Giveaways:

None right now.
(all international & blog specific unless told otherwise, aka "U.S" only or "TW" aka Tour Wide)

Saturday, May 5, 2012

REVIEW - OPPOSITES ATTRACT

"Romance novel publisher Amy agrees to cat-sit for her lesbian friend, not expecting a hot fireman like Troy to make acquaintances. Troy has no desire to settle down, he's perfectly happy with being single and having one night stands. Believing Amy is his lesbian neighbors newest girlfriend he gets closer to her than any girl before and that might just be the downfall of him being single..."

Author: Cat Johnson
Pages: 151 pages
Publisher: Self Published on March 2011
Form: E-book (from the author for an honest review)
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Amazon: Buy / $2.99 (Kindle) ( EU price, click to see yours )
Barnes & Noble: Buy / $3.99 (Nook)
All Romance E-books: Buy / $2.99 (E-book)
Excerpt: Read first 20%

Three novellas of the odd couples getting together!

Taking A Leap - After having spent a long time admiring the gorgeous Alyssa at work, Brad a geek and a nice guy sees her break up with her boyfriend and when Brad agrees to ghost write a sex scene due to a desperate client's request Alyssa teams up with him and maybe he's been given a chance.

Light My Fire - Romance novel publisher Amy agrees to cat-sit for her lesbian friend, not expecting a hot fireman like Troy to make acquaintances. Troy has no desire to settle down, he's perfectly happy with being single and having one night stands. Believing Amy is his lesbian neighbors newest girlfriend he gets closer to her than any girl before and that might just be the downfall of him being single, if only Amy wasn't a lesbian.

Second Time Around - Setting up newly divorced Maddie and near divorced Antonio seemed like a good idea by their friends but it seems they both have plenty of package to slug around. Things heat up and neither one can fight the attraction too long, not willing to give in they both battle to figure out if it's too soon and if there are such things as second chances in love.


Taking A Leap was such a funny, light romantic comedy - but with such a yummy sexy side! I loved Brad and Alyssa, such a cute might-be/might-be-not couple with serious chemistry. I loved the ending especially as they meet Alyssa's ex, loved it! ;) I liked Brad's sexy side even being a geek the guy was pretty well built and Alyssa's high maintenance appearance, but books really shouldn't be judged by the cover and there is so much more to her than a pretty face. Taking A Leap was a great start for the three novella collection!

Light My Fire was hilarious! From flamboyant gay men in gay clubs to alpha male firemen this story was funny, witty and romantic with a little bit heartbreak. Troy confusing Amy for a lesbian and beginning to develop feeling for her was fun to read and Amy was so clueless of the fact it was priceless. Many laugh out loud moments, lots of romance and anticipation! Yummy!

Second Time Around was more mature, somber novella in the collection. More sad and not quite so fun and playful. Second chances usually are about exes getting together again - but in Second Time Around two people burned by love battle wither it's safe to take that dive again.

I loved how all these stories tied together with Maria the lesbian romance novel author with computer problems, in need of a cat-sitter, throwing engagement parties. I liked the red line tying all the novellas together to get a coherent collection of romance!

Cat Johnson writes great romance! The characters are fun, sexy and believable ( which is more than crucial! )! If you haven't read Johnson's contemporary romance yet this is great place to start! I've been in love with her cowboy romance since Unridden, but I have new found love for her contemporary line!


Rating :




Friday, May 4, 2012

AUTHOR INTERVIEW - JADE BUCHANAN

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

Jade Buchanan : Thanks! I'm glad to be here! I'm in the middle of a WIP, so I'm being naughty and taking a teeny break. Thanks for the excuse!

Niina : LOL! You’re welcome. ;) Let’s get started! Can you tell my readers here 4 fun unknown facts about you so we can break the ice?

Jade : Uh oh... I'm a bit of an open book, so I'm not sure if these are completely unknown facts, but they're certainly fun for me.

First, I play with dolls :) I have a set of about two dozen GI Joes, Barbies and Ken dolls that I use to mock up sex scenes and generally get into trouble with. I tend to take pictures of them in naughty poses for blog posts and my website :)

Second, I have a near uncontrollable jewelry collection. I feel like you can't accessorize enough, and that brings me to number three...

I make my own jewelry. It started just as a fun hobby, but I do get the odd request from friends and family to make them necklaces, earrings, bracelets, and all sorts of baubles.

Hmm... Number four? I have a horrible quirky sense of humor. The oddest things make me laugh.

Niina : Tell us little about your romances, what are they about, what’s the common nominator?

Jade : I write erotic romance that features all sorts of pairings. I'm a firm believer that love and romance are universal concepts, no matter a person's gender identify or sexual orientation, so I tend to write about a lot of GLBT characters. I think the common thread in a lot of my stories is the importance of family and friendship, although I've also been told that I tend to write quirky, oddball characters who get into steamy, melt-your-brain sexual situations. I'm okay with that ;)

Niina : How do you write, chapter here and there or follow from beginning to an end?

Jade : I'm a quilter when I write. I write scenes, and then stitch them together at the end. I think it's my short attention span, but I just can't seem to write straight through from the beginning to end!

Niina : What is the biggest “no-no” when it comes to writing for you?

Jade : I don't know that I necessarily have a "no-no". I try to keep an open mind and write what the characters need, even if it's something that personally bothers me. Although, that being said, I can't stand infidelity in a romance book, so that might be the only firm no-no I have.

Niina : That would be a good no-no! Any big projects for 2012?

Jade : My current WIP is scheduled for a 2012 release, and I'm pretty excited about it. It's the second in my Broken Rules trilogy, set in Northern Ontario, and features a male nurse and his closeted, too-scared-to-come-out lover. After that I'll be working on another story in my Wolf Creek series, about a werewolf and a little hedgehog shapeshifter he falls for. I wasn't joking about the quirky sense of humor LOL! I have a few more projects that are lining up in my brain, but I'm not sure what will come first :)

Niina : Hedgehog shifter that sounds adorable! :) What makes you feel like you’re reading or have read a truly amazing book?

Jade : I've read a number of books that I just couldn't put down, and that's a good indicator of an amazing book for me. It doesn't necessarily have to be a certain genre, or a particular author, but if I stay up the entire night, or start to get annoyed when I have to take breaks to eat, etc. then I know it's a good one. My reading tastes are so eclectic that I tend to bounce around between different romance subgenres, fantasy, horror, mystery, sci-fi, urban fantasy... I think I've found a truly amazing book in each of those genres.

Niina : What makes a story sexy?

Jade : There's something about emotional foreplay that gets my engines revving when I'm reading! It's all mental for me, I want to know what the characters are feeling when they're experiencing something sexy.

Niina : What’s the best advice for writers you have received?

Jade : Write! It sounds simple, but it's something that I do have trouble with occasionally. Some days you're tired, or you're just not feeling it, but it's always easier to fix a bad page than a blank page.

Niina : That’s true! Flirting with the idea of bringing a new mythological/paranormal creature to page, what would be exciting to write about?

Jade : I tend to write about all sorts of creatures that seem like they wouldn't work, especially with shapeshifters. I've written a frog shapeshifter (who happened to be the dominant partner LOL ), duck shapeshifter, and one of my future releases has a squirrel shifter! They're exciting for me, because you get to play with people's expectations and give them something unexpected. Plus, there are so many werewolf or vampire romances out there. I want something different. I also think it would be exciting to write about some of the mythological beasts that show up in Greek myths. The minotaur, lamia, medusa. How fun would it be to take something like that and make it both erotic and quirky? Maybe it's just me LOL!

Niina : LOL! I’d read that! ;) What’s the sexiest article of clothing on a guy?

Jade : Boxer-briefs. I'm a sucker for them.

Niina : Not bad. ;) What is your favorite guilty pleasure?

Jade : My dolls! I'm serious when I say that I spend a lot of time collecting both the dolls and their accessories. I love the ball-jointed dolls because when you're mocking up a sex scene to see if it's possible/realistic you can move every joint individually. I spent more than I'd care to admit buying a number of dolls, including a Tom of Finland doll and an original Gay Bob doll from the 1970s. Heck, I've even been known to make teeny tiny butt plugs and dildoes for them :)

Niina : LOL! Your Top 3 dangerous fictional bad boys, and why them?

Jade : Oh, that's a tough one. I loved Spike in Buffy, he was such a great, snarky, but redeemed character. Even when he was a good guy, he still had an edge to him that I loved. I'm a sucker for Eric in the Sookie Stackhouse world that Charlaine Harris created. Both the literary version and the TV version played by Alexander Skarsgard. My final one isn't really a bad boy like the others, but it would have to be Brodick Buchanan from Julie Garwood's Ransom. He's simply my favourite fictional man. A Laird who is sarcastic, dominant, protective, and gentle? Love it.

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

Night or day?  Day!
Pick-up or Mini-van? Pick-up. I'm an Alberta girl :)
Boots or Heels?  Boots. I avoid heels if I can.
Beer or Wine? I like wine, but there's nothing like a cold beer when you need it.
Cocktails or Shots? cocktails.
M&Ms: With or Without Peanuts?  With! I love peanuts!
Treats: Sweet or Salty? Salty all the way.
Date: Going to Park or Going to Movies? I'm a sucker for movies.
Winter or Summer? Summer, as long as it isn't too hot.
Jewels or Chocolates? Jewels.
Men: Alpha-male or Submissive? Alpha!
Men: Clean Shaven or Stubble? Stubble is just sexy.
Men: Bad boys or Good guys? Good guys.
Tattoos or Piercings on a guy? Both! If I have to choose... tattoos.
Brunettes or Blonds? Brunettes.
Romance: Vampires or werewolves? Werewolves for the win.
Romance: Fallen Angels or Sexy Demons? Sexy Demons.
Romance: Cops or Cowboys? Cowboys! It's the cowboy hats :)
Time-Travel or Sci-fi? Sci-fi.
Romance or Erotica/Erotic Romance? Erotic romance, for sure. I like to see the possibilities, both as a reader and a writer.
Male POV or Female POV (Point Of View)? It depends on the genre. For urban fantasy I prefer female, but there's something hilarious about a well-written male POV in a romance.
Times New Roman or Courier? Arial! LOL! Times New Roman out of those two, though.

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

Jade : Thanks for letting me hang out here! You can check out my books, free stories, current works in progress and GI Joe hijinks at my website http://www.jadebuchananbooks.com

I'm also available through any of these:

FRIDAY FOLLOW!



"What is one thing you wish you could tell your favorite author?"


Dear Lisa Kleypas / Jeaniene Frost / Eve Langlais,

I absolutely love your books and they so help me escape grim reality for a while and get all fluffed up in a world where you don't need to worry about groceries or work! ;)

Thanks! Love ya!
Niina

( have to keep it short today, of to run to work --  sigh! ;) )


Thursday, May 3, 2012

GUEST BLOG & GIVEAWAY: HOW TO WRITE HOT SEX SCENES

At For The Love of Reading today is Gabrielle Bisset with a sexy Guest Blog and some treats! Check out the giveaway below! Now to the guest blog...

How To Write Hot Sex Scenes
by Gabrille Bisset

Thanks Niina for having me here for Blood Avenged's book tour.

One of the most important parts of an erotic romance author's job is writing really hot sex scenes.  Each writer has his or her own methods.  Some need to drink to get themselves into a state that is less inhibited, and some listen to sexy music.  So what do I do?  I write exactly what I fantasize about when I think about my hero in whatever book I'm writing.

So take Vasilije from Blood Avenged.  Tall, incredibly built, with black hair and blue eyes, he's gorgeous, so it's a good place to begin thinking about just looking at him.  My heroes are always men I find appealing, so it's just a matter of thinking about what I'd like to do with him if he were standing in front of me.

For Sasa, the heroine in Blood Avenged, Vasilije is pure sex.  He's unlike anyone she's ever met, and he's attracted to her.  Something in the way he speaks and stands so close thrills her like nothing else she's ever felt. The reader senses his effect on her through her words and movements.

With a male like Vasilije, sensuality is everything.  He's consumed with enjoying the sensations around him.  For his character, much of the sexual experience is sensory.  He loves the feel of Sasa's hands on his skin.  He relishes the taste of her tongue as it sweeps over his lips.  His excitement is raised as he hears the need in her voice as she begs him to give her what she wants.

I always focus on the smaller facets of sex as I write a scene, so I may make a man's hands important because they convey the feeling of him touching the heroine.  Or I make the kiss important.  Many people want to skip over the kiss, hurrying on to the actual intercourse, but for me, the kiss is where the magic begins.  The feel of one character's lips brushing against the other's, the sensation of the hero's tongue grazing the heroine's, the teasing breath of one character as her sharp intake of air shows the hero that just his kiss is driving her insane with need for him.  This is what makes everything that comes after the kiss so great.

For me, sex scenes are just a natural extension of my own fantasies and my characters' personalities.  I use techniques I've enjoyed, those I've seen in movies or on tv and haven't had the pleasure to experiment with yet, and the tried and true things like kissing and make them unique to the characters I have in the scene.  Their personalities dictate how they'll approach sex, and with that in mind, I let them enjoy themselves.

It's hard to believe this is considered a job.
~Gabrielle Bisset

Places to Purchase Blood Avenged:

Gabrielle will be giving away:

  • A signed bookmarks from Blood Avenged and the upcoming books Blood Betrayed and Blood Spirit at each tour stop ( that means right here, ladies! ) 
  • $10 gift card for one randomly drawn commentor during the Tour

How to participate:

  • Comment here answering this question "What makes a great sex scene - and what makes a bad one?"
  • Leave your e-mail address on the comment ( for example: iwantalphas at gmail dot com )

Here are all the Tour Stops! The more you comment, the better your chances of winning. Click HERE! Giveaway ends May 4th 2012.

Wednesday, May 2, 2012

REVIEW - PARADIGM SHIFT & GIVEAWAY

"Megan Shaw all but runs down the otherworldly Raul, she barely blinks. It doesn’t hurt that Raul is hot – whether in his human form or his natural one – and that there’s an immediate mutual attraction."

Author: Misa Buckley
Pages: 89 pages
Publisher: Self Published on May 2012
Form: E-book (from tour for an honest review)
Genre: Erotic Sci-fi Romance (+18 Only)

"Observatory tour guide Megan Shaw has always had stars in her eyes, so when she all but runs down the otherworldly Raul, she barely blinks. It doesn’t hurt that Raul is hot – whether in his human form or his natural one – and that there’s an immediate mutual attraction.

But Raul is on the run from his alien overlords and soon Megan finds herself fighting against a foothold situation with nothing more than a couple of cattle prods and Muse for soundtrack.

However Earth is not the only planet at risk and with his species desperate to escape generations of oppression, will Raul’s loyalties shift as easily as his physical appearance?"


Good things first shall we? I loved the hot romance in this! A sci-fi girls's dream to have a erotic love scene with a woman and an alien ( now what I mean by alien is not a little grey man, ewww! This guy is hot even as an alien ) and have it done right. Paradigm Shift is a hot story, with a pretty good idea for a plot, and it could have been great if it hadn't been for few things that just didn't make sense.

The characters are totally unbelievable, and not in the 'comical' way but in the 'oh no one would ever react like that' way. And that strips a lot from the beginning of the book, I could go into details, but I don't see the need to I'm just going to say if you find an alien you won't immediately believe it and be okay with it no matter who or what you are - and you most certainly won't jump their bones. Now after Megan and Raul hook up the book has a very familiar feel to it and is instantly more believable and very much fun.

And then we also get to the plot - interrupted often by a lot of hot love scene ( whoo! ) - which is interesting, but perhaps the grass roots techniques of two "people" seems too small for the grand scheme of things ( read full blown alien invasion ). The evil aliens were interesting parasite shadow type things and that I did find very interesting, as well as description of Raul's true form!

You'll like this if... you like hot erotic sci-fi romance, but aren't too picky on wither it's realistic.

Rating :




But don't just take my word on it! 

(May 2nd - 6th)
You have a chance to win Misa Buckley's Paradigm Shift for yourself!
Comment below with your e-mail for your chance to read this hot sci-fi romance!


Tuesday, May 1, 2012

REVIEW - HOW TO RAVISH A RAKE

"To cook up a scheme to get out of the mess he's gotten himself into he and his scoundrel friends think seducing Ms. Hardwick an heiress to 50 000£ upon marriage might just do the trick. But who knew he might have actually have few decent bones in him after all."

Author: Vicky Dreiling
Pages: 400 pages
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing, Forever on April 2012
Form: E-book (from NetGalley for an honest review)
Genre: Historical Romance
Series: How To #3
Amazon: Buy / $7.99 (Mass Market Paperback) ( EU price, click to see yours )
Barnes & Noble: Buy / $7.99 (Nook or Paperback)
Excerpt: Chapter 1

Amy Hardwick knows all too well the reputation of William Darcett, also not quite so affectionately called "The Devil", and she's steering clear away from the handsome rake. She's on her last Season and decides to make this one to deviate from the earlier Wallflower years. And she succeeds becoming the fashion darling of the ton with her beautifully designed gowns.

Will is cut off from his heritage and cannot no longer travel abroad away from his meddling family. To cook up a scheme to get out of the mess he's gotten himself into he and his scoundrel friends think seducing Ms. Hardwick an heiress to 50 000£ upon marriage might just do the trick. But who knew he might have actually have few decent bones in him after all.

Seduction, schemes, courting and betrayal make this novel a must read!


I have found my new favorite Historical Romance author! Vicki Dreiling writes a fun, lively set of characters in an era that could leave a modern girl cold, Amy and Will battle their wits and wills against each other in a game of seduction, betrayal and love in 1818, and it's addictively readable! I have to say I'm picking up the two in the series before this!

Even though How to Ravish A Rake was the third in the series that I haven't previously read, it was a brilliant stand alone, even the previous characters weren't too serial, they felt like genuine supportive cast - but I imagine the people who have read the novel one and two it's wonderful to see them again... because I do wait to see Amy and Will in the next novel!

The plot was excellent, it was filled with little subplots and with lots of witty lines and dialogue, charming manners and seduction. For a Historical Romance this was very fast pace and active, and I liked it a lot, not too many chats over tea for me, I need the action! And How To Ravish A Rake had it!

Both Amy and Will were lovable, even though thoroughly handsome Will was questionable there for a while, he seriously was a rake and had very little care for anyone else's feelings, but then doing the right thing suddenly changed him in my eyes and even though he didn't reform then and there he become lovable instead of just interesting. And Amy, I was so rooting for her and her little business with the dress maker!

I wish I could tell you about all the things I loved, but that would giveaway too much and I want you to live this through with Amy and Will, but there are tons and you won't be disappointed! The seduction, schemes, courting and betrayal make this novel a must read for all Historical romance lovers!

Rating :




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