she grabbed it, flicking it on, terrified that the thing had clawed its way out and would be at her side. But the incinerator door hung open, the cylinder empty.

Without wasting a second, Anna whirled, lifted the heavy bar securing the doors and tumbled outside. Shaking all over, her heart pounding painfully, she backed away.

What had just happened in there? Something had tried to crawl out of the incinerator. Something not alive.

Tammy Elizabeth Southin

Review: Her Reluctant Bodyguard by Jennette Green

2010-08-11T21:01:00.000-07:00

Her Reluctant Bodyguard
by Jennette Green

Genre: Contemporary Inspirational Romance
Publisher: Diamond Press
Cost: $3.99 for Kindle

What I Liked:
There are no words. Honestly, there are no words to explain how much I loved this book. This is probably one of the absolute best books I have ever read in my entire life. I just don't know where to begin.

First of all, I should say that, having just read the book, I am sitting on my couch, sobbing, just totally impacted by the experience of connecting with Alexa and Jamison through their love story.

This is a totally unexpected love story. She's an "Amazon" in heels and he's an Italian "imp" all in black. But in her flats, she looks in his eyes, and he looks into her soul, and absolutely unbelievable magic happens.

There is NO sex. None. And yet this was the most fantastically developed sexual relationship I've ever read in a book. I really didn't think it would be possible, but wow. By the end of the book, I was shouting "JUST GET MARRIED already, people, so you can get in the sack!" I know it sounds crude, but it was just unreal. The sexual tension in this book was hotter than hottest. And yet there was no sexual contact, no sex, no nudity (well, there was a little nudity, but it was HOT!). Every scene was emotionally charged. I kept thinking that I had to be nearing the end, because they couldn't possibly get any hotter without consummating, and then it would just get that much hotter. Oh, wow. It was incredible.

It just proved to me how unbelievably hot chaste relationships can really be. I mean, I've been in them... I know they can be hot. But at 31, you sort of lose your sense of awe for that experience. I review erotic romance, for crying out loud. I'm used to the "wow, you're hot, let's screw (and then fall in love)" kind of book. But I think I've converted officially. Give me no sex until the cows come home. That was the most beautiful love story I think I've ever read.

I mean, the hero is a short guy! Although he's Italian and has a thing for soccer, which immediately puts him to the front of my line. But who would have ever thought? My new favorite hero is 5'8"??? I love it!

Okay, you have to go out and buy this book right now. I know, I know, I never say that. I never encourage people to buy books, because I know that taste is really subjective, and I don't want you to come back to me and demand some kind of refund for your money because I recommended something that wasn't to your taste. But I'm going to break my rule. Go and buy this book. (If you don't want a paperback copy, which I'm going to buy immediately, it's for sale on Kindle for $3.99... that's less than a mocha, for crying out loud!) If you don't like it, I apologize... we don't have the same tastes. But I'm relatively certain that you'll like it. And when you do, please come back and tell me about it. And tell the author, because I'm sure she'd like to hear that you liked it.

I know I wrote her a long, weepy email right after I read "The End". It's definitely worth the slobbering all over my keyboard to be able to say to a really fantastic author, your book changed my life. Because it did. I don't mean to be overly dramatic or anything, but Alexa's story is my story. Take out the rock star and the happy ending, and it's my story. And it was just so profound to see myself in the mirror and think, there's something else out there, and on some level to really believe it. Even if I don't fully believe it yet. Someday, I hope I will.

Once again, there are no words.

Book Blurb:
Alexa's dream job becomes a threat to her life...

Successful biographer Alexa Kaplan never expected to meet her favorite pop star on the Today Show set. When Colin asks her to write his biography and tour with him in Europe , she's thrilled. It all seems like a fairy tale come true—until she begins to receive death threats.

To her dismay, Colin puts her under the 24/7 protection of his chief bodyguard, Jamison Constanzo—a man with whom she’s clashed from day one. If only she could spend more time with her perfect man, Colin, rather than spending all of her days with this black-hearted thorn in her side! Alexa struggles to control her flip attitude toward Jamison. Why does opening up her heart to him feel almost as dangerous as dealing with the stalker’s threats? But when the killer strikes, Jamison is the only one she can turn to…

An excerpt is available at the author's website, and the first chapter is available to read here.

Review by Rebecca Lynn.

Review: The Witch Awakening by Karen Nilsen

2010-08-11T15:39:00.000-07:00

The Witch Awakening
by Karen Nilsen

Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: CreateSpace
Cost: $14.95 ($.99 for Kindle)

What I Liked:
The author did an interesting job with pov in this book, switching between the main characters. I found it interesting, rather than the typical deep pov of 3rd person omni. And for fantasy, especially, it seemed more appropriate.

Nilsen tells a sweet story of Safire's tumultuous life and her love affair with Merius of Landers (who, by the way, was my favorite part of the book). From the first time she introduces this dashing young man, I was as captivated as his heroine was. You can't help but fall in love with someone who is so in love with her, and yet so desires to be his own person as well. The villains were bad, and the heroes were good. All in all, a good fantasy read. This is truly a saga, and it looks as though it's the first in a series, as well. So it has all the benefits of good fantasy.

Plus, for 99 cents on the Kindle... you can't beat that. A good read for a buck. That's good business.

Book Blurb:
The odor of burning flesh and the screams of those condemned to the flames disturb the dreams of young Safire of Long Marsh. Safire struggles to keep the curse of her psychic abilities secret, lest she be burned at the stake as a witch in her native land Cormalen. Forced to keep her talents hidden instead of learning how to use them, Safire is ill-prepared to face the evil that awaits her. When she meets the rebellious Merius of Landers, a nobleman determined to escape his overbearing father's influence, she finally finds someone who accepts her. But their romance interferes with court plots and family duty and ultimately leads Safire to confront the dark secrets of the House of Landers alone. What she finds there proves to be a test of her unusual gifts, a test that could free the soul of a haunted man--or end in her death.

Review posted by Rebecca Lynn.

Review: Eden Fell

2010-08-10T19:59:00.000-07:00

Title: Eden Fell

Author: Lily

Author Site: 

http://www.lilyauthor.com/

Genre: Dark Fantasy

Publisher: Damnation Books, Sept 1st/09

Purchase: http://www.damnationbooks.com/book.php?isbn=9781615720293

What I liked: After reading Lily's Eden Fell, it introduced me to a new way of telling of the story of falling from grace. Lily tells an interesting tale of Eden and her journey to the ends of the earth. This is not your typical fantasy, Lily surely takes the reader on a ride of a lifetime. Read the excerpt for yourself and decide. It's out of this world, literally!

Synopsis:

A dark and modern tale that chronicles Eden's life as she falls from grace. Following a stream of consciousness, she journeys with her constant companions, the snake and the rhinoceros, through her life as an abstract painter to the end of the world. Together, the three of them encounter zombie marionettes, a frost prince, a winter sprite and a diligent gardener. Without the snake and the rhinoceros, there is only a punk kid, a clerk at a convenience store, an agent and a smattering of acquaintances. Watch... as Eden falls.

Excerpt:

I am a seed husk, a pea pod, a sunflower shell, just another hole to fill. Fill me up, relieve yourself of the burden of being a man so that just for a moment while you’re deepest inside, just for a moment, you can forget the sin of your own precious, precious seed. I am your service, your need, a container to hold all that melts away with the first hit of a climax. Do you understand me? You’re not suppose to smile at me like that, like I am human.

Eternal Press Reviews: May Releases

2010-08-07T19:48:00.000-07:00

Sanctuary

Author: Wendy Stone

Length: 70,545 words/ 254 pages

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Purchase: http://www.eternalpress.biz/book.php?isbn=9781615720873

What I liked: What a thrill ride, Sanctuary is! This is a book that will have you reading from start to finish. I really felt sorry for Chloe and how she gets snatched up by horrible person and what he does to her. Stone certainly knows how to take the reader on a journey. I also loved Chief Dane's charisma, how determined he was to get the case solved, and to save Chloe. Very good read.

Blurb:

Sanctuary, Michigan is a town like no other. Its people are happy and private. So when a serial rapist and murderer starts preying on young hitchhiking girls in the area, Police Chief Dane Alistair takes action.Chloe Sinclair is a young girl searching for answers. She hitchhiked into the vicinity of Sanctuary and took a ride from the wrong person. When she finds herself being attacked and then raped, she can only scream no and pray for someone to help her. Will Dane be able to help Chloe? Will they be able to survive what happens next? Take a trip to Sanctuary and find out!

Excerpt:

“Need a ride, girlie?”

Chloe waved a hand in front of her face as the smoke he blew out the window threatened to choke her. Cheap cigar, bad breath and a lack of personal hygiene made her feet hurt less, and she shook her head. “No, thanks. I’m almost where I’m going.”

“You aren’t thinking of going to Sanctuary?” the man said, his tone one of horrified disbelief. “You don’t want to go there, girlie. You go there and you won’t be heard from again.”

“What are you talking about?” Chloe let her hands rest on her slim, jean-clad hips and blew a strand of black hair away from her face. “Come on, I’m a bit old to listen to ghost stories.”

“I’ve been driving these roads for a lot of years, girlie. These aren’t stories. Lots of hitchhikers go missing on this road.”

A clap of thunder rent the air around them, followed by a gust of breeze that sent a shiver down Chloe’s spine. “Is it always so cold around here?”

“It’s Michigan in October, girlie. You’re lucky we don’t have snow. Now, do you want a ride or not?”

Chloe glanced down the dark road and the forest that lay just beyond the ditches. Another shiver shuddered through her, this one not due to the cold. A sharp wind blew through the trees, stirring up the leaves and making a rattling kind of noise that had her reaching for the door handle.

Title: Love at Last

Author: Cassidy Ryan

Genre: romance

Purchase:http://www.eternalpress.biz/book.php?isbn=9781615720972

Tagline:

Just good friends?

What I liked: I have always liked romances that begin with friendships. It comes so natural as the characters start to see more than just friends. I love how the how the author uses such a incident between the two characters for one to understand what's been in front of her all along. Classic romance and I would recommend it to anyone who loves to read romance that is heart warming.

Blurb:

Since she met him at college, Wade has been Peyton’s best friend and the one person she can rely on. So, it is no surprise that he is there to help her when her private life suddenly becomes very public. Fleeing a media circus, pursued by a particularly zealous paparazzo, Peyton and Wade are involved in a car accident. Sitting by Wade’s hospital bed Peyton comes to realize the true depth of her feelings for Wade. Dare she risk the most important relationship in her life by telling Wade?

Excerpt:

She closed the door quietly and walked slowly along the hallway to the door of the living room, where she paused, eyes drawn immediately to the figure in front of the windows. With the morning sun shining bright behind him, he was just a dark silhouette, but relief bloomed warm in Peyton’s chest. She would know those wide shoulders, those long legs and that mess of dark hair anywhere.

A sound like a sob escaped her when he wordlessly opened his arms, and she was crossing the room, bag falling from her hand. Without hesitation, knowing that he would catch her, Peyton launched herself at him, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck.

“Looks like I can’t leave you alone for a minute, can I?” Wade Rafferty squeezed her until she could barely breathe, and then pulled back to look at her, a smile on his handsome face, but concern in his brown eyes.

Peyton sighed and leaned her forehead against Wade’s chest. “God, you have no idea how glad I am to see you.”

Review: An Improper Lover

2010-08-06T18:45:00.000-07:00

Maggi Andersen

Author Website: http://www.maggiandersenauthor.com

Purchase:http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=maggi+andersen&x=12&y=13

Genre: Historical

Publisher: Eternal Press

Blurb:

Everything seems very proper on the surface but murder, intrigue and lust embroil Harriett in a very different scene…Lady Harriett Edgerton and her family visit a relative in his country mansion in Kent, England, in the early nineteenth century. Harriett finds herself not only caught up in a murder investigation, but falling in love with the wrong man. Determined not to become an old maid with no romantic dalliances, she plans a night of passion to ensure a scandalous past.

What I liked: This was a great story to read. It reminds me of some of the first romance novels I began reading that were Historical Novels. Anderson does entertain with murder and intrigue in this one. I really liked Lady Harriet's character and love how the book follows her and her life especially when Gerard is near. He brings out the blushes and a new side to Harriet that the reader is privy to. I also liked how Anderson describes the two sisters and two different people, one wanting the bustle of the city and the other not wanting anything to do with it. Anderson's An Improper Lover is a great read, one that a reader can enjoy over and over again.

Excerpt:

When the tea arrived, Harriett left her parents to their attempts at a civil conversation and wandered out into the grounds. She had played here as a child when Aunt Elizabeth was alive. It had been a very lively place then. She wandered along a path through the trees dressed in their summer green, recalling how she’d made up stories and narrated them to an audience of birds. A stately old oak tree she used to climb as a child caught her attention. She paused, remembering that Pendleton lay on a rise above a wide, green valley, and the tree offered a wonderful view all the way to the Channel from its topmost branches. She might see the French coast on such a fine day. She looked around. Finding no one in sight, she untied her bonnet and pulled off her taupe kid half-boots. She removed her stockings and tucked them into her shoes, then gathered her cream percale gown up around her knees. Placing a foot on a low branch, she began to climb. She had climbed a good way up and stopped to consider her way forward when a figure rose from the shrubbery below her. He stood examining something in his hand. He looked up and caught sight of her, then shoved it into his pocket. Whipping off his hat he stared up at her in surprise.

“Can that be you, Harry? It must be. Taller, but as skinny as ever.”

From her lofty perch, Harriett took a deep breath. “Gerard.”

“’Tis I.” He came to stand below her. “So, you can still climb that tree.”

“Why ever not?” She put a foot on a lower branch in an attempt to climb down without affording him a scandalous view up her dress but soon found it impossible. “Turn your back, will you?”

He gave a sly look at her bare legs before he turned away. “Are you sure you don’t require my assistance?

“I’ll ask if I do,” she said waspishly. She reached the bottom branch and stood considering whether to jump and possibly fall in a heap at his feet. In the end she swallowed her pride. “You might help me,” she suggested.

Gerard turned around and put up his arms. She leaned over and rested her hands on his broad shoulders. He gripped her waist and lifted her down. For a moment, he held her close against his chest. “Not so scrawny after all,” he said with a grin.

“But you are just as outrageous.” Harriett blushed as his hard male body pressed against hers, his mouth close enough to kiss.

He set her on her feet and stood with legs spread and arms folded, studying her. “You always were tall for a girl.”

In her bare feet, Harriett’s head reached his shoulder and Gerard stood well over six feet. “Too tall for beauty, or so I’m told,” she said pragmatically.

His dark brows rose. “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.”

Beholding Gerard, Harriett quite agreed. With his well-shaped mouth and the cleft in his chin, he was quite the handsomest man she had ever set eyes on. She bent to pick up one of her boots.

“Allow me.”

Her cheeks burned. “No. I have to put on my stockings. Would you turn your back again, please?”

“What gentleman would refuse?” He turned his back.

Harriett was securing her garter around her stocking when he turned. She hastily pulled down her dress. “You agreed not to look.”

He grinned. “I didn’t say I was a gentleman. May I assist with your shoes?”

He kneeled at her feet and took hold of her ankle. Harriett’s senses swam at the gentle touch of his fingers as he eased her foot into the shoe and fastened the lace. She almost lost her balance and had to resort to holding on to his shoulder. It felt broad and strong under her fingers, and she quickly let go.

INTERVIEW: Jackie M. Smith

2010-08-02T18:56:00.000-07:00

Today I had the privilege of interviewing Jackie M. Smith, author with XOXO Publishing.

Jackie, welcome. Where are you from? Tell us a little about yourself.
I’m a Canadian romance writer from Montreal, Quebec but born and raised in New Brunswick. I have three younger sisters. I love ice hockey, reading and I’m a big fan of Sex and the City.

What inspires you to write?
Anything and everything inspires me to write. Watching movies, documentaries, reading books or any day-to –day things can inspire me. It only takes a spark and the fire of creativity ignites.
For A Soldier’s Vow out now with XOXO Publishing, it was a WWI documentary on the History Channel that inspired me. Of course, I always take my idea to the next level and ask myself “What if?”

Do you find that your muse takes over when you write?
Definitely. I immerse myself in my story and fall in love with my characters. The hero and heroine take over the story in the middle. And I don’t fight them. They guide me and help me discover who they are and what they go through.

Do you have any works in progress that you want to share?
I do have a new historical romance in the works. This story is set in the late 1890s Klondike Gold Rush. Klondike Winter is about a young woman who must find gold in order to repay her father’s debts after his death. She gets help from her brother’s friend, a unconventional soon-to-be English lord, and together they travel to the Klondike. In my book, my characters learn about themselves, life and love. And of course, I always add some action, adventure and lots of sexual tension.

What would be your advice to aspiring writers out there?
Keep writing. Keep learning. Don’t ever lose your love of writing despite rejection. Build a network with fellow authors and talk with them. They are the best resource when starting out. Ask questions. Don’t be shy or afraid. And get your name out there with the help of social networking.

What are your favorite books at the moment?
At the moment, my favorite book is Knight of Passion by Margaret Mallory. I love historical romances. When I read this book, it takes me back to a time where men were knights in shining armor and chivalry was a code of honor.

What is your favorite word? Least favorite?
My favorite word is passion.

My website: http://jackiemsmith.weebly.com/
Buy link: http://xoxopublishing.com/shop-online/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=17&products_id=53
Blurb for A Soldier’s Vow
Winnie Douglas always loved taking pictures of her family and her hometown. One day, while reading a war magazine, pictures of the soldiers whose strength and courage touched her. With her family's blessing, she journeys to Paris where a French magazine hires her to take pictures of the war.
Henry Whitfield answers the call of duty and travels halfway across the world to fight in the war. Far away from his family and Canadian hometown, he feels the loneliness. On the battlefield, he meets an angel. Afraid she is just a dream, he befriends Winnie.
War brought them together. Will it tear them apart?

Thanks so much for joining us today, Jackie, at The Pen and Muse. The best of luck with your books!

Review & Interview: Frugal and focused Tweeting for Retailers: Tweaking Your Tweets and Other Tips for Integrating Your Social Media by Carolyn Howard-Johnson

2010-08-02T05:00:00.000-07:00

Frugal and focused Tweeting for Retailers: Tweaking Your Tweets and Other Tips for Integrating Your Social Media

Carolyn Howard-Johnson

Publisher:HowToDoItFrugally Publishing,

Paperback. 130 pages.

ISBN: 9781451546149

Order at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1451546149?ie=UTF8&tag=howtodoitfrug-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1451546149

What I liked: Howard - Johnson as a a lot useful and valuable information as to how to use Twitter for those of us trying to make it out here as writers, sellers, etc. She provides all the easy set up and goes through sample processes as to how to use Twitter to our advantage. This is a must read for those of us who write or are in the industry in general where we have to market out goods. From the setup to the other tips and tricks - as to how to integrate your other social media as well as all those different Twitter apps and which ones are better. These are all valuable tools that everyone can benefit from. Howard-Johnson is a talented person and she grants us these Twitter gifts and more. Go ahead and pick up this book, you won't be disappointed!

Book Blurb:

· How to Get Twitter--The Simple Way

· How to Set Up Twitter as a Selling Machine

· What to Say: Sample Tweets and Critiques

· What All Those Links Mean--And Which You Need, Which You Can Safely Avoid

· How to Drive Traffic: Integrating Twitter with Your Other Social Media

· Sample Media Release

· Sample Blog Post

· List of Tried and True Applications for Twitter

· Making Online Life Easy: A Glossary of Important Twitter and Tech Terms

Don’t be fooled by the word Retailers in this title. The book is not exclusive. Retailers also include any author trying to promote their book. This information, as is true of all Howard-Johnson’s acclaimed books for authors, is invaluable to your promotion arsenal. And Frugal and Focused Tweeting for Retailers is all about beating the recession one tweet at a time.

Twitter has become the Web phenomenon of the decade even though many say they “don’t get it,” and even those who think they do "get it" appear to be missing something. Frugal and Focused Tweeting for Retailers will help those with businesses—large or small, online of off, or individual author—use Twitter in ways they never imagined by “doing it right” and integrating their efforts with all the other marketing they do.

This book gives authors and retailers the benefit of Carolyn Howard-Johnson’s nearly three decades experience in publishing and as founder and manager of her own chain of stores, a stint as a New York publicist, retail consultant and journalist and a veteran Tweeter (If there can be such a thing as a veteran of such a new concept!). It is the second in the Survive and Thrive series for retailers in her USA Book News award-winning HowToDoItFrugally.com books.

What the professional say about Frugal and Focused Tweeting for Retailers:

“Experts say that when business is slow, the last budget one should trim is advertising. Frugal and Focused Tweets lets a retailer have their promotions online and do it very nearly free.” ~ Robert Ricciardi, President of About Face

“In thirty-five years in the industry, there are only a handful of retailers I have observed reach the success level of Carolyn Howard-Johnson. There is only one thing you need to learn from her to succeed . . . everything she says!” ~ Randy H. Eller, industry speaker, business consultant, and President Eller Enterprises, LLC

“As a columnist for Home Décor Buyer, Carolyn’s no-nonsense approach to retailing and her easy-to-read writing style made her a coach to thousands of retailers.” ~ Jim Carper, founding editor of Home Décor Buyer

“The use of social media by retailers is tricky business. Frugal and Focused Tweeting for Retailers details practical strategies for retailers to connect with their target audience in a way that delights them, builds relationships, and creates a sense of community with people of like interest. It will help you not only drive new traffic to your site, but it will also help you create a loyal following of repeat clients . . . It’s a treasure trove of information." ~ MaAnna Stephenson, Web site training and designs and author of Just the FAQs series of books on tech .

Retailing Bio:

Carolyn Howard-Johnson, has nearly three decades of retail experience plus oodles more in the fields of journalism, public relations, publishing, and marketing into this Survive and Thrive series of books. She consults in the three Ps: publishing, promotion and publicity and is the author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers and award-winning books of fiction and poetry.

She founded and operated stores ranging from home décor to gifts to antiques and other collectibles. She owned and operated the souvenir shop at the world renowned Santa Anita Race Track. During that time, she served on the boards of directors of the malls where her stores were located, of the boards of cooperative catalogs her stores utilized, and on the board of the California Gift Show. She speaks at retail industry conferences including The National Stationery Show, The California Gift Show, The California Mart and the LA Mart and has written articles for the LA Mart, Home Decor Magazine and others. She puts this world of experience in retailing to work for anyone trying to sell books in this economy with her series of Survive and Thrive books, or in private consultation sessions.

Howard-Johnson was named by members of the California Legislature Woman of the Year in Arts and Entertainment and American Women Business Association (ABWA) Impact Council’s Woman of the Year. Find more information on her speaking in the retailing industry and others here.

Visit her literary pages on this Web site as well as the published works almanac on this site. Her formal education includes a BA in English Literature from the University of Southern California (USC), a certificate of completion for instructors at UCLA and courses at these universities in writing and editing:

· University of Utah

· Utah State University

· UCLA

· Herzen University, St. Petersburg, RU

· Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic

· Cambridge University, Trinity College, Cambridge, UK

· Glendale Community College

Author Bio

Carolyn Howard-Johnson’s first novel, This is the Place, won eight awards and her book of creative nonfiction, Harkening: A Collection of Stories Remembered, won three. Her fiction, nonfiction and poems have appeared in national magazines, anthologies and review journals. A chapbook of poetry, Tracings,was named to the Compulsive Reader's Ten Best Reads list and was given the Military Writers' Society of America's Silver Award of Excellence. She speaks on Utah’s culture, tolerance and book promotion and editing and has appeared on TV and hundreds of radio stations nationwide. She is an instructor for UCLA Extension’s world-renown Writers’ Program and her how-to book, The Frugal Book Promoter: How to Do What Your Publisher Won’t was named USA Book News’ “Best Professional Book 2004." and the Irwin Award. Her The Frugal Editor: Put Your Best Book Forward to Avoid Humiliation and Ensure Successalso won a nod from USA Book News and won Readers' Views Literary Award. Her marketing campaign for that book won the marketing award from New Generation Indie Book Awards.

Howard-Johnson is the recipient of the California Legislature’s Woman of the Year in Arts and Entertainment Award, the Book Publicists of Southern California's Irwin Award and her community's Character and Ethics award for her work promoting tolerance with her writing. She was also named to Pasadena Weekly's list of 14 women of "San Gabriel Valley women who make life happen."

The author loves to travel and has studied at Cambridge University in the United Kingdom; Herzen University in St. Petersburg, Russia; and Charles University, Prague. She admits to carrying a pen and journal with her wherever she goes. Her website is: http://carolynhoward-johnson.com andwww.howtodoitfrugally.com.

Interview:

Where are you from? Tell us a little about yourself!

Oh, dear. I love writing. I love writers. I'm loving helping both retailers and writers with my HowToDoItFrugally books!

What inspires you to write?

I guess about everything. I never get writers' block. There are always stories in my head, poems roiling around on scraps of paper waiting to be typed, and ideas for nonfiction books that will help others waiting to be published. Or edited. Or written.

Do you find that your muse takes over when writing?

Well, most times. Mostly the secret is to put bottom in chair. Push chair up to computer and make fingers push the keys.

Tell us a bit about your Frugal and Focused Tweeting?

Frugal and Focused Tweeting for Retailers is part of my HowToDoItFrugally Series of books for retailers. There is a series for writers, too, but in all practical matters, both series work for both groups. That's because marketing is marketing is marketing. The principles are the same. And lots of the specifics can easily be adapted.

What inspired it?

I love Tweeting. And I love marketing--especially fruitful marketing. And I got tired of hearing people say "I don't get tweeting," or "Tweeting isn't my audience," or "Tweeting won't work for me." Especially when I saw how well it can work when it's done right.

Do you have any have any other works in progress that you want to share?

Well, I just published Your Blog, Your Business (www.budurl.com/Blogging4Retailers) and A Retailer's Guide to In-Store Promotion (www.budurl.com/RetailersGuide) . And a nifty little booklet that is a fun brush-up on some tricky word trippers waiting to humiliate anyone who writes--from business letters, to blogs, to full-blown manuscripts. It is Great Little Editing Tips for Writers (www.budurl.com/WordTrippersPB) and it's only $6.95.

What would be your advice to aspiring writers out there?

Not to give up. Not to give up writing and not to give up promoting their writing. The only failures are those who give up.

What are your favorite books at the moment?

I just read FREE: The Future of a Radical Price which has influenced my thinking on some promotions I'm doing. It's probably still on the Bestseller list. Creative work? I love Marrying George Clooney (by Amy Ferris), a memoir. And nothing will ever replace To Kill a Mockingbird as my all time modern (?) favorite.

What is your favorite word? Least favorite?

My least favorite are the ones I mistype. I type about 120 words a minute. I know because typing teachers used to measure those things. But I also mistype about 60 words a minute. (-: My favorite word. Mmmmm. Acceptance. I use the meaning behind that word in lots of my poetry and fiction.

Wednesday Morning - The Life of a Writer

2010-07-28T08:28:00.000-07:00

Coffee, coffee, coffee. Up till 3 a.m. with a painful manuscript. I need coffee. I used to think having someone else around to make coffee was the only possible inducement for remarriage, but then I discovered those pots you could program. Now my life is complete. Now I can stay up till 3 a.m. without a partner or significant other moaning, “Whacha doin’, hon?” and flicking the lights off and on as a hint. Some people just like sleep too much.

Coffee. Please. I can’t find the pot. My eyes feel like burning gumballs. My tushie hurts from too many hours in the computer chair. I really need some good, hot coffee. And a shower. I could really go for a shower except I know another chapter is just waiting to get out. My muse Persephone says it is. And if I don’t listen to Persephone she cracks that whip of hers and nails me with a stiletto. OUCH!

Laundry. I need to do laundry. Is it really cheating to wear the same underwear two days in a row? Really? Just this once. I mean, I only have a few more chapters to go. How many days is that?

That’s not fit behavior for a diva? I’m not a diva. I’m just a multi-pubbed author if I can get this puppy to the editor by the end of the month like she asked me to. She’s a pussycat compared to Persephone, though. It’s WHAT? No, that’s not possible. It wasn’t that close to the end of the month last time I looked. Of course, that might have been last week.

Bills. I need to pay bills. I actually have a letter from my broker telling me I can take $3,000 out of my account and I haven’t sent it because I don’t want to take the time to check the little boxes. It would take 30 seconds, tops. I also have to sign it? Too much time. The bills can wait. Even the one for $600 for heating oil when it’s not even winter yet. Especially that one.

It’s the phone. God help me, the phone. It’s my 84 year old neighbor calling ME to ask if I’M all right. She says she hasn’t seen me lately. Of course she hasn’t seen me lately. My tushie is glued to the chair with Super Glue. My neighbors act like I’m one of those frail elderly people you should check on when the weather gets too hot or cold. They know. My frail elderly neighbors are going great guns. If it weren’t for them, I might be dead. On the other hand, if my friend Nancy is right and we all reincarnate anyway, I can come back in my next life to see if anybody read me. There’s no sign of it in this life. I haven’t sold a book on Amazon in thirty-eight days. Of course, I haven’t had a new release in a lot longer than that and I won’t if I don’t get back to the keyboard.

Coffee, I need it. Now. Steaming hot and a lot of it.

IF I DON’T FIND THE FREAKING COFFEE POT, THERE’S GOING TO BE REAL TROUBLE IN THIS HOUSE!!!

Review: Marked Book Three: The Unsaid Trilogy by Sally Royer-Derr

2010-07-27T12:35:00.000-07:00

Title: Marked Book Two: The Unsaid Trilogy
Author: Sally Royer-Derr
Author Website: Sally Royer-Derr
Genre: Mainstream Romance: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense
Publisher: Red Rose Publishing
Price: $1.99
Link to purchase

What I liked: My father’s eyes. The only thing he ever gave me.

He had the blood of a murderer flowing through his body and he often wondered if he too possessed murderous tendencies.

I’ll find out soon.

He strapped on his gun and walked out the door.

Cameron Brown is torn between avenging his father’s death and following his heart that beats beneath the life-long hatred for Danny and Amy Lopez. Cameron only met his father, the terrifying Alex Miller, once – and that was when Alex was in prison. Cameron cannot understand why he feels compelled to finish what Alex could not. Is it the only way Cameron can feel loved again since the loss of his mother?

In the third and final book of The Unsaid Trilogy, Marked, Sally Royer-Derr’s suspenseful tale promises more of the exciting twists readers enjoyed in the previous two volumes.

Conveniently, Cameron becomes a police officer and just as conveniently lands a job with the department where Danny Lopez works. Cameron can execute is plan by getting close enough to the Lopez family to destroy them. Until Emily Lopez, Amy's daughter, ruins Cameron’s plans. And why is Marissa Blake, policewoman, so eager to help Cameron? Does Cameron share his father's ability to overpower women and render them useful?

Unlike Alex, Cameron does not possess the same evil tendencies. Cameron knows he should, he must; hate the Lopez family with every ounce of his being. Cameron finds this difficult because he is actually falling in love with Emily. How can he hurt her and her family? How can he not?

Royer-Derr continues her story telling through her multi-dimensional characters and their strong loyalties. Each character must not only fight for what is right but must also decide whether the loyalties of the past are still important in the present.

Book blurb: Cameron Brown, Alex's son, is intent on avenging his father's death. His obsession with Captain Danny Lopez leads him into a career as a police detective working in Danny's precinct. Cameron didn't count on having doubts about his hatred of Danny. Or the romance he would find with Emily who is Danny and Amy's daughter. His sights are marked to destroy the Lopez family, but will love change his mind?

Book excerpt: The tantalizing smells of Italian meats and cheeses filled the small neighborhood deli. Cameron Brown walked up to the greasy, white Formica counter to place his order.

"Hey, Officer Brown," Joe, the owner of the deli, greeted him. "Hot today, isn't it?" He wiped his perspiring forehead with his arm. "What'll it be, the usual?"

"Yeah, Joe." Cameron leaned his tall frame against the counter. He watched him assemble the large Italian sub, extra cheese and mayo, no onions. His dinner of choice, practically every night since he moved over the busy deli, four months ago.

He paid for the sub Joe handed him, wrapped in white deli paper, and proceeded up the narrow stairway in the back of the building. Opening the gray door of his tiny apartment, he walked inside and dropped the sandwich on the miniscule kitchen counter.

Cameron unbuttoned his shirt and laid his gun on the counter as well. What a day. Two murders, and a young boy was one of the victims. It had drained all the energy he had left. All he wanted to do was eat his food and sit in front of the TV. He grabbed a beer out of the fridge, took his sub, and sat down on the frayed, green sofa. Clicking the remote, he surfed through the channels until he found something mindless to watch. A rerun of The Office fit the bill. He laughed watching Michael Scott and the gang struggle through the day.

I wish I had problems like that, easily solved in thirty minutes. Cameron looked around the shabby apartment he inhabited. The same apartment his father called home for a few months, almost six years ago. Six years had passed since his father was killed and Cameron's obsession with him grew every single year. When he got the job with the Reading Police Department, he knew he wanted to find and live in this apartment.

The only recollection he had of his father was in the jail visiting room at seven-years-old. Even though he denied Cameron was his son, Cameron could see in his eyes he knew it was the truth.

The son of a murderer. The title wasn't easy to live with in the city where the most prominent murder took place. Cameron hoped to get to know Alex, his father, when he was released from jail. Maybe get to know another side of him. A side that cared he had a son in this world.

Cameron tossed the empty wrapper on the chipped coffee table. He mindlessly stared at the droning TV in front of him. Danny Lopez took care of any chance I may have had of getting to know my father. He would meet him soon, according to his plan, the man who watched his father take his last breath. The one who took his life.

Tammy Elizabeth Southin

Review: Retribution Book Two: The Unsaid Trilogy by Sally Royer-Derr

2010-07-23T07:51:00.000-07:00

Title: Retribution Book Two: The Unsaid Trilogy
Author: Sally Royer-Derr
Author Website: Sally Royer-Derr
Genre: Mainstream Romance: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense
Publisher: Red Rose Publishing
Price: $1.99
Link to purchase

What I liked: “He’s going back to jail,” Amy said. She laid the knife down on the black granite kitchen counter.

I wish everything could stay exactly as it is today.

Amy Lopez believes that after 15 years she is safe and secure. Her solid and sizzling marriage to Danny Lopez has produced two beautiful children and the perfect loving home. But with her past in the form of Alex Miller about to hit her square in the face, literally and figuratively, again is Amy really safe or has she been lulled into a sense of false security?

If we had to face the most terrifying event in our lives, would we have what it takes to stand up for what we believe in? Could we sacrifice ourselves to save those nearest to us? Amy is the determined heroine who has to prepare for battle yet again and she will need to draw on every ounce of strength to do so.

In Retribution, the second gripping instalment of the Unsaid Trilogy author Sally Royer-Derr takes us further into Amy’s psychological journey. Unlike so many series that tend to be somewhat predictable, Royer-Derr’s Retribution throws some great twists into the plot to keep readers glued-and on their toes. Alex has an ally and has convinced everyone, save for Amy and Danny, that he is a new and improved man. Amy knows Alex for what he really is.

The tension is mounting between Amy and Alex, leading up to a showdown. But the stakes are higher this time. It is no longer just Amy against Alex because Alex is ready to strike out at anything and everything Amy loves. Alex is bent on destroying Amy’s happiness, her life, and every last family member if it is the last thing Alex does.

Let’s hope he meets his end before it’s too late.

Will Alex succeed in his hate-fuelled and rage-fed revenge quest? Will Amy finally be free of the evil force that has cast a shadow over her life? Retribution keeps us hooked to the end and prepares readers for the extraordinary events in the third and final book of the Unsaid Trilogy.

Book blurb: Alex is back and looking for revenge. His romance with the prison psychologist made him a free man, and once again his sights are set on Amy. The strong love Amy and Danny share continues to grow after fourteen years of marriage, but will Alex destroy their lives in his zealous quest for retribution?

Book excerpt: "This man has been convicted of murdering one woman, kidnapping and attempting to murder me," Amy stated to the parole board in the dingy gray meeting room. "He should not be released into society. The potential violence he may inflict on another woman is too great."

"Mrs. Lopez, I understand your concerns," Melissa Cunningham nodded. "However, as the prison psychologist I have been seeing Mr. Miller for over ten years. It is my belief he is rehabilitated and no longer a threat to society. In fact, I feel he has reached a point where he can start contributing to society again."

Amy struggled to keep her emotions in check listening to this ridiculous woman spout Alex's miraculous recovery every time he was eligible for parole.

"Dr. Cunningham," Amy demanded. "Are you saying you guarantee Mr. Miller will not harm another woman if he is released?"

"No, I can't say that," replied Melissa. "But I can say it is unlikely."

"Thanks for the reassurance," Amy retorted. Looking at the rest of the parole board she pleaded. "Mr. Miller is still a danger to me, my family and anybody else who gets in his way. He is a dangerous man, capable of just about anything. Please keep this in mind when making your decision."

Amy walked back to her rigid folding chair next to Danny. He took her hand, holding it tightly as she stared at Dr. Cunningham, who still pled Alex's impressive rehabilitation. A plain woman with no nonsense light blonde hair pulled away from her face and only a hint of makeup on her bumpy completion. She was thin, uncomfortably so, as her navy blue suit dwarfed her emaciated frame.

Despite her forgettable appearance her pale grey eyes blazed with passion and determination in her plea for Alex's impending freedom, making Amy wonder how Alex could arouse such loyalty from a trained professional. Is it possible she sees a glimmer of a real person inside of Alex? Amy shook her head, knowing Alex only showed Dr. Cunningham what he wanted her to see.

Tammy Elizabeth Southin

Review: Never Tease A Wolf by LA Day

2010-07-21T18:10:00.000-07:00

Never Tease A Wolf
LA Day
Author Website: http://www.la-day.com/
Genre: Erotic Shapeshifter Romance
Publisher: Ellora's Cave
Buy Link: http://www.jasminejade.com/p-8340-never-tease-a-wolf.aspx

What I liked:
This was a smoking hot, fun to read story. Damianos is a great Alpha male and I loved that when Jenny decided she was going after her man, she spared nothing to get him, even learning how to dance. I’ve never read LA Day before but after reading this sexy romp, I am looking forward to checking out more of her work.

While it was a short story I enjoyed it immensely. For me it was the perfect lunch time read but would easily also be a perfect bedtime story.

Book Blurb:
A harem outfit and a flogger? Sounds like a party. That’s why Jenny chose them as the key ingredients in her plan of seduction. For two years she has worked for Damianos Alexander, but tonight at the costume party she’s determined to become more than his secretary. Tonight, she’ll take that sexy male animal home—to her bed.

Damianos always gets what he wants, and he wants Jenny. She’s half naked, her body undulating in the movements of an ancient dance. Tempting every man in the room, including him. Too bad she doesn’t realize she’s tempting a wolf. Once she unleashes his feral side, there is no turning back.

Interview with Winner Roxanne Rhoads

2010-07-21T05:00:00.000-07:00

Eternal Desire - Roxanne has always been a favorite and there is plenty of reason that I choose her work to be a winner as well. She always has great plots, characters, and very hot scenes. She knows how to write passions and in this case it shows between the characters and of course between the pages!

Where are you from? Tell us a little about yourself!

I live in Flint, Michigan- born and raised here though not in the city area, I live in what used to be farm country. In fact some parts still are.

As an only child growing up out in the country without other children to play with books were my constant companions words my first love. I always wanted to be a writer.

What inspires you to write?

Anything, everything. I write poetry as well as fiction so sometimes a single drop of rain or a silvery thread of moonlight can be the inspiration for a poem. Then sometimes once the poem is complete an idea tells me to take the feeling of the poem and create a story from it.

Other times inspiration may appear from thin air. I may just be sitting around doing nothing and an idea pops into my head.

Do you find that your muse takes over when writing?

Sometimes. My muse is fickle though, there are months when she isn't around and I just have to work and push and fight to get words on the page. Other times when I feel her close the words flow effortlessly.

What inspired this short story? What was your favorite part?

I actually started a very rough draft over 15 years ago in college. A woman who could see ghosts and man who wasn't just a man- and it was all set in New Orleans. I started it after a trip to New Orleans had me spellbound.

But I never finished the story. Then I found the old draft and made it into what it is today- an erotic romance filled with the magic and mystery of New Orleans.

New Orleans has fascinated me since I was a child. I don't know why, Perhaps it was the books of Anne Rice or something else that just made me feel a kinship to the city.

Do you have any other works in progress that you want to share?

I am currently working on a novel set in Flint, MI- it features a cast of vampires, witches, and demons with a few weres and other paranormal types making appearances as well. I hope to be finished with it soon.

What would be your advice to aspiring writers out there?

Learn the craft, hone your skills, connect with other writers and people in the business and above all else- write all the time.

What are your favorite books at the moment?

I love Jeaniene Frost's Night Huntress series and any of Annette Blair's magickal fun.

What is your favorite word? Least favorite?

Words....love them so much I would not dare choose a favorite or least favorite. That's like asking a mother which child is her favorite.As a writer that could be asking for bad luck- if it got out that I chose one and dissed another- they could all mutiny and I would have no words to write with.

Her Websites:

www.fang-tasticbooks.blogspot.com

www.roxannesrealm.blogspot.com

Excerpt:

Interview with Winner Phylis Warady

2010-07-20T19:03:00.000-07:00

Murder is No Joke - One of the reasons I choose this short story for winning was the unique title and of course the plot. It reminded me a lot of the characters that I grew up reading who thought nothing could touch and little did they know it would. Get to know Phylis Warady!

Tell Us Where Your From?

Born in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, but haven't been back there since age 5. My Mom was born there, too, and thus has roots. But my stepfather was in the Coast Guard, so we were always on the move. As a child I lived in Sandy Hook, NJ; Staten Island, NY; Orchard Beach, MD; Boston, MA; Cape Cod, MA; Oakland, CA; Wilmington, CA. Then as an adult I lived in NYC but visited my family in Solon, ME. Married I lived in Pittsburgh and Altoona, PA; Norton, KS; Simi Valley, CA and finally in Grass Valley, CA. So I'm what's know as a service brat as a child, then a nomad until I married and wanted my three kids to have what I'd never had, namely ROOTS so we stayed in Simi Valley until they were in college and then moved to the Sierra Foothills where I now live in an ex-gold mining town that is blessed with lots of cultural outlets which is why I love it!

In High School I took Journalism (back then there were no creative writing classes offered) and when my kids were toddlers began to write a feature column for the local paper, plus occasional featured articles, but I wanted to write fiction. So I took a correspondent course in short fiction and have been writing seriously for almost 50 years. I wear many hats. I've six published historical novels all set in Regency England; plus a collection of award-winning short stories, most of whom are multi-published. For amusement I write light verse and have many 1st place plaques as well as prize money as a result. And last but hardly least, I write articles dealing with either the writing craft or on career tips. But my dearest love is writing a great short story.

What in inspires me to write?

I started writing seriously with 3 kids under age 5 to save my sanity. In downturns I've often tempted to quit writing altogether, but then realize that I might as well quit breathing because to me writing almost daily is like clutching my 'life saver'. In other words, I must write even if never paid a red cent for my efforts.

Rarely does my muse take over, but when it does, it's magical. But mostly I rely on sheer persistence and that pays off as well.

What inspired Murder is no Joke?

I read an article on a practical joker and that idea fascinated. Trying to get the right blend of the combination of humor and murder took me 18 months. (Could've written an entire novel and half of another in that time span.)

What are you currently working on?

Currently I'm hard at work revising an historical novel circe 1853 set where I live.

Advice to aspiring writers?

Get all the outside help you can. Listen carefully to critiques but only take the advise you understand and agree with. Spend at least an hour a day writing! If you write first, then everything else seems to fit in. On the other hand, it you do all those pesky chores first, there never seems time to write. (The only exception should be a family crisis.) Write the kind of work you enjoy reading. Faking it never pays. Be yourself. And Be Persistent! It pays dividends.

Currently Reading?

I'm reading 9 Dragons by Michael Connelly. I adore suspense and thrillers but have no desire to write one. I also love Georgette Heyer's and Jane Austen's regencies. I'm an insomniac. A bad night is 3 novels and its dawn. A good night is 1 novel and 5-6 hours of blessed sleep.

Favorite/Least Word?

I don't think I have a favorite word, but I do adore finding and using one that startles. For instance, in Heyer's novels 'ejaculated' is used as a synonym of 'exclaimed' so I've had fun using it thusly in my own novels, but always have sense enough to delete in before I send in the finished manuscript. It's just too startling a word. I also deplore the shrinking of the meaning of 'gay'. I miss titles like "Our Hearts were Young and Gay". And male names such as Gaylord and Galen unfairly besmirked!

Excerpt:

Review: Afterlife by Naomi Clark

2010-07-20T05:00:00.000-07:00

AFTERLIFE

Naomi Clark

Author Website:http://www.naomiclark.net/

Genre: Fantasy

Purchase: http://www.damnationbooks.com/book.php?isbn=9781615720538

What I liked: If you like fantasy and Urban fantasy like I do, then you are going to love Clark's Afterlife. Clark keeps you wanting more and on the edge of your seat from start to finish with this gem! I absolutely loved Yasmin Stoker's character, a tour guide by day and a hunter by night. She is willing to do whatever it takes to get the job done. When you think it's all fantasy, Clark surprises and delights with a cast of characters that you will certainly will not forget. From a vampire to a hot history teacher, Yasmin has her hands full literally! So if you are looking for amazing fantasy with tons of action, this is the book for you.

Book Blurb:

Life in the afterlife is about to get dangerous.

Yasmin Stoker is a ghost tour guide who spends her days showing tourists around Shoregrave’s haunted hotspots. She also happens to be a wraith who spends her nights hunting Revenants, newly-risen flesh-eating vampires. On one of her regular hunts, she witnesses a mysterious ghostly girl pulling the body of a teenage boy underground. Who – and what – is this girl, and why is she attacking men around the city? Yasmin investigates, but it quickly becomes clear that somebody wants to keep her from finding the killer and they’ll do anything – including ambushing her with ghouls and cacodaemons – to stop her.

With only a persistent private eye and a taciturn vampire (one of the Immaculate, no less) to help her, Yasmin must deal with fanatical necromancers, crazed ghosts, and a sexy history teacher in her quest to solve the mystery. And along the way she uncovers some heartbreaking truths about her own existence.

Excerpt:

I was so entrenched in my thoughts that I didn’t notice anything was wrong when I unlocked my front door. The smell didn’t hit me until I was inside the apartment.

Rotting flesh. Bile and decay, the perfume of the grave. I stiffened, inhaling that thick, musty odour. I frowned, perturbed but not scared. Some ghosts left a scent, although I’d never come across a ghost that stank like this.

Then I heard it moving. Slow, soft shuffling, as if the walker didn’t have total control over its legs, accompanied by laboured, wheezing breathing. It was in my bedroom, I realised, following that sound.

Tension threaded down my spine. My first instinct was to mist out and roll through the apartment that way. I checked the instinct – misting expended energy and I hadn’t fed properly since the Revenant. I might need the strength to fight the creature. So I picked up the heavy iron poker from the fireplace and crept towards my bedroom. Holding my breath, I peered round the door into the shadows.

It was a ghoul. I should have known from the smell. He dragged himself around my bed, grunting softly at the effort. He had been a young man in life, from what I could see of his decaying face. His skin was a nasty grey, his eyes gleamed red. His right ankle was broken, dragging along the carpet at a nasty angle. An old ghoul then, one who’d seen his fair share of fights with others of his kind.

What the hell was he doing in my bedroom?

I pushed the door open and his head snapped round to stare at me. I stared back. The quickest way to dispatch a ghoul was to take out its brain. I hefted the poker in my hand, hoping it was heavy enough to do the job.

I took a tentative step forwards. The ghoul grunted and lunged towards me, his mangled foot making an awful scraping sound on the carpet. I froze, holding his blood-red gaze. I still wasn’t truly afraid. Ghouls were no more intelligent than dogs, barely capable of more than eating and fighting.

Really I was more confused. How had he gotten in? Shoregrave was a strange city, but not strange enough that the walking dead passed without notice.

The ghoul launched himself at me. He hit me square in the stomach, knocking me onto my back and driving the air from my lungs in a burning rush. I screamed as the ghoul sank his filthy teeth into my collarbone.

Instinct took over: I misted out, turning to vapour beneath the bastard and dropping the poker. Howling, he fell into the space my body had occupied, fingers digging at the carpet, like I still had a solid body for him to cling to.

I drifted out from under him, holding onto my mist form and sweeping across the room in a cloud. The ghoul rolled onto his back, grabbed the poker and swung it wildly at my misty body. I felt it as a rush of air, nothing more. I was safe in this form.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t get rid of the ghoul in this form. There was an antique brass candlestick on the windowsill, not as heavy as the poker but better than nothing. I breezed over and pushed myself back into my corporeal body. The quick change was painful, and I felt exhausted the second I was back in my human form. I hadn’t quite managed to change back completely and tendrils of mist rolled off me as I grabbed the candlestick. Bluish ichor trickled down my shoulder where the ghoul had bitten me, weakening me further.

The ghoul was dragging himself towards me, blind greed on his face, poker in hand. He smelled the ichor, sensed my sudden tiredness and was coming in for the kill. I raised the candlestick over my head with some effort, my arms shaking as I did so. My body wanted to turn back into mist - light, effortless mist. I fought the urge.

The ghoul rose up, grabbing the hem of my sweater and pulling me forward with surprising strength. I stumbled and dropped the candlestick. It bounced off the creature’s skull. He snarled and shook off the glancing blow, whacking me in the ribs with the poker. I fell with a shriek. This time I landed on top of the ghoul. Grabbing the advantage, I jabbed him in the eye. My finger sank into the pulpy eyeball with a sick popping noise.

Review: Take it Off, Warrior by Eliza Knight

2010-07-19T17:49:00.000-07:00

Take It Off, Warrior

Eliza Knight

Author website: www.elizaknight.com/

Publisher: Ellora's Cave

Genre:Time Travel, Romance

Purchase: http://www.jasminejade.com/p-8417-take-it-off-warrior.aspx

What I liked: Knight has a way with writing characters that just come alive and that you fall in love with. In this case, I fell in love with Camden and Valerie. I found that I had a lot in common with the main heroine, Valerie. Her love of books and her love of life makes her such a great character to admire. While planning a bachelorette party for her best friend, she finds herself in a beautiful castle that takes her breath away. With the castle comes more than just scenery and well that's when Camden comes in. Sparks and passions fly between them, but will it be enough for Camden to stay? You'll just have to find out. This tasty treat from Knight is not to be missed.

Book Blurb:

Sixteenth-century Highland laird Camden MacLeod wakes up in the modern world. Confused with his surroundings, he haphazardly throws on his kilt and goes in search of whoever has played such a foul trick on him. What he finds instead is beyond tempting…

Valerie is thoroughly exploring the medieval Scottish castle she’s rented for her best friend’s bachelorette party. Not only does an oddly shaped stone in tower catch her fancy—it somehow brings her dream man to life.

Excerpt:

http://www.jasminejade.com/productspecs/9781419928154.htm

P&M Review: Angel and the Unforgiven

2010-07-19T17:18:00.000-07:00

Angel and the Unforgiven
by Melissa Blue

Genre: Historical Romance (Civil War/American)
Publisher: Champagne Books
Cost: $6.00

What I Liked:
I hope I'm not the only one who started humming Metallica when I read this title. Not that it was appropriate for the story (other than, obviously, the subject matter), but it just put me in a good mood to read the book. I love the black album--there's so much to enjoy about the song Unforgiven. And this book, Angel and the Unforgiven, had a lot to enjoy as well.

First, I'll say that I love the setting. I think there are not enough Civil War and post-Civil War romances out there. Post-war in general, if I'm honest. I think that post-war romances could have a lot to say to our country at this time in our history, in addition to having the upside of the ultimately hopeful ending that romance novels are known for. This novel had both: the reality of a post-war culture and the hopeful feeling of a romance novel.

Second, I always appreciate a Captain. Eliza Knight wrote probably my favorite series of Captains ever, and I think that Angel and the Unforgiven gives a similar picture of a man who has been at war and his struggle to understand how to love a woman who doesn't share that experience.

And I have to say, this heroine has one of my favorite unusual heroine names of all time. Love the name "Cadence". It just has such great... well, cadence. And the hero is really quite dashing.

I appreciated the intrigue of having her dressed as a cabin boy, and the scene where we find out that she's really a she (in the eyes of the hero, anyway), is great. Also, although I don't want to give too much away, I appreciated his valor and respect of her. I think Curtis was a good hero. All in all, I enjoyed it.

Book Blurb:
When murder suspect Cadence Jamison disguises herself as a boy and stows aboard the Heavenly Mistress Captain Curtis Langston may find his two past occasions for rescuing her more than he bargained for.

Bitter and Cynical after service in the Confederate Army, Curtis believes himself no more deserving of another’s love than capable of returning it. Content to drift through life free of emotional and therefore romantic complications the once carefree and mischievous rogue may be forever gone. But when Cadence appears in his life Curtis finds himself smiling again, smiling and dreaming and feeling more like himself than he has in five years. Drawn with almost unnatural force to the sweet and innocent goodness Cadence offers, Curtis blunders again and again to resist the pull of what a life with her could be.

Can Cadence show this wounded soul how to love again? Or is he doomed to be forever unforgiven, haunted by the ghosts of his past?

SPECIAL NEWS RELEASE: Premiere novel TEACHING TYLER by Glynnis Ivy arrives August 27th

2010-07-19T17:15:00.000-07:00

Review: Gambler

2010-07-19T16:25:00.000-07:00

Gambler

Eryn Blackwell

Price: $2.49

Genre: Historical Short Novella

Publisher: Ellora's Cave

If you've had a rough day and want an hour's diversion, "Gambler" by Eryn Blackwell might be your answer. (Full disclosure: I read it in 47 minutes.) This short novella doesn't waste time with plot, creative dialog or developed characters, but gets right to the heart of what Ellora's Cave aficionados expect: abundant and explicit sex.

While the manuscript could have benefitted by an editor's firm hand, the goal is still accomplished. As for the setting being historical - the only bit that plays is in the initial set-up of the scenario; otherwise, the story could be anywhere anytime.

*Note: The Ellora's Cave website does mention that this story was previously published elsewhere.*

Celtic Hearts Campus Workshops For August

2010-07-16T07:43:00.000-07:00

Celtic Hearts Campus Workshops for August.

Registrations open at: http://www.celtichearts.org/workshops.html
FMI: Contact celtickerri@yahoo.com (CHRW Education Coordinator)

08/01 thru 08/15
LogLines

Instructor: Cindy Carroll

A good logline can make people sit up and take notice. Whether you write books or scripts the logline is an essential part of your marketing material. Just the facts, Ma'am is a two week workshop that covers what makes a good logline.

Topics covered:

1. Introduction
2. I already have an idea - turning your idea into a logline.
3. Generating ideas - how to generate ideas for loglines.
4. High concept - just having a high concept doesn’t mean you have a logline.
5. Bonus Lesson - The Art of the Three Line Pitch
6. Staying focused - using loglines to stay on track

Feedback provided for student loglines

Cindy Carroll joined RWA in 1992 and started out writing novels but turned to scripts when an idea for one of her favorite television shows wouldn't leave her alone. That first attempt, and her second teleplay for the same show, garnered her honorable mention in the Writer's Digest 76th Annual Writing Competition in the screenplay category. She graduated from Hal Croasmun's screenwriting ProSeries intensive in June of 2008. Her interview with David Rambo, writer/producer for CSI appeared in the summer special edition of The Rewrit, the newsletter for Scriptscene, Romance Writers of America 's screenwriting chapter. Currently working on the rewrite of her second feature, Cindy is also developing two new television pilots.

08/16-09/05
The Book Factory: Producing Multiple Novels in One Year

Instructor: Kerri Nelson

Is life getting in the way of you completing that novel? Ever think there’s not enough hours in the day to find time to write? Have a full time job distracting you from your real passion of being a novelist? Are family responsibilities weighing you down and interfering with your writing goals?

I’m here to tell you that you can do it all and do it successfully. In 2009, I successfully managed one husband, two jobs, three children, a difficult pregnancy, AND still managed to write twelve books, sell ten of those books (including all the editing and promotion), and coped with other various life challenges thrown in just for fun!

How did I do all of that and still find time to eat and sleep?

I developed a method of writing known as “The Book Factory Method”. It does require commitment and desire to “get it done”. If you’re willing to put in the effort, you can produce multiple books in one year.

What’s the benefit of completing multiple books in one year?

The more books you have ready to submit, the more chance you’ll receive contract offers on one or more of those books.

Why shouldn’t you just focus on one book and continue polishing that book all year long?

The cold, hard truth is that you might not ever sell that one specific book. You should always have more than one project “in the works”.

Are you one of those writers who starts multiple projects but never finishes any of them?

Then this class is for you as well. We’ll talk about how to finally see those projects through to completion.

Have trouble with time management or procrastination?

We’ll address methods for getting organized and staying focused. Plus much, much more!

If you want to learn how to get started, stay on track, and get those books ready to submit…this workshop puts a method to the madness of novel writing.

Kerri Nelson has always been passionate about reading books but when she wrote her first poem in the second grade, she discovered her love of writing. At the age of sixteen, she became a columnist for her local newspaper as the high school correspondent for the weekly "Panther Tales" column. She won the Outstanding Young Journalist of the Year Award for her efforts.

After an education and career in the legal field, Kerri began to pen romantic suspense novels with a legal or law enforcement theme. She is a true southern belle and comes complete with her dashing southern gentleman husband and three adorable children. When she’s not reading or writing, you’ll find her baking homemade goodies for her family, feeding her addiction to blogging online or designing custom made book trailers. Kerri is an active member of Romance Writers of America as well as numerous Chapters including Gothic Romance Writers, Futuristic Fantasy & Paranormal, and Celtic Hearts Romance Writers.

Kerri is a multi-published author of romance in every genre from romantic suspense and paranormal to young adult and inspirational novels. In 2009, Kerri wrote and sold twelve books to multiple publishers using her Book Factory method. Her latest paranormal romantic suspense “Courting Demons” will release from Dorchester Publishing in 2011.

Read more about Kerri’s books at her website: www.kerrinelson.com
Come out and chat with Kerri at her blog: www.kerribookwriter.blogspot.com
Need a custom made video trailer ad for your novel? Visit the award winning Book Boost Designs page at Kerri's website here: www.kerrinelson.com/9.html
Need affordable cover ad placement? Or want to play, learn and compete with other authors in the biz? Visit the Book Boost Blog here: www.thebookboost.blogspot.com
For the latest news and updates from Kerri, follow her on Twitter here: http://twitter.com/kerribookwriter

Review: Locked and Loaded by Samantha Cayto

2010-07-12T20:05:00.000-07:00

Locked and Loaded

Samantha Cayto

Price: $4.45

Genre: Romance, Sophisticate

Publisher: Ellora's Cave

What I liked: What didn't I like from this story! I liked everything, it was very hot and sexual. It was a beautiful story about Grace who wants to have more in life and then she ends up meeting Mark. Grace doesn't expect to fall for him, she figures she would get her fantasy fulfilled. When the two meet they have a lot in common and not all of it in bed. I really liked both characters and the scenario. There is also some action here as we get to see Mark's friend and how the war affected him. Cayto knows how to add the suspense, action, along with the romance.

Book Blurb:

Former army-turned-ER doctor Grace McKinnon is through with going to bed with nothing more than fantasies and a yearning to resurrect her personal life. She’s determined instead to take the Cougar Challenge with a flesh and hot-blooded younger man. She discovers the perfect opportunity steaming up the curtain of exam room four.

Captain Mark Bennington has been locked and loaded—ready for action—since meeting Grace. He’s on a mission to heat up the Boston nights while on leave. This sexy older woman is lighting his way, fulfilling double-time every sex wish he’s ever made. But it’s going to be the toughest fight of his life to convince her to take a chance on more than just a fling.

Excerpt:http://www.jasminejade.com/productspecs/9781419928673.htm

Book Review: Bloodmaiden

2010-07-12T18:34:00.000-07:00

By: Christine E. Schluze
Published by: Old Line Publishing, L.L.C.
Genre: Fiction/Fantasy
Price: $14.95

Book Blurb: Zale. Gauthier. Varden. These three dynasties... They all sound like something out of an ancient, oriental myth or fairy tale. The concept of humans and dragons helping and living in harmony with one another, without fear. To me, that's exactly what they are. A distant dream only read of, whispered secretly, quietly yearned for. For, you see, I am the new Quelda of Tynan.

These words echo the mystery, horror, and romance found within Schulze's fantasy novel. Along with her new husband, Chalom, Crislin must choose to embrace cruel tradition, run from it, or stand against it. The young couple's only hope is to rally the help of the three peaceful dragon dynasties of Sulamon - but tradition is not on their side, even outside the realm of Tynan. The dragons outside Tynan's borders have been rumered as too stubborn and proud to believe their Tynan brothers would commit such horrors as inflicted upon the Quelda. Gaining their aid is not a likely hope. Yet any hope at all is valued in Tynan...

If they are to stand a change of bringing cruel tradition to a permanent end, Crislin and Chalom must brave the constant, consuming blizzards of the Ever-white. They must brave the three dynasties and the challenges awaiting there. Together, they must convince the dragon emperors to allow them access to the shrines which house the secred Aria - protective strands of music which may be able to disperse the evil from Tynan and unite the four dynasties of Sulaimon as a whole once again. Their only aid stems from a sprite whose moods are as unstable as her magic, a yough minstrel, and a mysterious fox. Despite the odds, such plans are daring, dangerous, unprecedented, but fully possible - if they can escape the Wall first.

What I thought: I have never read a book like this before, so when these wierd creatures started to change colors I was not sure what to think.

There was not much characterization for my liking, and the dialogue was a bit bland. What I got from the main character, Crislin, she seemed to worry about others, but a little bit not sure of herself and needy.

I enjoyed the action and description. It really brought things together for me because it was exciting and flowed with what was going on. I would recomend the story for a young adult.

Excerpt: In Sulaimon, four kingdoms stretch to the four corners of that vast land, each ruled and guarded by four dragon dynasties.

To the East, across the feathery meadows, upon an island hovering not far from the coast lays the Zale Dynasty. Serpent-like dragons slither through pure ocean waters and fields, slipping so silently it looks like a gentle wind sways the tall reeds. Raised facets glitter like sapphires and diamonds upon smooth, aqua-blue scales. They are the most playful of the dragon families, the gentlest dragon rulers. They catch fish and rabbits for the people of the island and protect them from sharks, wolves, and other fearsome creatures. Serene bynature, the Zale dragons spend much time in meditation, studying peace and charity towards all. Thus, they require from their human inhabitants the lightest of the required tributes. In exchange for care and protection, the Zale Dragons oblige only an annual feast which the people prepare and share with the dragons.

To the West, the treacherous, harshly windy Valther Mountains loom. On top stands the Gauthier Dynasty. Unlike the elegant Eastern palace clad in gold and light silks, a sturdy, stone fortress houses the Gauthier Dragons. They are the fiercest of the dynasties, a warring family. They do not war needlessly, though if the humans of their land were ever threatened, they would brutally defend them until death. Many a time, their strength protects the people from wild mountain beasts. Thick, leathery, long wings battle snow and ice to find those humans who lose their way. The dragons also quarry great rocks, minerals, and precious gems which their human architects build with and the blacksmiths forge into great armor, weapons, all sorts of fine things. Thus, the tribute the Gauthier dragons require every year includes some of their blacksmiths' most excellently crafted armor, weaponry, and jewlry. The Gauthier dragons are great collectors, admiring the humans' abilities to create such magnificent wonders despite their frailties.

All in all, my first try at fantasy has challanged me to be more open minded to the wierd. I will try it again, as a second try.

Golden Claddagh Finalist: Rebecca

2010-07-11T18:28:00.000-07:00

Howdy, all. My name is Becca and I'm one of the reviewers here at the Pen & Muse. I recently finaled in the Golden Claddagh Contest for unpublished writers, and Denise asked if I would be interested in writing about my experience in this contest (in addition to the story of my story). As I've been reviewing some great books this year and getting to write about them on the P&M, I figured this would be a great place to share my journey.

I actually finaled with two different manuscripts. One, I'll call "RN" and the other "RS" (to preserve some of my anonymity, haha, as if such a thing exists). They are the two extremes of my writing experience.

One (RS), I wrote almost ten years ago and have been revising over the years. It was the first novel I had ever written, and I finished it when I was 20 years old. I knew absolutely nothing about how to write romance novels. I went on to do an MFA and write literary short fiction for many years, and that novel is very much a product of my training in literary fiction. It was slow, richly detailed, and incredibly complex. In short, it wouldn't sell anywhere as a romance novel.

I'd sent it out to agents in January and gotten nothing but rejections. In a bold move a couple of months ago, after some particularly insightful critiques from a friend, I went through the rewrite process with RS. Changed the genre, beefed up the conflict, added some research detail that I'd taken out in an attempt to make it move more quickly, and got rid of about half of the plot complexities.

The book I have today is a much more interesting, much more well-written book than the one I finished at 20. That shouldn't be a surprise. Given that almost all authors will say that their writing improves over the years, I would expect that. But it still has enough of my inner ingenue that it makes me nostalgic when I read it. I still have a lot of work to do, as per the judges' suggestions. And I don't expect to get a requested full from the agent/editor final judge. It's still way too rough, and way too similar to the neophyte version of my college years.

The RN novel is exactly the opposite. I wrote it in a month. It represents the newest work that I've done, and is probably the project that I'm most excited about right now. Both RS and RN are historical in nature, but RN is a time period I hadn't written in before. Yet one that I have a lot of affinity for. This is my favorite project. It's also the one that I spend the least time with, currently, because it's basically stalled. In order to do my final edit, I have to do some major research work for a couple of the elements in the book, and it's going to take me awhile before I have the time to hunker down in the library for a week or so to work through these research projects.

RN, I also wrote under a pen name. Because it's not a genre I'm publicly writing in yet. I want to see what comes of a couple of contacts I've made. It's possible that I'll continue to use the pen name (and potentially a writing partner who's emerged) to work in this genre. It's also possible that I won't get any kind of traction in this genre, and I'll have to just cut my time losses and return to the genre I'm writing in right now.

The contest itself was a whirlwind for me. I entered three manuscripts because these are works that I'm not getting any feedback about right now, and I desperately needed the feedback. I got some great judging comments that will really help me take these manuscripts to the next level.

In contests that I've entered before, I've had two extremes of judging advice. On one side, I've had judges (published and unpublished) who are obviously interested in giving feedback. Some of it is constructive, and some of it is downright mean. What I've learned (although I didn't have this issue in the GC) is that I need to read the comments and then leave the entry alone for a couple of days before I do any editing.

What happened when I finaled in the Genesis was that I had some really intense feedback, even though I finaled, and I had two and a half days to get my entry back in for the final judges. I didn't take the time I needed to come down from being personally affected by the criticism, and I just jumped right into editing. I ended up editing away all the personality from my entry, and sent in a final entry to the judges that was not at all representative of my writing. Frustrating.

I'm not making the same mistake with the Golden Claddagh. When I got my entries back, I sat with the feedback for a couple of days. Then I came back and read it again about a week later. And now, tomorrow, I'm going to read them again. Only then will I finally start to edit the entries for the final judges. Thankfully, because I have the time, I'm able to take this time. But I think I've decided that I'm going to try to do this with all critiques and feedback from now on. Otherwise, I lose my voice amidst my desire to please others.

Anyway, that's sort of my journey. I hope that's what Denise was looking for. I'm just about to start my final edits on the RS/RN entries for the final judges. If you're interested, you can read more about my writing journey (including my contest entries/finals) on my writing blog or on my foodie romance blog. You can also follow me on Facebook or on Twitter if you are interested in those media. I'll be writing about my novels, my teaching, and life in general, plus reviewing more books. I hope to see you here and everywhere else. Thanks again for all your support!

And thanks for coming to the Pen & Muse. We do love our readers!

Interview With Cathleen Ross

2010-07-05T18:49:00.000-07:00

I had the pleasure to interview Cathleen Ross. Check out her website and learn more about her. Don't forget to pick up her new novel, Dirty Sexy Murder.

DIRTY SEXY MURDER

Author website: www.cathleenross.com

Price: $5.50

Genre: Romance/Contemporary

Length: Novel

Buy Now Print

Where are you from? Tell us a little about yourself!

I’m Australian. I was born very premature and fought to survive. I think this nature helps me survive in the writing industry. Every time I get a rejection, I look to see if I can improve my submission and then send it out again.

What inspires you to write?

I get my inspiration in several ways, some of them strange. Sometimes I dream them, sometimes I’m semi awake and the whole story comes to me as if channeled from someone who has passed over. One of my recent submissions was a historical, a genre I don’t write in, about a Scottish knight who fought for Robert the Bruce. I had to do the research so I could write the story and found out the knight was a real person who did the things in my story. Now I want to see if it sells.

For Dirty Sexy Murder, my mystery which is released in print July 1 from Lyrical Press, my daughter was being haunted and I had to learn to harness my psychic gifts so I could help her. I think it worried me so much that writing through the feelings of what it is like to be psychic and yet not trusting the visions formed the basis for my heroine, Marina, my psychic Brazilian Waxer who doesn’t believe in psychic phenomena until she is forced to deal with it.

Do you find that your muse takes over when writing?

I never quite know how the story is going to go which is the beauty of writing for me. I know the beginning, who they are and I know the ending. The characters play out their actions as if I’m watching a play and they feel like real people to me. I fall in love with my hero like the heroine does and then I miss him when I’ve finished the book.

Do you have any have any other works in progress that you want to share?

I’ve just received a contract for one of my favorite books, Love, Lust and Lies. It’s a story close to my heart because I come from an Italian background and it is a look inside the chauvinism of the culture. had a strict Italian upbringing and was brought up to believe that a women should play second fiddle to men. I’ve written a strong heroine who takes a lover when she finds out her husband has cheated on her. The book also elaborates on what it is like to live in two cultures: Italian and American. I Love, Lust and Lies is a book about a woman who refuses to obey convention and takes her culture by the horns.

What would be your advice to aspiring writers out there?

Establish a pattern of writing. Join a good critique group, one that tells you how to fix your work so it’s salable. Keep submitting. Learn to become so hard that when you get a rejection, it doesn’t fuss you anymore. Go to conferences and join Romance Writers or an organization that represents your genre so that you are with like minds. Be open to new ideas, target new lists or lines. People will tell you write what you know and sometimes this works, but writing what you don’t know and honing your imagination works well too. Don’t let fear or your internal editor stop you getting your story down. You have to learn to write past it, then let the story rest and look at it again when you are fresh.

What are your favorite books at the moment?

I’m a huge fan of several authors. I love Nalini Singh, Philippa Gregory, Linda Howard and Gena Showalter, but my all time favorite book is Gone with the Wind – a heroine who wouldn’t obey convention.

What is your favorite word? Least favorite?

Fecund. Anything that names the female genitalia.

Congratulations to Our Winners!

2010-07-05T16:17:00.001-07:00

Congratulations and thank you to all our entrants!

Published Category:

1. Phylis Warady with Murder is No Joke

2. Roxanne Rhoads with Eternal Desire

Unpublished:

1. Carlie Angelus with Nearly Wed and Newly Dead

FREE READ - THE COMET

2010-07-04T09:33:00.001-07:00

The Comet, my forthcoming historical set in 1066 England, has been a long work but one close to my heart and I would love to share the prologue with readers. Any comments are welcome. This is the story of a Norman knight and Saxon girl set amidst a violent and history-making era. The war for the conquest of England is hardly more trying for Neel de Jardinier than the one for the heart of Rowena, daughter of a Saxon thegn and his beloved Welsh wife. With both parents dead and her land in flames, Rowena can find safety in Neel's arms if only she can bring herself to trust him, but he is a conqueror and the ghosts of her dead cry out for vengeance.

Prologue
Coast of Normandy, August 1066
Above chalk cliffs, two knights sat buffeted by streamers of remorseless wind. They had done serious swordplay and hard riding, and they and their horses were sweated. It was the only reason to be glad of the cooling wind blowing hard onshore.
“We cannot sail,” Gilles said.
Neel de Jardinier glanced sideways at his friend. Even with his hair tonsured, Neel looked like a Viking. His ancestry had bequeathed the wheat-colored hair, blue eyes and fair skin of the Northmen who had settled Normandy. All he needed to pose as an Anglo Saxon was the long hair and mustache many of them wore. But those were the men they would be fighting and he stayed carefully clean-shaven.
“Not yet,” he agreed. “God will deliver the wind when the time is right.”
“And do you get this information from God or Sir Hugo?”
“Hugo, of course.”
“Of course.” Blood counted, no matter how it came. Though he had fostered both of them with equal diligence, Sir Hugo du Flaumier would always share things with Neel, bastard cousin of Duke William of Normandy, that he would not discuss with Gilles, fourth son of a minor noble.
But the two young knights were equal in one regard. Across murky, choppy, wind-driven waters lay fortunes to be made and land to be claimed, and neither could obtain them except through service.
“They say the Papal banner has come,” Gilles ventured.
Neel nodded. “Harold is foresworn. Jesu, how can the man think he can swear on the relics of a saint to support William and then steal the crown of England?”
“Easily. There is not a shred of honor in his entire family.”
“William will make them a better king.” Taking his horse’s reins in one hand, Neel freed the other to check his chain mail shirt at the arm. “I am going to have bruises.”
“It is no time for light practice. Get one of the girls to rub you down. They will fight for the privilege.”
Neel flushed. “I was not complaining.”
“I know. Dreaming of some noble’s virgin daughter, are you?”
“No.”
“Well, there will be many widows in England.”
Neel reached down to stroke his horse’s neck, smoothing tufts where wet patches were drying in the wind. When it turned, that wind would bear him to England and his fate, and he felt it like a second heartbeat marking the days of his life. “The Saxons have no idea what it is to stand up to a cavalry charge. They will break.” He stared across the gray-green expanse of water as if probing the mind of his Duke’s adversary. “We will break them.”

Look for The Comet from DCL Publications late this year or early next!

Review: Cougars and Cubs Anthology

2010-06-30T13:16:00.001-07:00

Title: Cougars and Cubs Anthology
Featured Author: Ashley Ladd
Featured Author Website: Ashley Ladd
Additional Authors: KS Augustin, Mia Watts, Catherine Chernow, Elizabeth Coldwell, Imari Jade
Genre: Romance Anthology; Contemporary; Older Woman, Younger Man
Publisher: Total-E-Bound Publishing
Price: $11.36
Link to purchase Link to purchase

What I liked: Forty-four now, she was a lot wiser than she’d been at twenty-two.

Faye Dunaway once said a woman at 19 is like Switzerland – beautiful but boring.

Nothing heats up the pages like a story filled with lust, passion, and the reckless abandon of living life to the fullest. Move over girls and make way for the women; the sensual women who have desire to spare and the experience of knowing how to really work it. Cougars and Cubs ladies are worldly, sophisticated, voluptuous, and leave their men gasping for more. Guaranteed to add even more heat to your summer, this book is your perfect guilty pleasure this season!

The cornerstone story, Scene of the Crime, introduces readers to Robin who has returned as a history professor to teach at her alma mater. Robin knows better than anyone how history repeats itself; and those who do not learn the lessons of the past are doomed to make the same mistakes. Robin swears that she is over her old ex Phil, but then meets Phil’s studly son. Is Robin’s lust really for Phil, or for this newly updated carbon-copy of manliness? Son or no son there is no denying the intense physical chemistry and who wants to stop anyways?

In the pages of Cougars and Cubs, we meet more red hot mamas and follow their adventurous trysts. Singapore Sizzle’s Sophie grabs on tight to new beginnings and to the dashing Adrian. In Melting Melinda, Melinda fulfills Ethan’s long-time fantasies and shows this young man a thing or two about ecstasy. But since Ethan is Melinda’s best friend’s son, can this be more than a casual fling? Later we see age is no match for sex as Lucky in Love’s Maddie finds her long lost lust rekindled beyond scorching with Jake and his virile physique. In Something With Him, Kate shows her intern Stephen you can only write about what you experience and his research is about to become explosive. Finally in Something to be Thankful For, Julianne balances adult responsibility and sexiness with the untamed Cameron.

These ladies may still worry about their bodies and the opinions of others as they seduce their charges. But soon all those years of pent up sexiness has to go somewhere and it does-right into the arms of some of the hottest guys around. Indulge yourself with these sassy and inspiring reads!

Book blurb: Scene of the Crime by Ashley Ladd

Robin didn't know whether to be relieved or appalled that the sexy man she'd fallen into bed with wasn't her ex-boyfriend, but his adult son.

When Robin returns to her alma mater as a professor of history, she can't believe her ex-boyfriend is still on campus, much less looking so young and buff after twenty years. The sexy-as-hell man she'd seen on her first day back, however, isn't her ex but his adult son. Although she wants nothing to do with either of them, they won't leave her head or her heart alone.

Book Excerpt: Scene of the Crime by Ashley Ladd

Chills struck Robyn Cattrall as she stepped onto the grounds of her alma mater. Memories good and bad blindsided her for several moments. She’d done a lot of soul-searching before accepting a post here as history professor.

But the burnished autumn leaves and chill in the air made her feel alive again. They brought the promise of soon-coming winter with its wonderland of glistening snow, something she’d missed living in south Florida for the past couple of decades.

She consoled herself that as a connoisseur of history, she had learned from past mistakes and knew better than to repeat them. Just because she was back at the scene of her first heartbreak didn’t mean she was doomed to repeat it. She’d make sure she didn’t. Forty-four now, she was a lot wiser than she’d been at twenty-two.

Funny, she felt young on a campus surrounded by twenty-year-olds, especially when a horde of students burst into the sunshine and several young studs eyed her appreciatively.

She did her best not to drool over what might be her future students, and tried hard to keep a pleasantly professional smile. But when she came face to face with the ghost of her first love, Phil Williams, her jaw dropped, her eyes widened and her heart stopped. Unabashedly, she stared.

Phil…

What was he doing here?

Phil’s glance slid over her without a hint of recognition, and he passed by without a falter in his step.

She hated herself, but she turned and stared at his retreating back as the sea of people parted around her, then swallowed him. How could he not turn to look at her? How could he forget? How could he look so damned good?

She gulped and licked her lips. When someone bumped her, she jolted awake.

Embarrassed, she checked her campus map and hurried to her office.

Tammy Elizabeth Southin

The Hungarian: Budapest Moon (Book One) by Stephanie Burkhart

2010-06-29T15:54:00.001-07:00

The Hungarian
Budapest Moon Series (Book One)
by Stephanie Burkhart

Genre: Historical Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Desert Breeze Publishing, Inc.
Price: $5.99 (Kindle edition)

What I Liked:
I appreciated the newness of the setting. Haven't read many historicals set in Hungary. As it happens, I do love a unique historical. And I think this one was.

And, of course, I happened to have just seen The Wolfman and loved it. Slightly different time period, slightly different plot, but very similar in a lot of good ways. In fact, after awhile of reading The Hungarian, I pulled out my soundtrack from the Wolfman and listened as I went along. Like I said, the plot is different, but I think if you enjoyed the Wolfman movie, you'll enjoy The Hungarian as well.

The hero, Matthias (great name, btw), is a Hungarian count turned werewolf, with a past. And Kate falls in love as much with the mystery of him as his alpha-ness. I appreciated that. I thought the conflict was well-done and interesting. And I actually liked Count Varga, the "villain", who apparently will have his own book coming out in February of 2011. I think that will prove to be another good book. The characters are unique in this book, which promises good things in the series to come. I hope that she'll continue to have the settings be unique and off-the-beaten-path, as well. That was, by far, my favorite part of this book.

Overall, a great historical paranormal read. Worth the time and money to pick it up if this is your arena.

Book Blurb:
Katherine Archibald is in search of a grand adventure. A young woman in late Victorian England, she wants to open up a book store in London and travel Europe hunting down rare books. Love isn't on her map.

Enter Matthias Duma. The Hungarian count captures Katherine's attention like no other man before him with his unusual gold-malachite eyes, his exotic features, and his command of the night sky.

After a night of intrigue during Katherine's birthday, she discovers the map does include love in the legend, but will the map lead her to Budapest and the dark, brooding Hungarian she's just met?

Review: Haunting Flame by Janice Bennett

2010-06-28T17:34:00.001-07:00

Title: Haunting Flame
Author: Janice Bennett
Author Website: Janice Bennett
Genre: A Paranormal Romance Regency Novel
Publisher: A Cerridwen Press Publication/Ellora's Cove
Price: $5.95
ISBN: 9781419925528

What I Liked (Haunting Flame by Janice Bennett): Janice Bennett has written a story about a vivacious heroine who leads a cast of characters that feel more like friends than fiction. It is a sweet romance with a touch of adventure.

Callie is elated to see her childhood friend and crush, Tony, until she realizes that the Peninsula War and a crumbling estate have extinguished the mischief in Tony's eyes. She'd do anything to help him heal even though she knows the result will be his marriage to another woman. Thanks to the lingering spirit of Anne, Tony's spurned ancestor, Callie has just the plan to bring Tony back from the dead.

With the estate in trouble, Tony knows the best way to fullfill the promise to look after Callie is to marry her. Seeing her again makes him believe she deserves a man unbroken, but that makes him even more unhappy. And why is he jealous of the attention she's giving his long dead relative?

While the essence of the dialogue between characters rings true, it sometimes feels like the author struggled to maintain the syntax of the time period. And while the plot was not difficult to ascertain, watching it unfold was enjoyable. It should also be mentioned, for those who have a preference, that this story is a romance in a very literal sense and does not contain explicit or very erotic scenes.

Book Blurb (Haunting Flame by Janice Bennett): When Captain Anthony, Lord Lambeth, returns from the Peninsular War, he is crippled in both body and spirit. He has just inherited an estate in desperate need of repairs and no money to make them. He can’t stomach making the marriage of convenience his family urges on him, avoiding it by vowing to fulfill a promise to his dying friend to look after his impoverished little sister—by marrying her.

The lively Calpurnia Rycroft has worshipped Tony since they were children and is appalled by his depression. She agrees to an engagement to give him time to recover—though it will break her heart when he eventually marries someone more suitable.

The ring he gives her turns icy on her hand and a ghostly flame emerges from it. Callie realizes the ghost wants something from her, but is it revenge or help? The search is on to find the answers, but as Tony’s spirits improve, Callie sees her chance of love slipping away.

Book Excerpt (Haunting Flame by Janice Bennett):

“Oliver asked me to look after you—”

“Oh he did, did he?” she muttered.

“Of which I’ve done a deplorable job since my return. And since I must have a bride and I have no desire to seek one in London this seemed the obvious and sensible solution.”

“Obvious and sensible.” She directed a falsely sweet smile at him. “Let me understand you. You wish to marry me for the sole purpose of fulfilling a promise to my brother?”

He regarded her with a puzzled frown. “That and the other reasons I gave you.”

“To be sure. How forgetful of me. Oliver wrote me how your brother played at ducks and drakes with the Lambeth fortune. But do you truly think that marrying me will be less costly than hiring me as a companion for your mother?”

“Lord, you’re not going to be missish are you, Callie? I hadn’t thought it of you.” Abruptly his face clouded. “Or is it that you cannot bear the thought of being leg-shackled to the wreck of a man?”

She closed her eyes, tried to force her soaring temper under control and failed miserably.

“What I cannot bear,” she said through gritted teeth, “is to be married because you happen to find it a convenient solution to your momentary problems. Where will that leave us in a years time when you have recovered much of the use of your leg and your mamma has had her fill of my acid tongue?” She surged to her feet. “You may take your obliging proposal, my lord, and go to the devil with it!"

Interview and Contest!

2010-06-28T17:00:00.001-07:00

Amy Ramsey of Ramsey's Book Reviews was kind enough to interview me today at http://www.trinagon5.blogspot.com/. Although she focused on my new print release, Scion, Amy did a great overview of several of my books. If you would like to see what I've been up to, please stop by! There is a week-long contest for a print copy of Scion.

Miriam

www.miriamnewman.com

www.thedarkcastlelords.com

A Pen & Muse Review: HIS SEA GODDESS

2010-06-28T10:57:00.000-07:00

Author: Marisa Chenery
Author Website: www.marisachenery.com
Genre: A paranormal shape-shifter Quickie
Publisher: Ellora’s Cave: http://ellorascave.com
Info: ISBN: 9781419924927
Price: $2.49 Available as e-book

WHAT I LIKE

The author paints a picture of a middle eastern seaside paradise. Her workaholic hero, Jarrett, survives a life-threatening encounter while scuba diving. Saved by a sea creature, his wounds attended to by a mysterious goddess, Jarrett finds himself propelled into a mystical haven and into the arms of a beautiful woman who cannot be true.

I liked Hatmehyt right away. Her need to protect an unknown mortal visiting her world made me smile. Their instant attraction kept me reading. Spicy yet poignant love scenes add to the story. Jarrett’s pain and worsening illness tests Hatmehyt’s devotion. Jarret’s prayer to the God Ra proves he loves her. There is a lot of story tucked in this novella and I look forward to reading all the books in the Goddess Revealed series.

BOOK BLURB

Book four in the Goddess Revealed series.
After a near miss with a shark while diving in the Red Sea in Egypt, Jarrett is rescued by a dolphin and unwillingly dragged to an underwater chamber. But it isn’t just any dolphin. Wounded and unsure of his surroundings, Jarrett watches in awe as the dolphin shifts into a beautiful woman he is unable to resist.
Hatmehyt, an Egyptian goddess, was drawn to the man swimming near the reef while in her dolphin form, but soon realizes Jarrett is her mate. Unable to thrive on land, she has to make the painful choice to either keep him with her or let him go to the surface when the shark bite he received threatens his life.

Review: Owned By Rome by Katalina Leon

2010-06-27T11:54:00.000-07:00

Title: Owned by Rome

Author: Katalina Leon

Author Website: http://www.katalinaleon.com

Genre: Historical – Roman

Publisher: Ellora’s Cave

Price $6.99

Link to purchase

What I liked: First, I have to say how much I adore this cover. For me it simply sizzles from the screen and draws me in to learn more.

I don’t normally read a lot of historicals, but I am fascinated by ancient periods and especially the Romans. They were cruel, violent, deviant, loving, and among other things indulgent. And in Owned by Rome you see all of this. Atellus is a strong and noble hero that any woman would fall for and Rutila is the willful and strong type of heroine we’d all wish to be. In fact, all of the characters are richly drawn, from the disgusting cousin of Atellus to the slaves that wish to save Rutila from needless suffering when she faces death.

When I got to the end of this book I felt like I’d been on an epic journey. There were moments of highs and lows throughout that made it all very real. Atellus and Rutilla worked hard for their romance and I cheered them on the whole way. In the midst of fighting, hunger, and some emotional exhaustion there were some beautiful spicy moments. Some light bondage and domination elements are included as well.

The only issue that ever pulled me out of the story was some of the latin. While appropriate for the story, a bit less might have been easier on me as a reader. Still, I loved this story and highly recommend it and plan to check out more of Ms. Leon’s work.

Blurb:

On the edge of the Roman Empire, Queen Boudica’s rebellion has ended. A time of great tragedy has passed. Atellus, a Roman magistrate living in Gaul, discovers he’s no longer sympathetic to Rome and must now question every facet of his life.

A cunning Celtic woman with golden-red hair arrives in the slave markets, defiant and angry—a danger to anyone foolish enough to purchase her. As punishment for her willfulness, she is to be offered as a sexual favor to Roman guests at a lavish feast and put to death for their entertainment.

For Atellus, it’s love at first sight. He wants to own her. They embark on an erotically turbulent journey through a lonely Celtic forest. He suspects his beautiful slave is harboring a painful secret and must never again speak her true name. She is Celtic royalty—the last of her kind.

In the heart of the forest, strong-willed lovers clash, fall in love and catch a glimpse of what the future can be if both can learn to trust and forgive.

Review: Lust Bites Carnal Lust by Ashley Ladd

2010-06-25T06:59:00.000-07:00

Title: Lust Bites Carnal Lust
Author: Ashley Ladd
Author Website: Ashley Ladd
Genre: Historical – 1400/Vampire/Paranormal/Time Travel
Publisher: Total-E-Bound Publishing
Price: $2.96
Link to purchase

What I liked: The woman laughed in his face and circled him. With great disdain she regarded him from head to toe. She licked her finger then slid it along the tip of his sword. When the weapon drew blood, she stared at her injury then sucked her finger quite suggestively. “Impressive, but you don’t scare me.”

If we were given the chance to see into the past and the future what would we dread the most? Would we discover something so powerful that the very existence of all life is threatened with obliteration? Even more unsettling is the fact that this powerful force must be destroyed before it is too late, but that same force reaches a place deep within us and stirs up the most intense passion and sexual desire.

Kes travels through time in her quest to destroy the beast she knows is responsible for bringing pain and suffering to her family and to the rest of society. Kes is on a quest to avenge the evil of the past making this a very personal journey. But how can she ignore those lusty erotic nightly visits that go beyond mere mortal dreams as her body is invaded by the handsome force that matches her in strength, intelligence, and sexual appetite.

Nikolai may be the most powerful force, but he is rendered virtually helpless to overcome his desire to be with the woman who intrigues and even scares him. As Kes and Nikolai ravage each other’s bodies, will they unite as a single force to save the future? Or will one have to destroy the other in the name of preservation and ultimate sacrifice?

In Carnal Lust, Ashley Ladd whirls readers through the ages on a journey that is timeless; a journey of facing great decisions made with both the heart and the mind. Would we have the strength to know what is right or would we surrender to self gratification?

Book blurb: Kes is obsessed with killing Nikolai – to prevent him from destroying Earth nine hundred years into the future.

Kes is obsessed with eliminating Nikolai before he's reborn as the evil vampire who destroys Earth and propels her family into the past.

Once she finds the Nikolai of her present is a good and kind man she's not sure she can hold the very sexy human accountable for something he hasn't yet done.

Book Excerpt: Kes languished in the arms of her lover, a man she knew not by name but by his deep, sexy voice and his intoxicating kisses. She bade the sun not to set so she could steal more time in his arms, for when the moon chased the sun out of the sky, her lover would evaporate and she would be thrust back into the real world. And the real world was hell.

But this was heaven, if a vampire could be in heaven. She writhed and twisted in his arms, pressing her naked flesh to his. He was lithe and strong for a human, and he never failed to pleasure her.

“Are you in the mood to play, milady?” her lover murmured against her flesh.

She tilted her lips into a smile and nodded. “Wild and rough.”

He beamed at her with a sparkle in his eyes. “Whatever milady wishes.”

When he shackled her to the bed posts, her stomach pressed to the mattress, her legs spread wide, she didn’t demur. She squirmed with anticipation, her pussy clenching.

She turned her head and watched as he spread oil over his beautiful cock and then climbed aboard the bed. She lay there helpless, swaying with the motion as he approached stealthily. Her ass clenched, too, yearning for his touch. When he delivered a stinging slap to her bare buttocks, she screamed in a mixture of pain and pleasure. Never before had anyone spanked her, and she tingled.

Titillated, she rubbed her breasts against the bed, cajoling him to unite with her. But he sat beside her and ran the tips of his fingers across her back, to the edges of her breasts then pulled back. He walked them to the small of her back and withdrew again.

“Do you not wish to make love to me? To fuck me?”

“Are you that anxious to feel my cock move inside you? To be one with me?” He drew himself up to his knees and drew the tip of his cock along her side.

He bent by her ear and dipped his tongue inside. Then he whispered huskily, “Does that feel good? How bad do you want it?”

Her rear throbbed with an exquisite ache but not enough. She yearned for much more. “I crave your cock. I want you to fill me, to be inside me. Now.”

Tammy Elizabeth Southin

Deadline Approaching for Short Story Contest!

2010-06-24T16:57:00.000-07:00

The Pen & Muse Blog proudly presents

a Romance Short Story Contest!

This is it's second year and running!
This contest is open to published/unpublished writers.
There will be two categories/divisions for winners,

published and unpublished.

Grand Prize:

Apple Ipod Shuffle (Your choice in color) $60 Value

Certificate

Interview on the Blog with Story published on the blog.

Second Prize Winner:
$15 Amazon Gift Certificate
Certificate

Third Prize Winner:
$10 Amazon Gift Certificate
Certificate & Honorable Mention

What Genre's are accepted:

Fantasy/Paranormal

Historical

Erotica

Suspense

Contemporary

Story length: 10,000 (no more than 10,000 for minimum) It can be longer than 10, 000.

Deadline: June 25, 2010

Please email :thepenmuse(at)gmail.com

Subject : Short Story Contest

Please be sure to specify your genre and if you are published
or unpublished. There will be winners in both the published and unpublished categories.

Also you may submit in certain formats: .doc, pdf, and rtf.

Review: Always a Bridesmaid by Elaine Hopper

2010-06-22T06:14:00.000-07:00

Title: Always a Bridesmaid
Author: Elaine Hopper
Author Website: Elaine Hopper
Genre: Romance: Contemporary Sweet Romance
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Price: $4.50
Link to purchase

What I liked: She had to stop living in the past. From now on, she would put one foot in front of the other and start living. Not just the admirable show of it she’d been putting on all those years. But for real.

Life moves forward, yet events from our past can be so powerful that their grip keeps a part of us stuck and unable to move on. We try to drown out the painful past with a busy current life, but there is always something reminding us that until we deal with the unfinished business, the past will not only influence our present but overshadow it completely.

Breanna Parker fled her hometown physically but not emotionally. No matter how much physical distance Breanna has put between herself and the tragic events in her past, she has yet to fully acknowledge and deal with these chapters in her life. Forced to return home to take part in her sister’s wedding, Breanna must confront her ex-fiancé but more importantly she must confront herself. If she is to ever get past her mixed feelings for the emotionally immovable Troy Youngblood, Breanna will need to dig deep down to find the inner strength she never knew she had.

In Always a Bridesmaid, author Elaine Hopper draws the reader into a story of two wounded parties bent on clinging to their painful pasts. Troy and Breanna share a difficult past but there is no denying the powerful chemistry between them in the present. Neither Troy nor Breanna want the other to see their vulnerability and fiercely hold onto their hurt and anger. Each fears what will be left behind when they let go.

Book blurb: Hell has finally frozen over. After nine long years, Breanna Parker has come home to be her sister's maid of honor. Just her luck that the first person she runs into is her ex-fiancé, Troy Youngwolf—the man who eloped with her ex-best friend and broke her heart. Now a widowed father and sheriff of their Florida home town, sexy bad boy Troy wants another chance and won't take no for an answer. However, every time Breanna looks at Troy or his little girl, her heart breaks anew. She can hardly wait for her sister to get hitched so she can escape back to her urban family in Ft. Lauderdale. The risk is too high that Troy may discover her most closely held secret, one with the potential to destroy them both…perhaps this time forever.

Book Excerpt: “So this is how the worldly Breanna behaves in her off-duty hours?” Troy righted Breanna, his hands lingering on her arms.

She stepped back, quelling the desire to rub away his prints. She chafed that Sierra was getting a big head start and she was left alone with Troy. “What are you doing in my house? Daddy’s not home.”

“Is that how you greet your boss? Or your old flame?”

Fire smoldered in Troy’s eyes as mischief danced in his voice. Knowing Sierra was way ahead, she sighed. “What do you want? More memos copied? Someone to pour you a coffee?” she said with saccharine sweetness, vowing to return to college and upgrade her career.

“I stop by periodically to make sure everything’s okay. This is my last stop of the day.” He didn’t move to leave. “Everything okay here?”

Was he daring her to make him leave? She scowled. “Only if you call having a crazed sister okay. Or having my boss intrude on my personal space.”

He didn’t blink, just advanced a step. “Is being around me really that bad? You didn’t used to think so.”

Before she realized his intentions, Troy backed her against the wall and crushed close. He captured her lips in a searing kiss that left her weak-kneed and breathless. Soft hands cupped her face, stilling her head. His hips pinned her to the wall so she couldn’t do more than squirm against his solid frame.

How long they kissed in the hall, she didn’t know. She was powerless to break the kiss—as if she’d been starved for it for years. Shirt balled in her hands, she molded her body to his.

He drew back a short distance. “You can kiss me like that and still say you hate me?”

Tammy Elizabeth Southin

Review: Eagle's Run

2010-06-21T20:15:00.000-07:00

Eagle's Run

By: Desiree Holt

Genre: Erotica

Publisher: Ellora's Cave

Price: $5.20

What I liked:

Ms. Holt is a very engaging writer who can bring her Texan setting to life. Leah Morgan, owner of White Eagle Ranch, is suddenly faced with an unsolved murder and two illegitimate half brothers. She finds solace in the arms of Shane Duffy, hot-blooded veterinarian. As expected in the Erotica genre, their sex was quite hot, frequent, descriptive and satisfying.

The crime which sparks the story is clear, and the villain strongly foreshadowed. Although I did enjoy following the relationship between Leah and Shane - and her new family members - I felt that the plot needed more of a twist; it turned out exactly how I thought it would.

That said, if you enjoy crime drama with erotica, expect to be thoroughly entertained with an evening’s read of “Eagle’s Run.”

********

Leah Morgan forced herself to sit still in the massive leather chair, moving only her eyes as she scanned the occupants of the law office. No one looking at her could tell her heart was racing and her blood pounding as if she’d just exploded in the throes of orgasm. For a brief moment, as the full scenario she faced hit her, she wished herself back generations. Today she wanted to be one of the fierce Comanche warriors she’d read so much about, brandishing a spear, the light reflecting off the war paint streaking her face as she attacked.

It took every bit of her self-control to tamp all of that down, put a tight lid on it and assess the situation.

Situation!

She snorted. Now there was a word for you. This was far more than a situation.

She’d come here today for what she thought was a mere formality, a scan of some documents, a few signatures. She’d actually almost forgotten the appointment until Amos DeWitt, her father’s long-time attorney, had called to remind her. Shouldn’t take too long, he told her. Just the reading of the will. Then she could get back to the ranch—her ranch—White Eagle Ranch—and on with her life.

Not for the first time she cursed the poachers who somehow managed to breach their fence lines in the dark of night and shoot the white-tail deer that ran wild on their ranch. A large herd ranged over their property but White Eagle wasn’t a hunting preserve and they didn’t even allow licensed hunters. And now, she was sure, one of those scumbags had been responsible for her father’s death. The grief she’d suffered since her father’s murder simmered beneath the surface, a luxury she didn't have time to indulge in at the moment. She couldn’t afford to. She had work to do. Responsibilities to take care of. But walking into the familiar law office had changed everything. She stopped at the sight of the two men waiting with Amos. The last thing she’d expected was to be told they were her illegitimate half brothers. She’d stumbled to the closest chair, fisting her hands to control the quaking inside her.

Illegitimate half brothers?

Joe’s children?

Kris Tualla

Review: Deceptions

2010-06-17T18:16:00.000-07:00

By: Marilyn J. Clay

Genre: Historical Romance

Publisher: Five Star/Gale

Price: $25.95
What I liked:

Have you ever wished for something, you got it, and realized that it was not exactly like what you thought it was going to be? That is what Catherine finds out in Clay's book Deceptions.

The story begins in England with Catherine about to be wed to a creditor of her guardian, but her heart belongs with another that went to The New World. She comes up with a plan and escapes to Virginia, where she finds out that the man that she loves is with another.

She flung herself into his arms and, burying her face in his shoulder, drank in his familiar scent, "I am bereft without you. Please say we can now be wed."

He pushed her from him as he barged into the house. "There are things I must take care of before I marry again."

"What things?" she cried. "You are free, I am free, what can possibly stand in our way now?"

"Plenty." He sat down on the stump before the low-burning fire.

"I don't understand." She stood before him wringing her hands.

"Benson is making it impossible for me to marry again."

Catherine sucked in her breath. "How can he do such ?"

Noah snorted. "Benson can do anything he pleases."

Tears sprang to Catherine's eyes. "But surely you can do something, Noah."

"Don't fret, sweeting. We can be together, we just cannot be...married."

This tale let's you in the head of an early colonist, and the many trials that she goes through.

I enjoyed this read for the realness of the situations and the characterization. Clay really made everything come alive.

Excerpt at the hyperlink above.

Review: Cross Check My Heart By Kerri Nelson

2010-06-16T17:40:00.000-07:00

Cross Check My Heart

by Kerri Nelson
Price: $ 4.50

Genre: Romance
Sub Genre: Sports
Purchase:Buy Here

Publisher: Eternal Press

What I liked: Sign me up to be a sports therapist! I want my own Danny Cipriani! A man who cooks, is passionate, plays sports, and has amazing blue eyes... Sigh. Jana is one lucky girl to have help from this type of guy and boy will she need it because she is hiding a past so big, I'm not sure Danny knows everything about it. Whose to stop love? Apparently some guys with guns who have been hunting poor Jana or is it .. someone else? Not everything is all that it seems...Nelson conveys the story beautifully through these two great characters and makes us all want to find that happily ever after. Nelson combines romance and sports that mimics one of my favorite movies, The Cutting Edge.. If you love sports, romance, and well amazing characters, you cannot miss this story! I look forward to reading more of Kerri Nelson's work!

Book Blurb:
One woman running from her past, one man chasing his future…when their worlds collide, passion and danger ignite the way!
He’s on the run from something ominous in her past. She escapes to a new town and a new job as the physical therapist for the U.S. Hockey Team, which is preparing for the Winter Olympics.

He’s a veteran hockey player with a secret of his own that threatens his chances at making the final cut for the team.

Excerpt:
He shifted his stance and tried to shake the naughty images from his mind.

Get a grip Cipriani! This is serious business, and it’s no time to be making her into your fantasy girl.

As he chastised himself internally, she sat up and eyed him from the floor.

“Are you okay?” she asked raising one eyebrow at him.

This was the first time he’d really been able to look at her face, and she was even more beautiful than he could have imagined.

Review: Digging Deeper by Barbara Elsborg

2010-06-16T16:25:00.000-07:00

Digging Deeper

Barbara Elsborg

Genre: Contemporary Comedy

Publisher: Cerridwen Press

Purchase: http://www.jasminejade.com/pm-8303-506-digging-deeper.aspx

What I liked: One thing is clear- you never know quiet what you're going to find wen you start digging.

This line says it all about this story. This story follows the story of Beck and Flick. Two cast of characters in their own worlds until they meet each other. Beck has a dream since he was young and is passionate about archaeology, which I loved because it was also a passion of mine. It was great to see a hero with intelligence instead of brawn for once. I also loved Flick, she is passionate yet clumsy which helps her keep meeting Beck in the funniest of ways. The characters, the plot, and the dialogue was great, it all fit like a puzzle. Elsborg knows how to create and was certainly in her element when writing this story. This is a story for those of us that love life and have a passion for things, but find romance in the most interesting of ways. This is a must read and I would recommend it to those who love romance and the comedy that always seems to follow it.

Book Blurb:

Archaeologist Beck isn’t expecting much to come out of this summer’s dig. While his colleague spends the summer in Italy, Beck draws the short straw supervising a group of archaeology students excavating on the grounds of Hartington Hall in Yorkshire. Little does Beck realize when he saves a redhead from the attentions of an amorous ram, that this accident-prone female will throw his ordered life into chaos.

The last thing Flick needs in her life is a digger, because some secrets are meant to stay buried. Very deep. But Beck is irresistible. She’d love to get him into bed, though after the incident at the swimming pool, the collapsing wall, the snake bite and the unexploded bomb—a hospital bed looks more likely. As their relationship lurches from one disaster to another, Beck has to delve deep to get to the bottom of this irrepressible redhead.

One thing is clear—you never know quite what you’re going to find when you start digging.

Excerpt: http://www.jasminejade.com/productspecs/9781419921551.htm

You are Cordially Invited..

2010-06-16T15:59:00.001-07:00

Gabriel Timar

Cordially invites you and your friends to the

Toronto Small Press Book Fair

In the Great Hall

1087 Queen Street West

On June 19, 2010 from 11 a.m to 5 p.m.

To launch his latest novel

Heroes or criminals

Although viewed from the Axis side, this is a realistic, though entertaining, thought provoking, and unbiased account of the Second World War. The pace of the adventures of Mark Kende, a Hungarian infantry officer accelerates as a runaway train paralleling the decay of the Axis war-machine. The politically aware reader interested in the realities of war will find answers to many provocative questions. Although it is a work of fiction, many episodes are based on fact. Therefore, some graphic descriptions might be upsetting.

Available in paperback and digital format

ISBN 978-1-897521-21-2

Author profile:

http://www.mississauga.com/news/article/832864--novel-explores-ethos-of-war

Publisher:XoXoPublishing ™

http://xoxopublishing.com/shop-online/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=98&products_id=45

Review:

http://mayeyereviewyourbooks.yolasite.com/publisher-book-reviews.php

Cordially yours

Gabriel Timar

www.gabor-timar.com

Review: The Unsaid Book One: The Unsaid Trilogy by Sally Royer-Derr

2010-06-16T08:02:00.001-07:00

Title: The Unsaid Book One: The Unsaid Trilogy
Author: Sally Royer-Derr
Author Website: Sally Royer-Derr
Genre: Mainstream Romance: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense
Publisher: Red Rose Publishing
Price: $2.99
Link to purchase

What I liked: I’ve only known his a few days, but I feel like he knows everything about me.

Entering into a new relationship is exciting especially during the first few ‘getting to know you’ encounters. You swear that you have finally met not only the man of your dreams but your true soul mate; the person you were destined to be with. The powerful connection between you both is undeniable and you feel perfectly safe in baring your entire self.

But is it ever entirely safe to reveal all of the events from your past? Could revealing the one deep secret held so close to your heart threaten more than just this new relationship?

In The Unsaid, the first book and sizzling jumping point for The Unsaid Trilogy, Amy Hunter is the heroine we can relate to. A strong and courageous woman, Amy is starting over in her new career and new life. Believing that she is finally free from her secretive past, Amy is ready for change and will not let anything stand in her way. Until the past, with all its vengeance, is back to remind Amy that she can never truly be free

Author Sally Royer-Derr carefully interweaves Amy’s past with the present in this lively-paced suspense thriller. Amy has just met the handsome hero Danny Lopez and is falling madly for his warmth and how he makes Amy feel safe and secure. In an ironic twist of fate, it is because of her past that Amy comes into contact with Danny. Her past is responsible for this fated meeting but at the same time threatens to expose Amy’s painful secret. Not only does she face losing Danny, Amy faces losing her own self.

Royer-Derr’s Unsaid provides a glimmer of hope in the midst of the most terrifying fear known; those events that could happen to any one of us. This read grabs us from page one, sets the stage for compelling reading, and creates enthusiastic eagerness for the second instalment!

Book blurb: Trying to escape the horrors of her past, Amy Hunter encounters her future. Will she find love with handsome police detective Danny Lopez? Or will Alex, the calculating killer from her past, end her life because of the secret left unsaid for so many years?

Excerpt: The cold steel of the handgun cut into her shaking hand even though she gripped it with an unlikely confidence. A feeling of satisfaction washed over her as she watched him lay motionless on the cold, unforgiving ground. He'd finally received what he deserved. Her body shook, and the gun dropped from her hands, its weight hitting the ground, startling her more than the piercing gunshot. She thought she saw his arm move; her tortured mind raced with possibilities. Crimson blood seeped through his striped Brooks Brothers dress shirt. At the sight of his blood oozing onto the dry earth, a high-pitched, animalistic scream escaped her; the sound ricocheted off the tall trees and gravelly dirt surrounding her. The cry originated from her soul, urging her to disappear into the dark woods that may provide her with sanctuary.

Tammy Elizabeth Southin

Award-Winning Author to Teach UCLA Class for Writers

2010-06-14T16:28:00.001-07:00

M E D I AR E L E A S E

Contact: Carolyn Howard-Johnson

E-mail: HoJoNews@aol.com

Fax: 818-790-4299

Phone: 818-790-0502

For Immediate Release

Award-Winning Author to Teach UCLA Class for Writers

Carolyn Howard-Johnson, the multi award-winning author of more than a dozen books, will teach a one-day seminar on book marketing for writers at UCLA Extension Writers’ Program this summer quarter.

The world-renowned program offers writers classes--from the craft of writing to promoting one’s writing--at several different venues and online. Howard-Johnson’s seminar, Creating a Promotion Package for Your Fiction or Nonfiction Book,will be taught Sat. Aug. 7 on the UCLA campus. The class is based on the content of her book The Frugal Book Promoter: How To Do What Your Publisher Won’t, winner of USA Book News Award for business books and the Irwin award, given by Book Publicists of Southern California for marketing campaigns.

The author has been and instructor for the Writers' Program since 2004. She has served as a publicist for all her own books (including her poetry chapbooks--the most difficult of all genres to promote), been a fashion publicist in New York City, done the marketing for her own chain of retail stores, and has worked in the publishing industry for Good Housekeeping Magazine and a variety of newspapers and trade publications.

Howard-Johnson was named Woman of the Year in Arts and Entertainment by the 43^rd and 44^th District of the California Legislature. Her fiction, nonfiction and poems have appeared in national magazines, anthologies and review journals. One of her poems recently won the Franklin Christoph prize. She speaks on Utah's culture, tolerance and other subjects and has appeared on TV and hundreds of radio stations nationwide.

For more information on UCLA’s Writers’ Program or to request their quarterly extension catalog, call (310) 825-9415. Sign up online atwww.uclaextension.edu. The registration number for the English 735.1 class is 76941.

Howard-Johnson may be reached at (HoJoNews@aol.com).Information is also available at http://carolynhoward-johnson.comand http://www.howtodoitfrugally.com .

###

(Photos, book cover art and a full media kit are available electronically or by post upon request.)

Review: A Hollywood Affair by Sally Royer-Derr

2010-06-14T09:31:00.001-07:00

Title: A Hollywood Affair
Author: Sally Royer-Derr
Author Website: Sally Royer-Derr
Genre: Contemporary/Romance; Interracial/Multicultural
Publisher: Red Rose Publishing
Price: $4.99
Link to purchase

What I liked: “...we are perceptions of who we think we are until something in our lives changes.”

What woman hasn’t stood on a precipice of making an important life-altering decision? No matter the choice, there is a pay the price regardless of the outcome. More often than not, it is the hearts of others and the self that must pay the ultimate price. Is the heart strong enough to take both the pleasure and the pain?

In A Hollywood Affair, we meet Sara Montgomery. Yearning for something, anything to fill the void that threatens to intrude into her comfortable life, Sara takes a chance by meeting her dream actor. Sara’s fling soon turns into an affair that promises the excitement she craves plus important connections to help Sara realize her dormant lifelong dreams.

Watching Sara’s journey develop and countered with numerous flashbacks we are drawn into the powerful pull of wanting to do the right thing versus wanting to do what feels right. We empathize with how Sara questions her previous life choices and the impact those choices have made. Now she has the chance to correct the wrong turns she made. As readers, we see much of ourselves as we identify with Sara. We keep peeking over our shoulders to the past while we wish the future would unfold to our desires. Sara’s struggle with her feelings reminds us of our own lives as we deal with the 'what ifs' of the past and the future.

Book blurb:

Sara Montgomery's comfortable suburban life is turned upside down when handsome Hollywood actor, Enrique Alvarez, enters her life. Restlessness with her life drove her into his arms, but passion kept her there — a passion for him and for the love of writing he ignited once again. This burning need brings Sara a Hollywood success exceeding her wildest dreams. Everything that she thought was true in her life has changed, but at what cost?

Excerpt:

He saw her standing there wearing a black dress that hung just above her knees. Sara Montgomery. The woman he spoke to and thought about daily. She looked young to him, even though he was two years her junior. Her long chestnut brown hair tumbled down her slim shoulders, and her alabaster skin made a nice contrast against the dark material. He admired the full breasts that swelled under her dress and the curve of her hips beneath the clothing. She peered around the lobby, obviously looking for him. He walked toward her.

She held on to a column, trying to peek around into the lounge. She looked damned cute.

“Sara?”

He inhaled her sweet scent, like lilacs on a summer day, as he kissed her soft cheek. The rush of feelings, being so close to her, surprised him. The chemistry between them almost crackled.

They stared at each other for a moment. Sara reached out to touch his smiling lips. He grasped her hand on his lips, wanting to feel more of her.

“Do you want to eat lunch?” He stroked her hand.

“No.” Her eyes locked with his.

“Do you want to go to my room?” He waited for her answer with anticipation. I hope she says yes.

“Yes.”

Tammy Elizabeth Southin

Review: Bonded Souls by Nina Pierce

2010-06-14T06:52:00.001-07:00

Title: Bonded Souls
Author: Nina Pierce
Author Website: http://www.ninapierce.com
Genre: Erotic Paranormal Shape Shifter
Publisher: Ellora’s Cave
Price $5.20
Link to Purchase

What I liked: Bonded Souls by Nina Pierce was a great little story. Hot and sexy with a little suspense to keep you turning the pages to the end. I like a heroine who’s not afraid to walk into a bar and take what she came for and then some, and Jayda is just that kind of woman.

When it comes to shifters, I love seeing an alpha male meet his mate. Cole gets hit hard but then things get complicated when his duties put him in direct opposition with his desires. The conflict between right and wrong and what your heart desires is what makes for a great read. Not to mention the action, the creepy villain and the protective pet to warm every pet lover’s heart.

Ms. Pierce’s writing is as lovely as ever and I for one can’t wait to get my hands on more.

Book Blurb:

After finding out her boyfriend is married, veterinarian Jayda Kynslan decides to give up men. She has every intention of planting her feet firmly on the path of celibacy—right after one more night of shameless sex with a stranger. A vacation in Montana would certainly ease the pain of betrayal and offer her anonymity.

Police chief and wolf shifter council leader Cole Takoda needs a break from investigating the murders of shifters plaguing his town. When a beautiful stranger seduces him at the local tavern, it’s more than a tryst…it’s uncontrollable desire. And Cole can’t stand it. To top it off, their quickie becomes a revelation of shifter secrets and unfulfilled prophecies.

The discovery of a dead man in the forest behind Jayda’s rented cabin thrusts her into a foreign world of animal shifters and murder, and the man she thought was only a casual diversion seems to be the only one willing to hear her side of the story. Jayda’s just not sure if Cole’s going to take her to jail—or his bed.

Excerpt:

“I know it’s hard to go through the details over and over, but I need you to tell me everything that happened from the time you left the tavern last night until you found the body this afternoon.” Cole settled in the overstuffed chair across from the couch, too far from her to be of any comfort.

Jayda wanted to crawl into Cole’s lap and have his arms, strong and warm, wrapped around her. She wanted him to kiss her passionately and tell her everything would be all right. But the hungry eyes that had gazed at her naked flesh last night were now cold nuggets of blue ice, looking out through a hard mask of professionalism. As much as she’d like to remind him of the passion that transpired between them, Cole was obviously here in an official capacity and cuddling her certainly wasn’t part of the job description. Jayda folded her feet up under her, covering her shivering muscles with the afghan. Fine, if he wanted a detached rendition of her side of the story, she could manage that.

Thirty minutes later, after she’d shared nearly all the activities of the last twenty hours of her life, leaving out the details of her shower and the sexy dreams, Jayda fell back against the couch. Reliving the scene in the forest had really shaken her up.

“You’re sure that’s it?” Cole asked.

Jayda couldn’t keep the confusion from contorting her face. “What else would there be?”

“You don’t remember seeing the kid at the Bull?”

“I already told you I didn’t.” She’d gone over the details of her visit to the tavern—twice. Jayda had no idea what Cole was searching for. “There were lots of people at the tavern, Cole. I’m not going to remember one stranger from another.”

His features softened as he tucked away his professionalism with his notepad. “I believe you, Jayda.”

“I was beginning to wonder.”

“Word’s going to get out that we were together last night and I didn’t want to be accused of showing any favoritism toward a witness.” He leaned forward and brushed his knuckles over the back of her hand still wrapped around the coffee mug like a life preserver. “You got more of that? I think we could both use something to ward off this chill.”

“In the kitchen.”

“I’ll get it.” He stood and offered to take the cup from her, but she waved him off. Somehow having Cole in her kitchen, pouring himself a mug of coffee, would feel too much like a morning-after scenario and she just couldn’t deal with that.

On autopilot, Jayda stood, walked around the couch and down the tiny hall to the kitchen nook. The ticking of Lady’s nails on the wood floor was the only sound filling the awkward silence. The police officer following her certainly didn’t seem to be the same passionate man who had held her last night, and she really needed that man right now. Being in a strange town and apparently the sole connection to a murder was taking its toll. A little compassion would certainly go a long way.

The smell of burned coffee assaulted her nose. “It’s old. Let me make some more.” With shaky hands, she reached for the pot, the decanter bumping several times against the machine.

“Don’t.” Cole came up behind her, his hand covering hers, solid and warm. He guided the coffeepot back into place and snapped off the machine. The hard planes of his chest pressed solidly against her back. With a sigh, Jayda’s head fell back as she leaned against him, seeking comfort she so desperately needed. There was no one else to share this horror with. Not here. Not back in Blackfish Springs where she’d given up all her friends for a man who loved someone else. Cole was all she had, and as temporary as their connection might be, Jayda would take all he had to offer.

He turned her to face him and she looked up into the compassion filling his eyes.

She touched the bruise on his cheek.

“Gift from the kids’ brawling last night. I forgot to duck.” Cole took her hand and kissed her fingertips. “It’s going to be all right,” he said.

“Is it?” she asked softly. “Is a person ever the same after finding a human being slaughtered?” The tears she’d held at bay all afternoon finally released.

Cole sandwiched her face in his hands and wiped the tears with his thumbs. When he bent close, she closed her eyes, anticipating the softness of his lips on hers. He didn’t disappoint. The heat of his mouth seared through her, and she opened to him, inviting his tongue to delve in to taste and explore. He tasted of fresh mountain air, hot male lust and something uniquely his. And before she could assimilate their connection, it was there again, flowing over her with the power of a tidal wave, the feeling of being swaddled by the quintessence of Cole. It wasn’t just the heat of his arms around her or the solid wall of him pressing against her from breastbone to knee, but the complete meshing of her life force with his.

But that thought was insane.

She wanted him only because he was here and familiar. Lust and need had simply been forged in the heat of adversity, making her believe it was something more pulling her toward him. This was about the sex and feeling blood searing hot through her veins and the touch of another human being. Not about intimate connections or bonds. What Cole felt for her didn’t matter. Right here, right now, she simply needed him.

He pulled from her mouth, his gaze raking her face. “This is wrong to want you so badly, but I can’t help myself. Tell me to stop now and I will.” His needy pants feathered across her lips. “I’ll die a slow, agonizing death but I’ll stop.”

Review: Fever Dreams by Cate Masters

2010-06-10T12:16:00.000-07:00

Title: Fever Dreams
Author: Cate Masters
Author Website: http://www.catemasters.com/
Genre: Contemporary
Publisher: Eternal Press
Price: $5.95
Link to Purchase

What I liked:

Fever Dreams is a well-written contemporary novel that delves into the emotional journey of a woman deeply entrenched in a life headed nowhere. Her determination to find something better without destroying everyone she knows is something we can all identify with. I was quite happy to see her leave her boring boyfriend Adam behind, and take on the challenge of a new job away from her friends and family.

When Diana met Cal at her new place of employment she was thrust into a world of dark dreams and intense attraction. Two very flawed people come together in passion that can’t be denied and take you along on an unsuspected path where the line between love and obsession get very blurry. I do have to admit that prior to the hero and heroine meeting, there were times I grew impatient with the authors pacing and felt we were in unnecessary scenes. However, if you are looking for something different from the usual romance story, this would be the book for you.

Book blurb:

When Diana Taylor changes jobs, she doesn’t expect it to change her life. Meeting Cal opens up a new world of passion. He encourages her to pursue her passion for photography. Her love overwhelms her, blurs the line between reality and dreams. But is it love or obsession?

Excerpt:

Cocking his jaw, he scanned the room. “Last weekend, I called your apartment about twenty times.” His short laugh revealed his embarrassment.

“I moved,” she stammered. So that’s what he tried to tell her that morning when Jack interrupted.

He flicked his gaze to hers. “I know… now.”

“I didn’t realize.” What an idiot she’d been. “I disconnected my answering machine.” Trying to avoid Adam’s calls.

The ring of her cell phone interrupted. Adam’s name showed in the display. So much for her avoidance techniques. She sent the call to voicemail.

By his forcibly dissolved grin, he must have deduced the caller had been Adam.
She had to cut to the quick. She knit her brow. “Look, I don’t play games.” Losing had grown tiresome.

“Me either,” he quickly agreed, the image of sincerity.

If only he didn’t look so good—his hair uncombed, the layers tousled. His steely blue eyes piercing hers. “Why are you here? You said you don’t want to get involved with a coworker.”
He slid toward her. “I said I was hesitant to get involved.”

“No, no, no.” To put distance between them, she stood and paced in front of the table. “I distinctly remember your exact words. You said you did not want to be involved. And, it’s probably the best solution.” She stopped and folded her arms, avoiding his gaze. Until he spoke in that deep, low voice that reached inside, twined around her spine. Made her yearn to open herself as never before.

“Maybe I was wrong.” He spoke slowly. Deliberately. “Maybe I didn’t know how much I wanted you.”

A shiver ran through her, and she could barely respond. “Oh.”

Narrowing his eyes, he studied her. “You scare me.”

“Scare is probably not an adequate word for what you do to me.” She wouldn’t be able to articulate how he made her feel—unlike her usual self, but more like her true self than ever. As if his presence uncovered her core.

Review: Spirals by Beth Carter

2010-06-08T00:59:00.000-07:00

Spirals
by Beth Carter

Genre: Multicultural Menage Fantasy Erotica
Publisher: Loose Id
Cost: $5.99

What I Liked:
This was a very interesting premise. The sort of futuristic dystopic fantasy, I haven't seen yet in the erotic romance arena, so it was very interesting to read this book and get a picture for what was coming. I did like that it was multicultural, and I like that the cover art reflects that. I've read far too many books with multicultural characters that didn't have appropriate cover art, so that was good. And I thought the choice to set part of the book in Montana was a nice touch (since I'm from Montana, and live very close to the place she was writing about, I found it particularly interesting).

I still find it very interesting to explore the concept of menage in romance. I've seen a couple of books do this really well in the last few months, and I'm interested to see what will happen in this genre in the future. There's a different kind of love story that takes place when you're writing menage, and it needs to be reflected in the plotting as well as in the relationship. I thought this book did a pretty good job of that. I'm interested to read more of this menage romance in the future.

Book Blurb:
Kaori Carnelian was only sixteen when Los Angeles was hit by an earthquake that devastated it. With the world trying to recover from a plague that has wiped out half of the population, she learns how to survive by her wits and a great ability to hide, scavenging through what is left of LA.
Years later, the government sends in recon men Sergeants Tobias Noble and Orion West to find any survivors before another earthquake destroys everything. They spiral her world out of control in a very delicious way. But when the men have to go find two others in their regiment that are missing, Kaori has to decide if her love outweighs her instinct for surviving.

Review: Island Fantasy by Ava McKnight

2010-06-07T05:00:00.000-07:00

Island Fantasy

Author: Ava McKnight

Genre: Contemporary/Romance

Publisher: Ellora's Cave

What I liked: I really enjoyed this story. It was set in modern day and was very straight to the point. It was also easy to follow. I felt sorry for Jewel once I learned her story and I enjoyed J.T. He's the alpha dog who knows how to pick a girl and then sweep her off her feet! This is a beautiful tale about a girl finding out that there are happily ever afters.

Price/Purchase: http://www.jasminejade.com/p-8376-island-fantasy.aspx

Book Blurb:

Jersey-girl-turned-islander Jewel spends her days hosting fishing excursions on her father’s boats. After ten years on the island, she’s learned to avoid vacationers with sexy smiles and promises they can’t keep. Until gorgeous J.T. Hollander arrives, a man whose mouth and hands she wants all over her body.

J.T.’s just looking for a little R&R on the remote Caribbean island…until he meets Jewel. A beautiful topless woman in paradise is one temptation that’s simply too irresistible to pass up.

But a mainlander on holiday has to return to the real world someday…doesn’t he?

Publisher’s Note: This story was previously published elsewhere under the title Summer Temptation and has been revised for Ellora’s Cave.

You're invited to a summer wedding...

2010-06-07T03:23:00.000-07:00

....And what's a wedding without the gifts?!

To take part in a special giveaway attached to my free PPB wedding story, Bloom,
simply visit my blog:
http://www.jasmineaherne.com/index.php/2010/06/04/summer-wedding/

Answer the question in the comments to win a bumper goodie bag filled with
freebies you won't want to miss this summer!

Don't forget to download the other 5 stories in the Pink Petal Books Summer
Wedding promotion. Happy reading to laze away those summer days with!!

A Review: Sunny With a Chance

2010-06-06T17:32:00.000-07:00

The Author: Emjai Colbert

Author Website: www.emjaicolbert.blogspot.com

Genre: new contemporary quickie, available now at Ellora’s Cave

Publisher: www.ellorascave.com

Info: ISBN: 9781419927652

Price: $2.49 (e-book)

WHAT I LIKED

I must admit…I love wounded heroes. Ryan Chance fills this wish. I enjoy how Sunny does her best when forced back into his life. With her heart of gold, the heroine proves her love by leaving a married man alone. But, six months have passed.

The author does a great set-up in chapter one with enough back story so we can understand what Sunny is walking into with her massage table. I could feel Sunny’s embarrassment when she couldn’t shut up.

The resulting sex is wrapped within mutual respect and obvious love between two people who deserve to find it. The story touched brieflyon infidelity, physical injury, and loneliness, and the path toward the happy ever after ending was a joy to read.

BOOK BLURB

Maybe it was kismet that brought Sunny Maitland to Ryan Chance’s doorstep that day. Maybe it was just dumb luck. Sunny had avoided the house and the man for months for fear of falling in love with the one person who was off limits.

Wounded in body and soul, Ryan Chance is surprised when his former masseuse saunters back into his life as if she’d never left. She’d been his savior and confidant when his life was in pieces and then she was gone with no explanation.

Bound by a secret mutual desire, Sunny and Ryan waste no time getting to know each other again, and again, and again one hot, steamy, Southern night.

Review: Heart of Fire by Kristen Painter

2010-06-05T06:48:00.000-07:00

Heart of Fire
by Kristen Painter

Genre: Fantasy Romance
Publisher: Smashwords (or buy for Kindle)
Cost: $2.99

What I Liked:
Oh, wow. Wow, wow, wow. This is quite possibly the best fantasy romance I've ever read. Definitely the best one I've read recently, and I can only think of one that might compare--even come close--to the level of this book. The writing is phenomenal, the plotting excellent, the world-building exquisite, the character development proficient, and the sexual tension... oh, wow. And we're back to the wow-ing again. I just can't help it.

I don't generally say "go out and buy this book, now", because I'm never quite sure if other readers have my same tastes. But if you haven't bought this book by the time you read this review, then you must go and buy it now. It has the most delicious love story, the most unique hero, the most engaging heroine... wow. This book, I will read again. I'm transferring it to my Kindle, and I'm going to reread it very soon.

I hope, on a side note, that Kristen Painter continues to write in this world. The level of detail in her worldbuilding is just fantastic. It's hard to find a fantasy book that doesn't feel a little bit old and tired, because when it's been done well before, it's really hard to reinvent without making the reader think "I liked that better in _(insert book title here)_". But I didn't think that in this book. Not even once. The fantasy elements were original and engaging enough that, while I was aware of other fantasy books from having read them, I wasn't wishing she'd done things differently in her world-building. That's important when you write fantasy, I can't even explain how important that is. And when it's well done, it just makes for such enjoyable reading. Not to mention the fact that the love story is so poignant and beautiful.

Really, this is going on my favorites list immediately. I can't wait for more books in this world to come out by Kristen Painter. If you haven't bought it yet, especially if you like fantasy romance, seriously, it's amazing.

Book Blurb:
Eager to find her place in the world and understand the frightening gifts she’s been born with, Jessalyne Brandborn aches to leave her sheltered life behind and take on the job that's been promised to her. Apprentice to the most powerful sorceress in Shaldar, the king’s magewoman. Even if traveling to Castle Ryght means keeping company with the deadliest man in the realm to get there.

On the run, dark elf Ertemis Elta-naya doesn’t want to escort firemage Jessalyne any more than he wants the Legion to catch up with him. He just wants to vindicate his mother’s life before the price on his head results in a knife at his throat. Or in his back. Life as a mercenary has taught him to strike first and ask questions later.

And yet, within them lies the hope of the dying elven race, the renewal of Shaldar's beleaguered kingdom and an incredible chance at love. If they don't kill each other first.

Review: Fear of Darkness by Honoria Ravena

2010-06-04T19:49:00.000-07:00

Fear of Darkness
by Honoria Ravena

Genre: Paranormal Erotic Romance
Publisher: Red Rose Publishing
Price: $2.99

What I Liked:
I thought this was an interesting book with some unique twists on vampire lore. The hero was hot and very intense, and the conflict was good. I liked the fact that it had sort of an old-world feel to the paranormal side, but that it took place in contemporary times. When I started reading the opening, I wouldn't have been able to tell that I was in a paranormal book. I like that. It kept me on my toes. The only thing I didn't like about it was that it was in first person, only with different narrators. But if you don't mind first person narratives, definitely check this out. It's well-written. The love scenes were very hot, and I appreciated the incorporation of the unique vampire experience into their connection. Very worth the $2.99 price you'd pay to pick this up.

Book Blurb:
Vahe Patten is a Watcher in the King's guard. The vampire king, that is. As a Watcher, Vahe executes vampires who break the only major vampire law: keep the secret. When Dylan Andrew starts leaving his murder victims for the human authorities to find, something must be done. While in Haven, Vahe enters the dreams of a woman plagued with nightmares of her past. When he sees Dylan flirting with her in a bar, he knows she'll be his next victim.

Natalya Woods just wants to avoid her ex-husband. The small town of Haven, Maine seems perfect until she's attacked in the street by, literally, the man of her dreams.

Excerpt:
"Need a hand, Natalya."

I spun around but before I could even get a word out I was pressed against the wall with a hand over my mouth. I realized I'd forgotten my gun. I hadn't thought to put a different one in my other purse and I should have. This vampire was the least of my problems. Okay, so maybe not the least, a vampire was a big problem, especially if he was the murder, but I did have other people I was worried about. A vampire… It was just unbelievable.

"I'm going to take my hand away and if you scream, I'll snap your neck. Understand?" I nodded. "Good."

He brushed the scarf away from my neck to reveal his marks. He ran his hand lightly over my throat. I flinched when he touched the bite. Even with such a light touch, it was painful.

He leaned his face in toward me, moved his hand, and then he was kissing me. I hesitated before I gave into him. The kiss was full of probing tongues. My tongue brushed his fangs and I broke the kiss.

He moved his mouth to my throat and I stood there dazed for a second before I jerked back. I would have hit my head on the wall but his hand was between the bricks and me. He tangled his hands in my hair. His tongue flicked out across the bite mark and then his mouth clamped down. He sucked hard, making the tiny holes bleed.

I gasped in pain and pushed at his chest. He moaned against my throat and sucked harder. His erection pressed against my stomach. Trembling, he drew back. His eyes were unfocused and his breathing labored. I was glad we were in the middle of the street and not somewhere private. I don't think anything would have kept him from fucking my brains out, and nothing could stop him from draining my blood.

He cleared his throat. "God, your blood is almost addictive." He shook himself. "Come on, I'll help you with all this food. I'm surprised you eat so much. You look so thin."

I narrowed my eyes at him and didn't respond. He picked up the food and carried it easily down the street, expecting me to follow.

I followed him without prompting. I watched my feet as I walked and tried to think of a good way to get away from him.

He didn't struggle to carry the food, but maybe it would take him a few seconds to realize I was gone and chase after me. Maybe a few vital seconds were all I needed. I doubted it.

He stopped abruptly and looked over his shoulder. He arched an eyebrow. "Go ahead. Try running for it. You won't make it three feet."

I had a childish second where I wanted to kick him in the shins and run. Instead, I waited for him to turn and then I took off down the street. I just had to reach a shop that was open, or a bar. I rounded a corner and then skidded to a halt. He stood in front of me, his arms crossed over his chest, one eyebrow arched mockingly.

"You see, last night I was injured and couldn't use my preternatural speed, but after I had a sip from you I found a nice willing donor. I don't feel like messing around. I just want you to come with me."

"If you think I'll go with you willingly, you're nuts. I seem to remember being told not to go with strangers. That the only reason they want to take you somewhere is to kill you. Hell, you're a vampire. I can't even believe I'm saying it. How am I supposed to trust you? And I got farther than three feet."

He tried to suppress a smile at the last part, but didn't quite manage. I hadn't meant it to be funny.

Review: Rough Edges by Ashlynn Pearce

2010-06-04T18:56:00.000-07:00

Rough Edges

Author: Ashlynn Pearce

Genre: Modern Romance

Purchase:http://www.jasminejade.com/p-8336-rough-edges.aspx

Publisher: Ellora's Cave

What I liked: What happens when you to go do a report on chat room romances? Well Rebecca meets Jake and then it seems all her former troubles fade away, including those of disastrous and manipulating ex-husband Nick. But Jakes has a past of his own, as rendezvous begin, they can't help not be apart from each other. Will Rebecca stay true to her newspaper article or let herself fall for Jake? Will Jake be able to live with his past and move forward with Rebecca? I really enjoyed this read from start to finish. I loved the characters and how their lives unfolded in front of me as a reader. Pearce does a fine job of fleshing out the characters, dialogue, and plot of this gem of a book. You will fall in love with the story and believe that love is worth saving.

Book Blurb:

Jake Korte is emotionally broken. Angry. Hurt. Worthless. Fearing that he will become the abuser his father was, the last thing he needs is a woman in his life. He feels like a virtual time bomb just waiting for the internal explosion. So when tiny Rebecca Saylor “chats” her way into his life and then crawls under his skin, panic descends. He can’t seem to stay away, but is terrified to be with her.

After surviving an abusive marriage, Becca isn’t looking for love, only safety. But through her research for her column “Chat Addiction”, she meets Jake, who is anything but safe. He’s the one man who can make her feel alive again. But can she overcome her own fears to claw her way into the heart of a man so fractured?

Excerpt:http://www.jasminejade.com/productspecs/9781419928048.htm

Review: Do Me Good by Adele Dubois

2010-06-04T17:53:00.000-07:00

DO ME GOOD

Author: Adele Dubois

Author Website: http://www.adeledubois.com

Genre: Paranormal Erotic Romance

Publisher: Ellora's Cave

Purchase: http://www.jasminejade.com/ps-8301-50-do-me-good.aspx

What I liked:

Yummy and Hot, well aren't all Adele's Books! What's a poor girl to do when her worthless but good looking model boyfriend is a mooch! Well plead to the heavens, that's what!

Oh and do the heavens send someone to help her out and of course steal her heart! This is where our heroine, Penny meets Nordic warrior Gunnar who has

loved her and watched her for the longest of times. Things will be heating up everywhere, but will their love last or will someone else from Gunnar's world interfere?

You will have to find out! Adele does not disappoint! A must read for those who love erotic romance!

Book Blurb:

Penny throws her hot, but worthless mooch of a boyfriend out on her front lawn with his clothes, and vows never again to be a bum magnet. Exhausted by overwork and mountainous debt, Penny pleads for divine intervention.

Gunnar, a rebellious Nordic warrior cast into servitude by an angry god to learn humility, answers. While Penny sleeps, the celestial arrives to complete her chores, but she awakens and finds him. The handsome immortal kisses her, sparking a passionate, forbidden sexual encounter.

Dark forces seeking vengeance for Gunnar’s past misdeeds mark Penny as a target. To protect his lover, Gunnar tests immortality in a death battle using a god’s magical sword. But the strength of Penny’s love and passion might be what saves them both.

Watch The Book Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nvlyXEQUZk

Excerpt:

He smoothed the hair at her temple and then rubbed a thick tendril between his thumb and forefinger. “I am Gunnar.” He pronounced the name “Goo-nar”.
A coarse brand of the sun, surrounded by a circle on the back of his hand, and covering the areas between his thumb, index knuckle and wrist caught her eye. His hand looked muscular and powerful beneath her gaze.
She touched the scarred skin with the tips of her fingers while he held a length of her hair, recognizing Freyr’s sacred insignia from her textbooks. “The pain must have been excruciating.” Without thinking, she lifted the old wound to her mouth and laid four kisses against its perimeter before pressing a fifth to the emblem inside.
A low tremor vibrated across her lips as they touched the ancient symbol on the white, extended hand. The brand grew warm and then hot on her mouth, though it did not burn. Her lips tingled and her body hummed with the pleasant sensations. She ran her tongue over the thick scars to erase the heat and then licked the center with the tip of her tongue in a tiny swirl before lifting her head.
His gasp of surprise was the last thing she expected as he released her hair and leaned away.
“Have I offended you? I’m sorry.” She searched his face for clues as to what to do next. Behind his shocked expression she found desire and longing and something completely unexpected.
Thankfulness.
Penny waited for his reply without letting go of his disfigured hand. She could tell his next words didn’t come easily.
“Kindness isn’t something I’m used to finding. Perhaps you’d be less inclined toward compassion if you knew what I’d done to deserve this brand of servitude.”
She reached out and hooked her arm around his neck to bring his face closer to hers. “I am Penelope. And if you are from Alfheim, I know who and what you are. I just don’t understand why you’ve come.” How could she deserve his rare, benevolent gifts? She was just an ordinary woman, barely scraping by.
“Sometimes we get what we need, simply because we ask. That’s the beauty and power of the unexpected.” His warm breath grazed her cheek in shallow rushes, lifting goose bumps across her skin. His wide, firm mouth smelled of sweet ground parsley and fresh-picked mint.
Their gazes locked and held, assessing, appraising.
Searching.
Gunnar’s eyes were like pools of deep blue water speckled with light that pulled her in and down. Down. Her breathing slowed as the sound of her heartbeat intensified in her ears and the inside of her mouth moistened. She licked her lips and became intensely aware of every nerve ending shimmering along her body. Her muscles tensed as if waiting for something unexpected to happen.
As if meeting a Nordic Light Elf in the flesh wasn’t amazing enough.
Just when she wondered how his mouth would taste, he brought his lips to hers and kissed her. An explosion of kinetic energy shot vibrations through her body that prickled every fiber and muscle, held her taut and then released, leaving her breathless.