Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Hey everyone I hope that you are having a happy holidays and that you all have a happy new year. Sorry I haven't been posting daily my book reviews but I haven't been feeling all the well these past couple of weeks and haven't much felt like posting reviews even though I have been reading books daily. Well tomorrow is the start of the new year and I hope to start posting the reviews of the books I've read in the past few weeks of December so look for my book reviews starting tomorrow.
I also forgot to post that I guest blogged over at a new friend of minds blog. So check out my guest blog over at Erotic Horizon so you can find out about me, my favorite book of the year and my future plans for the Talk About My Favorite Authors blog in the year 2009.
Her Cinderella Complex by Jenna Bayley-Burke
She’s got the man—and the wedding—of her dreams. If only love were part of the fantasy.
Heather Tindall is forced to temp as a personal assistant until her dream job as an event planner comes along. Worse, her new boss has a penchant of running off new assistants before lunch. Heather’s not about to let her spotless employment record be ruined by a real estate mogul with an attitude problem, no matter how well he fills out a suit.
At first Curtis can’t believe the nerve of the woman who refuses his order to leave. Six months into their working relationship, her dedication still manages to surprise him. But her best efforts to protect his personal life can’t keep the press from seeing him as anything more than a playboy. Then it dawns on him that the perfect solution is right under his appointment book—Heather.
Swept off her kitten heels, Heather can’t help but accept the proposal of the man with whom she’s fallen in love. She hopes that in time he’ll come to feel something for her.
Curtis is determined not to feel anything, for anyone, ever. He’ll do anything Heather wants—but he’s not going to fall in love with her.
Except that will never do for a girl with a Cinderella Complex... Her Cinderella Complex is a sweet romance about a woman who is dreaming of happily ever after with a man who views their relationship as yet another business transaction. I enjoyed watching the development of their relationship.
Gotta Write Network "The characters were splendid and jumped off the pages. The whole concept of the story was very intriguing and was enough to keep me glued to the pages until I finished the book. Would this happen in the real world? It would be very nice if it did and I was Heather. The sexual tension was exactly where it needed to be."
Fallen Angel Reviews "This is a fantastic story with very strong characters who were beautifully written and I immediately fell in love with both of them."
The Good, The Bad, and the Unread "Her Cinderella Complex was a wonderfully sexy and fun book...Their sexual encounters were extremely erotic...Her Cinderella Complex is the first book that I have read by Ms. Bayley-Burke and it won't be the last."
The Romance Studio "Her Cinderella Complex is a delightful gem that had me laughing out loud and rooting for these two people to make it. Just when I’d think I had the plot figured out the author, Jenna Bayley-Burke would throw me a curve, which kept me on my toes, and interested in finding out what happened next! The relationship between Heather and Curtis is a welcome and refreshing change from the typical alpha male and the all-too-willing-to-agree female pairings that tend to dominate these types of love stories. This is a fast-paced book that will not only have you smiling but enjoying the hot, steamy and sometime funny love scenes. At no point does the story drag. So do yourself a favor and treat yourself to having a good time while reading Her Cinderella Complex ."
Saturday, December 27, 2008
I have a couple of Lori Foster's books but this series is fairly new and I love it. I don't know much about sports especially Supreme Battle Challenge (SBC) Fighters, which I didn't a clue about what that sport is about and I still don't know much about them. When I read the first book in this series I at least started to get what SBC Fighters do and in this fourth and upcoming book in the series things take are very 180 turn from what the first 3 books were like. This is an Advance Readers Copy of Lori Foster's upcoming February 2009 release which I have had the honor of reading and reviewing for her. We met Michael "Mallet" Manchester in the second novel Simon Says and he was also a bit in the third novel Hard to Handle, so we know a bit about Michael but in this novel we get to know him a whole lot better.
In this novel there is a very big twist that will surprise you and take you to a whole different place than the first three novels. It was such a pleasure reading this novel because it was so different and took me to a whole new place that really gave me a thrill with each passing chapter in the novel. Michael is such a strong wonderful character that like the other previous heroes in the SBC Fighters series is a man who respects women of all types and is a fighter to the core without being a egocentric jerk about being a strong and good fighter. He right leg is so severely damaged from a car accident that the doctors tell him he'll need extensive physical therapy just to walk and so fighting professionally again is out of the question and his career, which has been his life, is over. Then this mysterious woman Kayli Raine appears in his hospital room out of thin air and she's a tougher woman than Michael is use to, but he's immediately captivated by her. What he doesn't expect is for her to offer him a second chance at becoming whole and even though Michael things it's the drugs talking, he accepts her challenge that brings in to the different place that I have mentioned.
I don't want to spoil this new and wonderful place that Lori Foster has created because it is something I can't really describe fully without ruining the whole novel for you. I will say that it a place that gives Michael the chance to become a whole man again and also gives him the love that his SBC fighting friends have and which he didn't think he was looking for until he met Kayli. Kayli is a strong fighter herself and that is something that is new for Michael but it's what he has been waiting for his entire life. I'm so glad that I got the chance to read an ARC of this amazing novel, My Man, Michael, and I will be buying the book when it comes out in February 2009 because that is one hot cover that will motivate me to read the novel over and over again in the future. The only thing that got me a bit frustrated is that when I finally got to the last page it got wondering whether we've seen the last of this amazing place that Michael has found or if Lori Foster will take us on another trip sometime soon with her future SBC Fighters series. Now that is something to think and consider about while we waiting for the future novels in the series to be announced. Here is the description of the book from the back cover and picture:
MY MAN, MICHAEL by Lori Foster $ 7.99 (Book 4)(325 Pages)
Fighter Michael “Mallet” Manchester is on the verge of being an SBC fighting champion. But before he can step into the cage for a shot at the title, a car accident destroys his dream. His right leg is so severely damaged that the doctors tell him he’ll need extensive physical therapy just to walk. Fighting is out of the question. His career has been his life, and now that life is over.
Then Kayli Raine appears. She’s a tougher woman than Mallet is used to, but he’s immediately captivated by her. What he doesn’t expect is for her to offer him a second chance at becoming whole. And even though Mallet thinks it’s the drugs talking, he accepts her challenge…
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
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Breathing Shallow by Stephanie Adkins
How does a woman get past the shock of her fiancé leaving her at the altar -- for a man? For Kristen Carter, it involves throwing herself into her job as a journalist, and justifying that her life is much better without a man in it. Period. That is, until sexy and seductive construction worker Ayden McKenzie moves in next door. From the first moment she spies him naked through his bedroom window, she is instantly drawn to him like a moth to a flame. But Ayden’s been around the block—several times. Now he's craving the stability that a steady relationship can bring, and once he meets his next-door neighbor he feels he's finally met his equal. The problem lies in turning Kristen into a believer…even after an unexpected visitor turns their world upside down. Read An Excerpt Here and Here Book Length: Novella Click Here To Buy!
Saturday, December 13, 2008
I'm sorry that I haven't posted anything lately on the blog but I've been feeling terribly sick and have not been able to post any reviews lately. I have been reading and I hope that when I start feeling better I will be posting all the reviews for the amazing books I've been reading these past couple of days. I've read Amanda Ashby's amazingly wonderful novel You Had me at Halo, which is her first published novel. I've also been really getting into a wonderful series called The House of Night written by P.C. Cast and her daughter Kristin Cast. It is about a vampyre high school with some pretty cool rituals and beliefs in paranormal world that is very fascinating. So far there are only 4 books in the series and the fifth book coming out in March 2009 and I'm hoping to hearing about more books and even an upcoming movie release of the first book Marked. Well thanks for all you faithful followers who visit the blog daily or even just once or twice a week and I hope to feel better soon so I can post some new reviews soon.
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Well today I have a special treat for everyone of my faithful readers out there. I have recently been contact with an author that I've recently met online through the wonderfully free Romance Writers United organization. You can get their badge on the right sidebar for you blog if you want to support the organization get new members. Well back on topic Rae Lori saw that I did author interviews and book reviews which I'm guessing got her interested so she contacted me, which I'm honored. I hope to be getting a chance to review her first eBook novel, A Kiss of Ashen Twilight, in her new series called Ashen Twilight. She has a teaser trailer for the book up on her website but here is the direct link to Ashen Twilight trailer so you can enjoy. Keep on visiting the blog or sign up for the newsletter on the left or even visit the new official website to find out when the review will be posted. Below is my interview with romance author Rae Lori:


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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?


Rae Lori: Hi Phoebe! Thanks for having me. I guess romance is something I sort of fell into. Growing up I read a lot of sci-fi, fantasy and suspense and the teen reads (like Sweet Valley High) were my romance. Recently I got into it because I loved reading IR (interracial) romance and it spiraled from there especially during the rise of paranormal romance. I LOVED Anne Rice growing up and seeing the return of vampires as heroes really brought some ideas in my head that I wanted to put onto paper. If anyone, I would probably attribute my desire to start writing romance with her and Sandra Kitt.


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?


Rae: Oh yes. I knew I wanted to write IR romance but after a few tries at contemporary I wanted to explore with more genres. So I went back to writing sci-fi and fantasy again, then suspense and eventually paranormals because I love the external conflicts placed in the way of the hero and heroine. Makes the stories that much more exciting!


Phoebe: What was the first fiction you ever wrote? And do you still have it with you?


Rae: Hmm. You know the very first fan fiction I ever wrote was a short story fan fiction story I started when I was pretty young. I think it was a Selina Kyle/Catwoman story. My late grandfather bought me my very first computer which was an apple, green text and everything and I love that thing because it was where I got my first start at writing. I remember saving the story in progress on a big ole floppy, but I have no idea where that thing is now *laughs*. I’d love to find it to see how I wrote back then starting out.


Phoebe: How much research do you have to do for your novels and did it take you a long time to gather that research?


Rae: I had to do a pretty good amount to make sure everything was correct and as real as I could get it. I went back and forth during the writing and after to make sure I got the village descriptions, time period setting and costumes correct as well as the events. Sometimes I would watch a movie to immerse myself in one perspective of the time period, like say Dahomey Africa in the 1600s or the Highland Scotland’s in the 14th century, but I would mostly buy books on history and learn the myths of the culture and the history. It was fascinating learning so much about the people, their beliefs and the world they lived in.


Phoebe: How did you come up with the concept for your upcoming novel, A Kiss of Ashen Twilight, which is the first in your new series?


Rae: I hadn’t come across a story between a fairy and a vampire as romantic interests before. Now I can name a few but at the time I started writing I thought it would be interesting to combine the two. I was curious to see if there were any fairies in African myths and I came upon the Aziza which is apart of the Dahomey people’s mythology. They were a benign group of fairies believed to exist in order to assist hunters. I thought that was perfect and offered so many possibilities in the lifestyle of a female Aziza. Plus vampires are known to be hunters. What if my Aziza heroine fell for a hunter who was completely against her beliefs? How would they both cope? What would it be like to combine the high fantasy of fairies with the dark fantasy of vampires? And thus the first in the series was born. It offered so much conflict and sexual tension at the same time that I had a blast writing it.


Phoebe: How many novels are you planning to write for this your new series called Ashen Twilight?


Rae: So far I have three books planned to finish out this continuing arc. The first deals with how the members of the Ashen Twilight House live under mortal eyes. Once they are discovered, how will humans treat them as outsiders? And how have they treated them in the past? Then I wanted to explore how exactly they would get to the point where they desire to live with one another at peace? What kind of laws would be in place for the immortals? Those questions offered a bunch of possibilities for storylines for the opening three books.


Phoebe: Do you have a process of how you start to write your novels?


Rae: Usually if it’s in the process of a series I start the next book right after the other so I record my thoughts where I’d like to start the next time I get ready to write. If it’s the start of something completely new I usually let it swim around in my head for awhile until it needs to be written down. Sometimes I usually think of the world around me and wonder “what if such and such happened” or “what if I throw this type of character with this one” and then stories come to me that I write down right away.


Phoebe: Which do you like best, writing a series or writing stand alone novels? How is writing each different for you?


Rae: Hmm. That’s a good question! I’d say series are a little harder because you have to sort of keep the momentum of each book at the same rate or raise the stakes much higher the next go ‘round. I had to do this with my Cimmerian Series as well but I do love revisiting the characters once again and seeing what other kinds of trouble they can get into. With standalones you have that one shot to do a story and then it’s over. But the characters still kind of stay in my mind and I’m a bit bummed that that’s it with their story. Beginning to end. I don’t think I like writing one better than the other but they both offer their advantages and disadvantages.


Phoebe: What process did you have to go through to get your first book published and did it take you long?


Rae: I was a strange case. My business partner and I had our own publishing company at the time. It was a micro press where we published some of our own work as well some great authors we got to know. My first book was Cimmerian City which is very close to my heart simply because it taught me a lot about how the industry works and it basically gave me my start. It was my longest book at the time (which I was very proud of back then!) and along with my illustrated novella it was the first works I released. After a while we decided to close and I entered e-publishing where my longest book after that was Before Dawn Breaks. It came after Uthiel’s Embrace (a short fantasy novella) and both were acquired by Freya’s Bower. I had shopped ‘Dawn’ around by a certain big romance publisher before then and it took a few months. I found the rejection feedback invaluable and applied what I thought was necessary to the rewrite then submitted it again and it was picked up. It doesn’t sound like it took long but it did take awhile!


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?


Rae: With Cimmerian City I was immensely proud because it was truly a book I had put together myself. I did the cover art, the print layout, the promos, basically everything but the printing and editing which I had asked my editor at the time to proof before I sent it out to the public. After that I like to celebrate each novel published because I worked so hard on each of them before showing them to editors. Sometimes I forget and dive right back into the next project but I have to remind myself how far I’ve come with each step I make. Sometimes I can’t even believe it myself.


Phoebe: How do you handle your writing schedule and your personal life without going insane?


Rae: I’m still trying to figure out that one! Usually when I’m working on a novel it’s all I’m focused on and I have to cut outside things off for awhile until it’s done. My office looks a mess after each project so I have to take time to clean up everything, return phone calls and take breaks so friends and family still know I’m alive and well!


Phoebe: What do you do to relax after having spent a long while writing?


Rae: I either play Tomb Raider or Silent Hill video games since I want to rest my mind and just focus on something else entirely. Maybe watch a movie and try not to think about writing or promoting. But it’s a hard button to switch off! Usually I finally can catch up to my TBR pile so I’ll dive into a few books one after the other which keeps me pretty busy in between projects. Or I do art projects for myself or for fellow authors who are looking for graphic design work.


Phoebe: Do you have any hobbies?


Rae: Oh yes. I’m still trying to teach myself how to play the guitar (it’s crazy). I love watching movies and losing myself in a great tale. Strangely enough, although I went to school to study art it’s sort of become my hobby when not freelancing and it helps to balance out the writing bug when I’m taking a break and need to flip my mind off for a bit.


Phoebe: Is there any advice that you would give to an aspiring romance writer that you wish someone had given you?


Rae: Don’t be afraid to ask questions. If there’s something you don’t understand by all means keep searching until you find out the answer. Know what steps you have to take to learn all you can about the business you’re entering. But at the same time don’t learn too much that you push out your creativity. Keep an open mind about everything and learn to forge your own path, make goals and try your best to attain them.


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?


Rae: Probably that nothing or no one is too small to give your attention. Readers out there come in all shapes, sizes and backgrounds and you should treat each and every one of them, as you would want to be treated if you were in their place. Don’t forget what it’s like to be a reader in this industry. Promote to them as you would like to be promoted to. A lot of times readers are thought of as merely consumers but they are so much more than that. They are book lovers and adventurers as well. I once heard an author say that when a reader buys your book you are, in essence, opening a contract with that person. You promise to entertain them and give them a great reading experience within the pages of your book. You don’t want to let that person down because once they enjoy your work; they’ll be willing to check out more stories that you are eager to tell. And that’s an awesome experience for both authors and readers alike.


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)?


Rae: Oh, I’m a textually promiscuous book tramp (and have the badge to prove it on my website *laughs*). I love all different kinds of genres! Right now I’m heavily into the paranormal genre, which I love because it encompasses a mixture. You can have a fantasy romance or an urban fantasy mystery romance. It’s awesome! My favorite authors are Sandra Kitt, Aldous Huxley, Philip K. Dick, Dawn Thompson, Octavia Butler and Anne Rice. Some of these authors transcend genre to appeal to so many different kinds of readers out there. That’s what I hope to achieve with my writing.
Saturday, December 6, 2008
In M. Jean Pike's interview I mentioned that I would be reviewing her novel In the Shadow of a Dragonfly soon and today is that day. I've finished it and I have many mixed feelings about this novel and I don't know how to express it without giving away spoilers. I knew when I was asked to read and review this novel that it wasn't an actual romance novel but a literary love story and I have to say I can now see the difference between the two. At the begining I enjoyed the views of the main characters, Hope Hanwell and Gray Baldwin's, background lives before they met. It was a bit much for me that it would go back and forth between Hope's life and Gray's life with each chapter but it was interesting and I spent hours reading the first 5 chapters without stopping. I almost missed my doctors appointment because I was so captivated with the lives of Hope and Gray.
Then towards the middle when Hope and Gray finally met and got together is when things got really emotional for me that I actually cried and that is something I don't at all unless I'm emotionally stressed. I don't like to cry because it makes me feel bad and not good at all but it is sometimes good to have a good cry. I was so upset with Hope and Gray because I wanted them to be happy but they have so much against them because they are complete opposites and sometimes I had a hard time understanding how they could have fallen in love. I finished this eBook version of the novel in less than two days and I enjoyed it very much expect for the parts that made me cry but that is just me because I hate crying. I thought the ending was very good but it also made me wonder what would happen next with Gray and the rest of the family because there were some issues that I would love to find out how they were resolved. Overall I am glad I got the chance to review this novel and I recommend it to all who love a good heartbreaking love story to read. Here is the description of the book from her website and picture:
In the Shadow of a Dragonfly (284 Pages)($ 8.00 eBook PDF format and $18.95 paperback)
From above the shadows...light
Orphaned and impoverished, Gray Baldwin is a lost soul in search of a home, a life, and most of all—love. Kicked from foster home to foster home, at last a restored motorcycle and the onset of adulthood give him the means to leave behind all the ols threats, struggles and losses that haunt him. When he accepts a job at Hanwell Construction, life's promising new start is both his hope and his torment. The spoiled daughter of a well-to-do business owner, pretty Hope Hanwell has a past to reconcile and a few tragic secrets of her own. She wants for nothing—and everything, pushing love as far away as she can until love pushes back. When Gray and Hope meet, theirs is a story of heartbreak, redemption and fate at its most devastating. IN THE SHADOW OF THE DRAGONFLY A Literary Love Story
Friday, December 5, 2008
Well today I have a special treat for everyone of my faithful readers out there. I have recently been contact with an author that I've recently met online through the wonderfully free Romance Writers United organization. You can get their badge on the right sidebar for you blog if you want to support the organization get new members. Well back on topic Terisa Wilcox saw that I did author interviews and book reviews which I'm guessing got her interested so she contacted me, which I'm honored. I hope to be getting a chance to review her first novel Timeless Mist, which is a time travel historical book to come out Fall 2009. Keep on visiting the blog or sign up for the newsletter on the left or even visit the new official website to find out when the review will be posted. Below is my interview with new romance author Terisa Wilcox:


* * * * *


Phoebe Jordan: When did you know that writing romance was going to be the thing that you would do with your life?


Terisa Wilcox: In 2000. I was home schooling my three children and they had reached the point where they were learning more on their own. I needed something to fill my time in between lessons. I'd wanted to be an author since the fifth grade, I was an avid reader, especially of romances, always had a book going, sometimes two or three, and my husband always said I was an incurable romantic. The transition to writing romance was logical.


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?


Terisa: I wasn't sure. I toyed with a couple of genres at first. I read historicals set in Ireland or England. After attempting a couple of those, I read A Dance Through Time by Lynn Kurland, and was hooked on time travels from then on. I decided that's what I really wanted to write.


Phoebe: What was the first fiction you ever wrote? And do you still have it with you?


Terisa: The first fiction I ever wrote was in the fifth grade. I don't even remember the name of it now, but I do remember that I won the contest my teacher had going and got to read my story to the kindergarten classes. That was very exciting for me. Unfortunately, I don't have it any more.


Phoebe: How much research do you have to do for your novel and did it take you a long time to gather that research?


Terisa: Research does take a long time. I don't think it ever stops. First, I had to research how to write. I know, that sounds funny, but it's true. When I started my first manuscript, I thought it would be easy. I figured I'd have it written in no time and ta-da, I'd be an author. Then, as I started reading articles about writing, I realized how wrong I was. There's an awful lot to learn about the writing process that most people don't even realize. Because my novel is a Time Travel, I also had to research the MacGregor Clan as well as the time period, the 17th century, the customs of the time etc. So, yes, research can be a very long process, but also very needful.


Phoebe: How did you come up with the concept for your first novel Timeless Mist?


Terisa: The concept for Timeless Mist was born when I began doing some genealogy research about my grandparents and that side of my family, which is the name I write under. I discovered that Wilcox was actually one of the names used by the MacGregor's during the proscription, when King James VI made it illegal for them to use their own name. The Campbell's encouraged this and pursued the MacGregor's the hardest after it was done. That led to wondering what would happen if a Campbell from the 21st century was whisked back in time to 1603, right after the King's edict, and ended up on MacGregor land. Hence, Timeless Mist was begun.


Phoebe: Do you have a process of how you start to write your novel?


Terisa: For my first MS, I didn't really have a process at all. I started two MS’s before Timeless Mist, that are still stuck in a drawer waiting to be used as shelf paper, (LOL). I was recently informed by a couple of characters from my first MS that they didn't like being set aside and would like to have their stories written. For Timeless Mist, I got more a process down. I swore I was allergic to outlining, (grin), but I had to find some way to over come that or I'd be stuck forever on the middle of the book. I found an article about writing a synopsis. It listed ten questions to answer. Once I answered them, which was easier to do than I thought it would be, it was like a weight was lifted. I wrote the rest of Timeless Mist in a little over two months. The new novel I'm working on, Between Now and Then, is going much smoother. I answered those ten questions before I even started writing. So that's become my process. I get the idea, answer the questions and the story is off and running.


Phoebe: Which do you like best, writing a series or writing stand alone novels? How is writing each different for you?


Terisa: I like writing a series best. That's what I love reading too. Timeless Mist is the beginning of the MacGregor series, although it and the rest will be stand alone books as well. There's no particular order to read them in, but characters from one book may show up in the others.


Phoebe: What process did you have to go through to get your first book published and did it take you long?


Terisa: I consider myself very blessed in this because Timeless Mist was accepted so quickly. I sent out my query letter to three agents first. I received rejections from them all. Then, on a whim, I decided what the heck, I'll send it to a publisher just to see what happens. I did some research on publishers, what they wanted, what kind of MS’s they were looking for, whether they were accepting new authors and how long it would take for them to read it and answer me, the whole long list. I decided to go for a small press publisher. They didn't take as long to answer as some of the bigger publishing houses and I just wanted to get my foot in the door so to speak. So, I got my synopsis, my query letter and my sample pages all polished and ready and sent them off to Lisa Rene Smith at L&L Dreamspell. A couple of days later, Lisa e-mailed me requesting the full MS. That itself was very exciting. Then I sat back and prayed a lot waiting for an answer. I started my next novel, and a couple of weeks later was offered a contract.


Phoebe: How did you feel knowing that your first novel will finally be published soon?


Terisa: Whoo Hoo!! (LOL) The feeling is indescribable. A mixture of excitement and anticipation as well as a bit of nervousness, praying it will do well when it's released.


Phoebe: How do you handle your writing schedule and your personal life without going insane?


Terisa: Who says I'm not insane? LOL. It's a balance and can be a juggling act at times. Last year my husband and I decided to move to Florida from Massachusetts. My oldest son and his wife had just had a baby and they decided to come with us. My other two children decided they were coming as well. We all live in the same house, which is wonderful, but can make for some creative scheduling at times. Especially as I am designated babysitter for my grandson, who's almost two. I have two to three days a week where I write for most of the day. I have an office and my husband is a great help in seeing I'm not disturbed when I'm writing. My children all know that my writing is my job and pretty much treat it that way. They've all known for quite some time that I wanted to write, to make being an author my career and a very supportive and respectful of my writing time. As I said, it can be a juggling act, where the kids all work outside the home and some days I only get in a few hours of writing, but we make it work.


Phoebe: What do you do to relax after having spent a long while writing?


Terisa: To relax I can usually be found reading by the pool or in the spa, (I love Florida, lol.) I like to spend time with my husband and my kids. Sitting still with nothing to occupy my hands and mind has never been easy for me. Even when I'm watching T.V., I have a book in my hand. I multi-task a lot. I find it relaxing to be physical after sitting and writing for a long period, so I will usually swim or play with my grandson. Anything to put my thoughts on something other than my writing for a short time. Although it's always there, I try to take time to unwind from it.


Phoebe: Do you have any hobbies?


Terisa: I have so many hobbies, I don't know where to begin LOL. I like to crochet, read, I love to cook, even if I have to throw my husband out of the kitchen to do it, swim. My hobbies I do to relax.


Phoebe: Is there any advice that you would give to an aspiring romance writer that you wish someone had given you?


Terisa: Don't give up and don't get discouraged. Whatever else happens, whether your novel gets published or not, finish it. Sometimes the process can take forever. You'll have days where you can't think of a single thing to write, you have no thoughts and your characters aren't cooperating. Don't stress over it, don't let it discourage you. Relax and do something else. Work on your synopsis or query letter, or do something completely different. Go for a walk, read a good book, anything. Don't feel guilty about taking a day off. It helps rejuvenate your thoughts. I once had my hero and heroine, Kristianna and Iain, take off on a picnic and refuse to come back for almost two weeks. When I stopped stressing over it and went on a cooking campaign, I went back and they were waiting for me. I know, it sounds crazy, but your characters come to life in a way. They each have their own personalities. You have to listen to them and if they aren't talking, you may need to take a bit of time to just relax. Then, when you come back to it, you may end up pleasantly surprised by how easy it comes together again.


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?


Terisa: Write what you love. Fall in love with your characters and let them speak to you. And show, don't tell. If you find it difficult to do this, write in first person. You can change it later, but it's a great way to show instead of tell. Research everything. Not just things pertinent to your novel, but the process of writing as well. It's not as easy as most people think. As far as promotion and marketing tips, ask me after Timeless Mist is released. I may have an answer to that one then. LOL
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Theresa Scott is a new author to me and when she contacted me to read and review her two novels which were being reissued as eBooks I knew I would accept because trying out new authors was always a pleasure. She asked me if I would be able to read and review Love's Ambush and Savage Betrayal which are both historical romances, which is one of my favorite romance subgenres. Well I don't exactly know the time period of this book Savage Betrayal but I know it's a long time ago and it is about two different tribes that are big enemies that have been fighting for years. The heroine, Sarita is from the rival and enemy tribe of the hero, Fighting Wolf but Sarita's father Thunder Maker wants to end this feud with a marriage of peace between Fighting Wolf and Sarita.
That is when things change for the worse because Fighting Wolf wants revenge for Sarita's tribe killing his father the Chief of his tribe in the last battle. So on the day of their wedding at the feast he and his warriors attacks and kills every able warrior present to have his revenge satisfied he took every beautiful woman the village had to be slaves. Sarita was one of the women among the captives and when she got to Fighting Wolf's village tribe she was his slave and then his lover. I enjoyed all the conflict and obvious love that steadily grew between Fighting Wolf and Sarita and the secondary love interest between Sarita's brother Feast Giver and Fighting Wolf's sister Precious Copper was also lovely to read. I did have trouble with some of the words in the book that I couldn't pronounce but over all this was one amazing read that I recommend to everyone to get and read. I'm so grateful to Theresa who contacted me and gave me the chance to read and review this book and I now have an author to add to my favorites list. Here is the description of the book from the back cover and picture:
SAVAGE BETRAYAL $ 4.99 (400 Pages)
SAVAGE THUNDER
Lovely, golden-eyed Sarita thought now worse fate could befall her when she was captured by the fierce Indian warrior Fighting Wolf. She was nothing but a slave girl now, forced to do her virile master’s every bidding. But in his hot, hard embrace, agony became ecstasy. Never had she imagined a man’s lips could cause her such breathless excitement. Never had she guessed that the demanding love who had stolen her from beneath her father’s very eyes would also steal her tender heart.
Theresa Scott is a new author to me and when she contacted me to read and review her two novels which were being reissued as eBooks I knew I would accept because trying out new authors was always a pleasure. She asked me if I would be able to read and review Love's Ambush and Savage Betrayal which are both historical romances, which is one of my favorite romance subgenres. The first book Love's Ambush is set in a time period before Christ when there were mammoths and saber tooth tigers roaming the earth. This is one setting that I have never read anyone write about and that really dragged me in when I first starting reading this novel. I took an archaeology class in my first year of college and I remember when we would study about the animals and the different species of people that use to live around 20,000 or so years ago and it fascinated me that I would have a chance to read a romance novel about people in those times. The heroine of the novel is Denai of the Willow people and the hero of the novel is Blade of the Lion people, these two characters have grown in such different tribes so when they finally meet for the first time they don't really like one another.
Blade was married to a beautiful woman in his tribe but one day his wife tells him she doesn't love him and that she made love to his best friend Hunter. He left her to cool his anger and when he came back he found out that she drowned and was dead even though he was coming back to her and try to work things out. His tribe was so angry that he left her alone especially his wife's parents who wanted him to leave their people. His father who is the leader of the tribe tried to make them see reason but in the end Blade had to leave and be on his own forever. Two years later is when Denai's three brothers find and capture Blade so he can marry their sister who needs a husband after her fiancée was killed by a bear and was becoming a stress for her brothers. It was great reading about this time period and all the animals and I did have trouble with the words for yes and no that I couldn't pronounce but over all this was one amazing read that I recommend to everyone to get and read. I'm so grateful to Theresa who contacted me and gave me the chance to read and review this book and I now have an author to add to my favorites list. Here is the description of the book from the back cover and picture:
LOVE AMBUSH $ 5.99 (390 Pages)
Song of the Willow People O Denait
Child of the Willow People—whose fate is twined with the might bear, here is your destiny. Feel his soft hands caress your skin—tender, like you imagined the husband you never knew. He is mighty like the mammoth—as his hard, glistening arms promised when first he struggled against the captivity of your brothers’ nets. He is Blade, Prince of the Lion People.
O Blade
Whose happiness was swallowed by the swelling river. Welcome your wife. She is a beauty—faithful and true. Her dark glance still haunts you, long after it first impaled your heart. She will teach you the meaning of love as you will teach her the ways of passion.
O Lovers
Unite, for together you will overcome your sorrow.
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
"One is fun, two is company, three is not always a crowd, but four is more, and more, and more! The idea for Gamble's Game came to me one day while I ate my lunch in a local grocery store. Inspired by my surroundings, I saw erotic potential in a stereotypically sterile environment (excluding the produce aisle, of course). " ~Tara ~

200 x 300 gg
Gamble’s Game by Tara S Nichols
Now Available at Siren Publishing Sensuality Rating: SCORCHING Genre: Contemporary Erotic Romance with elements of Ménage a Trois M/F/M and Ménage a Quatre M/F/M/F Length: 33,814 Words
A notorious player, Desiree Jones resists all attempts to trap her in a relationship. According to her, it's what made her parents miserable, and therefore, it is what would make her miserable.
Once a lover of Desiree's, Andrew Gamble doesn't agree and it is his hope to be the one who makes her see reason. Smitten from the first kiss, Gamble has not touched another woman since, so a bet to go without sounds more like an opportunity to seduce her to him.
Desiree's other competition is Joshua Tully, perpetually single and harmless, until the temptation of two week's wages are up for grabs. After that, it is open season, and the three of them do what ever it takes to push their pals over the sexual finish line. A parade of firemen visit Desiree's cash counter, a pretendsbian tryst is performed for Gamble, and a date is arranged for Tully.

Released December 1st, 2008 Siren Publishing!

Her Knight Before Christmas
Debora Dennis
ISBN Number: 978-1-897560-10-5 Genre: Time Travel Romance Length: Novella Heat Index: Hot with Explicit Language Read excerpts or buy it here! Dreaming of the past. Hannah Falcon loves her job cataloging medieval artifacts and setting up the displays at the Natural History Museum in New York. What she doesn’t love is her father’s steadfast refusal to let her go on any of his archeological digs, or her friends insisting she date more. When a man dressed as a medieval knight shows up in the museum, Hannah mistakes him for her friend’s latest attempt at a blind date. Sent into the future: Sir Gavin of Rogueforth is a battle-hardened twelfth century knight, having seen and caused his share of death in the crusades. He expects nothing more from life than to live and die by his sword. After Gavin rescues a woman and her daughter from a band of highway thieves, she sends him through time to protect another Hannah, claim her as his own and fulfill his destiny. He doesn’t expect a woman who refuses to be protected. Timeless passion: Can a man in chain maille convince a twenty-first century woman to follow her heart? Can a modern day woman show a medieval knight there’s more to life than being a protector? When two people from two different times explore Manhattan during the holiday season will time be an obstacle or will they find the magic to span centuries under the mistletoe?
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Today is a special day because I have a very special interview with romance author Jessica Barksdale Inclán. I was very lucky enough for her to have found a link to my wonderful blog and saw that I was looking for any authors who would be interested in an interview and book review. She contacted me about an interview and a book review of her recent trilogy, which I told her I would be honored to do both. I will be reviewing her books Being with Him and Intimate Beings soon so look out for those two reviews in mid-December or the beginning of January. I had such funning interviewing and getting to know Jessica and I hope you have fun reading the interview below as much as I did.


* * * * *


Phoebe Jordan: When did you know that writing romance was going to be the thing that you would do with your life?


Jessica Barksdale Inclán: I'm not sure that writing romance is "the" thing I do with my life. In fact, it truly isn't. I have been writing poetry and short fiction since I was about twelve, and I wrote throughout high school and college. Because I had two children very young, I went right into my teaching career after graduate school. I teach English full-time at Diablo Valley College, and online novel writing classes for UCLA Extension. My first novel, Her Daughter's Eyes, is a literary/contemporary novel as are the next five that I wrote. But starting with When You Believe, I dipped my quill into the world of romance, and I've had a blast there! I find the romantic relationship to be enthralling and fun, and I'm happy to write stories about it.


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?


Jessica: My agent suggested to me that I write something other than what I was writing because I write fast. He thought that I should have another creative outlet (and he's also the agent of Lisa Kleypas and Christina Dodd, so he knows that romance writing can be fun and lucrative!). So I set about learning about romance, reading 100 books in one summer, and I realized very soon that paranormals were fun. I liked the worlds that the writers created, and as I am a big fan of fantasy and speculative fiction, I knew I could put a romantic relationship into a world myself.


Phoebe: What was the first fiction you ever wrote? And do you still have it with you?


Jessica: I have some little pieces with me still, shot stories. But in high school, junior year, I wrote a very bad novel about a girl "coming of age" (I didn’t write far from home there) and yes, it is in a box upstairs in the garage.


Phoebe: How much research do you have to do for your novels and did it take you a long time to gather that research?


Jessica: I have to research everything, no matter what I am writing. Even personal essays! I make sure that I keep things "true" even when I am writing lies (fiction). I usually write the novels, getting the plot down on the page, and then I go back and do my work. Google is my best friend. I live on Google! Thank goodness for Google! I also call people when I need to, friends with expertise. Or a cold call people in order to figure out what it is my characters are doing.


Phoebe: How did you come up with the concept for your Second Romance Trilogy? How is it different from your Believe Trilogy?


Jessica: The second trilogy is based on the concept of orphans. Of being left behind. Of being without their people. I saw in my mind these three blonde children hurtling away from home, scared and confused. And then I grew them up and put each of them in their own book. In those stories, they are looking for their families and they are looking for their parted twins, doubles, and the other person to complete them. They exist in a "magic" world, but it's a world far bigger than the one I created in the Believe Trilogy.


Phoebe: Do you have a process of how you start to write one of your novels? And is it the same or different with each novel you write?


Jessica: Yes, I pretty much just get an idea and start to write. Sometimes, these ideas die out about page 75. But when the novel is a go, it's a go! I just push through to the end, and then I go about the hard business of revising and revising and revising. Then it is off to the readers and my mother, all of whom chime in. Then the novel goes to my agent or to my editor, both of whom will give me more suggestions! But I don't outline and my theory is to move forward and come back much, much later, when the novel has a shape and form and I know what is going to happen.


Phoebe: Which do you like best, writing a series or writing stand alone novels? How is writing each different for you?


Jessica: I think I like both. The series are fun because I can keep working a story for a long time. My novels tend to come in under 300 pages manuscript form. That's just the way I write. But in a series, I have a chance to tie up some loose ends from the novel before, adding more material and scenes to secondary characters that I've grown fond of. In the second romance trilogy, I have become fond of a couple named Stephanie and Porter. Porter is a smart ass, a pain in the neck, and I was able to channel my pain in the neckness through him for over 900 pages! He was fun.


Phoebe: What process did you have to go through to get your first book published and did it take you long?


Jessica: I didn't sell my first novel until I was 38 years old, and the process of getting to that point involved many years of writing and taking classes and going to conferences. I sold the novel, and it came out when I was 40. The two years were the gearing up for that, and it seemed like a very long time indeed! But it was all the years of hard work before that that led up to the point of my being able to sell it.


Phoebe: How did you feel when you finally saw your first published book came out in print and how do you feel about your other novels being published?


Jessica: I feel that I was very naive when my first novel came out. I was thrilled, but I did not realize all the hard work that a writer has to do to get her book out in the world. Now I am very familiar with all the work a writer must do to be seen—blogging and interviews and book signings and movie trailers and web sites. It's a business, and when I first started, I thought being a writer was about art and words and expression. It is, but there is this whole other side to the writing life that isn't about writing at all!


Phoebe: How do you handle your writing schedule and your personal life without going insane?


Jessica: Who says I'm not insane :) Okay, I'm not, but how I keep myself on the good side of the line is to manage time. I write in the morning after doing my teaching work. I make sure to write at least 300 words a day, no matter what. My children are grown now, so it is much easier to managed my time, and my boyfriend doesn't always expect dinner (and most of the times, he'll make it for me!). So I just make sure to keep myself in order in terms of tasks, and I can always find the time to whip out a scene or two.


Phoebe: What do you do to relax after having spent a long while writing?


Jessica: I exercise every day, about 2 hours. That helps. I read. I walk with friends. I watch TV with my boyfriend, and we have a glass of wine. I garden. It seems to work fairly well, though the holidays ARE stressful.


Phoebe: Do you have any hobbies?


Jessica: I think I just answered that in the question above! Well, what else? No, I think that's about it. Oh, bird watching. And I do like to clean my house. Sick and sad, but true.


Phoebe: Is there any advice that you would give to an aspiring romance writer that you wish someone had given you?


Jessica: Really, it would be that your book won't sell itself. Get out and do what you can to promote your book. Blog, get on the romance sites, make sure you have a web site. Find ways to show people your books so that some little bit of word-of-mouth can start. But ultimately, it would be to write the stories you want to write. That keeps writers happy.


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?


Jessica: Blogging has been the best for me. I blog on Red Room and the word-of-mouth has been very helpful. Also, networking—I will be teaching some classes through a RWA chapter online starting next year. The listing for those will be on the Yosemite Romance Writers site. Teaching through them also broadens my reader base. But again, it's all about how to get out in the world!
Monday, December 1, 2008
Like the first book I've seen Lori Foster writing as L.L. Foster's Servant series in the past month since it released at Barnes & Noble. It wasn't until Lori Foster herself contacted me about reading and reviewing her Servant series that I had the chance to read them. As soon as I finished reading the first book Servant: The Awakening I immediately picked up this book because I was addicted to Gabrielle Cody and Luther Cross and wanted to know what happened next between them. Gaby and Luther had some unfinished business between them at the end of the first book that had me very anxious to find otu what happens next for them and their budding relationship. I also wanted to see what was going on with Mort because he had changed almost completely at the end of the first novel especially since it seemed that Luther's police partner Ann was interested in Mort. I thought that this novel was better than the first for me because I already felt like I have a hold on what type of person Gaby is and her relationship with Luther is very intriguing.
The last book dealt with creepy cancerous people who seems like evil demons which is something I don't completely understand how it happened, while in this novel it deals with something I've read about happening before in mystery novels and such. I also liked this book better because Gaby and Luther's relationship is developing quickly and things are really heating up between them, which I'm glad is finally happening. I also thought that it was great that Morth is in this novel as a more secure and manly man who now has a detective as a girlfriend. It was also great that Gaby has developed a sisterly relationship with the young girl she saved in the first novel whose name is Bliss. I liked the character Bliss because she also has a gifted power of seeing things that will happen or had happened and this is something that Gaby can relate to.
I liked the development of all the characters such as the hero and heroine, Gaby and Luther and also the important secondary characters such as Mort, Ann and even Bliss. By the end of this second book in this wonderfully written series that has captivated me since the first book has me anxiously waiting for more. I'm happy that the third book Servant: Kindred will be coming out in a couple of months next year. Again I am so thankful that Lori got a hold of me and asked me to review this exciting series and she now has a devoted Servant series fan. Here is the description of the book from the back cover and picture:
SERVANT: THE ACCEPTANCE $ 7.99 (Book 3)(298 Pages)
Gabriella Cody has accepted her destiny as God’s warrior charged to destroy all evil. Surrounded by violence, she must be ready for anything, but Gaby wasn’t prepared to see Detective Luther Cross ever again. He’s the beacon of reality in her life, the one thing that makes her feel human, like a real woman. Because she has work to do—this time protecting the street-walkers—Gaby resists involvement with Luther now, though he gives her purpose, something more than just working at God’s whim. But her life retribution is far too dangerous even for Luther, and this time it’s not just their hearts that won’t come out unscathed…
I've heard about this book and even seen it many times when I've visited Barnes & Noble but never had the money to buy and read it. It wasn't until I was contacted by Lori Foster, who writes the Servant series as L.L. Foster contacted me about reading and reviewing both books in her Servant series, which she had an ARC of her newly released 2nd book Servant: The Acceptance. I told her it would be my pleasure since I've been meaning to get both books and read them. I alwasy like trying to find new romance genres and authors to read because I like to read different styles especially characters that aren't exactly what we would call normal. The heroine, Gabrielle Code, is not your typical 21-year-old since she is a 6 foot tall skinny young woman but on top of that she is a unique woman. Gaby is a loner who has never had a normal life with loving parents and siblings and she has a calling from God that has been with her all her life causing her physical pain whenever evil is near or something evil is happening around her.
Gaby has seen and done things that no woman should ever go through and experience but there was one light in her life when she met a priest when she was 17-years-old. That is when she started to actually understand that God had gave her a gift to help the innocent from pure evil. But she took a low blow that has emotionally scarred her for life when her only family the priest died by the destructive diease called cancer. This showed her that she should not ever get close to anyone becasue it would only hurt her when they die either because of her or because they are around her. Gaby is so crude when she talks to people and that has never gained her any friends so I'm guessing that it is a way to protect herself so she can never lose them. Then she meets Detective Luther Cross one day and her life took a 180 that she would never expect. Also her landlord Mort starts to get more talkative and friendlier to her and she somehow ends up befriending him.
I really enjoyed Gaby and Luther's interaction with one another especially the sexual tension between them towards the end of the novel when Gaby starts to understand what sex really is and how it could be with Luther. I enjoyed this novel very much even though when I started reading it I wasn't too sure where things were going and I wasn't too sure that I was going to end up enjoying the book. Things changed for the better when I got towards the middle of the book because it was then that the plot got interesting with Gaby, Luther and even Mort and it all sucked me in and held my attention to the very end. I have to say when I got to the ending I was already super happy that I had the second book in my possession and didn't have to wait to read what happens next with Gaby, Luther and Mort. I'm glad that Lori contacted me about reading and reviewing her Servant series because I don't know how long it would have taken me to finally get to buying and reading the Servant series. I am also glad to hear that her third novel in this series called Servant: Kindred willl be out next year and I will be anxiously waiting for it to be released. Here is the description of the book from the back cover and picture:
SERVANT: THE AWAKENING $ 7.99 (Book 1)(299 Pages)
ANGEL OF NO MERCY
To most people, demons look like regular citizens. But Gabriella Cody has the ability to see these creatures as they really are—and the responsibility to destroy them. Hers is a special purpose, a divine obligation, and a heavy burden. Detective Luther Cross finds himself attracted to Gaby even as he becomes suspicious of her proximity to a murder victim. Despite his mistrust, he tries to offer her a tenderness she’s never experienced and doesn’t dare accept. For Gaby senses that another malevolent presence is watching her…stalking her. As desperately as she tries, Gaby cannot find the source of this menace. But again and again, she is drawn to an abandoned hospital that is surrounded by an aura of sickness and suffering and something more—an unimaginable evil…
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Well I'm not reviewing a book today but I will be reviewing the movie that was based on a very popular book. As you guessed it by reading the title of this post that I will be reviewing and talking about the now super popular movie Twilight. I finally went to see the Twilight movie last night with my mother. I was going to see it on last Saturday, the day after it premiered, but I knew it would be sold out and packed with so many Twilight fans that I decided waiting a week would calm things down a bit and give me more room. That was not the case because I went to the Manhattan theater AMC Empire 25 on 42nd Street Times Square and I went to the 4:50 PM show and it was so packed that some people had to stand to watch the movie. It was a pretty small theater on the last floor of the movie theater so I guess it wasn't that much of a surprise but I didn't think there would be so many people especially teenagers (noise teenagers).
We were there pretty early since we had some trouble with the trains and we go good enough seats since we were there almost an hour and half before the movie started. Now onto my review and thoughts about the movie itself which isn't that bad I promise. I have to say that I really thought the voice over in the being of Bella talking about dying for someone you love was kinda unnecessary even though it is true to the book. I thought that Kristen Stewart was a great Bella but sometimes during the movie she did get on my nerves just like Bella did in the actual novel because I thought she was kinda selfish at times and totally like a loner teenage girl should be. There were some parts that were good, cheezy, funny and not true to book but that is to be expected from a movie adaptation of a book. I thought that Robert Pattinson was a very excellent Edward and at times he did look kind of funny and weird especially when he is around Bella, which we know is because he loves her smell and wants her blood even though he only drinks animal blood.
Rob as Edward was HOT as you all must know and I also thought that Jackson Rathbone as Jasper Hale was also a HOTTIE! I loved his character along with Ashley Greene as Alice Cullen because they were so what I would have thought Jasper and Alice would be in the book and I'm glad they were cast for the parts. I was okay with the actors and actress who played Rosalie and Emmett and I loved Peter Facinelli as Dr. Carlisle Cullen and Elizabeth Reaser as Esme Cullen because again they fit their parts perfectly to what I would have imaged from the novel. Now as for Taylor Lautner as Jacob Black I thought he was great for the part but I didn't like the long hair because you could totally see that it was fake wig that didn't go with him. If they wanted him with long hair they should have made him grow it out and maybe put on real looking extentions or something to make it look natural. I know that some people didn't like Billy Burke as Charlie Swan especially because of his mustashe but I thought he did an excellent job of portraying Charlie and I don't know how he could have been different or better. I also thought that it could have been done a bit better and I always wish with each movie adaption of a book that they could stick to what's in the book and just maybe play around with some things to make it into a worthy movie adaption. There were parts that I thought totally unnecessary and parts were I wanted from the book to be there but alas this was the movie that they thought best.
I have heard that Stephenie Meyer had a cameo in the movie but it must have been really quick because I didn't see her at all or maybe I wasn't paying much attention and missed it. I will be waiting anxiously for it to come out on DVD and I will be playing it over and over again to try to see where in the movie Meyer was a part of. I'm also so happy that they will be going through with the next book New Moon as a movie because that ending was totally a cliffhanger for everyone to expect another movie. I hope that it comes out soon in like at least next November if not earlier because everyone is going to be needing their next Twilight fix soon. If you liked the book maybe you should try out the movie because I sure liked it even though the critics were bad mouthing it everywhere. Also some fans thought it sucked but those are the pretender fans not true fans that would be glad that the movie was made at all especially since it was a movie made for the fans.
Saturday, November 29, 2008
This is my first book by the author Lauren Dane and it is one amazing first book for me to read especially since it is a really large ARC of her first Berkley Heat December release. I was lucky enough to have won this ARC of Undercover and I knew it was going to be very different from any other books I've read because it is Futuristic, Erotic Romance, Menage and BDSM all rapped up in one very excitingly awesome novel. I've read futuristic books since I'm a fan of J.D. Robb's In Death series but I haven't read many erotic romances before especially with Menage and BDSM so this is going out of my realm of reading experience. I was warned by the author just in case because she didn't want me to feel uncomfortable reading and reviewing this novel and I told her not to worry because I love reading new things every chance I can get since I want to become a romance writer one day. First off I have to say I'm super glad that I won the contest because I was only one of a very long, long, long list of readers and authors who wanted to get their own ARC of Undercover. Now onto the very honest review of this book that I promised to deliever to the author Lauren Dane.

Sexy, pulse-pounding, arousingly erotic and another world with restrictive laws and a dangerous truce between the Federation and Imperialist. A world with a social cast like any other but one that can ruin the lives of those who love above or below their station in live. This is a fast past novel that I enjoyed from the start to the end because it had one strong woman and two very sexy and different men working together to save their way of life. The heroine, Sera Ayers isn't your typical woman since she lives in a very harsh society that looks down on her kind for being unranked and a woman. Sera's life isn't one filled with joy and blissful happiness not since her heart was broken by a ranked Family man who had held her heart in his hands but crushed it when he had to marry politically to save his family. To make it worse he even dared to ask her to be his mistress and so she left him as cruelly as he broke her tender heart.

Now 10 years later Ash Walker the man she had loved is back in her life along with Brandt Pela who are there to recruit her into their 3 man team to bring down Federation traitors. I had fun reading about Ash Walker and Sera Ayers past relationship because it gave them the personalities that they have in the present of the novel but also to understand what they were to one another was great to read. I had a bit of trouble with some of the new words that are used in this futuristic world but it didn't stop me from enjoying all the adventures that Ash, Sera and Brandt go through in the novel. There were a lot of very erotic sexual encounters between the three of them that I enjoyed to read especially since they feel such emotions that make their threesome relationship work so well for them all. It was nice to see that the men weren't jealous of one another because of their love for Sera and I liked that they all have an unexpected but much enjoyed Happily Ever After. I recommend this book to all Lauren Dane readers and to anyone who likes trying out different types of romances and isn't afraid of what people will think about your reading material because this is one novel you can't miss out on. I have this book on my wish list even though I have my Advance Readers Copy because I love the cover and the copy I have is a bit too large for me to carry around. Here is the description from the back of the book and picture:

UNDERCOVER $ 15.00 (Book 1)(328 Pages)



A sexy debut exploring an erotic future universe of passion, danger, and deceit…

On the battleground or in the bedroom, one woman and two men fight for dominance in a bold, new, and excitingly different direction in erotica…

As a lieutenant of the Federation military, Sera Ayers is accustomed to giving orders, not taking them. Now she must obey the one man she can’t stand—and can’t stop thinking about. With the enemy Imperialists gaining ground, a covert team is assembled by Ash Walker. Ten years before, Sera had lovingly submitted to Ash’s dominance in the bedroom. But when he was forced into a political marriage, she refused to play mistress. His marriage now over, Ash wants Sera on his team—and back in his bed. The third team member, Brandt Pela, has an elegance to match Ash’s savage sexuality. And when their undercover plan requires Sera to pose as Brandt’s lover, it ignites a passion among the three of them more dangerous than their mission.
Friday, November 28, 2008
I love Lori Foster's novels and I've heard so much about her novels about the Winston men but never had the chance to read their books. So when Lori came to me about reviewing her December Berkley Anthology release of Double the Pleasure which features an all new Winston novella I knew I had to get the books that started it all. Wildly Winston is a four-in-one novel with the first 4 books about the original 4 Winston brothers and also the book Say No to Joe? which comes after Wild. After reading all four Winston brother's love stories and reading their cousin Joe Winston's love story I have to say I was excited about reading this book. I've never had the pleasure of reading any of Jacquie D'Alessandro, Penny McCall and Deirdre Martin's novels but after reading their novellas in this novel I'm going to be check out some websites and bookstores and seeing what new novels I will be trying out next year.
Deuces Wild by Lori Foster is the first novella of the book and is another wonderful Winston story to capture your heart from the beginning of this awesome novella. This novella is about twin Winston brothers Dexter and Hart Winston who have used their identical appearance to fool their family and even women to thinking they were one or the other twin. Dexter Winston, the hero, is helping out his twin brother Hart who is an artist but wants to become a professional SBC fighter but doesn't want the family to know about it yet until he was official signed on and would make it. So Dex has agreed to pose as Hart and live in his apartment while he's training and battling to make it as an official SBC fighter. That is when Dex meets his soul mate Christy Nash who can tell that this new Hart was very different from the Hart she knew a couple of days ago. Their courtship is short and sweet but very wonderful to read especially since by the end of the novel I got the feeling that Hart Winston would have his story told in another novella because there was some unfinished business going on.
The Luck of the Irish by Deirdre Martin is the second novella in this anthology and is an introduction to this new author for me and it is also the novella that kicks off her new series, The Wild Hart Saga. I don't know if you know this but I love the Irish ever since I read Nora Roberts novel Three Fates and when I read this title I knew this was going to be a good novella no matter what and I was right! The heroine Maggie O'Brien has been through a horrible marriage and then divorce that has her jaded against me especially charming and attractive men like her cheating ex-husband. Then Maggie has taken an instant attraction to the Irishman Brendan Kelly who is working with his uncle to give her family's pub, the Wild Hart a face-lift. Brendan came to New York to work for his uncle Joe when the economy in Ireland was at an all time low and he needed a way to make a living. Brendan is also working towards getting his citizenship in order to stay in New York and take over his uncle Joe's business when he finally retires. I really loved this novella and I'm looking forward to find out more about Deidre Martin's Wild Hart Saga because as long as it's filled with the interesting Irish characters I read in this novella I know it will be a good read.
Your Room or Mine? by Jacquie D'Alessandro is third novella in this lovely anthology and is also another introduction to a new author for me. At first I didn't know what to think of this story because it was kind of slow going for me but that all changed when I got into the plot of the story that came just in time. I loved the hero, Jack Walker, and the heroine, Madeline Price, because they both seemed like such fascinating characters that have personal issues that could be a problem for the relationship. Jack and Madeline clash very badly in their work place because Madeline is the consultant who is helping Jack the Chief Financial Officer of the Java Haven company. But everything changes when they are all made to go on a fun-filled weekend of team building at Casa di Lago and that is where things get interesting because Jack and Madeline are the first to get there before everyone else. I enjoyed this novella after things got interesting in the second and third chapter and I'm glad I didn't skip the novella.
Double the Danger by Penny McCall is the fourth and last novella in this anthology and it is yet another introduction to a new author for me. I enjoyed this novella okay but it wasn't as good as the other novellas and don't get me wrong I did enjoy the characters very much but it didn't captivate me as much as the first novellas. The heroine, Dr. Abigail West, was an interesting character and so was the hero Drake is an FBI agent who she had a previously serious relationship with in college for two years before he left her without a good-bye. He some how ends up dead on her autopsy table or that is what she thinks when she opens up the body bag he came in. Then she notices that he is still alive and he grabs her by the throat and that is when things get dangerous. I had fun reading all the exciting trouble they both get into and it was nice to see that even after years apart they felt something strong for one another. Over all I'm so glad that Lori Foster contacted me about reviewing this AMAZING anthology full of wonderful authors and you all should go out and buy it because I can tell you that you won't regret it. If nothing else buy it for that lovely and sexy cover that I love looking at whenever I was reading the novel. Here is the description of the book from the back cover and picture:
DOUBLE THE PLEASURE $ 15.00 (also including authors Jacquie D’Alessandro, Penny McCall and Deirdre Martin)(Book 3)(362 Pages)
Think of the man you’d give anything to be with. Think of what you’d like to do to him…and what you’d like him to do to you. Think of the fun you could have. Now, double it!
Joining forces
New York Times bestselling sensation Lori Foster, USA Today bestselling authors Deirdre Martin and Jacquie D’Alessandro, and Penny McCall join together for this tantalizing anthology…
Trading places
Includes a brand-new novella featuring the Winston cousins—sexy twins who use their knockout mirror image goods look to switch places and have a little fun with the girls of each other’s dreams…

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