Giveaway & Excerpt: Ruined by Tracy Wolff

Thanks to Random House, I have an excerpt and giveaway of an erotic romance releasing today, "Ruined", by Tracy Wolff.

Fans of Fifty Shades of Grey, Bared to You, and Release Me will be hooked on Ruined, an electrifying journey of emotional and sexual discovery that pushes two damaged souls to their breaking point—and beyond.
 
He’s the last man Chloe Girard should love . . . but the first she ever could.
 
Ethan Frost is a visionary, a genius, every woman’s deepest, darkest fantasy—even mine. And, somehow, I am his.
 
He stole into my life like a dream. Turned my reality upside down and made my every desire come true—especially those I never knew I had. He demanded everything I had to give and gave me everything of himself in return.
 
But dreams don’t last forever, and ours is no exception. Because my nightmares are darker, and my wounds deeper, than I could ever reveal. And as much as Ethan wants to protect me, the secrets we we share will only tear us apart.

EXCERPT! Flirting With Disaster by Ruthie Knox

So it's no secret that Ruthie's Camelot series is one of my favorites. I've also helped pimp the dickens out of it: I reviewed the first two books in the series, "How to Misbehave" and "Along Came Trouble", had excerpts and participated in the cover reveal for this book. Today I have an excerpt and soon, my pretties, soon, I'll have a review for you (just as soon as I get my hands on the book. :D).

Enjoy the goodness!

Flirting with Disaster by Ruthie Knox, A Loveswept eOriginal Excerpt by Romance At Random

Interview with Romance Author Wendy Vella & GIVEAWAY!

Please welcome romance author Wendy Vella to the Nook today. Her book, "The Reluctant Countess", came out on Monday the 14th and she took the time to sit down and answer some questions for me. 

Photo from author website

Wendy Vella is a lover of all things romantic. She started reading her first Georgette Heyer book at a young age and instantly fell in love with the Regency era. Writing is something she has always found time for; she penned her first novel at eighteen though she says it will never make an appearance further than the closet in which it currently resides.

After having her two children Wendy then joined RWNZ and started honing her chosen craft by entering competitions with some success and attending conferences. Her Clendon and Readers Choice award-winning historical romance The Reluctant Countess will debut in Jan 2013 with Random House in their Loveswept line.

She has an addiction to reading and loves a wide range of genres while her first love will always be historical. She relishes novels steeped in Romance and excitement with feisty heroines and delicious heroes, especially when they are set amongst the treacherous waters of London society.

Wendy is a sucker for a happy ending having secured her own. She has been married to her own dark brooding hero for 28 years and shares her home with two wonderful children, two dogs and anyone else who happens to be visiting at the time. Born and raised in a rural area in the North Island of New Zealand, Wendy loves the beaches and lush green rolling hills of her homeland and is proud to call herself a very patriotic Kiwi!

Wendy's website: http://www.wendyvella.com/

Facebook: http://facebook.com/AuthorWendyVella

Twitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/wendy_vella

Email: wendy@wendyvella.com

 

       Bea: Wendy, thank you for taking the time to answer my questions. What is it about the Regency period that attracts you? If you could choose any time period to live in, would it be the Regency era?

  

Wendy: Yes I would live in the Regency time, although I’m sure the lack of bathroom facilities would get to me after a while! I love the intrigue of that era, the scandal and decadence. It was a time of self indulgence for the wealthy and they lived in a society with the most amazing set of rules like; men always went up the stairs first and ladies down the stairs first. Seriously, who thought up that stuff?

      Bea: Why romance? What’s the appeal for you? Do you think you might try a different genre some time?

Wendy:  I’m a hopeless romantic. From my first M & B (Mills & Boone) I was hooked and I never thought about writing anything else. I don’t like books that don’t have happy endings either. I have written a contemporary and am having a go at another, but I haven’t tried anything else.

      Bea:  Using a tweet format, why should we read your book, “The Reluctant Countess”?

  Wendy: 2 peeps from diff worlds, Sxy Earl thinks hot Countess is 2GTBT, Regency setting, humor & passion + intrigue & IMHO a bloody good read!

Bea:  What was the inspiration for this book?

Wendy:  I’ve never a written a book like this before, it was actually a competition I came across, you were giving the opening scene; dark Earl, mysterious Countess and a ballroom and I wrote the book from there. I never entered the competition but it worked out well in the end.

      Bea:  Do you prefer print or digital books?

  Wendy:   I’m pretty old school and love print books but having said that I’m now pretty hooked on my ereader, so I guess I’m swinging more towards digital.

Bea:  You mention on your site that you like many genres. What are some of your favorites? Any favorite authors?

Wendy:  I’m a huge Nora Roberts fan (Oooo, so am I! ~ Bea) and love all of her books. I like paranormal and read a lot of Nalini Singh. To be honest I read most genres as long as they have a happy ending!

      Bea:  If you could be a character in a book, which one would it be, and what part would you play?

  Wendy:   I’d probably be Rowan Tripp from the book "Chasing Fire" by Nora Roberts. She’s tough and mean but has plenty of hang ups and she gets to leap from a plane into fires, what’s not to like? Plus she gets to sleep with the sexy Gulliver Curry.

Bea:  Do you have a guilty pleasure? If so, what is it?

Wendy:  Whittaker’s chocolate and roasted almond peanut slab. My husband thinks that only three come in a pack, because by the time I get home from the store I’ve usually eaten two already. (LOL ~ Bea)

      Bea:   When you write, are you a planner or do you make it up as you go?

  Wendy:   I make it up as I go. I get the idea for a character and then work on naming him or her, names are big for me, they have to (be) right or it won’t work. I then start on the story and it builds from there. Sometimes I’ll make a few notes as I go just to keep track of eye color and things like that but that’s about all. I’ve tried to plan a few times but I find it hard to write several pages which are not actually anything I can use.

Bea:  Was there anyone who mentored you or has been a big help to you getting started writing?

Wendy:  Romance Writers of New Zealand has been a big part of my success. I came into contact with so much experience when I joined, I attended conferences and was exposed to outstanding writers, editors and agents who were happy and willing to share their knowledge. Plus there were the competitions; these were in valuable for me. The feedback helped to sharpen my writing skills.

Bea: Do you think social media is important these days for an author?

Wendy:  Absolutely, I’m not that sharp on social media yet so I’ve been working on this and have some wonderful friends helping me, but it is a way to get yourself out to readers. It can also cut into your writing time because it is something you have to do consistently, but I think it’s the way of the future so it’s something as a writer I want to embrace. (I agree; I love engaging with authors on twitter and facebook but if I had to choose, I'd rather they devote the time to writing. ~ Bea)

Wendy, thank you so much and best of luck with your book. 

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Thanks to Random Loveswept, I have 1 print book & 3 Net Galley Preview copies of "The Reluctant Countess" to give away today. US only for the print book, sorry. You need a NetGalley account for the preview copies. Enter using the Rafflecopter widget below; please read my Giveaway policy.

From Wendy Vella comes a Cinderella story of whirlwind passion between a dashing earl and a beautiful countess—and the secret that threatens to tear them apart.

Regal, poised, and elegant, Sophie, Countess of Monmouth, is everything that a highborn lady should be. But Sophie is hiding a past that is far from royal. When Patrick, Earl of Coulter, realizes that her story doesn’t add up, he resolves to find out the truth of what Sophie and her sister-in-law are concealing. Although Sophie has every reason to avoid him, the handsome and charismatic Patrick awakens something wicked deep within her soul . . . a powerful need that Sophie must stifle in order to protect her place in society.

Despite Sophie’s humble background, the raven-haired beauty has won Patrick’s heart. But what Sophie needs now is an ally. Viscount Myles Dumbly, the disgruntled former heir of Monmouth, is determined to expose Sophie as a fraud to recapture his lost inheritance. Soon Patrick is drawn into a fight for both their lives. Somehow he must find a way not only to rescue Sophie from poverty once and for all, but to keep her in his arms forever.

Interview & Giveaway with Romance Author Samantha Kane

My guest today is erotic and romance author Samantha Kane. She's stopped by for a brief chat and to give away a preview copy of her upcoming book, "The Devil's Thief", an historical romance. Samantha  lives in North Carolina with her husband of fifteen years and three children, two boys and one girl. She spent seven years as a high school history teacher before becoming a full time writer and mom. Ms. Kane has a Master's degree in American History.

She loves to hear from readers, so don't hesitate to  email her.

email: mail@samanthakane.us
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Bea: You have a Master’s degree in American history, how important is historical accuracy in a historical romance?

Samantha: This is a really good question, and one all historical romance authors have a different opinion about. I'm of the opinion that yes, it does, but exceptions can be made for the good of the story. It is fiction, after all. But if you try to change historical dates or events, then it becomes alternate history. So the gray areas of history--customs, speech, dress--can be altered to fit your storyline, or to make the story more accessible to a modern reader, but don't tell me George Washington was at Waterloo.

Bea: Using a tweet format, tell us why we should read your next book, "The Devil’s Thief".

Samantha: A sexy romp through Regency London. Steamy love scenes, great dialogue, unforgettable characters, and devilishly gorgeous rakes. Only $2.99.

 Bea: What is the most romantic anyone has ever done for you? How would you define romance in real life?

Samantha: Confession time: I am quite possibly the least romantic woman on the planet. I forget anniversaries, I really hate getting flowers (who wants to watch them die?!), I'm PDA phobic...well, you get the picture. My husband, on the other hand, is a big romantic, poor guy. So he keeps trying, lol. But he knows the way to my heart. On our honeymoon he surprised me at dinner the first night with tickets to a St. Louis Blues hockey game. I nearly cried I was so excited. Real life romance? When my husband offers to take the kids somewhere on Saturday afternoon so I can write. And the fact that he doesn't make me mow the lawn, ever. (I LIKE her husband! ~ Bea)

Bea: If you could be a character in a book, which one would it be, and what part would you play? (Romantic lead, sidekick, etc)

Samantha: I'd be the married, wise-cracking, comic relief best friend of the heroine. I'd love to be in Nalini Singh's Psy-Changeling series.

Bea: I see on your site that you’re a member of S.W.A.G., the Steampunk Writers and Authors Guild, but you haven’t published any steampunk. So, why join? Are you working on a steampunk story?

Samantha: I've co-written a western, alternate history steampunk romance with Mari Freeman called Engine Number Nine. We're hoping to have it published next year. It takes place in 1869 in an alternate American timeline, where the United States is still relatively small, and fighting both Mexico and Britain for domination of North America. The hero, Ryder, is a yankee veteran of the Civil War with a clockwork arm, and the heroine, Lucy, is a secret agent for the U.S. posing as a Harvey House waitress with her team of female agents in Texas, as Mexico and America are getting ready to join the first trans-continental railroad. And, of course, I love to read steampunk, as well.


Samantha is giving away one digital copy of "The Devil's Thief" via NetGalley. The preview expires after one month so don't delay in reading it!

Excerpt from The Devil's Thief.

Enter via the rafflecopter widget.

Review of Until There Was You by Jessica Scott

Publisher: Loveswept
Series: Coming Home #2
Format Read: e-Galley
Release Date: October 8, 2012
Buying Links:   Amazon   Barnes & Noble    Random House

Book Blurb (from goodreads): 

 He plays by the rules, she’s not afraid to break them. Now these two strong-willed army captains will prove that opposites attract . . . 

A by-the-book captain with a West Point background, Captain Evan Loehr refuses to mix business with pleasure—except for an unguarded instance years ago when he succumbed to the deep sensuality of redheaded beauty Claire Montoya. From that moment on, though, Evan has been at odds with her, through two deployments to Iraq and back again. But when he is asked to train a team prepping for combat alongside Claire, battle-worn Evan is in for the fight of his life. 

Strong, gutsy, and loyal, Captain Claire Montoya has worked hard to earn the rank on her chest. In Evan, Claire sees a rigid officer who puts the rules before everything else—including his people. When the mission forces them together, Claire soon discovers that there is more to Evan than meets the eye. 

 He’s more than the rank on his chest; he’s a man with dark secrets and deep longings. For all their differences, Evan and Claire share two crucial passions: their country and each other.


Reviewed By: Bea

Bea's Thoughts:

This book cost me a night’s sleep. I kept trying to put it down and go to bed and every time it called my name and wouldn’t let me go. I was up until 3AM reading it. I started it one night, got to about 25% and went to bed, but the next night…oh, the next night. It was totally worth it.

Claire and Evan are two very likable people, though I empathized more with Claire. Evan’s rigidity was off-putting at times, not only for me but for Claire too. But as we get to know him better, and see beneath the surface, we understand why he is the way he is and we see that he is willing to step outside the lines, when convinced that it’s merited.

 Evan and Claire are scarred, both emotionally and physically. Events from their pasts have affected them; neither one has been in a serious relationship until they hook up about halfway through the story. While they have been interested in each other for years, they’ve also worked together both abroad in Iraq and back home in the US. Unfortunately, they usually clash when they work together. Evan is a career officer and believes in following the rules and orders while Claire started out enlisted before going to Officer Candidate School and becoming a captain; she’s more inclined to question things and take shortcuts.

“How can you be an officer and be that emotionally attached to everything you do?” “Because at least I give a shit about what I do. I may be loud and I may speak my mind, but no one will ever say I don’t care.” She took a single step backwards, crossing her arms over her chest. “How can you call yourself a leader when you don’t care about anything but doing what the commander wants? Those are people, not a means to an end, Evan. You get the right people in the job and the rest will take care of itself.” “That’s part of your problem, Claire. You might be good, but you’re not good enough to succeed on talent alone. You’re reckless. And you don’t believe in the rules. But they exist for a reason.” 

This difference in approach, and the resulting consequences, is a major source of conflict. Another major source is the drinking problem of an enlisted man, Reza, who is a friend of Claire’s. As they work together on their current mission, and deal with Reza’s drinking, they get past the barriers they’ve put up, and become closer physically and emotionally. Their relationship proceeds in fits and starts as they struggle with their feelings and their work.

Scott grabbed me from the start and never let go. While some things were predictable, it didn’t matter because I had to see what happened next. Scott weaves in details about the Army life and respectfully shows military life both stateside and during military engagements. It was a pleasure to read a military based story that was actually accurate yet not full of propaganda or cynicism. Scott’s characters are nuanced, realistic and a pleasure to spend time with. I also cared about the secondary characters and I want to know what happens with Reza, Sarah and Engle.

Although this is part of a series, it can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty.

“Until There Was You” is exciting, emotional and a joy to read. Go get a copy now!

I received an e-galley from the author for review.

This review first appeared at Romance at Random.

Review of Beneath A Rising Moon by Keri Arthur

Publisher: Dell
Series: Ripple Creek Werewolf #1
Release Date: July 31, 2012 (reprint)
Buying Links:    Amazon    The Book Depository     Barnes & Noble

Book Blurb (from goodreads):

Keri Arthur, the New York Times bestselling author of the Riley Jenson Guardian series, takes readers to the werewolf reservation of Ripple Creek—where moon fever runs high and a savage murderer runs rampant.

  There’s no turning back for Neva Grant. To find a killer, she must seduce the boldest male in the Sinclair pack. Her twin sister lies in a hospital bed, fighting for her life, the fourth and only surviving victim of a vicious attacker. The werewolf rangers suspect the Sinclair pack, and the only way Neva can infiltrate their close-knit ranks is to unleash the wildness within and offer herself to Duncan Sinclair.

Duncan’s appetite for women is legendary on the reservation. But when this new woman stirs his hunger, he finds his desire for her goes deeper than anything he’s ever felt before. When he realizes that she’s playing a game and he’s taken the bait, he is determined to push her to the breaking point. As Duncan and Neva engage in a dangerous dance, they must somehow find a way to join forces—before a cornered killer bites back.

Reviewed By: Bea

Bea's Thoughts:

If you’ve read Full Moon Rising or any of the Riley Jenson series, you’ll see some similarities between the werewolves in that series and this book: the wolves are out to the humans, the relationship between humans and werewolves is bumpy and the wolves are heavily regulated, the wolves have soul mates and moon dances. But, as Arthur makes sure to point out in a note at the beginning of the book, this book is set in a different world than the Riley books. It was in fact written and released, by Piatkus Books, before Full Moon Rising. This is a re-release.

The werewolves in this world live on reservations, though humans also live and work with them. They have their own police force, the rangers, who handle most of the law enforcing on the reservation. One of their own, Savannah Grant, was attacked and is in the local hospital in a coma. Her twin Neva, who shares a psychic connection to her and actually saw part of the attack through Savannah’s eyes, decides to take matters in her own hands and investigate.

 She goes undercover to look for the killer. A local wolf family, the Sinclairs, is the main suspect. The family has a mansion outside of town where they hold monthly “dances” i.e. get-togethers where wolves can hook up and give free rein to their sexual surges which surge at the full moon. Neva is from a family that believes wolves should wait to indulge until they find their soul mate. Neva has discretely had a few lovers here and there but is fairly inexperienced. She is anxious about attending the dance because she knows she’ll have to dance, i.e. have sex, with a strange wolf to accomplish her goal. Not just any wolf, but Duncan Sinclair, a son of the Sinclair pack leader, who had been away for ten years and returned home after the first couple murders. Neva thinks he may be the safest to hook up with as the rangers don’t consider him a suspect. He has a bad boy reputation due to his actions before he took off ten years but he seems to have calmed down.

Sinclair quickly realizes that Neva is there under false pretenses and decides she’s working for someone as a spy. He proceeds to treat her like dog doo that’s stuck to the bottom of his shoe and she lets him because she still wants to find the wolf that attacked her sister and is killing female werewolves. I admit, that bugged the crap out of me. Yes, Sinclair could be a nice guy but was he flat out cruel to her, coolly and calculatingly destroyed both her reputation and her relationship with her parents, and was a sexual tease. He ran hot and cold and had no problem using magic to make her do his bidding. The constant reference to the “dance” instead of calling it sex annoyed me. I understand that “dance” was the wolves’ term but it was used all of the time, which I found unrealistic. Seriously, no one ever refers to it as sex? It just felt forced and unnatural. Towards the end of the book Sinclair also makes a decision on Neva’s behalf that radically affects both of their lives but doesn’t tell her. “It wasn’t playing fair, it wasn’t giving her the choice, but in all honestly, he didn’t care.” And that is typical of his behavior all throughout the book. In my opinion, it didn’t make up for his behavior. He was very controlling and several times I wanted her to call a domestic abuse hotline. When their relationship turned “real” and not just an act to find her sister’s attacker, her tolerance of his behavior really bothered me. I’m still having trouble wrapping my head around it.

Another thing that bugged me was the double standard that Arthur employed. Sinclair liked Neva for her freshness, her lack of experience with the dance and her innocence; he often and callously referred to regulars at the dance as “well-used”. So did other males in his family. Hello, Mr. Hypocrite and Double Standard Bearer.

So, did I like ANYTHING? I did actually. I was sucked into the story immediately and stayed up late to finish it. I wanted to see what happened next and how things worked out. I liked Neva and I liked that Neva grew over the course of the book, a neat trick as the majority of the book occurs over a four day period. Arthur also did a good job showing us the differences between Neva and Savannah; they’re identical twins physically but different personality-wise. Arthur resisted the cliché of having a good twin/bad twin nor are they complete opposites, they both feel real. Sinclair, even with all his doucheness, also feels real and occasionally was quite likable. He and Neva both feel strong loyalty to their families and would do whatever was necessary to protect them. Savannah and Neva’s sibling relationship was strong but not perfect and I enjoyed their interactions. Their father was somewhat cardboard and could have been developed more but I did believe in his and his wife’s concern for Neva’s well-being. The conflict between their vision of Neva’s happiness and her vision was painfully real and something many readers will be able to empathize with.

I did figure out who the killer was but I had the motivation wrong. Arthur sprinkled real clues and red herrings throughout but it’s not too hard to identify the killer. I would have liked a bit more depth to the killer’s characterization but it worked. Neva and Sinclair eventually work together to track the killer and they were actually pretty decent at it for being amateurs. The mistakes they made were believable and not just there to move the story along. The trick some of the wolves have with baking soda (read the story to find out, it’s a minor spoiler) is a good detail and a nice touch.

The world building is well done, detailed but not overly so. I’d call the book a paranormal romantic suspense, though the emphasis was more on the sex and the relationship. I hope that Arthur will continue the series. There’s at least one more, Savannah’s story, as there was a blurb for it at the end of my book and I’ll be picking it up.

This review was first published at Romance at Random.

I received an eARC from the publisher.

I'm at Romance At Random Today with a Review

I have a guest review today over at Romance At Random, Random House's romance website and blog. I'm reviewing a new PNR, "Beneath A Rising Moon" by Keri Arthur. Come on over, say hi and see whether I loved or hated the book!