GUEST BLOG: DEAL WITH THE DEVIL?

"One of the top supermodels in the world, Angel, lives the life of the rich and fabulous, until a heinous car accident mars her face. After thirteen surgeries and losing everything she deemed important, she seeks out the dark forces to salvage her life.

Angel decides to conjure the Devil for help, making a deal to recover her beauty. In exchange for his help, Lucifer forces her to hunt supernatural renegades, which have eluded the pits of Hell.

In her quest to find beauty and get out of her contract with Lucifer, Angel stumbles upon love in the arms of a demon."

Let’s Make a Deal…with the Devil?

By Vivi Dumas

             Wheeling and dealing with Satan dates back to the inception of mankind. Remember back to Adam and Eve and that pesky snake in the tree. Yep. That’s when it all started, the whispered challenge to take a bite of that oh so delicious forbidden fruit, the enticement of gaining knowledge from the all-knowing tree. Eve knew she was in trouble as soon as she took the bite. Then in the classic style of a woman, she found a friend to drag down the wrong path with her, because sinning is no fun alone. Adam, very much a man, followed blindly and tried to finger point his way out of it.

             As you can see, my Sunday school teacher had her hands full with me.

             We can’t have a conversation about deals with the ultimate evil without discussing Faust. This German Legend is the basis of so many of our modern day folktales, books, and movies. Faust, who was already a highly successful scholar,  makes a deal with the Devil to trade his soul for ultimate knowledge and then he threw in worldly pleasures, because what good is knowledge without a good time. Faust’s problem was truly greed. If you’re already successful, what pushes you to want more to the point you’re willing to give up your morality to get it? I wrote a whole paper on it, using Plato’s Allegory of the Cave as my underlying philosophy.

             Philosophy class was a fun time for me. I also went to a very Catholic college. Father Dan taught all the philosophy and theology classes. We had wonderful dialogue in those classes. I apologize to the other students, who probably wished I would just shut up. Oh, by the way, I’m not Catholic so that made it just that much more fun.

             My last example of dealing with the Devil awesomeness is the movie The Devil’s Advocate.  Al Pacino plays Satan like nobody’s business. Keanu Reeves is our Faust in this story. He’s a small town attorney given a shoot at a big time New York law firm. He gets a huge case. Then he comes to the apex of his journey. He finds out his client might be guilty. This is his chance to make the right decision and get out or continue on and be a participant in the deception. All kinds of other horror goodness ensue throughout the movie. I’ll let find out what happens on your own. I’ll leave you with the famous line from the movie.

             “Better to reign in Hell, than serve in Heaven.”

             Throughout my Dueling with the Devil series, you will find the hero and heroine have various reasons they enter or are forced into a deal with the Devil. In Soul Catcher, Angel Dias, stumbles upon an old family secret in a moment of desperation in her life. Before understanding what she was getting herself into, she finds herself face-to-face with Lucifer, locked in a no-win situation.

             Is there anything you think is worth trading your soul or entering into a deal with the devil?

Vivi Dumas submerges herself in the dark underworld of the supernatural.

To balance the analytical and logical confines of her day job, she unleashes the fiery passions of her imagination in her writing.

Although she grew up an Army brat, she calls Louisiana home, but has endured the hot summers and cold winters of Maryland for the last 16 years.

Website / Goodreads / Vivi's Facebook / Dealing With The devil Series on FB / Twitter

MOVIE REVIEW - HUNGER GAMES

Hungry for a re-watch!

              I did review Hunger Games about a year ago if I'm not mistakes, the book that is - and I did give it 5 stars! At this time I was still occasionally reviewing YA novels, then my blog took roots in the romance genre and that was the end of YA for me.

              That said! I still had to pick up the DVD as it came out this last weekend, after all I did love the book so I had to see how the movie turned out. I have become very good at not associating books with movies made of them, I'm 80% sure I cannot think of the book when I'm watching a movie. With Hunger Games it was really easy!

              I watched it last night and I couldn't have been happier. Here are few points I really did love.

              Katniss wasn't a waif thin overly sexy teenager with make-up and bad attitude - see I was worried they'd go for that but instead she was healthy looking girl, a character with great emotional depth and protect my own attitude. I loved how she was taking in rue as substitute little sister and actually caring for Peeta.

              I loved the lack of inner narrative ( ahem, like twilight saga has ), the silence was lot more powerful than I just killed someone and a freak out, you could really see it in her how it affected her. Kudos!

              I loved Haymitch! Well--- Woody Harrelson really can play the odd balls and pull off the sobering act even in YA dystopian flick. It's a joy to watch him work!

              I loved that they didn't over to the Gale-Katniss- Peeta love triangle. I was expecting more but luckily they had kept it in the low simmer, you could see it in Gale and in Peeta but I loved how indifferent Katniss was when she wasn't hamming it for the crowd.

              The werewolves weren't bipedal! Wohoo! That would not have worked. ( okay, so they were werewolves but in the book they came off more as ones ) These dawg were more like Hellhounds and that I did love love love, tho why make them all Pit Bull? Bad generalization, I would have gone with dachshunds or something, ahem - so maybe wolf hounds would have been better.

              So was there anything I didn't love?

              That's fairly easy - I can't think of anything, and when it's that good you have to give it 5 stars!

BOOK SPOTLIGHT - THE PIRATES OF VAMPIRE ISLAND

Title: The Pirates of Vampire Island, A Paranormal Romantic Thriller
Series: Steamy Voyages, Series #1
Author: Phoenix and Lover Boy
Publisher: Self ( Amazon and B&N below )
Length: 61,700 words / 179 pages
Genres: Paranormal Romance ( Adventure )
Heat Level: Sizzling

Available at:

Amazon – Buy / $0.99 (Kindle)

B&N – Buy / $0.99 (Nook)

"Pretty Jane O'Doherty always chooses the wrong kind of guys. Her specialty seems to be guys who have serious flaws and who break her heart. Her last breakup was a year ago and still she can hear his final words, "I'm sorry, Jane. I've found someone else."

A 30-day cruise through the exotic Indonesian Islands with her best friend seems like the perfect distraction to mend her broken heart. On board, she meets devastatingly gorgeous Nick, who attracts women in droves, including our lovely Jane. And she meets Peter, who is the cute geek with puppy dog eyes. Will either one just lead to another broken heart? Should she run the other way from them both and just enjoy the cruise?

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

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

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

a Rafflecopter giveaway

             As we approached the outdoor swimming pool on the top deck, I saw dark clouds threatening a storm. My hair was whipping in the wind. I shivered. Bad idea. But Remy was undaunted. She immediately ran and did a cannonball. As I stood wondering if I should just go back to the cabin, a waiter came up, a small, dark boy about sixteen, probably a native of the area. He wore a short white jacket with epaulets and black pants.

             "Would you like a drink, mum?"

             "How about a snow suit?" I laughed. "Just kidding. No, I'm good for now." I surveyed the sunbathers and swimmers. There he was. As usual, he was surrounded by women. He was dressed in a simple white pullover sweater and tan slacks, but the cut and fabric screamed money. His luxurious, curly black hair whipped in the wind, making him look very unkempt, rugged, and nonchalant, as if fine grooming was so not important because he was stunningly handsome no matter what he wore or did.

             "Excuse me, sir?" I said.

             The waiter turned.

             "What's that guy's name? The one with the black curly hair."

             "Nickolas Angelopoulos." He stood for a moment. "Anything else I can help you with?"

             "Nope. Thank you," I said, not taking my eyes off the amazing-looking man.

             "You're gawking."

             I shook myself and looked down. Remy was hanging on the side of the pool. "Yeah, I guess I am."

             Enough of that.

             "I'm coming in." I walked over to the diving board and performed a perfect dive. I had always been very athletic, and I knew my body showed it.

             I swam several laps, trying not to look at this guy named Nickolas, and climbed out of the pool, dripping water, and squeezing it out of my thick mane. I shivered a little in the cool wind, and as I finished drying, I saw out of the corner of my eye that Nicholas was staring at me – well, at my chest anyway. I looked down to see that my nipples were perfectly erect through my black bikini. I quickly draped my towel around my shoulders so it covered my breasts and was suddenly looking for a quick way to exit.

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

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

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

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

REVIEW - ARRESTED BY HER SHEIK 1 & 2

"Mix one quiet librarian looking for a good time. A sexy Arab-Greek Sheik in cops clothing signing on to teach her all about sex."

Author: Honey Jans
Pages: 15 pages
Publisher: Red Rose Publishing on May 2012
Form: E-book (from tour for an honest review)
Genre: Contemporary Erotic Romance (+18 Only)
Series: Arrested By Her Sheik - Part 1
Amazon: Buy / $3.49 (Kindle) ( EU price, click to see yours )
Red Rose Publishing: Buy / $0.99 (E-book)
Excerpt: See below!

"Mix one quiet librarian looking for a good time. A sexy Arab-Greek Sheik in cops clothing signing on to teach her all about sex.

And criminals who will stop at nothing to get what they want... namely her dead. And you have Arrested by her Sheik.

I hope you’ll come along on this thrill ride of adventure as Mandy Wilson finds out what it’s like to be Arrested by her Sheik."  ~ Blurb

First time reading a serial! I read parts 1 and 2 back to back, the 1st part started off odd, and I had to check if I was accidently reading part two, but after I got the hang of it Arrested By Her Sheik was fun, flirty and sexy read!

Each part is short only 15 pages but it's fun stuff so it goes quicker too, reading this as novella might be a fun experience but I have to settle for just these two for now.

I liked the little bit of Romantic Suspense in the story, with a lot of the seductive, sexy little matches going on with our couple. Want to try out an erotic romance serial with a little bit of suspense, this is good one to go with.

Rating :

“Oh my god, Mandy Wilson, you are so going to jail for this,” I hissed as I tiptoed up to the decrepit back door of the even more decrepit Greek jail. My first clue of impending disaster should have been the dented door hanging ajar, the second the eerie silence in the alleyway, but I was so determined to clear Marco’s name I breezed forward on my mission. I had to save my would-be gigolo from Nick Constantine, the obnoxious but sexy Greek cop who’d arrested him last night.  

Thankfully the sun was going down and the growing afternoon shadows covered my movements. I caught a glimpse of myself in the reflection of a window and winced. I looked as ragged as I felt and even worse excited. I was reluctant to admit that good girl me was getting off on this. My mocha skin was flushed with what I was pretty sure was sunburn, my green eyes were drowsy from a sleepless night tearing ass through the convoluted Greek legal system, and my long wavy dark hair had long ago escaped the bun I’d pulled it in to curl around my overheated face.

  Damn, the jailer would probably take one look at me and call the gendarmes. I wouldn’t have been forced to go to these extremes if Nick had been reasonable last night. But he hadn’t been. Marco was inside, our cruise ship was about to depart, and I was damned well going to get him out. It was my second reckless act since starting this journey of sexual discovery, the first being hooking up with Marco two days ago, and I was going was damned well going to do this.

I touched the door, noticing too late that it seemed to have been kicked in, and winced when it swung open with an audible groan. The groan I bit back was even louder as I froze...double fuck...and waited to be arrested. I couldn’t help imagining Nick coming down on me hard. I shivered with what I was afraid was excitement...

COVER DESIGN GIVEAWAY WINNERS! + FREE STUFF!

It's time to announce the winner of Cover Design Giveaway! I'm excited! 1st Price: One author will get a cover of her choice: pre-made or custom made! And We also have a 2nd Price: a Website Header, Facebook Banner or Google+ Banner! So let the rafflecopter raffle begin!

1st Price: An e-book Cover from For The Love of Reading Cover Design goes to...

Nikki P!

Entry #5 - For Tweeting about the giveaway!

2nd Price: Website Header, Facebook Banner or Google+ Banner from For The Love of Reading Cover Design goes to...

Shadow K!

Entry#16 - For Tweeting about the giveaway!

Congrats to all the winners! I can't wait to work with you!

If you didn't win today, remember the 40% SALE is still on this month! Covers for 40$, 50$ and 60$! @ For The Love of Reading Cover Designs that has many happy customers ( see testimonials )!

Also if you didn't win today check out these FREE "consolation prices"!

Free e-book: https://play.google.com/store/books/collection/topselling_free

Free e-books on Amazon store: http://www.amazon.com/Totally-Free-kindle-Books/lm/R27UG52OAM3TFX

Free e-books on AllRomance Ebooks: http://www.allromanceebooks.com/category180.html

BLITZ GIVEAWAY & REVIEW - SUGAR WALLS (+18 ONLY)

"He’s always there, fixing her problems, her car, her sink. Emilie doesn’t know what she’d do without him, or with the feelings she’s having for him. His shoulder doesn’t just offer comfort anymore; his touch is a turn-on."

Author: Mysti Holiday
Pages: 26 pages
Publisher: The Wilder Roses Publishing on Aug. 2012
Form: E-book (from tour for an honest review)
Genre: Contemporary Erotic Romance (+18 Only)
Amazon: Buy / $3.44 (Kindle) (EU Price, click to see yours)
Barnes & Noble: Buy / $0.99 (Nook)
The Wilder Roses: Buy / $0.99 (E-book)
Excerpt: See below for a hot one!

"When Emilie is dumped by her boyfriend, best friend Jack Voss offers a shoulder and a place to live--the other side of his duplex.

He’s always there, fixing her problems, her car, her sink. Emilie doesn’t know what she’d do without him, or with the feelings she’s having for him. His shoulder doesn’t just offer comfort anymore; his touch is a turn-on.

Their shared wall is the only thing keeping them from sharing a bedroom—and fanning the flames might risk breaking something that Jack can’t fix."  ~ The Blurb

A sexy short story from Mysti Holiday! Even thought short Sugar Walls was immensely enjoyable. Ms. Holidays writing is fun, sexy and full of sexual tension! But it's not only tension it has, oh no, there is plenty of rolling on the living room carpet in this one!

I loved it how Em and Jack had dreamed of each other for months, never doing anything about their feelings just listening each other lives through thin walls finding pleasure in hearing each other pleasure themselves through them. Like I said lots of yummy sexual tension!

The romance is just beginning in this, they are still on the ex-best-friend's ex now best friends stage where they don't want to break what they have for sex - but when the temptation grows just little too much they discover each others feelings. ;)

Rating :

A glance back down at the man who was driving her crazy nearly made her moan. He shifted, his ass moved and his thighs flexed as he crawled forward a few inches. The denim of his worn jeans hugged him as tightly as Em dreamed of doing and, before she had time to think about it, she took a step Forward, hands outstretched to snatch hold of the prize. She stopped herself just in time and tucked her hands behind her back to keep from doing something stupid. 

“So, Jack?” Her voice was tight with desire and discomfort. 

“Hmm?” He peeked at her over one shoulder, a smile in those midnight blue eyes, then quickly returned his attention to the pipe. 

“Almost done?” She hoped so, because at this rate, she’d come just from thinking about him. 

“Nearly there. Leak’s almost plugged.” 

I’ve got a leak you can plug. Her panties soaked with more cream than any one woman should have when she envisioned him plunging into her, filling her pussy with his hard cock. Heat rushed up her neck, and her heart pounded so loudly, surely he could hear it. Dear God. She tried to picture herself in a cold shower to kill some of the heat but cursed again when he joined her there in her mind and slid soapy hands over her damp skin, across her breasts, and down her— 

“There.” His voice jolted her out of the hot daydream, and she jumped an inch off the floor. He backed out from the cupboard and turned to smile at her. “All fixed.”

Mysti Holiday will be giving away a $10 Amazon gift card to one random commenter, the more entries you comment in the better your chances at winning! See the entries here: http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2012/07/virtual-book-blast-tour-sugar-walls-by.html

Mysti Holiday is the pseudonym of a very busy SAHM who dreams of warm climes and hot bodies.  Most people know she writes, but not what she writes about:  sexy men and the wanton women who love them.
She's married to a wonderful man who happily sacrifices himself for research, and she spends most of her days dreaming of interesting and unusual situations in which to place her characters.  But most of all, she's a sucker for a happy ending.

Publisher:  http://www.wilderroses.com/index.php?main_page=index&manufacturers_id=89
Website:  http://www.menagerieauthors.com/
Blog:  http://www.menagerieauthors.blogspot.com/

VIDEO REVIEW - LOTHAIRE

My first ever video, for YouTube or anything... be gentle! ;)

My first YouTube video! About Kresley Cole's "Lothaire". Includes a little spoiler (warning at the video) but really if you've read any Kresley Cole books, well it happens in all of them. ;) Also includes Outtakes aka Bloopers! At the beginning just to get everything mega embarrassing out. ;)

You can also find me at:

BLOG
http://niinas-reading-and-reviewing.blogspot.fi/

TWITTER
https://twitter.com/Freywyn

FACEBOOK
https://www.facebook.com/pages/For-The-Love-of-Reading/174989922574893

INSTAGRAM
niinac

TUMBLR
http://forthe-loveof-life.tumblr.com/

COVER DESIGN WEBSITE
http://niinascoverdesign.weebly.com/

REVIEW - RIDE A COWBOY, SAVE A HORSE

"Rafe Halliday is thrilled that his plan to lure his bride back to his place has worked. Now all he has to do is focus on getting sexy Savanna back into his bed where he figured their links of passion, love, and sex will complete their bond."

Author: Honey Jans
Pages: 179 pages
Publisher: Red Rose Publishing on April 2012
Form: E-book (from tour for an honest review)
Genre: Contemporary Erotic Romance (+18 Only)
Amazon: Buy / $8.04 (Kindle) ( EU price, click to see yours )
Red Rose Publishing: Buy / $4.99 (E-book)

"Savanna Brown returns to Wyoming to save the reputation of the cowboy she ran away from on their wedding night. She makes the ranch owner an offer he can’t refuse if he wants to hang onto his ranch. She’ll pretend to come back to him until the talk dies down, then she’ll be on her way.

Rafe Halliday is thrilled that his plan to lure his bride back to his place has worked. Now all he has to do is focus on getting sexy Savanna back into his bed where he figured their links of passion, love, and sex will complete their bond.

But will love happen with evil forces trying to tear them apart? To find out lasso a copy of, “Save a Horse; Ride a Cowboy,” today. It’s sure to singe your lariat."  ~ From Goodreads

This is going to be s short review today as I am in a hurry. Sorry. Let's get to it! I loved this sneaky love story! The plot was just my up my alley, it was sweet, sexy, little deceptive in the "I can't live without you and will do everything to get you back because I messed it up earlier" kind of way. Honey Jans's writing is witty funny and sexy! Hence is Ride a Cowboy, Save a Horse!

I really really enjoyed Rafe and his little game to get his wife back, I mean I can't very well resist a handsome cowboy who's seducing his way back to his wife of few hours before she bolted on their wedding night. The sexual tension between Rafe and Savannah is great, and as they didn't consummate their marriage it's all hanging in the air making it a yummy read!

In short this is for all Cowboy Romance fans and lovers of sizzling chemistry and sexy cowboys with agendas of seduction!

Rating :

REVIEW - LOVE'S CAPTIVE

"She, and the other Earth women Serena meets aboard ship with her, have been captured by the Moyds, interstellar merchants, their mission, to procure fertile wives for the men of Volarn, where their race is endangered due to the wide-spread sterility of their own women."

Author: Myra Nour
Pages: 264 pages
Publisher: New Concepts Publishing on July 2005
Form: E-book (from tour for an honest review)
Genre: Sci-fi Romance
Series: Volarn Chronicles  #1
Amazon: Love's Captive (Volarn Chronicles I) ( EU price, click to see yours )
Barnes & Noble: Buy / $6.49 (Nook)
Smashwords: Buy / $6.49 (E-book)

"When Serena awakes, after a close and unpleasant encounter with some sort of stun gun, she very quickly learns that resistance is futile and escape only a yearned for dream. She, and the other Earth women Serena meets aboard ship with her, have been captured by the Moyds, interstellar merchants, their mission, to procure fertile wives for the men of Volarn, where their race is endangered due to the wide-spread sterility of their own women.

Learning this is at least some relief to the captured women, but Serena is disgusted to realize that they are nothing in these men's eyes but baby makers. Regardless, she knows she has no choice but to face the fate that awaits her with as much dignity as she can muster.

Once they arrive on Volarn, Serena learns that her assessment has not been entirely accurate. Using their power crystals in the Tarthra Ritual, the warriors approach the women with their crystals to find the mate most suited to them.. .a woman to love who can love them. Serena is chosen to become King Rhamus' queen, but, just as she feels herself weakening to Rhamus' romantic, passionate nature, Rhamus' enemy, Xarath, abducts her."  ~ From Goodreads

Warning: Contains explicit sex, graphic language and some violence

The story in Love's Captive is interesting to say the least, it has that sci-fi erotic romance feel with abduction and aliens but then has  very strong romance to it with the mating system the Volarns have which is all about a love match. There's a whole lot to this world and as a series it makes sense, all the strange names for plants and people hint that there is more to come. Ms. Nour did a good job in writing an entertaining chick-lit sci-fi with a strong romance and two very different cultures - a novel that had all the actions, passion and threat that a good book requires!

Serena's wrestler physique making her desirable in Volarn was an interesting twist, you usually don't have too many women wrestler heroines. But she made a good match for Rhamus who was seven foot and built like a warrior from fantasy game - I liked all the depth Rhamus had, instead of just brutish force and plan of seduction, and Nour had written him with a very distinct separation from human culture with was interesting to read. I enjoyed Serena's lessons in becoming a Queen - but also when she had rely to her old strengths when abducted by Rhamus' arch enemy.

The romance was good, from seduction to Rhamus leaving her right after the first act it felt bit odd, but I chucked it under different cultures. The thing was they weren't falling in love from page one they were falling in lust so all the warm and fuzzies didn't really show up until they begun to know each other. And for a slow simmering romance this was good - but to be honest I'm more the high emotional charge from the beginning kind of girl. ;) But like I said it did come when they begun to fall in love.

If you love... sci-fi romance with a fantasy feel and heroine who can kick butt trying her hands at being a Queen then this is for you! Also if you're an arachnophobic then this isn't for you.

The second book in the series Heart of The Dragon is out!

Rating :