Showing posts with label Harlequin Blaze Series. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Harlequin Blaze Series. Show all posts
Monday, May 11, 2009
Today I will be reviewing Tawny Weber's May 2009 Harlequin Blaze release, which I got an ARC of, Going Down Hard. I was lucky enough to have Tawny get in touch with me for an author interview, author guest blog and two book reviews for her April 2009 and May 2009 Harlequin Blaze releases. The first guest blog for her April 2009 release, Coming on Strong, was posted in March and the second guest blog for her May 2009 release, Going Down Hard, was posted at the end of April. I have had the pleasure and honor of interviewing Tawny Weber here on my blog and she answered all the reader comments. I also posted my review for Coming on Strong for you to read because it is the first part and ends with the story in Going Down Hard, which I'm reviewing today. In the first book Coming on Strong we met Sierra and Reece but we didn't get to know them only got glimpses of their hot attraction to entice us into waiting for their own love story.
So in Going Down Hard, Sierra Donovan is flying high on her company’s rising success with her partner and best friend Belle. Her bonus for all of her success is...another sexy one-night-stand with cowboy Reece Carter–also known as the best sex she’s ever had. But when sick blackmail photos start to show up, (we got a little inside peek in the previous novel) fiercely self-reliant Sierra suddenly finds herself needing a 24-hour bodyguard. Now who better than cowboy turned security specialist Reece Carter to protect her because though Reece is tall, dark and dangerous…and he’s getting in Sierra’s take-charge way she knows he can keep her safe. But, oh god, can he make every single nerve ending on her body sizzle and Sierra soon realizes that coming home to great sex each night has its benefits. That is, as long as her bodyguard can keep her alive long enough to enjoy it which I think you may know that from his characteristics he would give his own life for hers if necessary.
Well it has taken me a while to get this novel read and reviewed because life got it the way for me but I have finally finished it. I have to say it wasn't exactly what I thought it would be like when I first read about it. I had a bit of trouble getting into it at first but after midway through the book I was excited to finally find out how things would end for Sierra and Reece. Sierra is a strong and independent woman who has a tough time getting close to the opposite sex especially Reece since she has a very strong sexual attraction that she doesn't want. Reece is a cowboy with military and security background that has not had any luck with the ladies since his horrible marriage to a woman who he thought he loved. Together they may seem like total opposites but that is just on the surface because deep down they are perfect for one another if they would only give themselves the chance to finally figure that out. I give this book 3 Open Books:
Here is the description of the book from the back cover and picture:
GOING DOWN HARD by Tawny Weber $ 4.99 (Book 1)(216 Pages)
Her satisfaction is guaranteed…
Sierra Donovan is flying high on her company’s rising success. Her bonus? Another sexy one-night-stand with cowboy Reece Carter–also known as the best sex she’s ever had. But when sick blackmail photos start to show up, fiercely self-reliant Sierra suddenly finds herself needing a 24-hour bodyguard. Who better than cowboy turned security specialist Reece Carter?
Reece is tall, dark and dangerous…and he’s getting in Sierra’s take-charge way. But, oh god, can he make every single nerve ending on her body sizzle. Sierra soon realizes that coming home to great sex each night has its benefits. That is, as long as her bodyguard can keep her alive long enough to enjoy it…
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Today I have a the wonderful Harlequin Blaze romance author Tawny Weber as an author guest blogger here on the blog. I was lucky enough to have Tawny get in touch with me for an author interview, author guest blog and two book reviews for her April 2009 and May 2009 Harlequin Blaze releases. The first guest blog for her April 2009 release, Coming on Strong, is today and the second guest blog for her May 2009 release, Going Down Hard, will be posted at the end of April. I already interviewed Tawny on the blog and you can read the interview by following this link. I have reviewed Coming on Strong here on the blog and watch out for my review of Going Down Hard in April. Now for Tawny Weber's author guest blog!
* * * *
Because the two stories are connected, I still had the whole paparazzi angle still stuck in my head when I developed Going Down Hard. It morphed into a stalker-via-photograph premise in which the heroine, Sierra, is being stalked by some crazy person through photos of her. At first, they are really badly photo-shopped shots of her face pasted into kinky sexual scenes. Later, then get more graphic and scary. When that happens, Sierra has to accept the help of the one man who she can't resist and knows is the absolute worst guy in the world for her because he's the one she's sure can break her heart.
Blurb:
Her satisfaction is guaranteed…
Sierra Donovan is flying high on her company’s rising success. Her bonus? Another sexy one-night-stand with cowboy Reece Carter–also known as the best sex she’s ever had. But when sick blackmail photos start to show up, fiercely self-reliant Sierra suddenly finds herself needing a 24-hour bodyguard. Who better than cowboy turned security specialist Reece Carter?
Reece is tall, dark and dangerous…and he’s getting in Sierra’s take-charge way. But, oh god, can he make every single nerve ending on her body sizzle. Sierra soon realizes that coming home to great sex each night has its benefits. That is, as long as her bodyguard can keep her alive long enough to enjoy it…
You can find Tawny Weber at her website, blog, Twitter, Facebook, MySpace and on her Yahoo! Group.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Today I have a the wonderful Harlequin Blaze romance author Tawny Weber as an author guest blogger here on the blog. I was lucky enough to have Tawny get in touch with me for an author interview, author guest blog and two book reviews for her April 2009 and May 2009 Harlequin Blaze releases. The first guest blog for her April 2009 release, Coming on Strong, is today and the second guest blog for her May 2009 release, Going Down Hard, will be posted at the end of April. I already interviewed Tawny on the blog and you can read the interview by following this link. I have reviewed Coming on Strong here on the blog and watch out for my review of Going Down Hard in April. Now for Tawny Weber's author guest blog!
* * * *
I came up with the basic idea for Coming On Strong by wondering why a woman would go after a guy she'd left at the altar. At the same time, I'd been reading a lot about the paparazzi stalking of stars and how invasive it was—which led to my heroine, Belle's, idea to turn a super fancy luxury resort into a paparazzi free zone for the rich and famous—the perfect place for them to come and visit. A place that would be completely private, and because of that complete privacy, it'd be the perfect sexual getaway. Of course, Belle has to test the theory out with her hero, Mitch, who owns the resort first to make sure it all works out the way she wants.
Blurb:
By private invitation only…
Event: Very Sensual resort opening. Place: In bed, hopefully! Host: Hottie millionaire Mitch Carter. Planner: Belle Forsham. Who once jilted Mitch at the altar. Oops…
When Mitch’s new hotel falters, he needs a pro. Enter the It Girl of event planning: the traitorous, damnably sexy Belle. Time for some red-hot revenge! But Belle has her own secret agenda for her ex-fiancé. And in the meantime, she’ll enjoy how Mitch still makes her legs—and every other body part—deliciously quiver. But it’s strictly business between them this time. At least it is…until Belle decides that the best sexual revenge goes both ways! You can find Tawny Weber at her website, blog, Twitter, Facebook, MySpace and on her Yahoo! Group.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Today I will be reviewing Tawny Weber's April 2009 Harlequin Blaze release Coming on Strong. I was lucky enough to have Tawny get in touch with me for an author interview, author guest blog and two book reviews for her April 2009 and May 2009 Harlequin Blaze releases. The first guest blog for her April 2009 release, Coming on Strong, will be Thursday, March 26 and the second guest blog for her May 2009 release, Going Down Hard, will be posted at the end of April. Yesterday I interviewed Tawny Weber here on my blog and she answered all the reader comments so that means if you missed it come back tomorrow because she will be stopping by to check if there are any comment questions from readers. I will be reviewing Going Down Hard in April so keep coming back to see when I finally post it.
Mitch Carter and Belle Forsham have a past together that they have left to fester for years after Belle jilted Mitch at the altar. But after years past Mitch is a very sucessful businessman who is in need of an event planner for his new resort. Belle has also really made a success of her life in her partnership with her best friend in their event planning business. The instant Mitch and Belle came face to face with each other again after what happened the last time they were together I knew they still had something between them. I could practically feel the blazing heat and attraction between them though Mitch hid it very well from Belle at the beginning but soon enough they just couldn't resist one another. It was really a pleasure reading about Mitch and Belle's renewed relationship with one another because from the beginning I knew that they would be good together as long as they find a way to resolve their past misfortune. Tawny Weber delivers a blazingly intense love story about two loves who were broken apart by a missunderstanding and a trecherous enemy who hid in the shadows. I look forward to reading Going Down Hard because it will be about Belle's BFF and Mitch's cousin who we meet for the first time in Coming on Strong. I give this book 3.5 Open Books:
Here is the description of the book from the back of the cover and picture:
COMING ON STRONG $ 4.99 (217 Pages)
By private invitation only…
Event: Very Sensual resort opening. Place: In bed, hopefully! Host: Hottie millionaire Mitch Carter. Planner: Belle Forsham. Who once jilted Mitch at the altar. Oops…
When Mitch’s new hotel falters, he needs a pro. Enter the It Girl of event planning: the traitorous, damnably sexy Belle. Time for some red-hot revenge! But Belle has her own secret agenda for her ex-fiancé. And in the meantime, she’ll enjoy how Mitch still makes her legs—and every other body part—deliciously quivers. But it’s strictly business between them this time. At least it is…until Belle decides that the best sexual revenge goes both ways!
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Today I have a the wonderful Harlequin Blaze romance author Tawny Weber being interviewed here on the blog. I was lucky enough to have Tawny get in touch with me for an author interview, author guest blog and two book reviews for her April 2009 and May 2009 Harlequin Blaze releases. The first guest blog for her April 2009 release, Coming on Strong, will be Thursday, March 26th and the second guest blog for her May 2009 release, Going Down Hard, will be posted at the end of April. I will be reviewing Coming on Strong soon and watch out for my review of Going Down Hard in April. Now for my interview with Tawny Weber!
Tawny Weber: I’ve always loved reading romance and used to wish I could write. But it never occurred to me to actually try until 2001 when my husband and I were playing “if you could do anything” and I said if I could do anything, I’d be a romance author. He asked why I wasn’t trying and it just went from there. *grin*
Phoebe: Did you know what type of romance you wanted to write about or did you experiment with different genres before you chose the one that you felt was for you?
Tawny: I knew I wanted to write in for either Harlequin Temptation or to write romantic comedy paranormal. I tried both, but found that I had a better feel for writing my Temptation hopefuls. But then the line closed and I shifted focus to Blaze which is where I sold my first book.
Phoebe: What was the first fiction you ever wrote? And do you still have it with you?
Tawny: The first fiction story I ever completed was called Sweet Indulgence. It’s sitting on my hard drive. *grin*
Phoebe: How much research do you have to do for your novels and does it take you a long time to gather that research?
Tawny: I don’t do a lot of research for my books. They are all contemporary, usually set in familiar places. I’ll do some research into careers or particulars that the story needs as it comes up.
Phoebe: How did you come up with the concept for your upcoming April 2009 Harlequin Blaze novel Coming on Strong?
Tawny: I wanted to do a runaway bride story with a twist and thought it would be fun to turn the typical “married because he wants sex and she won’t go for it without a ring” on its ear by having HER be the one who’d wanted the fling and him holding onto his virtue until he got a wedding ring. I added a luxury resort aimed at the rich and famous trying to avoid the paparazzi and ta-da—I had the premise.
Phoebe: How did you come up with the concept for your upcoming May 2009 Harlequin Blaze novel Going Down Hard?
Tawny: I came up with the premise for Going Down Hard while writing Coming On Strong. After getting to know the characters in Belle and Mitch’s story, I wanted to do a bodyguard story. Sierra and Reece met in Coming On Strong and both were such strong, independent characters who basically got turned on by challenging each other. I also wanted to tie it in to a degree one of the minor threads in Coming On Strong, the paparazzi angle of being stalked via photos.
Phoebe: How do you come up with each of your characters for your novels? How do you choose their names out of so many names out there?
Tawny: Hmm, confession time. Belle and Sierra are named after my dogs. *grin* What can I say, I love the names. As for characters, I do start with a premise and can pretty easily imagine up character types that would fit that premise. But then developing the types into actual characters takes me much longer. I will write and rewrite the first three chapters until I know the characters and what drives them—their fears and issues and where those issues came from. Once I’ve got that, the rest of the story comes together pretty quickly.
Phoebe: Do you have a process of how you start to write your novels?
Tawny: Painfully? *grin* I start with a premise and write an outline—a long synopsis. I send it to my editor and once she green lights it, I start writing. I’ll spend as long writing and rewriting the first three chapters, as I will the entire rest of the book. Once those chapters are written, I know my characters and their motivations—as well as have a lot of ideas for scenes that will drive the story. I tweak my outline to fit, note any scene ideas I came up with and then dive in to finish the book. In the beginning, I’ll get maybe 3 pages a day. Once I’ve got the partial finished, I’ll average 8-10 and in the last few chapters I’m usually at 12-15 a day.
Phoebe: Which do you like best, writing a series or writing stand alone novels? How is writing each different for you?
Tawny: I love writing series because I love reading them. One of my favorite authors is Nora Roberts. I was reading her way back in her category days and my favorites were always the family stories. It’s delightful to revisit characters that I fell in love with in earlier books. That’s influenced my preference for writing series, I think.
Phoebe: What process did you have to go through to get your first book published and did it take you long?
Tawny: I started writing in 2002 and sold in May of 2006. I wrote 5 manuscripts before my 6th one sold. 3 were Golden Heart finalists and 1 was targeted at the single title market. In late 2005 I won the Harlequin Blaze 1st chapter contest. But all I had written was that first chapter. I quickly finished the next 2 chapters and sent it to the editor. After she read them, she wanted the full, and then bought it 3 weeks after I turned it in.
Phoebe: How did you feel when you finally saw your first published book came out and how do you feel about your other novels being published?
Tawny: OMG. It was such a total dream come true. Very surreal, very emotionally overwhelming. I actually wasn’t the first person to notice it on the shelf. I was in the local bookstore with my family and my youngest daughter saw the book on the shelf and yelled “Look Mommy, it’s YOU!” Every book has that same element of awe, of teary eyed excitement and terrified hope that readers connect to it.
Phoebe: Do you ever get writers block? What do you do to get rid of it so you can get back to writing your novels?
Tawny: I get tired, but I can’t say I’ve ever had writer’s block. I might not know my way through a story, or understand my characters motivation but those aren’t blocks. When I’m tired or stuck, I talk to my critique partner or my editor, I brainstorm ideas, I play with character worksheets or read craft books. If that doesn’t work, I resort to exercise and cleaning. *grin* Distractions that keep my body busy but let my mind mull over the issue. It usually only takes a day or so before I find the answer.
Phoebe: What is your biggest reader pet peeve, if you have any? (stock characters, unresolved endings, predictability, everything wrapped up hurriedly in the end, etc.)
Tawny: Gratuitous sex. Or gratuitous violence. Or gratuitous anything. I hate feeling like the author threw something in there because it fit a requirement, but doesn’t actually move the story forward or intensify the plot.
Phoebe: Which aspects of writing do you enjoy the most and why? And what is your biggest writing pet peeve? (overuse of exclamation points, adverbs, bad guys named Wayne, etc.), if you have any?
Tawny: Probably the same as my reader pet peeve.
Phoebe: What is the one writing tool can you not live without?
Tawny: My iPod. Wait, can I have two? Because I have to have my computer, but I’m pretty sure that’s required for me to stay sane anyway. *grin*
Phoebe: How do you handle your writing schedule and your personal life without going insane?
Tawny: We home school, so my daytime hours are focused on my children. I write at night—I always have and it works really well for me. Once the family is settled into their own evening interests, I put my headphones on and focus on the story. The insanity comes in when I have early morning commitments that mean I have to actually sleep and not have the freedom to write as late into the night as I like. When that happens, I just try to balance it and make up the pages and writing time later.
Phoebe: What do you do to relax after having spent a long while writing?
Tawny: Sleep. *grin* I write late at night, so when I’m done, I go to bed. After I finish a book, though, I do try to refill the creative well in different ways, depending on my mood and how hard the story was to write. I might read voraciously for an entire weekend, a book never leaving my hands. Or I’ll get out and go somewhere—a movie, a concert, anything that gives me a lot of outside visual impressions.
Phoebe: Do you have any hobbies?
Tawny: I love to scrapbook. It’s a fabulous way to unwind, create a visual story and spend time with my favorite memories all at the same time. I’m learning to knit, but am really, really bad at it so far.
Phoebe: Is there any advice that you would give to an aspiring romance writer that you wish someone had given you?
Tawny: I’ve been really lucky to be a member of Romance Writers of America and have access to an incredible wealth of advice and information. I think the most important advice I ever received and would pass on is to know your voice, to learn what makes your writing unique—and use that strength to make your stories stand out.
Phoebe: Is there any writing tips, research tips, promotion and marketing tips that you would give to an aspiring romance writer that you wish someone had given you?
Tawny: I write category, and the best advice I’ve ever gotten is to read the line. That’s not only the best way to understand what’s selling for that line, but to learn pacing, characterization and plot as it works for that particular line.
Phoebe: Do you have a favorite genre you like to read? Who is your favorite author(s)?
Tawny: Romance and fantasy. I love both, although romance is my always number one favorite. My favorite authors are Nora Roberts, Vicki Lewis Thompson and Jennifer Crusie.
Phoebe: What are you reading now? And what do you plan to read after that?
Tawny: I just finished reading David Eddings’ The Belgariad and The Malloreon series last night. I have Kate Carlisle’s bestselling debut, Homicide In Hardcover on my nightstand to read next.
* * * *
Phoebe Jordan: When did you know that writing romance was going to be the thing that you would do with your life? Which author inspired you to start writing romance?
Tawny Weber: I’ve always loved reading romance and used to wish I could write. But it never occurred to me to actually try until 2001 when my husband and I were playing “if you could do anything” and I said if I could do anything, I’d be a romance author. He asked why I wasn’t trying and it just went from there. *grin*Phoebe: Did you know what type of romance you wanted to write about or did you experiment with different genres before you chose the one that you felt was for you?
Tawny: I knew I wanted to write in for either Harlequin Temptation or to write romantic comedy paranormal. I tried both, but found that I had a better feel for writing my Temptation hopefuls. But then the line closed and I shifted focus to Blaze which is where I sold my first book.
Phoebe: What was the first fiction you ever wrote? And do you still have it with you?
Tawny: The first fiction story I ever completed was called Sweet Indulgence. It’s sitting on my hard drive. *grin*
Phoebe: How much research do you have to do for your novels and does it take you a long time to gather that research?
Tawny: I don’t do a lot of research for my books. They are all contemporary, usually set in familiar places. I’ll do some research into careers or particulars that the story needs as it comes up.
Phoebe: How did you come up with the concept for your upcoming April 2009 Harlequin Blaze novel Coming on Strong?
Tawny: I wanted to do a runaway bride story with a twist and thought it would be fun to turn the typical “married because he wants sex and she won’t go for it without a ring” on its ear by having HER be the one who’d wanted the fling and him holding onto his virtue until he got a wedding ring. I added a luxury resort aimed at the rich and famous trying to avoid the paparazzi and ta-da—I had the premise.
Phoebe: How did you come up with the concept for your upcoming May 2009 Harlequin Blaze novel Going Down Hard?
Tawny: I came up with the premise for Going Down Hard while writing Coming On Strong. After getting to know the characters in Belle and Mitch’s story, I wanted to do a bodyguard story. Sierra and Reece met in Coming On Strong and both were such strong, independent characters who basically got turned on by challenging each other. I also wanted to tie it in to a degree one of the minor threads in Coming On Strong, the paparazzi angle of being stalked via photos.
Phoebe: How do you come up with each of your characters for your novels? How do you choose their names out of so many names out there?
Tawny: Hmm, confession time. Belle and Sierra are named after my dogs. *grin* What can I say, I love the names. As for characters, I do start with a premise and can pretty easily imagine up character types that would fit that premise. But then developing the types into actual characters takes me much longer. I will write and rewrite the first three chapters until I know the characters and what drives them—their fears and issues and where those issues came from. Once I’ve got that, the rest of the story comes together pretty quickly.
Phoebe: Do you have a process of how you start to write your novels?
Tawny: Painfully? *grin* I start with a premise and write an outline—a long synopsis. I send it to my editor and once she green lights it, I start writing. I’ll spend as long writing and rewriting the first three chapters, as I will the entire rest of the book. Once those chapters are written, I know my characters and their motivations—as well as have a lot of ideas for scenes that will drive the story. I tweak my outline to fit, note any scene ideas I came up with and then dive in to finish the book. In the beginning, I’ll get maybe 3 pages a day. Once I’ve got the partial finished, I’ll average 8-10 and in the last few chapters I’m usually at 12-15 a day.
Phoebe: Which do you like best, writing a series or writing stand alone novels? How is writing each different for you?
Tawny: I love writing series because I love reading them. One of my favorite authors is Nora Roberts. I was reading her way back in her category days and my favorites were always the family stories. It’s delightful to revisit characters that I fell in love with in earlier books. That’s influenced my preference for writing series, I think.
Phoebe: What process did you have to go through to get your first book published and did it take you long?
Tawny: I started writing in 2002 and sold in May of 2006. I wrote 5 manuscripts before my 6th one sold. 3 were Golden Heart finalists and 1 was targeted at the single title market. In late 2005 I won the Harlequin Blaze 1st chapter contest. But all I had written was that first chapter. I quickly finished the next 2 chapters and sent it to the editor. After she read them, she wanted the full, and then bought it 3 weeks after I turned it in.
Phoebe: How did you feel when you finally saw your first published book came out and how do you feel about your other novels being published?
Tawny: OMG. It was such a total dream come true. Very surreal, very emotionally overwhelming. I actually wasn’t the first person to notice it on the shelf. I was in the local bookstore with my family and my youngest daughter saw the book on the shelf and yelled “Look Mommy, it’s YOU!” Every book has that same element of awe, of teary eyed excitement and terrified hope that readers connect to it.Phoebe: Do you ever get writers block? What do you do to get rid of it so you can get back to writing your novels?
Tawny: I get tired, but I can’t say I’ve ever had writer’s block. I might not know my way through a story, or understand my characters motivation but those aren’t blocks. When I’m tired or stuck, I talk to my critique partner or my editor, I brainstorm ideas, I play with character worksheets or read craft books. If that doesn’t work, I resort to exercise and cleaning. *grin* Distractions that keep my body busy but let my mind mull over the issue. It usually only takes a day or so before I find the answer.
Phoebe: What is your biggest reader pet peeve, if you have any? (stock characters, unresolved endings, predictability, everything wrapped up hurriedly in the end, etc.)
Tawny: Gratuitous sex. Or gratuitous violence. Or gratuitous anything. I hate feeling like the author threw something in there because it fit a requirement, but doesn’t actually move the story forward or intensify the plot.
Phoebe: Which aspects of writing do you enjoy the most and why? And what is your biggest writing pet peeve? (overuse of exclamation points, adverbs, bad guys named Wayne, etc.), if you have any?
Tawny: Probably the same as my reader pet peeve.
Phoebe: What is the one writing tool can you not live without?
Tawny: My iPod. Wait, can I have two? Because I have to have my computer, but I’m pretty sure that’s required for me to stay sane anyway. *grin*
Phoebe: How do you handle your writing schedule and your personal life without going insane?
Tawny: We home school, so my daytime hours are focused on my children. I write at night—I always have and it works really well for me. Once the family is settled into their own evening interests, I put my headphones on and focus on the story. The insanity comes in when I have early morning commitments that mean I have to actually sleep and not have the freedom to write as late into the night as I like. When that happens, I just try to balance it and make up the pages and writing time later.
Phoebe: What do you do to relax after having spent a long while writing?
Tawny: Sleep. *grin* I write late at night, so when I’m done, I go to bed. After I finish a book, though, I do try to refill the creative well in different ways, depending on my mood and how hard the story was to write. I might read voraciously for an entire weekend, a book never leaving my hands. Or I’ll get out and go somewhere—a movie, a concert, anything that gives me a lot of outside visual impressions.Phoebe: Do you have any hobbies?
Tawny: I love to scrapbook. It’s a fabulous way to unwind, create a visual story and spend time with my favorite memories all at the same time. I’m learning to knit, but am really, really bad at it so far.
Phoebe: Is there any advice that you would give to an aspiring romance writer that you wish someone had given you?
Tawny: I’ve been really lucky to be a member of Romance Writers of America and have access to an incredible wealth of advice and information. I think the most important advice I ever received and would pass on is to know your voice, to learn what makes your writing unique—and use that strength to make your stories stand out.
Phoebe: Is there any writing tips, research tips, promotion and marketing tips that you would give to an aspiring romance writer that you wish someone had given you?
Tawny: I write category, and the best advice I’ve ever gotten is to read the line. That’s not only the best way to understand what’s selling for that line, but to learn pacing, characterization and plot as it works for that particular line.
Phoebe: Do you have a favorite genre you like to read? Who is your favorite author(s)?
Tawny: Romance and fantasy. I love both, although romance is my always number one favorite. My favorite authors are Nora Roberts, Vicki Lewis Thompson and Jennifer Crusie.
Phoebe: What are you reading now? And what do you plan to read after that?
Tawny: I just finished reading David Eddings’ The Belgariad and The Malloreon series last night. I have Kate Carlisle’s bestselling debut, Homicide In Hardcover on my nightstand to read next.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Well Karen Anders was interviewed on Tuesday and here is the direct link to the interview for anyone who would like to check it out. I had fun interviewing her about her writing processes and other stuff so it was great to have her guest blog about her March 2009 Harlequin Blaze novel. I also reviewed her novel Up Close and Dangerously Sexy which is the book she will be talking about today. Leave your comments with questions because Karen Anders will be stopping by on and off throughout the day to answer anyones comments with questions.
* * * * *
Up Close and Dangerously Sexy marks a milestone for me. About four years ago, I decided that romantic suspense and action/adventure is where I wanted to take my writing. I write for Blaze and as most of you know, Blaze is Harlequin’s sexiest line. Therefore, I was unsure whether my editor would approve of such plotlines and characters for Blaze. Lo and behold, she told me to go for it. That came about because, at that time, we got a new senior editor, Brenda Chin and she had a strong vision for Blaze which four years later I think has come to fruition.
Up Close was conceived when I was tasked by my editor to come up with a wrong bed book. Wrong bed books were made popular by the now discontinued Harlequin Temptation line. So when she asked me to do one for Blaze, I used a what if scenario—What if a kooky interior designer finds herself kidnapped out of her twin sister’s bed by a hunky undercover operative and then is asked to fill her sister’s secret agent shoes. Wrong bed, wrong sister, Oh, so right man!
Writing Up Close occurred in an interesting time in my life. I had just bought my first single family home, moved into it, and my oldest daughter moved from Virginia to North Carolina to be closer to me. She brought with her a beautiful 9 month old boxer. To say that puppy was rambunctious is an understatement. Well, I have a seven year old cat and she’s mild, sweet, and loves her belly rubbed. What she didn’t love was the dog. Chaos ensued for the majority of the three months I had to write the book and the result was my daughter got her own place and moved out. By the time she and her dog moved out, I had only six weeks to write a 55,000 word book. To say I was a bit panicked is also an understatement. I don’t turn my books in late. I don’t think that’s professional. So, I got down to business and wrote the book in six weeks. The kicker is that I work a full-time job. I did have to take a few days off from my job to complete the manuscript, but the bottom line is it got done.
I learned a lot from that experience. First, I learned that I could write through chaos. Second, my youngest daughter saved my life by being there to manage the dog and support me. And, third, I can do anything if I put my mind to it.
So, Up Close is almost on the shelves and I’m so proud of my accomplishment. I hope that everyone who picks up the book gets as much enjoyment out of reading it as I got out of writing it. Up Close is the first book in my Undercover Lovers Miniseries. Don’t miss book #2 and #3—In Too Deep (working title) out in October 2009 and Wanted (working title) out in April 2010. I also have a sizzling summer anthology out in July 2009 titled Endless Summer with Julie Kenner and Jill Monroe and my story is titled, Surf’s Up. Visit my website for upcoming news, enter my contest for March, or sign up for my newsletter. Here’s to great reading in 2009!
Thanks Phoebe for having me and for your part in supporting the romance industry and its authors! You’re the best.
Blurb of the novel:
With one of his top operatives out of commission, undercover agent (and total hotness) Drew Miller will enlist the assistance of interior designer Allie Carpenter—who will pose as her twin sister in order to bring down an arms dealer. Drew is granted clearance to bring Allie in by any means necessary….
Their mission, should they accept it, is complete deception…and absolute temptation!
Here are links to Karen Anders website, MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads and her eHarlequin inside scoop article.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
I received the advance copy of this novel, Up Close and Dangerously Sexy, in Manuscript format in the mail and so it was a tough for me to read a bunch of MS paper. So I stapled them into 4 sexions and started to read the novel, which soon got so good that I totally forgot that it wasn't an actual book I was holding. Yesterday I had Karen Ander's interviewed here on the blog and she wrote that this is the first of her Undercover Love Miniseries for Harlequin Blaze. So I was really excited to read and review this novel because first I love reading a good series and two Harlequin Blaze is a line of that I enjoy reading because they are such fun and blazingly hot reads. Allie thought she was giving her twin sister Callie's home a makeover for their birthday but it all gets turned around when her sister doesn't come home when she's supposed but a hot and sexy guy walks through the door. With one of his top operatives out of commission, undercover agent (and total hotness) Drew Miller will enlist the assistance of interior designer Allie Carpenter—who will pose as her twin sister in order to bring down an arms dealer. Allie is swept up into this whole different world that she never would have guessed her twin sister Callie lived and worked in. Drew is granted clearance to bring Allie in by any means necessary and their mission, should they accept it, is complete deception…and absolute temptation!
The hero, Drew, and the heroine, Allie, are such different people that its such a wonder how they met and started to fall in love with each other. Allis is such a wonderful character who was so easy to fall in love with and to understand. She is a wonderful and I think a very understanding and unselfish twin sister because if I were her and I learned what she did in this novel I don't think I would be brave enough to do what Allie did. Now Drew is one hot and dangerously sexy man who has many personal issues caused by his own childhood and the harst past experience in his last mission. Drew is also such a loveable character that I knew he would be good match for Allie. They both are opposites that attract one another and make it work for both of them to live a happily ever after life. As for the secondary characters in this story I really was intrigued with Allie's twin sister Callie who I know will get her own story told soon. She is the complete opposite of her sister Allie even though they are identical twins and she is in very deep in this undercover mission with the villian of the series called The Ghost. I can't wait to find out what is going to happen to her and her unknown love interest in her story that should be coming out sometime this year.
Allie's brother Max is an FBI agent and though he wasn't mentioned only a few times throughout the novel I also know he will end up getting his own love story told. He is a mystery to me and I really want to know his involvement with the villian The Ghost and I can't wait to also find out who is love interest will be too. Now there are the teammates and friends of Drews that were in this novel (Thad Michaels, Damian Frost, Leila and Jason Kyoto) that I really loved getting to know and I hope that Karen Anders ends up writing up each one a love story of their own for her Undercover Love Miniseries. I thought that they were all great characters who have their own personal issues that could be developed into fun and excitingly blazing Harlequin Blaze novels. After finishing Up Close and Dangerously Sexy I wanted more! I am now hooked to this miniseries because Karen Anders has delievered a suspenseful and blazing hot novel that I could not put down and almost got a paper cut I was turning the pages so fast. So I recommend you go out and buy this book while their on the stands because if you want to long they will be gone and then you'll be missing out on the start of a great miniseries in the Harlequin Blaze line. I give this book 4 Open Books:
Here is the description of the book from the back cover and picture:
UP CLOSE AND DANGEROUSLY SEXY $ 4.99 (Book 1)(216 Pages)
With one of his top operatives out of commission, undercover agent (and total hotness) Drew Miller will enlist the assistance of interior designer Allie Carpenter—who will pose as her twin sister in order to bring down an arms dealer. Drew is granted clearance to bring Allie in by any means necessary….
Their mission, should they accept it, is complete deception…and absolute temptation!
With one of his top operatives out of commission, undercover agent (and total hotness) Drew Miller will enlist the assistance of interior designer Allie Carpenter—who will pose as her twin sister in order to bring down an arms dealer. Drew is granted clearance to bring Allie in by any means necessary….
Their mission, should they accept it, is complete deception…and absolute temptation!
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Today I will be interviewing Harlequin Blaze romance author Karen Anders. She contacted me about scheduling an author interview, author guest blog as well as a book review of her upcoming release for Harlequin Blaze. I recently finished reading her upcoming March 2009 Harlequin Blaze novel called Up Close and Dangerously Sexy and will be posting my review for it tomorrow. I had fun reading it and I was so happy to have the opportunity to interview her as well as having her guest blogging this Thursday as well. I learned a lot about Karen's writing process and how she got into writing romance and I hope that you all have fun reading this interview. Leave your comments as well as questions to this post because Karen will be checking in throughout the day to answer them.
Karen Anders: I’m not sure that I’ve ever thought of it that way. I knew that I loved to read. It was and is still my greatest passion. Spinning out the stories I discovered I had in my head just came naturally and once I started, I didn’t want to stop. So I guess the first time I realized that this was my talent, my passion was when I got my first book, Jennifer’s Outlaw, published by Silhouette. The author that most influenced me is Nora Roberts. Her stories are so amazing. Of course, I wanted to be her when I grew up. But, now I understand who I am and what I enjoy writing.
Phoebe: Did you know what type of romance you wanted to write about or did you experiment with different genres before you chose the one that you felt was for you?
Karen: I discovered romance in my teens and fell in love with it. I read it in many genres: Historical: Shanna by Kathleen Woodiwiss, The Shadow and the Star by Laura Kinsale Science fiction: Star Commandos by P.M. Griffin, Startide Rising by David Brin Fantasy: The Forgotten Beasts of Eld by Patricia McKillip, Gandalara Series by Randall Garrett and Vicki Ann Heydron Gothic: Kirkland Revels by Victoria Holt, The Black Swan by Phyllis A. Whitney Suspense: A Coral Kissby Jayne Ann Krentz, Hot Ice by Nora Roberts With all these books I read, especially the gothic and suspense books, I discovered a taste for action/adventure and after looking in vain for what I wanted to read, I decided to start writing it myself. I was always interested in romance mixed with danger. So my first book was a historical about a young woman who goes into the desert and it was bad. I also found that researching a historical book just wasn’t my cup of tea. Then I discovered contemporaries. My first book was about 500 pages and got me the interest of an agent. From there I got published by Silhouette.
Phoebe: What was the first fiction you ever wrote? And do you still have it with you?
Karen: As I mentioned, the first book I ever wrote was about a young miss and a desert sheik that was inspired by the book my grandmother gave to me when I was sixteen, The Sheik. It took me ten years to finish that book. But, I’m afraid as my first attempt, it was quite bad. I destroyed that book at the end of the eighties and gave it a fitting burial.
Phoebe: How much research do you have to do for your novels and did it take you a long time to gather that research?
Karen: I do a lot of research on every aspect of my novels. First, I do up front research when I’m fleshing out an idea. I explore different avenues to make my story richer. Then as I’m writing the book, I do ongoing research to go into more depth and to make the story as real as possible.
Phoebe: How did you come up with the concepts for some of your upcoming novels?
Karen: Up Close and Dangerously Sexy starts my Undercover Lovers Miniseries. For the second book, I decided to create a brother for my twins. I sandwiched his book in between theirs. In this series I have a villain called The Ghost and he runs through all three books to tie them together.
Phoebe: Do you have a process of how you start to write your novels?
Karen: I’m a synopsis girl, so when I go to write my stories, I consult my synopsis. I open the synopsis with a scene that puts the reader right into the action. That’s where the story starts—and it’s the most interesting and thrilling part.
Phoebe: Which do you like best, writing a series or writing stand alone novels? How is writing each different for you?
Karen: I like writing both types of novels. A series has to be carefully thought out before writing. Since the books interact, I want to make sure that all my ducks are in a row and I have all the characters worked out. In a stand alone, I don’t have to do as much up front work.
Phoebe: What process did you have to go through to get your first book published and did it take you long?
Karen: To get my first book published, I pretty much just started sending it one at a time to agents. When I realized how long that was going to take, I started doing mass mailings. That worked out well for me because on my fourth try, I got an agent. He then sold it to Silhouette within a month or two. I will say that my first time out of the gate was blessed. I didn’t know how hard it was to get an agent and I didn’t know how hard it was then to get published. So ignorance is bliss as they say.
Phoebe: How did you feel when you finally saw your first published book came out and how do you feel about your other novels being published?
Karen: Seeing my first book in print with the beautiful cover that Silhouette did was a dream come true. I felt so satisfied, so validated. Other than the births of my two children, it was the most exciting thing that has ever happened to me.
Phoebe: How do you handle your writing schedule and your personal life without going insane?
Karen: That is a challenge as I work a full time job and do my writing on the side. It’s all about focus. I have a certain number of pages that I must do per week and I stay on track as much as I can. I juggle everything else. When I need support, my youngest daughter helps me out tremendously. I don’t know what I would do without her.
Phoebe: What do you do to relax after having spent a long while writing?
Karen: I watch TV or read. I especially love playing an online game called World of Warcraft. Its loads of fun.
Phoebe: Do you have any hobbies?
Karen: Yes, I paint in watercolors and Chinese brush paintings. I will eventually have stuff up for sale on my website in the future. As soon as I have some spare time in my writing schedule to paint.
Phoebe: Is there any advice that you would give to an aspiring romance writer that you wish someone had given you?
Karen: Study the craft and hone that craft every day. Read, attend workshops, online classes. Write everyday if you can manage it and find a good critique group. Don’t be discouraged and keep persisting.
Phoebe: Is there any writing tips, research tips, promotion and marketing tips that you would give to an aspiring romance writer that you wish someone had given you?
Karen: Writing tips: Learn how to write a good, thorough synopsis. Study goal, motivation and conflict and make sure that it’s in your story. Research tips: Don’t skimp here. Do thorough research on what you’re writing about. It adds realistic flavor to your character and your story. Promotion tips: See the blog that I did for Caren Johnson. Its chock full of suggestions, but mostly for category books. Marketing tips: Discover who you are within the industry. Brand yourself. Take a look at my new revamped website to see what I mean. I’ve branded myself as a romantic suspense author writing urban stories.
Phoebe: Now for a question that I have been meaning to ask an author. Do you have a favorite genre you like to read? Who is your favorite author(s)?
Karen: I love reading romantic suspense, action/adventure, and science fiction/fantasy. Some of my favorite authors are Karen Rose, Nora Roberts, Lisa Scottoline, Donna Kauffman, Amy J. Fetzer, Kim Harrison, Patty O’Shea, and Laurell K. Hamilton.
* * * * *
Phoebe Jordan: When did you know that writing romance was going to be the thing that you would do with your life? Which author inspired you to start writing romance?
Karen Anders: I’m not sure that I’ve ever thought of it that way. I knew that I loved to read. It was and is still my greatest passion. Spinning out the stories I discovered I had in my head just came naturally and once I started, I didn’t want to stop. So I guess the first time I realized that this was my talent, my passion was when I got my first book, Jennifer’s Outlaw, published by Silhouette. The author that most influenced me is Nora Roberts. Her stories are so amazing. Of course, I wanted to be her when I grew up. But, now I understand who I am and what I enjoy writing.Phoebe: Did you know what type of romance you wanted to write about or did you experiment with different genres before you chose the one that you felt was for you?
Karen: I discovered romance in my teens and fell in love with it. I read it in many genres: Historical: Shanna by Kathleen Woodiwiss, The Shadow and the Star by Laura Kinsale Science fiction: Star Commandos by P.M. Griffin, Startide Rising by David Brin Fantasy: The Forgotten Beasts of Eld by Patricia McKillip, Gandalara Series by Randall Garrett and Vicki Ann Heydron Gothic: Kirkland Revels by Victoria Holt, The Black Swan by Phyllis A. Whitney Suspense: A Coral Kissby Jayne Ann Krentz, Hot Ice by Nora Roberts With all these books I read, especially the gothic and suspense books, I discovered a taste for action/adventure and after looking in vain for what I wanted to read, I decided to start writing it myself. I was always interested in romance mixed with danger. So my first book was a historical about a young woman who goes into the desert and it was bad. I also found that researching a historical book just wasn’t my cup of tea. Then I discovered contemporaries. My first book was about 500 pages and got me the interest of an agent. From there I got published by Silhouette.
Phoebe: What was the first fiction you ever wrote? And do you still have it with you?
Karen: As I mentioned, the first book I ever wrote was about a young miss and a desert sheik that was inspired by the book my grandmother gave to me when I was sixteen, The Sheik. It took me ten years to finish that book. But, I’m afraid as my first attempt, it was quite bad. I destroyed that book at the end of the eighties and gave it a fitting burial.
Phoebe: How much research do you have to do for your novels and did it take you a long time to gather that research?
Karen: I do a lot of research on every aspect of my novels. First, I do up front research when I’m fleshing out an idea. I explore different avenues to make my story richer. Then as I’m writing the book, I do ongoing research to go into more depth and to make the story as real as possible.
Phoebe: How did you come up with the concepts for some of your upcoming novels?
Karen: Up Close and Dangerously Sexy starts my Undercover Lovers Miniseries. For the second book, I decided to create a brother for my twins. I sandwiched his book in between theirs. In this series I have a villain called The Ghost and he runs through all three books to tie them together.
Phoebe: Do you have a process of how you start to write your novels?
Karen: I’m a synopsis girl, so when I go to write my stories, I consult my synopsis. I open the synopsis with a scene that puts the reader right into the action. That’s where the story starts—and it’s the most interesting and thrilling part.
Phoebe: Which do you like best, writing a series or writing stand alone novels? How is writing each different for you?
Karen: I like writing both types of novels. A series has to be carefully thought out before writing. Since the books interact, I want to make sure that all my ducks are in a row and I have all the characters worked out. In a stand alone, I don’t have to do as much up front work.
Phoebe: What process did you have to go through to get your first book published and did it take you long?
Karen: To get my first book published, I pretty much just started sending it one at a time to agents. When I realized how long that was going to take, I started doing mass mailings. That worked out well for me because on my fourth try, I got an agent. He then sold it to Silhouette within a month or two. I will say that my first time out of the gate was blessed. I didn’t know how hard it was to get an agent and I didn’t know how hard it was then to get published. So ignorance is bliss as they say.
Phoebe: How did you feel when you finally saw your first published book came out and how do you feel about your other novels being published?
Karen: Seeing my first book in print with the beautiful cover that Silhouette did was a dream come true. I felt so satisfied, so validated. Other than the births of my two children, it was the most exciting thing that has ever happened to me.
Phoebe: How do you handle your writing schedule and your personal life without going insane?
Karen: That is a challenge as I work a full time job and do my writing on the side. It’s all about focus. I have a certain number of pages that I must do per week and I stay on track as much as I can. I juggle everything else. When I need support, my youngest daughter helps me out tremendously. I don’t know what I would do without her.
Phoebe: What do you do to relax after having spent a long while writing?
Karen: I watch TV or read. I especially love playing an online game called World of Warcraft. Its loads of fun.Phoebe: Do you have any hobbies?
Karen: Yes, I paint in watercolors and Chinese brush paintings. I will eventually have stuff up for sale on my website in the future. As soon as I have some spare time in my writing schedule to paint.
Phoebe: Is there any advice that you would give to an aspiring romance writer that you wish someone had given you?
Karen: Study the craft and hone that craft every day. Read, attend workshops, online classes. Write everyday if you can manage it and find a good critique group. Don’t be discouraged and keep persisting.
Phoebe: Is there any writing tips, research tips, promotion and marketing tips that you would give to an aspiring romance writer that you wish someone had given you?
Karen: Writing tips: Learn how to write a good, thorough synopsis. Study goal, motivation and conflict and make sure that it’s in your story. Research tips: Don’t skimp here. Do thorough research on what you’re writing about. It adds realistic flavor to your character and your story. Promotion tips: See the blog that I did for Caren Johnson. Its chock full of suggestions, but mostly for category books. Marketing tips: Discover who you are within the industry. Brand yourself. Take a look at my new revamped website to see what I mean. I’ve branded myself as a romantic suspense author writing urban stories.
Phoebe: Now for a question that I have been meaning to ask an author. Do you have a favorite genre you like to read? Who is your favorite author(s)?
Karen: I love reading romantic suspense, action/adventure, and science fiction/fantasy. Some of my favorite authors are Karen Rose, Nora Roberts, Lisa Scottoline, Donna Kauffman, Amy J. Fetzer, Kim Harrison, Patty O’Shea, and Laurell K. Hamilton.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
As you all know Harlequin Blaze is my favorite line of books so I talk many authors who write for this line and today I will be talking about a new author to me Tori Carrington and her trilogy Indecent Proposals. In this novel we read about Heidi who was a secondary character who worked for Nina in the first novel. Heidi has a boyfriend that she has been in a relationship with since they were in high school but his best friend Kyle Trapper is a tall, blue-eyed, blond hottie who has her sizzling with a passionate attraction she hasn't felt in a very long time. They have an attraction to one another that they don't know what to do with because of Jesse, Heidi's boyfriend and Kyle's best friend. Then something happens between Heidi and Kyle at her job that they end up having wild passionate sex on the kitchen counter and they don't know if they should tell Jesse or leave him clueless.
This novel was so great and the attraction between Heidi and Kyle was amazing to read. I thought they were more meant for each other than Heidi and Jesse were because even though they've been going out since they were in high school Jesse wasn't the man for her. The ending was great because an very wonderful character from the first book has come back and will be having his own novel next. I was in love with all the characters by the end of the novel and was so excited when I found out that third book in the series comes out next month. The next book in the series is Restless and I will be very happy to get my hands on it and read it to find out more about the wonderful characters introduced in this first and second book. Here is the description of the book from the back cover and picture:
RECKLESS $ 4.99 (Book 2)(216 Pages)
It’s all fun and games until you sleep with your boyfriend’s best friend…
Heidi Joblowski has her life perfectly on track. Education: check. Career: check. Marriage: soon-to-be checked. Has she missed anything? Yes, actually: Kyle Trapper. Tall, blue-eyed, blond hottie. Check, check, check! The problem? She’s just about to marry Kyle’s best friend, Jesse. But that doesn’t stop her and Kyle from indulging in some incredibly perfect sex….
Hmm. With her careful life plan off track, Heidi needs a new blueprint, and fast. And it just doesn’t have room for Kyle Trapper in it.
Unless, of course, he has anything to say about it. Which he does—every time he lures her back to his bed!
Indecent Proposals—Getting Shameless was only the beginning…
Sunday, November 23, 2008
I've been a big fan of Harlequin Blaze for a couple of years and romance author Alison Kent has recently come to my attention. I've been anticipating her novel Kiss & Tell since I heard about it from her blog site and I'm glad that I got it when it finally came out. Miranda Kelly, the heroine, has a couple of secrets that she doesn't want people to find out about but she has been relentlessly hounded by the bloodthirty media since her bitter—and very public—divorce so Miranda retreats to the sanctuary of her old hometown in the hopes of getting on with her life. She also returns to an old passion—donning daring costumes at night to transform into Candy Cane, singer extraordinaire at the Club Crimson! So when Caleb MacGregor, the hero, is seduced by the sultry swing of Candy’s hips, Miranda loses herself and her troubles in Caleb’s arms. But Caleb is keeping a big secret of his own and when Miranda discovers the cruel truth, she can’t ever return to his bed or that is what she thinks in the heat of the moment.
Not even for the most earthshaking sex she’s ever experienced but again both Miranda and Caleb have issues that they know they have to resolve in order to give their budding relationship a surviving chance. It was a joy to read about how they both had a secret that could make or break their developing relationship with one another especially since they are both very attracted to one another and could have a wonderful lasting relationship that could lead to something more permanent. I thought that they both are meant for each other from the beginning of the novel because they both have a spark that only being together can make. By the end of the book I had a hard time keeping my emotions in check because I wanted them both to finally realize that they were meant for each other and that they could get past their issues of the past to make a wonderful future together. Here is the description from the back of the book and picture:
KISS & TELL $ 4.99 (216 Pages)
Extra! Extra! Read all about it…Scandalous sex lives, that is!
Miranda Kelly has a secret. Or two. Relentlessly hounded by the bloodthirsty media since her bitter—and very public—divorce, Miranda retreats to the sanctuary of her old hometown.
She also returns to an old passion—donning daring costumes at night to transform into Candy Cane, singer extraordinaire at the Club Crimson! When Caleb McGregor is seduced by the sultry swing of Candy’s hips, Miranda loses herself and her troubles in Caleb’s arms.
She also returns to an old passion—donning daring costumes at night to transform into Candy Cane, singer extraordinaire at the Club Crimson! When Caleb McGregor is seduced by the sultry swing of Candy’s hips, Miranda loses herself and her troubles in Caleb’s arms.
But Caleb is keeping a big secret of his own. And when Miranda discovers the cruel truth, she can’t ever return to his bed. Not even for the most earthshaking sex she’s ever experienced…
Saturday, November 22, 2008
As you all know Harlequin Blaze is my favorite line of books so I talk many authors who write for this line and today I will be talking about a new author to me Tori Carrington and her trilogy Indecent Proposals. This novel was such a joy to read because was very interesting to read about two sexy guys and one beautiful woman running a business together. Then things change because both men saw that their business partner Nina Leonard was in a slumb and in need of a one-night-only anonymous sexual encounter with a stranger. But one of the men has a very large crush on Nina and wants to be that anonymous stranger she has sex with but when they have an amazing night together Nina knows it's one of her business partners but she doesn't know which. That is when things get really serious and problematic because she could lose both her best friends in business partners if she doesn't find out who she really loves. I was in love with all three characters by the end of the novel and was so excited when I found out that this was only one out of three books in the series. The next book in the series is Reckless and I will be very happy to get my hands on it and read it to find out more about the wonderful characters introduced in this first book. Here is the description of the book from the back cover and picture:
SHAMELESS $ 4.99 (Book 1)(251 Pages)
An indecent proposal. A friendship betrayed
One-night-only anonymous sex with a stranger? Seems too wanton even for Nina Leonard. Until it’s insinuated that the mystery man might be one of her business partners—two guys she adores who also happened to be complete hotties.
Out comes the blindfold, and Nina has the steamiest night of her life. Now she’s got to have more—only, no one’s fessing up. One of her two best friends rocked her world that night. But which one was it?
If she guesses wrong, she could lose them both….
Extreme—Going where no Blaze book has gone before…
Monday, November 17, 2008
Harelquin Blaze is one of my favorite lines of books and the author Lori Borrill is still a new author to me because this book I've read and will review is only the second that I've got of hers. This novel was a bit hard for me to read because I've just finished reading another blaze book about a cop as a hero so I guess it felt like I've already read it. Purse designer Jessie Beane has some bad habits when it comes to men. So she’s going to boost her sexual karma—by indulging in an extra-naughty, one-night stand with a very sexy man. SFPD Detective Rick Marshall is the perfect candidate—a hot cop with a creative and insatiable libido but unfortunately, Jessie’s poor excuse of an ex uses the opportunity to rob Jessie’s apartment and steal Rick’s car…with key evidence in the trunk!
Jessie and Rick don’t have time to wast because they need to find that car now if Rick wants to but away the criminal that really wants that laptop to disappear. And if spending time together gives them the chance to unleash their voracious appetite for each other, then they’ll be certain to enjoy every salacious minute. After reading the first 4 chapters I really started to get into the story so I guess it was just me that couldn't get into it because I finished reading a cop story. Jessie and Rick have a lot of issues that are very heartachingly sad and have a large affect on their budding relationship which could be more than sex but love. I was glad that I finished this book though I thought of putting it down at the beginning now I know it would have been a mistake. Here is the description of the book from the back cover and picture:
UNLEASHED $ 4.99 (218 Pages)
Unrepentant
Purse designer Jessie Beane has some bad habits when it comes to men. So she’s going to boost her sexual karma—by indulging in an extra-naughty, one-night stand?
Unrepentant
Detective Rick Marshall is the perfect candidate—a hot cop with a creative and insatiable libido. Unfortunately, Jessie’s poor excuse of an ex uses the opportunity to rob Jessie’s apartment and steal Rick’s car…with key evidence in the trunk!
And unleashed!
Jessie and Rick don’t have time to waste…. They need to find that car now. And if spending time together gives them the chance to unleash their voracious appetite for each other, then they’ll be certain to enjoy every salacious minute….
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Harelquin Blaze is one of my favorite lines of books and the author Dawn Atkins is still a new author to me because this book I've read and will review is only the second that I've got of hers. All Chloe Baxter wants for her birthday is one kiss from hottie Riley Connelly and she gets that and more. That one kiss leads to the most amazing one-night stand of her life and the sex with Riley is beyond spectacular, but when morning comes, she’s resigned to returning to real life. But when she gets home she finds out that her father is in big trouble and she believes that Riley is a good man and cop so she will find out what he can do to help her father. Except that for Chloe, real life has gotten complicated because her big job promotion has landed her in the middle of Riley’s undercover investigation. Worse, he wants her to spy on her employers but can she betray the people she cares about for a man she can’t keep her hands off? And if survival means choosing between her head and her heart, Chloe’s not sure which one will hurt worse if she loses it.
Chloe and Riley have a very intense physical attraction to one another but they have a big problem between them that is going to be hard to over come. Chloe works for a man that Riley wants to put in prison because he believes that even though Chloe's boss moved from the Mafa crime circle in Chicago as a retired man that his up to his old tricks again. Now Riley wants to use Chloe and her father who work right in the center of it all but she is having such conflicting feelings because her boss's family has always been helpful to her father and her and feels like she's betraying their trust. In the end Chloe and Riley go through a dangerous situation that can either make or break their future relationship with one another. I enjoyed reading this novel very much and I look forward to finding more novels by Dawn Atkins in the future. Here is the description of the book from the back cover and picture:
HER SEXIEST SURPRISE $ 4.99 (216 Pages)
One wild birthday night
All Chloe Baxter wants for her birthday is one kiss from hottie Riley Connelly. She gets that and more. That one kiss leads to the most amazing one-night stand of her life. Sex with Riley is beyond spectacular. But when morning comes, she’s resigned to returning to real life.
Except that for Chloe, real life has gotten complicated. Her big job promotion has landed her in the middle of Riley’s undercover investigation. Worse, he wants her to spy on her employers. Can she betray the people she cares about for a man she can’t keep her hands off? And if survival means choosing between her head and her heart, Chloe’s not sure which one will hurt worse if she loses it….
Saturday, October 18, 2008
I love the Harlequin Blaze line because they are all blazing hot novels that I can't put down once I've started reading reading one. Lori Wilde is a new author to me and this is the third novel in her Perfect Anatomy series. There is a lot of excitement throughout the novel that kept me on my toes just like the first novel and that is something I love when I'm reading. We met Nurse Julie DeMarco in the first two books and this is her own love story and the conclusion to this amazing series that I enjoyed. Hot bodies don’t come any hotter than drop-dead-gorgeous PR whiz Sebastian Black and he has just stepped through the doors of luxurious spa Confidential Rejuvenations to save its shaky public image. But his image is the one that’s causing a stir because suddenly Nurse Julie DeMarco is thinking less about becoming a sex therapist and more about sex.
Julie has been playing The Good Girl her whole life and what she needs is the opportunity to be The Naughty Girl, and Sebastian is just the tasty stud—er, man to make it happen. After all, this is just about superhot sex and Naughty Girls never, ever fall in love with their late-night bed buddies…do they? Well Julie sure does because she isn't a total Naughty Girl because she has always been a Good Girl all her life and it is not easy to change that. Sabastian is a confirmed bachelor that is going to be converted because Julie is the one woman who will be able to get past that block of ice protecting his heart from love and hurt. I had such a wonderful time reading this novel and finally finding out who was sabotaging the Confidential Reguvenations private facility. I was a bit sad to have finished the novel so quickly but I'm happy that things ended with a happy note and everything was figured out. Here is the description of the book from the back cover and picture:
LETHAL EXPOSURE $ 4.99 (Book 3)(219 Pages)
Confidential Rejuvenations
Hot bodies are our specialty!
Hot bodies don’t come any hotter than drop-dead-gorgeous PR whiz Sebastian Black. He’s just stepped through the doors of luxurious spa Confidential Rejuvenations to save its shaky public image. But his image is the one that’s causing a stir. Suddenly Nurse Julie DeMarco is thinking less about becoming a sex therapist and more about sex….
Julie has been playing The Good Girl her whole life. What she needs is the opportunity to be The Naughty Girl, and Sebastian is just the tasty stud—er, man to make it happen. After all, this is just about superhot sex. And Naughty Girls never, ever fall in love with their late-night bed buddies…do they?
Sunday, October 12, 2008
I love the Harlequin Blaze line because they are all blazing hot novels that I can't put down once I've started reading reading one. It is one line of novels that I have come to love to read and the author that I'm reviewing today is one of my favorites authors. She writes both for Harlequin Blaze and Silhouette Special Edition, which is another line that I've read and reviewed often on the blog. Crystal Green is an amazing author and this book isn't really apart of a series, which I've named Vampire Bite, but it is the sequel to the first book The Ultimate Bite that I reviewed. The hero, Edward Marburn, of this novel we read about a bit in The Ultimate Bite which was Stephen's story. Edward is a vampire—for the second time and he’s also desperate to be human again, and has vowed vengeance on his creator, Gisele. Now he’s on the hunt for her. And Edward always traps his quarry but he doesn’t remember this particularly luscious quarry being so sensual. Gisele has a hold on his thoughts, his imagination and his very willing body so he’s powerless to resist her.
The tables are turned—the hunter is caught, yet despite the supercharged sex, Edward still longs to regain his humanity. And that can happen only if he kills the one who made him—Gisele. So this story wasn't what I expected and at times I didn't like what was going on between Edward and Gisele. I also felt like putting this book down and start reading something else but I'm the type of person that likes to finish what I start no matter what. So I read through the parts that I didn't like much and in the end I liked the way the novel ended because it didn't leave me empty or unsatisfied like some books have done. Over all it was an okay novel and some of my curiosity from the last book was satisfied. Here is the description of the book from the back cover and picture:
GOOD TO THE LAST BITE $ 4.99 (Book 2)(217 Pages)
He won’t stop until he has her…
Edward Marburn is a vampire—for the second time. He’s also desperate to be human again, and has vowed vengeance on his creator, Gisele. Now he’s on the hunt for her. And Edward always traps his quarry…
But he doesn’t remember this particularly luscious quarry being so sensual. Gisele has a hold on his thoughts, his imagination and his very willing body. He’s powerless to resist her. The tables are turned—the hunter is caught. Yet despite the supercharged sex, Edward still longs to regain his humanity. And that can happen only if he kills the one who made him—Gisele!
Saturday, October 11, 2008
I love the Harlequin Blaze line because they are all blazing hot novels that I can't put down once I've started reading reading one. It is one line of novels that I have come to love to read and the author that I'm reviewing today is one of my favorites authors. She writes both for Harlequin Blaze and Silhouette Special Edition, which is another line that I've read and reviewed often on the blog. Crystal Green is an amazing author and this book isn't really apart of a series, which I've named Vampire Bite, but it has secondary characters that have their own book. Kim Wright, the heroine, was seduced by a mysterious stranger one dark and wild night that changed her forever. He did wicked things to her, things to her to her that she'd never dared dream of and he even bit her. And by doing so he transformed Kim from an inexperienced mouse to a sinfully sexy woman, a woman who craved more of what only Stephen could give her.
Now, a year later, Kim has finally found Stephen again and she still wants him, desperately. But Stephen’s not like other men because he can’t get attached to any one woman for the sake of both their lives. Still, he can’t resist sinking his teeth into Kim just one more time but it's too bad Kim’s not going to let Stephen get way that easily. Kim and Stephen have a pass experience with one another that both of them can't forget and when they finally see one another again things are never going to be the same. Stephen is a vampire who has loved and lost before and he's afraid of what Kim could mean to him if he let's her in his life. They both go through so much and I loved every minute of it and was a bit surprised and excited about the ending of the novel. I have to say that I was happy that their would be another book about one secondary character that really got to me in the end. Here is the description of the book from the back cover and picture:
THE ULTIMATE BITE $ 4.99 (Book 1)(250 Pages)
A bite to remember
One dark, wild night a mysterious stranger seduced Kim Wright, changing her forever. He did wicked things to her, things to her, things she’d never dared dream of. He even bit her! And by doing so he transformed Kim from an inexperienced mouse to a sinfully sexy woman. A woman who craved more of what only Stephen could give her. Now, a year later, Kim has finally found Stephen again. And she still wants him, desperately. But Stephen’s not like other men. He can’t get attached to any one woman. Still, he can’t resist sinking his teeth into Kim just one more time. Too bad Kim’s not going to let Stephen get way that easily….
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
I love the Harlequin Blaze line because they are all blazing hot novels that I can't put down once I've started reading reading one. Lori Wilde is a new author to me and this is the second novel in her Perfect Anatomy series. We met Dr. Vanessa Rodriguez in the first novel of the Perfect Anatomy series as one of nurse Elle Kingston's best friends at the private medical facilities Confidential Rejuvenations. The heroine Dr. Vanessa Rodriguez is in serious danger and an important someone has paid for bodyguard Tanner Doyle, a blonde, tasty hunk of man, to watch over her in secret. But the problem is that Vanessa is really a distraction to Tanner because she reminds him of his dead wife in appearence but that drastically changes when they start to get to know one another. Tanner is supposed to keep a secret eye on Vanessa but he is also being hired to be head security at Confidential Rejuvenations to find out who is the person trying to sabotage the medical facilities. There is a lot of excitement throughout the novel that kept me on my toes just like the first novel and that is something I love when I'm reading. I was a bit sad to have finished the novel so quickly but I'm consoling myself that there is another book in the series on the way for my enjoyment soon. Here is the description of the book from the back cover and picture:
SECRET SEDUCTION $ 4.99 (Book 2)(216 Pages)
Confidential Rejuvenations
Hot bodies are our specialty!
Our luxurious medical facility specializes in discreet, opulent care for exclusive clientele. Due to some recent "occurrences" at the hospital, bodyguard Tanner Doyle—a blond, tasty hunk of man—has been hired to keep an eye on the place. But he can't seem to focus on anything other than Dr. Vanessa Rodriguez….
Tanner's job is twofold: take care of security and be an undercover, personal bodyguard for Vanessa. Unfortunately, the "personal" part is turning into "very intimate," and Tanner's professionalism is flying out the window—along with his clothes! But can their smokin'-hot chemistry make up for the fact that he's been deceiving Vanessa from day one?
I love the Harlequin Blaze line because they are all blazing hot novels that I can't put down once I've started reading reading one. Lori Wilde is a new author to me and this is the first novel in her Perfect Anatomy series. I enjoyed this novel very much from the very beginning and to the very end, even though the ending came to soon for me. The heroine Elle Kingston is a nurse at a private medical facility called Confidential Rejuvenations, that is a lush oasis of tranquility, catering to affluent patients who require complete discretion. The hero Dr. Dante Nash is the newly hired surgeon at Confidential Rejuvenation and Elle can't seem to keep her eyes or her lusty thoughts off of him since meeting him. There is a lot of dangerous things going on in this private facility and Dante is working with the FBI on finding out who is the one causing it but he's distracted by the beautiful nurse Elle who is the ex-wife of his so-called best friend Dr. Kingston. This is one novel that I couldn't but down for long becasue it was one suspenseful dangerous situation from another and it kept me on my toes with excitement. When I finished it I was so looking forward to the next book in the series. Here is the description of the book from the back cover and picture:
CROSSING THE LINE $ 4.99 (Book 1)(216 Pages)
Confidential Rejuvenations
…hot bodies are our specialty!
Our private medical facility is a lush oasis of tranquility, catering to affluent patients who require complete discretion. Our latest staff addition is Dr. Dante Nash, an extraordinary specimen of hotness…er, professionalism. In fact, nurse Elle Kingston can’t seem to keep her eyes—and her lusty thoughts—off him!
But Dante is more than a sexy-pants practitioner who makes Elle weak in the knees—and in other parts. He’s also undercover for the FBI. There have been some illicit goings-on here at Confidential Rejuvenations. Dangerous ones. And it isn’t just Elle and Dante’s sizzling affair that’s about to blaze out of control…
Friday, September 19, 2008
I love to read Harlequin Blaze series line because they are all blazing hot reads that make me want more. Tawny Weber is one of the authors that writes for this line that I really enjoy reading. I have two of her books that are also from this line and I really enjoyed them so it was a bit disappointing when I finally got this book and didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would. I had a bit of a hard time to get into the story but there were parts that I really enjoyed. I thought that both the heroine Delaney Conner and the hero Nick Angel where very interesting characters but I guess that the blog and the interaction between them wasn't to my liking sometimes. Here is the description of the book from the back cover, picture and a special widget that will give you an inside look on the book:
RISQUÉ BUSINESS $ 4.99 (217 Pages)
This is a challenge neither can refuse…
When professor/literary reviewer Delaney Conner wins a makeover, she’s suddenly getting lots of attention! Too bad it’s form bad boy—and very sexy—author Nick Angel, whose latest book Delaney shredded. Her main complaint? All of Nick’s sex scenes lack emotion. Where’s the passion? The feelings? But when she and Nick find themselves between the sheets, Delaney ends up feeling far more than she ever expected….
Nick finds Delaney frustrating and very, very attractive. But experience tells him it’s just skin-deep. So he challenges the seductive Delaney—either prove that love makes good sex great (her theory), or else admit that the world’s greatest sex is purely physical (his theory). No matter who wins, they’re going to have a deliciously decadent time proving each other wrong….
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- Phoebe Jordan
- Love to read romance novels of all types of genres and review them for fun. 🥰
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