The Romance Reviews

The Romance Reviews

Sunday, March 30, 2014

Pick Me Up Monday - My Crazy Life So Far


Happy Monday All
I love the energy coming from the graffiti background of this great pick of a beautiful male blond.
Well, it's been a crazy week since last I blogged. Sorry to have missed you all last week, but couldn't be helped. Real life interfered big time as I became mired in my day job. There are times when no matter how hard you try, your work can devour you and not in a good way.
Now, with some of the demands off of me I can breath and my muse is free to once again.
I have a hell of a lot of catch up to do missing a week of writing time really set me behind so now every free moment I'll be chained to the computer.
In between writing I do have a road trip to Brea, California coming up. I'm a guest speaker for the Orange County RWA on April 12th and am looking forward to a great time catching up with friends and meeting new ones.
Hot Mojave Knights is gearing up for one hell of a great time this year and have many great authors signing up to be a part of the fun this September.
Well, back to work, hope you have a happy and productive week and see you next Monday.

Thursday, March 20, 2014

Love is...Spring Fling Blog Hop!



Welcome to my blog! Yes, love is so many things to many people. For me love is spring. The world awakens with so many possibilities. The days get longer and the weather warmer. It's the perfect setting to fall in love or rekindle the love you already have.
 With spring here what better way to celebrate than with a wonderful giveaway blog hop? For my small part in this wonderful hop I am giving away a PDF of your choice of the first book of either my Dark Breed Enforcer series Dark Passion Rising or Beloved Wizard from my Knights of Excalibur series. All that is required is to finish the sentence
love is...
Here is a little blurb about the two books I'm offering up for this.
 
BLURB:
Tambra Ellis has just had her world turned upside down! Surviving a bite from a Lycan, attracted to one hot vampire guy and now she has to look forward to turning into something from some bad werewolf movie.
          Marcus Valerian has enough on his plate without the added complication of Tambra Ellis. Fiery and independent? Sure. Beautiful with a body made for sin? Oh Yeah. And a human cop. Tambra is everything he needs to stay away from.
    As leader of the Tribunal’s enforcers it’s up to him to find out why the Dark Breeds are going feral and killing humans in ever increasing numbers. Tambra’s life is in the balance as the secrets of her past place her in the middle of old deceits and a betrayal that will change the world forever.
     Will Marcus and Tambra’s love survive or will it be too late.
BLURB:
 
Arthur and his Knights are back and ready to kick ass!
 Merci Tramaine is not happy to be called back into service by her old boss Arthur, especially when she is charged to find her missing ex lover. Drake Monroe is Merlin reincarnated, with his powers bound by the Goddess Nimue he has become a skilled fighter, but no match for Nimue who kidnapped him determined to destroy him forever.
The bloodline of Morgan Le Fey taints Merci keeping her on the edge between light and dark, the Goddess’s wicked trap springs shut leaving both Drake and Merci racing against the clock. Passions ignite once again, but are they too late to plan a future or will they be torn from each other?
This time for eternity.
Remember to enter for your chance at one of my PDF's all you need do is put in the comments what love is to you and your email address. I will be emailing the winner on Tuesday March 25th!
Don't forget to enter the rafflecopter information so you can be considered for the following:
GRAND PRIZES:
 
*Special THANKS goes out to Blushing Books and authors Sue Lyndon, Patty Devlin and Cara Bristol for their contributions to the Grand Prizes!! :)
 
Here’s the Grand Prize list:
1 Kindle Fire (Donated by Blushing Books)
1 $75 Amazon (or B&N) Gift Card
1 $25 Starbucks Gift Card (Donated by Sue)
1 $25 Blushing Books Gift Card (Donated by Patty)
1 $25 Loose Id Gift Card (Donated by Cara)
 
 
 

 
 
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Wednesday, March 19, 2014

The Knights Druid-Book 2 of The Knights of Excalibur -#BHooks

MFRW Authors Blog
 
Welcome to this weeks offering. This time we pick up the tale with The Knight's Druid-Book 2 of the Knights of Excalibur.
Enjoy!
 

BLURB:
 
Arthur and his Knights are back and ready to kick ass!
 
 
What’s worse than a pissed off Knight? Colin Hennessy.
 Shifter, Knight and quick-tempered Irishman, Colin remembers vividly his past life as Sir Kay. Haunted by the woman he once loved and lost, he has spent his lives searching for his lost love to no avail. Now Arthur is back and his life once again is filled with purpose. Joined by a common goal, he lives only to protect Arthur and his fellow Knights from the twisted, black magic of Mordred.
Juliet Boyd moves among societies rich and pampered, but she holds within her a terrible secret. One Vance Hollister is determined to exploit. Mordred is back in a new skin, now as
 
Vance Hollister and the old evil is alive and well.
Colin and Juliet are unprepared for the flare of attraction that ignites between them from across a moonlit parking lot. Dare she open herself and expose her cursed gift? Can he save Juliet from Vance’s twisted manipulations or will he lose his second chance at love? A showdown between good and evil is coming to a head with Colin and Juliet right in the middle.
Book Hook:
 
Dear God, the man was beautiful!
The intensity of his stare made her skin tingle and her belly flutter. She didn’t know if she should fear this stranger or welcome him with open arms. His arms, at that moment, she wanted desperately to surround her, enfolding her with his warmth and strength. If not for the tux she could imagine him from Celtic legends of the green man coming out of the forest looking for a woman to mate. Her fingers itched to take off his clothes to see for herself if his body could be as defined as she thought.
Get a grip girl; no one is that good looking without something being wrong with him. A small voice in her head chided. He probably was gay and had an equally hot lover.
 
 
Buy Links:
Barnes & Nobel: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-knights-druid-shannan-albright/1113573930?ean=2940044996052
 
 

 
 

 
 

 

 

#Dawnflight by Kim Headlee-Eggcerpt Exchange

About Dawnflight:
Gyan is a Caledonian chieftainess by birth, a warrior and leader of warriors by training, and she is betrothed to Urien, a son of her clan’s deadliest enemy, by right of Arthur the Pendragon’s conquest of her people. For the sake of peace, Gyan is willing to sacrifice everything...perhaps even her very life, if her foreboding about Urien proves true.

Roman by his father, Brytoni by his mother, and denied hereditary rulership of his clan because of his mixed blood, Arthur is the supreme commander of the northern Brytoni army. The Caledonians, Scots, Saxons, and Angles keep him too busy to dwell upon his loneliness...most of the time.

When Gyan and Arthur meet, each recognize within the other their soul’s mate. The treaty has preserved Gyan’s ancient right to marry any man—but Arthur does not qualify. And the ambitious Urien, Arthur’s greatest political rival, shall not be so easily denied. If Gyan and Arthur cannot prevent Urien from plunging the Caledonians and Brytons back into war, their love will be doomed to remain unfulfilled forever.


Eggcerpt:

Gyan let Arthur initiate the attack. While advancing to meet the blow, she stumbled, fell, and rolled to her stomach. As expected, he quickly moved in to claim the victory. The crowd cheered. But before she could feel the prickle of his sword on her neck, she twisted aside and hooked his legs with hers. Luck favored her; with a startled yelp, and equally startled noises from their audience, he went down. She scrambled to her feet and pinned him under the point of her sword. Amid the overall roar of disappointment, she could pick out phrases like “Trickery!” and “Not fair!” But the taunts didn’t bother her; victory had never tasted sweeter! Her only regret was that Ogryvan and Per and the rest of her clan couldn’t savor it with her.

Studying Arthur for a reaction, her grin soured. For several seconds, he stared at the sky as though stunned; whether physically or mentally, she couldn’t tell. Her concern rose as she wondered if she had injured him. Finally, he shook his head and attempted to sit up, but her sword barred his way.

“I concede the match, Chieftainess.” He released his sword and waved his open hand. “I won’t try anything unique. You have my word. Thank God my enemies aren’t half as devious as you are.” His grin could have stopped the sun in its course…and it was having an arresting effect on Gyan’s heart as well. “But I wouldn’t advise using that move in battle. Much too risky.”

“Oh. Yes, I—I know.” Chiding herself for how silly she must sound, she sheathed her sword and thrust out her hand. He tugged off his gloves and accepted her unspoken offer, gripped her forearm, and hauled himself up.

Pain stabbing her arm forced a strangled gasp from her throat. He shifted his grip to her hand and gently turned her arm to expose the underside. A long cut lay perilously close to one of the veins, seeping blood. He traced the vein lightly with a fingertip.

“When did I do this?” His voice was a hoarse whisper.

Staring at the cut, she wondered the same thing. Probably during their initial clash, though she really had no idea. She shrugged. Even that motion made her wince.

“Chieftainess, I didn’t mean to—” A stricken look shattered his bearing. He squeezed her hand. “God in heaven, Gyanhumara, I am so sorry.”

She wanted to reassure him that she’d be all right; the wound looked clean and wasn’t much deeper than a scratch. In fact, it was the least of her concerns. Enchanted by the sound of her name on his lips and mesmerized by his gaze, she felt the world seem to collapse to just the two of them. His face hovered over hers, his lips a handspan away. The warmth of his nearness had an intoxicating effect. She was acutely conscious of the tugging of her heart, as though it was trying to pull her closer to him. It wasn’t an unwelcome idea.

Until March 20th, enter the Goodreads giveaway for 1 of 10 signed print copies of Dawnflight:




Goodreads Book Giveaway

Dawnflight by Kim Headlee

Dawnflight

by Kim Headlee

Giveaway ends March 20, 2014.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.
Enter to win
Buy Dawnflight via:
Kindle | Print | Audiobook | Nook | Kobo | iBooks


Follow Kim Headlee on:
Facebook | Google+ | LinkedIn | Pinterest | Twitter | YouTube


kimheadlee.blogspot.com

Tuesday, March 18, 2014

Spotlight Author - Angela Smith talks about her new release Fatal Snag

I am thrilled to bring you another outstanding author who I know you will love knowing more about. Angela Smith's new release Fatal Snag came out Monday March 17 and I got the low down on her new romantic suspense. But first, I'm sure you all would love to know a little about Angela. So grab your coffee and pull up that chair and meet the lady behind the book.
 
 
Do you do anything to get you into the zone to write?

It depends on the day. Sometimes I just wake up and can start writing and other times I can’t even think about writing that morning and will wait for the evening. (Unless it’s a perfect day and I do both). Some days it takes a glass of wine, a lot of deep breaths, or listening to some really good songs.
 

 Which authors inspire your writing?

Reading a lot of many different types of writing always inspires and challenges me to write better, but Sandra Brown is my favorite writer of all time.  Her work, along with my job at a prosecutor’s office, is what convinced me I needed to add suspense to my romance.
 
What is your favorite book, character and why?
If we’re talking of my book character, there’s no way I could choose. It’d be like choosing a favorite child. I love them all. I do have a few who won’t leave me alone, but that’s because I never finished their story.
 

Do you prefer to write erotic or sweet?

I don’t write erotic, but my stories are much too sensual to be labeled sweet. I guess you could say I’m middle-of-the road.

 

Which famous person, living or dead, are you drawn to?

Bruce Lee.  

 

Where do you see yourself in five years?

In five years, I’ll have the time in my job to be able to retire if I so desire, and I will definitely be continuing to write.

 

Finish this sentence: I know I’ve made it when_
 
I have a couple of zeroes before the decimal point of my royalty check, LOL.

 

What advice would you give aspiring writers?

Write what you love, what speaks to you, and what you enjoy reading. Don’t give up and don’t waste your time. Oh, the books I could have written if I hadn’t been wasting my time being too tired from my full-time job.

 

What do you see yourself writing in the future?

I have a YA I really want to write and a few other ideas, but my love of romantic suspense will never die, so I’ll also continue on that path.

 

If you could have one superpower what would it be and why?

Invincibility, because I’d never be too scared to try the many things I’d like to try. Invisibility would be nice, too, because I’d love to be a fly on the wall at certain times.

 

What time of the day are you at your best to write?

Either early mornings or late evenings.

 

And now for something completely different…
 

 

What do you look at first with an attractive man or woman, face, body or smile?

Face.

 

Explain your perfect day.

My perfect day would be to wake up early on my own without an alarm, drink a couple cups of coffee while I write the most amazing scene, and my cats sitting at my feet. After a few thousand words, I’d get up and exercise, eat and tend to activities that must be tended, i.e. shower and outdoor animals, gardening, etc. I’d do something fun that day and my husband would grill me something outside for dinner while I sit with him and watch the sunset. As the evening rolls to an end, I’d write more amazing scenes.

 

What is the most decadent desert you can’t say no to?

Chocolate covered cherries.

 

Do you have a favorite holiday what is it and what makes it special to you?

Christmas Eve. The memories, the joy, the magic, the family gatherings and just everything that leads up to the next morning. 

 

What key words describe you best?

Loyal, creative, and ambitious
 
 



BIO:
During her senior year in high school, Angela Smith was dubbed most likely to write a novel, and that has been her dream ever since her mother read Brer Rabbit to her and her sister so often that they were able to recite it back to each other before actually learning to read. She’s always enjoyed stories about the adventure of love, and getting involved in the legal field developed her love of suspense. A certified paralegal, work gives her perfect fodder for her romantic suspense stories. When not caring for her small farm or spending time with her husband of two decades, she enjoys creating, reading, and dreaming of the places she’ll visit one day.
 
Angela Smith LOVES talking to readers. You can contact her in the following ways:
 

 
We share the same idea for a perfect day and the chocolate covered cherries? Oh yeah, I'm right there with you. Thanks for giving us a tiny insight into what makes you...well...you. Now on the great stuff. Share your book news with us.
 
 



Fatal Snag by Angela Smith



BLURB:
Hollywood fashion consultant Naomi Fisher is happy to use her obsessive-compulsive planning to assist with her cousin's wedding, but her history with the sexy and sullen Chayton Chambers, the groom’s brother, terrifies her. When the groom is kidnapped at his own wedding, Chayton and Naomi rush to find an important relic to satisfy the ransom before her cousin becomes a widow before a bride. Naomi trades garters for guns as survival, and love becomes a deadly game impossible to resist.
Excerpt:

 
 
Surprise flashed through his brain, but he narrowed his eyes before it had a chance to erupt on his face. He edged closer. In her heels, her nose usually touched his chin, but now the top of her head came under his chin. Her breath curled around his cheek, exerting an agitated pull on his hormones that left him shaky and hesitant. He camouflaged that hesitation with cockiness and confidence.
She inched her nose higher. He leaned down to look at her, his face a fingerbreadth from hers. “Maybe that’s your problem,” he grumbled. “Maybe you can’t get over the fact that I never tried to kiss you.”
He closed in on her, pinning her against the wall as he settled his hands on the wall near her head. She couldn’t move with him so near and he made a point to trap her.
He remained that way for several seconds, staring into blue eyes of defiance as they breathed in each other’s breath. His pulse hinged precariously close to plunging overboard and disrupting his steady poise, but for now he held on.
Then he kissed her. Hard. Briefly. Fervidly. Heat traversed from his toes, agitating his shaky thighs and roosting in his loins only to explode behind his eyes.
She deepened the kiss, a slight brush of her tongue against his. He held on another brief moment then dropped his hands and backed away before his point became futile. Swiping a hand across his mouth, he pinned her with a hard gaze. “Is that better?”
“I’m not here to ask your forgiveness.”
 



Information about the book:
Title: Fatal Snag
Author: Angela Smith
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Release Date: 17 March 2014
 
Buy Links:
Crimson Romance: http://goo.gl/84nFbt


 

 
 
 



Monday, March 17, 2014

Pick Me Up Monday- A Writers Work Is Never Finished, Just Another Dealine Due.

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This Photo is courtesy of the remarkable and talented Tom Cullis. Check out his website at tomcullis.com. This pick is from his Spartan series and is just perfect for what I'm writing. Firestorm is set in ancient Rome in the year 69ad...in Pompeii. Well, where else would you expect to find a fire breathing dragon?
With my deadline looming near I'll be putting in the hours, devoting my time to finishing this, the second book in the Guardians of Drakkan series. Firestorm and the first book Soul Fire are releasing this summer so that leaves little time for any other projects until I see this one done.
For those of you who either live in Las Vegas or will be here March 29th I will be at the Spring Fling Book Fair between 2:30 and 4 to sign and sell a few of my books. Stop by and say hi.
Well, this book isn't writing itself, no matter how much I wish it would. Have an awesome week and I'll touch base with you next Monday. 

Sunday, March 16, 2014

Dark Desire Book 4 Dark Breed Enforcers -#SPeekSunday



Warning-This peek contains a small amount of sexual content. If you prefer your romance sweet and intimate encounters implied, you may not want to read this weeks peek.
For those of you who don't mind a tiny tease of sex I hope you enjoy.
 

Welcome to another sneak peek of the next installment of Dark Desire, Book 4 in the Dark Breed Enforcers series.
 
A destiny he can no longer deny
Being heir to the throne of Atlantis is not all it’s cracked up to be. Especially if you live under a world altering prophecy he is powerless to prevent. Ze’Kerhia is simply known as Zeke, the computer wizard and fighter for the branch of Enforcers lead by Marcus Valerian. He must now return to a life he walked away from in order to save a friend. Forced into a marriage to a woman he never met. Worse, she is Lemurian, a long standing enemy of Atlantis for thousands of years.
A brutal betrayal
One look at Laris Raail and Zeke knows he’s in trouble. He is captivated by her stunning dark beauty and grace, but more, he senses an intelligent and caring woman beneath which stirs his blood like no other could. With hopes high for the future he is unprepared to find a Lemurian dagger buried deep in his heart by the hand of his new bride, Laris.
A deadly plot revealed
Acting on a tip, Zeke finds Laris after seven long months of searching. Revenge his only motive. He is unprepared when he finds Laris with no memory of her past or even her name. It doesn’t take much time before Zeke realizes they are being hunted. Caught in a plot so treacherous, the dark breeds and humans alike may be unable to prevent the war it would spark. It’s up to the two of them to try and prevent more bloodshed and reveal the traitor in their midst.
Can they survive long enough to prevent the slaughter of innocent lives? Or will they too, perish before revealing who is behind a plot to enslave the world.
 
Sneak Peek:
His hands cupped her firm ass, pulling her closer to his raging erection, his body hard and burning with need, he rode a razors edge of control, almost beyond any chance of blunting the edge of his desire. He moved his attention to her other breast, biting lightly on her hard nipple, she gave a half groan, half gasp as she grabbed his tee shirt and tugged it up with frantic urgency. Releasing her breast, he lifted his head allowing her to pull his shirt off, nearly taking his shades with it. He released her, making a grab for them before they flew off his face.
“No, I have to see you. Please.” Her hands cupped his face, voice a soft entreaty, cracking something deep within him apart.
Déjà vu hit him hard as he remembered in vivid detail, the first time she saw him, her words and reaction etched forever on his heart at her calm acceptance. But this was not the same woman he married, she held no memories of him.
“Lari, I…shit.” Words died, how could he tell her how she twisted him up inside. No one ever got to him like her. His weakness.
She frowned, a shock of pain flashing through her gaze. “I’ve heard that name before. If only I could hold on to it long enough…Damn.” She swore releasing him to rub her temples. “Whenever I try to remember it feels like someone is cracking my skull in two with an axe.”
He brushed her fingers away, massaging her temples with soothing strokes, her relief palpable as her body relaxed against his. He couldn’t help the punch of arousal spreading low at the contact of her bare breasts against his chest, her nipples poking into his sensitive flesh was impossible to ignore.
 
 Thank you for reading my seek peek for this week. Click Here to return to the home page and see what the other authors offer up for your reading pleasure.

                                                  

Wednesday, March 12, 2014

Beloved Wizard-Book1 Kinghts of Excalibur #BHooks

 
MFRW Authors Blog
Welcome to another installment of Beloved Wizard. When writing this it originally started out as an idea for a horror anthology about Frankenstein's Monster called Beloved Monster. When the book fell through I decided to change it. For years the Arthurian legends really bugged me.  Guinevere was always the villain, an adulteress who betrayed Arthur and helped in the destruction of Camelot. Well, now was my chance to show the other side of the same coin. After all. there are always two sides to the same story. Here is the last installment of Beloved Wizard so enjoy the love story between Merlin, reincarnated as Drake and Merci the one woman he can't live without.
BOOK HOOK:

Viviane’s electric blue eyes honed in on Merci and she fought the impulse to squirm under that piercing gaze.

“It is good that you fight beside your man, but you must know you are no match for my sister alone.”

“I am not one to walk away from a fight,” Merci’s voice held a note of challenge.

“No, I suppose you’re not,” Viviane mused. “The amulet you spelled is strong and will help Merlin-Drake momentarily against Nimue’s curse.”

“It’s just Drake, Viviane,” he corrected. “Is there something you can do to lift this curse from us?”

Merci held her breath as Viviane mulled it over.
 
Beloved Wizard is available at:
 
 
 
eXtasy Books: http://www.extasybooks.com/beloved-wizard/ 
Amazon Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Beloved-Wizard-Knights-Excalibur-ebook/dp/B0064HD7PS
Book Strand: http://www.bookstrand.com/shannan-albright
Fiction wise: http://www.fictionwise.com/ebooks/a68068/Shannan-Albright/?si=0
              Thank you for your wonderful comments the past few weeks. Starting next week we start the journey with Book 2 of The Knights of Excalibur, The Knights Druid.