BOOK SPOTLIGHT - HUNTING THE SIREN

Book Two in the Blood Currency Series

"A vampire queen grown powerful with age, Imogen has protected her band of nightriders through the centuries. When refugee vampires from earthquake-shattered Europe seek shelter and sustenance, she’s honor-bound to feed them, by any means necessary. When her lieutenants dump the vengeful human man Kasar at her feet, Imogen succumbs to his masculine vitality and her overwhelming hunger for his blood—and his body.

Kasar has survived the breaking of the world, only to discover the vampire queen has slaughtered his sister and her unborn child. With the last of his bloodline dead, only his desire for vengeance keeps Kasar alive. He imagines he can pretend to succumb to Imogen’s seduction—not that he has much of a choice, chained as he is to the foot of her bed—and bide his time until he has an opportunity to kill her. The passion he finds in her arms is unexpected, and impossible to resist. But this haven of desire and satiation could easily destroy them both."

Book One in the Blood Currency Series

"Through good luck and healthy cowardice, Misty has survived the earthquakes that have torn the world apart, but has no skills to speak of. Or so she thinks. She does have blood, and someone must feed the vampire who has offered his protection and strength in exchange for sustenance. 

Feeding Ivan is a priority, and Misty finally serves a purpose. But when she awakens tied to his bed, an unwilling gift to Ivan from the townspeople, she discovers he has hungers other than blood. 

Hungers he expects her to satisfy in the most carnal manner. Under his seductive persuasion Misty discovers she has the power to sustain Ivan in all ways, while experiencing unspeakable pleasure herself."

Barnes and Noble,  Amazon, Ellora’s Cave, ARe

Jeffe Kennedy took the crooked road to writing, stopping off at neurobiology, religious studies and environmental consulting before her creative writing began appearing in places like Redbook, Puerto del Sol, Wyoming Wildlife, Under the Sun and Aeon. An erotic novella, Petals and Thorns, came out under her pen name of Jennifer Paris in 2010, heralding yet another branch of her path, into erotica and romantic fantasy fiction. Since then, an erotic short, Feeding the Vampire, and another erotic novella, Sapphire, have hit the shelves.

Her contemporary fantasy novel, Rogue’s Pawn, book one in A Covenant of Thorns, will be published in July, 2012. Jeffe lives in Santa Fe, with two Maine coon cats, a border collie, plentiful free-range lizards and frequently serves as a guinea pig for an acupuncturist-in-training. Find her on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/Author.Jeffe.Kennedy) and Twitter (@jeffekennedy) or visit her at her website http://jeffekennedy.com/.

REVIEW - SPRING TO SUMMER

"In Spring into Summer, a collection of emotionally-charged erotic novellas, four women explore their sexual limits, marked by love, lust, and loss."

Author: Eden Baylee
Pages: 179 pages
Publisher: Lowercase Publishing on July 2012
Form: E-book (from the author for an honest review)
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Amazon: Buy / $8.04 (Kindle) ( EU price, click to see yours )

"In Spring into Summer, a collection of emotionally-charged erotic novellas, four women explore their sexual limits, marked by love, lust, and loss.

Life for Claire Pelletier is changed forever when she meets a professor who teaches her a most important lesson in "A Season for Everything."

Evelyn Sutton goes in search of a man in "Unlocking the Mystery" and discovers the key to her own heart.

With an open mind, Ava Connors attends a party but wonders if reality can ever live up to her hottest fantasies in "Summer Solstice."

In "The Lottery," Sierra Zhao sacrifices herself to numerous men to help a friend, fully aware of the consequences.

With locations in London, Dublin, Cape Cod, and Bangkok, these four women will seek pleasure to alter their lives and push their sexual boundaries."  ~ From Amazon

I really wanted to like Spring to Summer, the blurb was beautiful and the stories seemed interesting at first glance. So why didn't I like it? Was it the writing? No, the writing was beautiful, very deep and introverted and emotional. Was it the plots? No. The plots had substance and depth of emotion and passion.

You are asking, so why then? It simply wasn't for me. I expected four erotic novellas - now ladies I read a lot of erotic romances and absolutely love'm - and what I got was not what I expected. This book was more Anaïs Nin style than the stories I'm use to of reading these days ( I have a read my fair share of her erotic novellas, and that is why I can appreciate Baylee's writing ). I expected hot steamy "can't-help-myself" kinda sexy love affairs and I got poets and depth.

So you see it wasn't bad, but it's wasn't for me. The lovers of poems and deeper contemporary literature will love this I'm sure! Me? I'm bit more smut about my erotica. ;) Okay, so the rating below is based on where the book fits with my current reading habits and the style of this blog. Was I reviewing this few years back the rating might be completely different (4.5), but so would the blog too.

Rating :

CHRISTMAS COVERS FOR SALE: 35$ - 55$!

Hi there! Christmas is on it's way and that is why I'm setting up a little Christmas SALE!

This SALE is All and Only about Christmas Covers! Got a Christmas novella, shorts story or anthology coming up?

Well then, this is a great change to save on the cover and splurge the rest of the money on gifts for the family, friends and lovers. ;)

Wanna hear the prices? Here we go!

Simple Christmas Cover 35$
Classic Christmas Cover 45$
High End Christmas Cover 55$

Sweet, right!?

Wither your Christmas will be white and pure, or red hot I'm your gal on getting a cover done for you!

So contact me: elvenspirit at gmail.com and we'll get a cover for you, just like you like it! Remember to mention the Christmas Cover Sale!

(P.S: The cover above is a pre-made one and is on sale for 45$!)

THE 40% SALE HAS COME TO AN END

So the 40% SALE is over and the normal prices have taken over!
I also though it necessary to re-name the covers - I though Basic sounded better as Simple ( because it is pretty simple and clean cut ), and Elaborate as Classic ( as it turns out this is my bestseller! ) and Supreme as High End ( it just sounds classier doesn't it ;) ? ).

Here is a reminder what the normal prices are:

Simple 55$ (1 to 2 images, minimal photoshopping and text)
Classic 70$ (1 to 3 images, detail photoshopping and text)
High End 90$ (1 to 5 images, detail photoshopping and text)

Pre-made Covers continue their 45$ per cover streak - so do check them out!

That is all for now! Do check out the next Blog post though to hear about the Christmas Covers Sale!

See all the For The Love of Reading Cover Design Blog Entries HERE!

REVIEW - DOUBLE VISION

"Liz thinks Fredrik's her forever-guy, but her sudden attraction to Red is causing doubts. The more they play together in the bedroom, the more their outside lives—and emotions—become entangled. When the unthinkable happens, all three must take a hard look at what they want and make some surprising decisions in the process."

Author: Cassandra Carr
Pages: 112 pages
Publisher: Siren Strand Publishing on Aug. 2012
Form: E-book (from tour for an honest review)
Genre: Contemporary Erotic Romance (+18 Only)
Series: Buffalo Intimidators  #3
Amazon: Buy / $5.47 (Kindle) ( EU price, click to see yours )
Barnes & Noble: Buy / $2.99 (Nook)
BookStarnd: Buy / $4.99 (E-book)

"Everything Red knew about relationships is called into question when he stumbles upon his roommate Fredrik and his girlfriend Liz going at it hot and heavy and Liz invites him to join them. Struggling with recovering from a knee injury, the young defenseman doesn't know what to make of his attraction to Liz--after all, she's his teammate's woman, right?

As an older player, Fredrik's been around the rink a time or ten, and he knows he has an awesome thing going with Liz. He envisions a future with her, but isn't sure how their interludes with Red fit into the long-term picture.

Liz thinks Fredrik's her forever-guy, but her sudden attraction to Red is causing doubts. The more they play together in the bedroom, the more their outside lives--and emotions-- become entangled. When the unthinkable happens, all three must take a hard look at what they want and make some surprising decisions in the process."  ~ From Goodreads

The story was bit of a different ménage tale as Fredrik and Liz were already a couple and Red was very uncomfortable with taking things further even though he thoroughly enjoyed himself when he let go of his inhibitions. I hadn't read the other two books before this one, so I don't know if there was more hockey in them, but I would have liked a little more in this one.

Now about the charahters... First of all Fredrik's a Finn, and this made me very very happy, you know, me being a Finn as well. And having Saku Koivu as his inspiration just sits so well with me, after all he helped bring World Championship to Finland! Yeah we Finns do love our hockey. ;) I also found Fredrik's enthusiasm watching Liz and Red a huge plus. I do have to point out that while I enjoyed Red's young character I found his indecisiveness and bit off a but off in certain occasions. Liz was bit shadowed by the two guys, but she was uninhibited and fun through out the book.

The romance was slow to start but that suited the story, it was lot about sex until things begun to deepen for everyone. I enjoyed Double Vision a whole bunch and once again Cassandra Carr proves she writes awesome stuff!

Sorry for the short review, I can't seem to shake this flu and it's messing up my thought process. :(

Rating : 

Don't miss my Interview with Cassandra Carr today @ 

http://niinas-reading-and-reviewing.blogspot.fi/2012/10/interview-with-cassandra-carr-double.html

You don't wanna miss this out - it's witty, little racy and whole lot of fun!

INTERVIEW WITH CASSANDRA CARR (DOUBLE VISION)

Niina : Welcome to For The Love of Reading, Cassandra , I’m glad you could make it!

Cassandra Carr : Thanks for having me here. *sips Bailey's-laced cocoa*

Niina : Let’s get started! Can you tell my readers here two fun little secrets about you so we can break the ice? ;)

Cassandra : Secrets? Um, that I have Bailey's in my hot chocolate? Okay, okay. How about...I might be a little obsessed with Queer As Folk, and Gale Harold in particular? Just bought the entire series on Amazon. Stayed up until 1:30am last night to watch the first few episodes...Counting the Bailey's, that's two secrets, right?

Niina : Accepted. ;) Your newest book is another Buffalo Intimidators novel Double Vision, what’s it like?

Cassandra : I love this story! I love to create characters that I can fall in love with, and I usually like one of my heroes more than the other. The other doesn't get shafted ( heh ) but I have a feeling readers who know my books can figure out which hero I like best. Of course, when there's only one hero that's easy!

So what is Double Vision like? Well, it's different from the first two books in that Fredrik and Liz are already in a relationship and they ask Red to become their third. Red is a lot younger than either Fredrik or Liz, and he's more traditional, so the idea freaks him out. But it doesn't stop him from engaging in some kinkiness!

Niina : How did you find your cover and if you didn't take part in the search, what is your opinion of it?

Cassandra : I didn't take part in the search, but I gave the cover artist the cover from a book I loved ( Sara Brookes' Chasing Sin - here if you want to see it: http://amzn.com/B007Y6B0UC ) and the cover artist really took that to heart and created a cover very similar to it. Needless to say, I love it!

Niina : If your book were made into a movie who would you cast as the leads?

Cassandra : Oh man. I've been asked this before and honestly, I have no idea who they'd cast for Red. He's six-four and has bright red hair (hence his nickname). I can't think of any Hollywood types who are even close to that. For Liz, maybe Jessica Alba? I'm trying to think of an actress in her 30's ( I think Jessica is - I don't follow Hollywood closely ) with brown hair and brown eyes. Fredrik was modeled after hockey player Saku Koivu, who is Finnish just like Fredrik. Here's a pic of him. Nice, huh?

Niina : That is just awesome because as a Finn I've loved this guys career for ever! Okay, what makes a hero sexy?

Cassandra : So many things, and for every guy it's different, at least for me. Some of them are gorgeous, some are sweet, some are smart. Some are all three. *swoon* I tend to like brunettes better than blonds, and if he's got dark hair and bright blue eyes, I'm droolin' on my keyboard. But the smart, funny, sweet, sexy guy? I'm sure this is a popular answer, but yeah, sign me up for that one...

Niina : What does it take to write a really hot love scene?

Cassandra : I don't really need anything special. I've written those scenes at every different time of day in every different environment, including in the middle of Panera Bread during the lunch rush. Just gotta make sure your laptop screen isn't easily visible then. ;-)

Niina : LOL! I you could only read 5 erotic romances for the rest of your life what would they be, and why?

Cassandra : Such hard questions! There are so many I like. Let's go with Sweet Temptation from Maya Banks, Nobody's Hero from Kallypso Masters, Light Switch from LA Witt, Love the Sinner from Avril Ashton, and ( I'm going to sound soooo bad here ) Caught, which is one of mine. I modeled my hero in Caught, Jack, after everything I love in a Dom, and I truly love love love that book. In fact, I love Jack so much he's a secondary character in the book I have coming out in December, Awakening. He wasn't supposed to be, but I guess he loves me as much as I love him and he couldn't stay away!

( Are you people going to cart me away for talking about my character like he's real? *glances around* )

Niina : Of course not! ;) Now to more personal questions!  Is there a natural wonder of the world you would like to visit?

Cassandra : That I haven't been to? Hmmmm. I live a half-hour away from Niagara Falls, so that's spoiled me a bit. Wow, I really can't think of one. I'm pretty well-traveled. Instead, let's say a man-made wonder. The Eiffel Tower. Haven't made it to France yet.

Niina : Sounds good! Sexiest movie star crush?

Cassandra : Joe Manganiello. I would eat that man for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. But, you know, not in a cannibalistic way. *cough*

Niina : LOL! What’s on your night stand?

Cassandra : Books. Shocked, aren't you? Also ( besides an alarm clock and lamp that everyone has ), random crap and chocolate.

Niina : Which Disney Prince would you pick if you had to choose?

Cassandra : Not a big fan of Disney. My roommate freshman year in college was OBSESSED ( she works there now ) so it kind of soured me on the whole Disney thing. Maybe that dude from Tangled? He was cute.

Niina : He was. :) What is the naughtiest book you've read this year?

Cassandra : Oh geez. I read a lot of naughty books. I'm gonna say a series - I'm reading a series called Assassin Shifter ( seriously, that's what it's called ). There are eight books so far and I'm eagerly awaiting more. They're male/male, which is the majority of what I'm reading this year for some reason.

Niina : Before we finish, here are some Quick Fire Questions:

Formula 1 or Nascar?   Nascar
Hockey or Football?  *snort* Hockey
Boots or Flip Flops?  Boots
Shots or Wine?  Wine
Fair: Popcorn or Cotton candy?  Popcorn
Date: Going bowling or Going to dinner?  Dinner
Scarier: Ghosts or Demons?  Demons
Men: Alpha-male or Millionaire?  Alpha male
Men: Bad boys or Good guys?  Good guys
Men: Muscled or Slim?  Muscled, but not like huge bodybuilder-type muscles
Knights or Kings?  Knights
Romance: Fallen Angels or Sexy Demons? Fallen Angels
Romance: Firemen or Cowboys?  Cowboys, though I do love firefighters...
Romance: Historical or Paranormal?  Historical
Sexier: Eyes or Lips?  Eyes
Sexier: Kisses or Licks?  Licks
Romance or Erotic Romance?  Erotic romance
Male POV or Female POV (Point Of View)?  I love love love reading AND writing the male POV

Niina : Thanks for visiting the For The Love of Reading, Cassandra! Any news would you like to share with your readers, or websites they can check out?

Cassandra : I have tons of new releases coming out in the next couple of months. *takes deep breath* Book three in my Buckin' Bull Riders series, Momentum, is coming this fall. Ellora's Cave is also releasing another EC For Men short story, Birthday Boy, and a novella for their Ball & Chain special sub call. That story is titled Unexpected Top.

Loose Id is releasing Awakening, another BDSM holiday book ( Caught was released last year for the same special sub call ).

Sybarite Seductions is releasing an anthology in November featuring me and two other authors titled Sexy Sports Shorts, and another short, A Spanking Good Time, is releasing in December and introducing Sybarite Seductions' Daring line.

*scratches head* I think that's it. I'm currently writing a m/m hopefully for Loose Id and the fourth book in the Buckin' Bull Riders series. I've got some other things out on submission, so keep watching my website at http://www.booksbycassandracarr.com.

Thanks for having me here!

Niina : My Pleasure!

My 4 Star Review of Double Vision can be found @ 

http://niinas-reading-and-reviewing.blogspot.fi/2012/10/review-double-vision.html

Wanna know what I thought of the book, and what my thoughts were on a fellow Finn starring in the book. ;)