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2013 Reading Challenge
Jen (That's What I'm Talking About) has
read 0 books toward her goal of 75 books.
New-To-Me Authors
2013 reading goal:
15 new-to-me authors.
1) Stacy Gail
2) Heather Massey
3) Sidney Bristol
4) Ann Mayburn
5) Thea Harrison
6) Virna DePaul
7) Mary Quast
8) Molly Harper
9) Eleri Stone
10) PJ Schnyder
11) Kait Ballenger
12) Denise L. Wyant
13) Lucy Monroe
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Monday, May 31, 2010
Lara Adrian - Midnight Breeds Giveaway
I am excited to announce another GREAT author event and giveaway here at my blog:
Lara Adrian is one of my FAVORITE authors and she was kind enough to stop by and give me an interview. In addition, I got to MEET Ms. Adrian at the New Hampshire RWA Spring Fling.
Here is what I have in store for you this week:
June 1: Meeting Lara Adrian - my experience
June 2: Author Interview - Lara Adrian
June 3: Guest Thoughts & Review of the books of the Midnight Breed Series by a good friend of mine, UNA.
June 4: Giveaway wrap-up and final thoughts.
AND During the entire week there is a chance to win two of Ms. Adrian's Midnight Breed books. Lara has GENEROUSLY donated a SIGNED COPY of her newest release: Shades of Midnight for my giveaway. In addition, I recently purchased a signed copy of the FIRST MB book: Kiss of Midnight, so I'll be giveaway my slightly used, but loved copy of that book. I also have a few fun items to go with the books.
RULES OF THE GIVEAWAY:
1. Unfortunately, I have to limit this to my US and Canadian readers - so this is NOT an international giveaway.
2. Must be 18 or older.
3. Must be a follower of my blog - doesn't matter if you are old or new follower.
4. You must leave a comment at the end of THIS POST by 11:59 PM EDT on June 4, 2010.
5. Please leave your email so I can contact you. If you do not wish to leave your email in the comment form, you can send me your email directly to twimom227 (at) gmail (dot) com.
I will select two winners using random.org and announce the winners at my site on or before Monday June 7, 2010.
Labels:
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Sunday Snippets #10
From “A Christmas Kiss” in the anthology Hot for the Holidays by Lora Leigh.
He breathed in slowly, deeply. “You’re my mate, Jessica. We both know what that means. I’ve tried to stay away from you. I’ve tried to wait until the time was right to court you, to give you a chance to accept what it means.”
“Time?” She gave a hard, bitter laugh. “I was jailed, Hawke. You didn’t even visit. I’ve rarely seen you since my release. Perhaps you need to figure out exactly what it means to court a woman before you decide to do it.”
His jaw tightened, the muscle bunching almost violently as she watched him clench his teeth.
“I would have given us more time.” He seemed to push the words past his throat. “Before I began to court you, I wanted to ensure your protection, your safety. And your freedom.” He bit the last work out almost angrily. “I wanted you to choose me. I didn’t want to force the heat.”
“And that’s changed. Why?” She almost softened at the words, at the need she could see in his eyes and the fact that, unlike the circumstances of other mates, hers had tried to give her a choice, a chance to turn her back on it if it wasn’t what she wanted.
Friday, May 28, 2010
WE LOVE GENA WEEK - The Winners
Dear Followers, Friends, Readers and Participants....
Thank you so much for joining Bells and I in celebrating a wonderful and amazing author, Gena Showalter. Bells and I had a lot of fun discussing the amazing Lords of the Underworld series and sharing our love of all things GENA with you! *GENA, GENA, GENA* We hope you have enjoyed yourselves, we had a blast.
We’d like to thank Gena for her generous donation of FIVE SIGNED BOOKS to our fun week. It was a complete surprise and is just another reason we think she is so great.
NOW... the winners...
Every person that commented received one entry for the day (and book) when the comment was left. Each name was linked to a number. Using random.org, a random number was selected for each of the 5 contest days. That number was then linked back to the original name.
Day #1: The Darkest Night
SPAV
Day #2: The Darkest Kiss
ANGIE
Day #3: The Darkest Pleasure
DUCKY
Day #5: The Darkest Whisper
HOST
Day #6: Into the Dark
STELLA (Ex Libris)
Winners... We will be contacting you using the email you left with your comments. You will have 4 days to respond. If we don’t hear from you by June 1, 2010 at 12:00 noon EDT, we will draw a new winner.
THANK YOU TO EVERYONE!
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And... Keep a look out at my blog next week for my Lara Adrian - Midnight Breed Giveaway coming NEXT WEEK!
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Dark Succession - Review
Dark Succession
Author: Teresa D’Amario
Release Date: April 20, 2010 ebook format
Publisher: Freya’s Bower
True Mate Series Book #2
True Mate Series Book #2
ISBN: 978-1-936222-20-9
Genre: Paranormal Romance / Shifter
From the author’s website:
Nora Hunt is the daughter of former pack leader Sean Hunt and niece to Kieran Hunt. Emotionally and physically scarred after being held captive for weeks, she's finally ready to move on with her life. But when she meets Ryland, she discovers not only a world of darkness and pain, but discovers Ryland may not be any better than those who held her captive all those weeks.
When Ryland Keegan steps in as Alpha of his dead brother's pack, he inherits a pack of savage rogue wolven, as well as a legacy of violence, lies and five women held captive within the pack's confines.
But when Ryland's pack members start dying one at a time, he must decide if Nora is the catalyst or the killer. Can he trust his True Mate? Or will he be relegated to a life of leading the dregs of Wolven society?
What I’m talking about:
Dark Succession is an excellent mixture of action and romance, which alone made for a wonderful read. However, I was glued to the pages of this book because of the excellent story telling and an gripping “whodunit” plot line. Ryland’s pack members are being killed off and he has no idea who is doing it or why it is happening. In addition, someone keeps breaking into Ryland’s den, and he finds a mysterious coded diary that his dead brother left behind. Ryland doesn’t know who can help him, and after he has been lied to and hurt by his own family so often, he cannot even trust that his True Mate, Nora, is innocent. We are introduced to a wonderful cast of characters and I found myself constantly looking for a hint or clue that would help me solve the mysteries. I could not put this book down.
On top the great whodunit story, we have Nora: our heroine. Nora is a shewolf and daughter of her pack’s former leader. She is strong, but was destroyed by her own capture and torture and is no longer the confident shewolf she once was. (We read about her captivity in the first book, She Wolf.)
What I love about Nora is that we watch her grow from the weak shell of her former self to the strong alpha-bitch she was born to be. For wolven to show fear is signing a death warrant. And Nora does that early on in the book when a not very nice wolven grabbed her wrists, forcing Nora back into her memories of her capture. We watch her learn to overcome the past, and with the patience and love of her Mate, she gains back her confidence.
On the flip side of Nora’s story is Ryland’s journey from lonely leader to powerful alpha with a heart. Early on he is drawn to Nora physically because of the True Mate bond. But, he is disgusted by Nora’s fear, yet knows he must accept it since she is his destined Mate. He gives her time to grow and is surprised at how deeply he learns to care for her. The author provides great character development as Ryland goes from desires fueled solely by the bond nature put in place - to realizing his own faults as he watches his mate grow.
The story is well written and a joy to read. The end of the book started to drag some, but mostly because I wanted to get some answers and was an impatient reader. I was a bit disappointed that I couldn’t figure out exactly who was behind all of the shannigans, but it was still a great mystery. One thing that did bother me was Nora’s constant self-berating of her body. Even after she is able to “see” herself through her lover’s eyes and heart, she still puts herself down. She is stronger than that, and it annoyed me. But in the end, the story is a good one and I highly recommend.
My Rating:
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
WE LOVE GENA WEEK - Day #6
Welcome to the final day of WE LOVE GENA week here at That's What I'm Talking About and over at Hanging With Bells.
We have had a great week of fun and want to thank are followers, readers and contest participants for sharing in our GENA love. But mostly we want to thank Ms. Gena Showalter for her support and AMAZING donation of FIVE signed books to give to all of you! Three cheers for GENA!!
Today's post is a fan letter to Gena and you'll find it over at Bell's blog. Be sure to stop by and leave a comment to enter for the final giveaway: Gena's anthology: Into the Dark. And don't forget to go out and purchase a copy of The Darkest Passion, which comes out today!!
Remember to check back this Friday to find out if you won one of the signed books!
Monday, May 24, 2010
WE LOVE GENA WEEK - Day #5: Review of The Darkest Passion
In celebration of Tuesday’s release, both Bells and I have our ARC-reviews of The Darkest Passion. You can read mine below and visit Hanging With Bells for her review.
The Darkest Passion
Author: Gena Showalter
Release Date: May 25, 2010
Publisher: Harlequin Publishing
Lords of the Underworld Series Book #6
Publisher: Harlequin Publishing
Lords of the Underworld Series Book #6
ISBN: #0373774559
NOTE: this is an ARC review that I obtained from NetGalley. I did not pay for the book, and I did not receive anything for this review.
From the author’s website:
For weeks, the immortal warrior Aeron has sensed an invisible female presence. An angel--a demon-assassin--has been sent to kill him. Or has she? Olivia claims she fell from the heavens, giving up immortality because she couldn't bear to harm him. But trusting - and falling for - Olivia will endanger them all. So how has this 'mortal' with the huge blue eyes already unleashed Aeron's darkest passion?
Now, with an enemy hot on his trail and his faithful demon companion determined to remove Olivia from his life, Aeron is trapped between duty and consuming desire. Worse still, a new executioner has been sent to do the job Olivia wouldn't...
Now, with an enemy hot on his trail and his faithful demon companion determined to remove Olivia from his life, Aeron is trapped between duty and consuming desire. Worse still, a new executioner has been sent to do the job Olivia wouldn't...
What I’m talking about:
Ah: Aeron... How I have waiting for you since the beginning! I have been in love with anticipating Aeron's book since the first Lords of the Underworld story. And my wait was rewarded with this wonderful story.
My tattooed, black-winged hunk, Aeron, has been tormented by his demon, Wrath, for centuries. Wrath gives Aeron the ability to “see” an individual’s history - all of his/her sins, and creates a need in Aeron to destroy the individual for these sins. Cronus, the god king and ruler over the Lords, placed a curse upon Aeron in the first Lords book, which put him through terrible bloodlust, and he almost went insane. Once the curse was lifted, Aeron was able to get himself back together and maintain some sanity with the calming influence of his "daughter" demon, Legion. That is until he meets darling Olivia, a true angel. She soothes Aeron and causes Wrath to purr. She gave up her heavenly existence and climbed out of hell to be with Aeron. She is naive, but brave - willing to give up everything just for a little fun and *wink, wink*.
Ms. Showalter does a fantastic job weaving a tale of star-crossed love. Their love story is a beautiful centerpiece in this book. Olivia is confident in herself and in the One Divine Creator's plans, which includes Aeron’s death. She will give anything to spend a few moments with Aeron. She knows that he is to die, and she seems to accept this until she spends time on Earth, begins to experience emotions, and learns what these human emotions do to an individual. When she realizes she truly loves this male, she understands that she must let him go for the greater good. Conversely, Aeron is happy with his life and does not want Olivia in it. Until likewise, he learns to become a whole individual through loving someone else. This makes for some heighten emotional points and the sacrifices they each make to be together are heart-warming (and I shed a few tears).
In addition, Gena gives us insight into Legion, a character that Aeron met in hell and adopted as his daughter. What Aeron doesn't realize (and neither did I for a bit), is that Legion isn't a little girl. She is all female with certain hopes and desires. I really enjoyed watching the transformation of Legion and her relationship with Aeron.
The overall story arc of Lords vs Hunters slows a bit in this story and was more of a side plot in this book, which I enjoyed. We still learned a few things, but the Hunters took second fiddle to the development of the love between the two main characters.
My only complaint about this story is the ending - not the contents of the ending, but rather the abrupt finality to the tale. The entire ending was verbally spelled out by Olivia and "wham" the book was done. I would have much rather "seen" the ending play out. Give me a chapter that showed me what happened to all the players after the peak of the story. (It's tough to explain without spoilers.)
I highly recommend this story to all LORD and Gena fans! It has the perfect mix of romance, action and humor. And if you have not read the Lords of the Underworld series - START NOW! but you really need to start with the first book, The Darkest Night to get the most out of this book.
My Rating:
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So now it's time to talk about today's giveaway! Gena has generously donated a signed copy of one of her books for each day of the celebration!!! Today's giveaway is for the 4th book in the Lords of the Underworld series THE DARKEST WHISPER!
Here is what this great book is all about:
Bound by the demon of Doubt, Sabin unintentionally destroys even the most confident of lovers.
So the immortal warrior spends his time on the battlefield instead of the bedroom, victory his only concern until he meets Gwendolyn the Timid. One taste of the beautiful redhead, and he craves more.
Gwen, an immortal herself, always thought she'd fall for a kind human who wouldn't rouse her darker side. But when Sabin frees her from prison, battling their enemies for the claim to Pandora's box turns out to be nothing compared to the battle Sabin and Gwen will wage against love.
Bound by the demon of Doubt, Sabin unintentionally destroys even the most confident of lovers.
So the immortal warrior spends his time on the battlefield instead of the bedroom, victory his only concern until he meets Gwendolyn the Timid. One taste of the beautiful redhead, and he craves more.
Gwen, an immortal herself, always thought she'd fall for a kind human who wouldn't rouse her darker side. But when Sabin frees her from prison, battling their enemies for the claim to Pandora's box turns out to be nothing compared to the battle Sabin and Gwen will wage against love.
To win a signed copy of The Darkest Whisper this is what you need to do:
Leave a comment at the end of this post (or Bells) telling us which summer book release you are most looking forward to reading. You can leave a comment at both or either blogs, but you only get one entry per day!
Provide your email so we can contact you to let you know that you have won. We will contact you for your address info and then forward it to Gena so she can sign your book and send it to you!
All comments must be received by May 26, 2010 by 11:59 PM EDT. A winner will be chosen using random.org and all winners will be announced on both blogs on May 28, 2010.
Don’t forget to check back tomorrow at BELLS’ blog to read a fan letter to Gena, and one last chance to win a signed book.
Sunday, May 23, 2010
WE LOVE GENA WEEK - Day #4 / Sunday Snippets #9
This week's Snippets is in honor of WE LOVE GENA WEEK. This is from the upcoming book, to be released on Tuesday May 25, 2010. There is no giveaway today, however you still have time to go back and enter for the earlier books. And check back tomorrow at both my and Bell's blogs for our reviews of The Darkest Passion and another book giveaway.
From The Darkest Passion by Gena Showalter.
“Who are you?” His fingers wrapped around one of her fragile wrists-mmm, warm, smooth skin-and anchored it to a bedpost with the tie. He repeated the action with her other wrist.
Not once did she protest. It was as if she’d expected-and already accepted-that she would receive such treatment. “My name is Olivia.”
Olivia. A pretty name. Fitting. Delicate. Actually, the only thing that wasn’t delicate about her was her voice. Layer after layer of... what was that? The only word he could think to describe it was honesty, and so much drifted from her, he was knocked backward. That voice had never told a lie, he would bet. It couldn’t have.
“What are you doing here, Olivia?”
“I’m here... I’m here for you.”
Again, that truth... it was a force that flowed into his ears, through his body, and sent him staggering. There wasn’t room for doubts. Not a single one. He was simply compelled to believe her.
Sabin, keeper of Doubt, would have loved her. Nothing pleased the warrior’s demon more than tearing down another’s confidence.
“Are you Bait?”
“No.”
Again, he believed her; he had no choice. “Are you here to kill me?” He straightened and crossed his arms over his chest, glaring down at her, waiting. He knew how fierce he looked, but again, she didn’t react as females usually did: trembling, cowering, crying. She fluttered her long, black lashes at him, seemingly hurt that he'd maligned her character.
“No, of course not.” She paused. “Well, not anymore.”
Not anymore? “So. At one time, you meant to slay me?”
“I was once sent to do so, yes.”
Such honesty... “By whom?”
“At first, I was sent by the One True Deity to merely watch you. I didn’t mean to scare your little friend away. I was only trying to do my job.” Fresh tears filled her eyes, turning those beautiful blue irises into pools of remorse.
No softening. “Who is the One True Deity?”
Pure love lit her expression, momentarily chasing away that sheen of pain. “Deity of you, Deity of me. Far more powerful than your gods, though mostly content to remain in the shadows, and so rarely acknowledged. Father to humans. Father to... angels. Like me.”
Angels. Like me. As the words echoed in his head, Aeron’s eyes widened. No wonder his demon couldn’t sense any wickedness in her. No wonder her gaze felt familiar to him. She was an angel. The angel, actually. The one sent to kill him, by her own admission. Though she didn’t plan to end him “anymore.” Why?
Friday, May 21, 2010
WE LOVE GENA WEEK - Day #3
I have to say it was easy picking my favorite Lord because he’s been the same all along. However, my favorite book and scenes was much harder. The books are all so great and each has such memorable moments. Every book is unique in story and I love them all! So I’ll start with the easy one...
FAVORITE LORD:
Aeron. *sigh* He was existing as a Lord and warrior in Budapest until a horrible curse was placed on him by the king of the gods, Cronus. He slowly went mad and well... I’m not going to tell you all what happens because a lot of you haven’t yet read the series. He is the subject of the upcoming book, The Darkest Passion. Here is how his true love describes Aeron in the book:
... he looked gorgeous. He was tall and mouthwateringly muscled, with the most amazing violet eyes fringed by long black lashes. His dark hair was cropped nearly to his scalp... He was heavily tattooed, even on the perfectly sculpted planes of his face. Each of those tattoos depicted something gruesome... Yet amid all the violence were two sapphire butterflies, one riding his ribs and one outlining the wings on his back.
Yes ladies... this male has wings! And they aren’t the feathery-fluffy kind that angels have. They are “long and black and [look] as soft as gossamer, but the ends [are] pointed, sharp as knives." Oh, Aeron is a total bad ass with a heart of gold (once you get past the whole “keeper of wrath” thing!)
FAVORITE BOOK:
This really was a tough because the books are all great. Aeron is my favorite LORD and The Darkest Passion is AMAZING! However, I still have a soft spot for the third book in this series, The Darkest Pleasure. The first three books really set up the world and were very intertwined. The key players in Pleasure (Reyes and Danika) were introduced early on in the first book and their story unfolded during the first three books. But it was in The Darkest Pleasure that their story climaxed in a triumphant pairing. However, it wasn’t just their story that made the book great. There were big reveals and plot twists that keep me on my toes and eager for more. It’s such a great story and a must read!
FAVORITE SCENES:
(WARNING: contains spoilers if you haven’t read The Darkest Night)
Again, this was tough. But mostly because a lot of my favorite scenes would be considered spoilers if you haven’t read the series! So I’m picking a scene from the very first book to have the fewest possible people impacted by spoilers.
Our hero, Maddox, keeper of Violence, was cursed and he was murdered by his friend Reyes every night of his life. He suffered tremendously and knew that there would be no way for him to be with his love, Ashlyn and put her through this awful fate. One of my favorite scenes comes near the end of the book.
Her eyes met Maddox’s, pooled with unshed tears. “I love you.”
In that moment, he realized exactly what they planned. He bucked and fought for freedom. He shouted profanities even Paris would not utter. All the while, hot tears streamed down his cheeks. “No. Do not do this. Please, do not do this. I need you, Ashlyn. Reyes, Lucien. Please. Please!”
Reyes hesitated. Swallowed.
And then he stabbed Ashlyn in the stomach.
Maddox screamed, straining so forcefully the metal links cut all the way to the bone. If he kept it up, he would lose his hands and ankles. He did not care. Only one thing mattered, and she was dying in front of him. “No! No! Ashlyn!”
YEP - his love sacrifices herself to set him (and Reyes) free from the curse. It was powerful and I shed a tear or two. I love emotionally powerful scenes like that one.
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So now it's time to talk about today's giveaway! Gena has generously donated a signed copy of one of her books for each day of the celebration!!! Today's giveaway is for the 3rd book in the Lords of the Underworld series THE DARKEST PLEASURE!
Here is what this great book is all about:
Reyes is a man possessed. Bound by the demon of pain, he is forbidden to know pleasure. Yet he craves a mortal woman, Danika Ford, more than breath and will do anything to claim her—even defy the gods.
Reyes is a man possessed. Bound by the demon of pain, he is forbidden to know pleasure. Yet he craves a mortal woman, Danika Ford, more than breath and will do anything to claim her—even defy the gods.
Danika is on the run. For months she's eluded the Lords of the Underworld, immortal warriors who won't rest until she and her family have been destroyed. But her dreams are haunted by Reyes, the warrior whose searing touch she can't forget. Yet a future together could mean death to all they both hold dear.
To win a signed copy of The Darkest Pleasure this is what you need to do:
Leave a comment at the end of this post telling us which one of the Lords is your favorite. If you haven’t read the books, tell us about another hot demon male you love. You can leave a comment at both or either blogs, but you only get one entry per day!
Provide your email so we can contact you to let you know that you have won. We will contact you for your address info and then forward it to Gena so she can sign your book and send it to you!
All comments must be received by May 26, 2010 by 11:59 PM EDT. A winner will be chosen using random.org and all winners will be announced on both blogs on May 28, 2010.
Following our blogs is not a requirement and if you are a follower already, thank you! But if you aren't, we would love to have you join us. Just click on that handy follow button on the sidebar.
We have a great week in store, especially for all the Gena lovers out there! So make sure you check the schedule HERE and Bells blog for the opportunity to win more signed books from Gena.
Don’t forget to check back on Sunday to get a snippet of the upcoming release: The Darkest Passion!
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